Brazzaz
539 N. Dearborn St
Chicago, IL 60610
312.595.9000
www.brazzaz.com
Cuisine: Steak, Brazilian
Price: $50 per person
Valet: $10. Garage parking close. Street parking difficult.
Brazzaz is the second Brazilian steakhouse I have been to in Chicago. My first experience was at Fogo de Chao. I must say, Brazzaz is very good. However, neither restaurant stood out more than the other for me to definitively say that Brazzaz or Fogo de Chao was better. To start off, Brazzaz has this salad bar which is enough for me to enjoy as a meal in itself. Brazzaz salad bar has a wide variety of things to eat. Very tempting to eat, but I strongly urge you go straight to the steaks. Hmm, even I failed to heed my own advice. The salad bar is good. Compared to Fogo, quality is slightly weaker, but a better variety of things. The steaks are to die for. Brazzaz boasts a selection of 16 different cuts of meat... beef, pork, chicken, lamb, shrimp, and pineapple. Yes, pineapple. The pineapple is to die for. I ended up having this at the end of my meal. Makes a great dessert. After the pineapple, I'd have to say their shrimp really stood out. This was prepared very well. As for the steaks, Brazzaz prepares steaks just as well as Fogo. I suggest asking for single slices of everything so you can try as much as possible. Steaks are real juicy and marinated very well. I tried fillet mignon, ny strip, beef ribs, coulette, sirloin, and more. There is so much food. I was extremely satisfied.
The service at Brazzaz is what you expect at a high-end restaurant. Maybe it's because there weren't a lot of patrons, but the whole staff did extremely well to make sure I had everything I needed. The waiter was kind enough to ask if there was a specific cut of meat I wanted before I ended my meal. The staff that delivers the meat is very friendly. They made the experience very enjoyable.
Brazzaz has a large dining room and wasn't even half full when I went on a weekday. This is probably because Brazzaz is not as popular as Fogo de Chao. I imagine as word gets around this place will start to fill up. The Brazilian steakhouse experience is very fun for everyone. While the restaurant is still in its infancy, Brazzaz is a great restaurant for a quiet romantic dinner.
I like Brazzaz, but it lacks character. Brazzaz is not unique enough for me to say its better than Fogo de Chao. Comparing the two Brazilian Steak restaurants of Chicago, I'd say the steaks are equal in quality and taste. If you want high quality steak, you won't be disappointed by Brazzaz.