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Make sure you are VERY hungry when you get here! And also make sure you're a meat-lover. ;)
They never stop feeding you here, and it's amazing! We stuffed ourselves silly and loved every second. Definitely visit this place when you are in Seattle, or even if you are a Seattleite yourself! It's great for out-of-towners.
The bacon wrapped steak was the best thing I ate here. I kept having them come back and refilling my plate with sweet meaty proteins!!!!
Giant pieces of meat parading on giant rotisseries and the servers are eager to fill your plate up with whatever you want.
The garlic steak and bacon chicken were great too. I'll be back in Seattle (good friends just moved there) and I'll be back at Ipanema!
This restaurant has just become one of my new favorite places to eat!
I love how the meat just keeps coming to your table until you flip your card over to red. (If your card is left on green, the waiters will keep coming to your table with different meats on skewers and slice pieces on to your plate...if you flip your card over to red, they will stop coming to your table) If you are a true meat lover, this is the place for you! They have a salad bar where you can get all you side dishes (rice, mashed potatoes, bread, fruit, salad...etc). The mistake I made was that I filled up too much on the salad bar and got too full to eat enough of the meat. All the steak that I did try though was very delicious!! The bacon wrapped steak was my favorite!! All their steaks were soft and very tasty! They also bring fried bananas to your table as well!! All in all, a great restaurant and I will definitely go back and recommend others to go and try it as well!!
Visualization Exercise #1
The most beautiful woman you've ever seen, long flowing hair, white wispy skirt, walking along the beach. The wind blows her hair into her face as the song comes to mind:
"Tall and tan and young and lovely
The girl from Ipanema goes walking
And when she passes,
Each one she passes goes, 'Ahh...' "
(If you don't know the tune to the Girl from Ipanema, youtube it)
*Now close your eyes, and picture this. Go ahead, I'll wait.*
Visualization Exercise #2
Keep the song in your head, but shift your mind's gaze to the most beautiful cuts of meat you've ever seen. Perfectly rare beef...steak with gobs of cheese melting onto the plate...parmesan crusted pork....
"When she walks, she's like a samba..."
Bacon-wrapped steak...delectable passionfruit chicken...tasty pork ribs....
"That swings so cool and sways so gentle..."
Sausages...shrimp...the most amazing lamb...
"That when she passes, each one she passes goes, 'Ahh...' "
Cinnamon pineapple...roasted bananas...wondrous "salad bar" complete with "Spanish" cold meats...and oh dear god, the polenta!
Now picture everything up to the pineapple, floating by, carried on swords by waiters who are more than eager to cut some onto your plate. All you have to do is say the word...or keep your indicator card on the green "yes please" side.
*waiting once again for you to visualize...overwhelming, I know*
These pieces of meat will not pass you by, they *will* turn around, and you can have as much as you want. Now where can you find a girl like that?
Sweet dreams.
------------------------------------------------
Jobim, A. (lyrics), de Moraes, V. (Portuguese lyrics), & Gimbel, N. (English lyrics). "The Girl from Ipanema," 1962.
They will try to tempt you with the delicious salad bar, the ever so friendly server will tell you in his laid back manner, to just grab a plate and graze. he will tell you that when you're ready, just feel free to flip the card over, he might even bring you a stack of delicious fries, or fried bananas that are so irresistible you can't possible pass. Do not fall for his trickery!
Sure it seems that a very nice cheese plate, and a salad bar with some of the most interesting things you've ever seen can't be a bad thing, but when you flip that card and get to meat number 7, knowing you're not even halfway through the protein, you will understand. Save room for the meat!
Every skewer had a perfect piece. A nice crust, sliced off the skewer to reveal perfectly rare meat. The meat slicers could be friendlier, (for the love of all that is good DO NOT pull with the tongs) but you hardly notice them due to the perfect piece of animal muscle they are about to share.
The drink menu here is equally as impressive. Infused liquor and interesting shots made this a $400 night for my table of 5....but well worth it.
I LOVE a good churrascaria. Love, love, love it! Ipanema is right up there with the darn good ones.
I can't comment on the entire experience, because I must confess somewhat shamefully, I did not even go look at the mesa de frios. I sat in the front of the restaurant, never even saw the salad bar except from afar and ate nothing but meat. It was glorious.
