As a Brazilian steakhouse, here at Texas de Brazil, we love to educate our visitors and help ensure that you’re getting the most you can out of a trip to our restaurant. What are you getting into when you visit a Brazilian steakhouse? Most likely, you’ll experience a rodizio. The question is, what does that mean? Read on and we’ll have your mouth watering and ready for a visit in no time. Once you’re ready, feel free to find your nearest rodizio-style restaurant and stop on in!
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What Does Rodizio Mean?
Rodizio is a particular style of experience you can find at a churrascaria, or Brazilian steakhouse. A churrascaria is a place where you can partake in churrasco, or Brazilian barbecue.
At a churrascaria, you’ll be presented with meant options fresh off the grill. Most of them will be delectable cuts of beef, almost all either lightly seasoned with a bit of salt, or not seasoned at all; they’re roasted over an open fire on skewers, cooked to perfection, and brought out to be enjoyed by the patrons of the churrascaria.
A rodizio is the way these meats are brought out. Rodizio is a Portuguese word that translates to “rotation.” Simple, right?
If you’re familiar with the concept of rotation in meats and restaurants, your first thought is probably something like those huge towers of spinning meat, roasted in an oven and carved for a sandwich; the gyro, in other words. Indeed, gyro also means rotation, but it comes from Greek roots rather than Portuguese. The Brazilian rodizio is completely different.
Instead, the rotation in question is the rotation of what meats are available and on offer at any given moment. Gauchos – that is, our Brazilian cowboys – roast the meats in the grill and, when they’re ready, bring them out to the dining room. Patrons of the churrascaria can signal whether or not they want a round of meat, and the gauchos swing by with whatever they have, be it a picanha, a bit of petit filet, or something different altogether, like lamb chops or chicken drumettes.
The end result is a constant rotation of the gauchos, and the meats, proceeding through the dining room. Patrons get what they like, dine to their delight, stop by the salad bar for a side or palate cleanser, and enjoy the atmosphere, the company, and the food.
Rodizio is not a style of cooking. It’s a style of service. While it has technically been seen throughout America with the introduction of the appropriately-named restaurant chain Rodizio in 1995, we like to think we’ve perfected the transition from Brazilian cultural style to American restaurant here at Texas de Brazil.
Where did the rodizio concept come from? There’s no definitive origin. It’s been a tradition in Brazil for a very long time, at least since the 1930s, and one of the most commonly-told stories is that it originated due to the mistakes of gauchos; if they brought a skewer to the wrong table, they’d let you take a piece anyway, rather than taunt you with something you didn’t order. Maybe that’s where it started, or maybe that was a marketing ploy, to get you to sample something else and order it for yourself. Who knows?
Rodizio is also used for more than just meats. The churrascaria experience we offer at Texas de Brazil is just one kind of rodizio. Another popular version in Brazil is a crepe rodizio. In some ways, the conveyor belt sushi concept in Japan is a form of rodizio, too.
Of course, the origin isn’t really that important, is it? It’s a tradition from Brazil, commonly found in churrascarias, and we’ve brought that fine tradition to American audiences in fusion with the American steakhouse, for a unique and compelling dining experience.
What Are the Benefits of Rodizio?
A more traditional steakhouse experience usually involves sitting down, ordering from a menu, and enjoying a meal. There’s nothing wrong with that, but rodizio as a style does have a few benefits.
First and foremost, you get to try a little bit of everything. Want to have a few bites of filet mignon while you enjoy the Brazilian favorite picanha and a side of lamb? Go for it! Want to flag down the gaucho with the sausage every time he goes by? All yours! You never get more than you can eat, and you never end up limited to just one or two items from a menu. Being able to sample everything the grill has to offer – and get more of your favorites on the next round – is the greatest strength of the rodizio style.
And, of course, if you try something and you don’t really like it – maybe you’re not in the mood for lamb, or the spicy picanha isn’t doing it for you today – you can take as little or as much as you’d like! The rodizio style allows you to take a bite or two of something to try, and then ask for more the next time it goes around, so you’re never locked into something you might not actually like all that much.
Another benefit is that the Brazilian steakhouse style is generally an all-you-can-eat buffet. You pay your entry fee (plus extra if you want dessert or drinks, usually) and you can hang out, chill with your friends, and enjoy the rodizio of meats for as long as you have space. You don’t pay extra if you take too much, and combined with the option to sample a little of everything, you’re guaranteed to have exactly the kind of pleasant, fulfilling dining experience you want.
There’s also some science to the rodizio style, called the satiety cascade. According to studies, when you’re given a large portion of something, the first few bites always taste the best. The more you eat of that one thing, the more you get tired of it, and the less pleasurable it becomes. After all, you may have a favorite food, but it wouldn’t be your favorite for long if it was all you were allowed to eat, right?
