Pampas
Categories: Brazilian, Steakhouses [Edit]
529 Alma StPalo Alto, CA 94301 (650) 327-1323
Come enjoy the Pampas lounge while listening to Bossa…
Announced 3 weeks ago
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street, Garage
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
98 Reviews for Pampas
One of Pampas' Favorite Reviews
I recently had my birthday celebration here and it was fabulous with a capital "F."
I started with drinks in the bar-- translated to bottles of champagne. Then we moved the party of 15 downstairs to dinner. Many chose the all you can eat meat orgy, but others chose the a la carte items. Everyone raved about the food. I think that the table favorite were the lamb chops.
The restaurant was very accommodating. I added 3 to our reservation at the last minute and they added place settings immediately and without complaint. Our waiter was fantastic!
The evening was a success....with more drinks in the bar after dinner. It was a great choice for a party and I cannot wait to return!
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Finally, this place is getting more diverse. I always wondered ..what the heck took so long ?
Hint#1:
1. Make sure your date likes to eat. (42 bucks a pop)
2. Make sure you like your date enough to take her here.
The food is good. The service is better and the ambience is great.
It would be easy to be impressed by the concept, the decor, the interesting appetizer bread, the excellent service, the 'fancy but not too fancy prices' and the sporadic but inexorable march of meat, but the problem is, it's just not that good; there are a couple of excellent cuts, to be sure, but the average is just that - average. The most common reaction from our table was "meh, that was OK, what's next?" right up until we finished.
As a parallel, the salad bar is large, contains some fancy choices, is presented immaculately, and then lets you down with pizza-hut levels of deliciousness.
This promised 'font of meat' is located less than one hundred yards from my front door, perhaps one day the wafting scents that greet me after I park each day will bring me back for another go.
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Pampas, like most all-you-can-eat has a method to get you stuffed before the GOOD stuff comes. Ah, ah, AH, we know your evil ways and we got our own agenda down!!! No bread basket, no pasta and no fillers!!! We SO got our money's worth.
Heh heh, client's like us freak them out.
I could have EASILY gorged myself at the side bar:
Spinach Salad
Hummus
Arugula Salad
Sauteed Mushrooms
Grilled Eggplant
Watermelon Salad
Broccollini
Smoked Trout
But I held myself back, only taking a taste and not touching the FRIED Brazilian goodies they sneak onto the table.
I needed to save room for all the meat and boy did I!!!
My favorites:
Spicy Chicken Drumstick
Lamb ANYTHING!!!
Spiced Pork Tendorloin
Top Sirloin
Most of the 14 items came out, but after about 1.5 hours of waiting and waiting, we were asked if we had any requests, we wanted to try the two types of Sirloin Filet, Garlic/Herb & Parmesan. TOO salty. The bf enjoyed.
It was hard to deal with the slow pace of the meats and many of the selections were duplicated. I wanted ONE of each.
Service wise, we did not get enough attention:
-Water was not filled
-Wine order was taken 15 minutes INTO our meal
-We had to flag her down for EVERYTHING
I guess we our importance went down when we decided not to be super finicky and didn't order a BOTTLE of wine.
Sorry we try not to booze it out on Sunday.
After the total meat fest, I realized the power of PROTEIN, no cravings whatsoever prior to bedtime-it's THAT time of the month and there was a window of SIX hours prior to bedtime. No wonder the Brazilians look so damn good.
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PROS:
1. SERVICE. Usually shee shee places tend to get all snooty with reservations but this place was not at like that at ALL; from the telephone to the second we stepped in until we left. When I called for a reservation for 20 people, they were glad to do it without putting a credit card on hold. When we got to the restaurant, they allowed us to sit at our table regardless of whether our entire party was present or not. They also didn't mind that even though I made a reservation for 20, that only 16 showed up.
2. SIDE BAR was by far the best side bar at any Brazilian BBQ place I've been to. A lot of restaurants concentrate so much on the meat that it practically becomes a deathtrap for vegetarians. The side bar is completely veggie friendly. If you don't want the rodizio (meat), then the side bar is $27. My favorites were the rice croquette, corn on the cob with lime, coconut cous cous, roasted peaches with cheese & the whipped potatoes (tasted like it was made with polenta).
3. DESSERTS. Where do I begin? From the chocolate torte to the coconut flan to the raspberry-hibiscus sorbet, my mouth drools thinking of the sensations they left in my mouth. If you haven't yet read the website, the pastry chef is Marisa Churchill from season two of Top Chef. Don't ever let anyone persuade you into thinking that you can share a dessert with someone because you won't want to.
4. APPETIZERS include cheese bread, fried bananas and polenta. All were fantastic. The cheese bread wasn't as cheesy as I liked but what I did like was the slight airiness.
