I have eaten in about every churrascaria in the US, from Plataforma in NY, to nearly every Texas De Brazil and Fogo De Chao across the states and Boi Na Braza is one of the best. Boi Na is right up there with Plataforma. Â The quality of the pan de queso, the meats and cheeses at the salad bar, the quality of their sirloin and picanha are excellent! They even make fresh farofa, most other churrascarias serve a dry pre-prepared farofa. I have eaten there twice now and both meals were great. The service is good and the atmosphere is elegant and romantic. This one is defineitely a Cincy keeper.
Review Source:We were seated at a table placed seemingly right in the middle of the isle. The meats were good, but heavy and not particularly enjoyable to eat. I just wanted to get it over with. Maybe I'm too young to appreciate the 'finer things in life' but I don't think this is one of them. By the end, I wasn't impressed, I was exhausted and bored. The environment is similar to an Olive Garden. If you're under 50 years old, please go elsewhere for New Years Eve. Even if you're not necessarily looking for 'fun', just a classy experience, there are much better places. One redeeming quality is valet, which was really nice and for seven hours I was able to leave my car right on fountain sq. Seriously worth the $8.
Review Source:Mmm...meat! I think Boi Na Braza should start offering wheelchairs after you eat to help roll you out of the place from being so stuffed! I could barely walk! Realistically though, the food is delicious. I would say my favorite meats of the night were the ribeye, pork rib, and the parmesan pork loin. Seriously. Make sure you try those while you're there! Additionally, the side item selection they have at the bar is fantastic, and you have to eat the heart of palm while you're there! It's a special delicacy from Brazil!
For Cincinnati, Boi Na Braza is pretty legit. The food is great and the staff is excellent. I would also be sure to cancel any plans for the hour after eating. You might not be able to move.
We went for lunch. Surprisingly bad. Maybe I have a lower tolerance to salt than most, but come on! The sausage was so salty as to be inedible.The steak offerings tasted like liver. Salty liver. Very mealy and unpleasant. Chicken was rubbery (and... FREAKING SALTY) The salad bar was meager. Â Interestingly, my favorite part of the meal was the burrito like dish on the salad bar. That and the cheese bread. Â $22 lesson learned.
Review Source:Boi Na Braza is your standard Brazilian steakhouse- it's a meat lover's paradise (the rest of us will want to die of meat overdose). The salad bar is great, but don't fill up on it if you intend to try all the meats. I'm not a meat expert, by any means, but my favorites here included the sirloin, filet mignon wrapped in bacon, and the prime rib. Let's be real here- the reason you come here is to gorge on meat that comes out served on swords, and that is exactly what you get to do here. Â Added bonus- delicious desserts. I can only do this once a year (we always do restaurant week because the price is great). It's pricey, so you will want to do the mental calculus on whether you will feel that you can eat your money's worth.
Review Source:Every meal here ends the same way: elbows on the table, heavy breathing, and eyes glazing over in ecstasy.
Boi Na Braza translates to "steer over embers" in Portuguese, the language of Brazil. The restaurant is based on the churrasco cooking of Brazilian Gaúchos who roasted meat on skewers over an ember fire pit. Families would gather for dinner, and Gaúchos would cut the meat from the skewers RodÃzio style, meaning around the table, until the meat was finished.
My friends and I came during Restaurant Week where the normal $50.00 per person meal was discounted to $35.00. We definitely ate our money's worth. The meal starts with a basket of cheese bread and a basket of fried bananas, both of which were delectable. For drinks, we each had the house specialty: a Caipirinha, which is the national cocktail for Brazil. Made with rum, sugar, and lime, it tastes like a Mojito without the mint. Served in a lowball glass, this 8-ounce drink came with a $10.00 price tag.
Next, head over to the salad bar which features artisan meats and cheeses, hot sides, and the traditional salad greenery. Don't fill up at the salad bar. If you see something you must try, take a small, tablespoon-sized dollop instead of the whole serving spoon. My favorites included the shitake mushrooms and the white cheddar broccoli.
Finally - bring on the meat! Flip the paper coaster next to your plate over to green to cue the Gaúchos. Very quickly, you will be surrounded by servers slicing off meat from skewers. Fifteen cuts of meat are served throughout the meal including beef, chicken, lamb, and pork. You have the option to say "no thank you" if you want to wait for a different meat. Finished gorging? Just flip your coaster over to the red side and the Gaúchos will let you be... until you flip it back to green again. The house specialty Picanha (tender top sirloin cut), Filet Mignon, and Garlic Rumproast are my top picks, each juicy, flavorful, and cooked with the right amount of pink. Pass on the bacon wrapped foods, they're overkill.
