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Agora Churrascaria
Categories: Restaurants Steakhouses Restaurants Brazilian Steakhouses, Brazilian [Edit]
1830 Main StIrvine, CA 92614
(949) 222-9910
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 2 pm
Mon-Sun 5 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
573 reviews for Agora Churrascaria
Review Highlights
-
"The salad bar is small, but top notch." In 215 reviews -
"I especially loved the bacon wrapped chicken." In 29 reviews -
"The cheese bread was mmmm mmmmm good." In 52 reviews
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573 reviews in English
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Review from Johnson L.
Rowland Heights, CA
5/24/2012
Pros:
-I am drooling over the cheese bread balls right now
-meat is one of the best
-great service
-very clean
-salad bar is enough for the money and is amazing
-good location, nice and quiet
Cons:
-a little pricy? but so worth it... -
Review from Stephen H.
Peoria, AZ
5/24/2012
I've been to three Brazilian steakhouses after discovering the glory that is churrasco and it almost seems like they can do no wrong. Well, then I went on a business trip to Santa Ana and we stopped at this restaurant. Not only did it change my ideas on dining, but also life.
As it turns out, when Tom Riddle was in The Great Hall being placed into a house by the sorting hat, he was actually first assigned to Agora Churrascaria. His experience here was so similar to mine that he became the evil being he is now and began his path towards becoming Voldemort.
First seated at the restaurant, everything seemed good so far, I walked the usual salad bar and they had some seafood and a smaller selection of greens and vegetables than other similar restaurants. I passed on all that, we all know why you come here anyways. The bread that everyone seems to get hard for is meh. Super doughy on the inside, almost not cooked at all internally; the crust was good. At all the other similar places I have been, you get a selection of amazing sides brought to your table; not here... Nope, some lame rice at the salad bar and a basically raw banana rolled in churro coating.
The meat: oh, the meat. If the meat here had to take the Kobayashi Maru, it would end up in Star Wars as food for Jar Jar Binks. The Alcatra was our first and it was initially pretty good. We had long waits though for the next and all subsequent meats. The sausage was terrible, store bought, Oscar Meyer quality. The chicken drums were fine, nothing special. We got another piece of beef, bottom sirloin I think, and it had no flavor at all. Our bacon wrapped filets were grey. Think of all the delicious grey food you've ever had. Yep. That bad. They served the same chunk of grey beef on "kabobs" with a sliver of onion and bell pepper. No thanks. I passed on the lamb entirely. Then a guy with a cart showed up. Turned out to be beef ribs. I tried some and in all honesty, I would've preferred a McRib. It's was tasteless and beyond fatty. Not just bland, inedible. We had them come by a couple times with various beefs and you could tell they were struggling to keep up with a seemingly low, yet apparently challenging demand because the cuts were half-seared on the outside and progressively more rare until it was basically raw after about 2 cycles from when we arrived. Close to an hour in, we were done.
There were no redeeming qualities to the food here. It was bad, at best. The servers were OK, but the general feel of the staff was poor. It had no atmosphere and was not welcoming or inline with the price and market. -
Review from Joe B.
Westminster, CA
5/22/2012 1 photo
Wanted to try Agora based on rave reviews from Yelp and in the press. Bottom line...I've had better without all the hype. I'm not saying I had a dismal experience just a forgetful one. However, I must acknowledge the service and friendly attentiveness from all who worked there was excellent. The hit or miss...mostly miss with the food and the distractions from other patrons wasn't what I had envisioned the place to be.
The restaurant itself is on the corner of MacArthur and Main right next to McDonalds. Arrive in an extremely compact car if you want to fit in the parking spots surrounding the place. One of those smart cars or mini cooper should work. Anything bigger, then you risk door dings. You might get away with double parking since I saw 3 cars doing it.
Inside, the restaurant is what I might consider slightly upscale but not pretentious. They clearly have a "Proper Attire Required" sign at the front desk. This basically means please don't come in naked. If you showered and dressed in your Sundays best, you are welcomed. If you are coming back from a Newport fishing trip dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, you are welcomed. As I saw both types mixed among the crowd.
Another mood killer were the kids. I can't promise you rug rats on your visit but they were in full force with mine. The dim dinner lighting was perfect and real candles flickering on the table...not those cheap battery operated fake candles either. Sounds nice until you add in the two 3 year olds chasing each other around the big table their family sat in. Then I see a couple roll by with a stroller. Really? Sure enough, 15 minutes later high pitch screeching. Thankfully, Rosemary put a sock in it within a few seconds.
The food was hit or miss. Seriously, let the guy carve you off a piece of meat, flip a coin and its gonna be good or totally suck. No consistency whatsoever. The complimentary fried banana with cinnamon/sugar was delicious. I had two. The mad raves about the cheese bread are ridiculous. Tapioca flour makes a soft and mushy inside and the crisp outer crust has a slight cheesy flavor. Yeah, ok thanks. There were a few types of tri tip. All were decent and cooked properly. The chicken was very dry. The salad bar winners were the black beans, clams, sun dried tomatos, and peeled shrimp. Went back and got more of the same. The two stand out failures were the beef ribs and lamb chops. The ribs are pushed around on a cart. The piece I had was flavorless and way to fatty. I'm not a fan of large fat chunks connected to small meat pieces. We waited and even asked the waitress for the lamb chop guy to see us. Mistake. I've never had "gamey" chops before. They were way over seasoned. Probably to try and mask that foul smelling and gamey flavor it had. The one slightly chewed bite was powered down by a glass of ice tea. We didn't want to leave on two bad apples so we ordered the blackberry cabernet sorbet for dessert. This $6 bet panned out. Very tasty and cleared our mouths from crappy lamb.
