They think because they're popular-- that they don't have to put in any effort anymore.. trash, uncooked and unseasoned. And too expensive for the quality they give. read more

Best food from Cabo Verde and the mixed drinks are great. Check out the Sunday brunch and the live music was great. Relaxing time.

The staff are very patient and nice. I'm always treated very well. They're friendly and kind and food is awesome with great portions. However, the wait time is insane!especially when ordering to go. Every time I call in they tell half in hour I've learned to go later and I always still have to wait an extra 20-30 min. Time management is awful here and no one apologizes. I continue to support them tho and they good is great ‍ read more

Love love love their food!! I only tried two plates and they're both great. I used to go to Laura's, this place is definitely better!! From the waiting time, to the food. Only thing is that I wish they have flan They never do when I ask. read more

Loved the dark dark dark dark chocolate. Its called like that and its not an exaggeration.

I would prefer to give this a 3.7 but rounded that's closer to a 4 the place was nice and had a nice atmosphere although music was a bit loud but it was tolerable just a bit quiter would've been fine the food was for the most part good but staff were very slow bringing things out they were nice but slow as hell bread was pretty good the appetizer I had was very disappointing though it was their new sandwich I forgot the name but it was a beef sandwich that had massive peppers which were under cooked and a massive piece of mozzarella which was longer than the bread which was just the bread you got the beef itself was fine nothing crazy didn't take a photo of it because I don't want to remember it the entree on the other hand was very good and something that I would differently eat again it was also a new item and completely forgot the name but it was very good it featured rice shrimp squid scallops peppers and crab it looks as good as it tastes finished the whole thing read more

Cesaria - Portuguese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Authentic Cape Verdean restaurant in Dorchester. Cesaria, located 266 Bowdoin ST, is one of my favorite restaurants in the city. The food is EXCELLENT...good portions... great setting.. and can't beat the price! Fine dining quality minus the high prices. The hospitality is also 2nd to none. Owner Jose Fonseca keeps the place well staged at all times with some of his best work being in interior decorating while Owner/operator - Tony Barros spins some of the best cocktails around. My personal favorite - The Lychee Martini. Try their home made chicken soup, Canja, to start and the beef Mozambique as a main course -You can thank me later! read more

Food is good but took 3 days for them to make it.. so if ur plannin on goin here clear ur schedule for the week.

Restaurant Cesaria is a great place. The musical enviorment it alot different than other restaruants ive been to. On certain nights through out the week, there is open mic night where people are free to associate with the live band and sing a song; My sister is well known for this in the restaruant. Also, they throw amazing mini-concerts where famously known cape verdean rappes, singers, and comeidans preform. The food is amazing and based on traditional Cape Verdean meals- equally portional to the pricing. I have brought friends who come from different parts of the US and each time they come back they insist on going to the restaruant. Personal functions are always welcomed and I had thrown my 40th birthday party and it was amazing. The bar is fully stocked and what keeps me coming back is their drink entitiled Princessa. If your ever in the are of Dorchester or wanting to try something different dont heistate to try Restaurant Cesaria... read more

cesaria is a place to go when you are in the mood to relax, stay awhile, and order $15 bottles of non crappy wine and fun cocktails. the waitress is helpful, friendly, but doesn't show up for 20 minutes at a time so don't be in a rush. usually there is music on the weekends, but for some reason the band wasn't there when we went. no worries- two guests/friends/employees got up and sang/played the guitar for us. it's a jovial atmosphere of people having a great time (although the restaurant was barely 1/3 full on a saturday night... sad face) what will 2 bottles of wine, 2 appetizers, 4 entrees, 1 glass of port, 1 dessert cost at Cesaria? $103. pretty incredible if you ask me (ASK ME!) for food we ordered: for appetizers: linguiça (delicious spicy sausage), mandioca frita (fried yucca with honey mustard dipping sauce- also delish) entrees: bife mocambique - beef, shrimp and mussels with rice, fried potatoes and two eggs in a wonderfully spicy sauce. tons of food. enjoyable but hearty to the max. i think i'd try something else next time. katchupa- hominy, beans, meat stew. this was my favorite thing people ordered. cabritada- stewed goat, yucca and potatoes soup. dessert: mango mousse. the perfect ending to the meal- light and flavorful! we all agreed we must go back to have some more food and finally get to see the band! LOGISTICS: -closest T is savin hill but it's over a mile from there. -street parking in front, parking lot in back -working link/website for restaurant: http://www.kikilima.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5&Itemid=6 to check out their menu and prices read more

