Chama Gaucho, from a Fogo de Chao veteran, delivers a terrific Brazilian churrascaria experience and solid value

Chama Gaucha, an upscale Brazilian steakhouse from a Fogo de Chao veteran, has opened a new location in Grapevine that’s worth a visit.

Founded in 2008 by João Carlos Ongaratto, Chama Gaucha offers a top-quality churrascaria experience at an affordable dinner price — just $60 for adults, $30 for kids 12-18. The Hatch HQ attended a pre-opening preview and liked what we saw.

The Grapevine location is the fourth addition to the chain, with the others in San Antonio, Houston, and Chicago. The 2,100 square-foot restaurant seats 389, and has four private party rooms and a prominent wine cellar.

Chama Gaucha offers the classic Brazilian steakhouse experience, with a dozen cuts of meat, including the house specialties picanha (prime cut sirloin), cordeiro (roasted or grilled lamb), beef ribs, sausages, and pork ribs dusted in parmesan. Meats arrive on skewers and are carved tableside by skilled gauchos directly onto dinner plates. You know the drill: display the green side of your tabletop card to indicate you want more, then flip it to red when you’re ready to pause (or surrender). Chama Gaucha says it only uses USDA Prime meats, aged for at least 45 days.

In addition to the roving meats, Chama Gaucha offers a salad bar with more than 30 items, including cheese, cured meats, vegetables, olives, asparagus, and peppers. Meals begin with baskets of pão de queijo, chewy, puffy Brazilian bread rolls made with tapioca flour.

We thought $60 per adult was a more than fair price for Chama’s quality, variety and attentive service. Even nicer: the restaurant’s last seating is 10pm each night, which makes Chama a terrific option for late-night dining in an area lacking both.