Beef is a cornerstone of traditional Argentine cuisine. The ideal land and climate to raise cattle made Argentina a leading producer of top quality, lean yet amazingly flavorful grass-fed beef. The cattle graze on las pampas, which gives Argentine steak a nice texture and a delicious flavor, free from growth hormones and other additives.
The one evening we were in Buenos Aires, we were introduced to a churrascaria (steakhouse) called “Parrilla El Ferroviario,” which means The Railroad Grill, a hidden treasure about 20 minutes from the city center. It is located in what used to be a railroad yard that still has a train engine parked in the front.
It offers a delicious variety of charcoal-grilled meet cuts. For an inveterate carnivore like me, this was Heaven on Earth. It isn’t a high-end restaurant, but as long as the knives are sharp and the beef is tender and delicious, who cares? The locals certainly seemed to enjoy their dinner as it was a Tuesday evening, but the place was still jam-packed!
The restaurant is in back of the Velez Sarsfield soccer stadium, and the entrance is through a parking lot, right under a highway overpass. The ambience is old school Buenos Aires. The portions are phenomenal, and the prices are fairly low, considering both the meat quality and quantity.
They also offer a variety of pork, veal, chicken, and a few fish dishes, plus a large number of potted beef dishes like Stroganoff and goulash. But we decided to remain with the grilled beef, and I think it was a very wise decision.
They do not take reservations at this restaurant. It’s first come, first served. But they do accept credit cards. Dinner for four was just under US $110. This world traveler and eater has rarely experienced a better tasting beef!
We were seated in a very large, rustic dining room with hams aging in bags hanging from the ceiling. We went there with a local and his wife, who called it a “Bodegon” rather than a restaurant. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a very authentic place for Argentinean BBQ.
Individual portions are big, as we saw from what was delivered to nearby tables, but our friend ordered what looked like an entire rack of ribs that came on a 5-foot wooden plank surrounded by roasted potatoes and a few tomato slices. It was enough to feed at least 6 people!
I saw a very large menu book that was brought to the table next to ours, and there was a blackboard nailed on a beam nearby that looked like it was presenting the dishes of the day. But our friend, who knew the restaurant very well, ordered what he considered the highlight. And what a delight it was – pure ambrosia!
There were side dishes such as French fries and salad, but I concentrated on the grilled meat accompanied by an interesting house wine – a red blend of Malbec with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon. It wasn’t extremely high quality, but certainly quite acceptable and the perfect libation accompanying the grilled meat.
Once I had my fill of the beef, I decided to also have dessert, which was flan with dulce de leche.
It’s best if you take a taxi to this place. It’s located in a not so attractive Buenos Aires neighborhood, and by the time we left, there were very few people around. But the BBQ is terrific and makes it certainly worth the trip!
Manos Angelakis was one of the founders, the former Managing Editor for 25 years, the former Managing Editor Emeritus, and former Senior Food & Wine Writer of LuxuryWeb Magazine. He passed away in 2025 as an accomplished travel writer, photographer, and food and wine critic based in Hackensack, New Jersey. As a travel writer, he wrote extensively about numerous cities and countries. Manos was also certified as a Tuscan Wine Master and traveled to wine-producing areas in order to evaluate firsthand the product of top-rated vineyards. His articles in other publications include Vision Times and Epoch Times.
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