The bill including 18% tip came to $125. Two dinners, two ice teas, and one dessert. I came here expecting an adult oriented upscale restaurant with decent food. It fell short of that or I was expecting too much. Can't say whether or not I'd come back. Perhaps I should flip a coin. -
Review from John O.
Irvine, CA
5/17/2012
So moved out to Irvine this year and decided to try Agora. I made the mistake of bringing a client here trusting the 4 star rating.
The service, ambiance, decor you can't but the meats...bleh. In fact worse than bleh. I've been to Fogo and Libra and compared to those two it was just bleh. The meat was dry or too rare and just inconsistent. The beef rib they carted around was so bad my wife couldn't swallow it.
But then again I'm pretty familiar with brazilian churrascaria so if you;ve never been experienced it you might enjoy it but I didn't. The salad bar was great which is why I give it 3 stars and of course, the staff was great.
But you go to places like this for the meat and it was... uninspired. -
Review from Mel D.
Irvine, CA
5/18/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Although I don't eat meat, I went here with my hubby , who loves meat. People were wondering what the hell I would eat? There was plenty for me to eat, with a hot food bar and a cold food bar. I was able to find an array of deliciousness.
And that bread! That yummy Brazilian bread. Soooo good! The texture was unlike any other bread, because of the tapioca flour.
It's about $10 cheaper if you don't eat the meat.
Yes, I will be back. -
Review from Christina N.
Tustin, CA
5/8/2012
Came here on a Wednesday with my boyfriend to celebrate our 1 year anniversary. :o) We decided to go during lunch since it was cheaper than dinner. Lunch is $25 per person and dinner is $43 per person.
They have an assortment of hot foods and a salad bar as your side dishes. I definitely stacked my plate with salad. I just love the combination of salad and meat. They give you these place cards where one side is green and the other is red. Green means you want meat and red means you don't. I don't think it matters what side the card is on since they still offer you meat even if your card is on red lol. You also get a basket of cheese bread and a fried banana sprinkled with cinnamon as a cleanser. Out of all the meats that I have tried, the Brazilian cut sirloin, pork sausage, and tri tip were my favorite. The other meats was just okay, bland, or too salty. We ended our meal with a strawberry gelato dessert to cleanse our palette. :)
The service here was great. I would come back here perhaps during dinner time to try lamb since that was not offered during lunch. -
Review from Vince C.
Aliso Viejo, CA
5/7/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
Best Brazilian BBQ in the OC. The Sirloin Cap and cheese rolls are a must!
just wish they served plantains (the brown sugar banana is ok, but not the same) -
Review from Jae C.
Santa Ana, CA
5/6/2012
My gf and I came here for dinner for our 2 year anniversary. Anyway, let's right get to the pros and cons:
PROS:
- Service. The waitress who served us and the servers that came around to provide the meat were very friendly. Not once did I have to raise my hand to ask for something.
- Quality. Everything here is high quality stuff folks. The meats we got to try were the filet mignon wrapped in bacon, chicken drumsticks, chicken breast wrapped in bacon, lamb chops, roast beef, and tri-tip slices. All the meats were very juicy and very flavorful. For the salad bar, I really liked the chicken stroganoff, collard greens, garlic rice and this brazilian salad thingy that tasted like it had a hint of mint.
- Ambience. The restaurant was very fancy. It was dimly lit, further accenting the candle light coming from your table.
CONS:
- Frequency. The meats did not come often enough and it results in you getting full while waiting.
- Cost. Okay, okay, I understand that this is high quality stuff and the service is amazing. However, is it worth ~$50 per person? I beg to differ. I can get the same high quality meats, service, and ambience from a fancy korean bbq place (See Gen in Tustin) -
Review from Heather P.
Costa Mesa, CA
5/6/2012
This place is really great. I think my boyfriend and I go almost at least once a week. Salad bar is amazing I normally just hit the lettuce part, but the mash potatoes are amazing and my boyfriend can't get enough of the stroganoff. In fact, that's the only reason he goes most of the time...the meats just a plus :). My only sad part is that I'm always scraping the romaine lettuce bin because it's usually pretty low.
After stuffing our face with all the yummy salad bar stuff it's time for meat. We are both huge red meet fans, so that's definitely what we look out for the most. A word to those that have been here before and know what they want, go during the last hour and a half. The kitchen kind of slows down with everything and asks exactly what you want so you can bypass all the other stuff. And it does seem to have a little more flavor that way. For those that it's your first time go with enough time to relax and enough. They have huge selection and are never disappointed.
Another one of my favorites is the banana, a little sweet with my salty. And the cheese bread roll reminds me of college and my brazilian roommate.
Overall this place is great! -
Review from Jennifer L.
Orange County, CA
What woman doesn't enjoy enjoy men dressed up in Brazilian warrior-like costumes, coming to the table and serving up some good ol' meat? Apparently, that's what you get when you go to a churrascaria. "A churrascaria is a Brazilian or Portuguese steakhouse. Churrasco is the cooking style, which translates roughly from the Portuguese for 'barbecue.' Agora made me feel like a Queen. It was like they were serving royalty.
Their cheese balls are simply to die for. There was something inside that made it gooey. I couldn't put my finger on it. Come to find out it's tapioca! It was difficult to not fill myself up with the bread but they're just like Pringles. "Once you pop you can't stop!" You get a plate of a banana, sprinkled with cinnamon, you're supposed to eat after each type of meat to cleanse your palate. Each person gets what looks like a coaster with one side that's green and the other side red. The green alerts the warrior-like men to bring on the meat. The red keeps them away. Yes, I'll admit it. I had it on green a time or two but I didn't want any meat.
