Once one of the top Portuguese restaurants in Toronto, Bairrada seems to have lost a step. I recently ordered a whole chicken and small potatoes via UberEats after a couple year hiatus, but was a bit disappointed. The chicken lacked the characteristic grill / char marks. The potatoes were bland, as if they were boiled rather than roasted. Or perhaps this was just a lazy attempt at slapping an order together because it was via Uber Eats? As always, their peri peri sauce is among the best in the city and saved the meal. Either way, lots of better options in the city these days. read more

Bairrada Churrasqueira Grill - Portuguese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

It has been a few years since I was last here and my last visit wasn't too good but I thought I'd give them another chance based on their backyard patio. There were four of us and ordered the sangria to share between three of us which was a lot but refreshing. Apps were Lucas Freitas (fried calamari) and Chourico a Bombeiro (flaming sausage). Both were delicious. I forgot to mention the bread and Piri Piri Sauce which came in the form of a large bottle. These were complimentary and it's nice to see a restaurant continue this tradition. There used to be a very crusty artisan bread that was served but over the years that has disappeared and it's a white bread now. Three of us had chicken/chicken breast and one had veal. Even the small portion was very generous. The salad was underwhelming but a pretty presentation. The server got a couple of orders wrong and seemed very distracted. The piece de resistance was the "Portuguese Tarts" which made a wonderful finale to a good Al fresco dining experience. read more

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had the 1/4 chicken dinner ($14) chicken was pretty tasty i loved the portuguese chili oil

Service just wasn't good and put a damper on the evening. Food was mostly just ok. First of all, the restaurant was surprisingly empty on a Friday and there were two servers on the floor. Our server seemed distracted and overwhelmed even though there was barely anyone there. We often had to flag down the other waiter because ours just simply wasn't paying attention , took painfully long to bring water or bread and did not keep us in the loop about why the calamari was taking forever to come out. The entire night was an exercise in flagging him down. Very Frustrating. It got even worse when a family of about 8-10 did arrive and then another group of 5. Food finally comes.... My sardines were fine. I've had the dish before but for some reason they didn't leave as much of an impression as they did my first time. Maybe parts of it tasted a bit under-seasoned. Not sure 3/5. Potatoes were good. My friend had the suckling pig and it was so dry it was barely edible. Poor thing couldn't finish it (1/5). My other friend loved the bbq chicken but not a huge fan of the rice 4/5. The saving grace of the entire meal was probably the potatoes, fresh cheese appetizer with Peri peri sauce drizzled on top eaten with the soft white table bread and olives. Also, the fruit shakes are clearly syrup based which just makes them too sweet. They should just try to focus on seasonal drinks. I had a great time with friends but overall disappointed given I had recommended this spot. read more

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Let's start with the service. Our server was Joey. What a blast. Fantastic sense of humour. Fast, pleasant, and his ability to talk with everyone and share humorous antics around the table, all the while remaining professional. His service style will NOT let you down. Food: amazing taste, flavourful spices, and to the way we liked it. No second guessing if it was right. We dug in to a meal I will not forget anytime soon. Ambient, that depends on your tastes. I loved it. It was homestyle feeling. Casual, warm and fuzzy. Inside was warm and inviting. The patio, though we didn't sit out, was beautiful. The trees, foliage, table settings, and small structures made it out to be a small piece of solitude, great people, and amazing food. Nilton, the owner could be seen moving around inside and out. I had the chance to compliment him on our way out. If you ever have the opportunity to visit, I feel you won't be disappointed. read more

We had a large family dinner this past Saturday, several of us had ordered the Bife à Casa which comes with gravy made from the beef marinade and cream, the gravy they provided was from a can, not very authentic, The fish I had ordered was Dourado it was the special for the day and it was seriously over done. Not very happy with the quality of food, the service was decent. The price would've been worth it if they had gotten the food right. It was my second time there not sure if I'm going back. read more

