Where to Find Brazilian Food in Chicago

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If your only experience with Brazilian food involves an endless barrage of grilled steak served to your table until you hold up a stop sign for mercy, know that more awaits you – including in Chicago. Despite a small Brazilian population of just over 6,000 residents, according to US census estimates, Chicago is fortunate to have chefs from Brazil sharing dishes from their country that go far beyond the gimmicky version of Brazilian cuisine served up at chain establishments.

“Brazilian food is way more than the steakhouses. We are a culturally diverse country with so many influences that have shaped the cuisine into something unique,” says Chef Junior Borges of Nic & Junior’s Tavern, which was a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best New Restaurant this year. The downtown eatery’s weekend cookouts lure the crowds waiting to board water taxis at the Michigan Avenue stop with the scent of char-grilled meats – but it offers much more than just smoky beef.

Borges was born in Mimoso do Sul in the mountainous southern region of the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo, which is famous for seafood stew. He grew up in Rio de Janeiro, and his maternal side of the family hails from Bahia, on the northeastern side of Brazil. Borges’ Bahian grandmother’s approach to culinary traditions made a lifelong impact on Borges as a chef. “I try to pay my respects any opportunity I can,” he says.  “I try to bridge things I grew up eating from my African roots but also from how the cuisine that makes our culture is so diverse.”

To Chef Borges, that means incorporating dende (red palm) oil and cassava, in addition to sharing his take on family dishes. “Growing up, because of our Bahia heritage, our seafood stews were mostly moquecas,” Borges says, referring to an adaptable Brazilian dish that simmers white fish in broth with onions and tomatoes and is topped with citrus and cilantro. Nic & Junior’s moqueca, which features striped bass in rich coconut and shellfish broth, is inspired by his family’s recipe. 

At Nic & Junior’s, you can try a Bahia negroni made with Brazilian cachaca, a bright, potent spirit made from fermented, fresh-pressed sugarcane juice. The cheese bread pão de queijo is a popular bite, made soft and pillowy by cassava flour. Cassava, also known as yuca, is an essential ingredient in Brazilian food, and is frequently served boiled, fried, mashed, used as flour, or extracted into tapioca starch. Close out the meal with an order of brigadeiros, decadent small bites of condensed milk and cocoa powder rolled in chocolate sprinkles.

You can also find brigaderios, made by a chef with a background in pastry and patisserie, at Chef Thiago Kitchen & Café. Hailing from Recife in the northeast, Chef Thiago Freitas opened his vibrant, cozy restaurant in Wrigleyville in April. Chef Thiago’s cafe offers popular Brazilian cakes and desserts, as well as savory snacks and appetizers like tapioca bites, yuca croquettes, and coxinha, lightly crispy triangles of soft wheat dough filled with chicken, spicy beef, or creamy shrimp. At lunch time, the small space fills with the sounds of orders being placed in Portuguese; customers requesting plates of the hearty black bean and pork stew feijoada; or sliced picanha steak served with garlic rice, black beans, and a savory crumble called banana farofa, all drizzled with vinaigrette. 

You can find a similar menu in a more casual setting at Brasil Legal Cafe in Bucktown, or in the homey brunch at Sinhá, a caterer located near the United Center.

John Manion wasn’t born in Brazil but spent significant childhood years there, growing up in São Paulo. “Of the many things I miss about Brazil, the fruit markets call to me most at the moment,” he says. “The country has such a breadth of produce, which has led to wildly diverse regional cuisines, and the fruit markets there are truly top-tier.” 

Manion’s Chicago restaurants, El Che and Brasero, both offer South American flavors and Brazilian-inspired dishes. Moqueca and pão de queijo served with seasonal local fruit – an echo of Manion’s memories of Brazil – can be found on the Brasero menu. You can also find wagyu picanha on both the Brasero and El Che menus. Grilled meats may be just one small aspect of Brazilian cuisine, but that doesn’t mean they’re not still worth enjoying.