When my Peace Corp Type roommate dragged me to this restaurant in the middle of Dorchester, I admit I was a bit worried about what I was getting myself into, especially since I'm not familiar with the area and with the recent reports of death and violence the thought freaked me out a bit. After a bit of verbal chiding on her part, realized I was being a big of a BIG BABY. In the end, the experience wasn't at all what I thought it was going to be! Okay! I must say that I was plesantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this Cape Verdian restaurant. The dining area is a good size and easy accomodated our large party of 20. There was a live band playing Cape Verdian music while we dined. The waitress was very helpful considering the large size of the party, and when we cracked open the menu I was incredibly pleased with how affordable the meals were. Appetizers cost somewhere around $5.50 and our meal somewhere around $10-12. Delighted by the price, I decided to order the Cape Verdian "punch" that my roommate recommended--a mixture of rum, molasses and brown sugar which really cleared you sinues and packed a powerfully sweet punch. I recommend getting this toward the end of your meal as a dessert, starting with it sort of gave me a sugar coma without anything else in my stomach. For an appetizer, I decided to start with the Polvo Grelhado - (Grilled Octopus in a garlicky olive oil pickled carrots and onions sauce $6.50) and the Kartuniz/Codorniz - (Deep fried succulent quails in a sherry sauce $4.50) Let me just say....WOW. Those two appetizers really knocked it out of the park for me. The octopus was grilled perfectly, wasn't overly chewy like octopus can be, and had a tangy citrus taste to it. Meanwhile, the Quail was the best thing I had all night--juicy, succulent, I had to resist ordering another order because these were so incredible. The sherry sauce really brought out the dark meat of the quail and gave a tangy sweetness to the meat ---my boyfriend and I savored every bite of this. I might come back to order just the quail, it was so exceptional. Fortunately, for my meal, I got to share quite a few of the traditional dishes and can tell you what to go for, and what to stay away from. First, I recommend what I ordered, the Katchupa Refugada - (Refried Katchupa with eggs and linguia $7.50) the fried Katchupa was absolutely delicious--and reminded me of breakfast potatoes, the eggs were cooked perfectly and the sausage was fantastic--however, my meal, since it's a traditional Cape Verdian breakfast, felt a little weird to be eating at 9pm. I did get a chance to try out the Camaro a Moambique -(A saut of shrimp in a spicy white wine, lemon and crushed pepper sauce with rice and potatoes) $12.00--Very, very tasty as well as our hosts favorite dish the Arroz de Marisco - (A casserole of seafood rice and assorted shellfish, shrimp, scallops and conch) I would, however, stay away from the Feijoada - (Beans of the day with pork and linguia served with rice) which Russ ordered. The beans were in a bitter sauce and the pork was still wrapped around the bone, also the meat was mostly fatty, making it hard to eat. He ended up eating most of my dinner since it sort of looked like they had taken a pork leg and cut it up and served it. As adventurous as my taste buds are, even I couldn't stomach it. However, overall, I was pleased while tasting everyones dishes and would definately come back to try more things. I might even try the untraditional dishes which also are on their menu since we went strictly Cape Verdian as to honor the distinct tastes of our host as well as the restuarants personality. This Dorchester jewel has a lot to offer. I would recommend driving there since it was a ways from public transportation and located in questionable neighborhood--there is a parking lot right next to the restaurant which we used with no trouble. Great place for groups and perfect to get your Friday Night started! read more