I give this restaurant a solid 4-star rating. My wife and I had a wonderful dinner on a warm October evening out on the patio. The food was good, even though my steak was undercooked. The server promptly took it back and they cooked it for some more. I tried Portuguese beer (Super Bock) for the first time and I have to say it was pretty good. Fried calamari was tasty and big. Everything about our dinner amounted to a positive experience. Our server was particularly attentive and friendly. We spent $84 after tips on a dinner for 2 with drinks and will be back in the future for sure. read more

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Has to be one of my favourite casual restaurants. Would be there weekly if it wasn't a 1hr drive from home :( the steak and egg is my go too and my side always gets the grilled calamari. Can't wait to go back :) read more

Went on a Thursday for dinner with my friend and it was dead, thought there would have been more people. Food was good, ordered the salmon with potatoes. at first it smelled kind of funny (kind if like poo), but was pretty tender. Also was a bit oily. Food quantity vs price was great! read more

Bairrada Churrasqueira Grill - Salmon with potatoes - Portuguese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I had taken my wife to Bairrada a few months ago because I had remembered the place as once having the best steak I had ever had. The old story goes that a friend of mine had been a vegetarian for about 3 or 4 years and decided he would go back to eating meat. His way of doing this was to take me to Bairrada and for him to eat Chicken, Pork, and Beef all in one meal. Way back in that day, I had the steak and home cut chips which, again at the time, was one of the best steaks and I had in a long time. As the opportunity presented itself for me to bring my wife here recently, I was dreaming of that steak experience. Unfortunately this time around, the steak was only just ok and everything else we ordered was just ok. I guess the charm of what this place once was has faded. Oh well, too bad. read more

Bairrada Churrasqueira Grill - Home cut chips on steak in the foreground. Sardines in the background. - Portuguese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Maybe is me??I was really disappointed with the food I ordered at Bairrada Churrasqueira Grill. The bread was so cold, dry and rock solid hard!! I love bread.. I love carbs... but I really cannot eat those... BBQ Chicken was dried, flavourless..not even the tasty hot sauce can't bring life back to it.. I have better Portuguese chicken at some small takeout places!! Flaming Sausage though is cute, and make an excellent photo opps but just OK... We were ignored and never given the menu till I asked the waitress for one... after that the services did pick up. I am glad that other have better experience, but I don't think I will be back here to eat again! read more

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Been here many times and loved the food and the atmosphere. Churrasco Chicken is always great. I also love their large shrimps.

Wednesday evening a group of us attended an end of the summer patio party at Bairrada Churrasqueira, which serves Portuguese cuisine. We were greeted with pitchers of sangria. Yum! We were served a bit of everything ... suckling pig, Portuguese fresh cheese, calamari, Flaming sausage, tomatoes and cucumbers, shrimp, rice, sardines, BBQed chicken and potatoes, steak and egg and Heavenly Creame. They have a really awesome patio! It was a fun night and great to try so many Portuguese dishes! read more

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Yay, I AM a fan! Walk through a small tiled restaurant into a backyard oasis! Bairrada Churrasqueira Grill is one of the city's BEST (yes, best) patios and you've really got to know to know. Walk by this place, and you may not know the bustle that lies within. But read my review and prepare for greatness. The star of the show is definitely the chicken plates. We went with a large size and it came with four huge pieces of chicken atop a heap of rice pilaf and potatoes (delightfully soft and rounded potats). Also, the flaming sausage! With a name like that, you have got to see what the deal is and sure enough, the dish is flamed tableside. We got a caeser salad and while it wasn't something I'd write home about, there's still so much more on the menu that I am dying to try. Name, the seafood and fish side of the menu! They seem to have some killer food specials every day, too. Also, I spied many pitchers of beer for under $20 and some huge TV's for sports viewing so this could low key be my new sports bar fix. While I do see why some folks have docked stars for things like wait times, etc. I do say it's all part of the charm and I'm happy these people are so gosh darn busy. Deserved. read more