I was on my way home from the last day of the conference and I knew this was my last chance to eat at Ipanema. I am a sucker for a churrascaria, and I did not want to pass this up. I was tired and had an armful of bags, but I didn't even go back to my hotel first. I walked in and plopped myself down so I wouldn't lose my nerve. It's a little strange to have a dinner like that alone, but I wanted to, so I did.
I had read that their caipirinhas were good, so I ordered one immediately. Delightful! I could have had several, but I knew that would be a bad idea - usually i have my husband to watch out for me when I do that. :)
I turned my card to green and let the feast begin. Garlic steak, cheesesteak, tri-tip, sirloin, buffalo, filet mignon, pork sausage - I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea. I was grateful it came in slow waves so i could savor it. The tri-tip and filet mignon were the best - truly delicious. My mouth is watering right now thinking about it.
Near the beginning of the feast, the waitress brought me a plate of garlic fries with a fried plantain. The fries were pretty good, but the plantain - holy crap! I would have filled up just on those! I asked for four more. She let me know she would have to charge me, but I didn't care. They were sinfully delicious. Probably absolutely horrible for me, but worth every bite - and every calorie.
I ate slowly, reading a book and drinking my caipirinha. When it was gone, I switched to sangria. Bummer... That was the only negative part of the evening. I love sangria, and I have had all different kinds. I prefer the real stuff, which is what they make here. However... I know this will sound weird, but it tasted like a diaper smells. Not a used diaper, but a fresh, clean one - like Pampers or something. I know - totally bizarre. I told the waitress I thought something was wrong with it, and instantly offended her. Turned out she had made the sangria. However, she offended me by commenting that I must be used to sangria made with soda. She explained the ingredients (wine, cloves, brandy, etc) and I agreed that this is the correct way to make sangria and the way I prefer it myself.
Now that we were equally offended, she left and I pushed the sangria to the side. However, in the end, she did not charge me for it and I considered that a draw. No harm no foul.
Other than that minor issue, I had a lovely time and I would highly recommend Ipanema. I ate an embarrassing amount of meat and enjoyed every last morsel. If I went again I would avail myself of the mesa de frios, but I am not the least bit sorry I missed it this time.
It was a bit expensive, but pretty much all the restaurants in downtown Seattle are overpriced, so I think that's geographical.
If you like meat - go. You'll LOVE Ipanema. Awesome!
I had my first experience with Brazilian churrascaria in January 2009, and as a meat lover I don't know how 28 years could pass without even trying Brazilian churrascaria.
I wasn't disappointed with this place at all. I felt as if I were in heaven. Almost all the meats on the skewers were delicious. I could eat myself into a coma over here. There's not much more to say about a churrascaria other than to eat here at Ipanema Grill, you won't be disappointed!
My girlfriend took me here for my birthday - some of the best meat I've ever had (stop giggling).
I'd recommend going extremely hungry 'cause there is far too much to eat. The desert stuff is epic too: fried bananas, cinnamon pineapple -- so good.
Some of the waiters were cool, some of them looked as if they were five minutes away from killing themselves...didn't really affect the aura or the atmosphere one way or the other.
Very, very expensive.
Go here if you're hungry. Get the rodizo. It's a little pricey... but entirely worth it.
Guys come around with meat on STICKS. And then they cut it and you catch it with cute little tongs. And then you eat the meat. And then they come back. SO good.
Also included, the 'regular' buffet area. Regular but BRAZILIAN... and delicious! Salads, veggies, cheeses, mashed potatoes, rice, other Brazilian specialties that I have no idea what they are.
Do yourself a favor if you work downtown/in the Pike Place area... go here for your lunch break. It's worth it. I promise.
Green light = more meat. Need a break? Just flip the switch to red. Lots of varieties of different kinds of meat on a long sharp stick get passed from table to table. You control just how much your stomach can handle! The bacon wrapped meat was my favorite thing. The salad bar area also has alot of amazing salads to choose from. It's a bit on the expensive side, but a fun place to treat yourself to for a special occasian. The drinks were also good. I have a brazillian friend that says this is the most authentic place in Seattle. I went to a place similiar in the LA area several years ago and the food quality is equivalent, the only thing that is missing is the authentic brazillian dancers that they had.
