Brazil Market, 11425 Grandview Avenue, Wheaton, MD, 301-942-8412 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian]
They have Brazilian sandwiches, snacks, canned goods, and fried yucca thingies. Not an amazing selection but if you are yearning for a touch of Brazil this does in fact supply it.
Chima Steakhouse, 8010 Towers Crescent Drive, Suite 100, Vienna, VA, 703-595-7755 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | Yelp]
The new Brazilian steak house, churrascaria, very stylish, draws a mod crowd of wealthy Latinos and sometimes Arabs. Lots of fun, not cheap, the lamb and the pork caked in cheese are the best. The salads could be improved. I like Fogo de Chao better, but because of proximity, and a Brazilian-loving daughter, I’ll end up going here yet again.
Fogo de Chao, web site, 1101 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 202-347-4668, Saturday opens at 4:30, Sunday at 4:00 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | MenuPages | Hill Rag | WaPo | City Paper | Wash Times | The Hill | Yelp | Don Rockwell]
A clear first choice for Brazilian right now. Churrascaria. All the meat you can eat. The quality is surprisingly high, and the salting is just right. From a chain based in Sao Paulo. Excellent salad bar. Not the real thing, but closer than I thought they would come. Dinner starts at $44.50, though, lunch starts at $24.50.
Green Field Churrascaria, web site, 1801 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD, 301-881-3397 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
This famous Queens churrascaria now has a branch in Maryland. The meats here are better than in the other Brazilian places of this area. That being said, the salad bar is a disappointment. Still worth the visit, however, especially if you don’t know the concept. And definitely construct your own feijoada from the salad bar (pile on the oranges and collard greens and farinha from the salad buffet).
Malibu Grill, web site, 5715 Columbia Pike, Falls Church, VA, near Rt.7/Baileys Crossroads, 703-379-0587 (a second location at 4516 Fair Knoll Drive, Fairfax, VA, 703-222-5555) (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [City Paper | food-plan | Yelp | Gayot]
An attempt to recreate a Brazilian churrasqueria in Washington. You pay one price, and they bring various grilled meats to your table until you plead for mercy. They have feijoada as well, as part of the buffet. Ultimately the meats bore me, once the novelty of the idea wears off. The originals in Brazil are among the world's best restaurants, and the grilled meats here simply can't compare. Nonetheless this deserves a place in the repertoire, and those that have never gone should go. Now I go and just eat the feijoada, making sure to pile on the oranges and collard greens and farinha from the salad buffet, that is the key to eating well here. Lunch is a real bargain, the whole treatment for about seven dollars.
Vida Loca, 4615 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 202-537-0421, way up on Wisconsin, near Maryland. (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Citysearch]
An inconsistent menu, and they do not have Feijoada every night. Some feijoada is better than none at all, but not my first choice in the Brazilian department.
Anyone know if this place is still open?
The Grill from Ipanema, they just changed the name, though, and redid the decor, web site, 1858 Columbia Road NW, Washington, DC, 202-986-0757 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Update October 2007: CLOSED
For my tastes, Brazil is one of the two or three best food countries in the world, so comparisons are tough. But this is good enough to enjoy. Get the feijoada, a stewed mix of black beans, meats, sausage, collard greens, and the powdery farina. Make sure you add in the orange slices. A treat. Some of the other dishes are mediocre. This place stands or dies on its Feijoada. It stands.