First things first:   There is little question that Churrascaria Pampas Brazilian Grille didn't pay by the letter when choosing a name.   Brazilian heroes are known by just one name i.e. Pele.  I now know where all of the discarded letters go.  It's into the names of the restaurants.  Vanna White would be exhausted walking her way through that name.   There also is little question that Churrascaria Pampas Brazilian Grille (hereon to be known as Pampas) is an all too well kept secret in dining in Las Vegas.  

It's certainly not from lack of trying though as there is very easy access from the Harmon street valet parking for the soon to be Planet Hollywood and signs aplenty throughout the Desert Passage shopping area.  

The place offers $1.00 well drinks at the bar for Pete's sake.   We're not talking some happy hour gimmick here.   Whenever Pampas is open the drinks are a buck at the bar.  This IS the Las Vegas Strip   Thankfully there is some sort of policy about the employees not taking advantage of the well drink for a buck thing as quite a few of them walk around with sharp knives and delicious food on skewers which they carve at your table.  

I believe that by the time our dinner had concluded we had been served by at least 6 different members of the knowledgeable wait staff and Pampas' Unit Partner Bill Drexel, who stopped by each and every table to meet and greet all of the patrons.  I note this because it was positively fascinating to listen to Bill's explanations to the questions about the various delectable delights and how they are prepared.  

There are no freezers in the restaurant.  None, zero, zip, nada, you get the point right?Everything is absolutely fresh.  When I commented on how fresh and crisp the olives were I was informed that it was because they are processed on site and not bought in bottled form.  

The gluten free, no flour rolls Pao De Queiljo, which are about as diabetic friendly as it gets for baked goods and are made from the powdered roots of the yucca plant are delicious.  

The salad bar was well stocked with the usual suspects as well as some very interesting not so usual offerings.   The traditional rodizio which is priced very reasonably considering all that it offers consists of the noble sirloin called Picanha which was marvelous.  The filet wrapped in bacon was also quite good and the two choices of grilled chicken, regular and spicy, were about as succulent as it gets when it comes to chicken.   Once again Bill Drexel's explanation as to just why the chicken is marinated twice over the course of two days, first in saltwater to cleanse and purge it and secondly in the herbs and spices that give it a very unique flavor made the meal all that more enjoyable. We topped our meal off with a guava gel over a passion fruit mousse that was mouthwatering.  

These are really just the tip of the iceberg of what is available.  Ours was a fine meal served in a very cheery atmosphere at a very nice restaurant that offers quite a bit more than the usual fare.  There are several different types of options for both lunch and dinner as well as very current technological accommodations available if a business presentation is on your agenda.  

The Pampas Brazilian Grille deserves to be much less of a secret and much more of a regular stop on the great restaurants tour of Las Vegas.   Good value and very good food make it very easy for me to recommend the Pampas Brazilian Grille for most any occasion that you may have and there is always that amazing $1.00 well drink at the bar thing.   If you see me there, I'm buying.