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Samba Brazilian Grill, Madison, WI

Samba Brazilian Grill

4.5
4.5
1008 Reviews
$50 and over
Brazilian Steakhouse

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 25 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Good for business meals
  • Charming
For those of you who are not current or former gauchos who roam the prairies of Brazil, you might need an explanation of our style of service. At the end on a long day of work tending to cattle and stock, Brazilian cowboys (Gauchos) and their families would prepare great feasts. They would skewer various meats, roast them over a fire pit and bring them to the table for carving. There would be a bounty of seasonal vegetables, stews and salads using fresh ingredients from the fruits of their labor.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Brazilian Steakhouse, Brazilian
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Wed–Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (608) 257-1111
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Catering
    Customized to your desires.
  • Private party facilities
    Private Dining for 10-250 guests. Several private and semi-private options. Entire restaurant also available for large functions/weddings.
  • Neighborhood
    Madison
  • Cross street
    State Street
  • Parking details
    Parking in the lot adjacent to our restaurant is reservable.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 1,008 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Madison

    Innovative

  • Madison

    Good for groups

  • Madison

    Healthy

  • Madison

    Romantic

  • Madison

    Good for special occasions

  • Madison

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Samba Brazilian Grill offers a lively churrascaria experience with a variety of meats and a standout salad bar. Guests rave about the "amazing service" and "unbelievable" food quality. Highlights include the grilled pineapple and attentive staff. While some visits were mixed, many find it a delightful dining destination.

1,008 Reviews
  1. Reshma

    Milwaukee

    19 reviews

    5.0

    19 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We always have a great time here! Love that they have two options for buffet only and with the rodizio service.

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  2. Melissa

    Milwaukee

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Samba was our first Brazilian grill experience. It's a unique location and building but parking is terrible! The atmosphere and ambience are great. The music was a little louder than necessary. The table service was amazing and they came around often. The salad bar and sides could use some help, more of a variety of dressings and sides that aren't so bland. Some of the sides would have been better warm, like the asparagus and zucchini. The mashed potatoes were thin and bland instead of thick, rich, and creamy. The meat was tasty for the most part, except for some of the beef options as they were not seasoned enough or cooked to our preference at any point throughout the night being on the rare/medium rare side(bloody) so we passed after the first time. The pork, tenderloin, roasted chicken legs, and the grilled pineapple were all favorites. Overall it was a great night and good first experience.

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  3. Carmen

    Milwaukee

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 10, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was good and service also. We did notice however that the seafood salad had little to no seafood in it. It was a rather basic pasta salad.

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  4. OpenTable Diner

    Milwaukee

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 9, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Servers were very slow to come around. We never saw the guy with flank steak or the lamb.

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  5. Tyler

    Milwaukee

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 8, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Samba is great, food for the most part is seasoned well. The pineapple is the best

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  6. Joni

    Milwaukee

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 27, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 5
    The meat servers were incredible. Our server was not. We had to track down our server for refills on drinks and the server did not check on our table but only once. We waited for drinks for over 20 minutes. I felt bad for leaving a bad tip due to service when the meat staff was fantastic, but to wait 20 minutes for refills where there were only 2 other tables in the entire restaurant that were occupied is rather ridiculous, especially for the price.

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  7. Walter

    Milwaukee

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on October 19, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Absolutely best place to eat in Madison. Food is exquisite.

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  8. OpenTable Diner

    Phoenix

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 19, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The meat disappointedly is just not high quality/tender enough to deliver a quality experience. You would think this would be their focus. Maybe they should at least invest in Sous Vide to make the cheap cuts more tender. The sides at the buffet are nicely done, but they do want you to fill up on those. Go very hungry and expect to leave uncomfortably full 🙂. I personally won’t go back because of the meat quality, but maybe it was a bad night on the grill 🤷‍♂️.

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  9. Noah

    Milwaukee

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 12, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Amazing service have to give compliments to our waiter as well as the cook staff truly one of our favorites!!!!

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  10. Laurie

    Milwaukee

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on October 5, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Very accommodating!! Appreciated the birthday dessert for our special celebration!!

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FAQs

Samba Brazilian Grill is rated 4.5 stars by 1008 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 25 times today
Google Map for Samba Brazilian Grill

240 W Gilman St, Madison, WI 53703

Additional information

  • Cross street
    State Street
  • Neighborhood
    Madison
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Wed–Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Brazilian Steakhouse, Brazilian
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Parking in the lot adjacent to our restaurant is reservable.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (608) 257-1111
  • Catering
    Customized to your desires.
  • Private party facilities
    Private Dining for 10-250 guests. Several private and semi-private options. Entire restaurant also available for large functions/weddings.
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