Sandra’s Next Generation

I stopped in for takeout on my way back to NH yesterday. I see why the reviews are 5 stars. Sandra was outside when I pulled up and she waved with a big smile. I walk in and the smell was delicious, just like walking into your Grandmother’s kitchen on a Sunday. I ordered the fried catfish, Mac and cheese, collard greens and the black eyed peas with rice. Everything was perfect. It was so good. I’ll be back the next time I’m passing through.

Went here for dinner. I ordered the combo plate, which they give you two entrees and two sides. I had fried chicken and BBQ ribs for entrée and Caribbean rice and corn for the two sides. I have to tell you, these BBQ ribs were A-​Mazing. Best ribs I’ve had. The fried chicken was okay. I tasted healthy. I like my fried chicken very unhealthy, very fried and very good. The sides were also delicious as well. And also they give you cornbread also.
Overall, very tasty and cheap. I recommend you go here. And get the BBQ ribs. Get it. You wont regret it

The food was amazing! The macaroni and cheese, collard greens, and blackened catfish all exceeding my expectations! Very nice and friendly staff. I definitely recommend eating here!

We stopped off here on the way from Boston to NYC and it was absolutely worth it. The food was excellent and the service was charming and very attentive! I had the Cajun fried chicken with sweet potato fries and collard greens, and my partner had BBQ pork ribs with Caribbean rice and fried plantains. He is from the Caribbean and said it was really authentic, the fried plantains were very reminiscent of the ones his grandma used to cook back in his hometown of Barranquilla.
Afterwards we met Sandra and she was also lovely!
This is definitely a must-​visit in New Haven.

Sandra’s is a must-​try in New Haven, CT. I can’t rave enough about this restaurant, from the amazingly delicious food, to the ambience and the hospitality of good home cooked food, with a touch of soullllll.
I almost want to leave my review at that because sometimes less is more… but i’ll continue.
Me and my boyfriend came here for our first time a few days ago after hearing about it through Unilocal and multiple friends who have been and fell in love. I decided to go for the church plate which came with 1 entrée and 4 sides. Choosing an entrée and side was extremely hard because everything on the menu sounds really tasty. After minutes of contemplating i went for the Catfish– Super tender, perfectly fried without feeling too greasy. As my 4 sides I went for the candied yams, potato salad, collard greens and fried plantain — all of which had such a complexity of great flavors. The complementary cornbread is also great. Right amount of butter. Very sweet.
Overall the price was reasonable. It was on par with other restaurants that offer soul food.
If you want desert be sure to do the check in on Unilocal to receive a free one!
Service was great, staff is very friendly and welcoming. Make sure you bring cash, debit & credit are not accepted.
I would HAPPILY return here again, hence the 5 stars!

Lemonade is very good, different from the norm you get everyday, comes in big bowl container with some leaves – worth trying!
Food– I liked the fried catfish, fried Cajun chicken for main dishes; fried mushrooms for sides.
Desserts – chocolate cake is good, and very large quantity; Free if «check in» on Unilocal.
Per policy, one should get the «free dessert» upon clicking «check in» on Unilocal.This was, however, not enough for our group. To get the free dessert, we had to give 5 stars, which, to my understanding, is against Unilocal’s policy.

Excellent soul food and friendly service! I ordered Miguel’s Veggie, with yams, collard greens, mac & cheese, and sweet plantain. Everything was delicious. I’ve only been able to find plantains sweet like this at Brazilian steakhouses. was able to receive a free dessert through Unilocal.Bring cash, debit/​credit not accepted.

Really tasty soul food. Can’t go wrong with the fried chicken, Mac and cheese and yams. Delish!