The comparison may not be apt, but mine here is to The Melting Pot-and on these charges, Ipanema deserves 5 stars.
The basis for my comparison? Both places seem to attract those that are amenable to celebrations (birthday parties etc.) , serve gargantuan quantities of food, and have staff that may even be 'too trained.'
That being said, where The Melting Pot fails, Ipanema succeeds. The food is of good quality and doesn't feel like you're paying a lot of money for food that is of average quality. The salad bar and meats are fresh tasting and pretty damned delicious!
I'd never been to a brazilian barbeque establishment before, and this past friday said to my girlfriend "let's do it!" so we did. From the salad bar, I really liked the cheeses, veggies, and even the different assortments of bread. For the meats, my favorites were the garlic steak, peppered steak, and shrimp. The only cut of meat that wasn't really, really tasty was the filet minon, which felt a little over-cooked. Overall, the experience was a very good one. Would I go here every week and throw down $100? No. I could see myself coming here every three months, though, splurging on all of the carnivorous delights. MMMMM, meat!
It is interesting that there are very mixed reviews for this restaurant. Today is my first visit. I enjoyed the environment, service and the food a lot. I know what I am trying and expected to eat a little more meat than usual.
I especially love the "salad" bar. The selection is great and tasty. The churrasco tasted awesome. When the slice of meat sits on my plat for a minute or so, it is still hot and juicy. All the meat are very tender.
I think this is a very good place to have lunch with friends or family. The environment is fun and the price is nice (~$17pp). But, I don't think I have come here often because of the amount of meat consumption. Every once in a while will be perfect.
P.S. The music they played at the restaurant is fun all along.
FIrst and foremost, I love this place.
Dinner is kind of pricy, but lunch at $17~ for their rodizio is an awesome deal if you enjoy all-you-can-consume sirloin, garlic steak, tripe, and a variety of others meats (pork, chicken).
Their salad bar isn't that bad either, although more variety would have been great (but hey, you aren't coming here to eat plants; you are coming here to feast on MEAT).
The waiters are affable and constantly come to your table as long as your square is on the green side. Quick, fast, and they are not like other buffets where it says "all you can eat" when it's actually "all you can eat... until we say so." If anything, they offer you more food after you tell them you're full. I love it!
Their fried bananas are awesome. Try it, even if you aren't a fan of fried food!
On an end note: I may be biased because I love jazz, but the hint of Stan Getz' "The Girl from Ipanema" as the background music isn't a bad touch. ;)
I have yet to go for the lunch or dinner meals, but I went there for appetizers with my dad when he was in town and those were excellent.
The server we had was wonderful, she explained anything we were unsure of.
The bar selection is great as well.
I can't wait to go back for a full meal!!!
I have to admit this is my only Brazilian cuisine experience and I've been told there are better spots (my husband says the place he went to in Texas was amazing and much better but yeah it's not in Seattle).
For $17 a person at lunch it's not a bad deal for all you can eat, but $40ish for dinner is an ouchy -- even if there is a better meat selection in the evening. You can choose plated dishes, but if you're going to go to Ipanema you might as well pay the $17 bucks and experience the various carved meats. Flip your card green and a gentleman will come by with various meats carved for you at the table. Turn your card over to red and they'll stop coming by. The meats will come to the table, but you get up to get your veggies. They do have a nice salad bar selection, some fruits, cheeses and hot potatoes. Nothing wild, crazy or unusual.
Ideal spot for any carnivores, but definitely not the place for vegetarians. The different types of meats include sirloin, sausages, chicken wings, Parmesan covered pork, etc.
My favorites include the grilled pineapple with cinnamon and fried bananas. Fried bananas rock! Try the Brazilian style mojito. Sorry but I can't remember the proper name.
On your mark..
Get set..
Eat!!!
And you'll be crapping blood till the next day.
Since you're going to eat in one sitting as much meat as you usually eat in 5 days, bloody stool is a light punishment for eating half of God's creatures.
The place of vegan sin is Ipanema, right in the heart of Harbor Steps and down the street from Pike's Place Market. And if you're going to sin don't half ass it by getting a small plate of appetizers. Go the full nine and get the Rodizio, aka "the Brazilian bloody *butt* road to hell".
