Cavalcante's dining is simple and tied closely to the place. Most restaurants serve a prato feito: rice, beans, salad, farofa, and a choice of meat or fish, usually grilled or stewed. Local specialities lean on cerrado ingredients — pequi (a strong-flavoured fruit used in rice and chicken dishes), buriti palm fruit, and freshwater fish from the Paranã River.
Pousada Aquários has a respected restaurant attached, doing a good rural Brazilian menu. Restaurante do Pedro in the central square is reliable for lunch. For something special, ask at your pousada about Kalunga family cooks who will serve a meal in their home — usually arranged at a day's notice and at a few different houses in Engenho II.