Gostoso Bakery - Orlando

This restaurant is one of my husband's favorites from his travels. We decided to stop by after a brief visit to the nearby outlet mall on our way back to Miami. The experience was fantastic! The waitstaff was attentive and helpful, making our visit enjoyable. The food selection was fresh and delicious, with a wide variety of salads. The quinoa with nuts was particularly amazing—I’d love to get my hands on that recipe! I ordered the roast chicken, which was cooked to perfection, along with two types of beef. I definitely bit off more than I could chew; I had to take breaks to finish my meal! As for the desserts, they're decent if you enjoy very sweet Brazilian treats.

I speak Portuguese fluently, and when I arrived, I was asked if I had been there before, to which I replied yes. At the end of the meal, I was presented with the bill, which included an automatic 15% gratuity for parties of four or more. Wait, what? This is a self-serve buffet! You literally walk up to get your own plate, utensils, and food. There’s nothing brought to your table other than drinks—in our case, just some water, and the removal of a few used plates. On the night I visited, there were many staff members just standing around. It was a weeknight during spring break, and the restaurant was fairly empty, which should have been a red flag. Now, let me be clear: I am all for tipping well and have worked in restaurants myself. I typically tip around 20% for good service. The key word here is 'service.' In this case, I received minimal service, and I found this automatic gratuity practice very shady since it was neither voluntary nor properly disclosed. I don’t appreciate being hit with unexpected charges that I wasn't aware of or had agreed to. So much so that by the end, I informed the staff in Portuguese that I’m an American who understands how tipping works. I usually tip well, often more than the standard percentage, and she smiled, saying she could adjust the pre-added tip. However, the irony is that they limited their own earnings by engaging in such a dubious practice. Given the lack of genuine service, I doubt I'll return, especially with so many other dining options in Orlando. My advice to the restaurant is to be open and honest with your customers, especially regulars. If gratuity is mandatory, make sure to clearly communicate that! This kind of behavior is simply shady.

Every time I'm in Orlando or in the area I visit this place. The staff is super nice and helpful. The food is outstanding! I particularly love their risotto which is along the buffet. The food here is worth every penny.

Great place in a touristy area to stop by and get Brazilian baked goods. Although. I haven't seen their full menu it seemed like they had hot food. Their pao de queijo is their version of cheesey bread which are airy and come in Minis. Also got their coxinha which is a fried ball, very lightly breaded stuffed with chicken and their cheese!

Excellent restaurant, best Brazilian eating place in Orlando, fresh food and the best of all... Super clean, from the bathrooms to the tables, the servers keep the place always right and clean.