It’s no secret that Omaha is a steak town. Always has been; always will be. It’s also no secret that there’s a new steakhouse in town—Omaha’s second Brazilian rodizio.
Terra Gaucha brings its own fire to Omaha—not just with juicy grilled meats, but with a deep respect for what makes this city special. Family values. Hospitality. And yes—damn good meats.
Paulo Simonetti had been with Fogo de Chão, a Brazilian steakhouse chain, since its earliest expansion in the United States, when there were just three locations. When Fogo was sold in 2012, Simonetti and a few of his coworkers set out to create a Brazilian steakhouse concept of their own—rooted in the same traditions with a higher attention to authenticity and hospitality. In 2015, Terra Gaucha opened its doors in Jacksonville, Fla., the realization of their vision.
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Enter Alceu Pressi.
A veteran of Fogo with 23 years under his belt, Pressi now leads the helm in Omaha. While he wasn’t a part of Terra Gaucha’s initial founding, he joined the team in 2022, when the Stamford, Conn. location opened. He’s been meticulous about finding the right staff and training them. His goal is to make an immediate, positive impact on the Omaha food scene.
“I think we have a lot in common with the Nebraska people and with the south in Brazil,” Pressi said. “We share the same values—the family values, and people here have a similar lifestyle. So I think Omaha is very special for us.”
One of the ways Omaha’s Terra Gaucha embraces its new Midwestern setting is by sourcing as much of their product locally as possible. From the cuts served on skewers to items in the salad and hot bar, Pressi stresses the importance of freshness and proximity without compromising their authenticity.
“We know that within 200 miles from here are some of the best areas for cattle—for beef, for everything,” Pressi said. “So we get the best steaks from this range, and we’re working with partners like Greater Omaha Packing to make that happen.”
Terra Gaucha is so much more than just good meat. From the hospitality, to the decor and, yes, the food, this Brazilian steakhouse is the whole package.
The decor is modern with deep, rich woods, white brick, white marble and rich amber lighting. The style allows the cold table’s vibrant colors to pop with a promise of fresh, colorful food waiting for you to walk up with your plate. It’s more than just a salad bar with items like cheeses, cold cuts, caprese salad, smoked salmon, fresh shrimp, pasta salads—the list feels endless.
Jennifer and I had the opportunity to visit twice – once with friends for their pre-opening VIP preview where it was an all-hands-on-deck experience with gauchos (the wonderful people who slice your meat tableside) coming from every which way and servers making sure you were having a good time.
Our second visit was two weeks after opening. This time we brought the other meat lover in our household, our son Alex. Though not as busy as the preview night, the dining room was full, and the service didn’t miss a beat. Everyone was on their game as if it were opening night, without the DJ, emcee and other celebratory entertainment. They didn’t need it. They had meat, and that’s what we were there for.
Before we talk about the meats, let’s get into the cocktails, because this is also an area where Terra Gaucha shines.
Brazil’s most popular cocktail is the caipirinha. The menu shows three varieties: premium, banana pineapple mint and strawberry. They’re all made with Terra Gaucha aged cachaça, a Brazilian rum.
The premium caipirinha resembles a margarita, only with notes of the caramelized sugar and molasses rum is known for. The other ingredients are lime and sugar, and it’s simply a delicious cocktail—easy to see why its popularity has captured the hearts of an entire country.
While there are the aforementioned caipirinha variations on the menu, they can make it with any fruit they have on hand. Jennifer requested one with mango, and they happily obliged. Like the premium, the lime came through—but the mango really shined.
The caramelized pineapple old fashioned—made with Redemption Bourbon finished in cognac casks—was a standout. It can be ordered smoked, so that’s what Jennifer did. This is a marvelous old fashioned variant that lets just enough pineapple to come through without completely changing the construct of the original. It’s still the classic sweet-bitter dance—just with a bright, tropical lead. Having tried it smoked, there’s no going back because it enhanced the cocktail beyond measure.
The Ipanema breeze is made with Malibu coconut rum, pineapple juice, peach schnapps, passion fruit and Grenadine. It’s the kind of dangerously drinkable cocktail that tastes like vacation—and forgets to warn you it’s boozy. It’s as delightful as its vibrant peach color promises it to be.
There’s another cocktail to highlight, made tableside. We caught a glimpse of it during the preview night, and we asked the mixologist what he was making as he coated the glass with alcohol and lit it on fire. He looked over his shoulder with a playful smile and impeccable timing and said, “a life changer.”
It’s a carajillo on the after-dinner cocktails menu. It’s made with strong espresso, Licor 43 (because of its anise notes), vanilla, orange peel and cocoa. It’s similar to an espresso martini and is as much an experience to drink as it is to watch it made. While it’s a dessert drink, I think it’ll fit right in wherever you are in your Terra Gaucha journey.
All dining options come with the gourmet hot and cold table. The cold table offers a parade of vibrant, colorful options—each as crisp and fresh as the next. More limited in number, the hot table selections are no less impressive.
We enjoyed everything we tried on the cold table—and between two visits and with a little teamwork at the table, I’m fairly certain we sampled it all. The asparagus and green beans were vibrant and crisp (I really liked the sesame seasoning on the green beans). Various colorful salads, both vegetable and pasta—all bright and invigorating. Smoked salmon, fresh and savory. The list goes on.
