Brazilian food in Palo Alto

Brazilian food on the Peninsula mostly means the churrascaria, the steakhouse tradition of southern Brazil where servers carve grilled meat at your table until you tell them to stop. Palo Alto has one of its own on El Camino Real. Two better-known names sit within a 30 minute drive: Fogo de Chão at Santana Row in San Jose and Espetus in downtown San Mateo. All three suit groups, birthdays and big appetites.

This guide covers Brazilian restaurants within about 15 miles of downtown Palo Alto. Each was confirmed in 2026 through its own website or an active booking page. Prices and menus come from those sources. They change, especially around holidays, so check before you go.

Brazilian food and the churrasco tradition

Churrasco comes from the gaúchos, the cowboys of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil's far south. They roasted large cuts of beef on skewers over open fire, seasoned with little more than coarse salt. Restaurants later turned that into rodízio, a continuous service where waiters move through the room with skewers and carve to order.

Brazilian cooking goes well beyond grilled meat. A few names you will meet:

• Picanha. The top sirloin cap, the signature churrasco cut, roasted with its fat on.
• Fraldinha. Bottom sirloin, a loose-grained and flavorful cut.
• Linguiça. Garlicky pork sausage.
• Feijoada. A black bean stew with pork and sausage, Brazil's best-known home dish, served with rice, orange slices and farofa.
• Farofa. Toasted cassava flour sprinkled over meat and beans.
• Pão de queijo. Small, chewy cheese breads made with tapioca flour.
• Caipirinha. The national cocktail of cachaça (sugarcane spirit), lime and sugar.
• Brigadeiro. A chocolate fudge ball, the birthday sweet of Brazil.
• Grilled pineapple. Coated in cinnamon and sugar and carved at the table to cut the richness of the meat.

Show De Carnes, 3398 El Camino Real, Palo Alto

Show De Carnes Brazilian Steakhouse is in south Palo Alto, at the Creekside Inn on El Camino Real next to Barron Park. The hotel lists it as its on-site restaurant. It is about 2 miles from Stanford and the only Brazilian restaurant we could confirm inside Palo Alto.

It runs as an all-you-can-eat churrascaria. The hotel describes a two-course meal: a salad bar of more than 50 items, then 17 cuts of grilled meat brought to the table. Cuts mentioned on its booking page include picanha, garlic picanha, top sirloin, ribeye, bottom sirloin, filet mignon wrapped in bacon, beef and pork ribs, pork sausage, chicken, lamb chops, leg of lamb, shrimp and salmon, with grilled pineapple to finish.

Its OpenTable page takes reservations and shows recent diner activity through October 2026. It lists dinner from 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, closing at 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 10 p.m. on Friday. Saturday runs 1 to 10 p.m. and Sunday noon to 8 p.m. OpenTable puts the price at $50 and over per person. The chain also lists restaurants in San Jose.

Fogo de Chão, 377 Santana Row, San Jose

Fogo de Chão is the Brazilian steakhouse chain that started in Porto Alegre. Its San Jose restaurant at 377 Santana Row, Suite 1090, was its first in Northern California. It seats 250 guests, with private and semi-private rooms, outdoor seating and Bar Fogo. Santana Row is about 14 miles from downtown Palo Alto.

The dinner menu lists the Full Churrasco at $61 per person, with continuous carving of picanha, bone-in ribeye, fraldinha, lamb chops, chicken and more. The Indulgent Churrasco at $83 adds a dessert and an enhancement such as a lobster tail, a jumbo lump crab cake or roasted bone marrow. Both include the Market Table and Feijoada Bar, with seasonal salads, black pepper candied bacon, charcuterie, fruit and feijoada. You can also order the Market Table alone or with one carved cut. Seafood and vegetarian entrées include branzino, salmon, a cauliflower steak and seared tofu.

Lunch runs 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays and brunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends. Dinner starts at 3 p.m. on weekdays and 2 p.m. on weekends. Bar Fogo runs an all-day happy hour Monday to Thursday. Children 6 and under eat the Full Churrasco free and ages 7 to 12 pay half price. Santana Row parking is free for the first two hours. Our Santana Row food guide covers the rest of the street.

Espetus Churrascaria, 710 South B Street, San Mateo

Espetus Churrascaria is a Bay Area churrascaria with restaurants in San Francisco, San Mateo and Concord. The San Mateo restaurant is at 710 South B Street downtown, about 12 miles north of Palo Alto. Espetus describes its style as authentic southern Brazilian hospitality, with gaúcho chefs carving rotisserie meats at the table.

At dinner and all day on weekends, the rodízio brings 12 to 14 fire-roasted cuts, grilled pineapple, appetizers, hot dishes and a salad bar. The menu lists dinner at $79.95 per person every day and weekend lunch at the same price. Weekday lunch is lighter: a Churrasco Lunch Experience with 7 to 9 rotating cuts is listed at $54.95, or you can choose the unlimited hot dishes and salad bar alone. Holiday pricing is higher. Children 6 to 11 pay half price.

Lunch runs 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on weekdays and noon to 3 p.m. on weekends. Dinner runs 5 to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 3 to 9 p.m. on Sunday. A 20 percent service charge is added for parties of six or more. Our San Mateo food guide covers more of downtown.

At a glance

How to eat at a churrascaria

1. Go easy at the salad bar. It is tempting, but the meat is the main event.
2. Use the card. Green means bring more. Red means pause.
3. Ask for specific cuts. If you want more picanha or lamb, tell your server.
4. Ask for your preferred doneness. Outer slices are more done and center slices rarer.
5. Save room for grilled pineapple. It resets your palate.

A caipirinha is the natural drink. Brazilian steakhouses also pour South American wines, which suit the beef. Book ahead on Friday and Saturday nights and for groups. Rodízio suits birthdays and team dinners. Our group dining guide lists other spots that handle big tables.

Dietary notes

• Vegetarian. Salad bars and market tables can make a meal. Fogo de Chão lists a cauliflower steak and seared tofu.
• Gluten. Grilled meats seasoned with salt are usually free of wheat. Fogo de Chão describes its Market Table as naturally gluten free. Pão de queijo uses tapioca flour, but ask about cross-contact.
• Pork. Sausage, bacon-wrapped cuts and feijoada contain pork. Tell your server if you avoid it.

Making a night of it

Show De Carnes is the easiest pick for visitors staying in south Palo Alto, since it shares a property with the Creekside Inn. If you are planning a longer stay, you can compare hotels along El Camino Real. For other steak dinners in town, from dry-aged ribeyes to Persian kabobs, see our steakhouse guide.

Frequently asked questions