500 stars for this Columbian/Dominican restaurant! No, that's not a typo. The food is just THAT good! Open just two years, the hours are Mon & Tues 11:30 AM to 7 PM; Thurs/Fri/Sat 11:30 AM to 9 PM; & Sunday 11:30 AM to 5 PM. The restaurant is closed on Wed. A big fan of Oxtail, the tender Oxtail (Rabo Encendido Al Vino) @ $19.95 that arrived @ our table was soaking in a bath of special wine sauce. It was the BEST Oxtail I've EVER TASTED. I cannot wait to return for a second helping! The two sides I selected (rice & pinto beans) were unbelievably delicious-- so flavorful (see pic). The "Iconic Columbian Dish," which is Bandeja Paisa, @ $18.95 was also EXCELLENT. You MUST SEE THE PHOTO! It was a HUGE entree that consisted of bacon, grilled steak, rice, beans, fried egg, pork rind, chorizo, maduro, arepa, & avocado. (The steak was especially tender & delicious.) Be prepared to take home lots of leftovers! The Fried Calamari (Calamares) appetizer @ $10.95 was very good-- not at all chewy. The Yuca Fries included in it were GREAT, & the Sweet Plantains side was good. We are excited to Return & Return & Return so we can once again order the sides of rice & beans; try the Arepa Con Queso appetizer; the Stewed Goat; Milanesa Pork Loin; Grilled Skirt Steak; Yellow Rice w/ Chicken; & one or more of the five delicious-sounding Monfongos (a Puerto Rican plantain dish). Oh, & of course once again enjoy more Oxtail & the Iconic Columbian Dish! There are three desserts on the menu: Tres Leches; Flan de Leche; & Flan de Maracuya @ $4 to $4.50. Beverages include Columbian & American sodas; juices; Lemonade; Iced Tea; Bottled Water; 5 Coffees; 1 Tea; & Pony Malta (a nonalcoholic energy drink). There are DAILY LUNCH SPECIALS that range from $9.95 to $12.50. They include soup on Mon, Tues, Sat, & Sun; Stewed Chicken on Thurs; & Sautéed Beef/Chicken on Fri. (Tripe is the Sunday soup.) The dining room holds 10 tables; it was very clean. The interior decor is casual & comfortable, & the clientele is mainly from Columbia & Puerto Rico (according to Manager Fabian). We were the only Caucasians seated here @ the time. I am optimistic that once word speads about the quality of the food, more diners will choose to eat here. It's truly a SUPERIOR restaurant. Although the chef gets a loud round of applause for his immense talent, Manager Fabian was also impressive! I had never before seen a restaurant manager work so hard beside his staff. He was front & center assisting w/ every aspect of the business. He also took the time to approach every table to assure there were no customer concerns. Amazed w/ our food, we spoke w/ him at least three times. He answered our menu questions & checked on our service. Just an incredible person to manage a restaurant! There's no question we'll return! Five days later I finished my Oxtail w/ rice & beans. It all tasted just as DELICIOUS on Day 5 as it did the day I ordered it. That speaks VOLUMES! read more

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The chicken was very good but I would not order the doughnuts and salad again. It was takeout so can't comment on service and ambiance.

I love empanadas and knew the new Aleida's Kitchen location wasn't too far from me and decided to check them out. I ordered one chicken and one beef Columbian empanada and they did not disappoint! The sauce is what brought it all together. The service was also relatively quick and I also appreciated the shaded waiting area in front of the food truck. read more

Aleida's Kitchen - Empanadas Colombiana - Dominican Near Me - Brandon, Florida

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Great food and fast service. I love their mofongo. The portions are very good. I definitely recommend.

