The food at Off the Grille Bistro is indeed hot off the grill -- and the quality-to-price ratio is hot off the charts. Even with that niggling, vestigial ''e,'' this low-key Kendall newcomer is an instant favorite.

Brothers Javier and Robert Gordo have pieced together a miraculously super spot sandwiched between a hair salon and a martial-arts studio way out on Kendall Drive. With a little tweaking, these guys could be onto the next big thing. Prices are comparable to places like Boston Market, but the quality is light years better than I've had at big-ticket tourist traps on Ocean Drive.

They clearly put effort into the clean, bare-bones decor. The walls of the bowling-alley narrow space are painted different colors -- guacamole green, maraschino-cherry red, cheery African violet purple -- and hung with black and white photos of the Marilyn Monroe-James Dean variety.

The place could use some music and maybe some comfier chairs. A wine and beer list (in the works) would be nice. And they definitely needs more powerful air conditioning when that grill is ratcheted up.

But the food. Who could imagine it would be this good?

Turns out chef Rob, a Johnson & Wales grad, honed his craft at such upscale locales as Two Chefs, Jada, Brasserie Le Coze and Mark's Place. His menu features a tight selection of sandwiches, salads, wraps and grilled fish, chicken and steaks. Most are Caribbean-influenced, with a few all-American items like a stupendous half-pound burger with caramelized onions, pickles, lettuce and tomato on an exceptionally good sesame bun.

A Mediterranean salad with feta cheese and olives stands up well to a teriyaki salmon. A creamy curry pasta tasted of a few too many shakes of bottled curry powder, but nonetheless was al dente and had an impressive smattering of flaky fresh salmon, mahi-mahi and shrimp.

Dishes are mostly of the quick and casual variety like a blackened mahi sandwich with a superior apple slaw and rich, house-made tartar sauce, and a fantastic chicken wrap with lettuce and cheese. All sandwiches come with a pile of grease-free fried plantains, the thinnest layer of skin left on.

A memorable romaine salad with a dozen perky, thumb-sized shrimp wears a skimpy coat of citrus dressing that is perfectly light and tangy.

It is usually the blackboard specials that impress the most. A meaty churrasco is smothered in red onions and served with a choice of sides. The Dominican mangu (boiled and mashed green plantains) is as addictive as the mashed potatoes. Tough choice. The smooth, cilantro-speckled black beans are better than most I've sampled.

The selection of house-made desserts changes daily, with chocolate flan, banana-bread pudding, cheesecake and apple pie hitting the spot more often than not.

These guys have even thought of the wee ones with a delicious kids' menu including a choice of pastas, wraps or chicken strips that go for less than a boxed meal at a drive-through. My girls devoured the cheesy chicken wrap in the whole-wheat wrapper faster than I could say hold the mustard.

More mature mouths must remember to ask for the fiery house-made chipotle and Scotch bonnet sauce with a smoky, roasted flavor and a peppery onion flare.

The front-of-the-house operation is a bit of a conundrum. You order your food from a difficult-to-decipher menu at a counter, but it's delivered by a jeans-clad waitress. You eat from real plates with decent flatware, but have to jump up to get your own sauces, dispensed in plastic cups.

As for tweaking, the menus need more details and pizazz. It would help to laminate it and separately list the many side-dish options. And how about a counter person who looks you in the eye and speaks clearly?

My only question is, how are these guys making any money selling such excellent food so cheaply? If all else fails, they could start bottling that outrageously flavorful hot sauce and make their fortune.