"For years, Grant Park’s Buteco has been a hot spot for live salsa, samba, and new-age jazz performances. You can also catch everything from poetry slams to hip-hop bands in the small-ish back room. The Brazilian restaurant and cafe is open all day. But we like to come before an evening show and grab a savory chicken taco with pineapple pico or crispy coxinhas. Or come around 9pm when the music is in full swing. Cocktails here (often made with rum, cachaca, and other Latin-Caribbean spirits) are pretty strong, so don’t be surprised if you end up singing along louder than usual." - Jacinta Howard, Juli Horsford, Nina Reeder
"In Portuguese, “buteco” means a place where alcoholic beverages are sold, AKA our favorite type of spot. Since none of the other food stalls at the Southern Feedstore serve alcohol, you’ll find us on a stool at this mosaic tiled Brazilian bar with a Caipirinha in hand." - juli horsford
"Adventurous, free-spirited Sagittarians will appreciate Buteco’s globally inspired drinks; I’d get a “Caipirinha” (cachaca, muddled lime, cane sugar — available traditional, guava, passionfruit, or coconut) or the “Madre Mia” (tequila, ginger liqueur, lemon, grapefruit, and pineapple)." - Denise K. James
"The Brazilian coffee house and bar at Grant Park’s Beacon complex is a quiet neighborhood hangout by day, but evenings see Buteco transform into a buzzy bar serving caipirinhas, beer, and wine. Live music and open mic nights are hosted throughout the week on the covered patio out back and include acts ranging from local indie rock bands to samba and acoustic guitar. It’s not unusual to see couples during samba nights spill out onto the sidewalk dancing. In 2022, owner and musician Rafael Pereira transitioned the food menu to mostly street tacos. But the restaurant also serves feijoada (Brazilian bean stew) on special occasions." - Beth McKibben
"Butaco is a popular food truck that usually posts up outside of Buteco in Grant Park. But they've expanded with a new stall in the Southern Feedstore food hall in EAV. The exterior of the stall pays homage to its mobile roots with an outline of a truck complete with actual wheels and a side-view mirror. Order at the counter and choose from a variety of tacos served in corn tortillas like the spicy al pastor or opt for the crunchy shelled El Gringo with ground beef. The churros are skippable, but that’s fine ‘cause we can always snag a chocolate waffle for dessert from the Waffle Bar stall next door. " - Juli Horsford