Old Metairie Finally Gets a South American Steakhouse to Call its Own

This June, Old Metairie will fill the void left by the cold,hard death of long-running French bistro Château du Lac by filling its vacant restaurant space with Brasa Churrasqueria, a South American steakhouse from chef and restaurateur Edgar Caro, reports Ian McNulty.

This will be the third restaurant for Cartagena-born Caro, who is chef and owner of Baru Bistro and Tapas and Basin Seafood and Spirits, both on Magazine Street.. His new restaurant will be aimed at recreating the South American steakhouse experience that he grew up with.

A custom-built, wood-fired grill made of brick and iron will anchor much of the menu items. McNulty reports that the menu will include “distinctive Latin American steak cuts like entraña, or skirt steak, and picanha, or sirloin cap (also known as culotte), finished with chimichurri. There will be filet mignon and also aged steaks, finished in a special aging room that Caro has built in the restaurant...whole fish and rotisserie chicken. Dishes like short rib mac and cheese, grilled skewers of meat and seafood and soups and salads will round out the Brasa menu.”

The New Orleans area has seen a number of South American restaurants open in the past few years. Brazilian chain Fogo de Chão landed on Canal Street at the beginning of 2016. Brazilian Market and Cafe, located in a strip shopping center in Kenner, found a loyal fanbase with its Sunday special, the swoon-worthy Brazilian bean stew called Feijoada. Churra’s Brazilian Grill, also in Kenner, is a delightful, Brazilian meat Mecca for carnivores. Of course, many New Orleanians fell in love with La Boca. “The downtown restaurant La Boca introduced many in New Orleans to the idea of a South American steakhouse when it debuted in 2006,” says McNulty.

What’s interesting about this is that after La Boca closed its doors its Fulton Street spot, Château du Lac attempted an expansion in that location. Château du Lac lasted less than a year there, though La Boca successfully moved into a much bigger space.

French is out. Brazilian is in.