Vargas on Niagara
Marcos Vargas has had a slew of restaurant locations around the West Side of Buffalo in his 24 years of doing business here, but the latest move to Niagara Street has got to be the best yet.
Vargas hails from Puerto Rico. Before Buffalo, he had restaurants in New Jersey and on 57th Street in Brooklyn. This is a family business, and customer loyalty is built in, which is one of the reasons Vargas manages to keep his prices so low. You can get your salty/sweet and crunchy craving fix at Vargas for well under $10.
I had never had a pienono before, and even though I haven't eaten meat in quite some time, I couldn't resist the look of it. One bite led to many more, and though I'm not suggesting anyone convert for the sake of the experience, those of you who get your protein the meaty way will want to try one of these. Ready for the price? $1.50.
The top and bottom crust is a batter made mostly of egg, the filling is ground beef and spices, and the outer ring (which I visually mistook for a very thick slab of bacon) is a lengthwise slice of plantain that lends a sweetness to every bite. If this is Puerto Rico's version of a hamburger, good for them.
As I asked Vargas questions about the food and the restaurant, the customers chimed in too. Lest you think this had anything to do with a language barrier, forget that notion; this is the closest you'll ever get to walking into someone's kitchen and being part of the family. They answered his questions for him because, well...they knew the answers.
When I asked if the girl who brought me my drink--and suggested the fish--was his daughter (seen here with her daughter), Vargas answered that she was just a regular neighborhood customer. "I see the same faces every day," Vargas said. "My customers are like family."
"So how do you keep your prices so low?" I asked.
"Shhhhh," Ramone (aka Suave) joked, "when you come back they'll be higher."
Vargas brushed it off with, "I want to keep them coming."
The sandwich board in the top image gives a pretty good idea of the menu, but some staples are as follows:
Pastelillos (pork pockets) -- $1.50
Quesitos (sweet pastry) --$1.00
Rice and Beans (without meat) --$3.00 (with pork or chicken) --$7.00
Vargas
469 Niagara Street
Though the sign says 11 to 6, Vargas says he's open from 10:30 to 6:30 daily.
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sbrof
ohh it looks delicious...
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Pauldub
The Pastellilos with Rice & Beans. Food for the Gods. No lie. (Not real big on Plaintain)
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dcoffee
I always wanted to visit this place. I used to drive by it on Hudson. This makes me want to go even more!
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MeliQ
Oh man--Pienonos! Niagara Cafe is good but doesn't make these little wonders. I will definately be stopping by for a few of those. Puerto Rico has such great cuisine that is definately underepresented here in Buffalo despite the large Puerto Rican community. It's nice to see another restaurant choice for PR food.
I know money is kind of tight but with some urban development and small business loans, we could have our own little Spanish Harlem or more appropriately Little San Juan here on the Lower West Side. It should be full of little bodegas, Latino restaurantes, pastry shops (Latinos make mad-good desserts), stores and boutiques. It's unfortunate that the Latino community here is not living up to it's potential. Where are the community organizers?
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Colin
They heard Palin's speech and quit in shame.
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Divaliciousone1975
Ok I am totally up for going to little treasure. Meli Q I totally agree that Buffalo having it's own "Little San Juan" would be a most excellent and welcome addition to the area. It be a great success if it was limited to 10-15 locations of varies types and styles. I would totally like to go to a little PR supper club that had great food and special events. Just like in the African-American community these place may exist but they are not centrally located, not placed in the neighborhoods of their roots, or get destroyed by crime. I just have one question, "Can't we have nice things too?"
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Divaliciousone1975
Ok I am totally up for going to little treasure. Meli Q I totally agree that Buffalo having it's own "Little San Juan" would be a most excellent and welcome addition to the area. It be a great success if it was limited to 10-15 locations of varies types and styles. I would totally like to go to a little PR supper club that had great food and special events. Just like in the African-American community these place may exist but they are not centrally located, not placed in the neighborhoods of their roots, or get destroyed by crime. I just have one question, "Can't we have nice things too?"
Report this
Divaliciousone1975
Ok I am totally up for going to little treasure. Meli Q I totally agree that Buffalo having it's own "Little San Juan" would be a most excellent and welcome addition to the area. It be a great success if it was limited to 10-15 locations of varies types and styles. I would totally like to go to a little PR supper club that had great food and special events. Just like in the African-American community these place may exist but they are not centrally located, not placed in the neighborhoods of their roots, or get destroyed by crime. I just have one question, "Can't we have nice things too?"
Report this