They have more meat options for dinner but I don't think you're missing out on too much if you decide to go at lunch. I sampled everything from the sirloin cap to the bacon-wrapped sirloin to the bacon-wrapped chicken to the garlic steak. Each different meat option were of excellent quality. Juicy, full of flavor and not a bit of the nasty fat. The sirloin cap did have a thin layer of fat between the meat and the crust but it gave it a soft, chewy texture. Everything slowly started to taste the same so it's important to get a piece of that banana when you can. The bacon gave the meat a lot more flavor, especially the white chicken.
As if the meat isn't enough, they also have a salad bar and appetizer bar. I helped myself to a couple of plates of their garlic rice, steamed mussels and clams. Super juicy meat in every shell. Their smoked salmon and cocktail shrimp were excellent as well. I found it a bit challenging not to go back to get more. All of the seafood tasted fresh. I'd go back to Agora just for that bar!
If you have enough room for dessert, I recommend the Cabernet-infused Blackberry Sorbet. The sorbet was refreshing and you can definitely taste the Cabernet. It's an excellent way to end the meal.
Reservations are strongly suggested. This place can get packed. -
Review from Tracie L.
Westminster, CA
If I had to pick this place or Greenfields in Long Beach I'd pick Agora. This was my 2nd time here, but first time for lunch. The other time I was here for dinner. To be honest you're best bet is to come for lunch because dinner just offers a couple of extra meats such as filet mignon and lamb and one other meat, but for lunch they have the delicious filet mignon wrapped in bacon so why pay the extra like 20$ for dinner just for a few pieces of filet mignon & lamb? Anyway I came w/ a group of friends so luckily we were able to get a variety and taste all the meats they had to offer because our nice waitress kept the guys coming w/ different meats and we were able to even request which meats we wanted! I love the fact that they brought everything out fresh.
Their cheese ball bread is to die for! I had to make sure I would limit myself to eating 1 before the meats 'cause I didn't wanna be too full from eating so many of them! Their cheesebread is a lot better than Greenfield's. Perfectly soft and good ratio of cheese inside. Melt in my mouth mochi texture goodness yumm!
All of their meats are good especially the filet wrapped in bacon!! they also had chicken breast in bacon which I liked. Made me think it was sort of healthy. Speaking of healthy, their salad bar is pretty good! love their cucumbers, shitake mushrooms, etc. All of the veggies & salad were fresh. Their hot food items such as the salmon was really good too, but I had to make sure to save room for the meats! The roasted potatoes were BOMB. I'm gonna have to say that Greenfield's hot food items were a little better though because they had more variety of items that were good, but hey you should be coming to Agora for the meats anyway right?!
Overall great service and meats. We didn't get dessert, but that cinnamon fried banana thing is good enough -
Review from Tiffany H.
Irvine, CA
4/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
First time trying Brazilian BBQ here. Came here for lunch & had a reservation so we were seated relatively quickly.
I love their hot foods bar which has: black bean stew (fejioada), clams with olive oil and white wine, chicken stroganoff, garlic rice, salmon, mussels, sautéed collard greens and mashed potatoes.
Everything is really tasty and on point. And this helped fill me up 'cause I didn't eat any of the beef items. For the BBQ, everything non-beef such as the Lombo de Proco [pork loin], Linguica [pork sausage] & Frango [chicken legs] were awesome! My fav was the linguica. Tasted like the one I had in Miami.
I was awfully full but dessert is a must! We ordered gelato & sorbet to help cleanse our palette. The chocolate gelato was rich and delicious. We ordered the blood orange and blackberry cabernet as well. Really refreshing and tasty. Try the blackberry cabernet sorbet with the chocolate gelato! -
Review from Warren C.
4/16/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
These people are downright evil. You save your stomach all day eating nothing but small vegetables to help you maximize your stomach capacity such that your AYCE dinner will bring you highest return. And you know what they do? They serve you cheesebread when you sit down. I'm not sure what went into the cheesebread, but I wouldn't be surprised if crack was a leading ingredient by weight. Yes, it's that good!
It's nice not having to leave south OC to get Brazilian BBQ. Service was attentive. Hostess at the front was super hot (did anyone else notice this?). They have an okay wine list from what I gather.
Skirt steak by far kicked the most ass. Lamb chops was a close second in my mind. Everything else was bunched up together in the rest of the pack as far as quality and taste goes. Again, most of the meat only has one flavor. Salad bar packs a nice punch. Oh, and the cheesebread too, of course.
So in spite of eating Brazilian BBQ twice in a matter of 3 weeks, I think Agora did pretty well for itself. -
Review from Avie K.
Irvine, CA
5/18/2012
I heard wonderful things about the restaurant so me and my boyfriend decided to give it a try. However, we came for their happy hour. We were the only ones at the bar but their dining area was almost full with people dressed up in suits and nice dresses. We weren't aware it was a fancy place. The dinner menu looks appealing but is very expensive. Their happy hour menu is very small with limited options. They give complimentary rolls and bananas for dessert, which were good. The service was a bit slow and the food was okay. The portions were very small. I wouldn't mind going back and trying it for dinner since that always gets great compliments!
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Review from Cameron L.
Seal Beach, CA
5/4/2012
The ambience is pitch-perfect. I honestly don't know of anything they could do to improve on the environment.
The meat's great. It's juicy, flavorful, and all-you-can-eat. I went for thirds of the bacon-wrapped steak.
I didn't know what to make of the cheeseballs initially- didn't even know what they were, in fact- but they ended up growing on me.