Ok so my friends from Aleida's kitchen are back and better than ever now just in a food truck. Had the chicharrón with rice and tostones: so delicious. My wife as usual had her sancocho which is a hearty soup and hits the spot for those chilly nights. They are now located next to the Owl bar just off of Brandon Blvd. they're open till really late so perfect late night spot for great food. So glad they're back!!! read more

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We were driving back to Naples and wanted something different to eat. We also had our dog so that can limit our options. I found Aleida's on Yelp and we detoured the 2 miles off I-75 to give it a try. Well let me tell you this was the best decision I've made in a long time!!! Such a perfect setup! A food truck with a covered patio!! We ordered one chicken and one beef empanada and the arroz con pollo. The empanadas were AMAZING!!! Super crispy and stuffed full of beef and chicken. The green hot sauce added a nice kick. (The tiny bit I can handle but still added great flavor!) the Side salad.... Just a salad right?? Not at all. It was simple... but simply delicious!!!! Things do not need to be fancy to be amazing. The arroz con pollo was a masterpiece!!! It was plated like a fine restaurant!! My GF is a chicken and rice connoisseur.... This dish blew her away!!! The shredded chicken with rice that was moist and bursting with flavor!! I was able to wrestle a few spoonfuls away from her... barely!!! I added some of the chicken to the salad too and even that was really good!! The owner then brought us a new empanada they started making with ham, pineapple and cheese. Perfect sweet and savory bite to end the meal. The owners are extremely friendly and talked with us for a bit as we're all from New York. Totally worth the detour and the wait for this delicious meal!!! Check them out for sure!!! read more

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Excellent food quality and service! My third time getting food from them and they never disappoint. Best Colombian and Dominican flavors in town. read more

Aleida's Kitchen - Dominican Near Me - Brandon, Florida

Mo Fongo. Mofongo. Sooo good. Today is the first time I tried Mofongo! Mofongo is a Puerto Rican dish that consists of mostly mashed fried green plantains with spices and sometimes chicharron mixed in. And it was amazing! My friend and I found this place on Yelp and it is right next to Brandon Regional Hospital. We tried the Mofongo with beef stew and the bandeja paisa. Bandeja Paisa is a traditionally Colombian meal that comes with rice, beans, steak, fried egg, chicharron, maduras, avocado, arepa, and chorizo. I loved how there is so much variety in this platter and everything on it was amazing. I couldn't choose a favorite because everything was cooked so amazingly. The chorizo was flavorful and juicy. The rice and beans were nicely seasoned. The chicharron was well chicharron! The steak was tender and nicely spiced as well. The maduras were the perfect amount of sweetness. The arepa had cheese on it and tasted exactly what I needed too. Drinks wise, we had the natural lemonade and the mint lemonade. Both were so refreshing, especially on a weekend afternoon! The server was so friendly and helpful and accommodating. I would highly recommend this place! read more

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Wanted something different for dinner. Decided to try some Colombian food and Aleida's Kitchen kept popping up. It is a Colombian Dominican Cuisine. We ordered the Peruvian style sautéed beef special with fried yuca with a side of beans and plantains. The food was delicious. The presentation of the food was good. The food was made to order. The juices were delicious. Our server Carol was awesome. We ordered the vegan burrito to go and that was all so delicious. You must try this place. It's a very cozy restaurant in Brandon. read more

Aleida's Kitchen - Peruvian style sautéed beef with fried yuca, red beans and plantains - Dominican Near Me - Brandon, Florida

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We came in to try something different than usual. We were not disappointed. We played it safe with the yellow rice and veggies and the yellow rice and chicken. They were both served with plantains which were also very good. I have to say the fried yucca was the best along with the garlic sauce. We have bookmarked to come back and be more adventurous and get more yucca. The had a very large party taking up most of the tables and it got a bit loud for our taste, the wait staff was also a few short. We were not in a hurry and ordered before the large party. They did have a few tables outside and they filled up quickly that day. read more

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This place is a hidden gem! Delicious. Generous portions. Very friendly staff. Will definitely be back. read more

Aleida's Kitchen - Mofongo with beef stew - Dominican Near Me - Brandon, Florida

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What a great place to eat! I brought my whole family and the quality of the food is phenomenal. We loved the "bandeja paisa" and the variety of Spanish foods was perfect The atmosphere was very nice and the place was clean ans an open. We are Latin and had been looking for a place to come close to home cooking and this is it! Best place in Brandon, Riverview area foe Spanish food! read more

