Chima Brazilian Steakhouse

My boyfriend brought me to Chima for a date night yesterday. He loves this place and wanted to treat me as well ad share his experience (he dined here about 20 times). As soon as we walked into the half empty restaurant, the host, Clare, asked us if we had a reservation. We informed her that we hadn’t. She had A HUGE ATTITUDE: «Next time make sure to make a reservation ahead of time, we are a reservation only». When my boyfriend asked her when they started doing that, she replied that they were doing that ever since the restaurant was opened. All 20 times he has been there for many years, it was his first time hearing that.
Regardless, whether it’s only by reservation or not, no need to be rude, especially when there were plenty of tables available. I didn’t find any info on social media or on the website about the reservation necessity.
The food was really good– fresh, flavorful, awesome variety (Salmon overcooked, but that’s minor)
The service was not good. The waiter wasn’t good either, unfortunately. Inattentive, doesn’t know the wine list, couldn’t make any sweet wine suggestions, ended up bringing a wine that didn’t even have a tad of sweetness.
The menu is on the iPad or whatever the brand of the pad was, he was scrolling up and down, without any idea of what he was doing. How about a regular old fashioned menu, at least for the drinks?
He seemed attentive to all other tables around us, but not our table, not cool Alex!
Dress code– the front of the restaurant has a sign about dress code. I didn’t realize shorts and worn out tshirt could be considered a proper attire for a place that requires dress code. Some guys looked like they just finished mowing their lawn and decided to roll in to take a bite.
In the conclusion, hostess ruined the experience to begin with, waiter added to that.
Wilber and all the meat carving guys were absolutely astonishing though. Courteous, cheerful, attentive to our needs and made it feel better. WILBER WAS NOT NOT OUR WAITER, BUT HE WAS PAYING ATTENTION TO US. I wish meat carving guys would switch places with the waiter and hostess, they’d do a much better job!
Would be happy to recommend this place to friends and family, but I’m afraid to ruin their experience with bad service.

Food is amazing! It’s a really nice place and I enjoy the drinks and desserts and salad bar and (of course) the meats!!! The only downside is that there is a dress code and people don’t follow it. Twice, my boyfriend and I have gone for special occasions and gotten dressed up just to be sat near rowdy groups that didn’t even bother to put on jeans. It kind of cheapens the experience. I know that sounds pretentious but a restaurant is only as classy as its patrons.

I took my boyfriend here for his birthday two days ago and the service was impeccable, which I could really appreciate after a poor experience at our hotel. The meat was plentiful and seasoned well, and the salad bar was stocked. My only complaint about the restaurant were the small fruit flies that I saw flying around the salad bar.
I made reservations for 5:30pm (when they open for dinner) and we were seated right away. We had an almost empty dining room and our pick of the meats as they came around. Chima provided a complimentary Tiramisu and picture (which they printed on site) for the birthday celebration.
We had an amazing time and really appreciated the staff’s generosity and overall friendliness.

When we told the server that it was my wife’s birthday, he brought out a free piece of tiramisu, took our picture and printed it on a card. Now that’s personal service! It was expensive, but totally worth it. Lots of parking, great atmosphere, attentive service and quality meats. I have no complaints and would definitely go back… after payday.

I had to try chima, and compare it to texas de brazil and chima did not disappoint me. Service, hostesses and food were excellent.

I went with my parents to celebrate my father’s birthday. It was a lovely time! We made reservations ahead of time and when we got there, the doors were opened for us by the valet parking men. We were greeted by a very sweet hostess and were promptly seated. Our server (I forget his name, but he was great) asked us if it was our first time at a Brazilian Steakhouse and explained to us how it worked. My parents had been there before and couldn’t remember the name of the wine that they had last time. My mother wanted it again and our server did everything he could to see if he could pinpoint which one it was, including a wine tasting. We eventually figured it out, but it was really nice that he went through all that trouble to do that for us.
In terms of the place, it’s a quiet place. Very intimate and perfect for dates and special occasions. It’s dimly lit with white table clothes and everything. There’s a salad bar that had so many options from kale to quinoa to many different soups. All the dressing you can imagine are there. The servers are very attentive and even if you don’t have your card flipped over, they’ll come over and offer you meat, which worked out because they always came at the perfect time. The BBQ’d meat was a little dry, but their filet mignon and pork chops? Very on point. I literally called them back so many times for those two in particular. It was cooked perfectly every time. Super juicy, full of flavor, minimal fat on the pork chops. It was so goood.
The staff were conversational and made us a cake for my dad’s birthday. They offered to take a picture for us and let us keep the picture which printed out there. So many good things. Can’t say enough about this place. Definitely check it out and go when you’re all starving to get your money worth.

