La Verdad Cafe in Buffalo
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Buffalo, Erie County, New York, US
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Best BBQ Ive ever had! I got the burnt ends and also a brisket taco. The ends were perfectly cooked and the sauce was perfect, smokey and sweet with a perfect amount of heat on the back end.The brisket taco was huge, I could barely close it. The yellow rice inside of it was incredible. Will definitely be back. Bartender and hostess were very friendly as I waited for takeout.
They really know what theyre crafting at La Verdad Café, thats the truth. The BBQ was all tender and delicious, lots of good smoke flavor and seasoning. Portions are very generous and meal deals are well thought out. I tried a mock tail that was very refreshing and the house made ginger ale that was very excellent. The Mac and cheese and beans were very well executed also. In short, I cant wait to go back!
Me and my family were on town to visit niagara falls back in March. I was craving anything smoked and my brothers love brisket. I have to crave ribs and love smoked anything pretty much so we searched and this place popped up. She just opened it recently street having another place where she does carryout. The owner was extremely welcoming and her food was amazing. The kids begged for more cornbread and the kale slaw was great. Her prices are really good for what she is serving. Even both my kids, 4 and 7 loved the ribs. The brisket was delicious and the staff was absolutely pleasant. I hope she gets to expand in the future and keeps doing what shes doing. Everything was great and definitely one of the handful of places we have tipped more than 50 percent. They didnt just do their jobs, they treated us like family. We will be back every time we drive through!
We found this great restaurant through a basic Google search. We were on our way to Niagara Falls and it was getting late. What a terrific experience!. The staff was friendly. The food was wonderful. I highly recommend the Mac and cheese and the pork tacos. The Cole slaw is amazing. The owner is a doll. She sent out an extra taco after stopping by our table to chat. Wish I lived closer so I could visit this place again.
So I can truly only speak on the rice bowls because those are my favorite items on the menu. The sauce they put on the rice bowls is delicious. I always ask for extra. The grilled veggies and Cajun shrimp are nice adds along with the peppers and onions. The owner is so nice. She always takes the time to come out of the kitchen to speak with her customers. They also have a really refreshing blueberry lemonade. Ive sent my cousins to try the food and theyve loved it thus far.
I don’t write reviews often but I HAD TO for this place! The owner was extremely welcoming and greeted me and thanked me for coming in. The FOOD.... lord have mercy I expected it to be great but that was outstanding!!! So much flavor in every bite! I never had kaleapple slaw and and not crazy about a coleslaw type of thing but let me tell you I could eat that whole container but I’m stuffed!! Very generous portions and they even give you a piece of DELICIOUS cornbread on the side! The cornbread is so soft and better than any I’ve ever had. I’ve been craving an authentic comforting plate of soul food for the longest time and this hit the spot. Highly recommend. I will be back❤️
Pastor Robinson catered my rehearsal dinner. The food was amazing. All of it. I had no idea cornbread could be so most. We had pulled pork, smoked chicken, mac n cheese and kale slaw. She even threw in smoked sausage, which was so delicious. My family was thoroughly impressed. Pastor Robinson dropped the food off and helped set it up. We had leftovers that we were able to donate to a church. I would give 10 stars if I could!
Went to La Verdad Cafe for lunch with a group of friends. Staff was very friendly and service was excellent. I had a pulled chicken taco and a brisket and bacon sandwich. Both were delicious. I would definitely go back again and try more items on the menu. My three friends also were very happy with their meals. The restaurant is a hidden gem and I hope people travel into Lovejoy to support it!
If you have not been to La Verdad, then what are you waiting for?!! The food is exceptionally delicious! I mean the meats just fall right off the bones and melt right in your mouth! Not only that, the service is EXCELLENT!! Mrs. Vivian and her staff goes above and beyond to make sure her customers are pleased! We had my daughters birthday dinner here, and EVERYONE was pleased and full with both the food and customer service! We have no complaints!
