South American-style steakhouse isn’t the most popular concept in Southern Louisiana, but business partners Edgar Caro and Antonio Mata have seen their restaurant Brasa Churrasqueria become a runaway success in Metairie. Now, the beef-focused restaurant has been rebranded as Brasa South American Steakhouse and a second, flagship location is set to open soon at the foot of Canal Street. An opening date has yet to be announced.
“We’ve always thought this restaurant concept could go a little further, and we always wanted to open a place in downtown New Orleans,” Caro recently told What Now New Orleans. “Then, we had the opportunity to open up on Canal Place, where the old Morton’s steakhouse used to be.”
The former Morton’s space has been completely retooled with more open windows and a large glass case for dry-aging meat at the front of the restaurant. A lounge space, private event rooms, and large outdoor patio have also been added.
Brasa stood out from other local steakhouses by selling cuts of meat typically found in South American-style steakhouses, such as skirt steak, rib eye, and sirloin cap. The upcoming flagship location will offer more cuts, meat aged in-house with Himalayan salt, and an expanded seafood menu. Brasa has been sourcing its beef — including Wagyu beef — locally, and Caro said the new restaurant will focus on sourcing local seafood.
“We wanted to add some of the seafood bounty that we have here in the Gulf,” he said.
The new steakhouse is just one of several high-profile hospitality projects popping into Canal Place. A Four Seasons hotel recently opened and Harrah’s casino is currently being transformed and expanded into a Caesars casino. There is also a new hotel and restaurant sprinkled with a bit of stardust coming from celebrity-backed sushi icon Nobu.
“Caesars, the Four Seasons, and Nobu coming in will make the area a modern development, and drive people toward this part of Canal Street,” Caro said. “I think it will become a very important part of town and we’re very excited to be a part of it!”