Aleida's Kitchen - Arroz and Arroz, Frijoles, Vegetables y Maduros - Dominican Near Me - Brandon, Florida

How exciting it was to find this little gem (not only hidden away near Babe's Pizza and next door to the Owl Bar), but to also find it is open late most evenings and especially on Friday and Saturday nights! The rave reviews are accurate. This food was not only steaming hot when picked up, but it was also delicious! Everything I ordered was yummy. My favorites were the Mofongo and the Sanchocho de Aleida Soup, which had so much flavor. It was such a treat to get some great food that wasn't from a chain restaurant. I hope Aleida's is successful and stays around for a long time. read more

Service and food was amazing! They made my food exactly how I wanted it! The mojo sauce was soooo good. Pork chops were perfectly seasoned. Beans were perfect. I am picky about my habichuelas! read more

Aleida's Kitchen - Pork chops and rice and beans. - Dominican Near Me - Brandon, Florida

Oh my God! If you're looking for authentic and AMAZING you've gotta come to Aleidas kitchen. I am vegetarian so as you can probably guess Hispanic food and I go head to head.ourwaitress was so sweet and helped me get mofungo with no meat and the vegetables beans and rice that I ordered for lunch was so fresh and tasty. My family got other meals con carne and they also enjoyed what they ordered. Restaurant is small and cute and set the mood for the afternoon. Felt like we were snack in San Juan for the day. I highly recommend read more

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This place is excellent. Server was very friendly and made excellent recommendations. For $40 we got an appetizer and 2 entrees. The appetizer was chiccharones Dominicano this was delicious. It was a good portion and the server brought some hot sauce that took it to the next level. My date had the pollo Milanese with white rice beans and tostones substituted for French fries. The portion was huge and enough for two meals. There was no upcharge for the beans or tostones. Lastly, I ordered the monfongo con palomilla. The server suggested I do the mofongo con carne guisado. I have attached a photo to just show how truly amazing this is. Check this place out. read more

Aleida's Kitchen - Chiccharon Domincano con yuca Frita - Dominican Near Me - Brandon, Florida

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Food was good. The service was good. The chairs is very uncomfortable. It seems to be geared to smaller people I am a good sized person. The curvature of the back of the chair just doesn't feel proper. I didn't want to stay very long. After the gentleman served us, he left to talk to others. We wanted dessert but he was still talking. Finally as I was getting even more uncomfortable in the little metal chair, a lady saw us. Came over and finished taking our order. She was so polite and nice. We got our flan, then paid and left. Oh and the gentleman still talking to the only other 2 customers in the place. The chef did come out I told him he did a really great job cooking. Well if you go I hope yall don't get the chatty gentleman. read more

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The service was amazing! Great atmosphere. Food was delicious. Can't wait to come back. read more

Aleida's Kitchen - Mofongo con Bistec de Palomilla - Dominican Near Me - Brandon, Florida

