Novo Brazil - Reviews

My experience at this restaurant was fantastic. It's a great place to catch the game with friends or to host an event. The food is great and the staff is very friendly and helpful. A big shout out to Jimmy, Caio, Rafa, and Andres for their excellent service!

For two years, I've been producing a monthly event at Novo Brazil Brewing, hosting over 100 people. They have been a sheer pleasure to work with. Their space is excellent, featuring a huge screen for presentations and a microphone for addressing the audience. We can comfortably accommodate our crowd for both standing and networking, as well as seated dining. Everyone comments on how much they love the space, the food, and the service. HUGE shouts out to the management: Caio and Jimmy, and the staff Josh, Andres, Sebastien, Maria, and everyone else whose name I forgot.

My experience at the restaurant was largely positive, centered around the delicious, European-portioned meals. I appreciated the availability of healthy options. The atmosphere was also rated highly. However, the playground could benefit from an expansion, as my 4-year-old nephew expressed a desire for a "big slide! " lol.

My experience at Novo was a mixed bag. While the beer was good, the food and service definitely need improvement. I was charged $25 on my card to start a tab, despite informing them I would be paying cash. This charge remained on my card even after I paid in cash and left a generous tip, which was very confusing. The service was also inconsistent, with different people taking my beer order, food order, and checking in. The service at Novo, including the Otay Ranch location, is consistently 'meh'. I ordered my burger medium, but it arrived well-done.

I visited Novo Brazil Brewing for the first time on Monday, December 8th around 7 PM with a friend, expecting a relaxed evening as they were advertised to close at 10 PM. Unfortunately, the experience quickly became disappointing. While the football game noise was not an issue, an employee placed a mop bucket filled with soapy water right next to our table while we were still eating, around 8: 45 PM. By 9: 15 PM, the smell of soap became overwhelming, and due to my asthma, we had to move the bucket ourselves. Later, at 9: 45 PM, another employee rushed us, taking my cup of water with kombucha and telling me to "hurry up" because they were closing in 15 minutes. This treatment was directed only at us, not other occupied tables, which felt rude and unnecessary. To compound the issue, the food wasn’t very good either. If the staff intended to close earlier, the posted hours should reflect that. This experience was enough to ensure I won't be returning.

I visited this restaurant for dinner on a weekday and had a mixed experience. My wife enjoyed her California burrito, but I was disappointed with my steak frites. I ordered my steak medium-rare, but it arrived well-done. The serving of fries was surprisingly small for a $26 entree, although they were good. I received more breadcrumb topping on the side than fries. The service was notably bad; despite the restaurant being nearly empty, our server was largely absent. Another staff member was helpful when we looked for our server. Ultimately, I had to go to the bar to pay. The atmosphere was great, with plenty of screens for sports, but the price is too high for the quality offered. It was a disappointing experience overall.

I love Nova kombucha, so I was excited to find a place where I can get it on tap! I'm giving 5 stars specifically for the kombucha. I've visited this location at least five separate occasions, dining alone, with a group, and with my partner. However, one consistent element across every visit has been terrible service, whether at the bar or a table. There are long wait times to place an order and even longer to receive it. Often, orders are forgotten, and basic customer interactions are lacking. While I've noticed a few employees who go above and beyond, it seems the younger generation feels entitled to a tip for just doing their job. Don't expect much from this place in terms of service; expect to be there for quite a while waiting for a drink. The drinks are the shit! So good! But the service could definitely be better. I'd suggest checking out their Ocean Beach location instead. Cheers!

I decided to try this restaurant despite its mixed reviews. The atmosphere was acceptable; it's a very large, kid-friendly space with numerous loud TVs. However, the service was subpar, especially considering the number of staff working. The food was awful, some of the worst I've had in a long time, and it was far too expensive for what was served. Everything seemed to come from pre-packaged bags or was frozen. The onion rings were terrible and an additional $6 upgrade. I would not recommend this place.

I made a reservation for 30 guests one full month in advance at the Mission Valley location. During that month, I was contacted multiple times to confirm the reservation details, and was reassured repeatedly that everything was set and that they wanted to make my birthday celebration special. 45 minutes before my reservation time, I received a call stating they were “slammed” and would no longer be honoring my reservation or holding the tables. I was stunned. I explained I had 30 guests already on their way, and I asked why my reservation was suddenly being cancelled. The employee repeatedly said “sorry, ” but offered no solutions, no compromises, and no attempt to problem-solve. When I asked if I came ASAP and waited for tables to open, I was told again “sorry, we can’t help you, ” and she ended the call because they were “busy. ” This all happened less than an hour before my event. The lack of professionalism, accountability, and customer service was shocking. At that point, I no longer felt comfortable giving this location my business. Fortunately, the Otay Ranch location stepped up immediately. Despite also being busy, they welcomed us in and found solutions to accommodate my entire party. My group of over 30 guests spent a significant amount on food and drinks. Mission Valley lost a major reservation, and also lost the future business of everyone who attended. I will not recommend the Mission Valley location after this experience—but I will absolutely continue supporting and recommending the Otay Ranch location, who handled the situation with professionalism, care, and excellent customer service.

My experience at the restaurant tonight was disappointing due to the service. We arrived at 5 pm on November 26th and were completely ignored when trying to place our drink and food orders. The table next to us, which was seated after us, received their orders, and our server did not check on us even twice. It took an unacceptable 10-15 minutes just to be asked for our drink order, making it not worth our time to stay for food. Consequently, we left.