It seems like the newest fad in restaurants is the Brazilian Steakhouse. The concept really appears to resonate with people who like to have the option to eat as much as they like, but do so in a much more sophisticated environment than you find at your typical buffet.
Well, the folks at Via Brasil Steakhouse have known how wonderful this experience is for years. In fact, they opened their first restaurant in New York, all the way back in 1978. And based on our experience there the other night, and their being named the 2014 Best of Las Vegas Brazilian Steakhouse, they are still the best Brazilian restaurant around, despite the increased competition!
We decided to head out to Via Brasil Steakhouse, since we have been here for six years now, and for some reason have never stopped by. From the moment we walked through the doors, we knew we would be in for a treat.
The place is visually very appealing. A large buffet is in the center, which displayed a variety of both cold dishes as well as a nice variety of meats for you to choose from.
On one side of the buffet was a gorgeous wall that had water running down it, making for a beautiful display. The other side had a huge wine room with bottles stretching up to the ceiling.
They also have a great looking bar that we are looking forward to visiting the next time we come out, as well as an impressive patio that they were busy fixing up with beautiful new furniture.
Our hostess quickly showed us to our seat and our waiter was there to give us an explanation of how it all worked. Since we were familiar with the concept, we knew what to expect. But for those who have never dined like this, it is pretty neat getting to hear how they do things.
The great thing about eating at a Brazilian steakhouse is that it is interactive! You get to take part in everything that is going on!
First things first, we ordered a couple cocktails. I decided to go with a passion fruit martini, while my husband went with a Caipirinha, which is Brazil’s national drink. It is made with cachaça, sugar and lime. It’s strong, but a great way to start off dinner.
We got up to go to the buffet table. It’s pretty clear that they take pride in what they have on display. It was perfectly clean, and everything looked as fresh as could be. I got some salad, as well as a small chicken breast and headed back to my table. I wanted to get more because it all looked so great, but I needed to save room for the amazing food I was sure was going to follow!
My husband and I finished up and braced ourselves for what was to come next. Our server showed us the menu which displayed all the sides they offer. For those who are more picky, or those who want to try something a little more authentic, they had choices to make anyone happy.
The dishes are served family style, which is the only way to enjoy it at a place like this. We opted to start with some rice, black beans and collard greens. After that, we were ready to get started!
Although the quality of food may vary in Brazilian restaurants, one thing seems to be common to all of them, and that is how you get the main course brought to you. On the table in front of each diner is a little round card. On one side it is green, and on the other it is red. This is where the interaction kicks in!
When you are ready to eat, you turn the card to green. What this does, is alert all the chefs that you are ready to go! One by one, they come by your table and offer you a wide variety of meats. In fact, they have 17 different kinds listed on their menu, and I wanted to make sure to save room to try every bit of it!
Garlic steak, bacon wrapped turkey, leg of lamb, picanha (top sirloin), brazilian sausage, salmon, and even chicken hearts made its way to our table one by one. It all looked amazing! Each chef would cut off a small portion (or large if you are like my husband) and go on his way to another table. Seeing the entire cut of meat on a huge skewer and served table side is what makes this type of dining so special. It was truly a great visual treat.
Once we had enough to get started, we turned our cards to red. This alerted the chefs that we were ok for now, and that they did not have to bring more food at the moment. But they were not done with us yet!
The food was absolutely sensational. It’s hard to pick out just one favorite, but the garlic steak and the picanha were certainly among my favorites. And the side dishes did not disappoint either. In fact, our server decided we needed a little more authenticity on our table, so he brought out some fried yucca which was totally delicious!
At this time, we were starting to get full. But with all this delicious food around, it is hard to say no. So we went back to green and went in for a second round! We tried some salmon, beef short ribs and sweet and tangy chicken. Just like all the food we tried before, these also hit the spot. Our only disappointment was that we knew at some point we knew we could eat no more. And we had finally reached our limit.
Or at least we thought!
Anna, who is the owner of the restaurant, wasn’t going to let us off that easy. She insisted that we try dessert. We reluctantly agreed, even though neither of us had any room left. And we were so glad we did!
I have had desserts all over the world. If any of them were better than what was delivered to us that night, I do not recall. And if possible, it even looked better than it tasted! In fact, if you never go to Via Brasil to eat dinner (and why wouldn’t you?), you need to at least go by to try out the banana flambe!
This beautiful plate came to us with a variety of fresh fruits and ice cream that was visually stunning. On one side was a pineapple half that had vanilla ice cream inside. Then, on the other side of the plate was a martini glass with the bananas that were hot and had some type of licquer that was warm and wonderful. In the middle were fresh cut strawberries and pineapples. There was no way we were gonna pass on this, so we dove in!
The bananas and licquer are poured over the ice cream, making a combination that is almost impossible to describe. It went together perfectly, making for a wonderful way to end a great meal. Though we were full, we made sure to finish every last bite.
The Brazilian steakhouse is a great concept. And if you have never been to one, or are looking to try out another, then you might as well go to the one I consider the best. Via Brasil has it all. From wonderful food, to a beautiful restaurant, to an attentive, friendly staff, they really do deliver a perfect dining experience.
We spent quite a bit of time talking to Anna who is the owner. It was clear through our conversation that she takes tremendous pride in her restaurant, and it shows in both her face and in her product. In fact, she couldn’t stop talking about all the other great things they have to offer.
One thing we are really looking forward to is their brunch. They offer more than 50 items on that menu, including 8 different meats cut tableside, omelets, waffles, and a filet benedict which she said is not to be missed. We are already planning our Sunday visit!
Also, they are big on happy hour. There they offer a variety of small plates and sandwiches which look delicious. Again, we are planning to be back soon to check that out. Happy hour times are Mon – Thurs 5PM to close and Fri – Sun 5PM -8PM.
I could really go on about this place forever, but the best thing to do is check it out for yourself. You won’t be disappointed. Even in a great food city like Las Vegas, Via Brasil stands out among the crowd.
Also, be sure to check out their website. As Anna kept telling us about all the great things they have going on, it became difficult to remember it all. From dancers, to wedding receptions, to almost anything you can imagine, they do it all. So if you go to the website you can see everything they have coming up.
We really want to thank Anna and all her staff for showing us such a great evening of food and hospitality. It is great to see a group of people take such pride in their jobs and makes it so easy for us to recommend them to everyone we know.
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