Costela Brazilian Steakhouse, Bay City, MI

I was doing my best to eat everything in sight when I noticed some serious daggers pointed in my direction. 


My wife, daughter, and I, were seated at a small table near the center of a large dining room at Costela Brazilian Steakhouse in Bay City. Men carrying roasted meat on swords moved swiftly among the patrons. Our daughter, Addison, waited patiently for lamb chops. After a moment, a member of the flame-broiled brigade was at her side, slicing a chop onto her plate. (Check her out here: https://instagram.com/p/CDwA5eGJ3fo/ !)


Usually, one of the first things you will notice at a Brazilian steakhouse is the epic salad bar. (I know what you’re thinking: salad bars are not “epic.”) But, this bar is nothing like the offerings of a typical all-you-can-eat. There’s choice olives, brined peppers, capers, Serrano ham, prosciutto, various aged cheeses, micro-greens, a wide selection of garden vegetables, crackers, specialty nuts, breads, and excellent soups. It’s as if several charcuterie boards exploded in the foyer. Everything is fresh, clean, colorful, and of the finest quality. But today, there was no salad bar at Costela, the buffet being another covid casualty. Instead, staff prepared individual salads with mixed greens and shaved Parmesan and brought them to the table.  


Costela sits on the east side of the Saginaw River in Bay City’s trendy Uptown district. And you’ll find that it is similar to other churrascarias. They roast various cuts of lamb, beef, pork, and chicken, churrasco style: impaled on a sword-like rod and barbecued over charcoal or wood. Servers take the finished swords of meat and parade around the restaurant, offering the cuts to diners. Best part: you can eat as much as you care to, so the fleet just keeps on coming to your table until you tell them to stop. Normally, each person has a small card on their table—red on one side, green on the other—that you would flip to red for “stop,” or green for “Give me meat!” However, during these strange and annoying days of covid, restaurants are streamlining wherever they can, to be more “sanitary” or “safer” or “touchless.”


And the meat is delectable. Every cut is tender, brimming with juice, perfectly cooked. A light seasoning and, of course, charcoal, bring out the rustic heartiness of the various cuts. It’s succulent, familiar, inviting. Meat is the star of the show. 



Photo: Fogo de Chao, Troy, MI


But now, as the three of us were eating grilled tenderloin, some of the surrounding patrons were eyeballing us pretty good. I thought: maybe it’s because I’m wearing flip flops and a t-shirt that is screaming about a cigar shop in Temperance, while they were dressed to the nines. 


If you google Costela’s or any other Brazilian steakhouse, it will be described as “upscale.” Cost per person averages $50, and that can go up easily with a few drinks. It’s a classy place where you want to be dressed appropriately. In fact, most of the guests around us at Costela’s were wearing matching dresses and tuxedos. It sort of seemed like...a bridal party. 


In addition to the meat-toting gauchos,  there are also conventional servers who take the orders, replenish drinks, etc. The service at these restaurants is first class. The only thing missing is white gloves. Often, a server is removing your dirty plate and placing a clean one in front of you before you ever ask. They seem to always be on stand-by, just out of sight, waiting for the opportunity to preempt your request. 


As I glanced around the restaurant for whoever was carrying the grilled sausage, I noticed that, a couple feet behind me, a table held a multi-tiered cake, beautifully decorated, topped with a miniature bride and groom. Two people—a man and woman—were cutting into the cake together, posing for the photographer that was just to my left. And that’s when I realized that we were sitting in the literal “midst” of a wedding reception. I felt bad. I felt awkward. I felt like I was intruding. I raised my glass...to the waiter. “Can I have another caipirinha please?” I decided to just make the best of it, and a caipirinha is a great way to do it. 



Costela Brazilian Steakhouse, Bay City, MI


The Brazilian caipirinha is a drink that’s similar to a mojito with its muddled limes and sugar. But instead of rum, it’s made with cachaça—a spirit derived from fermented sugar cane. It’s delicious. And that’s one more thing you will notice about Brazilian steakhouses like Costela: with drinks like the caipirinha and extensive wine lists featuring Argentinian reds and Napa Valley whites, they have impressive libations. 


Many of the staff came over and spoke to us throughout our visit, asking how our meal was, getting anything we needed. Everyone was friendly and professional. Even through masks, I could tell they were smiling. As to the wedding reception, I would be a little annoyed myself to find that some strangers were seated smack in the middle of my group, right next to the cake. Yet, we had a great meal and another good experience. We were grateful for that. After paying the bill, we stepped-out into the cool of the evening, crossing a small open field. We headed toward the riverwalk. 



Saginaw River, Bay City, MI






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