Review: Warm, Hearty Portuguese Cuisine at Luso

Guests are transported to Portugal when they taste the unique dishes at Churrasqueira Luso Restaurant, an inexpensive and cozy Portuguese restaurant in Smithtown. The restaurant serves up traditional, hearty dishes in classic Portuguese style six days each week for both lunch and dinner.

This lively Portuguese eatery is owned by a bother and sister team, Paul and Luisa Batista, who have over 20 years of restaurant experience as owners of another restaurant in Smithtown for 12 years and a restaurant in Nassau before that.

They add unique seasonings from their hometown in the Bairrada district of Portugal to their food and use wood-burning grills.

"This is what sets us apart from other places of this type," Paul said. The restaurant has been in its current Smithtown location for more than two years.

The duo decorated the space themselves and it is adorned with wood furnishings, tile floors and copper ceilings. The dining room is simple and crisp, with a service bar and open kitchen. The outdoor space resembles a large garden oasis and, with the recent addition of a roof and heaters, can now be enjoyed year round. There are water elements everywhere and a beautifully detailed tile painting depicting traditional outdoor ovens and chefs in their native Portugal.

There is plenty of parking in the rear of this quaint restaurant, located on busy Main Street in Smithtown. Guests enter through the back entrance into a tranquil outdoor garden dining space. Inside, the restaurant is inviting, simple and elegant and the warm decor matches the richness of the food.

Guests are served a basket of Portuguese sweet bread at the beginning of each meal. Tender, juicy and vibrantly seasoned barbecue specialties are slow-cooked in a large barbecue pit using a traditional Portuguese method. Chefs prepare entrees over heat from wood charcoals, which gives the food its unique, natural flavor. 

The Espetada Mista ($18.95) is served with a house salad of fresh tomatoes, lettuce, onions and a homemade vinaigrette dressing. The main dish consists of perfectly grilled peppers, onions, pork, beef and spicy sausage and is accompanied by a total of four side dishes - warm-centered, breaded fried bananas, white rice with peas, homemade potato chips and black beans.

The menu also features a "Rodizio" special, which is an all-you-can-eat dish that includes nine different meats and chicken with four sides. The well-prepared, barbequed specialties satisfy even a complex pallet.

All of the desserts are all homemade. Luso's signature dessert, Whipped Egg Whites ($6), are heavenly light and sweet and topped with homemade caramel sauce.

According to the wait staff, the sangria is popular ($6/glass). They also say that Luso's has new guests quite often and that they come back soon after - that "they become regulars always."

Lunch and dinner are available at Luso's, as well as take-out and in-house party packages. Reservations are not accepted.