This profile is in active compilation — some details are awaiting a cited source.
Em Chamas Brazilian Grill is a family-owned churrascaria in Kansas City’s Northland, opened in 2007 by Sam and Jana Silvio with brother Nick Silvio — billed as the metro’s original traditional Brazilian-style rodízio steakhouse.
Description
Em Chamas Brazilian Grill is a Brazilian churrascaria located in The Village at Burlington Creek in Kansas City’s Northland. Opened in 2007, it is widely described as the greater Kansas City metro’s first traditional Brazilian-style churrascaria, and brands itself “Kansas City’s Original Brazilian Churrascaria.”
The restaurant centers on the rodízio service style: skilled meat carvers (passadores) circulate through the dining room offering successive cuts of fire-grilled meat carved tableside, complemented by a hot-and-cold gourmet salad bar and side dishes. Guests use a two-sided card to signal whether they want more meat or a pause.
The concept originated from a family travel experience — co-founder Sam Silvio observed the popularity of the churrascaria format while vacationing in Argentina and judged it a fit for the meat-loving American Midwest.
Ownership and history
In 2007, Sam Silvio and his wife Jana Silvio, together with Sam’s brother Nick Silvio, opened Em Chamas as a first-of-its-kind dining experience for the greater Kansas City area. The business is explicitly family-run.
The Silvio family’s footprint in Northland dining later expanded: their sister Gina Silvio purchased the Riverside-area barbecue shack Hawg Jaw Fritz (from Bud and Marlye Laub), and hired her brothers Sam and Nick to help operate it — a sibling-linked but separate venture.
A second Em Chamas location in downtown St. Joseph, Missouri is referenced in coverage.
Tier classification
Tier 2 (provisional). Em Chamas is a family-owned, owner-operated independent restaurant rooted in the Northland for nearly two decades, and the Silvio family is woven into the local food scene (Hawg Jaw Fritz). It introduced and still anchors the Brazilian churrascaria experience in the metro. Tier could move to Tier 1 if the Silvio family’s born-and-raised KC-metro roots are confirmed; pending that, the strong-but-unverified local-roots question and the multi-location footprint place it solidly at Tier 2.
Links
- Website: https://www.emchamas.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emchamasbrazil/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emchamasbrazil/
See also
- north-kansas-city
- the-northland
- burlington-creek
- hawg-jaw-que-and-brew
- fritzs-railroad-restaurant
- Registry
Sources
- Em Chamas Brazilian Grill — official site (2007 founding by Sam & Jana Silvio with Nick Silvio, “KC’s Original Brazilian Churrascaria,” rodízio concept, Argentina-trip origin, Burlington Creek location, Facebook) — https://www.emchamas.com/ and /about — accessed 2026-05-30
- The Pitch — “Sam and Nick Silvio take over Hawg Jaw Fritz in the Northland” (sister Gina Silvio bought Hawg Jaw Fritz, brothers operate it; family confirmation) — https://www.thepitchkc.com/sam-and-nick-silvio-take-over-hawg-jaw-fritz-in-the-northland/ — accessed 2026-05-30
- Yelp — Em Chamas Brazilian Grill (address, phone, current operation) — https://www.yelp.com/biz/em-chamas-brazilian-grill-kansas-city — accessed 2026-05-30
Verification
Drafted 2026-05-30 from web research; 3 sources (official + independent). Verified: 2007 founding, Silvio-family ownership (Sam, Jana, Nick), rodízio churrascaria concept, “metro’s original” claim, Burlington Creek/Northland location, social links. Unverified: St. Joseph second-location current status and opening date (base data’s “second location” appears to be St. Joseph, not Lenexa); current 2026 ownership/operations; Silvio family KC-metro roots (bears on Tier 1 vs 2); Hawg Jaw Fritz current status.
See also
- Registry