Division Cafe

I’m a vegetarian and the bean and cheese empanadas were so tasty and filling. I ordered a second round! Service was very friendly and the café was clean. Will definitely be going back!

The food here is excellent. My first time here. I had the empanadas and Hot Quinoa. Very, very good.
I would have given it five stars but the atmosphere is lacking. They need to turn up the air conditioning!!!

Just moved to the area a month ago and I’ve been here about 4 times. Turning into a regular, lol. Each time I’ve ordered the beef and chicken empanadas & today I ordered the yucca fries for the first time. Consistently super tasty and the food is always PIPING HOT every time I go. They have like 8 different types of empanadas ranging from guava to chipotle chicken to spinach & cheese. I look forward to trying more things on the menu.

Such an awesome little secret on Division Street!
I came here for lunch with a friend and was seated at an adorable little high top table, but there seemed to be extensive seating on the restaurant side as well.
I ordered the Gallo Pinto and it was amazing! Filling and flavorful, but not greasy or over-​bearing! The chicken was flavorful, the rice cooked just enough and the veggies tender and delicious. The plantains that came on the side were a total bonus! I have never had them before, they were sweet and somewhat crispy (not mushy as I had expected the, to be). Because I’m a sucker for homemade empanadas, I ordered a chicken one to go — totally worth it! Crispy outer shell with perfectly seasoned chicken and onions inside.

I’m a huge fan! I’ve been wanting to come here for a while and then the recommendation was confirmed by a friend, who I actually saw at the restaurant on Sunday.
I didn’t take pictures, because I didn’t want to be disrespectful. We started with an assortment of empanadas before ordering the gallo pinto and the farmer’s omelette.
When ordering your empanadas, ask for their green salsa. The empanadas are filling with a light dough. Delicious! We couldn’t finish our breakfasts after sharing 4 empanadas. The Gallo Pinto was awesome as was the farmer’s omelette.
Whether or not the staff is Costa Rican, Spanish is a plus. Division Café, we will see you again!

I can’t say I am that adventurous when it comes to my eating habits, however I will try new restaurants when my friends/​coworkers suggest them. I am so happy that they have now taken me to Division Café a few times, and each time I have ordered something different and could not have been happier.
The empanadas are out of this world! Who doesn’t love dough, meat and cheese (minus people with gluten/​dairy allergies)?! The last time I went I had a wrap with chicken and mango, delicious! The portions are perfect for lunch, I have a tendency to overeat so I never have leftovers. My friend had the special of the day which was a burger with BBQ sauce and avocados. The burger initially came out a bit too rare for her liking, but the waitress didn’t even hesitate and took it right back. The burger came back out within minutes and to my friends liking.
The space is very cute inside, and they do have outdoor seating as well. There are only about 8 – 10 tables inside so make sure you call ahead or prepare to wait if it’s during the lunch/​dinner rush. It is well worth it!

Yessss!
The empanadas here are amazing! They aren’t very big, but the chipotle chicken is out of this world! I’m also a huge fan of the beef empanada, they had little pieces of chopped onion and I think pepper as well that gave it a great taste!
While all I’ve gotten is the empanadas, I’ve seen people get these amazing looking sandwiches that I can only imagine taste amazing because of the number of people that came in during lunch time for them! They are next on my list to try from this great place!
The Café has a really cute patio section when it’s warm out for you to sit outside and enjoy the adorable-​ness that is Division Street!

Just tried this place for diner for the first time and it was great! I got the special of the day which was the strip steak with sautéed onions, veggies, and mashed potatoes all of which were very flavorful and cooked perfectly. The prices are good for what you get and the outdoor seating area is very nice. I will defiantly be coming back, there are plenty of menu options that sound delicious. If you live anywhere near the area this place is a must try!

Location for an after work dinner. Limiting carbs post 5pm so I didn’t order the highly-​recommended Empanadas.
We were seated immediately inside. We were given the choice of outside seating but passed. Our waitress took our order right away. I ordered the Carne de Salsa (Beef and vegetables red sauce stew, beans, sweet plantains & salad.) The stew was good but I preferred it with a little more seasonings. The rest of the meal was very tasty.
My dinner mate ordered the Beef Tostones Sliders (Crispy green plantain slices, shredded beef, white American cheese, lettuce, tomato & touch of chipotle mayo.) As she’s been there previously, she knew she would be pleased.
I would definitely recommend! I will like to try the rest of the menu before giving it more stars :)

WOOOOAAAAAAHHHH!!!
This place is incredible!
Ordered the maracuyá, tasted amazing, just like back in Nicaragua.
Also had the Gallo Pinto INSANE! It was super good! Hope my enthusiasm on the matter is coming across. Just order my plate and drink and you’ll be good.

This was my go to breakfast when I was working in Somerville. Everyone is very nice and the service is quick. The empanadas are delicious. the bistec encebollado is a big portion and also very tasty.

We came here for the empanadas and the yuca fries and it was just so-​so. The beef empanada was good but it’s nothing extraordinary. The yuca fries taste pretty average as well. They were good and I would certainly eat it again but I wouldn’t come back JUST for food here.

Omg! I can not say any words that can justify the food I ate it was so delicious! I’ve been to Costa Rica many times and have friends from there and I know authenticity when I taste it. The place is amazing. Food was amazing… Omg you must try the empanadas it is so soft and flaky the dough is so smooth i freaking ate 2 of them, went to grab the other thinking I only consumed one and didn’t even realize I ate both them suckers! Correction «inhaled them» I got the beef and chicken and it was so delicious no need chewing those empanadas the beef and chicken are so creamy there was really no chewing necessary. I will definitely be back for more for sure! So happy this place was recommended by a friend of mine.

