Brazil Terra Grill Steakhouse — Restaurant in West Des Moines

The older I get, the broader my culinary tastes have gotten and the greater appreciation I have for non-chain restaurants, as well as enjoying the authentic food/beverages & histories of different countries and cultures.

I checked out Brazil Terra Grill on Wednesday night and I was not disappointed with the experience. This was my first Brazilian restaurant and I came prepared! For the past few years, I've been hearing from friends who were either driving hours to go to Brazilian restaurants or who lived in bigger cities and had the ability/opportunity to go to Brazilian restaurants frequently.

As a guy who enjoys meat, trying new foods, and value, I had to check this new restaurant out! $38.99 might seem like a lot for dinner, but when you look at the wide variety of meats available to try--unlimited, in addition to the salad bar selection, and tableside meat service, the value becomes apparent. This isn't a Brazilian equivalent to Old Country Buffet. The meat here tender and high quality.

From what I read up on prior to eating at Brazil Terra, I learned that Brazilian Barbeque Steakhouses are called Churrascaria. Cowboys in Brazil are called gaúchos. Check out their uniforms, even their shoes!

Once you have been seated, you will see a small plate, tongs, and fork/knife/napkin. A waitress greets you, takes your drink orders, and explains how things work. The entire concept is unique and unlike anything I had seen before. Every table has a wooden contraption that has 1 red cube and 1 green cube, it functions like a stop light.

The entire time you are seated, the gaúchos roam from table to table with skewers of meat you can try. IF you have the green side of your cube contraption up, they stop at your table. Sometimes you have to flip to red, so you can get caught up trying the different meats, as well as salad bar and other foods

Depending on the meat, the gaúchos will either remove a piece from their skewer or cut you a piece from the larger cut of meat table-side. When cutting the meat, you use your tongs to grab hold and take the meat to your plate.

As far as critique...1) I had no idea until after I was done eating that DESSERT was an option. Typically I stay away from desserts at restaurants, but I will splurge occasionally. Let's be honest though, I still probably wouldn't have had room for dessert...since I gorged on beef, chicken, pork, lamb, pineapple, in addition to cheese bread, and a multitude of foods from the salad bar. 2) The gaúchos were very friendly and knowledgeable, but I would've appreciated a MENU with descriptions of the meats, and sides (maybe with photos of each item). It would make it easier to keep track of what you'd eaten and allow for some extra learning, which I'm always into doing, especially when it relates to different geographies. 3) More details on the website regarding the Brazilian dishes on the salad bar.

I really enjoyed the cheese steak, top sirloin, rib-eye, mango fish, grilled pineapple, Brazilian cheese bread, and the Brazilian lemonade. I wasn't as into the Brazilian sausage or the spicy pork. I had the opportunity to try lamb for the first time, which was cool (I probably wouldn't have seeked it out at a restaurant if I had to order it à la carte. Lastly, if it hadn't been a work night, I would've checked out the drink menu.

Next time I go, I will likely eat in the bar. I really liked the look of that area and there are TV's if you like watching sports. I'm usually a huge food photographer, but I didn't get many photos since I was so absorbed in the experience. I'll have to get more...

I recently visited Brazil Terra Grill Steakhouse in Des Moines with high hopes, but unfortunately, my expectations were not met. While the restaurant's cleanliness and initial greeting were decent, my overall experience fell short in several aspects.

Opting for the salad bar, as I wasn't particularly hungry, I expected a satisfying range of options. However, the salad bar at Brazil Terra Grill Steakhouse proved to be quite average. Although the presentation was neat and the vessels well-arranged, the limited variety and underwhelming quality of certain items, like the tough cheese and dry bread, did not leave a favorable impression.

What truly tarnished my experience, though, was the waiter's behavior. As I was enjoying my time at the salad bar, the waiter made unnecessary remarks about my appetite. From commenting on whether I was full or questioning my preference for a clean plate, their intrusive and derogatory comments were completely unwarranted. These interactions left me feeling uncomfortable and frustrated, dampening my enjoyment of the meal.

Throughout my meal, the waiter's constant interruptions only heightened my dissatisfaction. Regularly asking if I was done or taking a break, their impatience became increasingly apparent. Even though the restaurant was only around 10% full and I was eating at a leisurely pace, I felt rushed and pressured to finish my meal sooner than I had anticipated.

Having frequented other well-regarded Brazilian steakhouse establishments such as Favela, M-Grill, Chama Gaúcha Brazilian, and multiple branches of Fogo de Chão, the disparity between their exceptional salad bar offerings and the lackluster experience at Brazil Terra Grill Steakhouse was evident. While I understand that the salad bar option at Brazil Terra Grill was priced lower, I still expected more in terms of variety and quality.

In conclusion, Brazil Terra Grill Steakhouse failed to meet my expectations. Despite the restaurant's cleanliness and the pleasant initial greeting, the mediocre salad bar options and the waiter's intrusive comments and behavior left me feeling unsatisfied. If you're seeking a Brazilian steakhouse experience with exceptional salad bar offerings and professional service, I would advise considering other establishments...

The service is absolutely amazing. Jefferson is extremely friendly and is constantly watching the tables to make sure everyone has what they need. We really, really enjoyed our conversation with Jefferson.

The price is good for what you get. I have been to four other Brazilian steakhouses in the US (all of them are nationwide chain restaurants), and I have been to three of them in Brasil (Fortaleza, Juazeiro de Norte, and Rio de Janeiro). The prices are fantastic here at Brazil Terra when you compare it to other places in the US.

The food selection was good, but it doesn't compare to those at the more expensive places. The pão de queijo is amazing, but I basically didn't eat anything else from the salad bar. It all looked good, but if you pay twice as much to go to a high-end churrascaria, you'll get a much better selection from that salad bar. This one is okay, so I just stick to the meat.

The meat is hit or miss. At other steakhouses, they will ask you how done you want your meat to be, and then they will slice off what you want (medium rare, medium, etc.). Here they just slice it off for you without asking, and the meat was often medium or medium well. I like mine medium rare, and I did get a few slices of medium rare picanha that were AMAZING. But I have high standards, so I didn't enjoy the rest of the meat as much. I think that if they can do a better job of serving the meat when it is rare or medium rare, I would enjoy it a lot more.

One area that they consistently do great is their grilled pineapple. That stuff is like candy, and I could keep eating it as long as they bring it out. Absolutely love it.

Overall, not incredible, but it's still good, and I would recommend that anyone go here any day as opposed to an American steakhouse like Outback, Texas Roadhouse, Longhorn, etc. This is way better, and why would you pay the same amount to go to those places when you can come here and eat as much steak as you want (not to mention the pineapple).

If you want a good steak experience, save your money and come here. If you have been to churrascarias almost 20 times like I have been, this may or may not meet your lofty...