Emporio Brazilian Cafe   12288 Westheimer Rd Houston TX 77077 281.293.7442 You might also be interested in these:     Brazilian Restaurants    Caterers / Catering    South American    Take Out    ZIP 77077   Add Review       MY REVIEW: I am an all-american southern girl, so my experiance with food from countries is very limited. My co-workers and I have decided that once a month we would go to a different restaurant and today it was Emporio. I absolutely love this restaurant. The wait staff was very courteous (even when giving directions to lost out-of-towners). The food was delicious... We had an assortment of Empanadas for an appetizer. The shrimp one tasted like canned shrimp... was not happy with that one. Main course: churrasco gaucho -grilled sirloin, chicken, pork and sausage with bell peppers and onions. Served with white rice, black beans, vinagrete. Fantastic. Ambiance was very relaxing.. unfortunately no time for dessert. Be I will be going again very soon. NAME: no_time_2_cook SUBMITTED: 10/9/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 08/08 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: I live in Dallas and I and my mom came to Houston for the day to take care of some issues for her at the Brazilian consulate. After we were done we wanted to try some local Brazilian food. The people at the consulate recommended the usual churascarias as well as Emporio. The churascarias were a bit $$$$$ for lunch so we decided to try Emporio. . it had been a long time since I had tasted “casquinha de ciri” a crab cake of sorts brazilian style. We took a change and ordered a portion; it comes in a half shell, two in a portion. We each grabbed one and it was out of this world. We immediately called the waiter and ordered 2 more portions. At this time we decided to stick with appetizers and tried the “shrimp in garlic”, then “the crispy chicken” and finally we tried “assorted empanandas”. The empanadas are. We couldn’t take it anymore. The water came over and asked if we were ready for our entrees, I think he was joking. He knew how much food we had consumed. He then suggested dessert, which we happily and thankfully accepted. He explained that all desserts are made by the restaurant, so we tried the coconut flan and the passion fruit mousse. These are 2 very Brazilian desserts and yes they were excellent. The food was great, the service was good. The atmosphere is simple and casual. We will definitely be back NAME: HOUSVRG SUBMITTED: 8/29/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 8/15/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Well, we were going to the other Brazilian place in this area based on the single review which said that they were open until 6 on Sundays...But it was 4. By now, me and the family were rather fed up with each other, but it turned out to be all worth it when we tried Emporio instead. While the appetizer basket of pao de queijo wasn't all that great (not much "queijo"), it was solid enough to hold interest until we finally decided on our food. Mom ordered the vegetarian platter, Dad got the beef steak, and...I took the feijoada. The waiter we had had a rather thick Portuguese accent, and he was very pleased at this order. :) The food didn't take very long to arrive, and the portions were massively large! The feijoada wasn't big for $13, but with everything else you get with it (greens, rice, bananas, orange, farofa, "vinaigrette") it became at least worth it. And that was before I tasted everything: The quality is superb! The feijoada is so robust it needs no seasoning other than farofa for thickener. Everything else, including the greens, is so fresh you wouldn't believe they are going to close in 45 minutes! The one thing that confuses me is the interchangability of "farofa" and "mandioca". On the Portuguese menu, they use mandioca to mean yucca, but it is also used to mean manioc meal, which is what this restaurant calls "farofa". However, I have read in the Brazilian cookbooks that farofa is actually a polenta-like concoction. Whatever you call it, it kicks butt. You wouldn't think this flour would work, but it does. Other points: The atmosphere is rather dark for this kind of restaurant, but it is due to remodeling at this point. There is Brazilian futebol playing on the TVs, and it only adds to the feel of this restaurant. The waiters seem to be actual Brazilians, and they are in the business of good food, not just filling you up. They will light up when you know anything about their cuisine in advance, not just feijoada. I segued to my love for guarana and our waiter was rather happy about that as well. You might also get "special treatment" if you are a fan of Sepultura - though I didn't try that out here. :) The condiment wall by the register is another treasure that you don't want to miss. Even at $13 for a plate of food, we have a deal. But I'll have to try the buffet on Synott before I pass ultimate judgment. NAME: Andrew SUBMITTED: 8/25/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: August 2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: The food was pretty good, but not good enough to make up for the terrible service. Two things we ordered never showed up at the table. Ever. And we were left sitting, waiting, waiting, waiting. Won't be going there again. NAME: RikkiM SUBMITTED: 4/4/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 4/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: We live around the corner from this place and this was our first time here. Not sure why we waited so long to go try this little jewel but we will definitely be going back. The basket of pao de queijo was sooooo tasty. They were fresh and warm. My boyfriend got the franco com camaro axe - the shrimp and yucca was deeelish and the chicken was juicy and tender. I got the bife a brasileira - the beef was tender, moist and very flavorful. My only (very minor) complaint for that dish was that the French fries weren't very crispy but I didn't go there to eat fries so that didn't really bother me. Overall, we really enjoyed our meal and the service was excellent. The wait