The restaurant was clean, the server was friendly and attentive, the food was delicious and fresh, and the buffet was clearly labelled with all the top allergens, which was nice because I have celiac disease. 95% of the menu is gluten-free so I felt quite safe eating there. We would definitely come back.
Baldvin Vidarsson
We were celebrating my partner’s Doctorate, and the experience was made extra special thanks to the outstanding hospitality of General Manager Dave. He went above and beyond to make us feel welcome. The staff were attentive and the food was fantastic. Thank you for making our visit so memorable- truly appreciated!
Chris Clement
An excellent rodizio in the heart of Calgary. Service was fantastic, and the beef and other dishes. Thanks for including excellent chimichurri on the buffet for those who love it.
Maggie Sexiest
Our first time at Pampa in and unfortunately, it might be our last. The food was underwhelming bland and nothing memorable. For the price, we expected a much better experience, both in quality and taste. Definitely not worth the hype or the cost. My husband and I both left disappointed. I personally feel like we wasted money.
Edit: Response to Dave
Thank you for your response. Just to clarify, food doesn’t need to be hot or spicy to be flavorful. 😊 Unfortunately, the meats we had were quite chewy, and there seemed to be an overemphasis on pork. They just kept bringing pork. The shrimp, in particular, lacked flavor and was inedible for me.
I had opted for the “Experience” menu, but unfortunately, it didn’t live up to its name. It genuinely felt like a missed opportunity, and we left disappointed. Like I mentioned, the whole experience was a waste of money!
Andrew
As a quick summary: Do not go if you don't eat pork, it is not worth it given pork is half of the meats they bring to the table. It is very expensive for what you get. This is not a good date spot. You will be happier with the meat at a nice steakhouse or grille.
So... Let's start with the good. The staff were all friendly and it was very clean. And the 'stroganoff' at the salad bar was very good.
Next the Bad, First consider everything in the context of this is supposed to be a nicer restaurant, and is also expensive.
1. It is very loud, not somewhere I would recommend for a romantic date, or anything where you would want to have conversation, like a family occasion. It is however, not as loud as some places and you can hear those close to you to some degree, I imagine being situated near a corner might...(?) be better). Perhaps within tolerances of a corporate appreciation dinner.
2. The food was very mediocre. Especially the salad bar, which was the worst part and what they ought to want you to have more of. There was only one pasta salad... And jt was like what you might expect to see at a school potluck from a parent who can't cook. Heavy with the mayo (too much), not particularly interesting ingredients, and unsophisticated flavour. But it at least had more flavour than the potato salads which were also mayo-y and extremely bland. The rest of the salads were similarly unremarkable if not a flavourless waste of ingredients. Frankly, the warm end of the table had the only things really worth eating. That said, nothing was horrible, and the beef 'stroganoff' was quite good. It almost reminded me of more of an un-spicy (heatwise) curry.
3. The skewers... while the style of serving was unique, and the meat was largely cooked nicely the servers come around quite infrequently. (Again, especially if you don't eat pork). Several of them were disappointing flavour wise, but as it was nicely cooked meat it had that going for it. At the end of the day even if free, I would rather buy a nice steak somewhere rlse.
4. The deserts were pathetically small. Though one was nice and light (still small). And the newyork style cheesecake uninspiring (though having made many cheesecakes myself perhaps I simply have higher standards).
They did have some good drinks.
Overall, I would give it a 1.5-2. Were the atmosphere more romantic and were there even just some of those decorative foldable walls, it would be better and I would give it another star. Improve the salad bar even just in adjusting the recipes of what is there, I would give it another half star, but better variety (not necessarily more, but better) and it would be a full star.
So were it not for those 2 things we would be looking at 3.5 -4. But the price to quality or the price to quantity would have to improve for me to not then dock points. Providing exceptional value however is an easy shortcut to 5 stars, but likely unrealistic for the number of staff this approach takes.
So would I recommend it? No. Would I go again if free?... Yes, but I would still try to convince them to go to another restaurant. Would I chose to go there? No.
But, I do believe that the unique experience itself has some inherent value and that with a small amount of alterations they could make it vastly more compelling.
Clint
We showed up 10min after our reso and they denied us entry. The guy kept changing his reasons for this. We ended up going down the street to Craft which was excellent. Will not be going back to here.
Joe
If you're experienced in Brazilian steak houses then you won't be disappointed with Pampa. Great salad bar and meats. It can get pricey so check the menu options.
