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Brazilian Barbecue in Worcester Offers Authentic Flavors to Foodies

Carefully slicing meat at Terra Brasilis on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Worcester’s Seven Hills have seen their fair share of eateries over the past decade; in fact, there is some question as to whether the upcoming restaurant boom will even be sustainable. One thing that we’ve observed, however, is a correlation between experience and success. In a time where choice is abundant, Jack Trout’s aptly named book, Differentiate Or Die: Survival in Our Era of Killer Competition, rings true for some of Central Massachusetts’ best restaurants. Weeks after opening, Mass Foodies’ local Foodies group ventured to Worcester’s newest Brazilian restaurant, Terra Brasilis to see if they bring a different experience to the Worcester restaurant scene.

A diner choosing fried fish from the Terra Brasilis buffet on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA.
A diner choosing fried fish from the Terra Brasilis buffet on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA.

To begin with, the space has some history. The much loved Piccadilly Pub resided here for nearly 40-years before closing in 2012. After that, several short lived restaurants tried to capitalize on brand and location as Paparazzi and The Pic, before closing last year. With Terra Brasilis moving in, there seem to be very little changed in the layout and seating—the thick knotty pine booths still reside in place and the bar sits next to the newly installed buffet fixtures in front of the new barbecue pit. Upon entering the restaurant, the group was eagerly welcomed and shown to their seats where it was explained how the restaurant worked: the waitress will serve drinks from the bar to you at your seats while you grab a large plate and visit the buffet. At the end of the buffet, you pay by the weight of your plate and are given a ticket which you use if you decide to have seconds, desserts, or non-alcholic drinks from the register. At the end of the night, you see the hostess stand by the entrance to settle your bill. Mass Foodies contributor, Donna Dufault, explained, “The service was very personable. There are not many (if any) weigh-and-pay buffets, so the explanation was helpful.” Scott Erb added, “The fact that the staff was so pleasant and attentive the entire time–from seating us, to bringing us drinks, through clearing the plates—really made us feel at home.”

A diner chooses her proteins, rice, and vegetables at Terra Brasilis buffet on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA.
A diner chooses her proteins, rice, and vegetables at Terra Brasilis buffet on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA.

With a large selection of food, it was nice to see some familiar items that would make the less adventures happy while also having truly authentic items to give a taste of the chef’s home country of Brazil. But, let’s face it, no one goes to a buffet looking for a fine dining experience. There is a certain stigma that a buffet has, thanks in part to the “all you can eat Chinese buffet” movement that allows Americans to over indulge without thinking about quality or price. The buffet here, however, was clean, well lit and offered a variety of hot and cold, pickled and sautéed, options. “Being a vegetarian,” explained contributor Julie Giacobbe, “I was able to find a variety of rices, vegetables and non-meat products that didn’t make me feel as though I was missing out.”

Weigh-And-Pay allows diners to control how much they eat (and pay) and choose only what appeals to them at Terra Brasilis buffet on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA.
Weigh-And-Pay allows diners to control how much they eat (and pay) and choose only what appeals to them at Terra Brasilis buffet on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA.

The main stage of any barbecue place (Brazilian or otherwise) is the meat. Terra Brasilis offered seemingly countless meats, both safe and expected (e.g., garlic beef, bacon wrapped chicken, and pork loin) and traditional and exotic (e.g., spicy sausage, and chicken hearts). They are open roasted and carved to the diner’s preference and most of the meats were prepared using rubs and spices that are common to the Brazilian culture and palate. The only complaint that was repeated amongst the group was that many of the meats were overdone. “Unfortunately, my chicken was inedible because it was so dry—meanwhile, my husband’s was perfectly moist,” Robin Lane stated. “There seemed to be some inconsistency in the meats—some cuts were perfect, others were dry,” added Amy Peterson. This is the caveat with open flame barbecue, specifically in a buffet setting. Most Brazilian barbecues offer pampas style service—where they come to the table and carve the meat directly onto your plate—which accounts for the idle cooking time (meat continues to cook despite not being over the heat source, which, means that a perfectly cooked slice could be dry once you walk to the table, sit down, and enjoy some of the other items on the plate).

The dessert at Terra Brasilis on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA can stand on its own legs.
The dessert at Terra Brasilis on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA can stand on its own legs.

The finale, however, was the desserts. Made in house, the cakes were opulent slices made from scratch (with the exception of the cookies from the “Oreo cake,” understandably) that were larger than the plate. Evan Dufault, taking a break from his Oreo cake explained, “The Oreo cake was rich and decadent. It seemed to be soaked in milk which made it extremely moist. The Oreo cookie crumbles and the homemade frosting gave the cake wonderful texture and was borderline sinful. Easily the best part of the meal, as dessert usually is.”

