Bullvino’s Brazilian Steakhouse will soon be opening its fourth location and occupying the former Golden Corral site in Maple Grove, at 13603 Grove Drive. The restaurant has other locations in St. Paul, Bloomington and Bolingbrook, Illinois.
There are also plenty of Minnesota and Maple Grove connections.
Blake Hagert, owner/partner with Bullvino’s, said the restaurant is a family-owned and locally-owned Brazilian steakhouse, or churrascaria, rooted in the gaucho tradition of southern Brazil.
“Our founder, Marcio de Morais, was born in Rio Grande do Sul, the birthplace of gaucho culture, and opened our first restaurant in St. Paul in 2019 to bring that tradition to Minnesota,” he said. “The name says what we’re about. ‘Bull’ is for the premium cuts we hand select, and ‘Vinos’ is for the wine tradition of South America.”
Dinner is churrasco style, the way it’s done in Brazil.
“Our gauchos fire roast up to 21 cuts over open flame, bring them to your table on the skewer and carve them right in front of you. That includes picanha, the signature cut of Brazilian churrasco,” Hagert said.
He noted that each diner gets a two-sided medallion. One side will let the gauchos keep bringing food and the red side “Não, obrigado,” lets them know you need a break.
“Hot Brazilian sides come to the table with fresh pão de queijo, our Brazilian cheese bread, and the Brazilian Table is our full gourmet salad bar,” Hagert said. “Our gauchos wear the traditional gaucho uniform and call every cut by its Portuguese name. Altolino da Silva, one of our owners, teaches every one of them to cook over the fire and carve the way he was taught.”
At the bar, traditional caipirinhas with fresh lime and Brazilian cachaça are made, plus Bullvino’s specialty cocktails like its Brazilian martini and the Bullvino’s old fashioned.”
Decades of experience
What makes Bullvino’s different starts with its highly-experienced ownership.
“We’re family-owned and locally-owned, and we run our restaurants ourselves. Our owners came up through Brazilian steakhouses as gauchos, servers, dishwashers and cooks,” Hagert said.
Bullvino’s founder, de Morais, spent 30 years in Brazilian steakhouses before opening Bullvino’s in St. Paul.
Nathan Uherka started as a dishwasher 16 years ago and has spent 14 years in churrascarias. He was working as a server and de Morais was carving as a gaucho when they decided to build a restaurant of their own, according to Hagert.
Altolino da Silva was born in Santa Catarina, Brazil, and has spent 30 years in restaurants. The team calls him “the O.G.” – the original gaucho, Hagert said.
Alindo Calle has spent 19 years in churrascarias and worked his way up to head chef. Hagert said the Brazilian Table, the salads and the sides are all his.
Hagert himself has spent 20 years in restaurants, 15 of those in Brazilian steakhouses. He said he has worked nearly every position before becoming a partner.
“Today I lead the systems side: training, standards and growing the brand,” Hagert said.
The food is another aspect that makes Bullvino’s different.
“The recipes are our own,” Hagert said. “Altolino da Silva’s recipes set the standard for every cut we serve, and our head chef, Alindo Calle, holds the salad bar and sides to that same standard.”
Maple Grove location
Maple Grove is special to the restaurant team.
“Our founder, Marcio, has lived in Maple Grove and always thought it was the right spot for a Brazilian steakhouse,” Hagert said. “Marcio and Nathan started their first restaurant in Maple Grove before leaving to open Bullvino’s in St. Paul, so coming back brings us full circle.”
Hagert and Uherka also both graduated from Maple Grove Senior High School.
The new Maple Grove restaurant will be about 10,000 square feet with over 300 seats, three private dining rooms and a team of about 50 to 60 people, according to Hagert.
Hagert said, “We want people to feel like they were welcomed into a Brazilian family’s home for dinner. You come in hungry, you’re taken care of from the front door to the last cut, and you leave already planning who you’re bringing next time.”
Plans are for the location to open in February or March 2027. Construction began in August. There are plans in the works to open more locations in Illinois and North Dakota next year.
Maple Grove is already home to two other churrascarias: Rodizio Grill Brazilian Steakhouse, 12197 Elm Creek Blvd. N., and Fazenda Brazilian Steakhouse, 9691 63rd Ave. N. Bullvino’s would become the city’s third Brazilian steakhouse when it opens next year.
Dining and Cooking