Stacey Gordon
Just finished a family birthday dinner there. Really impressed, the food was great, the service was excellent, everyone was super friendly and they kept coming back with the things they knew we liked. It’s the best Pampa we have been to. Great night out.
Dalton
First time Brazilian Steak House experience, great selection of deliciously prepared meats, accompanied by a wonderful variety of fresh and tasty salad bar items and the dessert offerings were scrumptious. Restaurant was very tidy with a classic contemporary decor.
Wendy
It was a lovely place to take my Granddaughter on the culmination of her 12 week carnivore diet where she was able to eat to her heart's content her favourite and new meats but also try a few nibbles of some much missed treats. A died-and-went-to-heaven reward for her and a special shared fun day for us together. Missed a great selection of fresh fruit but otherwise pretty good buffet offerings.
I take my family for dinner and over charged with those hidden things wrote on the bottom of the menu, they called it gratuity $125 and they are.asking tip on top.of that's.a fraud.
Saron G.Michael
We came to Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse to celebrate my brother’s graduation, and it was truly a fantastic experience from start to finish. The staff were incredibly welcoming and attentive, making our celebration feel extra special. The food was absolutely delicious—every cut of meat was cooked to perfection and served with care. The salad bar was fresh, vibrant, and full of great options.
The atmosphere was lively yet elegant, perfect for a celebration. My brother, the guest of honor, was very happy. Thank you, Pampa, for helping make a special day even more memorable. We’ll definitely be back!
Saron
We came to Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse to celebrate my brother's graduation, and it was truly a fantastic experience from start to finish. The staff were incredibly welcoming and attentive, making our celebration feel extra special. The food was absolutely delicious—every cut of meat was cooked to perfection and served with care. The salad bar was fresh, vibrant, and full of great options. The atmosphere was lively yet elegant, perfect for a celebration. Thank you, Pampa, for helping make a special day even more memorable. We'll definitely be back!
Jennifer
For the amount of money spend you would think the salad bar would have better choices. I had a crouton and it was so hard I almost chopped my tooth. The hot food at the salad bar was cold. I went for my birthday and spent over $400 dollars and was very disappointed.
Nolan Strong
The atmosphere is a bit underwhelming but for $60 you can get all you can eat steak and sides! Sign me up!
The restaurant was clean, the server was friendly and attentive, the food was delicious and fresh, and the buffet was clearly labelled with all the top allergens, which was nice because I have celiac disease. 95% of the menu is gluten-free so I felt quite safe eating there. We would definitely come back.
We were celebrating my partner’s Doctorate, and the experience was made extra special thanks to the outstanding hospitality of General Manager Dave. He went above and beyond to make us feel welcome. The staff were attentive and the food was fantastic. Thank you for making our visit so memorable- truly appreciated!
An excellent rodizio in the heart of Calgary. Service was fantastic, and the beef and other dishes. Thanks for including excellent chimichurri on the buffet for those who love it.
Our first time at Pampa in and unfortunately, it might be our last. The food was underwhelming bland and nothing memorable. For the price, we expected a much better experience, both in quality and taste. Definitely not worth the hype or the cost. My husband and I both left disappointed. I personally feel like we wasted money.
Edit: Response to Dave
Thank you for your response.
Just to clarify, food doesn’t need to be hot or spicy to be flavorful. 😊 Unfortunately, the meats we had were quite chewy, and there seemed to be an overemphasis on pork. They just kept bringing pork. The shrimp, in particular, lacked flavor and was inedible for me.
I had opted for the “Experience” menu, but unfortunately, it didn’t live up to its name. It genuinely felt like a missed opportunity, and we left disappointed.
Like I mentioned, the whole experience was a waste of money!
As a quick summary: Do not go if you don't eat pork, it is not worth it given pork is half of the meats they bring to the table. It is very expensive for what you get. This is not a good date spot. You will be happier with the meat at a nice steakhouse or grille.
So... Let's start with the good. The staff were all friendly and it was very clean. And the 'stroganoff' at the salad bar was very good.
Next the Bad, First consider everything in the context of this is supposed to be a nicer restaurant, and is also expensive.
1. It is very loud, not somewhere I would recommend for a romantic date, or anything where you would want to have conversation, like a family occasion. It is however, not as loud as some places and you can hear those close to you to some degree, I imagine being situated near a corner might...(?) be better). Perhaps within tolerances of a corporate appreciation dinner.
