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Dorothy Salmon and George Altamura recently had lunch at Galpao Gaucho Brazilian Steakhouse (Galpao) to catch up on life in Napa. George had been raving about Galpao’s food and felt they did a great job renovating and REALLY ramping up the décor and ambiance in the former Marie Calendar’s and, more recently, Oventi.
Having lunch with George at this Brazilian restaurant reminded both of us of the summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and how lovely the Brazilian people were to visitors from all over the world; how friendly they were and how beautiful their country is. The service at Galpao showcases that same, upbeat friendliness.
Since George is one of Napa’s restaurant connoisseurs and an owner of one of Napa’s favorite restaurants, it seemed fitting that having lunch at Galpao was the place to hang out and catch up. Dorothy wanted to confirm that George’s raving review of Galpao was as great as he said it was.
Since it was lunch, George was being extra careful about eating healthy. So, we headed straight to the salad bar which, by the way, is the best salad bar either one of us had been to in a long time, if ever. The salad bar was packed with fresh salad-greens, deviled eggs, homemade salad-dressings, smoked cheeses, crisp bacon, hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, marinated mushrooms, potato salad and other great salads, smoked salmon, large, fresh shrimp, rice, beans, and on and on, along with fresh, homemade, tomato soup that was wonderful. When we got back to the table, our server had brought a basket of fresh, baked, warm pão de queijo (cheese bread that is very difficult to resist).
George was raving about the food, the meat and the service before we even parked the car. When Dorothy met Shawn, the General Manager, and saw how he and his team had turned a tired Marie Calendars into a classy Brazilian Steak House, she was duly impressed. Galpao Gaucho Brazilian Steakhouse might be new to Napa, but it’s already a well-loved favorite in San Antonio Texas and, of course, Brazil. To enhance the authenticity of the Brazilian Steakhouse, the staff we met was clearly Brazilian, with lilting Portuguese accents. As George reminded me, the salad bar was huge and impressive.
Lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Their fabulous salad-bar with over forty items is $23.50; lunch served with meat is $37.50.
We didn’t try any Brazilian cocktails that day, but when we return for dinner, we will try them for sure. We have heard that they are amazing. Our friends who have dined at Galpao rave about the dinners, the meat served on Brazilian skewers/swords, the drinks, the service and the atmosphere.
Galpao Gaucho Brazilian Steakhouse is a welcome addition to Napa’s restaurant scene. Since it is a steakhouse, Dorothy tried the steak, the lamb and the chicken in small bites, and they all were amazing. All the meat is served Brazilian-style and cooked to perfection. The sauces were fabulous, especially the chimichurri sauce.
This is clearly NOT the place to go unless you are really hungry! Dinners are priced at $57.50. If you are a meat aficionado and love perfectly-cooked meat from their rodizio, this is the place for you. They serve ribs, fish, ribeye steaks and 17 different meats, brought to your table by their friendly and informed servers. In case you are unsure about which meats to choose, there is an easy-to-understand brochure on each table to tempt you to try something you might have never tried before. This is the place for large parties if you want unique and delicious food, a different ambiance and a fixed price.
Galpao Gaucho Brazilian Steakhouse also has a large bar, a lounge and, of course, large TV’s that now seem to be in every bar area in Napa.
Lunch with George is always great; his comments about the food were right on, and dinner is next on our agenda!
1990 Trower Ave, Napa | (707) 255-5121 | galpaogauchousa.com
LUNCH M-F 11:30am-2:30pm | DINNER M-TH 5-9:30pm Fri. 5-10pm Sat. 3-10pm SUN 1-9:00pm