I wrote an English and Brazilian Portuguese version of this review! Wow! Where do I begin? Food five stars! Staff five stars! Venue five stars! It's been a long time since I have personally been around a room full of Brazilians outside of Brazil and felt so happy to be there! My wife and I were looking for a place to watch the Brazil versus Haiti, World Cup game and call a place where I took my first Portuguese lessons 17 years ago called Bossa Nova Brazil. A nice lady on the Phone recommended Brazil bistro and I'm sure glad she did! Outside of my mother-in-law (and my wife) this was one of the best sitdown, traditional Brazilian meals I've had in my life! I didn't catch his name, but I will on Wednesday when we go back to watch the Brazil v Scotland game. Kudos to the chef! He came out several times and was very nice and mingle with everyone and complimented me on my Flamengo jersey The zoo was so fresh and well seasoned. They cooked picanha steak to perfection The Feijão tropeiro, coxinhas, pastel de queijo and much more was so good! I didn't get a chance honestly to try the pastel, but the table next to us had two of them! If this place was closer to where I live, I probably would eat here every other day Outside of going to Brazil this was the best experience I've had in a long time sitting down, enjoying the food, people and the culture and futebol I wish I could give this place 10 If you've never been to Brazil, but want a little taste of it and you're in the El Cerrito California area it's definitely worth stopping by! Brazilian Portuguese: Uau, por onde eu começo? Comida: cinco estrelas! Atendimento: cinco estrelas! Ambiente: cinco estrelas! Fazia muito tempo que eu não estava pessoalmente em um lugar cheio de brasileiros fora do Brasil e me sentia tão feliz por estar ali! Minha esposa e eu estávamos procurando um lugar para assistir ao jogo Brasil x Haiti da Copa do Mundo, então liguei para um lugar onde fiz minhas primeiras aulas de português há 17 anos, chamado Bossa Nova Brazil. Uma moça muito simpática ao telefone recomendou o Brazil Bistro, e ainda bem que ela recomendou! Tirando a comida da minha sogra -- e da minha esposa -- essa foi uma das melhores refeições brasileiras tradicionais, em restaurante, que eu já tive na vida! Eu não peguei o nome dele, mas vou perguntar na quarta-feira quando voltarmos para assistir ao jogo Brasil x Escócia. Parabéns ao chef! Ele saiu da cozinha várias vezes, foi muito simpático, conversou com todo mundo e até elogiou minha camisa do Flamengo. O suco estava muito fresco e bem preparado. Eles fizeram a picanha no ponto perfeito. O feijão tropeiro, as rosquinhas, o pastel de queijo e muitas outras coisas estavam muito bons! Sinceramente, eu nem tive a chance de provar o pastel, mas a mesa ao nosso lado pediu dois! Se esse lugar fosse mais perto de onde eu moro, eu provavelmente comeria aqui dia sim, dia não. Tirando uma viagem ao Brasil, essa foi a melhor experiência que eu tive em muito tempo: sentar, aproveitar a comida, as pessoas, a cultura e o futebol. Eu queria poder dar 10 estrelas para esse lugar! Se você nunca foi ao Brasil, mas quer sentir um pouquinho do sabor do país, e está na região de El Cerrito, Califórnia, definitivamente vale a pena passar por aqui! read more

I ordered a food from Brasil Bistro via DoorDash, I regretted so much. The Picanha was terrible, the beans? My goodness what kind of beans is that? Terrible! The carrot cake? Nast, the thing was supposed to be chocolate, is not. Please people do better. read more

Brasil Bistro - Rotten salad was served to me. I complained about and still paying the same price for a food who should be served fresh. - Brazilian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

