Austin Bites: Sampaio's (A Bargain Boozer's Guide to Brazilian)
Sampaio's (Brazilian Cuisine)
Location: 4800 Burnet Rd. [map]
Phone: (512) 469-9988
Cost: Lunch entrees: $9 - $16, Dinner entrees: $12 - $29
Atmosphere: Intimate, casual patio. Romantic interior.
Food: If you've reached that point where you just need to eat some yucca, there's no better spot in Austin than Sampaio's. Located just west of Hyde Park on Burnet, this place blends delicious Brazilian food with a comfortable, intimate setting that manages to feel more relaxed than unnecessarily upscale. Even on a Tuesday night, this place had attracted a modest crowd, though most people congregated towards the outdoor patio to enjoy their food over conversation and downbeat background music rather than sit in any of the dark, candlelit tables inside.
The delicious looking appetizers were delivered in a reasonable time. We started with the Bolinhos de Arroz ($6), continued with a plate of potato, herb and cheese rice puffs in a rosemary cream sauce, and finished with the Mandioca Griddles ($7), pan-fried yucca cakes covered in cheese and served in a vinaigrette rich with diced tomatoes. We originally thought that two yucca cakes sounded scarce for the price, but found them to be very thick and filling.
For the entrees, the Xinxim de Galinha com Camarao ($14) was satisfying, though the peanut sauce somewhat overpowered the flavors of the chicken, shrimp and coconut in the rest of the dish. The Estrogonofe Cremoso ($14) found the chicken and scallions well complemented by the tomato cream sauce. The real stars of the evening, however, were the Porco Tenderloin ($20), a pork-loin crusted in a fine layer of coffee and covered in a mild cherry sauce, and the Picanha Grelhada ($21), a tender cut of sirloin covered in the tastiest chimmichurri sauce that we've ever had.
The service, though not the fastest, was friendly, and all the staff seemed very informed about the details of the various dishes we asked about. The biggest downside was that even though we had brought in a bottle of our own to drink ($10 corking fee), we still had to make a point to ask for glasses. Better to just skip the hassle and wash the whole thing down with their fresh Sangria.
photo by miguel_ale on flickr
