Brasil — Restaurant in Houston

This place is wonderful in many ways. It has a delicious menu that offers numerous vegetarian options. It has a beautiful open floor plan that feels airy and comfortable. It has been my favorite location to study and have a delicious cup of tea since I arrived in Houston. I do not normally leave reviews, but I think this experience is important to share. If you are planning to eat brunch, have a cup of coffee, and/or relax, I cannot recommend this place enough.

Despite these merits, I will not be returning to Brasil. Today my friends and I were approached after completing our meal and starting our coursework. The person asked my friend who had joined our table and had not yet ordered her meal if she "would like to see a menu or just have water." My friend said that she would order something, but the man remained at our table. He continued on to ask if we would also be ordering anything else or just doing "computer things." He stated that this was the busiest day of the week and time, and they had a line out the door. I have been to Brasil many times during the brunch/lunch rush, so I figured he would ask us to give up our table if things got busy. Had this been the first thing he stated, I would have agreed. I understand that having tables full of people on computers who order one coffee is a nuisance. This is why I order a meal and beverage every time I study for long periods of time. That meal often extends to another, another caffeinated beverage, a glass of wine, etc. I thought perhaps he misunderstood that we had ordered food, and that we would be happy to order more as we worked through the rush. I stated "I ordered a full meal when I got here," thinking that would clear up the misunderstanding, and I could be left to my coursework. His response was something along the lines of "we've been here xx number of years, and we love people...you can keep doing your computer things, but we may have to give someone else your table." I felt affronted. The tone of this request was not kind, nor understanding. It in fact implied that we were not the kind of people this establishment "loves" as stated. I stated that we would leave, and the man stormed off, obviously having not quite achieved the goal of his confrontation.

I have worked in customer service for quite some time, and think this behavior is unacceptable. Had we been loud, disruptive, or even your typical table of people doing "computer things," I would understand a confrontation of this degree. I am sad that I can no longer frequent my favorite cafe, as I am clearly not...

Hidden gem spot in the middle of Montrose!

It’s been years since I visited Brasil. Mainly because parking is a challenge and I’ve always thought of it as a coffee/shop cafe.

If you’ve lived in Houston for a long time and are under the same misconception, let me help correct that.

Brasil is now an all day cafe and restaurant. It’s known for breakfast/brunch/cafe and great patios, but there’s a lot going on, from a full lunch and dinner menu to the fully stocked bar with cocktails, what???

Everything is counter service, but my point is that there’s a lot more here than just a coffee shop.

They have a full kitchen with a real chef - currently Andre Nieves, whose resume includes places like Cosme in NYC, Loch Bar in RO District, and Golfstrømmen in the Post HTX - so in addition to the breakfast/brunch menu, they’re rolling out seasonal specials and farm-to-table style entrees that change frequently.

They’re also doing things like salsa night, cello night (can’t wait for this!) and other community-building events, so it’s definitely worth checking out!

Now to the food. The beet salad? perfection. Colorful beets are sous vide and have great texture, served over a creamy goat cheese with apples and candied walnuts. Love.

The seasonal offering of shrimp and yuzu tortellini in caldo santo (puerto rican seafood soup) was lovely- like something you’d get in a chef-driven bistro.

Ditto for the crispy-skinned, perfectly cooked blacken salmon served over kabocha squash purée. If you love salmon, this one is about as good as it gets (I’ve had a lot of poorly cooked salmon in my day) and gets two thumbs up from me!!

Ropa vieja was very good if you love this Cuban dish, try it!

Finally I had special requested this tomahawk pork chop when i saw it on social media. You have to pre-order it and it’s huge and wonderful and as good or better than any version you’d get in a steakhouse, so splurge on this and thank me later!!

Oh and the cocktails. Most of them ring in at $10 or less on the regular menu and they are hand crafted delicious!! My favorite was the Au Pair, but I also have the strawberry lemonade and the pineapple upside down and they were...

The service deserves 5 stars from the staff but sadly the owner, Dan, is so much of a jerk that I dropped it to 3. Despite the 3 stars this is one of my favorite places in Houston.

I am a regular here and will often eat multiple meals in a day and switch from coffee to wine when I'm here. I have met new friends here, introduced people to this place, and been on numerous dates at Brasil... but more often than not I am studying. When I'm here studying the place is empty. Maybe 3-6 other parties in the entire restaurant. Regardless, Dan comes up to me and passive aggressively insinuates I should leave because its "dinner now" or it's "been two hours."

This has happened a dozen times. He has confessed to me that people leave bad reviews about him for this but he hasn't learned his lesson so I will add another. Dan - you have nothing to lose when your place is empty for someone to stay. The odds of them spending more money is higher if they stay. They are not taking up valuable space from other people who would be spending money because the place is EMPTY. You make people feel uncomfortable and push away regulars. Your staff is wonderful, welcoming, and accomodating. You sincerely need to get over yourself. I've been working in the Houston restaurant industry for 15 years. I am well aware of the culture, customer service, and the ways to maximize profits. You are shooting yourself in the foot because you are petty and stingy over what, wifi? I use my phone's hotspot half the time. I'm staying for coffee, food, and wine. I spend 100's of dollars some weeks here when I have an exam because I just keep ordering. You are such an unwelcoming host. Listen to your feedback and pivot dude. This is truly absurd. Your wifi bill is the same each month regardless. The more people returning, ordering more food again, the better. If Dan has done this to you make sure to like my comment so he knows how bad it is. Still give this place a shot. It's great when Dan isn’t...