By Kathy Chouteau
If you’re looking to have a unique date night—one that transports your taste buds to an exotic locale—head to Pikanhas Brazilian Steakhouse in Point Richmond.
This Rich Life reporter visited the restaurant on a recent Saturday night while on a double date with friends and found it bustling with business and ambience during dinner service. Most of our fellow diners appeared to be on dates too.
Located at 25 West Richmond Ave. in Point Richmond, Pikanhas is a Brazilian steakhouse that specializes in serving the country’s traditional Rodizio—various cuts of beef, chicken, pork and lamb that are slow-cooked on special grills to preserve the natural juices and flavors.
Upon entering the eatery, our party was greeted with a friendly welcome from the staff and an inviting interior décor that included dimmed lights, walls painted in warm hues, architecturally beautiful windows overlooking the streetscape and tables adorned with tablecloths and clothed napkins.
The dinner menu at Pikanhas is succinct: Patrons have the choice of the Dinner Buffet only, or the Dinner Rodizio, which includes the buffet and the Rodizio—alternating meats on long skewers served by a rotation of wait staff tableside. Complementing the meal is an impressive wine list, as well as a good selection of beers and beverages to enjoy.
Our entire party ordered the Dinner Rodizio and then kicked off our dining adventure by visiting the buffet. Situated on one side of the main dining room, the expansive Dinner Buffet served up a wide assortment of specialties that extended beyond the typical salad bar to also include hearty offerings like Chicken with Saffron, Beef Stew Yuca, meatballs, mashed potatoes, salad fixings, kale, pineapple slices and so much more.
Upon our return to our table, Pikanhas’ wait staff began taking turns visiting our table to offer us different servings of meat on long skewers—expertly sliced just for us.
This reporter tried out the Beef Kebab, Cap Sirloin and Pork offerings, along with mashed potatoes and salad from the buffet. All the meat was juicy and flavorful, the Cap Sirloin being my favorite of all. My husband sampled most of the same meats as me, but also tried out the Bacon Wrapped Sausage, as well as Beef Stew Yuca, Pork with Black Beans, rice and salad from the buffet. He loved the Beef Stew Yuca.
Although we were all tempted to sample more of the skewered meat that kept appearing at our table via the wait staff, our eyes turned out to be, at times, bigger than our stomachs. Our waiter gave us small red coasters that read “no thanks” to display on the table when we no longer wanted to be offered meat.
Another delicious side note during our outing were the complimentary dishes offered by the restaurant; slices of sugared bananas on a plate and small cheese puff pastries in a basket. Both options were incredibly tasty.
Pikanhas is open Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and 5-9 p.m. for dinner. On Sat. & Sun. it’s open 12 to 8 p.m. Overall, it’s a deliciously unique dining experience you won’t soon forget, especially when venturing out for date night. For more info or reservations, call 510-237-7585 or click here.
