We tried the crab Benedict, a watermelon smoothie and papaya juice with mint. Wonderful breakfast. Was not disappointed AT ALL. parking is a bit tricky so go early or walk/ride a bike.

I went with a few friends and really enjoyed my experience. The staff is friendly and nice. The food speaks volumes though, as my crab meat fritada was quite tasty (and not stingy with the crab). My friends also seemed to enjoy their food though I didnt really try theirs. I also had the passion fruit smoothie which was delicious and the right balance of tart and sweet. Very much recommended!

Ordered the Feijoada. So flavorful and the meat was so soft it melted in my mouth. This meal was so satisfying. Coffee was amazing. Overall, real authentic Brazilian food at a great price. Can’t wait to go back.

Fantastic place. Very generous and delicious portions. The açai bowl was super delicious and very authentic. The juices made me feel that I am in Rio again. The service was super friendly. We will definitely come back to eat here again.

Cute little cafe in Santa Cruz! Absolutely loving the style of the venue. We got lucky with a parking spot behind the restaurant but theres only about 4 spots and a tight squeeze so I recommend parking a little further out and walking.They have both dining and take out which we saw many people do especially for their acai bowls, which are to die for! It was so delicious. We dined in and also had the Avocado a Cavalo, Gallo Pinto, and Veggie Cocota. Good and filling dishes.

Absolutely delicious breakfast with vegetarian Brazilian beans, and their fresh salsa is amazing!!! The pineapple juice is just the same as Brazil too! Highly recommend and well definitely be back again! Also, most friendly and attentive waitstaff! Wonderful experience!

Meu Deus! My folks are Brazilian and Ive visited there many times, so take it from me: this place is the real deal! Not only was the food delicious and authentic, the decor, music, and even the bright pastel wall paint were all reminiscent of a typical Brazilian lunch spot. It was enough to make me very nostalgic...As close as you can get to a truly Brazilian restaurant experience. 💛💚🇧🇷Like others said, parking is very limited, and wait times can get long, so walk/bike if you can and check out their Yelp page to put your name on the wait-list ahead of time.

Fantastic Brazilian restaurant. Food is tasty and authentic. We had the Feijoada and two sides of Bice Acebolado. The flan (pudim de leite condensado) was really good too! Staff are friendly.

Pretty good food, but brutal wait.I got A Cavalo. Everything was tasty, except for the farofa - I think thats an acquired taste thing. The beef was a bit gristly, maybe thats the style.Id recommend checking in ahead of time on Yelp, unless your want to sit outside waiting 45 mins for a table.

Great food and service. If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend this restaurant. Beware though that parking is very limited.

Shared a good meal with a friend but the $9 yucca fries was so tiny.

We did a family lunch after Surf Contest out at steamers. I tried the stroganoff with chicken, wonderful flavor the way. Tomato sauce and the coconut milk one together. Definitely a carb load... Maybe I should head to the gym. Also I had a passion fruit smoothie wow extremely passionate. Friendly service very efficient, great teamwork!

The go-to breakfast place for when my partner and I visit Santa Cruz. We love the smoothies, which can be made dairy free. The restaurant is super unique and the menu offers alot of options. The staff is very efficient and welcoming. The parking lot is small, so I would recommend parking on the street to avoid congestion.

This is one of our favorite breakfast places. We love to start with Pingado and Acai bowls. All breakfast options are great, but I particularly like the avocado toast (cavalo). The bacon is very tasty too, and done perfectly.

Excellent food and service! Very authentic and fresh cuisine. Delicious Pilao coffee!

This place was as refreshing as it gets. We wanted something different, but we didnt expect such amazing dishes. The staff was also very helpful and kind

Loved Café Brasil! Their breakfast was so delicious. The potatoes were to die for! Mmm making myself hungry again. Ill let the pictures speak for themselves.

Great place for brunch with delicious Brazilian offerings . Felt covid safe and staff were super friendly.

When I previously thought about great brunches, Brazilian food was not the first thing to come to mind. Fortunately, Cafe Brasil completely changed those expectations with their expertly executed but accessible takes on breakfast food, combining both Brazilian and American classics.I ended up going with a vegetarian eggs benedict. The hollandaise sauce was absolutely to die for, and the eggs were perfectly poached atop fresh bread and slices of tomato. But the real star of the show were the plantains. It took me back to when I used to live in Central America and would eat plantains daily. they were well cooked with a caramel buttery outside and a starchy center.e did have to sit on the patio because of COVID-19 restrictions. The only downside was that that resulted in it being quite cold since they were one of the few restaurants we visited that did not have a heat lamp. Nevertheless, the service was friendly and it was an overall great experience. Ill certainly revisit!

