Brockton Southern comfort food restaurant destroyed by fire reborn as Taunton food truck

TAUNTON — When Rudy Alves opened up his restaurant , Khalil’s Kitchen, in Brockton in fall 2020 , the height of the pandemic, it was a period that added an extra layer of difficulty and uncertainty over whether this new business would succeed.

Fast forward to the first half of 2024, the pandemic is in the rear-view and Khalil’s Kitchen is not only still around, but a success .

Then, in an instant, it was all gone.

In June, a massive three-alarm fire decimated several businesses on Main Street in Brockton, including Khalil’s Kitchen.

A catastrophe like this can easily break anyone’s spirit.

“Losing everything, and having to start all over, it’s definitely been very tough,” said Alves, standing outside next to his red food truck, currently sitting in the parking lot for Hometown Furnishings/Hometown Nutrition at 264 Broadway in Taunton.

Khalil’s Kitchen is reborn, dubbed Khalil’s Express , with Rudy and his brother Joao Alves running it daily.

“My resilience is what has me still going,” Rudy Alves said.

From Brockton to Taunton

While a native of Brockton, Rudy Alves and his family have lived in Taunton since 2015.

Aside from proximity, his decision to relocate Khalil’s Kitchen to Taunton has to do with what he sees as regulations that make it difficult to run a food truck in Brockton .

“There’s too many issues,” he said, whereas in Taunton, “they’re more welcoming with food trucks.”

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What's on the menu

Since its founding in 2020, Khalil’s Kitchen, named after Rudy Alves’s son, has served up what has been described as Southern comfort food with a Caribbean twist.

That vision is still in place with Khalil’s Express, though in a much more scaled-back approach, said Alves, explaining that “it’s harder to have every item we had” without a full kitchen, and “we are sticking with our most popular items.”

The centerpiece menu item is the chopped cheese sandwich. Customers are given options for protein, such as chicken, steak, or ground beef, and choice of sauce being sweet-chili, teriyaki, jerk seasoning, honey barbcue or buffalo.

The same sauce flavors and proteins, plus shrimp, are also available for tacos, served in either corn or flour tortillas.

Loaded fries are another popular item. All French fries are topped with red onions, tomatoes, melted mozzarella cheese, and ranch dressing. On top of all that is a choice of protein: chicken, steak or shrimp. Customers are given a choice of sauce for the protein: sweet-chili, teriyaki, jerk seasoning, honey barbecue or buffalo.

Weekly specials have included chicken wings, chicken mac and cheese, crispy chicken sandwich and fried Oreos.

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Warm reception from Taunton

Since a soft opening in late July, Rudy Alves says the reception has been great.

“The way Taunton has treated and welcomed me, it’s been nothing but great feedback here,” he said, adding that Khalil’s Instagram following has helped the business immensely.

He’s working with Taunton Chamber of Commerce on setting up a grand opening.

Will Khalil's restaurant in Brockton reopen?

Alves said, in the short-term, the focus right now is perfecting the menu at the food truck, spreading the word about the business, and “being able to give people exactly what Khalil’s has intended to give” with food quality and customer service.

Another brick-and-mortar location isn’t a goal of his right now, he said.

In the long-term, he would like to expand to have multiple food trucks for other locations.

Where is Khalil's Express food truck located?

Khalil’s Express is located at 264 Broadway in Taunton.

Hours of operation

The food truck is open Monday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays are reserved for catering private events and pop-ups. However, if nothing is scheduled for Sunday, Khalil’s will announce on social media they are open at their Broadway location.

Payment

Khalil’s Express currently accepts cash, Venmo, Apple Pay and Cash App for payment. They are currently working on setting up a POS system for accepting credit card payments and hope to have that operational within the next month.

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Brockton Southern comfort food restaurant destroyed by fire reborn as Taunton food truck