A Myrtle Beach breakfast staple for 40 years, this restaurant is going international
A restaurant on the corner of 65th Ave. North and Kings Highway has been a Myrtle Beach breakfast staple for more than four decades as Akel’s and later Rockin Waffle.
It will soon reopen as Gauchos Brazilian Steakhouse.
Though the owners targeting Sept. 20 for an opening date, it was delayed until 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29. The interior of the building was heavily renovated for the changeover.
It will be the second Churrascaria-style Brazilian steakhouse in the area, where roving waiters serve barbecued meats tableside from large skewers, joining Rioz Brazilian Steakhouse.
The restaurant has three dining rooms and will seat approximately 180 customers.
Brazil natives Marcos Oliveira and Volmir Fermiano are partners in Gauchos, and Fermiano’s son, Jonathan, is the manager.
Both partners have worked at Rioz.
Volmir Fermiano said he was the head chef and his wife was among the original cooks at Rioz, and Oliveira was a server at the restaurant for 10 years.
Volmir Fermiano and Oliveira came to the U.S. to work at a Brazilian steakhouse in Grapevine, Texas in 2000, and they opened the Villa Brazil steakhouse in Richardson, Texas, three years ago.
The plethora of meats available at Gauchos will include a spicy picanha steak.
The salad bar will have numerous items including multiple salads, cheeses, cold meats including salami, hearts of palm, rice, beans, mashed potatoes and shiitake mushrooms.
In addition to meats, foods brought to tables will include cheese bread, fried polenta (cornmeal), fried banana and fried seasoned pineapple.
The owners were looking for a location at or closer to Broadway at the Beach but are satisfied with their spot.
“It’s a good spot, you’ve got houses in [three directions] and the beach right there,” Jonathan said.
This story was originally published September 1, 2021 at 11:40 AM.
