Picanha Churrascaria

What made it special or unique? The ambiance, delicious meats, the wonderful aroma of the food cookin throughout the restaurant - that was a unique smell to it unlike any others. The decor was very nicely designed. The cozy bar area has a plasma TV and decorated in a dark wood which reminds me of the show "Cheer's. I'll stop in one day and have a drink . The hot & cold food buffet was over whelming, what shall I pick? OK...all of it...LOL.
The drinks were very good. Love those HOT cheese biscuits- bet you can't just eat one !
Dessert? If you have room. The Chocolate Mousse was incredible !
Service was very good and polite. The manager came around the various tables asking how everything was. Of course we had a mouth full (couldn't stop eating), but we gave it 5 Thumbs UP!!!

Not only do they serve dinner they also offer a lunch special $9.95 - What a DEAL for that type of restaurant !!
They are closed on Monday's. I'll stop by for the "Excecutive Lunch" special next week - you can't beat that !
If it tastes good - Eat it ! (quote from Andrew Zimmern)

Pros: Tender Tasty Meats & FOOD

Posted 09/18/09

My friends and I went here on a recommendation to celebrate a birthday and we absolutely loved it! The staff was very friendly, the meat, especially the picanha, was piping hot and full of juicy-goodness! I would also recommend the chicken stroganoff and plantains. For my friends birthday, they surprised him with a chocolate mousse and sang happy birthday in, I believe, Portugese. Overall, we left very happy customers and are sure to return!

Pros: Sizzling Hot Meat, Great Staff, Convenient Parking

Cons: None

Posted 09/10/09

I went there by myself for lunchtime one time because i had heard about they're brazilian business lunch and thought i would try it. I loved it because i wasn't forced to do the all you can eat option and instead was able to have just a small amount of meat but still as much salad and sides i wanted. I liked it so much that i decided to take my girlfriend there for dinner the following week and we got the all you can eat. It was fantastic! The bunch of different meats they have are delicious and complemented by all of the sides really nicely, the staff was really nice both times, the pricing was really great (only about $10 for the limited meat business lunch and about $28 for the all you can eat dinner), and the atmosphere was really fun, with brazilian music playing the whole time. We will definitely be coming back!

Pros: Food, Service, Fun Atmosphere

Cons: None

Posted 09/10/09

I'm still licking my chops....So much good food to chose from. I did read some of the previous reviews that were negative but I thought I'd find out for myself ! Sure enough, - [they were wrong !!!]...I really enjoyed the flavorful juicy meats that were carved and served hot from the skewer. This is truely a TREAT because they have so many selections to choose from; beef, chicken, sausage, pork and lamb. The other fun part of the meal is that you get to choose any of the dozens of hot and cold side dishes to accomodate with your meal. We really enjoyed our wonderful and happy experience dining at Picanha Brazilian Churrascaria. I also discovered that they have a location in Palm Desert . I happen to get the address for that location. 68-510 Highway 111 - Palm Springs (Cathedral City). We most definitely will visit that location next time while visiting the Palm Springs area. Try it folks, we truly will be going back soon !!!
Bon Appetit !!!

Pros: Juicy, Tasty Meats, Side dish's GALORE !

Cons: none - I'm happy

Posted 05/25/09

price is in the middle the meat is good no pressure from the managers to leave or to make reservations like they do at gauchos village, the place is cozy small family oriented and free parking better then gauchos village ! gauchos village dont go there its a expensive restaurant bad food no service! this place is good nice service from waitress and good food

Pros: GOOD FOOD ALL YOU CAN EAT BRAZIELEAN BBQ

Cons: SMALL BUFFET NOT TO MANY ITEMS ON BUFFET

Posted 05/02/09

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

For the normal steak eater this restaurant may seem average . But for someone who is truly versed in the Brazilian Churrascaria dining experience, this restaurant will leave you unsatisfied. I found the meats lacking the trademark Brazilian flavor, also the variety of meats was extremely dismal. ( Normally at least 8 different cuts of meats at the minimum) I would have to say that the best place to get authentic Brazilian Churrascaria would be Fogo De Chao, unfortunately it is still almost three times the cost of eating at this restaurant.