Where is Cape Verde? It's an archipelago in the North Atlantic Sea, off the northwest coast Africa. Such a location explains the abundant seafood options, and you can find Cape Verde's colonialization by Portugal reflected in dishes such as their arroz marcisco (a mushier derivative of a type of paella) and the traditional dish of katchupada (featuring linguica, Portuguese sausage). With 12 people at the table, I was able to get a bite here and there of various dishes, which were all tasty and plentiful (BTW to my co-diners: I'm not a total pig, just committed to the integrity of my research). The squid appetizer was very tender and not at all rubbery, with a light acidic ceviche-like quality. Next to me, some folks got the crispy quail, which a frequent diner of Cesaria claims is "the best thing on the menu." Unfortunately, I let my shame get the best of me and declined to assault the remaining pieces. My entree was shrimps in a buttery, white wine sauce, accented by a hint of pepper kick. The shrimps were quite large and perfectly cooked (again not too rubbery), as were the potatoes and rice...but I have to say the simple-starch carb overload + butter was a bit heavy. Next time, I would have chosen the version w/ veggies to balance it out. The aforementioned arroz marcisco (seafood rice casserole) was good, although a tad fishy tasting and raw. The rice was on the mushy, rather than fluffy side. Which can be good, if you're into a saucier rice. One of the best parts of the meal, though was one of their traditional dishes - the Katpucha platter. It featured refried katchupada, which is a traditional stew made up of hominy (basically dried corn kernels), pork, beans, and kale...this is then topped with fried eggs over esay and linguica sausage. When I get traditional meals, I want this stuff - the food that tastes like it came out of someone's grandmother's kitchen. I was reminded of a cross between a hash and the traditional Filipino breakfast of 'silogs (fried rice, eggs, and meat). As you can imagine, it's very hearty and has a flavor that's hard to describe....you get the sense that this stew was simmering on the stove for a loooong time. Yum. Let me say that for the food, friendly servers, clean and spacious building, nice big parking lot, and AMAZINGLY cheap prices (you could easily eat under $15 and every entree is enormous, so it's really two meals in one), I would have given Cesaria 5 stars. But we had a hell of a time w/ the SUPER slow service. Granted, we were a group of 12, but we had a reservation so they should've been able to accommodate. DUDE, we waited 1.5 hours for our food and experienced a couple of snafus like failing to mention to me that the original dish I ordered was out for the night and completely forgetting to put in the order of one of the women at our table. I don't usually knock down for service a whole star, but that was a bit much. Hopefully you will have better luck b/c the food is pretty darn good and cheap. One of those out-of-the-way finds. read more

Just left here on a Saturday night - got there at 7:40pm and left at 9:30pm, party of 2 adults and a toddler. Really wanted to like it but was not impressed. I will not come back. Waitress was courteous and appetizer came out quickly and was delicious. However the rest of the meal went downhill. The main entrees took about 1 hour to come out. I ordered the shrimp stew with white rice and it came out lukewarm and the flavor/spices were bleh. By the time my husband and I were finished with our entrees, our son's entree and our rice dish (seafood marisco) came out. Our rice dish tasted similar to paella but too wet and again without enough flavor. My son's pasta and meatballs were hot but had this sweet flavor profile that was different. I did appreciate that the waitress removed my shrimp dish from the bill. Hoping the owner/manager reads this. read more

Every once in a while you find a place that you just don't want to tell others about. You want it to be your little secret so that the next time (and the countless times after that) you go to this restaurant there will always be a table waiting for you. Last night we had dinner at Restaurante Cesaria and it was one of the best meals out I've had in a very long time. Abby had a hankering for something different and cheap (so we were looking for a place outside of Boston) and after a long time on her laptop browsing yelp and urbanspoon, she finally settled onto Restaurante Cesaria. We quickly glanced at the menu and both started drooling. Sure we didn't know much about the cuisine (North African with hints of Portuguese) but the descriptions had us salivating. A short 10 minute drive from South End to Dorchester had us in front of the restaurant with plenty of street parking available. Walking by the large windows we could see there were only a couple of tables already taken and the rest of the restaurant empty. This didn't make us feel hesitant at all. We were seated in the booth and the first thing you notice about the menu (both drinks and food) are the prices and how low they are. Since I was driving, we just got the $7 half bottle of Borba, a Portuguese red. We also got the linguica appetizer to start. The wine was a nice sweet, wet red and had great flavor for such a cheap bottle. The linguisa was split in half and grilled with some tomatoes and laid on top of some greens and peppers. I love linguisa and this was dish was simple, yet perfect. The heat of the linquisa and the juiciness of the grilled tomatoes just worked. A great start. For our mains, Abby went with a sear beef dish that had shrimp and mussels as well. It had a tomato influenced broth and was absolutely fantastic. (Abby called it the best dish of 2010 so far.) I went with the Cape Verdean style roast chicken with fries and it also was perfect. The chicken looked like it was going to be dry, but was juicy and tender and seasoned nicely. The fries were good fries, nothing more. The rice was moist and had good flavor too. You can just imagine yourself eating this chicken on a beach in Cape Verde with sand in your toes. (I'm assuming Cape Verde has beaches and sand, but I really don't know. The video they were showing on the projector screen showed nice green islands.) This dish is a great entry dish, meaning it was so good I want to try other items on the menu know. We were too stuffed for dessert, though will try the flan next time we come back. I love the fact that we were the only diners who spoke English. Everyone else was speaking another language and enjoying their meals. You sometimes have to put your faith into a place to show off their culture and food and Restaurante Cesario does it as good as any other place. I give Restaurante Cesario a 4 1/2 out of 5. read more

