Reno Gazette Journal Story by Jonathan Wright
The new all-you-can-eat Churrasco Brazilian Steakhouse occupies a South Virginia Street space that has housed restaurants since the 1980s, including Adele’s at the Plaza, Amendment 21 and Creazian.
Written by: Jonathan L. Wright is the food and drink editor of RGJ Media, part of the USA Today Network.
(Photos:Sofia Rey/Provided to RGJ Media)
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At last!
That’s what the owners of Churrasco Brazilian Steakhouse must be thinking as the restaurant finally opens today, Feb. 19, on South Virginia Street.
That’s what Reno restaurant enthusiasts must be thinking, too, afer driving past images of the glistening skewered mets in the front window for almost a year.
Owner Diego Zaroski began lease negotiations in October 2018 for the South Virginia space that has housed restaurants for more than 30 years, most recently Creazian, which closed in May 2018.
A lease was signed in March, 2019 (and the food shots went up). Construction on the Churrasco Steakhouse began in August, 2019 – and was subsequently delayed by things like uneven floors, complex rewiring and DIY surprises like extension cords in walls and ceilings, Zaroski said.
“There where a lot of moments of frustration where you want to trhow everything up in the air and run,” he said, “but we’re here. We’re proud to represent Brazilian cuisine and culture here in Reno.”
Cream Paneling, padded banquettes, chandeliers
Folks who remember the recent red ceilings and black walls of Creazian- or the mahogany paneling that endured for decades before that, through several incarnations – will find that Churrasco has seen the light.
Walls are clad in cream paneling with crown moldings, except for thee burnt orange glow of thee bar, now smaller and off to one side. The dining room is set with chairs and padded banquettes in pale mocha. Chandeliers gleam abundantly.
Photo: The new all-you-can-eat Churrasco Brazilian Steakhouse replaces its dark predecessor with cream paneling and crown moldings, light mocha padded banquettes, and a bar accomplished in burnt orange. (Photo: Sofia Rey/Provided to RGJ Media)
The private dining room has been eliminated to increase seating (about 140 in all). The elevated section at the rear of the dining room remains. A glass-walled wine case now partitions the entryway from the bar area.
AYCE beef, pork, lamb and chicken
Churrasco Brazilian Steakhouse, as previously reported, is all-you-can-eat. Besides AYCE, the restaurant plays into another Reno tradition: carnivorousness.
Diners begin at what Zaroski called the “Fresh Market Table” set with about 50 hot and cold items, including condiments, pickled dishes, salads, jasmine rice, potatoes, risotto, pastas, salmon and feijoada, the black bean, pork and beef stew that is a Brazilian national dish and imported cheeses.
The Churrasco, the main event at the restaurant, refers broadly to meats grilled in various ways across Latin America. In Brazil, especially Southern Brazil, meats are cooked on the large skewers that are rotated over open flames.
Churrasco Brazilian Steakhouse offers chicken breast and thighs; lamb chops and let; pork ribs, tenderloin and Brazilian pork sausage; and several cuts of beef. These beef cuts include picanha, a fatty cut from the upper round of the cow that’s popular in Brazil and sometimes called sirloin cap in the United States.
At table, servers slice the meats as requested from 3 ½-foot skewers that issue from a grill Zaroski installed that holds 90 skewers over a charcoal fire.
“It really brings that smoke flavor to the steak,” he said.
All-you-can-enjoy is $58.00 (15 AYCE cuts of meat & buffet)
Reno Brazilian back in the day
Zaroski hails from Southern Brazil. After emigrating to the U.S. in 2002, he worked as a bartender and server in Brazilian steakhouses in the New York City area. Later, he worked at or owned Brazilian steakhouses in Chicago and the Seattle area.
Zaroski said he and his business partner decided to debut Churrasco in the Biggest Little City because, “there was no Brazilian steakhouse, and we already have a huge following of people whose only option was to drive all the way to Sacramento for Brazilian cuisine.”
That probably wasn’t the case more than 16 years ago when Braza Grill, also a Brazilian barbecue spot, opened in late 2003 on South Virginia Street where Black Bear Diner is now. Braza Grill lasted a little more than a year.
More recently, Brazil Gourmet Market opened in late 2017 on Hillcrest Drive, just south of West Plumb Lane. The market sold Brazilian goods and served Brazilian dishes like coxinha (chicken Croquettes) and feijoada. The market, too, is now closed.
The time has come for a Brazilian grill
Churrasco Brazilian Steakhouse has had at least 10 predecessors on South Virginia Street.
In the 1980’s, there was Board of Trade, which was followed (for a good number of years) by Adele’s at the Plaza (from the same family that owned the old Adele’s in Carson City).
In the early 2000s after Adele’s saw the Chophouse, which spun off Tommy’s Chophouse, which became Blue Trout (owned by the storied Reno restaurateur Jacques Nolle).
Blue Trout begat Spencer’s (for a nanosecond) which begat Amendment 21, which betat Scampi (another blink and you missed it).
And Scampi gave rise to the Bridge, which turned into Creazian, which was replaced by Churrasco Brazilian Steakhouse.
With Reno’s flourishing restaurant culture, Zaroski said he thought that the time for a Brazilian steakhouse had come at last.
Churrasco is open for dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Lunch runs from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. There is free parking with validation, and reduced pricing for children.
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Private or Group Parties:
To book the Brasilia private dining room for a function of 20-36, or restaurant parties of 20 or more or a full restaurant buy-out please contact Churrasco Brazilian Steakhouse at Churrascobr.com to contact our party coordinator. You may also call the restaurant during business hours and ask for Edson. Thank you.