I've been waiting for this place to open for a while. I just happened to see that the open sign was lit up as I was driving down Oakfield, and decided to drop in out of curiosity. I'm so glad that I did. This new restaurant has only been open less than a week. It's Columbian-Dominican, but they have items that are Puerto Rican as well. It's in the same plaza as Taste of Berlin and Allegria Italiana. They are still in the preliminary stage of testing out menu items, and will be making adjustments to their current menu. So far, I've been happy with everything I've ordered. I've been there twice this week. The first time, I had a take out order of Sancocho de Costillas de Res (special of the day) and the pan seared sirloin in wine sauce. Both were very generous portions that included 2 or 3 side dishes. The platanos maduros are cut lengthwise and fried perfectly. They were super ripe and sweet. I think these are the best maduros ever. Seriously. I'm still thinking about them today. You also get a heaping portion of rice with red beans. Also, a great choice. It comes with a salad as well. The Sancocho comes with a potato salad that my mother saved for the next day. It was a lot of food. We even split the sirloin which was pretty massive. But that's not all. We decided to go back because I saw so many other things on the menu (like Mofongo & Skirt Steak). My intention was to try the Mofongo, but the grilled skirt steak was calling my name. Oh wow, this was another huge portion. You'll just have to see the picture. It was served with a different variation of a chimichurri sauce. It was more of a parsley & oregano taste, than a garlic taste. It was very good. I was also happy that the steak wasn't overly seasoned and salty. The sauce brought out the natural flavor of the meat. My mother had the Fried Red Snapper. It was the whole fish. Again, not a whole lot of seasoning but the flavor was all there. She was super happy. She hasn't had one since her last visit to Puerto Rico. She ate just about everything. Oh, and I can't forget to mention the empanadas. The outer part is made with masarepa. It was so fresh and delicious. It reminded me of sorullitos, but filled with shredded beef instead of cheese. It's also served with a green ají sauce. If I had to say anything negative, it would be that service was a little slow. I was expecting that since it's a new restaurant, and the fact that all of these items are made to order. I don't mind the wait if the food is good, and it certainly was very good. The staff and owner were wonderful. We will definitely go back to try more menu items, and to get more of that deliciously bold coffee that was a perfect end to our meal. read more

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Came in for lunch. Ordered the lentil soup. Came out nice and hot. I also had the grilled pork chops. They were very good. Service was good. Tables spaced out nicely. Nice atmosphere. read more

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Amazingly delicious food! Yummy Sangria, best tostones ever, Camararones Enchilado, excellent Palomino Steak! Only recommendation for owner is a little more attentive when customers walk into establishment.. Overall it was a spotless and clean ... excellent experience overall read more

Hidden gem. We were passing through Brandon from Tampa and quickly searched for Tostones on my maps. This place popped up and we figured we would give it a try. Upon arrival I fell in love with the atmosphere and how spacious and homey this place felt. We started out with a cafe con leche... mmm.... So good and it was strong, not watered down. I then ordered the Churrasco with chimichurri sauce, rice beans, tostones and a salad. It was amazing. The steak was seasoned lovely and cooked to perfection, I love mine medium! Mom got the fried red snapper, which I had to try. Oh Em Gee... it was seasoned great and tasted so fresh. This is a must try and we will be back to try the Bandeja Paisa. Oh, and we definitely had to take a few cafe con leches for the road. read more

Aleida's Kitchen - Churrasco a la Parrilla (NY Strip) - Dominican Near Me - Brandon, Florida

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As a late afternoon lunch date for myself, I decided to wander into Aleida's Kitchen. I had been craving some Latin food as of late, and this fairly new restaurant seemed like a wortht place to fill such craving. The food was good, but perhaps I am picky and have been spoiled...which may explain why I can only give this place 3 stars. Starting with the food: I wanted to try a little bit of everything so I ordered the Bandeja Paisa. I want to say that for $15, this plate comes with a lot of food; I always get excited when I can find a deal like that! Everything on the plate was tastey; the grilled steak was pretty lean and I loved the maduros. I have never and never will like pork rinds, so I didn't eat that, but I pretty much cleaned the rest of the plate. My biggest complaint with the food was just that it wasn't really warm - it seemed a tad too cool, but not to the point where I couldn't still enjoy it. The service was a bit slow, but overrall friendly. As others have remarked, they are still finding their footing as it is a new restaurant. At the end of the day, I care more about friendly service rather than fast service. I just wouldn't plan on coming here if you are in a rush. Lastly, I appreciated how pristine it was inside, but it lacked a certain "comfy factor". I think if there was some music playing, then it may make it even more of an enjoyable experience. read more

Aleida's Kitchen - Bandeja Paisa - Dominican Near Me - Brandon, Florida

The best arepas and mofongo in town. The snapper is well marinated and fried perfectly. The sour sap drink taste delicious. Definitely will be back to try other dishes on the menu. read more

