Pampas Restaurant in Palo Alto - lots of g-f options

[Guest guest]

I think I saw a post in this group about Pampas - a Brazilian restaurant in Palo

Alto. We ate there last night. Here's the good news (bad news will follow at

the end). Good news is that most of their menu is g-f, and they have the best

g-f Brazilian cheese rolls (made with tapioca starch).

Pampas has a menu where you can order a single entree or opt for the " buffet " -

which consists of unlimited meat/chicken being brought around on skewers to your

table and you get to eat as much as you want, plus a huge salad bar that

contains tons of options - most of them g-f. My husband went to eat their

unending meat/chicken - I went to feast on their g-f Brazilian cheese rolls. We

were both immensely satisfied!

I spoke with Nikki, one of their chefs there. She understands the g-f diet

because her mother and aunt have been diagnosed with celiac disease. Nikki told

me that all of their meats are g-f. She also led me through the salad bar.

Most everything on the salad bar is g-f - including the croutons in their salad!

They make the croutons from the g-f Brazilian cheese rolls! Their soups that

night were g-f. In the middle of their salad bar are hot side dishes - the g-f

hot options for us are the bean stew, rice, mashed potatoes, sweet mashed

potatoes, potatoes w/onions and peppers, corn (that's all I can remember now).

Do not eat the mushrooms as they have soy sauce. Nikki said she puts the

mushrooms in front to avoid any drippings in any of the other containers in back

which hold the g-f food. I was pleased to hear that.

When they bring you the Brazilian cheese rolls (our server brought me 8 of them

on a platter with a bowl of butter!), ask that the fried polenta and fried

bananas not be on the same dish.

Here's the bad news: the unlimited meat/salad bar is $44 a person. For two

people, two sodas, tax and tip, it comes to about $120 (we tipped our waiter

well because he was particularly attentive to make sure the skewers came around

quickly and gave me lots and lots of rolls!). I want to go back again, but I'm

afraid I'll have to wait for a special occasion because of the cost. I think

you could order just an entree, though, which is a lot cheaper, and still enjoy

the rolls!

As always, eating out is risky. Definitely ask questions and have the chef walk

you through the salad bar.

Their address is 529 Alma Street, Palo Alto. If you want to call with any

questions: (650) 327-1323.

Enjoy!

Sue