Came here around 8pm on a sunday night and waited about 15 minutes for a table, however it was a table by the door and the cold draft comes in every time the door opens and its cold and unpleasant. Yes, service is quite slow here, they seem to forget about you for a while after you put the menus down. The food is hit or miss here. The appetizer platter had a good variety and a large serving for the price, the grilled calamari was tender, the cheese was a large slab and a big pile of roasted red peppers, every thing felt kind of cold though (but it could have been the draft) The chicken was mediocre at best, it was on the dry side. The little roasted potatoes were good though. Their tiger shrimp were great, the shrimp were huge and the sauce was rich, buttery and had lots of seafood flavour and it came out hot, the portion was really good for the price. The sea bass was also grilled great and was not dry at all. but the vegetables were overcooked and a bit mushy. Their egg tarts are also ok, didn't feel the freshest but it was fine and I love all egg tarts so can't complain. The service did get better at the end of the night when there was less people. The place was busy and lots of large tables of families. Overall this place is ok, great for families and a good deal for the price but nothing extraordinary. read more

Bairrada Churrasqueira Grill - appetizer platter - Portuguese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Service ZERO and RUDE. 1) I ordered a steak and changes side dish the Chips to Veggies. It still arrived with CHIPs. So I told the waitress with blonde hair pony tail I preferred Veggies. They brought in 2 pieces of broccoli. Thank you so much for coming to me and how dare that blonde hair pony tail asking about the chips. I didn't eat the chips and you sent in the wrong order , what I am going to do with the chips? Of coz my sis and friend ate some of them as the chips are spreading all over my steak and soaked with the sauce. How dare you came and asked me about the chips? Stupidly extremely rude!!! How about you come and take the chips away from my dish ??? I didn't understand the logic of her attitudes but I could only think it might be some misunderstanding so I could be more forgiving. Was I stealing your stupid chips? 2) the whole night once we came in we could see our waitress ONCE!! And she doesn't speak English !!! Again the blonde pony tail had to translate our order to her and it still wrong. 3) one of my siblings came after work so we ordered food for her in advance. It took bit long so when we saw a bus lady ( our waitress was invisible ) and wanted her to tell someone about our last order, the stupid blonde pony tail came again with my sister's food and drop it on the table and asked my sis ' What do you want ?' Such bitxhy service and attitudes are ridiculous. My big sis come once a while in 30 years even when this woman wearing her diapers. The now elderly owner even there yesterday to greet all customers and this woman ruined the reputation of the many years business ? What a shame ! Please someone educate your staffs about attitudes ! There are many restaurants in your area are much better than yours ! Don't be silly . read more

One of my favourite Portuguese restaurants in the city. Portions are massive here and priced very well. I was very impressed with the size of the prime rib steak. My girlfriend got the quarter chicken dinner and she loved it. Our server was very friendly and attentive. read more

Bairrada Churrasqueira Grill - Prime Rib steak - Portuguese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This is a good spot to come if you really want to feel a true sense of being ignored. And bothering staff for supporting your business

Great food, great service, and great value for money. The family vibe is incredible as well.

A good buddy recommended checking out this place, and hot damn I owe him a drink. What a find! This is among the best Portuguese BBQ chicken I have ever had, and I've never said no to greasy poultry. This isn't really greasy in the gross KFC way, but in the mouth-watering juicy way. For $10 you get a whole bird and they cut it up for you and sauce it up. For sides we got the salad, which was meh, and the fries which are obviously frozen... but who cares?! THE CHICKEN! When you first enter this place, you think it's just a small diner-like spot, but keep walking through to their massive (and I mean MASSIVE) back patio. A scenic outdoor space with fountains, a pig spit and a huge tree providing lots of shade. What a gorgeous patio. I'm talking wedding-worthy. So nice. Check this place out, Yelpers! GOTTA KNOW: What is that red tomato hot sauce that they serve at Portuguese restaurants? I keep forgetting to ask. Need to find a grocer that sells it. read more

