Sao Paulo's Restaurante

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

Posted 08/13/09

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

Posted 11/21/08

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.

Posted 05/10/08

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

Posted 04/12/08

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

Posted 10/22/07

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.

Posted 07/14/07

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

Posted 06/18/07

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

Posted 06/12/07

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".

Posted 03/06/07

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

Posted 02/14/07

The waitstaff was rude and thought very highly of themselves, while forgetting that we were there and not taking our order but instead taking those from people who came in after us..
They use frozen vegetables (carrots with the grooves on them) and serve generally low quality food. Not worth the price.

Pros: location

Cons: waitstaff, food quality

Posted 02/10/07

Slow to bring drinks, overcharged despite asking specifically, would have forgotten silverware had we not mentioned, forgot appetizer TWICE, addressed my friend and me as "boys," sat large group of noisy people next to us. And frankly, I don't think the "lasanha" is worth $8: the $4.95 burrito at chipotle has more interesting flavor. Lots of peas, green beans and diced carrots with thick layer of cheese melt on top for $8. Nah.

Pros: None

Cons: Overcharging for crappy food, AWFUL service, whole restaurant reeked of BLEACH!

Posted 02/05/07

I have been eating here for a couple of years and I still love coming here. The food is great and the fact you can order Guaraná is really cool. My family lived in Brazil for 17 years so it was fun for them to eat familiar foods they didnt prepare themselves. I love the Feijoada and the Bobo de Camarao, the fact the prices arent outrageous help too.

Posted 06/02/06

The food and ambiance at this place is great. They have live music frequently, but it's not "in your face" or overpowering and did I mention the food is fantastic? Everyone we take there really likes the Chicken Magdelena and I'm partial to their burrito. They have plenty of good vegetarian choices and a full bar. They recently had an ownership shift and the service has suffered somewhat, but the food is still fantastic!

Posted 12/14/05

This is a great option near campus for when you tire of dollar drafts and crappy pizza. Very nice brazilian/caribbean fare. The tex-mex on the menu is surprisingly tasty too, but it's the braizilian entrees (esp. the fish) that are the stars of this menu. Service was excellent, and the prices are low for the quality of food you get. If this place was downtown, it would be a hit. Give them a try.

Pros: Food, Service, Parking

Cons: Exterior

Posted 10/01/05