Rio Brazilian Steakhouse - Durham in County Durham

It was amazing lovely atmosphere and the food was something special service was so quick I highly recommend eating here it is just perfect.

Top draw. Pro tip stay off the carbs, Meat! Meat! Meat! It's better then one at Newcastle. Staff and food are better.

We had a fantastic time at the steakhouse! The meat was absolutely delicious, especially the fillet mignon and the picanha ao alho, with perfect taste and temperature. The service was equally impressive; the staff were friendly and attentive throughout the night, making sure our meal was enjoyable. The atmosphere was vibrant and welcoming, just what I was looking for. When asked why we were visiting from Newcastle I mentioned it was my partner's birthday and when we had finished our meal they surprised him by singing happy birthday (he was mortified, I found it hilarious 😅) they also gave him some complementary icecream which was a lovely end to a fantastic experience. My only tiny quibble was the salad bar, where some items were missing/running low and because we had a late booking weren't replenished. We won't hesitate to return the next time we're in Durham.

Great food, atmosphere and staff.

I had an amazing lunch! The staff were incredible, especially a lovely girl with reddish hair who really made us feel welcome. The meat was nothing short of perfection, especially the picanha and the cheese breads – just divine! The atmosphere was vibrant, and we enjoyed every bit of it. My wife and I keep coming back for a reason, and this visit just confirmed why we love it here so much!

Wanted to try here with the Mrs for lunch based on the good reviews. Went around 12 and we were told to come back in 2 hours. Place wasn’t even half full downstairs! It also has a sign outside that says walk ins welcome. Says something about the service if it’s this poor before you even set foot in the place. Went elsewhere.

Excellent food. Very good choices. Service was excellent. Waitress was lovely and helpful and chatty. Highly recommend.

The food and staff here are first class, very friendly and welcoming but also very helpful. The salad bar could be a meal in itself, I also love that beef pork and black bean is a salad option! The selection of meat is vast but also cooked to perfection. On top of that there are proper vegan option which was also delicious.

A really nice treat, loved the whole experience, worth the money but it will be a treat rather than a regular place. Will return in future.

Exceptional service, so friendly and attentive. Restaurant was quiet as still early but the range of meats and salads was spot on.

I only marked atmosphere down as we were the only ones left in to water end of the meal but that was great as we were well looked after

Expensive but Well worth the money if you can afford it. I went there for my birthday and everything exceeded my expectations. Next time I might have some salad but everyone seems to entice you with all the fabulous selection of meats they carry I couldn't resist but keep my card on green. Definitely would go again and might even pay extra for the evening selection however the lunch time menu was more than enough. Special shout out to Zal for making it extra special.

Great food and service. Not like a typical restaurant so would definitely recommend you head here for the whole experience.

The staff made us feel very welcome and treated us as if we were the only ones in the restaurant. They dealt with my dietary requirements very well and I was able to enjoy a meal with my family.

Our favourite Durham restaurant.

Went with brother for his birthday treat. Amazing salad bar, and the meat selection and quality was second to non. Will be back with the family next. Staff were very friendly and looked happy in their work 😊

Love it! Great variety of meats and the salad bar is fantastic and so clean. Good management in that place!!!!

We celebrated our wedding anniversary at this fantastic place and couldn’t have asked for a better experience! The staff went above and beyond, welcoming us with a sweet congratulations sign and a glass of Prosecco, which made us feel really special. The food was simply amazing; I particularly loved the caramelised pork and the ribeye steak—definitely some of the best I've had! We'll absolutely be coming back for more. Highly recommend this spot for any special occasion!

Good food, just disappointed by their deceptive practice of pre-loading 'optional' service charges. Given we could only eat very limited portions due to medical restrictions (meaning higher profit margins for them overall!!!), adding this stealth surcharge felt particularly ill fitting. They clearly know most people would rather quietly pay than deal with the awkward conversation to remove it - which feels extra manipulative given our circumstances.

I just had an amazing meal at this Brazilian steakhouse! The entire experience was excellent from the warm welcome to the top-notch service. Every meat selection I tried was delicious, especially the fillet mignon and lamb. The atmosphere was buzzing, and the salad bar was on point. I’ll definitely be back for more!

I had a really great meal at this Brazilian steakhouse! The meat selection was top-notch, especially the lamb and the caramelised pork—both were absolute winners in quality and taste. I also loved the Caesar salad and the devilled eggs; you can tell they pay attention to detail with their dishes. The atmosphere was vibrant, and I felt really welcomed right from the start. The staff were friendly, making sure I was enjoying my meal, and they handled everything promptly. Definitely a nice touch! The only small hiccup was that some of the meats had a bit too much salt for my taste, but that didn't ruin the experience. Overall, I’d definitely recommend this spot if you're in the mood for some delicious Brazilian cuisine!

