My experiences with Brazilian cuisine has always been that of churrascaria, or better known as, Brazilian BBQ. There are many churrascarias in southern California, and I can honestly say, I’ve eaten it in only a handful of restaurants — six in total — including Silva’s Fresh Eatery, in Santa Ana, not far from South Coast Plaza.
I’ve visited Silva’s a few times now, and have enjoyed the food. The way the restaurant is set up can be frustrating when it is very busy, during peak hours, but if you find yourself there during the quieter times, your experience will be thoroughly enjoyable.
The concept is set up as a buffet line. Start at the beginning of the line in the corner, and work your way through until you reach the meat. Silva’s offers several options in which to enjoy your meal. During lunch, you may want to opt for the Power Lunch ($15) if you’re not looking for a lot of food. This allows you a one-time trip through the Chef’s Table and Churrascaria (includes 4oz protein). For those of us who like to indulge when we are out, we like the All You Can Eat ($22.95) option which gives you unlimited trips to the buffet for salads, as well as meat.
I love the array of salad ingredients available. Vegetarians are absolutely welcomed here to dine at the Chef’s Table without Churrascaria, as well as pescatarians who can choose salmon from the self-serve selections.
I like to start by piling my plate with a salad of sorts. Then, add to it with various items such as the different ingredients such as beets, the caprese salad, hummus, and more.
Then, I grab another plate and get my meats on it. You can see the meats grilling in the background.
There are four different meats to choose from, including: chicken drumstick, skirt steak, picanha (a cut specific to Brazilian BBQ), and garlic picanha. My favorite is the garlic picanha — it is very flavorful and the meat is tender. The chicken drumstick is pretty good too, moist and tender. There is also a sausage available.
Later, I get some rice and one of my favorite Brazilian dishes — feijoada. This stew is a hearty dish of pork or beef, and black beans.
Make sure you get some of the chimichurri sauce to pair your meats with. I also love the little spicy peppers which gives a really good heat to the meats.
Make sure you are super hungry when you go to Silva’s. There’s so much to eat, but only so much stomach space to accommodate.
Silva’s Fresh Eatery + Churrascaria
3672 S. Bristol Street
Santa Ana, CA 92704
Tel: 855-600-5500
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