05-08-2025
Somerville restaurant will cut back hours after disturbances and noise complaints to police
Because of the complaints, Gauchao will be required to close at 1 a.m., an hour before its previous closing time of 2 a.m.
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Members of the licensing commission said at the special hearing on July 29 they had been receiving complaints from residents, city officials, and police for months, ever since new ownership assumed control of the restaurant at the beginning of the year.
Somerville police lieutenant Diogo DeOliveira said in an earlier commission meeting on July 15 that most of the calls were late at night on the weekends, when Gauchao hosts live music events.
There are several restaurants and bars on the stretch of Broadway between McGrath Highway and Interstate 93, which cuts through residential East Somerville. But DeOliveira told the commission that no other establishments had anywhere near the same number of complaints as Gauchao; 'clearly,' he said, 'it's becoming an issue there.'
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'The officers report the same thing: they can hear the noise from a block away, the bass is too loud,' he said. 'They go inside and speak with the manager, the manager says, 'we're gonna lower the music.' (But) they either raise it right back up, or the next day ... we have to go again for the same issue.'
There have also been physical altercations outside the restaurant, DeOliveira said, including an incident in the early morning of Saturday, April 27 where police responded to a reported shooting in the area.
'We have witnesses saying these are not people that just showed up there,' DeOliveira said of the various altercations. 'These are people who came from inside the establishment.'
No charges have been filed in the shooting, which is still under investigation, police said. But in dispatch audio recordings posted to Youtube, officers said that witnesses reported one suspect fire into the air, causing a large group to panic and disperse.
Rony Figueroa, one of the restaurant's managers, told commissioners that he keeps a record of police responses to Gauchao. But Figueroa said he is not usually at the restaurant late at nights, and said he was unaware of shots being fired outside.
'There is a serious breakdown in communication in your establishment, in that you do not know what is happening there,' said Commissioner Christopher Allen.
DeOliveira said police had instead interacted with another manager at the restaurant, Michael Herrera, who is also the owner's son.
Speaking before the commission at the special hearing, Herrera's characterization of the restaurant seemed to be at odds with the raucous description given by police. He said the restaurant '[hasn't] really been getting that big of a line' outside, adding that business has been 'kind of slow.'
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'To be completely honest, we're kind of struggling at the moment,' he said.
Herrera said he had installed sound-absorbing foam and removed some of the speakers inside to help reduce the noise level.
'I can't control how many people come, but I certainly do try to keep everything under control,' he said.
Figueroa said at the special hearing that he has worked in restaurant management for three decades. He said restaurant management will take 'full responsibility for what is happening.'
'Absolutely it is not acceptable for anybody, especially the police department of Somerville,' he said. 'I'm not happy with it, and I'm not easy when it comes to these kind of complaints. I will put my foot down. ... I am not taking this lightly.'
In addition to the earlier closing time, the commission voted to place the restaurant's various licenses in abeyance through October. That means any further complaints may jeopardize the Gauchao's ability to host performers such as singers and DJs, and to serve food and alcohol beyond 11 p.m.
Gauchao is also required to formally request a police detail outside its premises on Friday and Saturday nights.
Restaurant management did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday.
Gauchao was first established in 2004, according to state filings. It has hosted various traditional Brazilian performers
In a tagged post on social media, the restaurant was described earlier this year as 'an old neighborhood Brazilian joint under new management.' The same post characterized Herrera as 'a young man ... who saw an opportunity and took it' by renovating the restaurant space and hosting live music.
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Patrons of Gaucho Brazilian Cuisine celebrate during a World Cup watch party on Nov. 24, 2022.
Carlin Stiehl for The Boston Globe
Camilo Fonseca can be reached at