The five stars on this caught my attention. I rarely see five stars restaurants on Unilocal.
As we arrive we were greeted and seated with kindness. My boyfriend and I were excited to try some soul food, and see what the five stars is all about.
As I look around, there was a banner on the wall that said: As seen on the COOKING CHANNEL! Whaaaat? Das wsup! Then I knew we were in for a treat.
Anyway we ordered the shante’s plate (1 entre with 2sides) bbq pork ribs, corn (I love love love corn) and potato salad. The boyfriend ordered Cajun fried chicken, collard greens and baked mac&cheese.
Our food arrives and before we dig in… We of course had to snap the food… Then the owner herself comes out from the back and she sees us taking photos… She was sooo sweet and friendly, had small talk and she gave us some of her homemade ice tea!!! OMG it was soooo good… It had chopped pieces of watermelon and mint leaves. Thank you Sandra…
Anyway back to the food… Let me just say definitely worth the five stars!!! The pork ribs were so tender, it came right off the bone, potato salad was so blended with little chunks of potatos, baked mac&cheese was on point, the batter mix for the Cajun was so crunchy and perfectly seasoned. Aannnnndddd complimentary corn bread!!! Okaaaayyy!!!
Entire staff and Sandra were hella friendly and sweet!
We’re definitely coming back for more when I visit.
No place in SD compares to this.

Decided to give this place a try after reading reviews on Unilocal.
Got here around 1245pm on a Sunday and there were 2 tables already filled up. We decided to go with the 2entrees and 2sides (pulled pork+BBQ ribs with collard greens and cabbage) and 1 entrée and 2 sides (fried chicken with Mac and cheese and candied yams).
While we were waiting, the cornbread that everyone was raving about came to our table. It was so moist and soft, and really fresh= super delicious! Definitely 1 of the better cornbread we’ve had.
My pulled pork and bbq ribs was great and my veg sides as well. I preferred the pulled pork because it was different — it had a different seasoning compared to regular BBQ joints. The ribs were fall of the bone tender too but the sauce was a little too sweet.
The fried chicken was awesome. Super fresh! You can actually see them actively frying behind the counter. the batter wasn’t overly thick and it coated the chicken nicely as well. I liked the fact that they allowed us the option to choose between white meat, dark meat or wings. The candied yams were overly sweet for our liking and the Mac n cheese was just ok.
Redeemed the free dessert from the Unilocal check in — got the banana pudding cake. It wasn’t very banana-​ish but the cake was really fresh, soft and spongy. Huge portion though!
Overall, great little joint tucked away in CT serving up solid comfort food coupled with friendly service. Everything tasted fresh, which is always important, and our stomachs aren’t complaining.

Almost everything about this place is incredible! The staff are super friendly and welcoming. They were able to accommodate for our big group of nine pretty easily and were quick to serve us with whatever we needed. I got the lunch special which contained fried chicken, sweet potato fries, and collard greens. The fried chicken was tender, juicy, and very tasty! The sweet potato fries were my favorite and had a great texture, one that a fry should have, and the collard greens were also tender and flavorful.
Unfortunately, the corn bread that was served to us when we got seated seemed like it was old corn bread. It was very crumbly and dry, and the flavor was alright. Maybe it would’ve been better if it were a fresh batch. Also, one plate we received was dirty, it still had bits of food leftover so it clearly wasn’t washed. A few of the other plates were greasy as well, including my own so I just used a napkin to eat the corn bread.
Aside from those misfortunes, the rest of the food was very enjoyable and the staff was one of the friendliest. I would recommend coming here for the food but make sure your utensils and dishware are clean!

YES. So much yes. I feel privileged to have experienced this sort of love and passion for food.
The entrees: the Fried Chicken (crispy, juicy, pure foodgasm) and BBQ Pork Ribs (tender and could fall right off the bone) were the stars of the meal. ORDER THESE. We also tried the oxtail which was tasty and reminiscent of 红烧肉.
The sides: all amazing, but my favorites were the Candied Yams, Cabbage (a great complement to everything else that was artery-​clogging), and Collard Greens. The Mac n Cheese wasn’t as creamy as I like, but still tasty.
Half & Half tea came in a huge tub and could easily fill 4 mason jars. Fantastic. The complimentary cornbread served at the beginning of the meal was also bomb.
Honestly, 1 plate is enough to share. They go all out on the portions, but I’m glad my friend and I got the 1 entrée/​4 side plate ($ 16) and the 2 entrée/​2 side plate ($ 15) in order to have a proper sampling of everything Sandra’s had to offer.
The food here is made and served with love. They were warm, friendly, and treat you like family. That on top of my happy soul food coma… I will be back, 100%.
PS. BRING CASH!

