Carioca Brazilian Restaurant (CLOSED)   8811 Synott Rd Houston TX MY REVIEW: I’ve been exploring a lot of our city’s Central and South American eateries on the SW side lately looking not only for good food but inexpensive lunch places and this is one of the keepers. It’s a Brazilian ‘home-style’ buffet place open only limited hours with very good food. I don’t frequent buffets very often since they often serve mediocre food and seem to be aimed at the crowd that thinks pigging out means they’re living the good life and this will be one of only 2 that I patronize. It’s an unpretentious place and Ana, the manager, is a natural for the hospitality business. She understands she’s in the business of providing good food, not just filling people up. Judging by what I’ve had on my visits so far, Cariocas - a nickname for the inhabitants of Rio - eat very well at home. The menu changes every day but regulars include rice, black beans, a tossed salad, a vinaigrette which looks like pico de gallo but isn’t (no heat - bell pepper substituted for the serrano) and farofa, toasted yuca flour that is a crunchy condiment used on a variety of dishes. The vinaigrette is substantial enough to be used as a salad. I’ve had fried fish, fish, probably tilapia, poached in coconut milk, roasted brisket, beef milanesa, meat balls in tomato sauce, churrasco (skirt steak), fried chicken and chicken stewed with tomatoes for meat courses, potato stix, mashed potato salad, potato salad, fried yuca, a rice pilaf-like dish with black olives, steamed, mixed vegetables, penne and spaghetti with herbs, and chicken baked in polenta with some vegetables for sides. My favorites were the churrasco on Sunday, the potato salad, a unique recipe, the stewed chicken and the polenta, but it’s all been good. The fried chicken is bone-in chicken nuggets – just the top portion of the drumsticks. I’m not fond of milanesa and have ordered it only a couple of times elsewhere so don’t have a lot to compare it to but this was the best version I’ve had. Canned sodas, including Guarana Antarctica, the Brazilean apple-like soda, are available for beverages and La Brisa frozen treats for dessert. The food is not spicy but for heat afficionados there is the bottled, mixed peppers from Brazil, Taliesco (?). Shake a tablespoon or so of those on your plate and you’ll be able to get your fix. This is also available as a sauce as is Tabasco. The restaurant is open only 12 noon to 5pm weekdays and Sunday, til 6 on Saturday, and closed on Tuesday. The buffet is $7.99 during the week and $8.99 on weekends. I could eat here regularly a couple of times a week. NAME: BruceW SUBMITTED: 4/2/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 04/08 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times ©Copyright 1991 - 2008 B4-U-EAT.COM. All rights reserved. Design and database by B4-U-BUY