Downtown San Antonio just turned up the heat. Chama Gaúcha has opened its new outpost on the 200 block of East Houston Street this week, bringing the city's churrascaria tradition to a two-level, roughly 12,000-square-foot space directly across from the Majestic Theatre. Sitting among a growing "restaurant row" of nearby steakhouses, the spot leans into the full Brazilian experience, with gauchos carving skewered, fire-roasted cuts tableside and a sprawling salad bar loaded with cold cuts, cheeses and vegetables. The opening gives downtown a national-style dining draw aimed squarely at pre-show crowds and visitors.
According to Chama Gaúcha, the downtown location is listed at 217 E Houston St., Suite 100, and offers private-event and mezzanine space spread across its two floors. The site posts hours and pricing, with the full dinner experience coming in at about $59.95 and a salad-bar-only option at a lower price point, along with a downtown phone number for reservations. The restaurant recommends a business-casual dress code and highlights the venue as a fit for both pre-show stops and private gatherings.
The new dining room "follows the churrascaria template," serving roughly a dozen cuts including picanha, cordeiro and porco, plus sides such as caramelized bananas, garlic mashed potatoes and pão de queijo, as reported by CultureMap San Antonio. The outlet notes that Chama Gaúcha was founded in 2008 by João Carlos Ongaratto, a longtime Fogo de Chão veteran, and has grown from its original Sonterra location to additional outposts in Houston, Chicago and Grapevine. CultureMap credits social-media posts and restaurant materials for signaling the downtown expansion.
Where it fits on Houston Street
The arrival of Chama Gaúcha slots neatly into a broader downtown revitalization push after local developer Ridgemont Properties acquired the historic Frost Bros. and Schaum buildings on the block, according to San Antonio Report. Ridgemont and city boosters have pitched this stretch as a refreshed restaurant corridor meant to better serve theatergoers and visitors. The new Brazilian steakhouse adds one more stop to an already carnivore-heavy lineup just steps from the River Walk.
Public record filings helped trace the project’s path: a case submitted to the Historic and Design Review Commission in October 2023 and a later filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which in 2024 listed an earlier target completion date, MySA reported. Those documents originally pointed to a mid-2025 debut, but permitting and buildout timelines ultimately stretched into 2026. With the downtown dining room now open, the project appears to have cleared its final regulatory and construction hurdles.
The restaurant group’s ambitions extend beyond churrasco. A new website for Ardēre Braceria Italiana has gone live, and CultureMap reports that the Italian braceria is purportedly slated to open in fall 2026. If the plan moves forward, it would mark another downtown addition from the same operators and reinforce the broader effort to bulk up evening dining options in the city’s core. No formal opening date for Ardēre has been announced by the operator.
How to visit
Reservations for Chama Gaúcha’s downtown dining room are available online and by phone, with the restaurant’s reservation page listing current hours and booking details. Guests can expect a lively, tableside service style that lends itself to groups and special occasions, particularly on show nights at the nearby Majestic Theatre. For menus, hours and reservations, visit the downtown page for Chama Gaúcha.
