4. Restaurants

Tempero do Brasil

5628 University Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98105
  • (206) 523-6229
  • Store is closed

Tempero do Brasil Menu

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  • Juliana L.

    I'm Brazilian and I know how difficult and expensive it is to find some ingredients in the U.S. to cook a real Brazilian food, but this place does a great job! Love the food and the atmosphere at Tempero. Not to mention it is the only Brazilian restaurant in Seattle which is not a steakhouse (not that they are not amazing as well, but they show a different style of Brazilian cuisine). Would definitely recommend it if you want to have a little taste of the northeast of Brazil! PS: Unlike most American restaurants, where the waiters try to turn the tables quickly, expect a more relaxed service here. Take your time to enjoy the food and a caipirinha and you'll be fine ;)

    (5)

  • Mike W.

    I have had some great experiences with Brazilian restaurants in Brazilian neighborhoods in New Jersey and LA, and I was sincerely hoping that Tempero Do Brasil could be my great Seattle Brazilian experience, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations. The live music was nice, and other than bad lighting, the restaurant has a decent vibe. The drinks were great, and the crab appetizer was good, although overpriced. We ordered the ribeye dish and a sirloin dish. The steaks were good, but very basic. I was really hoping for more from the rice and beans. Some of the best rice and beans come for South American countries, and Brazil has a lot to offer. I understand that some regions really strip the rice and beans down to the basics, and maybe this is was Tempero Do Brasil is going for, but I would expect more from an $18 plate. Maybe other menu options are more exciting, but I thought I ordered one of their more signature dishes. People were nice, but the service was fairly aloof and not super professional. I'm usually not very picky about service, but it was all a little awkward. I may give it another shot, maybe lunch on the patio on a sunny day, but for now I'll have to to find something else when I get a hankering for some great Brazilian food.

    (2)

  • C.C. M.

    My fiance is from Brasil, and he loves this place. Totally legit. The feijoada and coxhinas are delicious. Great place for anyone hankering for some authentic Brazilian food in a family feeling place.

    (5)

  • Chris J.

    I tried this place for the first time several weeks ago and would recommend trying it if you haven't had Brazilian food before. First the good. The waiter who served us was very friendly and funny - definitely made our experience. I ordered the house special, the feijoada and had mixed feelings. The flavor of the meat was pretty good, however the dish felt a bit unbalanced and very heavy - it was essentially meat and beans. The prices are also a bit steep. Feijoada was a $17 dish and caipirinha cocktail was $8. When you add in taxes and tip, you're looking at over $30 for an entree and a drink. I paid for my girlfriend's dish as well and ended up shelling out over $60 for the two of us. I suppose that's pretty standard for Seattle but it still felt steep for the overall value. The atmosphere of the restaurant was also somewhat cozy but also felt a bit dark and cramped - everyone was stuffed back into the room on the first floor of this residential-looking building. It was a little odd and while I probably won't be back any time soon, it may be worth a try just for the novelty of the Brazilian food.

    (3)

  • Clemmo B.

    I am from South America and I loved this Brasilian authentic restaurant! The chef is a talented Brasilian woman, who recreated a typical Brasilian atmosphere in her restaurant. The menu includes traditional dishes from Brasil, with a next level cuisine touch. I particularly recommend the mussel soup and the passion fruit mousse! My husband and I loved that Brasilian drummers invaded the place after we finished the meal: the restaurant turned into a drummers / dancers / singers circle, so we stayed more and had some caipirinhas while enjoying the spectacle!

    (5)

  • Jencen R.

    I lived in Brazil for 2 years so I know a lot about Brazilian cuisine. I came here on a weeknight on a date at 8pm and we had no trouble finding street parking. We ordered the braised short rib and the shrimp bobó. They make most of the food when you order so don't expect to have your entree in 5 minutes. It is a lot like Brazil- laid back, comfortable, and there was forró playing! When we got our food the portions looked small- a single large short rib for her and about 7 medium shrimp for me. But it ended up being more than enough even being hungry. The food was delicious, the owner and his wife were adorable, and they hugged us on our way out. Great service, great food, worth the drive and the $20 entrees. We did get the more expensive things on the menu though, most were in the $13-18 range.

    (5)

  • Flavio K.

    Let me start by saying that I'm from Argentina, and Brazilians and Argentines have a very unique love-hate relationship. That did not stop the wonderful people from Tempero to give us a top notch service - definitely love won the day :) I know Tempero from back around the time they had started (I moved to the US in 2001) and for no particular reason, had not returned ever since. In this occasion we were celebrating my Mom's birthday and I remembered she's a fan of Feijoada so I decided to make a reservation online. The reservation form was easy to use. They sent me an email confirming, but it went to the junk folder, so make sure to check there for your confirmation. No big deal, as I called them and they confirmed on the phone. We got there to find that our table was still not free (7:30PM). They apologized and mentioned the table should be ready within 15 min. 5 min later we were seated. The menus were simple to understand, but honestly we went there with the sole intention of eating Feijoada. If you never had it, you owe it to yourself to try it. We had the coxinhas de galihna as a quick fix for our starving children, but they were not a hit. I ate one and it was OK, but not my favorite item. However the Feijoada was superb. I can't think of any place except Brasil itself where you might be able to find one as good. My Mom was happy, my kids were happy, my wife was happy and so was I. To drink, we had caipirinas - yum. Kids had guarana, a very sweet Brazilian soda - my son approved. As dinner was coming to an end, they kept present that it was my Mom's birthday and brought her a complimentary Maracuja Mouse (Passion fruit), with a lit candle and sang her the Brazilian Happy Birthday in Samba rhythm. Needless to say, we felt very welcomed. Brazilians are easy going people. Don't expect a super professional and snobby ambience. This is a truthful, down to earth, Bahian live-easy, live happy little place. Most patrons were other Brazilians and for a short while we were transported to the North of Brasil. How can they still stay in business someone asked? By remaining true to their roots I say. And so I hope they stay in business for many more years to come! I can promise that I will return much sooner than my previous hiatus (my son's asking to go there again next week!). Muito obrigado por todo!

    (4)

  • Hamilton O.

    How do they stay in business? So, Sunday I got an order to take out. Coxinhas - the dough wasn't properly salted, and the filling was light on taste. For $7, 4 small ones? Bobo de frango - the chicken was actually raw. $16 for inedible food? Chicken with mango sauce - no real sauce, just some pieces of mango and other stuff on top. This one was actually tasty and well done, but not mind-blowingly good. Not worth the price. It's not my first time there. We tried and see if it got any better after many years. Nope. Not really. and service was even worse.

    (2)

  • Sarah A.

    My friend recommended this place. It is not busy at all. I think we were the only ones in the restaurant at 8:00pm on a Sunday. We were greeted by a very polite host who let us pick our seats. We got the chicken croquettes with this amazing dipping sauce. I also got the Bobo De Frango- So good! Nice creamy coconut flavored chicken curry served on a bed of rice and beans. I usually do not like peanuts on my food...I didn't have a problem eating this dish because they cook it with peanut sauce not solid whole nuts.

    (4)

  • Aprameya R.

    This had been on our to try list for a long time. The verdict: An okay restaurant. The restaurant is small and has the small business vibe to it. I quite liked it, it felt in place. There is no pretense and everything is functional. The service was good. I had the cocktail with the passion fruit. I would recommend trying something else for two reasons: (a) there was something that imparted a sour taste and (b) it has no punch. I had the 'frango com quiabo' which was a chicken dish with shrimp, okra, served on a bed of rice. It was not spicy and I felt that the ratios of chicken to shrimp to curry to rice were all wrong. My wife had the moqueqas with shrimp which was a stew. This was actually good, and the broth was similar to the yellow pepper broth that we get at Peruvian restaurants. Overall, this is a nice place to try once. Your experience may be better than ours. I doubt we will come here again though - unless we really run out of new places to try.

    (3)

  • Opal D.

    I miss Brazilian food very much and there just aren't many options outside of the typical Brazilian steakhouses in this area besides Tempero do Brasil. This is the only place I know to get casquinha de siri and feijoada in the Seattle area. Unfortunately, their menu is missing dishes with mamão or açaí. If you are a fan of Brazilian food or just simply unfamiliar with it, I highly recommend coming for a casual dinner date or with a small group of friends.

    (4)

  • Vincent V.

    Brazilian cuisine can be so much more flavorful and adventurous and the chef and owner of Tempero do Brasil know how to bring it all out. Had the feijoada chicken dish and the bobo and all three were very good to excellent. Service is down to earth friendly. Ambiance is like dining at someone's home, warm and pleasant. Drinks include traditional Brazilian cocktails, Xingu beer, and several juices. Desserts are delicious! Prepare for a short wait on Saturday evenings when coming with more than 2 people. Street parking has a 2 hour limit but is free.

    (4)

  • Leila A.

    Nothing like Novilhos, but it was good for the price! Brazilian food is really good no matter what!

    (3)

  • Faith H.

    One of my favorite restaurants in Seattle. Super friendly service, laid back atmosphere, great prices, and DELISH food. Everything on the menu is fantastic: the Bife Acebolado is unmatched in any other Brazilian place I've been to. And the Coxinha de Galinha...nom nom! Other faves include the Feijoada and Moqueca. And you MUST have a Caipirinha or two. Just love this place!

    (5)

  • Nina E.

    I've just discovered this restaurant recently, and have eaten here twice in the last month. Their food is made of the freshest, high quality ingredients, and one can feel the love in their cooking and in the friendly service. These are people one WANTS to support and see succeed in their business. The prices seem a little high in my opinion, and that keeps me from going more often. Again, I think this is due to the quality of the food, and the small scale of the business. If you like to support small family businesses, and want to see good people succeed while offering their love and talent for what they do, check out this restaurant. They have live music some evenings, and special foods on certain nights.

    (4)

  • Ken T.

    If this review was based on the food and the food alone, it would EASILY be 5 star!! Taste: 5/5 We had, Coxinha de Galinha, Bife à Milanesa, and Feijoada. This is the first time, I've ever had Brazilian food, and boy were we impressed!! First of the Coxinha de Galinha is a ground chicken croquet; it was a little cold when it got to our table, but it was flavorful and crispy. The Bife à Milanesa was a pan fried steak; it was juicy, tender, and crispy!! The Feijoada, was really fantastic as well. It is considered their national dish! IT was a meat and beans stew of sorts, it had beef, smoked pork, sausages, bacon and ham hock . The flavors were everything you would want it to be! The little sauteed collard greens were also yummy! Value: 4/5 The Coxinha was $7, Bife à Milanesa was $13 and Feijoada was $17. The coxinha was definitely pricey, but the other two dishes were well worth the price, and I would pay that price many times over for the great food! Service: 3/5 This is where the major hiccup comes in. I should start by saying that our server was friendly. However, he was lacking a little bit of experience which made our time there a bit awkward. When we were seated, and before we even got a chance to look at our menu, he asked us if we wanted to order an appetizer. I informed him that this was our first time here, and the exchange was definitely not smooth. When it came down to ordering our entrees, the lady asked if he could recommend a dish between the Bife à Milanesa or the Bife Acebolado, to which he replied that he hasn't had either dish, and he didn't know which one sold better. Additionally, our water wasn't topped off and we had to ask several times for water. Finally, when we were given the check, we definitely felt rushed to leave the restaurant. Keep in mind that it was a Wednesday night, and it was not packed at all. We were conversing and were interrupted, so we just left. I think he definitely meant well, and to reiterate, he was nice, there were just some fundamental things that were lacking. Decor: 4/5 Nice restaurant, live music, and it was clean. No complaints! I would definitely come back for the food!! The owners/family also seemed very nice.

    (4)

  • Yavnika K.

    So I will start with a disclaimer that this is the first time ever I had any Brazilian food. And I held a fascination for it till I actually tasted it. I am confused between a 2 or a 3 rating. Since this was my first time I have no reference point to say "Meh, I've experience better". I will stick with a 3 rating because the restaurant itself is an honest attempt to showcase real Brazilian food and culture to outsiders like me. They've tried to explain each dish in their menu and made a comfortable setting to sit down and enjoy what comes on the table. The fact that there were Brazilian people a the other tables was reassuring- it meant they approved the food. Yet, the ingredients and the taste is very new to me and rather reminds me of Peruvian food- where they use a similar coconut milk base, red palm oil and various yams. I had the Moqueca with prawns- it is a coconut milk based seafood stew with red peppers, palm oil and tomatoes. Husband tries the Frango com Quiabo- a chicken and okra dish cooked in palm oil and served with rice. I'd say this is an honest attempt and to have a brazilian place running in UW district for more than a decade is a proof enough. Maybe I need to try their appetizers next time. But, will there be a next time for me? Hmmm..give it a try, you may be surprised.

    (3)

  • Mojdeh S.

    How I heard of this place: When the Brazil and Canada teams went to head-to-head in their "friendly" Seattle game two years ago, all the spectators celebrated at Tempero do Brasil. (Well, it seemed like they were all there.) This was my second time there and I was blown away by the delicious foods on the lunch menu. Type of cuisine: Seattle's only authentic Brazilian cuisine - from Bahia most interesting and varied cuisine. Ambiance: Brightly colored walls and artwork by the Graca (the owner) and Bryant (the other owner) and Graca's husband welcome you into the arms of Temporo. The staff are friendly, casual and warm. Live music was being played for Graca's mothers' 76th birthday and the staff were all in the front room dancing samba. This is the type of scene you walk into. A feeling of being in a quaint restaurant in Brazil (despite the stormy weather), surrounded by happy, energetic and a very friendly mix of friends. What I ordered: I arrived earlier than my friends, and had to try something as the fragrances of spices and foods were permeating the back room. I had to start with an appetizer of Coxinha, chicken croquettes with hot sauce. When my friends arrived, we each ordered a different sandwich - new to the lunch menu. I sampled each of them and have to say, it is hard to pick a favorite. Each were amazing and full of a variety of flavors that make your taste buds scream with excitement and jump in ecstasy! I invited Graca to bring me her choice between two of the sandwiches, and she brought me the sanduiche carne on a ciabatta bun with medium-rare cooked beef, caramelized onions, garlic aoili and lettuce. One dining companion ordered the shrimp sandwich - grilled potato bun with four succulent and plump shrimp pan seared in garlic and parsley and placed in a perfect line across the bun. The third dining companion ordered the chicken and sauteed mushroom sandwich, also on a ciabatta bun, served with caramelized onions, lettuce and garlic aoili. Pure bliss in each bite. What I loved: I have to admit that the atmosphere of the restaurant - music, family and friends in celebration - really drew me in. That being said, the food was definitely worth coming back for. In fact, one dining companion said she had been dreaming of the sandwich for days and was so happy to return just to savor it once more. Why I loved it: The food, the energy, the family-style temper of the place. All of those things make it a restaurant, a family kitchen and dining room, worth every inexpensive penny! Cost: low to mid for a lunch time sandwich ($6-$6.95)

    (4)

  • Flavio K.

    Let me start by saying that I'm from Argentina, and Brazilians and Argentines have a very unique love-hate relationship. That did not stop the wonderful people from Tempero to give us a top notch service - definitely love won the day :) I know Tempero from back around the time they had started (I moved to the US in 2001) and for no particular reason, had not returned ever since. In this occasion we were celebrating my Mom's birthday and I remembered she's a fan of Feijoada so I decided to make a reservation online. The reservation form was easy to use. They sent me an email confirming, but it went to the junk folder, so make sure to check there for your confirmation. No big deal, as I called them and they confirmed on the phone. We got there to find that our table was still not free (7:30PM). They apologized and mentioned the table should be ready within 15 min. 5 min later we were seated. The menus were simple to understand, but honestly we went there with the sole intention of eating Feijoada. If you never had it, you owe it to yourself to try it. We had the coxinhas de galihna as a quick fix for our starving children, but they were not a hit. I ate one and it was OK, but not my favorite item. However the Feijoada was superb. I can't think of any place except Brasil itself where you might be able to find one as good. My Mom was happy, my kids were happy, my wife was happy and so was I. To drink, we had caipirinas - yum. Kids had guarana, a very sweet Brazilian soda - my son approved. As dinner was coming to an end, they kept present that it was my Mom's birthday and brought her a complimentary Maracuja Mouse (Passion fruit), with a lit candle and sang her the Brazilian Happy Birthday in Samba rhythm. Needless to say, we felt very welcomed. Brazilians are easy going people. Don't expect a super professional and snobby ambience. This is a truthful, down to earth, Bahian live-easy, live happy little place. Most patrons were other Brazilians and for a short while we were transported to the North of Brasil. How can they still stay in business someone asked? By remaining true to their roots I say. And so I hope they stay in business for many more years to come! I can promise that I will return much sooner than my previous hiatus (my son's asking to go there again next week!). Muito obrigado por todo!

    (4)

  • Hamilton O.

    How do they stay in business? So, Sunday I got an order to take out. Coxinhas - the dough wasn't properly salted, and the filling was light on taste. For $7, 4 small ones? Bobo de frango - the chicken was actually raw. $16 for inedible food? Chicken with mango sauce - no real sauce, just some pieces of mango and other stuff on top. This one was actually tasty and well done, but not mind-blowingly good. Not worth the price. It's not my first time there. We tried and see if it got any better after many years. Nope. Not really. and service was even worse.

    (2)

  • Daniel B.

    Great drinks and atmosphere. Unfortunately the food and service wasn't. My friends and my entrees were both only room temperature and the beef and chicken were overcooked. For the price this place was no where near good enough. 2 stars purely for their drinks. If we hadn't ordered drinks they would have had only 1 star

    (2)

  • Aprameya R.

