Terra Gaucha Brazilian Steakhouse – Tampa, Florida

Last night we had the privilege of previewing the brand-new Terra Gaucha Brazilian Steakhouse on South Dale Mabry in Tampa before it officially opens on tomorrow.

We were sad when GrillSmith closed in that location awhile back because I love their pumpkin crab bisque (luckily, they are moving into the old Grille One Sixteen location further up the road just north of Kennedy…) 

Terra Gaucha has run a successful restaurant in Jacksonville since 2015. They worked with BDG Architects to convert the previous Grillsmith location into an elegant new space that is now fit for the churrascaria style dining experience. This culinary style originated with the South American cowboys, or “gaúchos,” who grilled meats over an open flame.

I’ve been lucky getting to preview the transformation of the restaurant since I work for the architect. Our interior design team did an amazing job (you can read more about the design concept here). I love the beautiful wine display at the entrance as well as the custom sculpture and painting by artist Marc De Waele.

We had never visited a Brazilian steakhouse before, so I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. For dinner, restaurant patrons have the option for either a gourmet salad and hot bar or the “full rodizio experience” which includes the salad bar as well as unlimited access to over a dozen varieties of meats cut tableside. We were invited to be part of the “friends and family” night to sample the menu, so our meals were complimentary (minus the drinks…)

They have a diverse wine menu, but we tried their cocktails instead. Lance had the caipirinha, made with cachaça (a Brazilian rum), sugar, and lime. I had the same but with muddled pineapple and mint, which I’d definitely order again.

As we were seated, we were served cheesey puffs of bread along with caramelized bananas. The bread was good but I wanted to keep room for all the food to follow. However, we did devour the bananas (they brought us another plate of them after we cleaned the first plate).

When I heard they had a salad bar, I pictured it being more like a Sweet Tomatoes, but I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food. They had a few meats and cheeses (including an enormous wheel of parmesan), grilled pineapple, roasted garlic, soups, salads, and more.

Once we had our fill of that, we flipped over a card to signify that we were ready for the servers to bring us meat. It seems that the second we flipped it over, we had half a dozen people dashing our way to serve us. We almost had to flip the cards over as soon as we turned them to green because otherwise we’d never have the opportunity to try the meats they cut for us. 

My favorite of the meats was the Porco Com Parmesao (pork tenderloin encrusted with Parmesan cheese). It is soaked in white wine and herbs before being roasted and coasted in cheese. I also enjoyed the smoky Linguiça (Brazilian sausage) and the Picanha (their house specialty premium sirloin). The rest came by so quickly I could barely keep track of what I was sampling. You can see the variety of meats here (we thought it was funny that the “gauchos” were labeled the same as the meats on the menu…hopefully they weren’t turning us into cannibals!) 

Our waiter, Dennis, was extremely welcoming and attentive. He asked for our feedback on the drinks and dishes, which was all positive on our end. I would have loved to have tried one of their desserts, but we were beyond full at the end of our meal. 

While we really enjoyed ourselves, we’d have to save this for a special occasion because it is pricier than we’d spend on a typical date night. Plus, as much as I enjoyed the food, I just don’t eat enough to make any all-you-can-eat establishment worth it. Lance already said he wants to come back for his birthday though because for him, the more meat the better. I wish there was a way to visit and enjoy the salad bar with a smaller sampling of the meats rather than the unlimited option.

Happy to have another new restaurant concept in town and we wish them the best!

Terra Gaucha Brazilian Steakhouse is located at 1108 S Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33629.  They are open for lunch Monday through Friday 11:30am – 2pm and Saturday/Sunday from 11:30am – 3pm. For dinner, they are open from 5 – 10pm Monday through Friday, 4 – 10:30pm on Saturday, and 4 – 9pm on Sunday.

Fleming’s Steakhouse – Tampa, FL

 

We celebrated our St. Patrick’s Day by having dinner with my Grandma Anne.  We usually go out to eat with her once a month or so since she lives here in town. 

She had a gift card for Fleming’s Steakhouse, so we made reservations there.  Her birthday was two days away, so we let them know ahead of time that it was for a special occasion. 

When we arrived at our table, there was a happy birthday card with her name on it and confetti!  They offered us complimentary champagne to toast to her birthday. 

 

 

We ordered drinks and they brought us parmesan-garlic bread while we decided what to order.  The bread was served with two different butters – Chardonnay-infused feta spread and roasted tomato butter.  I’d say it’s probably the best bread I’ve ever had at a restaurant – I need to find out their butter recipes!

 

Since it’s a steakhouse, we all ordered steaks for our meals.  Grandma Anne and I both had the Newport Filet Mignon (a 6 ounce that is served with potatoes), and Lance had the Prime Bone-In Ribeye.  We also ordered a Fleming’s salad, and sides of the Spicy Thai Green Beans and Signature Onion Rings. 

The salad was delicious – with candied walnuts, dried cranberries, tomatoes, onions, and herbed crostini (not that I needed any more bread…) It was split on two plates so we could share easier. 

I’m glad that Grandma and I ordered the smallest steaks, because that size is plenty for me.  They were some of the juiciest and tender steaks I’ve had – I really enjoyed the filet, but Lance likes the fattiness of the ribeye. 

The onion rings were ENORMOUS!  We still had more than half left after the meal since they were so filling.  I’m not always a fan of onion rings because sometimes you take a bite and the whole onion slips out, but these were perfectly cooked and weren’t greasy at all.  I had to eat mine with a knife and fork since they were so thick! 

