09/16/09

Second best rodizio in the U.S.

by sithknight1

First off, if you're not familiar with Brazilian steakhouses or Rodizios, you just need to know they're the best kind of steakhouses in the planet. Nothing beats waiters one after the other showing up at your table with SWORDS (they're really huge skewers but Rodizios get me medieval) where impaled steaks of several pounds of the best cuts in the world are to be carved in front of you at your command. It's an endless parade of steak worship not for the faint of heart. I live in southern Maryland and being a Rodizio aficionado myself, the total lack of this restaurant type in my area is very depressing. I was driving to a Friend's weeding in Burlington, NC and having lived in North Carolina for several years in the past I knew I was entering Rodizio territory once more, so I decided to plan my trip to Burlington, making a little detour in Raleigh just to try this Rodizio Steakhouse. Now onto the place itself. Even thou this guys close at 11 pm on Fridays, I walked though the door at 10:45 and was treated just like if it was 7 pm. (Most restaurants give you "a look" and bad service if you do this). The service was INCREDIBLE, the place looked amazing. If you want to impress a lady, this would be a home run. Now, the food. Simply......perfect. The meats were simply out of this world. My favorite Brazilian cut of meat, "picaña" was cooked just the way I requested, with a medium rare center. My wife is more of a "well done" steak kind of girl and they had a completely different skewer sizzling at the mercy of the flames in the kitchen just for her. (Most Rodizios scuff at customers requests of well done meat since this is considered faux pass, and they will simply take a couple of cuts ant throw them on the grill for the customer which ruins the whole experience. I have visited probably 10 Brazilian steakhouses in the U.S. Only at the top 2, Brasa Raleigh being one of them, will they put a separate skewer on the flames for customers who request well done cuts), Like I said in the title, second best Rodizio steak house in the U.S. only topped by the Juggernaut of Rodizios, New York's Time Square area located cathedral of Rodizio, (let alone Number 1 Brazilian steakhouse in the world and personally best restaurant I've ever been to in my life), The Mecca of meat.......... "PLATAFORMA". How close does Brasa come to the holiest of the holiest, Plataforma? Surprisingly close. Steak wise.......and this could be blasphemy....... almost identical. The salad bar at Plataforma is also FAR superior, probably one of the best salad bars EVER, But whereas a meal for two at Plataforma with beers will run you $250 with tips, at Brasa I paid only $100 with tips which is a HUGE difference. Let's put it this way: Plataforma is still reigning champion but if instead of Brasa being located In Raleigh, NC and Plataforma in New York, they were located both across the street from my home in Maryland, 9 our of 10 times I would eat at Brasa, almost the same steak for half the price. I would still treat myself to Plataforma on my birthdays. Now for those of you Maryland residents who are wondering, if you have to drive all, the way to NC or New York for a decent Rodizio experience, don't fret. I also have you covered. You'll find in my opinion which is the 3rd best Rodizio in the U.S. just 45 minutes away in Washington D.C. The name is "Fogo de Chao" a meal for 2 will run you about $140. All in all, in the best value for your category, Brasa Raleigh takes the crown. Now, If you're a Millionaire and own your own jet, fly to New York's Plataforma. But rest assured, Brasa will also give you a run for your money.

• Pros: Perfect Rodizio

03/30/09

Live a little.....

by tauopathy

Live a little--I mean that literally. But you do get charged as though you were living large. Quite simply: I didn't think churrasco could ever taste like slow warmed three week old newspaper, but it did here. Flavor, variety, taste, quality were all missing. I thought the ambience was nice, if overly formal. The cost of eating here is comparable to a large northeastern city, for a fraction of the quality. Would I do it again? No. Should you? I can't make that decision for you.....

• Pros: Ambience
• Cons: Cost, service, food quality

11/16/08

Overpriced ...Grove Park Inn Buffet is Much Better

by chantalkettle

Brasa is truly a romantic place to be when dining. However, it is such an overpriced restaurant. The cold bar was a better choice if you are not really a meat lover person. The house picanya was good, as well as the lamb and some meat which had the garlic and bacon wrap. Some meat were bland.Chicken was tender but dry.The Grove Park Inn buffet is much much better when compared to Brasa. It had more selections for the same price. In addition to the grand view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Brasa is a restaurant worth going if you love to eat meat. Worth for a fine dining event but will not come back again as it is too pricey for the selection.

• Pros: Romantic great ambiance
• Cons: overpriced

07/08/08

An Elegant Churrascaria

by JaxAMDG

My husband and I had the Platinum lunch package which included the hot and cold bar and 9 meats. While it was easily the most expensive lunch we've ever had, we thoroughly enjoyed the meal. There is a wide variety of foods on the hot and cold bar to include things everyone will eat, like parmesan mashed potatoes and traditional green salad. The service was OUTSTANDING! Our waiter, Luis, was very personable and accomodating. My favorite meat was the lamb. I'm very picky about lamb as I grew up eating really good lamb in Wyoming (a sheep and cattle state). It was cooked perfectly!

Be warned, though, the drinks are pricey. We paid $7 a piece for the house specialty, Caipirinha with CaChaCa (the national drink of Brazil).

The atmosphere was elegant...I would definitely wear a skirt and heels for dinner, but wouldn't feel out of place in nice slacks.