    This had been on our to try list for a long time. The verdict: An okay restaurant. The restaurant is small and has the small business vibe to it. I quite liked it, it felt in place. There is no pretense and everything is functional. The service was good. I had the cocktail with the passion fruit. I would recommend trying something else for two reasons: (a) there was something that imparted a sour taste and (b) it has no punch. I had the 'frango com quiabo' which was a chicken dish with shrimp, okra, served on a bed of rice. It was not spicy and I felt that the ratios of chicken to shrimp to curry to rice were all wrong. My wife had the moqueqas with shrimp which was a stew. This was actually good, and the broth was similar to the yellow pepper broth that we get at Peruvian restaurants. Overall, this is a nice place to try once. Your experience may be better than ours. I doubt we will come here again though - unless we really run out of new places to try.

    (3)

  • Opal D.

    I miss Brazilian food very much and there just aren't many options outside of the typical Brazilian steakhouses in this area besides Tempero do Brasil. This is the only place I know to get casquinha de siri and feijoada in the Seattle area. Unfortunately, their menu is missing dishes with mamão or açaí. If you are a fan of Brazilian food or just simply unfamiliar with it, I highly recommend coming for a casual dinner date or with a small group of friends.

    (4)

  • Vincent V.

    Brazilian cuisine can be so much more flavorful and adventurous and the chef and owner of Tempero do Brasil know how to bring it all out. Had the feijoada chicken dish and the bobo and all three were very good to excellent. Service is down to earth friendly. Ambiance is like dining at someone's home, warm and pleasant. Drinks include traditional Brazilian cocktails, Xingu beer, and several juices. Desserts are delicious! Prepare for a short wait on Saturday evenings when coming with more than 2 people. Street parking has a 2 hour limit but is free.

    (4)

  • Leila A.

    Nothing like Novilhos, but it was good for the price! Brazilian food is really good no matter what!

    (3)

  • Susy W.

    I'm a little sad about this review. In reality, the food was quite delicious but I can't bring myself to come back after the prices. I had a $25 restaurant voucher, and it still cost us over $50! I was prepared for a pricier dinner but honestly was a little shocked when I saw the total bill. My friend and I shared the crab appetizer (tasted faintly like Singapore's famous Chili Crab... and no, it's not curry flavored). After our four bites, we were hankering for more. That was $10 there. I got the halibut simmered in coconut milk, my friend got the bean stew. That was about $15-20 per entree. We each got a cocktail and then shared a mousse dessert. As I said, good food, but it did not feel like it was worth what you pay. It felt like home cooked food, served with rice. Service was good, but there was only two tables (including us) at 7:30 pm. The bottom line was that the atmosphere and food did not translate to "let's go out and splurge a little on a fancy dinner", which was a big let down to me.

    (2)

  • Oriana I.

    My boyfriend had a sudden craving for feijoada, and I didn't need much convincing! A quick check on Yelp led us to Tempero, and we hopped in the car. We got there right at 6, when they open, and were the first ones in. We didn't even need to look at the menu (although a quick peek proved that this place is the real deal) A feijoada for 2, farofa (you gotta get farofa) and 2 caipirinhas, por favor! It came soon enough, hot meat/sausage/beans, delicious rice and some absolutely amazing collard greens! The caiprinhas were good, too! The place has 2 dining areas, the front room that is like a covered patio and super casual, and the backroom that looks more like where you'd take a date, but still casual (I mean, it's Seattle - nothing's ever really more than casual). Loved it, and will definitely bring my dad, a true brasileiro/carioca, when he comes to visit!

    (5)

  • Doug F.

    The good folks who have labored over this place for the past ten years or more are from the state of Bahia, the Lousiana of Brazil. So if you are looking to see how Brazilian fare stands up to the other international pallettes proffered in Seattle you are fortunate. The rest of the world south of Grants Pass lives on some version of rice and beans and to the degree they are able to make a distinctive statement with that combo they will more likely be able to stand out from the taco trucks(not a knock) and truck stops along the by-ways. Take, for example, the brazilian national dish, feijoada, black beans with an assortment of meats. Originally a dish made from the cast offs from the big house as collards, hamhocks and such were in the South. No one better to present such than the Bahian chefs at Tempero. Everything else is just healthy conversation, this is the real deal. Go thou, eat now.

    (5)

  • Le M.

    Trivia: Do you know that Brazilians at Ipanema beach clap their hands when the sun finally sinks in the horizon? Hands down, the best place to watch sunset ever! Especially since you're surrounded by scantily clad cariocas and "barbies". WHY GO THERE? Two good reasons: Brazilians prepare and serve your food. Brazilians eat at this restaurant. It cannot be more authentic. WHATCHA GOT? I love caipirinha. It's Brazil's answer to mojito. Here, they make it with cachaca (rum distilled from sugar cane) as it should be. I had frango milanesa the first time I dined hoping it would be like the unforgettable chicken I had in Copacabana. It wasn't, but it was good! What I love, which I never had before, is the savory stew, feijoada. Oi! unfasten your carnival outfit, this stew is meaty, filling and understandably the national passion of Brazil. I'm glad it's now served daily. I order the 2-person bowl with no intention of sharing. I guard the bowl like Golum. Precious!!! And eat the leftover at home. Precious!! YOU GOT SERVED. Service is friendly but not prompt. But I noticed this relaxed service in Rio as well. Brazilians take their time and not rushed. The restaurant is hole-in-the-wall at a don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-it location. It's a house converted into a restaurant with painted signage outside. SUGGESTION. If you're in a hurry, this may not be the right restaurant on a busy night. The times I dined here, the service takes a bit tad longer. But with the warm swig of caipirinha, who cares?

    (5)

  • Hawker C.

    I have loved the food on my trips to Brazil, so we had to give this a shot. I thought this was OK -- a little bland. The guitar player on the evening we went was a very nice touch. But the food was just OK; some very good, some just OK. This would deserve a higher rating if the prices were lower ($50 for 2 people, with no alcohol, no dessert, and only 1 appetizer that we split).

    (3)

  • Lisa N.

    Okay so my boyfriend and I have been saying we'd try this place for a good month-and-a-half now. Because of confusion about their hours and pure unjustifiable laziness (he lives literally two minutes away, walking) we managed to put it off until last night... and now I have no idea what kept us away. It's located in a little house in the borderline U-District/Ravenna area and is a little confusing because it looks closed when it's not. They have the restaurant sectioned off into two areas, the back of which is the primary part, so it always seems like they're not open from the outside since the front is kept dark. Don't be fooled! It's worth the visit. We were both kind of overwhelmed by the menu because EVERYTHING sounds so good. We decided to share the 2-person order of feijoada because we figured that'd be a good starting point to judge a Brasilian restaurant. Holy schmoly, I don't know who the two people they had in mind were when they decided to make this, but they must have the biggest appetites in the world. The pot was enough to probably feed the boy's entire 6-person house and me AND have leftovers. But it was soooo good. Black beany, stewy, smokey, sausagey, beefy goodness. You know that feeling when you're really full and your brain and digestive system are telling you to stop eating, but you just can't because the food is so good? Yeah. That happened. Needless to say, I had food-triplets after we left. $30.95 for the 2-person serving, but keep in mind that it could easily feed more than that. I suggest getting a side of hot sauce (delicious) and maybe some extra rice to balance out all of the intensity of the stew. Also had the mussel soup. Wasn't completely impressed, but it was good.

    (4)

  • Justin B.

    Pretty good food. Not enough meat in my dish though

    (4)

  • Cathy G.

    Our food was really divine. Our service excellent. I was with a really good friend and we were happy to see one another at the end of a great summer. It was, oddly, empty.

    (5)

  • samuel a.

    Kinda like a hole in the wall from the outside, but when you get inside it's homey and nice. I went with a friend who lived in Brazil for a few years and this is his fav Brazilian place. I am a down home food type of guy and when I have a big plate of beef, beans and rice in front of me it's like heaven. The portions were excellent for a big eater, the taste was great, and the price wasn't too bad either.

    (4)

  • Cynthia L.

    Came in on a Wednesday night. It was not too crowded, but wasn't empty either. I liked that there were regulars that stopped in so it made the restaurant feel authentic. Ordered 2 appetizers, wasn't the hugest fan of either of them (the kibe and the crab appetizer). I'm sure part of it has to do with my ignorance of Brazilian food but the other part was that... I think there was something off in the consistency of both dishes for me. The Rib Eye dish was a huge portion of meat! I didn't get to try it, but my dining partner says it was very good. The prawns were really delicious, although heavy on garlic (nothing wrong with that, just fair warning). The mashed potatoes were very well seasoned, and I loved the rice. It wasn't sticky and it wasn't dry and it went really well with a bit of the mashed potato. I'd recommend the restaurant, but would suggest different appetizers.

    (3)

  • Justin M.

    I love all of the food here. My only complaint is that the kitchen is small so it can take a little while before you get your food. But even that doesn't detract from my 5-star rating. Great place!

    (5)

  • Naurry K.

    Oh my God! The shrink ray has hit Tempero as well! The croquettes were much smaller than I remember but still very good. And of course the feijoada and sauted collard greens were fabulous!

    (3)

  • Michael E.

    I've now attended two world cup games here and it's fantastic. The who place is authentic, the food is good, and the band they have makes it fantastic during soccer games. I'll for sure be back for a proper dinner after the excitement of world cup dies down. I only wish that they had a better Brazilian beer selection. Great spot!

    (4)

  • Hannah C.

    I am not an expert in Brazilian foods but I know what good food is supposed to taste like fresh, vibrant, and cooked just right like at Tempero do Brasil. I had the Egrelhado which supposedly was Australian naturally raised charbroiled rib steak, served with potato salad and rice and beans. One of the unique flavorings of steaks I've ever had. Its sort of like sweet, little tangy, and a hint of jerk flavor. I doused it with Brazilian steak sauce and it was heavenly. My guest had the fish stew in tomato sauce served in a cute wooden fish shaped dish. We each got soup. My guest order the coconut cocktail. All were good for about $70 . So splitting between was $40 a piece. Can be pricey for a hole in the wall place such as this one, but the food was good.

    (4)

  • Ezra N.

    My Portuguese class met here this evening, and I have to agree with most of the other reviews. The food was delicious, but too expensive for what it was. The wait staff was very friendly and so were the band and other patrons. They all put up with seven Portuguese students and the professor yelling and laughing quite loudly. The alcohol was okay, but didn't show up until halfway through the meal for some reason. Maybe because, our original waitress left immediately after taking our orders. So.... good food, overpriced, might be good for appetizers and drinks.

    (3)

  • Marika B.

    If you asked me where Brazil was located, I would tell you it was DOWN, somewhere in South America. My knowledge of Brazil can be summed up in three sentences: 1) They like soccer. 2) They speak a different language. 3) They churn out an alarming amount of supermodels who contribute to the unhealthy stereotypes that young girls cannot possibly live up to. Honorable mention: The "full-on" koochie wax. Thanks, Brazil. Forget curing cancer or ending world hunger, the women of this planet need less hair in their nether regions--thank god you solved THAT problem. Having very little knowledge about the country, it should make sense that I know very little about their food. But what I did have at Tempero do Brasil was excellent in every way. Food: Bahia's most popular crab dish (I can't remember the name, but it's a yummy crab appetizer served au gratin, a lot like moqueca), and the Frango Olodum, a chicken dish simmered in coconut milk, white wine, garlic, ginger, peppers, and nicoise olives, served over rice. Man, that dish was heavenly. Drink: It seemed like the cocktails were too strong, but I quite enjoyed Brazil's most popular soft drink, Guarana. It was clear, really sweet, and super light so it didn't taste syrupy. It hit the spot since we were sitting in a warm spot. Service: Slow. But a horde of Portuguese-shouting young people came in, picking up instruments and creating authentic background music for us; they laughed, danced around the restaurant, and sang songs in their native language. It was the best live show I'd seen in quite some time. Price: Wow. Pricey. But I felt it was worth it, even if a majority of the people here did not. **Extra Bonus**: To all the single (or single-ish) ladies out there: THIS PLACE HAS EYE CANDY UP THE WAZOO. Have your next girls' night out here; discover the wonder of sexy Brazilian men who will unabashedly sing and dance in public, making you wish that lump of love sitting on the couch at home was a bit more Don Juan. The last time we went, the place was crawling with good-looking brown boys. I think the nights they have music brings them out, which I believe are Thursdays and Saturdays. Challenges: Get prepared to use those lungs, because the acoustics are a bit off. The table behind us seemed to be in an echoing cave, so all we heard was their conversation. I still gave the place a 4, though, because the conversation was in Portuguese and I thought it sounded nice; authenticity is a good thing. I'm excited to go back--if need be, I'll update my review. But if the review was on the men alone, it would have gotten 10 stars. My boyfriend will be thrilled.

    (4)

  • Linzy N.

    Hands down this is my favorite Brazilian restaurant! all the ingredients they use is ORGANIC fresh and tasty! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

    (5)

  • Jason A.

    Basing my review only on two dishes (one for me, one for my dining companion), this place is pretty darn good. I had the traditional dish, the feijoada (Fay-zwada if you're into phonetics). It's a richer and more complex version of black beans and rice, really, with several meats. We also had the "primavera" entree which was reminiscent of a thai coconut curry (but sweeter). The prices are a tiny bit high, with most entrees being about $17, but I can't complain because the portions are generous. I do have to say that the greens that came with my feijoada were out of this world - I'm not sure if they're available as a side dish, but go for those if you have a chance. What's surprising is that I used to live in the U-district for 7 years and had never been here. I can only imagine how great this would be on a warm evening when they let you eat outside...

    (4)

  • Jen K.

    This is the best and most authentic Brasilian food in Seattle. They cook each dish to order and the national dish of Brasil: Feijoada is amazing. This dish is identical to all the home made dishes I've had from people born and raised in Brasil. I get grossed out when people say how good Ipenema grill is- yuck, not even ran by Brasilian people I hear--- but as a regular food buffet fine it's ok. If you want an authentic traditional Brasilian meal go to Tempero do Brasil. There are a few other places in WA that's churrascaria style (like Ipenema) but I like Tempero do Brasil because they don't mass produce their Feijoada for a buffet so it is much more flavorful and tasty. They also have live Brasilian music on some days. I love this place for its authenticity; it reminds me of some of the most amazing places I've eaten in South America.

    (5)

  • John L.

    Tempero do Brazil is a nice sit-down place where the flavors of their dishes are refreshing and filling. There's no spin on the brazilian plates here, it's the real thing straight from the motherland. The Feijoada by far is the favorite here. Prepare yourself by unbuckling your pants and planning to spend the rest of the day afterwords in an open area because the black beans and meat will have other people's nostrils begging for mercy. It is all worth it though. Be sure to grab a Guarana to drink. It's like Ginger Ale with more sugar and a kick of caffeine. Next time you are in the U District, stop by and get a taste of what Brazil is like. The ambiance is spot on as well for this type of restaurant.

    (4)

  • Marki V.

    ==============) LIFE COMES AT YOU FAST (================ Remember the Nationwide commercials, they are right! Take a look at what happened to me last Wednesday and pay close attention to the clock! (It all PM) ~~~~~~~~~~~ ( 11 12 1 ) /O\ (GF): My brother

    (2)

  • Anna L.

    Cute. Authentic. All-in-all enjoyable dining experience. Make sure to get a restaurant.com coupon though.

    (3)

  • M C.

    Service = OK Ambiance = small family joint, seem to be running out of a house Food = Not really unique, although i ask for the specialty. just wasn't impressed Price = $$$ Crowd = Ranges Personal Favorite = live guitar Worst = Value Meal for two = 60 Final Say = Ipanema grill, down on 1st!

    (3)

  • Jeff B.

    Best Brazilian food in Seattle. A lot more typical of a restaurant in Brazil than a large a steakhouse. My Brazilian wife thinks that it's one of the best Brazilian restaurants in the US (and we even live in Miami.)

    (4)

  • Sarah K.

    COMFORT FOOD! so SO GOOD!! I really really like this place. It has a house-like atmosphere with outdoor-tent-like seating. It is family owned and truly authentic. The hot sauces are good- and the bean-meat stew IS SO GOOD! Caipirhinas- must try one! Been there a few times and will be going back for more soon!

    (5)

  • Tony G.

    I really wanted to like this place as the only Brazilian restaurants I've eaten at are the Churrasco, Fogo de Choa style gimmicky restaurants that carbonize their kabobs. On the Friday evening we visited there were only three other tables occupied. Initial service was prompt. Drink and appetizer ordered. Appetizer delivered. Drinks took another ten minutes after reminding the server (entrees took longer than expected to reach our table). For starters we ordered the Rock Crab. Do not order this dish. It is a puddle of tasteless canned crab meat drowned in red goop for $10. It was insulting. In place of ciabatta was a smear of yucca paste that had exceeded its expiration date. Xingu was the sole bottled Brazilian beer on the menu. The iteration I tasted was stout colored but positively flavorless--less flavor than Coors Lite. I was more amazed than disappointed. Tempero serves a cocktail called Batida de Maracujá. It is a strange mix of syrupy sweet and citrusy sour. No matter, I was holding out for the Feijoada, Tempero's signature dish. Alas, I was told by the waitstaff that the kitchen was without any pork so the dish was not available. That a restaurant cannot serve its signature dish because it failed to obtain such a ubiquitous food item as pork in time for the weekend tells me enough about how the place is run to not want to return. The braised short ribs are overpriced at $20. The meat was well-cooked but clearly not carved, as in mouthfuls of fat. They were accompanied by an explosion of garlic laced greens. The obvious runner-up to the Feijoada is the Quiabada: a beef and okra stew served with squash. The beef cubes were a bit large but aplenty and not nearly as fatty as the short ribs. Another table ordered the same dish and got it as advertised, " on top of a roasted Kabocha squash." Mine came with noticeably diminished squash chunks mixed into the stew. At $15 this dish is still a steal as there was enough for two meals. I was comped a side order of black beans. Served in a small ramekin, the side dish was the best dish I had.

    (2)

  • Karen D.

    Friendly wait service, food promptly brought from kitchen, although one entree was room temperature. Unfortunately, the restaurant is lacking in ambiance-it was like eating on someone's back porch. Flavor of feijoada was good but the shrimp dish was just OK--the "vegetables" in the dish were mostly huge pieces of onion. It seemed very overpriced all things considered.

