For more than three decades, Brasil has been a fixture at 2604 Westheimer, the kind of neighborhood restaurant that seems as though it has always been there. Since opening in 1992, owner Dan Fergus has kept the all-day café true to its roots while its surroundings and community continually developed and transformed. Now, with new general manager Nate Rose, wine director Karnell Hughes and chef Matt Sweeney, Brasil is entering a new chapter — one that builds on what made it a Montrose staple in the first place rather than trying to reinvent it.

That kind of staying power feels especially significant right now, when rising costs, changing dining habits and a turbulent economy are putting pressure on restaurants of all kinds, including some of Houston’s most beloved longtime establishments. Brasil’s ability to remain a part of the city’s dining landscape for more than 30 years without selling out or losing sight of what made them popular in the first place is reassuring and worth celebrating — and Preservation Houston recently did just that. The restaurant is among the inaugural class of 28 designees selected for the organization’s Savoring History: Houston’s Legacy program, which recognizes longstanding restaurants for their cultural influence and role as culinary anchors in the community.

When Fergus opened the restaurant, running a café was hardly the career path he had envisioned for himself. He was an architect by trade and says he never imagined spending his adult life operating a restaurant. But trips to Brazil introduced him to the country’s coffee culture and cafés, and he became fascinated by the idea of bringing that experience back to Houston. What began as an idea inspired by places he encountered thousands of miles away ultimately became a passion project and a restaurant that has remained part of Montrose ever since. He even told me that Brasil was the first to bring iced coffee to Houston, introducing it well before Starbucks began opening locations here.

Today, Rose is helping the restaurant navigate moving forward while staying true to its identity. A longtime wine industry champion and restaurant consultant, he is focused on maintaining the things that have made Brasil a Montrose staple while making thoughtful tweaks along the way. It still feels familiar but has several new reasons to linger and revisit.

One of the most noticeable changes is behind the bar, where Hughes has put together a modern, food-friendly list that’s as approachable as it is interesting. Hughes comes to Brasil from nearby Light Years, the popular natural wine bar with a devoted following, and brings an unpretentious approach to hospitality. He’s the type of wine professional who is genuinely happy to help you find your next glass or bottle, whether you know exactly what you want or just want something good to drink. The list ranges from  light, refreshing rosés, to Bourgogne, Champagne, low-intervention selections and chillable reds — a popular category of light-to-medium bodied red wines with high acidity and low tannins.

With Camerata wine bar recently closed down just down the street, Brasil is well-positioned to become a new favorite for sipping wines with friends, and the list has enough variety to excite wine nerds without intimidating casual drinkers.

The beer selection, also shaped with Rose’s input, is another welcome surprise. Drafts include lauded selections from Jester King in Austin alongside Chimay Grand Reserve, Duvel and local selections from breweries such as Frost Town and Eureka Heights. There are also unfussy, familiar choices such as Lone Star and Dos Equis, plus non-alcoholic beer, cider and a four-draft flight for $12. (Who says craft beer is dead?) The cocktails are worth a look too, with seasonal options including the Blossom Brigade with Toki Whisky, lemon juice, orgeat, lavender and orange bitters, Carmen Santiago with vodka, passion fruit liqueur, vanilla syrup and lime juice, and Pineapple Express with THC sparkling water, Coco Lopez, lime, lemon and simple syrup.

In the kitchen, chef Sweeney brings his experience to Brasil while keeping the focus on the fresh, straightforward fare that has defined the café. Sweeney, the former executive chef at Hotel Lucine in Galveston and Georgia James steakhouse, as well as sous chef at Coltivare, is putting particular attention on sourcing, including proteins from small farms and exceptionally fresh eggs for the breakfast menu with creamy, bright orange yolks and robust flavor. He has also dialed in the pizza program with a new dough recipe and unique, high-quality topping combinations.

