My aunt lives in Woodbridge for many years..and I stumbled upon this wonderful place by luck. My bf googled restaurants in the neighborhood and this one popped up..I'm like there's no rican restaurant 2 min from house. WELL!!! I'm glad he found this place...I will be coming here more often!!! Oh...and that red sauce that is served w the plantain chips and 360 platter!!!!! CRACK!!! Im going to try to remake it at home its soooo good!!! read more

See all

I've lived in this area for almost a decade, but had not yet found Latin food that could compare to what I had growing up in Union City and when I lived in the city and visited Washington Heights. Until now, that is! Surrender Cafe recently became available on DoorDash. I had never heard of it, but was drawn by the great reviews, tempting photos of the food, and many of my favorites on a menu with lots of my favorites. This is the first time I've ever ordered from a place, and then immediately again the next day. I especially love that so many of their dishes are available in smaller portions. Want to try the mofongo? Here's the mofonguitos! And meat-only portions can be had of just about everything in small, medium or large sizes, which made it easy for me to sample the beef and chicken guisado, red and black beans, pernil, so I ordered the bistec ecebollado for my main dish. Everything, absolutely everything is delicious, and arrived well packaged. Oh - and I almost forgot - the tres leches! Absolutely top notch. Not only some of the best Latin food I've ever had, but some of the best comfort food I've ever had, period. read more

This is my go to place if you really want a feeling of an authentic home cooked meal. Been here numerous times and can't stop going. It's a little tiny place with not much going on inside for ambience but the food and service beats it all. My go to is always the tostones with a friend chicken cutlet and my boyfriend absolutely loves the beef stew with rice and beans. For appetizers we usually get the nachos and empanadas. The food is flavorful and really reminds you of home. If you're looking for a great meal with fair prices this is the place to go to. Recommend 100% ! read more

See all

This place never disappoints! Great food and friendly service. Been going for years. When my friends are in town, I often bring them too.

Service and the food was so delicious. I came to visit family member and Wow to my surprise Everything I ate was 100%

What a wonderful restaurant... sweet vibes and kind employees and owners! Today was my first visit since there has been new ownership. The menus are so beautiful. The food was so delicious and hearty! I went with my sister and our boyfriends and we all tried something different. I got the Rican twist salad, my sisters bf got the pollo a la parilla, my bf got chicken empanadas and my sister got the vegetable platter. Everything was bursting with flavor and was so fresh!! I highly recommend surrender if you're looking for authentic Puerto Rican food!!! Vegan and Vegetarian options available.. read more

This place has authentic Puerto Rican food Simply delicious!! Their Mofongo is to die for!! read more

This is the only place in New Jersey that I go to for Alcapurria. They're delicious and consistent. read more

See all

Omg!!! What to say.. authentic, amazing and delicious. The fried plantains and salsa are to die for and I have never had bad dish.. definitely have to try. read more

Good Puerto Rican Food. The atmosphere was inviting and the owners care about their customers. I would definitely frequent this establishment again. Best of luck on your Grand Opening!! read more

See all

Mixed feelings for this place the food is good but the place is huge and needs some professional decor help once they get this problem fix I think that it will get pack food is good read more

Food is some of the best Spanish food I have had in nj definitely on point with the taste