    (2)

  • Ane P.

    Drinks are a good start...but then you can add some moqueqas and a whole slu of other things to that list. The waitstaff is very friendly, and they will not hesitate in giving you suggestions if the menu appears very foreign to you. I have eaten here a couple of times, and both times I have been very pleased, and nice and full after leaving. More than worth a try..Brazilian food may become your new favorite!

    (4)

  • Rachel S.

    Pricey! I love Brazilian food, but this place was shockingly expensive for the food -- even more so given that it's on the Ave. For two people, we spent $45 before tax/tip and that's only including one drink -- a caipirinha. The service was really good and the atmosphere was nice. I enjoyed the milanesa very much, but we couldn't seem to get over the sticker shock. I would pass on the caiprinhas here, too. The one I tried tasted like a cheap mix.

    (3)

  • Tyler H.

    You know what the easiest way to ruin good Brazilian food is? Eat it with a massive hangover. That was my problem when my wife, a friend and I went there for lunch today. Everything on the menu would have looked wonderful on a typical day, but in my sub-par state, it just made my stomach spin like the blender that the waitress was using to mix tropical cocktails. Eventually, I settled on splitting some chicken croquettes with the other people in my party and a grilled chicken with mango salsa and black beans and rice. The chicken croquettes were quite nice, with a really spicy dipping sauce that got things off to a spicy start. My main entry wasn't nearly as spicy though, and I might have wanted a little more flavor from the salsa on a typical day. But, again with my hangover, it actually was probably just right. Both my wife and friend seemed to really enjoy their dishes, with my usually fickle friend actually commenting "that was better than I expected." So, there's that. Someday I want to go back, sans hangover.

    (4)

  • Maurice D.

    Excellent food and low-key ambiance, but do try to come when they have live music. The last time I was here, they had an acoustic guitarist play some classics by Milton Nascimiento and Caetano Veloso. I've tried the feijoada and the moqueca de peixe (fish stew) and both were superb. For dessert, I recall having some sort of tropical fruit custard that was also topnotch... I think it was mango or passion fruit.

    (4)

  • Texie Y.

    My boss selected this restaurant for our office Christmas dinner, and I was very pleased by the food and service. Our large party ordered several appetizers and main dishes "family style" (not sure if that's a regular option) so I got to try a significant portion of the menu. We had: Bolino de bacalhau Aipim frito Sauteed garlic shrimp (not on the menu?) Coxinha de galinha Salada Ipanema Bife acebolado Frango Olodum Cooked greens with bacon (not on the menu?) The frango olodum was my favorite, but I'd order any of these dishes again. Also, the drink menu featured lots of wonderful cachaca concoctions, but tonight I enjoyed a Guarana Antarctica (non-alcoholic) soda tonight instead. It tasted like cream soda mixed with ginger ale...delicious!

    (4)

  • Mike L.

    Great atmosphere and excellent food. I recommend the Feijoada and the Coxinhas. I am a repeat customer, especially with my brazilian friends. Thanks Antonio!!!

    (4)

  • angela b.

    Excellent food, way overpriced. I had total buyer's remorse after eating here last... $56 for two people (no liquor!) left my stomach feeling unappreciative of the food I'd just ingested. It didn't help that my dining partner had the steak and left half of it on his plate due to it being gristle and fat. I love the moqueca de peixe, so my tastebuds were happy. But again....I feel like I'd have been happier spending that money on a pair of cute shoes. With the casual decor and the lackluster presentation, I find the prices pretty unreasonable. I'll be leaving future visits to cravings for food outside of the norm....maybe with out of town friends.

    (3)

  • Monika M.

    Wonderful 1st time experience. Had the flujaoada: needed a little more flavor or salt but that could be me as I'm a salt fiend. A little dash and it was delish. Croquettes and the pudon de leite were tasty too. Live Brazilian music was a nice touch. Will definitely come back on live music nights, makes the menu prices a little more digestable.

    (4)

  • Michael M.

    After living in Brasil and eating at many different spots all over Brasil coming back to America I was wanting to find a place to get my favorite Brasilian foods. After attending Carnaval one year at the Tractor I met the owners of this restaurant. They were very nice and invited me to their restaurant. When I arrived I was met by some guys playing music and dancing Samba. I felt very welcome immediately. I ordered my guanara and started off with fejao and it was delish. Next had some bolo de queixo then finally some dessert of guava pudding. Overall I enjoyed myself and have gone back a few times since. Probably some of the most authentic Brasilian food that I could find here in Washington.

    (4)

  • Jeff T.

    Man, this place rocked. It brought back all the great memories of my time in Brazil. The bife acebolado was prefect and to top that off they have coxinhas. I just wish that they had a place here in Portland, but I know I'll be back the next time I'm in Seattle. Valeu!

    (5)

  • Nana B.

    Delicious Brazilian Food!!!

    (5)

  • Ginger B.

    This little cafe is just a quick walk from my house, at the quiet end of University Way, near Cowen Park. The food is fantastic; I particularly love the chicken with coconut and their amazing rice and beans. The drinks are distinctively Brazilian, as is the music. It's nice to find live music at a restaurant outside of Latin America....bossa nova to dine by is divine. What's not so divine is the high price tag on such simple comfort food. That's the one thing that keeps me from walking down there every night for dinner. It also inspired me to learn to cook the stuff on their menus myself. Still, it's a lot better than Ipanema Grill. Who wants to go downtown anyway? Stick to the shady side of the U-District for better Brazilian.

    (3)

  • James M.

    Brasilians eat late ... which is why you will always be able to get a table when you arrive on the early side at this out-of-the-way hideout on the north side of Univ Ave in the U District. While others have noted the price increase, I think this is still a very reasonable place and I love the food. I suppose you could make your own feijoada for less at home, but who is going to cook this stew all the day the way it needs to be done? The collard greens that come with the feijoada are delicious. Do order a caipirinha (drink made from cachaca and muddled limes and sugar) but be careful -- they pack a punch! The chicken croquettes and fried yucca are good appetizers. For dessert I always have the passion fruit mousse. I think it has to be my favorite dessert in the entire world!

    (4)

  • alexander D.

    I should start out by saying that I have known the owners since they lived in Brazil and I work there most summers. That having been said the food you eat is truly authentic of north eastern Brazil, though they complain about the poor quality and high prices of the ingredients here. The wait staff are all nice and all speak Portuguese and English. They can help you with anything you need because most of them have lived in Brazil. The rum that they use for the caipirinhas is bad but that is all you can get here. Over all it is nice to go there and have some fun but it is not the land of Gisele or Rio de Janeiro, this is way farther north with a much larger black influence. Oh and the covering for the patio was the idea of the guy who owns the house.

    (5)

  • Jenny D.

    Alright, so I only went here because a) I live in the Udistrict and b) I had a 25$ gift certificate. My boyfriend and I ate here for our anniversary, and I had a wonderful time. Food: Thank you yelpers for recommending some of the food selections. First we ordered the crab appetizer--quite tasty, served in a crab shell. Mildly spicy, great with lime juice, nice and hearty for an appetizer. Next, we each had a spicy mussel soup. It was chunky and wonderful, but it did taste a little too similar to the crab. Lots of tomatoes. Wonderfully succulent seafood taste. I had the Frango Olodum which was oh-so-light and good. The coconut milk added a nice zing and the olives added a great topper. I took some extra home, and my roommate (who doesn't much of anything) inhaled the rest. My boyfriend got the prawns (bobo de camarao) and they were wonderful. I would've preferred it to be spicier, but it had a red sauce different from the crab & mussels. The prawns were pretty fresh and the sauce had cooked in very strongly. We got the flan as dessert and it hit the spot! I had been craving flan since July so I am happy dappy. Drinks: Omigosh. I got cashew juice (did you know cashews are a FRUIT of which we just usually eat the nuts??) and it was delicious!! My boyfriend got Brazilian soda, consistently our favorite, which washes down everything very well. Service: The waitresses were super friendly to us. She taught me how to pronounce a bunch of menu items, brought us food one right after another (so fast!!), and checked in on us a couple times. Ambiance: So cute and cozy. We sat inside (away from the live music) so we could talk, but the little band was adorable. The whole place also has Brazilian music playing and smells yummy. Nice silverware, nice napkins--it's almost a fancy restaurant. The exterior isn't flashy, but inside I'm comfy and well fed. Overall, great experience. Good service, great food, nice atmosphere. On the ave no less--what a winner!

    (4)

  • saul c.

    They deliver what they say they will. Not an amazing restaurant with amazing food? Well, they're very informal, very friendly, and the food is way above decent. adding everything up = I'll be back for sure. I've heard they have live music on Saturdays. Icing on the cake!

    (4)

  • Steve M.

    The food here is pretty good - I liked the sauces (most are coconut-based), and the caiprinhas aren't bad (but I still prefer mojitos.) The main problem is that this restaurant is overpriced. Yes, it's good, and has difference cuisine than you usually find in town - but that doesn't justify the cost. I would say it's a nice place to go for a change, but it wouldn't be a place you'd go ever month or so.

    (3)

  • Kevin S.

    Been going here for years. The food is awesome, but I must admit I'm a little miffed that the prices have gone up like 30% in the last few years. That said, the drinks and food are great. Live music is so so, oh and if its a hot day don't go there cause the place gets soooo warm that you'll basically cook.

    (4)

  • Sarah S.

    Decided to go to dinner here after my BF said he'd always wanted to try it and had heard many good things. After dropping almost $45 for just two entrees, all we can say is "eh." The food was kind of bland, and the quality of meat (chicken and beef) seemed like it could have been better. You can walk a few blocks down the ave and get a better meal for half the price.

    (2)

  • maly o.

    The other reviewers are pretty spot on about a few things: small portions for the price they're charging, shitty parking, the collard greens that accompany the feijoada are AWESOME (I need that recipe!). Also a very small and cosy place. The food was really good. My dinner companions weren't impressed by our crab appetizer and fried okra (I liked them just fine) but they really enjoyed their entrees of Bobo de Frango (yum! Chicken in cocnut sauce) and Camarao Alho e Oleo (Shrimp with Garlic & Oil). I wasn't digging my feijoada so much (blasphemy! I know!) but I really enjoyed picking off their plates. =) the Staff were very friendly and kind. We'll be back again!

    (4)

  • Jami M.

    i really wanted to give this place at least three stars, but after the service I just couldn't. and since the menu online is a little different i can't remember all the names of what we ate but i'll try. for the apps we had Casquinha de sir ($9) - really good, kind of like crap dip - and we also had fried okra with a shrimp dip ($5) and that was excellent. for the main dish we had Moqueca de Peixe ($19) - i though it was pretty good but my bf thought it was boring. i called it "subtle". we also had the dish with prawns and a tomato sauce. it was good, but for $19 you would expect more than rice, prawns and sauce - and i did call this one boring. we both had Caipirinha's ($8) (favorite mixed drink of Brazil) and i would definetely recommend one - it's like a mix between a mojito and a margarita - but it's going to be small. so, like everyone else says this place is overpriced. we went knowing this but had a gift certificate from restaurant.com . we still ended up paying $50. then there was the service - they weren't busy and two other tables got in after us and out before us. after we were done eating it took forever to get the check and then for them to pick it up. we had the older gentleman but the other waiters seemed pretty good.

    (2)

  • Miguel D.

    I'm SUPER glad I mad reservations. This place is small, comfortable, and busy. Caldu de Sururu was PERFECT and the Bifeacebolado hit the spot. My girlfriend had the Frango Caipira and was very happy with her food. We'll be returning to this place.

    (4)

  • Karla R.

    I love this restaurant. I'm Brazilian and they are from my home town. The food tastes just like home. They won the Best Entree at the Bite a couple years ago with one of my favorite dishes "Muqueca de Peixe". My husband and I have been regular customers almost since they opened and we have tried everything they have in their menu. They are all very good.

    (5)

  • Ellen C.

    We got a gift certificate to Tempero do Brasil as part of a Stranger auction. The interior is small, and a bit more like a den than a restaurant - there's a TV and collection of CDs in the bookshelves at the back. The location is also a bit strange - on the north of the Ave in a basement. However, the food was amazing. Great flavors, high quality of ingedients, and the drinks, though small, tasted wonderful. The wait staff is also really friendly, and helpful: my husband choked and the waiter steped in and helped out when i was freaking out too much. I would recommend this restaurant highly, and hope enough people go to keep it in buisness.

    (3)

  • Kelly M.

    I really enjoyed the food at Tempero do Brasil. My only other previous experience with Brazilian cuisine are the places where they come around with the skewers of meat. So it was good to come here and see what I expect is more home style cooking. I ordered the feijoada which was a thick and hearty black bean stew with ham and sausage. Basically, it's the ultimate in comfort food. After eating the whole bowl, I felt like I was going to explode. I went early in the evening so the place wasn't busy. The service was warm and friendly and I liked the cozy, home like atmosphere. The only thing I didn't like about my meal was the check. While the food is excellent, the price seems a bit high for what you get, so it's a once or twice a year sort of thing rather than some place I'd go to every couple of months.

    (4)

  • Robyn H.

    Book my ticket to Brazil! The food must be awesome! Want something just a bit different from the usual Mexican, Thai, Pan-Asian, Indian, Pacific Northwest cuisine? You'll find it here. Bring friends, family, neighbors, strangers off the street, whoever. Chances are they'll like it too. The prices are a bit high for my budget but make it a special treat and you won't be eating rice and beans for too long after coming here.

    (3)

  • Jon M.

    If you like Brazilian food, but don't want rodizio, go here. The food is delicious. It has all the taste and warmth of home cooking. It's a bit pricey (but way cheaper than rodizio), and my only other complaint, is that it sometimes takes a while to get your order in and get your food. Perhaps they're understaffed. The staff they do have there is very friendly and pleasant.

    (4)

  • Kyle P.

    Has great food from Northeastern Brazil (2 of the owners are from Salvador) Good live music Friendly service The outside patio was nice with the heat lamps We had the Moqueca de Camarao & Feijoada, both recommended

    (4)

  • arlene j.

    Wow! What delicious food in a sweet, modest, converted house. This was our first time dining on Brazilian, and we definitely want to go back to try other prepared meals. We shared two entrees - the traditional house special "feijoada" - magnifique - and halibut simmered in moqueca, a perfectly blended coconut sauce. Our chicken appetizer was excellent. Service was superb, not pretentious. The waiter/owner exuded so much pride and passion for his dishes. We saw his wife pop out of the tiny kitchen for a minute. It was homey and comfortable and very filling. A little pricey for a "hole in the wall," but well worth the experience!

    (5)

  • Ivan M.

    my buddy is currently dating a brazillian girl right now and he recommended this spot for a late supper last nite. i had only tried brazillian bbq in san diego and then again here in downtown seattle. it was already about 830pm when we started to head up there but my buddy assured me that they closed late on sundays as well. well, when we got there at 5 minutes to 9pm i noticed on the door that they closed at 9pm! wtf! well, i'm starving and so i peek my big head in and ask the guy first guy i see (one of the cooks) if they'd still serve us. he pointed at the owner and told me to run it by him but he made it seem like they would be cool with it. the owner double checks with his staff and says ok. that was cool of him! they still had customers there (a couple smokin' hot ladies and family havin' a bday party). he was super helpful in telling me what everything was and what went with what. haha. i'm a noob, so what! prices was decent. i don't know what them other broke *ss reviewers was talkin' bout. my steak was a TAD over done but it was delicious still. rice and beans was winner as was the potato salad. i had a good time chattin' with the owner but service was a smidge slow. prolly cause we was the last mofos there and he was basically working the room by himself. i'm not hating, i'll go back again. if you're broke, prolly best not to eat out. stick with your top ramen.

    (3)

  • Sheryl S.

    This food is great. The staff are nice. The menu isn't very extensive, though, especially if you don't want to eat red meat every time. The setting is weird and a little shoddy but that makes it feel more cute and definitely more authentic to me.

    (4)

  • kayta b.

    Man is this some good stuff! Cooks are all actually from Brazil and talented. Go for the tradional feijoada --black bean and meat stew served with collard greens and rice. And let 'em know if you like it spicy - they'll listen! Moderate prices and worth every penny.

    (5)

  • Rick L.

    One of the best things about most south american themed restaurants is you get your money's worth. The food here is excellent and you get a LOT OF MEAT. Did you hear that? TONS. :)

    (4)

  • Ken T.

    If this review was based on the food and the food alone, it would EASILY be 5 star!! Taste: 5/5 We had, Coxinha de Galinha, Bife à Milanesa, and Feijoada. This is the first time, I've ever had Brazilian food, and boy were we impressed!! First of the Coxinha de Galinha is a ground chicken croquet; it was a little cold when it got to our table, but it was flavorful and crispy. The Bife à Milanesa was a pan fried steak; it was juicy, tender, and crispy!! The Feijoada, was really fantastic as well. It is considered their national dish! IT was a meat and beans stew of sorts, it had beef, smoked pork, sausages, bacon and ham hock . The flavors were everything you would want it to be! The little sauteed collard greens were also yummy! Value: 4/5 The Coxinha was $7, Bife à Milanesa was $13 and Feijoada was $17. The coxinha was definitely pricey, but the other two dishes were well worth the price, and I would pay that price many times over for the great food! Service: 3/5 This is where the major hiccup comes in. I should start by saying that our server was friendly. However, he was lacking a little bit of experience which made our time there a bit awkward. When we were seated, and before we even got a chance to look at our menu, he asked us if we wanted to order an appetizer. I informed him that this was our first time here, and the exchange was definitely not smooth. When it came down to ordering our entrees, the lady asked if he could recommend a dish between the Bife à Milanesa or the Bife Acebolado, to which he replied that he hasn't had either dish, and he didn't know which one sold better. Additionally, our water wasn't topped off and we had to ask several times for water. Finally, when we were given the check, we definitely felt rushed to leave the restaurant. Keep in mind that it was a Wednesday night, and it was not packed at all. We were conversing and were interrupted, so we just left. I think he definitely meant well, and to reiterate, he was nice, there were just some fundamental things that were lacking. Decor: 4/5 Nice restaurant, live music, and it was clean. No complaints! I would definitely come back for the food!! The owners/family also seemed very nice.

