Rios Brazilian Steakhouse — Restaurant in Nazareth

I have been to very many Brazilian Steak Houses. And they are usually very pricey but worth the money. So when my brother was graduating Msc from Lehigh, we thought it'd be a good place to celebrate his achievement. We were about 15 and my sister made sure to reserve the place ahead of time and make it clear that it was spacious enough for all of us.

We went in and the server came to us. My nephew asked the seater politely if it could be possible to combine the tables. She declined and asked to inquire with the owner. The owner came back and made adjustments for us. We got the table extended so all of us could sit together. Some of us had kids so it was hard to split the tables. It was also not a good idea to have a family getting together to be split up. My sister did inquire when she made the reservation if would be possible to sit up together they said it was OK. We were grateful for the owner and we sat together and made orders.

The lady who served us took our orders. I ordered water for drinking and chocolate for my kids (I never got the water). My brother's GF, a (medical student), I have to indicate this because is important for the reviewer to understand our context, ordered a vegetarian meal and some fries. The fries never came. Time went by, probably 20mins, she asked again, but no order came. Ten again minutes passed, and she asked again, but the fries didn't come.

The owner of the restaurant then walked to our table. He disparagingly yelled at us at the top of his voice. Everybody in the restaurant looked at us; it was full at dinner time. He said, "You come in here and break all the rules, and we treat you nice, but you are rude, and if you don't like it, you should leave!" His face was full of anger and his tone was disrespectful. As far as I could tell, we were the only Black people in the whole place. And being yelled at like that in a restaurant in a town of less than 2% hit home. The 15 of us had 3 PhDs, 2 Nurses, a medical student, one successful business owner, 4 babies under six, and two college students, and it was clear it was a power trip. The lady who served us had complained that we made her life hard. But it seemed to me she had gaslighted the owner, and he came back to straighten us out.

It seemed as if we were out of place, and needed to be put in line. The whole incident felt like we were back in the Jim Crow 1950s. It was that bad. One of his employees secretly recorded it. We saw it being recorded, so it might pop somewhere.

We did not create a scene and happily ate our food served by well-meaning and very responsive workers who seemed unappreciated by their boss. But the lady who seated us made the issue blow up. She did not take accountability. On the way out, buttering us for the tips blamed it all on her boss! But as we reflected on the ride home, it was clear she stirred up stuff.

I do not appreciate people mistreating their customers or employees, but (the) employee on this occasion, ruined our experience, and potentially our recommendations. Avoid the place at all costs. The boss is a jerk. I did not...

I rarely write reviews but this experience was just so awful. There literally wasn’t one redeeming aspect of our evening. Four of us went here for my birthday dinner on Saturday night. We had all heard good things about Rios and were excited to try it out. Our friends got there 10 min before us and were seated. When we got there, they had drinks already so we planned to order drinks as well. Before we even got a chance to take our coats off, one of the kids who comes around with meat brought chicken to our table and just dropped some on each of our plates without asking if we wanted anyway or were ready for it. The waiter came by 5 min later for our drink orders and to tell us about the sides, as well as to ask how we would like our meat cooked. The other 3 in my party told him medium rare while I asked for medium. The list of wines on the menu just had a few types of wines listed with no brands or prices but it also said to ask for a wine list so I did. The waiter returned to tell me they had no wine list but he also couldn’t tell me the brands of the wines they did have. We ordered a cab, a Pinot Grigio, a Malbec, and a merlot, all of which were terrible and ended up costing $11 a glass. One would think that a place that serves so much meat would have decent wine (or if not, then they should be BYOB). I wouldn’t be surprised if those terrible wines cost $11 for the whole bottle. The waiter brought us sides which consisted of a tiny salad barely enough for one person, white rice that had no flavor or seasoning (like really cheap minute rice), horribly dry mashed potatoes without flavor, and black beans. They continuously brought meats whether we had our sign on green or red. I would say there were maybe 10 meat options. None of them were seasoned at all. All of them were either mostly rare or well done, even though they kept telling us everything was medium rare. We basically just stopped eating any of the meat, paid, and left. Even our waiter was confused as to why we were leaving so quick. We paid $43 per person for the meats and another $11 for each glass of wine and no one was full or satisfied. It was one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had in a restaurant, especially a Brazilian steakhouse. It just felt like they were rushing to cook the meats and get them on peoples plates regardless of how they tasted or what people wanted. Maybe they would be better during a less busy time but one would think they would know how to handle that by now since they’ve been around for a while. We will not...

I recently had the pleasure of experiencing Rios, a humble yet lively family-owned Brazilian steakhouse in Nazareth, PA. In the heart of the Lehigh Valley, where the cuisine can sometimes feel mundane, Rios emerges as a breath of fresh air—an authentic, delicious, and unexpected culinary treasure.

The standout feature of Rios has to be its rodizio style service, which allows you to sample an array of appetizers, and then savors the parade of succulent meats brought straight to your table. The standout dishes for me were the skirt steak, filet mignon, and picanha, each cooked to perfection and oozing with flavor.

Adding to the delight was a newly discovered cocktail, the Caipirinha. Refreshing and spirit-forward, it immediately took the top spot on my list of favorite cocktails.

What impressed me just as much as the food was the staff—passionate, genuine, and always eager to serve. The proud owner frequently checked in on us, his pride in what he had built was palpable. This is more than just a restaurant, it's a cultural experience, a celebration of Brazilian cuisine and hospitality that goes beyond just the food.

In comparison with upscale steakhouses I've been to in places like New York and Chicago, Rios holds its own. For just $60, you get an all-you-can-eat feast that is truly unmatched in terms of quality and variety—a testament to the incredible value Rios offers.

My plan is to return, perhaps 3 to 4 times a year, each time with a group to enjoy the intimate yet lively atmosphere. While it's a substantial amount of food, it's also an experience not to be missed.

For those looking to visit, come hungry and ready to immerse yourself in authentic Brazilian cuisine. Oh, and don't forget to try the Caipirinha—you won't be disappointed.

In a few words, Rios is authentic, delicious, and a hidden gem. If you find yourself in the Lehigh Valley, don't miss the opportunity to experience it...