2. The food was very mediocre. Especially the salad bar, which was the worst part and what they ought to want you to have more of. There was only one pasta salad... And jt was like what you might expect to see at a school potluck from a parent who can't cook. Heavy with the mayo (too much), not particularly interesting ingredients, and unsophisticated flavour. But it at least had more flavour than the potato salads which were also mayo-y and extremely bland. The rest of the salads were similarly unremarkable if not a flavourless waste of ingredients. Frankly, the warm end of the table had the only things really worth eating. That said, nothing was horrible, and the beef 'stroganoff' was quite good. It almost reminded me of more of an un-spicy (heatwise) curry.
3. The skewers... while the style of serving was unique, and the meat was largely cooked nicely the servers come around quite infrequently. (Again, especially if you don't eat pork). Several of them were disappointing flavour wise, but as it was nicely cooked meat it had that going for it. At the end of the day even if free, I would rather buy a nice steak somewhere rlse.
4. The deserts were pathetically small. Though one was nice and light (still small). And the newyork style cheesecake uninspiring (though having made many cheesecakes myself perhaps I simply have higher standards).
They did have some good drinks.
Overall, I would give it a 1.5-2. Were the atmosphere more romantic and were there even just some of those decorative foldable walls, it would be better and I would give it another star. Improve the salad bar even just in adjusting the recipes of what is there, I would give it another half star, but better variety (not necessarily more, but better) and it would be a full star.
So were it not for those 2 things we would be looking at 3.5 -4. But the price to quality or the price to quantity would have to improve for me to not then dock points. Providing exceptional value however is an easy shortcut to 5 stars, but likely unrealistic for the number of staff this approach takes.
So would I recommend it? No. Would I go again if free?... Yes, but I would still try to convince them to go to another restaurant. Would I chose to go there? No.
But, I do believe that the unique experience itself has some inherent value and that with a small amount of alterations they could make it vastly more compelling.
We showed up 10min after our reso and they denied us entry. The guy kept changing his reasons for this. We ended up going down the street to Craft which was excellent. Will not be going back to here.
If you're experienced in Brazilian steak houses then you won't be disappointed with Pampa. Great salad bar and meats. It can get pricey so check the menu options.
Just finished a family birthday dinner there. Really impressed, the food was great, the service was excellent, everyone was super friendly and they kept coming back with the things they knew we liked. It’s the best Pampa we have been to. Great night out.
First time Brazilian Steak House experience, great selection of deliciously prepared meats, accompanied by a wonderful variety of fresh and tasty salad bar items and the dessert offerings were scrumptious. Restaurant was very tidy with a classic contemporary decor.
It was a lovely place to take my Granddaughter on the culmination of her 12 week carnivore diet where she was able to eat to her heart's content her favourite and new meats but also try a few nibbles of some much missed treats. A died-and-went-to-heaven reward for her and a special shared fun day for us together. Missed a great selection of fresh fruit but otherwise pretty good buffet offerings.
Restaurantji Recommends
I take my family for dinner and over charged with those hidden things wrote on the bottom of the menu, they called it gratuity $125 and they are.asking tip on top.of that's.a fraud.
We came to Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse to celebrate my brother’s graduation, and it was truly a fantastic experience from start to finish. The staff were incredibly welcoming and attentive, making our celebration feel extra special. The food was absolutely delicious—every cut of meat was cooked to perfection and served with care. The salad bar was fresh, vibrant, and full of great options.
The atmosphere was lively yet elegant, perfect for a celebration. My brother, the guest of honor, was very happy. Thank you, Pampa, for helping make a special day even more memorable. We’ll definitely be back!
We came to Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse to celebrate my brother's graduation, and it was truly a fantastic experience from start to finish. The staff were incredibly welcoming and attentive, making our celebration feel extra special. The food was absolutely delicious—every cut of meat was cooked to perfection and served with care. The salad bar was fresh, vibrant, and full of great options. The atmosphere was lively yet elegant, perfect for a celebration. Thank you, Pampa, for helping make a special day even more memorable. We'll definitely be back!
For the amount of money spend you would think the salad bar would have better choices. I had a crouton and it was so hard I almost chopped my tooth. The hot food at the salad bar was cold. I went for my birthday and spent over $400 dollars and was very disappointed.
The atmosphere is a bit underwhelming but for $60 you can get all you can eat steak and sides! Sign me up!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 5
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