5. MY $16 GLASS OF SPARKLING WINE. I can't even remember the name of it but it was heaven on earth with my meal.
6. AMBIANCE was terrific. For our large party, they sat us in their "basement" area which had recantgular windows with a clear but comfortable view of the parties on the upper floor. This area is actually perfect for groups because you don't feel completely segregated from the rest of the patrons but it's separated enough for you to be as loud as you want.
CONS:
1. MEAT could use a little work. A lot of it was dry and not very exciting to eat. My favorite was the LAMB CHOPS and the rest of my party will agree with me. I had a couple pieces of that and you should to9. The spiced chicken also surprised me because of the unexpected kick; the flavors really stood out from the other meats.
2. The PRICE will burn a hole in your pocket. For 15 rodizios + side bar, 1 side bar only, desserts & drinks... the total bill was $1450.
Even though there are clearly more pros than cons, I ultimately have to give it a 4. For being a Brazilian BBQ joint, you have to be up to par with the meats. For all it's worth though, I would recommend coming here without a doubt! The experience was phenomenal.
Nothing like eating with the crew; especially when rolling 25 deep to a relatively posh place, but then again this was a special occasion. And there's no better reason for me to kill my work out regimen than to see all of them together in one place yet again.
NVM the very appetizing rabbit food downstairs. If you came here, then you most likely came for the meat. But if you really must eat some flora, then at least wait till after you've had your body's weight in grilled perfection. The staff was on top of things, the decor was minimal yet appealing, and the exec chef was inspiring and innovative (new tamarind sauce). And last but not least...the flame kissed deliciousness was endless.
Remember two things
1) Green = stuff my face
2) Red = leave me passed out on my plate
There is something to be said about a restaurant that can still function and serve their other clientele despite while being in the midst of a Yelp Attack!!!
"25 people? oh yes...let me lead you to their location above us."
"That's right, Dom B*TCHES! And I don't give a F*CK!"
*Breaking wine glasses (Van showing off his superior strength again)
"Next round is on me!" *back downstairs to the well appointed bar
and other typical....lively behavior exhibited by Yelp's one and only SVC - living it up because...well, let's face it.... after a couple...or rather a lot of drinks, nothing else really matters. XD
4 stars to Pampas for keeping it all together
*just in case...happy birthday Cindi!
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Fasting for a week beforehand is recommended. $44 for all-you-can-eat rodizio and sidebar truly makes it worth it if you have done so.
What a beautiful restaurant, with such a great open upstairs area that easily accommodated our party of 25+. The executive chef came around to chat with all of us, and even shared a new tamarind sauce he had concocted -- which was delicious, by the way. What seemed like endless skewers of succulent meat came around our table over the course of 1.5 hours (they'll keep coming until you flip over your disk from green to red signaling: STOP!).
I didn't even make it to the huge sidebar downstairs, although those who did raved about it. The basket of baked cheese bread and fried plantains and polenta were the only non-meat items I had, and I inhaled them because they were so good.
If I had to limit my meat intake, I'd have to narrow it down from 14 to these 4 favorites:
- lamb chop
- linguica
- pork tenderloin with spice dry rub
- turkey breast wrapped in bacon (mmm.... bacon)
I'm currently on a veggie diet, so please don't have a birthday party at Pampas for another month or so. Thanks! I'll be there for cocktails though. Man oh man, those are some strong caipirinhas.
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Pampas is a great place to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, promotion, or any occasion. They can accomadate fairly large groups. This place is an alternative to another Brazilian restaurant if the trek to SF is too far for you.
The decor and ambiance of the restaurant set the mood. I like the overall modern/zen style of the place. The bar and lounge is fairly roomy with comfortable sofas and loveseats. The upstairs loft is spacious and good for parties.
As for the food, $44 per person is a bit on the pricier side, but it is totally worth it if you a true carnivore. $44 gets you the all you can eat meat and sidebar that consists of an assortment of salads, soups, appetizers, rice, sides, and condiments.
The meats are delicious! Some of my faves are the tri tip, sirloin steak, bacon wrapped pork (anything wrapped in bacon was a PLUS), parmesan crusted beef and pork. All the meats were succulent, tender, and juicy. Every bite was a meat orgy. Even if I took pleasure out of every bite, my only complaint is that I found some of the meat to be more on the salty side. Perhaps, maybe they should tone down on the salt if they can. I found the saltiness over power the taste and juicyness of some of the meat. In addition to the neverending servings of meat, we were also given sides of cheesy bread and polenta. The cheesy bread was delicious that I found myself hogging it all on my side of the table (Oops, my bad for not sharing).
4 stars overall for food, service, and atmosphere. If I have out of town guests visiting, this is one of the places I plan on taking them if they have never tried Brazilian dining.
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First churrascaria I've been to so its hard to base what others are like, although I heard others are more authentic. After hearing about that, the first thing I noticed was that the meat carvers didn't look as well trained as they could've been.
On to the food, well it was pretty good. There was an abundance of meat as to be expected. The severs came by often with all varieties of meat from sirloin, to fillet pieces, and even chicken hearts( actually pretty good). Their all you can eat side bar is good as well. It helps balance the mounds of meat you'll be eating at your table.