Believe the bad reviews. I can't for the life of me understand how this place gets so many 5-star reviews. Even if most of their patrons have no idea what Puerto Rican food is supposed to taste like,I would hope they would know what bad food taste like, but apparently they don't. Been wanting to try this place for a while because of the great reviews but don't live nearby and a little concerned that they put non Puerto Rican items on their menu and they did have a few negative reviews. When we found ourselves nearby we decided this was a time to try it. We were going to eat in the car but the place is big and had a lot of empty tables and the waitress convinced us to eat in even though we have not eaten in any place since March due to covid-19. Okay, the first bad sign was that when the waitress brought these plantain chips to the table they seemed like they were fresh out of the bag from the bodega down the street. They serve it with some kind of extremely garlicky ketchup stuff that was tasty but left an hours-long aftertaste that was very unpleasant. I ordered the pineal ( roast pork shoulder) that came with arroz con gandules ( rice with beans mixed in) and my wife ordered what she believed would be a traditional Puerto Rican beef stew that came with white rice but strangely enough did not come with beans and it would have been an extra charge. My pernil and arroz con gandules came with a little salad that was fresh with a strange creamy cilantro dressing which wasn't bad but very strong on the cilantro. The arroz con gandules had a weird taste to it that I could not place and the pineal was strange and even a little slimy and while it didn't smell or taste spoiled it was not quite right and unlike a traditional serving of Puerto Rican style pernil came with no crispy skin. My wife's beef stew tasted fresh out of the can although the chunks of meat were larger than would you would get in a can but the potatoes were not necessarily larger and we're very uniformly diced and the gravy tasted of Dinty Moore beef stew and was really unappetizing. And for some strange reason they gave her half an avocado. I am a fat man and if I am paying for food, even if it's bad I usually tend to get it down and clean my plate but I ate less than half of it and decided there is something wrong here and I probably shouldn't continue eating this. My wife was not happy with her beef stew and also did not finish it. Between the garlicky ketchup stuff with the chips and the strange taste of the arroz con gandules it left a bad taste in my mouth that lingered a very long time and has been repeating on me for hours even though I really didn't eat much of it. My wife has a similar complaint with regard to the garlicky ketchup stuff. The waitress was very nice and attentive until I asked for some hot sauce at which point she went into the kitchen and didn't come back out. I got up so look for some hot sauce and found another waitress to explain to me that they don't have hot sauce in a bottle and that if I wanted hot sauce I would have to order a side order of it and I decided I wasn't going to bother as I probably wasn't going to finish my food. With our plates mostly full we put our masks on and waited for our waitress to bring us the check. She came over and asked if we enjoyed our meal and trying to be tactful I simply stated that we were originally from Brooklyn. She asked again if it was good and I repeated we are originally from Brooklyn. At that point she knew exactly what I was saying and proceeded to explain that the local clientele is not Latin and has no idea what Puerto Rican food is supposed to be and they think this is good and was very apologetic. She was very nice and even though she disappeared after I asked for the hot sauce we tipped her accordingly as none of this is her fault. I am usually willing to eat bad food because I am paying for it but there was something very off about this food. And I get that any restaurant can have a bad day but this was a Saturday afternoon and we weren't the only customers in the joint. While it was plated pretty there is no excuse for feeding anyone food that tastes like this. read more

See all

This family owned authentic Puerto Rican cuisine hits the spot ! To see a family provide not only amazing food but employment to so many wonderful people is truly outstanding! This is what community is about ! Stop by and enjoy a wholesome plate of food ! read more

Located in Middlesex County, NJ. Surrender Cafe is located off Amboy Avenue. Excellent Puerto Rican food in Central Jersey. Our server was very knowledgeable. She directed us to several items. We had a variety of their offerings including the Bistek, Pork and Shrimp dishes. The dishes we ordered were served with Green Plantains and Yellow Plantains. The Pork was over salted but still delicious. The rest of the food was spot on. I especially liked the Plantains- both green and yellow. Portions were very generous. Service was fast, friendly and efficient. read more

My wife and I were not happy with the food my dish didn't really have any flavor I was disappointed we won't be returning there anytime soon read more

The food is good and it's BYOB. The prices are good as well. Ariel is the best server! Humble and kindhearted.... She definitely made our night! read more

We have been coming to this Puerto Rican restaurant for years and it NEVER disappoints! We usually get the 360 platter for an appetizer which includes empanadas, maduros, etc., and all of it tastes amazing! By far my favorite entree on the menu is the churrasco. Always cooked to perfection with a ton of flavor. Pernil and mofongo entrees are exceptional as well. The portions are HUGE, sides including rice, beans, and plaintains. I usually skip out on the rice and order a side of yuca. The yuca is a MUST! The service is wonderful, prices are great, and also a BYO! 10/10 would recommend!!! read more

