GOL! The Taste of Brazil

I’ve recently visited with my family and had a great time. We met their chef, a friendly young Brazilian guy who made some goodies that made me feel like I was home again. The salad bar definitely improved and the flan is the best desert I ever had!
The only down side was the mosquitoes. When I left dinner I had approximately 15 mosquitoes bite.

PLEASE READ
The worst «steakhouse» imaginable!
Very low quality meat, cooked to the extreme ends of the spectrum, being either char or roadkill raw.
Most poorly managed place in Florida.
The servers are nice guys but are young and need direction. Refilling water should not be a task when we’re the ONLY ones there!
OVERPRICED like you read about! Salad bar is stale and again no prime meats for the price you would pay for a real steakhouse.
The service was very subpar and again not secondary to the effort but more so the lacking management.
Also, which I find quite ridiculous, was that the owner, who was sloppily dressed, was picking at the salad bar and sat himself outside with all waitstaff rushing out to stuff his face with roadkill. We had to actually intercept and catch them on the way BACK to be served! Sorry but consuming your personnel and compromising customer service is a business no-​no.
Texas de Brasil, Fogo de chao… now these are real steakhouses but I fell victim to Groupon which did not even make this experience close to worthwhile.

Yesterday I heard that they closed. Call before going!!!

Make sure you’re hungry ! Food is great and has a go at your own pace environment. The meats are always so tasty and have been marinated in great spices ! Salad bar is a nice touch. Live music and dancers are fun to watch while dining. Friendly staff and would recommend for couples or groups ! Celebrated my mom’s 50^th Birthday and they did a great job ! The flavored Caprinhas are really good too.

The place is overpriced and service is terrible

We have been wanting to try this place since we moved to Delray 6 months ago and finally made it courtesy of a localdines certificate. The basic idea is that they bring various cuts of meat around to you and have as much as you want until you are full. They also have a salad bar which we enjoyed very much. Some of my favorites included the tomato and fresh mozzarella, chickpea salad, yucca, sweet plantains, and an assortment of salami. Couldn’t say how dessert was because we were too full to have any! The only thing I didn’t like is the price, it is a bit expensive at $ 40 per person. The food is delicious, I would go back maybe for a special occasion.

One of the WORST restaurants I have ever been to! I live in Utah, a state that has mastered and perfected the Brazilian Steakhouse! I have been to quite a few in different places around the country and this one is by far the worst. The only reason we came here is because I was visiting my grandmother and wanted to take her out for a nice meal! We used the $ 20 for $ 40 deal on Unilocal and thought we would give this place try! HUGE MISTAKE! The atmosphere was absolutely horrific! I am a firm believer that restaurants should never have carpet, especially in humid places like Florida! When you walk in you are greeted by a barrage of scents and sounds, no of which are pleasing. The advertised «salad bar» was a hodge podge of unappealing staples I wouldn’t feed my dog. All this can be forgiven if the meat is out of this world… but it wasn’t! I’ve had better meat from a sizzler! Every piece of meat they brought around was overcooked, tough, under-​seasoned and had plenty of gristle! I was so disappointed! I wanted to give my grandmother a wonderful experience and it was disappointing on all fronts! Then the check came! What a huge slap in the face that was! $ 40 a person?!? OUTRAGEOUS! I have been to amazing Brazilian Steakhouses for $ 25! By the quality of this place I would have expected to pay $ 8. Do not go to this place! Save yourself! You would be better off boiling your shoe and eating that!
Food = 2, hardly anything I would ever want to try again!
Atmosphere = 1, loud, smelly, and nasty disgusting CARPET!!!
Price = 1, not worth even close to what you pay!
FAP Score = 1.3 (out of 5)

