Agora Churrascaria

I visited Agora with a group in December. It was a Tuesday and the service was wonderful, very friendly and prompt. The atmosphere is chic and elegant; a perfect place for a couple but also works well for group dining due to the unique style of serving. Not to mention the food was fantastic!!! I highly recommend.

Posted 01/14/09

One of my favorite spots for my brazilian food fixes. I eat here at least once a month and i don't think i will ever get tired of the food here.

Posted 12/04/08

I absolutely loved every bit of my visit at this restaurant. The food was prompt and yummy...fresh and the atmosphere was just perfect.

Posted 07/03/08

I took my girl here on our 2 year anniv. I was lucky this place was good, not that she'd really care, but I didn't want dull food. This place was sooo good with their selection, and everything I tried was near perfect. It is kinda expensive (anticipate at least 60 per person), but worth it. I loved it, she loved it, and we can't wait to go back. they do need a little more variety in their side portions area, but customers truly only go there for the Brazillian style meat.

Pros: Service, Food, Ambience

Cons: Side Dishes

Posted 05/27/08

This place is okay, but way too pricey for what it is! My thought coming out of there was: "give me a freakin' break!!' Churrascarias are known for being pricier than the average dining experience, justified by 'all the food you're getting.' So even if expensive, I'd expect this place to have something else: an ambience, the service, the variety... But instead, everything was average, or less than. I thought it was nothing out of the ordinary, and the meat was not that great. There was not that much variety. I personally also like all the brazilian 'additives' to come w/ the meat: collard greens, pao de queijo, farofa,... there was nothing!!! Just some whitened salad at the bar (yuck!) There was, of course, a general 'snottiness' vibe coming from the waiters, because after all, "this is a 'schee-schee' place that it's too good for mortals." I think the churrascaria in Long Beach is WAY better (forgot the name!); and if you do want something fancy and 'schee-schee' to take guests, Fogo de Chao in LA is a much better choice b/c there, both the food and the ambience impresses. Agora needs to get over itself, or step up their game!!!

Pros: Location for OC residents who like brazilian food

Cons: Too pricey, little value

Posted 05/08/08

Yummy food. Great Service. Romantic dining. Semi-casual. Price on the upper end but OK for celebrations. Save your appetite for this meal as there's a ton of meat to try and a good size buffet to keep you busy!

Pros: Good Food, Ambiance, Service

Cons: Price

Posted 04/24/08

What a great dining experience! Agora is the best Brazialian Restaurant that I have ever been to. The selection is better than most and they change it all tthe time. It is only a place to go to when you really are hungry. They have a buffet area with side dishes and salads. The meats are served table side on skewers and they are right off the grill.

This is a great place to take friends to. Go hungry!

Posted 04/21/08

I think Agora is the best Churrascaria in Southern California. The service is good, the decor is nice, blah ,blah. The bottom line is this place has the best tasting food out of all the Brazilian steak houses I've been to.

Pros: Food, service, atmosphere

Cons: Like most good restaurants, it's not cheap.

Posted 02/13/08

My wife and I visited the restaurant on 1/11/08; the service from the waiter was good. However, after seating for 20 minutes and having followed the advice of Citysearch website, a site with customer's reviews of fine dining establishment, we visited the salad bar and ate lettuce and tomato only. Leaving plenty of room for the meat, that was never to be.

After seating there for 15+ minutes with our green tag facing up, not one serving of meat came by our table. Our waiter came by to see how we were doing and before he could finish his own sentence, he said "...you still have not been served? I'll be right back" he dashed to the kitchen and even after his intervention, the salmon cart came by. I refused the salmon; my wife took a sliver of the salmon and said to me, ?be glad you didn?t try it.? I said hey this is churrascaria, not a seafood restaurant, just wait for the meat.
Five more minutes passed and no meat! At that point, we asked for our bill and we were told that we would only be charged for two vegetarian plates.

When the waiter brought the bill, I simply handed him my credit card and he took it and came back for my signature. I was shocked to see that the bill was over $80.00. So two drinks and two servings of lettuce and tomato cost us over $80.00. I do not mind paying for quality, but I feel that the service and goods provided were below any acceptable standard of a fine dining experience. We respectfully request that you refund the cost of the two salads. Keep the amount charged for the two drinks and the gratuity for the waiter.

