Samba is a Brazilian “churrascaria”, a barbeque place, that is definitely a unique dining experience--as long as you’re a carnivore, that is!

Although they offer a standard lunch and dinner menu, the specialty of the house is the "Rodizio" - if you ever wondered how much meat you could eat at one sitting, this is your chance. Prices are $12.95/24.95 CDN for lunch/dinner on weekdays and $12.95/27.95 for weekends and holidays (children under 10 are half price).

The basic premise is that it's all-you-can-eat. There is a salad and tapas bar to begin, and then it's all meat from there. The meat is skewered on swords and roasted over an open flame, and “passadores” pass by your table with the different types of meat and just slice some off onto your plate. The fun part is when they bring you the little 'signal card' - green on one side, red on the other. When you are ready for more meat, you keep the green side facing up. When you’ve had enough, flip it to the red side (labelled “I give up!”).

We had top sirloin, flank steak, beef ribs, pork tenderloin, chicken legs, sausages, buffalo, ham and assorted other tasty animals. The waiter actually suggested we should come back on the weekend because they have an even greater selection of meats – I’m not even sure that’s possible!

I can honestly say it was the best meat I’ve ever had – amazing natural flavour. After I “gave up”, there was definitely no room for dessert. But, I did have a very refreshing and unique beverage – lychee blended with coconut milk.

Samba is open for lunch from 11:30am to 3pm and dinner from 5 to 11pm, 7 days a week. The restaurant also features a live Latin band and brazilian dance on various nights of the week. If you're looking for a little South American flavour (which always includes lots of meat!), we definitely recommend a visit to Samba!

Located in a basement on Alberni Street in the 1100 block, this restaurant delivers lots of protein in an atmosphere reminiscent of Brazil. Billed as a Brazilian Steakhouse – Churrascaria - it offers a romantic atmosphere with live music and Samba dancers on Friday and Saturday.

Begin your meal with one of their exotic drinks: "Woman on Top" with lychee, coconut milk, and vodka, or perhaps a "Bassa Nova" with banana liquor, cachaca, and a fresh banana over crushed ice, or even the "Brazilian Carnival" made of pineapple, cachaca, and orange juice. No matter which you pick, you are going to enjoy your choice.

If you order the Rodizo, it goes like this, the set price is $26.95 on weekends and $21.95 during the week. You are given a card, red on one side, green on the other. As long as your card is green, they will continue to stop at your table. When you are full you turn your card to red, and admit, "I give up".

Your first move is to go to the tapas/salad bar - be prepared to be blown away. Here you will find a delectable selection of small bites, both hot and cold. Black bean soup with sausage, mussels, potatoes, rice, salad, olives, lamb stew, fried bananas, yes I said fried bananas, and much more. As you sit eating your tapas, the meats begin to stop by your table. Young men dressed in white shirts with black pants and a sash bring large skewers of meat to your table. They tell you what the meat is and ask if you would like some. You have a small set of tongs, and, as they slice, you grab.

Among the meats that came our way were chicken hearts, chicken legs, chicken wrapped in bacon, veal, ostrich, top sirloin, flank steak, ham, roast pork, buffalo, sausage, tri tip, strip loin, and prawns. They do a constant circle of the room. Service was flawless, as the waitress took care of our drink needs and replaced our plates while the young men visited and revisited. I said I was done, except I wanted one more sausage - sausages were in the next round.

Now you would think after eating enough meat to feed a small country, we would be too full for dessert. Well we were full, but we wanted to have a complete experience, so we did order dessert. I had Brazilian Pudding, which was very similar to crème caramel, and Al had fried bananas with ice cream, which was reminiscent of bananas foster.

If you like meat and enjoy a unique dining experience, then Samba is the place to go. You don’t have to do the Rodizo, as they have an á la carte menu as well.