Surrender Cafe - Churrasco with salad and yuca! YUCA IS A MUST! - Latin American Near Me - Woodbridge, New Jersey

Delicious food ,friendly service ,simple & cute inside! Great for take out too ! Live their green dressing on the salad & especially the spicy version! read more

After eating here a few times I'm ready to place a review down!! I have tried the marinated steak, and the pernil ( pork) plate. The steak is 5 stars!!! Tender and not over marinated. Plenty of food, and the Spanish rice is AMAZING!!! The pork I give 4 stars as it got a little rich for me. But you can tell this was cooked with love the pork is SOOOOOO tender. Each time I have come by the place it's completely empty, which is a SHOCKER. this place rocks, I will stop by a few more times before I leave town. I recommend to the owner to maybe update your place, it's seems like its in a 80's time warp or something, a lot of the overhead lights need to be replaced, etc. anyways I'll be back!!!! read more

Surrender Cafe - Pork, Spanish rice, and empanada. Both VERY good!!!! - Latin American Near Me - Woodbridge, New Jersey

I ate here twice.. The first time I ate here was in September, the food was super greasy the empanadas was in a pool of oil... I didn't feel so well after I ate.. Basically everything was sitting in oil...But. The second time was much better, not greasy.. Looks like they have a new chef? I had beef steak with onions, white rice and red beans... Meat was so soft we ate the trio as an appetizer with the canoe plantains with meat, empanadas and accapurea.. So good.. I love that sauce they serve with it... I'm Filipino and my husband is PR.. It hits close to home when his abuela lived in Jersey... I miss her... Lol The Flan is to die for... Creamy I would give 5 stars if it was consistent... I'll definitely eat here a third time just to make sure lol :) read more

Surrender Cafe - Yummy creamy Flan - Latin American Near Me - Woodbridge, New Jersey

1 st time we ate there Service was good we had the pernil as ado rice was good but the pork was very very salty and the salad was not iceberg lettuce didn't care for the green salad dressing .. I might go back but try something else.. read more

Happy Monday Adventurers!!! I had been eyeing this place for months! I just never got the chance or time to stop in here. I finally did yesterday and boy I am so happy I did. This place has such good food and nice staff. They give you a plate of plantain chips with this sweet sauce to dip, very much like salsa and chips. I ordered the pernil asado (pulled pork) with spanish rice. I believe it is served with a small salad on the side I added avocado(they give you a half of one). I also ordered pico de gallo and spicy cilantro cream for the rice and meat. EVERYTHING was delicious. Normally I expect pork cooked this way to be salty however it was not and the rice was soft not hard. The portions are pretty big given the pricing so that makes me happy because now I can order two dishes to share with a friend. I got an extra pico to go because it was really good. I also ordered sweet plantains for dessert at home, I was a little disappointed about the size because even places at the mall give bigger servings. They tasted amazing and were even better with vanilla ice cream. Cannot wait to go back and see if they have live music. read more

Surrender Cafe - Pernil Asado, rice, salad, w/cilantro cream dressing & avocado. Add pico & spicy cilantro sauce |#intenselypassionatephotography - Latin American Near Me - Woodbridge, New Jersey

This place came highly recommended. Restaurant has its own parking lot which is a plus. It's nice decor and delicious smell of their kitchen, is very inviting. I placed my order to go just missed the lunch specials. But I was eager to try their cuisine, so with that being said I ordered pernil with arroz con guandules platter and the maduros boat con pernil and mozzarella cheese. Price for both came out to $20.15. Gave cashier my phone # and name and I waited in the waiting area. Seven minutes later, my name was called and a young man handed over my order. I got home and was very excited how to dig in. The pernil was so tasty, soft, and moist. Pernil was cut in chunks, when you cut the pc. You can see how juicy it is. I just wished I had some crunchy pork skin. The rice was perfect- wasn't as salty to balance the pernil. Yum! Too bad I have to share this platter. My husband enjoyed his banana boat. It had thick slices of maduros cooked perfectly. Plenty of pernil piled on top with melted mozzarella cheese. I would go back to try other dishes. read more

