I enjoyed my gluten free cheesecake and dairy free ice cream! Friendly staff and very clean environment.

Good food and service. Way overpriced. Management should be embarrassed of the pricing. Main don't come with sides and for example fries are $13. Avocado on your salad is an additional $8. Also until reading reviews I was unaware of a service fee. Would have been appropriate for our server to share as I tipped 25% on top of that. Many great options in Montclair. I 'd avoid this one. read more

Ordered: Pão de Queijo (complimentary): cheese bread Salgadinhos Sortidos (~$13): mini pastries - 1 chicken, 1 cheese, 1 beef Picanha Ao Alho E Oleo (~$36): Brazilian cut top sirloin steak served with sautéed seasonal vegetables and mashed potatoes Estrogonofe De Frango (~$28): little strings of organic chicken fresh cream mushrooms and tomatoes topped with matchstick potatoes, served with white rice and black beans Aya's take: I don't think I've ever gone to a Brazilian restaurant, so I was excited to check out Samba! We started off with the Pão de Queijo which were warm, buttery, and rich. The Picanha Ao Alho E Oleo was nothing special and I'm not sure what made it a "Brazilian" dish aside from the cut of steak. It was pretty average and overpriced otherwise. On the other hand, I loved the Estrogonofe De Frango! Delicious flavors from the cream sauce, the crispy texture from the matchstick potatoes, and pairing the chicken with the rice & beans made it into a well-rounded dish. Prices are a bit high, service was great, and the decor is beautiful inside! There is street (metered) parking available, and we had no problem finding a spot around 5pm on a weekday. read more

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Great experience last night! So impressed! Great food, music, service, well decorated and close to everything in Montclair. Great desserts as well. If you are taking food home you get a Samba themed tote bag. Cute. read more

Great Brazilian restaurant in Montclair! Great food with just the right portions. Great service by the staff. I enjoyed the experience.

The food was very good and the server was very nice. I was there for a solo meal, so I would like a chance to go back with others and see what that experience is like. read more

Came here for a Friday night dinner and was honestly underwhelmed. Overall, the restaurant is very nicely decorated and has an intimate feel. However, the food and service fell short. While the waitress was attentive to filling our water often (almost too often), she never checked in with us to see how the food was or if we needed anything. I ordered the skirt steak with truffle fries and mushroom sauce. The steak was well cooked but cold, same with the fries. When I asked for mushroom sauce to dip my fries in, it came cold?! There's better restaurants in the area in my opinion. This one isn't necessarily bad, but there's nothing special here to pull me back through the door. read more

Samba Montclair - Brazilian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

I shared an incredible dinner with my husband at Samba a few weeks ago & we're still talking about it. Their steak special was absolutely DIVINE & so large that we had leftovers to eat the next day with some eggs for breakfast. We can't wait to be back to try all of the other fabulous things on the menu. I also love my Samba tote that they gave me with my leftovers. read more

From the moment we walked in it was truly exceptional service. The place looked great and the food was very tasty! The passion fruit juice -yummy- the appetizer stuff yuca - fantastic -- the steak and gnocchi were wonderfully flavorful. I liked the decor and the ode to Carmen Miranda. The only drawback was the high costs. The dessert could have been better, but overall food was great. Save up should you decide to go... I would try it again, but recognize that is is costly. Again, the servers and all staff we encountered were engaging, responsive and not rushing us at all! read more

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We celebrated a birthday dinner here last night. Two of our party are gluten-free and a third has severe multiple food allergies- our server and the kitchen were conscientious in dealing with the allergies allowing our guest to be able to fully relax and enjoy the meal. The restaurant is attractive and cozy, the staff are excellent and the food was delicious with enormous portions (everyone had leftovers to go!) Highly recommend. read more

Brunch, Lunch Dinner... Samba consistently delivers on taste, ambiance and service. Yesterday was my first time sitting outside which they have carefully made into an oasis with large leafy plants that transport you from the streets of Montclair to a tropical environment. We started with Brazilian cheese bread. It's arrives warm, tasty and fluffy. We also ordered the salmon burger and the Angus burger. Both come with salad and golden yucca fries. The spinach vegan Mayo paired with the salmon burger is a great alternative to the usual condiments. read more

