Brasil Arts Cafe

I love this restaurant, and come here all the time for lunch and dinner, takeout and dine in.
I want to address an issue with an employee (Melissa) today. Im leaving a 5 star review nonetheless because I always receive AMAZING service and food here. I work across the street and never tire of their lunch specials. Usually I grab lunch to go but the past few days I’ve dined in. Every time I take a seat towards the back and a lovely gentleman takes my order. Today, no one acknowledged me when I walked in and fine no problem, I went to an employee and pointed out where I’d be sitting. She says, oh we don’t take your order you order at the counter. I was surprised and mentioned that the past few days for lunch someone’s always come to the table and provided service. She responded short with an attitude, that’s only for dinner– besides we’re really busy and walked away. I looked around, there were two tables eating food and really quiet around 2:30. A newer girl took my order at the register and she was really nice.
I have no problem with ordering myself, it was her unwelcoming attitude that threw me off. Continue doing what you do best Brazil Arts, this place is a rare gem. I’d just suggest avoiding Melissa if you come here. Everyone else has always been really nice and attentive.
By the way, their steak and chicken are the bomb. And the little chicken tear drop croquettes. And their gluten free cheese bread. And the coconut fish stew stuff.

I’m going to preface this review with I might have experienced the perfect storm. Being sick, I wanted some juice with high nutritional value so I came here wanting a simple hot Cold Blast (hot water, lemon, ginger, honey). Waked in the door and there was a line from the register across the room. Decided to wait. FINALLY got to the front and placed my order only to find their machine for the Clod Blast was broken, the man suggested a cold ginger lemonade as that’s the closest thing to the Cold Blast. Okay… Began to wait for my order right next to where food and drinks come out and after 5 – 7 minutes of waiting on what I’m pretty sure was a drink the restaurant pre-​made, finally spoke to one of the food runners to find it was sitting on the counter. Wish they would have had one more person at the register and food runners have been more attentive to bringing out orders. Overall, not satisfied with my final order and the service.

I usually come here to buy the heavenly «pao de queijo’ (a delicious warm cheese bread made with tapioca flour) but I always end up trying something else as well. I have been here many times, both eating in and taking to go. It has always been a great experience, the food is fresh, tasty and very good quality. Great salads, smoothies and acai bowls. Also the selection of brasilian dish options are delicious as well. So, keep in mind many items are not the typical American plates, and that is actually a good thing! As I live in SB I will like places like this to stay around as they bring flavor, color and diversity to our community. The service has always been good and very friendly staff. And lets not forget the samba, capoeira and Afro-​brasilian classes they have in the back of the restaurant which are all so great as well. All around a great place! Thank you!

6÷11÷15 service was excellent. As soon as we entered we were told by a young man with blond hair that he would be right with us. We told our female server that we were trying to get to a concert. She both remembered to bring our check with our meal, and even reminded us to pay when we were just chatting away! We were still a few minutes late, but without her we would have been even later. Both were friendly, there when we needed, and unobtrusive. So happy to be back in SB!
We both ordered the delicious shrimp «stroganoff.» Came with rice & fries, both good, and a salad that was excellent. I prefer my salads underdressed, so would order dressing on the side next time.
Great experience all around.

We had breakfast here and it was phenomenal. Our party had egg sandwiches, scrambled eggs, toast with guava jam, pan de quesos, passion fruit juice and ginger lemonades. All very delicious! Wish we had room for more in our stomachs because the acai bowls looked delicious and there were some enticing smoothies on the menu, too. They have one of those menus that stress you out because you it’s hard to choose from all of the awesome options they have. I’m fairly certain that if I spent several days in Santa Barbara I would come here for breakfast every day. Besides the food, the staff is very courteous and polite. From what I could tell, the majority (if not all of them) are Brazilians and they do a great job of creating a comfortable, homey atmosphere. Another cool aspect of the café is that they have a capoiera/​zumba studio in the back. Highly recommended