Bairrada Churrasqueira Grill - Portuguese Chicken! - Portuguese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This place is amazing. You cannot get better atmosphere in the summer. We revisited, with a couple, an old friend from high school and a sibling. There was no need to worry about the time that would be had by all. We were warmly welcomed by our server (he recognized us via our reservations) and were instantly treated like family. Before the food even arrived we were making friends with the Portuguese family beside us. Friday evening the patio was PACKED but they had added a couple more tables and some lovely plant-life. Group of six, we ordered a full chicken with potatoes (and piri piri), the seafood platter ($65) which on the menu, says it feeds 2. It is enormous. We also ordered (long weekend: wanted to party) FOUR pitchers of beer and TWO pitchers of sangria over the course of the evening. . Extra potatoes, the free bread. In the end, we were all basically hammered, completely well fed, loving our life, with a phone number for a free stay in Portugal any time we like (not kidding) and covered in Piri Piri sauce. Two and a half hours of catching up on the patio set us back $200 or $40 each once tax and tip was considered. Completely my go-to when I want to have a great evening in a warm atmosphere with friends, this last visit just elevated to five stars. Love it. read more

Bairrada Churrasqueira Grill - Seafood platter - Portuguese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I went to Bairrada Churrasqueira to try some Portuguese food during my trip to Toronto. I'm pretty sure the only Portuguese food I've tried at that point was the bastardised version in Macao or Macanese restaurants where the dishes are made for Chinese taste buds, so I was curious what real Portuguese food is like. My sister and I were staying with my aunt in the suburbs but we didn't have anything planned that day anyway so my sister and I, and my cousins and aunt all made the trek to the city just to try this restaurant. All in all it was worth the trip just because none of us have had Portuguese food before. But in my opinion the food, or at least what I ordered, wasn't particularly memorable. I ordered the Frango no Churrasco, which is a roasted chicken dish. The chicken was served with long grain rice, sauteed potato balls, and olives. Olive is one of the few things I generally don't like to eat, so I skipped that. Everything was pretty average and nothing distinctive. The food wasn't bad, but it also doesn't taste any different from many other roasted chicken dishes I've had. I probably should have ordered seafood instead, knowing that Portugal is bordered by so much water. But the menu stated that the Frango no Churrasco is the restaurant's specialty so it caught my eye. read more

Bairrada Churrasqueira Grill - Frango no Churrasco - Portuguese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Huge patio, definately a nice outdoor place for the summer. Even features a garden. Indoors the interior is blah. Very popular place, went here during a weekday for dinner and there was still a wait time. Flaming sausage in a clay pig pot seems to be a specialty of theirs. Saw lots of people order this. We had ordered the BBQ chicken, rice, potatoes and a veal sandwich. Good food and atmosphere. Chilean house wine was also surprisingly of excellent quality! Friendly staff. read more

Bairrada Churrasqueira Grill - patio view at night - Portuguese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Great food..great service...great backyard dining area!! Food was hot and fresh and delicious!! read more

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My Portuguese friend brought me to this place twice already. I love their patio, it's rated as one of the best patios in Toronto (College location one) and I can see why. It's really nice out there, the setting, the decor and the atmosphere. They have a big variety of dishes on the menu, from chicken to steaks to seafood. Their food is pretty authentic. I had the prime rib steak for $16 - GREAT pricing. Comes with fries and rice. Very filling. They also make great pina coladas. I recommend going there early or have a reservation because the place gets really packed every day. Overall, a great place to go. Pretty authentic Portuguese place with great food and great price. read more