Ive had the food here before for takeout & it was excellent. This is about their abysmal service. We were sat right away. But sat without menus with our 3 year old in our lap for 15 minutes without being greeted, without drinks without anything. As we watched about 8 front of house staff members tend to 4 tables all 2 tops and 1 4 top. We eventually just left. Dont think Ill ever be back. Not sure how they got all these great reviews with treatment like that. The food is great though. But customer service is just as important
Was finally able to try this place after seeing so many good reviews. Everything positive that has been mentioned was spot on. Food is really, really good. I had the burnt end rice bowl. The burnt ends were so moist and the rice was very tasty! Its nice to see a BBQ place that serves burnt ends.My friend had the tacos and she couldnt stop going on about how good they were.The staff (every single one) were as friendly as others have mentioned and the owner was amazing. Checking on us and letting us know how they prepared the food before we ordered.If youre into BBQ, this is the place. If youre not into BBQ, try this place anyway. It will almost definitely change your mind.Looking forward to getting back and try something else.
Go. Now. Dont wait. You will not be disappointed. I recommend everything. And make sure you get a fresh smoothie. I took mine to go and its the best smoothie Ive ever had. The ribs have no comparison in Buffalo. The rice bowls are unreal and the flavor of everything is out of this world.
Saw the high reviews on google, tried the brisket sandwich along with the burnt ends and pulled pork tacos. Everything was excellent 💯 recommend the tacos. The entire staff was a pleasure to be around and made it feel like I was sitting down at my own table. Really an enjoyable experience.
This place is absolutely wonderful. The food is beyond fantastic, and portions are generous. However, matching the quality of the food is the quality of the service. Ms. Vivian fosters a sense of family for her employees and her customers like nothing Ive ever seen before. She knows the majority of her customers by name, and she recognized me coming in after having only been there once, almost 6 months prior.The first time I came in, Vivian and I chatted briefly about good barbeque, and she let me sample the ribs after I had the amazing Stretch Mark sandwich. Then, as I was finishing off a slice of cheesecake, she insisted I take a pulled pork sandwich from an order that was cancelled home with me.I really cant overstate how awesome this place and these people are.
I stopped in last weekend and picked up a bunch of food as a pay back to my pod for what my friends did for me during the long winter of the pandemic. I put faith in the reviews! WOW!! The food is delicious!! The burnt ends, the brisket, the chicken, the sides, and oh boy the ribs!! Fantastic!! And a big shout out to the staff for being so warm and friendly !! I even got a tour of the quaint tavern restaurant and the surprisingly large covered patio in the back, Love you guys and we will be back! 😍
Great food, everything was delicious. My wife and I have the best time here.One of the best bbq places in Buffalo, the service is top notch. They have a very nice patio with live Jazz, the owners are very friendly and genuine nice people. We are coming back...I have try those Ribs 👍👍
Great friendly service from all. Brisket tacos best ever. Rice bowls were delicious. $20 deal for two tacos, two sliders, two rice bowls and two non alcohol drinks is the deal of all deals. Brisket sandwiches with mac awesome. Great sauce to boot. Using for family event in two days.
I was visiting Buffalo and I stumbled upon this place on a Friday night. It is amazing. Anyone would feel welcome here with its diverse clientele. Best BBQ beef ribs I have ever had: the sauce was perfect (IMO) and the beef was so tender you could cut it with plastic tableware. The sides were creative and incredible. The staff is very friendly and upbeat. The portions are ample (be careful) and everything is very reasonably priced. All this in the Lovejoy neighborhood, no less. I will be back!
I had the $20 Deal of the day which came with 2 brisket rice bowls, 2 tacos, and 2 sliders. The tacos were huge and packed with meat and this was more than enough food for my fiance and I. The rice bowls were outstanding and unique at a bbq joint. The brisket on both the rice bowls and sliders was just so juicy and such amazing smoke flavor.
This was hard to decide on 3 or 4 stars. Pulled pork and brisket were very good. Sides were amazing. However, the 2nd time i went there to try the ribs, i got a huge rack of ribs that were severely undercooked. Frankly the ribs were awful. Maybe i had an isolated experience because everything else i had there was great. I was shocked at how bad the ribs were. The meat should come off the bone easily...these were so tough and undercooked that they were pretty much inedible.
