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Homestyle Brazilian fare served in a stylish, rustic space with antique pots & vintage tableware.

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Homestyle Brazilian fare served in a stylish, rustic space with antique pots & vintage tableware.

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This is such a cute and cozy Brazilian restaurant located in Montclair. It’s a must go to restaurant as it has such unique dishes I’ve never seen anywhere. The start you off with a generous bread basket, and the cheese biscuits were my favorite! They were so good! For appetizer we had 3 stuffed pastries 1 chicken, 1 beef and 1 cheese. They were really good! For dinner we ordered their award winning dish the carved acorn squash filled with creamy butternut squash and shrimp. I can definitely see why it won an award! We loved it! We also ordered the beef stroganoff topped with matchstick potatoes. The cream sauce the beef strips came in was delicious, and flavorful! The only issue with that dish some of the beef strips were over cooked, and I had to spit a couple out because I couldn’t chew them. Prior to ordering dinner our waiter told us the entrees come family style with rice and beans so we didn’t bother ordering any side dishes. We were disappointed when the rice and beans came out because it was only enough for one person! Definitely not enough for two people! They were really good, but it should of came enough for two people like our waiter had told us. For dessert we ordered the flourless yuca chocolate cake topped with coconut ice cream and the flan caramel. The flourless chocolate cake was delicious! The flan caramel had a nice texture, but I couldn’t taste any caramel. It was kind of bland, and I wouldn’t order it again. We felt the desserts were really tiny for $10 each as well. We really loved this authentic Brazilian restaurant, and are looking forward to dining here again soon! I highly recommend dining at Samba Montclair! It’s restaurant you have to put on your must try list!

JenniferJennifer
00

If I could go lower than one star I would. Samba is so pretentious and likes to think they are a class above from other restaurants in the area. I went here on a Tuesday evening and the place was nearly deserted. I was here with my GF because she's been wanting to try this place and I had some free time today after getting off of work. They gave us a table for 2, I noticed that the table was really small at the restaurant for two people and since I order multiple apps and entrees I would need a bigger table. Shouldn't be an issue right? Especially since it's literally nearly deserted. NOPE, the girl went to ask the manager or someone and that lady came over and asked are we expecting more people to join us? I said no, I just needed more room because I'm going to order multiple dishes. She said no sorry please use the table for 2, at that point I just wanted to leave but GF said let's just try this place out so I relented. The waiter we got was the only saving grace for this restaurant so the only star this horrid place gets is for him. I got a cup of espresso with 2 shots and maybe the best thing I had at the place. The espresso is really good so props to them on nailing that aspect. GF got the "lauded" Camarao Na Moranga and I got the Picanha as our main entrees. She hated the Moranga and couldn't finish it, took it home and gave it to her roommate. Ravely reviewed by someone from a northjersey newspaper or something like that and they display it proudly litery on a sign post in the restaurant, not a news clipping on the wall mind you but on the floor among the tables. My Picanha was fine, I asked for medium and they gave me nearly well-done so that was terrible on the cooks part. The appetizer was dissatisfying as well. Got the the little cheese bread balls, don't know the official name for it. Fogo De Chao has cheese balls that are far superior. These ones at Samba has a hint of cheese and is all bread. For dessert we shared the Coxinha Churros which came out looking like fried dough balls cowered in powdered sugar and caramel on the side. This wasn't too bad especially the caramel but the balls were too chewy and not well fried. Easily among the worst Churros I've ever had. Also just FYI they have an automatic service charge of 20%. I didn't mind it since I usually tip that on the minimum usually going 25-30%. It saved me spending more money at this place so kudos on that. Overall if you didn't gather from my review so far that I hated my experience let me literally say that right now, I HATED my experience at Samba and I definitely won't be returning here. I will try other Brazilian spots since their food, if done right is absolutely delicious. Save yourselves a rotten experience and go elsewhere.

