Gaucho Brazilian Grille — Restaurant in Blacksburg

Wow, wow, wow!!!!! Heavenly.

Even though I love trying many different styles of food, I am pretty particular about what is good and what is not. This place was PHENOMENAL!

Background: I came here with my wife for a romantic Friday dinner date. We had a reservation which was wise to do because the place was packed. Our reservation was honored and we were directly escorted to our table.

First of all, the atmosphere was lovely. Very cute with its cabin-y vibe, plants and wall art. Suitable for couples, families and friends gatherings.

Secondly, the staff were super friendly and eager to serve. We literally had no moment when we needed anything and it wasn’t attended to at once. For a split second we were starting to wonder where the bathrooms were and one of the servers noticed our focused faces as he was passing by. He stopped, asked how he could help and answered us with a smile on his face. They were that good. We also got to chat with the owners at the end of our visit -who were cooking and operating the restaurant the whole time- and they are lovely people.

Thirdly and most importantly, the food was exceptionally good. We ordered the Tapas Tour appetizer, tour for 2 with ribeye steak main dish and a bottle of the house’s red Cabernet Sauvignon wine. I cannot express enough how good everything was. The appetizer was just the right balance of size, good flavors and texture to get you wanting more food. And boooy you want to get hungry for that main course. This was easily, again easily, the best set of steaks I have ever had. Ever. The sirloin and ribeye were cooked EXACTLY to the requested doneness, juicy as could be and full of that grill-smoked flavor with the right amount of salt and pepper. The chicken thighs were so tender and full of that smoky flavored goodness. The pork chop -which is usually very dry- was equally as excellent. Additionally, the sides, which are not usually given much attention at restaurants, were excellent. The rice was so good it could be eaten on its own, the beans were delicious and the house salad was the perfect freshness needed to complete the dish, with a great house-made vinaigrette. The portions were generous and enough for two hungry people. We were stuffed by the end of it all.

Minor consideration: we had to wait a little while until the main dish was ready, which is very reasonable due to how busy they were and the amount of food we...

Had a reservation Saturday night. Seated us right outside the kitchen door so it flopped toward the table when any staff came out. Ordered the Gaucho's Feast. I was highly disappointed, and do not plan to return.

The good: The dipping sauces were very tasty, especially the Cauliflower Gorgonzola sauce. The Brazilian Picanha Estrogonofe, was delicious, extremely meaty, excellent! The chicken Hearts were perfection. these three things stopped me from sending back the whole entree.

The bad: The Sirloin Picanha (Medium) was so tough that my girlfriend could barely cut it, The waiter actually stopped and said "That's not right" I agreed and she, trying to be polite, said that it was OK. I actually took the plate and cut the meat for her so I could see exactly how tough it was. At that point, I wanted to send it back. I use chisels on a regular basis and I have an easier time pushing a chisel through wood. I would have sent it back, but she didn't want to seem rude. The Chuleta (Rare) was cooked over a low heat and not seared in the least, was barely seasoned and was full of connective tissue that did not break down because the cooking temp was not high enough. The Bisteca was overcooked, tough, barely seasoned, and dry. Sobrecoxa was palletable, but bland. The potato salad was refreshing and light-ish but under-seasoned and bland, like most of the other things.

If you think I was overly critical, this meal was $95 for an entree. If I pay $95 for 3 sausages, a piece of chicken, a pork chop, two medium sized steaks, and chicken hearts, with a soup and salad I expect it to be cooked properly or at least be made with passable cuts of meat. This was some of the poorest cooking and seasoning that I have had. Those mistakes cannot be paired with extremely poor...

Definitely a higher tier of restaurant in Blacksburg (finally). Que suerte que tenemos comida Sudamericana en Blacksburg! This restaurant goes above and beyond in most every way. The inside is beautiful, well lit, and has a romantic, suave atmosphere. The wait staff is fast, efficient, attentive, and highly professional. The menu features Brazilian classics at a reasonable cost. Expect to spend $15-30 per entree, depending on how much food you can pack away. The average price is closer to $20/entree unless you feel like eating a 3/4 of a pound of steak. The menu is awesome. You'll find Brazilian classics like picanha, German sausage, roast chicken, chicken hearts, black bean stew, and more. This is a meat heavy menu, as it should be for this cuisine. There are vegetarian options but you should be coming here for meats. You'll also find classics like fried yucca and fried plantains for appetizers. All of the meats we tried were perfectly cooked and seasoned. The quality of the meat and the skills of the parrilla-master are apparent at first bite. The black bean stew and rice was also perfectly cooked and seasoned. The portion size is generous without being overly so. It's hard to overstate how good the food is here!

The beer selection is small but good, and includes a couple of custom beers (including one containing another South American classic-yerba mate). Desserts are a potential weak spot here. The passion fruit mouse was a complete success. The flan was less inspired. The flight of dulce de leche, chocolate, and coconut creams was overly rich. This is just a minor quibble since the entrees are just so good. This is the best restaurant in Blacksburg, in my opinion. Great for a special date or anytime you need to impress. And really great if you want a...