Babalu Cuban Cafe

WOW!!! The empanadas… nuff said! Can’t wait to try their Ropa Vieja. They didn’t have the guayaba empanada that I ordered for delivery so they called and offered the tres leches instead at no extra charge, which is unusual. When the delivery guy came he made it a point to tell us if we had any issues with our order to please call them and they will make it right, which is also unusual. But I liked that! Honestly, I was so happy with my beef empanada… I wouldn’t have realized if my pan con bistec was tasteless or not!!! Would definitely go back again just for the empanadas.

They must put crack in their empanadas! It’s absolutely juicy and full of flavour! OMGoodness they’re delicious. I prefer the chicken, but the beef ones were just just as delicious. I had the chicken with rice and sweet plantains – the chicken didn’t have much flavor at all. Was actually a bit disappointed.
If your craving for a good empanadas, this is the place to go.
Meat lovers, go for it!

oh goodness. i had such high hopes for this one and i was let down with a kick to the stomach.
my bf is an enthusiastic lover of cuban food, and wanted to try out this place to save some time from having to travel all the way to hackensack for his favorite place. we walked in and noticed that there were covered trays of hot food. should have taken another step to interpret that as the food tasted like it had sat in those trays over a sterno can throughout the entire day rendering the food dry, overcooked and overall unpleasant.
i ordered the thursday special which tasted like a chunk of undiscernable meat with an unsettling piece of what probably should have been chorizo in the middle, covered in progresso tomato soup. my bf ordered lechon asado – dry meat with sizeable bits of fat. the skin didn’t add any flavor either. the rice was par, and the only thing that had saved the meat on that dish was the tiny order of 3 fried plantain pieces. i wish there had been more of those plantains so i felt that i had actually received what i paid for.
i’m not certain if it was a really bad choice of food from the menu on my part, as it seems the empanadas are a bit of a hit, but i’m not feeling the urge to try it out again any time soon. whatever you do, don’t get the thursday special haha
other than that, the lady at the register was very pleasant to speak with. perhaps another time, babalu

The only Cuban restaurant in the area. I tried the pork and black bean rice dish. The pork was bland tasting and it wasn’t hot enough. The meat were sitting in one of those metal warmers. The empanadas was very good. Taste delicious and had enough filling to dough ratio. The coffee was better than your usual korean coffee in the area. Customer service was ok. I will try them again for their sanswiches.

Great food. The Cuban sandwich very tasty, fresh !!! Loved it. Quick delivery too…

I don’t know what happened. They were doing well and unfortunately the quality and taste of the food has declined. We got 4 sandwiches to go and when we bit into the steak it was all fat and was cold! Tried another of the sandwiches same thing and didn’t have any flavor. What happened??? Sadly will not be returning as I can cook Spanish food myself at home and this was just a mere convenience. Hopefully they get their act together and season their food and use better quality cuts of meat.

This place was recommended by a close friend so I decided to check it out.
The Thursday special wasn’t the best but the chicken platter that I tried was delicious. Also, their chicken empenadas are juicy as hell.
The owner seems very friendly, so do the two ladies that work there. I recommend people to give this place a try.

I’m so glad an authentic Latino restaurant has opened here in Fort Lee. I still have to try so many more dishes, but the ones I have had so far, have been excellent. The Cuban Sandwiches are GREAT! Looking forward to my next meal there.

What a great addition to Fort Lee! We haven’t had a Spanish restaurant on Main Street in the whole 25 years I’ve lived here! I stopped in today for the first time and all of the food was fresh and delicious and the portions were huge. All of the main dishes come
with the choice of two sides. I ordered the pollo guisado with tostones and rice and beans, and a guava batido (shake). The chicken was extremely
tender and the sauce was flavorful and delicious. The shake was refreshing. For only 9 dollars I have leftovers to take to work tomorrow!
To top it off the owner is really really nice and personable. Will make you feel at home and offers free wifi to boot! Definitely make it here to try some food and support a new local business that adds to the uniqueness of our Main Street! You won’t regret it!

I have lived in Fort Lee and got used to eating Asian every week end. This Cuban café is such refreshing addition to the Fort Lee restaurants scene. I had lunch here with the family and I was utterly pleased with the experience: the staff was so welcoming, caring and honestly personable; the famous Cuban expresso didn’t disappoint; and the plethora of flavors experienced in my «Lechón Asado» (Roasted pork) exceeded my expectations. My concluding comments: Thank you BABALU for coming to Fort Lee.

Just tried this new café for a snack — espresso and empanadas. The espresso was strong, but smooth, and the empanadas was perfectly fried and tasty. I’ll definitely be returning to try more!

