The Brazilian Place
so i think i've mentioned the brazilian place across the street before in this blog, so i'm finally gonna review it today (having actually taken pics this time). it's not actually called the brazilian place. that's just what leah and i call it. it's actually called restaurant sol. but it's often mixed up with cafe belo which is this other brazilian restaurant chain that has locations all around boston and used to be in the same location as where restaurant sol is now. and we sometimes also call it cafe belo, just to confuse you even more.


so now that i've thoroughly cleared up the name, i'll actually review the place. the setting is a little weird. the place obviously went through a phase when it was a nightclub. which explains the bar up front, the leopard print booths and the strange blue lighting in some areas. but that just makes the place a little quirkier and more endearing. we're really here for the food. the brazilian place serves american breakfast in the mornings. they do an excellent job of making eggs, omlettes, french toast and all your typical breakfast stuff and all at cheap prices. we often go here for breakfast rather than any of our neighboring restaurants in kenmore square cause the food is better and it costs a third of the price. oh also, the ownership is very friendly here.


for lunch and dinner, the brazilian place specializes in buffet and brazilian bbq items. i mainly go for the buffet food (which happens 1-2 times a week). as you can see in my take out pic, for lunch today i grabbed chicken legs, some fruit, a bunch of different vegetables and salsa. some of the items in the buffet change everyday, especially the entrees. but you'll always find fresh fruit and veggies. some of my favorites are the collard greens and stewed chicken. leah likes the plantains. it's best to get there earlier in the day if you can, when the food is fresher and hasn't been sitting out too long. if you got in the late afternoon like i often have, you may find some of the food too dried out, so you want to avoid those items.

after you've hit the buffet, there's a counter at the end where you can also get different bbq items. leah always gets the beef, very rare. i once got some chicken thighs, but it was late in the day, so they were totally dried out. i haven't tried anything else since. then you get your plate or take out box weighed. take out costs $6/pound, which turns out to be a good deal. also at the back, you'll find a varied selection of cakes and flan. i've never tried any of these, but i leah's had the flan and i think she likes it. after the weigh in, you're given a little check which you take back up to the bar area where you pay for your meal and off you go. i like this place cause it's never crowded and i can grab my food quickly (now knowing what i like and where it's located). i was in and out of there under 5 minutes with my lunch today, and it beats waiting 15 minutes for someone at brugger's or ankara to make you a freaking sandwich. so if you're ever in kenmore square for lunch and in a hurry, avoid the obvious places like mcdonald's or burrito max and have a yummy and healthy lunch at restaurant sol.