Navin K.

Superb Peruvian cuisine in downtown Pleasanton. Our daughter went to Peru this spring and wanted to share some of her culinary experiences with us, so we stopped by for a Sunday evening dinner. We were served ably by the courteous Carlos, who started us off with tasty ham and cheese empanadas (served with a superb spicy aioli), and refreshing guava and maracuya (passion fruit) mocktails. Unfortunately, they were out of chicha spritz, which our daughter was craving, and all other types empanadas - beef, chicken, veggie - were finished! Then we turned our attention to entrées, and ordered causa, pan con chicharrón, and aji de gallina. The causa was a visual treat, the crispy pork belly sandwich was my favorite item on the menu, and the shredded chicken and potatoes over rice was the most filling! Of course, we left room for dessert! They were again out of one of our daughter's favorites - the choco lucuma trifle - so we had to make do with alfajores and lucuma ice cream. These were delicious and were a wonderful way to end the meal. Total bill was about $150 before tip. We will definitely stop by again to try some of the menu items that were not available. Thank you, Bravazo, for making Pleasanton your home!

Rovin N.

Vibrant flavors and great outdoor dining in downtown Pleasanton! Rating: 5 out of 5 stars We were just walking around downtown Pleasanton planning to visit another Latin-American restaurant when we came across Bravazo. Its vibrant menu immediately caught our attention. Purely by coincidence, we also wanted to listen to some live music, and to our luck, there was live jazz playing right across the street at Nonni's Bistro. We decided to eat at Bravazo and enjoy the music at the same time. I really like when a menu is simple and concise because it gives you the feeling they make sure every dish is cooked to perfection, and they certainly delivered on that! Here is what we ordered: Bravazo Paella: Beautifully presented and served in a massive quantity. It consists of shrimp, mussels, chicken, beef, and chorizo in a deeply flavorful broth. Everything about this dish was fantastic, every bite delivered, and it came with a generous portion of meat and seafood. Peruvian Ceviche (Salmon, Medium Spicy): Made with fresh salmon marinated in lime, cilantro, onions, ginger, sweet potato, and Peruvian corn. It was really good, though I could have done without the spice, so next time I will order it mild. The corn kernels were huge compared to our local corn; we asked about them, and the staff mentioned they ship them directly from Peru, which was a wonderful authentic touch. Custom Salad: Even though a salad was not on the menu, we asked our server if they could accommodate our request, and they happily did! It was a very nice salad that hit the spot, featuring a great portion of avocados, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red Swiss chard, and feta cheese. Service Highlight: They have a server, but the owner also helps out at the tables. It was very thoughtful of the owner to make sure we got fresh new plates for the Peruvian ceviche so the flavors would not mix with the paella. We were so glad we did that because it let us fully appreciate the distinct taste of the ceviche. Practical Details & Atmosphere: Portions and Ordering: When we were seated, the server was very polite and helpful in explaining the portion sizes. He mentioned the paella was big enough to keep two people happy for a while, but we might want a bit more later. We ended up ordering the ceviche midway through our paella, and guess we were hungry because we ended up cleaning all our dishes completely. Parking & Seating: The weather was perfect for outdoor seating, and with the live jazz playing across the street, the meal felt even better. They offer both indoor and outdoor seating. We were able to park a few blocks away for a short, easy walk. Surprisingly, the downtown stretch was not too busy that Saturday evening, making parking a breeze, though it can get tough if a local event is happening. Overall, Bravazo is a wonderful spot with incredible food and great service. It is definitely a must-visit, and next time we might even try their drinks too!

Natalie S.

Stopped by on Sunday at noon for lunch. I was looking forward to trying their empanadas that day and I was disappointed to hear they were out. I wasn't sure if the waitress said they were out of them for the day or just none at all that Sunday. Regardless, We decided to proceed with the fish of the day ceviche as a starter and I ordered the Peruvian turkey sandwich. The wait was a little long but I like to tell myself it's probably because it's fresh. Once the food came out I was relieved with how fresh and lemony the ceviche was. The thinly sliced onions with the crunch of the corn nuts and sweet potato was so refreshing. It was a light starter but the pieces of fish were pretty thick so I think it was worth the $27. My sandwich was better than I expected it to be. There were thick cuts of turkey with a spicy orange sauce and marinated sliced onions. I honestly forgot about the empanadas towards the end of the meal. The staff were super welcoming and kind so I will definitely be back and make it my mission to score some empanadas.

