Picanha Brazilian Steakhouse

Well! After trying quite a few of the "Brazilian Steakouses" in Philly, I decided to step out and try something new. I searched all over and read a ton of reviews. My search led me to Picanha located on Locust St in Center City. I was excited to give this place a try. So, I invited my grandma to have lunch with me and we ventured out to find this place.I will say Picanha is a beautiful place. You walk in and you can see how much thought has been put into decorating the establishment. We were greeted by a smiling young man who seated us and then gave us our dining instructions. We ordered our strawberry lemonades and made our way to the salad bar. The salad/hot bar was packed with items. I knew better than to try and eat a lot from the salad /hot bar bc I wanted the MEATS! However, I had a small spinach salad, ribs, and mashed potatoes to start. The ribs were succulent and the mashed potatoes were creamy and yummy!! My grandma had a ton of random things on her plate. She's a rookie, so I let her have her fun. Now, on to the meats. Our gaucho came over with bacon wrapped chicken. It was very dry and not tasty at all. I didn't waste much time trying to eat it. I saved my appetite for some of the other meat options. The gauchos arrived with various steaks. I will highlight my favorites. The NY strip, garlic sirloin and bottom sirloin were my favorites. They were seasoned and really good. I wasn't a fan of the beef rib, garlic steak, or chicken wrapped in bacon. I revisited the salad/hot bar and tried some white rice and black beans. I found the beans to be really salty. My grandmother mentioned the brussel sprouts and cauliflower flower were really hard. She thought they were served raw and not cooked at all. Additionally, there were only a few of the meats that she favored. The check arrived and I was surprised that our lunch cost us $93 dollars and that was without alcohol. I was happy we decided to have lunch and not dinner bc I don't think I would have been remotely happy with the high dinner price if those same meat options were provided then. Overall, Picanha is a good place for Brazilian Steakhouse beginners. I think there is room for improvements if they are going to measure up against the larger steakhouses in the city.

This is a beautiful place! Beautiful in many ways. First, their food is great and the meats are masterfully cooked. They place is never very busy, and their desert, the grilled pineapple is grand and this place is guaranteed to filling you up. Great place, good location, very filling, Highly Recommend.

I have to be very honest here. The BEST time to try a Brazilian Steak House is during restaurant week. Because we all know that the all-you-can-eat and the salad bar can empty your wallet lol. And what's better than most is that Picanha Brazilian Steak House actually carry alcohol, hooray. Me and my friends picked Picanha as our girls night out dinner in January. I was really glad that I made the reservation early. When I try to modify it a few days later, every freaking time slots were full. Picanha text me 15 minutes before my reservation to ensure that I was keeping my reservation and telling me my table is ready. And once I arrived, I was seated immediately without my other friends. Both were running a bit late. That I appreciate A LOT, bc some places doesn't allow seating until everyone arrives. Once everyone arrives, our server swing by and took our drinks. We had order Passion Fruit Caipirinha, The Amazontini and It's Carnaval. We all enjoy our drinks and some even had a second glass lol. The meats were all deeelicious, especially the garlic sirloin. Our first round of the garlic sirloin were the best, as it was the fattiest and extremely tender. But when the second round of garlic sirloin came, it was well done even though I requested medium rare. Other meats were also tasty. We ate mostly steak, and try something like parmesan chicken, not my type, as it is too dry. We loved the salad bar. I loved their potatoes salad, it is one of the best in Philly without the darn onions. Of course, can't forget the dessert. The Tres Leche were very soft and creamy. Why the 4 stars? Their water have a very strong smell to them. We all know is tap, but that strong smell is abnormal. I wouldn't mind going here again but only during restaurant week. And probably request other kind of water or bring my own lol.

Oh my...what can I say? I was there with a friend this past Saturday afternoon for lunch. What an EXPERIENCE!!! For starters, the decor/ambiance threw me into early 20th century Brazil--along with the street signs; very relaxing. The Center City location is simply beautiful. The server was friendly, professional, knowledgeable--and wasn't pushy or demanding; he was there to please . As for food....AWESOMENESS!!! We did the Market Place; I must say, everything I selected was delicious! Freshly made and more than enough delicacies to tempt the Gods . I didn't try the steak--only because I'm not a steak person--but I did feast on the bacon wrapped chicken and sausages! Didn't need to add salt or pepper; food was perfectly seasoned. Last--but definitely not least--the drinks...woot woot to the Caipirinha!!!!!Dining out involves experiencing pert-near perfection in food, service and ambience; Picanha delivered--in more ways than one.