Pros: Value, Family Friendly

Cons: Authentic Flavor

Posted 11/23/08

My family and I came to the restaurant a few days ago and had a spectacular time. We walked in and were instantly overwhelmed by the smell of the delicious meats floating in the air. The host/ess were wonderful and seated us right away. Our waiter then came over and got our drinks and we were on our way (I got the caiperinha, which was perfectly made and a great supporter to the meal). I really enjoyed the pasta and potato salad on the salad bar and for the hot food bar, there was not a single thing I didn't enjoy :). I absolutely loved the mashed potatoes and the chicken stroganoff! My favorite meats were the parmesan chicken, the picanha (house specialty, a must try), and the lamb. What I love so much about this place is that the meats are constantly rotating, so you're constantly getting a new flavoring in your mouth and you never get sick of any one meat. After dinner, even though I was already too full, I got the chocolate mousse, which was absolutely outstanding. My family shared the fruit mousse, which I tried, and was also extremely good. We left here completely satisfied, the only downside being that we could all barely walk because we were so full :). We will definitely be coming back.

Posted 07/19/08

We went here on Thursday 7/3 for dinner to celebrate my mom's birthday (7 of us in all) and had a great time. Our waitress was great; she explained what to expect to the rest of my family (i've been here on 2 other occassions, food was great both times as well). Our drink orders were taken and we were on our way to the salad bar. Salad bar is okay, they don't have a very large selection but since I was there for the meat, it wasn't such a big deal. The potato salad is delicious and so is the mashed potato. The chicken and mushroom stragonoff was mediore. We had lots and lots of different meat. The best was garlic beef, spicy chicken, brazilian beef, brazilian sausage, tri-tip and the top sirloin. Other meats I tried was garlic chicken, lamb and polish sausage which were okay but not great. The only meat i passed on was the parmesan chicken, last time I tried it the meat was on the dry side. When my mom was away at the salad bar, the waitress came up to me (instead of me having to find her and ask, so that was cool of her) to ask if i would like them to sing happy birthday to her with a complimentary dessert. By the end of our meal, they did just that and my mom really enjoyed everything. Price was $28 per person, 18% gratuity for parties of 7 or more.

Posted 07/03/08

I've been to most Brazilian restaurants in california, but Picanha's has the best food i have ever tasted. If you come here, make sure you don't eat for at least 5 hours ahead. The atmosphere in this place is good, filled with great waiters/waitresses, hosts/hostesses to seat you, clean tables and tile floors.

The cold bar has fresh veggies and already prepared salads such as tuna, potato and pasta. The hot bar has cheesy garlic potatoes, shrimp, pesto rice (my favorite), black beans, and lots of other tasty dishes. Along side of this, there are tons of meats that you get to choose from. All the meats are perfectly seasoned and cooked. Its all you can eat for a great price. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone, you will be pleased.

Posted 06/28/08

Party of 4 had dinner this past Friday evening at Picanha. We really enjoyed the dinner and drinks. Not only were they very friendly, the restaurant had a nice ambiance, the meats were quite tasty and hot. I'm not much of a lamb eater, but I did try theirs, and it was good. We all seemed to really enjoy the nice selection of meats that we were constantly being served. The fun part is making the trip to the hot food buffet. Salads, soups, rice, cold salads....and more.....WOW.....so much to choose from....Very good food...We're going back next month for my mothers birthday.

Pros: A lot of FOOD......go real hungary !!

Posted 06/21/08

Come in and enjoy the feast! I chose this restaurant for my 25th birthday celebration, and it was well worth the money. The meats were grilled to perfection, especially the house special, picanha. Actually, everything was delicious. The salad bar could offer a bit more, and their desserts are scrumptious!

