This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Business & Tech

Affordable Fine Dining at Botekim

East Cobb's newest Brazilian restaurant offers a "delightfully different" menu from traditional churrascaria fare.

Overview: When I learned there was a new Brazilian restaurant in East Cobb, on Terrell Mill Road, I wondered what was going on over there.

Right next door is the Brazilian steakhouse , and less than two miles up Powers Ferry Road is Sal Grosso, yet another Brazilian steakhouse.

But not to worry—Botekim is delightfully different from traditional Brazilian churrascarias. This is what it is not: a gorging experience where a green light at the table invites a never-ending selection of grilled meats on spits, sometimes served by guys in gauchos.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Don’t get me wrong. I love Brazilian steakhouses, and sometimes nothing else will fill my craving but grilled meat and gauchos. However, you have to get psyched to go to those restaurants and prepare to ingest all that protein and fat. 

Botekim Brazilian Bistro features many authentic, Rio-based family recipes from executive chef and co-owner Alex DeGrossi’s childhood. Entrees range from $10 to $30, portions are large, and the presentation is lovely. I call it affordable fine dining.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

You may enjoy a glass of wine or after-dinner drink at the bar. When the weather permits, dining options include seating on the outdoor patio.

The Décor: Contemporary and casual, Botekim’s interior is lovely, bright and open. Tables are beautifully set, and the glassware gleams. Polished hardwood floors and Brazilian artwork bring an earthiness to the décor that somehow works with the crisp fine china and dining ambience.

The Experience: Dining at Botekim Brazilian Bistro is refreshingly different from the average dining experience. I loved the large, frosty bottle of water brought to the table upon our arrival. You pour your individual glasses from the bottle. I was also pleasantly surprised when Chef Alex came to the table to make sure we liked our selections; you don’t see that very often today. An average chef would never have the nerve to come to a diner’s table, ask direct questions and risk the wrath of a fussy diner. A great chef is proud to share a delicious creation and knows from experience what the reaction will be.

Our chef’s face lighted up as we pointed out the freshness of the salad greens, amazing plump, juicy, lemony chicken and the sauteed flounder. Chef Alex has honed his skills at some of the most prestigious restaurants in the city, including Sal Grosso Brazilian Steakhouse, Luckie Food Lounge, Market W Buckhead and Bistro Niko. He is a superb chef.

The service is excellent. Our server helped us navigate a menu full of dishes we had never seen or heard of before. The choices we made were better than we anticipated, thanks to her.

The Food: The Brazilian, Botekim-style food is fresh, rich and filling. From the warm bread, mashed potatoes and yucca fritters to the sautéed, braised, fried or grilled fish, beef, pork and chicken, “culinary delight” is what comes to mind. These are a few of the menu items I would highly recommend:

Appetizers

Bolinho De Aipim Com Carne—Delicious yucca fritters filled with ground beef and served with a sweet malagueta pepper sauce. $8

Entrees

File A Parmesania—Steak Milanese (top sirloin), tomato sauce, Swiss cheese, fresh tomatoes and shredded Parmesan, served over white rice. Lunch: $14 Dinner: $18

Frango A Milaneza—Milanese chicken breast, lightly battered and fried, served with a lemon butter sauce and house salad. The batter becomes a crunchy, wonderfully seasoned crust; the chicken inside is tender and juicy. Lunch and Dinner: $13

Fie De Peixe A Belle Meuniere—Sauteed flounder in a rich, creamy Belle Meuniere sauce (brown butter, mushrooms, shrimp and hearts of palm) served with mashed potatoes Botekim Brazilian Bistro. Lunch: $12 Dinner: $14

The Drinks: There’s a full bar, a nice selection of beers and a good wine list. At the new Sunday brunch, Mimosas and Bloody Marys are served after 12:30 p.m. (I’m thinking a Brazilian Bloody Mary would be very good at this restaurant.)

Hours: Lunch: Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Dinner: 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday Brunch: 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Online menus are available at botekimbrazilianbistro.com.

1410 Terrell Mill Rd. SE. Phone: 678-402-7584. Fax: 678-402-7530. Reservations are accepted.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from East Cobb