Pão de queijo and matte beat Starbucks lines in Terminal 2
In Terminal 2 at GIG, MegaMatte is the local answer to chain coffee, with pão de queijo, matte tea, and açaí as the main draw. It sits airside in T2, on the cheaper end of the airport options (price tier: $) and averages a 3.6 rating. Expect more of a kiosk than a café: order at the counter, grab your tray, then find a seat in the common seating nearby.
The standard move here is simple: a combo of warm pão de queijo with iced matte tea, mentioned again and again in reviews as the “sempre pego” order. A basic snack and drink usually runs under R$30, making it one of the more budget-friendly stops compared with Starbucks a few storefronts away. The açaí bowls get special praise in Brazilian summer, when the terminal hits peak humidity and people want something cold but not just ice cream.
Portion sizes draw mixed reactions: several regulars say the pão de queijo and açaí bowls feel smaller than what MegaMatte serves in central Rio, even though airport prices sit slightly higher by a few reais. That said, reviews still frame it as “good for a quick açaí and snack if you don’t want Starbucks prices,” which matches the overall <$10 USD spend per person most people report.
Lines move reasonably fast for coffee and matte, but slow sharply when three or four people in front of you order açaí at once, since each bowl is assembled to order. Plan on 10–15 minutes in those moments, which can feel long if you only have a 40-minute boarding buffer. Staff rarely rush, so don’t cut it close if your gate is at the far end of T2.
Regulars grab drinks to go and carry matte or coffee back to gates B or C, often with a bag of extra pão de queijo for short hops to São Paulo or Belo Horizonte. Smart move: order two or three extra cheese breads in one go so you don’t have to re-queue when boarding is called.