Reviews of Denver Restaurant Week continue with a visit to Rodizio Grill, a Brazilian steakhouse. Located in lower downtown Denver (LODO), Rodizio has a dark, sophisticated atmosphere with colorful Brazilian art decorating the walls. Although crowded with people wishing to engage in the $52.80 special, the noise level was low providing an intimate setting.
The meal began with unlimited appetizers of Banana Frita, Polenta, and Pao de Queijo. The Banana Frita was a delectable slice of warm banana with a cinnamon and sugar coating that offered a sweet burst of flavor. The Polenta was a delicious deep-fried cornmeal with a gooey center. Pao de Queijo was a cheese bread made with yucca flour that was utterly melt-in-your-mouth fantastic.
After the appetizers, it was time to pick and choose from the unlimited salad bar. The salad bar was immense, featuring both cold and warm options. Some cold options were potato salad, yogurt chicken salad, Rodizio salad, crab salad, mozzarella balls, and quail eggs. Some warm options were beef stroganoff, alfredo, mashed potatoes, and rice. The salad bar was delicious and would have made a fine meal by itself.
Following the salad bar time was the main entree, the meat. Brazilian Gauchos greeted guests and brought the choice, skewered meats directly to the table. The entire selection consisted of tri-tip sirloin, top sirloin, garlic beef, Brazilian pot roast, whole sirloin, parmesan sirloin, beef tender, turkey wrapped in bacon, sweet and spicy chicken, marinated chicken, chicken hearts with lime, white fish, Brazilian sausage, marinated pork loin, grilled ham and grilled pineapple. The favorite meats were the beef options. They were grilled perfectly and melted in your mouth. Another favorite was the grilled pineapple. The Gauchos added to the atmosphere with high-energy and jokes to keep guests entertained.
At each table, guests are given a wooden hourglass shaped piece, red on one side and green on the other. When the green side was up, the Gauchos would keep the meat coming. When guests need a break, put the red side up and the Gauchos stop coming. This novel idea made sure that guests didn’t feel bombarded at their table. Once finished with the meat, guests concluded their dining experience with dessert.
Desert consisted of two choices, Pudim de Leite and Rabanada which are a caramel flan and a warm cinnamon pastry respectively. The flan melted on the tongue and was the perfect blend of creamy and caramel which made for the absolute perfect end of a fantastic meal. The warm cinnamon pastry was akin to a sopapilla stuffed with custard and coated with cinnamon sugar. It was tasty and it came with vanilla ice cream.
Rodizio Grill is highly recommended to the Mines community. For a great experience, delicious food, and plenty of it, Rodizio Grill is your place to go. Just make sure to call ahead and make reservations!