Here's what's on the menu at new Brockton Caribbean soul food restaurant

BROCKTON — Rudy Alves is tapping into his artistic background and sharing Cape Verdean culture at his new restaurant Khalil's Kitchen. 

"When you come here you're going to get a good meal and enjoy the vibes," he said about the eatery, which opened about a month ago at 808 Main St. 

The restaurant serves up soul food with a Caribbean twist, Alves said. The menu includes burgers, fries topped with protein, wings, smoothies and more. Some of the dishes feature lobster, like the mac and cheese.  

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he closed his T-shirt business and began cooking at home to make money for his family. That turned into a business. 

While cooking at home, Alves has been able to see his three children more. They were able to be around, which was not possible in his other jobs, like T-shirt printing and tattooing. 

His middle child, Khalil, is the restaurant's namesake. At home, Khalil would come around the kitchen and Alves said he had the idea to call the kitchen his. 

Since the business opened, his 5-year-old daughter Chloe, 2-year-old Khalil and 9-month old son London have visited the restaurant.

Alves said he never imagined that he would open a restaurant. But everything happened so fast, starting out as a vision that he was able to manifest. 

"I wake up ready to come here," he said. "I doesn't feel like a job."

Alves found the Main Street space for his restaurant in the summer and worked on it, drawing on his construction background and designing the inside. 

The pandemic has been a challenging time for businesses and restaurants. But Alves said that being able to open during this time was motivational. 

"If I can do all of this during this time, I can grow and more," he said. 

Alves learned to cook from his mother, who wished she had a daughter. She would ask him to cook rice after school so that it would be ready when she came home from work.

Little by little, he would ask her more about cooking. She taught him Cape Verdean dishes that Alves has been able to put his own spin on and blend with other food styles. 

He said she she is proud to see him open the business and do something he loves. 

Now that Alves has a commercial kitchen, he said there are endless possibilities for what he can cook. He likes to create his own sauces and find his own flavors.

"I'm always trying to create things and experiment," Alves said. 

Looking ahead, he wants to share his newfound love for the kitchen. Alves shares pictures on his Instagram @khalils_kitchen_ and plans to release videos that provide a behind the scenes look at the restaurant. 

Opening up a restaurant in Boston is a future goal, he said. 

Staff writer Mina Corpuz can be reached by email at mcorpuz@enterprisenews.com. You can follow her on Twitter @mlcorpuz. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Enterprise today.