The food was pretty mediocre, but the restaurant itself was very nicely decorated and the staff was attentive. It’s a great place for a date.
We didn’t spend much time there — we were seated right under the ac vents and were freezing throughout the whole meal. It greatly compromised our experience as our food got cold quickly.

OMG!
I’ve never eaten so much meat at one time in my life — including bbqs!
The meat was some of the best I’ve ever tasted, the service was impeccable, and atmosphere was very classy and inciting!
Both managers came out to greet us, the staff were very professional and welcoming, and the food was sooooo good!
Definitely a place for special occasions!
HIGHLY recommend!!!

OMG this is the best place ever to celebrate anything… Took my roommate out for his bday and they treated us like royalty. I definitely will be back with more friends. The food was excellent and the service was even better. Please come and see Marissa. She will take care of you!

I invited a few friends to Chima for my best friends birthday, and it was amazing! What made the experience so great was definitely Jackie and Michael, they catered to us perfectly! I highly recommend visiting, and asking for them specifically, you will not regret it!
I used to Visit Chima more often when I was less ill, I haven’t been here in a while just because of my health situation. I’m glad I decided to bring everyone here for the birthday, I am more happy that we got Jackie and Michael, they took such amazing care of us!
The gentlemen who were bringing us the meat were very respectful, very friendly, and also very helpful. When I used to come, they would never look at the coin, but this time was different! They respected flipped coins, and brought out fresh, hot food!
Honestly it was possibly the best experience I’ve ever had, in any restaurant, ever.

Finally writing a review on this restaurant. I’ve dined here several times and I even used to work here so long ago and still continued to dine here after I quit because I loveeeee the food and staff so much.
My last couple visits were ok — nothing to be WOWed about anymore. The meat runners tend to either come to you too much even if your coin is flipped on no or when it’s on yes, they are nowhere to be found. The quality of the meats have gone down but the salad bar is still tasty to me.
Seems like they have a very high turnover rate because every time I come in — there are new hostesses that don’t ever greet you properly and don’t even SMILE. Come on, you’re the first person a customer sees when they first walk into that door. The servers are all over the place and SUCK at doing their job. Even the valet company changed and sucks!
I’m sorry but this place has gone downhill and I will be using my $ 50 something per person elsewhere.

Dined here for Restaurant Week about 7 years ago and came back in 2016 for a friend’s birthday. Their restaurant week menu is limited and now only offers a selection of their meats. You won’t get the Fillet Mignon, lamb chops, leg of lamb, etc but it’s still worth it.
To start off, their salad bar is amazing and situated in the middle of the restaurant. The have a good variety of cured meats such as (carpaccio, prosciutto, salami), soup, cheeses, vegetables, and mixed salads.
I love the complimentary sides to go with the meats — cheesy bread puffs, creamy whipped mashed potatoes, plantains and bread. I dream about the cheese bread because it’s soooo good. I probably ate about 4, but that didn’t stop me from trying all the meats. The garlic chicken was great, and also the sirloin and beef rib.
Service is great. The meats come around often and we were able to take our dessert (included in the restaurant week menu) to go. The atmosphere is loud and bustling, but the tables are large and spacious. Perfect for a group dinner.

My first trip to a Brazilian steakhouse and, to be honest, I have mixed feelings. Did everything taste good? Yes. Would I go eat at a Brazilian steakhouse more than once a year? No.
Went to a work event at Chima and they do a nice job organizing big parties. First is the trip to the salad bar, a random but interesting selection of food. You have a few straight up salad items, and then you have things like fish and potato salad, hearts of palm, beef carpaccio.
After your trip to the salad bar, the meat skewers start showing up. Put your little placard on red, the food keeps coming, and on black they leave you to digest. I tried flank steak, lamb, sirloin, salmon and ribeye. Let me clarify that I had a taste of all of the above… it would be way too much for me to eat a portion. Everything was tasty (except the salmon), but I felt like it was loaded with salt. I did like what I ate but I think my body and colon would revolt if I ate this type of food too often. I do think it’s worth a one-​time experience just to do it, but if you’re a meat eater, this is your nirvana… go for it.

