Chima Brazilian Steakhouse: Fort Lauderdale Restaurants

The first time we went to Chima (Fort Lauderdale) on Las Olas Blvd. we had no idea what to expect. We had driven by the restaurant often but had never ventured inside.

We had some friends in town and thought why not check it out—since it was one of the few Fort Lauderdale restaurants that offered rodizio service—in this case, churrascarias which is when servers come to your table offering various skewered cuts of meat.

The restaurant is at the eastern end of Las Olas and lies at the end of a courtyard away from the street. The walkway from the street is beautifully designed and provides an elegant entrance to the courtyard beyond, which has one of the largest banyan trees we've ever seen in this neck of the woods.

You'll find tables and chairs in the courtyard and can sip on a cocktail outside if your table isn't ready and watch the waiter/gauchos prep the meat through a kitchen facing window.

The interior of the restaurant is as elegant as the outside. Comfortable and chic with just the right touches, including a wall-set fireplace for those cooler Fort Lauderdale winter nights.

The rodizio service is a fixed price and not inexpensive at just under $50 a person. However when you consider the amount and variety of food you get, it isn't unreasonable. Chima's rodizio menu includes side dishes, 16 cuts of various broiled meats, the best salad bar we have ever seen and dessert.

The salad bar itself is a meal featuring your standard salad bar fare as well as Carpaccio, soprasada, smoked salmon, calamari salad, blue cheese mousse, soup, rices, and host of other delicacies.

 

We've opted to just have the salad bar sometimes on other occasions because it is so delicious—and although you aren't entitled to any of the meats, you can have some of the grilled fish from the rodizio.

The rodizio meats served by the gaucho waiters table side include various cuts of sirloin, filet mignon, sausage, pork, ribs, lamb, ribeye, chicken, salmon and swordfish—16 rotisserie choices in all. The fun in the rodizio menu at Chima is having the waiters come up to your table with their offerings.

**** 2012 update****
The last couple of times we went, we were a little disappointed. They no longer seemed to have the same extensive choices of meats and the ones they did have were very salty. We still like the atmosphere and experience at Chima and will give it one more shot before we take it off our favorites list!

The way it works is that you are given chips which let the carvers know if you are interested in what they have to offer. By simply flipping the chips on your table to the orange or black side the waiters know whether to stop at your table with their offerings.

While the waiters are doing there thing you can go back and forth to the salad bar where you will find all sorts of sauces and accompaniments for the meats. This whole process of eating more and more meat along with more and more side dishes and salads can go on for hours if you let it.

TIP: You can go to restaurant.com and get a gift certificate for Chima. You'll pay $10 for $25 dollars towards your bill saving you $15. You can also sign up on the Chima website and get a $20 coupon for 2 rodizios valid Sunday through Thursday.

Chima is a terrific place to go to from time to time and should be experienced at least once. As far as Fort Lauderdale restaurants go, it shouldn't be missed because of the unique setting and endless meat experience—just don't forget to bring a huge appetite with you.

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