Let there be meat.Regardless if the meats may have disappointed some, it was forgiven immediately when the bills were paid—most of the dishes were $10 and, some, even less. During the night, there were several other parties enjoying the Brazilian barbecue, but the steady stream of customers coming for take out was notable. With colleges back in session in Worcester, being able to load a take-out container for under $10 worth of sustenance is a no-brainer. We’ve seen this similar success with Bay State Schwarma and Grill, an eatery on Water Street that offers cafeteria style service with middle eastern fare, and have no doubt that the value proposition of enjoying authentic flavors of different cultures is a sweet spot for differentiation in Worcester’s culinary stew.

To survive in “an era of killer competition” any business must differentiate itself from its competitors. While many restaurants need to do this with their menu, ingredients, service, or atmosphere, Terra Brasilis has a leg-up simply by being one of the only restaurants with a weigh-and-pay buffet model… add the authentic flavors and exotic selection of meats, any shortcomings can easily be forgiven. We look forward to see how they progress with the time and evolve with the city’s economic development.

A plate put together by a diner at Terra Brasilis on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA.
A plate put together by a diner at Terra Brasilis on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA.
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4 Great Places in Central Massachusetts for Barbecue

A BBQ Plate from Smokestack Urban BBQ when they were at their original location.

Barbecue…we think of it as American as baseball and apple pie, but BBQ’s origins are said to go back to a style of Caribbean cooking of the early 1500’s. Research tells us Spanish conquistadors learned this technique from the indigenous tribes on the island of Hispaniaola who had mastered a method of cooking meat over indirect flames they called barbacoa. The Spanish explorers who came north brought this cooking technique with them and eventually US settlers moved the technique westward across the country.

Today, barbecue has become a major thread in the fabric of American cooking with four different geographic areas laying claim to the best style of barbecue – Texas, Memphis, North Carolina and Kansas City. Each style is unique – there are sauces with base ingredients like tomato and molasses or mustard, brown sugar and vinegar. Some dry rubs and brines use garlic, salt and paprika while others are partial to something with a little more heat like chili powder. In Texas, more often than not, you’ll find beef as the main ingredient, where as in North Carolina and Memphis, pork is most common. No matter how it is prepped or what meat is used, slow-cooked barbecue, smoked with homemade rubs and sauces usually end with the same result – a full and satisfied customer.

Worcester County is no stranger to BBQ. There is pork, ribs, brisket, chicken, corn bread, collard greens and all the fixin’s all over area. In North County Dickie’s Grillen in Fitchburg has some barbecue on the menu. In Bellingham Joff’s Backyard Grill is a local favorite with outstanding barbecue ribs and pulled pork. And in Marlborough, Firefly’s has been serving authentic BBQ in a fast-paced atmosphere for over 20 years.

BBQ joints come in all shapes, sizes and styles…here are a few of our favorites. But don’t take our word for it, go out and try any one of these amazing restaurants for yourself!

Smokestack Urban Barbecue

Smokestack Urban Barbecue delivers consistent, mouth-watering barbecue, in a comfortable and casual atmosphere. Large portions of southern staples are front and center, with tons of side dishes too and, if BBQ isn’t your thing, there are lots of other comfort foods waiting in wings. In the nice weather choose to dine on the covered, outdoor patio.

 

Westside Steak & BBQ

One of Worcester’s true hidden gems, Westside Steak & BBQ delivers huge portions of flavorful food in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere! Find a seat in the bright, rustic dining room or sit outside in the common-area patio when Mother Nature cooperates. BYOB. And try the brisket, it is a good as it comes.

Texas Barbecue Company

It’s a little piece of Texas on Main Street in Northborough…or so they say! But if you have a hankering for real traditional, slow-cooked, pit-smoked barbecue, Texas Barbecue Company, this is the place, Everything is smoked using green hardwood (pecan, oak and hickory) for 12-18 hours. Beef Brisket, Texas-style potato salad, Beans and Cucumber Salad. Friendly attentive staff, Texas-style décor and a real nice beer selection to accompany your meal!

 

BT’s Smokehouse

BT’s is as well known in the area as restaurants come for barbecue, at one time because of the roadside trailer they served out of, but mostly because of the quality, consistency and excellence of the food they serve! Award-winning proprietor Brian Treitman is as passionate as a chef can be about his food and he has been known to say there is no need for napkins because you will want to lick your fingers when you are done! Outstanding value, BYOB. Voted one of the Top Ten BBQ by Boston Globe.

 

Added Bonus: In July, VIA is offering their twist with an Italian Pig Roast!