Speaking of, each slice of meat is about the size of a deck of cards. By the end of the meal, one can easily can consume about 12 portions. How so? Boi Na Braza is competitive eating against two tough rivals: your stomach versus your brain. The goal: how much meat can you stuff in your face before your brain realizes you're full. The answer: a lot.
As you feel the pending doom of the "meat sweats," a server will approach with a dessert cart. Suddenly, somewhere under all that beef, you find room for a slice of cake. I opted for the Key Lime Pie, which was light, creamy, and a wonderful digestive after such a hefty meal. Other options included a fudge mousse cake and a chocolate caramel cheesecake.
Boi Na Braza is definitely a special occasion restaurant, but you can often find a good deal through special events or Groupon. Come hungry and prepare to be rolled out the door after your gigantic meal.
Restaurant Week Price + Drink  + Gratuity: $56.00 per person
TIPS:
- Don't order soda. It's served by the bottle and you are charged for each. You'll be thirsty from all the salty meat. Drink water instead.
- Check the bill for an included 18% gratuity. Our table had it automatically added with only four people.
- The latest reservation time for ideal meat selection is 8:30pm. The Gaúchos seem less active after 9:15pm.
- It's a nice restaurant, so be sure to dress up. You also eat a lot, so be sure to wear something forgiving. Ladies, a maxi dress is your best friend.
Quantity over quality is the name of the game.
The location is great and the decor is spot on, but unfortunately the cuisine is not...I'd call it sub-par.  The cuts were not high quality and not properly seasoned, if seasoned at all.  A great friend of mine's wife is from Brazil...Just moved to the states a year ago  -- we took them to Boi Na Braza to welcome her to the city.  She agreed that the establishment is not all that authentic, and would not be up to Brazilian standards.
I will say though, the salad bar is quite nice and it is a very beautiful restaurant...the food just needs to stand out a bit more and be the star of the show...not the decor.
Nom Nom Nom. Â This was my first experience with a Brazilian steakhouse and I am in love. Â This is a protein lover's heaven. Â The bacon wrapped filet Mignon...there are not enough words in the dictionary to describe the flavor and tenderness of this piece. Â I am a weight loss surgery person and very sensitive to textures of meat. Â Anything too dry or tough simply wont go down. Â The rib-eye was awesome if not slightly bland but that bacon wrapped filet Mignon!!! Â Sweet baby jebus.!! The chicken was nice and garlic pork (i think). Â
The salad bar was nice but not my focus. Â The desserts and coffee were also good
I loved the atmosphere but it was the service that was incredible. Â You really have to remember to keep up with your card because its easy to get overwhelmed. Â They are really on you like white on rice... refilling your glass and bringing you more and more food. Â You have to stop and say okay...enough...let me rest...or at least finish one bite.
I wish I could afford to eat here every week but for something nice and damn near decadent. Â This is the place. Â I can't wait to go back.
This was my first experience with a Brazilian steakhouse, and objectively it was great, but I'm more of a sides person than a meat person, so this place just isn't going to appeal to me as much as it might to someone else (like my boyfriend, who was in heaven the whole time we were there).
Check reviews from Alex S and Larry N to get an idea of how this place works.
I'll just say that service was great, and the ambiance was nice. On a very bright sunny Friday night, there was a mix of casual and dressed up people, but I would guess that (for the price point) it trends fancier as the night gets later/darker.
For me, the food highlights were the fried bananas (omg!), the fluffy cheesy bread, the top sirloin, the rump roast, the sausage, the mashed potatoes (hey, I liked them even though they seemed like fancy instant potatoes), the key lime pie, and the flan.
I'd been wanting to try this out after going to another Brazilian steakhouse. Sad to say, I was underwhelmed. Don't misunderstand me, the food is good, but it's nothing to write home about and definitely not worth justifying the price. I'd actually argue that the salad bar was better than the actual meat simply because it actually had flavor. But who goes to a steakhouse for salad?
Many of the cuts we received seemed underflavored, was not that tender, and did not seem like it was high quality cuts. Even the filet mignon, while good in its own right, was not that amazing. The filet mignon just tasted like beef (yes I know it's beef, but i expect flavors other than beef), and was a little tough for a cut that was apparently cooked at a medium degradation. It seemed like that the chefs were more concerned about quantity over quality of the food. In general, I felt that I could have produced something better on my own.
If you enjoy eating a lot of protein and don't care that much about flavor, then this is the place for you. Otherwise, save yourself the trouble.