My family and I arrived 20 minutes before the restaurant was closing. They were beyond welcoming, even though they were almost closing. The service was amazing, the food was prepared fresh to order and tasted delicious! I can’t say enough about this place. I ordered avocado a caval, my mom got the potato’s scramble l, and we ordered a unique drink called abraxi. I will definitely return

Meh. The food is like whatever. Coming from LA and Im brown, Im used to good tasting food(of all cultures). The food here was pretty bland. The meat had 0 flavor, just felt like I was chewing on a tire. I guess there arent too many good places to eat around here or something, cause I think the peeps that gather here either have no taste buds or just have nothing better to do. On a good note, the cashier girl was very nice and chill. Good on her.

There is nothing on this menu that doesnt taste devine. Plenty of meat, vegitarian, and vegan choices. The juices are also really good which I didnt expect. Acai bowls are popular to split as an appetizer here. The servers are also really great too. Generally a wait so get there early or reserve time to wait. Parking is usually only street because the lot only has 4 ish spaces. I also recommend this place to people if they are looking for a place to start their beach day.

Very good food! Good prices, nice people!I like coming here all the time!

This is a hidden gem in the Santa Cruz area. Food was exceptional, it had so much flavor and the staff are very cool. If you’re looking for an authentic restaurant here in Cruz, look no further. Try their dishes!

Loved this place! Great customer service, awesome food! Most of us had omelets. I had the shrimp omelets and enjoyed it very much. Parking was difficult, but nothing out of the norm for Santa Cruz.

Attentive wait staff, good food. They have options for vegetarians. That house hot sauce is super hot.

Strong coffee, great food, easygoing atmosphere. Pretty much the only restaurant I go to in Santa Cruz. And um everyone who works there is hell of hot?

*Anthony Bourdain voice* sometimes you find yourself at a small Brazilian cafe on a hot summers day with the girl of your dreams. in times like these it’s best to order that bottle of champaign and simply sit back and soak in the warm ocean air. life is full of choices, this is one of the easier one’s to make.

Being that I enjoyed the cuisine as a child and Ive had the opportunity to have Brazilian BBQ on multiple occasions, I figured that it would be great to follow up with this home style restaurant. Overall, the food was delicious. Flavors were on point, the amount was just right, and the promptness of service was excellent. In addition, the yelp check-in (though I didnt use it) is a winner if you a driving from out of town. The only reasons why they get docked a star (really 1/2 star) is parking is a mission there, and they ran out of the appetizer that I wanted.

Amazing food, great (strong) mimosa.

Delicious food with a few vegetarian and vegan options (but please do more). My first vegan Brazilian ever and I was blown away. Tofu to perfection. Very nice beans - perfect taste balance (salt / pepper / spices) which is hard. I found it weird having savoury and fruit on the same plate, but it went down well. This place is popular. Get a reservation, even early on a Sunday! Its a bit too noisy and cramped for five stars.

Great staff and amazing food! The space is very cute, the portions are quite generous, there are a lot of options in the menu to choose from. We had some amazing fresh juices, eggs benedict, farofa, omelete, açai bowl, all was really great and tasty. We even done some take away for other friends and they loved it too. Coxinhas de galinha are really great too. Definitely will be coming back!

This place is hard to describe. It has a great selection of beer and wine. Brazilian food is tasty and well worth exploring. The ambience is fun, as are the people thatbwork there. I dont get tired of going there.

Got the Feijoada Completa Brazilian specialty dish. Was pretty good although I dont think I ate it right. I poured the beans on the rice, greens and the brown stuff. Wasnt the right move. However very filling and flavorful! Would want to get it again to eat it with a different strategy. The coffee was also pretty good.

The only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is because I order a side of black beans and it comes with bacon, which is not mentioned on the menu. Service was quick, food was fresh and price was reasonable! Good Brazilian place

Excellent huevos rancheros, fruit, and house made hot sauce. My wife really liked the juices as well. We came on vacation and I can’t wait until we visit again so we can come back and try more dishes!

Good price point for Acai bowl. If your pantry is ever out of shredded coconut, add it as a topping; youll have plenty left over.

We were in town for a few days and decided to try this cafe for brunch since I saw that it was a very popular spot. We shared an omelette which was huge! You will be full sharing this plate. Also had an açaí bowl which was delicious but the weather was cold and made me not want to eat too much of it. When I come back to Santa Cruz, I will have to visit again.

Sooo amazing ! HIGHLY RECOMMEND! The wait was very worth it, food was fast & so delicious! Definitely had a homemade taste - best place I’ve been to yet 🙌🏼

One of the best brunch options on the West Side of Santa Cruz. Great options for everyone. Lots of great gluten free menu items.

Huge breakfast fan and this place did not disappoint. Wavos Rancheros was great and the staff exceptionally nice. Highly recommend if your in Santa Cruz and want local flavor.

One of my favorite breakfast spots!!! Absolutely delicious acai bowls and omelettes!!

