Sampa Grill

Sampa Grill appears to be closed. more

My husband I dinned here and ordered the churrasco completo which included Tri Tip, Polish Sausage, Chicken Drum, Pork Loin, Chicken Breast,... more

I went here last night at the suggestion of my husband's colleague and we were amazed at the selection of delicious food. This is an all-you-can-eat restaurant with a large selection at the salad bar (including warm entrees and sides) and the friendly waiters come out in succession carrying hot steaks and meats on swords. They slice the meat you choose and continue to come by with different selections until you flip a little colored block to display red instead of green. The steaks were tender and juicy and slightly salty in the Brazilian style. I made a mixed field green salad topped with marinated onions, carrots, raddish, and (best of all) the Sampa Salad. The key ingredients in the Sampa Salad are a cold mixture of grilled steak, cilantro, garlic, and vinegar. Wow! I highly recommend that you try this salad. I know I will attempt to make it at home now! The restaurant is huge and seemed slightly empty even though there was a large table having a birthday party and another couple sitting near us. I suppose not too many people go out on a Tuesday night. Or maybe the recession is keeping people at home. Either way, we thought it was a pretty decent value at $25 per person, especially considering that the food was far superior to the food at some steak houses we have been to where we spent twice as much money. I can't wait to go back! Pros: Tender steaks. All you can eat. Try the Sampa Salad. more

We had our company Christmas party at this restaurant and the food was good. It's an eat all you can Brazilian barbecue of different meats ... more

Amazingly spiced and delicious Brazilian Food!! I have been here many times and not only recieved stellar service but the place itself is ve... more

Went the Friday before last and loved it! I'm a bit of a food snob and I've got to say...this place rocked! Such a variety of meat offerings which were all juicy and delicious. Everyone who works there (from the manager to the busboys) were great and helpful (and really friendly in a not annoying way). The salad bar was the best I've seen with a fresh caprese salad to rival that at my fave Italian place.The hot bar was equally as good w/ tender chicken stroganoff, garlic chicken, and fluffy mashed potatos w/ a lightly browned crust (and crazy good empanadas). Their cheese bread was a perfect pastry puff with a light cheese center. But the real attraction was that selection of right-of-the -charcoals meat. The tri-tip and garlic beef were the best (although hubby's faves were the bacon wrapped filet mignon and the lamb, which was so tender it literally fell from the skewer on to his plate!). There we sat in our comfy booths, with our draft Sierra Nevada's and ate for 3 hours. Finished it all off with molten choc cake and dulce de leche cheesecake...both which we also recommend if you can fit them in. Pros: Great food! Great Staff! Great night! Cons: Ate for 3 hours? more

First of all the salad bar is very fresh and imaculately maintained, I've never seen anything like it. The meats were very tender, flavorful, and the variety was excellent. You might want to ask what they have before you get started, otherwise they just start bringing it out- which is fine except you might get full before they even get to something you might like even better. I reccommend this restaurant only when you're very hungry-it's a pretty good value if you can eat a lot or if you missed lunch/had a light lunch (or go for lunch). It was a fun experience with charming service and a very good wine list including a nice selection from Chile, Argentina, and Brazil as well as California and Italy. Pros: Great value, atmosphere, and service Cons: Not a great value if you're not too hungry - set price more

We found this great new Brazilian restaurant in Encino last week. Some relatives had organized a graduation/farewell party for my cousin there, and since I work nearby, I decided to head there with a couple of friends a little earlier. We sat at the bar and had some wine and appetizers (we ordered a couple of items, the chicken dumplings and cheese empanadas - turned out to be a lot for the three of us). The bar is very pretty, and they offer a nice selection of wine. I'm partial to white wine, and enjoyed a nice glass of Chardonnay. The ambiance is very relaxed, music is not too loud, so we just sat there and chatted for quite a while. Our waiter was very helpful. Once the other invitees began arriving, we went to the the back of the restaurant, where they had set up a banquet room just for us. The restaurant is much larger on the inside than it appears. We had thought that the bar area was the main room for the place, but besides the large dining area that has the buffet, the room in the back surprised me. After we sat down, a couple of waiters came by and told us how the system works. For those new to Brazilian barbecue, it is a treat! First, we start at the salad bar, where they had lots of vegetables, salads, even ceviche, which I loved. They also offer some hot dishes, like black beans and fish. After we load up on the bar, we return to the table. There, they have these little red/yellow/green toggles, and if you flip them to green, the meat starts coming! The waiters bring skewer after skewer with beef, pork, chicken, and sausages to the table, and they cut it right there in front of you. The meat was juicy and just right. I'm not a fan of pork, so I passed, but the chicken with bacon was heaven! This is a perfect place for dinner. I was told by our waiter that lunch on weekdays is different, that they don't bring the meats to us, we have to go to the meat counter. Lunch is supposed to be pretty cheap, so I will try it next time. Pros: Great food, good value Cons: No full bar, restaurant is new, so it is not very crowded more