FOOD

Churrascos’ brunch is unusual because Latin American food is not a token accent on a conventional spread. The buffet moves across South and Central American ideas, with Peruvian stir-fry, rice and beans, ceviche, plantains, empanadas and several styles of pork beside prime rib, omelettes and chicken and waffles. It feels pan-Latin rather than tied to one national cuisine, giving the buffet real flavor geography.

The carving station showcases much of Churrascos’ range. Whole roasted pig turns a familiar brunch counter into something closer to a feast, with pork carved directly from the roast. Prime rib and beef tenderloin provide familiar steakhouse anchors, useful both as straightforward pleasures and as counterpoints to the brighter sauces, chiles and plantain-based dishes elsewhere on the line.

Lomo saltado is worth understanding because it reflects Peru’s Chinese-influenced stir-fry tradition: beef is quickly cooked with onion and peppers, then paired with French fries and rice. Churrascos adds ginger and ají peppers to its version. Carnitas take pork in another direction, cooking it until tender before crisping the edges. Chicken and beef empanadas bring the classic Latin hand-pie form, flaky pastry wrapped around savory filling.

The chicken dishes show how much of Churrascos’ identity comes from sauces and coatings. Pollo encamisado pairs plantain-crusted chicken with smoky black bean sauce, crema, panela cheese and roasted tomato. Pollo al ajillo is the garlic-forward counterpoint, while pollo Azteca combines chicken with spinach, mushrooms, red pepper and chipotle crema. Frito mixto adds fried calamari, shrimp and fish with jalapeño aioli, pushing the hot section well beyond steak-and-eggs territory.

The sides keep the regional thread intact. Maduros are ripe plantains cooked until sweet and caramelized at the edges. Gallo pinto, the rice-and-beans staple associated especially with Nicaragua and Costa Rica, gives the buffet a breakfast food that is also deeply Central American. Roasted Andean potatoes, jasmine rice, grilled mushrooms and vegetables round out plates without reducing the section to generic brunch starches.

The chilled section resets the palate. Ceviche Copacabana combines tilapia and Gulf shrimp with red onion, jalapeño, avocado and cilantro, a cool counterweight to roast pork and fried foods. Smoked salmon and shrimp cocktail are more familiar brunch territory, but they make the cold station substantial enough to build a real first course before moving toward the carving line.

Breakfast classics still matter. Torrejas are the Latin cousin of French toast, bread soaked and cooked into a sweet, custardy dish. Tres leches pancakes push the restaurant’s signature dessert idea back into the morning. Made-to-order omelettes and crepes, bacon, chicken and waffles, mac and cheese and pasta give cautious eaters easy landmarks while everyone else explores the less familiar dishes.

Dessert returns decisively to Latin flavors. Tres leches is sponge cake saturated with sweet milk and finished with meringue. Flan de queso is a richer take on caramel custard. Arroz con leche offers soft, cinnamon-scented rice pudding, while alfajores sandwich dulce de leche between tender shortbread cookies. Tequila bread pudding adds a darker caramel note, keeping the finish connected to the rest of the meal.