Minas Brazilian Steakhouse — Restaurant in Calgary

We have been frequenting Minas for several years, though it had tapered off recently due to general finances. Last night we had a reservation to celebrate my husband's birthday. We arranged a babysitter for over night so we could enjoy a nice, expensive dinner date without our 5 year old.

We arrived a bit early, maybe 15 minutes. The hostess gave us a choice between two tables and we selected one, sat down, and got situated. We went to the buffet for plates and some sides, then flipped our card to green and started receiving meat from the gauchos.

As we were cutting into our first pieces of meat, the hostess approached our table. It turns out there was a larger party coming in and she didn't realize they needed our table. She asked if it was okay for us to move (we didn't actually have a choice) and then said she would help us move our plates to the new table. She grabbed a tray, took our plates and walked away to the kitchen while telling us we could get new plates. We stood in the middle of the restaurant not knowing which table we were supposed to move to, and wondering why our food was taken away. She returned telling us which table to go to like we should have already known, and then disappeared. The server brought us water and apologized for the hassle, then we got new plates and waited. And waited. And waited. It was a long time before the gauchos came around again, and the items we had on our original plates never actually came around a second time before we left the restaurant. While waiting for meats to come around, our server came to check on us and asked if we wanted something in particular. We said we were waiting for what came, and she then "reminded" us that we can visit the buffet upon noticing our clean plates. We already did the buffet, we were done with the sides and felt she was speaking down to us. I also felt because we were a small table in the corner that we saw less selection than normal because the gauchos ran out of most items before they got to our table, and they didn't then start where they left off to ensure all patrons were seeing the full variety. The server did ask a couple of times if we wanted anything in particular, but we didn't. We wanted to enjoy things as they came.

I've worked in restaurants before, I tried very hard not to let the hostesses error ruin our meal, as did my husband, as we realize it was a bit of a one-off situation, but I didn't feel it was handled appropriately. If we hadn't started our dinner and were asked to move it would have been no problem, but we had started, and she took away food we were literally about to eat when she had us change tables. I'm glad this wasn't our first time visiting, but I'm 99% sure it will have been our last.

Oh, and to add insult to injury, our original table didn't even have a party sat at it until about 5 minutes before the server brought...

I’ll start by saying my wife and I have eaten here many times, even driving from an hour and a half away just to eat here probably 6 times alone, it’s normally that good. Today was another story. Arrived for lunch and everything was going great until our meal was nearing the end and our server decided to completely ignore us. Finished our meal, stacked our plates at the edge of the table for clearing, and began our wait. Ten minutes, then 20 minutes go by without seeing our server. There were only 3 tables in the restaurant including ours and they were also ignored. Had to flag her down and ASK her if we could order dessert. Get our dessert order in. Ordered the maracuja which was amazing as always, and my wife ordered an espresso also. Pity she didn’t get to enjoy her espresso with her dessert as it arrived ten minutes after we were finished the maracuja, dirty dishes still sitting on our table. As she’s finishing her espresso (which was actually a full cup of coffee, not an espresso, but very much enjoyed nonetheless), the only two other tables in the restaurant get their bills and leave. We sit alone in the restaurant waiting ANOTHER ten minutes as our server dished up a nice plate of food for herself(? there wasn’t another soul in there) and chatted with other coworkers while we waited for our bill. I finally got sick of waiting and stood at the hostess station inside the front doors, where after a few minutes another worker just starting his shift was kind enough to ask why we were standing there, and got our bill for us while our server was still at the salad bar dishing up and chatting. I don’t normally write reviews but this was the worst service I’ve ever received in an empty restaurant in my life. Amazing food, but not worth ever going again. For a $112 lunch, I was absolutely astounded. 5 star food, negative star service. Sorry, won’t be back.

Edit: Restaurant manager reached out to apologize and make things right. Changed rating as he clearly takes pride in their customer service, and hopefully will make an effort to make sure this doesn’t happen to...

Minas is a Brazilian Steakhouse that specializes in all you can eat meat. They also serve small individuals portions at the request of the individual. Employees will push around a cart with meat and ask if you would like a cut. This is generally done as an all you can eat method.

The location is quiet convenient. The restaurant is nicely decorated and gives off a fun atmosphere. The parking can be a little difficult. Individuals will most likely have to pay for parking at Eau Claire market. As the restaurant only has a few parking spaces up front.

The food was great. All of the meat was well prepared. The cuts of steak were juicy. The chicken was tender and the pork wasn't dry. A few select cuts of beef were more salty than others. All of the meat can paired with a variety of sauces. Ranging from hot sauces to more savory flavors. Pairing the meat with the sauces is highly recommended.

Paired with the meats are sides. The sides are also unlimited. Sides can range from rice, sashimi, shrimp and much more. Eating the sides will give the taste buds a refresh from eating all the meat. The sides are delicious, be careful not to fill up on them. As it will stop you for eating all the meat.

The service was very fluid and quick. The waitresses were always attentive and quick to help. The waitresses will be the ones to take the orders for the sides. However, depending on where you are seated, the meat can take a long time to get to you. The price is reasonable and expected for a Brazilian Steakhouse. It isn't cheap but not overly expensive. If you do not feel like eating a lot, then you may not get your money's worth.

Overall, Minas Brazilian Steakhouse is a fun and great way to try a variety of meats. The fun and enjoyable atmosphere make this restaurant a light hearted place to enjoy a meal. Definitely give it a try if you are into eating different...