Servers will continually come to your table with tasty skewers of meat at the all-you-can-eat-paradise. Sausage, lamb, beef, etc.. cooked and spiced perfectly where you'll keep wanting more. They'll take that skewer of meat and cut a slice for you right on your plate. After the first delectable bite into Bambi you'll be wanting a piece of Thumper, Babe's liver and whatever animal they've got in the oven.
The whole mouth-watering animal farm on a plate is run to perfection. You'll get a slip of paper with a green dot on one side which indicates to the servers that you want to get your eat on. If you flip it over it'll be red which means that you need a break until you catch your second wind.
They also have a salad, meat and dessert bar but don't even think about it. Just keep stuffing the meat into your mouth until you feel like you're going to burst from the seams. Then as you think you can eat more, drink a glass of water, take a deep breath, unbuckle your pants and then go for more.
At $40 per person for dinner you'll want to eat as much as possible to justify why you splurged rather than getting 8 foot longs from Subway. But if the cheddar is running low in your wallet, you can always get the Rodizio for lunch where it's half the dinner price. You're actually going to save some money because if you eat 4lbs of Winnie the Pooh, you're going to skip dinner for the next two nights.
The servers are very friendly and will explain the whole process to you. I've always found them patient and friendly especially considering that a lot of tourists come here not knowing what they're getting themselves into.
Street parking only. And since it's a prime tourist location the parking can be as bloody as your butt's going to be after the meal. But trust me, it's all worth it. Just man up, find a spot and make sure you got the Pepto Bismo ready for the unholy aftermath.
I'd really give Ipanema 5 stars but at $40 a person it's tough leaving there under a $100 for a table of two. If they were closer to Todai prices ($30 per person) it'd be eating there all the time. But during this economy I just can't justify satisfying my meatatarian urges here that's just going to get me one step closer to colon cancer which is the ultimate in unholy bloody butt apocalypse as you're going to find.
Having been to several brazillian steak houses, I have to say that this place is very average when it comes to the selection and diversity of meats.
The salad bar sucks...........and they charged me extra when I asked for more fried bananas.
I would come again..........maybe?
Delicious meat options and not your typical bagged-lettuce salad bar (but it's still filler before the meat). Also, the roasted pineapple is very good. The fancy brazilian grill setup where after you go to the 'salad' bar, and then meat scouts (i.e. guys with big knives and sticks of meat wearing yellow kerchiefs boys scout style) walk around cutting meat off their kabob sticks for you breaks down to about $50 a person, which I think is a little steeper than a similarly satisfying meal somewhere else. However, it was worth a try, and I'll be keeping an eye out for 3 for 30 options.
P.S. They're also on opentable for reservations, if you prefer not calling. Our reservations for 6 somehow still squished us at a table seemed made for 5, and as the one shoved in the corner, it get kinda too cozy and hot later..doesn't that defeat the point of a reservation a little?
Love the idea of all you can eat different type meat, pork, beef, lamb, chicken and all delivered to your table. I can tell you I ate my through all their different kind of meat not once, not twice, but got 5 servings of all the meat that was available that day along with 4 plates of salad, also all you can eat. I was full and I can tell you that I ate more than what I paid for. Didn't have room for dessert.
Parking can be tough depending on what day you choose to go and what events are in town, such as ballgames, concerts, etc. The best thing to do is eat then shop downtown or vice versa. Key thing to, take advantage of the parking garages, even though it's not free but saves time and gas from driving around and around.
If you've never been to a brazilian steakhouse, then you should try it. But if you've already been to brazilian steakhouses, then you'll probably be disappointed by Ipanema. I lived above this restaurant at Harbor Steps and so I'd drop in occasionally, but the drinks were weak , and the food was meh and needless to say I stopped going even when though it was an elevator ride down. It gets filled with tourists in the summer time, and people who've never been to a place like this before will love it, but if you're looking forward to a higher quality cut of meat or a more traditional service, look elsewhere.
51 days without red meat, and it was time to let Don out of his self-imposed EOL hell and let the boy eat. Seriously, I think he was just a few days away from actually turning INTO a can of tuna.