For 44 bucks a person, you better be hungry though or its just not worth it. Theres an option to just get various entrees if you don't feel like doing the rodizio. I took my family here and unfortunately most of them tapped out early! I'll be back again when I have another super meat craving.
July 4th = 4 Stars
Countries represented for Cindi's 21st birthday celebration:
France - Dom Perignon
Brazil - Barbecue Meat
USA - Jack Daniel's
and Yelpers?
We goin' Global Yelp, as many nations were represented at the table for the party in Palo Alto, CA. Look for the South Bay Crew to invade a four star location near you...
Happy Fourth of July, 2008.
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Anyone ever loosen their belt up by two notches in a fancy restaurant before? Just asking! I'm sure i'm not the only one here!
Pampas is absolutely a remarkable setting for fine dining and the answer to meat lovers in the South Bay. Located a few yards from University Avenue, Pampas is cemented as one of the best places for Brazilian steaks and gourmet meats. No longer will I drive to the city or the central Peninsula. I'm venturing here when I feel skinny again. That said, Cindi's birthday event was a grand venue for fellow Yelpers to end their hectic work week and celebrate the three day 4th of July holiday weekend.
What to prepare for:
Dinner is at $44.00 per person for the open salad bar and all you can eat steak / meats. This is not including the fine selection of wine and cocktails. Service is supreme with the continuous hospitality and personalized attention. Kudos to our dedicated server for his accommodations for our late coming guests and getting them caught up with the rest of our party. Glasses filled to perfection and frequent visits at our table helped me forget about the comparison to their competitor, Espestus. Over the course of the dinner, my diet was severely ruined as I surrendered to the succulent top sirloin, lamp sicles, tri tip, and turkey wrapped in bacon. The frequent visits of the meat presentations sent my taste buds into overdrive. Each selection of mine was juicy with its natural oils intact making this an inevitable meal. The winner is the lamp sicles. The lamb raised the bar in the area of tenderness, presentation, and taste test with its ass kickin herbs. Ask for the grilled pineapple. Served sweet this inspired me to grill pineapple this past weekend. Highlight: Serves chicken hearts? Yes! I love hearts!
How I Finished Off the Evening
Ed H made a good call on the coffee. Since this was a birthday celebration we indulged on the celebrant's cupcakes. Cupcakes and coffee hits the spot. I did look at the Pampas dessert menu, but decided to save it for the next visit. The coconut flan is on my radar.
Corkage: $20.00 per bottle. I suggest purchasing a bottle there. Venture to their first floor wine display. Its freakin awesome! Definitely, baller status if you can purchase several wines here. Ed, Van, and I summoned two bottles of Gascon Malbec. This was a big recommended from the wait staff and perfect for a large group of 10 or more. I love have dark reds with meat. In the case of Malbec, it had sediments of grapes on the bottom of my glass. A red flag at first, but a suttle hitter that soothed my taste buds. Save the expensive bottles for more intimate settings like couple anniversaries or one and one dates.
Seating: Early reservations for large groups of 10 or more are highly suggested. Since I made reservations three weeks in advance, we were able to get the top floor dining. Make note that Pampas has three floors for dining: a ground floor, streel level, and top floor. This wins the fifth star for comfort and opens space dining.
Parking: I found convenient parking at the parking structure between Alma Street and High Street. Free parking after 6:00pm. I would avoid the Palo Alto CalTrain parking lot across the street because its $2.00 in a dark and dusty area.
End the Night with the Bill
If you have a large party of 20 or more (including late comers), have Pampas divide the bill by tables or by couples. We had a major unexpected cost in the end. I hope karma catches up with our bandit diners. I really hate cheap skates.
Cheat Sheets:
Espetus Dinner: $49.99 (this is a drive into the city from San Jose.)
Cleo's: $19.99 (seems to be the logical choice, although the selections of meats are limited - depending on your visit. Frequently crowded with major wait times.)
Pampas: $44.00 (minutes from work... I'm in love).
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Hands down, this is some of the best meat I have eaten. I couldn't get enough of it, well,I did when i was waving my napkin as a white flag and begrudgingly flipping over the coaster to no more meat after the third round. They have two option on the menu for the salad bar and meat, one price for just the salad bar, and another ($40) for meat and salad bar. I wish they had a set price for just the meat because that salad bar is the King Deluxe of salad bars and definitely fills you up before you hit the meat. I do like though that there is an option just for the salad bar as we have a few vegetarians in the family and this option is perfect for them. Service was attentive, and the only reason this review is not 5 stars is because of the bar drinks. I was really excited to come and try these drinks as they have been highly touted througout the restaurant industry and sadly they were a complete let down. We ordered two drinks and one ended up tasting like cough syrup and the other was so tart it made my eyes water. I am hoping that this was just a fluke as we will definitely be back again and will give the drinks one more try.
