Churrascaria Paladar is a fine-dining Brazilian-style steakhouse in Hackettstown, NJ. This restaurant was founded in 2012 by Jose Galvao, a native of Portugal, and his wife, Brazilian-born Maria. Since then, it has undergone various improvements and additions to make it the restaurant it is today.
Churrascaria Paladar features white tablecloths, low lighting, and a formal/casual neat dress code, making it a fine dining experience. If you have kids, consider saving this restaurant for a date night with your partner or older family members, as it may not be suitable for young children.
Although this restaurant offers various authentic a la carte dishes, the Rodizio is a crowd favorite at this Brazilian eatery. The Rodizio is a one-of-a-kind dining experience that allows customers to sample various types of meat and authentic Brazilian food without the confinement of one entree item. You can choose your portion size for each cut: just tell the server how big you want the piece.
Priced at $56.95, the Rodizio is not limited to just the meat served on the skewers. It starts with an accompaniment platter containing the following: White rice, fresh-cut potato chips, black beans, fried banana, fried yucca, farofa (yucca flour), collard greens, and fried cornmeal.
The Rodizio all-you-can-eat option begins and ends at the diner’s choice. Shortly after receiving these accompaniments, servers will approach the table and explain the cut of meat they hold. From there, if the diner would like it, the server will cut this variation of meat fresh from a skewer onto the dine
r’s plate. There were a total of 11 different types of meat that came around that night.
The first type of meat that approached my table was the Linguiça de Frango (Brazilian Chicken Sausage). It appeared like a normal sausage yet had a tough texture.
Picanha is a Brazilian signature steak and the highlight of diner’s nights. Picahna is a cut of beef from the top rump of a cow, but don’t let that steer you away. This Picanha cut was thinly sliced from the skewer and was first served with garlic. Other variations throughout the night included Pichana with plain sea salt as well. The cook on this meat was the rarest spectrum on this medium-rare cut, but it is clear that this cut was meant to be cooked this way.
The steak melted in my mouth and the fat, which is edible on this cut of steak, added to the overall flavor. The garlic seasoning had a robust and full flavor, adding to the experience of this dish. The sea salt Picahna was more on the medium side yet contained the same full flavor as the garlic variation.
Next was the Medalhão de Filé Mignon, which is a filet mignon cut wrapped in a piece of juicy bacon. The cut was tender and cooked medium rare, while the bacon was crispy and buttery. The juices from the steak accompanied the bacon to add a smooth flavor to the whole bite.
Alcatra, translated as top sirloin, was next to arrive at my table. This sirloin was stuffed with melty provolone cheese and surrounded by a tougher cut of meat in comparison to the filet. Nonetheless, the provolone, enveloped by this tough crust, allows the diner to appreciate the slightly nutty cheese with a snap of a smokey flavor.
The
Costela de Vaca, or beef short ribs, was an underrated classic. While some may have steered from the ribs and gone just for the Picahna, I decided to try them out. The ribs had a taste similar to the rest of the cuts. However, the flavor stood out as light yet flavorful, strong, and full like many of the cuts.
The Fraldinha is a skirt steak, simple in comparison to the rest of the choices. It was plain with a touch of sea salt yet cooked medium rare.
The Perna de Galinha, or chicken drumstick, had a full-bodied flavor, maybe oregano, that reminded me of some Greek-style dishes. The drumstick was covered in this flavorful seasoning yet the chicken on the inside was juicy and delicate, falling off the bone with ease.
When I was ordering, my server asked whether my table wanted the Coração de Frango, also known as chicken hearts. I said no to this authentic Brazilian option, yet if diners would like it, all they need to do is ask.
Throughout the meal, the service was outstanding. Every server that approached the table was knowledgeable as well as kind. Each server was open to however much of a certain type of meat my table would like, whether it be more or less of a certain type.
Of all of these options, the garlic seasoned pichana was my clear favorite. It was cooked perfectly, which allowed for a full experience to enjoy the taste of the garlic seasoning which accompanied the juicy inside.
In a close second I would place the bacon wrapped filet which was cooked just as well with a slightly different flavor, because the cut was different. The bacon was deliciously flavorful with a full smokey taste and the steak was perfectly pink.
In a close third place, I would choose the chicken drumstick. The seasoning melted in my mouth and reminded me of Greek food that my mom makes, making it higher on the list compared to its steak counterparts. It was especially delicious because it was the only chicken on the menu yet they cooked it so that it was tender and stood out from the rest of the steak.
When selecting a restaurant for a special occasion, Churrascaria Paladar stands out as the clear option. With its serene and elegant atmosphere, this eatery provides the perfect setting to enjoy a memorable dinner with loved ones. By featuring some of the most delicious and finest cuts of meat available in Hackettstown, this restaurant is the clear choice for steakhouses in the North Jersey Area. If I were to rate this restaurant out of ten it would receive an average of a high 8 to mid 9s. With a reputation for excellence, Churrascaria Paladar does not disappoint. For your next special occasion, choose Brazilian!
