Fazenda Gaúcha Brazilian Steakhouse - DFW — Restaurant in Bedford

I was wary of going here. I had gone to VB Steakhouse and it had all the ambiance of an outback, with both underwhelming food and service for a Brazillian Steakhouse with a $50 charge.

So I went into this visit with modest expectations. And from the pictures I already knew the salad bar wasn't going to be beyond basic. But I thought that for $36.00-- I could deal with a basic salad bar.

What I got? Salad bar and accompaniments yes, it is very basic but considering this place is $14 (at least) cheaper than other Rodizio Style places--- this was okay with me. From the salad bar, I very much enjoyed the giardiniera, the marinaded mushrooms and the chimichurri sauce was the best I have.

Acompaniments: I didn't want the bananas, so I waived them off, the Pão de Queijo were AMAZING-- some of the best I've enjoyed. And the mashed potatoes were very good, but I barely touched them because the Pão de Queijo were so addictive. The cinnamon sugar grilled pineapple was also excellent; the spice and sugar were mild and accented the pineapple instead of overpowering it.

The meats. I've learned through lots of trial and error (I love Brazilian Steakhouses) that I regret losing focus and trying things outside of my favorites. While the flavored meats, chicken and sausage are good, I only have so much capacity and I need to be strategic in my choices. So I stuck with Picanha, Fraldinha, Alcatra, Leg of Lamb and Rib Eye.

All of them were excellent. As good as the best I've had at much more expensive and upscale places. The portions were super generous with the rodizio servers cutting for texas sized portions. I especially enjoyed the Picanha here. It was so incredibly tender and silky. Truly excellent.

Service. If the Salad Bar was 3 stars the service was a 10. I had only to think of something and there was a server was offering to bring it for me. When you think of a small business with sincere and authentic service: this is it. No Outback chain apathy here.

Dessert. I love a good Crème de Papaya. This one was okay but not wonderful. I would have liked more papaya flavor and less vanilla and I think they used a blackcurrent syrup instead Crème de cassis, so I probably won't get that again. Honestly, with the pineapple I didn't need it. I only tried it so I could get the whole experience. That was the only aspect that VB Steakhouse beat this place out. Yes, they had a slightly better salad bar, but only slightly and they charge you $14 for it so... no. It was not a $50 meal salad bar at all.

So this is now my favorite splurge.

Note: I would DEFINITELY make a reservations. The guy behind me was a walk in and the only room they had on a Wednesday night was at the bar. With their amazing service I am sure he had a lovely meal, but making a reservation is definitely...

Took the wife here last night for the first time and it was a decent enough experience but probably wont be going here again. Why? well a big part of going to Brazilian Steakhouse or any restaurant is atmosphere and service which is where this place is lacking the most.

So pricing wise this is about on par with the other Brazilian steakhouse's I've been to but this location is probably the worst in compression when it comes to food and atmosphere. Location is small with limited parking and while the building is fine the surrounding area isn't great. The first issue we encountered was parking as its a very small lot and some people had to park in the dirt. No biggie but because the location is small when were told we needed a reservation but could get on a waitlist which we did and got sat about 20 minutes later. The next issue was AC. Obviously we have had a extremely hot summer and with all the bodies in the small space it was a bit warm inside not unbearable but noticeable.

The Food. Well I guess what I will say is at other Brazilian steakhouse I struggle to recall not liking anything. Last night I seem to not like every other offering as some were tough, overcooked or over seasoned. In particular garlic steak, Parmesan crusted pork maybe, sausage and flank steak I didn't care for at all. Lamb, Prime Rib, bacon wrapped steak and Cajon steak were very good but I tended to have to request a step down from what I normally ordered preparation wise. Also BBQ sauce has no place in a Brazilian steakhouse which there was ribs smothered in cheap sauce which wasn't great. The salad bar was good but a bit limited from what I'm use to seeing as well. The sides were room temperature as well.

So let me say this at the risk of sounding a bit racist, this is a Brazilian steakhouse run by Mexicans which shows up in flavors and service. Most of the people bringing the meat around seem to speak broken English and at times struggle to articulate what they were serving. Some just didn't know the cut at all so they made up something. The service also felt a bit more sloppy as a few dropped meat on the floor when offering. It just all and all didn't have that fancy feel that I'm accustom to from Brazilian Steakhouses. If you've never been to a Brazilian Steakhouses you'd love this place but go to Villas Brazil, Texas de Brazil or others you will see that this one ranks close...

I don't know where to start, so many good things about this place come to mind. The decor, the chairs fit for a Viking king, or the succulent slices of meat being carved onto your plate. I have been here a handful of times, mostly dining in and a few times for take-out during lockdown to satisfy my addiction. The salad bar is from the heavens, and my biggest regret when ordering to-go. Last time I dined in they had lobster bisque (delicious) and another soup also on the buffet.

It's in an odd location and do not let that fool you, a tasty treat awaits. I prefer this place 10 to 1 over anyone in the area when I want mouthwatering picanha. I love everything they serve but it's the picanha and cajun picanha that keep me coming back. The service is friendly but never hovering. It's quiet and intimate without being stuffy. Just hungry? Birthday party or anniversary dinner you cannot go wrong here.

Update: 10/31/2022 I went back last week had, without a doubt, the best meal of my life. We had reservations for 5:30 on a Saturday, the place was packed by 6. Everything was great as usual, the picanha was rich and tender, but tonight, I saw new things! Pork ribs, prime rib and pineapple. The ribs were delicious. Juicy and succulent, almost melted on my tounge. The prime rib was absolutely perfect, served in nice big thick cuts, no holding back. The server cut me two rather large pieces and the first one was so-so, a bit overdone. I'm guessing that's why I got the 2nd piece; homie's looking out for me. But let me get to that pineapple. It was grilled to just the perfect amount of char and served warm. It was the missing piece to a plate full of greens and meat. Also new to me was the bar, my last trip it was still BYOB. I had a Woodford Old Fashioned and it was properly smooth, not to sweet and good to the last drop. Finished the night with an expresso and a food coma.

It's not important to all, but this place is little, and they don't put you shoulder to shoulder. This was the first time I've seen it packed out and we still had our own space without intrusion of chattering from nearby tables. If you are able to check this place out, I highly...