as soon as i walked in i instantly fell in love with this place. the food smelled so good and the staff was warm and welcoming. after watching them on tv, i was excited to try this place especially since i had a huge craving for some delicious soul food for some time.
we ordered one entrée with four sides
fried chicken (the skin was perfect, it was so crispy and crunchy) and cooked to perfection
sides — sweet plantains, mac n cheese, corn and candied yams. they also gave each of us corn bread (yayyy). each side dish was flavorful and did not disappoint at all (even tho i was suppose to order sweet potatoes instead of sweet plantains).
thanks Unilocal for the free dessert! we chose the chocolate cake and it was their last one for the day which made it even sweeter

Five stars! Absolutely delicious! Friendly down to earth staff, felt the love when they described the food, and specials.
We stopped by before going to a family Christmas party, we were happy to see that they were open for lunch, a lot of places aren’t in the neighborhood. There is parking on the side of the restaurant, when walking in there is takeout to your left, and seats to your right, there is table service, was a little confusing because there wasn’t a host. The tables seat 6 or more, so I’m guessing on a busy day, you must share. Thankfully we came on a Sunday they was pretty much empty.
We found this place from Unilocal,as I do most of the restaurants I go too, the picture of the meatloaf hooked me, but unfortunately they only make meatloaf on Wednesday. Wasn’t a great disappointment considering they had plenty of delicious food. We ordered the Cajun fried chicken, which had a kick of spice, not too much just enough, it was so juicy, and crunchy outside, pure perfection! The potato salad! Oh Jesus Christ this was my favorite! A must order. We also got the macaroni & cheese, also delicious! I’m sure if we ordered more food it would have been good also, you can taste in the food that it was cooked with LOVE!!!
When you check in on Unilocal you receive free dessert, I got the vanilla cake, my husband for the banana pudding, which we enjoyed later on that night, because no way can you eat dessert after a meal here!
Service was amazing! And honestly I didn’t expect it! There are a lot of young people working here, and the way they carried themselves spoke a lot of the owner! Great hiring! Coming from Brooklyn it’s sometimes hard to find great service!
Believe me we will be back! This will be the place we stop by before visiting family!

I love fried chicken. Ever since I went on a fried chicken binge in San Francisco and Napa, I’ve been on a quest for tasty fried chicken here in CT. We happened to be passing by New Haven, and decided to stop in for a late lunch.
They do a huge take out business, but we opted to sit at one of the tables. There were not a ton of tables, but seemed to be enough for those who wanted to eat in. The servers were all so helpful and friendly. We were greeted with two pieces of cornbread drizzled with sweet honey butter. It was so tasty! They offered to bring us more, but we wanted to save room for our meals.
We ordered drinks and our food. If you like iced tea you should definitely get it here. I ordered the green tea, it was sweetened with peaches and mint. It was SO good. And it came in a very large container, the husband and I could have easily shared it. He had just gotten a soda and would definitely get the tea next time.
I knew I was ordering the fried chicken, so it was just a matter of picking my sides from the many available choices. My husband decided he wanted wings instead of an actual entrée, so I ordered the church plate so that I could have 4 sides, 2 for him and 2 for me. I picked the mac and cheese and collard greens, he picked the special buffalo mac and cheese and sweet potatoes. My husband loved his wings, I don’t remember exactly what they were, sweet and spicy or something like that. My fried chicken was fabulous. I liked all of the sides, and definitely want to go back to try all of the other available sides.
Check in on Unilocal and get a free dessert… we were too full, so we are saving that for next time! This is the last time that I’ll go to Sandra’s when I’m passing by… it is now a destination for me all on its own!

Finally got the chance to drop in and try Sandra’s Next Generation in New Haven, CT. I went with the lunch size Pork Chopped BBQ w/​mac & cheese and sweet potatoes. Food was ready when I arrived 10 minutes after I had called it in.
DANG, this place is the REAL DEAL !!! I lived along the Tennessee-​Alabama border during 2014, and the Q served here at Sandra’s Next Generation is on par with the best down there. Pork was moist & flavorful, hint of smoke, outstanding. The mac & cheese was as good as gets, just the way I like it – perfect ! Loved the sweet potatoes too.
Yes, Sandra’s Next Generation deserves all the praise it has been receiving here on Unilocal,it’s Top Notch Southern food. A true gem hidden in New Haven, CT !

