Cabana Grill is the real deal. $11.99 for all you can eat weekday dinner. My boyfriend and I put away an entire spit of deliciously roasted rare beef, several chicken breasts, pork, and spicy sausages. We chased down our juicy meat feast with collard greens, plantains, chayote, a tomato and onion salsa, oxtail, pork ribs, and rice and peas from the buffet. Drinks and dessert (try the condensed milk pudding) cost extra. The real highlight, though, was the service. The wait staff was super friendly, and the waitress carving the meat went out of her way to make sure we had a good time. Can't recommend this hole-in-the-wall gem enough!
(5)
Lu R.
This place is no longer a Brazilian spot, but the new owners have kept the name and sign outside. We liked this place a lot before, but we love this place now! The biggest change since the switch is the food, which is now primarily Salvadorian with a little Mexican, and Central/South American items also on the menu. The hostess/waitress has always been the same each time we go and she is incredibly nice. Same with the chef and the food really comes off as Salvadorian home cooking. Pupusas are incredible though my favorite dish is a sampler of sorts with steak, beans, rice, fried pork with crispy skin (so, so good!), and sausage. Be sure to get some curtido (a slightly spicy, vinegar and cabbage salad or "condiment" depending on your preference). Don't be afraid to ask questions either. My Puerto Rican and Mexican family members who we brought there had plenty and they were awesome... and even sent us some traditional salvadorian morsels to sample, on the house. (No fret, the folks there are bilingual and the menu is too.) This is our favorite go-to spot in Boston and we hope they are here to stay, unlike the Brazilian place the replaced.
(5)
Jason H.
The hoot: just unbeatable value for a meat buffet. Period. The holler: for my going-away party 8 of us went to this restaurant, a modestly decent trek away from Cambridge. East Boston has the only good Latin-American food in the greater Boston area, so I figured this would be the place for a meat buffet! Like the other reviews here say, it's a big time winner. For $12, you get AYCE meat. And oh yeah, there's also a buffet of other stuff like veggies. Look at the photos for what they offer, it's all really good. Grapes, some lettuce, plantains, great scalloped potatoes. But the best part is the MEAT SKEWERS. Ok so it's not as much variety as a $50 place in Chicago, and they don't come around in a costume to bring you the meat. But they have skewers of beef, pork, chicken, bacon-wrapped chicken, and sausage. And the best part is because all the skewers are right there, you can ask for a more well done one, or a more rare one. And you get it! The guy working the meat window is cool, he's simple, he gives you what you want. The lady doing waitressing is laid back, but get her attention and times are good. The restaurant is usually empty I think, because almost everyone who eats from there gets take-out. We saw like 20 orders of take-out while we ate, but only maybe 5 others sit in. If you're not as aggressive an eater as me, you can also get food for $7/pound.... and for the girls, this might be better, and also why I'm ranking this place as a single $ since a large population can eat here for under $10. You gotta come here. Come for a post-soccer, rugby, football, w/e buffet. This place is definitely a winner. If I was still in Boston, I'd definitely come back at least twice a year. And of note, NEVER go to Midwest Grill on Cambridge street. That is a competing Brazilian-style meat buffet, except Midwest Grill is always dry and they drip grease everywhere. Come here instead, to Cabana Grill, and enjoy the nice park next to the Blue Line stop!
(5)
Mathias G.
As a fairly new Yelper, I wanted to mark my turf and review a place that seemed good but hadn't been reviewed by hundreds of other people. I chose Cabana Grill, and boy am I glad I did. People had said nice things about it on Yelp, and it seemed reasonable, if slightly out of the way. Let me encourage the throngs of Boston natives to travel en masse to Cabana Grill. This was one of those places where the atmosphere was EXACTLY how I wanted it to be. Clean, unpretentious, brazilian music playing on the flat screen TV. My friend and I certainly looked like out-of-towners (I think we were the only non Portuguese speakers in the restaurant--including the server), but c'est la vie. It felt nice to get out of the Allston community, where the bros can speak their own kind of unintelligible language. I went with my friend Mat. He looks like this: a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/… We wanted to get a month's worth of protein and sodium in one sitting. And that's exactly how that meal went down. They have a buffet of delicious sides--rice and beans, various stews and sauces,plantains, salad and the like. In the back of the restaurant stand the spis, each grilling a surfeit of delicious, succulent meats, tended to by a smiling grill master, only too happy to offer you heaping portions of meat. My friend Mat has the power to scare restaurant employees, worried he will single-handedly overturn their cost-profit ratio. But this guy was thrilled every time Mat came back for more Among the selections; Pork loin, pork sausage, chicken thighs, chicken wrapped in bacon, and two different cuts of steak. We slurped all this down with a cheap bottle of wine. Including the wine, I think we each paid about 20 bucks. The unlimited buffet is 11.99. All in all, this was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. I had to drink half a gallon of water to even out my body's salinity, but it was worth it. It felt great to go to a place a little off the beaten path, and to have such a satisfying experience. I haven't tried all the Churrascaria's in the Boston area. But this place, food wise, is just as good as Midwest Grill, and half the price.