Posted 05/23/08

We haven't been in a churrascaria for a while but we eat out a lot and we know when the food has no taste at all. We ate here for our wedding anniversary and we were overall disappointed with the meats they served. We felt that we overpaid for very bland and very dry meats and we tried everything they showed to our table. Even their specialty, the Brazilian steak, wasn't that great unless you ask the server for the newly cooked steak because the older ones are very dry already. I would say the best meat they served that came close to having some taste was the sausage, but that was probably pre-packaged already and all they had to do was grill and serve it!!!

Posted 05/20/08

Saturday nights are notorious for being busy, hectic, and just plain horrible; but the staff at this specific Churrascaria eased that stress. I've been to many Brazilian BBQ's, and this one is by far the best. From the hosts at the door, and the manager even - to my suprise stopped by the table and struck a conversation! My night here was one of the best dining experiences ever. The meats, the drinks - EVERYTHING was perfect. I must recommend drinking the brazilian cocktails - especially the Caipinha. One last thing i have to add, is the the waiting staff is absolutely wonderful! The atomosphere at this restaurant makes me want to continually come back, because with smiling faces and an eager always-ready-to-wait attitude, it comes to show that you CAN find hospitality in LA.

Pros: Parking structure right next door, amazing service, amazing meat, AMAZING everything

Cons: none

Posted 05/16/08

My family and I used to go to Picanha in Burbank all the time and stopped for a while. But we recently began eating there again, and I must say, we regret that we ever stopped. The meat is even better than I remember, especially the garlic beef. HMM HMM! The hot foods section seems to also be better than I remember. Everything is absolutely fantastic! The staff was wonderful, extremely quick and very polite. We also got dessert and noticed that they had some more selections this time around, which was very nice. I got a key lime pie banana pudding, and was very, very pleased. I've already recommended Picanha to many of my friends, and I highly recommend it to anyone reading this :).

Pros: The food, staff, atmosphere

Cons: Nothing

Posted 05/16/08

Lots of overpriced and over-seasoned subpar meat. The poor service was the kicker. The waiters definitely favor the larger parties and frequently get simple drink orders wrong. Garlic beef and the tri-tip were the best of the lot but still were not of the quality that the 30 dollar per person price would merit. Not even the lunch price of 20 dollars would be acceptable.. Parmesan Chicken was gross. Lamb smelled like fish. The Filet mignon was rubbery and streaked with huge chunks of gristle.

Outback-Steakhouse puts their meats to shame. I'd much rather pay 30 bucks on a meal with a nice cut of meat rather than an all you can eat buffet with bland and over-seasoned gristle ridden meat.

Re: Comparison to Picanha and Hometown Buffet - The Hometown Buffet in Burbank bIows this place away. Not Good.

I cannot stress enough: Avoid Picanha Churrascaria - Burbank

Pros: I know not to eat there again.

Cons: The Service, The Meat, The Salad Bar, The Ugly Yellow Walls.

Posted 05/02/08

Planned a birthday dinner here and the reservation staff did a poor job accommodating. They made a mistake with the seating and timing we made the reservations for. Understandable, but they failed to accommodate in a timely manner and worse of all they never owned up to their mistake. The woman told me personally that she never makes mistakes!!! I felt offended she was basically calling me a liar, VERY unprofessional. She never did apologize... After a long hour and testing our patience, we were finally seated.

The food was at best average to comparable Brazilian BBQ restaurants I?ve been to. The bbq wan't bad, just not mindblowing. I enjoyed the garlic beef the best. They also made a good caipirinha. The wait staff did a wonderful job.

Pros: Prompt Wait staff

Cons: PRICEY, Unprofessional, crowded, poor reservation management

Posted 03/11/08

Try it out restaurant. Our friends never tried a Brazilian restaurant before, however, they were quite surprised. So many meats were being served at our table. The meats were tender to the taste, piping hot and delicious. Caution, they do serve a lot of meats, so don't forget to turn over the wooden red block means to stop serving. Don't forget to make your trip to the buffet bar for some, soup, salad, rice, etc. It's quite yummy !! Ask me if I'd go back.....Yes, I would, in fact my group said, they'll join me again. I guess the previous write -up must of had an isolated situation regarding his not so good experience. Overall, this is a Very good Restaurant !!!!! lickin my fingers...LOL....

