The food and service at Buteco was great. Our group of four enjoyed our experience here. I recommend this place, especially for its delicious Brazilian street food and hip patio with live music and fun ambiance.
The setup here is interesting. At least during our visit, it was. Inside the brick-and-mortar storefront is the cafe, bar, and dining room. However, the kitchen is actually located *outside* in the food truck. We ate inside so our food orders actually came in from the outside, through the front door.
The dining room is snug. There's seating for about 30 inside. This isn't a proper restaurant. It's more of a small bar and cafe with a food truck. The patio is nice. The tables are partially-covered so you get shade, but not full protection from the rain. The hidden employee stairway in the back is really beautiful because of the colorful tilework.
Buteco regularly has live music. During our Sunday afternoon visit, they had a DJ stationed outside under a canopy.
We tried a good sampling of the food menu. Here's what we got:
Food:
* Pao de Queijo Waffles served with a side of guava jelly:
' Plain ($8.00) - classic version of Buteco's cheese bread waffle made with tapioca flower and Parmesan cheese
' Bacon, Egg, & Cheddar ($9.00) - stuffed with crispy bacon and cheddar cheese and topped with a soft-boiled egg
* Chicken Milanesa Sandwich ($8.00) - panko-fried chicken topped with a mild cream corn sauce and green onions, served on a fresh-baked Brazilian sandwich roll
* Feijoada Tradicional ($13.00) - the national dish of Brazil - black bean and pork stew served with basmati rice, sauteed collard greens, farofa (toasted cassava flour), pepper and onion vinaigrette, and sliced orange
* Savory Sampler ($16.00) - three bites of your choice. We got:
' Fried Pao de Queijo - bite-sized Brazilian cheese bread, deep-fried
' Coxinha - pulled chicken croquettes
' Risole de Carne - breaded pastry stuffed with ground beef
This sampler was served with homemade habanero aioli
* Churros ($6.50) - fried dough filled with Bavarian cream and served with dulce de leche
Drinks:
* Caipirinha Tradicional cocktail ($10.00) - muddled lime, sugar, cachaca
* Topo Chico mineral water ($3.00)
* Coffee
In general, everything was very good. There was nothing average nor disappointing. I highly recommend the Pao de Queijo Waffles and the Churros. They were outstanding and among the best waffles and churros I've had anywhere.
Imagine the flavor and texture of Brazilian cheese bread in waffle form and that's exactly what Buteco's Pao de Queijo Waffles are. They're wonderfully flavorful with a crispy, light, and delectably spongy and chewy texture. I suggest getting the Bacon, Egg, & Cheddar version for even more flavor and texture. Our egg was cooked well. The bacon inside the waffle was chopped into very fine bits. The guava jelly was sweet. Since cheese bread is inherently savory, the jelly made these waffles both sweet and savory.
What makes Buteco's Churros special is each churro is filled with cream. I've had a lot of churros over my lifetime, but this was the first time I've had cream-filled churros. They were magnificent. Crisp and delightfully sugary on the outside. Warm, subtly sweet, rich, and creamy on the inside. Dipping these churros in the dulce de leche sauce on the side only made them that much more incredible. My wife could tell the dulce de leche was actually made from goat's milk which meant it was technically cajeta. You won't be disappointed if you order these.
The Feijoada Tradicional was terrific. It tasted as good as it looked. It was fresh and colorful, containing a nice and interesting balance of carbs, protein, veggies, and fruit. I found the dish to be quite filling and satisfying. At the same time, it wasn't too heavy. There was a piece of pork sausage in the black beans that was smoky and delectable. The greens were cut thin/shredded and seasoned well.
The Savory Sampler is the way to go if you want to try a variety of Brazilian bites or snacks. Between the Fried Pao de Queijo, Coxinha, and Risole de Carne, my favorite was the Risole de Carne. The Risole de Carne was like a fried dumpling or an empanada, except the outer shell/crust was much softer and I think corn-based. The ground beef was spiced and flavored well. The Fried Pao de Queijo were served in small pieces, not in rolls or buns like you often see at Brazilian restaurants and steakhouses. The Coxinha were good. They were like fritters or doughnuts made out of cornmeal, like a stuffed hush puppy almost, but more tender.
My wife had the Caipirinha Tradicional cocktail. Buteco makes this cocktail in four different flavors. My wife loved it. She said it was simple, refreshing, and balanced. Cachaca is Brazilian alcohol made from sugarcane juice. It's similar to, but different than European rum, and is also known as Brazilian rum.
Buteco opened in August 2018 at The Beacon Atlanta in Grant Park. There's plenty of free parking. read more