Definitely recommend!!! Im not even a huge BBQ lover but the brisket and rice bowl was amazing. I love the sauce. The shrimp and rice was also very good. The owner was there and she was so friendly. Came out and introduced herself individually to all customers and had a little conversation with everyone. Definitely left a good impression on me. I will be returning. The girl who took my order was also very friendly and even let me tast the brisket burnt ends. Sooo tender and tasty. Its worth trying!
It was a lovely place, however my only complaint was that I ordered a pulled chicken rice bowl and a peach crisp and receive da pulled pork rice bowl and apple crisp instead! The blueberry lemonade was very delicious and refreshing! Hopefully next time I actually get to try the pulled chicken rice bowl
The staff was so friendly, I walked in to order pickup and was greeted with a water and popcorn with some basic bbq seasoning on it, before I knew it my food was ready to go. The gouda mac tasted like my moms homemade mac. The mashed potatoes were great. The brisket was fork tender.
Wow... just wow. Its not often that I rate a place as perfect. Im a tough critic and usually dock places for something; but La Verdad Cafe earned every one of these 5 stars and then some. I wish I could give it a bonus 6th star. A+++That said let me tell you about both of my experiences with them.First time I went to this restaurant, I ordered to-go, and they were packed, with a bunch of delivery orders and a bunch of to-go orders waiting on food, and all of the dining tables were occupied as well. I ended up waiting over an hour for my food, and admittedly I was starting to get annoyed by the wait, BUT, the owner, Vivian, came out FROM THE KITCHEN(yes she cooks the food too. She does it all. I even saw her bring some food out to some of the folks dining) and apologized to the entire group of people that were waiting for their food a long time, explaining to us that they were overloaded and they were trying their best and to hold on just a little longer, and then she offered everyone a free dessert as a sort of apologetic gesture!!! She sounded so kind and sincere/genuine, my annoyance immediately melted away. I hadnt even tried the food yet at this point, but with this gesture she immediately earned a loyal customer.That was above and beyond in my eyes. Places dont have to do all that. But she cares about her customers and the quality of their experience at her restaurant.Now let me tell you about the food that night. When I finally got home with my food, I took ONE, just ONE bite and immediately knew it was worth every minute of the wait. Good lord Jesus it was a literal flavor explosion in my mouth. Every last thing I ordered was top notch. Sublime. Mouthwatering. Juicy. Tantalizing. My taste buds were transported to flavor heaven where they were massaged by a million microscopic flavor angels. I had the pulled pork rice bowl, the gouda mac n cheese, the these beans are mean, and the mashed potatoes, and I STRONGLY recommend every last thing I ordered. I cannot stress enough that this food is top tier and worth every penny and worth every minute. Do yourself a favor and try it.The second time I went to this top-tier establishment, I decided to dine-in instead, and I brought my wife. It wasnt packed this time and we didnt have to wait long for ANYTHING. The dine-in experience was even more godlike!!! Our waitress, Jasmine, was pleasant and attentive. We were given water in fanciful glasses, and given complimentary popcorn that was seasoned in a soul food kind of way while we waited for out entrees... Cajun seasoning or something like that. I dont know but it was delicious and my wife and I devoured 2 bowls. We ordered two of their house specialty drinks (homemade ginger beer and blueberry lemonade) both of which were delicious. My wife ordered the burnt ends rice bowl, and I tried the stretch mark sandwich, and you can pretty much refer to my above description of my first order for this food too. It was TOO GOSH DARN GOOD. It was like my mouth discovered a level of flavor I didnt even know was possible. The meat has that super tender quality. That fall right off the bone texture... But what really sent the dine-in experience over the top, was that Vivian, the owner, came out to talk to us TWICE. What restaurants owners do you know that do that? It was a first time for me. She was so kind and made sure we liked the food (which of course we did, that there is a woman that knows how to cook it up with THE BEST OF THEM. Like seriously, watch out Ramsey!!) But yeah my wife also fell in love with the food and the place in general. They earned two loyal and longterm customers.They play really good soulful music, too. It was jazz the first time I went, and classic RnB/soul the second time. Really adds to the ambiance.When my wife and I left, two of the workers wished us well and one of them even said Well see you soon with a warm smile on her face 😌Notice how she didnt say I hope well see you again NOPE. she said We will see you again soon. a declaration... cause THEY KNOW THEYRE GODLIKE!!!
