EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 A new Brazilian-style steakhouse in El Paso is betting that diners who love ribeye and picanha will embrace an all-you-can-eat experience that blends Brazilian, Mexican, and American flavors.<\/p>\n
Alex Danielli, one of the owners and the chief operating officer of Las Espadas & Co., said the concept grew out of a partnership with Jorge Ibarra, the founder and CEO, whose family is from Chihuahua and founded Las Espadas in Mexico. <\/p>\n
Danielli is a native Brazilian and had worked for 10 years at Fogo de Ch\u00e3o, the largest Brazilian Steakhouse in the world. <\/p>\n
Danielli said the brand has eight locations in Mexico and three locations in Juarez. <\/p>\n
Danielli said he met Jorge, who said he already had a project underway in El Paso. After visiting the city, Danielli said they decided to open here because El Paso didn\u2019t have anything similar.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’ve been to many places in town; they have amazing steaks, but we have the all-you-can-eat steak,\u201d Danielli said.<\/p>\n
He said the Juarez locations offer \u201camazing food and amazing experience,\u201d but crossing the border can be time-consuming, especially for people with limited time for lunch. \u201cPeople have one hour for lunch, so they don’t have the time in El Paso to just cross to Juarez and have lunch and come back here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Danielli said the El Paso restaurant couldn\u2019t bring in every food item from Mexico because of laws, but the team was able to combine elements of Brazilian, Mexican and American cuisine. He said the restaurant is designed for diners who want variety, including different meats cooked to different temperatures.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe offer all kinds of meat. You’re gonna be offered well done, you’re gonna be offered medium, you’re going to be offered medium-rare, all kinds of temperatures also,\u201d Danieli said.<\/p>\n
He said the restaurant serves \u201cfour animals,\u201d including lamb, pork, chicken and beef, with a variety of cuts that can change rather than staying the same every day. He also said the salad bar includes 68 items and the meat selection includes \u201cover 12, 13 different types of meat.\u201d<\/p>\n
One surprise since opening, Danielli said, has been demand for lamb. He said some vendors initially told him lamb wouldn\u2019t sell in El Paso, but customers asked for it, particularly those familiar with Brazilian steakhouses elsewhere. He said another favorite has been picanha, which he described as a famous cut also known as \u201cRump Roast Culotte,\u201d served on skewers.<\/p>\n
Las Espadas & Co. is also the first location in the group to feature an Ipanema bar, Danielli said. <\/p>\n
He described it as a lounge where customers can wait for a table and order drinks, including caipirinhas, which he called a traditional Brazilian drink. <\/p>\n
Danielli said the restaurant does not use a reservation system for parties of fewer than 15 people.<\/p>\n
\u201cNumber one drink in the last two, three weeks that we have been open, it is the caipirinha,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Danielli also shared the origins of the rodizio style of service, tracing it to Brazil in the 1970s. <\/p>\n
He said the concept began when a restaurant manager who handled tickets got sick, and staff began bringing skewered meats to tables instead.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo they started the Rodizio concept. It’s the concept where you try a little bit of everything, and that was successful,\u201d Danielli said.<\/p>\n
He said the approach reflects Brazilian culture and hospitality, with servers frequently offering food throughout the meal. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe love to serve you a lot of food. So when you come here, don’t be offended. We are gonna offer you food all the time we can,\u201d Danielli said.<\/p>\n