People enjoy a delicious meal at Rio Brazilian Steakhouse in Logan.
LOGAN – Ten years ago Luis Ramos participated in the 2013 Spice on Ice challenge at the Eccles Ice Arena representing Gauchos Grill. The restaurant won People’s Choice, Chef of the Year and Judge’s Choice that year. Since that time, Ramos has been involved with and started several other restaurants throughout Cache Valley, and now he is launching his newest restaurant – Rio Brazilian Steakhouse – which opens Dec. 22nd in Logan. The restaurant is located at 880 South Main Street #170.
Rio Brazilian Steakhouse features a parade of fresh, sizzling meats of various cuts and people are allowed to sample as much or as little as they like.
“The thing is,” Ramos explains, “if you go to other places to get a steak you pay (a lot of money) and you may not like it. Here, you get 16 different options, different cuts of meats. Once in a while we want to do wild meat, too. We are really competitive with other steakhouses in town but you get way more here than other places.”
Meat servers circle the restaurant, visiting each table and offering samples of meat on skewers fresh off the grill, including delicacies like orange chicken, pork loin, top sirloin, whole sirloin, beef tenderloin, beef picanha, New York steak, parmesan chicken, chicken hearts, tri tip, sausage, Italian chicken, beef wrapped in bacon, beef wrapped in chicken, teriyaki beef and roasted pineapple. If you want to try it, the server will slice off a piece of meat right onto your plate.
But the restaurant offers more than just Brazilian-inspired meat. It offers a full salad bar to balance the meal and provide other options, including Brazilian potato salad, stroganoff, Feijoada (Brazilian style of beans), cheese bread, mashed potatoes and fried bananas. Everything available is 100% authentic Brazilian.
They also feature traditional Brazilian drinks, like Brazilian lemonade, Guarana, and Copa Cobana, a pina colada drink served in a pineapple.
When working at Gauchos Grill, Ramos developed a close friendship with fellow server Alex Cavalcante, a native of Florianopolis, Brazil. Now Cavalcante and Ramos are partners in Rio Brazilian Steakhouse and Cavalcante is proud to bring his Brazilian culture and food traditions back to Cache Valley.
“They always do barbeque in that area,” Cavalcante explained, using Ramos as his translator. “They always do this type of style, like this one. But…never imagined having a restaurant.”
Cost is $19.99 for lunch and $27.99 for dinner. The restaurant is open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays. It is an ideal location for date nights, special occasions, and company parties with a private room that can sit up to 20 patrons.
The venue has been completely remodeled and features custom artwork from Utah State art student Torie Smith, highlighting traditional landmarks in and around Rio de Janeiro. Also hanging on the walls are some custom leather pieces, one featuring the name and logo of the restaurant between American and Brazilian flags, and the other featuring and American flag with Logan Utah written below it.
This is Ramos’ seventh restaurant opening from scratch. He has learned a lot of lessons along the way, preparing him to create a unique restaurant option unlike anything else in the area.
“We are working hard to get the best meats in town, to be the best steak house in town so when clients come here they get the best quality for steak,” Ramos adds.
When coming up with the name of the restaurant, Ramos says his children love the movie Rio and whenever he thinks of the city he thinks of carnival and fun. He wants his restaurant to reflect a similar, fun atmosphere.
“You can bring your family, you can have fun. You can see the meat server go around with different type of meat,” Ramos exclaims. “Kids have fun getting the pineapple.”
And both Ramos and Cavalcante are appreciative of the love and support they have already received from people in this area after hosting several company parties as part of their soft open.
“I love Cache Valley. Cache Valley is in my heart,” Ramos exclaims. “They really support the other businesses that I have.”