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We had been planning on hitting up the city for my husband's birthday, but...neither one of us really felt like driving. So, a quick change of reservations were made, and off to Palo Alto we trekked with our daughter.
Where to start? This place is full of meaty goodness. Everything (from the bacon wrapped turkey, to the skirt steak, to the spicy pork) was magnificent. The non-stop selection and rotation of succulent, tasty almost melt-in-your-mouth morsels made their way to and from our table. The foods were so delicious, yet so simple, it was almost overwhelming.
The true testament to the experience was with my 16 year old daughter, who looks at anything that doesn't resemble a plain ol' steak or a chicken tender as poison. She dove into the salad bar, and actually went through the gamut of meats as well, every other utterance from her an "OMG!" or, the capper, "When are we coming back???"
Dessert: we went with the blueberry crisp, and the chocolate tort; again, stellar melt-in-your mouth taste.
Service: we had *excellent* service here; our waiter was sure to dote on us from the moment we sat down, to the moment we left. When he noticed the birthday cards for my husband, he offered us up his dessert at no charge, as well. From other reviews it appears as if it can be off and on, but for us...it was *definitely* their A-Game team out in full force last night.
Price: definitely on the pricey side, but...well worth it.
Final thoughts: I usually reserve a review to a third or 4th visit; it needs to be, at least to me, an extraordinary experience (either good or bad). This was one of those 'memorable' moments for myself, and even my husband was thought that this was one of those 'golden' moments.
Next time we have visitors from back east, this will be the one place we take them.
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1 Star: Decor: The spacious and unique design provides a posh and appealing atmosphere. The ambiance definitely adds to your experience.
1 Star: Service: My bf and I received A+ service from our waiter. I'm sorry I don't remember his name, but his etiquette is something that really stood out. It was a bit uncomfortable (not in a negative way) for him to be doing everything ..."with pleasure."
i.e. Can I get get a refill? With Pleasure. Can we order now? With pleasure. Can we get the check? With Pleasure.
I admit. I am not use to such politeness and service around the Bay Area. but it's a good change once in awhile.
1 Star - Salad Bar + Appetizer: The salad bar was great. There were plenty of items for you to choose from. I enjoyed the freshness of the bar since most salad/buffet bars look like they were yesterdays leftovers. They also give you some appetizers in the beginning including fried bananas, bread, and polenta.
1 Star - Meats/Desserts: There were 14 different types of meat. You are given a hockey puck with green on one side and red on the other. Green means bring me all the meat..NOW. Red means: Let me digest and basque in my gluttony for a minute. Although the pieces are small, they fill you up quickly. I suggest not
filling yourself up on the salad bar/bread from the get go. The meats all came out very quickly. We couldn't keep up. My favorite was the lamb. There was more chicken items then I expected.
I tried the chocolate torte served with caramel ice cream, crème fraiche sauce, bacon Brazil nut toffee, and smoked sea salt.
The tart in itself was great. I guess some places try to be creative with their dishes.....I was not a fan of the bacon/salt/chocolate aftertaste. However my bf was. Go figure. Guys like their salty bacon. The presentation of the dessert was too pretty to eat as well.
Minus 1 Star - Drinks: There was some cork in our wine glasses. Bits and pieces floating around. You would think the bartender would have noticed this....we were served another glass eventually.
1 Bonus Star: I asked where the bathroom was and one of the guys insisted on walking me to the bathroom area instead of pointing and telling me where it was. Probably because it wasn't that busy..but it was a nice gesture. The service here was impeccable, which made up for the cork in the wine incident.
p.s. We arrived around 6 PM on a weekday so we did not have a problem with the meats taking their sweet time coming around to us.
For 44 bucks a person I think it is well worth it.
12 hours later...a full night's sleep...took my "magical" stomach pill. I'm still full and miserable.
I over did it. I simply couldn't control myself. 14 meats. FOURTEEN MEATS! It's heaven on a skewer. And it keeps coming...non-stop. It's out of control. We even had the "puck" on red, but they were oblivious. They just kept coming with meat after wonderful meat.
Funny thing is, I've done this before at another Brazilian steakhouse. And I thought I learned my lesson then. But no. Meat - GOOD meat - is my crack cocaine. And I need help.
Seriously - Pampas was great. We went here with some friends for a birthday celebration. And I think that's the way to do Pampas. Go with some friends. You'll find yourself laughing hysterically at the non-stop skewers being placed next to your plate with the poor guys begging to cut you off a piece. And we DID have the puck on "red" and they kept coming...it was hilarious.
The food was great - especially...well, the meat. I liked the parmesan crusted beef and pork the best. The sirloin (their signature) was also terrific. The tri-tip and lamb chops were good as well. The chicken was ok, the skirt steak was a tad boring to me (which was disappointing, because skirt steak is my favorite).
As for the "salad" bar...it was hit and miss. The beans and rice, though, were a highlight of the night for me. They were delicious...reminded me of red beans and rice back home.
