There is a lot of good Brazilian food in Utah County. I want to say that clearly, because what I am about to tell you is not about filling a void. It is about offering something specific that is hard to find: fire-roasted churrasco, cooked over real hardwood coals, the way it is done in southern Brazil.
That distinction matters more than it might sound. Once you have tasted meat cooked over real hardwood coals, you will know the difference. The smoke, the char, the way the fat renders into the coals and rises back through the meat. We use hardwood, not gas. That is not a claim. It is just what we do.
The Espeto Grill opens for Saturday pickup orders in Lehi, Utah on July 18, 2026. Ordering opens Saturday, July 11.
Where This Started
From 2001 to 2003, I served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Florianópolis Mission in Santa Catarina, Brazil. I was not there to learn churrasco. But southern Brazil has a way of getting into you.
Santa Catarina is gaucho country. Along with Rio Grande do Sul, it is where the gaucho tradition runs deepest, where churrasco is not a weekend hobby but a way of gathering, celebrating, and feeding each other. I attended my first proper churrasco shortly after arriving and understood immediately that I was watching something I needed to learn.
When I came home in 2003, I carried that experience with me for years. I dreamed of building my own churrasqueira. Eventually I did. And since then I have been trying to craft the art, cooking for friends, for neighbors, for church events, for anyone who would sit down and eat. I cooked for hundreds of people over the next two decades. I learned from Brazilian friends who visited, refined the technique, sourced better cuts, and built a nine-zone churrasqueira that lets me manage multiple cuts at multiple temperatures simultaneously.
Over twenty years later, I believe the product is ready.
What Utah's MEHKO Law Made Possible
Utah became one of the first states to fully legalize Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations, known as MEHKOs. This law created a path for licensed home cooks to operate legally, with health department oversight, and sell directly to the public for pickup and delivery. There is no dine-in. This is food prepared with the same care as a restaurant, packaged for you to take home.
Without that law, The Espeto Grill would not exist in its current form. The MEHKO license gave us a legitimate path to share this food with our community, inspected and certified by the Utah County Health Department.
What Happened at the Test Cook
Before opening, we hosted a small group to taste the full menu. Among the guests were Luis T., my third missionary companion from Brazil, and his wife Diomar T. They came to Lehi and tried the food.
Diomar T. wrote about it afterward on Facebook, in Portuguese, and gave it a 10 out of 10. She wrote that the food was prepared with care and that it preserved the true flavor of Brazilian cuisine. She recalled the stories her husband had shared about the Florianópolis Mission, where his love for Brazil, for the culture, and for the food was born. For a Brazilian woman to write that about food made in a backyard in Lehi, Utah, that is the standard I have been working toward for over twenty years.
Also during that period, I delivered a pre-packaged meal to a neighbor, David C., across the street from us. He wrote to us afterward: "I enjoyed it. Even my wife liked it and she does not eat BBQ. All the sides were delicious. To my enjoyment, my son-in-law, who has only been here six months from São Paulo, said it tasted like home."
That is the goal. For people who have never been to Brazil, we want to transport them there. For people who came from Brazil, we want them to feel like they are tasting home.
What You Can Order
Every Saturday, we offer a rotating churrasco menu built around authentic Brazilian cuts cooked over hardwood coals. You choose a one, two, or three-meat plate. Every plate comes with:
Brazilian black beans and white rice
Farofa (instant breading)
Vinaigrette
Grilled pineapple
Your choice of one additional side
Two pieces of Pão de Queijo (Brazilian cheese bread)
Additional items including Brazilian Limeade, Mousse de Maracujá, and other add-ons are available to include with your order.
Orders open Saturday, July 11 at noon and close Thursday, July 16 at 10:00 PM. You pick your time, place your order, pay online, and show up with your QR code. Pickup instructions are included in your confirmation email.
This is not a restaurant. There is no walk-up service and no dine-in. Every plate is pre-ordered and prepared specifically for you.
How to Order
Visit espetogrill.com to place your order. Ordering opens Saturday, July 11 for pickup on Saturday, July 18.
If you have ever wanted to taste authentic Brazilian churrasco cooked over real fire, this is your chance.
We will see you at the grill.