Samba Fire

Closed! Saw this coming with shitty management, shitty service and shitty food. I hate to rub it in, but these jerks ripped me off!

I guess that technically, I WAS a fan. Unfortunately, it has closed. I have tried to change the information here, but the changes are not going through for some reason.

Definitely not going there again!
–Can you make reservations? Yes, but they «don’t have you on the list and you’ll have to wait anyway.»
–Is there a salad bar? Oh yeah, but horrible selection and somehow they run low on the good stuff. If you’re not eating meat, don’t waste your time going. Waste of money.
–Is it all you can eat? HAHAHA! That’s funny. Only if want a little taster or if you want to wait for 45 minutes for the waitstaff to come around again. And don’t complain about it because they will ignore you for sure.
–How’s the selection/​quality of meat? Well, they advertised about 12 different kind but only have 7. I hope you’re not going for the filet mignon. Who likes rare meat that’s still cold??? Any takers??? This is the place for you. Or you can wait 30 minutes for them to burn the crap out of it. What’s wrong with these people?
–How’s the service? There’s definitely waitstaff, but they are trained in profiling people that look like you can eat your money’s worth. Or they just keep track of how much you had and just figure «that’s enough for you». (No soup for you!!!)
–Tell us how you feel… is what most food establishments ask when they are concerned and then usually try their best to make customers happy or at least come back. Not this place. We called the next day to discuss our experience with management. They offered us a free meal. Well, that was nice. A few days later, they said, sorry we changed our minds. WHAT??? Who does that.
Would I recommend Samba Fire to my friends? Only the ones I don’t like.

We had a reservation @ 5:30 PM on Valentine’s Day. When we arrived we were seated promptly as there were only about six or seven tables occupied.
The salad bar is not as extensive as Texas de Brazil, etc; however, it was adequate and tasty.
The meat selections were mediocre at best.
We sat at the table nearest the salad bar and the meat servers would just zoom right past us — not noticing that we had the green stick up.
Our waiter was non-​existent. Extremely poor. Didn’t clear dishes, didn’t ask about drink refills and we almost had to tackle him to get our check. Very, very poor. Once we finally got our check and I gave him my credit card, he went on to serve drinks from the bar to two tables before coming back to return it.
[Tip: Move the folders for the checks back to the where the register resides across from the salad bar. We watched and laughed at our waiter as, at least seven or eight times, he would print a check and then have to walk up to the hostess stand and get a folder. Lol. I thought I was on Candid Camera.]
We won’t go back.

My personal favor. Like this all the meat buffet style. It is my second time here, definitely will come back in the future

Just went last night with my wife. We went on a Saturday night and we were surprised that it was about half full. At the end of the night it was clear to us why this place was not more busy.
The interior is very nice, comfortable and makes you feel like you are at someplace special. The waiter sat us down and never explained or gave suggestions on how to start or what came with the meal. The salad bar is nicely laid out, but very weak in terms of selection.
The star of the restaurant, the meat, was nothing special. Every cut we tried was overcooked and not memorable at all except in a negative way. And, like many have written, the meats were over salted and offered little flavor. I have had steak at Ponderosa or at a buffet taste better than what I ate last night.
The only acceptable part of the night were the sangrias we ordered, but they are no reason to spend money at this place.

I would have given this Brazilian steakhouse a firm 3 stars if not for the pricing. Saturday night is $ 32 per person, weekdays are $ 26pp, I do not understand the logic as it should not be a penalty to dine there on a weekend. The general public must agree as it was half empty at 8pm on this last Saturday.
Salad bar was pretty good, and most of the meats were tasty, but all were heavily salted/​seasoned. Room is attractive and service was attentive. They could use a full time bartender though.
I would suggest that if you want a meal of red meat in the Vernon Hills area, and want a good value, head back down Milwaukee to Wildfire, Kona Grill or even Jimmy’s Charhouse.