And the fried bananas were amazing...a big hit at the table. The wine list was impressive - with great deals on Spanish reds. And the decor of the place was awesome - I couldn't stop admiring the architecture.
Overall, a great experience. Look forward to coming back...and controlling myself next time.
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Good place to give a try.
The ambiance is the best part. We don't see many places like this around.
They try to do the barbecue Brazilian-style but they don't really get it. In Brazil, they will serve you lots of different kinds of meat in a fashion that will make you feel almost overwhelmed.
The salads are good, although there aren't as many kinds as you would find in a typical Brazilian place.
The "feijoada" (pork meat stew with black beans) is not the truth Brazilian feijoada, where you will find many different cuts of pork meat, but it is tasty.
Price is quite expensive for what they serve. Because there are not many Brazilian places around, they are an good option.
I think maybe the service will improve. They are still learning.
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I'm not a big meat eater; steakhouses aren't my thing. So in that regard, given the prices, I would much rather eat somewhere else and it would rate only a 2 to 3 star experience for me (as in 3 stars I would willingly come back and spend another $100+ on a casual dinner).
But for a heavily meat place, Pampas is definitely above average. The food here was much better than other churrascerias like Fogo de Chao and I liked it better than my last carnivore experience at HOPR.
The variety of meat here is pretty large: different steaks, different pork, lamb, and chicken. The side salad bar was a real cut above most. On top of salad they had nice pastas and even hot food Brazilian style like rice, feijado, collard greens miniera, among others. I really liked it (again, $27 for side bar liked it? probably not normally).
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What a treat! All you can eat meat! Those Brazilians sure know their bbq. This is by far thee fanciest place I've ever eaten bbq! The restaurant is super classy and definitely gives you a sense being somewhere for a special occasion. So it was a nice surprise to be taken here for my birthday:)
I loved the selection of meats and the fact that it comes to your table hot and juicy. My favorite were the lamb chops. It was served with a balsamic vinaigrette reduction sauce and mmmmMmmmm!!! Delish! We requested that one quite a few times.
Service was superb. Meat and side bar all delectable. I would totally love to come back.
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So over the years, I have been to several churrascarias around the world, with the first being in Tokyo, Japan. I haven't been to Brazil before, so I really have no way to make a proper judgment of the authenticity of the food or caprinhas. ;-)
That being said, of the different places I have been to in the past, Pampas is right down the middle for the price, quality, and selection. Earlier this year, my friends and I had visited a Pampas in Las Vegas, and we were really impressed with the service level, which was equally good at this Palo Alto location. Actually, in Vegas, it was too good that we actually had to use the stop light, but this time, the pacing of the meats coming around was much more manageable.
Some of the meats were a bit too salty for my taste, but in general, everything tasted really good. I think my favorite of all the cuts was the lamb chops. Mmm... Pineapple and ham was my least favorite.
Although not the main attraction, the salad bar was actually not too salady... I kinda depend on that to help me push the meat out, but there was not too much in the greens department over here.
The waiters were all pretty cool, and kept coming back to check up on us to make sure we had tried everything, and to ask us what we would like to have come back to us.
Overall, the experience was good, and I definitely will find a time to come back again when I lose the weight I just put on... :D
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I had been wanting to go here for some time and it surely did not disappoint.
Bring your appetite for beef, lamb, and chicken, and lots of it if you so desire because it is endless - as it should be.
Really love the atmosphere and tri-level seating. The exposed brick is all over the place here, and even cooler are the many slim vertical wine "cellars" the restaurant has. Probably the coolest I have seen in a long time.
I found the staff to be extremely helpful throughout the entire meal.
Threw down on the Rodizio with side bar. The side bar is only there to make you feel like you are eating something green, bit it is full of good stuff.
I tried all the meats and my favs were the top sirloin, turkey breast wrapped with smoked bacon, and the leg of lamb.
Of course we had to have some caipirinha's. And the sgt. pepper's strawberry field was great
Couldn't resist dessert either, you must try the chocolate torte with the Brazil nut toffee
Arrived to meet friends, not starving, so this review is for the side bar only, which definately sufficed! Nice fresh veggies and brazilian favorites abound. I can't say it has anything on Porcao, my favorite of this sytle in Rio, so i can't give it stars knowing what is possible, but I was impressed with what i found.. and great that even a vegetarian (not me, but for that hypothetical review reader) can find a full spread.
My recent meal at Pampas was superb: I really liked the food, ambiance, and the relative value. Having chose it for my brother's bday with the familia, I left satisfied.
So why just 3 stars? One word = SERVICE (-1 star).
It actually angers me that a place that does so many things right can screw up big time in this one area. In fact, the service deficiencies are all in one, and only one, department : the WAITERS.
I'm not sure what the waiters do here: maybe take a rare a la carte order or bring a drink from the bartender. They disappear for long periods of time, yet, undoubtedly, take a cut of what we diners leave as tip.