The Food:The food here was mediocre, but still tasted okay. The portions were good, there was plenty there to eat. The flavor on my food was lacking. I think that if the flavor could be spruced up, the food would be very good here.The Ambiance:It was very cramped in there and it was a bit tough to move around if there was anyone else in the area. The servers are always bustling by and if you move your chair out, you have to be mindful of anyone moving around you.The Service:Service was great. They were attentive and we were very happy with our server.

Wonderful service, wonderful food! we loved it! We will go again!

We had a great breakfast here. Its a tiny place with a bit of a wait as it seems pretty popular. The service was good and we were offered coffee while we waited.Was hoping to see caiprainhas on the menu for lunches maybe but maybe they dont have the liquor license for them.We will be back for sure.

The food is very delicious, with such a large menu theres so much variety to choose from. The staff is kind, and the food came out pretty quick.

Im sure it was delicious but we never got to eat there because the wait was over an hour. There are many benches outside to sit on when waiting

We got some fabulous drinks at this place! The acai and the maracuja shake were great!

Its worth the wait! Authentic Brazilian food is so homey and delicious (without the steakhouse prices)! Here you find friendly staff and outdoor patio space that is shaded and comfortable.

Heck yeah this place is awesome. The ambiance was a mix of bright colors and the outdoor seating was even more lovely on a beautiful day. They even have acai bowls which well exceeded expectations. The Brazilian sauce, which they have for sale, was a flavor like no other. The reviews are good for a reason. Go and check this place out.

So I can here on a whim and to avoid all the typical type of restaurants / fast food. NO disappointment in anything.... I took it to go since they were closing but service was great and food was tasty and delicious!

Breakfast was delicious! Had the Rancheiros, which was very flavorful! Strong coffee and juices.

Fabulous selection of a variety of menu items. Plenty of health conscious, nutritional selections. Unique Cafe. I will definitely be back to try several dishes. Today I had a fruit shake (w/OJ vs. Almond Milk), grilled chicken breast polenta which included rice, farofa, and a salad. They have several tofu options. They also have seafood dishes and a juice bar. They also have some items for sale. Excellent experience!

Love this place must stop for the family Everytime were in Santa Cruz

This place has got to be too good to be true! The menu, quality of food, amazing ingredients, friendly waitstaff, and the price you just cannot beat. Best place to eat in Santa Cruz.

Amazing vibe and very friendly staff make Cafe Brasil stand out. The food is great too, especially the fish moqueca and chicken coxinha

A Santa Cruz-Must! Amazing food in a cozy, quaint environment. Cafe Brasil can get busy, but their food is totally worth it! Come early to beat the rush.

Caio made sure we had a great table and the food was uniquely fresh. Excellent value.

As of January 31 2021 they are open for outdoor dining

I met a customer there for lunch today, his suggestion. What a great little restaurant. I had the crab benedict. Everything came out quick and tasty. Make sure you ask for their homemade hot sauce. It is out of this world

Had the crab omelet and it was really good. Fruit bowl was really fresh and service was great. Wasnt crazy about their polenta but you cant please everyone. If you like Chai tea its really good here.

This place is wonderful, by far my favorite place to get Breakfast on mission.The baguettes and fresh made blueberry muffins were amazing, the Cavalo aka steak and eggs was fantastic as well. Only downside is theres only 3 parking spaces and it gets packed quickly.

Absolutely love this restaurant, the food always leaves me feeling great and the coffee is absolutely amazing

Food was really bland and sub par. Had to reorder smoothie. Bacon and plantain we ordered were burnt

Very small inside, but the food is fantastic. Our first time with Brazilian food, and we loved it. Try to make a reservation if you can, or order online for pickup. Youll be happy you did!

This place has amazing food- I’ve never been to Brazil before so idk what authentic tastes like but we ordered two dishes id never heard of. Muqueca and feijoada and they were sooo good. I’ve never come across these dishes before and would love to have them again. Highly recommend and there’s this pineapple mint drink that’s amazing.

Great coffee, delectable crab frittata, friendly service. Thanks!

This spot is exceptional! We had the eggs Benedict and the sauce was one of the best we have ever had. All the food and fruit were fresh and flavorful. Phoebe and staff were beyond superb and wouldnt hesitate to drop in anytime we make it into town.

A little taste of Brasil in Santa Cruz. It brought me back to Copacabana beach with the acai Bowl...

This place is AMAZING. Totally amazing. We were just going to hit up a regular diner and saw this and so glad we came. The house made muffin is sooooo wonderful and the breakfast selections are so good! The coffee is some of the best coffee Ive ever had. It tastes kind of like those hard coffee candies that your grandmother had In a little glass bowl at her comfy home. The place is bright and full of color and warmth. So glad we skipped the norm and decided to come here. It made our trip.

Really great food and service. Plenty of vegetarian options, and it was hard to choose! We were so happy with everything we ordered.

