Casa Brasil - Pittsburgh

Wonderful atmosphere, delicious food, and fantastic energy! I went to dinner with some friends and we were all impressed by the amazing and authentic cuisine. The service was also exceptional.

This place is really good! You have to make reservations but it's worth it. The food is authentic but it does take a while to get served and the space is small.

Maybe I just happened in on a day where I was feeling very good, but everything in my life seemed to direct me here on this Friday afternoon. I can 't describe in any kind of accurate detail what a wonderful afternoon I had at this restaurant.If you are impatient, or easily frustratable, I don 't recommend going during lunch time on a weekend. They were busy, their oven had problems, and they were short-staffed. This is pretty normal in our current economy and way of life! This is a small restaurant with little seating. The chef and sole waiter were both flustered and gracious, and I felt a lot of solidarity with that as a service worker myself.I described the food I ate here to my roommate as multiple religious experiences. The first bite of yuca fry I took, I was transported. Hot and fresh, salty but not heavy, and especially with their hot sauce!! I knew I was in for a wonderful experience. I also ordered the black bean soup, which is vegan and incredibly flavorful; the cheese bread, which came out late because of the oven difficulties, but was so delicious dipped in that soup; and the feijoada completa. Constructing the perfect bite of every element on the plate was thrilling. At the recommendation of an even better friend, I got myself a house Caipirinha cocktail.Because I am patient, and I like Yinzers, I was lucky enough to strike up conversation with multiple of my lunch partners. One of them was celebrating her birthday with her friend Avery! We had a lovely conversation over the half hour we were eating and mildly interacting. I feel very lucky to have met them. A Brazilian family that sat down a while after I arrived conversed with me after they heard it was my first time trying Brazilian food, educating me that feijoada was a dish born from slavery! It made sense to me, since it tasted so much like Creole and Cajun cuisine, but with a few extra different flavors. So much of the food we regularly enjoy was created by enslaved people, and I am grateful that that fact was honored during my meal today.Anyhow, this is now in the top five restaurants I 've eaten at in Pittsburgh, solely based on the food. Top two for the atmosphere, staff, and customers during my first experience. I will be regularly returning.Vegetarian options: They had multiple vegan options, including a vegan feijoada!Kid-friendliness: Multiple children were dining at lunch at the same time, and their parents were happy to let them be kids. Dietary restrictions: As long as you know your own dietary restrictions, they were very accommodating to the minor requests I made. They have a few menu items that say no substitutions please, so I would be a bit hesitant to ask for them in those specific plates unless you have an allergy.

The food at this restaurant is absolutely incredible! It's completely authentic and the service is excellent. The Pão de queijo was outstanding and the codfish stew had some of the best cooked fish I've ever had. It's great comfort food and the cocktail was delicious too!

Having eaten 90% of the menu at Casa Brasil at this point, and having been a chef for many years, I can honestly say I am in love with this place! Everything we have had has been remarkable. 90% of the menu is gluten free. All of it is beautifully prepared in a way that it is clear that the chef truly takes pride in what is being served. Service has been wonderful, each time I had the same waiter, and just let him order what he thought were key dishes. Not a single thing was anything less than delicious. I'm almost afraid to recommend it, because it's already hard to get a seat! Keep up the great work Casa Brasil!