Very fancy and very expensive. Quality meets the price so I’m not going to complain. The place is very nice looking and the staffs are very friendly. The hubby and I came in for dinner, dressed like slobs but we still got in, lol… Parking is a pain, there is street parking and a garage but you would need to pay for the garage. I don’t know if Chima would voucher the ticket, they also have valet parking. I’m sure that’s free, but I hate the thought of people driving in my car.
On with the food, we tried almost every meat that they had on their menu, my favorites are the sauage, filet mignon, lamb chop, and the salmon. We missed out on the Parmesan pork loin, maybe next time. They also bring around mashed potatoes, fried plantains, and other dishes, but i’m pretty sure those are there to fill you up quicker. I took a small bite of everything and was soon full, come hungry, it cost us $ 116 for 2 adults without tip.

Oh wow, my s/​o really wanted to take me here and I am just absolutely floored by the quality of the food and the selection.
My favorite part was surprisingly not the meat, but the salad bar. OH MY. The salad bar.
The many different variety of cheeses, the salted meats, the salads, the fruits. I could’ve just high-​dined on the salad bar alone. And I think you can. It costs like 30 something dollars just for the salad bar.
Overall the meat is excellent, the service is quick and fast, and the atmosphere quiet enough to enjoy.
Definitely recommended for that special occasion, or just to splurge on some good food.

I love this place. I am actually quite prideful that the Tyson’s location is one of four in the U.S. Chima is definitely like a hidden gem of the DC Metropolitan area… but once you discover it, you can’t wait to keep coming back for more! Sign up for their preferred diner newsletter and you’ll get emails for special events and promos!
So many choices at the salad bar — but DON’T fill yourself up there because you need to leave room for all of the glorious meats that your heart desires! I recommend the house specialty, the Picanha (top sirloin) and the flank steak. Both of them just melt in your mouth (I’m craving some as I write this review!).
Definitely worth the regular price but even more worth it during DC Restaurant Week (January & August) for only $ 35! Some meats don’t count towards the promo but you still get a good amount of the other meat choices!

Went there for their restaurant week $ 35 rodizio. With a reservation made on open table, we were seated instantly. It’s a great price if you stay with their Picanha (top sirloin), garlic top sirloin, and flank steak. They also have a decent salad bar with prosciutto, smoked salmon, and a seafood salad; they were all my favorite sides including the cheese selections. Make sure not to eat too many cheesy balls in the beginning otherwise you won’t have room for the meat!
I would give them five-​stars if the meats came around more often, but we waited quite a while for them to make their rotations. In addition, you didn’t always get a particular cut of meat you requested. If you wanted medium rare, it would sometimes be medium. If you’re not to selective in the temperature of your steak, the meat is still fresh and flavorful. I mainly stuck with their beef choices, but the chicken wrapped with bacon was on point too.
Chima had solid service and even gave the birthday girl a slice of tiramisu rather than just their ice cream or cheesecake choices. I had their ice cream, which was a combination of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. All were delicious after all that meat! Unfortunately, their desserts aren’t all you can eat, and the only fruit in their salad bar was cantaloupe. Not many sweet choices. This needs to change!
If you’re looking to get your meat on, I would recommend Chima. And if you’re ravenously hungry, try their more extensive $ 54 rodizio!

I have frequented Chima for almost every occasion now — work functions, happy hours, birthdays, and my most recent experience for restaurant week. If you’re a fan of all-​you-​can-​eat fine cut meat and eating till you can’t move, this is your place to go. Sorry leaf lovers, keep it moving (just kidding there’s actually an amazing salad bar that can fill you up by itself).
My one complaint is that the restaurant week menu ($ 35 when it’s normally priced at $ 55) had a limited menu, which did not include the bacon wrapped sirloin or the lamb. How are you going to lure me in with a lower price and restaurant week deal if you’re just going to limit my choices! This isn’t my first Chima rodeo!
Other than that I’m sure you all know the drill from other reviews. They give each guest a two sided token where red means stop and green means keep the party going. Gather some friends, find a date, let the wine flow and let the good times roll!

We wandered down to Chima this weekend. We’re familiar with Brazilian Steakhouses, but it was our first time at Chima.
Because we normally Valet at Fogo, we had no issues dropping our car with the (free) valet. We had made reservations and it was fairly empty when arrived, so we had seats immediately. The salad bar was pretty big, with the normal yummy staples that are intended to fill you up (which we all know is true). The meat was delicious, of course some cuts are better than others, and the more expensive cuts will always be more tender. The options were plentiful and the Guachos were super friendly and accommodating with making sure we get the cuts we wanted (of course this is standard with most Brazilian steakhouses).
The service was top notch, the food was great. the only downer was that we ordered a piña colada (I know, who orders one at Steak house? I wondered the same thing) and it was a glorified milk shake.