So why only a three star review?
For the price, I'd expect a better taste experience. The dinner prices in particular are no small amount, and for the amount of money, I'd hope to have top quality meat. While there's an abundance of varieties to choose from, the beef itself lacks a certain "oomph." The salad bar and self-serve buffet offered a good assortment of dishes, but nothing really outstanding. Agora does a good job at what it's trying to do, but all things considered, I'd personally rather pay half the price for a much more satisfying Korean BBQ dinner. -
Review from J.Anne Y.
Cerritos, CA
4/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
We were seated towards the front of the dining area. You get a direct view of the hostess and bar. Unfortunately, that is all I looked at for the 30 minutes we were there. I kept seeing meat go around, but never making it to our wing.
After 20 minutes a cold burnt piece of bacon wrapped something came over. I kindly (maybe not so kindly) declined. The wait for meat continued. Finally a piece of lamb came. I never eat lamb, but my boyfriend took a piece. There was a strong smell coming from the meat. Turns out...this is the way you don't want lamb prepared. I've never complained about the lamb smell at Fogo when my boyfriend got it.
This was the last straw. I got up and spoke with the manager. I showed him where we were seated and explained what was happening. I told him we wanted to pay for the drinks we ordered and leave. He comped the drinks and we left. I have no plans to return. -
Review from Maite H.
3/31/2012
I've dined at Agora Churrascaria several times over the years and have always had enjoyable dining experiences. The restaurant has plenty of free parking and is clean and modern. The last time I was at the restaurant was for their $25 lunch AYCE which included the following:
(1) Brazilian Cheese Bread and Fried Bananas:
Both are brought to your table and replenished. The cheese bread was scrumptious and the fried bananas (i.e. palate cleanser) were eaten in between the different types of meats/poultry that were served by the gauchos.
(2) Hot Foods Buffet:
Black Beans (fejioada); Sauteed Clams and Mussels; Chicken Stroganoff; Garlic Rice; Salmon; Collard Greens and Mashed Potatoes. I always take a lil sample of everything and all tasted fresh and delish!
(3) Salad Bar:
The restaurant offers an impressive salad bar consisting of Caesar salad, mixed greens, roasted beets, eggplant salad, artichokes, hearts of palm, asparagus, shrimp cocktail, pickled shitake, yellow and red endive, potato salad, sun-dried tomatoes, sliced tomatoes with fresh mozzarella, tabouleh, marinated yellow and red bell peppers, seasoned cucumbers, pickled onions, and a selection of cold cuts and cheeses. My favs were the eggplant salad, asparagus, and sliced tomatoes with fresh mozzarella.
(4) Churrasco Meats/Poultry:
So, every person at the table has their own red and green marker which informs the gauchos on whether to approach your table and offer the various skewered meats or poultry to you. Green means keep it coming and Red means I'm done or taking a break. I've noticed that the Churrascaria always begin with the most inexpensive meats and/or poultry; so, pace yourself for the tastier cuts. Our gauchos offered the following:
* Linguiça - Pork Sausages
* Frango - Marinated chicken legs
* Lombo de Porco com Queijo - Roasted pork loin
* Alcatra - Top Sirloin
* Maminha - Tri-tip Steak
* Lombo de Porco - Seasoned pork loin
* Picanha - Traditional Brazilian Cut of Sirloin
I tasted all of the skewered meats/poultry and all were yummy-licious!
My Brazilian friend always reminds me to wait for the Picanha and not to fill up on the other meats. My favs were the picanha and maminha which were scrumptious. If you prefer rare or medium rare cooked meats, you may be disappointed at a Churrascaria. Most of the skewered meats are cooked medium to medium-well.
Agora's offers tasty and numerous options during their reasonably priced lunch AYCE. The restaurant has a nice dining ambiance and the servers/gauchos are attentive and friendly. The dinner price is almost double the lunch price. So, go for lunch, arrive famished, and you'll leave very satisfied. I'm a fan! 4 Stars!Listed in: Let's Get Grillin'
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Review from Pamela F.
Carlsbad, CA
4/26/2012 Seated via OpenTable
My husband and I are BIG Churrascaria fans. We have been to many in the area. I've been wanting to get up to Irvine to try Agora. I read the reviews and they must have changed their roasting times because the meat was rare/med rare. There's a star. The buffet was nice. Lots of choices, clean & stocked. (I didn't care for the chicken stroganoff like everyone suggested)
I couldn't give this place anymore than 3 stars tho because the SAME 2/3 meats came around a few times & we saw no others AND I had to ask for lamb 4 times. The servers/waitress were nice, but the service was terrible. The check came while I was still eating. RUDE!! They do that at IHOP. Are you kidding?
I'm going back to Rei Do Gado in the Gaslamp never to stray again..... -
Review from Dietrich S.
Orange, CA
3/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
I have eaten at this place a few times over the years, and I must say I have always considered it a Five Star experience. The service is top notch, the food is incredibly high quality, and the ambiance is great. All around, eating at Agora is a very pleasurable experience.
A few of my favorites are the flank steak, the bacon-wrapped filet mignon, the bacon-wrapped chicken breast, the chicken hearts, the black bean stew, and the little parmesan cheese bread balls they put on the table.
Be careful with that wonderful salad bar though! You don't want to fill up on all that stuff that is great, but not very expensive, when you've got the gauchos coming around with swords of meat! That's what you really want, and lets be honest its what you paid for. This place is a lot more expensive then Souplantation, and for good reason.
This is a great place for dinner with friends or family or work associates, and a good place for a date based on the atmosphere, but I'd say a bad place for a first date. Any AYCE place is a bad place for a first date, c'mon making a beast out of yourself is not attractive.
