Prime Flavor Brazilian BBQ has a number of good things going for it.
For one, it’s a black van that doubles as a Brazilian churrascaria; with steel spears skewering steak, picanha, chicken, and sausage, which roll over the heat of an infrared rotisserie grill placed just behind the driver’s seat.
Two, it parks outside of legendary Gold’s Gym in Venice, where hard bodies and musclemen of Marvel movie-proportions seek fast protein post-workouts, giving its meat-centered cooking a perfect endorsement as a healthy choice come lunchtime.
Even when you’re getting an order of fat-capped picanha sliders squeezed between buns made of the Brazilian cheese bread, pão de queijo. Which come with a side of potato chips.
And you should be getting these standout sandwiches. They’re one of the best things we’ve put in our mouths in a long time. And we put a lot of things in our mouths.
Prime Flavor started when wife-and-husband owners Fernanda and Watson Costa came to Los Angeles. Having owned their own restaurant and a gym back home, they decided to launch a new outfit dedicated to Brazilian street food in their off-hours.
“We wanted to make the real Brazilian food,” Fernanda tells L.A. TACO. “So, I think, why not the meats and the street? It's very common in Brazil.”
The couple set up a tent in L.A.’s Palms neighborhood in 2019, quietly building a reputation for their sidewalk churrasco and the traditional food and decorations they create when hired to cater parties, both for the Brazilian community and beyond.
Two years ago, they bought the van, wrapping their ride with mouthwatering photos of grilled meats and rolling flames, placing a stainless steel churrasco rotisserie grill at its heart, where juicy cuts of steak, chicken, red sausages, and picanha rotate horizontally over the invisible heat of the infrared.
From 11:30 AM to 6:00 PM, Wednesdays through Saturdays, you’ll find them in Venice, Watson tending to the meats and Fernanda taking orders, the whole van smelling sweetly like plantains. Their menu includes Brazilian staples like feijoada and farofa (cassava flour), along with bacon-wrapped chicken, queijo coalho, picanha, and steak pulled hot from the rotisserie, and offered in salads, ciabatta and French roll sandwiches, and served solo on plates. Alas, chicken hearts were no longer on the menu during our last visit.
And while the surgeon general probably wouldn’t approve of most of our choices in life, it is our duty nonetheless to point you to the best things in life: the item referred to as “picanha cheese bread” on Prime’s laminated menu.
These slider-sized sandwiches are served five to an order for $16. Built on a split bun of pão de queijo, each contains a single wedge of picanha sliced perfectly to fit inside, slicked with a garlicky aioli and churrasco’s chunky longtime companion, the salsa known as molho a campanha. On the side, you’ll also find deep-ridged potato chips, an addictive barbecue sauce Fernanda makes with guavas, and a few extra cuts of picanha to taste on their own.
Fernanda makes the pão de queijo herself, receiving shipments of cassava-derived tapioca flour from family back in Belo Horizonte, the capital of the Southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, where the gougère-esque cheese bread has its origins. Meats come from Restaurant Depot, while the sausage and several other ingredients come from a Brazilian distributor "so that our customers can really feel the true taste of Brazilian food."
With each bite, the springy bun futilely tries to resist before collapsing into the hot picanha, Brazil’s favorite cut, which is called top sirloin cap in the U.S. Seamed with an impressive ridge of fat, the medium rare meat tears tenderly, coming off a bit like a well-marbled wagyu, its beefy juices squashing any need for seasoning beyond a little salt.
The soft, spongy pão de queijo, made with a blend of Parmesan and mozzarella, provides a subtle coat of dairy, bolstered by the garlic-forward aioli, making the sandwich ring with the best characteristics of a good cheeseburger, only with better meat and zero slop.
Fernanda and Watson didn’t invent the dish. It’s something they also credit to enjoying a lot in her home state.
“It’s from Minas as well,” she says. “When we go on a trip, we stop by the gas station, off the freeways. You can get the cheese bread with a sausage or some meats.”
Straight from the heat to your hands, Prime Flavor’s meats have earned the couple a reputation for easy and dedicated Brazilian food, from both the jacked crowd at the gym and ravenous fans alike.
Fernanda is happy with the success they’ve seen on the streets. While her husband dreams of someday bringing the business to a brick-and-mortar space, her ideal place is cooking right here on the sidewalk. Or better yet, when they get to come to someone’s home to prepare a feast.
“I love doing the catering services because we go into the house, the customer's house, and do everything, make decorations,” she says, pointing to an Instagram feed that shows private parties they’ve thrown for clients. “I love to make food for the customers at the house. So I want this.”
Prime Flavor Brazilian BBQ ~ 360 Hampton Dr. Venice, CA 90291