So full. Â Bring on the animal protein. Â The meats are great. Â They will try to give you the cheap stuff first (a standard tactic of all buffets). Â It will be hard to take it easy on the mouth-watering salad bar. Â It will be hard to say no to pork chops, bacon wrapped chicken breast, and chopped beef. Â You can do it. Â Go for the beef rump and tenderloin. Â Worth the wait. Â Then, you won't want to stop. Â It's so good, but it's so much food. Â And yet you keep eating. Â Do keep in mind that this is about $55/head.
Bottom Line: Â I'll be back when I'm not full any more. Â In like a week.
I just wish I had an extra stomach. Â You pay a lot, and can get an endless amount of different meats, not to mention all the yummy stuff at the salad bar. Â And I was very satisfied with the staff. Location is excellent - feels very hip. Â When I'm looking to gorge, and want to feel like treating myself and my date - this is the place. Â But I could never make it a regular spot - I just don't want to consume that much red meat.
Review Source:This was my second experience at a Brazilian steakhouse, the first being Fogo de Chao in Beverly Hills, CA., which I would rate higher than Boi Na Braza.
At Boi Na Braza we started with the Brazilian Cheesy bread, fried bananas (yum) and polenta. All nice to sample. The salad bar was nice, but I didn't want to fill up on salad and sides. Unlike Fogo de Chao, at BNB you can get your sides off the salad bar. I loved the Brazilian rice and topped it with marinated Shitake mushrooms. I could have made a meal out of just that!
The cheese selections were nice as well. I saw lots of other great looking items, but didn't want to fill up on these so I just sampled a few. Was a little disappointed they didn't have more than one soup selection. Fogo de Chao had a lobster bisque that was amazing!
Then came the main course(s). First to come was the lamb, which everyone said was too tough. What I like is each server had options of done-ness on one skewer. I tried the specialty steak which was cooked and seasoned perfectly. My faves were the bacon wrapped chicken and bacon wrapped fillet. The bottom cut sirloin was very good as well. The grilling was very good. The Parmesan  crusted pork smelled amazing but was a little over done and heavy. Sausages were heavy as well...a bit on the greasy side.
A bit disappointed they don't offer any seafood...at least an occasional skewer of shrimp or scallops. Â
I don't go to downtown cincy much. It was bustling with activity and we walked over to Fountain Square for a few minutes to watch the skaters. Downtown is much improved over the past! Gone is the 'roll up the sidewalks' atmosphere I remember. Very nice! We'll come back.
Finished the evening with coffee drinks at Blind Lemon on Mt Adams. All in all...a great evening!
Possibly the greatest meal I've ever had.
Went on a Friday at about 6pm, and was able to walk in wearing just jeans and a sweater. It may be dressier at other times of the evening, but it wasn't then.
Others have covered the style of the restaurant, so I'll focus on two things: the salad bar and the service.
The salad bar included about fifty items, both cold and hot, veggies, cheeses, meats and starches, more than enough for a full meal on its own. And it was continually stocked, I got three helpings of mashed potatoes, and the buffet serving dish had been completely refilled each time, although it was early enough in the evening that the restaurant wasn't busy yet.
The staff were buzzing around like bees all evening, and they were incredibly attentive. I don't believe my water glass was ever empty for longer than 30 seconds before someone swooped in to refill it. It was the same with the meat skewers, which were delicious. It was almost--but not quite--an imposition with how attentive they were. If you've ever seen a tennis match and noticed the kids who scurry on court to grab dead balls between serves, it felt kind of like that. That was how attentive they were at Boi Na Braza.
But don't let anyone kid you. It was insanely expensive. But if you're planning to spend a decadent evening where money is no object, then I cannot recommend Boi Na Braza highly enough.
We went here for a work holiday lunch. It was really delicious, but I'm not sure the decreased price is worth the trade off for decreased food. It's definitely better at dinner.
That being said, when your waiter brings you your first basket of cheesy bread rolls, just ask for 5 more. Because you'll want them!
I was surprised that the meats came in different temperatures, which was really nice. All of the meat was delicious, and the salad bar was good too. Desserts were high quality, though definitely not home made.
Worth a trip -- but splurge and go for dinner!
This is not your normal steak house. This is a "pull out the nice china because the boss is coming over for dinner" kind of steakhouse. The place can seem a little over the top and pricy, but in the end you WILL get what you paid for.
Its a pretty simple restaurant concept, for about 45 bucks you get access to their salad bar (which also has hot sides), and all the meat you can eat. Drinks and desert are extra, but are fairly priced for the most part.