Jay M.Jay M.
00

This was my second visit and it was a very different experience from my first. I was taken aback that you stand outside the closed glass door and wait for someone to let you in. (It was not crowded) We were a party of 4 on Easter Sunday and they offered a brunch and dinner menu, which was good. I ordered a couple of sides from both. My eggs over easy arrived as well done sunny side up eggs, my applewood smoked bacon was a heaping pile of overly done fried bacon that was curled. I couldn’t eat it and they brought out another dish that was very similar to the first. I couldn’t eat that one as well. My side of stewed okra was served with a demitasse spoon. Someone else at our table did not receive their rice and beans until 20 minutes after the meat plate. We didn’t realize it was missing until it showed up. Our waiter forgot that we asked for cinnamon for a cappuccino. (when did restaurants start not serving cappuccino with cinnamon?) so we asked someone else as our waiter wasn’t around and the person brought out another cappuccino without cinnamon. So this one was returned and then we finally got some cinnamon, that was quickly removed. Another diner’s order a medium rare burger that was rare, so ate around it. Thought it was better on my first visit and issues were corrected then, I will not be back as the service was lacking (same staff) and it was very obvious that they are not interested in providing a good experience at least not to us. Montclair has so many great other options to choose from.

Joannah JonesJoannah Jones
00

I've removed 2 stars from my original review, after our last visit (which was our 3rd), during which we spent over $200.00. The prices - which were recently raised - equal those of any fine-dining establishment however, the SERVICE needs significant improvement: empty bottles left on our table, our table wasn't cleaned between courses, and a take-home bag was almost forgotten by our server. SERVICE should come first at any restaurant but with Samba's high prices, we were disappointed and frustrated. A 20% gratuity is compulsory, so there is no motivation for the servers to function better, beyond their obviously inadequate training. The ambiance is visually lovely at first glance, but the giant sisal placemats are clumsy and unhygenic, the hard wooden chairs make sitting unbearable (maybe that's the point), and it's crowded. A couple who arrived doused in cologne overpowered our senses and we left with our meals unfinished. Lastly, the photo below is of a CHICKEN BONE that we found in one of the Salgadinhos Sortidos! My wife discovered it in her mouth, while we were eating our leftovers at home. We promptly threw the rest into the trash. I used to enjoy the food here very much, because it is gluten free, but the aforementioned details - plus the food was very greasy this last time and the beans weren't cooked correctly - are reason never to return.

it's-me!it's-me!
20

Lunch on a week day. Service attentive and is kind. Atmosphere is charming, a little tight. Unable to order appetizers separately from entree, ie: had to order entire meal (but for dessert) at once. (which otherwise, may’ve altered our decisions for the entrees.) Generous servings. Appetizer 1 oddly dry and not sure how to use condiment. Brazilian Sausage . . . Flavorful: however somewhat dry. Again, unsure how to use condiment. House Panini: bread and pineapple both difficult to bite/cut through. A riper and cored pineapple and, perhaps thinner bread would’ve helped? Generally gluten-free breads need focused attention. Brazilian Steak was highlight. Well marinated and, the only thing that was really not over cooked. Timing was off. Entrees were ready in the kitchen way too soon before our appetizers were done. A bit of a rushed afternoon and we were not in a hurry. We would have enjoyed the lunch much more if we could have gone through the menu at our pace: the restaurant was not at all crowded. In the end we’re here for the food and though well presented they did not surprise, seduce or satiate much beyond an empty stomach. I would recommend that the proprietors allow ordering by course and, at least for lunch, in our experience, not demand “reservations a must.” Of the 20 tables three were occupied.

Jim HortonJim Horton
00

My husband and I came here to celebrate our anniversary dinner. He chose this place as I am avoiding certain allergens due to breastfeeding my baby with a few intolerances. It was very easy to find things to eat on the menu. All the dishes were gluten-free, and there were several vegan dishes. It appears that they are soy-free as well. The food was fresh and delicious. My husband had the coconut milk lemonade, and I had the Sao Palo drink - both great. For the appetizer, we had the duck croquettes (a special), which came with a delicious spicy apple sauce. For the entree, my husband had a plate that was a roasted squash filled with seafood. He said it was very filling and he ate the whole dish. I ordered the feijoada, which is available only on Fridays and Saturdays. The meat was very tender. For dessert, we had the coconut ice cream, which was served with shredded coconut and chocolate shavings. Things to note: there is a 2 hour time limit which starts from the time of your reservation, not your arrival. They do expect you to order right away as it takes time for the food to be ready. There was indoor and outdoor seating. The decor inside is beautiful. They are also BYOB.

Laurie SimoneLaurie Simone
00
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Overview

4.5(828 reviews)$$

Phone

(973) 744-6764

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Website

sambamontclair.com

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Deep Dive

A deep dive into Samba Montclair