Charkoal’s Brazilian Steakhouse opened October 14 in Saugus, Massachusetts, bringing charcoal-fired rodízio to 266 Broadway, the former home of the Continental Restaurant. A ribbon cutting and soft-opening gathering earlier that week preceded the public debut.
The change gives the Route 1 address a new menu after the Continental’s long run ended in November 2024. It also adds a Massachusetts restaurant to a brand whose website lists another location in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.
At Charkoal’s, gauchos carve fire-roasted meats at the table, with unlimited access to a salad and hot buffet. The restaurant makes a point of cooking over charcoal. Picanha, alcatra, fraldinha, ribeye and filet mignon appear among its published selections, alongside lamb, pork, chicken and sausage.
The menu also makes room for grilled salmon with passionfruit sauce, grilled cheese and cinnamon-and-brown-sugar pineapple. The buffet supplies the other half of the meal: cheeses, charcuterie, hearts of palm, smoked salmon, soups, feijoada and pão de queijo are among the foods described on the restaurant’s pages.
Several ways to settle in
The main rodízio menu lists weekday lunch at $39.95, weekend lunch at $51.95 and dinner at $66.95. Salad-and-hot-bar-only dining is $22.95 at weekday lunch and $32.95 at weekend lunch or dinner. Children six and younger eat free; ages seven through 12 pay half price.
A $24.95 lighter weekday lunch, featuring selected cuts, also has a Saugus reservation link.
Brazilian-community publication JSNEWS USA identifies restaurateurs Ana Paula Lima and Marina Lima, together with Ludo and Michele Gardini, in the Saugus venture. Its opening coverage also describes an event room accommodating approximately 150 people, keeping large gatherings part of the building’s new chapter.
There were plenty of those in its previous one. The Continental opened at the address in 1952, and the Kourkoulis family operated it from 1983. Its familiar steaks, seafood, early-bird meals and function rooms made it a fixture for celebrations before its announced November 24, 2024 closing.
Charkoal’s now serves lunch from 11:30 a.m., with weekday lunch running until 4 p.m. and weekend lunch until 3 p.m. The setting has changed considerably, but the address is once again equipped for a long meal with a large group. This time, picanha will be making the rounds.
