I’ve been attending college in Boston for nearly a year– I rarely get homesick and when I do it’s usually because I miss the typical cuisine of my homeland, Brazil. I grew up eating homemade Brazilian food multiple times a week. You can imagine my despair when I couldn’t find feijão, arroz, salgadinhos, açaí, or the various mouth-watering docinhos in my dining hall. Because of this, I devoted my weekends to finding Brazilian restaurants where the menu items excited me as much as the food back home. Below you will find my top five restaurants in the Boston-area:

1. Oliveira’s Steak House | 120 Washington St., Somerville, MA 02143

   • Buffet-style Brazilian Steakhouse with a bar, juices, and desserts; guests can select between the all-you-can-eat or by the pound options

2. Zoe Açaí Bar & Juicery | 1876 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02140

   • Brazilian-style smoothies, açaí bowls, and paninis; beautiful aesthetic, many photo-ops

3. Pastelaria Ki Sabor | 508 Broadway Everett, MA 02149

   • Bakery offering Brazilian snacks, burgers, desserts, and non-alcoholic drinks

4. Alma Gaúcha | 401 D St, Boston, MA 02210

   • Brazilian steakhouse offering specialty meats with a buffet; offers a take-out menu, desserts, and an extensive drinks menu

5. Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse | 200 Dartmouth St, Boston, MA 02116

   • Upscale Brazilian chain for all-you-can-eat meat carved tableside plus an extensive salad bar (Google hit the nail on the head with this description)

Next time you’re craving Brazilian food, be sure to try these five places! And be sure to leave your opinions in the comment section!