The food came from the frozen and canned sections of Stop & Shop. I am not even exaggerating. It was terrible. The cocktails were also terrible. They might have waived a bottle of gin over my martini at some point during its creation. The service was terrible, though the waiter did smile at least. I will never go back to this "restaurant." I can't believe I spent money there and I don't understand why people are giving it 4 and 5 stars. read more

This is definitely one of the hardest reviews to write... The Food? Absolutely delicious. Some of the best steak tips I have ever tasted. Amazing quality and taste. The Service? On par with some of the worse I have ever had. Some are alright yet over worked so you can tell they are not forgetting you they are just busy with everything else and others seem as if they do not care, do not want to be there and do not realize that the better they serve the more money they potentially could be getting. The bar none is the worse take out experience anywhere. I have waited for almost a hour at a time for ONE dinner plate. Thinking I would get the better of them I ordered and went to pick up 45 minutes later after being quoted 20 minutes. I got there and still waited another 30 minutes! Why do I keep going back? The food really is THAT good. If only the service matched, this place would be untouchable! read more

Great prices, service, cocktails and food. I had the spicy chicken and it was cooked perfectly with crispy outside and spicy meat. The caparhenia was fab too. $50 for 2 people including cocktails and an appetizer? Oh yes! Great servers too. Definitely going back. Hidden gem! read more

Great food. Too bad you have to wait forever to even get a drink. Every time I've gone there I'be ended up spending 2 hours or more without wanting to. It's best to just pick the food up or get it delivered!! read more

We went to Cesaria on Sunday for brunch. The place is super-lively, had nice creole music, and the decor is cute.We were hoping to try more from the a la carte menu, but we were told that the kitchen didn't have the capacity to accomodate our requests until after 1:00PM, so we took advantage of the brunch buffet. The selection was a bit limited and I was hoping for more cape verdean- inspired brunch dishes. The range included potatoes/beans, french toast, paella-type seafood rice, sausage, 3 styles of eggs, bacon and a nice array of fresh fruit. When we were told our a la carte orders had been put in, we had to wait about 45 min for them. The seafood dish we ordered, which was made with bell peppers and vinegar, was very nice. I would come back to try their a la carte menu. When we asked for the check, it took approx 30 min and we had to ask three times for it (different people). The energy in the place was great and the waitstaff was apologetic. I would have given 4 stars if the service has been more prompt and if there had been more flexibility around the a la carte orders. read more

I love this place. The food is amazing. My favorite is I THINK called chicken franga. It's basically blackened chicken, and it's so good. The steak tips are good too though. The people who run this place obviously buy quality ingredients and know what they're doing with them. I just discovered Cesaria, and I've already been back several times. read more

This place was great - and I was there only for Sunday brunch (all you can eat buffet) so far. Live music, great service, and really good Cape Verdean food (the seafood rice dish and Tuna empanadas especially - although probably have a different name on menu!). The service was fantastic and the best part was that while it was busy, there was no effort to rush us out as we stayed for about 2 hours. Oh, and also it has a full bar. One of the owners name Jose (pronounced Joe-say) was greeting customers, smiling, and doing almost everything else. He helped to create a great vibe. I will be back for dinner and brunch again. read more

We went for Sunday Brunch. We were very impressed with the place itself and then came the food. Everything was delicious, from the paella like rice to the fruit which was a real treat because it was not your regular fruit fair. They serve mango, pineapple and watermelon galore...it was as if I died and went to heaven. Will be going back to this place for sure. read more

I've driven by here a number of times and never found time to stop in. I finally did one Friday and thank God I did. It was totally worth the experience. The food was tasty. I got the fried yuca appetizer and then the grilled octopus. I had to force myself to stop eating because I was definitely full but it was just so good. Drinks are great too. I will admit that the service is a teensy bit "relaxed" but between the fact that our waitress was super sweet and the music playing I didn't mind waiting a bit. I think that's the general air of the restaurant. I will definitely be going back. read more

Food here is good. I think he noise level is above average especially on Sunday after church brunch. The live music and energetic atmosphere makes up for it though. read more

I have been here a few times. Prices are great, food is terrific, service is slow. It might be a Cape Verde thing. Sit back and relax I guess? The live music Thrusday thru Sunday is amazing as well. Pies are actually made by the owners grand ma! read more

Me wife and kids had a very pleasant experience and hope to come back ASAP...

