Samba Brazilian Grill Review
Summary: Samba Brazilian Grill satisfies the carnivore crowd with meat-on-a-stick panache.
Brazilian Steakhouses have sprung up around the country, and Madison’s representative in the category does not disappoint. While it doesn’t fit the bill for a quiet, intimate dinner for two, Samba Brazilian Grill has enough flair to qualify as a special occasion spot, a place to wine and dine your business associates, or as a nice dinner out with friends.
Sitting down to dinner at Samba means learning a new dining process. There’s little ordering to be had - just show up and the staff has a pretty good idea that you are there for the meat-on-a-stick. And you don’t need to tell them exactly what meat you are there for - you get any and all of it, in whatever quantity you wish. The protein feast is supported by the unlimited and plentiful salad bar , which beckons diners with a wide variety of dishes. If you are not a carnivore, you can order only the salad bar for a reduced price, forgoing the protein bingefest. The salad bar alone contains over forty items.
The nightly grilled meats vary, but often include various marinaded versions of flank steak, tenderloin, pork cuts, various preparations of chicken, duck and other poultry, different sausages, and more.
The servers come around to the tables with the skewers of meat dishes, carving portions out per diner. The restaurant encourages a leisurely experience, providing a wooden baton colored with red and green ends. Want to take a break from the meat making the rounds? Simply flip the baton red side up, and the servers will leave you alone. As long as the green end is up, you are going to be offered a serving of every piece of meat that comes off of the grill.
We enjoyed our trip to Samba. The various cuts of meat were flavorful and high quality. The salad bar, while extensive, wasn’t as exotic or satisfying as we thought it might be. Then again, we were not there for the salad bar, to be honest.
We’ve been to Brazilian Steak Houses around the country. Samba ranks up there with all of them.
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Restaurant Details:
240 West Gilman Street
608-257-1111
Food service:
Sunday through Friday
from 5-10 pm
Saturday
from 4-10 pm
Sunday Brunch:
10am - 2:30pm
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We’ve been to Samba three times this year, and their ‘little sister’ restaurant/bar once. Overall, Samba is an event best experienced with a group of 6-8 friends. It’s not intimate dining, although the bar is one of the most beautiful in Madison, and moderately priced, to boot.
The space is flat-out gorgeous, although navigating the staircase with a full plate from the salad bar can be tricky!
The last time we tried Samba, we ate only the salad bar, and honestly, it was more than enough food. We’ve been pleased with the service, and enjoyed watching at least a couple of the gauchos (!!)..
Wow this place is a feast for any meat eater! Id love to try it but it is a little too far to travel for myself. Id love to hear of other readers experiences if you went to try it.