I spent a month studying abroad in Brazil years ago and I have missed eating the rice plates versus going to a steakhouse. This place has been on my list for some time now and I'm so glad I finally had the chance to stop by. There's plenty of street parking or there was on the Saturday i went around like 3/4pm. It was definitely a bit confusing. You do order first, but you should definitely scope the tables first because they will ask you what table number you would like to sit at. I didn't realize that there was another side so I sat on the register side. I ordered the Picanha plate, coxinha (it's like a chicken pastry), and the carne pastel. Because you order first you don't really get any service other than them dropping off your food. I don't know if they offer water. I did try to ask for some, but they didn't hear me and I was too scared to ask again The coxinha was a bit mushy for me on the inside. The pastel was huge, I can't remember if they were $7 or $8 each but I thought it was worth it, the ones I've had had in Brazil was definitely smaller. My Picanha did have a chunk of fat on it and my fries were undercooked but I still enjoyed it. They also have a little market that you can check out. I will definitely be back. read more

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Unfortunately, I was disappointed with my experience. The food tasted old and didn't seem fresh. On top of that, they completely forgot to include the beans with my order. I expected much better quality and attention to the order. read more

Brasil Bistro - Brazilian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

I've never had Brazilian food outside of Brazilian steakhouses, which I'm sure don't even scratch the surface of the cuisine, if at all. So I was excited to finally try some real Brazilian food, especially since the Bay Area seems to have a larger Brazilian population than Sacramento. Brasil Bistro is conveniently located near a BART station, so it was a great place to stop on the way to a concert. Parking was easy, which is always a nice bonus in the Bay, and the vibe inside was nice, though pretty warm... it didn't seem to have much air conditioning. I liked the layout though: you order at the counter and then sit down. There's also a small grocery counter with Brazilian products, which was cool to see. I had to try the picanha, which came in a few variations on the menu. I went with the one that included rice, beans, cassava flour, french fries, and salad, and I also ordered a lime caipirinha. The food and drink came out super fast, and the plate was huge, which to be fair, I would hope for given the prices here. The rice was buttery and oniony, and it paired perfectly with the beans. The salad was basic but fresh, and the fries were kind of out of place on the plate, but I'll never turn them down. I ordered the picanha medium rare; it was cooked more on the rare side, but still good. Picanha is great if you like those fatty cuts of steak, which I do, but I found this one a little underwhelming in texture and flavor. It might've been undersalted or the fat cap wasn't rendered enough, but overall it just didn't have the same flavor punch as the churrasco-style picanhas you get at Brazilian steakhouses, where the fat renders beautifully and bastes the meat. I'm expecting the picanha to be the star of the show, and it was just a little bland. Maybe I had the wrong expectations, but I probably wouldn't order the picanha here again. I did enjoy the cassava flour (forofa, I think it's called) which added a nice crunchy texture when dusted on the meat. The caipirinha was absolutely stellar: perfectly sweet, smooth, refreshing, and simple. I also grabbed a Guaraná soda and some brigadeiros from the grocery counter, both of which were excellent. I mean, who doesn't love Fanta-like soda and chocolate truffles? Overall, it was a cool and authentic experience. The food was solid, but it just lacked a bit of wow factor and balance in flavor. Still, I'm glad I tried it and would come back to explore other dishes. read more

Brasil Bistro - Guaraná Antarctica - Brazilian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

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Brazil Bistro is across from Home Depot. Eatery small, just 8ish tables. Pics & decor on walls. Order at counter. Pay. Food brought to table 5ish minutes. Offerings (Brazilian): specials of the day, plates, drinks, groceries. Bites: Feijoada (16) Brazilian black bean stew -like all countries' #1 dish, this is fabulous. Simple formula. Legit comfort food. Stews similar to others. -savory taste from pork loin pieces, Calabresa smoked sausage, onions, black beans, cilantro, olive oils, salt, pepper, coriander. -fluffy white rice to soak up sauce. Fresh Tomato & onion salsa mixed in wherever I thought useful. -sliced greens ate as salad. -fried hard charrones & brownish powders mixed with stew. Orange section a palate cleanser. 4.5stars: worthy! Quality excellent. Quantity: good read more

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Brasil Bistro serves an eclectic menu. You order at the front counter and they bring the food to you. There are a few tables and booths by the counter and a large dining room adjacent. We were seated at the front. It felt a bit cramped to me. My friend ordered a steak dish and I ordered the shrimp risotto. There was a short wait for our food. My risotto took a little longer than the steak. The risotto came with a salad with tomato but no dressing. The risotto had nice flavor but was too greasy for me. The salad did not look well washed so I only ate the tomato. My friend's steak was a bit tough, since she had trouble cutting it. Serving sizes were generous. read more