The service here could not be better and the price is GREAT for a Brazilian Steakhouse! The salad bar is lacking for sure… but I didn’t go for salad! I went for meat! The grilled pineapple was really great too! We went on my daughters birthday and I called ahead to see if I could bring a birthday cake. Not only did they let me bring the cake, but they also kept it refrigerated in the back and also brought her out a birthday sundae to go along with it! I can’t stress how GREAT the service was! This would be a 5 star rating if the salad bar was better :)

This places was well worth the $ 70. I just wish it was so expensive so I could go more often! Great food. Great service. Mellow atmosphere. It’s also entertaining to watch your food get put on your plate with swords. It was so fun.

I usually don’t write reviews of restaurants, but after experiencing my niece’s birthday party at Samba Fire tonight I feel I must.
In researching the place I was intrigued to find such statements on their website as «Welcome to the Samba Fire, the best Churrascaria in Chicagoland» as well as claims that go so far as to say they are the best in Midwest. Having been to a number of Churrascarias such as Texas De Brazil for instance I was anticipating quite an evening. What I got in return was mediocre food with even worse customer service.
The atmosphere and the décor are quite nice although the temperature in the place was cold, wearing sweaters was not enough, most people in our party ended up in coats (inside). The food was mediocre at best with a decent selection but nothing compared to Texas De Brazil or Fogo de Chao. The service or rather the complete misunderstanding of what service is about — is the reason I am writing this.
Specifics, when making reservations we were told there is soup (they had lobster bisque before and said that is going away and they will have chicken soup) and there wasn’t with the excuse that 3 days later (after making the reservations) the menu changed. Their coffee machine broke and they weren’t able to make coffee or tea and we had to go to Panera Bread next door and buy coffee/​tea. The manager didn’t offer solutions nor much in terms of real apologies, just the standard sorry it is broken. No offers of a discount, no offers of picking up the cost for coffee from Panera, no attempt at all to do what the restaurant claiming to the the best in Midwest would actually do.
I could go on and list other finer details of how they fall far short of their claims but this review is long enough. Just know if you are considering this over Fogo or Texas, don’t waste your time and money. This place is a dressed up, run of the mill hole in the wall without charm or uniqueness. One star out of five simply for the décor.

Not the best churrascaria I have been to (Texas de Brazil & Sal and Carvao), but it was definitely worth going to.
The place is well decorated and a lot bigger than it looks on the outside. You walk past the wine selection upon entering and open the door to a friendly host. It was relatively empty when we went on a Saturday evening.
There is a salad bar (from what I hear, it was mediocre) and a regular liquor bar, along with TV’s to show sports/​news/​etc. I had a Classic Martini and it was really good. Very smooth.
Everyone who served us was incredibly friendly. They all spoke clearly, made sure everyone had everything they needed, and came back often. They always made sure the food was to your liking and always asked if we wanted more or if we desired something specific. Very impressed with their waitstaff. Not to mention the attention we got in the general sense; it wasn’t just one person asking, it was multiple.
The meat was all cooked perfectly. Some of the chicken was alright, but nothing fancy; even the bacon-​wrapped chicken lacked a little something. Their Parmesan pork was phenomenal, I definitely recommend it. The sausage was also delicious.
Our table split the Papaya Crème dessert. It was comparable to a creamsicle in taste with a smooth creamy texture and a soothing fruity undertone. Delicious way to end the meal.
This is a hidden gem in the Vernon Hills area; better than having to journey to Schaumburg, or downtown, and driving back in a meat-​coma.
Big wine list, great atmosphere, very friendly waitstaff, delicious meats. Not too much else to say about it.
Like I said, I heard the salad bar was average, but who goes to an All-​You-​Can-​Eat meat place for their salad bar? Give your head a shake.

I loved my visit to Samba Fire! Ok so the buffet was a little small and the Pão de queijo (cheese bread) were a little stale, but for $ 22 bucks we had a great time. We went on a Friday night and they had a live band and SAMBA DANCERS!!! How awesome! My freshly healed ankle is the only reason i did not get up and join them… Which they invited restaurant patrons to do during one of their numbers! A little tacky i know… But i love all things Brazil and found this place to be great! You got an ok meal, grrrreat entertainment and laid back environment (where i find other churrascarias can be a bit stuffy)! For a great time go on fridays (call before you do)!
Edit: 8÷16÷2013
Ok so my sister and i decided to go here last friday all jazzed about hearing some awesome music and seeing some samba dancing! We walk through the door around 6:45pm and… Nada but some ol’ bogus strobe lights!!! Whaaaat? So i guess i failed to take my own advice and call before going!!! According to the waiter the dancers ended their contract with the restaurant a little while ago! Big boooo!!! Now its just a mediocre steak house that serves salty stroganoff/​soup stuff! Can you tell I’m disappointed!!? Im changing this one to two stars cause not only did the dancers go but the price for dinner went up! Save yourself the trouble and skip this one… At least until the dancers come back?!