Of course, he chooses a place with (a) a large selection of anything one can title "red meat", AND (b) that is "all you can eat"
The higher cuts of meat, were of course, the better tasting and most tongue satisfying experiences.
The turkey and pork selections were my least favorite.
The bacon wrapped steak wasn't all that fantastic either. I prefer steak to bacon, so it should be an enhancement, not an overpower-ment.
Either we missed it, or ate it and didn't know it, but did not consciously intake any wild boar, or roast beast or anything 'exotic'.
Some other various observations:
The music is too loud. Either play softer selections at that volume or turn it down a bit. Every few songs it seriously inhibited conversation and occasionally being able to understand waiters.
The "meat" guys are great, the regular waiters...not so much. The wait for drinks and anything not hot-on-a-stick was really ridiculous for the relative low crowd for dinner.
The watermelon vodka drink was perfect.
The decor is quite humorous. It's almost like they are chic, but desperately TRYING to be gaudy and haven't quite gone over to the dark side.
The offerings at the also all you can eat salad bar were surprisingly varied and good. I tried only a few things, this IS about the meat after all, but was pleased with my selections
Overall, this is a fabulous place to have dinner, experience something new or enjoy it again and again, in a nice atmosphere, in a good location.
Great conversation with my great friend made the time simply melt by like the rib eye on our tongues.
To have experienced it all with my "Wondertwin" Don is what truly made the experience top notch. To quote his toast of the evening as we began, "There's no one I'd rather be here with to try this new experience, than you".
MEAT ON SWORDS.
That's really all that needs to be said. Well maybe
ALL YOU CAN EAT MEAT ON SWORDS.
I've got a circle of friends who frequent this place for any occasion we can think of, and it's always an awesome experience. The manager and some of the servers even recognizes one of us and is good about coming by often.
It's definitely expensive and some friends insist on going for the cheaper lunch menu. That said, I'm just too sold on dinner. Both meals are all you can eat but there's a larger selection during dinner, including the best pineapple ever. Other favorites are the pork sausages (amazing), Parmesan pork, and pepper steak, the former of which is definitely there for lunch and the latter two might be dinner only.
All in all, if you're looking for an excuse to celebrate, this is an awesome place to go.
This place is a Brazilian delight! Try the caipirinhas on a hot day!
I don't think I've ever eaten this quantity of food before in my life. Wow.
This place was pretty cool- I actually like the "on-the-edge-of-gaudy" decor and teal EVERYTHING, it feels like a fun place. The buffet was even bigger than I had been warned about- there was a LOT to choose from. Most everything I sampled was good- all kinds of veggies, fruit, salads, meats, cheeses, even mussels!
So you start off with a ton of food, and then the MEAT starts in. We tried a bit of everything that came by- sirloin, tri-tip, wild boar, lamb, buffalo, parmesan pork, bacon-wrapped steak, filet mignon, garlic steak, cheese steak, and I'm probably forgetting a few! The favorite was definitely the tri-tip, although the sirloin, filet and garlic steak were pretty awesome too.
I also tried the traditional Caipirinha- pretty good, with a strange salty taste. We also tried a similar cocktail that had beer added to the mix, another interesting drink. Their cinnamon/clove infused rum was really tasty, served with pineapple juice- this was my favorite drink.
It's an expensive dinner, but you get a LOT for your money. Meaning, more than you should eat. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to walk after dinner. How does a person eat so much meat?! Well however it happened, it was good.
Portuguese 101 lesson of the day: Obrigato (oh-bri-GAH-toe). This is what you will be saying when you drink the delicious caipirinha at Ipanema Grill. If you're at all a fan of mojitos or gin'n'tonics, this should be next on your list! The caipriniha uses cachaca, Brazil's national spirit, along with muddled lime and a touch of sugar. Yum!
Ipanema Grill is probably better known as a full-on meat assault, as you can read in other reviews. But here's a tip for you recessionistas: sit at the bar and take advantage of the smaller plates on the bar menu. Two of our companions had delicious meat skewers which were much smaller in scale and more reasonably priced than a regular rodizio meal. Also, the smaller plates are accompanied by fabulous sweet potato fries. Crispy, sweet and not at all oily, I couldn't stop sneaking these fries off my companions' plates.
