If there is one thing Texans share with our South American neighbors, it’s the love of meat—especially beef. As such, Brazil runs a very close second to the United States in beef production. While Texans are passionate about slow-cooked brisket, smoked ribs, and grilled ribeye steaks, Brazilians favor cuts of beef like picanha (sirloin cap) and fraldinha (flank steak).
Houston is teeming with high-end Brazilian steakhouses, known as churrascarias, and it’s no surprise they remain popular in a city that never seems to sate its carnivorous cravings. Many feature a prix-fixe menu, in which diners receive a continuous selection of grilled meats, appearing on skewers and carved tableside. A plethora of sides, and a bountiful salad bar round out the meal making it a belly-busting all-you-can-eat experience.
Consider this list of splurgeworthy Brazilian steakhouses that are sure to bring on the meat sweats.
Churrascos
Founded in Houston in 1988 by Michael Cordua, Churrascos was on the forefront of the Brazilian steakhouse movement in the city. In 2018, Cordua and his son, chef David Cordua, left the Churrascos brand, and the original River Oaks location shuttered this summer. However, there are still three suburban outposts showcasing the popular menu of grilled meats and seafood. Starters include smoked lamb lollipops and Gulf crab cakes, while the entree selection features Coca Cola-braised short ribs and lomo saltado. Its specialty churrasco is a center cut Angus beef tenderloin, available in various sizes and preparations. Multiple locations, churrascos.com
Fogo de Chao
Founded in Brazil in 1979, this global rodizio-style steakhouse has five locations in the Greater Houston area. It offers several different menus for all appetites, including the full churrasco, which includes continuous tableside carvings of cuts like picanha, fraldinha, lamb chops, and bone-in ribeye. It includes access to the market table, which is full of salads, sides, and more. Guests can upgrade to the indulgent version, with lobster tail and roasted bone marrow, or go lighter with a la carte dishes like pan-seared salmon and cauliflower steak. Fogo de Chao’s $10 all day happy hour includes the traditional Brazilian caipirinha, made with cachaca and lime. Multiple locations, fogodechao.com
Tourao Brazilian Churrasqueria
The rodizio-style service at Tourao offers 15 different cuts of meat, served upon request, and carved at the table. In addition to picanha and alcatra, there are options such as linguica (Brazilian sausage), pork tenderloin, and ancho ribeye, and the fresh market bar is loaded with charcuterie, cheese, and tasty garnishes. As an added perk, the restaurant often features live music. Multiple locations, myturao.com
Gauchos do Sul
The full churrascaria experience, including tableside carvings of premium meat, hot side dishes, and a gourmet salad bar, is on offer at Gauchos do Sul. Named after South American cowboys, the restaurant features beef cuts like picanha, grass-fed New York strip, and tender filet mignon, plus bacon-wrapped chicken and lamb sirloin. Guests can also drop in for cocktails at the bar, which has its own light bites menu. Multiple locations, gauchosdosul.com
Avenida Brazil
South of Houston, there are two locations of this Brazilian churrascaria which offer lunch and dinner service, plus Sunday brunch. The full experience includes the grazing table, a massive display with items like seafood bisque and bruleed bacon. The Sunday brunch includes a waffle station, and for pescatarians, there’s an all-you-can-eat seafood option. The white tablecloth-set dining room is elegant, and the service is friendly and efficient.. Multiple locations, avebrazil.com
Texas de Brazil
Located in CityCentre Houston, this steakhouse offers a festive interior, a massive wine wall, and a bounty of flame-grilled meats. The line-up of more than a dozen meats includes Brazilian sausage, barbecue pork ribs, spicy sirloin, and filet mignon. The protein overload can be balanced with a beautiful array of fresh and roasted vegetables. The craveable Brazilian cheese bread is complimentary, and guests can add on a dessert like coconut chess pie or flan. 822 Town & Country Blvd., Houston, texasdebrazil.com
Casa do Brasil
Though there are several locations of this churrascaria around Texas, there is only one in Houston, at the intersection of Sage and Alabama. Offering 16 cuts of meat, the restaurant‘s protein selection includes bacon-wrapped chicken (frango), New Zealand lamb, and a variety of USDA prime aged beef cuts. The dining room is modern and rustic, with leather upholstered chairs and white tablecloths, plus glass-fronted walls of wine. In addition to the prix-fixe menu, there are daily specials, including a Tuesday couples’ night for $139, which includes the all-you-can-eat buffet and rodizio, plus a few extras. 2800 Sage Rd., Houston, casadobrasil.com/houston/
Chama Gaucha
First opened in San Antonio in 2008, this all-you-can-eat steakhouse now has three Texas locations, plus one in Chicago. Diners can order the USDA prime meats grilled to their preference, while setting the pace with Yes/No cards, which let the gauchos know when guests are ready for more. While grilled meats like Colorado spring lamb and prime top sirloin are the stars, the self-serve salad bar is loaded with delicious cheeses, salamis, and fresh vegetables. 5865 Westheimer Rd., Houston, chamagaucha.com/houston/
Sal e Brasa
Diners at this Brazil-born steakhouse in the Woodlands area ought to be mindful when taking advantage of the buffet, because its vast array can cause guests to forget about the bounty of meat to come. It’s not just vegetables and pasta salad—the buffet offers sushi, lobster bisque, and a number of other seafood items. When it’s time for the meat-a-palooza, guests can turn their coaster to the green side and let the gauchos do their magic with skewers of picanha, lamb chops, and the Brazilian-spiced chicken. 1700 Research Forest Dr., Shenandoah, salebrasausa.com
Toro Toro
Located in the Four Seasons Hotel in Downtown, this Pan-Latin steakhouse is part of chef Richard Sandoval’s hospitality group. Guests make their way up the dramatic hotel staircase, arriving at the open-concept lounge and dining area, anchored by a low-lit stone bar. South American flavors are woven throughout the menu with a variety of ceviche and empanadas, plus entrees such as Peruvian grilled chicken and lomo saltado. The grilled meats are all served with Argentinian chimichurri and shishito peppers, including the 52-ounce prime tomahawk and the Rosewood Ranch wagyu picanha. For the ultimate meaty experience, the Toro Toro churrasco delivers a sword of Brazilian-style wagyu picanha, prime ribeye, chicken cusco, and Colorado lamb chops. It’s meant to serve three guests, so bring along a couple of carnivorous pals. 1300 Lamar St., Houston, torotorohouston.com
Empirio Inc.
For a slightly more casual Brazilian experience, this grill and market offers an a la carte menu featuring traditional steaks like cast iron-cooked picanha and Brazilian sirloin steak. Guests will also find dishes such as Portuguese cod and feijoada, a black bean stew flavored with pork. This is where Brazilians go to grab a taste of home, including market items such as frozen pastels and bacalhau, by the pound. 12288 Westheimer Rd., Houston, empirioinc.com