Also, word to the wise: they are open for lunch, it is a little less expensive then dinner, and although they serve a bit less filet mignon at lunch, its still basically the same program and definitely worth checking out. -
Review from Tina K.
Anaheim, CA
5/15/2012 1 photo
Love this place! Whenever the boyfriend and I crave ayce meat with a sophisticated ambiance, agoras is the place :)
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Review from Taylor A.
Yorba Linda, CA
5/4/2012
AMAZING!!!!!! My favorite restaurant. The Pao de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Rolls) are as good as it gets (and I've had homemade!), the meats are succulent and flavorful (especially the lamb, skirt steak and tri-tip) and I have dreams about the flan! The Caipirinhas (a sort of Brazilian margarita made with Cachaca, a Brazilian rum) are out of this world. I had two and was giggling on my way out! It is a little pricey but it is a buffet and the salad bar is just as delicious as the meats (that come on swords!) I have had my share of home-cooked Brazilian meals and Agora is VERY authentic!
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Review from Robert S.
3/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
How to get a lot of meat inside of you
The Survival Guide of eating at Agora Churrascaria
By: Robert S.
It's no secret that Brazilian BBQ is expensive, so I decided to put together a survival guide to help you prepare a game plan.
Step 1: This place is all you can eat. If you ate a big lunch, take the browns to the Superbowl before you come. Preferably, skip lunch and breakfast before coming here.
Step 2: Order water. Not Bottled, but Tap. Ain't no shame in that.
Step 3: Whoa fatty... go easy on the buffet. It's a good idea to start light and give your stomach a "warm-up". Try to avoid the heavy pastas. Eat some veggies, but make sure you portion control.
Step 4: Try not to fill up on the cheesy bread. They're delicious, but filling.
Step 5: Identify the filler meats. I did. Avoid the Parmesan Cheese Pork Tenderloins. It tastes a little stinky. The Beef Ribs are okay, but a little fatty.
Step 5a: They have a couple bacon wrapped meats. As awesome as that sounds, it's pretty greasy and salty. The best things to go for are the chicken drumsticks, steak skirt, and steak sirloin.
Step 6: Don't bring your causal encounter date you found on Craigslist here. Sure she might be the only person that wants to talk to you, but you can be sure she's gonna expect you to pay. And she's probably crazy.
Overall the food here is decent. A lot of the BBQ meats are greasy. The salad bar is a little small, but there's a good amount of hot foods available (ie. mussels, clams, mash potatoes, etc.) We tried their flan, which was very rich and tasty. For 50/bucks a head, I'll probably pass on coming back anytime soon. Also, our reservation mentioned it was my birthday. The birthday boy next to me got a dessert + birthday song. I did not get anything. : (
A little about my credentials:
I first got into cooking & food when I was in college. After being rejected by numerous girls and getting zero action, I decided it was time for a change. I needed a new makeover to boost my geeky, engineering image. I applied for a cooking position at a Mediterranean-Italian Restaurant near my home and learned to cook all sorts of pastas and dishes. I never became a professional chef, but I continue to enjoy & love food. 9 years later and 55 lbs heavier, I have a new passion for traveling and trying different foods around the world. -
Review from W H.
Orange County, CA
4/3/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
This was my second time eating at a churrascaria and my first time at this restaurant. I really liked it, but the food was so good I ate too much. So much so, I am glad I skipped lunch that day and even didn't eat lunch the next day.
The salad and appetizer bar was very good. The salad was very fresh. The appetizers were also good, but not clearly marked. I was looking them over and there were a few dishes I did not recognize. Then, I overheard a wife say to her husband that the name of the dishes are up top on a small silver sign. Anyway, the mussels were very good and so was the clams. I also liked the insalata Caprese. This one had the tomato with mozzarella, salt and olive oil, but didn't have the basil leaf, but basil seasoning.
There were only a few cuts of meat that were memorable. Bacon wrapped filet mignon was the most memorable and had a lot of flavor. The sirloin was very good. I also had chicken hearts. This was the first time I had them. They were good, but chewy. The chicken hearts were sliced and in pieces, but you can definitely tell you are eating chicken hearts. A meat I didn't enjoy was the lamb. I am not sure why the waiter chose to serve me the worst piece on the lamb skewer. I knew it as soon as I pulled it off the skewer. I should have asked for another one right away. Only few pieces of what I got were even edible. It had too much fat.
I also had a Brazilian soda which was very good.I usually don't drink any soda, but wanted to give it a try, since everyone else at the table ordered one. I believe, it is less sweet than regular soda.
One bad thing about eating here is that you feel rushed. So, it is very hard to relax while you eat. There is so much food to eat and it keeps coming to the table. I know, you can flipped the circle to red side and refuse the meat, but still you feel out of place when other people at your table ask for meat and you don't.
Overall the meal was very good. I definitely would come back to this restaurant. I would even come here just to eat the salad and appetizer bar. -
Review from Hugo C.
Beverly Hills, CA
4/17/2012
"God sendeth and giveth both mouth and meat" -Thomas Tusser
I sought to honor this quote by coming to this churrascaria and putting my canine teeth to good use. This is my first 'churrasqueria' in the US, so I was very excited!
I had nearly all of the 17 cuts of meat they offer (I think I missed one), and they were all pretty good, although nothing really stood out to me or wowed any of the people in our party. Somehow I believe that meat in other parts of America (the continent) are more flavorful... Their side dish bar, or whatever you may call that, is very good and they offer a lot of options, like mashed potatoes, rice, beans, clams and even mussels!
