Malagueta Bar & Grill

Malagueta is a funny place. Went there for the first time recently when I discovered that the place I really wanted to go to had a 30 minute wait. I get irritable when I’m hungry and have to wait for food so I decided to check this place out.
I generally try to avoid places on Colorado. My theory is that since rents are so high the restaurants need to get as many customers as possible, which leads them to cater to the lowest common palate denominator. Case in point: Cheesecake Factory. Yuk.
At first glance Malagueta seemed to confirm this with a décor scheme you’ve seen a thousand times and a confused, «everything but the kitchen sink» menu.
On to the food. I got the shrimp coqueta and my boyfriend had the skirt steak. Yummy! Shrimp is so often mistreated by being overcooked and luckily Malagueta got this one right. The sauce was tomato-​based and had a hint of coconut milk, which was a nice surprise. Veggies on the side were just right, but the mashed potatoes were what really impressed me. I typically hate mashed potatoes but these actually had tons of flavor and a texture that didn’t make me feel like I was eating baby food. Boyfriend liked the skirt steak too. Wanted to try the tiramisu for desert but they were out so I just had a cappuccino, which was standard.
Service was pretty good, but the waitress said something I found a bit odd. When we were leaving, she said «it’s nice to try something different.» Huh? We had shrimp and steak. They serve pizza, sandwiches, and tiramisu. This isn’t really pushing the boundaries of the avant garde. Plus, how does she know what we typically eat? I heard her say it to the table beside us as well. Not sure what she meant by that. Luckily the food was good enough that I didn’t care.

Mmmm… Malagueta. What DON’T I love about this place? It’s quiet, it’s intimate, it’s hip, it’s sexy. Sure, your caipirinhas are on the pricey side ($ 10) but it’s worth it because they’re like the real-​life version of a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster. Also, they have insanely attractive bartenders and waiters. Sorry, was that a little shallow? (Nah).
They seem to have changed their menu a bit, because they don’t serve my favorite beef stroganoff anymore… but never fear, the chicken & cheese empanadas are still there and delicious as ever. Last time I was there, my friend and I split the blackened salmon (absolutely worth it!) and spent the evening being serenaded by a live band, listening in on the next table over’s conversation, and trying to come up with pick-​up lines for our waiter. And this was all before drinks. Muito bem!

I’m going to keep this one short. The food was good. Service… that’s where they lost a star or two. Will my friends and I be back… don’t think so. There’s plenty of other places in Old Town that we would rather spend our money at.

Really needed a drink last night, and knew that happy hour is all day Monday (thanks to belinda n.), so my husband and I decided to try Malagueta.
I’ve walked by this restaurant so many times without ever realizing that it was a restaurant. At night, it’s rather pretty, with the chandeliers hanging in both front windows. Even from outside, I had a good feeling about the restaurant.
Being a Monday, there was plenty of seating. As soon as we walked in the door, the hostess, who also turned out to be our waitress, immediately seated us.
It was happy hour, so I decided to try a couple things off the happy hour menu. I tried the mozzerella cheese and tomato appetizer ($ 3). Ehh, it was okay, pretty much the same thing I’ve eaten elsewhere, and usually better with a tomato slice v. halved cherry tomatoes. But, it is an Argentinian restaurant, so I think that was my bad.
Then I tried the shrimp ceviche ($ 3). I’ve never eaten ceviche before, so I have nothing to compare it with. If the flavor of the shrimp should be distinct, then I would say this was not the best ceviche. The shrimp tasted like it was boiled rather than steamed or grilled, and some of its shrimpy flavor was lost, which was unfortunate. But like the other starter I ate, it was okay.
But, the flank steak. Oh my, now, that was good! The seasoning was very nice. And it was quite tender. Next time, I will definitely forgo the starters and just go with the flank steak, because… mmmm.
Almost forgot, the reason for the visit to begin with… the happy hour margarita ($ 5). We’ll definitely be back.