Stopped in because I was in need for lunch and it was very close by. Ordered the daily special to go and it was one of my most enjoyable sandwiches ever. The meal was prepared with great time and effort from the very personable owner and chef. I highly recommend this place. Additionally, all the food that my company had enjoyed their meals just as much as I did. The atmosphere is very homey and delicate, and would be a great place for a date or a bite to eat when seeking quality food. I will definitely be back again!
As a former KCBS judge I have had some amazing brisket and some really bad brisket. The brisket served here is some of the best tasting brisket Ive had in a BBQ restaurant! I had Stretch Mark Sandwich when I visited here and it was outstanding. The brisket was smokey and tender. Not overly sauced or mushy. As a bonus the service was very friendly and the owner when she delivered my food took the time to chat for a moment and make me feel welcome. If I lived closer Id be eating here very often! I highly recommend this restaurant as a lunch destination.
We randomly ordered takeout from La Verdad tonight, and it was just awesome. Upon pickup, everyone was so nice there...like really really friendly and genuine. We got tips, brisket, bbq chicken, baked beans, gouda mac n cheese, and the kale apple slaw. Each and everything was perfectly cooked and so delicious. Their bbq is one of a kind for sure...very original, obviously homemade, and so packed with flavor. We will be going there routinely whenever we are craving bbq.
Good tasting food. Its a bit heavy greasy and does need some side greenery. Its a reason that some I know who have not returned. Buffalo is a obesed city and resturants should make sure you cut the grease and heaviness with a some greeney. Just a customers suggestion. Returned from DC its an observationhow people eat here.
Visited La Verdad for a late lunch today, after hearing so much about it recently. The owner greeted my friend and I upon arrival and was very sweet, as was the rest of the staff.I ordered the pulled pork rice bowl, gouda mac and cheese, and the mean green smoothie. Altogether I think it was around $15, which I thought was extremely reasonable. I even asked for the smaller sizes, and its still enough for two meals (for me anyway). The pulled pork is arguably the best Ive ever had, and the special sauce on top was absolutely phenomenal. The smoothie was also extremely good. Mac and cheese was good as well, and I want to try the jalapeño one next time. I am already dying to go back and havent even finished my meal yet.10/10 would recommend.
It took me awhile to get here since I live in the neighborhood and was well worth it! Got greeted by the owner very wonderful nice lady we got chicken rice bowl and baked beans to go. The chicken was Smokey and the sauce was so flavorful so was the beans the sauce was great! Ill be back on lovejoy to have some brisket coleslaw and maybe some of that pecan pie a must if you like some good smoked meat like chicken,ribs,brisket you have to come down to La Verdad
Me and my Fiancé recently heard about this place through a friend from out of state! We love trying new places and we were excited to get some good ol BBQ. Let me just start by saying we walked in and everyone was so friendly, it was honestly so refreshing because lately it seems most people are miserable to work. BUT NOT HERE! These workers were so genuine and that alone makes for a great review. Obviously y’all wanna hear about the food though... so let me tell you all... RUN! Don’t walk... RUN! Lol this food was AH-MAZE-ING! It was so good and we ended up having to eat our food three hours after it was made because something came up! I didn’t even have to reheat my food for it to taste good! I’m telling y’all, this is the spot to be this summer and I will be back frequently!
Wow! Outstanding! Delicious! These are just a few words that my taste buds scream. I absolutely hands-down recommend going to this place. If you like food that is made with love this is the place for you, you can taste the difference! From the smile that you get from the staff when you walk in the door to the gracious offering if you want to taste something to make sure you truly will like it and enjoy it. They are a locally made, grown and operated restaurant. Located in the heart of Lovejoy. I promise you if you eat their food you will not be disappointed!
Stopped in after seeing the Burnt Ends Ricebowl picture online. Got it and it was incredibly good. Meat was tender lean brisket, with a special sauce over yellow rice. Not to mention the owner and staff were incredibly nice. Im very impressed. This place is highly recommended by me for sure.