Pros: Plenty of food, will NOT starve

Cons: N/A

Posted 02/25/08

this is definitely not the best churrascuria in LA, but it is a decent value for the price and probably the only one in burbank! skip sausage and all the fillers at the buffet and just go straight for the meat. that's where the value is. filet mignon specifically! i would advise some salad, though! they have a full bar as well.

Pros: pretty good food

Cons: you get so full!

Posted 11/27/07

If you click his profile you will find that he goes to each restaurant and on his 3 reviews to other restaurants this person plays it above the food lovers. I love food, I have been to many places including Picanha many times. First the prices have not increased for a long time and its quality of food and service has been consistentty above great whenever I am there rich flavorfull and tasty. Picanha's Grill is in the middle of the dining room, and I was always able to see their meet servers and chef putting the fresh meet on the grill. Besides, the staff is very courteous and hospitable, may it's carma or something, but whenever I am there my first slice is always almost a slice of thier signature meat picanha, and then the guys keep bringing these selections untill I remember to flip that little sign they have to red.

My advice for this culinary person, eat at home, or cook something....

Pros: Great Varity at great prices

Cons: Not enough space in my stomach

Posted 10/24/07

Have eaten here on a number of occaisions. It has always been a place I wanted to eat at (I do like variety and multiple food choices).but for some reason, the last time my wife and I went there on our anniversary, the service and the food seemed to suffer compared to previous visits. I feel that their price now has really gone up way past the point of value. The main problem with their price seems to be that for the average diner, you can't eat enough food to actually get your money's worth. Plus they take so long sometimes between the different meat offerings to your table that you either don't get a chance to sample all the different selections offered that particular day or your appeitie fades away waiting for the next course. Someitmes it seems like they bring you all the cheaper common meats first like the sausage and chicken selections and wait until you have filled up on those to bring aroung the filet mignon, the lamb, and the other beef selections. I doubt that I will return here again because, in just a matter of a few months between visits, you experience higher prices the next time you go. Also, the last time, some of the meats seemed overcooked and dry indicating that their consistancy from day to day must vary or they are reheating yesterday's leftover meats. As for the side dishes and salad bar, average at best.

Pros: Large selection of a variety of meats giving diner many choices, Method of cooking the meat

Cons: High priced - Hard to consume enough food to get your money's worth. Service

Posted 10/19/07

The meal at Picanha was plentiful and very good. Juicy hot tasting meats arrived at our table while the waiter sliced the meats from his skewer. You can choose what ever type of meats you want served on your plate. We tried to choose all of the meats being served but wanted to leave room for the hot buffet entrees. Incredible food !!! We left Picanha with a happy smile ! Nice ambiance, good waiters, friendly staff and NOT bad for the price of the dinner....Looking forward to our next visit with the family.

Pros: Very Good Food & Enjoy

Cons: N/A

Posted 08/09/07

The food was delicious I'd like to say. Being served that much to your table just made me feel like a KING. A large selection of meats were served to our table and kept on coming until you turn over the wooden block that shows the (red). That means stop the serving. When you are ready to eat more, you turn the wooden block over to the (green). Quite fun I may add. Don't stop there, we helped ourselves to the hot buffet entrees, which was amazing !!!! Everything from soup to salads, to black beans, ooooh so good !!! We were so content with our meal that we skipped dessert.
Until next time...as "Arnold" say's,
I'll Be BACK !!!!!!!!!! Make sure that you are really hungary, plenty of food to go around and some...

Pros: Thumbs Up, Feet Up, Hands Up !!

