Favela Brazilian Cafe is a restaurant in southeast Portland's Creston-Kenilworth neighborhood at the border of Foster-Powell. Brooke Jackson-Glidden of Eater Portland described the business as "somewhere between a cafe, a Brazilian market, and a community center, with imported art and products to take home".[2] She has also called Favela "a meeting ground for Brazilian expats and those who want to learn more about the culture".[3]
The cafe serves Brazilian cuisine including pastries, sandwiches, fruits, desserts, coffee (including cafe doce de leite, or butter caramel coffee), juices, and smoothies.[2] The menu has also included pão de queijo (Brazilian cheese bread). The cafe hosts live music and events such as film screenings and Portuguese-language workshops.[4]
History
Owners Rodrigo Baena and Dunya De Souza opened the restaurant in 2019.[5] Jackson-Glidden said Baena "wanted to create a space for the Brazilian immigrants and aficionados to meet and celebrate the country's culture".[2] The business had a presence at Portland's Come Thru market in 2021.[6][7]
Reception
Nathan Williams included Favela in Eater Portland's 2021 overview of "Where to Eat and Drink in Foster-Powell".[4] The website's Zoe Baillargeon included the pão de queijo in a 2021 overview of "Where to Find the Cheesiest Dishes in Portland and Beyond", writing: "Toasty, freshly-baked balls almost always arrive warm and dotted with color, with a springy, soft, cheesy center. Those looking to double-down on dairy can add one of the cafe’s many cheesy sandwiches, whether it’s the melty queijo quente with tomato and oregano or the melty ham-and-cheese misto quente."[8]