The highlight of my meal, as usual, was the dessert. We ordered the Chocolate Mousse, which was very very good
This is an OK place to get meat. The cuts are good, the ambience and decor are very nice and inviting, service is good, and the Chocolate Mousse (!) is excellent. I will be digesting this meal for a while. -
Review from John D.
Yorba Linda, CA
5/12/2012
A very elegant dining experience. I don't know if I could ever give a churrascaria a bad rating, but the food was excellent and the service was terrific.
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Review from Farrah S.
Tustin, CA
4/15/2012
Wow, this place offers the most scrumptious, delectable, savory, mmmm-mmmm-mmmm good, choice cuts of meat that are brought to your table continuously throughout your dinner. And, oh my, the meat is brought to your table on a skewer with which you pull off with tiny tongues as the waiter carves the meat for you. If you are a carnivore with a good set of K9s then you will love it here. Could not get enough of it.
If you eat like a rabbit, there is salad bar which offers an exotic array of items that will make your palate burst with herbivorian goodness. Artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, eggplant, caprice salad (mama mia!), hearts of palm, cuts of aged Italian cheese. Oh goodness!!!
I must also mention the little rolls of warm bread brought to your table. Now, we all know that we shouldn't fill up on the damn bread before dinner, but I must say this bread melts in your mouth and not in your hand. It is oh so soft and warm and there is melting cheese (gouda-ish tasting) within this little wonder that you cannot help but keep popping these little things in your mouth and experience the melting-in-the-mouth phenomenon. It's just sinful.
Also, you have to get the Caiprinha cocktail to make this a complete "Brazilian" evening for the heck of it. It is quite good, but almost tastes like a mojito. I haven't had one anywhere else, so nothing to compare it too. My boyfriend thought it was too strong, so I finished his off for buzzing sake. Waste-not-want-not, right!
Ambiance was so-so. If they had soft Bossa Nova, Samba, or some Bebel Gilberto playing in the background then the night would have been much more romantic.
Overall....tudo foi muito bem!!! Obrigada :) -
Review from Catherine T.
Fountain Valley, CA
3/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here to to celebrate a birthday. The place was clean and very open.
Here is a breakdown of the meats:
Lamb: a little salty, but not dry; one of the better meats
Skirt steak: bland and not that tender
Chicken/filet wrapped with Bacon: Bacon added a nice crispy texture and saltiness to the dish; filet was too dry; chicken surprisingly flavorful and not dry.
Tri tip: one of the best of the night. Juicy and tender with good flavors.
Rabbit gizzard: you have to make a special request for it b/c it takes awhile. I didn't try it but those who did, really liked it.
Braised beef ribs: ok, not that tender and flavor was not all there.
Parmesan crusted pork: I didn't have any but everyone who ate it said it was too dry.
Flank steak: not memorable.
The salad and hot foods bar is ok. There were more choices for the salad than the hot foods. The salads were fresh. The asparagus was really good. They have artichoke heart and portebello mushrooms that were slightly pickled. Not a big fan.
The flan was good. It was rich and creamy. I told the hostess we were celebrating a birthday. She was going to tell the server, but I guess she forgot because they did not do anything for the birthday.
Service was good but the meat was slow to come out. Some of the best meats didn't come out until towards the end. So, make sure to save your stomach for the better meats.
20% gratitude automatically added for parties of 6 or more. They do have lots of servers who are constantly coming out with meats. So, I guess that justifies the 20%. The staff are all very friendly and engaging. The meal is a little on the pricey side. -
Review from Yuki M.
Updated - 2/14/2012
I've been a regular since they opened.
That being said, I will mention that a few things have changed since then, but I have consistently been pleased each and every time I come.
I frequent this place, and by "frequent" I mean FREQUENT. Once a month or more more often than not. Lunch and dinner. A few annual events. Several friends and clients brought or sent. I've even treated my mother.
For over 6 years, I've returned time and time again and my loyalty has been rewarded. Service is always good and the quality of the food (regardless of customer track records) has been satisfying.
I am never left wanting when I'm here and I just felt that it was time for another update.
This time, we came in on Valentine's Day for dinner. NO RESERVATION. We were seated n 10 minutes and had a complimentary hot tea while we waited (we don't drink). Giacomo and Leo were very kind and attentive. The servers were also friendly (as usual) and they remembered us.
It has been a year since my riding partner has returned to Agora. We were once weekly clients, coming in ever Saturday for dinner. Due to medical difficulties, he hasn't been able to return....until tonight.
We weren't celebrating Valentine's Day (entirely). We were celebrating something much more important - good health and a return to normal life.
It is always special when we come, but tonight was actually very meaningful, and Giacomo, Leo, and their entire staff did a great job in keeping us happy.
I'm glad for the restaurant's success and growing popularity. I hope that Agora continues to have a strong foothold in Orange County's restaurant scene.
See you soon.Listed in: South County, Yelp Inspired Destinations., Healthy Hyposcrisy, MEAT!!!, My Top Picks
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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1/17/2010
Wow. I haven't updated since 07? Geez.
I've been back countless times since my last review and I have… Read more »
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Review from Samantha L.
Costa Mesa, CA
5/17/2012
I just finished dinner there about an hour ago & all I have to say is disappointed. Let me give you the rundown:
- Since it was my boyfriend's birthday I bought him a cake & dropped it off at the restaurant a couple hours earlier. They charged me a $2 per person fee... -___- It's only $2 I know but seriously? Lame.
- Got to the restaurant & from the looks of it outside it just looks like any other restaurant but when I walked in it was a complete 180, very elegant place.
- Our waiter was such a sweetheart!! Honestly, I couldn't understand a word he said the first 5 minutes but eventually started to pick up on what he was saying.
