Texas de Brazil in Orland Park rocks
With the COVID pandemic easing and more and more people getting vaccinations, it just felt GREAT to get out of the house and enjoy a meal at a great restaurant. And one of the best restaurants is Texas de Brazil in the Orland Park Mall.
Although the Orland Park Mall has had some issues during the past year, you enter Texas de Brazil from the outside of the Mall on the South and West side of the mall. It has its own entrance.
Maybe it is the excitement of returning to work and being back to providing great service, but ALL of the employees were phenomenal. They were all cheery, helpful and accommodating. Everyone was in a great mood, from the maitre d to the food servers.
Texas de Brazil salad plate. Photo courtesy Ray Hanania
All of the employees were wearing face masks, including the skewer servers. And they had plenty of hand sanitizer around to clean your hands after serving yourself at the salad bar.
I’m telling you, it was a safe experience. And honestly, just to get out and relax and forget about coronavirus, Wuhan, China and the terrible toll the pandemic has taken in lives and ailments, was amazing. It was worth it.
Aaron with one of the skewer servers at Texas de Brazil. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
While I love the variety of freshly cooked and spiced meats, one of the big attractions of Texas de Brazil is the salad bar. The salad bar at Texas de Brazil has one of the best assortments of salad selections.
I love the tabouli. The roasted garlic cloves. And during the actual main course, the assortment of meats from lamb, filet, pork and many other varieties were great. I really missed and enjoyed the brown-sugared plantain during the meal. Wow were they good.
We took our time and enjoyed the meal in the dining room which was spacious and didn’t feel crowded at all. Everything from the seating to paying the bill went smoothly. The meat selection was fresh and tasty. The spiced meats are my favorites.
Texas de Brazil Brown sugared plantain. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
Take the time to go and splurged on yourself and your family. Go out, be cautious of course, but enjoy yourself. Don’t live in fear.
I certainly did.
Thanks to our waiter, Alejandro, who was extra cautious and made us all feel safe as we crawled out of the darkness of the past year. Everyone needs to go out and enjoy themselves and remind themselves as to what life was like before and what it should and can be.
Texas de Brazil at the Orland Park Mall has an outdoor entrance. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
Personally, I will still wear my face mask, even long after the pandemic is gone, especially when traveling on an airplane.
But that doesn’t mean I can’t have some enjoyment and fun. It’s there. Don’t let fear keep you away.
Texas de Brazil is one of The best places to start the process.
Enjoy. (Sahtein! in Arabic).
(Ray Hanania is an award winning columnist and former Chicago City Hall reporter. Get more information on his writings and his weekly radio show on Middle East issues at www.Hanania.com, or email him at rghanania@gmail.com.)
Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
A critic of mainstream news media bias, Hanania advocates for peace & justice for Israel & Palestine, & the empowerment of Arabs in America.
Click here to listen to Ray's Political Podcast.
Hanania's columns are archived on his personal website at RayHanania.com. Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
Hanania is President/CEO of Urban Strategies Group which provides communications services to governments and private businesses, and hosts writing training workshops, and publishes books.
Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.
Find him on MeWe.com and on Idobbinate.com the alternatives to Facebook