I’ve only tried a few dishes from Division Café but I am definitely a fan of what they have to offer! The pico de gallo salad isn’t bad. Very flavorful and light. I have gotten their arroz con pollo and arroz cantonese the past few visits and they are absolutely delicious! They come with a side of salad or beet salad and a few pieces of plantains. I highly recommend the beet salad, by the way. The empanadas look good too but I never had a chance to try them.

I never knew this place existed until I found it on Unilocal.Tired of all our usual spots, my friend and I decided to give it a shot. We went for lunch on a weekend and we were seated immediately on the café side at a high top table. I didn’t get a good look at it, but there seemed to be a restaurant side as well that was pretty busy. The first thing we ordered were vanilla chai lattes. They were served in actual mugs which was a nice surprise and had a great creamy vanilla flavor, unlike some that I’ve had that are a little more watered down.
It took a while to decide on food because everything on the menu sounded delicious. They had an extensive selection of gluten free options, and I ended up going with the beef tostones sliders. They were great! The beef was tender and seasoned in a way I’ve never had it before, and the tostones added a nice crunch. There was a case of empanadas and pastries at the counter where we went to pay, and they looked so good that my friend ended up getting an empanada to go.
I hear they make a great breakfast too, so I’ll definitely be back to try it!

I went through a pretty serious brunch phase a few months ago where I was on a quest to find the best brunch in the area. This place is very high on my list. It’s refreshing and fun to eat breakfast that’s not your basic toast, ham, and eggs. We ordered the galla pinto and the dulce de leche French toast. We loved the traditional Costa Rican gallo pinto. It has rice, beans, plantains, fried egg, and cheese. The cheese was some kind of thick white cheese that tasted very authentic and worked well with the dish. The french toast was equally delicious. It was sweet and came with eggs and bacon. We did not go home hungry! I wanted to order the corn pancakes too, but 3 meals for 2 people at 11 a.m. seemed a little excessive. I’ll have to come back and try those some other time.

Stopped here with a friend. Just needed a snack. Quaint place and nice cozy atmosphere. Bad server experience.
The ordered two empanadas, they were great and crust was flaky. Filling were pork and the other was ham and cheese.
The only problem was the waiter was not friendly or attentive. He was this mucked bound dude that didn’t care to serve us, ask us how we were doing, and just chatted with the host.
Prob would get take out and save myself from dealing with the server.

Recently I have been traveling all over the great state of New Jersey for work and this allows me to try all the great things our state has to offer. Division Café in Somerville is one of those!
I had an hour to kill between meetings and this was the highest reviewed place closest to where I parked so I thought why not? There is an eclectic mix of options in this ‘hood from Greek, Indian, Thai, Mexican, etc. But I’ve never had Costa Rican.
It was a cold November day so there was obviously no outside seating. I was by myself so they sat me by the door, which was a wee bit chilly. But I survived.
They had a deal, skirt steak sandwich with tostones for $ 9.75. Of course this is what I got, it was HUGE and delicious! The steak was cooked perfect and the chipotle may really jived with the whole thing. The tostones were really good and with the, what I would describe as BBQ sauce like sauce on the table they were even better!
Waitress was nice, food came out fairly quickly. The empanadas looks really good but I was stuffed. They don’t have fountain soda so you get a can of soda, but they have a good list of coffee options if you so desire. Overall for a little over $ 13 it was a great meal, I would definitely come back here!

I hadn’t been to Somerville is many years, but found myself there twice last week on business. The burg seems to have come a long way back from late 20^th Century oblivion. It is looking good these days.
With a short break in negotiations on a real estate transaction, a couple of us walked out for some air on a hot Friday afternoon, and found ourselves only one block from Division Street, where there is now a small pedestrian mall with outdoor cafes and plenty of color. The Division Café beckoned us to a table under a red umbrella, and we were promptly greeted by a gregarious server, who was the brother of the owner of this shop. Thankful for the shadow sheltering us from the hot blazing sun, I quickly ordered a Chicken Milanese Wrap without a long look at the menu.
The dish was very good with nicely breaded and lightly fried chicken, lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado and an interesting mayo, all in a large heated tortilla. Fries on the side were decent, too.
Turned out that this café is Costa Rican, which diverges from Mexican or Guatemalan cuisine in interesting ways, but is similar enough to not cause any culture shock. Going inside to pay, I saw a tray full of golden brown Empanadas. Judging from the take out orders these were likely the real star of the Division Café show.
Next time.
I enjoyed my brief respite here, and looking around this tiny island of tranquility, saw several other restaurants of interest right next door or across the street. I will be seeking excuses to return to Somerville to explore the neighborhood in more depth.

Great place for Empanadas! For $ 2.95 you get fairly large ones stuffed full of meat. We tried the shredded chipotle chicken and the beef. The beef empanadas is just like eating delicious beef stew encased in pastry. My favorite was the chipotle because of the slight sweet and spicy kick to it. Second to the empanadas are the large and crunchy Yucca fries, which are so much better than potato fries. If your entrees don’t come with Yucca fries, order this as a side. It’s well worth it.
For entrees we ordered the Mondongo (tripe stew), Quinoa salad, and Chorreadas (Corn Pancakes). The Mondongo was a special listed on their board outside. I liked the tripe itself but was not a fan of the tomato soup it was cooked in. The soup tasted kind of boring, like tomato vegetable soup from a can. The Mondongo came with these really tasty plantains, which made up for the soup. If you want to eat healthier, the Quinoa salad is refreshing. But salad is boring so instead order the amazing Chorreadas instead, especially if you like sweet. You can really taste the corn in these pancakes, but they pancakes aren’t overpoweringly sweet.
The food is both inexpensive and quick. Definitely coming back, especially for the empanadas and yucca fries.