Chef Tatiana Favoretto opened California’s first regional Brazilian restaurant in 2008 by centering the country’s iconic seafood stew, moqueca in panels de barro, or clay pots. The lobster moqueca comes with white rice, farofa, and pimenta (hot sauce). Simply add rice to the plate, pimenta, and a healthy scoop of moqueca while sprinkling farofa over the liquid. Always order the caipifrutas de maracujá or passionfruit caipirinhas.

Culver City’s longstanding Cafe Brasil is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily with an all-day menu that permits breakfast at any time. But for those ready to throw down, the grilled fish platter works wonders. Choose from wonderfully seasoned red snapper or salmon, which comes with long strips of fried plantains, rice, a simple salad, and SoCal’s best black beans. Operating since 1991, Cafe Brasil has the gift of experience with dishes that are tried, tested, and executed perfectly. — Mona Holmes, reporter

Tapizôn is a casual and relaxed spot in the South Bay. The menu is far from traditional with grilled meats and a picanha burger with Californian flavors throughout. Try the sweet grilled corn with miso butter and sesame, or the lotus root salad. The black bean soup must not be missed. — Mona Holmes, reporter

One of LA’s biggest frustrations while eating Brazilian food in LA has been the absence of liquor licenses. The lack deprives Angelenos of one of the greatest happy hour cultures on Earth with ice-cold beers sipped from small glasses, shots of cachaça, and caipirinhas full of citrus and fresh fruit which are all part of Brazilian drinking culture. Panelas owner Marcia Delima has answered our prayers, offering beer and caipirinhas to drink with generous cuts like carne de panela (beef stew), pratos executivos (meat with sides) with picanha, seafood, and their famous virado à paulista — a lavish meal of beans, rice, pork, fried egg, banana, and collard greens. Ask for a beer, bem gelada (ice cold), and enjoy the thrill of a real boteco in LA.

Prato feito, or “plates,” is the specialty at this over-the-top Brazilian-themed A-frame restaurant. As in botecos and lanchonetes in Brazil, there are different plates for each day of the week. This menu is extensive with a picanha, shrimp with bacon, or the chicken milanesa plate. Everything comes with rice, fries, or batata palha (stick fries). Head to the Brazilian Plate House on Wednesday or Saturday for traditional feijoada.

With its modern translucent stone bar, a baller wine list of Bordeaux and Napa Valley cabernets, and sleek, seamless textured granite walls, LA’s best Brazilian churrascaria is as much a Koreatown destination as it is a Brazilian steakhouse. Boasting twenty different steak cuts and other meats, the consistency and service here are why this place is always packed. H&H is also an ideal spot for dining with groups or for those seeking a halal menu.

Ubatuba Açaí owner Daniela Demetrio, whose family hails from Ubatuba, Sâo Paulo — a lovely beach town three hours east of Brazil’s largest city — opened the first branch of her now 19-unit açai chain back in 2014. Each month, a container arrives from Brazil filled with Demetrio’s açai base, blended from berries near the city of Belém for her signature bowls, bursting with tropical fruit flavors — grainy and as intense as you’ll find anywhere in Brazil.

With a tiny, focused menu of Brazilian churrasco, or grilled meats and their expected accompaniments, Koreatown’s W Steakhouse — and its recent expansion in Gardena — do a condensed, and ultimately more affordable version of Brazilian barbecue. Like larger churrascarias, servers bring freshly grilled picanha, garlic beef, chicken hearts, and more to tables, while another server shuffles a cart around with sides like stewed black beans, white rice, and stroganoff. Other table bites include salad, vinaigrette (like pico de gallo), and chimichurri, plus waffle-shaped pao de quiejo, or cheese bread. Just expect to wait during prime hours given their small dining rooms, or call ahead to book a table. — Matthew Kang, lead editor

With locations spread throughout the Southland and beyond, Fogo de Chão can be found in Pasadena, Downtown, Beverly Hills, Woodland Hills, El Segundo, Irvine, and last month in Huntington Beach. Fogo’s seafood tower is a noteworthy option, but so is the all-you-can-eat churrasco experience for around $75 per person.

One of the country’s oldest Brazilian steakhouses in the country, Long Beach’s Green Field Churrascaria first opened in 1995. There’s an extensive buffet along with meats made over mesquite, including some non-traditional brisket and beef ribs along with picanha and sirloin cuts. — Mona Holmes, reporter