staff was very attentive and helpful. NAME: laotianfoodie77 SUBMITTED: 12/7/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: December/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: I go to Emporio Brazilian Cafe when I want to experience some real homecooking. I was born in Europe, lived in Brazil and so I am familiar with the tastes of Brazilian cuisine, which are close to my country's cooking. I have been going to EBC since it opened and love a number of dishes there, especially the feijoada, milaneza style steak, peixada (fish stew), the picanha (tritip); and the desserts... try the chocolate mousse, the creme brulee or a number of other great tasting desserts. I love the atmosphere, the wines and the staff. In short, a great experience whenever I visit, I highly recommend it. NAME: Maria A SUBMITTED: 10/29/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: September/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: I was born in Brazil and lived in Rio de Janeiro until I was 13. I am avid conaisseur of Brazilian cuisine, and was excited to try out Emporio Brazilian Cafe after reading good reviews about it. Unfortunately, my experience was very much lacking. I had peichada (fish stew) and my girlfriend had feijoada (black bean stew). The peichada was good, but the feijoada lacked the usual flavors that I fondly remember from my childhood days. The meats in the feijoada tasted dry and crumbly. Instead of linguica, the restaurant used American sausage. Unfortunately, the lowpoint of the experience was the poor service. After being kindly greeted by the hostess, no one came to take drink orders from us until I finally made hand gestures to a waiter, a waitress, and the hostess, who were standing 20 feet away from our table chit chatting for about 10 minutes after we first sat down. During the 10 minutes of waiting, one of the wait staff cleared a table next to us, and then went back to the little corner of the restaurant to chit chat without saying a word to us. After our food arrived, we never heard from any of the wait staff again until it was time to pay for the bill. No one asked us how the food was. No one offered to give us refills on the drinks. What bothered me even more about the service was how the wait staff treated customers differently. It was obvious that if the wait staff knew the customer, the customer was given the red carpet treatment. We saw two other tables where the customers had to wait for a long time before the wait staff tended to them. I spoke in Portuguese to the wait staff, which I thought would have given me some connection with them. Apparently, it didn't matter given that my girlfriend and I had one of the worst restaurant service we have ever experienced anywhere. Very disappointed. NAME: Armanius SUBMITTED: 8/4/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 08/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: I had been wanting to try this place because it is so close to my house and looked cool. I finally got food to go and the girl who took my order was very friendly. When I went to pick it up I was impressed by the restraunt, wine selection, and Brasilian products for sale. I could smell the food when she brought it out to me and it smelled terrific! We had Tropical Chicken and also got an order of fried bananas. Everything was so delicious, especially the bananas! We will definitely go back. NAME: Jessica J SUBMITTED: 2/25/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 02/07 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: My employees beg me to take them here for our weekly lunches; my only complaint is the lack of variety or specials, but I do only go for lunch, so perhaps dinner does provide some variety. Bear in mind, I ate here every Friday for about 6 months straight... and I still like going there, even with the small menu. Short menu, done to perfection. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I only wish other restaurants learned the same. Salgadinhos are my favorite part of the menu. Coxinhas and pasteis are excellent, as is the pao de queijo. I usually pick up a bag of frozen pao de queijo and some guarana while I'm there to take home. For an average of $10 a head and $30 out the door stuffed for a couple, you really can't beat it. Go to the other places for $120 a couple when you feel you just HAVE to have every cut of meat under the sun in one sitting. Otherwise, be sane, pace yourself and get it in 4 sittings for the price of one at Emporio. NAME: Faminto Pensando de Picanha SUBMITTED: 12/11/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: November 2006 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: This was my first introduction to Brasilain food here in Houston. I love this place! My daughter often asks when we are going. Everyone is friendly and all servers are attentive. The atmosphere Fridays and Saturday nights are lively with live music playing. Not loud but just enough so you hear it as background noise. I train in a Brasilain martial art and plan on taking my Mestre when he visits Houston later on this week. For the comment below on the Brasilian store in Houston. There is one right up the street in the same shopping center as the dollar theatre. Yes on westheimer as well. The name of the place is Ipanema Point. Also, area HEB stores (ive noticed on the southwest side of town only) carry some assortment of Brasilain food and Guarana Antartica. NAME: Sorrir SUBMITTED: 11/27/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/7/06 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: My wife and I have been going to this restaurant for over 4 years. Over the years, the service has improved greatly. At first, the service was pretty slow - but that has become the exception as opposed to the rule. My only complaint is that there needs to be a 2nd location inside the loop! The food here is excellent - very representative of what you would expect in Rio (my wife is Brazilian and I have lived there as well). On a side note, does anyone know where to find a store in Houston that sells Brazilian groceries? The small