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Bossa Nova
- Nearest Transit:
-
310 Main St (105, 106, 99)
Main St @ Centre St (104, 105, 106, 99)
Eastern Ave @ Main St (104, 105)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sun 11 am - 11 pm
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
19 reviews for Bossa Nova
19 reviews in English
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Review from Helen M.
Boston, MA
5/11/2012
Came here twice - first with a friend then with the boy. Both times with a groupon for the Brazilian bbq buffet.
First off, the staff is amazing. Service was super attentive and pleasant to deal with.
The food was good - they definitely don't skimp on the food. We basically tried all the meats which were all pretty tender. The only problem was the amount of salt! Holy moley, do they salt their food! I felt my blood pressure immediately rising.
I'd come back again even without the groupon. Be sure to try their bbqed pineapple with cinnamon. Amazing as dessert! -
Review from Cristina C.
Boston, MA
5/2/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I was here a few times, strictly going for an event that was being held here. The Open Mic night that was taking place on Mondays. I'm not 100% sure what happened with that but the Open Mic night moved to another local establishment. Sad face.
There is a chance I could check out the buffet here at some point in the future though but in the meantime let me begin.
Parking was sort of fend for yourself, there is a lot across the street but it's very small. There is also a lot behind the bowling alley, which was where I always found myself comfortable parking. Street is limited as there are other places around as well.
Staff was generally friendly and helpful but with perhaps what was the confusion of people, I had to ask more than several times for a BBQ sauce one night only for the 11th time asking did he tell me there wasn't any.
I got the chicken fingers here and the fish and chips. I know, I was so adventurous (sarcasm) but they were damn good! Hooray!
I would totally be up for doing the all you can eat set up they have and the meat to the table, but that would be for a night where there wasn't the Open Mic, except that isn't there anymore. Sad face. So I'll have to get back there and then update this. -
Review from Miss T.
Salem, MA
4/30/2012
This place is great!!!! The food is excellent and the staff is pleasant.
We had used a gift certificate $50 that you had to spend $100; which is hard to get to the $100. We were told we'd be given updates on when coming close to the total and went $30+ over since the waiter stated not even close.
The food was excellent (lamb was very dry). MUST try the roasted Pineapple its Delicious!!!
The Mixed Fruit Cipraha (sp) drink first glass was chipped and the second one came and was more all puree fruit nothing really to drink. The desserts were great especially the Flan.
OVERALL YOU MUST TRY THIS PLACE!! -
Review from Lin M.
Pelham, NH
4/22/2012
I too had a groupon which I used for a party of eight. First, the groupon was incorrect in its dollar value. It stated it was $100 value but the rodizio is only 16.95 per person. They did give us "free" appetizers of yucca and potatoes but it really did not equate to $100.
We had a great time but due mostly to the company and setting not the food. I have been to quite a few Brazilian rodizios and this failed to make the cut. The meat was very dry. If I was craving good Brazilian I'd hit one of the little shops in Everett.
That said it is a great place for a large group and not expensive at all. Feel free to stay for hours, they don't mind. It was great for that. -
Review from Ethel C.
Boston, MA
3/31/2012
Excellent, savory, authentic Brazilian BBQ. Their picanha is fabulous, gloriously glistening as it comes hot off the grill, spitted through and carried over by charming men. How much better does it get?
Awesome, soothing live Brazilian music is how much better it gets.
And pao de queijo, roasted pineapple, their bacon wrapped chicken is really moist and not dry at all.
Mysteriously enough, did not see chicken hearts. Yummy bursts of gutsy flavor they woulda been! -
Review from David P.
Cambridge, MA
3/10/2012
A great place for a carnivorous chow down!
Four of us tried Bossa Nova. We all did the buffet and Rodizio (AYCE meat brought to the table on the skewers) and we were all impressed. The buffet was fresher and more interesting than most Brazillian buffets we've had before. Everyone found something to love at the buffet., so much so that some kept going back even though that meant less room for the Rodizio.
Everything at the buffet was fresh. We got there on the early side (6:30) so I can't say what you'd find at 9PM. It's usually a good idea, especially on a week night, to hit a buffet early unless you know they have a huge turnover.
The meat varied in quality, though some of it was great. First cuts from the skewers tended to be over salted. My wife loved all the chicken that came to the table.
Service was great. Everyone aimed to please and the waiter had nice touch and a good sense of humor. Beer and house wine was great, the folks who worked the bar were friendly. -
Review from Sharon D.