We really enjoyed the Chicken Verde, a white pizza topped with chargrilled chicken, mozzarella, arugula, garlic oil and lemon. The crust is generously dusted with a craveable salty, garlicky seasoning that makes it difficult to to stop at one slice. Luckily, it feels pretty light and nourishing, so you won’t feel too bad knocking out the whole thing in one go. Other popular pies include Fig & Prosciutto, Spiced Lamb & Eggplant and classic margherita. For the Chicken Verde, Hughes delighted us with pours of Cacique Maravilla Pipeño, a light-bodied red wine made entirely from País, Chile’s juicy, Gamay-like grape.

Chef Sweeney’s new-and-improved menu offerings get an even bigger showcase through Brasil’s first-ever participation in Houston Restaurant Weeks (HRW), which Houston Food Finder was invited to try. It’s a great value and easily my favorite HRW offering so far this year. Running through September 7, the three-course menu costs $39 per person, with $5 from each meal sold benefitting the Houston Food Bank. Rose says it was the perfect time for Brasil to come on board as a way to give back to the community and reintroduce itself to diners who might be familiar with the brunch offerings, but have yet to explore the lunch and dinner menus.

For the HRW menu, appetizer choices include blistered shishito peppers, beet and goat cheese salad, green salad and hummus with flatbread. The latter is topped with fried garbanzo beans, plenty of pickled julienne carrots and smoked paprika, and accompanied by warm, well-seasoned flatbread pieces. I love it. It’s got texture and crunch out the wazoo and would make a fine lunch on its own. Hughes suggested pairing our first course with a glass of Domaine Rimbert Vin de Table Français Petit Cochon Bronze, a bone-dry organic rosé from Jean-Marie Rimbert in Languedoc-Roussillon.

Éntree choices include Brasil Caesar Salad with chicken or salmon, roasted eggplant with labneh and almond dukkah and grilled half chicken with charred cabbage slaw. The salmon Caesar is one of my girlfriend’s go-to lunches in the area, but this time we went with the Brasil Burger and, for a $6 supplement, the Texas Wagyu Bavette Steak, a cut long esteemed by French butchers for its intensely rich, beefy flavor. The steak is sliced and served over charred corn salad with grilled peppers, making for a dish that’s as colorful and visually impressive as it is juicy and delicious.

The Brasil Burger is the classic backyard barbecue burger, the one you crave when you get out of the pool. It’s a sizable meal, with a thick patty featuring a deeply browned, caramelized exterior, dark grill marks and a plump, moist interior. It’s dressed with sliced tomato, pickles, red onion and mayo on a soft potato roll that soaks up all the juices. I’m just happy to see a place offer a burger that hasn’t succumbed to the pressures of Big Brioche. The fries are great too; sturdy batons that are soft and fluffy inside with a crisp exterior.

Dessert is a treat, with four familiar choices: affogato, cinnamon roll bread pudding, classic crème brûlée and my favorite, tres leches made fresh daily by Juana, who is also responsible for the in-house cookies and pastries sold at the counter. It is one of the creamiest, most decadent tres leches I’ve had. We closed the evening with glasses of G.D. Vajra Barolo Chinato, a traditional Piedmontese aromatised and fortified digestif. 

For a restaurant that’s been a part of Montrose for more than 30 years, Brasil is showing that longevity does not have to mean standing still. Fergus’ original vision remains at its core, but Rose, Hughes and Sweeney are giving guests plenty of reasons to keep coming back, whether for coffee and breakfast, a pizza and a beer, a glass of wine on the patio or a full dinner feast. 

Brasil is open Sunday and Monday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to midnight.

Mario-Sebastian Berry

Mario-Sebastian Berry is a wine and spirits vendor who has been in the hospitality industry since 2002. Currently, he represents Blanco, Texas-based Andalusia Whiskey Co. He holds numerous wine, beer and spirits certifications including Certified Sommelier. Somehow, he also finds time to be Houston Food Finder’s associate editor and social media manager.