Cons: N/A

Posted 07/16/07

Flavorful, Succulent, Very Impressive, Abundance of Servings - WOW !! Where do I begin? My favorite was all of the meats - I just can't name one favorite. My friends all enjoyed the Filet Mignon (tender to the bite), Top Sirloin - Espeta (juicy), Pork Ribs (yummy), BBQ chicken drumsticks (flavorful). Then we mosey'd along to the "hot food buffet". My eyes could not believe the selection - WOW !! We all enjoyed the Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Brazilian Black Beans and much more....too much too mention. While munching on the delicious meal, we ordered the "Caipirinhas" the Brazilian drink that is mixed with tropical juices and flavored rum (IT'S A MUST HAVE) !! For desert we just could not pass up the SENSATIONAL "triple chocolate mousse cake" and the Brazilian Flan. OK...now you can call the tow truck for me....LOL (all kidding aside) you control the flow of meats that are delivered to your table. Check it OUT !!!! Palm Desert 73-399 El Paseo, Palm Desert, Ca. 92260 (760) 674-3434. You won't reget it !!!

Pros: Mucho Food !!!! Delicious

Cons: none

Posted 06/03/07

Every thing here is just OK. From the atmosphere, to the service to the food itself nothing is horrible and it's worth the money. BUT for a few dollars more Fogo De Chao in Beverly Hills is the same type of experience you will not forget! Once you've seen what a churrascia can be this place can only disappoint.
But if you're in Burbank and want to try the experience I don't think you'll come out complaining. It's a good deal especially for large groups.

Posted 05/18/07

Interesting, I read the PREVIOUS review on this restaurant ,but challenged the negative opinion. A co-worker highly recommended Picanha so I thought my next restaurant experience would be there. We dined with a group of 8 and gave it a THUMBS UP !!!

Delicious meats, chicken, sausage, pork, etc. They have a buffet style of side dishes that comes with the meal. Black beans w/rice, vegetables, soup, potatoe salad etc, You really must try it. So much to choose from.

Our friends did NOT have a problem with the parking, can't understand the previous writer. Anyhow, we all agreed that we would DEFINITELY RETURN TO PICANHA.

Pros: Very good food - Mouth watering

Cons: can't take left overs - oh well.

Posted 04/15/07

BATTLING THE TRAFFIC AND PARKING OF DOWNTOWN BURBANK REALLY MADE ME HOPE THE FOOD WAS GOING TO BE GREAT. WE GET THERE AND SIDE DISHES WERE "EH". SALAD WAS "EH". MEAT WAS REALLY "EH". NOTHING REALLY STIMULATES YOUR PALATE HERE. WE WEREN'T TOO HAPPY TO LET GO OF *THAT* MUCH MONEY FOR *THAT* KIND OF MEAL.

Pros: SERVICE WAS OK

Cons: FOOD WAS DISAPPOINTING

Posted 04/09/07

Great Food, Great Taste, Great Service, Great Experience, Great Dining Experience !!!
Picanha Churrascaria is a MUST dining experience.
I've tried Fogo de Chao in B.Hills & Gaucho's Village in Glendale, was nothing worth writing about.
Our group was quite pleased with the overall dining experience. The waiters are at your service dishing out the variety of sizzling meats. You will not leave hungary at Picanha. Plenty of food to go around your table, very good selection at the buffet section. So much to choose from that we tried everything in small portions to allow room for the dessert. It was very tasty and the atmosphere was enjoyable. They have a nice looking bar with 2 cable televison sets. Parking was not a problem, we parked at the Burbank Police Station back parking lot ( it's FREE). We recommend all of the desserts and we recommend that you try this restaurant, you won't regret it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pros: Plenty of Food, Great Parking, Fast Service, Fun Atmosphere, Good Value

Posted 03/20/07

Talk about Brazilian Food !! This is one of the BEST Brazilian restaurants that I have eaten at. First of all, the host was very hospitable, sat our family party of 12 promptly and served us water immediately . You've gotta try their hot cheese round bread (I forgot the name). During the course of our dinner we were treated like royalty from their waiters and waitress's. Everything was really delicious and pipping HOT. I can't recommend my favorite because EVERYTHING was so good. The buffet is included with the dinner, so that is a MUST to sample. I just couldn't eat everything, but I really wanted to. We were so excited about the different types of meats and their attentiveness to make sure we were taken well care of. We thoroughly enjoyed the dinner and dessert. Picanha Churrascaria you have MY VOTE !!!

