Food in this place is horrible, and it's not authentic Brazilian. They serve fried Spanish chips, and bread (which was stale) that comes with a plate of olives and vegetables in olive oil that is more characteristic of Portugal or Spain, and it's not something served in a Brazilian Churrascaria. The typical Brazilian Rodízio Steakhouse will welcome the guest with courtesy fresh cheese bread or regular Brazilian French-styled roll bread and butter, not olives and vegetables in olive oil, dry stale bread, and no butter.
We ordered Brazilian cheese bread. They came late (we had to ask for the appetizer) so service was not good. Paid $13 for a mere eight (8) very small cheese bread. Simply ridiculous and overpriced. The cheese bread was really horrible.
My companion had the sirloin and shrimp dish. The steak sirloin was very chewy and the shrimp texture was like rubber. Absolutely overcooked. For a plate costing almost $40 it was sautéed for too long and/or the meat served as a "sirloin" was not high quality beef. Two shrimps came. This was my companion's dish who was also having a hard time with the meat because amongst the sirloin and the shrimp she found another kind of meat which we didn't know whether it was pork or other kind of meat. Nobody knew what that meat was and we asked.
I had the picanha dish, which came with white rice, black beans, sautéed collard greens with garlic, and a mix of onions, tomatoes, and vinegar. The picanha was borderline mediocre, but acceptable. Not very good picanha by any stretch of imagination, but the lesser mediocre dish this place had to offer. Farofa with bacon, onion, and garlic is a delicious treat that comes with the rice and beans in normal Brazilian Churrascaria. Not this one. The dish was incomplete and whoever knows Brazilian churrasco will know exactly what this means.
The owner of this restaurant is not Brazilian but Portuguese, though the place advertises as a Brazilian steakhouse and doesn't really serve authentic Brazilian food. This detail would not matter, if this restaurant served great food. However, it doesn't, and the premise that this place is a Brazilian Churrascaria is false. Even the name of the restaurant is a joke: the word "Paladar" means taste in Brazilian Portuguese. Their food is overall not tasty and, in fact, the food is bad.
Service in this place is awful. Appetizer came late, and it was not friendly or courteous. We complained about the chewy sirloin to the waitress who apologized, but did nothing else. She was not a good server because she was too entangled with a larger table and ignored my table (who had only two persons) thinking obviously only about the larger tip. The restaurant was also understaffed and the bus boys knew very little and did even less, so this semi-rude waitress was running around like a headless chicken and simply didn't care about our table. Management in this place doesn't exist.
Ambiance is dark and at dinner it seems to be too formal lit with candles. Not the typical vibrant and colorful ambiance that an authentic Brazilian Steakhouse normally should have and in most cases go for. Ambiance is more like a Portuguese or Spanish tavern than a Brazilian Churrascaria.
Rodízio of meats is almost $56 per person, and this place does not allow sharing. It is highly overpriced considering that the meat is subpar. I invite readers to compare with other Brazilian Steakhouses (except Fogo de Chão, which is also super expensive, but much better and truly Brazilian.) Specifically in areas where there is competition (such in Newark, NJ), Brazilian rodízio places would be around no more than $38 per person or $40 tops with very good quality meats and variety.
The most Brazilian thing in this venue is a mosaic in the reception depicting the Christ Redeemer statue, and vicinities of the most famous city in Brazil: Rio. Bit of context: I am Brazilian from Rio, born and raised there, and I have been eating Brazilian food all my life. I know Brazilian Churrascaria (s). This place is not one of them.
I observed that most of the clientele in this place is American (mid to high class) and have absolutely no clue about what exactly they are eating or paying for, flushing money down the toilet and being ripped off. Brazilians won't eat there twice.
Summary of the review:
1. Food not authentic per se
2. Food overpriced and subpar
3. Service mediocre, understaffed, not friendly
4. Ambiance too formal for a Churrascaria that "pretends" to serve Brazilian food
Avoid this place at all costs. This place is a rip off and there are way better authentic Brazilian steakhouses in NJ. Not coming back. read more