This is my second time coming here. It was a yelp event that brought us here first and it was…read moreamazing. I will say parking is street parking or side streets and can get a little crazy on weekends. Service is always great and you feel like you are a part of the family here. Food is always fresh and amazing. Anytime I am near here we stop regardless of being hungry or not. I absolutely am obsessed with their vaca frita and black beans. It's a huge portion so leftovers are always good. My boyfriend always orders their cubano as he said it is the best one he has ever had. Their Maduros are also sweet and crisp and never greasy. We also tried their choripan sandwich and it was awesome. We've never had thinly sliced chorizo which eliminates the usual oil and messiness. Always an amazing meal. We also tried their pineapple Cuban smoothie and ended the meal with their delicious flan.

I would give Cha Cha in Kenilworth 2 stars…read more This was my first visit, and while the service was friendly and welcoming, the food itself was very disappointing. I appreciated the complimentary yuca fritters with special sauce, which was a kind gesture. However, the overall quality, freshness, and authenticity of the main dishes did not meet expectations. Parking is very limited street parking. The Cuban breaded steak was the biggest disappointment. A proper Cuban-style breaded steak should be thin, tender, savory, garlicky, slightly citrusy, well-seasoned, evenly breaded, and pan-fried until crisp and golden. The version I received tasted oddly sweet, the breading separated from the meat, and the steak had a gummy texture with an old-looking color. It did not have the freshness or clean savory flavor expected from this classic dish. The red beans were very concerning. They tasted strongly like vinegar, and I had to spit them out. When I looked closer, there appeared to be a white, murky-looking substance in them. Beans should never taste sour or vinegary unless something is wrong. Cuban-style red beans should be creamy, savory, aromatic, and well-seasoned with garlic, onion, peppers, cumin, oregano, and bay leaves. The white rice was also not acceptable. It was hard, did not taste fresh, and had a vinegar-like smell and flavor. It appeared as if older rice may have been mixed with newer rice. Proper Cuban white rice should be fluffy, clean-tasting, separated, and neutral in flavor. The moro with black beans and rice was better than the white rice, but still lacked depth. It needed more bay leaf flavor and stronger Cuban seasoning. A good moro should have a rich, savory base from sofrito, garlic, peppers, onions, beans, broth, herbs, and slow cooking so the rice absorbs the flavor. The oxtail was tender and okay, but it did not fully deliver the deep, rich Cuban-style flavor I expected. Traditional Cuban oxtail should be slow-braised with garlic, onions, peppers, tomato sauce, wine, herbs, and spices until the sauce becomes rich and the meat is deeply seasoned. This oxtail tasted acceptable, but it seemed as though it may have been prepared a day or two before and reheated. I understand that many restaurants legally prepare certain foods a day ahead, especially dishes like beans, stews, and oxtail. However, food should still taste fresh and be stored, cooled, reheated, and handled according to food safety standards. Sour or vinegar-like flavors in rice or beans can sometimes indicate fermentation, spoilage, or improper storage, and that should never reach the customer. The best part of the meal was the dessert. The vanilla flan was very good, and the coconut flan was excellent. The coconut flan was rich, creamy, and full of coconut flavor, with shredded coconut pieces that added texture and made it stand out. That dessert showed real potential. The prices were reasonable, but reasonable pricing does not make up for poor freshness and low food quality. It did look like they may do better with sandwiches and empanadas, which I did not try and perhaps should have ordered first. I cook Cuban food, Puerto Rican food, and other traditional dishes myself, and I lived in Miami for over nine years. I also learned from Cuban friends who cook authentic Cuban food at home. Because of that, I know how these dishes should taste. In my opinion, the dishes I tried did not represent Cuban cuisine with the freshness, authenticity, seasoning, or care it deserves. The restaurant may have people who know how to cook, but based on this visit, it seems the kitchen has lost some of the authenticity and discipline needed to serve fresh, properly prepared Cuban food. Food that tastes sour, vinegary, old, or questionable should never be served to customers. The service and desserts were the highlights, but the main dishes need serious improvement in freshness, food handling, seasoning, and respect for authentic Cuban cuisine. There are several areas that need improvement. Freshness and food safety should be the main priority. Rice and beans should never taste sour or vinegary unless intentionally prepared that way, and food that seems old or questionable should not be served. The breaded steak should be freshly breaded, crispy outside, tender inside, and properly seasoned with authentic Cuban flavors like garlic, citrus, cumin, oregano, and bay leaves. The rice should be fluffy, the beans creamy, and the oxtail deeply seasoned and fresh-tasting. I believe the restaurant may have cooks who understand Cuban cuisine, but the kitchen needs to reconnect with freshness, consistency, authenticity, and stronger food handling standards. Cuban food is rich in flavor, comfort, and cultural pride, and with improvement this restaurant could better reflect that tradition.