(5)
Jennifer E.
I was visiting Boston this past weekend and I was looking for some Latin American cuisine. This place was a 15 minute cab ride from our hotel so we decided to give it a try. We were greeted by a nice lady then we chose our seats. We got up to the buffet and saw all the sides but the meats had to be carved by someone. Unfortunately, the carver was no place in sight. We waited for 5 minutes then finally asked the lady if she can find the carver. The pork tenderloin and the pork sausage was good, the beef was ok. After we finished our first plate, we went for seconds. Again, the carver was no where to be seen. So we waited and waited again, then asked the hostess to holler for him. The food would've been 4 stars by itself but the service was a solid 2 so I guess I would have to give it a 3.
(3)
Tobias B.
This place is AWESOME!!! I'm a flight attendant and work the Brazil flights. This place is so authentic and CHEAP!!! It's just like what you find in Sao Paulo...buffet style (very fresh, very flavorful). Forget those fancy Brazilian chain places that charge $50/person downtown. This place offers the same thing for less than $10 and it is some of the best home cooked food!
(5)
Mike M.
Meat paradise! Very friendly and very fresh. Who knew this was here? The owner says he's been there 9 years. Great variety on the Buffett. You can get all you can eat for $11.99 or by the pound at $5.99 (Buffett) or $6.99 (Buffett and rotisserie). Varieties of beef, pork, sausage and chicken. Rotisserie pineapple? Amazing.
(5)
Justen C.
Looking for an inexpensive "home-cooked" meal? This is the place for you. I've lived in East Boston for a while now, and never realized this place existed. The selection is great, the atmosphere is quaint, and the service is wonderful. It's not that often that I walk out of a restaurant going "holy cow...that was awesome". The non-BBQ buffet: the selection is amazing: rice, pinto beans, potato salad, plantains, salad, pork, (and more); and a couple of dishes that changes by the day (look at their menu for that). Since we were there on a Tuesday night, they had fish and a chicken/okra stew. Everythin tasted fresh and the meat was nice and tender. The BBQ buffet: of course, this includes what's in the non-BBQ buffet, plus all the meat you can think of: sausage, beef, chicken, pork, etc. They are literally cooked on a real grill (aka with coals), which makes it all the better. And, of course, the meat is nice and tender. You just ask the chef which meat(s) you want and he cuts them up right there for you. Talk about service. The environment was very nice--it really had a homely feel. It's small, and since we were there around 4pm, no one else was there. As time went by, more people came. We could tell this was a "locals' spot because it seemed like everyone knew the staff and knew the whole system. It also seemed like they also have a lot of business from deliveries, too, since the phone kept ringing. The woman who was there was extremely nice to us To top it all off--it's inexpensive. As other reviews have mentioned, you can either buy the non-BBQ buffet for $5.99/lb, or the BBQ-buffet for $6.99/lb. If you're ambitious like we were, you can pay $11.99 for an all-you-can-eat-buffet!
(5)
James K.
so one not so subtle disclaimer. the buffet is only on weekdays. i went on a saturday since i don't read reviews thoroughly and just see stars and go... it actually turned out to be better because we had to order off their wonderful menu. a lot of their popular items have pictures (unless you know what you are ordering...we didn't) the food was great! friends and i had plenty to eat and drink (they serve beers) another disclaimer. saturday evenings turn into karaoke night...upstairs. place gets bumping. our waitress was super nice and accommodating. only downside is it is in east boston (nothing against east boston...just a hassle to get to and from boston) but then i guess it would not have been as cheap as it was.
(4)
Ashley J.
This is a cute little place that provides all the basics. I love brazilian barbeque. Half buffet, half rotisserie, you get good fresh food, always hot, always plentiful. Not one of those places that when you go in the food has been there forever and is all crusty and half gone. The staff is very very nice and helpful. They have a small bar downstairs as well. I have always been happy here.
(3)
Jocelyn G.
Ordered through GrubHub and were pleasantly surprised that the food came about 15 minutes earlier than they said it would. Pizza was nice and hot, toppings were well spaced, and the wings were tasty! Liked the boned wings better than the boneless. Not too spicy either. :)
(4)
Alex I.
Cabana Grill is no longer a Brazilian restaurant. It is a general Central American restaurant. Perhaps the general comment about the good prices did them in.