By now if you know me I suck at getting pictures of food but this place here is a major hit. Hope in the wall mom and pop shop that's worth the try more than one time. Food was good flavorful and had quite a bit on the plate to eat. Took food home and still was good even after warming it up later. Staff is well friendly and very chill to be around. Place is clean well the thought out design and has an old and modern mix going for the interior as well. read more

I came here with my mother and had an amazing time. This is authentic Brazilian cuisine. The food is fresh and delicious. They even make Brazilian desserts like brigadeiro, flan, and more. The servings are generous and not overwhelming. The staff was so kind and explained all the dishes and treats with passion and love. I loved hearing everyone speaking Portuguese around me. Obrigada! read more

I been here for the first time last week on Sunday and couldn't wait to leave a review! The food was amazing and the price was also very good. We tried the Costela and also parmesan chicken, both of them were pretty good and would love to come back! The lady at the cashier was very friendly and made good recommendations! Thank you so much! read more

Desapontamento total. Pedi pastel , kibe . Pastel veio queimado , o kibe que ate costumava ser bom , diminuiu, tiraram a carne e agora tá parecendo um bolo de racão de cachorro prensada, modelada e frita ( horrível ) mais de 30 dólares por 2 pastéis, um kibe, uma coxinha que nao provei ainda ( tou até com medo de provar) , pra mim esse dinheiro eu joguei no lixo . . Não piso mais lá . Já deu , não é a primeira vez que esse lugar deixa a desejar , uma outra vez ordenei bolinho de carne , veio queimado por fora e congelado por dentro . Já encomendei uma picanha la que veio muito boa, uma das melhores que comi, ( estou sendo justa ) porém as decepcoes tá maior que a satisfação. read more

Food is always great!!!! The service is a hit and miss but I wouldn't stop coming .. weekends like everywhere, it's busy. But totally worth the wait. read more

Between eating the food at this restaurant, it's truly better to have bread and butter. After four years, I tried it for the last time, and the feijoada was awful. Canned beans are better! How come the owner doesn't taste the food before serving it to customers? This place does not represent Brazilian food! Entre comer a comida desse restaurante é verdadeiramente melhor um pao com manteiga. Depois de 4 anos tentei dar a ultima oportunidade e a feijoada estava horrivel, feijao enlatado é melhor. Como o proprietario nao experimenta a comida antes de servir aos clientes. Esse lugar nao representa a comida brasileira! read more

I like the food here it is muito bom! Delicioso. The service is great, everyone is in a great mood. Cheery vibes.

This place is legit! The flavors in the dishes are so good. [Caution: it can be a little salty for some, but I like salty.] The portion sizes are also surprisingly large for how Much they cost. I love going there and being the only one who doesn't speak Portuguese. It seems like there's a little Brazilian community there, which I think is awesome. But they're also VERY friendly to us non-native Brazilians :) read more

Great little place. The food is delicious, the service is quick. Keep in mind that it can get busy and tables are limited. Parking is hard to find with so many businesses in the area. read more

I had the opportunity to try a few items during a visit to Brasil Bistro. We started with the cheese balls, which were somewhat hard and dry. We also tried their picanha, which was unfortunately overcooked for our order. Unfortunately they were out of chimichurri, and the steak was a bit bland without it. Of the items we ordered, the chicken may have been our preferred item. The prices were fair for the portion sizes we received however. Overall, we were somewhat underwhelmed and will probably look for other options for Brazilian food. read more

