Churrasco Villa

Two of our good friends moved into the midtown Toronto area a year or so ago, and during a recent night out, recommended Churrasco Villa as a really good Portuguese BBQ establishment.

I had some initial reluctance, however, as I’d been to the restaurant about 4 or 5 years ago and had found the chicken cooked as dry as the sole on my grandmother’s shoe, received a tiny serving, and felt the whole experience was put to shame by the ‘real’ Portuguese Churrasquierias downtown and on St. Clair Avenue. Whenever I passed the restaurant, one word sprang to mind – IMPOSTER!

In fact, it took the combined power of two beautiful women to convince me to give it another shot. And as it turned out, I was quite glad to have been out-voted.

Though, before I continue, I should set the stage. At Eglinton and Avenue Road, a Portuguese joint is a welcome sight, for it is situated along a long stretch of quite nice indian restaurants, alongside some silly-sounding pubs (Filthy McNasty's?), some Oyster bars (at whose entrances, and this is bizarre, on two separate occasions I have seen ambulances arrive, hopefully, not to haul away unwell customers...), as well as a plentiful supply of all-you-can-eat Japanese and Thai restaurants of varying quality.

Here on busy Eglinton Avenue, street parking can be a challenge (for instance, it might be easier to catch lightning in a jar, transform pewter into gold, turn water into wine, or even talk sense into George Bush), but there are certainly paying lots where diners can park.

Upon entering from the sidewalk, you soon discover Churrasco Villa is a fairly small, slightly narrow restaurant. The atmosphere is immediately welcoming and lively, and your arrival quickly becomes a sensory feast as you pass the crisping chickens being charred so lovingly atop smoking hot grills on the way to your table. We sat at a booth near the back, quite close to the bar (a coincidence I swear!).

Up front, let me just say that portion size, if it ever was, is no longer a problem. Each of us ordered half chickens, and they were most certainly of a generous size, perfectly seasoned and plenty juicy and plump.

I was almost certain Gordon Ramsey had come and sent them to kitchen hell two weeks after my first visit. For my two visits were simply night and day.

One other thing I noticed was that they provided each table with a superb homemade Peri Peri sauce in a bottle, both medium and hot (which was not unbearably so). On my first visit, I’d received a small plastic thimble of hot sauce with our meal.

But this new home made hot sauce concoction was so delicious, I can’t even begin to tell you. What can be said is this: it made for the perfect accompaniment for my chicken, and choice of roast potatoes and French fries (while one can substitute a healthy baked potato or veggies for the sides, I personally prefer a large CARB-on footprint!).

Ditto for the tasty, fresh corn bread that was brought to our table, as we waited for our mains. A nice touch, since I find good crusty cornbread so under-worshipped as a species. But I digest, er digress ...

The chicken itself was very inexpensive, at perhaps around 10-12 dollars per plate and worth every cent! There are shrimp, fish and mixed grill options that look very inviting – but dammit, Churrasco chicken, like a beautiful woman who tugs at your heart, always wins any debate. Finally, a beer on the heels of such a hearty and delicious meal, to borrow from the wrestling vernacular, is quite simply the perfect finishing move!

Churrasco, incidentally, simply means BBQ. And if you find yourself stranded in Midtown, by all means head to this little BBQ treasure on Eglinton.

Churrasco Villa
254 Eglinton Avenue East, Toronto, ON M4P 1K2
(416) 487-7070

PS. After the fact, I did a Google search on the restaurant and about 90% of the reviews were positive. A small number of folks (who wrote reviews 6 to 10 months ago) said they found the food inconsistent, namely that chicken one night was juicy, while on another, it was dried out. My recommendation is to go to Churrasco Villa, and if you find chicken dried out, simply request another quarter or half chicken. They want you as customers and they seem very friendly, so I can’t imagine them not accommodating you - especially with such tough economic times upon them. Customer satisfaction should be the goal of any restaurant, for not only will you return, but you are capable of marketing your experience to your friends free of charge.