El Encanto

El Encanto is Buffalo's largest Puerto Rican restaurant not only in terms of physical size, but also the variety on its menu. You'll find all the standards of boricua cuisine, of course, but also a selection of more obscure specialties not available elsewhere in the local area: bacalaitos (battered codfish fritters), asopao de pollo (a mildly spicy chicken and rice stew that is Puerto Rico's national dish), and jibarito de bistec (not on the regular menu but offered frequently on special, this shaved steak sandwich with lettuce and onion comes on slabs of fried plantain that substitute for the bread). The environment is bright and cheery, the flavors are as authentic as any you'll find in the city, and the owners really aim to please. They also offer delivery on orders of $15 or more.

Address

2179 Niagara St.

Getting there

Metro Bus 5, 23, 32, 35 or 40

Hours

Tue-Sat 11AM-8PM

Price

$15-25

Website

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