Sampaio's Restaurant & Bar

Honestly, I was shocked to see many positive reviews from this restaurant on Citysearch. My mother and I ate at Sampaio's for the first time a few days ago. The problems were numerous. When we arrived, half of the tables were empty. We were told we would have to wait 5 minutes. There was an older woman assisting with seating and when we inquired why it was taking so long, she spoke to us in a very harsh, rude manner. After waiting for 25 minutes, we were finally given a table. If half of the tables were available, why weren't we seated immediately? There were about 10 other people waiting with us all jammed in to a very small area immediately by the front door.\r \r We wait 15 minutes for a server once seated. We then wait another 15 minutes for our drinks to arrive. The server takes our order. We wait another 20 minutes and the server comes over and says ""What do you want to order""? This was after he had taken our order 20 minutes ago! When we told him this, he said ""Really?"" with this perplexed look on his face... he had no memory of us at all. So, of course, our order had not been given to the kitchen so we wait another long period for our food.\r \r We order an appetizer of baked cheese bread. We get 6 bite-size rolls...tasty but not worth the ridiculous price of $8.00. \r \r The food finally arrives and is not good at all. My meal that was described as chicken in a coconut cream and peanut sauce mainly consists of shrimp. When I question the waiter about this, he says that even though it doesn't say it on the menu, a large portion of this dish is shrimp. Huh? Why would a main ingredient not be included on the menu description? The shrimp and chicken were overcooked and the general taste is marginal at best. Definitely not worth the $20 price.\r \r The restaurant was way too loud. \r \r The hostess was clueless and seemed overwhelmed with her job.\r \r Save yourself a night of poor service and lackluster food, do not eat here. Cons: terrible service, lackluster food, long wait time more

After a week a few days with a reservation, a group of about 6 of us showed up excited to try the new restaurant we all heard so much about. So, here we go! First of all our table was ready after 45 minutes. While we were at the bar we ordered a round of drinks that were great, but when we finally got to our table and ordered another round of drinks, one of them wasn't as good (rum/coke) so we sent it back to the bar and said that there did'nt seem to be much rum in it. The waiter came back and said if we didn't like it the bartender would make another one but charge us for it! From then on, our waiter did not seem to want to be waiting on us. Lack luster, seemed annoyed when asked what some of the dishes were and pretty much wasn'nt interested. What really sucked is that we still payed a good amount for the meal. Food was good but sorry to say I will NEVER be back. more

Sampaio's is a true Austin treasure and perhaps the pinnacle of Brazilian dining this side of the Sao Paulo. The food has never been less than amazing and the ambiance sets the perfect mood for the perfect dining experience. The steak is always cooked to perfection, the seafood always fresh and the vegetables and sides always compliment the main course and touch the palette in all of the right places. The waitstaff and service is always friendly, willing to make recommendations and attentive but never overbearing nor ever present. When enjoying all that Sampaio's has to offer make sure never to make the mistake of leaving without the coconut flanlike desert, truly the best possible ending to the best Brazilian dining experience Austin has to offer. Pros: Food, Service, Price Cons: There's only one! more

We tried Sampaio's without knowing what kind of food it was (Brazillian!) and really enjoyed ourselves. Kind of a nice place tucked along the cute part of Burnet. Great atmosphere and a cheery staff that welcomed my wife and I (although I felt a tad under dressed in shorts, flip flops and a t-shirt).\r We loved our waitress who was so funny and helpful with our selections on the menu.\r \r My wife got the pork tenderloin - spiced with coffee and covered in a cherry demiglaze. I know sounds crazy but it was decadent and perfectly cooked. My dish was basically their take on stroganoff - chicken - and absolutely huge and delicious. Exactly what I was looking for and so good. I loved their sangria, my wife's margarita was fine but with so many places that specialize in that...why bother drink sangria!\r \r After the delicious meal we tried their desserts of the guava bread pudding - excellent - and the chocolate cake which my wife loved. The cake was a little too fancy for me as I tend not to like grenache but it was good.\r \r All in all a very nice meal for $80. The service was super nice, albeit the food a just a tad slow with so few people in the place but I think you'll find most Austinites impatient after years of having chips and salsa at hand to cram down their faces....actually waiting for a meal with no snacks makes people impatient.\r \r The crowd was very diverse to young/casual on the outside deck to much older and well dressed couples out for a nice night. I did tend to notice this tends to be a ""girls night out"" as many of the tables had just women and I think the below review is typical when you get 6 girlfriends out for the night (harpies just waiting to find something to complain about). \r \r Great place, I'd give it a 4.5 if I could but it is so different than the typical Austin Tex Mex, Mexican, BBQ joint may be the deserve that extra .5 stars. more

