Lets Eat Out at...

Porto Alegre
260 E. Colorado Blvd.,
Pasadena
(626) 744-0555

Paseo Colorado’s Porto Alegre capitalizes on the popularity of the churrascaria, the Brazilian barbecue-steakhouse concept that appeals to Americans’ super-size-it mentality.

This restaurant is a sibling of Green Field (West Covina, Long Beach), a churrascaria that originated in Queens, New York. Porto Allege means “Joyous Port” in Portuguese and is named for the 10th largest city in Brazil. Porto Alegre is one of the most important cultural, political and economic centers of Southern Brazil and has the highest standard of living among all Brazilian capitals.

The main attraction at this churrascaria is the parade of spit-roasted meats carved right onto your plate. There is a massive salad bar and appetizer buffet that precedes the main meat course that is excellent and is also available ala carte at lunch without the meat for $12.95, an excellent bargain.

The seafood dishes vary. You might find a really good shrimp dish in a red buttery sauce, or on another occasion there are baked oysters on the half shell or mussels in a spicy red sauce. It is very easy to fill up on the buffet items as they are plentiful, varied and delicious.

The meats (rib-eye, fennel-laced Brazilian sausage, baconwrapped filet mignon, top sirlon, beef ribs, seasoned pork, lamb chops) keep coming until you turn a marker on your table from green to red, at which point you are undoubtedly too stuffed even for a serving of flan. The picanha (a classic Brazilian cut) is typically seasoned only with rock salt and is grilled with a thick layer of fat down the side until most of it melts away and the remaining fat becomes crispy. The meat slices are then cut down the middle. If you are looking to limit your red meat intake, the crispy-skinned quail, chicken legs and duck are also presented on sword-like skewers and are also very flavorful and delicious.

Porto Alegre is definitely one of Pasadena’s more handsome churrascarias, with plenty of polished wood and white linen. The service was outstanding and our server, Anthony Fork was professional and friendly. He was also very helpful with directions to maximize our dining experience. The servers are generous with their portions, and they are also great with requests. We enjoy meat on the rare side and they were consistently slicing the rarest pieces for us.

The marshmallow-sized balls of bread with cheese in the center where fabulous and I almost ruined my appetite eating them. They arrived freshly baked, hot from the oven and are impossible to pass up.

There is a full bar and some imported Brazilian beers. The wine list is short, but offers some nice choices. The wine glasses are large and very clean which is important if you are a wine enthusiast. The wine list is a bit limited, so if you prefer to bring your own, the corkage is $15. Because the restaurant is in the Paseo Colorado, there is plenty of parking in the facility beneath the building. This restaurant is surprisingly quiet, so it is a nice place to visit when you want to enjoy conversation.

Porto Alegre also offers banquet and party packages and provides an elegant environment for a celebration of any kind. This is a unique opportunity to enjoy something a bit different when dining out.