Texas de Brazil
I finally found the opportunity to try Richmond’s grandest Brazilian meat restaurant, Texas de Brazil, located at the Regency Square Mall in Henrico County. TdB is a national chain, I’ll note, one that on the weekends fires-up flaming torches outside, and features (all the time) a central two-storey wall of wine inside its dining room. Drama is part of the experience at TdB.
The idea at a churrascaria is that different meats (beef, pork, lamb, chicken) are cooked over flames and brought out, cut and dispensed from long swords, right at your table. The swords are the spits by which the meat rotates over flames. The tradition is born from a rustic cooking style of men who lived on the plains. In modern parlance, it means you can summon these meat mongers through symbols on your table (red/green) for a break of meats, to “more meats please!”
The extravagance of having a variety of meat, a splendid food bar, and all you can eat service comes at a cost, of course. But matched was TdB’s service. Two servers were very friendly, and everything was very efficient. You certainly felt well cared-for at TdB.
I started by going to the food bar (some call it a salad bar, but it contained much more than your typical salad bar). Marinated artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, various salume, tomatoes, various cheeses, roasted peppers; there was a lot to be had. Then cooked shrimp, savory mushrooms, potatoes au gratin, and black beans were featured for warm items. They do allow you to only sup from this food bar, if you so choose.
But the meat is where the dining room drama continues: most tasty was their “house special” sirloin steak, pork sausages, and bacon. Less successful was the bacon-wrapped chicken (too dry) and their pork loin (again dry). Every meat had its own unique seasoning, and the variety of meat was impressive.
I had been encouraged to not eat the entire day before going—“you’ll want to save room!” We did leave “stuffed.” It’s an American abundance thing, for sure. And one, despite your politics, you ought to try at some point. TdB is not a restaurant I’d visit often, but it’s nice to know it’s close to home when you want to celebrate with friends, treat out of town guests, or simply satisfy your own personal craving for meat.
Another area TdB shined was through its table-side “extras:” very creamy mashed potatoes and fried cinnamon bananas. What amazed me was how long the mashed (or even whipped) potatoes stayed warm. They were creamy and delicious. The bananas were like a special exotic treat.
Readers may ask how I’d compare TdB with our other local Brazilian steak house, the Impanema Grill. I think the meats at IG have been on par with those of TdB; where one might have a better steak, the other may have a better chicken, etc. The complete dining experience would win at TdB: their food bar is 2-3 notches above what’s offered at IG. But IG is also about half the price for each diner compared to TdB, so you may get what you pay for. If meat is your primary draw, then IG might be the more pragmatic choice.
One Response to “Texas de Brazil”
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veron
Said this on March 18th, 2008 at 1:31pm:I’m glad you had a better experience than we did at Texas de Brazil. The variety of meat at Texas de Brazil was impressive but I like the way Ipanema grill seasoned their meat better. I did not like TDB’s buffet because it was not remotely brazilian and the flavor of the few selections at Ipanema Grills food bar far surpassed Texas de Brazil’s. But I agree that the wow factor of the service and the interior at TExas de Brazil is hard to ignore.