Food & Beverage

Katy-area diners who have been making the drive toward the Galleria for Chama Gaúcha’s Brazilian churrasco will soon have a much closer option.

Chama Gaúcha Brazilian Steakhouse plans to open its second Houston-area location in mid-September at 24205 Bella Katy Drive, the former Doneraki Mexican Grill and Seafood space, near the Katy Freeway and less than a mile west of the Grand Parkway. The new restaurant will bring the company’s signature rodízio-style service, USDA Prime meats and Brazilian hospitality to one of Katy’s busiest dining corridors.

For the growing Katy community, the arrival adds more than another steakhouse to the local restaurant scene. With five private dining rooms able to accommodate groups ranging from 20 to 150 guests, the restaurant is also positioning itself as a new option for corporate dinners, rehearsal dinners, holiday parties, family celebrations and other large gatherings.

And the person overseeing the new restaurant already knows both Chama Gaúcha and Katy well.

A Longtime Chama Gaúcha Leader Will Head the Katy Restaurant

The Katy location will be managed by Brazilian native and Katy resident Guilherme Da Silva, who has been with Chama Gaúcha since the company opened its Houston restaurant at 5865 Westheimer Road in 2011.

“We’ve welcomed many guests from Katy at our Westheimer location for so long that opening here has always been part of our vision,” Da Silva said. “We’re excited to finally bring the Chama Gaúcha experience closer to home for those loyal guests while introducing our authentic Brazilian hospitality to those who live and work in the area.”

That connection could make the opening especially meaningful for longtime customers west of Houston. Chama Gaúcha’s existing Houston restaurant has historically drawn guests from across the region, including Katy, according to the company.

The Katy expansion also continues the growth of a restaurant brand that began in Texas nearly two decades ago.

From San Antonio to Katy: The Story Behind Chama Gaúcha

Chama Gaúcha was founded in San Antonio in 2008 with a focus on introducing the churrasco traditions of Southern Brazil to American diners. Its original restaurant remains on Sonterra Place, while the company has expanded to locations serving Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth and the Chicago area, along with a second San Antonio location downtown.

The name Chama Gaúcha translates to “Gaucho’s Flame” in Portuguese, a reference to the gauchos of Southern Brazil and the tradition of cooking meat over an open flame.

That tradition is at the center of what guests can expect when the Katy restaurant opens.

Rather than ordering a single entrée, diners choosing the full churrasco experience receive continuous tableside service from gauchos carrying skewers of freshly grilled meats. Guests control the pace using a card: green signals that they are ready for another serving, while red means it is time for a break.

It is an interactive style of dining that turns dinner into a shared experience — particularly for families, celebrations and groups gathering around the table.

What Will Be on the Menu at Chama Gaúcha Katy?

Chama Gaúcha says its beef is Midwest USDA Prime, corn-fed and aged for more than 45 days, with gauchos trained in traditional grilling, carving and tableside service.

Among the featured cuts is picanha, the Brazilian-style top sirloin that serves as one of the restaurant’s signature offerings. Other selections include filet mignon, bacon-wrapped filet mignon, fraldinha bottom sirloin, ribeye, costela, Colorado lamb, pork, chicken and linguiça Brazilian sausage.

The churrasco preparation itself is intentionally straightforward. Large cuts are slowly roasted over an open flame and generally seasoned simply, allowing the flavor of the meat to remain at the center of the meal. Chama Gaúcha describes its service as traditional rodízio, with gauchos continually rotating through the dining room and carving meat directly onto guests’ plates.

The full dining experience also includes unlimited visits to a gourmet salad bar with more than 30 selections, including seasonal vegetables, imported cheeses, charcuterie and Brazilian accompaniments.

For diners who are not looking for the full Brazilian steakhouse experience, the salad bar can also be ordered on its own.

Traditional sides served throughout the meal include caramelized bananas, garlic mashed potatoes, fried polenta and pão de queijo, the warm Brazilian cheese bread that has become a familiar favorite at churrascarias.

Dessert options offered by Chama Gaúcha include Brazilian flan, Key lime pie, Chocolate Temptation, New York cheesecake, chocolate mousse cake, crème brûlée, papaya cream, tres leches cake and Fireball Cheesecake.

The company’s existing restaurants also offer handcrafted cocktails alongside the churrasco experience. Chama Gaúcha’s current menu and location information emphasize the same combination of tableside Prime meats, a large gourmet salad bar and Brazilian hospitality across its restaurants.

Five Private Dining Rooms Add a New Event Option in Katy

One of the more notable features of the new Chama Gaúcha Katy location may be what happens beyond the main dining room.

The restaurant will include five private dining rooms accommodating groups of approximately 20 to 150 guests, giving Katy another sizeable venue for business meetings, rehearsal dinners, holiday gatherings and milestone celebrations.

Private dining has become an established part of Chama Gaúcha’s broader restaurant model. The company promotes event spaces at its existing locations for occasions ranging from corporate dinners and birthdays to wedding-related gatherings.

For Katy — where residential growth, corporate development and a steadily expanding restaurant scene have created demand for gathering spaces of different sizes — those rooms could make the newcomer relevant well beyond date nights and family dinners.

What Katy Diners Should Know Before the Opening

Chama Gaúcha is currently targeting a mid-September 2026 opening at 24205 Bella Katy Drive, Katy, TX.

The restaurant sits near the Katy Freeway just west of the Grand Parkway, making it accessible to diners throughout Katy and surrounding West Houston communities.

Reservations are recommended, particularly given the restaurant’s tableside service format and anticipated interest surrounding a new opening. Chama Gaúcha currently accepts reservations for its established restaurants through its website, although the Katy restaurant has not yet been added to the company’s main reservation directory as of Aug. 12.

Pricing for the Katy location has not been announced in the information provided. Chama Gaúcha uses a set-price format for its full churrasco experience, with pricing varying by location and day.

For residents who have visited the Westheimer restaurant over the years, the Katy opening means that familiar experience is moving considerably closer to home. For others, it will offer a first local introduction to rodízio dining — one where dinner unfolds a slice at a time as gauchos move from table to table.

With a Katy resident leading the restaurant, five private dining rooms and an established Houston following already extending westward, Chama Gaúcha’s arrival is another sign of how Katy’s dining landscape continues to broaden alongside the community itself.

Stay tuned to My Neighborhood News for updates as Chama Gaúcha Katy approaches its mid-September opening.

By Tiffany Krenek, My Neighborhood News 

Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.