restaurants

Chima Steakhouse to Open on Orlando’s Restaurant Row

The Brazilian Steakhouse is Headed to Sand Lake Road.

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A Brazilian steakhouse hailing straight from Brazil might be headed to Orlando. According to our real estate intel, Chima Steakhouse has put in a request to expand the space on 7830 W. Sand Lake Road, which previously housed American casual dining seafood restaurant Bonefish Grill. The Bonefish Grill on Sand Lake Road closed its doors last week.

Chima Steakhouse gets its name from “chimarrao” a traditional Brazilian tea from Rio Grande do Sul, which represents hospitality. This tea is known to be a facilitator of community thanks to the tradition of sharing the cup in which the tea is prepared in.

Chima takes its inspiration from Brazil. “Legend has it that, in South Brazil traditional gauchos (cowboys) would consume a diet that consisted almost entirely of beef,” according to their official website. “The meat was seasoned, placed on skewers, and slow cooked over a wood burning flame.” And the churrasco restaurant serves exactly that: 15 types of rotisserie meat placed on skewers that is then passed around to diners.

A representative from Chima wasn’t available for comment, but we hope that the restaurant gets its plans approved so we can dine amongst skewers of meats while drinking caipirinhas soon.

7830 W Sand Lake Rd, Orlando, FL 32819

Zeynep Özakat

Zeynep Özakat is a freelance writer, editor, and teacher. She holds an MFA degree in Creative Writing from Syracuse University, where she received The Shirley Jackson Prize in Fiction, The Leonard Brown Prize in Poetry, and a Graduate Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Work. Her writing has been published in Glimmer Train Stories, Black Warrior Review, and Gulf Coast. Zeynep is originally from Istanbul, Turkey, but now lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can find out more here.