Six of us girls went out for our first happy hour experience at Sampaio's last night and I can say that none of us will go back. Although the food was good and the wine was tasty, the horrible service made it less than desirable. The waitress rolled her eyes when we sent back some insanely undercooked salmon and we spent a great deal of our time waiting on her. I could understand if the place was packed, but she only had one other table! I was quite disappointed by this experience. They lost a great group of customers that were looking for a regular dinner/happy hour spot. Unfortunate - I was really expecting more from them. Pros: great food Cons: bad service more

We absolutely love Sampaio's. We go there at least once a week, sometimes more often. Whether we sit at the bar or get a table, we always have great service and outstanding food. The chef is so nice and will work with you if you want to change something up, and he's a GREAT cook. The drinks are great too.\r One thing that it seems as though most people have not yet discovered is the Sunday brunch. I believe it's from 11-2. The food is the best brunch I've had in a long time, and you get bottomless mimosas for $5.00. It is so worth it!\r \r For dinner, try the sliced steak with chimichurri sauce. Or the shrimp and chicken in the coconut sauce with greens. Everything I have tried there has been fantastic! The waitstaff is great and the manager is so sweet. Definitely in my top ten! more

I figured I owe Sampaio's a lengthy review. Sampaio's is simply incredible. I try to go with people at least twice a month. The service has always been outstanding. Not only do I always get excellent service from the wait staff but the owner comes up and converses with the entire table almost every time, she and most of the wait staff are actually from Brazil. The food is absolutely incredible and trust me when I say that you MUST order the Porco Tenderloin, it is to die for. The coffee crust with the cherry sauce is nothing short of awesome not to mention it is the most tender and juicy pork I have ever had the pleasure of eating, oh and the mashed potatoes that it comes with are outstanding. You also must do a few appetizers, they are all excellent. ALL of their drinks are awesome, I always end up having a few different cocktails throughout the evening. It truly is a lot for your buck. Two people can get out of there with an appetizer or two, a few cocktails, entree and dessert for under $100 bucks. Please try this place, they truly deserve recognition. I warn you though that there is a TON of repeat business and you MUST make reservations. I have never had to wait when making reservations. Pros: Everything but the Porco Tenderloin is incredible. Maybe the best entree in Austin. Cons: Just make reservations 15 minutes ahead of time and you won't have any wait. more

My girlfriend and I went here on our ""date night"" and it was one of the best fine dining experiences we've had. She had a melt in your mouth filet, while I scarfed down the juiciest pork I've ever had. I also liked asparagus for the first time in my life. For me the real highlight were the Brazilian cocktails. I don't remember the name of what I drank, but it was a mixture of lime juice, rum, and simple syrup, and she had the best sangria. more

Oh my gosh! I have tried Sampaio on several different occassions and the service is terrible! The last time we went, the host was not friendly at all and acted like he was doing us a favor when he seated us. It took forever for our server to acknowledge us and she seemed put out when i ordered an appetizer along with our drink order. We would have liked to have dinner there, but it took so long for the drinks and appetizers to get there, we figured we should just go somewhere else........... and we did and had a very enjoyable dinner just down the street at Fonda San Miguel. Pros: the food is actually good,too bad everything else is so bad. more

If you can catch this place when it's not crowded and loud, it is pure sensory pleasure. The decor is lovely, the music flows and is oh so mood provoking, the service has always been fabulous, the food is incredible and sitting in the corner-most booth is the perfect place. However, when this place is busy - forget it - it is loud and annoying, you feel like people are on top of you and it completely changes the atmosphere. And, for what it's worth, I have interacted with Magna (the owner) on a professional level and was no where near as impressed as I was on a personal level. Pros: Location Cons: Overpriced in some areas more

I found out about this restaurant a couple of months ago and I've had to go there once a week since then.\r As a brazilian citizen I can tell you that this restaurant offers a true brazilian taste with a lot of quality.\r My favorite is the Chicken Milanesa with Feijao & Couve!! The Feijoada is great also. \r They have the brazilian guarana beverage that matches perfectly with the food's taste.\r YUMY! Pros: Food is excelent Cons: none so far more

Beautiful restaurant with excellent lighting, misters on the patio, and interesting architecture.\r The waitress was charming and efficient. I would recommend the red snapper which was cooked to perfection served with plantains, tender green beans and rice. more

I've only been here once and I don't plan on coming back here ever again. I ordered the paella and it tasted like the crappy fried rice you can get at those chinese buffet places. It was way overpriced for the quality. The service was good but the food is not worth the visit. \r \r Pros: Ambience Cons: Food was not good more