Nicole M.

Highly recommended this place! Food and staff were excellent. The outside seating was great for a group of 5. Looking forward to coming back and enjoying more food.

Alyssa R.

I love bravazo ceviche it's a ritual for me after a hair appointment to enjoy it ! The service is sweet with the owners checking in and introducing themselves. I will be back with my mom to try the lomo saltado.

Marc M.

Honestly, if I could give Bravazo 6 stars, I would! We have enjoyed this spot a number of times now and loved each visit. It is a local family run restaurant that delivers amazing food consistently. The patio is our favorite spot. The fettuccine Bravazo is a perfect dish..... simply delicious and hands down my favorite! The Arroz Chaufa is also amazing along with either the fillet anticuchos or a more traditional de corazon! A side shot of Leche de Tigre is a perfect complement and we love to end our meal with the passionfruit tart! My wife and I love this spot!

jas k.

This was our second visit to Bravazo on Main Street, and it definitely didn't disappoint. If you're looking for a spot that balances quality food with impressive efficiency, this is it. The Food We explored a few different items this time: * Bravazo Scramble: This was the absolute star of the meal. It's a hearty mix of three eggs, bell peppers, hot links, and spinach, all topped with a layer of crispy cheese that really takes it to the next level. It's served with toast, a great spicy sauce, and some of the best breakfast potatoes we've had anywhere. * Chicken Salad Sandwich: Served on fresh sourdough with a house-made spicy sauce that gave it a nice kick. Very satisfying. * Latte: We ordered it extra hot with sugar-free vanilla syrup, and it was crafted perfectly. The Atmosphere & Service The ambiance in the restaurant is very pleasant--perfect for a casual downtown meal. What really stood out was the speed. The service is both fast and friendly; we were in and out in about 40 minutes, which is impressive for a sit-down meal that still feels high-quality. Bottom Line: Whether it's your first time or your second, Bravazo is a consistent winner in Pleasanton. Highly recommended for a quick yet delicious breakfast or lunch!

Victor G.

Bravado opened a year ago where Downtown Cafe once was. Inside and outside dining space. Inside has vanilla walls with some pics thereon. Flatscreen in front tuned to golf. Assigned a corner table upon entering. Ordered. Food arriving 10ish minutes later. Offerings (Peruvian): breakfast, starters, cold bar, smash burgers,, chef's special. classics, fusion, desserts... Bites: disappointed fish of day was farm salmon, skipped ceviche, raw fish. -bravado huancaina (14) Peeled boiled potatoes covered with creamy sauce of queso fresco & yellow Peruvian pepper. Had a spicy kick. Garnished with 1/2 boiled egg, tomato halves, greens. Deliz! Pan con Chicharron (20) -street food sandwich with juicy slices of slow cooked pork & roasted sweet potato. Sauced with Bravazo aioli & zesty salsa Criolla. baguette sandwich. More tasty than a Cubano. 5 stars Worthy! Quantity: reasonable.pricey but worth it. Quality: made to order. Artisan ingredients..

Donnie W.