I still think the first time I came was the best experience. The best male server at this restaurant is Jeremy because his personality is spunky, positive, and professionally business-​style. All the others didn’t seem like they wanted to be working there and didn’t care to hide their expressions to the customers. Honestly, really not good for the business.
A lot of the meats were overcooked this evening which was pretty unsatisfactory. My favorites were still their signature sirloin steak, beef bbq, and lamb. Tonight was special, a hipster DJ with two female dancers but they were not really attractive or good-​looking (I mean very heavy-​set, not healthy or fit looking), they didn’t stay very long nor danced much so there wasn’t really much of a show to begin with which was pretty disappointing considering they were just hanging out in the ladies room more than half of the time and chatting. To be the honest, many ladies who were dates or wives, or girlfriends dining this evening at this restaurant were better looking than the dancers.
Other than the disappointment, I really enjoyed the desserts. Had some strawberry which was Portuguese’s favorite, the all-​time favorite flan (even though that isn’t a Brazilian dessert but the Mexican culture influence cannot be ignored), and some papaya vanilla dessert which the vanilla was overwhelming and I enjoyed strawberry more.
I had two coupons but was only allowed to use one so I figured the $ 20 for $ 40 deal was better than getting the one free dessert during check-​in plus I found out afterwards that I was able to save it for later so that was superb.
They don’t really advertise nor promote themselves very well to stand out so it is very easy to miss the place if you are trying to look for it in Downtown Delray Beach. Oh Gol! Truly a disappointment this second time around. Better luck next time.

Buffet w/​salad selections was satisfying for the entire party; meats were stellar as was the shrimp & chicken. The pianist who sang did a terrific job and the staff was attentive and most jovial while being professional to a fault. Boa apetit!

Where do I begin. I wish I began by:
1-​not purchasing a Groupon to this place
2-​Thinking I got a good deal
3-​Going to this place
4-​Should have been place doing anything else in Delray
My wife and I were seated at a nice table, right on time. We had to get our own plates to begin the meal, which I found different. Last time I looked, people go to a restaurant to eat, why not place a plate on a table?
All of the help was lacking in experience. Ordering a drink was a chore to find our waitress. Once we have the salad bar which was adequate at best, we placed our token on green, letting the waiters know we were ready to eat. It took about 15 minutes for the first waiter to come by with a skewer of meat which was so raw it made me wondered it we were at a sushi bar. All night, it was a brutal wait for the meats to be brought over There never was a chicken dish. The sausage reminded me of a recent sausage I had a buffet at a Sheraton Hotel. Nothing special at all.
The shrimp the one and only time they were brought over were still in the shell! Our young waiter said it was due to them wanting to keep the taste. What? Any other Brazilian restaurant I’ve been to had the shrimp peeled and was excellent.
I got the feeling they prefer to have people fill up on rice, beats and yucca at the salad bar because the meats were certainly not plentiful.
The absolute worst part was the live music. One would think that live music at any restaurant would be a nice touch. Listening to a guy sing with a synthesizer singing Pink Floyd at the top of his lungs was not exactly what I or my wife were expecting. Wow. I couldn’t hear anything my wife was saying, and we were sitting outdoors! Even the young hostess said to us that it is always like that, and when I complained she said most everyone else does as well.
To top it off, when it was time to leave, the waitress brought us a bill. I had assumed it would have a zero balance Nope, it was $ 120! They said they misplaced our groupon. With that, my wife and left leaving a very menial tip, after all, this was a buffet with poor service.
We laughed about this place afterwards. Don’t waste your time. Delray offers many great restaurants. If you want great Brazilian, Chima on Los Olas is the place to be.

Gol is located in the heart of Downtown Delray near Federal. A Very nice atmosphere and folks. As we walked in the Host immediately took my wife’s umbrella and showed us to a table. Some folks say the entrance is hidden, but we found it quite easily; The Valet signs helped make it much more visible as we drove by.
The food was very good; we enjoyed the parade of meats and sampled many of them. One of the things I really enjoyed was the Chef made rounds to the tables to check in with everyone, and even came out to answer a question my wife had about how one of the items on the buffet was prepared. Servers were top notch and attentive, and the caballeros were fun and helpful with each cut of meat.
The price is a tad high for me for the offerings on the buffet; but the opportunity to try so many different meats and dishes makes Gol and excellent experience.

