La Verdad Cafe Smok’n Soul food bbq — Restaurant in Buffalo

Wow... just wow. It's not often that I rate a place as perfect. I'm 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 hadn't 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 don't 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 wasn't packed this time and we didn't 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 don't 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 didn't 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 "We'll see you soon" with a warm smile on her face 😌

Notice how she didn't say "I hope we'll see you again" NOPE. she said "We will see you again soon." a declaration... 'cause THEY KNOW...

Now that I've tried La Verdad Cafe multiple times, I can give an honest review! Through the lip smacking finger licking and grunting of several meals I can say absolutely DELICIOUS every single time🤤😋!!!! Those of you who know, KNOW I can cook so it's a well seasoned palate of flavor judgment! Where to begin?.... The Portions, The flavor, the textures, or the price? Let's start off with You get what You pay for and Then some!!! For the Record I've taken to just eating the whole meal with my hands (even the Mac n cheese and green beans) 🤷 once I get started 🤤🤤🤤I forget the utensils and go caveman style!!!😂😂😂 Every box meal I've tried, I haven't been able to eat in one sitting! There is SO much yumminess!!! The ribs are absolutely finger licking delicious, the brisket just melted and pulled apart so well in my mouth and the juiciness!!! The pulled pork was tender moist flavored well and paired well with the barbeque sauce. The chicken 1/4s have been consistent in size and flavor everytime as have been all the Portions! Omg!!! So the Mac n cheese!!!! Let me tell you my other half said this is the FIRST Mac n cheese other than my own from ANYWHERE OTHER THAN GIGIs that I've said I liked, and she's RIGHT!!!! whether you get the regular Gouda Mac n cheese or if your in the mood for something a little spicier to spice things up, they have a jalapeno version as well, both just as delicious! The baked beans will leave your mouth watering for one more bite they're so good!!!!! And don't get me started on the kale apple slaw!!!! It's amazing!!! Even if you don't like coleslaw ( like me) still give it a try you won't be disappointed absolutely loveed it!!!! The cornbread is like a vanilla cornbread cake, a delicious change up and perfect balance of a light vanilla aftertouch that just accented the flavor nicely. I've yet to get to dig into today's feast "Big Back Box Crew" but I already know what to expect! For $55 it's an enormous meal that we'll both have dinner tonight, and possibly lunch and dinner tomorrow as well!!! I can say I'm truly happy and blessed to find a Soulfood restaurant so close to my office! Warning: DO NOT I REPEAT TO NOT WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE OWNER EATING ONE OF HER BOXES ON FACEBOOK, (UNLESS IT'S WHILE THEY'RE OPEN), OR YOU'LL BE FIENDING LIKE I WAS UNTIL THEY'RE OPEN TO TRY IT!!!!! That first time having a three day wait from Sunday to Wed (Theyre only open Wed until 3pm & Thurs and Fri until 7pm) was absolute torture!!! It was Well worth the wait though!!! They definitely have not disappointed!!!!! Highly recommend...

When 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 can't 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 wouldn't 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 would've like it better if it was taken out, and that's the skin. Skin that isn't 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...