BBQing Gaia — Restaurant in Vila Nova de Gaia

We ate here TWICE it was so good.

23 days in Europe, and this is the only restaurant we went to twice. Food was delicious and the value was spectacular. It's wonderful to have the food and service exceed your expectations. The portions were very generous and the wine list was very reasonably priced.

We got caught in many tourist traps in Spain and Portugal that we wanted to guarantee our last meal was not a mistake.

Both times we ordered a generous selection of grilled meats (chicken, steak, and sausage) and cheeses that was just 25 euros total! The meal included 4 side dishes that we could select from an impressive list of choices. We had a nice bottle of red wine to enjoy with it.

Our second visit, the manager generously let us try the beef kafta as a substitute for the sausage, which again shows great service.

Speaking of great service, our waiter was Tarcio both times we went! He is so friendly and always smiling. We want to thank Tarcio for making great food and wine recommendations and being so warm and welcoming to us. Thank you Tarcio!!

Our first night visiting Porto (in Vila Nova de Gaia) we ate here. The manager sat us even though they had upcoming reservations, when they could have turned us away. We were so happy they allowed us to dine.

On our last night in Porto we asked ourselves, should we end our Europe trip on a sure thing? The answer was a resounding "yes!!"

So for the first time, we repeated a restaurant. Our final meal in Europe was at BBQing in Vila Nova de Gaia, and it was everything we hoped for and more!

Muito obrigado!

Advice: make reservations through their website, which is easy to do. Also be aware they close...

The Caipirhina’s (a Brazilian Rhum-based (“Cachaca”)🇧🇷 cocktail that goes down smooth/ &-after a few packs-a-PUNCH) is made with freshly processed Maricuya (Passion Fruit!) 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

7-8 tables means they have a limited # of humans they can feed. MAKE-a-RESERVATION. Otherwise- you can’t even order food to take-away, & eat in the Park. Meaning the Kitchen is so small, they are easily OVERWHELMED. 😤 But- if you follow the “Rules”- 😇 you will be rewarded with a nice meal; from the breaded + deep fried wedges of Brie Cheese to smoky flavored Chicken Wings, to an assortment of mostly Meat-on-a-Stick (Pinchas-en-Espanol) that’s very nicely cooked ( although, IMHO- they err on the side of Over/versus/Under-cooked) The side dishes are ALL individually full of flavor, I especially liked their “salad” which, visually appears similar to Mexican “Pico de Gallo”, but has Bell (Green) Peppers, giving a wonderful crispy bite to the garden-fresh veggies.

Sadly-if you are a Plant-based-Vegan, there’s LITTLE HERE for you. Fake-Chicken-nuggets is it…🤷🏽‍♂️ But, if you order the Black Beans/ Rice/ and Salad- you’ve got a meal😎

Overall a great “little place” ( emphasis on little) to savor BRASILIA-skewers & South...

One of the better meals we had on our trip throughout Portugal!! The service was great, the staff recommended the meat tray which consisted of steak, chicken, sausage and cheese. The meat was flavorful and very juicy paired with a bottle of red wine. Price was extremly reasonable for such a great meal! If you are looking for a spot that's not touristy with actully good food, good service and a good price this is your spot! Price was much more reasonable then the tourist traps in center...