Now named Samba Fire, this Brazilian churrascaria is reasonably priced for the amount of food served. They also mix a mean caipirinha. If you’re an avid carnivore, there is a lot to like about Samba Fire and the never-​ending presentation of various skewered meats. Although my favorite wasn’t meat at all — the grilled pineapple is delicious!
Service was amiable enough, but a little on the slow side for things like drinks and the shared sides for the table. But the meat keeps coming. And coming. So if you’re full, or just taking a break from the onslaught of beef, lamb, chicken and sausage, be sure to turn your indicator to red.
Do not skip dessert. Our table sampled the Brazilian flan and the papaya cream. Be aware this flan’s consistency is about halfway between a traditional Mexican flan and a French crème brûlée. That aside, it is quite tasty. But my favorite was the papaya cream, a relatively healthy dessert of cubed papaya and vanilla ice cream blended together with a shot of Crème de cassis served over the top for good measure.
My biggest complaint about Samba Fire is their lack of options for people with gluten allergies like me. Salad bars run the risk of cross-​contamination, and even some of their meats were off limits, like the lamb that everyone at our table declared one of the best. More GF options = more stars!

Samba Fire is the new name of this reopened and re-​imagined restaurant. It is a traditional Brazilian churrascaria, like Fogo de Chao.
I went recently for an evening of dining with friends and for just $ 22 you can have the all you can eat churrascaria, which is an absolute steal. While the meat selection and salad bar aren’t quite as large as you’d get at the big-​name chain, what they do have is flat out delicious.
I really wish they’d rethink being open for lunch hours, but at the price you simply won’t find a better deal or restaurant in the area. I was a real fan of the flank steak which is the house special, and the garlic steak… both of which were absolutely fantastic.
The staff were very friendly, and the meat kept flowing. The restaurant is very nice and even trendy on the inside, with a nice full bar. Unfortunately the location of this place makes it hard to spot from the road, hopefully they fix that soon… because this place is a gem, especially for the price!

This restaurant was good enough to make me create a
account.
Although not very appealing from the outside (a strip mall where Tsukasa used to be) the interior of the restaurant is tastefully decorated and smells delicious. The warm colors used accented by the taste of cooking meats gets you hungry before you even get seated.
The salad bar is alright, definitely good enough to whet your appetite for the main course. When the cooked meats are so varied and delicious, I don’t really see a point for the salad to steal the show anyways. The sushi is lacking, but a few pieces is a nice addition to the salad bar.
Sake offers seven meats on the weekdays, with up to ten I believe on the weekend. Each type I had was delicious, especially the bacon wrapped chicken and flank steak.
Lastly, the wait staff was incredible. Our water was very attentive to our needs, knew a lot about the beer and wine selection, and helped us with any other general needs. The chefs who brought out the array of meats were also very attentive and made sure the food was cooked to our liking.
All in all, a great restaurant for a reasonable price (Beats $ 50 per plate at fogo, and I don’t even have to deal with driving down to the city)
I’ll definitely be back again, except this time with my girlfriend instead of family.

First the bad. Like the other reviewers say, the salad bar is really lacking, and the «sushi bar» is insulting. They have a single offering, which was a California Maki Roll when we were there on a friday night (not sure if they change it around at all). And my wife said it used imitation crab as well. (I don’t eat sushi. At all.)
The good. The décor is actually very nice, especially for a somewhat small space. The staff was *exceptionally* attendant and nice. They also asked a few times if we had requests for the meats as well. The meat was generally good to very good. I don’t like all types of meats (never been a big pork fan), but the ones I did like were almost all very good. They asked which temperature you liked (I’m a medium-​rare kinda guy), and often remembered when they came back with another skewer.
As of this writing, the cost was $ 23 Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. And $ 28 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. (Not including drinks.) They are no longer open for lunch.
Overall, Sake and Samba is not as good as the other established Brazilian places in the area, like Fogo de Chão. But neither is it $ 50 like Fogo de Chão. So, I felt like it was a great value all things considered, and much easier to get to if you live in the northern Chicago suburbs.