Their Cuban sandwiches are very good, one of the best I’ve ever had. The empanadas are excellent. The coffee is very good, too. I’ve only had two of the dinners and preferred the beef. The rice and beans are so very tasty. To top it all off, the staff are so nice and accommodating. I haven’t tried the desserts yet, but I will at my next visit.

I just tried a new spot on Main Street, Fort Lee called Babalu Cuban Café for lunch. I tried their Cuban Sandwich it was a perfect balance of meat, cheese, pickles and mustard. Hot and tasty I took it to go and it very good. The meat was moist and tender. Looking at the menu I will definitely go back for more of their offerings. The staff was friendly and we chatted while I waited. The woman, who took my order said it would take 5 minutes to make but I think it was less than that. I believe I might have spoken to the owner and he was very friendly as well. I would encourage our community to try new places on Main Street with the hope that we get some new offerings and support our local merchants. Good Luck Babalu Cuban Café I will tell my friends and neighbors.

Hello All,
After my initial review last week, Raul, owner of the restaurant reached out to me and was kind enough to explain the series of unfortunate events which led a less then stellar meal which was not indicative of his restaurant.
Tried lunch out again and I was very glad that we were able to meet and enjoy the wonderful food from Babalu’s.
We thoroughly enjoyed the roast chicken dish, the sandwiches were properly hot and juicy, the empanadas were stellar! The rice and beans were also fantastic and i’ll be happily eating leftovers for lunch today.
This place cares about their product and their patrons alike, something often forgotten in the cut throat world of restauranting. Thank you Raul for a fantastic lunch on a cold snowing monday!

just ate at babalu café. great food!!! highly recommend… great place to eat with family and friends.

Stopped in here for lunch the other day and had an amazing experience. Excellent service and even better food. Will difficultly be returning in the near future and would recommend to anyone looking for the best Cuban sandwich around!!!

It’s nice that there is now some variety on Fort Lee’s Main Street. However, this is just ok. I can see myself eating here again if I was nearby and craved something other than Ramen, Phở or Korean Chicken. I had their Cubano and honestly it was just a regular sandwich. There was plenty of pork and pickles but it lacked in ham and dressing. Also the beef empanada was perfectly fried but the meat tasted more like the pasty beef in a Jamaican Patty and not the traditional latin flavor of carne molida that should be typical of an empanada. I was also discouraged to see that when I received my beef empanadas the plate was decorated with ketchup. Not Latin/​Caribbean/​Cuban at all. My grandmother must be rolling over in her grave at this blasphemy.

The girls here are really nice. The food is very good. I would recommend getting 2 cuban sandwiches when you order as it will leave you hungry for more. Everything about this place from the price to the taste is great. The only negative thing i would say is that the run out of food menu items a lot. But that comes with starting a brand new place so i wont take anything away over that.

Deliciosa comida, personal muy gentil, felices de tener un restaurante cubano con estas cualidades

Finally a NEW restaurant that isn’t offering Asian food. I went there today I got the roasted chicken rice and beans plantains. Very generous and tasty. Also tried the Cuban sandwich and their café con leche. Perfect… Please support this restaurant. It is exactly what this town was lacking. I will be going back.

Finally a NEW restaurant that isn’t offering asian fare! This is exactly what my little town needed and I’m happy to say it did not disappoint… I’m just upset I didn’t think of it first!
Being hispanic I know what everything on this menu SHOULD taste like… I’ve only had the pan con bistec sandwich and it was delicious!!! Looking forward to coming here and trying everything else on the menu.

I saw this restaurant just opened up near me and I am not disappointed! The food was amazing! I went with the Churrasco Babalu and it was more than I ever expected! The food portions do not disappoint and the flavor is out of this world! The staff is very friendly and makes you feel right at home. I will most certainly be coming back!

The BEST Cuban food you will ever have around the area. I first walked in and I felt the Cuban love in the store. The workers are so polite and very heart warming. I got the Pan Con Bistec and it was bite into heaven. When you take the first bite you will feel like you stepped into a Cuban heaven. The flavors from the sandwich absorbs all space in your mouth making your face smile and say «mmmmmmm»
The steak was perfect cooked with the fresh vegetables and sauce mixed together was just absolutely amazing.
Next I had the empanadas (chicken) and I would love to tell you that most places microwave the empanadas but this place fries it on the SPOT! AMAZING! it is absolutely amazing. The empanada is so fresh, so juicy, so much flavor in it. You WILL experience the taste of umami in the food here. The food is absolutely exquisite! If you are in the area, please take your time to come to this place.