    (4)

  • Yavnika K.

    So I will start with a disclaimer that this is the first time ever I had any Brazilian food. And I held a fascination for it till I actually tasted it. I am confused between a 2 or a 3 rating. Since this was my first time I have no reference point to say "Meh, I've experience better". I will stick with a 3 rating because the restaurant itself is an honest attempt to showcase real Brazilian food and culture to outsiders like me. They've tried to explain each dish in their menu and made a comfortable setting to sit down and enjoy what comes on the table. The fact that there were Brazilian people a the other tables was reassuring- it meant they approved the food. Yet, the ingredients and the taste is very new to me and rather reminds me of Peruvian food- where they use a similar coconut milk base, red palm oil and various yams. I had the Moqueca with prawns- it is a coconut milk based seafood stew with red peppers, palm oil and tomatoes. Husband tries the Frango com Quiabo- a chicken and okra dish cooked in palm oil and served with rice. I'd say this is an honest attempt and to have a brazilian place running in UW district for more than a decade is a proof enough. Maybe I need to try their appetizers next time. But, will there be a next time for me? Hmmm..give it a try, you may be surprised.

    (3)

  • Mojdeh S.

    How I heard of this place: When the Brazil and Canada teams went to head-to-head in their "friendly" Seattle game two years ago, all the spectators celebrated at Tempero do Brasil. (Well, it seemed like they were all there.) This was my second time there and I was blown away by the delicious foods on the lunch menu. Type of cuisine: Seattle's only authentic Brazilian cuisine - from Bahia most interesting and varied cuisine. Ambiance: Brightly colored walls and artwork by the Graca (the owner) and Bryant (the other owner) and Graca's husband welcome you into the arms of Temporo. The staff are friendly, casual and warm. Live music was being played for Graca's mothers' 76th birthday and the staff were all in the front room dancing samba. This is the type of scene you walk into. A feeling of being in a quaint restaurant in Brazil (despite the stormy weather), surrounded by happy, energetic and a very friendly mix of friends. What I ordered: I arrived earlier than my friends, and had to try something as the fragrances of spices and foods were permeating the back room. I had to start with an appetizer of Coxinha, chicken croquettes with hot sauce. When my friends arrived, we each ordered a different sandwich - new to the lunch menu. I sampled each of them and have to say, it is hard to pick a favorite. Each were amazing and full of a variety of flavors that make your taste buds scream with excitement and jump in ecstasy! I invited Graca to bring me her choice between two of the sandwiches, and she brought me the sanduiche carne on a ciabatta bun with medium-rare cooked beef, caramelized onions, garlic aoili and lettuce. One dining companion ordered the shrimp sandwich - grilled potato bun with four succulent and plump shrimp pan seared in garlic and parsley and placed in a perfect line across the bun. The third dining companion ordered the chicken and sauteed mushroom sandwich, also on a ciabatta bun, served with caramelized onions, lettuce and garlic aoili. Pure bliss in each bite. What I loved: I have to admit that the atmosphere of the restaurant - music, family and friends in celebration - really drew me in. That being said, the food was definitely worth coming back for. In fact, one dining companion said she had been dreaming of the sandwich for days and was so happy to return just to savor it once more. Why I loved it: The food, the energy, the family-style temper of the place. All of those things make it a restaurant, a family kitchen and dining room, worth every inexpensive penny! Cost: low to mid for a lunch time sandwich ($6-$6.95)

    (4)

  • Juliana L.

    I'm Brazilian and I know how difficult and expensive it is to find some ingredients in the U.S. to cook a real Brazilian food, but this place does a great job! Love the food and the atmosphere at Tempero. Not to mention it is the only Brazilian restaurant in Seattle which is not a steakhouse (not that they are not amazing as well, but they show a different style of Brazilian cuisine). Would definitely recommend it if you want to have a little taste of the northeast of Brazil! PS: Unlike most American restaurants, where the waiters try to turn the tables quickly, expect a more relaxed service here. Take your time to enjoy the food and a caipirinha and you'll be fine ;)

    (5)

  • Mike W.

    I have had some great experiences with Brazilian restaurants in Brazilian neighborhoods in New Jersey and LA, and I was sincerely hoping that Tempero Do Brasil could be my great Seattle Brazilian experience, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations. The live music was nice, and other than bad lighting, the restaurant has a decent vibe. The drinks were great, and the crab appetizer was good, although overpriced. We ordered the ribeye dish and a sirloin dish. The steaks were good, but very basic. I was really hoping for more from the rice and beans. Some of the best rice and beans come for South American countries, and Brazil has a lot to offer. I understand that some regions really strip the rice and beans down to the basics, and maybe this is was Tempero Do Brasil is going for, but I would expect more from an $18 plate. Maybe other menu options are more exciting, but I thought I ordered one of their more signature dishes. People were nice, but the service was fairly aloof and not super professional. I'm usually not very picky about service, but it was all a little awkward. I may give it another shot, maybe lunch on the patio on a sunny day, but for now I'll have to to find something else when I get a hankering for some great Brazilian food.

    (2)

  • C.C. M.

    My fiance is from Brasil, and he loves this place. Totally legit. The feijoada and coxhinas are delicious. Great place for anyone hankering for some authentic Brazilian food in a family feeling place.

    (5)

  • Chris J.

    I tried this place for the first time several weeks ago and would recommend trying it if you haven't had Brazilian food before. First the good. The waiter who served us was very friendly and funny - definitely made our experience. I ordered the house special, the feijoada and had mixed feelings. The flavor of the meat was pretty good, however the dish felt a bit unbalanced and very heavy - it was essentially meat and beans. The prices are also a bit steep. Feijoada was a $17 dish and caipirinha cocktail was $8. When you add in taxes and tip, you're looking at over $30 for an entree and a drink. I paid for my girlfriend's dish as well and ended up shelling out over $60 for the two of us. I suppose that's pretty standard for Seattle but it still felt steep for the overall value. The atmosphere of the restaurant was also somewhat cozy but also felt a bit dark and cramped - everyone was stuffed back into the room on the first floor of this residential-looking building. It was a little odd and while I probably won't be back any time soon, it may be worth a try just for the novelty of the Brazilian food.

    (3)

  • Clemmo B.

    I am from South America and I loved this Brasilian authentic restaurant! The chef is a talented Brasilian woman, who recreated a typical Brasilian atmosphere in her restaurant. The menu includes traditional dishes from Brasil, with a next level cuisine touch. I particularly recommend the mussel soup and the passion fruit mousse! My husband and I loved that Brasilian drummers invaded the place after we finished the meal: the restaurant turned into a drummers / dancers / singers circle, so we stayed more and had some caipirinhas while enjoying the spectacle!

    (5)

  • Jencen R.

    I lived in Brazil for 2 years so I know a lot about Brazilian cuisine. I came here on a weeknight on a date at 8pm and we had no trouble finding street parking. We ordered the braised short rib and the shrimp bobó. They make most of the food when you order so don't expect to have your entree in 5 minutes. It is a lot like Brazil- laid back, comfortable, and there was forró playing! When we got our food the portions looked small- a single large short rib for her and about 7 medium shrimp for me. But it ended up being more than enough even being hungry. The food was delicious, the owner and his wife were adorable, and they hugged us on our way out. Great service, great food, worth the drive and the $20 entrees. We did get the more expensive things on the menu though, most were in the $13-18 range.

    (5)

  • Faith H.

    One of my favorite restaurants in Seattle. Super friendly service, laid back atmosphere, great prices, and DELISH food. Everything on the menu is fantastic: the Bife Acebolado is unmatched in any other Brazilian place I've been to. And the Coxinha de Galinha...nom nom! Other faves include the Feijoada and Moqueca. And you MUST have a Caipirinha or two. Just love this place!

    (5)

  • Nina E.

    I've just discovered this restaurant recently, and have eaten here twice in the last month. Their food is made of the freshest, high quality ingredients, and one can feel the love in their cooking and in the friendly service. These are people one WANTS to support and see succeed in their business. The prices seem a little high in my opinion, and that keeps me from going more often. Again, I think this is due to the quality of the food, and the small scale of the business. If you like to support small family businesses, and want to see good people succeed while offering their love and talent for what they do, check out this restaurant. They have live music some evenings, and special foods on certain nights.

    (4)

  • Sarah A.

    My friend recommended this place. It is not busy at all. I think we were the only ones in the restaurant at 8:00pm on a Sunday. We were greeted by a very polite host who let us pick our seats. We got the chicken croquettes with this amazing dipping sauce. I also got the Bobo De Frango- So good! Nice creamy coconut flavored chicken curry served on a bed of rice and beans. I usually do not like peanuts on my food...I didn't have a problem eating this dish because they cook it with peanut sauce not solid whole nuts.

    (4)

  • Thomas B.

    Went to this restaurant with my Brazilian homestay student. He was jonesing for home-style food. He enjoyed it. He had the Feijoada , said "it was very good" and a Guarana soft drink. I tasted the soft drink and it was better than any U.S. citrus and cherry soft drinks. Think good Sangria without the alcohol. I cannot drink it because of a medical condition; but, would if I could. I ordered the grilled chicken with mango salsa, rice and black beans. I ordered it without the beans; but, got them anyway. I tasted them and gave them to my companion...not because they were bad...I just do not like beans. Chicken was a little dry; but. salsa made up for it. I am going to go and try other things. I remain optimistic.

    (3)

  • Mahogany M.

    This is by far my favorite restaurant in town! It is a super-close to my home and I've taken several friends and relatives there and everyone is always shocked and amazed with their entree. I've heard some people have less favorable opinions on their Yelp review but I don't think that should stop you from giving this restaurant a try. It's my go-to restaurant!

    (5)

  • Suruchi C.

    Small place. Fresh food. We ordered the top 2 fish and chicken dishes and they were all amazing. The palm oil in the fish and chicken entree tasted awesome. Will go there again for sure!!

    (4)

  • Christopher S.

    The food and staff are amazing.. the food is extraordinary. Made to order.. muito bom!!!!

    (5)

  • Devon D.

    Went in there once, was just wanting to take a look at the menu and see what they had (I lived right next door at the time, so I thought it could be a great spot). Wrong! I stood around for several minutes while servers and cooks walked *past* me... and the restaurant was empty (?). Finally I managed to get someone's attention and asked if I could look at a menu, and the waitress was incredibly rude and acted like I was being a huge pain in her ass and that she could hardly be bothered with me. Took one look at the prices on the menu, laughed, and walked out. I will not pay someone to be unspeakably rude to me, especially not with such hefty price tags. I'll never be back.

    (1)

  • Clint W.

    here's another place i had not returned to in 5 years. i'm not sure what's going on, but obviously, i've got some sort of time warp thing going on. we plopped in when it had just opened and it was quiet yet. our entrees were beans and rice, a shrimp dish, a beef with kabocha dish and a steak and tater salad. it was a protein rich night. staff was super helpful and pretty friendly. even as the back dining room filled up, we weren't kept waiting for anything. the food was solid, but not outstanding. it was sort of home cooking and the prices were very reasonable. only three stars because the back dining room is very crowded and you're sitting right next to others and din gets overwhelming after awhile. they have a front section that is really a patio and it's freezing up front, but much quieter.

    (3)

  • Chelsea J.

    On a hot Sunday evening my friend and I stopped at Tempero do Brasil for dinner. We shared the halibut fillet called Peixe do Tempero in tomato coconut milk sauce with peppers and onions and rice and black-eyed beans and the chicken dish called Frango com Quiabo with rice and okra and bay shrimp. The halibut dish was amazing. I almost wanted to lick the plate so I wouldn't waste any of the sauce but of course that would have been very inappropriate. The fish dish was $21 and the chicken dish was $15. Pretty reasonable I thought. We both agreed the halibut dish was by far the star of the meal. The chicken dish was okay but the chicken was a little dry and not too flavorful. I also wasn't a huge fan of the okra. Seemed like a lot of okra on the plate and didn't seem to go with the dish that well. The rice with the chicken was excellent with a spicy flair. I could have eaten a whole plate of the rice! To drink we had guava juice which was blended with ice and was so refreshing on the hot day. The restaurant is very casual but nice enough. The people helping us were very nice. I definitely want to go back! The rice and beans were delicious. I wish I knew how to make them like that! I'm surprised at the low reviews of this place because our food was delightful. Aside from the chicken being a little dry the food was great and the service was friendly and pleasant.

    (4)

  • Sarah M.

    The Casquinha de Siri, a rock crab appetizer, was okay. The mixture of crab, coconut milk, onion, and garlic came served inside a crab shell. We used it as a topping to our 4 ciabatta slices. The feijoda was more than enough for two hungry people. This stew was made with black beans and various meats which we ladled out of a clay pot onto our dishes of rice and collard greens. I've never had brazillian food like this, so I didn't know to expect, but it tasted like homemade food and it filled us up good! It's a casual little place, and not cozy. I was glad to have experienced their food, but I'm not sure if I'll return.

    (3)

  • Nick E.

    This. Is. My. Spot. I'm always on the Ave, and know basically every spot pretty well. This one, however, hid from me for the most part of my time on the Ave. It's way up on like 58th, and appears more as a house than a restaurant. What an experience, though. It is run by a husband and wife (seemingly not too far removed from Brazil). By all stretches of my imagination, this must be incredibly authentic. Also, there is live Brazilian folk music played on every Saturday. Oh shit, the food. It's fricking legendary. I always start with the Coxinha de Galinha, which are basically fried balls of chicken that come with this amazing sauce. Have to do a Caiparinha (spelling?), the traditional Brazilian sugarcane drink. Then, for entrees, every damn thing is great. I've tried my fair share items. I'd say the fried fish is the best. Holy crap I love this place. I took my family there for my birthday dinner.

    (5)

  • C A.

    Came here for dinner expecting to enjoy exotic flavors I've come to know of Brazilian food. Sadly, it didn't happen. It's like they cancelled the Carnaval on us. Our evening was dampened like the Amazon rainforest with slow service and insipid dishes. It took half an hour before we got our appetizers and another hour before we finally got our entrees, which in the end, wasn't worth the wait. About halfway through our long wait, however, our waitress, perhaps in her attempt to be transparent to us (bless her heart), confessed that they were "staffed by the B-team" that evening. She said the "A-team" i.e. the owners were on vacation in Vegas that weekend! I am not making this up! Seems she was trying to manage our expectations . Well, when we got our dishes, the only thing we could manage to stomach was her honesty. The food was bland, the texture of the meats suggested overcooking, and the presentation un-inspired. Even with all that being acknowledged by the waitress, we didn't receive any comps or apologies. So, unless I know exactly when the A-team will be serving, I don't think we'll come back. The two stars are for the waitress's friendliness and honesty. I can only return the favor with this equally friendly but honest review.

    (2)

  • Patrick L.

    I absolutely LOVE this place. By far, the best Brazilian restaurant in the Seattle area. The restaurant is in a converted house, so it has some character. Brazilian transplants actually eat here and approve the authenticity of this place. It's a true family business since the owner and his family own and run this place. They're really friendly, but since they don't have alot of employees, sometimes it may take awhile to get your check. I've been here many times, and have enjoyed everything. If you're not drinking alcohol, try the Guarana soda. If you're drinking liquor, try a caipirinha which is the national cocktail of Brazil. I tried Brazilian beer but wasn't a fan of that. Prices are quite good and a regular entree will leave you satisfied. Add any appetizer/s and you're guaranteed to leave stuffed or with some leftovers. Bottom line, eat here. Don't bother with Ipanema.

    (5)

  • Michaela M.

    The one thing you have to keep in mind is very often there is only one cook in the back but the food is just amazing no matter what you get make sure it comes with black beans! They make the whole meal! I get the fish quite often and it is always cooked perfectly!

    (5)

  • Yumiko K.

    I've never been to Brazil, so I don't know how authentic this restaurant is. I truly appreciate the fact Tempero do Brasil offers a lot more than good ol' meat dishes. In fact, my boyfriend and I ordered 2 seafood dishes: Moqueca with Halibut Fillet and Bobó de Camarão. Moqueca, which is fish/seafood stew, had 2 pieces of perfectly cooked (poached?) halibut sitting in a beautiful pool of super creamy yellow sauce along with rice and black-eyed peas. The sauce was vibrant and delicious mixed with the rice and black-eyed peas. Bobó de Camarão came with fried okra (LOVE fried okra!!) and a ridiculous number of sauteed prawns in a coconut milk/peanut/ginger sauce. I didn't care too much for its grainy texture, but it was flavourful. As for dessert, we ordered Romeo e Julieta (Brazilian version of cheesecake), which was comprised of alternating guava paste and white cheese layers. It was extremely simple, not overly sweet, and simply delectable. I love the balance between the sweetness of the guava paste and sour/salty cheese. It was sweet and savory all at once. I thought the waitstaff was friendly, and the service was prompt. I truly enjoyed my dining experience!

    (4)

  • Jason M.

    I came in here because I live less than 200 feet away, with no real expectations, just sort of wanted to see what food from Brazil was like. The atmosphere was nice, and again expecting nothing in particular, I found the menu more expensive than I was expecting for being on the AVE, and the atmosphere is nice, but understated, so the price point of 13-20ish dollars for an entree left me with a bit of a question mark... I ordered fried okra for an appetizer.... awesome! highly suggested. and then i had some beef stew deal with okra that was pretty dank, I cleaned the plate, and it was a lot of food, I just didn't want to not eat it despite being full, my buddy got some kind of slave soup delicacy that was even better than mine, it was like BBQ stew of awesomeness. the only reason for not giving them five stars is only because the atmosphere felt kind of like i was in someone's living room, with was very quaint, but kinda open like there was a draft. Food was awesome, service was awesome, venue was nice, just small, another great hidden date spot. food is simple but very good. would recommend it to anyone looking for a cool date spot on university way.

