We have always been huge fans of massive quantities of food. We were invited to visit the Crocker Park (Cleveland, Ohio-area) location of Texas de Brazil. With an 18 month old in tow, we thought it prudent to visit the location just as they opened. While we were the only individuals (besides wait staff) for a few moments, we were astonished at how rapidly the restaurant filled up.
For those that have not been to a high-end buffet experience like Texas de Brazil, one word of caution – the foods that they have in the traditional buffet format are fantastic. The caveat here has to be not to fill up, because all of the meat skewers that are brought to one’s tables are their own piece of heaven. Whether it be the tabbouleh or couscous salad, the Brazilian cheese bread, or numerous olive dishes, fried bananas, or dried meats (salami and prosciutto), one needs to leave enough space in their stomachs for the main portion of their meal.
The sheer amount of options that are brought to your table by the gauchos (servers) will ensure that one is stuffed full within minutes of signalling your desire for more meat. At the base level, the filet mignon (both alone or wrapped in bacon) is savory, juicy, and seasoned excellently. The choices of meat go beyond simple steak – one can choose one of Texas de Brazil’s legendary chicken sausages to move into the poultry side of things. Other cuts of beef include a flank steak and braised ribs, while pork makes a big appearance in the Brazilian sausage, the parmesan-crusted pork loin, and the pork ribs that come through regularly. Another specialty of Texas de Brazil is their picanha, the sirloin cap (aka rump cover) that perfectly marries together the leanness of steak with a glistening, succulent heaping of fat. When you make your own visit to Texas de Brazil, the alcatra (slow-cooked roast) is a must-have. It goes above and beyond what one can imagine a pot roast can be. The salty, savory, and even sweet elements of the alcatra made us search through the gauchos regularly in the hopes that we could have another piece.
The wine selection that TdB has is great for those fans of the vino, but one needs to check out the bar here. Texas de Brazil’s Caipirinha is a downright dangerous drink. Tasty with a tremendous amount of booze (1.5 ounces of Cachaca and 1 ounce of simple syrup with fresh lime), this drink will bring a smile to your face. The dessert selection is a nice blend of the standard restaurant fare (Key Lime Pie, Pecan Pie, Chocolate Mousse Cake) along with some interesting takes on dishes, including a Brazilian Cheesecake and a Papaya Cream that perfectly married all sides of the meal together.
Texas de Brazil is the perfect dinner for anyone that has gotten good news with their job, a bit of good family news, or for someone that just wants to have an amazing night.
Texas de Brazil (Crocker Park, Westlake, Ohio) / http://www.texasdebrazil.com/ / https://twitter.com/texasdebrazil