Malden, MA
3/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
You have got to try this place! We had a Groupon for Rodizio for 4 and it was great! We made reservations, was seated immediately and we had Adrian as our server. He is a KEEPER!!!! Let's run through the night...
Adrian was an outstanding server! He was attentive, friendly, knowledgeable, mature and really made the experience top notch. He is extremely well trained and experienced and will definitely seek out and request him again.
Ambiance was better than expected. There are 3 dining rooms and we were in the more formal room where the live music was. I was worried about sound levels of the band but they were a perfect addition to complement our meal. The bar is sizeable.
He brought out an appetizer plate of cheese balls, fried yucca and mashed potatoes. YUM. Then came the fish balls and fries. Again, yum! Though I'm not usually a fan of fried things in general, all of these fried items were cooked perfectly, not greasy and very light. With our bottle of Malbec, it went down rather nicely!
Now we were ready for our main course. There is an all you can eat buffet with various salads, rice, beans, fish, pasta, and fruit and we sampled a bit of everything and it was all fresh and tasty. We get back to our table and then came the meat. Servers went through the restaurant with beef, pork, kielbasa, Turkey sausage, chicken thighs, chicken hearts, lamb and pineapple - all sliced and served at the table. And it was endless. And delicious.
Adrian recommended cappuccinos with hot chocolate and my husband enjoyed it. Another in our party had an espresso with sambuca and he enjoyed that. We were overstuffed but Adrian wanted us to try the flan so he brought us a piece with four forks and it was light, not too sweet and refreshing.
A pleasant surprise and a great addition to the diverse restaurants of Malden! Welcome and we will be back! Even without a Groupon deal! -
Review from Bianca T.
Boston, MA
3/1/2012
We were very excited to find that this place opened just a few blocks from our house so we had to go !
I guess I should say ... My husband is from brazil and (me: a NY-er) I lived in brazil for a year so we know excellent authentic Brazilian restaurants ... And love going at least every week or so ... Such delicious food !
So unfortunately this will NOT be a good review ... The items on the buffet weren't as fresh as they could be ... And definitely not seasoned ... The meat was good but definitely not as good as it should be ... On the dry side , wasn't cooked enough to melt the salt off and weren't the best quality available ... and not to mention if anyone can make rice it's brazilians - the rice had zero seasoning and was not kept hot ... Huge no no
On a positive note ... Our waiter (Michael) was extremely friendly, professional and his English was astonishing (very impressive for being here on a student visa) he was polite and efficient !
Ohhh and the caipirinha was made to perfection !!!!!!
But was a bit weird was for two or three full tables there were 15 people working and gossiping in portuguese loudly in the dining room ... Distracting
Ohhh and a must for me to order is the pudim for dessert ... It was horrible ... Over cooked and not served chilled ...
Best food in the area ? Oliveira's in Everett -
Review from Daniel Y.
Boston, MA
3/9/2012
The wife and I came here for dinner on a Tuesday, and we had the best time!
The highlight of our night was the service. Seeing that it was our first time, Rafael would walk over to make sure that we felt taken care of, even asking if the music was too loud. The atmosphere happened to be relaxing and intimate, with dim lighting and Brazilian music light enough for conversation. Perfect for a date night.
Our server came over often enough to refill our drinks and answer questions, but left us enough time and space to enjoy ourselves. When we asked for dessert suggestions, he brought out caramel flan and let us try passion fruit mousse for free.
And the meat guy was so much fun! This guy brought over huge slabs of meat with just two words: "It's good!" And even when our plates were full, he brought more meat out with a smile. I couldn't resist. The outsides were crispy and salty; the insides, warm and juicy. He even joked by bringing us meat while we were eating our desserts. "Just kidding!" he said.
Our experience here was fantastic, and we will be sure to return to Bossa Nova soon. -
Review from Jay C.
Arlington, MA
1/17/2012
We decided to try Bossa Nova because of its close proximity to my gf's house, and it looks like we found our new favorite rodizio restaurant.
The staff was friendly and helpful especially our waiter, Michael. Their caipirinhas were strong and tasty. All of their meats were juicy and flavorful without all the extra salt used in other rodizio, and their chicken wrapped in bacon was the juiciest I've ever had. The price at $14.95 can't be beat, we will be back as often as we can. -
Review from S A.
Lynn, MA
4/6/2012
Found a coupon from groupon for a Rodzio for four and thought I'd share what I learned.
1) Disable your bathroom scale, you won't want to know what your dinner has done until you've had at least a week to work it off
2) If you want soda forget 7-up or sprite and ask for Guarana Brazilia, also make sure you have a pencil handy to write that down since when you're cruising the international aisle of market basket later you'll want to know what you're looking for.
