08/14/09

Great food & atmosphere

by Pinotchick

Our party of six ate here last night before going to see WICKED - it was wonderful!! Half our table ate Mexican, the other half Brazilian. Enjoyed happy hour until 7pm. The service was very friendly, generous portions and lovely presentaiton but the taste was incredible! We'll definitely be back again!

• Pros: Generous portions
• Cons: tiny ladies room

11/22/08

Great food great prices!!!

by DKAustin

I just ate dinner here the other night and it was fabulous, the drinks were very good and average price and the food was wonderful. I had the brazillian Paella, it was very flavorful and perfectly cooked. Don't let the exterior fool you, it looks expensive but really isn't. They also have a tex mex menu for those less adventurous.

• Pros: Great food and prices
• Cons: the live music was really loud for the size of the space

05/11/08

Wonderful service and wonderful food

by WestlakeBelle

Spent a relaxing evening at this restaurant with my family: Our whole dining experience was wonderful; we enjoyed all aspects of our meal from the large variety served at the salad bar, the fabulous selection of BBQ meats, to the decadent deserts. My whole family highly recommends this restaurant.

• Pros: Lots of parking close by.

04/13/08

Wonderfully interesting menu!

by canwetalk

What an interesting menu! The waitperson was helpful, knowledgeable about the food, and eager to answer questions. This is my first time to try yucca puffs, for example. The restaurant is typical Austin low-key, mellow. I'd love to go back and try some different things.

• Pros: Interesting menu, reasonable prices
• Cons: When the music starts up, it's hard to have conversation

10/23/07

Great Fresh Coffee

by teva001

This is an awsome little restaurant, they have a great happy hour, nice art work and best of all great food!!! Just of campus happened to find it as I needed some coffee for a very borning class and Java was full, stopped in Great Coffee got to try it. Came back for happy hour w/ some friends, just love it.

• Pros: some of the best coffeearound! great food and happy hour, live music
• Cons: closed on Sundays

07/15/07

Unpretentious elegant world of its own.

by snugglygirl007

It is hard to believe such a find as this exists in a strip center. From the second you walk in, not only will you completely forget it is in a strip center, but you seem to forget life outside of Sao Paulo's altogether. This place has an ambiance that reaches out and grabs you, makes you sit down, savor your unique, sensual food and think about all the things you shouldn't be doing in a restaurant. The lighting, textures, music, layout and colors are exquisite. The staff is friendly and playful. Melba herself has got to be the nicest, sweetest and most genuine restaurant owner I know of. Be ready to experience places you never thought a restaurant could take you ...

• Pros: MMMmmmmmm in more ways than one!
• Cons: For me -location, it is by the UT campus.

06/19/07

Eh...not so much

by utnicole123

I had been here a couple of times before and never had a problem, but the last time was just awful. We went during happy hour and were the only table inside, so we thought for sure with three workers hanging around that service wouldn't be a problem. While I'm usually a pretty patient person, service was RIDICULOUSLY slow and the waitress was very rude. She sat at a nearby table talking on her cellphone while the food was no doubt waiting (and getting cold) in the kitchen to be delivered. The food isn't bad at all, there are plenty of vegetarian options and the yucca with queso is awesome. The service though I think needs to be worked on. Only one other table came in after us, and the bill took so long to arrive that I ended up paying at the bar instead. I hated to seem rude, but when you only have one table it really shouldn't be that hard. That being said, I probably wouldn't come back here for a lunch break, before going to see a movie, or any other time when I knew I had somewhere else I needed to be soon.

• Pros: Ok food, awesome and cheap drinks, cheap, location, nice artwork on walls
• Cons: Service, parking

06/13/07

Tasty, well-priced, and friendly

by missquo

Our service was great, food was excellent. I ordered a caipirinha, and our waitress warned me of the strength of the drink and offered to have it made less-potent. Full octane for me thanks! I was impressed by the concern though, and equally so by the drink. A perfect caipirinha is what I got, like the many I had in Brazil, not the watered-down version served even in some of the higher-end restaurants around town. And the live Brazilian jazz didn't hurt either. We'll be back! Soon!

• Pros: great food, great drinks, live tunes
• Cons: limited parking

03/07/07

Blinding Glare

by blindamcclelland

Up until today I would have recommended this restaurant much much higher, but my husband and I had to walk out at lunchtime due to the glare from the cars parked outside. An obnoxious diner would not allow the venetian blinds to be closed and we were practically blinded just waiting for our drinks to be served. The waitstaff did not proactively intervene so we left in order to protect our vision! We have been eating at this location since it was the "China Inn", but have never encountered this problem before because the management and waitstaff were aware and involved in keeping the restaurant comfortable.

On the other hand, the food is great; MUCH better than the new Sampaio's on Burnet Road. Everything we have tried has been wonderful and we have always had fun introducing friends to this restaurant. I particularly like the "Brazilian Paella".

02/15/07

Charming

by iceart

I think that the review posted on 2/11/07 is talking about the wrong restaurant--Sao Paulo's is great! I eat there on a regular basis (2-3 times a week) and I have never seen "frozen carrots" with the ridges on them!?! As far as the wait staff goes, they are some of the most welcoming personel in the university area. They are always greeting their customers and thanking them upon departure. Are you sure you are not talking about the other Brazilian restaurant?? I highly recommend Sao Paulo's, pricing is very reasonable and the live music on the weekends makes it charming. Although I suggest making reservations they have become quite a little hot spot.

• Pros: Food, and drinks
• Cons: parking during lunch