This wasn’t our first visit to Pampas Grill, and it won’t be our last. The thing with this place is that there are so many incredible choices on offer, you need to go a few times to truly experience what they’re all about.
“Pampas Grill brings the traditional flavors of Brazilian churrasco to the Los Angeles area,” they say online. “Using the common Brazilian dining tradition of ‘pay by the pound,’ patrons of Pampas Grill have control over their portions and pay only for what they eat.”
Pampas Grill has two local locations – here in Culver City and at the Original Farmers Market. The one in Culver has such a great selection that we could easily have eaten there all weekend and spent way too much money.
If you eat in, there are three sections – salads, hot dishes, and barbecued meats. However, this writer was in the middle of moving house over the weekend, so we ordered delivery from them and got a different experience to the last time, but no less delicious.
On this occasion, we ordered the eight-piece garlic chicken meal, to split between the family. That came with a choice of three sides from the many that they have on offer. We opted for the garlic rice, the plantain, and the broccoli.
The garlic rice was light, fluffy and aromatic, blessed with little slices of roasted garlic amongst the grains. White rice can be bland, but this is anything but. Each bite is a comforting mouthful of vibrant goodness.
The fried plantains, meanwhile, were crispy and sweet, but also perfectly savory. Plantains, when roasted like this, are a magnificent accompaniment for any sort of barbecued meat and, alongside Pampas’ chicken, it works beautifully. The caramelized exterior and chewy, satisfying interior are a wonderful side dish for this meal.
The broccoli is cooked with onions and more garlic (as if there isn’t enough with the rice and chicken), resulting in a green veg that tastes way better than it has any right to. The flavor of the onion and garlic soaks deep into the broccoli’s flower, perpetrating every bite expertly.
There’s a choice of mild green sauce or super-spicy red sauce. We went with green and we’re relieved that we did – even that had a proper kick.
That just left the chicken, which is incredible. The skin is blackened with the garlic marinade, and quite crispy. The dark meat inside is tender and bursting with the flavor of the meat and the garlic coating. Put all of the elements together and you have a family meal that will make everyone happy.
Pampas Grill is located at 3857 Overland Ave., Culver City 90232. Contact 310-836-0080 and visit pampas-grill.com.