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8/19/02 - The Daily News yesterday had a review of such a restaurant in Brazil. See u.dailynews.com/TRAVEL/articles/0802/11/brazil.asp. Note their description: "The juice filled my plate." My description could read, "The 'sawdust' from the dried-out and overcooked meats filled my plate."

Brazilian - San Fernando Valley Restaurants

  • 7/7/02 (updated 8/19/02) - Taste-bud caution - Espeto's do Brazil Restaurant - "Brazilian Churrascaria Barbeque." If you like meat, avoid this place. It's over-cooked, over-salted meats, a bland salad bar, a hot Mexican item, and maybe a minor dessert (I forgot). It's at 8751 Van Nuys Bl., Panorama City, CA 91402, phone 818-892-5988. Lunch is about $10, dinner is $16 with a few more probably overcooked items. Their site lists "HAPPY HOUR - Monday thru Thursday from 3 pm to 5 pm - 2 for 1 special." I only tried lunch, with a coupon from a newspaper. Check their site at www.espetosdobrazil.com/. Only 'By Brazil' in Torrance was a larger waste of their food and my money.

    7/10/02 update. The meats - They start by serving the cheap chicken and sausage to fill you up. As is my 'buffet style', I asked for just a taste, explaining I didn't want to fill up or waste it. The waiter wouldn't do it. I almost left but went to get the manager who did give me just a taste of everything. Strange - I later found a sign on the table that states you'll be charged extra for wasting food - actually a good idea. I tasted my way through these lunch items; all items were cooked very welldone so I won't even comment on that: tri tip - ok, sirloin - don't remember/dinner only?, skirt steak - poor/tasted like liver, turkey wrapped in bacon - salty/bacon uncooked, chicken thigh - ordinary, pork loin - salty/almost ok, sausage - salty, lamb - fair, shish-ka-bob - bland beef. Not on their 'menu' was garlic beef which was fair (this could have been the sirloin, above). Some 'menu' items are for dinner only such as beef ribs, tender loin, pork spare ribs, and chicken hearts. So, after I tasted all the lunch items, I asked if I could get the 'better' items cooked rare or medium rare. They 'tried' and they warned me it might be undercooked, but the best they could do was about medium well.

    The buffet is just several ordinary salads, whatever, and an ordinary hot item or two which looked Mexican. And, they automatically add a 15% tip to your bill.
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