Pros: Large selection of meats

Cons: can't think of any

Posted 03/08/07

I'll go back - Real Soon !!!!
So GOOD, could not believe the array of tasty meats that were being delivered to our table. Our company had our luncheon at Picanha's and everyone just raved about how delicious the foods was. Great service, hot sizzling meats abundantly circling our table. That's all we talk about now...Picanha, Picanha....
WE LOVE YOU........P.S. I usually am NOT a big meat eater, however, I definitely will make an acception for PICANHA CHURRASCARIA....Why don't you check it out if you haven't ?

Pros: Great food, ample buffet choices

Cons: none

Posted 03/01/07

So I was taken here for my birthday last year and I loved my experience so much that I went back a couple more times, and plan on even more returns in the future. I had never been to a churrascaria before, but found it to be one of the best eating experiences ever: grilled, delicious beef that's all you can eat.

Meat is meant to be eaten fresh off the grill, and that's what you get at Picanha: all sorts of tasty, juicy meats barbecued to perfection. The salad and sides bar was fresh and the garlic mashed potatoes are to die for, but honestly I would not take a vegetarian here, unless I was trying to convert them into a carnivore. The best meats are easily the garlic beef, which has that wonderful charred, galric-seasoned outside edge with tender, juicy meat inside, and the signature meat, the picanha, oh yeah, and the filet. Chicken generally does not retain its flavor and juice as well as beef when grilled, but the bacon parmesean chicken and the barbecue wings are good. There's at least two different kinds of sausage available, even at lunchtime, which is the best deal.

Service is friendly and has usually been especially great. Lunchtime is a great deal, since most meats and sausages are available then, including my favorites. Except for the filet, naturally. Best atmosphere is on a weekend night, when a live band is performing and the place is packed with happy diners. I would recomment trying a Brazilian beer to go with all that meat. I would choose Picanha over going to a traditional steakhouse, because $25 for all you can eat is a better deal, and you get to try at least ten different kinds of meat.

Posted 02/05/07

Me and my wife use to be regulars in this restaurant for the past 5 years.
About 6 months ago we went there and it wasn't a pleasant experience but we tough about it and we decide to give another chance.......................Worth Worth ...we went there last week, the food was batter than before and the service better than Fogo de Chao, the servers (Renan and Vinny) treat us as a family, the Picanha Meat THE BEST..... Thanks to Management ?.we?ll be back every week again.........

God Job Picanha..............

Pros: Parking, Food, Service and Price

Cons: non

Posted 01/22/07

I loved the experience at Picanha. It was our first time there and it was our friend's birthday. Our waitress was great, she was friendly and did a wonderfull job. She was there every time we needed something. They have numerous cuts of meat and they are all awsome, my favourite one is the Brazilian Beef (perfect!!)
When we were done, she brought one dessert w/ a candle to our table and they sang happy birthday in Portuguese to my friend. It was beautiful... all the staff was around our table... Great!!!

Well, if you want to try something really good, and you are hungry... Enjoy!!

Posted 01/12/07

I would not recommend this restaurant. If you like Brazilian Steak Houses this is NOT the place for you. There was no ambiance. There were only two "gauchos" passing, what was supposed to be an abundance of meats. There was no lamb whatsoever, in spite of the fact that we asked if lamb was on the menu and three separate employees said it would be coming. It never did. One of us was a vegetarian, and the salad buffet was quite limited and what there was, was tasteless. This was truly a disappointing experience.