Our waiter (Tate) was completely condescending and rude. He acted like we had never heard of Yucca potatoes before or splitting a check. On the lunch hour, there were only 4 tables occupied in the whole restaurant, yet we were ignored. Our food took over 45 minutes, so we had to take it back to work to eat. I work for tips as well and know firsthand how a customer should be treated. I am very disappointed. Pros: Cute Shopping Center Cons: Rude Service more

Wow! My family was in town and we stumbled upon this amazing restaurant. We had hoped to eat at Fonda San Miguel, and now I'm SO glad it was too full, because this place is much better. We had the coffee crusted pork loin in cherry sauce, shrimp in butter garlic rum sauce and steak with Chimichurri sauce. All three were excellent- sauces weren't overpowering and the meat was so tender. Atmosphere is cozy, lively without being loud. My only ""complaint"" is that they don't give chips, fried plantains or bread to start with- would have been a nice addition especially when you're drinking one of their strong Brazilian drinks. Go visit often- let's keep this place in business! Pros: Amazing food, nice ambience, strong drinks Cons: Not enough parking, limited dessert menu more

This is one of the true gems that we have recently found. My wife had the red snapper and it had a wonderful flavor and it was not overpowered by the light spice. I had the coffee and cherry sauce encrusted pork chop. It was a fantastic combination with no single flavor dominating. I was afraid that the coffee taste would dominate but it was very nice and I recommend it. Our friends had the Grilled flat iron steak and enjoyed it. This was slightly expensive but well worth it. more

this is absolutely one of my favorite places in Austin...a quality comparable, better in my opinion, to eddie v's and uchi...a friend and i went the other night...had a nice bottle of wine iwith some appetizers and dessert...the crusted brie and salmon were excellent, very tasty but not overpowering...the desserts, too, were delectable...my friend had the flan and myself a coconut tiramisu...wow, the tiramisu was a treat ! ... great service, too, making us feel we were guests at their home...last, but not least, the atmosphere encourages relaxation with dim lighting and eclectic decor...enjoy ! Pros: Fantastic food, presentation, service, atmosphere Cons: can't think of one... more

I've never eaten Brazilian food before dining at Sampaio's, so I can't comment as to its authenticity, but nevertheless it's wonderful! A bit pricey, but the entrees are worth it, can't say so for the portions you get w/the appetizers but they are very tasty. Everything we've had here has been wonderful, and we've had almost everything. I am a vegetarian, and my boyfriend is not, but we both find plenty to eat here. If you gauge their food just from the menu, and rightly so, it would appear there are no real vegetarian choices. However, in asking the waiters for options I've found I get a lot of choices I wouldn't otherwise know about, and have never been dissapointed. Wine selection is great too, but herein lies my only complaint - on two separate occasions we have been either doubly charged for wine or charged for a different (more expensive) bottle than the one we ordered, but it was quickly and very graciously corrected. Once they gave us free dessert to make up for it. Other than that, I would recommend it, the service is fantastic - not too much or too little, and the owner stops by every once in a while which is a good touch. Pros: Great Food, Ambiance, Location, Service Cons: Incorrect Tab more

Atmosphere: Went on a Friday night in early September. Service was prompt and good, music an ideal volume and very good; the patio was kept a perfect temperature with (non-direct) misters at 8 even with the 100 degree heat. The patio is very beautiful but the ambiance is somewhat marred by the fact that at least half the tables are in the direct line of the streetlight. With some strategic sheilding with bamboo or similar, the patio would be perfect.\r \r Drinks: Fantastic mojito if a tad pricey. \r \r Food: The food was excellent if a tad richer than the waitress explained; I had the shrimp sauteed in garlic butter over a polenta grill, I can't recall the precise name. It was excellent and had great presentation; the sauce was very rich. My husband got the steak grill & he found it very good. I can see the problem that vegeterians have; the restaurant is listed as vegeterian but there is nothing purely vegeterian or vegan on the menu. I eat seafood so I had a lot to go on. \r \r Overall, great atmosphere, not too expensive, and good drinks, and great location. It is definitely not on campus as another writer mentioned (near, but about 15 blocks away) I'll be back! Pros: Great food, location, patio Cons: Streetlight interferes with patio dining more

I love the patio when it is nice outside. The drinks are really good. The entrees are nicely presented, plentiful and delicious. The owner stopped by our table and spoke to us (nice touch). I wish there were appetizers that aren't fried. Other than that, it's right by my house, extremely convenient. I really like it! Pros: wait staff, wine menu, food Cons: appetizers more