Bairrada Churrasqueira Grill - Prime Rib Steak ($16). Comes with rice and fries - Portuguese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Bairrada Churrasqueira Another Tonque Twister With Great Food Notes: The service at the Mississauga location is under par, though the food is still good. With its three locations this Portuguese Restaurant is synonymous with great food, enjoyed in a sociable atmosphere. Many associate Portuguese food only with the many little rotisserie chicken places that dot the city, but the cuisine is so much deeper then that. Hearty dishes of salt fish and potato, roasted whole suckling pig, fresh seafood aplenty and some damn good fried pork rinds are just a few worth mentioning. Avoid falling in to your comfort zone, leave the rotisserie chicken with the tasty red sauce, the rice and the potato balls in the coup and try something fabulous and new. Want to know where to start? Well check out my appetizer only choices below. Portuguese cuisine is also known for this dish. Caldo Verde. It is Kale soup, however it can be made with many different types of greens. It has the consistency of Chinese corn soup, a light flavor, is made with chorico and is a flavorful starter. Can anyone say cheese heaven. Queijo Fresco or fresh Portuguese cheese reminiscent of a formed ricotta served with the famous tasty red sauce or Piri-Piri. Piri-Piri is a chili based sauce and always has tons of flavor. The cheese is refreshing, clearly fresh and a cheese lovers delight. Just like ricotta, it is perfect with just about anything. You have to try this. Portuguese cuisine is also known for its baked goods and breads. I ate the cheese with the bread and bit of the Piri-Piri. So good. Their famous flaming sausage. It is a chorizo style sausage set on fire with Portuguese moonshine in the clay vessel above just enough to grill the outside. The aromas coming from the sizzling and crackling sausage was just beautiful. Sagres is Portuguese Beer. It was light, high carbonation and reminded me of a classic lager. read more

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Wow. This place is kind of ridiculously good. The shock? Purely because it's located about a 2 minute walk from my home, and I have now only been there twice. I had heard before that it was a well-loved spot; a friend from the suburbs had even spoken of coming into this area specifically to eat here. I have certain places where I usually satisfy my Portuguese-style chicken needs, and though I do, as a rule, prefer the rotisserie to the grill where chicken is concerned, I fear that I sold these guys short for a long time. I remember having it once, a couple years back and thinking it was a bit too dry (drier than rotisserie, which it is, which is normal), and that their potatoes were a bit too greasy. I would like to take this opportunity to retract my previous, incorrect perception. The chicken is deliciously seasoned and barbecued, and juicy. The rice is mildly and delightfully seasoned and the Parisienne-style potatoes are OMG delicious. Juicy and yes, kinda oily but in a nothing-but-mouth-watering way. They also have a very large dining room, a pretty big following (from what I gather), and a larger and more varied menu than I realized. Thank you blizzard, and for canceled plans that were responsible for taking me, and stranding me (starving) in a westward direction (9 out of 10 times, I go eastward). read more

Bairrada Churrasqueira Grill - Portuguese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

A few bites from our full review - "We couldn't resist the urge to stand up and walk around a bit. Their waterfall, little bridge and trellis scene were poetic - a little oasis in the city." "Our waiter, Jerry, had a charming Portuguese accent and was very enthusiastic about all the dishes. He made a fun presentation for the Chourico a Bombeiro, as they set a few sausages on fire and cut them for us." "Finally, for dessert we had their Nata do Cei - cream from heaven. It came topped with some cinnamon and looked like rice pudding to the naked eye. The angelic taste was present - smooth, with areas of grainy sense of breadiness, it was light and pleasant to the palate." read more

Bairrada Churrasqueira Grill - Poetic corner from their backyard - Portuguese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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There food is great and pull of flavour, but I ordered the Calamari the other day and I got 8 pieces :( read more

Bairrada Churrasqueira Grill - A little bit on the pinch side for $8.99 - Portuguese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This place has everything a cute little fountain, great food, fun service, families, teenagers and stock brokers on acid. Enjoy this little outdoor oasis. read more

I got the mixed grill small meal plate. It was supposed to come with potatoes and not fries, but they didn't come back and asked us if it's alright to switch, then they brought out some small round potatoes after. We waited for an hour for the food to come so all of us were starving by that point. Only the fries were hot, the rest of the food was cold or lukewarm. If there was no potatoes available, could have given us the meat with the rice first so it wasn't just sitting there in the kitchen getting cold, management really doesn't know how to prioritize things in this case. There was no one in the inside dining room, everyone was out on the patio. The patio wasn't all that big so they can't say there was too many people to serve. My meat was ok, but my friend's was burnt and her meat portion was substantially smaller then other plates. Kitchen should really keep the same food items the same portion, that wasn't done. Also the food was blend, had no taste, we had to add the puri puri sauce from appetizer to add flavour to the plate. read more

