boi na braza

holy mother of all things meat!. do you want to me start by telling you this place is lovely inside, decorated well, clean and not too loud for being such a large, open place? or perhaps i should mention the buffet bar was full of fresh foods: cold salads, green salad, charcuterie, cheeses, lox, crusty bread, vegetables, some hot dishes like alfredo pasta, broccoli, mashed potatoes all of which were delicious. maybe i can mention the appetizers - mini empanadas, fried plantains, and fried bananas plus their gooey bready cheese balls - that were super good and hot. or the desserts? yeah, dang good. caramel cheesecake, carrot cake - yes please. papaya cream, i never knew i would love you, but you are so refreshing after a meat laden dinner.

no. you're here for the meat. and you want to know how incredible it was. very incredible. super amazing awesome incredible. move into this restaurant and sleep in the floor, shower in the dishwasher sort of incredible. you will want to eat here every weekend if your wallet can handle it.

filet mignon - so steamy, hot, juicy, rare, charred piece of ultimate steak heaven right out of the broiler
filet mignon tips wrapped in bacon - also delicious, so try it, but you'll be going back to the former
picanhaspecialcut - sweet mother, this top sirloin is good. perfectly seasoned, cooked any way you like
garlic beef - you haven't lived until this hits your taste buds; it's tear worthy
leg of lamb - if you have any preconceived negative notions of leg of lamb, like i did, this will melt them away
top & bottom sirloins - i'd go for the bottom first (leaner, which i like), but both were so flavorful and juicy
chicken, pork, sausage - all quite good, but you are here for the beef. don't forget that. ever.
there were other things teasing me i had no room to try - beef and pork ribs, chicken hearts (!!), ribeye, chicken leg, lamb chops... the goucho waiters were so pleasant, fast, efficient, and never missed a step with either helping you or being kind. ask for it - they'll bring it. these boys know what they are doing.

does this mean i get to go back next weekend? at $50 (special $40 6/2014-7/2014) per meal, i may have to have this as aspecialoccasion. like in a month?

not a single negative comment. well, except i think the cheesecake should have been served cold. but now i'm nitpicking.

as good as it gets...and then some!. after traveling to south america several times, and sampling many of the churrascarias of brazil, i was excited to find some of these places crop up in the u.s. several years ago. yes, i’ve been to just about all of the ones available in the d/fw area, but this one has always stood out to me; and for good reason.

truly a beautiful dining experience in every sense of the term, boi na braza stands out above the rest. it is an all-inclusive experience of brazilian dining and fare that will tame any carnivore’s palate. their “salad bar” (which is an oxymoron) is an exquisite array of indigenous offerings that include bamboo shoots, tenderized asparagus, quail eggs, tomato salads, array of cheeses, fresh prosciutto, mushrooms, and the popular staple of brazilian culture – feijoada (stewed black beans, meats, and served over white rice), and many...many others (40+ items in all). and yes, there is salad as well. don’t forget the cheese bread balls (pão de queijo), mashed potatoes, and bananas that are always served. however tempting, one must also be cautious about filling up on such delicacies; the best is yet to come!

served in the popular brazilian “rodizio” style (where servers “gaúchos” rotate to offer the main entrée selections at your table), guests are often tempted to try just about anything. however, the key is to avoid doing too much, too quickly. use your marker (red/green trivet), wisely, because they can be a bit pushy otherwise. remember, this is not the place to go if you’re in a hurry. most meals last at least 2-3 hours. it is meant to be s-l-o-w-l-y enjoyed; never rushed.

the housespecialin these restaurants is almost always the “picahna,” a fat-capped top sirloin cut of beef that simply melts in your mouth. similarly spectacular offerings are the filet mignon, as well as the lamb (leg and chops), cooked to perfection. there is also an array of chicken and pork, as well as ribs, but they simply do not measure up as well in my book.

the great thing about this place is that they certainly aim to please. if you have any knowledge of the brazilian fare, and know what you want...they will do their best to prepare it for you. i am partial to chicken hearts (coração de frango) cooked in this style, and they accommodate my request each time. another common condiment used is “farofa,” a dish made from toasted manioc flour and often sprinkled over the feijoada beans; very tasty, and they will prepare-to-order upon request.

even in brazil, most of the popular churrascarias are simply not as elegant as boi na braza, nor as expensive. why? the quality of the food doesn’t come close; or on a consistent basis. even the one in the world famous copacabana hotel in rj is nowhere near this good.

for those who live in fort worth, yes...there’s that “other” one in downtown. don’t get me wrong, it’s fairly good, but it just doesn’t measure up by comparison to me. and no, there is no "imitation" attempt at all (per another reviewer) -- this is the real thing, not a chain knock-off imitation. considering the price, if you’re planning on spending this kind of money, then do it to the max! boi na braza is the ultimate experience of this type of dining that can be found in the d/fw area. there is simply no comparison.

a carnivore's delight. carnivore's delight indeed! this place is awesome. we took our son in law and daughter there for his birthday recently. he and i didn't eat all day waiting to go, trying to leave all the room possible. no point in wasting time at the salad bar either! actually, there is some good food there as well, this evening besides the salads, they had mashed potatoes with huge mushrooms, as well as asparagus... perfect sides for the meat. however, it is the meat that you come here for... lots of it.

the wife only had the salad bar, a good bit cheaper, and said it was quite satisfying for her... certainly not for me!

waiters bring skewer after skewer with several different cuts of beef, chicken, pork and sausage. all hot, directly from the fire, rare or medium, depending on which side gets the more direct contact in the pit. keep the green side of your card up and they just keep coming. it's all you can eat!

we've been to most of the brazilian steak houses in the dfw area, none beat this one... and it's the closest one to home. there's never a reason to go back to any of the other ones. we met the owner's son and he made sure we were well taken care of... and they did! need a different cut of meat again? just ask, they'll bring more.

yes, it is a bit expensive, but forspecialevents... you can't beat it!

good food great service. the food is alwas good and the service is top notch. we go to boi na braza onspecialoccasions and it always pleases everyone in our party. a great dinning experience!!

well worth the price.

alyssa guiliani's comment that "the salad bar was equivalent to a golden corral" is the single most absurd comment i have ever read on urbanspoon. and i've read a lot of them. the salad bar is great. it has a huge number of selections, including meats and cheeses, and is three of four times larger than the average salad bar in most restaurants. in fact, the whole idea behind the salad bar is to get you filled up before the endless meat selections start to arrive. i've been to boi na braza many times. i once treated a group of twelve to the experience. yes, it is expensive, but it's also very, very good. the best deal is lunch, which is significantly cheaper than dinner but has exactly the same menu. the trick to eating at places like this is to pace yourself. don't overdo the salad bar (you can always go back). don't take the last meat off the skewers the servers are offering-it might not be hot. do ask for meats that are not circulating at the time. they will prepare them for you. if you go there for lunch, you will most definitely not be hungry for dinner. this is not a place where you eat every other week. it's forspecialoccasions, and it's well worth the price.