I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone, as I had my worst dining experience in Santa Barbara here. My sister and I were trying to get in a quick breakfast at 10:30 AM as I had to sing in mass by noon. We decided to try this new place and use our Axxess card. We walked in and found a couple of our friends waiting to be seated inside. We greeted each other and when we realized we were both trying to use Axxess cards we told our waiter up front and asked him if we couldn’t sit together then could he sit us in tables next to each other. He said it was no problem and that we could sit together and use both cards. Sweet!
Even though the restaurant was empty we were seated in a table way in the back close to the restrooms. Our waiter brought us menus and water and I informed him at that point that I was in a hurry because I needed to be at church by 11:45. It took him OVER 20 MINUTES just to come back and take our order!!! We kept trying to signal to him that we were ready but he wouldn’t look our way. I finally got up to ask him to take our order. I ordered the BAC Scramble and my sister ordered the Eggs Benedict. I don’t remember what our friends ordered. I asked for no onions on my scramble (I’m allergic to onions) and our waiter said that the kitchen could accommodate that.
Another twenty minutes later we get our food and I first notice a red dip that comes with my plate. I asked the waiter if it was ketchup and he said yes, so I poured the «ketchup» all over my home fried potatoes. OMG It was NOT ketchup — it was some sort of sweet fruit purée. I had smothered this on my home fries and I was so mad he had lied to me. If he didn’t know he shouldn’t have said yes; he should have asked. I was not ok with this, but I was also on a time schedule so I just didn’t eat my potatoes. figured it would take too long to reorder them. I next noticed something very strange — my «scramble» was just eggs. I asked my waiter where my spinach and bacon was in the scramble and he told me it was all pre-​mixed together in the kitchen and since I“m allergic to onions they didn’t put anything else in my omelet. What the heck??? Why didn’t he tell me that! I basically was being charged $ 12 for two eggs and potatoes smothered in false «ketchup.» I told him that I needed to eat and this wasn’t fair, so I asked him why he couldn’t just bring me a side of bacon as a substitute. He said ok and left… and he never brought the bacon.
At this point we were all upset. I don’t remember what was wrong with my friends’ dishes, but I remember them saying they were still hungry because the portions were small for the price. My sister did like her Eggs Benedict but told me they were much bigger and more filling at Cajun Kitchen. I was starving after only eating two eggs and my imaginary bacon… then we got the bill.
The waiter actually charged me $ 3.50 for the bacon he didn’t even bring me. We were so mad we walked to the girl at the register and told her we didn’t get the bacon (which she removed from my bill) and presented her with our two bills and two Axxess cards — at that point we just wanted to leave. She told us that we could only use one card as we had sat together. We explained to her that we had checked with the waiter before being seated and he told us it would be fine. Her response was, «Well he’s new here and doesn’t know the rules. We can only take one» and proceeded to charge us.
My experience at this restaurant was unacceptable. I understand a new person not knowing the ropes, but what is unacceptable is (1) he wasn’t being supervised or trained by someone more experienced, and (2) he made mistakes that we had to pay for… literally. If a staff member makes a mistake it should be the restaurant’s responsibility to take care of their customers by righting their mistakes, but instead we got the clear message that they weren’t taking any responsibility for the new guy’s actions. I was not ok with being charged twelve bucks for two eggs and a couple pieces of bread.
My sister and I left and after church went straight to Freebird’s to split some nachos — cheaper, more filling, and made just the way we like them. She worked as a waitress for many years and asked me not to ask for a manager at the restaurant or call attention to our poor service, but after reflecting she told me she wished we had said something to someone in a managerial position because our experience really was unacceptable.

The best Brazilian food we’ve had in a long time. We ordered the Brazilian specialties — some are only available on the weekends. The kids ordered the acai bowl. Great and friendly service. Definitely will return!

One of the best restaurant in Santa Barbara! A little pricey but worth it! Their food and service are great! We ate here two days in a row because their food is so good!

The food was not bad but I wouldn’t say it was worth the price. I had the BAC burger. Apparently it comes as a regular burger or slider. I opted for the sliders thinking it would be the standard 3 mini burgers but it was a burger the size of a McDonald’s cheeseburger. Flavor was ok, I wish the Chimmi Churri was emphasized a little more. Fries were under seasoned. Underwhelming for the price I’m paying. I may come back to try the other options. Its a good size restaurant and it wasn’t too busy on a Saturday night.

Found this place unexpectedly as we walked on state street. The atmosphere was inviting so we decided to try it. I had the vegetarian plate and then acai bowl. Very delicious! Server was very nice. I wish they had a person attending the front of the business (to seat customers), since I wasn’t sure if the place was order food first then sit…

Great variety of food! And don’t trust whoever left a review saying «churros are not typically Brazilian»…I wonder if he’s ever been to my country before. Although the coffee wasn’t great (maybe they should import a more premium brand), everything else was pretty good.

Went in tonight and was greeted with smiles and accommodations (when we wanted to move tables.) my friend and I both ordered the kale salad, great choice.
I *loved* that they didn’t rush us. We hadn’t seen each other in a while and were chatting up a storm. The bill came when we asked, rather than handing it to us and saying «when you’re ready.» (The phrase makes me feel like I’m being pushed out, honestly.)
We probably stayed 20 minutes after we finished our meal, without getting dessert.
Also, you can use your SB Axxess card here; we each payed $ 7 for a meal worth $ 25.

Went in for something healthy as a quick snack. Got an acai bowl. The server didn’t ask me what size I wanted, and I forgot to say «small» as it was my first time there; I was kind of wide-​eyed at the menu. Instead of following up with order specifications, he simply brings out the large about 10 minutes later. That’s really unacceptable — that was more than I wanted to eat and more than I wanted to pay. Not only did I elect not to leave a tip, but somehow a tip was added to my credit card statement later?
Fraudulent and shady business practices like these are guaranteed to come back in karma.

found this place thanks to Unilocal.unfortunately i already had breakfast by the time i stopped in but was so happy to see that they had authentic, fresh pao de queijo and brigadeiro a la carte. I will definitely be stopping back in next time Im in SB.