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Connie L.
Cabana Grill is the real deal. $11.99 for all you can eat weekday dinner. My boyfriend and I put away an entire spit of deliciously roasted rare beef, several chicken breasts, pork, and spicy sausages. We chased down our juicy meat feast with collard greens, plantains, chayote, a tomato and onion salsa, oxtail, pork ribs, and rice and peas from the buffet. Drinks and dessert (try the condensed milk pudding) cost extra. The real highlight, though, was the service. The wait staff was super friendly, and the waitress carving the meat went out of her way to make sure we had a good time. Can't recommend this hole-in-the-wall gem enough!
(5)Lu R.
This place is no longer a Brazilian spot, but the new owners have kept the name and sign outside. We liked this place a lot before, but we love this place now! The biggest change since the switch is the food, which is now primarily Salvadorian with a little Mexican, and Central/South American items also on the menu. The hostess/waitress has always been the same each time we go and she is incredibly nice. Same with the chef and the food really comes off as Salvadorian home cooking. Pupusas are incredible though my favorite dish is a sampler of sorts with steak, beans, rice, fried pork with crispy skin (so, so good!), and sausage. Be sure to get some curtido (a slightly spicy, vinegar and cabbage salad or "condiment" depending on your preference). Don't be afraid to ask questions either. My Puerto Rican and Mexican family members who we brought there had plenty and they were awesome... and even sent us some traditional salvadorian morsels to sample, on the house. (No fret, the folks there are bilingual and the menu is too.) This is our favorite go-to spot in Boston and we hope they are here to stay, unlike the Brazilian place the replaced.
(5)Jason H.
The hoot: just unbeatable value for a meat buffet. Period. The holler: for my going-away party 8 of us went to this restaurant, a modestly decent trek away from Cambridge. East Boston has the only good Latin-American food in the greater Boston area, so I figured this would be the place for a meat buffet! Like the other reviews here say, it's a big time winner. For $12, you get AYCE meat. And oh yeah, there's also a buffet of other stuff like veggies. Look at the photos for what they offer, it's all really good. Grapes, some lettuce, plantains, great scalloped potatoes. But the best part is the MEAT SKEWERS. Ok so it's not as much variety as a $50 place in Chicago, and they don't come around in a costume to bring you the meat. But they have skewers of beef, pork, chicken, bacon-wrapped chicken, and sausage. And the best part is because all the skewers are right there, you can ask for a more well done one, or a more rare one. And you get it! The guy working the meat window is cool, he's simple, he gives you what you want. The lady doing waitressing is laid back, but get her attention and times are good. The restaurant is usually empty I think, because almost everyone who eats from there gets take-out. We saw like 20 orders of take-out while we ate, but only maybe 5 others sit in. If you're not as aggressive an eater as me, you can also get food for $7/pound.... and for the girls, this might be better, and also why I'm ranking this place as a single $ since a large population can eat here for under $10. You gotta come here. Come for a post-soccer, rugby, football, w/e buffet. This place is definitely a winner. If I was still in Boston, I'd definitely come back at least twice a year. And of note, NEVER go to Midwest Grill on Cambridge street. That is a competing Brazilian-style meat buffet, except Midwest Grill is always dry and they drip grease everywhere. Come here instead, to Cabana Grill, and enjoy the nice park next to the Blue Line stop!
(5)Mathias G.
As a fairly new Yelper, I wanted to mark my turf and review a place that seemed good but hadn't been reviewed by hundreds of other people. I chose Cabana Grill, and boy am I glad I did. People had said nice things about it on Yelp, and it seemed reasonable, if slightly out of the way. Let me encourage the throngs of Boston natives to travel en masse to Cabana Grill. This was one of those places where the atmosphere was EXACTLY how I wanted it to be. Clean, unpretentious, brazilian music playing on the flat screen TV. My friend and I certainly looked like out-of-towners (I think we were the only non Portuguese speakers in the restaurant--including the server), but c'est la vie. It felt nice to get out of the Allston community, where the bros can speak their own kind of unintelligible language. I went with my friend Mat. He looks like this: a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/… We wanted to get a month's worth of protein and sodium in one sitting. And that's exactly how that meal went down. They have a buffet of delicious sides--rice and beans, various stews and sauces,plantains, salad and the like. In the back of the restaurant stand the spis, each grilling a surfeit of delicious, succulent meats, tended to by a smiling grill master, only too happy to offer you heaping portions of meat. My friend Mat has the power to scare restaurant employees, worried he will single-handedly overturn their cost-profit ratio. But this guy was thrilled every time Mat came back for more Among the selections; Pork loin, pork sausage, chicken thighs, chicken wrapped in bacon, and two different cuts of steak. We slurped all this down with a cheap bottle of wine. Including the wine, I think we each paid about 20 bucks. The unlimited buffet is 11.99. All in all, this was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. I had to drink half a gallon of water to even out my body's salinity, but it was worth it. It felt great to go to a place a little off the beaten path, and to have such a satisfying experience. I haven't tried all the Churrascaria's in the Boston area. But this place, food wise, is just as good as Midwest Grill, and half the price.
