Three Guys from Miami:Texas de Brazil Churrascaria Miami

Looking for a great Cuban cookbook?
"Three Guys From Miami Cook Cuban" and "Three Guys From Miami Celebrate Cuban"

Jorge: If you like meat like we do, you'll appreciate this great Brazilian style steakhouse that brings you an ultimate "all-you-care-to-eat" meat feasting experience.

Glenn: Texas de Brazil is a family owned restaurant "collection" with multiple locations, including three in their home state of Texas. To make it work at every location, quality control is essential, and at Texas de Brazil they do it right.

Jorge: Yes, the packaging is beautiful, but the food is truly the star of the show here.

Glenn: Texas de Brazil is another entry in a growing list of Brazilian churrascarias serving traditional rodizio -- specially grilled meats that are delivered to you right at the table.

Jorge: The tradition is almost as old as Brazilian ranching. The gauchos or cowboys would hold periodic feasts for their families and friends.

Raúl: Just like we do with our annual pigroasts.

Glenn: The meat would be slow cooked on a spit over an open fire. As the meat cooked, the gauchos would slice thin pieces from the skewers and serve them to the party goers.

Raúl: Texas de Brazil is all about meat. They have their own team, of "gauchos" who bring roasted meats fresh off the grill to your table.

Jorge: And they keep bringing them until you tell them to stop.

Glenn: They make it easy with a little card you keep by your plate. The green side means "keep it coming," the red side means "OK, enough already!"

Raúl: We've heard of people bringing vegetarian friends to this restaurant, and they do have a great salad bar.

Glenn: However, with so much meat constantly parading by, your vegetarian friend is either going to run from the restaurant screaming, or better yet, soon convert to meat loving normality.

Raúl: Let's talk about the meat.

Friendly "gauchos" serve you a selection of meats at your table. We catch them here in the kitchen.

Jorge: They have a wide selection of meats on the menu, from juicy cuts of beef, to tender pieces of bacon-wrapped chicken and Brazilian sausage.

Glenn: One of my favorites is the house specialty, Brazilian Picanha, a delicious top sirloin cap steak served either salted and grilled or soaked in a great garlic marinade.

Jorge: One surprise was a nice version of pork ribs, with a traditional smoky tomato-based barbecue sauce, a selection that is definitely more Texas than Brazil.

Glenn: A little note on the protocol here -- don't worry, your waiter will explain everything -- the meats are brought to the table on skewers. With some of the items, such as the Brazilian sausage, your server will simply slide the meat off the skewer and onto your plate. For meats that need to be sliced, each diner is provided with small tongs. As the server begins the slice, you use the tongs to hold onto the slice. It's really a lot of fun.

Taking the "salad bar" to new heights.

Raúl: It's very easy to fill yourself up at the salad bar, it's very good.

Glenn: Calling it a salad bar doesn't do justice to the quality of the offerings. This "salad bar" offers a couple dozen nice prepared dishes -- everything from Brazilian black beans and rice, to French soft cheeses, to artichoke salad and hearts of palm.

Jorge: The night we went they also had smoked salmon and delicious Brazilian style pepper salami.

Glenn: They really take the salad bar to new heights with portobello mushrooms, an excellent tabbouleh salad, pasta salad with zucchini, hearts of palm, and lightly grilled peppers -- just to name a few.

Jorge: So enjoy the salad bar, but be sure to pace yourself!

The meats are slow roasted over an open flame.

Raúl: The filet mignon is very tender and like all of the meats is very juicy and flavorful.

Glenn: All of the meat is prepared with a liberal coating of salt or a highly salted marinade. If you have an aversion to salt, they will prepare any of the meats the way you like them.

Jorge: That's one area where Texas de Brazil really stands out. Your waiter or waitress gives you a lot of personal attention and service.

Raúl: They really go all out to make sure the food is exactly the way you like it.

Jorge: Everything comes with sides of sweet plantain, garlic mashed potatoes, and some really appetizing cheese-filled bread rolls.

Glenn: We'd like to see more seafood on the menu, and not just as an a la carte item.

Jorge: A grilled salmon would be great.

Glenn: They do serve a shrimp cocktail and an Australian cold water lobster tail for an additional price, but we doubt many people take the seafood plunge with so many great meats here in abundance.

Two Guys and a waiter.

Friendly and attentive wait staff.

Raúl: If at the end of the evening you still have room for dessert, go for it.

Jorge: They serve several nicely presented desserts guaranteed to send you from the restaurant with a nice sugar high.

Glenn: The Brazilian papaya crème served with a layer of liqueur floating on top is a great way to balance out your evening of eating salted Brazilian meats.