Steakhouse is a meat-lover's dream

Texas de Brazil at Town Square offers 15 cuts of meat, hundreds of wines, 60-item salad bar

JENNA DOSCH/VIEWServer Leonardo Lazzarin carries one of the traditional meats at Texas de Brazil, a new steakhouse at 6533 Las Vegas Blvd. South. For a fixed rate of $45, diners can eat as much meat, side dishes and salad as they want. The restaurant offers 15 cuts of meat. Advertisement

Brazilian-inspired cowboys wielding swords, flame-grilled meats carved at your table and rustic décor set the scene for an encounter with fine cuisine cooked up Brazilian style at Texas de Brazil.

Located in Town Square Las Vegas at 6533 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Texas de Brazil, an emergent national chain, opened on Sept. 10. The steakhouse welcomed 130 customers its first night, about 200 on the second night, and now serves approximately 300 nightly.

"That shows you the path we're heading on," said Texas de Brazil manager David Parra, who's confident that the steakhouse soon will be one of the busiest restaurants off the Strip.

Texas de Brazil's ambience fuses first-class dining with a rugged nuance of a traditional Brazilian steakhouse. gauchos, or Brazilian-inspired cowboys, roam the restaurant with a selection of 15 cuts of meat, including leg of lamb, pork loin, garlic-marinated picanha (top sirloin), bacon-wrapped filet mignon, Brazilian sausage and parmesan chicken. The gauchos spin-roast the meat themselves and trim thinly sliced cuts at each table, at the diner's request. Garlic mashed potatoes, cheese bread and sweet baked bananas are served alongside the selection of meats.

For a fixed rate of $45, guests can eat their fill of meat, side dishes and a 60-item salad bar with fresh and grilled vegetables, sushi rolls, aged French cheeses, pasta and potato dishes.

Parra offers a word of advice to Texas de Brazil first-timers: "Pace yourself."

He suggests guests sample the gourmet salad bar and a small cut of each meat before going back for more.

"You might discover something new that you love," he said.

Parra has been around restaurants before he could even see over the counter. His father owns an upscale Mexican eatery, and Parra worked at several restaurants before he started at Texas de Brazil.

"It is hard to rival the quality we have," he said comparing it to other restaurants where he's worked. "The concept is so unique. Other places you get one piece of meat for $30 to $40. What we have to offer is as much as you like of everything, without a wait."

Because customers can sample all the food at the steakhouse, the only written menu lists 400-plus varieties of wine, top-of-the-line liquor and a selection of hand-rolled cigars. A glass wine cellar that reaches to the ceiling stands as the restaurant's centerpiece.

The steakhouse's team of 22 servers underwent intense training in a construction trailer six weeks before the restaurant's opening. They took tests on etiquette and knowledge of the restaurant's wines, liquors and food. Each week, servers will study a different wine, with the goal to eventually become familiar with the entire cellar.

"It's been something else," server Danny Nunez said on his third night at Texas de Brazil. "It's been exciting to see it all unfold after all our preparation."

MariLeide Hockenberry, a southeast Las Vegan who grew up in Brazil, said her experience at Texas de Brazil reminded her of an evening in her home country, from the restaurant's hand-carved meats to the servers' hospitality.

"It's fancy, but you still feel comfortable," she said. "It's just the way it is in Brazil."

"We've been to other Brazilian steakhouses in town, and this is the best we've had," Hockenberry's husband, Bruce, said. "The food is superb. I've been here for two hours now, and I haven't stopped eating since I got here."

Texas de Brazil is open from 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5 to 10:30 p.m. Friday, 4 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday and 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit www.texasdebrazil.com.

DINING OUT

Texas de Brazil is at 6533 Las Vegas Blvd. South in Town Square Las Vegas. The restaurant is open from 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5 to 10:30 p.m. Friday, 4 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday and 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 614-0080 or visit www.texasdebrazil.com.