This year for restaurant week we wanted to go for Brazilian rodizio and Picanha was the option available to us. We made a reservation a week prior for Saturday dinner on OpenTable and time slots were filling up fast! We drove into center city and luckily found parking not too far away. Initially we walked past the establishment because we were in conversation plus the signs can be easily missed. Once we arrived the staff was very warm and welcoming to our party of 4. They also became fast friends with my little one who dined for free since anyone under 6 is free, which was a big plus. The restaurant is proudly family owned and there is a lot of pride in their food, rightfully so!The food was absolutely delicious, all the meats, the buffet bar, I feel stuffed again just thinking about it! Perfectly seasoned and flavored. The only thing I missed was the warm sides that are normally provided on demand with the round of meats. The caipirinha was delicious and nostalgic to the first time I enjoyed the Brazilian drink staple. I really liked this place and look forward to going again.

I went to Picanha during restaurant week last week and it was delicious! Even though the menu was limited to about 5 meats, their salad bar was open as well and they had so much food there, not only salad. Other Brazilian steakhouses have a salad bar and rice a fejoada, but this one had that plus other hot dishes like fish, plaintains, mashed potatoes, etc. I got more stuffed at the bar than I did with the meat to be honest. The meat I did eat was amazing, though! I think they have the best top sirloin between Chima and Fogo de Chao. They also served lamb on their restaurant week menu, when it's usually a premium meat at the other restaurants. The staff was also super friendly. It's a family run business with all the staff members but one from Brazil. It feels very authentic here. Cannot wait to go again!

The steaks that i tried were really good. My uncle took me to an interesting restaurant which I appreciated. Their service was amazing. The people who assisted us were amazing. Overall I had a great time

I dined here tonight for restaurant week. The place is cute and clean. Definitely more casual than other places and I liked that. Service was great!! Everything on the salad/hot dish bar looked fresh. I didn't try much because I was saving room for the rodizio. The Brazilian cheese bread was delicious. Loved the plantains. I tried the coconut fish stew. It was good but the temperature seemed less than lukewarm. It seemed like the hot dishes were sitting awhile untouched. I recommend the grilled veggies. The meat came out slow at first but picked up as the tables filled up. All of the beef and lamb were delicious and well seasoned. I love my beef rare and I wasn't disappointed. I did try the bacon wrapped chicken. It was dry. I did not try the Parmesan pork. Oh and the sausage was juicy and flavorful. I enjoyed the lamb but my pieces were really fatty. They have a full bar but didn't offer a wine list or drink menu. I was never asked if I wanted anything other than water. I had to flag down the server. The restaurant week dessert was outstanding. Tres Leches cake. Finally a dessert I can eat!! (Nut and chocolate allergy ugghh) I was so full but managed to scarf it down.

Came here during restaurant week, and it did not disappoint. The picanha definitely lives up to its name here, being super flavorful and perfectly charred, and is one of many cuts here that is done super well. The both the lamb leg and top sirloin were very tender and cooked perfectly and pair well with their authentic sides chimichurri, bacon yuca flour, and hot pepper relish. The salad bar was nothing special but their cheese bread is definitely a must eat here. That finished off with their tres leches cake make me one happy camper. In addition, the ambiance and amazing service resulted in a delightful evening because our server was attentive, very kind, and patient, and the meat carvers will accommodating and super nice. The only issue were that some cuts of meat were tough and chewy and it was disappointing that they did not have all the cuts of meat in the menu available. They also do not have a huge selection of meats, but that might be due to it being restaurant week so that might change.

This was my first time visiting this venue. We went for my son's 18th birthday and I was really nervous. I was actually very pleased. It was comfortable, the atmosphere was great, not too stuffy nor too casual. Both of my teenaged sons absolutely LOVED it even the salad bar. That speaks volumes when teenagers want to return. They cannot wait to go back again. The food was delicious, I loved the butter steak and the grilled pineapple. The only down side was that I could not enjoy the Yucca fries. They presented them combined with chicharrons' and due to religious restrictions I cannot consume pork. Other than that, I was extremely please and recommend them as a great spot to eat.