When I saw that New Haven had soul food, I was skeptical. Soul food is typically found in the South and New Haven is nowhere near the South. However, my fiancé insisted that we try it and talked about it everyday of the week before we finally paid a visit tonight.
This tiny restaurant had a very comfortable, home-​y vibe and we were greeted by a lady behind the counter who kindly instructed us to have a seat. A minute later, she brought us menus to peruse. As she returned to the counter, a nice gentleman donning a Santa hat greeted us and explained the menu to us. With his friendly exchange, he learned that we were from Hawaii and shared the history of Sandra’s.
Foodwise, I ordered the oxtail and rice and her the fried chicken (original and Cajun). Depending on the plate, one can have up to two entrees and four sides. My fiancé opted for the church plate that comes with four sides and one entrée. She chose baked Mac & cheese, candied yams, collard greens, and Caribbean rice. I had a smaller plate with two sides of fried okra and sweet potato fries. And while there was a wait for the food, we were given complimentary cornbread. All of these food items were top-​notch and made with love. It was evident in the crispy chicken skin with juicy, tender chicken meat. Love was seen in the flavorful, fall-​off-​the-​bone oxtail which was seasoned to perfection. Attention and care was poured into the baked Mac & cheese which wad the best Mac & cheese ever to exist.
This place screams soul from its atmosphere to food and history.

I dream of oxtail and rice nowadays. How do they do it? I need more oxtail in my life. Savory, tender, cooked with respect.
Mac and cheese was okaaaaaay, nothing special about it. The collard greens were yummy, though, as was the corn bread.

Say whaaaat?! Hands down, best southern food in the world… the entire world!!! Listen to me the entire world!!!
I was visiting CT for work about a month ago and thanks to a Unilocaler friend I was sent to this piece of heaven in New Haven lol (you get it!?). Anyways, this is the deal, you pick two sides and two entrees, so I went for ribs, fried chicken, mac n cheese (of course) and collard greens. Im latino and I’m used to seeing my food plate overflowing with food. Well this guys do it just right, no cutting on the portions at all, they go all out.
I wish I could remember the name of my waiter but he is my dude, coolest waiter ever. I told him it was my first time, and he even hooked me up with some pork meat so I can try it. They serve soda on a Mason jar, and such gesture made me love this place even more. If you ever visit New Haven, don’t even think about it. Just go and let them treat you like a king/​queen.
Im planning a trip there with my wife and this is definitely on our schedule. Thank you guys for the love, for the great food and the passion you put on every single meal. Love from South Florida!

So I’m a southern food snob, and the offerings here are definitely some of the better stuff I’ve had outside of the Deep South. The flavoring are southern and Caribbean. Everything is fresh and made with care and love. The delicious food here alone is worthy of 4.5 stars – the hospitality and passion of the staff drive it home for me.
I had the Thursday oxtail special with macaroni and cheese, collard greens, fried okra, and candied yams. The oxtails were perfectly cooked – flavorful and fall-​off-​the-​bone tender. The delicious meat gravy permeated the rice underneath. Oxtails and rice are some of my favorite Caribbean foods, and I’m so glad I stopped here on a Thursday! The macaroni and cheese was solid – creamy and rich. The collard greens are a little different than what I’m used to, but they were good overall. I’m used to collards with bits of salty meat mixed in, but their greens were still very flavorful. The candied yams complemented the oxtails really well, but it wasn’t super special. The only thing I didn’t care for was the fried okra. If they had Louisiana hot sauce available, I may be singing a different tune. This place only has Frank’s Redhot, and I’m not about that Yankee shit.
I also had the opportunity to try the turkey and stuffing special free of charge at the suggestion of the staff. Like my southern friends would say, that turkey don’t owe me nothing! So delicious – it was like a southern Thanksgiving in a single bite. I’d love to get that next time.
Overall this place was pretty spectacular, especially for this area. Simple and delicious foods without any pretentiousness – this is what soul food is all about.
Pro tip: take advantage of the Unilocal free dessert! The coconut pineapple cake was bomb. The cake was the size of my face. Like, it’s serious business in taste, texture, and portion size. This place also throws in some free buttery corn bread so hellllloooo carb heaven.