International Flavors in MetroWest: Brazilian, Lebanese, and Mediterranean Favorites
A locals' guide to the international dining cluster hiding in plain sight off Hiawassee Road
MetroWest in Orlando, FL is home to one of Central Florida's most concentrated clusters of Brazilian restaurants, anchored by À Brasileira Bar & Grill (2417 S Hiawassee Rd), 14 Bis Pizzeria (2869 Wilshire Dr), and Silva's Market (5920 Metropolis Way). The area's Lebanese and Mediterranean dining is anchored by Habibi Lebanese Grill at 2451 S Hiawassee Rd in MetroWest Village. The Brazilian cluster is supported by a large local Brazilian population that has drawn family-run restaurants, butcher shops, and bakeries to the South Hiawassee Road corridor since the early 2020s. Most of these venues sit within a one-mile radius, making MetroWest one of the easiest neighborhoods in Orlando for a self-guided international food crawl.
Most people moving to Orlando don't realize some of the best international food in the metro isn't on International Drive or in Dr. Phillips. It's tucked into a few unremarkable strip malls along South Hiawassee Road in MetroWest — Brazilian grilled meats served until 2 a.m., Lebanese shawarma made fresh to order, and a São Paulo-based pizza chain that picked MetroWest as its very first U.S. location. Not a typo.
MetroWest has quietly become one of the metro's most internationally flavored neighborhoods, drawing diners from Gotha, Windermere, and Ocoee. Here's the tour:
Why MetroWest? A Quick Note on the Brazilian Community
Greater Orlando has one of the largest Brazilian populations in the U.S., and MetroWest has long been a landing spot for Brazilian families and entrepreneurs. When À Brasileira owner Maciel Boghi opened in 2019, he told the West Orange Times & Observer he chose MetroWest "because of the large Brazilian population in the area." That demographic anchor is why the food clustered here is the real thing, not a tourist version.
À Brasileira Bar & Grill: The Anchor
MetroWest's Brazilian scene has a flagship: À Brasileira Bar & Grill at 2417 S Hiawassee Road. Owner Maciel Boghi opened in January 2019 with a clear concept: American sports-bar layout, Brazilian kitchen. Soccer on the TVs alongside NBA and NFL, picanha off the grill, caipirinhas at the bar, live Brazilian music on weekend nights.
The menu hits the staples — grilled meats, Brazilian sandwiches, wings á passarinho, and rice-beans-meat lunch plates. Hours run 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays, with Friday and Saturday stretching to 2 a.m. — one of the few late-night Brazilian options in west Orlando. Reservations accepted, takeout available, weekend outdoor seating.
The Real Deal:
It's a bar first, restaurant second — don't expect quiet dinner energy on a Friday. Reviews are largely glowing on food and atmosphere, with a handful of older complaints about charges and pours, par for the course at any high-volume bar. Go for the picanha, stay for the music.
14 Bis Pizzeria: Brazil's Pizza Tradition, MetroWest Outpost
Trivia answer that surprises everyone: 14 Bis Pizzeria at 2869 Wilshire Drive (Unit 104) isn't an Orlando original. It's the first U.S. location of a São Paulo–based chain founded in 1991 by José Alberto and Ruth Lopes da Silva, who started in their garage. They picked MetroWest in 2020 for their American debut.
The name comes from Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont's biplane, and the restaurant leans all the way in: airplane-seat booths, "First Class Lounge" private dining, flight-attendant uniforms, and a "passport" that arrives with your check.
What to order: sfihas — Brazil's take on a Middle Eastern dish, doughnut-sized dough pies topped with meat, cheese, chocolate, or fruit, about $4 each. Grab three or four and graze. The pizza uses 14 Bis's signature sugar-edged Brazilian crust, which is divisive — Paulistanos love it, Cariocas (and some Americans) think it's heresy. Try it once and form an opinion.