Our server was attentive and courteous. He was also kind enough to split our bill 4 ways, since a few caipirihnas made us mathematically challenged. At the end of the meal our group gave him a resounding "obrigato!"
I have gone here two times.
First time with Brazilian friends. Service was 5 stars and we got a ton of food, the one guy came around very frequently and with a large variety. One thing is you must come here very hungry. Also I dont spend a lot on eating out and my friends were treating me, so the $20/$40 wasnt an issue for weekend lunch
Second time was with my husband, somehow we arrived after lunch and before dinner in the 1.5h gap. But due to extreme hunger we stated and ordered off the regular menu. We got beef skewered and it was so delicious we ordered a second. We also got the oysters/clams with some type of root, which was also very tasty but not as filling as we were looking for. it comes with bread, which you need to ask for more of (no charge I believe) because the sauce the oysters come in is delectable.
One thing. From what I understood from the host lunch is $20 for buffet and dinner $40, which makes me feel that lunch somehow has less selection. but i have no evidence to back that up. We went Sat or Sun the first time, and Friday afternoon the next.
Another thing., do get a drink. I highly recommend the Cachca (sp?) which is Brazillian muddled rum, so flavorful. It comes with various juices. Don't get the guayaba, the flavor isnt strong enough. Mango is amazing.
Went there for lunch with 5 other coworkers 15 mins after they opened (11:45am)
We didn't have to wait long at all before the meat started coming.
The salad bar was OK- salmon, melon, watermelon, sugar-coated grapes, orzo salad, black beans, rice, whipped potatoes, whole carrots, green bean and red pepper salad, mixed greens, fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, cauliflower, pasta with cheese, shrimp, cucumbers.
But save room for the meat! They come around pretty often, garlic steak was my favorite. The sausage was spicy and great, chicken, tri-tip, bacon-wrapped steak, pork sirloin, can't remember what else. Not sure how the lunch menu differs from the dinner, but it's a reasonable $18.
A little disappointed that it costs extra for extra fried bananas- which they fail to mention when you ask for more.
The service was OK. One meat guy was friendly and funny, but the rest were reserved. We had a different server refilling our drinks, so our original server didn't do much at all. I hope she tipped the other guys out a lot.
Overall a fun experience!
I have been to Impanema for both lunch and dinner and was so impressed!! For the lunch buffet it is $16 and for dinner it is $40. I would definitely not go to this place all the time, but I would definitely suggest trying it... if you are a meat eater.
Meat aside though, the salad bar portion is really good. They have fresh vegetables, fruit, and cheeses to choose from.
This was the first time I had ever been to this type of restaurant and I really enjoyed the experience. Basically they give you a card with a red and green side and when you want them to bring by meat samples you flip it over to the green.
I guess I also have to mention that the service both times was great. They servers were attentive and very friendly and the meat servers were consistent and frequent.
Final words: Go hungry.
This was our first time ever sampling BBQ the Brazilian way and it was absolutely exceptional. Ipanema is an eclectic Brazilian Grill with great food and a fun environment for the whole family.
We waited in line for Ipanema to open at 10:30 am which was a great sign that this place was notable for their meats, their specialty. The hypnotizing scent of smoked meats lingered in the air through the streets of downtown Seattle and I couldn't wait to push my way through to see what kind of concoctions made this place so renown.
When we were allowed in and greeted by a hostess, she led us to our seats and along the way we passed by the colorful display of salad varieties and meats and cheeses. They had an extensive selection of sides such as pastas, fruits, vegetables, sliced deli meats, cheese breads and buns and all different types of salad mixtures.
I couldn't wait to get my buffet on, but as soon as I sat down and started taking my jacket off, a young man approached me with a sword-like thing and it was stabbed through a heap of charred goodness. "Bacon-wrapped steak?" he asked. Absolutely! Our first bite was like heaven and hell jammed together. It was sooo tender and the smoked flavor of the steak mixed with bacon was perfect.
We left our "more-food-indicator" right side up (green) the whole time which indicated to the waiters, "keep it coming". And the meat kept on coming! From Peppered tri-tip to Passion Fruit Chicken (my fave!), they loaded our plate with one type of meat to another and no matter how full we were, we kept on sampling. All the sides were delicious too which was a surprise to me.