Don't come here if you're in a rush! But the food and drinks are great. You can hear some nice music and meet some nice people here. Expect to be there for 2 hours Thursday-Saturday if you come for dinner. The drinks are strong enough for you to pass the time. read more

I had the Steak Mozambique. My friend is related to one of the owners. I said I wanted Cape Verde food. I can't wait to go back. Dope. Muito bom. read more

Cesaria - Steak Mozambique. Wow. - Portuguese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I keep trying with this place and each and every time it is a fail.... They need to have a schedule posted on their window so people know when they are not entertaining the public. I literally have gone there 3 times in 2 months and got turned away due to them having a show.. On several occasions i have tried calling to order, phone has been nothing but busy.. Yesterday i tried again, got through ordered my food , got in the car and got the wrong order. I am done..... read more

This is a great family restaurant...it's a restaurant that you can go for breakfast,lunch and dinner and you will always enjoy their meal ...you can go for their amazing drinks or have their great tasting tea or coffee...when sitting inside cesaria you see culture and music that fills up the restaurant and is so soothing for your soul ...great place to unwind or get together with friends and family !!!! read more

I love this place, the food is savory and the Cajun salmon is my favorite. Just don't come super hungry because it does take a while to get your food but it's worth it. The Hennessy side car and the passion fruit caipirinha are some cocktails me and my girlfriends love to get. read more

We had a baby shower here on 11/20/15, and we had a good time. Great place for large family get togethers. LIVE music, buffet style option, cash bar, beautiful ambiance, great food with a variety of options. We will definately plan other events here in the future, and we recommend and will recommend this place to friends. Thank you to the owners, Tony Barros & Jose Fonseca-Brandao, cook and staff read more

The polvo grelhado is delicious. The music is great. Get ready to wait a little if you head there on a Sunday. The place does get packed.

This is a solid place. I was yelping to find a decent ethnic food restaurant. Well this is it. Great service clean nice food street prices. Will be coming back. The lunch buffet is really good. For the value it's spot on. read more

This is my favorite restaurant in Boston! The food is amazing , staff is welcoming , and the drinks are delicious. My friends and I eat here weekly and they have a lunch buffet with a great selection. The service can be a little slow at times but it's typical CV experience. On a positive note, you never feel like you're being rushed out of the restaurant like many other places. If you're looking for a place that has great food and atmosphere then I would highly recommend going there. read more

This is a nice restaurant with an amazing live band playing while you eat. The staff is very polite and professional. I feel like I waited a little too long for my food, but it still tasted great in the end. I'd recommend this place to anyone that likes to eat out, especially with a live band. I'm not sure if I'd recommend it if you're on a first or second date. You'll barely hear the other person over the music. I'm sure that they don't play all the time though. I went on a Wednesday night. There's a lot of choices on the menu too. I don't really have any complaints, except I just wish that this place was in a nicer part of town. read more

Food is good. First time trying cape verde cuisine. Taste is like a home cooked meal and ambiance is nice inside. I also had their pudin leite which is like a flan with a caramel/ lime finish (very tasty and light) They have karaoke on Thursdays and often invite comedians, musicians and other cape verde artists read more

I came for the lunch buffet after hearing recommendation from a friend. I was interested to try Cape Verdien food. The restaurant interior is well accommodated for small or large groups. When we went, it was empty. We had a small baby (7 months) with us). They were gracious and brought a highchair right away and asked if we needed anything. The staff is great. I wasn't crazy about the food but can't really be a judge of the quality. I am not a meat eater and most of the dishes have some sort of meat, chicken or fish. My friend said the sausages were delicious. I would recommend but let it be known that the buffet mostly consists of non-vegetarian options. read more

This place was really awesome. Great Food, live music. An obvious neighborhood staple. We were under-dressed though.

My friends and I came for the brunch buffet that I heard great reviews about. Upon arrival, we were not greeted by a hostess. There were several servers/waitstaff around and no one acknowledged us. After 5 minutes we were seated. The buffet has very limited food options. Tuna filled pastelitos (deep fried), pancakes, red potato homefries, bacon, pouched eggs, seafood rice, cassava cake (looks like pound cake but not sweet), cow foot soup, and assorted fruit. Although the food was in warmers, it was cold. The pancakes were dry. The pastelitos were flavorful, but the staff would only bring 10 out on a platter. The seafood rice was excellent. Everything else was cold and lackluster. Cesaria was a disappointment. read more