Sampa Brazilian Kitchen — Restaurant in Santa Cruz

We came to this place last night and my family and I loved the food. We were visiting Santa Cruz for the first time and were spending two nights in the area. We wanted to eat something that was not American, Mexican or Chinese, so we found them through Google. We were greeted by our server (he was very attentive and always checking with us...sorry don't remember his name but he is a tall young man wearing glasses). The place was clean and inviting, with Brazilian music. We all ordered beef related dishes and the meat was so good, well seasoned. Everything was so good, even the coffee (my husband and I like to drink coffee at night) and they made the coffee just like we like it: strong and it was freshly brewed. We were expecting the "normal" coffee mug you would get at a restaurant, but we got the classic mug size you would use at home. The portions were big (like everything in the USA), but we managed to eat it all since it was so delicious. The food felt homemade, like the food you would cook at home (we are from Panama). Ten stars across for everything from service to food. If we are around Santa Cruz again, Sampa will be a...

Santa Cruz needed this - a change in our food scene that elevates the quality and diversity. Sampa came just in the right time to offer some amazing food that many can enjoy.

They have a dedicated vegetarian section with a few items marked as vegan, making this an easier decision for plant-based diners. To have multiple options under one roof and have them be delicious is such a relief and so appreciated.

Crispy Maitakos ($18.50) - taking local organic maitake mushrooms and turning them into tacos was brilliant. Dish comes with four and the rice with vegan black beans were delicious and filling.

Vegan Feijoada ($18.95) - Absolute winner in my books for quality and quantity. This dish includes a large helping of black beans and vegan sausage, served with greens, rice, and farofa. Everything tasted fresh and it was enough for two people.

Service was also on point in making sure we were taken care of - with water refills and checking in every so often. The restaurant is well lit giving a very comfortable feel, and includes outdoor seating.

Private parking lot available which is another plus. Can't wait to come back to enjoy...

Really enjoyed the food at atmosphere here. We got in at around 1 and parking was full so despite being a walk-in on a very busy Sunday morning with my partner and my dog, the servers are super helpful the entire time. All the patrons were young families with multiple kids in their parties, speaking Portuguese and thoroughly enjoying themselves too so it speaks to both the quality of the food as well as the service.

All the stuff we ordered was good (acerola mimosa, Alvarado st. Mai Tai IPA, Sampa Explosion appetizer platter, paconha steak plate w/ fries, muqueca) but we agreed the big winners were the meat items in the Sampa Explosion (coxinha and croquette) and the muqueca, which is a lovely, light, coconut milk based seafood stew served with a side of rice and farofa. The Sampa Explosion comes with a house hot sauce that is a vinegar/citrus(?) based one and pretty spicy if you don’t regularly eat spicy food; it’s delicious but start small

Very spacious, clean bathrooms (I know it’s weird to mention this but I always appreciate it, especially at a smaller, independent...