This was my first Brazilian Steak House experience and I’ll get the ONLY negative out of the way at the beginning, for a family of four adults, plan on spending between $240 and $300 for dinner. At $47 per person, the meal, once you add on drinks, desert and the tip you’ll easily be in that range. Granted, some would say that the belt busting quantity and QUALITY of the meal is well worth it. I would agree on both points. However, if a more elegant or intimate experience is what you would prefer, for such a costly meal, Texas de Brazil might not be the best choice. Now, enough with the negativity – LETS EAT!

At it’s core, TdB is just a glorified (or glorious?) salad bar with a premium steak kicker. If you’re thinking Ponderosa or Golden Corral – there isn’t really a comparison – really, not even close. I’ll get to the steak in a moment but for being a ‘salad bar’ TdB has a lot going for it. The quality of the food is top notch and you’ll easily be able to convince yourself to make a few trips to the salad bar for such items as fresh sushi, cold salmon filet, cold season shrimp (peeled), Brazilian hearts of palm, grilled Portobella mushrooms, fresh buffalo mozzarella , various salads, sauces, imported cheeses, gourmet artisan breads and soup de jour – along with many specialities. The soup that night was Lobster Bisque and it was awesome. I ate so much at the salad bar that I didn’t have too much room for steak – lack of proper planning on my part.

Now, on to the steak , the Gauchos ( ‘Steak Cowboys’ – yeah, I know),  and the different way steak is dished out at TdB. As your server will explain, the Gauchos roam the restaurant with various meats (chicken, pork, lamb, sausage and streaks) on sword-like skewers and a rather large carving knife. Each patron is given a token – turn the token to the green side and the Gauchos will descend upon you, proudly presenting their offerings. Turn it over to red and they continue on. Ok, not really. Green or red – it really didn’t matter. If you made eye contact or looked in their general direction you were offered some meat. It’s sufficient to say that all the meats served at TdB were of the best quality and perfectly cooked for my taste. You can even request your steak cooked a little more (or less) as needed. If you’re a steak/meat lover (which would make sense being you’re in a ‘Brazilian Steak House’) you won’t be disappointed.

The servers and Gauchos were very attentive and ever present. I didn’t get the sense that my server had too many tables assigned to her which was nice. The establishment was very busy and when you combine free-wheeling mission focused Steak Cowboys, wait and buss staff along with patrons going to and from the salad bar – it makes for one busy floor. I kept thinking how many people end up with a skewer in their chest each night? Not a chance! The Gauchos knew what they were doing.

After you signal your surrender, you are presented with a desert tray that contains enough calories to send even the most sugar stable individual into a near diabetic coma! Be forewarned, the deserts and coffee are not included with your meal. I only mention this because throughout the entire experience, I was never actually given a menu or anything with pricing – hey, if you have to ask …

My wife and I shared  a $10.50 slice of triple chocolate something and we ended up taking most of that home. With all the desert suitable items still at the salad bar, we wondered how we were suckered into the cake?

Conclusions. Texas de Brazil is an impressive place with equally impressive food, drink and deserts. Combined with a suitably impressive bill, you will still be glad you visited. While lacking an intimaet atmosphere and not for the budget conscious diner, Texas de Brazil makes up for this with quality service and an extremely friendly attitude. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting the Orlando area for the experience alone. Enjoy!

Pricing: Adults are $47 each. Children 6-12 are $24 each and children under 6 are FREE!

Contact:

Texas de Brazil – Orlando
5259 International Drive
Orlando, Fl 32819

P: 407-355-0355
F: 407-355-0312

Dress Code: Smart Casual

- Susan Lattimore, Vacation Home Specialist

- Miranda Butcher, Accountant

- Michael Koretzka, Maintenance Staff

As you dine, you will feel like you are right there in Oahu with friendly servers, hula lessons for all ages, coconut races and live music. For an added bonus, if you time your meal just right , you will be able to enjoy the nightly Epcot fireworks. They even play the corresponding music inside so you can completely enjoy the experience! So you’re in the Orlando area, and you want a wonderful treat, bring your “ohana” family to Disney’s Ohana!

Bahama Breeze sports a creative menu, which offers a variety of delicious sandwiches, chicken, fish, and pasta entrees all with a Caribbean twist. I have had the pleasure of trying many of the tasty Caribbean delights. Portions are large and the presentation is fantastic! For lighter eaters, take advantage of the “lighter portion” entrees, when offered, and save a few bucks.

Although I could recommend almost all of the Bahama Breeze menu items to you,  I will share a couple of my favorite “Must Haves” with you -

Crab, Shrimp, Mango Avocado Stack – This is a new menu item and very tasty with jumbo lump crabmeat, chilled shrimp, fresh avocados and apple-mango salsa layered and stacked with a spicy honey, red pepper drizzle. This is a must try!

Mahi-Mahi – The almond crusted fresh fish gives you a choice of Tilapia, Salmon, or Mahi-Mahi. I selected the tilapia. Mmm, Mmm good! The fish was so fresh and the flavor of the crusted almonds with lemon butter sauce was perfect! It comes with your choice of garlic mashed potatoes or cinnamon mashed sweet potatoes.

Bahamarita- A Bahama Breeze signature frozen margarita made with Cuervo Gold Tequila and real kiwi, mango, and strawberry ices. Mmmm, Mmmm Great!

Chocolate Island – Rich chocolate mousse on a fudge brownie in milk chocolate sauce and vanilla bean anglaise is decadent and a real favorite of mine.

My rating for Bahama Breeze? I give it an enthusiastic A+ both for its atmosphere, as well as the tastiness and food selection. Bahama Breeze offers you, your family and friends a great night!

- Carol Owens, Vacation Home Specialist

R-Place Eatery 35523 Hwy 27 Haines City, FL 33844 (863)421-1304

- Pat Hess, Global Receptionist

- Aaron Tripp, Maintenance Staff

- Tara Salinas, Leasing Director