Excellent service, a very nice indoor space, good sound system, and a nice sampling of dishes from across Latin/​South America. We observed a decent Happy Hour selection (until 7 on weekdays). We stayed with the red meat side of the menu and went home happy with left-​overs. The price point nudges this to 4 for me.

One word: yum!
I got the garlic chicken plate, complete with yuuuummmmmmy green sauce, rice & beans, and fried plaintains. Okay, the rice & beans and plantains were mediocre, but that chicken was flavorful and tender, and that green sauce, oh that green sauce. I still dream about its garlicky cilantro-​ness.
They have a pretty good lunch menu, with reasonable prices (many under $ 10). The entrees cost more (garlic chicken was $ 17 I think) but I had enough food for a couple of meals afterwards. Possibly because I loaded up on the pizza flatbread (slightly over-​salted but also delicious, but probably since they gave it with a side of the green sauce) beforehand. Just make sure you have a lot of time to spare. Our lunch took FOREVER to come out, so long that we had to get boxes for our food when it arrived (to speed things up so that we didn’t take a 2 hour lunch).
Overall, I’ll definitely eat here again, but I’m not sure if I’d venture away from the garlic chicken kuz it was SO GOOD. Mmmmmm.

When I first tried this place, I loved it. Mediterranean and Brazilian cuisine… yummmmy and it was good. I even took a couple of my friends there for dinner. I’ve been back several times. I feel like the quality has diminished and it isn’t as great as before. My sisters have been back and they noticed the same thing.

Sometimes a local eatery will attract me more than a chain restaurant solely because… it’s something local. While Malagueta isn’t the worst place in the world, it didn’t exactly impress me either.
Even though this is listed as a Brazilian restaurant, the menu signals more of an identity crisis. I do realize that Brazil is a very diverse country, but this place doesn’t exude much «Brazilian» in their menu. It’s like an American restaurant serving sushi, spaghetti, fried rice, paninis, and steak.
I got the ribeye and I must admit, it was pretty decent as it was pretty well grilled. The price wasn’t too bad either. The service was okay and the atmosphere wasn’t too bad.
I wouldn’t avoid this place but I just wouldn’t put it high up on my list for restaurants around Oldtown…

Wow, the reviews for this place is all over the place.
My friend had been here before and he liked it, so he was the one who picked the place this time, and earlier that evening we were talking about South America and Brazil.
On a Friday evening this place wasn’t nearly as packed as a few other restaurants along CO Blvd in Old Town Pas.
The restaurant is open and airy with a small area for al fresco dining. We decided to dine indoors.
They serve this basket of warm flat bread with this spicy olive oil tapenade, which is yummo!
I was torn between ordering the talipia putanesca or the salmon with pesto sauce. Our waitress recommended the salmon. Great choice. The salmon was cooked perfectly and came with mixed zucchini and carrots, mashed potatoes, and a chopped tomato pepper salad. The meal came piping hot. The pesto sauce was very tasty and not over powering. Loved my dish. My friend ordered the stroganoff, which came with fries, rice — talk about starch loading– and the tomato salad. He loved his dish as well. Both dishes were served piping hot.
One thing I need to mention is the service. I like great service at a restaurant, but there’s a point of going over board with service. Throughout our entire dining experience, just about everyone on the wait staff stopped by our table to see if we needed water or anything else. I lost count after 6^th person who stopped by our table.

If you’re looking for a bite to during the lunch period then you should probably look elsewhere.
This afternoon a friend and I were deciding between Mi Piace and this particular restaurant and I sorely wished that we would have picked Mi Piace. Like some stated before the servers are very nice; however, the service was completely non-​existent! After being seated we ordered an Iced Tea, Shirley Temple, Hummus, and a mushroom burger.
Drinks– We got them 20 minutes into the service, after I had to ask for them. I guess him talking to the other server and putting on his tie was more important than our drinks. Go figure.
Food– Where do I begin? Does Hummus and a burger REALLY take 30 minutes? Actually more around 35 minutes. What are they doing back there? Killing the cow? Picking the chickpeas? We were the only ones in the «Restaurant» if you want to call it that. Even then they managed to completely botch the Burger order by giving us mayo and mustard when we specifically asked NOT to have any. (Funny thing was that the top bun was where the condiments were, and they simply could have removed that and added another bun). And I guess separating frozen fries after they have been fried is too big of a hassle too.
And the hummus. The hummus. Just don’t order it.
Overall, the experience was completely dreadful and I would rather crawl up my rectum than set back foot into this establishment.