Overall, me and the BF had a wonderful experience and we surely slept good on the plane after that meal. $40 for dinner buffet, but TRUST ME! It's worth every penny.
My bad, we didn't look at the price before going to this place. I should have wondering why the menu didn't have prices either. None the less, dinner is 40 bucks per person.
I am not cheap by any means but I didn't get 40 dollars worth. I also noticed that the bigger tables ordering more wine also got much bigger pieces of meat. We got tiny little bites which might not matter since it's all you can eat but they only come around every so often. The night we went there was only 1 maybe 2 dudes going around with meat.
My Chicago born partner says they have much better Brazilian Grills there for the same price. I feel like this place is a tourist trap or something.
We had a reservation for 6 and we were seated immediately! It was crowded and our server checked on us a few times, but the guys with meats came by often which was good. The salad bar was yum - rice & beans, salads, even a cheese/grapes/nuts section. I am not a big medium-cooked meat eater, but my family is and they loved it. I was glad that the servers were even nice enough to cut me the more well cooked pieces. We got a bit of everything. We liked the sirloin, tri-tip, cheese steak, bacon-wrapped steak, filet mignon, garlic steak, shrimp, grilled pineapple, sausage, buffalo. We didn't like the pepper steak (pepper was too strong) and the bacon-wrapped sausage (was dripping with blood). The caipirinha was good, but not strong enough and the sangria had spices like cloves and cinnamon which was strange. We ate at the Space Needle and this restaurant was 10x better!!!
P.S. If you're not willing to spend $40-$60 per person then don't come here...
My first ever Brazilian food experience and was mouth wateringly delicous. I have been meaning to review this restaraunt since I have been to Seattle which is about one year ago. Everyone kept telling me you better not eat the whole day and keep your appetite. I prepared myself diligently and mentally. I made plenty of room expecting the worse, but the worse was the best steak, chicken, pork, etc filling experience EVER! :) It felt like each item was melting in my mouth and I wanted more. As Adam Bitchman would say, "I have to give in this time and call it quits, Food has conquered me and I wave the white flag"
Take a look at the pictures and you will see what I am talking about. Everything is perfectly cooked and great service. Granted, I ate with some coworkers and we had a few (maybe more) bottles of red wine. ;)
My recommendation is if you are a meat eater and have never had Brazilian food. Go experience it!
The hamburger sucks.
Ya Im a fan. When I head back up to Seattle this will be what I eat for lunch when I get off the plane.
Really good food. What can I say, shrimp skewers with some steak and the sweet potato frys were off the hook mmm mmm good. Just wish I had more time in seattle to get my glutton on.
Interesting place. Worth going to once. Definitely a full-on meat assault. I'm writing this the morning after and I'm still stuffed. The food here is very tasty. This place would earn 5 stars if two things about it changed: if it cost half as much, and if the ambiance didn't make you feel so rushed. The cost really doesn't seem appropriate, even though the food is good. I felt like it would have been acceptable at $30/pp (after wine, tax and tip). But at $65, it just wasn't worth it. As for the "rush" feel to it, the ambiance isn't great. It doesn't feel like a place you'd want to slow down and enjoy. Instead it feels a tad like a Home Town Buffet, brazilian style.
Overall, worth going if you've never been. Tasty food. But pricey and ultimately under-delivers.
I finally got to try this place out last Friday. I came here to attend a friend's birthday during dinner, which is the priciest time of the day to eat there. I did the Brazilian buffet style with the choice of 16 different meats and a full salad bar. I pretty much tried every meat served to get my money's worth. The salad bar had a wide variety of sides too.
I most definitely enjoyed the garlic fries and fried plantains. Fried plantains were heavenly. And the mash potatoes w/ the gravy from the salad bar was appetizing.
Here's the order that I tried them:
1. Top Sirloin (delish)
2. Cheese Steak (okay)
3. Garlic Steak (loved it!)
4. Grilled Shrimp (okay)
5. Pepper Steak (piquant)
I agree with one of the past reviews. Tastes a lot like peppered Oh boy
Oberto beef jerky.