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A charming Brazilian restaurant in Montclair, with an interesting twist. The entire menu is gluten free. The food is also organic and unusual for a Brazilian restaurant, there are vegan choices, including for dessert. Too many restaurants that have vegan offerings forget about dessert! The waitstaff is exceedingly gracious. We brought our own Prosecco (B.Y.O.) but we added their delicious passion juice to make a delightful cocktail. I had the grilled shrimp appetizer which was a generous size and very garlicky, which I like. Also vegan pasties that were filled with spinach, hearts of palm and yucca. They were good but a bit bland. I wasn't wild about the vegan green mayo that accompanied it, but I added some of the garlicky tomato sauce from the shrimp + that helped. When I got home I put salsa verde on my leftover pastie and that was the ticket. Delicious! Hilly had avocado toast and eggs from the brunch menu plus sausage. She said they were all good. And Otis had the salmon burger and enjoyed it, saying the seasonings were just right. We ordered cheese bread for the table. They're like cheese puffs and are addictive. The desserts were all good. My raspberry cheesecake torte (vegan) was to die for! The prices are high and this was lunch, but I would still recommend this charming place. I noticed a little hidden cubby corner with a table and two chairs. What a romantic little hideaway. read more

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Honest short review: I had high hopes for this place and I really wanted to like it but it is too expensive for below average food. Maybe if the food was better I wouldn't care about the price, but I left disappointed, and so I do care about the price. Avoid my mistake and read the other 1 star reviews before coming. More about the price: There is a 20% service fee and when you get the bill there is a tip option as well. I paid a tip on top of the service fee because it's unclear who gets the service fee. Just as an example for whoever cares, the total for just the food and tax was 140. The service charge was $26 and I left 15% tip of $23. My end bill was nearly $200 dollars. The table order was 1 appetizer, 1 side, 2 mains and 2 sodas if you are curious. You can decide if it's worth it for you when you go. 1 star and will not be returning. read more

I was 9 when I was diagnosed with Celiac. Yesterday, over two decades later, I had my first ever churro at Samba! The interior of this place is adorable. The service was solid - we got there at opening. The cheese bread was phenomenal. While my entree was fabulous, the irony is the collard greens were my favorite part. I think I'd order something new because I can't always have safe access to an entire menu. I'm eager to try for brunch or lunch! read more

The boyfriend was craving comfort food and there are so few Brazilian restaurants so we made the 1+ hour drive. There are some outdoor seating but when making reservations, they don't allow you to specify indoor or outdoor, which I confined with a phone call. We were still able to sit outside, and despite the slight drizzle, we didn't get wet. We ordered the bobo de camarao and the skirt steak. The skirt steak came with rice and beans, but not the bobo de camarao, which I thought was weird because at least rice, since the dish is a curry dish. Food was slightly bland, but I'd rather have that than overly salty, but there was no salt and pepper at the table so we couldn't remedy it, even if we wanted. We ate everything. I liked that the service wasn't overbearing and gave you enough space to enjoy your meal. The staff were also all masked, even while serving us outdoors. Their tshirts also make quite a stand against racism, sexism, etc. which is quite bold and noble. I'm a fan. read more

Samba Montclair - 13. Bobo De Camarao Dinner - Brazilian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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Went for lunch with a non- celiac friend. We LOVED IT! I loved that EVERYTHING on the menu and the kitchen is ALL certified gluten free. The food, service and ambiance were amazing and none of it disappointed. Highly recommend, especially to fellow celiacs, but even my non-celiac friend had zero complaints. read more