I started my meal with a selection for their antipasti section of the salad bar. Prosciutto, Sun-dried tomatoes and pepper, fresh asparagus, different kinds of cheese, artichoke hearts just to name a few. It was a great way to start off the meal. I also enjoyed a Brazilian beer during my meal. The meat was the main event I was waiting for all night. Heres the basic idea: They cook all their meats in the "Churrasco" tradition, meaning a large cut of meat cooked over open coals and then severed in an all-you-can-eat fashion. Their house specially Picanha ( juicy top sirloin cut) Â is to die for. Not all of their meats where home-runs though. For example, their garlic beef and their lamb was a real let down ( i love lamb).
Their deserts where what you would expect, cheesecake, creme brûlée,  a really eggy flan that was under-sweetend (thats the one i got).
Be sure to dress up and leave the kids with the babysitter., and enjoy a night of food, fun, and gluttony.
One of the best steak and chops experience. Â The meats were perfectly cooked, tasty, and just kept coming. Â I forgot about the red sign green sign protocol. Â This is my first time to a Brazilian steak place and it was pretty amazing. Â Had a variety of cuts of meats, such as, rib eye, rack of lamb, filet, skirt steak, pork sausage, some other big meat that was cooked to perfection. Â The sides/salad bar was pretty amazing. Â The mushrooms were amazing. After all that, i need a roto rooter session, but i had a piece of choclate moose cake that was the bomb! Â I ate the whole damn thing, after all that meat. Â Had to run 10 miles after that. Â It ws all good. Definetly worth a return trip.
Review Source:This is definitely a special occasions place. Â You don't generally lay down $50 on 5 pounds of meat on a Tuesday night... Or maybe you do, I don't.
We have celebrated 2 of my husband's birthdays here and would recommend it again and again! Â Not only is the food great, it really is a fun experience! Â Having huge skewers of meat wandering past you and all you have to do is tip your finger to get all you want is just entertaining. Â You want to shout "I'm the king (queen) or the world!"
You go here for the meat, but actually the salad bar is equally awesome. Â Soups, salads, sides, bread, cheese... all to your hearts desire. Â My grandmother actually just gets the salad bar and no meat- an option that is definitely overpriced, but definitely good for the vegetarians in your life.
Service is ridiculous fantastic. Â Drinks are overpriced, but that is to be expected. Â Deserts... why do you have room for desert after all that meat? Â Atmosphere is upbeat, not really a romantic date spot. Â Parking- easiest place would be in the fountain square garage... or leave the car at home and walk home to burn some of the 5000 calories you just ingested.
If I am going to pay $50 a person for a meal (without drinks), I want to be so full that I am about to puke. Â Boi Na Braza delivers that!
I don't mind forking out money for fine and dining restaurant, but I will never come back to this place.
We spend $150.00 dollars Salad buffett  with meal and a $30.00 bottle of wine. Â
The food was horrible. Â The salad buffett was messy and didn't refill the stations quick enough.
There was so much fat on the meats, that my husband had a pile of fat on the side of plate and when we showed the manager, he did not do nothing about it. Â Also the meat was not tender, it was hard.
Oh dear god, I think I'm still full ... I don't think I'll ever not be full again ... and yet, somehow, I want more! My god, I want more meat!
(Please insert whatever joke you'd like here, I don't care. Meat! I must have more meat!)
I only sort of knew the concept of Boi Na Braza before walking through the doors. Something about skewers and waiters and a red or green card? I don't know. But here is what I learned.
This is a Brazilian steakhouse. The waiters dress in gauchos. Everything is mood-lit like crazy and you sit down at a comfortable table with a little red circle at your plate.
There are three courses to your Boi Na Braza experience. The first is placed on your table: fried palenta, fried bananas and cheesy bread. Go light! Better is to come.
The second course is the all-you-can-eat salad bar. If you're trying to build a typical salad, you're going to be somewhat out of luck (they do have your regular lettuce and tomatoes and such and some nice toppings but nothing that's going to blow you away.) However, the antipasti is really nice! Meats and fancy cheeses and whatnot. Delicious.
But again ... I'd go light. The best is coming now.
Whenever you are ready, flip that card on your table over and a red circle turns to a green circle. At this point, the waiters who have been walking around with swords full of meat will swarm to your table, asking if you'd like a cut. Yes, yes and more yes! Overall they have 15 different types of meats walking around, from tenderloin to rump roast to chicken to sausage to lamb to more! So much meat. They give you little tongs that you can pull the meat off after the waiter has cut it. And then you eat.
