The first thing you notice when you walk into this new Edmonton steakhouse is the wall of wine in the corner of a large, paprika-hued room. Over-sized paintings of leathery, mustachioed men and galloping horses give a hint that this isn’t any ordinary steakhouse. But what really gets your attention is the small army of waiters who wind their way around tables, swords of glistening meat held at the ready like warriors going into battle. This is Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse, and it is far from ordinary.

The restaurant has been creating a lot of buzz in the city, especially with celebrity chef David Adjey of The Food Network stopping by to help get the restaurant on its feet. Pampa will be featured on an upcoming episode of Adjey’s show, The Opener, in the near future. So, what’s the deal with this place?

First off, Pampa is all about meat. Lots of meat. Juicy hunks of meat cooked slowly on skewers over Brazilian hardwood charcoal.

If its meat you want, you’ll get it until the cows come home…or until you flip your food card from green to red.

The price of the meal for supper is $45 and that includes endless trips to the salad bar, endless plates of appetizers (if you want), and endless portions of meat.

The salad bar was loaded with fresh foods, pastas, deli cuts and vegetables. The quinoa salad was the best of the bunch.

The appetizers consisted of deep fried foods: a rice balls filled with meat and cheese,  french fries made of manioc (cassava starch) and polenta squares.

But enough already; let’s get to the meat.

On the night we went, 10 different cuts of beef, pork, chicken and lamb were sizzling on the rotisserie. You can eat at your leisure and stop when you want but it’s hard to say no when everything looks and smells so good. The rump roast was served plain, or coated with garlic, and it was delicious. We were told that this particular cut is the prized cut in Brazil, and it was easy to see why. The meat was surprisingly delicate, perfectly cooked and packed with flavour.

The chicken thighs, wrapped in bacon, were juicy beyond belief. A definite favourite of the night.

The well-marbled rib-eye was succulent and served medium rare.

And these little morsels? Chicken hearts. They were our least favourite of the evening (a little bland), but we had to try them.