Samba Brazil Eatery

I came here to meet a group of friends one night. Two of them was Brazilian so they recommended this place. Samba also has a downtown location near Dundas Square. Samba serves Brazilian street food which I never had before.
I ordered the carne seca with the coalho added in. Carne seca is Brazilian-style beef jerky and cassava sauteed with onions. Coalho is maybe cheese? I also ordered the Coxinha which is "chicken balls" according to my Brazilian friend. For drink, I got the guarana soda.
The carne seca is sort of like a big deep fried dough with stuffing inside. It was hot, salty and savory.
The Coxinha had chicken in the middle surrounded with potato and also deep fried. I felt that it was a little dry but it was filling.
My friends let me try the cassava fries which is bit different from regular fries. The cassava has a bit more texture.

I had two dishes from the stand at the Yonge and Dundas World Food Market and my friend had one.

The stand claimed to be Halal although I did not see the Halal sign anywhere.

I had the coxinha ($7) and Frango e Requeijao com milho (shredder chicken, cream cheese and some corn, $10). Both were mostly tasteless. It's as if they did not season the chicken at all. The sandwhich/sub bread was small and chewy, inadequate for the price. The coxinha was warm on the outside but kinda cold on the inside. I don't intend to be mean but the truth is that it tasted like very basic, tasteless, cheap gas station food.

I think all the foods were pre-prepared and then just heated up. This led to the food, including the sandwhich, being a mix of temperatures.

Also my friend ordered a pulled roast beef dish and instead was served a ground beef dish. Again, this is because all the food is prepared and Frozen and then just fried when u order it. They probably didn't label or store the item properly in the freezer so they took out the wrong food and fried it.

I would never return to this place and I don't recommend it. They need to step up their seasoning-game.

I'm Brazilian and I think the Brazilian's food it's not the same here in Canada (because of the lack of ingredients), but I can say the pastel at Samba it's not only good here in Canada, but it's one of the best Ive ever ate.

Samba is a cozy space serving traditional Brazilian fare. They specialize in pastel, which is a light deep fried Brazilian snack; traditionally, it has a savory filling, but at Samba they also offer sweet options. Savory fillings here range from cheese, beef and chorizo to Brazilian-style beef jerky (carne seca), shrimp and cod. They also offer burgers and Brazilian-style sandwiches, such as Bauru (ham, mozzarella and tomato) and Pao com Linguica (grilled chorizo sausage with vinaigrette).

I decided to try their Frango e Requeijao (chicken and cream cheese) pastel. The serving size was good, with more filling than I expected, and tasted good. The only downside is that it was a bit more oily than I expected.

The indoor dining area has seating available at a few large tables, as well as a counter overlooking St. Clair Ave. An outdoor area offers additional seating. Parking is available on the street. Easy TTC access by streetcar.

There is something for everyone at this pastel spot. Whether you're into something meaty or veggie, sweet or savoury, they have you covered.

My favourite is the Especial Tradicional with a mix of ground beef, eggs, and olives. The flavours meld together perfectly!

The wait can be a bit long, but that's because these are made to order. You'll get them piping hot. You have been warned!

There is a little park and seating area near the restaurant, which is kind of nice. It is right on St. Clair West, so it's pretty high traffic, but it allows you to eat these things as soon as possible. The paper bag they come in will turn translucent on the way to the park. That's how you know they're good.

Oh man - those pastels.
Offering sweet options is quite unique.
The savoury pastels are so good, you'll be thinking about them sporadically after. The hot sauce they serve it with is absolutely perfect.
A must visit for a cheeky midday snack.

I came here with my partner and we order a few pastels: they are very filling each. Keep in mind that these are not the healthiest snacks, as they are deep fried.

Our favourites were "carne seca" (similar to beef jerky) and "requeijão" (cream cheese-like, but smoother).

Delicious savoury Brazilian pastries by wonderful owners! My favourites are the mushroom & cheese and the chicken & corn. I hear the braised beef is excellent. Definitely get the homemade pico to go with your pastel. The coconut cake dessert was also surprisingly up my alley - not too sweet but super tasty. Beleza!