Looking for sides? Back to the salad bar for typical sides. Some are fantastic (like the shitake mushrooms in a dark sauce.) Some are not (like the disappointing almost-from-a-can mashed potatoes.) Still, a fantastic addition to the piles of meat you have collected.
All of that is about $45 a person. Expensive, but absolutely worth it.
Can eat some more? They have a dessert cart wandering around which can be called to your table. We shared a creme brulee, which was amazing, and a flan, which was actually disappointing (too much egg, not enough sweet.) But ah well, still delicious.
I also had a fantastic Brazllian beer that I loved so much, I ordered a second - and I rarely order a second beer at dinner. Not my style. Tonight though, I was all about it.
Wow! What an expereince. I know it's a chain but it's a chain that blew me away due to never having anything like it before. Boi na badass.
I've been three times - it was never my idea until the third though. Maybe I'm becoming more carnivorous - and in large part, due to this place. Â The meat is outstanding. Â Mmm, meat!
On my third trip, I think I perfected the art of eating here (i.e. not getting totally stuffed). Â This was our strategy: Â Skip the appetizers they put on your table. Â They're not that great and not why you're paying $$$. Â Skimp on, if not altogether skip, the salad bar. Â If you get anything off the salad bar, stick to veggies and/or salad. Â Avoid carbs, potatoes, heavy dishes. Â And drinks: stick to one. Â They're not that cheap, their cocktail list is lacking, and again, you're there for the meat! Â Mmm, meat!
When the servers begin to bring swords of meat out to you, you will find out quickly what you like. Â Our faves have been the following: Â House Special Rump Roast, Chicken Breast, and Sausage. Â We stick with those.
Service is always excellent, and the experience is totally fun.
Boi Na Braza turned out to be a wonderful choice for an anniversary dinner. We made reservations but it didn't look like we needed them - we arrive 40 minutes early and they were able to seat us right away. The interior lives up to the expectations one might have for a restaurant on fountain square. It was beautiful!
The salad bar was nicely presented and offered some great side choices to accompany the meat. Our favorite were the shitake mushrooms. I skipped most of the salad-type "stuff" to leave room for the most important thing - lots of different meats!
Being a Saturday night, our waiter said there were 14 different types of meats available. I noticed a lot of beef options and few pork options which was fine with me. The ribeye, bacon-wrapped filet, and prime rib were all so delicious that the price of the meal was worth those 3 cuts along. We also tried some chicken, lamb, and pork and everything was top-notch.
Service at this place is as good as it gets. The meat carvers were prompt when the cards were flipped to green and sometimes asked even if the cards were red just because they were nearby with fresh skewers. Our water glasses never went below half full and everyone was very attentive without being overbearing. It's definitely worth a try if you are looking for a unique, upscale place to eat and you are a meat lover.
Boi Na Braza loosely translated mean - hellagood amount of meat!!! Â That is what I came for and I was not disappointed.
Classy decor, high quality food, unlimited meat...what's not to like? Â
Some of the previous reviewers were concerned about the service..having to get your own plate..not a great salad bar..etc. Â WTF? Â First of all, who goes to a Brazilian Steakhouse for the salad bar? Â Second of all, the salad bar was fine and the real purpose of it is so that you can get a plate and put your own side dishes and fixin's for the steak on it! Â Plus I needed a little getting up and walking around to help digest the meat I was chomping down!
As far as the meat, we went during restaurant week, which equaled a reduced price for the experience :) and a slightly reduced menu :(. Â We were offered 8 or 10 different meats plus a choice of 3 or 4 desserts included in the price. Â I told the guys offering me chicken to stay the F*** away and bring only 4 legged animals my way! Â To that end I had garlic coated meat, house special (rump roast), leg of lamb, top sirloin steak, pork ribs, fillet Mignon wrapped in bacon, and sausage. Â When I say I had them, I mean we ate for about an hour and I lost track of how much. Â It was all good, but the house special and the leg of lamb were memorable. Â The staff was friendly and bent over backwards to get you the cut of meat you wanted, cooked how you wanted it.
Key Lime pie for dessert...delicious and then we chose to walk back to our hotel in Covington to aid in the digestion....good call.
I will definitely go back when the full menu is available because I have heard great things about the lamb chops! Â Â Oh yea, the wine list was decent and reasonable. Â As far as the other complaints, I can't imagine taking a date here, unless she was a straight up carnivore!
Go with the family for a special night of meat and meat and meat...you won't be disappointed!!
Was good. Not worth the money, but good.
I've had people telling me about this place for a year or two now, so the wife and I decided to go give it a shot finally.
