March 21, 2014 - Café Brazil in Carrollton

Christine: I liked the idea of something different for breakfast so this was an attempt to break from the traditional bacon and eggs. The menu at Café Brazil was intriguing and the reviews online were very complimentary. The building was situated on the edge of the Party City parking lot, and the colorful outside décor screamed “let’s have a crazy breakfast!”   

Service was very confusing. Do you sit? Is someone supposed to show us to a table? Hello? This was the first breakfast restaurant I had been to where you have to get up and get your own coffee at the “coffee bar”, which we later learned from our check was the “unlimited coffee bar” and cost more than one possibly could drink in coffee.

Our waiter was sweet and friendly and he made up for the earlier confusion. My Brazilian breakfast included two eggs, homemade grilled Brazilian bread, Rosemary potatoes, and best of all, a flaky Chicken Empanada in tomatillo sauce, topped with Asiago. It was so memorable, it has floated in and out of my head ever since! Now that I know the routine, I would go back.


Vickey:  It is still cold and rainy, but at least I did not pick the table right next to the door where there was a draft.  Instead I picked a table next to a floor to ceiling window.  Yes - it was cold.

This is the first time I had been to this place and as I waited for Christine I took pictures of the building.  There is a door to the Cafe just to the left of that handicapped sign in the picture above.  I watched several people go in and out of that door as I waited outside.

I was more than ready for a cup of coffee so I sent Christine a text and told her I would meet her inside and headed for the door.

When I got inside there was no one greeting you at the door and several empty tables to my left.  None of the staff acknowledged me so I just took a seat at a table.  I sat there - and I sat there.  I finally pulled out my phone and started checking e-mail.  Finally a young guy who looked like he had just gotten out of bed comes by and gives me a menu.  I asked for a second menu for Christine, coffee and water for both of us.  He looked at me like I was green and said, "You get your coffee yourself at the coffee bar," turned and walked away.

Stunned I started looking around trying to check out what I had apparently missed.  Another nice young man comes by in a couple minutes with the second menu and I explain this is the first time I've been here and ask what the "rules" are to get a cup of coffee. He was very nice and during our conversation I realized I had not come in by the front door.  I came in at the back of the restaurant, but in my defense there was nothing on the door to indicate I was not at the front door and no sign pointing me to a hostess station once I got in there.

My breakfast was good but the best thing was the homesytle sweet potatoes.  Christine and I both decided that we did not really care for a "serve yourself coffee bar" when what we really wanted was to talk, visit and share breakfast with a friend.  We  both just wanted the plain basic coffee, and did not understand why there was not an option to get that served to us, especially for almost $3.00 a cup.  If I wanted something "frilly" I would have gladly gone to the front of the place and fixed my own.