I saw an ad on Instagram and the food looked so good! I ordered to-go through Yelp and my food was ready for pick up at the time promised. This was my second time having Brazilian food. I used to go to Pedro's in Berkeley, but they closed their locations and I wanted something close to home. The restaurant is pretty small, but it's very cute. There is a nice backdrop you can take pictures in front of. They are very active on Instagram (brasil_bistro) and post their daily specials. I ordered: Picanha acebolada, arroz, feijo, mandioca, banana, salada de maionese, farofa e vinagrete. (Steak with onions and rice, beans, fried cassava and toasted cassava, and plantains/banana, and Mayo salad (tastes like potato salad)) I was unsure of how to eat the toasted cassava, but I think you're supposed to sprinkle it on your rice and beans? That's what I did lol. Everything was delicious! The portions are filling and everything was made fresh! My order was nice and hot when I picked up. I have came back twice since I last ordered and I raged about it to my family members. Would like to come back again and try their other menu items! read more

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Omg SOOOO good!! It succeeded my expectations! It also satisfied all of my cravings! We ordered pineapple juice with mint and a little sugar and it was delicious. We also ordered steak with farofa and Brazilian potato salad. So delicious! I want to go back and try more things. read more

Brasil Bistro - Bisteca de Porco, Feijao Tropeiro, Arroz, Pure de Batata e Couve - Brazilian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

Friendly staff , first time trying brazilian food , I really enjoyed food was well seasoned definitely I'm coming back , a cozy place nice and good ambiente thanks read more

Brasil Bistro - Piranha. - Brazilian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

A nice restaurant near the El Cerrito del Norte BART Station. Always passed by this place driving along San Pablo Avenue. Finally got a chance to check it out. Had their grilled chicken with onions, rice, bean stew, salad, and French fries. The grilled chicken was cooked well. Loved the crisp and flavor. The onions gave the chicken a nice sweetness. The rice paired well with the chicken. The bean stew was a nice addition to the dish. I loved pairing the beans with the rice. The salad was okay. Tasted like any ordinary salad. The fries were okay. Nice and crispy. The service wasn't too bad. The staff was efficient. We got our food in a timely manner. The ambiance was nice. The place has a few seats, but it was cozy enough to dine in. I would like to come here again and try their savory pastries. read more

Brasil Bistro - Grilled chicken - Brazilian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

This place is so cute and the food is all soooo good! The steak was my favorite!! The girl that helped us was such a sweetheart, excellent service!! read more

Brasil Bistro - Brazilian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

Feels like you're stepping into a little piece of Brasil. Authentic menu and food, and you can tell by all the Portuguese speaking customers too that the Brazilians approve! I got the chicken with grilled onions plate and it was so filling and satisfying. Prices seem quite reasonable for imported ingredients too! There's even a little corner selling imported market items. Love it! My only complaint is that there was not enough room! It was super packed Saturday lunch rush and there was almost nowhere to sit, and all the tables are really close together. The chairs are also quite tight if you happen to have wider hips/bigger body. Other than that tho-- the ambience was fun-- loved the wall with photos from all over Brasil. Obrigadaaaaa! read more

Brasil Bistro - Cute decor & photo wall! Was fun to try to pick out places I recognized. - Brazilian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

My friend and I had a wonderful meal here, I had the combination veggie platter and she had chicken and plantains. Both of our meal were delicious and very flavorful. Staff was friendly and very helpful. The deserts looked great but we were just to full to try. read more

Thanks to my Lyft driver for recommending this place. It's a GEM. Who doesn't love eating at a Brazilian Steakhouse, but I like to eat a more home style traditional food. This place is it! Location: Busy street but in a business friendly location of El Cerrito and accessible to public transportation. Parking is street parking or in a small lot for the surrounding businesses. Establishment: 5 STARS. If you aren't paying attention to the signs or directions, you'll miss it. Inside it's small but up-kept and modern. Decoration is minimal but just enough, the pictures on the wall are a great detail. Service: 5 STARS. I've been here twice (so far in 2 weeks) and both times I've had excellent customer service and friendly staff. Quick service and food comes out at a reasonable time. Food: 10 STARS! Both times our food has been fresh and tasty. We've ordered the Chicken, Beef and pork plates and the Vegetarian plate. We've had the ground beef and the Chicken Pasteles, both were delicious. Also, their Maracuya (Passionfruit) and Guava Mousse for dessert. Must try! read more

