adios, churrascos
Houston's pioneering South American steakhouse will soon shutter in River Oaks
Churrascos is known for its center cut beef tenderloin.
Sad news for inner loopers who are fans of plantain chips, wood-grilled steaks, and Houston’s best tres leches. The River Oaks location of South American steakhouse Churrascos will close on June 16, the restaurant announced.
Located at the intersection of Shepherd Drive and Westheimer Road, Churrascos has operated its location at 2055 Westheimer for more than 30 years.
“It is our location to open a new Churrascos with the new location and date TBD,” an announcement on the restaurant’s Facebook page states. “We want to thank you all for years of patronage. We value your business more than you will ever know.”
Famously founded on August 8, 1988 (8/8/88) by chef Michael Cordua, Churrascos put a South American twist on the familiar steakhouse genre. The restaurant earned wide critical acclaim for dishes such as its namesake steak — a spiral-cut beef tenderloin that’s grilled over high heat and served with chimichurri — including a prestigious Food & WineBest New Chef award for Cordua in 1994.
Ultimately, Cordua’s son David joined the business. Together, the grew Churrascos to locations across the Houston area and developed Américas, an upscale South American restaurant that had had three locations in the Galleria area, River Oaks, and The Woodlands — all of which are now closed. Ultimately, both Michael and David departed Cordua Restaurants in 2018. David Cordua currently operates The Lymbar, a restaurant in the Ion mixed-use development that serves dishes inspired by South American and Middle Eastern cooking.
As for Churrascos, it still operates locations in Memorial City, The Woodlands, and Sugar Land, along with a successful catering business. Those locations remain open.