So we had THREE (yes, three!) waiters our night. Here is their story:
The 1st waiter was downright weird and odd, cracking strange jokes and with a strange affect. After we had been seated, we literally waited for 10-15 minutes as we were ignored and the bus boy walked past 3 times with water, but did not fill our glasses.
I finally had to flag down our waiter and he then proceeded to fill our water glasses after asking if we wanted sparkling, bottled, or just tap water. It must be company policy to have the waiter serve the first round of water so that very question may be asked, because the bus boy was excellent in filling our water after that.
When we said tap water would be fine, he made an off-hand joke that he couldn't promise that we wouldn't get a third eyeball from drinking Palo Alto tap water. I guess he was trying to be funny, but it came across as more creepy.
Tired of the bad jokes, I said we were ready to order. Rather than explain the Rodizio concept or ask if we had ever had Brazilian BBQ (my parents had not), he said he was ready too and he expected us to get the Rodizio. This was our first visit to Pampas and I at least expected some explanation about the style of dining we would be doing as well as some alternatives. Nada.
We all chose the all-you-can-eat option and we never saw that 1st waiter again.
The meat servers, unlike the waiters, were awesome. Appearing almost instantaneously once you chose Rodizio, they were very attentive, had great explanations about each meat cut, and were not fazed by excess photo taking!
The manager/host was awesome too and remembered to ask who my brother was (since I had written it was his birthday on my Opentable reservation) and would later bring out a nice surprise birthday cake.
All this was beginning to make the 1st waiter just a distant memory.
...but then stepped in our 2nd waiter. He actually was extremely nice and asked several times if everything was to our satisfaction. He asked if there were any meat dishes we wanted to try and made sure they were sent our way. He even changed my mom's finished plate and gave her a new plate. For the first half of the meal, our dishes had largely sat there, unless a bus boy came along with water and cleared the plates.
I was beginning to think, "Cool! This is how waiters here are supposed to be!" Too bad he came near the end of the meal, but I was still glad to have him.
But then our 2nd waiter disappeared too. He handed us our dessert menus, said he'd be back, and never came back. After ~20 minutes with our dessert menus, I flagged down two bus boys and asked if they could find our waiter. The bus boys were all super friendly and each said our waiter was "on the way." (kinda like "the check is in the mail")
Where the heck had our nice 2nd waiter gone!?! And for that matter, where the heck had our strange 1st waiter gone!?!? And why wasn't there even an introduction like, "hi, I'm Nice Frank...I'll be your waiter from now on as Strange Jim's shift is finishing."
At this point in time, I was getting extremely frustrated. I was actually going to leave and NOT order desserts. But having talked to the manager, I knew they might be bringing out a surprise birthday cake with our dessert orders, so I had to order.
Frustrated, I flagged down the 3rd waiter. Just wanting to know where our 2nd waiter was, I asked her if she could find our waiter, since the bus boys had not been successful. Surprisingly, she didn't flinch nor did she seem surprised. She just replied, "just give me the order." What?!? Does this happen all the time?? No, "oh, let me find him and see where he went?" Do they take 60 minute breaks and cover for each other as they smoke in the back room?
I then told her I had some questions about the desserts and she rushed through some half-hearted explanations as if she was getting off in 10 minutes and just covering for disappearing waiter #2.
Interestingly, we never saw her or the other two waiters ever again. All our desserts, tea, and coffee were brought out by the manager. As was the surprise birthday cake. The End.
Pampas: The Mystery of the Three Disappearing Waiters
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Most people get the Brazilian table side meat buffet, but I wasn't that hungry so it wasn't a good deal for me, but was for husband. Come here for the full deal only if REALLY REALLY hungry (which I wasn't).
Meat quality was excellent and at $44 a good deal IF you plan on eating a lot of it, at least comparable to a large size steak.
If you aren't or are a small eater or on a diet you are far better off with an entree or just the all you can eat salad bar portion which is only $27 and very reasonable for the amount of cold meat and fish options on it.
Medium size eater or non-red meat eater should maybe get an entree plus the salad bar which is then the price of the entree PLUS 12 dollars (with the entree you'll they expect you to eat less salad/sides). You could do this as well and eat to your salad bar to hearts content then take most of entree home, making it in essense two meals (and yes I'm chintzy like that).
Remember the Rodizio cannot be taken "Take-out" but entree's and doggie type leftovers (including bones and grizzle from Rodizio) can be taken if you ask politely.
Gillian was very happy with the leftover bones, grizzle, and cold bean soup - and it left me with room for the better part of the meat when I was there.
Servers were nice and friendly if a little disorganize (hence only 4 stars).
Just celebrated Father's Day there. The restaurant was filled with other families probably doing the same. In any case, the staff was amazing. They were really accommodating to the youngsters, asking if we needed anything, and really made an effort to welcome the kids. My toddler enjoyed having the parade of servers come by with the skewers of meats and saying hello. When sitting there got old, we requested the complimentary dvd players which kept the kids entertained while we continued feasting. Absolutely brilliant! The kid's menu is great too, and their entrees include ice cream. The kids were the only ones that had dessert as the adults were all stuffed.