Amazing staff and the food was the best I've had 10/10

Good evening of food, wine and great service. Thank you especially to Leticia and Brooke.

Great meal - great staff always friendly and the food is superb

I got food poisoning from here,seemed to be the cold meats and prawns as i was the only one in my party to eat these things. Ive had to miss work and five days later no improvment. Been a nightmare. messaged them and they told me to send an email which they have ignored.

Had the most wonderful evening at Rio. Chris made us feel so welcomed & looked after. We were celebrating our anniversary & she made the evening so special. Food was great, meat well cooked & tasty. Salad bar was full of a variety of great dishes. Would highly recommend & look forward to going again in the soon future.

Amazing food and amazing service.

Together with my husband, we have thoroughly enjoyed two recent meals at this amazing restaurant.All the staff are dedicated to making the experience special. Today was our wedding anniversary and they treated us like royalty. A special thank you to Zal and Cris, our servers.

I’ve had two meals here recently. Both have been exceptional. The salad bar area is just full of fantastic things to accompany your meal. All the meats were lovely, loads of flavour and juicy. Plus the staff eager to please. One of the meats didn’t come and my son was eager to get some gammon and pineapple, within a few moments someone was there with that option. Really great service.

It was very nice you didn't have to wait for steak 5 stars (Dexter aged 9)

Son treated us to evening meal .best food we have ever eaten .and the staff second to none

We came out for lunch (during the £20 deal over Bank Holiday weekend) and it was amazing. The food was good, but the service was even better. Our waitress/server, Sohini, did such a great job, she was incredibly attentive (but not overbearing) and had such a lovely energy, she made the experience that much better! Would absolutely recommend, can't wait to come back in the future.

My partner took me for a special meal and we had a lovely time due to the first class service, great ambience and outstanding food. Great for meat lovers.

I seriously can't fault this experience. The staff wee incredibly friendly and attentative, we were never left waiting with empty plates or glasses and most important of all the food was delicious. We will absolutely be coming back!

Food was excellent and staff were excellent 👍🏽🫡

Outstanding service, staff outstanding, allergy advice amazing and catered and cared for, 👍 restaurant clean tidy, food words cannot even speak for the flavours, taste and quality, staff was fun serving and made a great atmosphere, amazing service durham thank you keep up the hard work and great quality and cleanliness all round thumbs up from all 3 of us thank you for an amazing 👏 experience.

If you want an extra special night out. Go here.

Food is amazing, desert was huge. Cris the duty manager excellent with her level of customer service. She’s a credit to the business.

Excellent meat, but portions and variety lacking (had to ask a lot of times for more and to bring out some of the dishes that had been missing for several rounds). Otherwise staff very forthcoming

I love this this place the food is absolutely amazing and cooked to perfection. Lots of different choices of meat. Lovely drinks too. Yes it is pricey but for what you get it’s worth it for your money and the best place in Durham by far! Lovely staff always leave a tip as they do a great job.

excellent expert service from Team Rio Grace keep up the good work great to chat with for local knowledge

Amazing time here today, the staff are so friendly and helpful, will do anything for you. So much food selection and all of it is amazing, didn't come across anything I didn't like. Beautifully cooked steak. So many complimentary additions to the meal too I was completely blown away by how much is offered. First time experiencing this and not disappointed at all would highly recommend!

food and service was absolutely amazing! we had kim as our server and she was an absolute star, constantly checking on us and making sure we had everything we needed. will 100% be coming back, thank you kim!! x

Lovely restaurant. The food was delicious and would recommend it to anyone who has not yet been there.

Lovely food, brilliant staff....all so friendly and helpful. It was my husband's birthday and they bought out icecream with a lit candle and sang happy birthday to him....definitely made it special xx 🥰

This was my first visit of a Rodizio serving restaurant. This is definitely an experience i will not forget. The quality of meat is amazing and the service team is frequently offering different kind of meat. The desert was also super tasteful!

Went for an amazing you need to love meat. The salad bar had fabulous choice to compliment the range of meats. Good job you have a red and green card so you can pause the meat to rest before the next round.

Staff are amazing, the manager and his team are all brilliant! Excellent service every time we visit.