(5)Jennifer E.
I was visiting Boston this past weekend and I was looking for some Latin American cuisine. This place was a 15 minute cab ride from our hotel so we decided to give it a try. We were greeted by a nice lady then we chose our seats. We got up to the buffet and saw all the sides but the meats had to be carved by someone. Unfortunately, the carver was no place in sight. We waited for 5 minutes then finally asked the lady if she can find the carver. The pork tenderloin and the pork sausage was good, the beef was ok. After we finished our first plate, we went for seconds. Again, the carver was no where to be seen. So we waited and waited again, then asked the hostess to holler for him. The food would've been 4 stars by itself but the service was a solid 2 so I guess I would have to give it a 3.
(3)Tobias B.
This place is AWESOME!!! I'm a flight attendant and work the Brazil flights. This place is so authentic and CHEAP!!! It's just like what you find in Sao Paulo...buffet style (very fresh, very flavorful). Forget those fancy Brazilian chain places that charge $50/person downtown. This place offers the same thing for less than $10 and it is some of the best home cooked food!
(5)Mike M.
Meat paradise! Very friendly and very fresh. Who knew this was here? The owner says he's been there 9 years. Great variety on the Buffett. You can get all you can eat for $11.99 or by the pound at $5.99 (Buffett) or $6.99 (Buffett and rotisserie). Varieties of beef, pork, sausage and chicken. Rotisserie pineapple? Amazing.
(5)Justen C.
Looking for an inexpensive "home-cooked" meal? This is the place for you. I've lived in East Boston for a while now, and never realized this place existed. The selection is great, the atmosphere is quaint, and the service is wonderful. It's not that often that I walk out of a restaurant going "holy cow...that was awesome". The non-BBQ buffet: the selection is amazing: rice, pinto beans, potato salad, plantains, salad, pork, (and more); and a couple of dishes that changes by the day (look at their menu for that). Since we were there on a Tuesday night, they had fish and a chicken/okra stew. Everythin tasted fresh and the meat was nice and tender. The BBQ buffet: of course, this includes what's in the non-BBQ buffet, plus all the meat you can think of: sausage, beef, chicken, pork, etc. They are literally cooked on a real grill (aka with coals), which makes it all the better. And, of course, the meat is nice and tender. You just ask the chef which meat(s) you want and he cuts them up right there for you. Talk about service. The environment was very nice--it really had a homely feel. It's small, and since we were there around 4pm, no one else was there. As time went by, more people came. We could tell this was a "locals' spot because it seemed like everyone knew the staff and knew the whole system. It also seemed like they also have a lot of business from deliveries, too, since the phone kept ringing. The woman who was there was extremely nice to us To top it all off--it's inexpensive. As other reviews have mentioned, you can either buy the non-BBQ buffet for $5.99/lb, or the BBQ-buffet for $6.99/lb. If you're ambitious like we were, you can pay $11.99 for an all-you-can-eat-buffet!
(5)James K.
so one not so subtle disclaimer. the buffet is only on weekdays. i went on a saturday since i don't read reviews thoroughly and just see stars and go... it actually turned out to be better because we had to order off their wonderful menu. a lot of their popular items have pictures (unless you know what you are ordering...we didn't) the food was great! friends and i had plenty to eat and drink (they serve beers) another disclaimer. saturday evenings turn into karaoke night...upstairs. place gets bumping. our waitress was super nice and accommodating. only downside is it is in east boston (nothing against east boston...just a hassle to get to and from boston) but then i guess it would not have been as cheap as it was.
(4)Ashley J.
This is a cute little place that provides all the basics. I love brazilian barbeque. Half buffet, half rotisserie, you get good fresh food, always hot, always plentiful. Not one of those places that when you go in the food has been there forever and is all crusty and half gone. The staff is very very nice and helpful. They have a small bar downstairs as well. I have always been happy here.
(3)Jocelyn G.
Ordered through GrubHub and were pleasantly surprised that the food came about 15 minutes earlier than they said it would. Pizza was nice and hot, toppings were well spaced, and the wings were tasty! Liked the boned wings better than the boneless. Not too spicy either. :)
(4)Alex I.
Cabana Grill is no longer a Brazilian restaurant. It is a general Central American restaurant. Perhaps the general comment about the good prices did them in.
(1)