Bairrada Churrasqueira Grill - Portuguese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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It was really a culinary disaster. We order a chorizo which was the only thing good. Then we order calamari, bitoque, and veal chops. The bitoque and the veal chops were not good, the rice very dry seems to be cooked a few days before, the yolk on the bitoque was too cooked. Fries and potatoes had no taste. We didn't enjoy our meal at all. I won't be back. read more

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Fantastic place to go for a cheap & cheerful meal. In my opinion, not only do they have the tastiest, crispiest, and juiciest chicken but they have the best puri-puri sauce to go with it. For around $10 a person, you can feast on their large chicken dinner which comes with rice and roasted Parisian potatoes (those adorable round ones). As an option, I sometimes swap out the rice for veggies or for more potatoes. Bairrada also has one of THE BEST patios in all of Toronto. TIP: They're closed on Mondays! read more

What a disaster, I ordered Robalo, (striped bass) and was told it's sold out, they asked if I would like dourada (sea bream) so i said ok, 45 min later it arrives like it just came out of the Black Sea. I'm appalled that they would think I would eat a fish beyond recognition. I won't be back and to the owners son Denis, invest in a proper manager and support your staff. read more

Bairrada Churrasqueira Grill - Portuguese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Wonderful large patio. It's a great feeling sitting outside. We ordered the calamari olives and cheese, sardines, the cod and a half chicken. First of all the portions are very large and reasonably priced. The sardines came with six absolutely huge sardines the cod was probably a good 8 ounces. I can't even explain how delicious the Piri Piri sauce is. I wanted to eat it with a spoon it was so freaking delicious. Lovely outdoor atmosphere inside was pretty standard. Everything that arrived at our table was delicious. It's a busy place with people celebrating various things. The service was fantastic. Gerry was a wonderfully attentive waiter. An authentic European feeling to this place right down to the waiters and the service. I would recommend this to anyone who has a celebration a family gathering or date night. The finishing touch of a shot of Port was Absolutely wonderful! read more

I ordered a whole chicken and small potatoes and rice for my daughter who wasn't feeling well as a treat. such a disappointment. chicken was mostly charred blackness and dry and the potatoes were inedible because it was like eating a salt block. rice was bland, truly disgusting takeout and a waste of almost $30. I've had so much better from other churresqierra! read more

Excellent food and service. I ordered chicken dinner with potatoes and rice. The chicken was nice, potatoes were incredibly soft and full of flavours. Next time I will opt out rice for some salad. A+ for house hot sauce. The place also has a back patio which is great place in summer for some Portuguese bbq chicken read more

we came here riiiight as they were about to close on a pretty busy friday night. They were nice enough to seat us and give us what was left in the kitchen lol. We got the 1/2 chicken plate. It was a giant plate of food!! Not sure if they were clearing out whatever was left at the end of the night or if thats the regular portion but wow! The chicken was soo yummy and came with a nice big bowl of the hot sauce. and the platter itself had a nice bed of rice and potates swimming around in the chicken juices. They are literally like yummy pops of buttery goodness. (i had started atkins that week so it was the first time i was getting carbs in a week... those potatoes were my crack that night!) lol Anyways super delicious food, affordable prices and the outdoor seating in the back is great on a late summer night. read more

