A Taste
of Brazil
— farm-to-table ingredients · cooked from scratch
Chef Ilson Gonçalves grew up in Blumenau, in southern Brazil, helping in his mother's neighborhood restaurant. Samba opened on Park Street in December 2010 as a tiny deli with a few Brazilian specials. Today it occupies a soaring two-room space anchored by a custom mural of Carmen Miranda — a tribute to the women who shaped Ilson's life, and to the icon who carried Brazilian music to the world.
Samba is BYOB. Bring a bottle — we'll uncork it. The kitchen pours fresh-juiced caipirinhas-without-cachaça, espresso, and a short list of housemade desserts built on cassava, coconut, and passion fruit.
A dinner at Samba is the gift that ends in passion-fruit mousse and a second cup of coffee. Available for any amount, redeemable for dining, private events, and the occasional bottle of bring-your-own.
— Chef Ilson Gonçalves. After a celiac diagnosis in 2020, Ilson removed gluten from every dish on the menu. Today Samba is the only restaurant in New Jersey certified one-hundred-percent gluten-free by the Gluten Intolerance Group.
"A safe haven for celiacs that doesn't taste like compromise. The pão de queijo is non-negotiable."
"The Carmen Miranda mural sets the room before the food arrives. Then the camarão na moranga happens."
"100% dedicated gluten-free kitchen. Worth the drive from anywhere in the tri-state."
"Chef Ilson came to the table. Twenty-four-hour feijoada. You can taste every hour."
"Cozy room, attentive staff, BYOB. Best Brazilian in New Jersey, full stop."
"Hosted thirty for a birthday. Food felt personal, the room felt ours. Already planning the next one."
"A safe haven for celiacs that doesn't taste like compromise. The pão de queijo is non-negotiable."
"The Carmen Miranda mural sets the room before the food arrives. Then the camarão na moranga happens."
"100% dedicated gluten-free kitchen. Worth the drive from anywhere in the tri-state."
"Chef Ilson came to the table. Twenty-four-hour feijoada. You can taste every hour."
