Espetus: A bonanza of beef at this Brazilian steak house
If you’ve never tried a Brazilian steak house (also known as a churrascaria), a hot new culinary trend, you’re in for a treat. It’s a unique dining experience not to be missed, unless you’re a vegetarian. And if you have been to one, you’ll still be delighted by Espetus (Portugese for “skewer”). The San Francisco Upper Market location (there’s also a sister restaurant in San Mateo) is the Bay Area’s first and arguably still the best.
Oddly enough, you begin at the “salad bar”—although because this is a churrascaria, even the salad bar is sprinkled with meat items. Typical of the 15 to 20, mostly Latin American-inspired dishes are Mexican grilled corn salad, mango salad and Brazilian ground-beef crepes. But limit yourself to one plateful, because the idea is to merely whet your appetite for the meat.
When you’re ready, turn the small wheel on your table from red (“Nao Obrigado”—No, Thanks) to green (“Sim, Por Favor”—Yes, Please). That cues the carvers—dressed in colorful gaucho (Brazilian cowboy) outfits—to begin stopping at your table with their sword-like skewers of mesquite-fire-grilled meats. Knives and tongs are used to slice and pluck these meats onto your plate.
Carvers come by every two or three minutes with skewers. Spiced steaks include various versions of sirloin and filet mignon, but chicken, pork, lamb and even grilled shrimp are also offered. If you’re a slow eater, simply turn the wheel to red while you catch up. As if all this food isn’t enough, plates of fried polenta, fried bananas, grilled pineapple and cheese bread are also brought to the table. The prix-fixe pricing is $50 for dinner (12-14 meats), $33 for a weekend lunch (12-14 meats) or $24 for a weekday lunch (seven meats).
The large corner restaurant is decorated with paintings of gauchos, cattle and campfires inspired by Brazil’s Pampas region. None of this is phony; most of the chefs and carvers, and even many patrons, are Brazilians.
Make a reservation or arrive early; the restaurant often fills by 6 p.m. because people like to eat all this meat early enough to permit digestion. (If you overdo it, expect to feel full for at least 24 hours.)
A second location in downtown San Mateo (710 South B Street, 650-342-8700), which opened in 2008, has a more substantial bar/lounge and more non-meat salad bar choices. Everything else—the food, prices and format—is the same as at the San Francisco restaurant.
HelloSanFrancisco Tip: Unfortunately you’ll be too full to try any of the 11 South American-inspired desserts. But do order with your meal a caipirinha, a sweet Brazilian drink with cachacas (fermented sugar cane) providing the kick.
Posted by Bob Cooper
