NEW BEDFORD — What's cooking on Acushnet Avenue?

Owners of the new breakfast, lunch and dinner spot What's Cookin' wanted to add something fun for the community, including a specials menu that keeps guests on the edge of their seats.

"We just want the best service, the best food, the best atmosphere," said co-owner Colton Soares. "We just want people to have a homey, comfortable, family-oriented place."

"I want people to walk into our establishment and feel like you're walking into our home," added co-owner Jason Brooks.

Brooks, born and raised in New Bedford, said the concept for the restaurant is "what's cooking today" and includes a rotating and unique specials list.

"We want to keep people curious," Brooks said. "I want people to be like, 'What are they going to make next? What are they going to bring to the table next?'"

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However, he said he wants to keep the menu simple and basic, too. "A lot of people like complicated foods, but a lot of people like simplicity as well," Brooks said.

What's on the What's Cookin' menu?

The main menu features several breakfast combos such as "The Hangover," which is two eggs with bacon, sausage, ham, hash browns and cheddar cheese served with a bagel.

They also have a Bananas Foster french toast, which is three slices of bread topped with homemade caramel rum sauce and whipped cream, fresh bananas and powdered sugar.

For lunch and dinner, the menu includes hot dogs, sandwiches and burgers including the Ultimate Brunch Burger, which is topped with American cheese, bacon, hash browns, egg and sriracha maple drizzle.

Soares said their best seller is the fish and chips — that can also all be ordered for pickup by phone or delivery through the Got Chew app.

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They also offer a kids' menu with several options including simply a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"He (Soares) really wanted to put that on the menu, and I gave him pushback on it," Brooks admitted. "But he was right. People can bring their kids here and know there is something on the menu as easy as that for them."

What's Cookin' Hours

What's Cookin' is open six days a week, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Fridays, and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

A place made for families

"Kids can be picky," Soares added, the father of 4-year-old twins and a 10-year-old daughter, who all like to help out at the restaurant alongside his wife, Courtney Soares.

"He's a family guy. I'm a family guy," said Brooks. "He has kids, I have kids, he has a wife, I have a wife. And ultimately the idea is to really let everybody know that we're just a family-friendly place."

Soares and Brooks, friends from high school, said they reconnected six years ago. Brooks was interested in opening his own restaurant after years of working in the industry for other chefs.

"I've always talked about doing my own thing," Brooks said.

Soares, who also owns Colts Mobile Auto Repair in Fairhaven, said when the location became available at 4437 Acushnet Ave, it was a "no-brainer" to go into business with Brooks.

"I funded it. He runs the show," Soares said.

A community welcome

Soares said when they opened officially on May 13, they were bombarded by several locals excited to check out the new place.

"They're super nice here," added Amanda Kemmett, a waitress who has worked in the dining scene for almost 10 years. "I wasn't expecting everybody to be as nice as they are."

They already have a regular who came three times in one day for breakfast, lunch and dinner and then the following day came back for dinner because he said he loved the food so much.

Soares said the community has welcomed them with open arms. "The community really welcomed us, they're very nice here," he said.

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"We just wanted to bring something here, for the community."

The main rule of What's Cookin' is to never become a "turn and go" service. Brooks and Sores said they want people to sit down and enjoy their time thoroughly.

"We're not dropping the check to get you out of here and bring in the next table quickly," Brooks added. "We'll take whatever we can get.

"And as long as everybody's happy, we're happy."

Standard-Times staff writer Seth Chitwood can be reached at schitwood@s-t.com. Follow him on Twitter: @ChitwoodReports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: What's Cookin' in New Bedford opens for breakfast, lunch, dinner