Props to my friend Luke Lindstrom for telling me about and wanting to go here.
Amazing service… all professional all fun. I walked in here with him and h saw the salad bar with sushi… after taking a couple of things he tells me ‘Dude don’t fill up on the salad bar… just wait and see what I mean. Boy did I.
Srever that was half Pirates of Penzance (kidding) brought over flank steak… which he cut and then directed me to pick it with my tongs. After doing so… I tasted and it was QUITE delectable… after trying to talk more about the SOP of the place… another different server came up… this time chicken with bacon… slice, tongs, eat. Man… I was alittle blissful as another guy came over… the trick is (which didnt always work) there is a small peice of wood… red on one side and green on the other. If you are ready for more… green side up. If you want a break… red side up. (Fago DeChao does something similar.)
Also had a Brazilizn type of fresca which was good… we were there for a couple of house… overall price? 67 bucks (including the ten dollar tip given.) I grabbed a menu and plan to come back here… maybe with a date, or a cigar, and contemplate the finer things of life at a cheap price. What was the saying? Downtown atmosphere for uptown pricing.
I want to take pics as well.

The price is very competitive in the Brazilian steakhouse market. The servers are pretty consistent about coming out and giving you good cuts of meat to your preference of doneness. I never had any issues with having certain cuts come out too often or just giving you a small portion. My friend was allowed to get a couple of slices at times by the staff and they weren’t pushy. They didn’t have the biggest variety of cuts compared to other places and they don’t have filet until the weekend.
I liked the variety of options in the salad bar, but there were only 3 maki choices which leaned a little heavy on the rice. The mixed salad options were pretty creamy (potato salad, cole slaw, and others). The black beans and rice were decent options at the salad bar. Overall, a decent substitute for Brazilian steakhouse. I’d probably go here a little more often if I didn’t live so far away.

I’ve been here twice, once for lunch and once for dinner.
I enjoyed my experience both times, but I do have to say that they were not as professional as I would have hoped.
The first time I ate there, I saw a group of people I knew. Well, it turns out that one of the people in the group (someone I did not know) didn’t pay for their check or whatever the case might have been. Well the waitress saw that I was friends with the group and asked me to pay for the check and then get my money back from the person in the group… what? totally not professional and completely shocked me that that was even an option for them. That was just not the way to handle an unpaid check and as someone who has lots of family in the restaurant owning business, this totally floored me.
I did come here a second time for a friend’s birthday. I wasn’t very pleased with the service. I asked for a cup of hot water for me to warm up my daughter’s milk. It took me 5 times of asking before someone finally brought me a cup of hot water. And then they decided to charge me for the hot water. Yes you read that correctly, they charged me for hot water that I needed for my daughter’s milk. I could have just gone to the bathroom and gotten hot tap water if I knew that that was going to be the case.
This place is alright, but if they’re going to want to stay in business, they’re going to have to try harder.

I’m glad there is a Brazilian Steakhouse relatively close to me. If your a meat lover, this is a good place to come.
If your not familiar with what a Brazilian Steakhouse is, then do give this place a try, however also know it is not the best type out there, but this is a good place to get your feet wet in trying a Brazilian Steakhouse. (see my review of Texas De Brazil, I give details of how these sort of Steakhouses work.)
At Sake & Samba they are trying to mix things up a bit, with Sushi and Brazilian. In my opinion, they got the Brazilian side of it, but «flounder» on the Sushi side.
At Sake & Samba, the prices are a bit cheaper, however I’ll also admit it is not the best in terms of quality or variations of the food served. Nonetheless, it fits the bill when you don’t have too many other options around either.
It’s a cheaper version of Texas De Brazil, but you also get what you pay for.
I do plan on coming here and like brining in some co-​workers who’ve never tired this type of restaurant.