store at Emporio is great - but it does not include such things as the dough for making your own pastels. Enjoy this restaurant! NAME: Greg SUBMITTED: 11/20/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 1 week ago FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: I am going ntom be brief, I lived in NJ for 25 years and experienced the best Brazilian food in the US. This place is small, cozy, friendly, good live music, excellent service and best of all great food. You will enjoy it. NAME: Louis SUBMITTED: 11/15/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/06 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: Just visited Houston from Baton Rouge (my husband is Brazilian) and we don't have any brazilian restaurants here so we were definitely looking forward to finding a few in Houston. However, once we ate at Emporio Brazilian Cafe', we didn't eat anywhere else ALL weekend! The food was awesome! The Shrimp Pastels are unbelievable, but so was everything else we sampled. WONDERFUL PLACFE AND GREAT PRICES! Best Brazilian cuising I have tasted yet. NAME: ZAT SUBMITTED: 10/1/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 08/2006 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: This is quickly becoming one of our favorite Houston eateries. The service is very friendly and the waitstaff are helpful and informative for those of us unfamiliar with Brazilian cuisine. The basket of hot cheese bread is wonderful. The bread is so hot that you almost can't pick it up so the cheese is nice and gooey inside. Lots of entrees to choose from. We are particularly fond of the tropical chicken and the shrimp maqueca. We also love the Guarana soft drinks. Portions are plentiful and reasonably priced. We have yet to have room left over for dessert. Definitely worth a visit if you're on the west side of town! NAME: JJ SUBMITTED: 8/6/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 8/06 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: I've been to Brazil several times and love the food. Emporio has the best brazilian food in town and a pleasant/relaxing enviroment. The staff are very friendly. Too bad they don't sell caipirinha. NAME: Agnes M. SUBMITTED: 6/29/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: May FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: A wonderful place! When we arrived people were sitting around watching the World Cup and enjoying the food. The staff was very friendly and didn't try to rush us in and out. My wife and I shared a couple of appitizers and then a meal (FEIJOADA) all the food was EXCELLENT. What we really liked was that we could get true Brazilian food off the menu instead of the buffet of meat people typically know as Brazilian. This was our first time vistiting but we plan to stop by whenever we are on the west side of town! NAME: Brazilan_in_Houston SUBMITTED: 6/26/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 6/24/06 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Very delicious food,generous portions and very affortable prices. I love it that they serve white rice and black beans. I love their chicken breast with pineapple and onions. My husband, my kids and I love to go there for either lunch or dinner. I have taken several of my friends to eat there and they loved it. I have a variety of friends, from Korea, Phillipines, white american and black american, mexican and colombian. They all love it!!! They owner is a very sweet guy and the waitstaff are all friendly. Thank you for your food and your kindness. My sister's wedding anniversary is on June 19th and I am treating them to a dinner there at your restaurant. NAME: Chato SUBMITTED: 6/21/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: May 2006 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: I took my dad there to try the Brazilian food and watch the World Cup. The food was great, the service was friendly, and the atmosphere was casual but nice. I ordered the Salmon (it was the best Salmon I've ever tasted) and my dad had the Shrimp Emporio which he also enjoyed. I like that they had a healthy option for my daughter too (grilled chicken, rice and beans). The dessert menu had plenty of tempting options but we were so full, we opted out. Instead we enjoyed an espresso and hung-out to see the rest of the game. When we were leaving, I was pleasantly surprised to see that they have a section of Brazilian products for sale. The whole experience was wonderful. It takes us around 45 minutes to an hour to get there but we will definetly make the trip again. NAME: JCMACHADO SUBMITTED: 6/11/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: June 2006 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: I went to Emporio after reading the reviews here, plus it had been on my list of "gotta try that" restaurants for quite some time. In truth, I was looking for a cheaper alternative to Fogo de Chao because I had a hankering for Brazillan grilled beef but wasn't exactly flush with cash at that moment. We started with a cafezinho (Brazilian Coffee), and it really was not as strong or as flavorful as I was expecting. It really just kind of tasted like good regular coffee, but in a tiny cup. It really didn't have enough strength, punch or flavor for me to want to get it again. The iced tea was good, so I'll be getting that next time. We had the Churrasco Gaucho plate, as did several other reviewers. At first, I was a little disappointed at the large amount of chicken breast vs. beef flank on my plate (4 thinly-pounded chicken filets vs. two thin slices of flank). However, the chicken was so delicious that it was hard to be disappointed after that. The sausage was my favorite thing, though, since it was well-cooked, crispy and flavorful. I agree with a previous reviewer that the fried bananas were just bananas fried in bread crumbs. But I LIKE that. :) The rice could have used some salt in the water, I think. (The Columbian restaurant down the street kicks butt on their plain rice... salty, moist and flavorful. That's what I was hoping for here, but maybe that's only Columbian style and not