I am really committed to try and review all the great food places in downtown Pleasanton as there are many unique cuisines from all over the world that we have available to try out with many of them not being chains so its a great place to try out different foods from around the world. One such spot is Bravazo specializing in Peruvian cuisine, which I am not intimately familiar with so excuse my ignorance as this was my first experience with this type of food but if this is what I can expect I am moving Peru up my list of places to go for a food vacation! As with many of the restaurants in this downtown row of places you the interior is smaller and more intimate but definitely has a bright and clean look to it. Seats a max of 40-44 people inside I believe so it can fill up pretty fast but very comfortable and lively environment and spaced out well so you will not feel cramped which is a plus. Friendly server gave her recommendations as we were new to this place and unfortunately were out of some of the most popular items so get in earlier if you want the full selection. Was especially sad they were out of ALL their empanandas as that was the only item I was familiar with and wanted to try so they must be awesome and I need to try them out next time. You get some complimentary snack of roasted corn kernels while you check out the small but broad ranged menu. These are a great snack and I need a bag of these at home immediately now. Decided on the Aji de Gallina (shredded chicken with yellow pepper sauce) and the Pan Con Asado (tri tip sandwich). Added a fresh Passion Fruit juice which seemed to be 100% pure passion fruit and was delicious. Our dishes were served relatively quickly and we were able to dive into both with great anticipation and our expectations were exceeded immediately! The Aji de Gallina was amazing and I never knew yellow pepper could be the base of such a light but still complex flavor. Paired amazing with with the chicken and potato slices and the garlic rice was perfectly seasoned and not overpowering in anyway. Such an amazing combination of flavors and perfectly balanced so highly recommend this as a "safe" dish for those who are apprehensive on what to tackle as a first Peruvian dish, at least in my opinion. The Pan Con Asado was a meaty boy of a big sandwich and packed to the brim with meat and an assortment of veggies but the meat was the star of the show for sure. The lower bagguette base was crushed on the weight of the meat, has browns veggies and sauce and that was the only thing I wished was a bit more stable in terms of actually being able to lift the sandwich and take a proper bite out of bit as it was, it sort of fell apart under the weight of its own magnificence and I was happy to fork and knife the rest of it. A top tier sandwich but I was sort of searching for more hash browns to compliment the meat. The tri tip was more of a pulled pork type texture though so I was a bit confused but still loved every bite. Prices were fair for the food portions you get and friendly staff round out the this great lunch/brunch spot. I think I love Peruvian food just based on this first experience so far. I cannot wait to get back to this place and try some of the other dishes and hopefully get there early enough to try some Empanadas!

Allison W.

We came in on a Sunday afternoon and it wasn't very packed. I did see a video on this restaurant through tik tok so I was excited to try. The breakfast hot link burrito was yummy with the melted exterior cheese. I do think the hot link was a great pairing. It was a huge burrito so we had it for another meal. The empanadas were good and packed with flavor but it contained raisins and I'm not too big of a fan of those in savory dishes. Overall everything was great and I'd try other dishes during dinner time.

June W.

Excellent experience for a group lunch last week. The atmosphere is nice. Can be a bit loud though (echoing). The servers were nice, and explained what the dishes were. Water was refreshed often. - Orange Spice Tea: this was a unique taste, a bit spicy. - Chicha-Morada: nice refreshing taste - Maracuya-Passion Fruit Juice: also refreshing - Pan con Chicharron: this is one of their signature dishes. Did not disappoint. Crispy but tender pork slices, great aioli. - Beef Empanada: excellent - Causa: looks like a layered silo with the ingredients. Excellent taste. - Fish of the day: didn't ask diner, assume it was also good. It's not the cheapest place, but the food is well made, and tasty. Will definitely come back!

Xia C.

we were greeted immediately once walking in there is indoor seating and outdoor seating we sat patio. We started with the empanadas which came out very quickly. All of our drinks came out very quickly as well. All of our food dishes took no longer than 5 to 7 minutes. We had chicken empanadas and also beef empanadas very delicious flaky and buttery 5/5 Also had the salmon ceviche which i'm used to the shrimp ceviche, but the salmon ceviche with the citrus onions gave a great flavor 4/5 shredded chicken with rice and potatoes. Just wish that it had a few more potatoes with the sauce that sauce 5/5 And I had their traditional corn drink that has cinnamon on top was really good gave non-alcoholic sangria 5/5 We also ordered a vanilla latte which doesn't come sweetened so all coffees you do either have to ask for sugar on the side or they do offer vanilla syrup. We do wanna go back and try the desserts!

Rona C.

Everyone here was really nice despite being overloaded with orders and customers! We ordered the pan con chicharron and fettuccine with lomo saltado. The pan con chicharron was soooo good!! The perfect sandwich with a nice pepper sauce on the side. I loved the sweetness of the yam paired with the savory meat and cut with some tangy red onions!! This really hit the spot and I would come back just for it! Next up, the fettuccine with lomo saltado has a cheese sauce that wasn't too overpowering. I was surprised because I was expecting the cheese flavor to smack you in the face, but no it was subtle, yet rich. The best part of the lomo saltado next to it had to be the tomatoes because how in the world was it grilled so well, soft and bursts with flavor in your mouth?? The meat was cooked to a good medium, wasn't tough, and the sauce pulled it all together. For info purposes, the kitchen was a little backed up so there was a wait. We arrived at 1:10pm and waited for a little over an hour to be seated and order. This was a saturday, so a heads up if you're interested in visiting! I'm not letting this long wait affect my review because I came here solely for the food