Summer is here, and barbecue is very much on the menu, but that doesn’t make it any easier to wrangle your energetic and excited children, especially if you’re trying something new and entertaining like Brazilian churrasco.
What can you do to make sure they – and you – have the best time possible when you’re enjoying an evening of Brazilian BBQ? Here are our tips to make your night go more smoothly. Kids are always welcome at Texas de Brazil, and we’d love to have you.
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Come to the Professionals at Texas de Brazil
While you can always throw a backyard barbecue party and make your own churrasco at home, we always recommend visiting the professionals whenever possible. A lot goes into making Brazilian BBQ, and it’s not really the kind of “put it on the grill and let it go” slow-cooking a lot of American barbecue involves. There’s more active control and care put into cooking the meats.
It’s also possibly more dangerous to do at home, though the scale might not be relevant. Traditional at-home grilling is on a very hot grill, but churrasco requires an even hotter flame, which is part of why using an open flame in a fire pit works the best. If your kids are raucous and prone to knocking things over as they play in the yard, injuries can happen. Of course, getting a burn from a 400-degree grill and a 600-degree grill is going to have the same end result, so don’t let that dissuade you from giving it a try.
When you visit a Texas de Brazil location, you get to avoid the work and the potential danger from the flame because our trained gauchos do it for you. Our grill is kept out of the way, so it’s safe for our patrons.
This way, you can also be assured that your churrasco is cooked to perfection, the Brazilian way. You don’t have to worry about wrangling kids while you make an order since all of the options come out to you! So sit back, enjoy, and let us show you how it’s done in Brazil.
Learn a Bit of History and Explain the Show
The dining experience at Texas de Brazil is unlike any other you can find in the United States because it comes from Brazil directly. In fact, while it’s the job of the gauchos simply to serve you, there’s a little bit of a show aspect to it as well.
One way you can keep your kids engaged is to make it a bit of a learning experience in a fun way. As your dining experience progresses, you can teach them a few things about Brazil, about our food culture, and about the experience itself. Of course, that means you have to learn it as well!
Here are a few aspects to know to get you started:
- Our servers are called gauchos, where gaucho is a Portuguese word for “vagabond.” They have their roots in something a little more familiar, though: cowboys! Since churrasco was developed as a way to cook meat on the open plains of some areas of Brazil, it’s “cowboy food” in a very real way.
- The method of serving, where our gauchos bring out a variety of meats for you to sample in an all-you-can-eat continuous dining experience, is called rodizio. The word rodizio simply means “rotation” and refers to the various skewers of meat rotating through the dining room so patrons can sample anything on the menu.
- This history of rodizio is actually a little newer and more fascinating than you might expect, so read up on it so you can teach your kids how mistakes can become happy accidents and influence an entire culture!
Of course, sometimes your kids won’t be all that attentive to the learning aspects of a visit and just want to do their own thing with a coloring book, the latest app on their devices, or some toys you bring. As long as they’re respectful of other diners, we don’t mind. You’ll still have a fun dining experience either way.
Make Sure to Find Something They’ll Like
Just about every kid goes through a phase where they seem like they just don’t want to eat anything at all. Some are picky all their lives, while others eventually open up. One of the brilliant things about a churrascaria like Texas de Brazil is that you can try a little of anything!
For the meats – the main course – our gauchos bring out everything we have on offer for the day in rotation. So, whether it’s chicken drumettes, a bit of barbecued pork ribs, some lamb, or the ever-classic steak, there’s a meat for everyone on the menu.
One downside, though, is that since the meats are cooked according to Brazilian tradition and served by cutting slices from them, it means you don’t really get them made to order. If you have kids who only like well-done steak, they might be disappointed with the options available to them. That’s fine, though; the meat is just the start of the menu!
The salad area is where things really shine for many children. Whether it’s a build-it-yourself salad with assorted greens, tomatoes, olives, and a dressing of your choice or just a plate full of charcuterie meats and cheeses, there are plenty of options. You’ll likely want to steer your kids clear of some options, like the roasted jalapenos or other spicier options, but that’s not too hard to do.
Truth be told, we’ve seen it all. We’ve seen kids assemble gorgeous plates of food from the salad area, and we’ve seen kids fill a bowl with croutons and have a pleasant time building castles out of them. Again, as long as your kids are generally respectful of other diners, and you can get them to eat something so they aren’t cranky later, it’s all good.
You can also take this opportunity to showcase some more “exotic” foods your kids aren’t likely to find in everyday life. In particular, you can find the Brazilian classic farofa in our salad area, which can be an interesting enough experience it might hook them.