My gf told me about this place pre-covid since she lives nearby and I had always wanted to check it out but I don't live in the State. I came to visit and the timing to hit Samba seemed right. We dined on a Friday night, good weather. We got there around 6pm and it was busy but not crowded. There is a parking structure nearby but I parked across the way in those municipal parking type areas. My friend found street parking. We had a dry dinner (not alcohol), but I tried the Strawberry Mint drink. Kinda a odd thing to be drinking at dinner unless they were going to add some alcohol to it and kick things up a notch. I arrived knowing what I was going to get ...the Bobo de Camarao, and my friend ordered the Bife Acebolado I believe. We shared the Salada de Rucula com Manga...it was really good. My main was okay. It felt kinda warm vs hot. I wish the yucca puree was thicker. It was kinda watery and not much flavor. They served us 1 bowl of beans and white rice, not sure which meal that was for. But I used the sauce from my meal on the rice because otherwise I would have just eaten the shrimps in my dish and nothing else really of much substance. And shrimps inside it had no season. There were chucks of yucca in it but again overall just flat on flavor as a dish. I would not recommend the Bobo unless maybe you have some history with and know what to expect. Get the beef steak. The steak had good flavor. read more

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Amazing service, great food , desserts flavorful and homemade . Highly recommend this BYOB

The food was amazing...: The service was the best i've had in the city.... If you are in Montclair this place is a must.... The owner is the Chief and you can tell he has passion for what he does.... I will return!!! read more

WOW. The "Samba" Panini is probably the best sandwich I've ever had! I'm not normally a fruit-on-meat fan, but the mango/pineapple was perfect with the grilled chicken and cheesey bread. Husband had the omelette and was equally thrilled. Strawberry mint juice was phenomenal. The vibe inside is also super cool, with tons of real plants and unique artwork. Thanks, Joao, for the excellent service! We'll be back! Edited to add: the 20% service charge was very clearly displayed when we went. There was a large print out (like a menu) on our table and our server mentioned it to us. read more

Samba Montclair - Front: Samba Panini with strawberry mint juice. Back: Omelette (before the side cheese bread came out). - Brazilian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

This was a real bummer. I've been wanting to find a great Brazilian restaurant. I grew up going to the Brazilian Pavilion in the old little Brazil section of Manhattan. I was hopeful when I read the reviews, but unfortunately it was disappointing. The service was just okay. Not rude, but not great. They were slow to take our order which was surprising since they were very clear that they needed our table in ninety minutes. The food: cheese bread- good but slightly under cooked salgadinhos sortidos- little filled dumplings with a delicious green sauce shrimp in acorn squash- it was ok. The shrimp was under seasoned. The squash puree was nice but a little one note. Feijoada- again ok. The pieces of meat were very small. The sauce could have had more flavor. My husband and daughter thought it was flavorless. mahi mahi and shrimp in coconut milk sauce- terrible. This dish had absolutely zero flavor and the mahi mahi was like shoe leather The attached pictures look better than the food tasted. They have interesting sounding dessert, but we didn't choose to stay. Also, the prices are very high. I have no problem paying for quality food, but these dishes were no where near worth the money. We won't be back. read more

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Great food spot right around the corner off the main street. I was happy to find this spot since most other Brazilian restaurants I've been too were rodizio style. Right from the beginning I had a feeling this place would be good once they brought out the little cheese breads. For appetizers we ordered the garlic shrimp and meat stuffed pastries. Both were perfectly portioned and amazing. Dinner consisted of the traditional Brazilian dish Feijoada and Picanha steak. Even though the meat was cooked well done, it was great. The Feijoada came with so many sides (rice, more beans, and collard greens). Finished off with cake and chocolate mousse for dessert. The mousse tasted so natural and rich. Almost like raw cocoa and not overly sweet. Overall experience here was good. Service, atmosphere, and food all hit high notes for us. read more

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There was a really nice vibe in here, and the staff were very friendly. I was a little underwhelmed by the food. We had some apps, a mix of stuffed pastry with cheese, meat, and chicken. The cheese was by far the best, the chicken and the shredded beef were both very under seasoned. As a main course I got yucca gnocchi in a Bolognese sauce. The gnocchi was very interesting, well cooked, with a nice spongy/tenderness. Unfortunately the bolognese was very under seasoned. It was my sisters birthday so they brought out some free dessert (so nice of them to give it to us on the house), ice cream on a brownie and a coconut ice cream/sherbet. The sherbet was very nice, the brownie, on the other hand was like cardboard (not sure it was because it was gluten free, but it was hard to eat). I am not sure if we caught them on a bad night, or we just didn't order the right things, but It was slightly disappointing. read more