All the meat was perfectly cooked and the buffet bar was very upscale and gourmet - not what you would normally expect. Did I mention the yummy appetizers - loved the fried polenta and plantains. Our party was not disappointed and would definitely go back.
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Sorry to go against the flow, but I wasn't impressed. Maybe I've set the bar too high from visiting world class churrascaria from Houston to Chicago to LA to Tokyo. If I had never been to a Brazilian restaurant before, I would have thought the place was gosh darn, gee whiz fantastic.
Ambience: 5 stars. Warm and inviting chic modern dark woods and sleek lines. Not cavernous but instead separated out over 3 levels for a better sense of intimacy.
Salad Bar: 4 stars. Strikes a great balance between fresh stand bys and some distinctive additions. Flow could have been better. Usually a salad bar of this length can be approached from both ends. This one was only approachable from left to right. Even though they had salads and such on the far ends (as well as plates?) and main course sides in the middle, the dressings were only on the far right end. Allot of confusion reigned as to which side people should approach the bar without bumping into each other.
Waiter Service: 5 stars. Cordial and attentive.
Drinks/wine list: 5 stars. As long as they have strong caipirinha and decent malbecs by the glass, I have no complaints.
Live Music: 3 stars. I know i shouldn't dis any place that has live music -- ever, but you can only really hear the band at the bar up front and I could swear that their repertoire was limited to the 12 tracks on the Getz/Gilberto album.
Rodizio (meats): 3.5 stars for distinctive selection/variety. I thought the linguisa sausage was especially tasty. Besides the skirt steak and the overly rare top sirloin or two, though, old standbys were few and far between. Where was the ribeye and non-specialty sirloins?
One more ding for the fact that the thicker cuts were well cooked on the outside but bleeding raw just under the surface. (Just check out their website: its like they are advocates of bleeding raw.) I'm a big fan of rare, don't get me wrong, but my wife prefers more well done (don't ask me why, but i've learned to live with it). The nice thing about many a top churrascaria is that they have something for everyone and can carve for different tastes.
Meat Carving: 2 stars. I'm being generous. None of their servers seem to have ever come close to a finesse demonstrated by many a passador found elsewhere. Most didn't even weld a sword but merely a dinner knife to cut and push. When they did use a sword, it was clear that none had ever used one before. They would try to make a thin slice but fail and have to start over. Next time you go to a top churrascaria, you'll be amazed at how nimble and fluid they are with a sword.
Sorry to be a party pooper. Give me Espertus in SF or when it opens in San Mateo who knows when.
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"We've been open for one month and two days," said our server.
Well. It shows. Don't get me wrong: the food is overall really good and the service is very well meaning. But they've got some adjustments to make.
1. If you serve a three of four guests a serving of extremely rare chicken it would be nice if you apologized and offered to comp something, perhaps the bottled water or maybe a dessert or a coffee? And replace the silverware that touched the raw chicken without needing to be asked.
2. The plate change would have been more useful before we had flipped the disk from green to red.
3. $20 corkage is excessive for a place where dinner runs $44 per person. If that price holds firm I won't be back.
4. $12 for 3 average size scallops on a piece of lettuce is just stupid.
Now for the good stuff:
1. The hostess was really professional. Keep her!
2. The gents serving\carving meat were so helpful and friendly and were really good about coming around with a good amount of frequency. Because of them we got to try everything on the menu which was great. By the way, I love the lamb dude, the ham dude, and the pork loin dude. And those spicy chicken legs were fanfrickintastic.
3. Apart from the raw chicken we were impressed with much of the food.
4. Our server was the perfect combo between relaxed and professional which is the right presentation for a place like this. Keep that guy around.
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the company had a happy hour event here... and it was fun & delicious...
had a few brazilian drinks with strong sugar cane alcohol.... tons of food... samosas, cheese platter, chicken, calamari, corn bread fritters, slices of steak... and a few other things. we didn't have the bbq that is sliced table side... it was more of an array of appetizers.
for dessert we had the most delicious sorbet - mango and raspberry...
the restaurant is in the old location of Q... an bar that i used to hang out in college... i could barely recognize it as Q... awesome job remodeling. i loved the sunken dining area... it's semi-private for a larger group dinner or event....
i definitely want to try this place for dinner... can't wait to go back!
My fiancee' and I went here since we love brazilian churasscarias. The layout of the restaurant is very unique. It has a kind of underground area for private dinner parties and they have more seating above that.
The buffet is great! So much to choose from. Reminds me of Plataforma in NYC.
The mojitos were nice and sweet and caipirinhas were very strong, but good.
The meat was excellent as well.
We also had the ice cream brownie dessert which was very good.
