The Brazilian-Argentinian Mash-Up With Some of the Best Steaks in Brooklyn

Iguazu is located at 9226 Fourth Avenue, at the corner of 93rd Street, and is open on Monday from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 11:00 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 10:00 p.m.

There’s almost nothing Brazilians and Argentinians won’t compete over. Soccer, most famously, but also food, like whether empanadas should be baked (Argentina) or fried (Brazil), or the best vehicle for eating a bunch of cheese (fugazetta vs. pao de queijo), or how to sauce and, even more contentiously, how to slice a steak.

Rafaela Negrao and chef Leo Motta are from Brazil (she’s from the countryside outside of São Paulo, while he’s from Rio), so when they opened Saravá Bistro together 11 years ago, on 69th Street in Bay Ridge, the obvious move was to go full Brazilian, with both the menu and the vibe. 

For their second restaurant, though, located just about a mile away, the couple knew they couldn’t simply repeat themselves. And so they brought dishes from their (good-naturedly) arch rivals from Argentina into the mix, and we get Iguazu, a bright and spacious corner spot that ingeniously, deliciously, gives equal weight to both cuisines.   

“It’s not a competition,” Rafaela tells BKMAG. “We just want to bring together the greatest from both places. At Iguazu, we share the same table.” 

That said, chef Leo’s menu is cleverly arranged to pit certain national-pride dishes against each other. The Argentinian empanadas, for example—one beef, one choclo con queso—sit next to the coxinha, Brazil’s beloved chicken croquettes. 

And lovers of gooey things will have a tough time deciding between the stack of pao de queijo, Brazil’s chewy, cheesy tapioca balls, here accompanied smarty by a spicy guava dipping sauce, and the fugazzeta, which is like Argentinian deep-dish pizza. Chef Leo serves the latter, unusually, in a cast iron pan, and it is insanely good, an absolute must for any true cheesehead.

Meat, of course, is at the heart of the Iguazu experience; the restaurant’s namesake river and fabled waterfalls are on the Brazilian-Argentinian border, where, according to Rafaela, the two countries “share the culture of gaucho, and making steak on the parilla.”

The picanha steak is phenomenal, grilled Argentinian-style, nicely charred and smoky, then sliced into slabs like they do in Brazil and served with nutty farofa in a pool of a tangy, herby vinaigrette called criola. A cone of first-rate fries, infused just slightly with truffle oil, completes this meat-and-potatoes party.

If you’re feeling flush, though, I highly recommend Iguaza’s Kate Steak 68, a bone-in dry aged New York strip that’s graded “850 Club,” which is basically ultra-ultra-prime. Chef Leo prepares this beauty simply—the meat itself has so much flavor—and pairs it with a creamy, caramelized scallop potato that’s layered like a lasagna. The couple named the dish after their steak-loving dog Kate, who passed recently and whose portrait is featured prominently in the dining room.

Other meaty options include Argentinian-style short ribs, chicken Milanese, beef stroganoff, and a plate of of stellar sausages soaked in chimichurri, the snappy chorizo, giving some zing, and the more mushy morcilla, bringing that luscious, blood-sausage minerality.

For dessert, it’s a tough choice between the Argentinian alfajores, served with a huge blob of dulce de leche and some first-rate vanilla ice cream, and the Brazilian flan with house-made whipped cream. So maybe just get them both?

Caipirinhas and Bomboneras head up the cocktail menu (both are $16), and all Brazilian and Argentinian World Cup matches will be shown on the big screen. There are also live music and dance nights, featuring the likes of bolero, tango, samba, and bossa nova. Good vibes all around. 

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