Bairrada Churrasqueira Grill - Chicken rice and those POTATOES!!! - Portuguese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I was a long term (8+ years) customer of Bairrada and have introduced many, many friends to it. Unfortunately after what they pulled on me a week ago, I will NEVER go back. I purposely waited a week to write this review because I didn't want to write in anger, but it's been a week and I'm still spitting mad. The Euro Cup final was held last weekend on July 10, 2016. Knowing it was likely that Portugal would be in the final and wanting to secure a table for me and a group of friends, I called Bairrada THREE WEEKS PRIOR to book a table for 6. I booked a table for 3pm, the start of the game, I was told that would be fine. All good. A week or so later, i called back to ask if I could change my booking to 8 people. Again, I mentioned that the booking was at 3pm. I was told the manager would call me back about the extra 2 people. He never did. Strike one. Fast forward to the day of the game. At ten to three, I was stuck in traffic, so I called the restaurant, anxious to let them know we were on the way. No one picked up the phone. I called again. No one picked up the phone. Strike two. At five minutes past three, the first person of our group arrived--and was told they had given away the table. So, me, my kid, and my five friends - including one who had come with her baby, from across the other side of town - were left with nowhere to watch the game that we had been planning on watching for over three weeks, because at FIVE MINUTES past three, they gave our table to some people that just happened to wander by. I want to be clear: I booked this table three weeks in advance, and spoke to the restaurant about it twice. Each time, I reiterated that the booking was for 3pm. AT NO POINT DID ANYONE SAY: "If you are not here at 3pm on the dot, we will give your table away." This in itself was bad enough, but what made it a million times worse was the way the manager handled it. Instead of apologizing and offering us something to compensate - a free round of drinks next time we visit, for example - he shrugged and said "Well you should have been here at 2.30." When I told him I made the booking for 3pm, and repeatedly checked that time with staff, and NOT A SINGLE PERSON had ever said that a 3pm booking actually meant a 2.30pm booking--also, that I had tried calling repeatedly just before 3pm and no one answered the phone--he shrugged again and stared at me. Then, realizing he had nothing to offer and didn't seem to care, I walked out, never to return to what had previously been one of my favourite restaurants. I am still frankly astounded at how badly the manager handled the whole situation. I can't quite believe that after screwing up so monumentally (and it wasn't just us - several other tablefuls of people had the same thing happen to them) that he offered absolutely no way to rectify it. Nothing. Just "deal with it." This guy clearly knows zero about hospitality or management. You may think you can treat people like shit because your restaurant is full at that particular moment, but bad impressions like the one I got that day stay with people for a long time, and have a way of spreading. As I said, I will never be returning, and I will be sharing my experience widely. read more

After Kent P refused to shut up about the patio at Bairrada, I had to check it out. Everything you've heard is true: it rules. The patio is enormous, covered with picnic tables and well-shaded by towering trees. There is a large spit for roasting animals and a big screen TV out there ("to catch the game" as they say). You'll feel like you're visiting your rich Portuguese cousins with the kickass backyard. It's relaxing and homey and buzzing with life. We were there to get drunk and eat meat, so we ordered a mess load. Flaming sausage (obvs), BBQ chicken, pork cutlets, grilled salmon and a tonne of sides. We were thinking of the suckling pig, but our waiter shook his head "no". Apparently, it's better to order earlier in the day. The foodstuffs came our relatively quickly, but there were plenty of pints to keep us occupied. I vaguely recall that pitchers were very competitively priced. (At least competitively enough that I can't remember how much they were.) I enjoyed our food, and there was a LOT of it. Admittedly the best part of the sausage were the flames (I thought I was going to lose my eyebrows) as the meat was a little dry. The fish and BBQ chicken however were really tasty. And the portions you get for these prices are quite substantial. Service was a bit frazzled during the jam-packed long weekend night, but overall super friendly. We accidentally got some of the horrible boiled potatoes you have heard about (we ordered fries instead) but they corrected this mistake quickly without a fuss. The patio atmosphere will definitely contribute to the enjoyment of your meal (lousy wasps excluded); admittedly, I'd be less likely to return if I had to sit inside. But on a hot summer evening in Toronto, Bairrada is must-visit location. Obligatory Title Pun: I can't even pronounce CHURRASQUEIRA. Menu Readability: I appreciate the detailed descriptions. Need to mention: I think it came to about $40 per person, and we left full of beer and food. Beat that. What this place teaches me about myself: The flaming sausage is not nearly as impressive on the way up. FACT. read more