A new highly-anticipated Wearside steakhouse has announced when it is opening its doors to customers later this year.
Rio Brazilian Steakhouse, which has highly-successful sister restaurants in both Jesmond and on Newcastle's Quayside, is all but hopes to expand to bring a taste of South America to Sunderland.
Tomahawk Steakhouses Ltd - who own the regions highly-rated Rio restaurants - have announced on their official website that Wearside's latest addition is set for late September, and it's being constructed in a prime location.
Read more: Newcastle's 'best restaurant' Rio Brazilian Steakhouse wins major Tripadvisor award
The website also lists the address for the establishment as 2 Lambton Street, SR1 1PD, within the city centre. This is none other than the previously successful Frankie and Benny's restaurant on Sunniside, which closed it's doors one last time in 2019 - after more than a decade of serving loyal customers.
The chain restaurant also announced more bad news the following year, revealing that they would be closing down some 125 restaurants across the UK to the dismay of classic American-Italiano lovers of the United Kingdom. And although the old site has been sat collecting dust for the better part of three years, Rio plan to transform the Sunniside staple and help regenerate the up and coming corner of Sunderland.
This comes after a number of other new establishments on Sunniside itself have opened their doors, such as the Rainbow Hub - Sunderland's first and only LGBT+ cafe.
With their all you can eat style meat buffets, punters can get their money's worth at the Rio Brazilian Steakhouse. A restaurant with a coveted niche, you are given a red and green coaster when you dine. If you are hungry you show the green side of the token, and specially-skilled gaucho chefs will flood your table and hand carve prime cuts right before your eyes.
When you're full up, you flip the coaster to reveal the red side - and waiters and caterers will leave you to relax and soak up the atmosphere. Although no prices have been confirmed for the Sunderland-based addition to the ever-growing Rio empire, it is thought that it will share similar prices to the Jesmond and Newcastle eateries.
In Jesmond, adults can dine Monday to Friday on a lunchtime for £22.95, with these prices rising to £26.95 on a weekend. The set evening menu will set you back £34.95 week round. This will allow you as much beef, chicken, lamb and pork as you can stomach - with a number of different cuts from rump to ribeye available.
Children of course receive their food for a reduced rate, and under 5s eat free of charge with an accompanying and paying adult. Vegans, vegetarians and pescatarians are also catered for at Rio - with a number of specialty dishes and an unlimited salad bar costing £18.95 week-round.
As well as bringing something completely different to Sunderland - as the city's only dedicated steakhouse - it will also bring a number of jobs to the area, helping better employment across the board. And it's a similar case for Walkergate in Durham, who will also in-turn open their very own Rio Brazilian Steakhouse this Friday (29 July).
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