Since the traumatic experience of moving from downtown to North Austin, I have taken solace in the increasingly great selection of restaurants and bars on Burnet Rd. From the classics like the Omelettery to new additions like Blue Star Cafeteria, there are a lot of great options. And that doesn’t even take into account watering holes like Billy’s or La La’s. Sampaio’s was one of the places I had been eager to try, so a friend and I decided to stop in for a late lunch on Friday.

I should offer a disclaimer that I am not a gourmand. My pallette was honed on fast food and things you can make by microwaving or adding water. I will not be able to bring a vast knowledge about Brazillian food to this review.

The decor is open and inviting. A few large booths line three of the walls, but the majority of the seating is table and chairs. A huge blue mosaic column dominates the center of the room and gives the Sampaio’s a very airy and relaxing feel. I was pleased to also note a large and well-stocked bar. Since it was technically the afternoon, my mind immediately began calculating a suitable cocktail.

At 1:00 on Friday afternoon, only a handful of tables were occupied, so it was nice and quite - perfect for conversation. The service was friendly but a little slow. The cocktail menu boasts quite a few unique concoctions, but my current litmus test for bars in Austin is the Mexican Martini - so I opted for that. In retrospect, I have learned from Sampaio’s fans that I definitely should have gone for one of the Mojito’s. The Mexican Martini ($8.50) was nice and strong, mixed with Patron, lime juice and Cointreau. This is an upscale joint so, they use a big Martini glass rather than bringing the shaker to the table.

For an appetizer, we ordered Pão de Queijo, which is Brazillian baked cheese bread. These are round little objects with a flaky exterior and chewy cheesy centers. There were 6 pieces in our basket, which breaks down to about $1 each.

My lunch date was interested in something light and opted for Salada de Maçã ($8.50). The presentation on this salad was amazing. The foundation was romaine hearts and baby greens arranged around a burgundy basted apple. The apple was stuffed with goat cheese, raisins and pecans. This is one of the more impressive salads I have seen and based on my limited sample, it tastes as good as it looks.

I opted for the Bobó de Camarão ($12) - because I am pretty crazy about shrimp. This dish features sauteed jumbo shrimp in a “spicy dende yucca sauce.” I’m not sure what that is, but it was pleasant. This is served over white rice and vegetables. The menu and waitress prepared me for something spicy, so I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t more of a kick to it. Here in Texas, the term spicy has more meaning that it does in other parts of the world. The shrimp was good, but there weren’t a whole lot of them. So, I hesitantly give this dish a thumbs up, but wanted something a little more exciting.

Once we were done, our bill came to a little over $50 - I’d ordered a second Mexican Martini. For my low-brow sensibilities this was a little pricey for the amount of food. But the quality was very good, the atmosphere was excellent and the bar looks to have lots of possibilities. Overall, I think Sampaio’s is a well worth a visit and a potentially exciting stop on Burnet’s restaurant row. I’ll definitely be going back and would love to hear your suggestions as to other dishes to sample.

Website:
Sampaio’s Website

Location:
4800 Burnet Rd.
Austin, TX 78756

Phone:
512.469.9988

Hours:
Sun-Thurs 11:00am-10:00pm
Fri & Sat 11:00am-11:00pm