I think my favorite item on the cold table – challenging as it is with so many delicious options – would be the potato salad. It was creamy, seasoned just right and had the delicate crunch of yellow and red peppers. Jennifer loved the chilled shrimp with diced scallions and peppers. The shrimp was cooked perfectly – juicy and fresh.
The hot table had Brazilian beef stroganoff that one of our friends said was his favorite dish out of everything. The scallop potatoes are also an excellent choice, warm with a garlic cream—a perfect pairing with meat. The lobster bisque boasted the vibrant, sweet butteriness of the namesake crustacean with a brilliant, creamy tomato base.
I was supremely impressed with the pork belly feijoada, which is a traditional black bean dish. It’s made with a mixture of black beans and pork belly. The menu says it has a “flavorful seasoning” which actually understates how good it is. I’d love to recreate this lovely side dish at home.
But you probably want to know about the meats. As we begin, this is really where Terra Gaucha stands out.
During our visits, we sampled the picanha (the “specialty of the house,” a sirloin cap), garlic picanha, beef tenderloin (filet mignon), filet with bacon, top sirloin, churrasco steak and rib-eye. The gauchos bring these to your table, slice it for you and you take it from them with your tongs and put it on your plate. It’s a carnivore’s playground—and the quality is astonishingly constant.
Gauchos ask your preferred doneness, then somehow slice it to order with uncanny precision. I have no idea what magic happens in the kitchen, but I think the gauchos can darned near slice any temperate you request, between medium-rare to medium-well. As you can guess, I thoroughly enjoyed every cut I tried.
I think my personal favorite was the rib-eye. It carried a charred crunchy exterior that added a richness and texture to the medium rare beef below it. I savored every bite.
But it’s not just steak. Oh no, dear friends, there is so much more. There’s bacon-wrapped chicken (frango com bacon) and chicken drumsticks (coxa de frango). There are lamb chops and lamb sirloin. There are pork ribs and pork tenderloin with parmesan. There’s grilled salmon with a fantastic mango sauce and grilled shrimp. And, though not meat, but still very much worth noting, is grilled pineapple (abacaxi) and cheese and honey (queijinho com mel).
Everything impressed, though the pork tenderloin leaned a bit dry—redeemed by its nutty parmesan crust.
There was also a pork belly, not listed on the menu or website that I thought was delightful. The meat was perfectly cooked, and I really enjoyed the citrus and Tajin rub on the outside. Beyond the beef, this was a delectable standout.
Jennifer’s favorites were the lamb sirloin, sliced medium rare, and the grilled pineapple. The lamb sirloin was beautifully seasoned and mouth-wateringly tender. The grilled pineapple was caramelized at the edges, its sweetness sharpened by cinnamon and a kiss of heat.
Alex thoroughly enjoyed the bacon wrapped chicken, which was a moist and tender chicken breast. He also favored the grilled salmon—glisteningly tender and flaky with notes of citrus. He also highlighted the rib-eye as a standout.
I could go on. To do so would require another review. Rest assured that Terra Gaucha’s protein game is top notch.
I recommend you leave room in your experience for some desserts. There’s a pretty impressive list. We tried four of them: tres leches, crème brûlée, pudim de leite condensado (Brazilian-style flan) and mousse de maracuja (Brazilian passion fruit mousse).
The tres leches is a light vanilla sponge cake that rests on three types of milk and is topped with Chantilly cream. The sponge absorbs the milk base, softening the cake even more, and the cream on top rounds everything out with a silky richness. It’s lavish, yet not too sweet.
The crème brûlée, a rich vanilla bean custard with freshly brûléed sugar, comes garnished with mixed berries. The vanilla is wonderfully prominent, while the custard is delightfully creamy. The brûlée cracks properly and adds a caramel sweetness.
The Brazilian-style flan boasts flavorful, prominent vanilla notes. The caramel sauce was sweet and smoky, though the custard itself leaned too dense for my liking.
Our hands-down favorite dessert was the mousse de maracuja, noted on the menu as a Brazilian favorite. A blend of passion fruit tartness and rich cream, whipped into a decadent mousse. This dessert is tangy and fruity. The acidity from the citrus is both in contrast and complementary to the cream. Though the full rodizio experience had done us in, we enjoyed every bite.
“Omaha is a steak town—people here know good beef, they know good service, and they have strong values around family and community,” Pressi said. “That’s exactly who we are. Omaha isn’t just another location for us—it’s special.”
Pressi said that Terra Gaucha isn’t looking for rapid expansion. They’re focused on building a loyal local following. They see Omaha as a long-term home, not just a stepping stone to the next location. Pressi relocated here, residing just minutes away from the restaurant to be there right away in any moment of need.
Moving forward, Terra Gaucha looks to offer space for wedding parties, special events and corporate gatherings. With that setting and service, they’re ready to turn any celebration into something unforgettable.
“Some of our gauchos have five to 10 years of experience,” Pressi said. “And they’re bringing all of that to Omaha to help develop our new staff. They share from the heart—how to take care of the product, how to take care of the guest. That experience is critical.”
Having seen it firsthand, it’s safe to say that Omaha just got a restaurant that goes beyond just a “must try.” It’s a “must experience.
For a town that knows steak, Terra Gaucha doesn’t hold its own—it brings the fire.
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