Tuesday, December 4, 2018

A Brilliant Brazilian Buffet Hidden in Santa Ana - CLOSED


Silva's Fresh Eatery and Churrascaria
3672 South Bristol St.
Santa Ana, CA 92704

The term hidden gem gets thrown around a little too much these days. It has almost come to mean a restaurant you haven't been to yet. Silva's Fresh Eatery and Churrascaria is a literal hidden gem. It's located on the backside of an LA Fitness and behind the large Chase Bank and the former Famous Dave's space on the corner of Bristol and MacArthur. Easily overlooked due to no street visibility, Silva's should definitely be noticed by those who enjoy churrasco and Brazilian favorites.

Many of you know the Texas de Brazil's, Agora's, and the Fogo de Chao's of the world. These Brazilian restaurants are well known, and for good reason. They are all delicious and serve some fantastic meat options. If you have been to these Brazilian restaurants, you know they are pretty pricey. Dinner at these three giants in Brazilian fare will set you back $50 to $60 per person. Even a big meat eater like myself needs help eating enough at these places to get my money's worth. My lighter-eating wife has no chance to eat enough at these places to make it worth it, so we hardly ever experience Brazilian cuisine. Silva's is trying to change that.

Silva's has been open for nearly a year now. They have gone through some changes during that time, as most businesses do. When they first started, they tried a pay-by-the-weight option, which did not jive with many diners. They recently switched to the much more accepted all-you-can-eat feast, offering appetizers and entrees. We hear some delicious pizzas come from their kitchen for people who do not want to go the all-you-can-eat route. Speaking of the kitchen, the man at the helm is Chef John Vega, formerly of Roy's in Newport Beach.

My friend Mark and I were invited to try Silva's this past week. After the quicker-than-expected drive up the 405 Freeway from Aliso Viejo, we arrived just before 7 pm. We were met by a hip yet comfortable dining room, which strikes the delicate balance of being the perfect spot for a date night venue and a place you can invite your whole family to experience. There's the fully stocked and quite impressive bar off to the right of the entrance and the buffet line that starts on the far left-hand side of the restaurant. Plenty of Brazilian-themed framed pictures dot the walls here, but not obtrusively. Let's take a quick tour through the buffet line.





I'm not going to lie to you. I skipped the salad portion of the buffet line. The produce section of this buffet does deserve some notice, though. Silva's uses locally grown and organic vegetables, making for better salads. There's nothing personal about salads, but when I'm at a buffet, I tend to focus on the hot food items, and at a Brazilian buffet, I definitely do not stray too far from the meats.






There were plenty of hot food options to fill my plate at Silva's before I got to the slow-cooked meats in their churrascaria. The options were plentiful this evening: Black Bean Stew with Sausage, Roasted Cauliflower, Ratatouille, Truffle Mac and Cheese, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Salmon Filets, a Roasted Potato Medley, and more. Of course, I was pretty distracted by the station that was coming up next.




The proteins at Silva's are the star of the show here. They may have fewer offerings than their other Brazilian steakhouse counterparts, but the seven selections that they do have were all stellar. Highlights included their Skirt Steak with hints of garlic and herbs, Tri-Tip, and the Gaucho Style Sausage, one of my best sausages. After watching the gaucho slice the meat, I could not wait to return to my table and dig in.



This was plate one of two that I had, and I was ready to be wheeled out of Silva's by the end of our visit; the meats were fabulous, and I would definitely suggest piling up on them because that's where the most significant value is when eating at a Brazilain buffet. This might be hard because the other hot dishes are stellar. It's been a week, and I still crave their delicious mac and cheese and the Feijoada, also known as black bean stew. Very homey and comforting.


It's also worth mentioning that Silva's bar is strikingly beautiful and well-stocked and makes some fantastic cocktails. Mark and I had to try their Caipirinha ($12). This is the national cocktail of Brazil and, I suspect, a distant cousin of the trendy mojito. I liked this version better, as it did not have an overpowering mint flavor. It was a very refreshing and easygoing beverage that went well with the meats and side items here.

Mark and I found Silva's an excellent alternative to the more pricey Brazilian steakhouses that dot the county. Instead of paying $50 or more per person, the all-you-can-eat option at Silva's is a staggering $22.95. Also worth noting is that, unlike those other steakhouses, you can order from their kitchen if you are not in the mood for an all-you-can-eat feast. I've heard that their pizzas are excellent. Silva's also offers a happy hour that runs from 3pm to 7 every day and has some great drink specials, along with half off on those pizzas and other appetizers. Lastly, they also have late-night dining options on Fridays and Saturdays for people who want to enjoy some music spun by their DJ. Silva's is trying to do almost anything to battle their hidden location to get you in the door because they know that once you find them, you'll love the food you find there and will be a frequent visitor.

I'd like to thank everyone we encountered on our visit to Silva's Fresh Eatery and Churrascaria. It seems like the staff was extremely excited to share this concept and are definitely behind it. A special thanks to General Manager Alex Ferreira, who made sure we were well taken care of and concocted excellent cocktails this evening. Thanks for your very kind hospitality, Alex. Thank you to Bob Bradley at Bradley PR and Marketing for setting up this visit. Thanks for helping us find this truly hidden gem, Bob. Much appreciated.

Silva's does not have an active website, but you can find out more information on their Yelp page  here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/silvas-fresh-eatery-churrascaria-santa-ana?sort_by=date_desc

1 comment:

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