We had an 8:30 reservation, and they were able to squeeze us in at 7:30 when we were super early (hadn't eaten all day in anticipation of chowing down on tons of awesome food).
So they take us to a table, and the waiter asks in a heavy Brazilian accent "have you been here before?" We say "no", and he briefly explains the process. However I only picked up maybe a 1/3rd of what he said due to the heavy accent. Oh well, but I got the gist. Flip your piece of paper to red, they stop bringing food. Green, more meat. Salad bar is included
So here's where it got weird. We sit there for like 10 minutes, and they never bring us plates for all the wonderful looking meats the waiters are carrying around. Finally I decide to go get a salad. I come back from the salad bar, and realize, thats how you get your plate! Either you have to go get your own empty plate, or they put the meat on the plate you ate your salad off of. Seriously? I'm paying $50 a person and I have to get my own plate to start out?
And the salad bar was horribly disappointing. They had several side dishes like mashed potatoes, rice, black beans, etc. These were alright. A few cheeses, and then the salad. Except...not really. You had a choice of iceberg lettuce or what was labeled "ceaser salad" except it was just diced romaine. The only toppings were beets, bacon and tomatoes. Frischs has a better salad bar than this. Furthermore, the salad bar was arranged in a triangle, with each side being "Sides", "cheese" or "salad", except there was no correct way to go around it. So i'd go clockwise, and other people would decide to go counter-clockwise, so I'd turn and go their direction, only to have another person do the same thing I just did! Come on guys, put up a sign with an arrow so everyone goes the same direction.
Now, the meat was amazing! It was tastey, juicy, and everything I thought it would be. Salt sensitive people, beware! They have to be brine bathing all the meat, I could feel my fingers swelling up as I ate it, but I didn't care because of how good it was! Everything from bacon wrapped filet mignon, to ribs, and parmesean crusted pork. It was great!
Another point of contention...we had no idea who our waiter was. There were guys bringing around meat, guys refilling our drinks, but I finally asked one of them for the bill, and they said they weren't a waiter. But who was?! Finally I spotted a guy in a maroon shirt who looked like a possibility, and in fact he was. But it was the first time I'd seen him.
He asks if we'd like desert. "Sure, why not?", so they bring this large cart over to our table with different cakes and pies. I get a piece of key lime pie (amazing) and my wife got some triple chocolate cake thing. No prices were mentioned, so I assumed it was a safe bet it was included in the meal.
Nope, a $6.50 charge for cake showed up our bill, but nothing for my pie. Odd. But it would have been nice if they'd mentioned it wasn't included, because I assumed for $50 it was. I mean, you go to Beni hana and the ice cream comes with the meal, right?
All and all, it ended up being around $125 for the wife and I, with the cake and her 2 glasses of cheap wine. I left full and happy, but couldn't help think there were plenty of other restaurants I could have went to for half the price and eaten just as well.
It was worth if for the curiosity of the waiters bringing the meats around, but that was about it. We most likely won't be going back.
Le sigh.
I wanted this place to be amazing. I really, really did.
I wanted to give them an amazing review. Such will not be the case so I'll be brief.
Good things: the meats are amazing and can't be beaten in my book. You'll be amazed at the variety and the overall tastiness. Also, it's a charming sort of atmosphere.
Bad things: Everything else. The side dishes are obviously just frozen vegetables. The salads were horrible and everything was overpriced. I'm pretty sure they even charged me for water.
I might be convinced to take a date her again, and if my job ever wanted to take me out, I might recommend Boi Na Braza.
However, I don't think I'll ever eat there again.
I've been curious to try the whole "churrascaria" (AKA Brazilian Steakhouse) concept for a while and Downtown Cincinnati Restaurant Week afforded me the perfect opportunity...unlimited salad bar, 10 meats, and dessert for $35 per person.
I assumed this was a pretty formal place and we dressed accordingly, so I was surprised to see (as another reviewer pointed out) some people in shorts, t-shirts, and other inappropriate dress. In any case, the interior is pretty grand--lots of contrasting wood paneling, some natural stone, etc. I think the concept has been pretty well explained by other reviewers, but, in a nutshell--you have access to the salad "island" (this is no mere bar, my friends), turn your card to green to bring the guys with the meat skewers over, and pretty much gorge yourself.
The salad selection had some interesting, if out of place, options (what's tabouli doing in a Brazilian place?), and I wished for a few more hot veggie side options (the only one was a cheese-covered broccoli dish). But really, that's just the warm-up to the meat, so don't fill up there!
