Cafes, churrascarias and clubs: Where to go for a taste of Brazil

It’s the party spirit that sets Brazilian restaurants apart -- the best have crowd-pleasing menus and an atmosphere that encourages socializing. Note that churrascaria all-you-can-eat prices do not include beverages or desserts.

Agora. Upscale, corporate-style restaurant with a flashy buffet featuring shellfish and salmon, high-quality salads and hot dishes, plus great Brazilian basics: pao de queijo (cheese rolls), feijoada (labeled “bean soup” here). There’s no samba vibe in this office-park location, though. Churrasco: $35 dinner, $19 lunch; salad bar: $23 dinner, $15 lunch. Children’s dinner, $19; lunch, $11. 1830 Main St., Irvine. (949) 222-9910. www.agoranow.com.

Amazon. Comfortable, casual spot with kitschy jungle decor. Extensive buffet has Asian and Latino touches (salads with seaweed, dim sum, menudo) as well as fried yuca, cheese rolls and other Brazilian specialties. Authentic caipirinhas. Dinner, $23.95; buffet only, $16.99. Lunch, $13.95 (no buffet-only price) 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday; full price Saturday and Sunday. Children 4 to 9, half-price. Children younger than 4, free. 1445 S. Lemon St., Fullerton, (714) 447-1200. www .amazonbbq.com.

Bossa Nova. Mini-chain of three cafes serving fresh, plentiful and well-made food. The Robertson branch is near three clubs and hungry nighthawks abound. On Sunset, tattooed parents share a pizza with toddlers. The Beverly Hills branch has a lunch mini-buffet. Great pao de queijo at all locations. Beer and wine only, so caipirinhas are made with vermouth. Appetizers, $3 to $8; salads, $7 to $11.50; sandwiches, $7 to $11; pastas, $7 to $14; entrees, $9.50 to $17. 685 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood. (310) 657-5070; 7181 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 436-7999; 212 S. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, (310) 550-7900.

By Brazil. Modest but just-expanded family-run churrascaria with carefully prepared, authentic dishes such as housemade pao de queijo, stroganoff, onion salad, eggplant salad, housemade desserts and a friendly atmosphere. A nice alternative to the sometimes way-loud larger spots. Beer, wine, juices including cashew-fruit beverage. Lunch (weekdays only): churrasco, $12.99; buffet only, $7.99; kids 10 and younger, $4. Dinner and weekends all day: churrasco, $21.99; buffet only, $12.99; kids, $6.50. 1615 Cabrillo Ave., Torrance, (310) 787-7520. www.bybrazilbbq.com.

Cafe Brasil. Sidewalk cafe on a busy boulevard is an institution in Palms, with a branch in the works a few miles west on Washington Boulevard. Line up to place your grill order (fish, beef, chicken or vegetables) served with Brazilian sides. Look out for specialties: feijoada on weekends, flaky heart of palm pasteis (empanada) and a great passion fruit mousse. Fresh-squeezed tropical juices. Breakfast, $7.95; sandwiches, $5.75 to $7.95; grilled entrees with sides and salad or soup, $9.50 to $15. 10831 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 837-8957. www.cafe-brasil.com.

Espeto’s do Brazil. Comfortable restaurant near Panorama Mall is one of the smaller churrascarias and offers a nice buffet with fresh salads, fried fish and plantains, a good soup and several meats. Lunch, $12.95; dinner $19.95. (Note: Gratuity is added in bill.) 8751 Van Nuys Blvd., Panorama City, (818) 892-5988.

Fogo de Chao. Awarded 1 1/2 stars, this La Cienega branch of a Brazilian restaurant group imports the night-on-the-town mood from Brazil, but offers fewer Brazilian dishes than the more casual restaurants. Emphasis is on top-quality meat (about 15 choices) and salad-bar offerings, with fewer prepared salads and hot side dishes. Caipirinhas are top-notch. Dinner, $48.50 ($24.25 for children 6 to 10; no charge for children 5 and younger). Dinner salad bar only, $22. Lunch, $32 adults, prices for children and salad bar only the same as at dinner. 133 N. La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Hills, (310) 289-7755. www.fogodechao.com.

Gauchos Village Churrascaria & Carnaval Bar. This popular churrascaria’s new home has a big dining room with vaulted ceiling, brick walls, enormous paintings of gaucho scenes and an island-style bar embellished with life-size mannequins in gaudy Carnaval outfits. Loud music (live or recorded) plays constantly, waiters in gaucho pants gather to sing birthday songs and dancers suddenly appear to shake a tail feather. The food’s good: excellent meat, a selection of Brazilian beers, terrific salads. Lunch, Monday through Friday, $14.95; Saturday and Sunday, $16.95; dinner Sunday through Friday, $23.95; Friday and Saturday, $25.95. Buffet only, $9.95, available only at lunch Monday through Friday. 411 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale, (818) 550-1430. www.gauchosvillage.com.