    (4)

  • Lil B.

    What a fabulous hole-in-the-wall. Everything from the ambiance to the service, food, and drinks were fantastic. We started with a caipirinha, that was wonderfully delicious, and Bolinho de Bacalhau. Perfect starters! I ordered Bife a Milanesa. The steak (bife) was tender and super flavorful inside the breading. It came with rice & beans and potato salad, with a mini-salad of greens and a couple slices of tomatoes. My BF ordered the Bobo de Camarao. No skimping on shrimp with this dish... there were lots. The sauce was creamy and flavorful and perfect served over white rice. The fried okra was a rare treat. Overall, the food tasted like something you'd expect grandma to make. We loved it. And, the caipirinha... it was a balanced mixture of cachaca, sugar and lime. We especially loved how the lime wasn't muddled to a million bits that get caught in your teeth and throat with every sip. Comida boa!!!!

    (5)

  • Adriano S.

    Having grown up in Brazil, I had really high expectations for this place. When I saw their menu and the prices, they became even higher. I had the Bobó de Camarão (sautéed shrimp with yucca cream sauce), which came with a rice and black-eyed peas pilaf, for $19. I think leaving the tails on the shrimp when they are smothered in sauce is a bad idea. It just makes a mess if you try to pick them up with your hands and removing them with a fork and knife is just clumsy. The shrimp also had not been deveined so a few bites were a little gritty and unpleasant. The black-eyed peas for the pilaf were cooked perfectly, but unfortunately arrived cold. It could've been a great dish if not for the details. However, when you're selling something that is not a huge portion for $19, the details are everything. The maracujá (passionfruit) mousse saved my night. It was perfect, just the right balance of sweet and bitter. Reminded me of when I was a kid and ate them every weekend. I *will* give this place another try and order another dish... but that will have to wait a while. I can't afford to have $30 meals every weekend and the next time I do, I'll probably go somewhere else first.

    (2)

  • Willy W.

    They're closed on Mondays! *sad face* But it all worked out as I was still able to order from the dinner menu the next day during lunch hours. This is a small converted house turned restaurant and it feels cozy, homey and welcoming. Everyone at the restaurant is originally from Brazil - always a plus. This isn't the typical "Brazilian restaurant" in that it's not just a churrascaria. It is, however, authentic food from the North-eastern state of Bahia. We ordered a lot of food: apps: bolinho de bacalau (fish cakes?) & coxinhas de galinha (chicken croquette) (apps - pretty good) entrees: Bobó de camaro (amazingly delicious), moqueca de camaro (very good) and the frango olodum (also very good). There were others were already dining and others came in after us ordering some take-out food. Seems like they are getting pretty decent business. There's plenty of street parking nearby too. I'd recommend this place to anyone wanting to branch out a little bit and try out different things. They, of course, offer the national dish (feijoada) to try out among numerous other dishes. Guaraná and caipirinhas are also available to order. The prices might be a little high but the portions are really large, but paired with a restuarant.com GC - it's a very good deal.

    (5)

  • Robert M.

    Completely happy with our whole meal. From the fried yucca to the spicy beef stew with okra, everything we had was great. The side "spicy" sauce was not very spicy but the waiter was very quick to bring us something much spicier and was delicious. Caiperinas were delicious and though we only had one each, we could have easily drank many more. A special note was the chicken with okra, very light and flavorful. My husband will say that the mashed potatoes were the highlight for him. They were very light, fluffy and full of butter making them scrumpscious. I would reccomend this place to anyone looking for good Brazilian food, especially since the food has a definate Bahian flare, which is hard to find in the US.

    (4)

  • Chris W.

    Friendly wait staff, but terrible service and unremarkable food. On the plus side the Caipirhinas has awesome flavor. Went with a group of 5 friends and sat in the far back near the shelves. It's a small restaurant with a cool 'screened porch' on the front of the building that doubles the dining space. The menu looked really promising, and with an average of 4 stars I was pretty hopeful. BOY was I underwhelmed. I tried the Kiba, house specialty, and the rib eye. The Kibe was overdone almost to a hockey puck, the specialty was unremarkable in all regards, and the rib eye was overcooked for medium and really didn't have much going on. Thank goodness I was already three drinks deep at the time, or I would have been even more disappointed. And the wait staff? Impossible to get their attention and slow to provide service. Skip this place -- it's not worth it at all.

    (2)

  • Fab F.

    I am a native of the same Brazilian state which serves as inspiration for this restaurant and the food is even better than at home! The ambience is very simple but is authentic and completes the experience. Kind of, "this was my garage and I've made into a restaurant" which is so typical of Brazil. Try the. Muqueca. The best!

    (5)

  • Fab P.

    Really good, authentic Brazilian food

    (4)

  • Kristen R.

    Well...it was clean. That's about my only good comment. I'd really wanted to get out to listen to some live music. This was a huge splurge for me as I only go out about once every 2 months to do something that costs more than gas money. What a huge waste all-around. The band apparently canceled but we didn't know they weren't coming until we were nibbling appetizers (too tiny for the price and the crab thing didn't taste all that great either.) Our meals took forever to arrive and the waitstaff (which changed mid-meal) ...well, neither of them came over unless we flagged them down and that was pretty difficult. We were never asked how our food was and requests for more drinks took 5-10 minutes to arrive. I was going to get dessert in the hopes it would save the night somehow, but the waitress never came back (for no reason we could ascertain.) The food was bland (I got steak with onions) and of the 5 of us no one was really very impressed. FAR too expensive for the quality. The ambiance is lacking, too. Feels more like grandma's kitchen than the fun, "exotic" atmosphere I was hoping for (though there were some colorful tiles on a nearby wall. I wouldn't go back again. I can make bland steak, black beans and white rice at home.

    (1)

  • Doris K.

    Unlike many of the reviews I read about Tempero do Brasil, I am writing from the perspective of knowing exactly where Brasil is, where Bahia is located, and that this is the region from which the owners and consequently their cuisine, originate. Not only the food is entirely authentic, it is absolutely unique in that there isn't another such home-style Brasilian restaurant in the area (for years there wasn't another Brasilian restaurant in Seattle). Of course it costs a bit more, they use good ingredients, many not common around here, and they are a small family operated place. As to the atmosphere, it is cozy, incredibly friendly, and welcoming to all, ESPECIALLY children. The owners, Antonio and Graca, are a husband and wife who have two children and a grand child of their own. My rambunctious child has been welcomed at Tempero since he was a baby, which has not been my experience at many other Seattle restaurants. If you go on a night when there is music you will be in for an extra treat. In short, take it from an actual Brasilian, this is TRUE Brasilian food and a very special place,which can only exist if folks recognize its value and patronize it as often as budget allows. Otherwise we will increasingly be left with cheap, but fake, ethnic fast food. As for my family, it is our favorite restaurant. Obrigada e tchau!

    (5)

  • Maarten v.

    The food is tasty and well made; the atmosphere is average, unless there's live music; the caiprinhas are decent, though small. I like Tempero, but my complaint is the menu: it always seems like there are only two things on the menu: seafood in coconut milk-based sauce, or steak. Since I don't eat red meat, the choice is shrimp in coconut milk, cod in coconut milk, or some other fish in coconut milk with tomatoes. I like it, and recommend trying Tempero if you haven't been, but it's not on my list of places I go regularly.

    (3)

  • Flavio K.

    Let me start by saying that I'm from Argentina, and Brazilians and Argentines have a very unique love-hate relationship. That did not stop the wonderful people from Tempero to give us a top notch service - definitely love won the day :) I know Tempero from back around the time they had started (I moved to the US in 2001) and for no particular reason, had not returned ever since. In this occasion we were celebrating my Mom's birthday and I remembered she's a fan of Feijoada so I decided to make a reservation online. The reservation form was easy to use. They sent me an email confirming, but it went to the junk folder, so make sure to check there for your confirmation. No big deal, as I called them and they confirmed on the phone. We got there to find that our table was still not free (7:30PM). They apologized and mentioned the table should be ready within 15 min. 5 min later we were seated. The menus were simple to understand, but honestly we went there with the sole intention of eating Feijoada. If you never had it, you owe it to yourself to try it. We had the coxinhas de galihna as a quick fix for our starving children, but they were not a hit. I ate one and it was OK, but not my favorite item. However the Feijoada was superb. I can't think of any place except Brasil itself where you might be able to find one as good. My Mom was happy, my kids were happy, my wife was happy and so was I. To drink, we had caipirinas - yum. Kids had guarana, a very sweet Brazilian soda - my son approved. As dinner was coming to an end, they kept present that it was my Mom's birthday and brought her a complimentary Maracuja Mouse (Passion fruit), with a lit candle and sang her the Brazilian Happy Birthday in Samba rhythm. Needless to say, we felt very welcomed. Brazilians are easy going people. Don't expect a super professional and snobby ambience. This is a truthful, down to earth, Bahian live-easy, live happy little place. Most patrons were other Brazilians and for a short while we were transported to the North of Brasil. How can they still stay in business someone asked? By remaining true to their roots I say. And so I hope they stay in business for many more years to come! I can promise that I will return much sooner than my previous hiatus (my son's asking to go there again next week!). Muito obrigado por todo!

    (4)

  • Hamilton O.

    How do they stay in business? So, Sunday I got an order to take out. Coxinhas - the dough wasn't properly salted, and the filling was light on taste. For $7, 4 small ones? Bobo de frango - the chicken was actually raw. $16 for inedible food? Chicken with mango sauce - no real sauce, just some pieces of mango and other stuff on top. This one was actually tasty and well done, but not mind-blowingly good. Not worth the price. It's not my first time there. We tried and see if it got any better after many years. Nope. Not really. and service was even worse.

    (2)

  • Aprameya R.

    This had been on our to try list for a long time. The verdict: An okay restaurant. The restaurant is small and has the small business vibe to it. I quite liked it, it felt in place. There is no pretense and everything is functional. The service was good. I had the cocktail with the passion fruit. I would recommend trying something else for two reasons: (a) there was something that imparted a sour taste and (b) it has no punch. I had the 'frango com quiabo' which was a chicken dish with shrimp, okra, served on a bed of rice. It was not spicy and I felt that the ratios of chicken to shrimp to curry to rice were all wrong. My wife had the moqueqas with shrimp which was a stew. This was actually good, and the broth was similar to the yellow pepper broth that we get at Peruvian restaurants. Overall, this is a nice place to try once. Your experience may be better than ours. I doubt we will come here again though - unless we really run out of new places to try.

    (3)

  • Opal D.

    I miss Brazilian food very much and there just aren't many options outside of the typical Brazilian steakhouses in this area besides Tempero do Brasil. This is the only place I know to get casquinha de siri and feijoada in the Seattle area. Unfortunately, their menu is missing dishes with mamão or açaí. If you are a fan of Brazilian food or just simply unfamiliar with it, I highly recommend coming for a casual dinner date or with a small group of friends.

    (4)

  • Vincent V.

    Brazilian cuisine can be so much more flavorful and adventurous and the chef and owner of Tempero do Brasil know how to bring it all out. Had the feijoada chicken dish and the bobo and all three were very good to excellent. Service is down to earth friendly. Ambiance is like dining at someone's home, warm and pleasant. Drinks include traditional Brazilian cocktails, Xingu beer, and several juices. Desserts are delicious! Prepare for a short wait on Saturday evenings when coming with more than 2 people. Street parking has a 2 hour limit but is free.

    (4)

  • Leila A.

    Nothing like Novilhos, but it was good for the price! Brazilian food is really good no matter what!

    (3)

  • Ken T.

    If this review was based on the food and the food alone, it would EASILY be 5 star!! Taste: 5/5 We had, Coxinha de Galinha, Bife à Milanesa, and Feijoada. This is the first time, I've ever had Brazilian food, and boy were we impressed!! First of the Coxinha de Galinha is a ground chicken croquet; it was a little cold when it got to our table, but it was flavorful and crispy. The Bife à Milanesa was a pan fried steak; it was juicy, tender, and crispy!! The Feijoada, was really fantastic as well. It is considered their national dish! IT was a meat and beans stew of sorts, it had beef, smoked pork, sausages, bacon and ham hock . The flavors were everything you would want it to be! The little sauteed collard greens were also yummy! Value: 4/5 The Coxinha was $7, Bife à Milanesa was $13 and Feijoada was $17. The coxinha was definitely pricey, but the other two dishes were well worth the price, and I would pay that price many times over for the great food! Service: 3/5 This is where the major hiccup comes in. I should start by saying that our server was friendly. However, he was lacking a little bit of experience which made our time there a bit awkward. When we were seated, and before we even got a chance to look at our menu, he asked us if we wanted to order an appetizer. I informed him that this was our first time here, and the exchange was definitely not smooth. When it came down to ordering our entrees, the lady asked if he could recommend a dish between the Bife à Milanesa or the Bife Acebolado, to which he replied that he hasn't had either dish, and he didn't know which one sold better. Additionally, our water wasn't topped off and we had to ask several times for water. Finally, when we were given the check, we definitely felt rushed to leave the restaurant. Keep in mind that it was a Wednesday night, and it was not packed at all. We were conversing and were interrupted, so we just left. I think he definitely meant well, and to reiterate, he was nice, there were just some fundamental things that were lacking. Decor: 4/5 Nice restaurant, live music, and it was clean. No complaints! I would definitely come back for the food!! The owners/family also seemed very nice.

    (4)

  • Yavnika K.

    So I will start with a disclaimer that this is the first time ever I had any Brazilian food. And I held a fascination for it till I actually tasted it. I am confused between a 2 or a 3 rating. Since this was my first time I have no reference point to say "Meh, I've experience better". I will stick with a 3 rating because the restaurant itself is an honest attempt to showcase real Brazilian food and culture to outsiders like me. They've tried to explain each dish in their menu and made a comfortable setting to sit down and enjoy what comes on the table. The fact that there were Brazilian people a the other tables was reassuring- it meant they approved the food. Yet, the ingredients and the taste is very new to me and rather reminds me of Peruvian food- where they use a similar coconut milk base, red palm oil and various yams. I had the Moqueca with prawns- it is a coconut milk based seafood stew with red peppers, palm oil and tomatoes. Husband tries the Frango com Quiabo- a chicken and okra dish cooked in palm oil and served with rice. I'd say this is an honest attempt and to have a brazilian place running in UW district for more than a decade is a proof enough. Maybe I need to try their appetizers next time. But, will there be a next time for me? Hmmm..give it a try, you may be surprised.

    (3)

  • Mojdeh S.

    How I heard of this place: When the Brazil and Canada teams went to head-to-head in their "friendly" Seattle game two years ago, all the spectators celebrated at Tempero do Brasil. (Well, it seemed like they were all there.) This was my second time there and I was blown away by the delicious foods on the lunch menu. Type of cuisine: Seattle's only authentic Brazilian cuisine - from Bahia most interesting and varied cuisine. Ambiance: Brightly colored walls and artwork by the Graca (the owner) and Bryant (the other owner) and Graca's husband welcome you into the arms of Temporo. The staff are friendly, casual and warm. Live music was being played for Graca's mothers' 76th birthday and the staff were all in the front room dancing samba. This is the type of scene you walk into. A feeling of being in a quaint restaurant in Brazil (despite the stormy weather), surrounded by happy, energetic and a very friendly mix of friends. What I ordered: I arrived earlier than my friends, and had to try something as the fragrances of spices and foods were permeating the back room. I had to start with an appetizer of Coxinha, chicken croquettes with hot sauce. When my friends arrived, we each ordered a different sandwich - new to the lunch menu. I sampled each of them and have to say, it is hard to pick a favorite. Each were amazing and full of a variety of flavors that make your taste buds scream with excitement and jump in ecstasy! I invited Graca to bring me her choice between two of the sandwiches, and she brought me the sanduiche carne on a ciabatta bun with medium-rare cooked beef, caramelized onions, garlic aoili and lettuce. One dining companion ordered the shrimp sandwich - grilled potato bun with four succulent and plump shrimp pan seared in garlic and parsley and placed in a perfect line across the bun. The third dining companion ordered the chicken and sauteed mushroom sandwich, also on a ciabatta bun, served with caramelized onions, lettuce and garlic aoili. Pure bliss in each bite. What I loved: I have to admit that the atmosphere of the restaurant - music, family and friends in celebration - really drew me in. That being said, the food was definitely worth coming back for. In fact, one dining companion said she had been dreaming of the sandwich for days and was so happy to return just to savor it once more. Why I loved it: The food, the energy, the family-style temper of the place. All of those things make it a restaurant, a family kitchen and dining room, worth every inexpensive penny! Cost: low to mid for a lunch time sandwich ($6-$6.95)

    (4)

  • Juliana L.

    I'm Brazilian and I know how difficult and expensive it is to find some ingredients in the U.S. to cook a real Brazilian food, but this place does a great job! Love the food and the atmosphere at Tempero. Not to mention it is the only Brazilian restaurant in Seattle which is not a steakhouse (not that they are not amazing as well, but they show a different style of Brazilian cuisine). Would definitely recommend it if you want to have a little taste of the northeast of Brazil! PS: Unlike most American restaurants, where the waiters try to turn the tables quickly, expect a more relaxed service here. Take your time to enjoy the food and a caipirinha and you'll be fine ;)

    (5)

  • Mike W.

    I have had some great experiences with Brazilian restaurants in Brazilian neighborhoods in New Jersey and LA, and I was sincerely hoping that Tempero Do Brasil could be my great Seattle Brazilian experience, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations. The live music was nice, and other than bad lighting, the restaurant has a decent vibe. The drinks were great, and the crab appetizer was good, although overpriced. We ordered the ribeye dish and a sirloin dish. The steaks were good, but very basic. I was really hoping for more from the rice and beans. Some of the best rice and beans come for South American countries, and Brazil has a lot to offer. I understand that some regions really strip the rice and beans down to the basics, and maybe this is was Tempero Do Brasil is going for, but I would expect more from an $18 plate. Maybe other menu options are more exciting, but I thought I ordered one of their more signature dishes. People were nice, but the service was fairly aloof and not super professional. I'm usually not very picky about service, but it was all a little awkward. I may give it another shot, maybe lunch on the patio on a sunny day, but for now I'll have to to find something else when I get a hankering for some great Brazilian food.