Brazilian.) The beans were flavorful, but a bit thin when it came to the beans vs. liquid ratio. I recommend this place for lunch but not for a romantic dinner. I'm used to strip center restaurants that happen to have very good food (and prices), so that doesn't bother me a bit. What did bother me was the total lack of ambiance. They had an live guitar player and we just couldn't enjoy him at all because the acoustics of the restaurant are non-existent. There is no carpeting (painted concrete floor), no ceiling treatment, no curtains, etc., so the sound just bounced off the walls and made it almost impossible to have a conversation. Even my 11-year-old son commented that he wasn't happy about it. (It's a shame too, as the guitar player was actually pretty good.) Please folks, no more live music until you move to a bigger and better place that includes something to absorb sound. The restaurant was busy but service was at an acceptable speed regardless. All waitstaff and the hostess (manager? owner?) were very friendly. Will we visit again? Probably so, although I confess that it's going to be a tough decision between Emporio and the Columbian restaurant that is closer to me and has similar food. For the price, you just can't beat it. However, next time I will visit for either an early or late lunch. The place doesn't hold up to romantic date or "nice dinner" standards, although I can see it sure is trying. NAME: Madelyn Cook SUBMITTED: 5/13/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 5/2005 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Our family loves this restaurant which we recently started going to. The food is fresh, authentic and plentiful, not to mention moderate. Owners are always attentive and concerned about service and quality, and love children to. This is truly one of the best values in Houston, and one worth returning to. Little grocery inside with Brazilian products is a great attraction too! NAME: Raymond deSola SUBMITTED: 2/14/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 2/06 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: Not just the best Brazilian restaurant in Houston, for a casual cafe, Emporio has to be amongst the absolute best dining experiences in the city. There really isn't much I can say that hasn't been said before--the menu is diverse and almost universally good, the food is always fresh and seasoned to perfection, the service is friendly, and the prices are ridiculously cheap considering the generous portions, especially on the fantastic Churrasco Gaucho plate. I've made it my goal to try as many of Houston's restaurants as possible, but I always find myself coming back to Emporio, in spite of the fact that it's so far away from the downtown area where I live. The drive to get there is the only drawback, though it is well worth it. NAME: Ty SUBMITTED: 2/12/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 2/06 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: I always love the atmosphere with the Carnival on TV and the Musician. The Seafood dishes such as the fish stew, salt cod etc.. I find the best. Only 1 con: Why do places that used to be byob get a license and only sell one dreadful brand of wine by the glass? If you expect to make money selling wine, take it seriously and don't let a beer distributor select your wine. NAME: The Admiral SUBMITTED: 1/27/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 1/2006 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: I was born in Brazil and know Brazilian food very well. My family and I had already been at the Emporio Brazilian Cafe on previous trips to Houston before permanently moving here this past August. Every one of our visits to this restaurant has been enjoyable and wonderful to our palate as we savored the menu choices. From the authentic Brazilian appetizers to the desserts, they really make me feel like I am back in Brazil. The food tastes homemade, fresh and delicious which to my family is a must when going to a restaurant. Of course, the very affordable prices that they offer is a definite plus for a large family like mine. My husband and I and the rest of my family are regular customers at Emporio and we often go there just for the appetizers (crab on the shell, the six-piece appetizer sampler, the fried yucca, among others), and desserts that are always plentiful and very satisfying. Add a glass of one of their selection of Brazilian wine or other wine of your choice and the meal is absolutely complete. We also love the diet or regular Guarana soft drink. I recommend Emporio Brazilian Café to anyone and my family and I will most positively continue to be regular customers. NAME: RFV SUBMITTED: 1/3/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 12/2005 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: I know this is an authenic Brazilian restaurant with wonderful traditional dishes, but I love their grilled chicken caesar salad. I had to stop in today to have another one for lunch. It was absolutely delicious and it's only $5.99. You'd pay at least $9 or $10 anywhere else for the same size. There was plenty left to take home for an additional meal. And I can't forget to mention the delicious cheese balls they serve. I can't get enough of them. So, whether you're in the mood for traditional Brazilian fare or just a great salad, you should try this restaurant. The service and the friendliness is outstanding. Prepare for a most enjoyable experience. NAME: bkj SUBMITTED: 8/9/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 8/05 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: Love the food, it is tasty and very well prepared and I love the desserts, especially the "Pudim de Leite " (flan pudding). Recommend it highly as a relaxed atmosphere to unwind with a glass of wine and a Brazilian meal after a stressful day (or any day for that matter). NAME: lalvim SUBMITTED: 7/23/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: July 2005 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... ©Copyright 1991 - 2008 B4-U-EAT.COM. All rights reserved. Design and database by B4-U-BUY