Solid spot for empanadas around the area. They were juicy and tasty with the sauce they provide…read more Depending on the empanadas, they range around $3 which is pretty decent for the size of the empanada. Workers were really nice and told us all the empandas they had and what the empandas had inside. We bought 6 empanadas and the cashier gave us a free drink with that. Which I thought was really kind for them to do. Overall, I would come back here whenever I am around the area and try the other foods they have.

Delicious food for a great price! Recommend checking this place out for some authentic Ecuadorean…read moredishes! Also super friendly staff!

amazing food and incredible service. The closest flavors to uruguayan food. Really happy to have…read morethis place, because is a way to have home a little bit close.

In between the Brazilian bakeries and restaurants on Liberty Ave, you'll now find Rio de la Plata…read more Referring to the river between Uruguay and Argentina, Rio de la Plata, rightfully so is a newly opened Uruguayan/Argentinian style empanada shop and bakery. Owned by Ruben's Empandas, whom has multiple locations found throughout NYC, Rio de la Plata is a wonderful addition to the area, replacing a previous Brazilian luncheonette. Upon walking in, you'll find dozens of empanadas encased in glass with a ton different filling options such as beef, sausage, chicken, fish, and vegeterian, and even dessert ones. Empanadas are what they're most known for, and often I've found are the best option to order. In addition to empanadas, they serve typical Uruguayan dishes such as the chivito sandwich and bizcochos. The chivito in Uruguay is often called the heart attack on a plate. It is a sandwich topped with steak, ham, cheese, eggs, lettuce, tomatoes, mayo, and olives, with fries on the side. Bizcochos are popular savory and sweet croissant, donut-like snacks found throughout Uruguay. I've tried their empanadas, bizcochos, and once the chivito. The empanada is a giant, puff-pastry, stuffed with the filling of your choice and is well-seasoned. At $2.50 an empanada, it's well worth it. Unfortunately, I've left here with a bit to be desired when it came to the bizcochos as well as the chivito. The bizcochos are sold on discount in the afternoon, and there are daily specials on a blackboard.

A must vist!! Exceptional service from beginning to end!! The gentleman was very patient as I…read moreplaced and then changed my side order. The other gentleman gave me an empanada to try while I waited and brought my order to the car when it was done. The empanadas were very juicy , and the dough the perfect texture !! Mac n cheese and plantains were perfectly cooked. The portion is def enough to be shared ! !

Jerk Chicken Empanadas! *insert mic drop* if it weren't for the character requirement!read more

Great food, going d portion. Lot of authentic Colombian foods, remind me of back home in…read moreBuenaventura

Good spot for Colombian food…read more I got take out and requested for more hot sauce but the lady did me dirty and said she already gave a lot. when I got home there was only 1 small container. I should have laid on the charm and gave her $5 for more salsa. Might be better service for dine in. Also helps if you speak Espanol.

Hands down, the greatest empanada de queso you will ever have in your life. The buñuelos, empanda…read morede carne, salami, ham and cheese croissants, and apple turnovers are all also amazing!!! Go there! You'll thank me later.