Just went here for lunch. Started with hummus and pita along with flatbread and olive oil/​balsamic vin. The hummus was strangely orange although not flavored with anything that I could connect with orange. Shrug.
Had the Teak sandwich (that’s what the menu said, although now I think it was a misspelling of «steak») with salad. It was skirt steak on focaccia with aji sauce. Is this place Brazilian? Peruvian? Mediterranean? Who knows. Anyway, the meat was tender and the sauce was fresh and tasty. I would have gotten the fries had the waiter correctly explained the type of fries they served (he said «steak fries» which they are not!).
I am not sure I’d come back, although my friend who got the steak burrito thought it was fab. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing??? I would love to give this place more stars because the staff was friendly and the service was great. The interior is nice and modern as well. Perhaps I’ll have to give this place another try…

Although this place is a Brazilian restaurant, dont expect to get bombarded with meats.
The menu contains alot of yummy items to chose from.
We usually start with the yogurt and cucumbers with pita bread, mmmm.
The empanadas are HUGE and kinda dry, I would recommend you get maybe a side order of guacamole to toss on top of it.
I usually order the salmon with pesto sauce, a side of lemon and some chile on the side, it is to dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee for, just thinking of it is making me hungry and I have a huge bag of doritos Im about to devour. lol
The Husband usually orders the cheese steak which is also good.
The fried platanos I steal from anyones plate that isnt watching, they are my favorite.
The waiters/​waitresses I think are great, even though this last time we went the waiter forgot to bring me my drink and then remembered so he doubled it. :) Entrees run around $ 13 – 16 per entrée and appetizers run you around $ 8.00-$ 10.
Now that they have remodeled this place its not as intimate and romantic as it was when it opened at night and all the lights were dimmed, now the lighting is always on. Once your done having dinner here I recommend you run across the street to Barcelona for a yummy martini

Lots of mixed reviews about this place — I’m surprised! I thoroughly enjoyed my dining experience… and the food to me was pretty bombtastic.
First off, I MUST comment on the bread basket. It’s basically flatbread with a slightly spicy tapenade that comes with it. THIS IS THE BOMB. Seriously, I could truly see myself just eating that all day. It’s actually quite dangerous cuz the server or busser will replenish the empty basket and you could easily be full off just that by the time your entrée arrives.
Speaking of… my entrée was a short-​rib stew-​type dish w/​rice, beans, and plantains. Can’t remember the name… my BF had a sandwich. The fries that came with were so light and crspy. Everything was bombtastic. Seriously. We dined al fresco style, as we always do when we eat in Old Town Pasadena. Just sippin on a sangria on a hot SoCal day and watching the world go by… Oh and as for the service, it was fine — we never went without so, no complaints.