Pros: NICE LOOKING ATTRACTIVE DECOR

Cons: NEVER TATES THE MEAT, SERVICE WAS SLOW

Posted 01/15/08

I have been to several Brazilian steak house but this one is awsome, fantastic restaurant. I would definately recommend this restaurant to treat your date or your family or any business associate in a royal atmostphere.

Posted 09/09/07

I've been to several churrascarias. The restaurant is nicely designed, but comparing price to value against the other all-you-can-eat Brazilian places, I would rate this one the worst. For a weekend dinner visit, it was missing a few meat servings that other locations served. Another big downside is the small size of their drink glasses. When service is slow, you'd better be taking small sips. And if you order non-refillable drinks like orange juice, be ready to fork out the money as a 6 year old ended drinking $12 dollars of juice (of course, they didn't bother asking an adult before bringing over the 2 extra juice glasses). Also, charging $21 for a 4 year who just had some rice and bread is definitely not worth the money. Two other churrascarias did not charge for the 4 year old kid.

Pros: Very nice looking restaurant

Cons: Valet parking when there is plenty of parking (your car will be parked in front of your eyes)

Posted 08/27/07

Even though I don't really enjoy meat in general I still go there because of the salad bar and the cheese ball (don't know how you call it exactly) those little bread... sooooooooooo goooooooooood
very clean, modern interior, great desert, good service.... I've been there already 10 times but I want to go back soon, I miss the cheese ball... so much~

Posted 07/18/07

My family and I recently visited Agora Churrascaria and was pleasantly suprised by the quality of the dishes and who can forget the plethora of MEAT! I have been to By Brazil, Fogo De Chao, M grill, Gaucho Village and countless other "Brazilian Churrascarias" but Agora was by far the most authentic and met every standard I have in a "Rodizio" type of restaurant. The most important part of any customer related business is service and Agora was top notch in this category. Another great aspect of Agora was their Wine Menu and Cocktail Menu. There wine menu was very impressive. Being a "Wine Expert" ( I am an editor for Wine Spectator) I was able to agree with the choice that complimented the various types of meat and fish. A specialty drink called "Capirina" was the highlight of the night for my wife. This Brazilian Cocktail tastes like a Mojito but much stronger and complex. I would recommend Agora to any Carnivore that would enjoy great service, great wine and not to mention great price.

Pros: Service, Understanding of Different Meats, Cheesebread, Wine, Ambience

Cons: Lighting

Posted 07/16/07

Paradise!!
I've been to Agora several times and as always food and service were excellent:
The salads and hot entries were delicious as well as their meat selection skirt steak ans picania are my favorites.
all wait staff were very friendly and extremely dedicated to please us. The only thing I do not like, it is that the valet takes all the closer parking spots so you have to walk a little if you do not want to valet park your car.
I definitely recommend this to all my friends.

oh! I almost forgot, these people complaining about the price, have no Idea of how much a single plate with fillet mignon or top sirloin cost in a regular steak house!

Pros: Salads, Meat selection and service

Cons: valet parking

Posted 07/15/07

I didn't see the kid standing there, I swear. If I did, do you honestly think I'd have done what I done? Either way, it's not so much the BBQ at this place that bothers me as much as the nihilism. It's as if World War IV never happened. It's JUST like they told me, "Gobt Dero! Gobt Dero! Zinf dsi dsi dsi zinf dsi dso!!"

Park around the corner at the Gigfer Palace Motel, tis a noteworthy companion to the brothel next door.

Tell Frinsh you like his evening jacket and you won't be disappointed.

Posted 07/01/07

Almost all the meat was really overcooked and tought. The filet and sirloin were good, but getting them to your table was ridiculously hard. Fogo De Choa is MUCH better- better service, food, etc. I'm sure if you have never been to this style of restaurant before, you might enjoy (hence the high rating)...save your money and drive up to LA...