- Salad bar was below par, nothing special or in particular to suit my taste.
- Finally when the meat started to come around, not only did the servers HUSTLE my boyfriend and I lol, but it wasn't all that great! Honestly I think it was because the reviews made it seem so much better than it really was.
- Bill ended up being $99.13 which included dinner for 2, plus the $2 per person cake fee & $6 for our bottled water.
Overall it was satisfying, but no particular WOW factor. The service was incredible, food was aightt & don't think I'll be coming back. -
Review from LBRT S.
Orange, CA
5/2/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
Excellent meat, juicy and tender...great flavor, highly recommended...
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Review from Cindy H.
2/16/2012
THE BEST churrascaria I've visited. Yes, better than Fogo de Chao and without all the foofy-ness . The interior is clean, roomy and well laid out. The meat was all flavorful, tender, and plentiful. The salad bar is extensive and delcious. I wanted to grow an extra stomach. I went with a big group and they were very accommodating. Desserts are worth a try as well
Few places make my mouth water while reviewing...this would be one. Can't wait to revisit! -
Review from Angela K.
Santa Ana, CA
3/10/2012
Review is a bit overdue: Boyfriend took me here for Valentine's Day dinner. Last year we went to Fogo in Beverly Hills.
Very nice ambiance. Service is great. The meats are okay. Fogo is definitely better. However Agora's salad bar is like WOW. Amazing. So many options and they even have hot food items at the salad bar in chafing dishes- that's where they definitely beat fogo.
So it's at a toss up which brazilian steakhouse is better.. I'm torn! But if it's suppose to be a steakhouse.. then Agora is just okay. Go to Fogo de Chao for amazing meats. Come to Agora for amazing salad and hot dish bar! =D
It was a great experience overall. =) -
Review from Annika Jo L.
Irvine, CA
4/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
3.5 stars. I like Agora a lot. The meats are all delicious and the salad bar is probably the most expansive I've seen at any churrascaria. I wish they used plantains instead of bananas and actually cooked them instead of just covering them with brown sugar. Can't get enough of the pao de queijo!
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Review from Amy S.
Irvine, CA
2/26/2012
I decided to treat my boyfriend out to dinner for his birthday and brought him here since he loves MEAT.
I absolutely hate is when you walk into restaurants and the hostess gives you a look well I most definitely did not get that here. They were friendly and seated us right away. The place was no where near full and we went during dinner time (around 7PM). I love the venue, it is spacious and big enough to accommodate a large number of people. I like that the table's far enough that people cannot hear the conversation you are having with your s/o or w/e.
The hostess kindly explained to us about the card. Red side - No meat, green sign- more meat. My boyfriend and I decided to try the hot food and salad bar first, so that our stomach is expecting the large amount of meat we were about to consume. I loved everything I tried at the hot food, especially the clams with olive oil and white wine and the shrimp cocktail.
Now, the meat... the meats were so juicy and tender. The waiters bringing the meat were entertaining and friendly. They made small jokes with us and always came back, asking if we needed any specific meat. A lot of yelpers were raving about the Filé com bacon so we decided to try it. I thought it was a bit too salty for my taste. My boyfriend could not stop eating the Alcatra and Coraçáo.
After eating here, I could not take think about eating meat ever again b/c I ate so much! When my mother called to see if I wanted to eat turkey for thanksgiving, I strictly stated I would not be eating ANY type of meat for the next few days. It was so filling that I wasn't hungry all day the next day.
Total with tip and everything I paid a little over 100 but it was WELL WORTH IT. I would not mind coming back in for lunch next time. -
Review from Sherry S.
Irvine, CA
2/3/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
Agora was my first step into the world of brazilian barbecue and it was definitely what I wanted/needed and expected!
The service:
Awesome, the meat servers are running around here and there to serve a lot of people so the meat goes out fast and they might miss you, but you can request the meat you want from any of them and they'll tell the other servers and bring it to you as soon as possible. Also, my boyfriend and I figured out that signaling if the waiters were nearby was more effective than our green and red cards.
Salad Bar:
It's great! Vegetables are fresh and while on the smaller side, good variety. I could probably make a few meals out of the salad bar, but as much as I love it, I would recommend skimping on the veggies, cheese+tomatoes, fish and such and save room for the meat.
Meat:
There's a lot.
It's good.
Seriously? I do and don't want to write about every single meat, but these were my favorite:
Traditional scurried steak
Bacon wrapped filet
Chicken hearts!
Parmesan Pork
Don't get me wrong, I love everything else too, but these were so drool worthy that I just had to wipe the corner of my mouth.
I did however go during lunchtime, so the meat selection was smaller (5-10 cuts short of dinner I believe?), so I can't wait to go back during dinner sometime and try their lamb (obviously the best meat in the world)
Nice ambience, quality food and great service lent to an overall good experience!
WAIT, I almost forgot about their cheese bread!!!! It has a mochi like consistency and unparalleled flavor. I knew there was something else I stuffed myself with before meat, ah!!!! This bread is dangerous, you'll want to eat it all in between meats and fill your tummy, but don't do it! I was so close to stuffing them in my bag (not really, but they were that good). Oh and the banana :) I love bananas, so Agora garnered a lot of love from me just by placing a cinnamon sprinkled banana on our table! -
Review from Guy G.