Everything was cooked perfectly and hot to boot...they even had everything ready to eat on a Sunday. Super generous helpings...all were raving about the ribs, yummy tender chicken, burnt ends, and the mashed potatoes both sweet and regular, my personal favorites were the beans and coleslaw
Food was excellent! I would highly recommend La Verdad. The owner was friendly and our lunch was great - burnt ends and brisket rice bowl and the truth sandwich- a smoked buffalo chicken sandwich were outstanding and we loved the jalapeño mac and cheese. We even got to sample ribs and kale slaw- we will go back.
My pulled pork sandwich was extremely fresh and delicious for $5 I couldnt even finish it. My boyfriend got the stretchmark brisket sandwich which came topped with huge servings of homemade jalapeno mac and cheese and the kaleslaw which was $13 but worth every cent. I would highly recommend this amazing homemade bbq heartwarming cafe. The smoothies are delicious also.
We lived in Texas for ten years and we didnt have any barbecue that was better than this. I had the stretch mark sandwich which was incredibly delicious. The prices were very reasonable and employees were all extremely friendly. I would highly recommend this establishment.
We are visiting the city of Buffalo, we got this place on Google., GOD !!! The food is AMAZING, the Daiquiris is DELICIOUS, excellent atmosphere, the service is excellent and the owner, very kind to the customers, she approached the tables to say hello and ask how the food was, I recommend it.
Uhhhhh can’t stress enough what a good experience I had at this place. This place & this food is full of love. Pulled pork was some of the most tender & flavorful I’ve ever had & they just really went out of their way to let me know they really cared if I enjoyed my meal. Love this place!
Just went- very lovely cafe, and an even lovelier owner! Was really nice and interacted, seemed very passionate (I loved the name which was partially what drew us) and I’m excited to see where the place goes! Will definitely be going back for another taco Tuesday, and next time I’m getting the brisket taco!
The mood inspired by a rainy day in lovejoy is not how I prefer to discover a new eatery, but fate is deliciously fickle. Wandering into La Verdad, which recently started serving breakfast and lunch felt like a short pause in the storm. If youre paying attention, youll know when you are in a place thats there for the food, and connecting with the people who eat it, and this is one of those places. Everyone I met from the moment the door opened until I left smiled genuinely. The faintest smell of the smoker lingered and got my taste buds anxious for brisket.The sandwich was delivered informally by way of a server calling out my name and arrived in styrofoam bursting with pulled pork, macaroni and cheese and kale and apple coleslaw. The food was so genuinely delicious and the unexpected tastes went down so smoothly and practically unnoticed by the part of my brain that tells me to stop, that I had to restrain myself from ordering another.
Oh my goodness...where do I begin?! All I can say is EVERYTHING is delicious! There are certain foods that I dont even eat....(like eggplant) and (garbanzo beans) but when I say that Vivian Robinson can make anything delicious.....that is thee truth!Love love love it! And I love you guys!
What a wonderful experience the food was delicious I ordered the ribs and brisket in the mac and cheese with jalapenos talk about delicious when I eat the ribs I had to use a fork which didnt work the brisket delicate and delicious it was like cutting through did mac and cheese very tasty had just enough I will definitely be going back
The food was nasty only tried it because of my landlord.i gave them the baked beans they now serve and I was never paid back for it only to show up and get over charged for something I helped with the dessert are store bought and not really made their and the coffee is nasty and the manager with sit in the cafe and gossip about costumers to other employees and who ever will listen
Total reviews rating 4.9
181 Reviews for La Verdad Cafe 2023:
Review №1
2021-07-02Incredible, melt in your mouth bbq. We got the Dino bone and it was the best Dino bone I have ever had. Excellent service and we met the lovely owner :) highly recommend!