Aleida's Kitchen - Fried snapper , monfongo, skirt steak yellow rice and plantain. - Dominican Near Me - Brandon, Florida

Ordered catering to go for my Husband's birthday during lockdown and was very impressed with the quality of the foods and how they package everything. All the foods were delicious! Will definitely be one of our Hot spot! read more

Fully appreciate this place as a vegan! The vegan plate is so flavorful and hits the spot when I want Latin food. The portions are wonderful and the yuca fries and literally the best I've ever had!! Always fresh and hot when I get delivered through Uber! Love Aleida's kitchen ! read more

Aleida's Kitchen - Veggies and plantains - Dominican Near Me - Brandon, Florida

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We had some empanadas as appetizers, they were enjoyable, make sure to ask for the red pepper sauce. We then had a beautiful fried whole red snapper and a bandeja paisa. The whole meal was quite satisfying, very generous, and absolutely filling. The service was also exceptional, very nice, attentive, and polite. If you want to get your fill with some good Colombian, Dominican, and Puerto Rican food, this is the place! read more

Aleida's Kitchen - Bandeja Paisa - Dominican Near Me - Brandon, Florida

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Would you believe international cuisine in Brandon? In a small shopping center near Brandon Regional Hospital with a highly rated Italian restaurant (Allegria Italiana), and a German restaurant, Aleida's Kitchen offered us a glimpse into Dominican and Columbian cuisine. Believe me, these are not fast food restaurants typical of the Brandon area. Although Aleida's offers weekly lunch specials, two of us decided on the Pechuga de Pollo Asada for lunchtime, that is a grilled boneless chicken breast served with rice. Instead of fries, we substituted the maduros (sweet fried plantains) and chose red beans instead of a salad. I think I could live off of the maduros. I may try a seafood dish next time. Everything was excellent -- prepared just right. The fresh chicken breast was nicely grilled with the right spices, served with the white rice and red beans on a side dish. A very nice presentation. The menu is very comprehensive and dinner is served throughout the day and evening. Seafood and Vegan choices are available. Lunch specials change daily. Don't forget the café con leche with dessert, such as Flan or Arroz con Leche (rice pudding). My son as very pleased with the Arroz con Pollo (chicken with yellow rice). A nice salad and maduros were included. He brought some home. Some special nights the lights are turned down, candles lit, and a jazz musician may entertain. Ask ahead of time for this very nice touch. Elizabeth was our server and couldn't have made our visit any nicer. read more

MIDDEN GEM!!!!!! This is my favorite place ever!!!! I found this place in January & went 2 days in a row back to back . The service is amazing. The restaurant is the perfect size & cute. Everyone is so nice & genuine. The food never disappoints. I go here alot & ive never been dissatisfied with any of my meals at all. Everything tastes amazing & this is coming from a Dominican! I highly recommend. read more

The beef empanadas are AMAZING!!!! The food and service is amazing. It was the perfect spot to visit non a Sunday afternoon with friends. read more

I orderd Mofongo with stewed beef THE BEST these people cook like actual Dominicans mofongo it's the best place to eat anything the cook GOOD AS HELL all my people that want mofongo go here they really no what Mofongo is read more

Good food, great atmosphere and awesome service. I plan to come back and have the Bandeja Paisa and arepas :). Please come out and try it for yourself! I promise you will love it too!!!! read more

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Excellent food. Live music. We had the arepas and the shrimp mofongo Really enjoyed the service too. They were great read more

We had lunch here a few weeks ago and I am just getting around to leaving a review. The food was delicious and the service was great. I do want to go back and try their mofongo. We had other diners stop us to say how delicious it is. read more

Incredible! So authentic, and the flavors are incredible! We came from Palm Harbor and we will be coming back! Highly recommend. read more

Aleida's Kitchen - Mofongo w shrimp creole - Dominican Near Me - Brandon, Florida

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Tonight was my first visit, I came across Aleida's on Yelp. We had seafood rice and chicken and rice. Not very adventurous I know. It tasted just as you would expect. The salad dressing had a nice tang to it. Sweet plantains were deliciously cooked. Probably the best I have had in a long time. Nice and ripe. So glad I have found a new place. Simple, tasty, comfort food. read more

