(5) Rio's Brazilian Cafe

By now you have been wondering, 'when is this woman going to start writing about Austin's restaurants? You know, the reason I started reading her blog in the first place?!' Well, to answer your question...today. I understand your anticipation has possibly been disrupting your reading, and for that I apologize, but I also thank you for your loyalty during my first few introductory blogs. Additionally, I must remind you that this is also a blog of self-discovery and, if willing, you may have to follow me down alleyways of breakaway thoughts every now and then. For now, lets talk about Rio's Brazilian Cafe.

Rio is located on the east side of Austin on N. Pleasant Valley Rd. between 4th and 5th streets. The east side, which really just means east of highway 35, is fairly new to me. This area of town has much to offer in terms of its lively Hispanic flare, cute and friendly neighborhoods, beautiful parks, and a handful of fun, hipster bars, but food wise- it's lacking. I say this not because the food that is located here is bad, in fact, it's great, but what I literally mean is that there is an absence of it. Sure you can find delicious Mexican restaurants at every turn and a few mouthwatering food stands, like Uchi's East Side King, but simply put, the east side needs a larger variety of sit-down restaurants. With this said, I was obviously delighted to learn of a new delicious spot like Rio.

I can't tell a lie. Walking into Rio's Brazilian Cafe, I was feeling fatigued and a bit queasy from the night before. I bet you can guess by now that alcohol was the culprit. I actually went to Rio with intentions just to chat and not to eat- that was until I saw the menu. My first thought was 'wow, this is cheap.' My next few thoughts moved me from the cafe back in time to my trip to Brazil. Although I was in colorful Salvador and this cuisine is based out of bustling Rio, some Brazilian signature dishes were the same. I ordered the chicken risoli, a pastry packed with chicken and vegetables, and my friend asked for the new yuca bolinho with shrimp, a yuca root pastry stuffed with shrimp and vegetables. Though they were both salgadinho pastries (resembling an empanada), the two were quite different in flavor. We both preferred the yuca bolinho with shrimp due to the abundance of cheese (who doesn't love cheese abundance?) and the unique sweeter yuca fried shell. The chicken risoli was good, but reminded me more of a chicken pot pie. Oh, and did I mention that both were only $3.75? We selected their combo deal where, for a little extra, you can choose from yummy yuca fries, a salad, a cheese bread trio, or soup. We were denied the yuca fries as they were not prepared yet, so we settled for the cheese bread trio. I didn't really know what to expect. Mozzarella sticks? Melted cheese over toast? Neither. Instead, three little delicious baked cheese balls were placed on the table. One contained hints of basil, one had bits of roasted red bell pepper, and the other was their original bread and cheese. I would spend $1.75 on these over a candy bar or bag of chips any day. They also have traditional Brazilian soups, breakfast items, salads with ingredients like artichoke, apple, walnut, almond, spinach, and goat cheese (the key to my heart), a tropical tijuca sandwich, and more.

The only confusing part of this pleasant experience was their set up. They have a greeting window so naturally, we thought that this is the spot where you order and pay. It isn't so. They politely insist you sit for full service so of course, we happily complied. I watched about ten patrons make the same mistake and I couldn't help smiling at the ardent way the workers try to make this a full service restaurant. This is only strange because the place is no larger than an average bedroom and most people feel like it is a waste of their time to wait on us. The extra outdoor seating helps with the cozy restaurant's size and lack of tables, as does their good use of space and the owner's eye for style (funky tables, a spunky couch inside with black pillows covered in white fur, and random splashes of purple and green paint on the wall). Also, the owners are so incredibly nice and overtly excited about their newly successful restaurant that if they asked me to sit on a rock, I would with a smile. I left with a full stomach, and better yet, a full wallet. So good luck to you Rio, and obrigado for the great food.

Other notable places to go on the east side in case they miss my blog:

Juan in a Million (Mexican/cheap/hot spot)

Blue Dahlia (European vibe, great happy hour food deals)

East Side King (Japanese trailer in Liberty Bar)

Los Cazuelas (Mexican/cheap)

Buenos Aires Cafe (a bit pricier, but a nice selection esp. if you love meat)

Progress (coffee shop/lunch/nice vegetarian options)

Mr. Natural (groceries/authentic Mexican cuisine)

Shuck Shack (fish/outdoor seating/horseshoes)

Veracruz All Natural (juice bar/smoothie trailer)

East Side Pies (pizza)

Justines (french)

Nubian Queen (cajun/soul food)

Casa Colombia (Latin American)

Please feel free to comment if I am missing any adored favorites!