Review №2
2021-05-23When it comes to BBQ, many places claim they are the best. But when you give them a shot, they end up missing the mark. La Verdad went beyond hitting the mark, they hit dead center for a bullseye. Like many other Yelpers, I came here for a the elite event. They were featuring a meat slider with your choice of protein. With a side of bbq beans or a kale slaw. It also came with a free can of pop ($10). The other option was the Veggie rice bowl, also with the same choices of sides ($10). My wife and I both ordered the stretch mark brisket sandwich, top with mac&cheese, kale slaw, and bbq sauce. The brisket was soft as butter, and the smoke taste was just right. I enjoyed the kale slaw inside the sandwich, it gave a nice break from the smokiness of the meat. We also ordered their tacos ($4-$5 depending on protein). We tried their chicken, two pulled porks, and the brisket. You have a choice of toppings (kale slaw, yellow rice), and I believe their is one other topping but I cant remember. The tacos ( Soft shell tortillas) came pack, with meat and toppings. Again the meat was nicely smoked, and the toppings was a good compliment to the meat. La Verdads is going to give alot of bbq joints, in Buffalo a run for their money. I would like to suggest a few things though. As good as the smoke meat were, they all tasted the same. If you were blindfoled you wouldnt be able to tell, what meat you were eating. So if they could season the meats differently, that would be alot better. Also for the toppings for the tacos, it would be wonderful to have a mango salsa choice. Another thing regarding the tacos (chicken), not sure if this is supposed to be included. But I wouldve like it better if it was taken out, and thats the skin. Skin that isnt crispy, just adds a rubbery texture to your meal. Lastly, the wait time is extremely long, we waited an hour for the food to arrive. I know good food takes time, but this was a bit to long. I will be back very soon, the food is really good.
Review №3
2021-05-07First off let me start off by saying the minute we walked in we where greeted by nothing more then pure happiness by the staff .Every staff member was absolutely amazing and when you meet the owner you will understand why not only does she has a passion for amazing bbq but you can tell she is pouring every once of her heart and soul into this amazing restaurant. Honestly what a Amazing experience. NOW lets get down to the BBQ. WOOOW I have read the reviews and even was told to come here from bbq places out of state and boy i was blown away .This bbq is smack your mama good . Every item we tried was absolutely amazing .and we had to eat it 3hrs later due to other plains. PLEASE support #laverdadcafe you will not regret it. I also believe that the owner is a Veteran. what more of a reason do you need to support this amazing local business 5☆☆☆☆☆ all day
Review №4
2020-09-29Excellent locally owned BBQ Restaurant with a very friendly family that owns and runs this restaurant. Had a combo platter . Brisket, ribs, sausage, turkey and pulled pork were all spot on. Had cheesy shrimp and grits that were also fantastic. Highly recommend this for any BBQ fan
Review №5
2022-05-10Love serving the people and putting a smile on their faces. Voted the # 1 Bbq spot in the state of New York 2020. Featured in a cooking competition in 2021. Takes pride in making sure that the food and customers are always on point. Due to a little setback, we are excited about to seeing the new La Verdad Cafe Deli Takeout and food truck.
Review №6
2021-04-13Absolutely delicious smoked barbecue. If youre a person who leaves a restaurant hungry, order the Garbage Truck! Blueberry lemonade is delicious!
Review №7
2020-02-26What an amazing place! When my husband and I first walked in, we were greeted by smiling faces and offered samples of burnt ends and brisket- as soon as I tasted those I was hooked! After combing through the menu and asking a few questions we ordered and sat down. Our food was brought out to us about ten minutes later. WOW! Just wow. Amazing! We ordered the burnt ends sandwich and pulled pork sandwich with a large side of jalapeño Mac and cheese. I ate the pulled pork. The coleslaw on its own was the best Ive ever had (I love coleslaw!)- seriously. The pulled pork sandwich that I ordered traditionally comes with mac and cheese on it but I asked them to skip it and they did with no issues. The pork itself was perfect with an amazing BBQ sauce. The side of jalapeño Mac and cheese was amazing, made with real cheese not that gooey cheese sauce some BBQ joints serve. I cant say enough how wonderful the staff is, and the food speaks for itself. Seriously amazing, we cannot wait to go back!!
Review №8
2020-02-29Everyone working there was super friendly, to the point where we felt like part of the family. Not sure what to try? Burnt ends bowl, brisket, kale apple slaw, mac and cheese... even tacos and burritos. They do a really good job, everything was phenomenal.
Review №9
2019-08-31Awesome food with even better owners!! Do not hesitate to get some brisket, ribs, bbq chicken, or mac and cheese!! All of it is amazing!!
Review №10
2019-04-26If you havent been here you need to drop everything youre doing and go. The food is incredible. The brisket has incredible flavor and the rice is cooked to perfection. The Mac and cheese and coleslaw is top notch. Will definitely be coming back here.