My husband and I have eaten at several Brazilian steakhouses and Brasa was definitely the most formal we've been to.

• Pros: service, food, ambience
• Cons: price

06/25/08

Get the appetizer bar -- skip the meat

by StewP

Atmosphere - piano player in the bar area makes dining a little loud. I expected lots of conversation noise, but restaurant was a little louder than I expected. Most of the meats tasted the same. Chicken was tender, all other meats tasted as if they were seasoned with same spices. A1 sauce would go a long way here. Service was excellent. But the price is way too much for what you get. Appetizer bar was very good. If we ever go back we will get just the bar. If you leave hungry however, it is your own fault.

• Pros: Service was excellent. Appetizer bar was very good.
• Cons: Most of the meats tasted the same. Chicken was tender, all other meats tasted as if they were seasoned with same spices. A1 sauce would go a long way here.

06/19/08

An amazing experiance

by Luv2EatGood

Brasa is a beautiful restaurant with great food, great atmosphere and great staff. Every part of my dining experience was exceptional. The food selection is amazing. I don't know a place in town that you have so many options and it's all inclusive and unlimited. This is a place you will leave satisfied and not hungry for days. I wish I could eat a Brasa everyday, I recommend this restaurant to romantics, families, and businesses. They have plenty of room, including private dining that I plan on taking advantage of for my next event.

• Pros: Unlimited Food and Great Service
• Cons: no cons, this place is great!

05/31/08

Brazilian Saying Bad service, Bad food, Worst Dining Experience

by NCYankeeDiner

My wife and I went to Brasa's at Brier Creek last night and it was the worst dining experience I've had in years. I am not a big meat eater, but my wife is, so we were seated by a teenager right beside a rowdy bunch of children that threw food and ran around our table incessantly. The waiter came and I had asked about a non meat option. He went on to describe what a churrascaria was to me and I told him I know what it is as I am Brazilian. I asked him again and he refused to answer until the end of his speech. The whole time he was being dismissive and rude. He continued to be a horrible waiter the whole time as were the other waiters in the restaurant I noticed. To make things worse, one of the meat servers approached my wife romantically when I was at the buffet.

The food was bland and horrible and the servers were not experienced or knowledgeable. The food was distinctly American picnic-style. When I asked one of the managers in the restaurant about a common Brazilian dish, he mentioned a Greek one as a substitute.

If you are looking for a fine dining experience, skip on Brasa's and go somewhere, anywhere else. This is not worth the money you spend, and not a true Brazilian or even decent dining experience. Take my advice and do not support this farce of a restaurant.

• Pros: None
• Cons: Ambiance, Bland Cold Food, Horrible Service

05/16/08

Don't try anything else other than the vegetables

by cgb4ever

If you get dragged into the place, just get the salad bar and don't try the seafood, please. Just eat the vegetables. If you like eating meat that tastes like rendered dog food, then be my guest. Oh and don't bother complaining either.

• Pros: nice decor, stuffed parrots ...
• Cons: bad food

04/09/08

Not worth the money

by ronniewb

Hello everyone. After reading all of the great reviews on here, I decided to give Brasas a try. Driving up to the building, it has a very classy, attractive outside. Entering the building, we were greeted and seated promptly. The atmoshpere is very relaxed and somewhat sultry and romantic. After we were seated, the wait staff quickly and efficiently took our drink orders and told us about the menu, which is:

$25 Appetizer bar SILVER

$35 Appetizer bar plus meats GOLD

$51 The above plus a lobster tail PLATINUM (yes, 15 more bucks just for a lobster tail)

We decided to take the GOLD route. The cold bar had lots of cheeses, veggies and shrimp. The hot bar had about 10 items, mostly small appetizers and veggies. We started eating our appetizers and shortly after, the meat guys began walking around serving us meats from a skewer...about a dozen different kinds to include chicken, veal, lamb, pork, beef, steak, etc. After which we had the rasberry dessert, then paid the bill, which was $105 (for 2 adults, 1 dessert, 1 mixed drink), then left. My ratings:

Food is C+

Atmosphere is A

Service is A

Value C (not sure why this website has this place rated at $$, for me $100 is alot of money)

I'm reading the reviews of here, and most say the meat was fabulous. I disagree. For me, it was decent, but not outstanding...quality was similiar to Chilis, etc. The meat was hot and fresh, but not tender. There was only two veggies on the hot bar that I liked. If you are a meat lover and can eat lots of it, this is your heaven. A meat buffet isn't really a value because after eating your first plate of meat, you get full and cant handle seconds.

If you are curious and just want to try a Brazilian steak house, go ahead and try this place just to say you gave it a try, but I probably won't go back for second visit. I would rather spend half the money and have a better steak at Ruth Chris or the Chop House in Cary.

04/09/08

A feast and an incredible atmosphere

by JCaptain

This place is outstanding for a night out with your spouse or close friend, as well as corporate get together. The atmosphere is top notch...a large bar area with comfortable seating, couches and a fire place, and an elegantly designed restaurant with private rooms.

The variety at the salad bar and the incredibly seasoned meats require a lot of self control as the all-you-can-eat venue may cause you to get carried away.

Brasa is my favorite dinner spot in the triangle (in case you didn't get that from my previous comments!)