Baduk Café & Bar — Restaurant in Região Geográfica Imediata do Rio de Janeiro

My recent visit to Baduk Café & Bar was a total letdown. Despite the enticing promise of pastrami and shawarma, none of the sandwiches contained any meat. As a pastrami aficionado from New York to São Paulo, I was excited by the prospect of authentic Jewish cuisine. However, what I received was far from standard.

The "pastrami" sandwich was a sad excuse, lacking in both quantity and quality. Packed with pickled carrots sauteed onions and cauliflower, it barely resembled the hearty pastrami sandwiches I know. Even worse, the shawarma sandwich was similarly underwhelming, more akin to a hummus sandwich than anything else. For the price paid, the portions were shockingly small.

Overall, my experience at Baduk Café & Bar felt like a blatant rip-off. If you're seeking genuine pastrami or shawarma,...

Second time coming here and every dish is so flavorful and made to perfection, plus we lived in the Middle East for a few years so can say that they have done it justice. We will add it to our neighborhood restaurant rotation! Update- the next morning my husband and son are still talking about the shawarma! And I’m vegetarian so had the falafel pits sandwich and it is outstanding- filled with hummus, sauce, and pickled veggies- so perfect. Also the platter with the hummus, red pepper dip, etc was fabulous, and with homemade pita bread, and the cauliflower tempura is...

What a lucky find. Hidden not far from my hotel, Baduk was a memorable bite of this trip - perhaps the best lamb I’ve had in a long time. Aesthetic, quality ingredients, creative, thoughtful, clean food. I’m very (!) picky and health conscious - this place hit the spot and made my...