Taurinus Brazilian Steakhouse — Restaurant in San Jose

This was my first excursion to Brazilian BBQ after hearing about it for years, and I must say, it was absolutely incredible. We had made a reservation (which I recommend) and so we were seated immediately and greeted by our waiter. He graciously explained how rodizio works and we immediately went to the salad bar to get some side dishes. They had a really nice spread of cold sides such as a charcuterie platter (cured meats + cheese) as well as various salads (potato, pasta, green, etc). They also had hot sides such as paella, tilapia in coconut curry, and some sort of South American chicken potpie type dish. I tasted the tilapia and the potpie, and while I enjoyed them, I knew I had to save room for the meats.

After going back to our table, our waiter brought out the bread dish which had a traditional Brazilian cheese bread, which I've never had anything like before. When it was hot, it tasted exactly like a soft cheese inside a thin layer of bread, but when it cooled off, it had transformed into regular bread all the way through. I definitely recommend you eat this while it's hot. Along with the bread, there were also fried plantains and fried yuca, both of which I really like. One of my friends mentioned that the yuca tasted similar to Fritos (it had a flavor and texture reminiscent of cornmeal).

As we were trying all the various side dishes, the meat service began. Our first sample was parmesan covered pork. I enjoyed the flavor of the cheese going with the pork, but the meat itself was slightly dry for me. Next was bacon wrapped filet mignon, which was my favorite meat of the night. Through the meal, we also got flank steak, top round sirloin, regular filet mignon, lamb, bacon wrapped chicken, chicken wings, pork ribs, beef ribs, and grilled pineapple. Every piece of meat was cooked to perfection, and they all had an excellent smoky flavor from their grill. They were all nicely seasoned (with the leg of lamb having my favorite seasoning rub). Chicken hearts were also brought around, but I didn't partake as I had already tried chicken hearts in Tokyo and didn't particularly care for them. I particularly enjoyed that the servers gave smaller portions of meat so you could try more different types.

After eating a tremendous amount of decadent meats, we decided to opt for a "lighter" makeshift dessert of more fried plantains (from the bread dish) and additional grilled pineapple.

We were sitting in the corner surrounded by large parties, so it sometimes felt like the meat servers were skipping us (as we'd see them serve the other tables and then walk away). However, we had food on our plates most of the time and definitely all left feeling extremely full and satisfied. No complaints about the service.

Price was also reasonable as we didn't get any wines or desserts. I can see the bill skyrocketing with that, but I really don't think they're an...

TL;DR Great place, kind of pricy

The first thing worth noting about this place is how wonderful it smells. The wafting odor of fresh flame-broiled meats permeate the place and the area outside.

The decor is tasteful and gives the impression that this restaurant clearly caters to mature clientele. Freshly pressed white table cloths and waiters in button-ups and ties stand prepared to make a good impression; a restaurant where adults can enjoy a quiet, well prepared, meal.

The menu seems to be a simple matter of ordering "lunch" or "dinner". You're then given a plate and you have free-reign over a fresh salad bar that contains the usual salad accompaniments as well as a selection of entrees.

The meats are brought around by the waiters throughout the meal. There is a good variety of meat here and on my last visit I was offered: Top sirloin, bacon wrapped chicken, pork sausage, lamb, and wine soaked steak. It's all you can eat, so don't be shy!

Each table has a small plastic disc that you can use to indicate to the wait staff that you'd like more meat, which you can spin to red as a sign that they should stop brining food. This system works well, but fair warning, sometimes you can feel a little bombarded by waiters and meats, and it will prove disruptive to dinner conversation. So you have to become a little strategic about it. Indicate to the staff you want more meat, then collect your fill, indicate you want them to stop, then continue with your dinner conversation. You really do need to do it one thing at a time.

The service and food are great, but be prepared to pay for it. My recent trip involved 2 meals and 1 glass of wine. After tax and tip it came to around $120 dollars. I don't begrudge them this price. The food and service were top notch (with the exception of being interrupted with meats - a system I did eventually figure out), but it is something to be aware of before sitting down. I'm not sure what your budget looks like, but this place is one of those "special occasion"...

The boyfriend and I were celebrating my birthday as well as our first anniversary together ^_^ Cons first: the only thing stopping me from giving this restaurant 5 stars is that, due to their outdoor seating, they keep the front door open. I assume it's so the gentlemen carrying the gauchos with meat selections can make it in and out comfortably but it makes the indoor dining cold and difficult to enjoy. I can understand the need for the door to remain open for service purposes but that would mean that indoor heaters would be required just as much as the outdoor heaters so everyone is comfortable. I made sure it wasn't just me by looking around the dining room. I found only 1 couple in view that did not have their coats on, everyone else still had theirs on. I made due by ordering a decaf coffee to drink so that I could try to warm myself up. Also, the cold buffet could use better lighting to see whats being served clearly.

PROS!!: Loved the romantic atmosphere, the food and the service was phenomenal! Everyone that worked there had a mask on. There was hand sanitizer at the entrance as well as by the buffet area to maintain a clean and enjoyable environment. We had the white rice, black beans, some paella valenciana for our sides from the hot buffet. Due to the constant flow of cold air from the outside, the top layer of food on the hot buffet items were cold but you can make due by digging a little towards the food nearest to where the food warmers are located on the tray.. The meat selections were excellently seasoned and full of flavor. We had the ribeye, sirloin, skirt steak, bacon wrapped chicken and beef, filet mignon, and grilled pineapple. We also enjoyed the cheese bread bites, yucca frita fries, and fried banana sampler that they put on the table as soon as you sit down. The sangria and coffee we had were awesome too. We will definitely be returning for more! Hopefully they've figured out indoor heating by that time. If not we'll wait for the summer...