Fabulous food! Loads of vegetarian options. The huevos rancheros is probably the best Ive ever had in my life. Their omelettes are really good too. They give you free refills of coffee. Keep in mind that at prime brunch time (I went at 11am on Sunday) the wait can be pretty long. Theyll tell you 45 mins to an hour wait but its actually a lot sooner than that. Keep in mind that they dont take your number down so if youre not there when they call you, youll miss your spot and have to be put back on the list. Overall an excellent brunch experience and I would go back in a heartbeat.

Both the food and the service are really amazing. Really recommend the place. I would have given them more stars if the review allowed it

This place is by far the worst breakfast place i have been to. My husband and I got omlette plates. The eggs were burnt, the potatoes were flavorless, the fruit tasted very old almost gone bad. My poor husband felt sick afterwards. Also, Be ready to sit shoulder to shoulder indoors.

Small restaurant. Very limited parking. Very friendly staff and waitress. Food was prepared fairly fast and was tasty. Great flavor. Salad served was ok but wasnt the best. Decent prices.

Was recommended to this place by a good friend of mine who frequents the area more than I do. Im so glad he did! A great place for brunch options, and each dish was delicious! I got the Ranchero breakfast plate with avocado added and ordered a blueberry muffin made from scratch in house. I was in heaven. A few of us in the party ordered their Avocado Toast and scrambles, and there was no leftovers to go around. Great food!Our host was accommodating and never seemed bothered by our questions over their menu. He was prompt over us getting our check but never rushed us, even though the place was filling up with more people. It was a lovely morning! Highly recommend.

Delicious Food and Drinks of all sorts! This place is only open until from 8:00am to 3:00pm. The parking lot is small and its usally full so its better to just park on the street, plus the street traffic is so heavy its takes a while just to get out! So your better off parking on the street anyway! Theres also a sign in sheet! SIGN IN AS SOON AS YOU WALK UP! Dont be surprised if you have to wait in line to sign in lol! After you sign in your wait can be a long one we waited 50 mins last time we were there! Theres plenty of outdoor seating. The crowd is always hip so it feels more like a cool hangout so waiting time goes by pretty quick! Anyway the food is well worth the wait! I really like this place!

Very fresh omelettes and salads. Outside patio. Festive and fun.

Found this place online. Very cozy place has a chill vibe to it. Food and service was great would definitely try again when in the area.

Great food! The outdoor area was very nice as well. Didnt get any refills, even on water for some reason.

My favorite restaurant in Santa Cruz! Their food is very authentic and I love their juice options.

Always consistently delicious! They do have some outdoor seating. Not sure if they have indoor yet. I always get take-out for breakfast when I go here. On their website they have a very easy to use online ordering process. I create my own omelet which is always delicious. I also get the Acai bowl and their fresh muffins, which are amazing! You really cannot go wrong with this place. Definitely give it a shot.

Coming here for 30 years. My children went to Santa Cruz university. Every visit cafe Brasil has been in my list.

This is as Brazilian as it gets in the Bay Area!Im going to visit every time Im in Santa Cruz. Food is delicious, service impecable, prices fair, music Brazilian. I cant ask for more! What are you waiting for? Go there!

Great food and service. Everything we ordered was great but the standouts for me were the juices and the açaí bowl! Parking and outdoor seating is limited but the queuing system is very helpful.

Amazing selection of drinks, from smoothies to fruit juices, as well as some liquor. Equally varied food options for any time of day. Of course, friendly service included.

Such great breakfast with a homey feel.

Great little place with great recommendations in exploring Brazilian cuisine! I am a fan and plan on coming back with the family!

Very healthy!!! Love it !! After short drive from San Francisco heading home in LA. It was really good place for our brunch.

Yummy food, lovely service, cute outdoor seating.

Shiny happy people are back at the Cafe Brasil! Good news for Santa Cruz!

Huge plates of pure flavor. The service is very friendly. They make you feel welcome.

Very tasty food and good service too!

Always delicious and new additions to the menu! Be ready to wait for a while if you go on the weekend.My favorite are the exotic juices😋🍹

Very rarely do I have such a hard time finding something to eat! I can’t imagine going wrong with anything unless you have some random allergy! The rancheros looked amazing, so did the various stroganoff plates, and really wanted to try the traditional dish (feijoada) but in the end I went with the omelette which I was very happy with! My friends had some fresh juices which were also amazing looking!

Great food, great people, quick and efficient service

Fish Polenta was average but unique taste ..I found the restaurant a little bit overrated .. It seems that the high rate is based on their breakfast menu ..

Good portions, good food, comes at good times.

A unique breakfast spot in Santa Cruz! Both Brazilian and American breakfast options.

Great food and service. They do get crowded. Im glad they have opened back upThey have the required distances and the staff in masks. It felt safe.