The Abridged version:
Tropeiro’s Grill took over the former Pampas Brazilian Steakhouse space downtown, lowering prices, adding lunch service and leaning into social media to build traffic.
Co-owner Mateus Rego says the restaurant now averages around 1,000 guests per week, with peak nights and holidays approaching full capacity.
The menu blends classic churrascaria service with everyday Brazilian staples, including feijoada, pão de queijo and a pay-by-the-pound lunch option.
When Tropeiro’s Grill took over the Elks Tower space previously occupied by Pampas Brazilian Steakhouse, it marked a reset for a format that hadn’t gained traction there before.
The new iteration lowered prices, introduced lunch service and focused on social media marketing, changes that have helped it fit into Downtown Sacramento’s daily rhythm. Lunch includes a pay-by-weight option priced at $18/pound, which has become especially popular with downtown workers, including state employees who receive a standing discount.
Dinner leans into the churrascaria format, with up to 20 meat options circulating through the room. While the full experience costs $60 per person, those willing to settle for a limited selection of all-you-can-eat cuts (including the prized picanha) can dine for $43 or $50.
“We are the cheapest steakhouse I know,” said co-owner Mateus Rego. “We might be losing money, yes. But people come here, they try it out for lunch and then they come back with their family for dinner.”
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Cocktails, stroganoff
Inside the restaurant, there’s a steady buzz. Diners are being seated, servers move easily between tables and gaúchos (meat carvers) keep returning with skewers even when you’re sure you can’t eat another bite. The hospitality feels generous in the way Brazilian steakhouses are meant to be.
That sense of service is shaped by José de Oliveira, a Tropeiro’s partner whose career has been rooted in churrasco (Brazilian barbecue). “I’m from southern Brazil. I grew up with this tradition,” de Oliveira said. “Barbecue has always been part of my life. Now I get to bring that experience here and share real churrasco with people.”
The meal itself begins simply, with drinks. If you want something sweet and tart, a caipirinha ($14) is the way to go, especially with passion fruit, a flavor many Brazilians gravitate toward. Made with muddled lime and cachaça, Brazil’s national spirit distilled from fresh sugarcane juice and often compared to rum, the cocktail drinks like a tropical limeade and cuts cleanly through the richness of all the meat that follows.
Rodízio (rotating) service remains central to the experience, with gaúchos circulating through the room carrying skewers of beef, chicken, pork and lamb, carving directly onto plates as long as the table’s card stays green. People pay closest attention to picanha, the top sirloin cap Brazilians prize for its balance of fat and tenderness and the one diners tend to wait for before flipping their card to red.
The buffet pulls from both Brazilian staples and familiar accompaniments. Feijoada appears as the black bean stew Brazilians expect to see, alongside Brazilian stroganoff. Adapted from a dish brought by Russian immigrants in the 1920s, this version is richer and creamier, made with chicken, heavy cream and a tomato-based sauce and served with rice.
Tropeiro’s Grill’s buffet in Downtown Sacramento. (Keyla Vasconcellos)
Salads, cheeses and cured meats round out the offerings. And farofa sits nearby for those who know to reach for it, the toasted cassava flour adding crunch and contrast to softer dishes and grilled meats.
Pão de queijo sits among it all, the beloved cheese bread that’s chewy on the inside, slightly reminiscent of mochi and has a crisp exterior that makes stopping at one difficult. Pro move: Ask your server when a fresh batch is coming out, and have a few brought straight from the oven.
Pão de queijo at Tropeiro’s Grill. (Keyla Vasconcellos)
How Tropeiro’s came to Sacramento
Rego moved from Brazil to the United States at 19 and has spent more than a decade working in Brazilian steakhouses, starting as a churrasqueiro carving meats tableside before being promoted to management.
While living in San Diego, he learned that the Downtown Sacramento space was available and flagged it to his business partners on the East Coast as a potential opportunity. Tropeiro’s already had two locations in Massachusetts; Rego moved up to Sacramento to launch the third on Aug. 1.
Pampas once served just 92 guests during an entire week in the downtown space, according to Rego. Today, Tropeiro’s averages around 1,000 guests per week. On peak nights and holidays, dinners have reached roughly 400 covers, and the restaurant is now close to fully booked during those periods.
Rego regularly compares notes with managers at other Brazilian steakhouses in the region. Even during slower seasonal periods, he said Tropeiro’s continued to outperform expectations. The contrast is especially stark at lunch, he said: Tropeiro’s serves dozens each day, while some competitors serve fewer than 10 guests.
Social media played an unexpected role in building that momentum. Rego said two diners encouraged him to post on TikTok one night, insisting the videos he had already filmed were worth sharing, even though he wasn’t convinced. He took their advice and posted that night, waking up the next morning to more than 100,000 views.
“That weekend changed everything for us,” Rego said.
There’s more on the horizon for Tropeiro’s Grill, including valet service to make downtown parking easier and additional programming like seafood nights built around crab and lobster. The day-to-day focus stays on the room and the people in it.
“We want people to feel comfortable here,” Rego said. “They can relax, eat well and stay as long as they want.”
Tropeiro’s Grill
Address: 1111 J St., Sacramento
Phone: 916-898-3184
Hours: 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m. Monday–Thursday, 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m.–8 p.m. Sunday
Website: tropeirosgrill.com
Menu: Brazilian steakhouse serving meats carved tableside with a full salad bar. Lunch includes a pay-by-the-pound option; dinner runs full churrascaria service.
Vegetarian/vegan options: The salad bar includes vegetables, rice, mashed potatoes and pão de queijo, but the focus is on meat.
Drinks: Full bar, including caipirinhas made with cachaça.
Reservations: Available via OpenTable. Walk-ins welcome, especially at lunch.
Keyla Vasconcellos is a Sacramento-based freelance journalist.