Please note: This review was submitted by reader “Tearitup” and was not visited by Kim and I.
On New Years day we visited Brasa for lunch. Brasa specializes in rotisserie chicken and slow roasted pork. Specializes as in these are your only two options. But, if you like chicken or pork I can’t recommend this place highly enough. A word of warning: The restaurant itself is very small as is the attached parking lot. We were there for lunch when it opened at 11:00 so we had no trouble finding a parking space in the tiny lot or getting a table. The interior is nice. The warm yellow walls are inviting and give the illusion of sunshine even on a cloudy day. The spot Brasa is in used to be an auto repair shop and the interior reflects that. There are two large overhead doors that are opened when weather permits, I would guess maybe June – August. These doors open onto what appears to be a patio area. It was hard to tell as everything was covered with snow. Just from the one visit I would guess that this place gets very crowded very quickly and table space and parking might be an issue. The good news is that all of Brara’s menu is available for take-out. In the future that is the option I will probably use.
The food is fantastic. There are several sides available to go with the chicken and pork. Of the many listed we tried four, the yellow rice and black beans, the fired yucca with mojo dipping sauce, the plantains and the yams with andouille sausage. All of these were really good. For dessert I had the Warm Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding which was fantastic. The bread pudding was light and fluffy and the grilled bananas added the perfect touch. They have a nice selection of beer and wine by the glass or bottle. Finally, the service was good, friendly and fast without being intrusive.
If you like Cuban or Caribbean style food, which I happen to really enjoy, then this place is for you. They are open Monday - Thursday 11a - 10p, Friday 11a - 10p and Saturday 12p - 10p, Closed on Sunday.
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January 2nd, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Tearitup,
Thanks for the excellent review. The menu sounds awesome. Perhaps Kim and I can get out there soon :)
Bill
January 2nd, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Granted, I still have only been over there once, but from what I’ve seen and heard, it sounds like eating in vs. taking out makes a big difference. Here is a copy (with some edits) of my reaction that I posted to another site to the place in early November:
Well, I finally got over there. In a word: disappointing.
Maybe equal parts expectation/hope, nature of carryout and execution. I ordered the pork, grits and plantains.
When you talk about slow-roasted pork shoulder, I start getting visions of sizzling meat with bits of crispy pieces mixed in, and larger pieces of meat that easily pull or fall apart with the touch of a fork. Here, take Dara’s word for it: “well seasoned and then slow roasted until parts are crispy, crackling, and salty, while other bits are soft as cheese”. If that’s what she got, that’s what I should get right?
What I unearthed in my takeout container was a pile of stew-like pork chunks and plantains (very nice, plump ones) half drowned in a sea of yellow stuff that looked like corn chowder without the corn. All glopped together even though I dutifully held the bag/container level, carrying it like a waiter toting a tray all the way to my car.
The pork tasted good and I appreciated the light hand with the seasonings, but it was texturally equivalent to cut up cubes of a pork chop — a waste of 11.5 hours of cooking time. I applaud the use of special, naturally raised, local pork but any subtlety in flavor or other advantage to that other than feeling good about it was lost in the mess of the grits juice.
Someone mentioned (in previous posts to this other website that I originally posted this on) that the grits were too soupy for their liking but that they quickly congeal. No luck there. The problem, to me, appeared to be about 1/4 the amount of actual corn grits that should have been there. It was like someone melted just enough cheese in a pot of cream to turn it yellowish, then spooned in a tablespoonful of grits. I’m a grits lover and in a twisted way was hoping for my next diet killing, highly addictive vice. Not only was it not that, but I would only order them again because I’m such a sucker for anything involving grits. No cheese flavor either. The “dish” was a complete failure and really should have been served in a mug or glass.
Plantains were, as I said, good. They would benefit from some kind of sauce and didn’t pair really well with the grits they were submerged in.
If you put this food in front of me (not all mixed together) in a cafeteria or some other neutral site I would think it’s tasty and would probably be pleased enough, though not overly impressed (and downright turned off by the grits). My interest would further be piqued hearing it was “local, naturally raised, free range & pasture raised, organic, fair trade and sustainable” as the menu says. That said, there really wasn’t anything special about the execution here and any uniqueness in the food was destroyed by their thoughtless packaging.
Love the concept, love the menu, love the vibe and location. Just don’t love the food. Not what I was expecting at all.
January 11th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Brasa…where do I start? This place is fantastic-another genious restaurant by Alex Roberts. I am not sure what others are talking about but Brasa is nothing short of simple perfection of comfort food. If you have not been to Brasa-you must try give it a try. The parking is not the best nor is the seating compacity. If you are willing to sacrifice a prie parking spot-Brasa is a must! The yams w/ andouille sausage is awesome, the grits, oh heck it’s all good.
I know NO other restaurant where I can leave comfortably full, with leftovers, and a small price to pay!
JS