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They served me expired food on the plate and prepackaged to go. So disappointing that I was only able to get half of my money back... And the food is not great either. The cakes were also dry and old. Their stuff sits on the shelves for very long, expired in March so don't buy it. read more

Brasil Bistro - Product expired March 29th, 2021, they sold it to me July 10th, 2021! - Brazilian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

Such a cute space! Love the decor, everything was super clean and adorable. Bathrooms were immaculate- had to mention that bc it is something almost never encounter at a restaurant, even the high end ones. Server was pretty friendly. I ordered the steak plate & my bf ordered the ground beef yuca pie. We also ordered some cheese breads which came out first. Cheese breads were not good unfortunately, I found them very dry and literally only ate the middle lol. The steak plate was super good, meat was flavorful & tender, loved the beans, & the salad though simple helped cut the heaviness of the dishes. The yuca pie was just okay imo. It was covered in lots of cheese which I had to take some off & it was really dense, not surprising bc it's yuca but I def would stick with the steak plate. I ordered the mango juice which was bomb af & my bf ordered the guava which he said was okay. I really wanted the pineapple mint but they were out of pineapple that day :( Would come back here bc I really enjoyed the experience overall. read more

Feels like home, friendly staff, extensive menu, great taste! The decoration is a trip to Brazil culture. read more

Brasil Bistro - Brazilian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

Terrible, you are a shame to good Brazilian food, what an embarrassment! The guava juice doesn't taste anything like guava, the guava and cheese pastels are disgusting, the chicken empanada is an inedible white pasty texture inside closely resembling vomit, the yuca chips were stale and the tres leches desert is sadness in a plate. Seriously people?! Have some standards! read more

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A coxinha tava maravilhosa. Ótimas pessoas atendendo. Super recomendo. Eles tem uma maionese verde maravilhosa.

If you haven't tried their pastel, you are missing big time. The best one so far in my opinion is the Meat and cheese. Their service is great and the location is very convenient. Highly recommended! read more

Really cute breakfast spot, great atmosphere and polite staff. Very simple which = very clean. Beautiful lighting. They had a little pastry full of chicken that made me melt! It was so crispy on the outside and soft inside. Their house sauce is spicy in the best way. Black coffee is nice and strong. Breakfast was a perfect amount and their omelette was super cheesy! read more

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Good food, many finger food! Good people! Nice place! Price could be better. Could have more vegan options

We went with some friends from Brazil and upon entering this establishment I was met with exactly zero English, and the place was packed! You can tell this is a neighborhood gem for Brazilian folks and a taste of home. I wasn't personally blown away by the flavors, the dishes, and everything was just a bit pricy, but I will chalk at least 90% of that to my lack of familiarity with the flavors and dishes. The flavors however were interesting, and everything was cooked appropriately and I did enjoy the food and time. I wouldn't necessarily recommend the croquets but the steak plate was good and filling. read more

Good place and nice food. Quality service and Brazilian flavor, worth knowing. Pleasant and peaceful environment.

Wonderful service, tasty food with an authentic taste of home for my girlfriend who is from Brasil. Highly recommend!

Great homemade food. A nice selection of Brazilian favorites on a nice and relax environment. Awesome service always with a smile. Thank you Caio, Carol and all the staff for all you do. read more

The most amazing discovery ever. There was 21 minutes til closing time but the beautiful waitress accommodated us. She sat us down with menus, served us water and waited on four others while we were scoping out the menu. There are two items safe for me to order. The fish fillet and shrimp Yuka. Her being from Brasil I trusted her recommendation. Yuka it was. My friend orders his steak. Do not pass this up. If you never had Brazilian food you must come here. It was the utmost experience ever. Louisa has set the bar high. Please tip her deservingly. read more

The food is good. But the service leaves something to be desired. It's not the place I would take several friends because the space is small and the waitresses are kind of lost. read more

Friendly service and environment, good food -- I recommend it to those who are looking for a nice place and yummy nourishment. The sweet treats are a must! read more

Brasil Bistro - Brigadeiros e other delicious treats! - Brazilian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

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