I finally got to try this place and was excited because I never had Brazilian food before so was looking forward to it. When I arrived as usual I had a little trouble finding parking but eventually I did. When I walked in I told the server, Luis, I had reservations and he allowed me to pick where I wanted to sit. Fyi: I liked the decor of the restaurant and it's byob. Luis was our server and he was ok. Service could of been better but it wasn't terrible. They weren't as attentive as I would have liked. We had to keep getting the server's attention for him to come over. For brunch I had the angus burger on their homemade bread and my friend had the egg and cheese sandwich and a detox drink. She had to remind them about the drink because they forgot to give it to her. I really liked my food, the burger tasted so fresh. The fried yucca was very good as well. My friend enjoyed her sandwich as well and she said the detox drink was good. The cost was a little over $37 which wasn't bad. All in all we both had a good experience. read more

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Poor customer service, was rushed through our dining experience. The food was medicore. Ambiance was nice. Hoped for a better experience.

My daughter has a lot of food restrictions. It's not easy to find a place that she could eat. That has good food. The vibe is really cool inside too read more

I have been to Montclair a couple of times but somehow I have missed this place when searching for places to eat. Somehow this place came up on searches when I was in another town so we decided to come here since I haven't had Brazilian food since I last visited my parents. Let me tell you, this place is really good. Don't tell my dad but The food was just like home. I had the bife acebolado and my partner had the bobó de camarão The Bobó de camarão was something new to me as I have never had it. The dish is from the northeast of Brazil where there are many African influences. The dish was wonderful. My partner compared the taste to something like a Thai curry. It was not too salty and you got the coconut taste through at just the right amount. The bife was requested medium but due to being a thin cut it came out cooked well. The dish had caramelized onions along with Yuka fries. I did not know this as it was no where on the menu but when I requested a side of rice and beans the waiter said it came along with the dish. I am not sure if this was a common practice or else. But I was glad as the sides drove everything home without it I would've felt naked. As expected northern NJ has pretty good covid precaution with masks and cleanliness. Lastly, the only negative I have was the pricing I felt that it was a tad expensive for what it was and had the sides been a separate price as it is in the menu i would definitely find it a bit much. However all in all I enjoyed my experience here. read more

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Amazing food and friendly service! Needed a place with gluten free options for lunch with a celiac friend; how awesome that the whole menu is GF! The food was so good I would come back even if we didn't need GF. read more

Samba definitely deserves 4 out of 5 Stars! While I did forget to take a photo of my entree, I did snag a photo of everything else! You better believe that everything tasted just as good as they looked. Any friend brought me here for my birthday and I initially thought, "what a weird choice... she's vegan." BUT Samba is vegan friendly, how amazing is that?! While the restaurant is small and tight, the ambiance definitely brought me back to my home town in Brazil. If you don't mind being close to others, this is definitely a great spot for a night out. Be mindful of your reservation time because the parking sucks! If you're lucky to find parking outside, you're golden. However, if you can't find street parking, I would highly recommend parking in the YMCA garage around the corner (just know it's not free). read more

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It was our first time here. The food, atmosphere and service were fantastic. We live down the shore so it was a drive but worth it. The staff is friendly and attentive. Glad we chose to go! read more

I'm giving Samba Montclair 3.5 stars. I've had the pleasure of visiting twice and the two times were drastically different. The first time I went with a friend, we did brunch -- the service, our meals, and even the dessert were all so good. The second time? Not so much. I dined here for the second time with my husband and son, which was bad! The service was practically nonexistent, the crammed-in wall they sat us in was extremely tight, and the food was not great at all. It's unfortunate because I raved about this place to my husband, so I was excited to try their dinner menu with him; however, we were both sadly let down. With many options in the area, I'd opt out of dining here again. read more

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Food wasn't very good. The ambiance was nice. Staff were nice. I would have given it a 3 if the prices were more aligned with food. Confirmed what I've always known - you want brazilian food, go to iron bound in newark. read more