3) When you hit the buffet remember to stock up on fruits, after pass 6-8 you'll start to sink into a meat coma and that little bit of plant based material could be the difference between powering through for a few more shots at the bacon wrapped chicken and going home in shame and defeat in which case you might as well just become a vegetarian since clearly you're not cutting it as a carnivore.
4) Stick $20-$30 in your shirt pocket, having that money ready will make it easier to resist the urge to just hand your server your wallet and tell them to take whatever they want in tips... failure to plan ahead will cause your brain to malfunction while still in a grease euphoria and just hand over all your cash and cards along with any watches, rings, or first born that you happen to have with you.
5) Roasted pineapple... so delicious I'm making it a honorary meat and counting it towards the goal of 10 passes.... as soon as you taste it you'll agree with my ruling
6) Lastly (and very important) keep your eyes on your own table, seeing what other people are eating is only a short step away from wanting it yourself... the Rodzio is just a gateway meal, sure you come in for the never ending BBQ, but before you know it you'll be showing up on weekends for the seafood bowls and live music and waddling around at a stately 400 lbs.
Don't worry, I will continue to keep an investigative eye on this establishment and alert you if I detect any changes in the cuisine... yes.. more empirical testing is needed... much much more -
Review from Dee K.
Foxborough, MA
4/3/2012
Tried this place on 3/31/12. Modest storefront on Main St in Malden. Parking is not an issue - on street and lot behind the restaurant. Easy in and out. Buffet had decent variety. I would echo another reviewer who said the rice and some other things in the buffet were cold, unfortunately. The beef was very good and tasty. There are some beef pieces with some fat but I've experienced this at every Brazilian buffet I've ever been too. I thought the beef that came to the table had great flavor ( was still craving it the next day). I do wish most of it was not medium-rare. I like juicy meat and hate well-done but I don't need bloody meat all the time they come to the table. Other meats we saw were : chicken w/ or without bacon, various sausages, chick hearts, chick wings. Service was good.
They did have live music and thankfully the music volume was just right - we could still hear the conversation at the table. Having been to Cafe Belo in Everett I know how annoying loud music over dinner can be if it is too loud. After 9pm on Sat night at Cafe Belo you cannot hear anything - it's all obnoxiously loud music. I like the ambiance at Bossa Nova - seems a little bit more refined.
I would definitely go back to Bossa Nova. Looking forward to it. -
Review from Omeed D.
Malden, MA
2/5/2012
Bossa Nova is a by-the-books Brazilian steakhouse, with the full buffet/rodizio (meat on swords) type place. I'm very happy we have a place like this in town. We stopped by on a lark yesterday and ate far, far too much.
I've only been to the fancy ones before (Fogo de Chao, Plataforma), so the first amazing thing was the price. 15$ for an all you can eat meatstravaganza. We went at lunch, so it may be pricier in the evenings, but the places I've visited charge more than twice that.
The basics, if you've never been to a Brazilian steakhouse are: go to the buffet and pick out some side dishes. Return to your seat where waiters will, at intervals, present you with whatever meat options they are carrying. You chat with the waiter a bit and he'll cut you off however much you want. Repeat until you can no longer move.
The clientele was heavily Brazilian - always a good sign. The staff was super friendly and approachable. One of the managers, Adrian, came up towards the end and made it extremely clear that this restaurant is in good hands with a customer service orientation.
Venue is attractive and clean, but not trying to be trendy - clearly they're upgrading the space as they go. It's not right downtown, so street parking is very easy.
The food was great - high quality meats, well seasoned and well-prepared (the rare sirloin practically melted onto my plate). The lamb, chicken hearts and grilled pineapple were all standouts. Good stuff on the buffet as well, but nothing too fancy.
Drinks were good and fairly priced (I believe our Caipirnhas were 7$ each), with good cachaca.
Clearly this is a place that has earned return business. Can't wait for our next excursion! -
Review from Ginny D.
Everett, MA
3/28/2012
Disgusting. Would not recommend! Got the rodisio. Buffet food was cold and tasteless. The only thing edible with flavor was the fruit.
The meat was dry or fatty.tried the chicken wings and it was like eating a lump of fat on a bone. The only positive was that the waiters were very nice. -
Review from Tyra L.
Woburn, MA
2/28/2012
GO HERE, GO HERE, GO HERE.