    (2)

  • C.C. M.

    My fiance is from Brasil, and he loves this place. Totally legit. The feijoada and coxhinas are delicious. Great place for anyone hankering for some authentic Brazilian food in a family feeling place.

    (5)

  • Chris J.

    I tried this place for the first time several weeks ago and would recommend trying it if you haven't had Brazilian food before. First the good. The waiter who served us was very friendly and funny - definitely made our experience. I ordered the house special, the feijoada and had mixed feelings. The flavor of the meat was pretty good, however the dish felt a bit unbalanced and very heavy - it was essentially meat and beans. The prices are also a bit steep. Feijoada was a $17 dish and caipirinha cocktail was $8. When you add in taxes and tip, you're looking at over $30 for an entree and a drink. I paid for my girlfriend's dish as well and ended up shelling out over $60 for the two of us. I suppose that's pretty standard for Seattle but it still felt steep for the overall value. The atmosphere of the restaurant was also somewhat cozy but also felt a bit dark and cramped - everyone was stuffed back into the room on the first floor of this residential-looking building. It was a little odd and while I probably won't be back any time soon, it may be worth a try just for the novelty of the Brazilian food.

    (3)

  • Clemmo B.

    I am from South America and I loved this Brasilian authentic restaurant! The chef is a talented Brasilian woman, who recreated a typical Brasilian atmosphere in her restaurant. The menu includes traditional dishes from Brasil, with a next level cuisine touch. I particularly recommend the mussel soup and the passion fruit mousse! My husband and I loved that Brasilian drummers invaded the place after we finished the meal: the restaurant turned into a drummers / dancers / singers circle, so we stayed more and had some caipirinhas while enjoying the spectacle!

    (5)

  • Jencen R.

    I lived in Brazil for 2 years so I know a lot about Brazilian cuisine. I came here on a weeknight on a date at 8pm and we had no trouble finding street parking. We ordered the braised short rib and the shrimp bobó. They make most of the food when you order so don't expect to have your entree in 5 minutes. It is a lot like Brazil- laid back, comfortable, and there was forró playing! When we got our food the portions looked small- a single large short rib for her and about 7 medium shrimp for me. But it ended up being more than enough even being hungry. The food was delicious, the owner and his wife were adorable, and they hugged us on our way out. Great service, great food, worth the drive and the $20 entrees. We did get the more expensive things on the menu though, most were in the $13-18 range.

    (5)

  • Faith H.

    One of my favorite restaurants in Seattle. Super friendly service, laid back atmosphere, great prices, and DELISH food. Everything on the menu is fantastic: the Bife Acebolado is unmatched in any other Brazilian place I've been to. And the Coxinha de Galinha...nom nom! Other faves include the Feijoada and Moqueca. And you MUST have a Caipirinha or two. Just love this place!

    (5)

  • Nina E.

    I've just discovered this restaurant recently, and have eaten here twice in the last month. Their food is made of the freshest, high quality ingredients, and one can feel the love in their cooking and in the friendly service. These are people one WANTS to support and see succeed in their business. The prices seem a little high in my opinion, and that keeps me from going more often. Again, I think this is due to the quality of the food, and the small scale of the business. If you like to support small family businesses, and want to see good people succeed while offering their love and talent for what they do, check out this restaurant. They have live music some evenings, and special foods on certain nights.

    (4)

  • Sarah A.

    My friend recommended this place. It is not busy at all. I think we were the only ones in the restaurant at 8:00pm on a Sunday. We were greeted by a very polite host who let us pick our seats. We got the chicken croquettes with this amazing dipping sauce. I also got the Bobo De Frango- So good! Nice creamy coconut flavored chicken curry served on a bed of rice and beans. I usually do not like peanuts on my food...I didn't have a problem eating this dish because they cook it with peanut sauce not solid whole nuts.

    (4)

  • Thomas B.

    Went to this restaurant with my Brazilian homestay student. He was jonesing for home-style food. He enjoyed it. He had the Feijoada , said "it was very good" and a Guarana soft drink. I tasted the soft drink and it was better than any U.S. citrus and cherry soft drinks. Think good Sangria without the alcohol. I cannot drink it because of a medical condition; but, would if I could. I ordered the grilled chicken with mango salsa, rice and black beans. I ordered it without the beans; but, got them anyway. I tasted them and gave them to my companion...not because they were bad...I just do not like beans. Chicken was a little dry; but. salsa made up for it. I am going to go and try other things. I remain optimistic.

    (3)

  • Mahogany M.

    This is by far my favorite restaurant in town! It is a super-close to my home and I've taken several friends and relatives there and everyone is always shocked and amazed with their entree. I've heard some people have less favorable opinions on their Yelp review but I don't think that should stop you from giving this restaurant a try. It's my go-to restaurant!

    (5)

  • Suruchi C.

    Small place. Fresh food. We ordered the top 2 fish and chicken dishes and they were all amazing. The palm oil in the fish and chicken entree tasted awesome. Will go there again for sure!!

    (4)

  • Christopher S.

    The food and staff are amazing.. the food is extraordinary. Made to order.. muito bom!!!!

    (5)

  • Devon D.

    Went in there once, was just wanting to take a look at the menu and see what they had (I lived right next door at the time, so I thought it could be a great spot). Wrong! I stood around for several minutes while servers and cooks walked *past* me... and the restaurant was empty (?). Finally I managed to get someone's attention and asked if I could look at a menu, and the waitress was incredibly rude and acted like I was being a huge pain in her ass and that she could hardly be bothered with me. Took one look at the prices on the menu, laughed, and walked out. I will not pay someone to be unspeakably rude to me, especially not with such hefty price tags. I'll never be back.

    (1)

  • Clint W.

    here's another place i had not returned to in 5 years. i'm not sure what's going on, but obviously, i've got some sort of time warp thing going on. we plopped in when it had just opened and it was quiet yet. our entrees were beans and rice, a shrimp dish, a beef with kabocha dish and a steak and tater salad. it was a protein rich night. staff was super helpful and pretty friendly. even as the back dining room filled up, we weren't kept waiting for anything. the food was solid, but not outstanding. it was sort of home cooking and the prices were very reasonable. only three stars because the back dining room is very crowded and you're sitting right next to others and din gets overwhelming after awhile. they have a front section that is really a patio and it's freezing up front, but much quieter.

    (3)

  • Rachel S.

    Pricey! I love Brazilian food, but this place was shockingly expensive for the food -- even more so given that it's on the Ave. For two people, we spent $45 before tax/tip and that's only including one drink -- a caipirinha. The service was really good and the atmosphere was nice. I enjoyed the milanesa very much, but we couldn't seem to get over the sticker shock. I would pass on the caiprinhas here, too. The one I tried tasted like a cheap mix.

    (3)

  • Monika M.

    Wonderful 1st time experience. Had the flujaoada: needed a little more flavor or salt but that could be me as I'm a salt fiend. A little dash and it was delish. Croquettes and the pudon de leite were tasty too. Live Brazilian music was a nice touch. Will definitely come back on live music nights, makes the menu prices a little more digestable.

    (4)

  • Chelsea J.

    On a hot Sunday evening my friend and I stopped at Tempero do Brasil for dinner. We shared the halibut fillet called Peixe do Tempero in tomato coconut milk sauce with peppers and onions and rice and black-eyed beans and the chicken dish called Frango com Quiabo with rice and okra and bay shrimp. The halibut dish was amazing. I almost wanted to lick the plate so I wouldn't waste any of the sauce but of course that would have been very inappropriate. The fish dish was $21 and the chicken dish was $15. Pretty reasonable I thought. We both agreed the halibut dish was by far the star of the meal. The chicken dish was okay but the chicken was a little dry and not too flavorful. I also wasn't a huge fan of the okra. Seemed like a lot of okra on the plate and didn't seem to go with the dish that well. The rice with the chicken was excellent with a spicy flair. I could have eaten a whole plate of the rice! To drink we had guava juice which was blended with ice and was so refreshing on the hot day. The restaurant is very casual but nice enough. The people helping us were very nice. I definitely want to go back! The rice and beans were delicious. I wish I knew how to make them like that! I'm surprised at the low reviews of this place because our food was delightful. Aside from the chicken being a little dry the food was great and the service was friendly and pleasant.

    (4)

  • Sarah M.

    The Casquinha de Siri, a rock crab appetizer, was okay. The mixture of crab, coconut milk, onion, and garlic came served inside a crab shell. We used it as a topping to our 4 ciabatta slices. The feijoda was more than enough for two hungry people. This stew was made with black beans and various meats which we ladled out of a clay pot onto our dishes of rice and collard greens. I've never had brazillian food like this, so I didn't know to expect, but it tasted like homemade food and it filled us up good! It's a casual little place, and not cozy. I was glad to have experienced their food, but I'm not sure if I'll return.

    (3)

  • Nick E.

    This. Is. My. Spot. I'm always on the Ave, and know basically every spot pretty well. This one, however, hid from me for the most part of my time on the Ave. It's way up on like 58th, and appears more as a house than a restaurant. What an experience, though. It is run by a husband and wife (seemingly not too far removed from Brazil). By all stretches of my imagination, this must be incredibly authentic. Also, there is live Brazilian folk music played on every Saturday. Oh shit, the food. It's fricking legendary. I always start with the Coxinha de Galinha, which are basically fried balls of chicken that come with this amazing sauce. Have to do a Caiparinha (spelling?), the traditional Brazilian sugarcane drink. Then, for entrees, every damn thing is great. I've tried my fair share items. I'd say the fried fish is the best. Holy crap I love this place. I took my family there for my birthday dinner.

    (5)

  • C A.

    Came here for dinner expecting to enjoy exotic flavors I've come to know of Brazilian food. Sadly, it didn't happen. It's like they cancelled the Carnaval on us. Our evening was dampened like the Amazon rainforest with slow service and insipid dishes. It took half an hour before we got our appetizers and another hour before we finally got our entrees, which in the end, wasn't worth the wait. About halfway through our long wait, however, our waitress, perhaps in her attempt to be transparent to us (bless her heart), confessed that they were "staffed by the B-team" that evening. She said the "A-team" i.e. the owners were on vacation in Vegas that weekend! I am not making this up! Seems she was trying to manage our expectations . Well, when we got our dishes, the only thing we could manage to stomach was her honesty. The food was bland, the texture of the meats suggested overcooking, and the presentation un-inspired. Even with all that being acknowledged by the waitress, we didn't receive any comps or apologies. So, unless I know exactly when the A-team will be serving, I don't think we'll come back. The two stars are for the waitress's friendliness and honesty. I can only return the favor with this equally friendly but honest review.

    (2)

  • Patrick L.

    I absolutely LOVE this place. By far, the best Brazilian restaurant in the Seattle area. The restaurant is in a converted house, so it has some character. Brazilian transplants actually eat here and approve the authenticity of this place. It's a true family business since the owner and his family own and run this place. They're really friendly, but since they don't have alot of employees, sometimes it may take awhile to get your check. I've been here many times, and have enjoyed everything. If you're not drinking alcohol, try the Guarana soda. If you're drinking liquor, try a caipirinha which is the national cocktail of Brazil. I tried Brazilian beer but wasn't a fan of that. Prices are quite good and a regular entree will leave you satisfied. Add any appetizer/s and you're guaranteed to leave stuffed or with some leftovers. Bottom line, eat here. Don't bother with Ipanema.

    (5)

  • Michaela M.

    The one thing you have to keep in mind is very often there is only one cook in the back but the food is just amazing no matter what you get make sure it comes with black beans! They make the whole meal! I get the fish quite often and it is always cooked perfectly!

    (5)

  • Jeff B.

    Best Brazilian food in Seattle. A lot more typical of a restaurant in Brazil than a large a steakhouse. My Brazilian wife thinks that it's one of the best Brazilian restaurants in the US (and we even live in Miami.)

    (4)

  • Sarah K.

    COMFORT FOOD! so SO GOOD!! I really really like this place. It has a house-like atmosphere with outdoor-tent-like seating. It is family owned and truly authentic. The hot sauces are good- and the bean-meat stew IS SO GOOD! Caipirhinas- must try one! Been there a few times and will be going back for more soon!

    (5)

  • Yumiko K.

    I've never been to Brazil, so I don't know how authentic this restaurant is. I truly appreciate the fact Tempero do Brasil offers a lot more than good ol' meat dishes. In fact, my boyfriend and I ordered 2 seafood dishes: Moqueca with Halibut Fillet and Bobó de Camarão. Moqueca, which is fish/seafood stew, had 2 pieces of perfectly cooked (poached?) halibut sitting in a beautiful pool of super creamy yellow sauce along with rice and black-eyed peas. The sauce was vibrant and delicious mixed with the rice and black-eyed peas. Bobó de Camarão came with fried okra (LOVE fried okra!!) and a ridiculous number of sauteed prawns in a coconut milk/peanut/ginger sauce. I didn't care too much for its grainy texture, but it was flavourful. As for dessert, we ordered Romeo e Julieta (Brazilian version of cheesecake), which was comprised of alternating guava paste and white cheese layers. It was extremely simple, not overly sweet, and simply delectable. I love the balance between the sweetness of the guava paste and sour/salty cheese. It was sweet and savory all at once. I thought the waitstaff was friendly, and the service was prompt. I truly enjoyed my dining experience!

    (4)

  • Jason M.

    I came in here because I live less than 200 feet away, with no real expectations, just sort of wanted to see what food from Brazil was like. The atmosphere was nice, and again expecting nothing in particular, I found the menu more expensive than I was expecting for being on the AVE, and the atmosphere is nice, but understated, so the price point of 13-20ish dollars for an entree left me with a bit of a question mark... I ordered fried okra for an appetizer.... awesome! highly suggested. and then i had some beef stew deal with okra that was pretty dank, I cleaned the plate, and it was a lot of food, I just didn't want to not eat it despite being full, my buddy got some kind of slave soup delicacy that was even better than mine, it was like BBQ stew of awesomeness. the only reason for not giving them five stars is only because the atmosphere felt kind of like i was in someone's living room, with was very quaint, but kinda open like there was a draft. Food was awesome, service was awesome, venue was nice, just small, another great hidden date spot. food is simple but very good. would recommend it to anyone looking for a cool date spot on university way.

    (4)

  • Lil B.

    What a fabulous hole-in-the-wall. Everything from the ambiance to the service, food, and drinks were fantastic. We started with a caipirinha, that was wonderfully delicious, and Bolinho de Bacalhau. Perfect starters! I ordered Bife a Milanesa. The steak (bife) was tender and super flavorful inside the breading. It came with rice & beans and potato salad, with a mini-salad of greens and a couple slices of tomatoes. My BF ordered the Bobo de Camarao. No skimping on shrimp with this dish... there were lots. The sauce was creamy and flavorful and perfect served over white rice. The fried okra was a rare treat. Overall, the food tasted like something you'd expect grandma to make. We loved it. And, the caipirinha... it was a balanced mixture of cachaca, sugar and lime. We especially loved how the lime wasn't muddled to a million bits that get caught in your teeth and throat with every sip. Comida boa!!!!

    (5)

  • Adriano S.

    Having grown up in Brazil, I had really high expectations for this place. When I saw their menu and the prices, they became even higher. I had the Bobó de Camarão (sautéed shrimp with yucca cream sauce), which came with a rice and black-eyed peas pilaf, for $19. I think leaving the tails on the shrimp when they are smothered in sauce is a bad idea. It just makes a mess if you try to pick them up with your hands and removing them with a fork and knife is just clumsy. The shrimp also had not been deveined so a few bites were a little gritty and unpleasant. The black-eyed peas for the pilaf were cooked perfectly, but unfortunately arrived cold. It could've been a great dish if not for the details. However, when you're selling something that is not a huge portion for $19, the details are everything. The maracujá (passionfruit) mousse saved my night. It was perfect, just the right balance of sweet and bitter. Reminded me of when I was a kid and ate them every weekend. I *will* give this place another try and order another dish... but that will have to wait a while. I can't afford to have $30 meals every weekend and the next time I do, I'll probably go somewhere else first.

    (2)

  • Willy W.

    They're closed on Mondays! *sad face* But it all worked out as I was still able to order from the dinner menu the next day during lunch hours. This is a small converted house turned restaurant and it feels cozy, homey and welcoming. Everyone at the restaurant is originally from Brazil - always a plus. This isn't the typical "Brazilian restaurant" in that it's not just a churrascaria. It is, however, authentic food from the North-eastern state of Bahia. We ordered a lot of food: apps: bolinho de bacalau (fish cakes?) & coxinhas de galinha (chicken croquette) (apps - pretty good) entrees: Bobó de camaro (amazingly delicious), moqueca de camaro (very good) and the frango olodum (also very good). There were others were already dining and others came in after us ordering some take-out food. Seems like they are getting pretty decent business. There's plenty of street parking nearby too. I'd recommend this place to anyone wanting to branch out a little bit and try out different things. They, of course, offer the national dish (feijoada) to try out among numerous other dishes. Guaraná and caipirinhas are also available to order. The prices might be a little high but the portions are really large, but paired with a restuarant.com GC - it's a very good deal.

    (5)

  • Robert M.

    Completely happy with our whole meal. From the fried yucca to the spicy beef stew with okra, everything we had was great. The side "spicy" sauce was not very spicy but the waiter was very quick to bring us something much spicier and was delicious. Caiperinas were delicious and though we only had one each, we could have easily drank many more. A special note was the chicken with okra, very light and flavorful. My husband will say that the mashed potatoes were the highlight for him. They were very light, fluffy and full of butter making them scrumpscious. I would reccomend this place to anyone looking for good Brazilian food, especially since the food has a definate Bahian flare, which is hard to find in the US.

