Traditional Brazilian dining coming to Springfield

The owners of Argentina Steakhouse are opening a second restaurant, Rodizio Brazilian Grill, in the building that formerly housed Tres Hombres, 3371 E. Montclair, near Battlefield Road and Highway 65.

Rodizio will be a churrascaria – a Brazilian eatery centered on rodizio-style cooking, where servers carve rotisserie-cooked meat tableside.

“It’s going to be something that Springfield and southwest Missouri hasn’t seen,” said Michael Cho, nephew of Rodizio proprietor Nan Kim, who hails from Argentina. “It’s one of the fast-growing concepts in restaurants around the country, and I think Springfield is right for a restaurant like this.”

Cho is general manager of Argentina Steakhouse and will have a similar role in the new restaurant.

Cho said the traditional Brazilian churrascaria is different from any other dining experience in Springfield, which makes it difficult to define without experiencing it. Diners also can choose salads, seafood, imported cheeses and olives from a cold bar.

“I hesitate to even use the word buffet, because it conjures up a completely different image,” he said, adding that Argentina Steakhouse went through the same defining period when it opened in 2002. “Steakhouse conjured up a certain connotation around this area –especially in the beginning, people thought of it kind of like a Ryan’s. There’s nothing wrong with that, but again, it’s not what we were trying to do.”

The churrascaria idea is gaining popularity nationally; chains Fogo de Chão and Texas de Brazil have locations in 11 states from Virginia to California.

The Kim family, including Argentina Steakhouse proprietor Sandra Kim, is making a $2 million investment for the Springfield restaurant, including the purchase of the property and building renovations. Work includes cosmetic changes on the exterior, in an attempt to remove some of the “obvious Southwestern feel,” and a complete renovation inside to open up the space, Cho said.

The owners are acting as general contractor; Space Design LLC is the architect and interior designer.

Cho added that the building, which he described as “very well-constructed,” has a kitchen that takes up more than 1,500 square feet – a large space perfect for the rotisserie-style cooking.

Barring unforeseen delays, Rodizio should be open by mid- to late November, in time to take advantage of the holiday rush.

Cho said the new restaurant has more square footage – about 7,000 compared to Argentina’s 5,050 – and about twice the room for large parties and banquets.

What is a churrascaria?

The term churrascaria literally refers to a restaurant that specializes in churrasco. Churrasco, from the Spanish word for “scorch” or “singe,” involves skewering large pieces of meat and cooking them slowly over a flame. The meat is then brought to the table, where it is carved. Servers will continue to bring food to the table as it is cooked until the patrons indicate they have had enough through the use of colored cards – green on one side, red on the other.

In addition to the tableside service, most churrascarias – including Rodizio Brazilian Grill – also have a cold bar, which offers salads and imported cheeses, olives and seafood.