Posted 12/26/06

This was the worst dinner experience I have ever had. The service was below average. They never came by to check on whether we needed anything. Then when we got our soda, it was spilled on us. We waited 30 minutes to get the check after asking 5 times. The meat was dry and disgusting. I have had brazilian good on numerous occassions and this was the worst i have ever had. If you like overcooked, dry meat then you should come here. After a while, you start jamming the food down because you feel as though you have to eat it because you are paying over $50 bucks for the food. I can't tell you how bad it was. The salad bar was sold to us as the best salad bar in the area. Well, if you like canned bean salad, can't pasta salad and canned corn, then you should come here. The salad bar is terrible. It is tiny. Sizzler is better. And for $25, you can get a MUCH better salad bar somewhere else. Fogo de chao is so much better. Picanha is equivalent to the McDonald's of brazilian food. We ordered wine and were given wine from a different year. Doesn't seem like a big deal except they charge you the higher price for the lesser quality bottle of wine. We complained and they just gave us excuses about how what we got was good wine. Oh, by the way, get the cheesecake. It takes exactly like philadelphia cream cheese. And since they had bagels (of all things) sitting on the tables, you can spread the cheesecake on the bagels. The desserts are terrible. Really, who doesn't put sugar in their cheesecake. Their flan tastes, well, was chewy. I have nothing against the restaurant, its just that I would hate for people to waste their money on this restaurant. Really, you're more likely than not to be disappointed by the experience. If you go and do like the restaurant then my hats off to you. If you don't, then share your experiences here so others don't suffer.

Pros: you can get out quickly

Cons: everything, food, ambience, service

Posted 12/24/06

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I was taken up the street to be introduced to Picanha during a work lunch. My goodness but is there a lot of food to be eaten! Everything in there was incredible. I think next time I go I'll have to forego breakfast and perhaps even dinner the night before just to get the chance to sample everything available. I did manage to try their cheesecake dessert and it was terrific--but let's face it: you're here for the meat. While the gauchos didn't come around quite as often as I would've liked, there was still plenty of food to be had and we left quite satisfied. Friends have asked when we can go and I'd have to give it some time before going back again; I definitely do not want to get sick of this place!

Pros: meat overload

Cons: meat overload

Posted 11/02/06

e and my husband wanted to try something new this Labor Day weekend. Our choice was the brazilian restaurant Picanha, which was recommended to us by one of my husbands coworkers. Even though the restaurant was packed and our friend forgot to mention that we should get a reservation, the hostess was very kind and she seated us as soon as we got there. The server came to us right away and started to introduce us their restaurant concept. She showed us their salad bar (which is great, by the way!!!) and she recommended us a brazilian drink called Caipirinha, which turned to be a great choice for my husband (I have to admit that I also enjoyed it). I was more interested in the salad bar, but my husband (whos favorite vegetable is MEAT) felt like in heaven when the guys from the grill started to bring (...and bring and bring) to our table all kinds of juicy and tender meats, cooked to perfection by an experienced chef who looked like he really knew what he was doing. I would recommend you the special flavor of their Picanha (Brazilian beef), which was my favorite.
Im not that much into deserts, but the Passion fruit mousse that Ive tried there was excellent!
I dont know what else to tell you about it, but probably well see each other there this Monday, because my husband is talking only about Picanha with all his friends since Friday.

Pros: food, service

Cons: none

Posted 09/02/06

I go to this restaurant fairly regularly for lunch with coworkers. We have always had good service and great food. You can't beat the value! Plus it's just plain convenient to control the flow of food to your table. What a great concept!
I don't often get to come here for dinner but I just had to write about it. Lunch is great.....dinner was OUTSTANDING!!!! They serve more meats at dinner (my favorite was the filet mignon, YUM!) Plus, the place just takes on a different vibe at dinner. Elegant yet casual and the service was exceptional yet unobtrusive. Everything from the phone call to make the reservation all the way through dinner and until we left was fantastic. I highly recommend eating there for lunch if you can, but also treat yourself and go there for dinner. Excellent value for the money and great food to boot!!!

