THE KNIFE Argentinian Steakhouse

[markk]

Has anybody eaten here?

[ecruz1026]

Check this site. It has a fairly unfavorable review.

http://www.flyonthewall.bz/restaurants_pla...red_review.html

[markk]

Has anybody eaten here?

←

Yes, I ate there last night.

What were you even thinking? How could you look at a restaurant that offers all-you-can-eat quantities of things like skirt steak, flank steak, NY Steak, rib steak, etc, PLUS a free bottle of red wine per person, for $24.95? What kind of an idiot are you even to be considering such a place.

As I say, I ate here last night. There's a salad bar, and then you line up a grill station holding your plate, and specify the cut of meat that you want. And regardless of what you request, the cooks throw some charred pieces of gristle on your plate, mumbling the name of what you asked for. So the guy will heap a piece of meat on your plate and say "sirloin", and when you say "oh, no, I wanted the skirt steak", he'll say, "oh yeah, I meant 'skirt'"

If you get a charred piece of fat somewhere in your gristle, it's a good taste, and if you've ever been curious to explore the wonderful red wines of Argentina, you won't do it via the bottle that's included with your meal.

Oh I know, you've probably been following the advice of the Miami New Times website, which has been entirely responsible for introducing you to such fabulous restaurants as Chispa (Coral Gables), and the fabulous Bistro Plein Sud on Biscayne Blvd. in North Miami Beach, so when you read that The Knife won their award for Best Argentinian Restaurant, you believed them.

Well, maybe you're not an idiot after all. Too bad about The Knife, though.

[NJ2FLA]

OK - so I went there Friday night with two friends of mine. We went to the Coconut Grove location. It's like a large cafeteria. It's also very loud. The price was $24.95 a person and we had soda instead of the wine, which was included in the price.

The salad bar is quite large and I don't really eat a lot of salads that are mayo based - so I took the basics and it was fine. We also got some bread delivered to the table.

The meat was alright. I tried the sausage and some chirasco? which I liked the best of all the meats I tried. I also had some ribs as well.

For desert I tried a pear with a candy type glaze on it. I also tried a crepe in a caramel sauce which was good.

I would go back as it's interesting and alright if your starving for meat. Don't bring a vegetarian there.

The service was mediocre. The waiter hardly explained anything to us and the chefs cooking the steaks didn't understand nor hear me too well.

I know there is a location by Sawgrass Mill's where East Side Mario's used to be.

-Scott

[markk]

There's a restaurant chain called Texas de Brazil, a Brazilian "rodizio" (the various meats, and there are many of them, are grilled or roasted on skewers that rotate around a fire, and then the servers walk around the room with them and carve them tableside - it's an all-you-can-eat situation as well) which is a billion times better in quality, and ambience, than The Knife - and they have a Miami location where I've eaten a good half-dozen times.

The quality of the meats is truly superb, and they have an enormous salad bar with lots of salad, and now that I think of it, hardly any mayo-based items. And the meal includes really delicious garlic mashed potatoes and fried plantains (don't know if they're delicious, never tried them).

It's more expensive than The Knife - and I would say for a very good reason: the quality of the meat. And as I said, it's a stunningly beautiful restaurant. I would say that if you're in the mood for an "assorted meat" festival, definitely go there instead! If you go to their website, you can sign up for their 'club', and you'll get a 25% discount certificate for your first visit, and an entirely free dinner on your birthday (for whatever date you put it). But even at the full price, I'd say it's worth it - and worlds and worlds away from The Knife !!

[NJ2FLA]

They have an impressive web site. When I am in NJ I go to Iron Bound section of Newark for the Rodizio which is similar concept. There are a bunch of places.

I also noticed that a few of the Churrascaria's advertise in the magazine in airplanes. I never checked out this chain but now will. I am currently in Boynton Beach but might take a trip to Miami. I also have a brother in Dallas and there are 3 locations near him.

Thanks for the review and I will check it out next time I need to clog my arteries!

-Scott