Pros: easy parking

Cons: bad food

Posted 06/27/07

We visited this place in March, mid-week, for a dinner. The food was delicious, they have a large salad and side dish bar, and the waiters walk around serving the meat. Try to avoid stuffing yourself with the salad bar food, and wait for the meat. If requested, they will special prepare the chicken hearts.
The best meet cuts were lamb, different Brazilian steak cuts (skirt steak). Good service and overpriced drinks.
I would highly recommend it - it is a unique place, not a chain. The service is a bit relaxed, so pace yourself with the food, in order to taste what you came for - on the night of our dinner, they had 13 different skewered meats.

Pros: Great meet, unique, not a chain

Cons: price, but worth it

Posted 06/14/07

WENT WITH A PARTY OF ABOUT 15. YOU'LL GENERALLY PAY ABOUT $50 AT MANY CHURRASCARIAS BUT THIS IS WELL WORTH IT. THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR DECOR IS CASUAL YET ELEGANT AND VERY FIT FOR THE SUBURBS. THE SERVICE IS FAST AND POLITE, MEAT IS TENDER AND PERFECTLY SEASONED. THE SIDE DISHES AND SALAD BAR ARE HARD TO STAY AWAY FROM. JUST TRY NOT TO GET FULL OF THOSE- CONCENTRATE ON THE MEAT! THE DESSERTS ARE NICE AFTER A CARNIVEROUS MEAL. THE RESTAURANT EVEN STAYED OPEN LATE FOR US AND WEREN'T BITTER ABOUT IT. I'VE ALREADY RECOMMENDED IT TO MY FRIENDS AND PLAN ON GOING BACK

Pros: FOOD, SERVICE, DECOR

Cons: PUTS A DENT IN YOUR WALLET, BUT WORTH IT

Posted 04/09/07

Agora is my favorite brazilian bbq place in OC. Very nice location, nice ambiance, valet parking etc. Like other brazilian bbqs it has a buffet along with the servings of meat. The buffet was a bit lacking i think compared to the other brazilian bbqs, they only had half as many food items and even best ones you had to request to your table (cheese rolls, friend banana) instead of being able to grab it from the buffet. The meats however are amazing and top notch. Very juicy, perfectly seasoned, and large portions. However i was told recently they do not cook the meats as salty as they used to because people complained, although little do they know that is traditional brazilian style. Nonetheless the flavor was excellent and i was very satisfied overall. However i think the price is a tad bit high on average compared to other brazilian restaurants in the area that offer almost the same. However make no mistake you will not walk out this place hungry or dissatisfied.

Pros: amazing meat, great service, nice location

Cons: pricey, buffet is lacking

Posted 03/08/07

I've been to Agora twice and this past weekend a girlfriend and I had plans to eat there on Saturday night. Little did I know that she surprised me by inviting out my closest friends so there were a total of 17 of us there. I had to ask several times for them to bring the house cut to our table. The table right next to us was served it but it never reached me. So again I had to ask. It took about 30 minutes for them to make it to our table. They charged us a 20% gratuity fee and I expected better service for the amount of tip I was forced to pay. This place is terrible for larger parties. The meat was salty and over cooked for some cuts of meat. The first time I went it was nice. Great service, with good food this time was the total opposite. Total tip paid was close to $170.

Pros: None

Cons: horid service, average food

Posted 01/17/07

You'll love this place. The quality is excellant, the atmosphere is real nice, and the food flows all night. Don't waist too much time at the salad bar.

Pros: everything

Cons: none

Posted 11/19/06

This place is an absolute must visit.

They keep bringing out food in the typical Brazilian style, but the quality is incredible. I have been to varoius Brazilian Churrascaria type places, including Foga de Choa in Beverly Hills, and this one is the best, by far.

The environment is wonderful, as is the service. Prices are also very reasonable.

Pros: Food is King here.

Cons: No Cons

Posted 11/16/06

Our party was slighted by the staff on occasion, but attentive the rest of the time. The meat selections were varied but weren't brought around very often. The salad bar is really so much more; you could stuff yourself on the varieties of sides and alternatives to the main course. I left completely full and without much desire to eat meat again for a while. My favorite was the bacon-wrapped beef. A tad greasy but amazingly good.

