Brazzaz Brazilian Steakhouse

Although I have never been to Latin America, I am a huge fan of the cuisine. Brazil is one country near the top of my “Must Visit” list, and the closest I have come is Brazzaz, a Brazilian Steakhouse located in the River North area of Chicago. While the restaurant can get a bit pricey, I scored a great deal for what promised to be a night of great eating for me and my boyfriend.

The Food

Once seated and settled at the table, the waiter invited us to begin our meal with a visit to the salad and sides bar. The bar boasts a selection of over 60 items, from salads to seafood, cheese to fresh cut vegetables. Once we had filled our plates with our salad and side choices, including the signature mushroom risotto, we sat back down at our table for part 2 of our meal.

At Brazzaz, Gauchos walk around the restaurant with giant pieces of freshly roasted meats, stopping only at the tables where they are welcome. You may be wondering how they know when to stop? Well, when we first arrived, our waiter gave us a small card: one side was black, the other side orange. When guests are ready for the meat portion of the meal, they simply flip their card over to orange, signaling to the gauchos to stop at the table and offer whatever meat they are carrying. If you ever get full, or simply need a minute to finish what is already on your plate, you flip your card back to black.

Brazzaz offers 18 skewers of slow roasted meat. My favorites were the Bottom Sirloin, Bacon Filet Mignon, Rib Eye, Brazilian Sausage, and Shrimp. All of the meat we tried was perfectly cooked and bursting with flavor. Everything was juicy, well spiced, and incredibly tender.

With meat constantly being paraded around, we got full quickly. Although we didn't have room to order dessert from the menu, we did finish our meal with pineapple. Brazzaz takes a whole pineapple on a skewer and slightly roasts it over the same open flame as the meat. It comes out warm and sweet, the perfect way to end the meal. I called the pineapple man over at least three times, it was that good!

Of course, we washed down all of our food with cocktails. I had the signature drink, the Brazilian Caipirinha, a blend of lime and Brazil's classic liquor made from sugar cane. It was delicious!

The Vibe

Brazzaz is an excellent restaurant for a date night. Many of the customers there during my visit seemed to be couples, as well as friends meeting up for dinner. The vibe of the restaurant is relaxed, and most people looked perfectly content as the liquor flowed and their plates were continuous filled with the most amazing selection of meats.