Anyone in the Research Triangle Park area has heard of the Brazilian Steakhouse Basa with its fantastic salad bar and Churrasco style all-you-can-eat grilled meats. Sadly, Brasa recently closed and anyone missing this type of dining experience was out of luck…. Until Estampa Gaucha opened literally down the street from Brasa in the Westin Hotel.
We were reservation #24 so I assumed we were one of the first visitors who had reservations. To be honest, while very professional and friendly, you can tell that Estampa Gaucha (E. G). were still a little rough around the edges and still working out a few kinks with how their service works. That being said, the food was indeed delicious. I am going to try to not compare it to Brasa, but it’s a good point of reference that many RTPers will know.
Ambiance: E. G. is nowhere near Brasa’s dark while mysterious interior where each wall had something interesting to look at not to mention a water feature in the middle. E. G. was brighter and more open with only a few art pieces. It also is much smaller that Brasa.
Dining Options: One thing that E. G. didn’t have, and I am glad they didn’t, was the various options for the experience. One price and one option. Brasa had the salad bar only option (bronze), the salad bar plus meats option (silver), and then add a lobster tail option (gold). I am glad this is not a thing at E. G. because it was always awkward when people had to go around the table and say what “metal” wanted. You know you are there for the meat so why try to confuse people? Also E. G. didn’t ask how we liked our meat up front. Another welcome change. I never understood how telling the waiter at the outset of the meal translated into what you were served when the “meat guys
came around. Instead at E. G., the meat guys asked you and cut that type of meat when they served you. Well done E. G.!
Salar Bar: The salad bar had most of the things I was craving from Brasa like hearts of palm, cheeses, smoked salmon, and other salads. Maybe I am mistaken, but I feel that Brasa’s was slightly larger with more offerings, but the taste and variety was on par with Brasa.
Meat selection: I think this is where E. G. shines. The meat selections were more mainstream (no chicken hearts) and somehow tasted better than Brasa. And they didn’t have those silly red and green stones to signal that you wanted more meat. They had a credit card size red and green marker to signal stop or more. Like Brasa, once you accepted your first selection of meat, no matter if you were showing red, you would be swarmed by other servers offering you, their selections. Not complaining. Also E. G. seems to be quicker on the meat delivery, maybe because of the smaller dining room? You might be offered 6 or 7 different things in the span of a few minutes. Again, not complaining.
Deserts: I have to admit I am not one to normally get a desert. But since everyone else on my table did, they twisted my arm, and I got the crème brûlée. Again, I think E. G. is better than Brasa for deserts. Everyone loved theirs. While mine was quite good as well, I did miss the vanilla seeds.
Value: This one is hard since there is no Brasa to compare what the current price would be for this type of dining. But E. G. is $54.95 which I think is very reasonable for this type of fare. No, it’s not for a regular type of dinner out. But it’s not overly expensive either with all that you get. I just hope this isn’t an introductory price that’s going to creep up as E. G. gets more established/.
Service: As I mentioned before, E. G. is still working out some few kinks as they figure out the flow of the restaurant. I don’t think it would be fair to really rate them on service so early on. One thing I can say, everyone was extremely friendly and welcoming. There were a few people just standing around not really knowing what they should be doing. One we nicknamed the “creepy guy” because he just stood by our table not saying or doing anything. But others like the desert guy and the rolling bartender were fantastic. Oh, I forgot to mention they have a cocktail cart which a cocktail guy comes to your table to offer to make you something. He was really entertaining too.
Final Conclusion: Estampa Gaucha gets a thumbs up from me. And the answer to the common question of would we go back: Yes!
Estampa Gaucha Brazilian Steakhouse
estampagaucha.com
Estampa Gaucha – Raleigh
3931 Macaw St, Raleigh, NC 27617
(919) 323-4050