Pros: value, service, great steak!!!

Posted 08/31/06

Picanha restaurant is by far the best and most affordable Brazilian restaurant in L.A. The salad bar has many choices and the meat? Forget about it. It just keeps comming and comming. I've been to all the Churrasco's in L.A. and not only is Picanha about half as much as other places it's BBQ can't be touched. And the caipirinhas are outstanding. Find out for yourself.

Posted 08/12/06

I have lived in Brazil and know what great Brazilian churrasco should be like. This place is a sham. I would much rather drive a few miles into Glendale and visit Gaucho's Village then ever step into this place again. The food is horrible and the service, dang, I am there to eat meat, not wait 15 minutes for the next cut to come by. This restaurant preys on the American ignorance of what Great Brazilian churrasco should be like. Now, Gaucho's Village is not the best either, but it is 1000% better than this restaurant. For even better food, go to Fogo de Chao, in Beverly Hills. (see my review of Fogo de Chao if you want to know what I think of Fogo de Chao.) Anyway, I am totally disappointed that this restaurant would even call itself a churrascaria. Don't go!!!!!!!

Pros: Location

Cons: Waiting for the next cut, service, I want meat!!!!!!

Posted 08/10/06

Best meat you ever had, great side dishes, wounderful salad bar. Service always with a smile. Eat till you say no more. You will come back over and over again.

Pros: Best meat, great side dishes, best salad bar

Posted 08/01/06

I had great service, good food, and fantastic meat with an array of flavors. I recomend the bacon wrapped chicken! What a brilliant idea, meat wrapped in more meat!! Everyone there was really nice and helpful. Great meat!

Pros: MEAT! Service! MEAT!

Cons: Wish there was even more choices in meat

Posted 07/19/06

My husband and I came here one afternoon to watch the World Cup soccer game. The place was packed. I was worried at first because usually the service suffers when a restaurant gets busy. Not this place!!! We had outstanding service, the food was great, and we had so much fun! The staff seemed to be genuinely happy and friendly. Our server made sure we were taken care of. THe chef even came out and served some meat that my husband was dying to try! the manager, a very nice younger girl checked with us too. I confided that I didn't eat meat and she described some of the items from the salad bar to me so I would know what to look for. I had plenty to eat and so did my meat eating hubby. I definitely recommend this place meat eaters and vegetarians. Plus the service here was like none other in L.A.

Pros: Great service, great food

Posted 07/14/06

Great service, and outstanding cocktails, but the grilled meats take center stage. The salad bar really didn't offer anything that blew me away, but the picahna steak, the garlic beef, and the grilled sausages were OUTSTANDING. Everyone was friendly, and the space was lively.

While not as upscale as Fogo de Chao, the meats were just as good, and the price ($27pp for dinner) is a GREAT deal.

I will definitely return.

Pros: Food, Price, Friendly Service

Cons: Salad bar not very exciting.

Posted 07/03/06

i've eaten at this place several times and each time i leave satisfied. monday to saturday lunch is at around $17 for all-you-can-eat grilled meats with a nice sides and salad bar. for the vegetarians in the group, you can opt to just have the regular buffet which has a good salad bar and some other hot dishes. my favorites here are the parmesan pork and the sausages.

Cons: crowded on weekends

Posted 05/16/06

I went here last Friday with my friends. The place was full, but we had a reservation and got sat right away. The staff was super friendly! Impecable service: we got our drinks fast, never had to ask for any refills, the server changed our plates, often checked back with us. Their caipirinha is a must!
The food was absolutely delicious and also neverending! Fresh salads, many hot sides and the MEAT! Best fillet mignon ever and not only, many many kinds of chicken, beef, pork and lamb served directly to your table. At the end we had flan and passion mousse (prepared fresh in their own kitchen), they were so good that we had to order more!
They also had a live band that was playing songs upon request. Very entertaining, we had so much fun!

Pros: great food, atmosphere, excellent service

Posted 05/07/06