Very delicious. Impressed. Highly recommended. Editor 2: This must be the fourth time I’ve come here to eat. Isn’t it my lady that you’re urging me to pay the bill every fifteen minutes? ? I was in a good mood today and was enjoying my steak while watching videos and reviews. The clerk at your store kept asking me if I had finished my meal. I haven’t finished eating yet. Miss, your store is empty tonight and there’s no one in the booth but you still have the nerve to pressure the customers. Guess why I want to laugh? The business model of your store in this location is purely based on customer traffic. If you want to make money from drinks at a bunch of serious bars downstairs, you can't do it. If the store is not full and the store is idling and losing money, you should optimize the workday lunch and solve the problem that half of the waiters in your store are just shopping. The problem is that putting pressure on customers without the market will only lead to less customer flow. This time I came to check out and found out that the price has been increased by 20%. I think your store has probably lost money so much that my mother doesn’t even recognize it. You still think it’s the customer’s problem. Unfortunately, I can only think that your store will close down sooner or later.

1st visit to Rio steakhouse won't be my last thanks Sal. X

Been to the one in Jesmond and this is better. Non stop even when card is on red! Staff very friendly too 👍

I have been to a few of these Brazilian BBQ places but Rio in Durham was great all the meat was succulent and mealted in your mouth and it just keeps coming.

A great place with friendly, helpful staff giving great service. The food is absolutely delicious. A fantastic selection of meat brought regularly to our table. An absolute feast. The salad bar is also superb. A treat for all of us.

wasnt very happy with medium rare meats i like my steak well done salad bar was depleted most dishes were empty great choice thou didnt like the 8 pound for 2 people surcharge it was nice but wont go again

Waiting staff were slow and only waited on one half of our table, we were a large table of 8 but unfortunately unless you shouted down you didn't get anything. We asked for several different meats numerous times and had even finished our meal when they eventually brought one of them over. We were also asked to scrape our plates and put all our plates in a pile. Not what you expect for almost £70 a head.

Food is always exceptional, the service is second to none. There is always a great atmosphere. Thank you Lewis for the cocktail recommendation and for your great service 👍

Wow…one of the nicest meal experiences I’ve had in a long while. The meat is all so nice, great variety and all seasoned/marinated/cooked to perfection. Various cuts of steak, lamb, chicken, and chorizo sausage. Chips served to the table too along with a type of cheesy bread. The salad bar is premium too, very fresh and great choice, a selection of hot food at the salad bar too. Then we had dessert…both desserts on par with the main, service was fantastic too. Genuinely couldn’t fault the experience in any way. Highly recommend

Love the Chilli steak topped with Rio hot sauce.

Absolutely amazing experience, food, service and ambiance was 1st class. Even though it was mega busy, there was no wait for anything and all the staff went out of their way to help. Food was amazing and I will one day learn not to pick too much from the salad bar. Best meal out in Durham

Food and atmosphere was good, but service is horrible. Staff is extremely pushy and forceful, they kept pushing us to order drinks and kept asking us are we done? They kept trying to force us to leave.

1st time at the Durham restaurant, as usual,all expectations of food and service were met, beautiful food,great drinks and service,think the biggest plus for this restaurant compared to others, is the parking!

Great atmosphere, attentive service and slow cooked beef ribs to die for. As good as anything we’ve had in Latin America.

What an experience! The price is worth the visit. So many meats to try and the salad bar is not salad but loads of other stuff including sushi and different cheeses. We can wait to go back to try the ribs. The staff and manager were all so nice and explained everything.

Really top class food. Go hungry. Superb service too.

Delicious food and great service!

What a great restaurant, salad bar was amazing , chips and cheesy baguette brought to your table, included in price Wine selection was good Meat fantastic, best I've ate and lots of it We went restaurant week so £20 each Well worth the money ! They offer water but you are charged for it, they don't tell you that Definitely going back Staff or more so the reception lady were fabulous

Very friendly waiting staff, the food was very nice and not to expensive in my opinion.

First visit here. Our server described it as "a meat experience" and she wasn't wrong. Completely faultless! The "salad bar" (unlimited) is out of this world, and like no other salad bar I've ever seen. The meat... indescribably fantastic - quality, quantity, presentation... just wow. Rump, sirloin, skirt, sausages, pork, gammon, lamb, chicken, ribs... and its an endless supply if you want it. Beautiful mocktails. Everything about this place is perfect - if you're a meat eater! Its not cheap, but worth every penny. This may actually be my last ever review as I'm in serious danger of falling into a meat coma now. But what a way to go...