Fountain Valley, CA
3/28/2012
When someone suggested Brazilian cuisine to celebrate someones birthday, I thought, WOW, not so much for me, I'm not a spicy eater. Much to my chagrine, this place served dishes just the way I like them -- great presentation with mild and juicy flavors -- not hot and spicy. A wonderful multi-item salad bar combined with gaunchos coming by the table every few minutes with all sorts of meat items on skewers. And those handy little green and red coasters to indicate you're still hungry or to stop bringing it by your seat. AMAZING. Many would think it a little overpriced, but for everything I got, hard to compare to a normal restaurant. If you're looking for a place with a good bit of verve and good food, give this place a try.
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Review from joy k.
Irvine, CA
4/11/2012
I've been here twice, for lunch and for dinner.
I feel like if you don't mind missing a few of the meat options such as the lamb and a few of the beef, the lunch option isn't that bad! It's much cheaper than dinner and you still get the same ambiance and the food is deliciously cooked.
HOwever,
the dinner menu is pretty bomb dot com. I mean all the different cuts of beef were cooked so well. I was quite impressed! The chicken was also succulent and definitely is worth remembering even if it is just chicken. I'm not much of a lamb person, so I didn't eat that. All in all, ditch the salad, EAT THE MEAT :) -
Review from Beverly C.
Garden Grove, CA
2/18/2012
YUMM, first time being at a brazilian bbq and they didnt dissapoint.
we were placed in a bad spot where we got the last bit of food but it didn't affect the whole experience.
our server was non existent but our water was constantly being refilled by the bus boy and our plates were being bussed constantly .. (or maybe it was cause we were right next to the place where they put it away)
the meat guys were really nice and very accomodating.
i LOVE their potato wedges and salad bar (especially the pickled onion :D)
most of the meat were super juicy, tender, and cooked rare but there was some meet that wasn't that great also. i really wanted to try the lamb but me and the boyfriend were in this massive food coma/meat sweats by the time they were able to bring it around so i didn't get to try it :(
fried banana was good too and cheese balls were alright
i'll be back in the future again :)! -
Review from Narita S.
Orange County, CA
3/7/2012
After tasting really delicious, imprinted-in-my-memory AYCE Brazilian BBQ in Sydney, I couldn't help but have those standards. Been meaning to check out this restaurant since two exes ago. So here I am on Valentine's day/ my birthday (WHY mom? why...), I had a good friend of mine named Bologna take me here for this oh so joyous occasion. We got there five minutes early and got seated just about right away. We literally sat down and stood up, probably my last squats workout before this meaty of a meal.
We got seated a bit close to the back of house entrance...I could hear the kitchen. Oh well, I had a clear, 2nd row seat D of a view for the salad, side, and seafood bar. Less walking, more eating. I like. But then again they walk over to you....our water was filled consistently. Also, our server was very attentive and perky.
The meats I said, YES YES YES AND YES to:
-Bacon wrapped chicken...had seconds and thirds. Tender, moist and just enough saltiness to the bacon.
-Sausage...was alright. I still prefer my little (excuse the precise description) Japanese ones. From yakitori at Shin Sen Gumi.
- Top sirloin....yummy. Just right with everything.
- Beef kabob....bleh and bleh. Definitely, no flavor.
- Tri-tip...was a good texture, but maybe a bit bland.
- Lamb chops...one piece was good enough for me.
- Seasoned Pork loin...OVERLY salty! I just took a gulp out of the Dead Sea.
- Filet mignon...cooked to a nice pink, but again flavor wasn't all there.
- Chicken hearts...I was really looking forward to this...even though I had a really traumatizing childhood experience with my masochistic father. It was cooked to where it was a bit mushy for my taste and the flavor got me a bit nauseous. I've had it yummier in Sydney.
Side food:
Cheese roll...good, BUT I only ate a few bites. It'd be too filling.
Cinnamon banana...to reset your palate. I would rather have this for dessert a la mode. I'll ask next time.
Fresh greens, crisp tomatoes
Chicken stroganoff...which my friend kept going back for. A lot.
Salmon...was refreshing after so much meat
Mussels...we're light and tasty.
We added an extra $10 pp above the $43 pp for a glass of Moet and Chandon each. A good sized flan and choco covered not so fresh strawberry to share. My dearest friend asked for a candle since I made it a tradition I MUST blow...a candle every year for my birthday.
I'm still in search for THE Brazilian in Southern Cali. -
Review from Dmitriy S.
San Diego, CA
My first time at Agora was about 5 years ago when I came down to Irvine for a tour of UCI. Back then, churasscarias were on the rise and Agora was like heaven. While passing through Irvine on the way to SD with my dad, we decided to stop by and see if the magic was still there. Unfortunately, we weren't too impressed, but still had a great time.
I think the best thing here is the salad bar. A great variety of perfectly prepared side dishes, alternative main courses, fresh vegetables, appetizers, and tons of salads. One thing I highly recommend is the apple and raisin salad. Apples help your digestive system, so if you eat this regularly with your meal, you just might be able to fit more meat into your belly.
The quality of the meat here is sub-par. Most of it is heavily over-salted. The variety was pretty decent, especially considering how late in the evening we arrived. You can request to have special pieces done the way you like it, but this didn't seem to work for us too well. My dad's typical "well done, no red inside, no black outside" resulted in a charred piece of meat. I asked for some medium-rare meat, which came out better but still a bit overdone. When telling the "gaucho" exactly what we wanted, he didn't seem to understand and told us in a condescending tone that it was impossible. Trust me, bro, I've seen it done before. It's possible. Just turn your fire down.
By the end of the night, you feel like you're eating just to see how much meat you can stuff in your poor stomach to get your money's worth. Since all the meat is over-salted, it ends up tasting the same after a few rounds. Finish it off with one of their delicious cheese balls and call it a night. So-so meat, so-so service, awesome salad bar, awesome cheese balls.
