Brazilian Restaurants in Kansas City

When most people think of Brazilian food in Kansas City, they’re thinking of mouthwatering, flame-grilled meat. Each slab is packed full of spices and served at portions that will leave anyone stuffed, with waiter after waiter shaving off tender slices of beef, chicken, lamb and pork. Are you hungry yet?

Brazilian food has a special place in the Kansas City food scene, with several restaurant options and Brazilian steakhouses in Kansas City. While the meat is the star of the show, Brazilian cuisine has even more to offer. Brazil is a massive country. Regional differences in ingredients and flavor preferences have created a national culinary style as diverse as Brazil’s citizens. With their famous meats, sandwiches, vegetable-based dishes, desserts and drinks, Brazilian restaurants in Kansas City have so much to offer.

If you’re on the hunt for a Kansas City Brazilian restaurant, there are plenty of places to visit.

Where to Find Casual Brazilian Restaurants in Kansas City

Kansas City’s Brazilian restaurants are spread out all over the metro area. Anyone looking for lunch or dinner has a couple of options, each with a unique menu and flavor.

• Taste of Brazil: How does home-style Brazilian cooking at an affordable price sound? You can find Taste of Brazil on the northeast corner of the historic City Market. The menu is full of platters, sandwiches, seafood, Brazilian-style burgers and pastries. This is an authentic Brazilian restaurant in Kansas City that will hit the spot without hitting your wallet too hard.
• Café Brazil: This diner just south of Kansas City has been serving traditional Brazilian dishes since 2011. Café Brazil is family-owned and operated. It’s another good opportunity for anyone looking for a casual Brazilian restaurant in Kansas City.
• Sweet Kiss Brigadeiro: Let’s take a walk over to the sweet side. The brigadeiro is a traditional Brazilian dessert. It is made of condensed milk, butter, and cocoa powder, and it is similar to a bonbon.  Sweet Kiss Brigadeiro is Kansas City’s first and only artisanal brigadeiro shop. It is a run by a mother-daughter team using family recipes. While it’s not a brick and mortar Kansas City Brazilian restaurant, you can place an order online to experience the sweet side of Brazil.

Upscale Brazilian Steakhouses in Kansas City

The most famous style of Brazilian restaurants is the Brazilian steakhouse. Kansas City has several spots to choose from when you’re looking for the perfect flame-grilled slab of goodness. We’ll get to those in just a second, but first: what makes Brazilian steak different?

Brazilian steak is made from a slice of beef called the top sirloin cap. It is seasoned according to whatever recipe the cook is using and then cooked on skewers over an open flame. The steak is then served by shaving the meat directly off the skewer and onto the plate of an eager customer.

The trend of Brazilian steakhouses in Kansas City, and around the country, was spearheaded in large part by Kansas City’s most prominent Brazilian steakhouse, Fogo de Chao.

Located on 47^th Street in the heart of the Plaza, Fogo de Chao is a premiere destination for KC diners seeking a Brazilian steakhouse in Missouri.  The experience is unique. There is no menu. Instead, you are surrounded by servers carrying meat on a skewer. You simply signal when you would like more meat on your plate, and they will oblige.

There is another Kansas City Brazilian steakhouse, too. Head north to find Em Chamas just off I-29 and 63^th Terrace. Em Chamas is owned by two brothers with decades of experience in the restaurant industry. It’s been a favorite KC Brazilian steakhouse choice since 2007.

Famous Dishes at Brazilian Restaurants in KC

If you’re going to a Brazilian steakhouse in KC, then you’re obviously going to get the steak. However, Brazilian dining has much more to offer. There are more traditional Brazilian dishes than we have space for, but these are a few worth trying from menus around Kansas City:

• Risole: Don’t miss an appetizer plate of risole whenever you’re at a Brazilian restaurant in KC. This traditional plate is made with a crispy, fried dough shell stuffed with mozzarella cheese and meat.
• Empadinha: This is Brazil’s version of the chicken pot pie. The filling will differ depending on the cook. Typically, a mix of meat and veggies are stuffed inside a flaky, golden crust.
• Coxinha: Coxinha is the cousin of risole. It also has a fried dough exterior, and it is filled with shredded chicken and cream cheese.
• Yucca Frita: The yucca root is a foundational element of many South American diets. It is similar to the potato — a starchy vegetable that thrives in tropical atmospheres. Yucca fritas are, essentially, yucca french fries. These are essential to any meal at a Brazilian diner.
• Coffee: Brazil’s countryside is rich with coffee farms, and Brazilian coffee is a favorite of many around the world. Brazil’s coffee is typically marked by a full-bodied, nutty flavor. Notes of milk chocolate, peanut butter and caramel will jump out in a well-roasted cup. Try out The Roasterie’s Brazilian coffee to see for yourself.