Silva's Market: Brazilian Butcher, Buffet, and Grocery in One
A short drive away at 5920 Metropolis Way (Suite 118), Silva's Market is a different beast — and the move if you want to cook Brazilian at home. Three businesses under one roof: a Brazilian butcher (picanha, fraldinha, linguiça), a por-quilo (by-the-pound) lunch buffet with feijoada and rice and beans, and a grocery stocked with pão de queijo and Brazilian dry goods.
Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, Sunday closing at 6 p.m. Churrasco (skewered grilled meats) typically runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — that's the window to show up. Buffet prices land in the $10–$25 range depending on plate weight.
Habibi Lebanese Grill: The Lebanese-Mediterranean Anchor
Elephant in the room (or the kebab in the wrap): MetroWest's Lebanese and Mediterranean categories converge at one address. Habibi Lebanese Grill at 2451 S Hiawassee Road, in MetroWest Village shopping center, is the neighborhood's go-to for both. Lebanese by ownership and tradition, Mediterranean by guidebook classification — same restaurant doing both well, so we won't pretend otherwise.
Owner Frank Ashriki was born in Tripoli, Lebanon, ran a Mediterranean restaurant in Ottawa for a decade, and brought the concept to MetroWest as a fast-casual shawarma café. Counter ordering, paper napkins, made-to-order — not white-tablecloth and doesn't try to be.
What to Order:
- Chicken shawarma wrap or platter — the signature item, with parsley, pickled turnips, and tahini
- Falafel — crispy, fresh, and reliably good
- Kibbeh (kebbe) — multiple regulars cite this as the standout
- Tabbouleh — bright, lemony, fresh
- Baklava for dessert
Habibi serves 100% halal meat — meaningful to a slice of west Orlando's residents and not always easy to find at this price ($4–$20 per plate). Hours: 11 a.m.–10 p.m. most days, until 11 p.m. Fri–Sat.
How This Stacks Up for Folks Considering MetroWest
Weighing MetroWest against Horizon West or Winter Garden? The dining scene is a real differentiator. Those communities have polished, master-planned restaurant rows. MetroWest has older strip malls with family-run kitchens cooking food the way the cooks grew up eating it. Trade-off in atmosphere — flavor wins.
The Pros:
- Authentic international food within walking-or-five-minute-driving distance of most MetroWest condos
- Brazilian, Lebanese, and Mediterranean all clustered along one corridor
- Largely affordable price points ($4 sfihas, $10 buffet plates, $13 wraps)
- Late-night options on weekends (À Brasileira until 2 a.m.)
- Halal options and Brazilian groceries available locally
The Cons:
- Strip-mall atmosphere — not destination dining, more neighborhood-grade
- Service quality is variable across these spots; weekend waits can be long
- The Lebanese/Mediterranean category is essentially one restaurant — if Habibi doesn't suit you, the better Mediterranean options are in Dr. Phillips or further out
What the Locals Know
MetroWest's international dining is more cluster than spread — almost everything worth eating in these categories sits within a one-mile radius of the Hiawassee and Metropolis Way intersection. That density is the real story. Brazilian dinner at À Brasileira, pão de queijo at Silva's the next morning, sfihas at 14 Bis later that week, shawarma at Habibi — all without leaving the neighborhood. For residents, everyday convenience. For house-hunters, a quality-of-life point that doesn't show up on a Zillow listing but matters when you live here.
Worth saying honestly: MetroWest's "Mediterranean" identity rests on Habibi doing double duty. If your standard requires a separate Greek taverna or Turkish meyhane, you'll find those a 10–15 minute drive away on Sand Lake Road or out toward Celebration. Inside MetroWest, Habibi is the one and only — and it's a good one. For the full dining picture, browse our complete MetroWest restaurants guide.
For hours, menus, and reservations, visit Habibi Lebanese Grill and 14 Bis Pizzeria directly. The West Orange Times & Observer also published a useful early profile on À Brasileira's opening if you want more context on the Brazilian community angle.
Thinking about making MetroWest home? Browse current MetroWest homes for sale or contact us for honest, locals-perspective relocation help. We answer the real questions — including the ones about where to eat. 🇧🇷
