Brenda's Kitchen And Deli - Waterbury

The food portions were good. However, the flavor was non existent in most of the food. There is no salt, no sofrito, nothing. Not on the meat, in the rice, or in the beasns. The beef stew was tender, but no flavor and had almost no sauce. I won't order again.

The restaurant has a nice appearance and is clean, with friendly and welcoming staff. However, the beans seemed to be simply poured out of a can and heated, lacking olives, cilantro, bay leaf, or pumpkin chunks. The gravy was unappetizing and the beans needed more cooking time. It appeared that they were only seasoned with tomato sauce, without even sofrito. Other menu items were also lackluster. It seems that once a customer base is established, some restaurants may begin to put less effort into their dishes. The blandness of the beans was noticeable, and more herbs and effort could improve the overall quality and value of the food. Customers are willing to pay for the traditional flavors of Puerto Rico, so a little more attention to detail and teamwork in the kitchen could greatly enhance the dining experience. This critique is offered constructively. Thank you and God bless.

I once received some delicious empanadas from a colleague at this restaurant, so I decided to try out some of their other dishes. I ordered a small portion of boneless chicken with white rice, beans, sweet plantains, and an empanada for $14. Excited to dig into some Spanish cuisine, I hurriedly drove back to work. Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed with my meal. The chicken lacked flavor and was difficult to chew, appearing to have been fried and then cooked again in an air fryer, resulting in a burnt appearance. The "white" rice was actually yellow and overcooked, with only one pigeon pea mixed in as the beans. The plantains were greasy and seemed to have been placed straight from the pan into the container, making them too oily to fully enjoy. The only highlight was the empanada. I hope my next visit to this restaurant will be more satisfying and that everything I order will be delicious.

This has got to be the worst Puerto Rican food in history. The food taste like when your abuela can no longer cook the way she used to. The food taste like home cooked food that was rushed and you forgot to season the food. How is this place still open? Take your palate to West Main Street and Willow. Take your palate anywhere but Brenda's Kitchen. I hate wasting money!

I ordered the yellow rice with pernil and it was terrible, the taste was completely off. I definitely will not be ordering from here again. I really wanted to enjoy it, but unfortunately, I did not. The rice had no flavor, but the chicken empanada was tasty. Overall, I am not satisfied with my experience.