Muqueca Restaurant — Restaurant in Cambridge

My Brazilian coworker raves about this place and comes regularly with her family, so I wanted to give it a shot! Let me start by saying that this was my first experience with Brazilian food other than steakhouses, so I can't comment on the authenticity of Muqueca. I'm just comparing the experience to the various other Latin and European foods that I've had.

My friend and I went on a Tuesday at 7:30, and there were about 5 tables being occupied. The interior is pretty casual, no frills, with some colorful wall decorations.

We wanted an authentic experience, so we started out with some caipirinhas. Man were these good. Just the right amount of alcohol and very citrusy and fresh. We then split an order of fried yucca. I'm familiar with yucca and have had yucca fries at different restaurants, and this dish wasn't spectacular. The small bits of yucca were fried well, but the white "special sauce" didn't have much flavor, so we ended up also dipping them in the hot sauce that was on our table.

We then split one muqueca with fish and shrimp. They brought two orders of rice with this, and it was definitely enough for two people. I don't know.. I guess I just had high expectations, but this didn't blow me away. The tomatoes, onions, and cilantro in the clay pot complemented the seafood well. It also came with a small bowl of fish sauce, which I scooped by the spoonful onto the rice since the white fish was a bit bland on its own. Overall, it was a nice dish, but I've had more flavorful stews in the past.

Considering that we had 2 drinks, split one appetizer, and split one entree, the total of nearly $50 seemed a bit steep, especially since the environment is so casual and the ingredients used weren't super expensive (we mainly filled up on yucca and rice). Their menu is extensive, so if I return I would try something else. I'd still recommend it for a solid Brazilian food experience! And get...

So I LOVED my drinks. I got their Brazilian Breeze and Blueberry Mix. I also ordered a side order of rice and beans, the Vegetarian Platter, and the Tofu Bobó. My food was good, but I was missing my side order of rice and beans. Unfortunately I felt like my rice was a little greasy, and my beans were too salty. Everything else was fine. I think I would order a different non-vegetarian dish, because I was told that is not their specialty to do veg. I would definitely order any of their juices again, as they survived the trip back as I don't live close, and tasted amazing. I had to contact them about getting a refund for the missing part of my order, they offered me a credit to come back to specifically get the rice and beans I missed out on, but I would rather a refund or the general price credit. I got my food to go, but this place is in high demand as there was a line 10 people deep waiting to be seated and it was a Sunday in the late afternoon when I got there. The dinning room is close quarters, but they have some nice art on the walls and a seascape for the kids. I even found this wine I like that is hard to find was surprising there, though since I was already dehydrated, I decided it wouldn't be a good call to get a glass. I will update my review once I get an update on the refund/credit situation. It didn't wow me though. Food was good, but not amazing. What I did love were their juices, and their drink choices are surprising vast. It does seem to be more meat eater focused. Check them out for yourself. UPDATE 6/20/2023: They sent me a check in the mail for $15 for the missing...

-5 stars for me is the best of the best (only a few restaurants/dishes are this) -4 stars is awesome! - above average -3 stars is average (perfectly OK and I would eat happily) -2 stars is meh...I will do it -1 star is a no-go.

Most people think anything less than 5 stars should be a 0 star review. NOT ME! This is why the Air Force changed the EPR system - if you know, you know.

The muqueca completa was 5 stars! It was better than the muqueca I had 100 yards (91.4 meters) from Copacabana in Rio. Get the Moqueca Completa with everything - it is THE best. My wife loves Brazilian black beans (Caldo De Feijao) and they were also the best - the garlic flavor was awesome. We also had some casava/yucca fries with linquica (Mandioca com Linguiça) and it was great. The only slight bummer was that the caipirinha had vodka not cachaca, so it was a caipiroka. However, it was still very good, and I had more than one.

The interior decor was great - there was a lot of personality with the decor and the place was very clean. For a local restaurant the atmosphere was great - 4 stars (see above rating system. The food was the best and the place was clean and cozy.

The wife and I went to Boston for our 10th anniversary. My wife missed the restaurant the last time we were in town a few years ago, and this was the first restaurant we went to when we landed.

I totally...