Chow down at an authentic yet contemporary churrascaria where the meat is mighty and the cocktails are down right punchy. Introducing, Rodizio Rico.
The Venue
Situated in the hyper-stylish Cube by the Mailbox, Rodizio doesn’t fail to impress as you walk up to the grand glass doors. It’s spacious and modern with crisp clean lines. Wooden furniture and wall panels give it a warm vibe too. There’s also a balcony overlooking the gorgeous view of the canal leading to Brindley Place, and as the sun sets it’s a lovely spot to be to spend the evening.
A balcony faring babe with a dash of the contemporary, Rodizio Rico is not what you might first expect from one of Birmingham's only Brazilian bars.
The Food and Drink
Let’s not shy away from the fact that Rodizio is a buffet-style bar and restaurant. A fine one, at that. My advice is try everything, but TAKE. YOUR. TIME. Everything is delicious and cooked to perfection. The salad bar is vast, very fresh and tempting, but don’t fill up before the meat-feast begins! The lamb and beef brisket in particular are worth waiting for a second portion, and I’m actually partial to the soft garlicky chicken hearts! We did make it to desert, albeit we only had room to share one. If I had to say anything negative, it’s that the desert choices aren’t mind-blowing, but having said that, when the traditional Brazilian flourless chocolate cake arrived; it was really yummy and I forced my half down happily. Also worth noting is that there is nothing is made with nuts. My fellow diner has an allergy and they assured us it was safe!
There’s an array of classic cocktails on offer and although the choices are limited, they are very well made. The waitress asked me what sort of cocktail I like and she brought me the most perfectly balanced sweet and sour passion fruit Caipirinha, followed by a brilliantly made Cosmo, which is all too often mixed badly in other bars. I would suggest red wine is your best shout for this kind of meaty meal and luckily, they have a great selection.
Classic cocktails and churrascarria style meat mounds make for a hearty meal whatever the weather.
The Atmosphere
The waiting staff have some brilliant banter; we had a great chuckle with them. They know what they’re talking about when it comes to the menu, and equally they’ll tell you about each cut of meat as if they butchered it themselves. This is a great hot-spot for families as you can bring the kids as they can eat as much as they like, and the men (or women, if you’re anything like me) can eat until they’re about ready to fall asleep. Not a first date place, though, be warned. More 4th or 5th when you’re comfortable demolishing large quantities of food and meat off the bone in front of one another. Perfect for the start of a stag night or work do. Relaxed, friendly, great service, great food.
Comfortable, with some of the most charming waiting staff in the business.
Summary
I’ll admit now this wasn’t my first visit to Rodizio Rico; nor my second, or third, so when DMN asked me to review I jumped at the chance. I love this place and recommend it to as many people as I can. You only really need to ask yourself a few questions. Do you like perfectly cooked meat? Do you enjoy a better-than-decent salad bar? Can you eat like a beast? Do you like good wine? If you answered yes to any of the above then nab yourself a table and enjoy.
