Alma Gaúcha Brazilian Steakhouse is planning its third Massachusetts restaurant at Natick Mall, extending the Brazilian churrascaria from Boston and Worcester into MetroWest. Founder and owner Nelson DeOliveira has confirmed the project, which is moving through local permitting and liquor-license approvals.
The restaurant is planned for 1245 Worcester Street on the mall’s first floor near Nordstrom and the Apple Store. The space previously housed The Met Bar & Grill and was later approved for Gatsby’s Chop House, a project that never opened. Earlier local reporting described the space as nearly 7,000 square feet and noted an outdoor patio.
The Former Met Space Gets Another Restaurant Plan
The Natick site is not yet on a firm opening countdown. What Now Boston reports that construction is expected to take about three months once the necessary permits are finalized, but Alma Gaúcha has not announced an opening date. That distinction matters: this is a confirmed project, not yet a scheduled opening.
When it does arrive, the restaurant is expected to seat about 200 guests and include a large bar and outdoor patio. More importantly for Buffet Authority, Natick is planned around the same abundance model that defines Alma Gaúcha’s existing restaurants: fire-roasted meats served continuously at the table, backed by a full buffet and extensive salad bar.
Natick Will Pair Rodízio Service With a Full Buffet
Alma Gaúcha describes its prix-fixe Full Rodízio Experience as a rotating selection of beef, chicken, pork and lamb. The supporting buffet includes hot dishes and a salad-bar lineup that can stretch well beyond lettuce duty, with items such as aged cheeses, cured meats, Brazilian hearts of palm and smoked salmon among the offerings highlighted by the company.
The Natick restaurant would become the company’s third Massachusetts location, after Boston’s Seaport and Worcester. No Natick-specific pricing has been announced, so current prices at the existing restaurants are useful only as context, not as a promise of what the mall location will charge.
For now, the next meaningful milestone is municipal approval. Once that happens, the three-month construction estimate becomes useful. Until then, Natick has a confirmed churrascaria plan, an experienced operator and a former restaurant space waiting for the next round of skewers.
