We went here for the first time for our dinner around 6:00 earlier this week. The restaurant was easy to spot right off the freeway, and parking was no problem at all. I was a little nervous at first because only one other table was being served, but I think it was just because we were early -- the place quickly filled up as our meal went on.
We started our meal with a trip to the salad bar, and there was a good selection of well-composed salads and fresh cheeses. We sampled both the Brazilian lemonade and liquor-laced Caipirinha, and both were sweet and fruity.
Once we flipped the coaster to green, the meat parade was ON! The stand-outs were the house specialty C-shaped cut of beef (can't remember the name), the bacon-wrapped filet and the grilled shrimp. I'm not a big fan of pork, but their parmesan-encrusted cut was phenomenal. Because the beef here is served to our preferred choice of medium to rare side, we never needed any special requests from the kitchen.
Our table was quickly populated with side dishes of black beans, rice, fried bananas, and mashed potatoes, but the standout side was clearly the piping hot cheese popover-like bread. We easily polished off three baskets full. Did I mention that we're big eaters? :-)
As for the service, I can easily say that it was the best we’ve experienced in Houston. Though it seemed like there were nearly half-dozen people checking on us throughout our meal, their timing was impeccable. They struck the right combination of being attentive without being annoying. We kept joking throughout our dinner that it’s almost as if they anticipated our needs before we could ourselves.
My only pet peeve with this place is that that the plastic banner sign on the building gives the uninitiated diner (ie, a person just passing by) the wrong impression – almost like the place was temporary...? Oh, and I wasn't a big fan of the bananas -- Tradicao, if you're reading this, please do plantains instead! -- but that's really just a personal preference.
Totally unexpected: along with our bill, we got a coupon for $10 off our next visit. We didn't need any convincing to come back again, but this was definitely a nice surprise.
Don't let the $30 price tag deter you from going -- it's all you can eat, and even if you just pick at your food, it's still cheaper than you would pay at other restaurants of similar quality. Plus, as other reviewers mentioned, you could probably find a coupon somewhere if that's a little out of your range.
Pros: Attentive service, high-quality food
Cons: So-so exterior doesn't match the experience inside
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