Definition of «All things to all people»:
Everything that every person wants.
Usage notes: often as a negative.
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The Malagueta Restaurant in Pasadena is all things to all people. It’s Brazilian, it’s Italian, it’s a sandwich place, it’s hamburger joint? It’s fusion. For me it was just con-​fusion.
CHICKEN & CHEESE EMPANADAS (A crispy pie filled with black beans, melted cheese, onion, scallions, tomato, cilantro and grilled chicken. Served with salsa campanha) were large, but very dry and blah, which makes the ‘large” not necessarily a compliment. Even the salsa was dry, which I guess is an achievement of sorts.
My friend’s MALAGUETA’S ANGEL HAIR (Angel hair pasta with diced tomatoes, Tuscan extra virgin olive oil, garlic and fresh basil) looked equally mundane. The chunky pieces of tomatoes looked undercooked to me and I wouldn’t call them diced.
Since Brazil is so well-​known for its beef, I asked what was the best meat dish and was told it was BIFE BUENOS AIRES (Grilled skirt steak served with salsa campanha, chimichurri, plantains, black beans and rice)
I was really looking forward to this one, since I love the spicy chimichurri sauce and plantains. Well, I was not disappointed with the chimichurri and the two tiny but delicious plantain slices, but the beef, the staple of Brazilian cuisine, was awful — tough, stringy, hard to cut. I left most of it on my plate.
Tiramisu was good.
I read somewhere that «Trying to be all things to all people is one of the biggest stumbling blocks to attracting and keeping customers.»
In the case of Malagueta, I agree.

I feel like i’m giving out too many four star reviews these days but I guess i’m just eating well. Anyways Malagueta is this bizzarro Brazilian Mediterranean fusion place, and it’s pretty good. It has the feel of somewhere classier than what’s normally my scene but thats what i get form Old Town Pas.
I ordered the Feijoada from my charming and beautiful waitress as well as a bottle of the Xingu Brazilian beer.
I must say i was really quite pleased with the whole ordeal, I like black beans and sausage which means i like Feijoada and i like beer which means i liked Xingu, which was light and smooth despite it’s stout like appearance. I don’t necessarily know that I would go there again but it was pretty enjoyable, the only annoying thing is they have all sorts of rules on splitting checks, being charged if you’re not eating, and automatic gratuities that are frankly a little insulting. Restaurants should provide a service not dictate the behavior of their customers.

With an endless choice of restaurants in Old Town, we wanted something that wasn’t too expensive and not heavy on the palate. After taking a quick look at their menu outside, two friends and I decided to try out Malagueta’s version of Brazilian and Mediterranean fare.
We decided to share two appetizer samplers and one entrée. The sampler platters are perfect for three to four people.
* Mediterranean Sampler: «Side of falafel, hummus, taboli, stuffed grape leaves, yogurt and cucumber dip and pita bread.» ($ 13.25)
* Brazilian Sampler: «Sides of Bosa Nova Bread, calabresa sausage, plantain, fried yucca and salsa campanha, heart of palm.» ($ 13.75)
When our appetizers arrived, I was quick to notice something was missing from the Mediterranean Sampler platter. There was no yogurt and cucumber dip, nor pita bread. When I asked the waiter about these missing items, he went to the kitchen to find our items. He came back with our pita bread and told us that the yogurt/​cucumber dip is no longer part of the sampler. As we began eating, he returned again to tell us he was misinformed and that they were actually out of the yogurt/​cucumber dip. As a result, he would give us a discount off that sampler. I now realize that there was no taboli, but rather feta cheese wrapped in red peppers.
From the Mediterranean Sampler, the hummus was probably the best thing on it. The falafels were the absolute worst, dry and hard. None of us liked it. The stuffed grape leaves were a bit mushier than what I’m used to, so that put me off. And the feta cheese in red peppers were okay.
From the Brazilian Sampler, the Bosa Nova Bread was the best. Chewy with a good taste, we could only wish for more than three. The sausage and plantains were pretty tasty as well. The fried yucca and salsa campanha were also good, and the heart of palm was pretty basic.
We looked for something that was the most authentic, and went with the Brazilian national dish as our entrée.
* Feijoada: «Brazilian black beans simmered with sausage, smoked ham hock, and pork ribs. Served with sauteed collard greens, farofa, white rice, and plantains.» ($ 14.25) — Although it was nicely presented, I’ve had better before. The sausage tasted like hot dogs and overall, it was an okay dish.
Service was just okay as well. We sat by the window where the bartender/​waiter took care of us. As a result, he didn’t really check on us much and we had to ask for refills on our beverages. We did get a thirty percent discount on that one sampler though.
Looking around, other entrees looked a lot better than what we got. My one friend realized he had eaten there before and remembered a better experience then.
The whole music scene was a bit weird — Bob Marley and reggae playing overhead.
Overall, I give it a solid three stars. Nothing special to rave about, and nothing really horrendous either.
(Photos are posted!)

