SAN DIEGO (FOX 5\/KUSI) \u2014 Two years ago, San Diego’s first Brazilian steakhouse shut down after a fire caused thousands of dollars worth of damage to the restaurant.<\/p>\n
Rei Do Gado<\/a> will reopen its doors on July 20 for the first time since the blaze.<\/p>\n “There’s just a lot of little details that we’re trying to finalize because we’re opening tomorrow,” said Geoffry Alegria, the restaurant’s general manager.<\/p>\n San Diego’s first Brazilian steakhouse opened in 1999.<\/p>\n “They come here because it feels like home, and they get to enjoy the traditional dishes that they used to in Brazil,” Alegria said. \u00a0<\/p>\n The business shut down on July 27, 2024, after a fire broke out in the building<\/a>, causing about $700,000 in damage.<\/p>\n “When they put out the fire, a lot of the water came down because we’re on the first floor, and it came down, and that’s what actually caused all the damage in the restaurant,” Alegria said. “There was no fire damage. It was all water damage.”<\/p>\n Firefighters responded as the flames overtook the four-story structure, sending black smoke billowing from the downtown location.<\/p>\n “It was sad at times, you know, because there was some doubt.\u00a0 I didn’t know if it was going to get open again,” the manager said.<\/p>\n Almost two years of working and waiting produced a newly renovated dining room and kitchen.<\/p>\n “We’re very resilient, and I knew that we were going to be able to recover and come back stronger,” he said.<\/p>\n We got to try the first cut of meat in two years, and customers can too at their soft opening on Friday.<\/p>\n After pouring thousands of dollars into the renovation, the restaurant reopens with new features.<\/p>\n “The designer was inspired by a lot of Brazilian landscapes, and the tropics of Brazil and Brazilian colors,” Alegria said.<\/p>\n And, old favorites return to the menu along with the head chef and staff who’ve worked with the team for years.<\/p>\n “This is the Caipirinha that I’m making. It’s the most popular drink in Brazil,” Alegria said of one of the favorites on the menu.<\/p>\n All of it invites the community back home to enjoy a piece of Brazil in San Diego.<\/p>\n “We love being able to share the Brazilian culture,” Alegria said.<\/p>\n Nearly two years after they closed, Rei Do Gado will officially reopen for business on July 20.<\/p>\n