The rodizio style rotates through those “first bites” of a dozen or more different meats and cuts, alongside other sides and salad bar items you get from our hot bar and salad area. Even if you eat more or less the same amount of food, the fact that you’re getting that initial hit of many different foods, rather than just a big slab of beef, means it’s going to have a higher level of enjoyment across the board for your meal.
Are There Drawbacks to Rodizio?
Unfortunately, in a sense, there may be some drawbacks to the rodizio style of service at a Brazilian steakhouse.
The largest is simply that, because of the way meat comes and goes, it’s considered poor form to take too much of any given meat as it goes by. Yes, we’re certain you’ll love the picanha, because it’s one of the most delicious meats we offer, but you can’t have the whole skewer when it comes by.
If you’ve come to a steakhouse knowing exactly what you want, you may be better off going to a traditional steakhouse where you can order exactly that. A rodizio is an excellent experience for pacing your dining, and for getting to sample a variety of different meats, but if you want to go all-in on one or two specific cuts, you’ll need to do it in pieces over time.
Similarly, sometimes you may find yourself waiting for certain cuts of meat. While some of the staples like picanha are in plentiful supply, others tend to come and go as they are cooked and served. Besides, the staff are making their rounds and they have other customers to serve as well – so it may take a little time for that specific cut to get to your table.
We might not have everything on our menu available at all times, and while you can request some to be put on the grill, you’ll end up having to wait for them. This isn’t a problem if you’re okay with that request and wait experience, but if you’re hoping to take things as they come, it can throw a wrench into the works.
To be clear, though, these are pretty minor drawbacks. The benefits of the rodizio style far outweigh those drawbacks, at least in our view, which is why we’ve focused on bringing the authentic churrascaria experience from Brazil to American shores and to nations beyond.
What Do You Need to Know to Make the Most of Rodizio?
Thankfully, not a lot!
First of all, if you want, you can review our etiquette guide to enjoying a Brazilian steakhouse. You don’t need to, though; anything you need to know will be explained to you when you stop in, and it’s all pretty easy to learn either way.
Before you arrive, there’s not a lot to know. We appreciate if you make a reservation, but it’s not required, so if you’re in the area and feel like stopping in, that’s fine too. There’s also no real dress code, as long as you’re dressed appropriately and aren’t wearing anything offensive or illegal. Make sure you’re comfortable for a dining experience, and that’s good enough for us!
Generally, you’ll be given a card, one side red, one side green. Red tells the gauchos to skip you in their rotation, while green means they stop to ask if you want whatever they’re carrying. You’re not obligated to take what they offer – if you want to skip the pork and grab more sausage, go right ahead – but they will still stop and ask as long as the card is green. Green for Go, Red for Rest.
You will also find a small pair of tongs at your place alongside your silverware. These tongs are meant for you to grab the meat your gaucho slices off for you, so it doesn’t fall to a plate (and potentially make a mess), and also so you don’t risk your silverware coming into contact with the meat other people are sharing. Just like you wouldn’t double-dip a chip in public salsa, you shouldn’t risk food-borne illness by using your silverware on the public meat. The tongs do a better job of snagging a cut or two anyway!
You are also free to get up and check out the salad area whenever you like. We have a huge array of both salad ingredients and traditional Brazilian sides, all of which can help break up the parade of meat and help you cleanse your palate between items. There’s no limit other than what you can eat!
On that note, though, we do ask that you don’t take more than you can eat, within reason. Obviously, if you make yourself a salad and grab some meat and find you can’t finish the last few bites of salad, we aren’t going to hold it against you. But if you go back for another whole salad and can only eat a bite or two of it, that’s where it starts to turn into unnecessary food waste. Similarly, because of the all-you-can-eat buffet-style payment system of a churrascaria, we don’t offer take-home boxes (except for desserts, since those are extra already). You’ll just have to come back if you want to experience rodizio for yourself once again!
Or, of course, you can also order the meats directly from our market and butcher shop. You’ll have to get some friends if you want to set up a rodizio at home, but at least you can enjoy our favorite picanha and other meats.
Finally, the biggest thing you can do to make a rodizio-style dining experience better is bring your friends. It’s one thing to come alone and enjoy the meal – we certainly won’t turn you away – but it’s definitely a more fun and friendly experience when you bring friends and family.
To that end, we’re also happy to cater your events, host a larger gathering or celebration, or just set aside a larger space for a larger party with appropriate notice. Find your nearest location, or set up a group dining experience; either way, we’d love to have you.