This is probably the cheapest place to get lunch ever. The food is great. Empanadas, sweet breads,…read morerolls, etc are all fresh and great. The counter people are friendly, and everything is amazingly cheap. I've been going down to Plainfield for meetings and I love discovering new places. This place is phenomenal. For a small bakery, they offer so much!

Just in town visiting family. This place is awesome. Got an air-bnb nearby. The gentleman working…read morethe day we went in apologized for the wait cause he was working alone. Truly, each item we asked for was done well and came out very quickly. The bread was a special thing. They make it here. My Wife makes bread at home, so She's picky about stuff like that. She had high compliments on Her sandwich. If I lived here, I would be stopping by all the time.

Found this place by accident, haven't stopped going back. Great customer service. The food is…read moredelicious. The fact that the order keeps growing because more people from the office are joining when I order speaks volume. The ambiance is great, I look forward to sitting down and eating there one day soon.

Coffee con leche is great, the chorizo was alright and the empanada was good. The girls working…read morethere were very friendly. Few chairs for seating.

I love this place. It's about a 10 min walk from my house & I come in about 2-3x a week for the…read morechicken soup and rice. The servers are all very kind & attentive. The owner is a very nice man. Highly recommend this place, especially if you love Colombian food. Also, their pastries are amazing --- guava is my go too. And it never fails me!

Love, love, love Empanada Mama!!! Anytime I'm in the area, I stop by for my go-to empanadas: Bombay…read more& Viagra. The restaurant is open 24 hours and is the perfect place to go for those late-night cravings. One can sit at the full bar, in the dining area, or get items to go. The restaurant is always lively and patrons get seated quickly. The most I have ever waited for a seat is 5 minutes. There are more than 40 empanadas in corn or wheat shells to order. The menu celebrates diversity through its' empanada pairings. Greek - spinach pie, Cuban - ham, pork, and cheese, Americana - cheeseburger, Bombay - Curried chicken, Brasil - traditional ground beef, Hawaiian - ham, pineapple & mozzarella cheese and many more. Besides empanadas, there is a full menu of Colombian delights to eat including arepas, salads, sandwiches, soups, tacos and tapas. They have dessert empanadas as well. Love the USA empanada, which is apples & cinnamon baked and the Nutella & banana one. You can get it topped with ice cream as well. Really looking forward to my next visit.

For a quick night bite this place is fantastic. So many…read moredifferent types of empanadas to enjoy. Toro and Bourbon chicken were great. The only one I didn't like was the Romero and Juliet. It was too a big chunk of fried cheese with the jam. But overall would go anytime I get that late night food craving

Lovely experience. Great service! Dropped off my car for…read morerepair at nearby Berkeley Auto and was grateful for a warm spot to have a hot drink and work on my laptop with free wifi. The service was great from the staff and brought home some empanadas that my family enjoyed. Would come back!

We stopped by Patria Station Café in Berkeley Heights, NJ on a quiet Tuesday afternoon, hoping to…read moreenjoy a relaxed lunch--and it turned out to be a great choice. The owner, Carolina, was warm and charming as was the waitress, Amira, who provided great service. We started with Argentine beef empanadas as a starter. For lunch I ordered the beef milanesa platter with French fries, while my wife had the chicken milanesa sandwich. Both dishes were generous in portion and full of flavor, just the kind of hearty, home-style fare I love from Argentine cafés. We also picked up a sandwich de miga to take home--a crustless ham and cheese sandwich that was simple, delicate, and satisfying. I'd rate both the meal and the sandwich an easy 8 out of 10. The café itself has a welcoming, local feel, and visiting on a weekday kept things peaceful. I learned they offer fresh Argentine pastries on weekends, which sounds like a perfect reason for a return visit soon. Patria Station Café is a great spot for authentic flavors, big portions, and a pleasant, laid-back experience.