Restaurant Review: Nelore Churrascarria - Houston Brazilian Steakhouse

Many of you may have heard of the Fogo de ChÆ'" ''£o chain restaurants where the gauchos come to your table and carve off slices of meat, beef, pork, chicken, and other skewered and smoked grilled meats. Nelore Churrascarria - Houston is a Brazilian Steakhouse along the same lines, located at 4412 Montrose Boulevard, Houston, Texas.

The Décor of Nelore Churrascarria - Houston Brazilian Steakhouse

This restaurant, from the outside, appears classy and inviting, with beautiful wood decking and stone entryway, covered by a nice awning and drive area for valet parking. Once inside, the foyer is cramped a small, but quickly opens up into two different parts of the restaurant. The first section appears to be the original restaurant, with low ceilings, dark and tight spacing. The other section, which appears to have been added on later, is more open with full windows to the outside, bright and roomier.

We were seated in the front, by the windows, right around rush hour for Montrose, and had a nice view of the traffic and the sidewalk cafes as they came to life. It's a beautiful area of Houston.

The Service of Nelore Churrascarria -- Houston Brazilian Steakhouse

The majority of the staff did not speak English well. Typically, I don't have an issue with accents, but several of the wait staff did not speak any or extremely little English, and this did make communication difficult, especially when we were asking for clarification of some of the menu items.

How Nelore Churrascarria Works

Gauchos are the Brazilian meat servers who bring out the meat on skewers, freshly roasted and piping hot from the grills and fire pits in the main dining room. The staff was attentive, though for my liking, a bit too attentive. The gauchos are the servers who bring the meat skewers to the table. They made the rounds regularly, and whenever our cards were turned over to offer us a variety of meats, but they also came by the table every time a new meat came out from the fire, even if our cards weren't turned over.

Conversation was limited because we were constantly working with the gauchos to cut and remove meat from the skewers onto our plates. These servers spoke almost no English, other than to state what the meat was, and some didn't even do that. Much of what we ate was mystery.

Quality of the Food at Nelore Churrascarria

The meat smelled wonderful. The restaurant smelled wonderful when we walked in too. However, the flavor of the meat left something to be desired. It was juicy and fresh and high-quality meat, but the seasoning and spices were overdone to the point it overpowered the meat dishes. Many were simply too salty, and I am one to love salt!

The salad bar, however, was divine. The cheese station was a little dry and the cheeses were perhaps old, but the rest of the salad bar was superb. There were roasted asparagus as big around as my fist, with an olive oil sauce that was to die for. There was poached and seasoned fresh salmon, a yogurt dish that was warm and creamy, and side dishes that were piping hot and perfectly seasoned. They were expertly prepared, beautifully displayed and presented, and the salad and side bar was kept clean and stocked for the entire two hours we were there.

Someone who does not eat meat would still very much enjoy nothing but the salad bar, so it's a decent place to take vegetarian and vegan friends if they can stand the smell of the meat and it being paraded around the table. The seasoned garlic mashed potatoes were simply some of the best I've ever had. There were some Indian-style dishes as well, and some Brazilian side dishes too.

Price at Nelore Churrascarria

Nelore Charrascarria is a little pricey, running about the same price as an upscale dining establishment. I personally thought they were a bit too expensive for the final service, but the food was all-you-care-to-eat, unlimited meat and buffet sides and salad, and they do have a decent atmosphere in a good location.

Final Assessment Nelore Churrascarria Houston Brazilian Steakhouse

If we were in the area again--it's a bit of an hour's drive to be 'local' to us--I would consider dining there again. We signed up for their e-newsletter, which offers a discount on your first visit, but when we arrived, they didn't know how to use that coupon. I wouldn't, however, go out of my way to visit the restaurant like I would to drive to Cullen's or The Melting Pot, both of which aren't exactly right down the street from me. I think for the money, Fogo de ChÆ'" ''£o is probably a better option, but the salad bar alone is worth the visit at least once.