    (4)

  • Chris W.

    Friendly wait staff, but terrible service and unremarkable food. On the plus side the Caipirhinas has awesome flavor. Went with a group of 5 friends and sat in the far back near the shelves. It's a small restaurant with a cool 'screened porch' on the front of the building that doubles the dining space. The menu looked really promising, and with an average of 4 stars I was pretty hopeful. BOY was I underwhelmed. I tried the Kiba, house specialty, and the rib eye. The Kibe was overdone almost to a hockey puck, the specialty was unremarkable in all regards, and the rib eye was overcooked for medium and really didn't have much going on. Thank goodness I was already three drinks deep at the time, or I would have been even more disappointed. And the wait staff? Impossible to get their attention and slow to provide service. Skip this place -- it's not worth it at all.

    (2)

  • Fab F.

    I am a native of the same Brazilian state which serves as inspiration for this restaurant and the food is even better than at home! The ambience is very simple but is authentic and completes the experience. Kind of, "this was my garage and I've made into a restaurant" which is so typical of Brazil. Try the. Muqueca. The best!

    (5)

  • Fab P.

    Really good, authentic Brazilian food

    (4)

  • Kristen R.

    Well...it was clean. That's about my only good comment. I'd really wanted to get out to listen to some live music. This was a huge splurge for me as I only go out about once every 2 months to do something that costs more than gas money. What a huge waste all-around. The band apparently canceled but we didn't know they weren't coming until we were nibbling appetizers (too tiny for the price and the crab thing didn't taste all that great either.) Our meals took forever to arrive and the waitstaff (which changed mid-meal) ...well, neither of them came over unless we flagged them down and that was pretty difficult. We were never asked how our food was and requests for more drinks took 5-10 minutes to arrive. I was going to get dessert in the hopes it would save the night somehow, but the waitress never came back (for no reason we could ascertain.) The food was bland (I got steak with onions) and of the 5 of us no one was really very impressed. FAR too expensive for the quality. The ambiance is lacking, too. Feels more like grandma's kitchen than the fun, "exotic" atmosphere I was hoping for (though there were some colorful tiles on a nearby wall. I wouldn't go back again. I can make bland steak, black beans and white rice at home.

    (1)

  • Michael E.

    I've now attended two world cup games here and it's fantastic. The who place is authentic, the food is good, and the band they have makes it fantastic during soccer games. I'll for sure be back for a proper dinner after the excitement of world cup dies down. I only wish that they had a better Brazilian beer selection. Great spot!

    (4)

  • Susy W.

    I'm a little sad about this review. In reality, the food was quite delicious but I can't bring myself to come back after the prices. I had a $25 restaurant voucher, and it still cost us over $50! I was prepared for a pricier dinner but honestly was a little shocked when I saw the total bill. My friend and I shared the crab appetizer (tasted faintly like Singapore's famous Chili Crab... and no, it's not curry flavored). After our four bites, we were hankering for more. That was $10 there. I got the halibut simmered in coconut milk, my friend got the bean stew. That was about $15-20 per entree. We each got a cocktail and then shared a mousse dessert. As I said, good food, but it did not feel like it was worth what you pay. It felt like home cooked food, served with rice. Service was good, but there was only two tables (including us) at 7:30 pm. The bottom line was that the atmosphere and food did not translate to "let's go out and splurge a little on a fancy dinner", which was a big let down to me.

    (2)

  • Oriana I.

    My boyfriend had a sudden craving for feijoada, and I didn't need much convincing! A quick check on Yelp led us to Tempero, and we hopped in the car. We got there right at 6, when they open, and were the first ones in. We didn't even need to look at the menu (although a quick peek proved that this place is the real deal) A feijoada for 2, farofa (you gotta get farofa) and 2 caipirinhas, por favor! It came soon enough, hot meat/sausage/beans, delicious rice and some absolutely amazing collard greens! The caiprinhas were good, too! The place has 2 dining areas, the front room that is like a covered patio and super casual, and the backroom that looks more like where you'd take a date, but still casual (I mean, it's Seattle - nothing's ever really more than casual). Loved it, and will definitely bring my dad, a true brasileiro/carioca, when he comes to visit!

    (5)

  • Doug F.

    The good folks who have labored over this place for the past ten years or more are from the state of Bahia, the Lousiana of Brazil. So if you are looking to see how Brazilian fare stands up to the other international pallettes proffered in Seattle you are fortunate. The rest of the world south of Grants Pass lives on some version of rice and beans and to the degree they are able to make a distinctive statement with that combo they will more likely be able to stand out from the taco trucks(not a knock) and truck stops along the by-ways. Take, for example, the brazilian national dish, feijoada, black beans with an assortment of meats. Originally a dish made from the cast offs from the big house as collards, hamhocks and such were in the South. No one better to present such than the Bahian chefs at Tempero. Everything else is just healthy conversation, this is the real deal. Go thou, eat now.

    (5)

  • Justin M.

    I love all of the food here. My only complaint is that the kitchen is small so it can take a little while before you get your food. But even that doesn't detract from my 5-star rating. Great place!

    (5)

  • Naurry K.

    Oh my God! The shrink ray has hit Tempero as well! The croquettes were much smaller than I remember but still very good. And of course the feijoada and sauted collard greens were fabulous!

    (3)

  • Le M.

    Trivia: Do you know that Brazilians at Ipanema beach clap their hands when the sun finally sinks in the horizon? Hands down, the best place to watch sunset ever! Especially since you're surrounded by scantily clad cariocas and "barbies". WHY GO THERE? Two good reasons: Brazilians prepare and serve your food. Brazilians eat at this restaurant. It cannot be more authentic. WHATCHA GOT? I love caipirinha. It's Brazil's answer to mojito. Here, they make it with cachaca (rum distilled from sugar cane) as it should be. I had frango milanesa the first time I dined hoping it would be like the unforgettable chicken I had in Copacabana. It wasn't, but it was good! What I love, which I never had before, is the savory stew, feijoada. Oi! unfasten your carnival outfit, this stew is meaty, filling and understandably the national passion of Brazil. I'm glad it's now served daily. I order the 2-person bowl with no intention of sharing. I guard the bowl like Golum. Precious!!! And eat the leftover at home. Precious!! YOU GOT SERVED. Service is friendly but not prompt. But I noticed this relaxed service in Rio as well. Brazilians take their time and not rushed. The restaurant is hole-in-the-wall at a don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-it location. It's a house converted into a restaurant with painted signage outside. SUGGESTION. If you're in a hurry, this may not be the right restaurant on a busy night. The times I dined here, the service takes a bit tad longer. But with the warm swig of caipirinha, who cares?

    (5)

  • Daniel B.

    Great drinks and atmosphere. Unfortunately the food and service wasn't. My friends and my entrees were both only room temperature and the beef and chicken were overcooked. For the price this place was no where near good enough. 2 stars purely for their drinks. If we hadn't ordered drinks they would have had only 1 star

    (2)

  • Hawker C.

    I have loved the food on my trips to Brazil, so we had to give this a shot. I thought this was OK -- a little bland. The guitar player on the evening we went was a very nice touch. But the food was just OK; some very good, some just OK. This would deserve a higher rating if the prices were lower ($50 for 2 people, with no alcohol, no dessert, and only 1 appetizer that we split).

    (3)

  • Ezra N.

    My Portuguese class met here this evening, and I have to agree with most of the other reviews. The food was delicious, but too expensive for what it was. The wait staff was very friendly and so were the band and other patrons. They all put up with seven Portuguese students and the professor yelling and laughing quite loudly. The alcohol was okay, but didn't show up until halfway through the meal for some reason. Maybe because, our original waitress left immediately after taking our orders. So.... good food, overpriced, might be good for appetizers and drinks.

    (3)

  • Lisa N.

    Okay so my boyfriend and I have been saying we'd try this place for a good month-and-a-half now. Because of confusion about their hours and pure unjustifiable laziness (he lives literally two minutes away, walking) we managed to put it off until last night... and now I have no idea what kept us away. It's located in a little house in the borderline U-District/Ravenna area and is a little confusing because it looks closed when it's not. They have the restaurant sectioned off into two areas, the back of which is the primary part, so it always seems like they're not open from the outside since the front is kept dark. Don't be fooled! It's worth the visit. We were both kind of overwhelmed by the menu because EVERYTHING sounds so good. We decided to share the 2-person order of feijoada because we figured that'd be a good starting point to judge a Brasilian restaurant. Holy schmoly, I don't know who the two people they had in mind were when they decided to make this, but they must have the biggest appetites in the world. The pot was enough to probably feed the boy's entire 6-person house and me AND have leftovers. But it was soooo good. Black beany, stewy, smokey, sausagey, beefy goodness. You know that feeling when you're really full and your brain and digestive system are telling you to stop eating, but you just can't because the food is so good? Yeah. That happened. Needless to say, I had food-triplets after we left. $30.95 for the 2-person serving, but keep in mind that it could easily feed more than that. I suggest getting a side of hot sauce (delicious) and maybe some extra rice to balance out all of the intensity of the stew. Also had the mussel soup. Wasn't completely impressed, but it was good.

    (4)

  • Justin B.

    Pretty good food. Not enough meat in my dish though

    (4)

  • Cathy G.

    Our food was really divine. Our service excellent. I was with a really good friend and we were happy to see one another at the end of a great summer. It was, oddly, empty.

    (5)

  • samuel a.

    Kinda like a hole in the wall from the outside, but when you get inside it's homey and nice. I went with a friend who lived in Brazil for a few years and this is his fav Brazilian place. I am a down home food type of guy and when I have a big plate of beef, beans and rice in front of me it's like heaven. The portions were excellent for a big eater, the taste was great, and the price wasn't too bad either.

    (4)

  • Cynthia L.

    Came in on a Wednesday night. It was not too crowded, but wasn't empty either. I liked that there were regulars that stopped in so it made the restaurant feel authentic. Ordered 2 appetizers, wasn't the hugest fan of either of them (the kibe and the crab appetizer). I'm sure part of it has to do with my ignorance of Brazilian food but the other part was that... I think there was something off in the consistency of both dishes for me. The Rib Eye dish was a huge portion of meat! I didn't get to try it, but my dining partner says it was very good. The prawns were really delicious, although heavy on garlic (nothing wrong with that, just fair warning). The mashed potatoes were very well seasoned, and I loved the rice. It wasn't sticky and it wasn't dry and it went really well with a bit of the mashed potato. I'd recommend the restaurant, but would suggest different appetizers.

    (3)

  • Hannah C.

    I am not an expert in Brazilian foods but I know what good food is supposed to taste like fresh, vibrant, and cooked just right like at Tempero do Brasil. I had the Egrelhado which supposedly was Australian naturally raised charbroiled rib steak, served with potato salad and rice and beans. One of the unique flavorings of steaks I've ever had. Its sort of like sweet, little tangy, and a hint of jerk flavor. I doused it with Brazilian steak sauce and it was heavenly. My guest had the fish stew in tomato sauce served in a cute wooden fish shaped dish. We each got soup. My guest order the coconut cocktail. All were good for about $70 . So splitting between was $40 a piece. Can be pricey for a hole in the wall place such as this one, but the food was good.

    (4)

  • Marika B.

    If you asked me where Brazil was located, I would tell you it was DOWN, somewhere in South America. My knowledge of Brazil can be summed up in three sentences: 1) They like soccer. 2) They speak a different language. 3) They churn out an alarming amount of supermodels who contribute to the unhealthy stereotypes that young girls cannot possibly live up to. Honorable mention: The "full-on" koochie wax. Thanks, Brazil. Forget curing cancer or ending world hunger, the women of this planet need less hair in their nether regions--thank god you solved THAT problem. Having very little knowledge about the country, it should make sense that I know very little about their food. But what I did have at Tempero do Brasil was excellent in every way. Food: Bahia's most popular crab dish (I can't remember the name, but it's a yummy crab appetizer served au gratin, a lot like moqueca), and the Frango Olodum, a chicken dish simmered in coconut milk, white wine, garlic, ginger, peppers, and nicoise olives, served over rice. Man, that dish was heavenly. Drink: It seemed like the cocktails were too strong, but I quite enjoyed Brazil's most popular soft drink, Guarana. It was clear, really sweet, and super light so it didn't taste syrupy. It hit the spot since we were sitting in a warm spot. Service: Slow. But a horde of Portuguese-shouting young people came in, picking up instruments and creating authentic background music for us; they laughed, danced around the restaurant, and sang songs in their native language. It was the best live show I'd seen in quite some time. Price: Wow. Pricey. But I felt it was worth it, even if a majority of the people here did not. **Extra Bonus**: To all the single (or single-ish) ladies out there: THIS PLACE HAS EYE CANDY UP THE WAZOO. Have your next girls' night out here; discover the wonder of sexy Brazilian men who will unabashedly sing and dance in public, making you wish that lump of love sitting on the couch at home was a bit more Don Juan. The last time we went, the place was crawling with good-looking brown boys. I think the nights they have music brings them out, which I believe are Thursdays and Saturdays. Challenges: Get prepared to use those lungs, because the acoustics are a bit off. The table behind us seemed to be in an echoing cave, so all we heard was their conversation. I still gave the place a 4, though, because the conversation was in Portuguese and I thought it sounded nice; authenticity is a good thing. I'm excited to go back--if need be, I'll update my review. But if the review was on the men alone, it would have gotten 10 stars. My boyfriend will be thrilled.

    (4)

  • Linzy N.

    Hands down this is my favorite Brazilian restaurant! all the ingredients they use is ORGANIC fresh and tasty! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

    (5)

  • Jason A.

    Basing my review only on two dishes (one for me, one for my dining companion), this place is pretty darn good. I had the traditional dish, the feijoada (Fay-zwada if you're into phonetics). It's a richer and more complex version of black beans and rice, really, with several meats. We also had the "primavera" entree which was reminiscent of a thai coconut curry (but sweeter). The prices are a tiny bit high, with most entrees being about $17, but I can't complain because the portions are generous. I do have to say that the greens that came with my feijoada were out of this world - I'm not sure if they're available as a side dish, but go for those if you have a chance. What's surprising is that I used to live in the U-district for 7 years and had never been here. I can only imagine how great this would be on a warm evening when they let you eat outside...

    (4)

  • Jen K.

    This is the best and most authentic Brasilian food in Seattle. They cook each dish to order and the national dish of Brasil: Feijoada is amazing. This dish is identical to all the home made dishes I've had from people born and raised in Brasil. I get grossed out when people say how good Ipenema grill is- yuck, not even ran by Brasilian people I hear--- but as a regular food buffet fine it's ok. If you want an authentic traditional Brasilian meal go to Tempero do Brasil. There are a few other places in WA that's churrascaria style (like Ipenema) but I like Tempero do Brasil because they don't mass produce their Feijoada for a buffet so it is much more flavorful and tasty. They also have live Brasilian music on some days. I love this place for its authenticity; it reminds me of some of the most amazing places I've eaten in South America.

    (5)

  • John L.

    Tempero do Brazil is a nice sit-down place where the flavors of their dishes are refreshing and filling. There's no spin on the brazilian plates here, it's the real thing straight from the motherland. The Feijoada by far is the favorite here. Prepare yourself by unbuckling your pants and planning to spend the rest of the day afterwords in an open area because the black beans and meat will have other people's nostrils begging for mercy. It is all worth it though. Be sure to grab a Guarana to drink. It's like Ginger Ale with more sugar and a kick of caffeine. Next time you are in the U District, stop by and get a taste of what Brazil is like. The ambiance is spot on as well for this type of restaurant.

    (4)

  • Marki V.

    ==============) LIFE COMES AT YOU FAST (================ Remember the Nationwide commercials, they are right! Take a look at what happened to me last Wednesday and pay close attention to the clock! (It all PM) ~~~~~~~~~~~ ( 11 12 1 ) /O\ (GF): My brother

    (2)

  • Anna L.

    Cute. Authentic. All-in-all enjoyable dining experience. Make sure to get a restaurant.com coupon though.

    (3)

  • M C.

    Service = OK Ambiance = small family joint, seem to be running out of a house Food = Not really unique, although i ask for the specialty. just wasn't impressed Price = $$$ Crowd = Ranges Personal Favorite = live guitar Worst = Value Meal for two = 60 Final Say = Ipanema grill, down on 1st!

    (3)

  • Tony G.

    I really wanted to like this place as the only Brazilian restaurants I've eaten at are the Churrasco, Fogo de Choa style gimmicky restaurants that carbonize their kabobs. On the Friday evening we visited there were only three other tables occupied. Initial service was prompt. Drink and appetizer ordered. Appetizer delivered. Drinks took another ten minutes after reminding the server (entrees took longer than expected to reach our table). For starters we ordered the Rock Crab. Do not order this dish. It is a puddle of tasteless canned crab meat drowned in red goop for $10. It was insulting. In place of ciabatta was a smear of yucca paste that had exceeded its expiration date. Xingu was the sole bottled Brazilian beer on the menu. The iteration I tasted was stout colored but positively flavorless--less flavor than Coors Lite. I was more amazed than disappointed. Tempero serves a cocktail called Batida de Maracujá. It is a strange mix of syrupy sweet and citrusy sour. No matter, I was holding out for the Feijoada, Tempero's signature dish. Alas, I was told by the waitstaff that the kitchen was without any pork so the dish was not available. That a restaurant cannot serve its signature dish because it failed to obtain such a ubiquitous food item as pork in time for the weekend tells me enough about how the place is run to not want to return. The braised short ribs are overpriced at $20. The meat was well-cooked but clearly not carved, as in mouthfuls of fat. They were accompanied by an explosion of garlic laced greens. The obvious runner-up to the Feijoada is the Quiabada: a beef and okra stew served with squash. The beef cubes were a bit large but aplenty and not nearly as fatty as the short ribs. Another table ordered the same dish and got it as advertised, " on top of a roasted Kabocha squash." Mine came with noticeably diminished squash chunks mixed into the stew. At $15 this dish is still a steal as there was enough for two meals. I was comped a side order of black beans. Served in a small ramekin, the side dish was the best dish I had.

