Biting Into Brazil

Texas de Brazil is a Brazilian steakhouse with two locations in Illinois. The Chicago restaurant is right outside my doorstep at 210 E. Illinois St.

The layout was a little unusual with the salad bar right in front and diners wrapping around the glass exterior. There is always a lot of hustle and bustle at churrascarias so space is probably precious for the staff. Hopefully they are appreciated for the amount of work they do.

Our server was extremely knowledgeable and guided us the whole time. Having been trained myself as a server at Texas de Brazil in the past I know the spiel that they are required to say but he didn't make it seem robotic or stale.

It was quite the opposite of stale in the salad bar. The offerings were fresh and tasty. There were over 50 items and it was difficult not to fill up on them.

The handsome gauchos proudly supplied beef, chicken, pork, and lamb on large skewers prancing around the room. The Brazilian sausage was flavorful.

The side items were smartly kept as smaller portions as to not waste food.

The caipirinha is something everyone should sample when dining there. It is a Brazilian rum drink made with fresh lime and simple syrup. It can sometimes be served in the glass only half full but Texas made it bigger so worth the money.

Most people will not save room for dessert but if one can cram a little more down the Brazilian cheesecake is excellent.

Brazilian steakhouses are something everyone must try at least once in their life and this chain has perfected many of the practices accompanied with this cuisine. It's nice not to have to buy a special passport and travel to the country itself to savor this South American delight.

For the thrifty, pop in for a discounted lunch and join the Eclub and save $25 off the first purchase of two dinners.

Visit www.texasdebrazil.com for more information today.