Green Field Churrascaria. For full-bar steakhouse fans, these well-appointed restaurants have the dignified atmosphere that makes a top sirloin an occasion, but there’s nothing stuffy about the generous, fresh buffets that include peel-your-own shrimp, ceviche, mussels, feijoada and stroganoff. More than a dozen meats in the rotation and lots of Brazilian dishes, but no cultural ambience. Caipirinhas made with sweet-and-sour mix. Long Beach location: Lunch weekdays, $14.95; lunch weekends and dinner, $25.95. Children 3 to 7, half price. 5305 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach, (562) 597-0906. West Covina location: lunch weekdays, $12.95; buffet only, $9.95. Lunch weekends and holidays and dinner daily, $23.95; buffet only, $14.95. Children 4 to 12, half price. 381 N. Azusa Ave., West Covina, (626) 966-2300. www.greenfieldchurrascaria.com.

M Grill. Small, unassuming business-district churrascaria in Koreatown has buffet with Brazilian specialties as well as three kinds of rice, seafood stew and other hot dishes and a selection of salads. Travelogue-style videos of Brazil play behind the bar and the entrance displays photos of Brazilian celebs. About seven meat choices at lunch; a dozen at dinner. Lunch, $13.99, buffet only $8.99. Dinner, $26.99, buffet only, $15.99. Fridays and Saturdays, dinner $26.99, no buffet-only price. 3832 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 389-2770. www.m-grill.com.

Malagueta. Previously named Chiara, this Old Town Pasadena cafe gives pastas, grilled entrees, sandwiches and salads a Brazilian twist with such ingredients as hearts of palm, cashews, malagueta peppers and coconut. Fridays through Sundays only, there’s feijoada ($11.95 with collards, rice and plantains) or Brazilian barbecue ($19.95 for four meats accompanied by black beans, rice, collards, fried yuca and soup or salad). Other dinner entrees, $16.50 to $17.95; pizzas, $8.25 to $12.95. 43 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, (626) 564-8696.

Pampas Grill. Small, popular stall is a recent addition to the venerable Farmers Market food court. Pay by the pound for beautifully made salads (the olive-eggplant is terrific), hot dishes (rice and beans, salmon stew) and grilled meats including top sirloin, garlic chicken, lamb and sausage. Buffet only, $6.45 per pound; meat and buffet, $7.96 per pound; meat only, $10.95 per pound. Farmers Market, 6333 West 3rd St., No. 618, Los Angeles, (323)931-1928. www.pampas-grill.com.

Picanha Churrascaria. Spacious, brightly styled restaurant in the heart of gentrified Burbank takes reservations (there’s often a wait on weekends otherwise). Baskets of hot cheese rolls arrive at each table and the buffet goes on forever with prepared salads, hot dishes, soups. Fattier cuts of meat are the best choices; salad bar items are fresh and tasty. Dinner, $25.95, buffet only $16.95; lunch, $16.95, buffet only, $9.95. 269 E. Palm Ave., Burbank, (818) 972-2100. Also at 73-399 El Paseo, Palm Desert, (760) 674-3434. www.picanharestaurant.com

Rio Lounge & Grill. Food’s not the point at this nightclub, where every night has a different theme. Thursdays are Carnaval night with dancing after the dinner show, Fridays are Rock en Espanol night, etc. Cover charges and dress codes vary. Dinner offers a few meat choices, plus cafeteria-quality side dishes. But the cocktails are excellent. Dinner, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (no show), $19; Friday, Saturday, $45. 15910 Ventura Blvd., Encino, (818) 205-9799. www.rio encino.com.

Samba. Knowledgeable Brazilian staffers give this churrascaria-by-the-sea an authentic feel. The bar’s water-view veranda is great for tossing back a couple of well-made caipirinhas and an order of fresh, hot pao de queijo. The dining room’s quieter than the raucous seafood-market scene at the nearby pier, unless you drop by Thursday through Sundays when there are samba shows. Lunch, $14.95 (also a la carte with menu items beginning at $6.95), dinner, $25.95. Sunday brunch, $19.95. Children ages 3 to 10, dinner, $8.95. 207 North Harbor Drive, Redondo Beach, (310) 374-3411. www.sambaredondo.com.

Zabumba. Tiny, funky club with live music all evening on weekends. Headliners don’t take the stage till after 10:30 p.m., so dining earlier can be lonely, though the staff is friendly and the whimsically named drinks flow freely. Short-order-style menu revolves around down-home Brazilian comfort food: fried munchables, pizzas, grilled entrees with rice and beans, salads. Entrees, $9.95 to $12.95, pizzas, $7.95 to $8.95, appetizer platter, $10.99. 10717 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 841-6525.

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-- Susan LaTempa