    (2)

  • Karen D.

    Friendly wait service, food promptly brought from kitchen, although one entree was room temperature. Unfortunately, the restaurant is lacking in ambiance-it was like eating on someone's back porch. Flavor of feijoada was good but the shrimp dish was just OK--the "vegetables" in the dish were mostly huge pieces of onion. It seemed very overpriced all things considered.

    (2)

  • Ane P.

    Drinks are a good start...but then you can add some moqueqas and a whole slu of other things to that list. The waitstaff is very friendly, and they will not hesitate in giving you suggestions if the menu appears very foreign to you. I have eaten here a couple of times, and both times I have been very pleased, and nice and full after leaving. More than worth a try..Brazilian food may become your new favorite!

    (4)

  • maly o.

    The other reviewers are pretty spot on about a few things: small portions for the price they're charging, shitty parking, the collard greens that accompany the feijoada are AWESOME (I need that recipe!). Also a very small and cosy place. The food was really good. My dinner companions weren't impressed by our crab appetizer and fried okra (I liked them just fine) but they really enjoyed their entrees of Bobo de Frango (yum! Chicken in cocnut sauce) and Camarao Alho e Oleo (Shrimp with Garlic & Oil). I wasn't digging my feijoada so much (blasphemy! I know!) but I really enjoyed picking off their plates. =) the Staff were very friendly and kind. We'll be back again!

    (4)

  • Tyler H.

    You know what the easiest way to ruin good Brazilian food is? Eat it with a massive hangover. That was my problem when my wife, a friend and I went there for lunch today. Everything on the menu would have looked wonderful on a typical day, but in my sub-par state, it just made my stomach spin like the blender that the waitress was using to mix tropical cocktails. Eventually, I settled on splitting some chicken croquettes with the other people in my party and a grilled chicken with mango salsa and black beans and rice. The chicken croquettes were quite nice, with a really spicy dipping sauce that got things off to a spicy start. My main entry wasn't nearly as spicy though, and I might have wanted a little more flavor from the salsa on a typical day. But, again with my hangover, it actually was probably just right. Both my wife and friend seemed to really enjoy their dishes, with my usually fickle friend actually commenting "that was better than I expected." So, there's that. Someday I want to go back, sans hangover.

    (4)

  • Maurice D.

    Excellent food and low-key ambiance, but do try to come when they have live music. The last time I was here, they had an acoustic guitarist play some classics by Milton Nascimiento and Caetano Veloso. I've tried the feijoada and the moqueca de peixe (fish stew) and both were superb. For dessert, I recall having some sort of tropical fruit custard that was also topnotch... I think it was mango or passion fruit.

    (4)

  • Texie Y.

    My boss selected this restaurant for our office Christmas dinner, and I was very pleased by the food and service. Our large party ordered several appetizers and main dishes "family style" (not sure if that's a regular option) so I got to try a significant portion of the menu. We had: Bolino de bacalhau Aipim frito Sauteed garlic shrimp (not on the menu?) Coxinha de galinha Salada Ipanema Bife acebolado Frango Olodum Cooked greens with bacon (not on the menu?) The frango olodum was my favorite, but I'd order any of these dishes again. Also, the drink menu featured lots of wonderful cachaca concoctions, but tonight I enjoyed a Guarana Antarctica (non-alcoholic) soda tonight instead. It tasted like cream soda mixed with ginger ale...delicious!

    (4)

  • Mike L.

    Great atmosphere and excellent food. I recommend the Feijoada and the Coxinhas. I am a repeat customer, especially with my brazilian friends. Thanks Antonio!!!

    (4)

  • angela b.

    Excellent food, way overpriced. I had total buyer's remorse after eating here last... $56 for two people (no liquor!) left my stomach feeling unappreciative of the food I'd just ingested. It didn't help that my dining partner had the steak and left half of it on his plate due to it being gristle and fat. I love the moqueca de peixe, so my tastebuds were happy. But again....I feel like I'd have been happier spending that money on a pair of cute shoes. With the casual decor and the lackluster presentation, I find the prices pretty unreasonable. I'll be leaving future visits to cravings for food outside of the norm....maybe with out of town friends.

    (3)

  • Michael M.

    After living in Brasil and eating at many different spots all over Brasil coming back to America I was wanting to find a place to get my favorite Brasilian foods. After attending Carnaval one year at the Tractor I met the owners of this restaurant. They were very nice and invited me to their restaurant. When I arrived I was met by some guys playing music and dancing Samba. I felt very welcome immediately. I ordered my guanara and started off with fejao and it was delish. Next had some bolo de queixo then finally some dessert of guava pudding. Overall I enjoyed myself and have gone back a few times since. Probably some of the most authentic Brasilian food that I could find here in Washington.

    (4)

  • Jeff T.

    Man, this place rocked. It brought back all the great memories of my time in Brazil. The bife acebolado was prefect and to top that off they have coxinhas. I just wish that they had a place here in Portland, but I know I'll be back the next time I'm in Seattle. Valeu!

    (5)

  • Nana B.

    Delicious Brazilian Food!!!

    (5)

  • Ginger B.

    This little cafe is just a quick walk from my house, at the quiet end of University Way, near Cowen Park. The food is fantastic; I particularly love the chicken with coconut and their amazing rice and beans. The drinks are distinctively Brazilian, as is the music. It's nice to find live music at a restaurant outside of Latin America....bossa nova to dine by is divine. What's not so divine is the high price tag on such simple comfort food. That's the one thing that keeps me from walking down there every night for dinner. It also inspired me to learn to cook the stuff on their menus myself. Still, it's a lot better than Ipanema Grill. Who wants to go downtown anyway? Stick to the shady side of the U-District for better Brazilian.

    (3)

  • James M.

    Brasilians eat late ... which is why you will always be able to get a table when you arrive on the early side at this out-of-the-way hideout on the north side of Univ Ave in the U District. While others have noted the price increase, I think this is still a very reasonable place and I love the food. I suppose you could make your own feijoada for less at home, but who is going to cook this stew all the day the way it needs to be done? The collard greens that come with the feijoada are delicious. Do order a caipirinha (drink made from cachaca and muddled limes and sugar) but be careful -- they pack a punch! The chicken croquettes and fried yucca are good appetizers. For dessert I always have the passion fruit mousse. I think it has to be my favorite dessert in the entire world!

    (4)

  • alexander D.

    I should start out by saying that I have known the owners since they lived in Brazil and I work there most summers. That having been said the food you eat is truly authentic of north eastern Brazil, though they complain about the poor quality and high prices of the ingredients here. The wait staff are all nice and all speak Portuguese and English. They can help you with anything you need because most of them have lived in Brazil. The rum that they use for the caipirinhas is bad but that is all you can get here. Over all it is nice to go there and have some fun but it is not the land of Gisele or Rio de Janeiro, this is way farther north with a much larger black influence. Oh and the covering for the patio was the idea of the guy who owns the house.

    (5)

  • Jenny D.

    Alright, so I only went here because a) I live in the Udistrict and b) I had a 25$ gift certificate. My boyfriend and I ate here for our anniversary, and I had a wonderful time. Food: Thank you yelpers for recommending some of the food selections. First we ordered the crab appetizer--quite tasty, served in a crab shell. Mildly spicy, great with lime juice, nice and hearty for an appetizer. Next, we each had a spicy mussel soup. It was chunky and wonderful, but it did taste a little too similar to the crab. Lots of tomatoes. Wonderfully succulent seafood taste. I had the Frango Olodum which was oh-so-light and good. The coconut milk added a nice zing and the olives added a great topper. I took some extra home, and my roommate (who doesn't much of anything) inhaled the rest. My boyfriend got the prawns (bobo de camarao) and they were wonderful. I would've preferred it to be spicier, but it had a red sauce different from the crab & mussels. The prawns were pretty fresh and the sauce had cooked in very strongly. We got the flan as dessert and it hit the spot! I had been craving flan since July so I am happy dappy. Drinks: Omigosh. I got cashew juice (did you know cashews are a FRUIT of which we just usually eat the nuts??) and it was delicious!! My boyfriend got Brazilian soda, consistently our favorite, which washes down everything very well. Service: The waitresses were super friendly to us. She taught me how to pronounce a bunch of menu items, brought us food one right after another (so fast!!), and checked in on us a couple times. Ambiance: So cute and cozy. We sat inside (away from the live music) so we could talk, but the little band was adorable. The whole place also has Brazilian music playing and smells yummy. Nice silverware, nice napkins--it's almost a fancy restaurant. The exterior isn't flashy, but inside I'm comfy and well fed. Overall, great experience. Good service, great food, nice atmosphere. On the ave no less--what a winner!

    (4)

  • saul c.

    They deliver what they say they will. Not an amazing restaurant with amazing food? Well, they're very informal, very friendly, and the food is way above decent. adding everything up = I'll be back for sure. I've heard they have live music on Saturdays. Icing on the cake!

    (4)

  • Steve M.

    The food here is pretty good - I liked the sauces (most are coconut-based), and the caiprinhas aren't bad (but I still prefer mojitos.) The main problem is that this restaurant is overpriced. Yes, it's good, and has difference cuisine than you usually find in town - but that doesn't justify the cost. I would say it's a nice place to go for a change, but it wouldn't be a place you'd go ever month or so.

    (3)

  • Kevin S.

    Been going here for years. The food is awesome, but I must admit I'm a little miffed that the prices have gone up like 30% in the last few years. That said, the drinks and food are great. Live music is so so, oh and if its a hot day don't go there cause the place gets soooo warm that you'll basically cook.

    (4)

  • Sarah S.

    Decided to go to dinner here after my BF said he'd always wanted to try it and had heard many good things. After dropping almost $45 for just two entrees, all we can say is "eh." The food was kind of bland, and the quality of meat (chicken and beef) seemed like it could have been better. You can walk a few blocks down the ave and get a better meal for half the price.

    (2)

  • Jami M.

    i really wanted to give this place at least three stars, but after the service I just couldn't. and since the menu online is a little different i can't remember all the names of what we ate but i'll try. for the apps we had Casquinha de sir ($9) - really good, kind of like crap dip - and we also had fried okra with a shrimp dip ($5) and that was excellent. for the main dish we had Moqueca de Peixe ($19) - i though it was pretty good but my bf thought it was boring. i called it "subtle". we also had the dish with prawns and a tomato sauce. it was good, but for $19 you would expect more than rice, prawns and sauce - and i did call this one boring. we both had Caipirinha's ($8) (favorite mixed drink of Brazil) and i would definetely recommend one - it's like a mix between a mojito and a margarita - but it's going to be small. so, like everyone else says this place is overpriced. we went knowing this but had a gift certificate from restaurant.com . we still ended up paying $50. then there was the service - they weren't busy and two other tables got in after us and out before us. after we were done eating it took forever to get the check and then for them to pick it up. we had the older gentleman but the other waiters seemed pretty good.

    (2)

  • Miguel D.

    I'm SUPER glad I mad reservations. This place is small, comfortable, and busy. Caldu de Sururu was PERFECT and the Bifeacebolado hit the spot. My girlfriend had the Frango Caipira and was very happy with her food. We'll be returning to this place.

    (4)

  • Karla R.

    I love this restaurant. I'm Brazilian and they are from my home town. The food tastes just like home. They won the Best Entree at the Bite a couple years ago with one of my favorite dishes "Muqueca de Peixe". My husband and I have been regular customers almost since they opened and we have tried everything they have in their menu. They are all very good.

    (5)

  • Ellen C.

    We got a gift certificate to Tempero do Brasil as part of a Stranger auction. The interior is small, and a bit more like a den than a restaurant - there's a TV and collection of CDs in the bookshelves at the back. The location is also a bit strange - on the north of the Ave in a basement. However, the food was amazing. Great flavors, high quality of ingedients, and the drinks, though small, tasted wonderful. The wait staff is also really friendly, and helpful: my husband choked and the waiter steped in and helped out when i was freaking out too much. I would recommend this restaurant highly, and hope enough people go to keep it in buisness.

    (3)

  • Kelly M.

    I really enjoyed the food at Tempero do Brasil. My only other previous experience with Brazilian cuisine are the places where they come around with the skewers of meat. So it was good to come here and see what I expect is more home style cooking. I ordered the feijoada which was a thick and hearty black bean stew with ham and sausage. Basically, it's the ultimate in comfort food. After eating the whole bowl, I felt like I was going to explode. I went early in the evening so the place wasn't busy. The service was warm and friendly and I liked the cozy, home like atmosphere. The only thing I didn't like about my meal was the check. While the food is excellent, the price seems a bit high for what you get, so it's a once or twice a year sort of thing rather than some place I'd go to every couple of months.

    (4)

  • Robyn H.

    Book my ticket to Brazil! The food must be awesome! Want something just a bit different from the usual Mexican, Thai, Pan-Asian, Indian, Pacific Northwest cuisine? You'll find it here. Bring friends, family, neighbors, strangers off the street, whoever. Chances are they'll like it too. The prices are a bit high for my budget but make it a special treat and you won't be eating rice and beans for too long after coming here.

    (3)

  • Jon M.

    If you like Brazilian food, but don't want rodizio, go here. The food is delicious. It has all the taste and warmth of home cooking. It's a bit pricey (but way cheaper than rodizio), and my only other complaint, is that it sometimes takes a while to get your order in and get your food. Perhaps they're understaffed. The staff they do have there is very friendly and pleasant.

    (4)

  • Kyle P.

    Has great food from Northeastern Brazil (2 of the owners are from Salvador) Good live music Friendly service The outside patio was nice with the heat lamps We had the Moqueca de Camarao & Feijoada, both recommended

    (4)

  • arlene j.

    Wow! What delicious food in a sweet, modest, converted house. This was our first time dining on Brazilian, and we definitely want to go back to try other prepared meals. We shared two entrees - the traditional house special "feijoada" - magnifique - and halibut simmered in moqueca, a perfectly blended coconut sauce. Our chicken appetizer was excellent. Service was superb, not pretentious. The waiter/owner exuded so much pride and passion for his dishes. We saw his wife pop out of the tiny kitchen for a minute. It was homey and comfortable and very filling. A little pricey for a "hole in the wall," but well worth the experience!

    (5)

  • Ivan M.

    my buddy is currently dating a brazillian girl right now and he recommended this spot for a late supper last nite. i had only tried brazillian bbq in san diego and then again here in downtown seattle. it was already about 830pm when we started to head up there but my buddy assured me that they closed late on sundays as well. well, when we got there at 5 minutes to 9pm i noticed on the door that they closed at 9pm! wtf! well, i'm starving and so i peek my big head in and ask the guy first guy i see (one of the cooks) if they'd still serve us. he pointed at the owner and told me to run it by him but he made it seem like they would be cool with it. the owner double checks with his staff and says ok. that was cool of him! they still had customers there (a couple smokin' hot ladies and family havin' a bday party). he was super helpful in telling me what everything was and what went with what. haha. i'm a noob, so what! prices was decent. i don't know what them other broke *ss reviewers was talkin' bout. my steak was a TAD over done but it was delicious still. rice and beans was winner as was the potato salad. i had a good time chattin' with the owner but service was a smidge slow. prolly cause we was the last mofos there and he was basically working the room by himself. i'm not hating, i'll go back again. if you're broke, prolly best not to eat out. stick with your top ramen.

    (3)

  • Sheryl S.

    This food is great. The staff are nice. The menu isn't very extensive, though, especially if you don't want to eat red meat every time. The setting is weird and a little shoddy but that makes it feel more cute and definitely more authentic to me.

    (4)

  • kayta b.

    Man is this some good stuff! Cooks are all actually from Brazil and talented. Go for the tradional feijoada --black bean and meat stew served with collard greens and rice. And let 'em know if you like it spicy - they'll listen! Moderate prices and worth every penny.

    (5)

  • Rick L.

    One of the best things about most south american themed restaurants is you get your money's worth. The food here is excellent and you get a LOT OF MEAT. Did you hear that? TONS. :)

    (4)

  • Doris K.

    Unlike many of the reviews I read about Tempero do Brasil, I am writing from the perspective of knowing exactly where Brasil is, where Bahia is located, and that this is the region from which the owners and consequently their cuisine, originate. Not only the food is entirely authentic, it is absolutely unique in that there isn't another such home-style Brasilian restaurant in the area (for years there wasn't another Brasilian restaurant in Seattle). Of course it costs a bit more, they use good ingredients, many not common around here, and they are a small family operated place. As to the atmosphere, it is cozy, incredibly friendly, and welcoming to all, ESPECIALLY children. The owners, Antonio and Graca, are a husband and wife who have two children and a grand child of their own. My rambunctious child has been welcomed at Tempero since he was a baby, which has not been my experience at many other Seattle restaurants. If you go on a night when there is music you will be in for an extra treat. In short, take it from an actual Brasilian, this is TRUE Brasilian food and a very special place,which can only exist if folks recognize its value and patronize it as often as budget allows. Otherwise we will increasingly be left with cheap, but fake, ethnic fast food. As for my family, it is our favorite restaurant. Obrigada e tchau!

    (5)

  • Maarten v.

    The food is tasty and well made; the atmosphere is average, unless there's live music; the caiprinhas are decent, though small. I like Tempero, but my complaint is the menu: it always seems like there are only two things on the menu: seafood in coconut milk-based sauce, or steak. Since I don't eat red meat, the choice is shrimp in coconut milk, cod in coconut milk, or some other fish in coconut milk with tomatoes. I like it, and recommend trying Tempero if you haven't been, but it's not on my list of places I go regularly.

    (3)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Tue

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Dinner
    Parking : Street
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : Yes
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : Yes

Tempero do Brasil

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