As a vegetarian, I’ve found Brazilian steakhouses to have the BEST salad bars… globally! GOL was no exception.
It’s a bit hard to find as the entrance is tiny. At night, about all you can see are the American and Brazilian flags. If you look for Nutrition Cottage’s blue awning, GOL is right next to it. The restaurant itself is very large on the inside; it’s just the outside that’s easy to pass up.
I ate here as part of a large group of around 100 I believe. Since I don’t eat the meat, I can’t comment specifically on it, except for the comments of my table mates. I DO know that some were a bit annoyed because the shrimp came around after about an hour into the meal when they thought there was nothing new coming out. That annoyed several people who were already eating dessert.
The pineapple grilled with cinnamon was especially yummy, as were the little cheese bread appetizers. I’d go here again for the salad bar without hesitation — lots of good veggie choices for me.

This churrascaria is located right off Atlantic Avenue and it was delicious. They have a salad bar and different varieties of meats for an all you can eat price. I thought it was a little too much for the price, but it was overall a good experience. I loved the mignon out of the pork, beef, shrimp, lamb, and chicken. I was able to eat enough in one trip to the salad bar and the cinnamon covered pineapple dessert they had was out of this world. It was sugared up just right. The staff was constantly making sure we had enough and very attentive to making sure we had an enjoyable time. There was live music and it was suitable for the occasion. I wish it wasn’t so much. We have been to the Ohana in Orlando, which offers a lot more, and it was cheaper there than what it was here.

Had dinner here over the weekend with a large group of 150 people and the food and service were excellent.
Our large group pretty much took over the entire restaurant and everyone seemed to have a great time.
The drinks were good (especially the caipirinha), salad bar large, and the variety of steaks and chicken were delicious.
They even had a DJ playing great 80s music and two exotic dancers to entertain the diners.
The desert was incredible — the flan was better than any I have ever had and the crème brule was excellent.
All in all, a very good time and excellent venue for a large group.

Never coming here again.
I purchased a Gottahalfit coupon for this place and it was about to expire. My man and I decided to go on a Tuesday night. The place was dead. Everything else on the Ave seemed hopping but this place. After eating here I understand why.
The salad bar was seriously lacking. Not a ton of choices, and not high in quality. The only thing I really liked was their chicken veggie soup.
The meat coming around was not high quality. Lots of fatty pieces. My man will eat rare meat, but quite a few times when they came out to slice the meat for us they had to tell us they will put it back on the grill because it was not even a touch cooked in the center. Pretty gross. Only plus was the cinnamon covered pineapple that they grilled and served (funny, a fruit scores the highest points at a Brazillian STEAKhouse).
The place smells really musky. We sat at one of the curved booths on the side and when I got home I kept smelling the musk. Turns out my forearm REEKED of said musky smell. It must be in the booth backs/​seats and it attacked my skin. I had to shower when I got home. Seriously gross.
My recommendation is to go elsewhere if you are in Delray. The idea seemed like it would be a fun and tasty one, but it turned out to be a pretty awful dining experience.
***In response to the manager’s comment: I appreciate you taking the time to read the feedback to your restaurant, but I feel you missed the point. The meat wasn’t «rare,’ it was raw. Where before we could even say anything the server would take it back to be cooked further to meet the standards of what rare is. I love also love salad bars, and am usually super easy to please in regards to such, but I did feel like what was there was sitting out for far more than just a little while, and none looked too fresh. I honestly hope you take the reviews you read to heart and that you are not automatically set to defend your establishment instead of actually evaluating it.***

Meat lovers need to try this place. Different types of cuts offered to you without limit. This is hoe Gol! works… Think of it as a buffet, fixed price, not including drinks or dessert. Once there you chose your sides from the «salad bar» which also includes pasta salad, potatoes, rice, and more. Get as much as you want as many times you want, then just seat and wait for the server to come around with the different choices of meat and get from the ones you like. They also had chicken, really liked the Parmesan Chicken — shrimp, lamb…
To drink, they have full bar but I go for the classic cahipirina. If you don’t like it too sweet just let them know and they’ll make it just right.
One star off for not having the mouse de maracuya but the strawberry dessert was good.
Service is good, attentive, and very helpful.
Gol! Is located right on Atlantic Ave. so after a great dinner you can walk around and enjoy the rest of your night.