This is a wonderful family owned restaurant with a tremendous potential. They have an extensive menu, a really nice assortment of beverages, I really recommend the frozen cherry lemonade, a warm cozy atmosphere and a staff, very eager to please. I spoke with the chef at length and this is his first venture into private ownership. Being this was their 10th day, they have already discovered the pains of owning a restaurant. I only hope that the community gives them the patience and latitude to find their stride. My biggest concern with this restaurant is the clients that have already eaten there. The chef is already afraid to take chances because of pre-expectations of the guests. Instead of allowing him to make bold and exciting choices, instead of giving him the benefit of the doubt and allow him to experiment or God forbid, do something non-traditional, the community has already pushed the establishment toward mediocrity. The real joy of a good community restaurant is the way a chef can take something treasured and turn it into something new and exciting. While living in Germany, I ran into this time and time again. I fully understand that a meal is more than the food on a plate. It is memories, tradition, events and people you shared these meals both present and future. The problem here is when the traditional food lacks flavor, lacks pizazz, lacks creativity because the clients are held hostage to the past, it alienates and pushes away others from joining the meal. This was the case with my meal today. I spoke at length about his choices and was very saddened to find out that while he would love to bring these dishes into the present American pallet forte the current clients in the community would have none of it. They would reject it as blasphemy. To those folks I will say this. Your traditional food is boring and bland. It lacks flavor, creativity, it is as routine as a root canal. You need to understand that in this modern world, things change. The beauty of living in the US is the ability to modify and pay tribute to the past without being held hostage to it. What I would have loved to see is a plate with creativity, better presentation and most of all FLAVORS! If you want traditional food that your mom made while living in the cities of Columbia, then grab a flight and head back there. Bon Appetite! If you are not just expecting but demanding this same level of food here then by your handcuffing a chef into serving something that only works in your mind is unfair to both the family that is trying to bring something new to your new community, but, the community as a whole. You moved to America for opportunities. Give this chef and his family the opportunity to take your food, put his twist on it and create something you can treasure because now you have something completely unique to not just your town, but, the world in general. If you just can't move forward and allow him the trust and confidence he has earned by investing in his own business to spread his wings and shine, then I hope you hire him as YOUR personal chef because, his job is to create new memories not live in the past! I wish him and his family the courage to break molds and set new culinary trails! If I come back this way and he has taken my advice and created something unique and exciting, I will gladly give him 5 stars! read more

Oh my goodness, AMAZING!! I had Arroz con pollo, delicious!!!! Co-worker had Colombian, it was awesome. Another co-worker had the beef stew...OMG!!! These dishes were complete happiness!!! Come check this food out and the server was awesome!!! read more

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We took my Colombian mother in law for lunch at a new restaurant called Aleida's Kitchen. I chanced upon it when looking for a flower shop yesterday. It serves Colombian-Dominican cuisine and we all agreed the food was excellent. The empanada's we had as an appetizer were delicious as were each of our main courses. Mother-in-law had a pork loin, my wife had a shrimp casserole and I had beef stew, which tasted great. The service was bi-lingual and prompt, and everything was obviously cooked to order and served as soon as it was ready. Delicious. read more

Aleida's Kitchen - exterior view, park around the back - Dominican Near Me - Brandon, Florida

This place is a hidden gem! We popped in as a family to get dinner. I had the salmon filet with veggies and yuca it was delicious! My hubby had grilled chicken, rice and beans. Our son ordered the rice with chicken cooked in and it was all just so flavorful!!!!! I should have taken pics - it was plated nicely and cooked fresh to order. I was so surprised the menu had a vegan section too! Simple classics but robust Latin flavor. We got the Tostones Mixto and this appetizer perfect for the diverse taste buds at our table! Give them a try you will not be disappointed. Excellent service, delicious food and comparable prices! We are definitely GOING BACK FOR MORE! read more