Surrender Cafe - Dining area - Latin American Near Me - Woodbridge, New Jersey

Excellent food excellent service I really enjoyed the food I practically tasted everything serullos, rice and beans, arroz con gandules, pastelitos, beef and chicken. I don't eat pork so can't say but must be good too. Everything I ate was absolutely delicious. I recommend this place. read more

I love this spot for Puerto Rican food! I always get the banana boat with ground beef and my favorite tres leches cake! I get my food to go and they had it ready within 10 minutes. Speedy and great service from the staff. They do not have dine in or outdoor seating but the food holds up well after a drive and it tastes so good!! It's definitely worth the drive read more

See all

Authentic Puerto Rican food. So much flavor!! Absolutely delicious. I ordered for take out and drove 40 mins to pickup. Well worth the ride.

They offered very large and affordable sized food. We came on a weekend as theres not many restaurants around. They had this appetizer with a special red sauce which i think is a mix of ketchup and bbq sauce. DELICIOUS with banana chips! Couldn't get enough. The decor is not amazing. I think they definitely need to get rid of the dingy couch in the front. They have a lot of open space which i think is probably used in the evening. The kitchen was very conveniently placed and the staff were sweet and polite. read more

This place started out great.The food had that Puerto Rican flavor but it has since gone down.They have taken their foot off the metal.

Loved the mofungo with the avocado salad! Alcupurrias with their housemate sauce are also delicious! MEXI-Rico dishes are only so-so. Also didn't hate but didn't love the bistec. It was a little underseasoned for my liking. Will definitely be back for the mofungo and alcupurrias! read more

Love this authentic style family restaurant. It has become a must stop at my every visit to NJ. Love the relaxed atmosphere especially when traveling with my grandkids. Tres Leches is a must! read more

Surrender Cafe - Tres Leches - Latin American Near Me - Woodbridge, New Jersey

Wow. So I decided to stop in to get a chicken coup with sum rice n peas and everything was loaded with salt I think ima open a can of tuna fish !! read more

Their pernil asado tastes nearly identical to mine, so I don't cook mine any more. When I want to get home cooked flavor just like my kid's grandmother used to make, Surrender Cafe is the logical choice! read more

Do not pass! Looks like a convenient store to be honest but again DO NOT PASS!!! I'm Puerto Rican and I have yet to find a great place to mirror my Moms Rice & Beans or Pernil till now and don't get me started on their Spicy Cilantro Skirt Steak Wrap!! Food is amazing, staff very friendly and prices affordable. Do yourself a favor and visit this cafe, I've been back 4x....you won't be disappointed. Comida buena! read more

Food was amazing. The restaurant itself is very spacious. The parking lot is not that big. I guess you have to find street parking if there aren't any spots left. The service was a little slow. It's BYOB so that's always a plus . HAVE TO TRY the tres leche cake , to die for !!!! read more

Surrender Cafe - Mofongo with pernil, side salad with cilantro dressing. - Latin American Near Me - Woodbridge, New Jersey

My wife and I were dying for some authentic Puerto Rican food. Sure enough we found this spot 6 minutes away from Woodbridge mall. Absolutely did not disappoint ! The food was great ! The vibe was nice too, if you closed your eyes you might feel like you're in Puerto Rico. Highly recommended to anyone craving some real Puerto Rican food ! read more

This food was excellent and very authentic. I highly recommend!! Thank you! Bistec EncebolladoArroz Con GandulesMofongo RellenoPulled Pork read more

I love Surrender, it's my go to place for good Latin food. Their pernil and black beans are two of my favorite things here. Everything is always fresh and tasty. read more

The place is decorated very nice, My boyfriend wanted to take me there for awhile. You don't find many authentic Puertorican Restaurants. I ordered rice and beans with a grilled chicken breast . My boyfriend ordered the white rice with beef stew. Our waitress was great , very patient and attentive. I wasn't blown away but the taste was ok. I expected some more taste and seasoning. read more

Great food and the owner is a really nice guy. They really hook you up with food .. plenty of parking and the Spanish food there is really good.. read more