Pros: lots of parking, large number of sides

Cons: service could improve slightly

Posted 11/03/06

First off, let me say to the person who posted earlier who was lamenting about ribs not being available, lay off the c pipe! If you want ribs, go to an american BBQ place, not a Brazilian one. Anyways, I first had churrascaria here at Agora. I came here for lunch several times w/ coworkers. The meat was brought around frequently, and what splendid meat it was! Filet mignon, top sirloin, sausage, skirt steak, etc. all were offered in medium rare to well done, which was awesome. The filet mignon and top sirloin were to die for. For 20 dollars a head, this place could simply not be beat! I took at a gamble afterwards and tried two places closer to my house, Amazon in Fullerton and Green Field in Long Beach. Went to lunch at both places, both places were TERRIBLE. Meats were all cooked well done, and offered mediocre cuts at best. It seemed like the servers only came out every 10-20 mins, with the same nasty meats each time. Trust me, Agora is definitely worth the drive. You will not be dissapointed.

Pros: Excellent variety, Cooked to preference, great service

Posted 06/28/06

a MUST experience. excellent service and food. great for large/energetic gatherings. spacious and clean.

Pros: ambience, price, quality of food

Cons: none

Posted 06/16/06

People need to understand that a bunch of meat doesn't translate to a good Brazlian BBQ. First of all, what kind of brazlian bbq don't carry RIBS. I mean not pork ribs, but ribs....People need to understand, if you really want to go somewhere and eat a good brazlian bbq place, go to FOGO DE CHAO, little pricey but the best....

Posted 03/29/06

Not knowing what to expect, I went to this restaurant solely because of the high-rating on Citysearch. I found out that it was an all-you-can-eat buffet-type restaurant. They had an enormous variety of steak types. Their salad bar, rice and mashed potatoes were great as well. When I tasted the filet mignon, it made me not want to try anything else because it was so delicious. I was so full but still had to try the dessert, which was awesome as well. However, the dessert wasn't included in the buffet price. I went back to this restaurant during their lunch hours since it was cheaper, but sadly found out that they didn't serve the filet mignon during lunch. So first-timers should definitely try out their dinner menu.

Pros: Excellent variety, Great service, Exceptional steaks

Cons: Expensive

Posted 03/17/06

Absolutely FABULOUS food & service! The eggplant from the salad bar is especially delicious. This is the only restaurant you can gracefully enjoy an "all you can eat" meal. The layout of the restaurant makes it equally appropriate to bring a date or a large group.

Pros: Ambience, Meat

Posted 02/02/06

Our family is Brasilian ("s" in brasil, not "z"). Yes, Agora is a typical churrascaria with traditional rodizio (rotisseri bbq). However, it's not the only one in SoCal. Compared to the others, I'd say, for quality of meat, which is critical, it's in the upper 90%. For its salad bar with entree items, the high 70's to low 80%. In Brasil, the salad bar includes many hot entrees. Our group of Brasilian friends, about 12 of us, hit them just after opening. The servers, many Brasilians, did quite well. The quality of lamb was exceptional. The beef items were also very good. I asked for and got "mal pasado", or very rare. Overall, if you want to do the Brasilian BBQ experience, this is a good "high end" starting point. Drinks and desserts will push the bill up quickly, which is typical in any US based churrascaria.

Pros: Very good meats, Careing owners

Cons: Mediocre salad bar

Posted 12/30/05

I vistied Agora for the first time last night, and it was great!! (service was a little lax: our waiter took our dessert order and disappeared returning after someone else had taken the plates away only to offer us dessert again.) All the meats served were great. even the bar was fantastic. There's also enough space for large parties, although it could get a little expensive. dinner/drinks/deserts for 4 = $200. i highly reccomend.

Pros: yummy meats, good salads and sides

Cons: distant servers

Posted 11/03/05

I had never ate at a brazilian steakhouse before....the service was excellent, very creative, if you eat here, you should go in on an empty stomach, because you get what you pay for and then some. The meat was excellent, the filet and and top sirloin was my favorite. I would recommend this restaurant for a date or party or if you just want to grab some dinner with a couple friends, its very versatile.....

Posted 10/26/05

excellent food and service. the meats were incredible. room can get a little loud so might be a tough date place but great food

Posted 10/20/05

What can I say ... it was a meat lovers paradise. The food was supurb! From the heafty fresh salad bar (you get more than your usual greens) to the main meat course, to the spectacular bar & wine list, to the desert!