And when it comes right down to it, what kid doesn’t like French fries? You can find fries, as well as a couple of other versions of the classic potato, in our hot items area. Also for consideration, take a look at our Brazilian cheese bread (pao de queijo), or the rice and beans options.
Bring Them When They’re Hungry
Since Texas de Brazil is a continuous dining experience, it means you can settle in when you’re hungry and stick around until you’re done. There’s no need to worry about making an additional entrée order or worrying about the tab racking up as you refill plates from the salad area. The only other items with additional costs attached are the drinks and the desserts.
We’ll leave this to your best judgment, of course. Some kids get cranky and are more prone to outbursts if they’re hungry, especially if they’re younger and don’t know how to control themselves. If that’s the case, you might consider giving them a snack before you arrive so they aren’t disruptive to your own dining experience or that of our other guests.
The benefit of bringing them when they’re hungry is the ability to eat their fill, particularly of foods they might not otherwise have on a regular basis. Whether it’s Brazilian churrasco, items of South American origin in our salad area, or our tasty Brazilian cheese bread, they can easily fill up without you needing to worry about leftovers or running out.
Invite the Friends
Another way to make your experience at a Brazilian BBQ a success is to bring a party. If it’s just you and your kids, you might not be able to fully enjoy yourselves. While Texas de Brazil isn’t meant to be inaccessibly upscale, it’s also not really a kid’s restaurant, so children can end up bored while you enjoy your meal. There’s only so much we can do to help with that.
But, if you bring friends and their families, you can have an entirely different experience. What’s better than sharing a great meal with friends? Not much, we think!
We do ask that if you have a large enough party, you call ahead to make a reservation. Reservations aren’t required for small groups, but larger parties might not be able to fit if we’re busy, so by calling for a reservation, you can ensure that we’ve set aside space for your whole group.
Get a Treat to Go
The continuous dining experience at Texas de Brazil has one big benefit but also one big downside.
The benefit is that, as long as you have the time and inclination to hang out, you can fill your belly as much as you desire. Our gauchos will keep dishes coming, and our salad area will be continuously restocked until it’s closing time. Even if your kids are slow eaters, they can have their fill.
The downside is that we don’t allow doggy bags or carry-out boxes after your meal. We ask that you only take roughly what you plan to eat, so there’s a minimum of food waste at the end of your meal, though we won’t hold it against you if your kids decide they’re done at an inopportune moment.
The exception to this is desserts. Since desserts are ordered separately, you can take anything you don’t finish home with you or even order your dessert to go. Whether it’s something more readily available like carrot cake, key lime pie, or pecan pie, or something less familiar like passion fruit mousse or Brazilian papaya cream, you can give it a try and take it home with you.
A Few Final Questions
There are a few other things you might want to know about a trip to Texas de Brazil, which we’ll do our best to answer here. If there’s something you’re curious about and we didn’t answer it here, feel free to give us a call, and we’ll help you out!
Do you need to make a reservation?
While reservations are encouraged, small groups like your family can generally find a space unless we’re exceptionally busy when you arrive.
Reservations are a great idea if you have a larger party or if you just want to make sure you have a table waiting for you when you arrive, though!
How much does it cost to bring children to Texas de Brazil?
Because our pricing is set for the continuous dining model, it’s calculated based on the average consumption of a standard adult visitor.
Since children are smaller and eat less, we offer discounts for them, depending on their ages!
- Children under two years of age are complimentary, no fee necessary.
- Children 3-5 years of age are just $5.
- Children 6-12 years old are half-price.
Note that these prices are available when purchased with a full-price meal, but if you’re bringing your kids, we’re pretty sure you’ll be eating as well, right? We do also have a lower-priced option for salad area-only diners, as well.
Note that beverages and desserts are still normally priced, even for kids.
Is there a dress code for Texas de Brazil?
Not really! While Texas de Brazil is aimed at a more mature adult audience, we won’t turn you away unless you’re not wearing anything that could be considered offensive. We do tend to prefer our guests in smart casual or business casual, but we won’t turn you away for wearing jeans and a t-shirt, as long as, again, that t-shirt isn’t offensive.
So come as you’re comfortable and enjoy a great meal with your family! Feel free to call ahead with any questions or to make a reservation, and we’re sure you’ll have a great time. You can also sign up for our eClub to get exclusive coupons and deals, as well as special offers only available to members. It’s absolutely free! So, find your closest Texas de Brazil and head on down.