There were 10 meat options that night (at least for the RW special) and while the servers were plentiful and efficient, there seemed to be rather uneven coverage (for example, we got bacon-wrapped chicken several times, but literally had to request the fillet guy to come over). The beef options (top & bottom sirloin, bacon-wrapped fillet, and the house-special roast) all had pretty good flavor, but you could really specify the done-ness so most of it was overcooked for my tastes (ran to medium-well for the most part). I tried requesting an inside cut for a less-done piece, but the guy either didn't understand me or just ignored me. It seems to be much more about the quantity than the quality here in my opinion.
The one chicken option I tried wasn't very good at all--a dark meat leg section with a fatty layer of skin. I don't eat pork or lamb, so I had to keep awkwardly refusing those servers to wait out the beef or chicken ones. We didn't get our little starter plate until the end of our meal because they were apparently forgotten and we didn't know to ask for them--glad they eventually showed up because it was all delicious: little cheese rolls, fried bananas, and fried polenta sticks.
Dessert was actually a high point with key lime pie that was tart and creamy with a great graham cracker crust.
I felt like it was a pretty good deal for the special price, but there's no way I would ever pay full price to go there. I think I'd rather just have one steak, but have it exactly the way I want it!
This place is goood, with an added o for good measure. Â If you like decadent salads, an endless supply and variety of quality meats, then this place is for you.
although, I'd recommend coming really hungry as this place will fill you up quick if you turn your little coin over to green.
I am a very avid lover of meat - red meat, chicken, pork, fish, shellfish... Â I freaking love meat. Â It's awesome.
That said. Â I expected so much, and yet got so little out of my experience at this Brasilian meat house. The service was moderate but the meat was brought out so quickly and run by our table so fast that you didn't really get a chance to experience or taste all that was to be offered. Â If you took the time to get up and actually go get salad or vegetables from the buffet, then you missed two rounds of meat by the time you returned.
Overall, I did not feel the food was worth the price or the wait. Â The experience was interesting but also not worth the price of the food. Â
I do not recommend this restaurant as I figure you can find better out in the world. Â Plus, I am fairly certain that this is a national chain - and I have a deep inner loathing for chain restaurants.
This is a carnivores haven (vegetarian maybe). I enjoyed this place quite profoundly as I love meat, meat and more meat. The ambiance was nice with a semi-elegant feel. Well worth the price.
It was quite an experience from the gauchos (brazilian servers) to the little octagonal card which determined how often my plate was replenished with a variety of the best meats. Very simple actually - one side of the card was green and the other red. Flip green - meat bombardment; Flip red - temporary respite from the next wave of.....u get the picture.
One last piece of info - talk to the manager to receive a $10 off coupon before you dine. We were a party of 5 and each received one so it made the dining experience even better.
If you like meat, this is the place for you. It's worth every penny spent, as well. The salad bar is gigantic, full of fresh cheeses, fish, soups, and of course, salads of all sorts.
The service is fantastic, and the wait staff, dressed in gauchos adds a bit of flair. I had to get used to flipping over a car from stop to feast, but I got used to it. Essentially, when you want to try a fresh cut of beef, pork or chicken, you have to turn over a card, and they slice of a portion for you to try. I walked out of this place completely stuffed, but it was wonderful.
Go for the lamb chops.
So now there's another one of these fancy schmancy Brazilian barbeque places in the cinci vincinity (the other one Amor is up in Mason) and i finally got to try it last night. The big big plus is that Boi Na Braza is downtown, right across the street from McCormick & Schmick's which makes it very convenient to get to either by walking or parking under the Westin for $1. The extra walk back to the office parking lot is MUCH needed after the meal. you'll see what i mean after the next few paragraphs.
Like any other Brazilian bbq place, Boi Na Braza offers a prix fixe menu of $44.50/person that gives you the freedom to eat as much of the 16 cuts of meat available as you can plus unlimited trips to the hot & cold salad bar. Oh but wait, as if there wasn't enough food already, a trio of 'brazilian' appetizers is constantly refilled at the tables. This includes brazilian cheese bread (almost like a cheese popover), fried yucca, cinnamon sugar 'fried' bananas, and little meat empanadas. Drinks & desserts are additional.
The salad bar was good with a variety of cold dishes, hot dishes (potatoes, black beans, rice, etc.), salads, cheeses and cold cuts. Most of these are vegetarian friendly so vegetarians can be more than satisfied with the salad bar and appetizers. I didn't try much here, but i've heard it's good (including my veggie friend). I saved room for the meat.