When you 1st step in, it feels like a very posh Hollywood restaurant. I was initially very worried about the cost and portions ... to make it short, you get what you pay for and more. Service is excellent! Food is excellent! It's romantic too! If you like to wine and dine, this is the place. It's an experience all together!

Pros: Food & Meat, Ambience, Bar

Cons: Location

Posted 08/09/05

My fiance chose this restaurant based on the City search reviews and we weren't disappointed. For $35 pp we were stuffed to the gills with various types of high quality meats and a array of sides and veggies from the salad bar. If you haven't been to a brazilian style steakhouse before it's a unique dining experience. I personally loved the pork loin and tri tip - YUM. We had the Merlot sorbet for dessert and for wine lovers you will dig this. I wouldn't say the ambiance is romantic but it's nice and service was great! ENJOY

Pros: MEAT, Service, Unique experience

Cons: no website

Posted 07/28/05

Everything at Agora was excellent! This is a great place to go for a romantic dinner as well as celebrate with a group of friends. I can't wait to go back! It's more of an "evening out" than a "grab a bite and run" type restaurant.

Pros: Grilled meats, great atmosphere, Wonderful service

Cons: Expensive

Posted 07/15/05

I really loved this place!! the quality of their meat is way over the top. This was the best steakhouse I have ever been to. they serve variety of meat and it's all you can eat! I was very pleased with their serivce too. Ever since my first visit, I already went back twice!

Posted 07/14/05

This is my new favorite restaurant! As a steak and wine lover, I attest that the delicious wines compliment greatly the succulent steaks at Agora. Even though the place is really upscale, the servers are very personable. The "gaucho" meat carvers really make the dinner authentic. The "picanha" is the juiciest and most tender ever...Ah..the salad bar is great too.

Pros: amazing steaks, friendly servers

Cons: no live entertainment

Posted 07/12/05

I have been to other Brazil Steakhouses and nothing can compare to the experience i had at Agora Churrascaria in Irvine. I felt the service was above average and the food was off the charts. I highly recommend this to all you meat lovers out there. I think the price is fare for what you are to going to receive. This is the kind of place you tell friends, family and co-workers.

Pros: relax setting, atmosphere, good parking

Posted 07/12/05

I spent some time in Brasil during grad school, and was fortunate enough to experience many Rodizio's/Brasilian Steakhouse. The drawback to this place is the expense ($35 per person, child $19). A family of four will run about $150, just drinking sodas. The food is good, but not that good. Definitely was not this expensive in S. Paulo.. Wasn't that crowded, could it be the price? This is new restaurant, and they will hopefully re-evaluate their pricing.

Pros: Not Crowded, Easy Parking

Cons: EXPENSIVE, EXPENSIVE, EXPENSIVE

Posted 07/04/05

This is the place you bring somebody to impress the hell out of them. There is absolutly nothing like it whatsoever. The lighting is georgous and it puts you in a calm and relaxed trance. Then when they bring out the meats your excitment level shoots through the roof. I would write about the taste of ALL the delicious food but you must experience it yourself. I highly recomend this place to anybody who loves going out and trying something new.....you will not be dissapointed!

Pros: atmosphere, 15 different steaks, completly new

Cons: nothing, whatso, ever

Posted 06/28/05

the PERFECT place to be when you are craving meat! Great meat selection with a huge salad bar~ the combination of their salsa and their steak is just amazing~

Pros: high quality meat, many choices of meat, good wine selection

Cons: no menu presented

Posted 06/25/05

After living in Brazil for a year I became very interested in the culture, people, and food. Since returning I have visited 7 Brazilian restaurants in the US (3 in California) and have even visited a churrascaria in Prague, CZ. Agora has excellent service, an amazing salad bar, and a perfect selection of meats. The picana (a Brazilian cut of meat) has incredible flavor.

Pros: wont leave hungry, authentic tastes, good parking

Posted 06/23/05

I am a huge meat lover! I have been to many "churrascaria" restaurants before and this one ranks up there with the best of them. The meat quality was great! the service was great too. Don't eat too much from the salad bar...you have to save room for the MEAT!!!

Pros: Great Food

Cons: hard to find

Posted 06/23/05