Though Malagueta takes its name from a Brazillian hot pepper, none of the dishes I sampled were even remotely spicy. Luckily for this place, you don’t always need heat to make great food.
Food: The menu contains several yummy items. The appetizer platter comes with plantains, fried yucca, heart of palm, sausages, and some sort of bread item. The fried yucca here is amazing; not too oily but delicately crispy. The empanadas are also a good bet though I would avoid the ones with avocado because they arrive piping hot and warm avocado is kind of gross. As for the main course, I tried the stroganoff. Apparently it’s not just a Russian thing. The sauce they combine with the beef strips is wonderful as are the fries. Unfortunately, my rice was a little undercooked, but after mixing it with the stroganoff it softened up. Almost any salsa you get here will be a unique collection of tomatos, cilantro, chopped green bell peppers, and perhaps some garlic. Malagueta is a big thumbs up in terms of food quality.
Service: I don’t know why other Unilocalers insist that the service here is rude. Our waitress showed us nothing but friendliness and we could choose where to sit. The food came out promptly and nothing was spilled or forgotten.
Value: Expect to pay a little more for Malagueta (around $ 13 – 16 per entrée). You’ll get a busload of food no matter what you get, so I guess it’s worth it.
Synopsis: Malagueta is great for people who like Brazillian food but don’t necessarily like the loads of meat you get at a BBQ joint.

I ate here for dinner before with a friend awhile ago… posted this under the old restaurant name: Chiara Brazil Restaurant, I guess it just changed owners — but should be the simliar taste of food.
2^nd attempt here for another friend’s bday — great!
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Environment: Nice, somewhat dim lighting at night.
Attire: Semi-​causal
Prices: $ 18+
Authentic local food: Probably not real authentic since its pasadena, but its good.
Service: Okay. Very nice though! Come by like twice.
Date/​Bday: Great for date or birthdays, smack in middle of old town so great to stroll after. Give sa passion fruit mousse.
Parking: Old Town Pasadena Parking Structure
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Yums! But I grade by authenticity. O yeah, i forgot — they also have a bar. And meat dishes are delicious.

Definitely different. The bread is hard and crunchy, like a giant, oily, hard cracker. That doesn’t sound appetizing, but it was really good. And with the accompanying sauce, MMmmmm. A little bit of spiciness leaving a tingle on the tongue!
The steak pizza was delicious with the right amount of cheese and meat. We also got an ipanema salad with shrimp, and that was also really good.
We weren’t going to stop in, but I’m really glad that we did. I’d definitely return. The service was excellent. The only thing is that they only have one ladies room and I literally had to wait like 30 minutes to get in there, because people come in from the back and the staff members (from the kitchen) were constantly running in. Weird.

3.335 to be exact.
I don’t know what it is, but I just can’t love this place. I’ve never had an especially terrible experience, but it’s always been so… blah. Maybe it’s because I’ve had wayyyy better Brazilian food (i.e. Bossa Nova, Greenfield’s) or that their hostess reminds me of Barbie – pretty, plastic, and hollow in the head.
My salmon salad was sizable and decent, but had too many chunks of raw onions for my taste. The free pita-​like appetizers were cold and hard (maybe that’s how it’s supposed to be) and the tomato-​y dip was über-​spicy. My friend ordered a steak and felt as dispassionate about it as I did. I also tried his plantains, which were sad and tasteless.
The place is pretty nice, colorful and cutesy. They have sidewalk seating, which is perfect for playing the classic «would you do him/​her» game. I’ve never seen it too crowded so the wait is minimal, but that’s probably because there are so many other better dining options in Old Town.