Apparently they don’t understand what a reservation means here. We show up ten minutes early and we’re told the table won’t be ready for a while. After waiting 30 minutes, I go up to check on the table and this time it’s a different hostess. I say «Hi I had a reservation for 6 at 8.» She rolls her eyes and says «Yeah what’s the question?»
The question is why are you so terrible at your job? What do you mean what’s my question?
I didn’t say those things. We waited ten more minutes and went to Capital Grille instead. Too bad I hear great things about the food here.

Meat meat meat.
A fellow Unilocaler invited us for Restaurant Week. They had a slightly limited menu for $ 20 less. The limitation was pretty negligible (especially when it’s endless food) though, so it’s a great deal.
My vegetarian friend decided to accompany us. She told me the salad bar was good. I’m thinking… how can a salad bar be good enough to convince a VEGETARIAN to come to a steakhouse?!
This salad bar isn’t ordinary. It includes so many different options outside of salad, including soups, fish, cheeses, cheese balls that I couldn’t 100% identify… you have to force yourself not to load your plate up there lest you not be able to eat your weight in meat.
The meat was good as expected. Slightly disappointed in the bacon-​wrapped filet, which my husband was VERY excited to try. I’m really impressed with the deserts; I had a heavy flan. My husband had the key lime pie and this was probably the lightest, fluffiest key lime pie I’ve ever experienced. Amazing.
I would definitely return, though not frequently since it is expensive and I’d like to not gain 500 pounds or have a heart attack.

My significant other and I came here to celebrate his graduation. It was a Thursday evening and I had made reservations for 6. Unexpectedly, my partner and I ended up meeting up earlier and decided to see if we could get an earlier seating. The hostess that took our call was very accommodating and changed our reservations from 6 to 5:30.
The staff were friendly and were prompt with service throughout dinner. Our server, realizing that it was our first time here throughly explained the process. The salad bar was very organized with several choices and once you flipped your card, the servers with the meat were constantly checking by — we even had to flip our card back to the «No, Thank You» in order to start eating! Food there was delicious and they had serval choices including steak, chicken, pork, swordfish and salmon.
We came pretty early in the evening and I liked that different parties were spaced far away instead of crowded in one spot. It was also nice that their dining room was not completely dimmed down and there were natural sunlight streaming in throughout the restaurant. Overall a nice experience for a special occasion.

As usual my boyfriend was craving steak and I wanted salad with better drinks. Fogo is our normal Brazilian steakhouse but we’ve been liking to retreat from the city on the weekends. Chima of Tyson’s Corner comparatively offers similar service.
At Chima there is complimentary valet which is unheard of in DC. If you have a decent car you’re pretty much guaranteed they’ll leave it parked right out front. We normally collect our key give them $ 5 and walk ourselves the 15 ft to our car.
Comparing this place to Fogo De Chao and Texas De Brazil (both in DC) Chima would win because of ambiance, free valet, quality patrons, and quality of service. I’m not saying the steak is the best in the world because let’s face it you’re paying $ 50 for unlimited meat. (You get what you pay for) But the beef rib is always a personal favorite.
For salad lovers like myself this salad bar is AMAZING. The choice of meat (top choice) or salad bar only comes with baked salmon (separate from the smoked salmon on the bar) topped with optional cilantro sauce and grilled Swordfish topped with optional passion fruit sauce. I highly recommend you try the fish with the sauce. OMG they’re amazing. The option of unlimited swordfish & salmon really make this salad bar stand out from Fogo & Texas DB because they only offer «smoked salmon» on the bar.
The drink menu is extensive. The dessert drinks are some of my favorite concoctions.
The service here has always been superb. We are accustomed to bacon being included with the salad bar. However here it’s not even an option :/​. Every time I forget so I ask the waiters to «bring the bacon out». But to my surprise they oblige every time!!! They cook up some bacon and serve it to us on a plate. How awesome is that? (They have bacon on hand for bacon wrapped chicken)
There’s outdoor seating, although the waiters don’t come out there so it’s more of an overflow for the bar, the bar is large and fully stocked. There is plenty of booth and table seating in the restaurant, including tables for larger groups. There is a projection of Cirque De Soleil going at all times which is neat.
Highly recommend you check it out.