Very typical Santa Barbara «café.» But with heavier food options than just a baked good or salad. They have grass fed burgers. That’s not true café! But I’m not complaining. I’d rather eat at this place than the overrated burger joints in the area.
There’s trees out front with a couple tables and benches on the sidewalk. Let’s you soak in the nice Cali weather. Pretty quick on the drink orders for those of you that just want a grab and go.
Had a regular iced tea. Comes unsweetened. As it should. Added honey to taste. It’s nice that it was actually steeped and not a powder like some places pawn off. All-​in-​all, I’d come back. Nice and refreshing drinks without the additional sugars. And they don’t freak out about dogs hanging out close by. Most places in Santa Barbara don’t but there are still plenty of signs that state, «service dogs only.»
Remember: food adventures are out there. So eat and drink ‘em up!

Woot Woot! I Love BAC! I get the «Brazil Bowl» almost nightly, and their Black Bean burger is fantastic! Also love that they have Lizard’s Mouth on tap.
Hope they stick around!

Atmosphere:
This is a typical urban downtown place, the seating area is long and skinny. At the front there is a bar where you can get smoothies, fruit drinks, or alcohol. The decoration is comfortable, but not striking. There is a dance studio in the back, which add an interesting touch when there are classes or events going on. The restaurant and studio are separated by a wall with glass windows. There is also a bar at the front window if you order drinks and want to sit and watch the street.
Food:
I love the food here. It appears freshly prepared. Their hot sauce is freshly made, it isn’t over the top hot but has amazing flavor. I have had several varieties of fish, salad, and meat stew. All were great. The Peixe Com Camarao is heaven if you like coconut. They have specials every day, which are always delicious. I got drinks here once, but they were very sweet. Most dinners come with a salad or vegetables, which are always fresh. I ordered salad once on the side when the main dish that felt like a lot of starch for me and came with beans as the side, but the other dishes were well balanced meals.
Price:
There are a couple of cheaper options and a dinner on the menu specifically for kids. But for the most part expect to spent $ 15-​$ 25 depending on what you get. Many of the dishes come with seafood, so that isn’t surprising. The specials have been in the $ 15-​$ 20 range and were always good.
Service:
When you walk in they often ask you to seat yourself. The waiter has will happily answer questions about the menu and give suggestions on the food. If you want to split your bill definitely tell them in advance or they will refuse to do it. We had some people join us once and asked to put a couple tables together. They let us do it, but seemed a bit tweaked at our demands.
Overall I love this place and I hope they continue to be successful. Both their food and the opportunities they provide for dancing and events in their back room are unique opportunities for Santa Barbarians.

Pros
— Food is excellent
— Ambiance is nice
— Staff is friendly
— Drinks are pretty good, specially Caipirinhas !
— Price is reasonable
Cons
— Service can be a bit too slow and not so organized when place is busy, they should improve the process of hosting their guests, sitting and serving them.

Péssimo…de Brasileiro só alguns funcionários e talvez o proprietário., péssimo atendimento COMIDA HORRIVEL, estive la com minha familia no dia 22.03.2015, pedimos uma Feijoada que de feijoada não tinha nada era somente feijão com linguiça e ainda de péssima qualidade., pedimos ainda um churrasco na chapa e veio um bife horrivel, velho, com cara de sobra de outro prato., enfim uma experiencia horrivel.
NÃO RECOMENDO, e acho inclusive que deveriam ter vergonha e tirar este nome de BRASIL ARTS CAFE, pois denigre o nome de um país que tem uma cozinha sensacional, uma das melhores do mundo.

Something different in Santa Barbara. Brasil Arts offers an extensive menu with alcohol, acai bowls, juices, smoothies, oatmeals, sandwiches, steak, fish, salads, and desserts. They just remodeled this place and it’s now more upscale with darker wood and dim lighting, though it’s still a casual café at the same time. It’s a spacious and elegant set up.
Everything I’ve had is pretty good too. The sea bass with shrimps and Tri-​Tip are full of flavor and tender. I’ve tried the acai bowls several times, which are better than most, but still not comparable to Backyard Bowls. The cheesy bread appetizers, or Pão de Queijo, are a must-​try. They are hot and nothing like any type of crusty or soft bread, but rather rich and chewy because they’re made from tapioca, which is used to make boba balls as well!
The staff is always nice, though one or two of the male servers can be a little timid seeming sometimes. The female employees I’ve noticed are usually the friendlier ones, and are also prettier than at most places.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in Santa Barbara.

Every time I’m in SB I visit this place for an acai bowl but now I’ve also added their coxinha to the list of things I get when I stop here. Super delicious.
Since my first visit months ago, the inside has received a facelift. There’s bar-​like seating near the register and the lighting has changed. There were also a lot more customers inside than there were during my previous visits. Glad to see the business appears to be booming.

Fomos muito bem atendidos. Pessoal simpático e disposto a ajudar. Comida e sucos ótimos.
Não deixe de comer o pudim. É tão bom que comi dois.