The green beans and potatoes were also delicious.  The potatoes were made with cream, jalapeños, and cheddar cheese, so they had just a bit of spiciness to them.     

Our waitress let us know that if we were interested in the chocolate lava cake, it took about 20 minutes of preparation ahead of time.  So before we finished our meal, we put an order in for it.  I didn’t even have room for it after all the steak & sides, but we still devoured the whole thing.  I’ve had lava cakes at other restaurants, but this one was by far the best I’ve tried.  The chocolate really oozed out when we cut into it. 

As a birthday gift, Fleming’s gave Grandma Anne a box of chocolate truffles as we were about to head out, along with another gift card for next time. 

My only complaint is that the prices are pretty outrageous.  The sides were all a la carte, so the meal really adds up by the end.  For the price, I still think that Bern’s is by far the best deal in Tampa since not only do you get your steak, but you get soup, salad, and several sides included.  But I’m glad we got to experience Flemings since it really was an incredible meal. 

Fleming’s Steakhouse is located at 4322 W Boy Scout Blvd, Tampa, FL 33607.  They are open 5pm – 10pm Monday – Thursday, 4:30pm – 11pm Friday & Saturday, and 4:30 – 9pm on Sunday.

Bern’s Steak House – Tampa, FL

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to celebrate my birthday at Bern’s Steak House the past several years.  It’s such a fun experience to get all dressed up and enjoy the phenomenal food.  

 

 

 

Bern’s has been recognized as one of the top 10 steakhouses in the country, and they boast the largest wine cellar in the whole world!

It looks pretty unassuming from the outside, and honestly the interior looks pretty dated to me.  But the quality of the food they serve is so fantastic – if I had to choose one place to eat for the rest of my life, this would be it.  

There are 8 ornate dining rooms, but no matter what day of the week you go, it is always busy (make sure you make reservations).  We were seated and given some time to look through the extensive wine list – the enormous book at the tables is actually the abridged version!  

 

We chose the 2008 Feudi Di San Gregorio Primitivo – a red from the Campania region of Southern Italy.  Our waiter poured it into a decanter and made sure our glasses were full throughout the meal.  It paired perfectly with our steaks – online it’s described as having a tart cherry and currant flavor with a bit of mocha and cloves, and pepper.  I’m hoping I can pick some up at Total Wine since it’s probably my new favorite.  

Despite Bern’s being pricier than we’re used to spending, it’s actually a really great deal compared to most high-end steakhouses.  Every entrée is served with soup, salad, a baked potato, onion rings, and fresh vegetables.  Many other restaurants charge for your steak then make you add each side a la carte.  I always end up with two meals when I eat at Bern’s, even if I get the smallest size steak.  

I ordered the 8 ounce Filet Mignon and Lance had the 14 ounce Chateaubriand.  Before our soups were served, we were brought cheese toasts to snack on (I actually wasn’t as impressed with these as the rest of our meal).  

Their homemade French Onion Soup Au Gratin is so delicious.  It is served nice and hot with garlic and spelt toasts.  

Next comes the Steak House Salad – which this time seemed even larger than normal.  They have their own farm in Tampa where some of the vegetables are grown.  You can choose from 10 of their house-made dressings – their  bleu-cheese is delicious.  The greens were topped with celery, avocado, sprouts, egg, carrots, onions, cucumbers, olives, tomatoes, red peppers and hearts of palm.  It tastes so fresh! 

 

On a normal day, I would have been full after the soup and salad.  But then they came out with the main course! I knew I wanted to save room for dessert, so I saved more than half for leftovers the next day.  The dry-aged steaks are so juicy and flavorful.  And their onion rings are the best you’ll ever have – thin and crispy, not at all greasy. 

 

We took a tour after our dinner – we’ve done it before, but we needed a few minutes break before heading to dessert!  We still had some wine left, so they let us bring our glasses with us.  You walk through the kitchen to see behind-the-scenes as dishes are prepared.   

Then they lead you through the gigantic wine cellar to see their vast collection.  It’s arranged like a library with numbered shelves.  Some of the bottles are the last on Earth – and some are valued in the tens of thousands of dollars! 

 

After our tour, we headed to the Harry Waugh Dessert Room upstairs.  When you make dinner reservations, they automatically make you reservations for dessert as well.  The booths, which look like oversized wine barrels, are made from California redwood wine holding tanks.  Each table is equipped with a sound system that lets you pick your station – the best is the live pianist!  You can request a song to play by picking up the phone.  

 

There are about 50 dessert options, so it’s a difficult decision to make.  In the past, we’ve loved the Bananas Foster, which is prepared for two and flambéed tableside.  This time, I picked the Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle and Lance had the Trio of Liquid Center Cakes.  

Mine was super rich and decadent – I brought half home to enjoy later.  Lance’s was very tasty, but we actually didn’t notice a liquid center in any of the three cakes, and despite being different flavors, they all tasted about the same.   

 

Our waitress brought out a little pastry cup of whipped cream with a candle to celebrate my birthday! 

 

I thought it was funny that the to-go bag had a little poem: “Since my meal has been replete, I’ll conserve what I couldn’t eat, to serve myself another time, or feed that dog or cat of mine.”  I don’t know what kind of crazy person wastes their Bern’s leftovers on their pets, but we had another equally wonderful meal at home the next night! 

 

Bern’s Steak House is located at 1208 South Howard Avenue, Tampa, FL 33606 and is open Sunday – Thursday 5pm – 10pm and Friday – Saturday 5pm – 11pm.