Gol is an Americanized version of the Brazilian churrascaria. Which makes complete sense when you consider the fact that the owner is American.
The best part about Gol is their wine list. I’ll give them that much– They have a very extensive selection, ranging from wines of France, Italy, Spain, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, etc. Bottles range from $ 39 and go up to the hundreds ($ 700+).
Salad bar: Mediocre to say the least, not a large selection. Nothing impressive and Chima’s version would kick this one’s butt to Brazil and back!
Protein: The steaks are good, but again, the selection is not nearly as big as Chima’s version. They do have grilled shrimp which Chima lacks but on the other hand swordfish is MIA.
Service: Great staff! servers are very friendly and don’t look down on you if you’re not spending a ridiculous amount of money on liquor and beer. Which is nice when compared to Chima’s lack of hospitality in that area.
Caipirinha– the traditional Brazilian cocktail is made table side which is a nice touch. You can also get different varieties of fruits (passion fruit, grape, lime).
desserts: Nothing impressive, same thing you see at most Brazilian restaurants– flan, mousse, papaya cream– they do have crème brûlée which is a nice addition.
overall– If you’ve never experienced a Brazilian churrascaria before give Gol a try. It’s a good beginners start to the world of rodizio steak-​house.

I guess I can say that I’m a bit picky when it comes to rodizio-​style steakhouses– I used to live in Brazil and be a regular at Fogo de Chao in Sao Paulo and it’s the best churrascaria in the world, in my opinion. I haven’t been to the one in Miami yet, but I can’t imagine it being of less quality.
But I digress. Gol! has excellent service, probably the best service out of all of the restaurants I’ve been in Florida. I’ve been here several times and every waiter we’ve had, had been trained in Brazil so they knew what they were doing. for the most part. The meat is very good, but I wish they had different cuts. «Cupim,» for example, is my favorite Brazilian cut, and they don’t have it. Their picanha and alcatra, my other top two, were great, though. The best part of a rodizio, the top reason people go to one, is the luxury of being able to tell the waiter to come back with a cut of meat of your choice, whichever way you like it cooked, as many times as you want. In that aspect, Gol! does not disappoint.
Overall, I’ve never had a bad experience at Gol! and we always leave satisfied. It’s a lot of money, but it’s worth it.
Tip: Don’t eat too much of the complimentary appetizers. As for the salad bar, I don’t even know where it’s located! Just kidding, they have some good stuff over there too, I guess.

In response to the owner.
There is no intent to «sabatoge» which you claim motivated my opinion. I disclosed that service, in my opinion, fell below any reasonable standard, and was a factor in my review. Additionally, at the time we went 1) the meat tasted bland and 2) the salad bar tasted merely «ok».
After tasting the food, Gol! was at two stars, indicating that «I had experienced better». If service was excellent, this review would have been bumped up by a single star to three stars. Unfortunately, your managment’s poor handling of the situation ended up subtracting a star. Hence, why I opine it is a single star restaurant.
Additionally, you believe that my reviews are so out of line of others. However, look at what people actually say and you will find this is not the case. Look at Michael O.‘s review: «it’s good, but not great». Hardly glowing, but gives you 5 stars due to excellent service (something I submit that my experience was lacking). Also look at this review by Mickey G., which for some reason does not show up in the overall reviews:

A more appropriate response would have been to contact me first and ask me why I reviewed the way I did. Even better invite me for a second try and see if this will change my mind. (…and yes, I would pay my own way, thank you.)
However, you did not choose either of these options. Rather, you unfairly seek to attach a sinister motive to the opinion, thereby attacking your customer. It is a little wonder why both Mickey G and I experienced shortcomings in customer service, when the Owner himself treats a customer this way.

One of the better churrascarias I’ve been to. My family and I had dinner here and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The concept is simple: waiters bring you different types of meat, while the side dishes are in the center of the restaurant buffet-​style.
Considering my mom is extremely picky when we go out, this place actually got her approval — so take it from me, that means something. The service was excellent and the live music the night we were there was really a nice addition as well.