COLUMN: Deep-fried yucca without the yuck
I was two seconds away from either dying or getting into a neck-breaking, steel-wrenching car accident. South Main Street, where the speed limit increases from 35 to 45 mph, is a terrible place to locate a business.
This is why I feel bad for the owner and customers, alike, of Gaucho Grill Brazilian Steakhouse — I made the mistake of pulling into the north parking area, which consists of two handicapped parking spaces. I subsequently pulled out, blindly, into rush-hour traffic and almost died trying to pull into the south parking lot.
Once I got parking figured out, which was ultimately no problem at 2 p.m. on a weekday, I walked into the restaurant and was pleased to find a clean, quaint greeting area. I did, however, have a little more time than I would’ve liked to look at the Brazilian soccer memorabilia hanging on the walls. After a minute or two, I was greeted by a pleasant, smiling server who showed me to my booth.
That’s right, booth. Nothing is worse than going into a restaurant and being forced to sit at a table if you don’t want to — or don’t have to. My server asked my seating preference, and I willingly obliged. She also asked me if it was my first time in the restaurant; this is the move of a real pro. Nobody wants to sit down for their first time in a new restaurant and feel out of place. My server did a great job of making me feel welcome and maintaining that status throughout my stay.
When you think Brazil, if you know anything about indigenous — or at least stereotypical — Brazilian food, you think meat and starch. Gaucho Grill fits this assumption, and I attest to the fact that there is no shortage of protein, or starch, on the menu. You can even score an abundance of food and drink for under $10 to $15 if you include a good tip, but remember, you only need to leave 15 to 20 percent.
For just under $10, I got a Dr Pepper that came with a backup carafe of extra soda — I never had to ask for a refill — and a plate called “Prato Feito,” which means prepared plate, filled with all kinds of good stuff.
The plate consisted of steamed rice that wasn’t dry or flavorless like most steamed rice, deep fried yucca root, which is a fibrous, potato-like morsel, cold homemade potato salad — definitely not pre-packaged or store bought — a black bean stew called “feijoada” that consists of bacon, beef, pork, sausage and beans, and finally a choice of meat: “pichalo,” which is garlic Parmesan beef tenders.
My favorite dish on the plate was the four kinds of meat a la black bean stew. It was loaded with flavor — rich and filling — and went great with the rice. My least favorite was the supposed star of the show, the pichalo. The meat seemed like it was a day old, and even though it wasn’t extremely chewy, it was a little dry — definitely not the tender, juicy goodness I expect from a Brazilian steakhouse.
I was never turned off by anything on my plate, and I understand I ordered one of the cheaper lunch special-type menu items, but I expected a little more from the one item I actually had to choose from a list of options. I would certainly like to give Gaucho Grill a second go around. The service was fantastic, despite the slightly extended wait I had at the door. My server always had a smile and was more than willing to answer all of my questions. She was, in fact, from Brazil, and for that reason I felt a higher level of affinity to the food I was enjoying.
According to what I was told, the owner of Gaucho Grill is actually a Brazilian Gaucho, meaning he hails from the southern-most province of Brazil, which is where this protein-heavy style of food originates from. I had five kinds of meat and four kinds of starch (carbohydrate heavy) on one plate. I was actually unable to finish every last bite.
Just like other Brazilian steakhouses, Gaucho Grill offers the full-on table-side presentation of skewered chunks of animal and pineapple, grilled to perfection, sliced onto your plate by an authentically-dressed meat server. This is definitely the place to take a date that’s not afraid of a little moo or oink. Don’t forget, they have fried bananas, flan and key lime pie, too.
A word to the wise: Lunchtime on a weekday was a great time to go for attentive service and quick food arrival. I was told that nights, especially weekends, get busy; so know where to park and don’t show up starving, because you might have a little wait. Beside that, overly-hungry diners tend not to enjoy themselves as much. Speaking of enjoyment, for those who like to enjoy a glass of wine or a beer, the grill does serve a selection of domestic and imported beers, whites and reds. The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
I give the Gaucho Grill an A minus. The service and food prep time were excellent. If it wasn’t for the dry garlic Parmesan beef tenders, I would have given an even higher rating. Don’t worry, Gauchos, I’m coming back.
— D. Whitney Smith is originally from Pennsylvania and moved to Utah 5 years ago. After 11 years’ experience waiting tables at a total of 23 restaurants, he decided to enroll at USU in hopes of hanging up his server apron for good. Have suggestions for a restaurant to review? Email him at dan.whitney.smith@aggiemail.usu.edu.