Brazil by the Bay - San Diego

My experience at “Brazil by the Bay” was largely disappointing. We ordered feijoada, picanha, and a chicken pastel. The picanha, ordered medium well, was incredibly hard. The feijoada tasted like it had been reheated multiple times and was not good, leaving me very bloated. The pastel was just okay, neither good nor bad. A significant issue was the service; when I inquired about catupiry, the server, who proudly admitted to not speaking Portuguese, didn't even know what it was. This reflects the overall atmosphere, which is further marred by the fact that the restaurant is not actually by the bay. The surrounding neighborhood also struggles with cleanliness and visible poverty. On a positive note, the Brazilian market next door is good.

I’ve been coming here for years, but my last visit was disappointing. I ordered the Tri-Tip plate (Prato Feito) and what they served was not Tri-Tip at all. I clearly know what Tri-Tip looks like and this was something completely different, a cheap cut, super chewy, full of tendons. I couldn’t even finish my plate and neither could any of my friends. It really feels like they are cutting costs in the worst possible place. Unfortunately, they just lost a longtime customer.

My experience at this restaurant was incredibly frustrating. The place seemed to be understaffed, with only one person handling orders. As it got busy, she couldn't manage. My friend and I waited outside for 45 minutes with no service. We had to go inside to order, but our order wasn't even entered into their system. We then waited another 30 minutes for food that never arrived. To top it off, a full argument broke out inside, and the cooks were visibly stressed. It was a complete mess, and we left without eating anything. This place is not needing your business. While Brazil by the Bay used to be messy, at least with more staff, we could sit down and eat. That's not happening anymore.

My experience at the restaurant was disappointing due to significant issues with food quality and service speed. The food took an excessively long time to arrive, and we even received our entrees before our appetizer. To make matters worse, the rice was not fully cooked. I observed food sitting at the window for nearly 10 minutes while the waiters were just talking. As someone who makes amazing Brazilian food at home, I expect restaurants to step up their game if they want to keep my business.

My experience at this Brazilian restaurant was far from the nice Brazilian food I was hoping for. I ordered the PF beef, and my cousin ordered the feijoada; both were real bad. They lacked salt, were overloaded with garlic, and had no other discernible flavor. The beans were cold inside and warm on the outside. The restaurant didn't even provide a proper cutting knife for the beef, only a butter knife. The Coca-Cola was flat, and the plastic cups were scratched. The service was just as bad; despite being the only customers, it was difficult to get the waitress's attention. I wouldn’t recommend this place. If a restaurant can't even cook basic rice and beans properly, it shouldn't be open. The kitchen appeared dirty. Incredibly, even the pave dessert was poorly made. The overall experience was one of FRUSTRATION. I drove 20 minutes for Brazilian food and wish I had just had 7/11 pizza slices instead.