6. Tri-tip (delish)
7. Pork Loin (okay)
8. Sausage (eek)
9. Flank Steak (delish)
10.Buffalo (interesting, but good)
11.BBQ Chicken (eh, okay)
12.Bacon Wrapped Turkey Steak (good)
I'm not so much of a bacon fan though.
13.Pork Rib (okay)
14.Parmesan Crusted Pork (okay)
It was a bit too salty for my liking.
15.Fillet Mignon (loved it!)
16.Wild Boar (GROSS)
17.Leg of Lamb (eek)
18.Grilled Pineapple (YUM!)
MY FAVORITES... these got my taste buds going crazy!
Garlic steak- too good for words! LOVED IT.
Top sirloin- mm Mm, tender, juicy goodness.
Fillet Mignon- melt-in-your-mouth good!
Grilled pineapple- It was oh so good. One of many people's favorites that night.
MY LEAST FAVORITES... and these? eh, not so much..
Wild boar- Distasteful, first bite went in and came right back out after the first couple chews.
Leg of Lamb- I enjoyed it at first but then comes a weird after taste which was unpleasant.
I very much enjoyed myself that night. The grilled pineapple helped me digest all those meats and it was so worth my $50. (big party, so gratuity incld.)
Holy Cow! i mean holy BUFFALO!! ....did you say buffalo thighs?!?...slap one on me!
All you can eat?!? OH BOY...where to start?!?
Did i just see decorated nipples on the big screen? Whoa...talk about FESTIVE!!
Nearly slipped walking in, but once I regained my composure...it was all fun after that! The food was superb and it was a perfect place for a larger dinner party of 30! Doesn't matter who and how many people you go with.The minute you walk into the restaurant...you just can't help but feel the vibrancy of the atmosphere!
HOLY. CRAP.
So the prices at Ipanema for the Rodizio are really steep if you don't go in the morning/early afternoon. The price jumps about $10 a person and I always felt like it wasn't worth it. I'm wrong! I finally went for a dinner service and the quality and the cuts of meat they serve at dinner time are vastly superior.
BUT - if you go during their earlier hours you'll still be wildly impressed. I promise! Just go hungry because it's all you can eat and the salad bar is really tempting and you'll get too full if you don't save most of your belly room for the meat.
I took a Brazilian exchange student here and he flipped his lid. In fact - I first heard of this place from a Brazilian co-worker. It's really authentic (even though rumor has it that the owner is Argentine). The food is fresh, the salad bar is fabulous and all the wait staff is Brazilian and they speak Portuguese. It's a really fun and festive place to go.
Now - back to the dinner rodizio service.. the meat all day long is fresh and tender and tasty but at night they serve wild game and you get to taste more variety. It's really spectacular.
So I've been in here a couple times for drinks. Its nice in the mid afternoon, its a family owned place and at that time of day it takes on a nice relaxed feel, and the bar tender makes you feel like a guest, not a customer. Drinks are not cheap, but not totally crazy in price.
Menu looks a little meat heavy, but the small plate appetizers are good. Also the Brazilian cocktails are a win! This is a place I will defiantly go back to!
I discovered this place through yelp as my Brazillian friend was in town. Overall my experience was far from what was described in these reviews.
First of, they did not turn on the AC, which made the whole restaurant stuffy and hot. I dont know if they were trying to mimick Brazillian weather too but I was sweating the whole time. Don't come here on hot days.
The variety of the food was good, but in general was very salty. The garlic fries that they gave us was drenched in salt and unedible. I had to ask for a exchange. The meat was also exteremly salty, especially if you get the outside cut. Overall, most of the beef tasted the same because of the salt.
They cut you a morsel of a meat each time, so although you felt like you ate a lot of meat, I think I ate more sides to compensate the saltiness. They also didn't have certain meats that's stated on the menu such as chicken heart (which isnt expensive at all).
We also ordered on the side a dish that's deep friend mash potato covering chicken. It was obviously frozen before because the center was cold and the chicken was sour.
For 40 dollars a person, I expected way better. Most of the meat is just way too salty for me to appreciate its taste and I came out of the restaurant sticky and sick.
Seattle, WA
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Steakhouses
Neighborhood: SODO
Category: Barbeque
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Steakhouses
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