This was my first experience with Brazilian Rodizio dining, and I thought it was fantastic. Definitely go for the unlimited $44 option. I think just getting the side bar for $27 is not worth it, but the meats are delicious.
My favorites: any kind of pork loin (lombo), tri-tip (maminha), and the turkey wrapped in bacon (peru)
Their drinks are strong here, at least in the caipirinha style. Service was excellent. I'd come back for special occasions, or when I'm craving lots of meat.
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Here's a little background. On our 2nd date, my now-husband took me to a steakhouse, figuring he could suss out immediately if I was a strange California vegetarian...since East Coasters seem to think that most California's are only tofu-lovers. Imagine his glee when I quickly ordered up a medium Filet Mignon, and proceeded to tear it apart with my teeth, hands, feet...whatever was available.
Fast foward 8 years. Pampas has been open a month. Of course we HAVE to go, like immediately. As two now-happily-married carnivores, whenever we go to places like this, we get all nostalgic like...'Awww remember when you thought I was a soy-loving vegetarian?' (Not that I have anything against vegetarians, I just would make a really horrible one!)
So into Pampas we go with my mango-loving-soul-sister and a friend we haven't seen in a while. We got a huge table, went straight to the Rodizio on the menu. Found the side/salad bar, couldn't figure out which side to start on, to some sour-looking-lady's chagrin, ordered a couple of bottles of wine and that's basically all she wrote...or rather all we remember. Who knew there were so many types, cuts, marinades for meat?? Us, apparently.
I think we tried all 14 options and if not all 14, then at least 12. Liked the funny little round cheesy bread though at first you smelled it thinking, what the heck is this?? We didn't bother with appetizers or much from the side bar, thanks to Yelpers saying to steer clear and just go straight for the...MEAT!
Our waitress was really amazing, and so were the guys who came by all night long with their skewers, knives and our coveted meat. They were chatty and accommodating...when we asked about something they'd always bring it by the table the next chance they got. And the PINEAPPLE. Apparently, it's so popular that the little pineapple guy can go through 5 pinas in just one jaunt around the restaurant.
One thing I'd love to see change is to give each diner their own red/green button...because when 2 of us were done, but 2 weren't...we felt so bad telling the crestfallen-meat-guys no no no....and then you end up with more on your plate that you can eat. If I could flash a big red button saying STOP, it'd be no questions asked.
Overall though, a great experience, great value, fabulous venue...who knew that Q could clean up so nicely? It's hard to believe this is the same venue.
Oh and for those wondering...we went at 7pm on a Saturday and there were a few young toddlers at tables with parents. The really cool thing is that the restaurant has these little fun orange DVD players, they will hand them out to help keep your kidlet occupied. The fab result for those of us without small +1/2's is that we didn't hear one crying or restless child our whole dinner. Perk!
They also had a sweet live jazz band playing in the swanky lounge area on Saturday night, which set the mood for lots of wine, great conversation and some fabulous protein-packed meat.
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Last summer we went to Fogo de Chao in Chicago (http://www.yelp.com/bi... ) and had such a five-star experience that we couldn't wait to try out Pampas when we heard about it. We were hoping it would be another superb experience here.
We celebrated Father's Day here and while it was a nice dinner, I couldn't give it 5 stars like I did for Fogo. It was a pleasant experience, but not out of this world. I didn't regret going there, but I wouldn't return either. Been there, done that.
The food in general was good, not excellent. Several cuts of meat stood out from the rest:
- Lamb chops
- Turkey wrapped with bacon
- Garlic beef
The service was great, the staff was very accommodating and friendly. I was very surprised how family friendly this place can be, as there were many tables with little children. It was probably because of Father's day, I bet the dining crowd would be very different on a weekday.
Overall, good meal. Worth a try if you like meat.
Don't believe the hype! Service was okay but the "orgy of meat" never kept coming. We had to practically flag down the servers only to find that they kept bringing us the same meats. First time trying this Brazillian BBQ but not sure if I want to do it again. Decor is nice but I was really excited by the reviews about the food, therefore kinda disappointed. My favorite was probably the pork loin.
P.S. Didn't help that PIC was unattentive and looking at MC Hammer and his entourage at the next table (swear to god)..for most of the night.
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I took my bf to Pampas last night for his birthday. We were both very pleased and extremely FULL.
I warned him before we arrived that they will try to fill us up with their delicious bread basket (YUM!) and the extensive side bar. We were very good at moderating ourselves in that respect. The side bar had a good mix of cold and hot items, one of his favorite being the chickpeas with olives.
As for the meat - all of it was good. I had the same experience as another reviewer and had a piece of chicken that was undercooked (hence the 4 star rating), but the bite of meat I got from the fully cooked outer portion was delicious! Some of our other favorites were the picanha, sirloin filet, fraldinha and linguica. SO TASTY!
The service was good - we were asked if we would like any type of meat in particular and they showed up at our table right away. They are a bit pricey, but the experience is worth it once in a while.