<\/p>\n
The Story<\/p>\n
Brazilian restaurants typically conjure up images of beef on a skewer \u2014 glistening, rotating and carved tableside for diners.<\/p>\n
Boteco do Manolo, Tampa\u2019s newest Brazilian restaurant that opened at Citrus Park Town Center this summer \u2014 takes a different approach. It still serves steak, but this restaurant emphasizes family-style dining with large portions and tables designed for sharing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s definitely what we want,\u201d manager Matheus Ribeiro said. \u201cIt\u2019s a different take on Brazilian, but we still have all the favorites, even with our twist on it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The restaurant brings authentic Brazilian culture to Tampa: Ribeiro and most of the staff are from Brazil, and the atmosphere is lively with music and dancing on weekends.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s fun, but we\u2019re not trying to make it Brazil,\u201d Ribeiro said. \u201cWe\u2019re bringing a Brazilian scene to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Founded more than 20 years ago in Rio de Janeiro, Boteco do Manolo operates 12 restaurants in Brazil \u2014 11 in Rio and one in S\u00e3o Paulo. Tampa represents one of seven planned U.S. locations. According to U.S. Census data, Florida is home to an estimated 134,000 to 400,000 Brazilians, making it a significant hub for Brazilian Americans. The Tampa Bay area alone has an estimated 40,000 Brazilian residents.<\/p>\n
The restaurant adds to the reemergence of the dining scene at the North Tampa mall.<\/p>\n
Definitely not Arby\u2019s<\/p>\n
Oh, they have the meats. Boteco do Manolo offers 62 meat options on the menu \u2014not just beef but pork and seafood as well. Most dishes feed four to eight people, and many feature top sirloin, such as the Picanha \u00e0 Dom Manolo.<\/p>\n
The restaurant’s spicy malagueta sauce, derived from the pepper of the same name, accompanies meat dishes and empanadas. The sauce, which has an olive oil consistency, delivers considerable heat.<\/p>\n
Several dishes are variations of Bolinho de Feijoada, a deep-fried croquette inspired by feijoada, Brazil’s national dish. Rice and pasta are among numerous side dishes, many incorporating different cheeses.<\/p>\n
The appetizer menu is extensive, with options like the Bolinhos and yuca fries that rival those at any Cuban restaurant.<\/p>\n
The full bar emphasizes cacha\u00e7a, a national spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice that can be unaged or wood-aged. The restaurant specializes in Caipirinhas, Brazil’s national cocktail made with cacha\u00e7a, similar in style to a margarita.<\/p>\n
Pro Tip<\/p>\n
Visit on weekends with a group. The tables and portions are large, so expect to leave with leftovers. The serving sizes are comparable to other popular family-style restaurants like Maggiano\u2019s or Buca di Beppo, but with Brazilian flair.<\/p>\n
Final Verdict<\/p>\n
Boteco do Manolo isn\u2019t attempting to transplant Brazil to the United States. It aims to feed diners in an authentically Brazilian, family-style manner. With its extensive meat selections, appetizers, cheeses and traditional drinks, it offers a taste of Portuguese-influenced cuisine typically reserved for World Cup celebrations. Fans of Spanish cuisine and meat dishes should give this Brazilian newcomer a try.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Story Brazilian restaurants typically conjure up images of beef on a skewer \u2014 glistening, rotating and carved…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":66515,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[22631,17519,37251,39068,19307,39067,39069,3081,39070,3082,17525,688,17523,3078,3079,276,39072,39071,5221,135,137,136,17522],"class_list":["post-66514","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa","tag-asian-cuisine","tag-beacon-bites","tag-beef","tag-boteco-do-manolo","tag-brazil","tag-brazilian-cuisine","tag-cachaa","tag-cooking","tag-croquette","tag-cuisine","tag-european-cuisine","tag-food-and-drink","tag-food-and-drink-preparation","tag-food-watchlist-articles","tag-foods","tag-hillsborough-county","tag-hors-d","tag-menu","tag-restaurant","tag-tampa","tag-tampa-headlines","tag-tampa-news","tag-western-cuisine"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66514","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66514"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66514\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66514"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66514"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66514"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}