My teenage son enjoyed. That's good enough

Amazing food with beautifully cooked meats and a lovely salad bar too. My favourite has to be the minted lamb and Brazilian steaks. Great service and nice decor too

Been a couple of times and always forget to put a review. Excellent food and service. Buffet/salad bar always fresh and full. Very tasty options. The meat is just delicious, definitely go here for the meat lovers. If you can eat a lot it is excellent value for money. I have to mention the servers, each and everyone of them seem to go above and beyond. Always so friendly, attentive but not overbearing, and all round great at their job. Been in with my young toddler and they were so accommodating with him and interacting with him which was lovely. Definitely will return. Have recommended it to many. Had a works night out here which I very sadly had to miss and everyone who did attend said it was excellent and will be back. Great addition to Durham.

Wonderful and I will be back soon, what delicious food

Fantastic food salad bar is amazing and they literally come round every 2 minutes with food. Staff are so welcoming and can't do enough for you overall fabulous service fabulous food our favourite place to eat in Durham

Amazing food. Unlimited and reasonably price. Will go again and would recommend.

Amazing for lunch. I've managed restaurants in the past so can be fairly critical, but the service went beyond exceptional. Very knowledgable on allergies, friendly, prompt and gave you time. Food wise, again was superb. Highly recommended!

Went here based on Trip.Advisor reviews for Durham... I wasn't disappointed. Great food selection, all TOP quality. Buffet & meat supply was limitless and genuinely delicious. Gotta mention Anthony our server, Kim the very friendly boss??? If not , she should be, and I think it was Chloe ...the hardest working bar staff I've seen in ages. Super venue . Thanks 👊

What to say? All you can eat steak! Too good to be true? Nope. Avoid the bread and chips that they try to fill you up with for free pre-meal Lots of opportunity to fill your boots with freshly carved at your table options.. Lunch had smaller menu but still was fantastic. Recommend and thumbs up 👍

Really nice place with super tasty food. I went for the first time just before Christmas and had the lunch menu. The meats were amazing! Beef skirt 👌 The salad bar was really nice too, far better than I was expecting with a good range of quality foods. Staff were very friendly and attentive. Highly recommended.

We were attending a music performance at the Cathedral. Had a meal here first. Never been before. So impressed. Staff, service and food excellent. Will definitely recommend and will come back.

Food was amazing! Service was too.

Beautiful place filled with attentive and friendly staff. For meat lovers this is a dream come true. Couldn't recommend it highly enough. Delicious 😋

Not as good as the one in York but still nice, staff were more friendly at York , food was nice at York .

Christmas night out, food was absolutely amazing, all meats that was served tasted so good. Will be visiting Rio B, again. So much choice, everything cooked to perfection, staff were so helpful, 👌..

Brilliant service and wonderful staff

Food, staff and atmosphere was fantastic. Well worth the price.

1st visit but it won't be our last. Buffet was amazing and the meat served to our table was delicious. Great service too. Highly recommend.

Wonderful food very welcoming atmosphere and service second to none can't fault it

Amazing food and great cocktails

Amazing steakhouse, All types of meat available, good atmosphere & brilliant staff. Loved the idea of having a placemat , Green for more meat or Red for resting, giving you a chance to savour the taste before another cut of meat arrived. Good drinks menu & chips, doughballs replenished frequently on the table. Very attentive & friendly staff. 5☆

Good place with good food and very polite staff. Will go back again

You said 'Rio's Durham was even better than we had hoped. The food was excellent and the Picanha steak cooked rare was an absolute treat. The salad bar is the best we've seen (and eaten) and the whole meal and experience was outstanding. Thank you - and please open a Rio's closer to Salisbury!'

What a fantastic restaurant. All round 5 star experience. Food exceptional, service outstanding. Che looked after us and he was first.class.....made us feel like V.IP's. All the other staff were also so friendly. I can't express how good this place is. Best restaurant in the North East.....and up there with any we have been to. Thank you,

Varied salad bar, great variety of stakes and friendly staff members. Would recommend.

Wow! Nothing like the 'eat all you want' buffet I was expecting! Totally delicious. Every piece of meat was perfect. I like medium/ medium rare beef, so I was very happy. I was delighted to also get pork, chicken and lamb. Besides the cuts of steak, the gammon and pineapple were divine. Best salad bar I've ever been to. Wish I'd taken some photos. Every single staff member was super friendly and helpful. They all appeared to actually enjoy working there. Our waiter, Ché, was brilliant, very attentive. I'll definitely be back, just wish I could afford to go every week!!!!

Unbelievable food and everything 😋 music little bit to loud... but still 10/10

Loved it! Really good quality meat.

From start to finish food and service was amazing , the staff were brilliant would highly recommend

Absolutely brilliant so friendly

First time won’t be the last food & staff amazing

Wow, where did you get those prices Been out in central London and had better value, sorry but can't recommend