My boyfriend and I have tried rodizio places all over MA and this place definitely wowed us. The atmosphere is intimate enough for a date but casual enough to bring a family. The lighting is dim and the interior is spacious and clean. The decor is simple yet fun and there is a small stage area for live music. Our waiter was very attentive and brought us everything we asked for.
Now on to the food... Their buffet is amazing and offers a variety of options such as fresh fruit, different types of salads, roasted pork, chicken lasagna, pasta, fish, etc. While this place didn't really offer anything that was super unique, it seemed like they found a way to elevate the normal rodizio-buffet options to something memorable and different. I found myself getting seconds of things that I normally don't touch at other places, such as the potato salad and the pasta. Our buffet dinner even came with a full plate of fried yuca, mashed potatoes and cheese balls. BEST. FRIED. YUCA. EVER. EVER, EVER, EVER. Did I mention EVER? The cheese balls were great too, explosive flavor with every additional bite. My only complaint: there were 4 and not a bazillion.
Believe it or not the meat was my least favorite part of this place. Yes, it is way less salty than all the other places. But I don't know if that's worth giving up the crispy "crust" on the outer most layer of the meats. To me, they were all too chewy and some of the pieces of beef that were cut off for us were suspiciously rare. I've worked in my fair share of fine-dining steak houses back in the day so I'm pretty familiar with what a "cool red center" is and a few of those slices were definitely not there yet.
We have been to our fair share of rodizios so we know what is typically offered. We ended up having to ask them to bring out the grilled pineapple and the chicken wings. (For some reason they just kept bringing out the same 3 options??) THOSE ARE TO DIE FOR. The grilled pineapple is juicy, tender and covered with cinnamon -- every bite is like a mouth full of warm pie. The chicken wings were crispy and juicy. OH and the chicken wrapped in bacon was the best I've ever had. Again, this is normally one of those things I never get because it's usually so dry.
On the way out we ended up grabbing a slice of strawberry cake and lemon cake to go. Light, fluffy, delicious. Perfect way to end off a heavy meal.
We will definitely revisit next time we are in the neighborhood! -
Review from Kitia G.
Malden, MA
12/20/2011
I went to this place 3 times already, and I'll definitely go again. Bossa Nova provides a fantastic costumer service! This is a great place for a very reasonable price. The food is GREAT! Although they're a steak house, they also have a very good vegetarian selection on their buffet. You'll enjoy great music, too. Don't forget to try their Caipirinha (Brazilian Mojito), it's delicious!!!
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Review from Judi V.
Malden, MA
11/10/2011 1 photo
So, yesterday was the worst day of work I'd had in a long, long time (up to and including signing an email to one of our directors "Love, Mom" .. ugh). When I got home the boy said, forget cooking let's go somewhere and eat! YEP! Don't have to ask this girl twice. What to have was another issue... he finally said that I should pick someplace we wanted to try but haven't... still at a loss I remembered seeing this place on my way home one night and had just seen some friends post on Facebook that they were there recently. It fit my major criteria ... close!!!
We walked in and there weren't many folks there.. not a good sign. I'm glad we toughed it out though because we were in for a feast at a seriously low cost! The had a nice buffet with fresh salad and toppings, nice sides including two kinds of rice, two kinds of beans, fried plantain, and several kinds of veggies... already I was feeling better! Then... the meat man started coming... filling our plates with yummy sausages (they have chicken or pork), sirloin, steak tips, chicken wings (go for a bunch of these they rocked), bacon wrapped chicken and even a curveball... pineapple sprinkled with cinnamon and barbequed with the meats (sounds weird but so freaking yummy!). We stuffed ourselves so bad that when we were leaving and pressed our noses to the glass of the dessert case we couldn't imagine eating another bite so we bought two to go and opted for coffee at home later! We had the chocolate/coconut cake and the passion fruit cake (more like a passion fruit tirimisu) both were outstanding!
They have live Bossa Nova music on the weekends so we're heading back on a Sunday for the live music. The bar area looks cool and it's just begging for us to go listen! Okay... my bet is we'll eat... who could smell that and resist! -
Review from Rachel R.
Everett, MA
2/1/2012
New spot...... great place... Amazing service, excellent food. Ultimate staff member Adrian was so smart and he makes really good drinks!!!!!!
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Review from Drielly F.
Everett, MA
Updated - 12/17/2011
Great place to be , nice music , nice ambient, awesome food. All you can eat steak for 14.95 lunch and 16.95 nights with live music. Very nice and a nice alacarte menu loved it
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/12/2011
I was there a few times already and let me tell you great food, great service great Music , will def… Read more »
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