Texas de Brazil

Our last stop during Denver’s Restaurant Week was a steakhouse where carnivores unite, loosen their belts a few notches, and brace themselves for a meal full of both pleasure and pain.  Last weekend Jim and I joined some of our friends at a Denver Churrascaria called Texas de Brazil.  Before heading to this Brazilian Steakhouse we were warned about the incredible amount of food that we would be served and that it would be wise to fast over lunch.  Texas de Brazil is a meat Mecca where food is served all-you-can-eat, so we made sure we arrived with a big appetite and loose clothing.

Jim and I are Churrascaria virgins, so after being seated our waitress explained the way a Brazilian Steakhouse works. Churrasco is a Portugese word meaning beef or grilled meat.  At a Churrasscaria they pride themselves on a serving style called Espeto Corrido or Rodizio where waiters stop by your table with skewers of meat and large knives.  Don’t be scared…the waiters use these knives to slice meat from the skewer, right onto your plate.  In some cases, you use small tongs to grab the meat hanging from the skewer.

At Texas de Brazil they serve various types of meat: A house special sirloin, flank steak, bacon wrapped filet, lamb, ribs, roast pork, chicken wrapped in bacon, and Brazilian sausage.  The waiters serving the meat are very attentive and all you have to do is turn your table card from red to green and they will stop by endlessly until you turn your card back to red.    I know this is a Brazilian style of eating, but here we find America at its best.  With barely lifting a finger we just flip a simple little card, our meat is sliced directly onto our plates, and we can eat our hearts out until we are tired.  If you start feeling in need of a meat rest, flip the card to red.  It is a classic eat, flip, rest, and repeat.

Before diving right into the meat I took a trip to the salad bar to try the lobster bisque that our waitress highly recommended.  I can say with all certainty that this was the best salad bar I have ever encountered.  It had a few of your traditional salad bar items such as leafy greens and veggies but it also had items such as smoked salmon, grilled provolone cheese, buffalo mozzarella bites, and grapes and blue cheese.  I could have easily dined on the salad bar alone but I made sure to leave some room knowing the meat would be flowing the second I sat down.

When I returned to the table the waitress had brought mashed potatoes and plantains to go along with the meat we would be eating.  I settled in my seat, put my napkin on my lap, flipped my card to green, and took the classic fork-and-knife-in-hand position as I braced myself for the meat medley.  All of the meat was cooked perfectly and eat different type has a unique and delicious flavor.  Jim and I both washed down all of this incredible food with a glass of Caipirinha, the national cocktail of Brazil.  I can honestly say that all self-control went out the window that night.

If you are looking for a restaurant with a colorful atmosphere, incredible food from beginning to end, and something unique, most definitely try Texas de Brazil.  Go hungry!

Tips and Info:

• Visit the Texas de Brazil webite.
• Texas de Brazil is pricey.  Outside of $52.80 week in Denver, this Churrascaria costs $45.00 per person, not including tax, tip, and drinks.  It is, however, all-you-can eat and most definitely worth trying at least once.  If you fill in your information on their comment card they will send you future deals and a free meal on your birthday.
• Denver has two other good Churrascarias: Fogo de Chao and Rodizio Grill