KATY, Texas — Another Brazilian steakhouse is now set to open along the Katy Freeway and the Grand Parkway causing some to wonder if they can all survive.
Chama Gaúcha Brazilian Steakhouse announced Aug. 12 that it plans to open a location here by mid-September, becoming at least the fourth churrascaria along the Katy Freeway at the Grand Parkway — all offering a similar all-you-can-eat format at a similar price point.
The lineup:
- Chama Gaúcha Brazilian Steakhouse — opening mid-September along the eastbound Katy Freeway feeder road, a short distance before the Grand Parkway, in the space most recently occupied by Doneraki Fuego y Mar Mexican Grill and Seafood
- Tourão Brazilian Churrasqueria — 24515 Katy Freeway, just a short walk west of Chama Gaúcha
- Fogo de Chão — 222 W. Grand Parkway S., right around the corner
- Gauchos do Sul — 910 W. Grand Parkway S., just a short distance from there
At least one online review of Tourão's Katy location described the restaurant as "very empty with 2 tables watching soccer" during a first visit, while noting the salad bar was comparable to other chain churrascarias in the area. Whether that pattern holds once Chama Gaúcha opens — or whether Katy's growth is enough to keep all four restaurants busy — is a question local diners may end up answering with their wallets.
About the new location
Doneraki Fuego y Mar had only been open in that space since late 2023 before Chama Gaúcha's arrival. Before Doneraki, the building was home to Cooper's Old Time Pit BBQ, a Texas chain based in Llano that built the restaurant new on the site in 2019. Cooper's had closed by the time Doneraki moved in. That means Chama Gaúcha will be the third restaurant to occupy the building in less than a decade.
All four restaurants follow largely the same format: servers circle the dining room carving skewers of slow-roasted beef, lamb, pork, chicken and sausage tableside, paired with a large salad bar and sides.
Chama Gaúcha's original restaurant has operated on Westheimer near the Galleria since 2011. Guilherme Da Silva, who has managed that location since it opened, will run the new Katy restaurant.
"We've welcomed many guests from Katy at our Westheimer location for so long that opening here has always been part of our vision," Da Silva said in a news release. "We're excited to finally bring the Chama Gaúcha experience closer to home for those loyal guests while introducing our authentic Brazilian hospitality to those who live and work in the area."
The new location will also include private dining rooms, aimed at rehearsal dinners, corporate gatherings, holiday parties and other events.
Anyone can report that a restaurant is opening in Katy. But we live here — so we can tell you what else has moved in and out of that same building, how close together these restaurants really are, and what it means for the neighborhood. That's the type of detail you don't get everywhere — but you get it reading Covering Katy. Subscribe today to keep getting the local details that matter. SUBSCRIBE HERE.