Now in comparison, i do have to say that this wasn't the best meat i've had, but it was still good. My favorite cut is the Picanha (from sirloin) so that was good as usual. Beef rib was a little salty. The filet mignon (just plain, not with bacon) was overdone and tough. The lamb (both leg of and chop) didn't taste as fresh as it could have, but the Brazilian pork sausage was tasty. You win some you lose some. Like i mentioned before, they have 16 cuts of beef (including top sirloin, bottom sirloin, pork rib, chicken, etc. etc.), but i was saving room for dessert.
On to desserts - They come out with, literally, a trolley cart full with turtle cheesecake, strawberry cheesecake, flan, chocolate mousse cake, papaya cream, strawberry cream, creme brulee, and key lime pie. The papaya cream is the specialty: it's a papaya puree folded with vanilla ice cream and topped off with a splash of creme de cassis. Very smooth, light, and refreshing. Other desserts i stole a bite from included the flan - rich with caramel flavor with a nice firm texture and the chocolate mousse cake - cake was moist and paired well with the chocolate and opera mousse fillings.
Get this - there was a whole other cart that was just was appertifs!
For the location and the convenience and the experience and the dessert, it's worth trying (especially if it's on someone else's tab ). On your own? Maybe someone else has a different opinion =p
Fogo de Chao is definitely better, and i think, *think*, i currently prefer Amor in Mason, but Boi Na Braza does have its benefits too.
I had heard many good things about Boi Na Braza so I was excited to check out the restaurant during the Do Downtown event. Â
Unsurprisingly, Boi had the biggest crowd out of all of the participating restaurants that evening. Â We got in line for the tasting item, a potato dumpling stuffed with cheese and meat and served with an insanely hot Brazilian hot sauce, and were immediately greeted by a Gaucho server in full dress. Â He offered us Caipirinhas, traditional Brazilian drinks made with rum, sprite, and mint. Â
We accepted the offer (the drinks were $6 each) and slugged them down before we even got through the line. Â You must get one if you visit Boi Na!
I am completely unfamiliar with the style of restaurant that Boi Na Braza is so I was pleased to have the opportunity to experience a bit of the dining experience on Friday. Â Representatives from the restaurant explained the idea to us. Â Basically, diners pay a set price to receive unlimited top quality meats, sides, and salad bar (the salad bar was at least 20x20, I've never seen a bigger one!). Â We got to read the meat list for that evening and it featured the likes of lamb, filet mignon, chicken legs, and pork. Â
I would definitely save Boi Na Braza for a very special occasion as the price per head is $79, plus the cost of drinks and tip. Â I will definitely be back to sample the food fully, though!
Vegans beware. Â That's all I can say about this place.
If you haven't heard about Boi Na Braza, I'll give you a quick rundown. Â It is a Brazilian steak house, or what I believe is called a churrascaria. Â What it is known for is its ridiculous amount of meat that they serve. Â This place is best described by going through what a typical meal is like. Â
As far as I'm aware, there is only one pricing option, and with it you get a comprehensive, unlimited "salad" bar and all-you-can-eat meat. Â Basically, after you are seated you head to the salad bar to start.....and its a pretty amazing spread. Â There are tons of salad options, exotic side dishes, veggies, potatoes. Â There are a variety of different ethnic foods represented. Â I really loved the marinated shitake mushrooms...mmmmm. Â But the salad bar is only the prelude to the real reason people head to Boi Na Braza.
After you finish at the salad bar, its time for the meat. Â What makes Boi Na Braza unique is how you get the meat. Â Each person at the table has a little card that is red on one side and green on the other. Â When you flip to green, you will literally get bombarded by the servers who are walking around with the various cuts of meat they offer, and the slice the meat directly onto your plate. Â I believe there are 16 different types of meat- filet mignon, tenderloin, sausage, duck, beef ribs, rumproast, etc. Â As long as you keep your card on green, there will be servers offering to pile more meat on your plate. Â Flip it over to red, and the servers leave you alone for a while to enjoy the food.
And the best part is the meat is awesome. Â High quality and prepared to near perfection. Â It is seriously a carnivores heaven.
There are a few things that are worth mentioning. Â The first is how they price their drinks. Â They don't offer tap beer or soda. Â So my wife got a diet coke and it came as a tiny 8oz bottle- so no free refills. Â The other is to be aware that this place is bustling, with people walking to the salad bar from all over a dozen servers constantly circulating with meat. Â So, it can have a bit of a frantic pace to it, so I wouldn't reccomend going there if you are looking for a romantic or intimate meal. Â Its a great place to go in a big group. Â
And oh yeah, you can look at all their meat selections on their website
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