Niagara Cafe & BBQ
People who know Hispanic food come from miles around to eat at the new Niagara Cafe and BBQ. The Niagara Cafe has been around since '93, but about a year ago they made a pretty smart move to a new location on Niagara. The eatery only moved a few doors down, but between the small amount of publicity, the addition of items to the menu, the quaint space, and the fact that the food is marvelous, they really hit the nail on the head with the new location.
Owners, Raul and Maria, took over the Wish-Bone restaurant in order to downsize from the old location, which was kitty-corner to The Rendezvous. The old space was very 'diner-esque' in appearance and did not lend itself well to traditional Hispanic home cooking. The new location is very homey. There is a small first floor where many of the to-go orders are picked up, and there is a small eating area on the second floor with cozy booths and traditional Hispanic murals on the wall.
I spoke with a customer who was waiting for a pick-up order, and he told me that he was there for the ribs, but to try the rotisserie chicken. Wish-Bone (the previous restaurant in this location) was well known throughout Buffalo for this chicken, so when NC moved into the space they decided to leave it on the menu. There were about a dozen birds slowly cooking when I peered into the rotisserie. I ate a few times at the old location and can tell you that there are some dishes that might be familiar to the general public, but most dishes are very ethnic in look, taste, and smell. The best thing to do is ask advice from one of the servers as to what to order. Raul describes the dishes as 'spicy American food'. The menu is not in English, but there are English 'subtitles'(for those of us whose Spanish might be rusty) to guide us.
The menu ranges from tripe stew to ham and cheese sandwiches. There is even a vegetarian selection of yellow rice and beans, garden salad, burrito, and tostones. You can find freedom fries on the menu along with tacos, fish fry (of course), stews and pork, meat pies and chops, and even chicken fingers for picky kids. The portions are a good size... maybe that is why all of the menus have Nate Clemens' (#22 for the Buffalo Bills) signature and a note from him raving about the food.
The new spot is also a bit noisier than the old joint. Why? Because that is what Raul likes, and so do the customers. The last spot was stripped of character. At the new location there is a TV playing old Westerns (from what I saw), music in the background, and healthy conversation buzzing from both the customers and the staff. "This is how it's supposed to be. This is what you would find at a restaurant down in South America. This is authentic." And he's right. I immediately took to the new flavor of the cafe.
The Niagara Cafe is seconds from the Peace Bridge, D'Youville College, City Hall, Columbus Park, the 190, and the Niagara River. It's located at 549 Niagara Street and is open Mon - Sat 11:00am to 10:00pm and Sun from 11:00am to 8:00pm.
As an East Side resident who spends alot of time downtown, I had several friends tell me about the Niagara Cafe when I asked about a place to grab a quick,cheap lunch, Their lunch specials are amazing! ( Try the stewed chicken its terrific) for under $6 you will get a huge plate with rice and beans.Also give the passionfruit drink a try it was wonderful.
We love it here!
I think it is awsome I love the food and when I go to buffalo all I want is to go there.
me encant la comida hispana