I was invited to Nelore Churrascaria for a ladyblogger dinner (yes, I *have* been accused of being a lady from time to time), and even from a quick peek at their website I knew that this was going to be an amazing dinner. I was absolutely not disappointed. I’m plotting my return, actually.
Nelore is located in Winter Park on Lyman Avenue, just off of Park Avenue. I went on a Thursday evening, and although Park Avenue was certainly alive with activity, I had no problems parking. Inside, I was greeted by a hostess who seated me at a table large enough for my group. The ambience at Nelore is fantastic. Full of dark, rich wood trim, including the chairs, the decor is decidedly not busy but also not spartan. There are brick, wrought iron lighting sconces and a beautiful bar located in the eating area yet not on top of the tables. The ceilings are low enough that you don’t feel claustrophobic, yet not high enough to get that “warehouse din” noise (you know, where you feel like you’re eating at a Costco and practically shouting to be heard by your tablemates). The tables are big enough to be intimate, and you don’t feel like you are sitting on top of your neighbors. The tablecloths were linen, as were the napkins … classy, yet not snobby.
The wine list is quite extensive, I was happy to find. There were rows and rows of red offerings, but the price per glass was a little more expensive than I’m used to. Obviously, that didn’t stop me, and I had an amazing 2007 Argentinean Malbec … two glasses with my meal, in fact. Our waitress explained to the table how eating at Nelore’s works … you begin with a large salad bar, and then gauchos (the meat carvers) circulate from table to table offering different types of meat. A little poker chip-like disc next to your plate is flipped either on its red side or green to indicate to the gaucho that you are ready for them or not. It’s nice to have that kind of control during a meal, although I probably kept my Gaucho Meat Indicator on green the whole night so it wasn’t a necessity! A girl’s gotta eat!
The salad bar was the first thing that I attacked, and there is a reason why it is offered as a standalone meal. Offered as a buffet, it was laid out very artfully. And unlike other Brazilian steakhouse buffets I’ve been to, it was immaculately clean. I watched as throughout the night, the buffet was refilled often and kept fresh.
Some of the items on the buffet were: - chicken salad - carreteiro rice or white rice and black beans with pork - fried yucca with pork - romaine or spring salad (with a chimichurri dressing - SWOON!) - artichoke hearts and hearts of palm - assorted cheeses - smoked salmon - shrimp - mashed potatoes - tabbouleh and couscous - asparagus
The bread at the end of the buffet was incredibly moist and delicious, and the little cheese rolls on the table were absolutely addictive. For you veggiesaurs, the salad bar is labeled with any meat items so you can safely graze through their many offerings. The meats were unreal. I’m not sure how a restaurant can possibly cook all of those different types of meat and keep them moist and seasoned perfectly, but Nelore certainly knows the secret!
The meats I had were the flank steak, the lamb, and the filet mignon. The flank and the filet were unbelievable, and seasoned so deliciously I wanted to run back into the kitchen and steal their ingredients. I didn’t care for the lamb at all, though, as I felt it tasted gamey although it was moist. One issue that I always have at churrascarias is that I spend too much time on my salad bar offerings and don’t get to try all of the meats. Other meats that my tablemates tried were chicken breast wrapped in bacon and also the beef ribs.
These items never got around to me even though I waited for them to come back to the table … I don’t feel comfortable waving the “go” side of my poker-chip indicator at the gauchos. If you’re a slow eater (read: Big Talker) like me, keep your eye on the meat choices and ask either your waitress or a gaucho to bring the items to you. I’ll take my own advice next time. I didn’t try any of the desserts as I was too full from the meal. One of the owners, Angel, came out and gave us a little more information on the restaurant.
They opened in November 2009, and have been very successful (in fact, she recommends reservations for dinner on the weekends). They have a sister location in Texas, and are planning to open one in New York City. Angel explained that there is live music on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, and they are also very involved in the community. This includes giveaways for the American Cancer Society, raffles, and tastings with the proceeds going to charity.
They also choose a menu item each month and have a portion of the proceeds from that item go to charity. I hope to return soon and try some more of their meat offerings … and their desserts.
Nelore Churrascaria
115 E Lyman Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789
Phone: (407) 645-1112
Hours: Lunch: Tue-Thurs 11-2pm, Fri 11-4:30pm, Sat 11-4:30pm, Sun 11-4:30pm Dinner: Tue - Thurs: 5pm - 10pm, Fri - Sat: 5pm - 10:30pm, Sun: 5pm - 9:30pm
Payment Options: AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Tacos el Rancho has a deli-style ambiance with tile floors and the requisite Mexican-style décor … with, of course, a flat-screen TV showing the latest futbol match. It’s brightly lit and the tables are spaced so that you’re not up on top of your neighbor. What’s nice is that although it’s tile with nearly ceiling-to-floor glass windows, it’s not loud and you can have a nice conversation over your food with your dinner companions. 
Notes