Nice restaurant off the main street. Came for lunch on a weekday with reservations and there were still alot of people sitting outside. Service is friendly and not rushed. Contactless menu. 1. Passionfruit shake - Tangy, refreshing, good for a hot day 2. Picanha Ao Alho E Oleo - Brazilian steak. Small cut but delicious, flavorful, a tad salty. Overall, solid restaurant 3.8/5. Would try at least once. read more

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As someone who lives in Brazil Part time this is my go to place when in Montclair! Their coconut rice with shrimp served in a gourd Awesome! Pao d quejo awesome. Usually good service. Last visit was slow service + kids running around with checked out parents, what are the servers to do! Sorry had to take a star off! read more

As soon as you step into Samba Montclair you'll notice that the location is small, but filled with beautiful homey decor. The wait staff is kind and patient, they really want you to feel welcomed and not rushed. My fiancé and I got seated deep in the restaurant in a hidden little nook I almost felt like Harry Potter under the staircase. My fiancé speaks Portuguese so it was nice that our waiter was able to speak to him in his native tongue. One thing you should know right off the batt is that they are BYOB - so don't forget to bring a bottle of wine with you. To start we ordered the Salgadinhos Sortidos which is basically a Brazilian version of a rice ball featuring (1) chicken, (1) cheese, & (1) beef option. Next we each ordered the Picanha ao alhoe e oleo which is delicious Brazilian Steak served with a side of veggies and mash potatoes. We ended the night with two servings of Brigaderio and left full and happy. Side Note - this restaurant is small so I would highly recommend making a reservation. read more

We were seated shortly after walking in without a reservation but took some time before they took our order. The pineapple mint & passion fruit juice were really delicious, & probably the most refreshing part of the meal. We ordered the garlic shrimp as an appetizer and it was good as well. I can't remember the specific titles for dinner but they both were tasty, however I didn't expect the fries to be as such. I didn't really like my meal so I swapped it out for my friend's dish. So much better. The waitress was very accommodating and attentive following it all. It was decently priced and I believe I'd come back to try other things on the menu. read more

Samba Montclair - Dinner 13. Bobo De Camarao Dinner 5. Mandioca Frita Com Linguica Calabresa E Cebola Dinner - Brazilian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

Service - wonderful! Friendly wait staff who looked straight out of a magazine. Ambiance - very great decor. Can tell a lot of thought was put into it. Food - had the pork sliders to start, super filling! We were almost full already. The cheesy bread is a can't miss as well. We had the pork chops for one entree and the chicken with mushrooms and crispy potatoes for the other. All in all it was beyond delicious. They are transparent about their high prices and service fees, but it did feel worth it! You get what you pay for. Huge portions and a great ambiance. read more

Samba Montclair - pork chops, chicken with mushrooms and potato - Brazilian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

Amazing food, attentive service and very intimate. BYOB! But the service was attentive and the food was AMAZING. We had the shrimp appetizer and mango/pistachio salad as a starter (amazing), served on quaint small dishes that fit the tabel. Then main meal was steak and shrimp (with sqash). The yucca was expertly flavored in a small side dish wuth shrimp and the shrimp and squash were in a squash shell and was HOTT. All dishes were seasoned to perfection. I didnt love the churro, it was stuffed and i think it would be better plain, but very nice presentation. They are very considerate of the 2 hour limit so be ware, but PERFECT for an intimate date night!!! read more

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Excellent dinner! Best of all it's all gluten free! The place is wonderfully decorated and has great service. We loved the chicken and steaks we ordered. They have an extensive dessert menu that is all GF!! It is BYOB so be sure to stop at the wine place nearby and pick out a bottle to bring! Very glad we got to experience the food. We will be back! read more

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Overall, the experience was okay. Food was great, the restaurant is BYOB, but the service was subpar. When we were seated, though water was poured upon arrival, a server did not come back to us for over 20 minutes. Even then, the reason they noticed our table was after I flagged a server down. I would understand if the restaurant was busy or packed but it was a Saturday at 1PM. The restaurant had a number of empty tables. They provided us with our food and checked on us one other time. If the service was better, I feel like it would have been a better experience. Pros: The food & atmosphere Cons: Service read more

Samba Montclair - Strawberry and Mint Samba Fresh Juice Lunch & Coconut Lemonade Samba Fresh Juice Lunch - Brazilian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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