oChef » Brazil by the Bay – San Diego » Brazil by the Bay – San Diego – Reviews

Brazil by the Bay - Reviews

3770 Hancock St G, 92110 San Diego
All reviews at a glance
429

Reviews

67.4%

Satisfaction

127

negative

13

neutral

289

positive

What people say about Brazil by the Bay

Price per Person
  • $41–$50
Service Intent
  • Food Exploration
Visit Type
  • Dine-in
Meal Type
  • Lunch
Noise Level
  • Moderate
Amanda
Review date: 12/22/2025
2
Disappointing Brazilian Experience
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.
  • pastel5
  • Brazilian market8
  • picanha2
  • feijoada2
  • server2
Price per Person
  • $21–$30
Service Intent
  • Regular Visit
Group Type
  • Friends
Group Size
  • Small Group
Visit Type
  • Dine-in
Meal Type
  • Lunch
Noise Level
  • Moderate
Lucas F.
Review date: 11/17/2025
2
Disappointing Tri-Tip and Lost Customer
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.
  • Tri-Tip plate2
  • cheap cut1
  • super chewy1
Service Intent
  • Quick Meal
Group Type
  • Friends
Group Size
  • Couple
Visit Type
  • Dine-in
Wait Time
  • Long (31+ min.)
Noise Level
  • Loud
pedro S.
Review date: 10/27/2025
1
Terrible Service, No Food Received
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.
  • service1
  • order1
  • waiting time1
Price per Person
  • $31–$40
Service Intent
  • Food Exploration
Visit Type
  • Dine-in
Wait Time
  • Long (31+ min.)
Daniela B.
Review date: 10/16/2025
2
Long Wait, Undercooked Rice
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.
  • food2
  • entrees3
  • appetizer3
Service Intent
  • Food Exploration
Group Type
  • Couple
Group Size
  • Couple
Visit Type
  • Dine-in
Meal Type
  • Dinner
Pedro B.
Review date: 09/17/2025
1
Terrible Brazilian Food and Service
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.
  • PF beef1
  • feijoada1
  • salt1
Service Intent
  • Food Exploration
Visit Type
  • Dine-in
Victor A.
Review date: 09/02/2025
9
Authentic Brazilian Coxinhas and Great Service
My experience at the restaurant was very positive. The service was lovely 🙂. The coxinhas were legit, with dough that tasted like real Brazilian coxinhas. The pastel was okay.
  • service10
  • coxinhas10
  • dough10
Price per Person
  • $11–$20
Service Intent
  • Food Exploration
Group Type
  • Couple
Group Size
  • Couple
Visit Type
  • Dine-in
Meal Type
  • Dinner
Noise Level
  • Quiet
Blair W.
Review date: 07/30/2025
2
Disappointing Experience with Beans and Rice
My experience at this restaurant was disappointing, especially considering my background living in Portugal and my wife's in Brazil. We were astounded that they couldn’t get the beans and rice correct. I’m pretty sure they were canned beans. To make matters worse, they were out of feijoado at 5: 30 pm. Even the pao de queijo was only fair.
  • pao de queijo5
  • beans and rice2
  • canned beans2
  • feijoado1
Service Intent
  • Food Exploration
Visit Type
  • Dine-in
Noise Level
  • Loud
Rafaela A.
Review date: 07/20/2025
1
Raw Chicken and Poor Experience
My experience at the restaurant was quite disappointing. I had ordered breaded chicken but was mistakenly served chicken parmigiana instead. To make matters worse, the chicken was raw inside, filled with tendons, and appeared to be poorly cleaned. As someone with over 13 years of experience in the restaurant industry, I believe that if one cannot properly cook or grill chicken, they should not be working in the kitchen. This is not only dangerous but also disgusting. I doubt the cook would serve such a dish to their own family, so why serve it to a guest? This is certainly not the kind of experience I expect when dining out.
  • breaded chicken1
  • chicken parmigiana1
  • chicken1
Price per Person
  • $11–$20
Service Intent
  • Food Exploration
Visit Type
  • Dine-in
Wait Time
  • Immediate (0–5 min.)
Noise Level
  • Quiet
Thamires R.
Review date: 07/18/2025
10
Authentic Brazilian Gem - Must Visit!
My experience at this restaurant was so GOOD that we needed to go twice the same day 🤣. It’s an authentic Brazilian restaurant. The food was AMAZING, full of flavor, and truly true to the Brazilian experience. The coxinhas were a 10/10! The kaipiroskas were also delicious, I highly recommend them. The service was excellent, and everyone was friendly. It was an incredible experience, and we will definitely be back.
  • food10
  • coxinhas10
  • kaipiroskas9
Service Intent
  • Food Exploration
Group Type
  • Couple
Group Size
  • Couple
Visit Type
  • Dine-in
Meal Type
  • Lunch
Noise Level
  • Quiet
Tina A. I. S.
Review date: 06/29/2025
9
Incredible Brazilian Food, Casual Atmosphere
It's quite difficult to find a traditional Brazilian restaurant that isn't a steakhouse, so I was thrilled to discover this place. Omg, it was SO good! The restaurant is very simple and casual, not a fancy establishment, but the food is incredible. I highly recommend their Coxinha! Our waitress was also awesome! I was very happy with my experience here.
  • Coxinha10
  • food9
  • waitress9

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