A parrillada is for the person who looks at a steak menu and wants to try more than one thing. A little short rib. A piece of entraña. Some chorizo, then another bite of beef with chimichurri.
An Argentine parrillada is an assortment of grilled meats, usually shared. Beef cuts, sausages and sometimes offal arrive together or in stages, with the selection depending on the restaurant or the person tending the fire. It is not the name of a single cut, and there is no one compulsory combination.
If you are looking for an Argentine parrillada near you in Southern California, understanding those names makes the search much more useful. Here is what belongs on the grill, what to ask before ordering and how to choose a platter for your table.
Parrillada, parrilla and asado: what is the difference?
Parrilla means the grill. It can also mean a restaurant built around grilled food. Parrillada is the mixed grill you order or serve. Asado is broader: the cooking over embers, the meal and the gathering around it. In Argentina, asado can also refer to a rib cut, so context matters.
At home, the asador—the person running the grill—may send out chorizo and smaller bites before the larger cuts are ready. At a restaurant, several meats might arrive on one serving tray. Both make sense. The point is not that everything cooks at the same speed; it is that everyone gets to share.
Argentina's official tourism guide to asado describes that rhythm: different cuts come off the heat at different times, and the conversation carries on after the plates are cleared.
The cuts and sausages you will see on an Argentine mixed grill
Think of this as a vocabulary list, not a promise that every parrillada includes every item.
1. Entraña: skirt steak
Entraña has a pronounced beef flavor and a visible grain. It is a thinner cut than a thick strip steak, so texture matters as much as doneness. Slicing across the grain makes it easier to eat. It is a useful starting point if you already like steak but do not know the Argentine cut names.
2. Vacío: a flavorful abdominal cut
Vacío comes from the abdominal or flank area and has a distinctive grain and fat covering. You may see it translated as flank steak, but Argentine and American butchery do not map perfectly. Ask what the restaurant means by the name rather than expecting the exact supermarket cut you know.
3. Tira de asado: cross-cut beef short ribs
The bones run across each strip of meat. The thickness varies, and that changes how the ribs cook. This is a richer, bone-in bite than entraña, and part of the pleasure is eating around the browned edges. You will also see the name written as asado de tira.
4. Chorizo: the sausage, not the steak
Argentine grilling chorizo is a fresh sausage, often made with pork, beef or a mixture. It is not the same thing as cured Spanish chorizo. Put it in bread and you have choripán.
One easy menu trap: bife de chorizo is a steak, usually translated as strip loin or New York strip. Despite the name, it is not a sausage.
5. Morcilla: blood sausage
Morcilla is blood sausage, with recipes and seasonings that vary. Its soft texture makes a change from the firmer bite of grilled beef. Some mixed grills include it; others offer it separately. If you have never tried it, sharing a small portion is a reasonable introduction.
6. Mollejas and other achuras
Mollejas are sweetbreads: glands, not bread. Achuras is the broader word used for offal, including kidneys and chinchulines, or small intestines. These are part of Argentine grilling tradition, but you do not have to order them to enjoy a parrillada. Ask what is included before the tray arrives.
Chimichurri, salsa criolla and the rest of the table
Chimichurri brings herbs, garlic, vinegar and oil to the meat. Parsley and oregano are common; the heat and proportions vary. Try a bite of beef plain first, then add a little sauce. You will notice what each brings.
Salsa criolla is a chopped mixture commonly made with onion, tomato and peppers, dressed with oil and vinegar. Where chimichurri is herbal, criolla adds a fresh, crunchy contrast.
Bread, salad, potatoes and grilled vegetables round out the meal. Provoleta—grilled provolone—can be a starter, but it is not automatically included in a mixed grill. Neither are sauces or sides. A good menu should tell you; if it does not, ask.
Why does a parrillada sometimes arrive on a little grill?
Some restaurants use a small tabletop grill or brazier to keep the meats warm while people serve themselves. Others use a heated tray, platter or board. The presentation alone does not tell you how the meat was cooked.
Treat a tabletop grill as hot serving equipment, not as a place to set a napkin or rest your hand. Serve a few bites at a time and leave space on your plate for the sides. There is no need to carve up the entire tray the moment it lands.
How to order a parrillada for a group
1. Start with the advertised serving size
“For two” is a better starting point than guessing from a photograph. Ask how the portion works with your group's appetite and whether you are also ordering starters. Bone-in meat, sausage and boneless steak do not give you the same amount of meat per ounce.
2. Check the actual combination
Someone may want only beef. Someone else may not eat pork or offal. Read the listed meats together before choosing. Do not assume the kitchen can substitute one cut for another; ask first, especially if allergies or dietary restrictions are involved.
3. Discuss doneness before ordering
A thin skirt steak and a bone-in rib are different cuts. Tell the server what your group prefers and ask how the platter is prepared. If everyone has a different preference, separate steaks may be simpler than one shared order.
4. Count the sides, not just the meats
Find out which sides are included and how many the table needs. A salad or vegetables give you something fresh between richer bites; potatoes or rice make the meal more substantial. Extra sides are a separate decision, not something to assume comes with the platter.
Gaucho Grill's parrillada in Southern California
The Gaucho Grill menu lists two sizes: Half Parrillada, described as good for two people and including one side, and Ultimate Parrillada, described as good for three people or more and including two sides.
The Parrillada section lists entraña, New York strip, lamb chops, short rib, chorizo argentino and pollo a la brasa. That is the restaurant's stated selection—not a claim that every traditional Argentine mixed grill has the same meats. The menu does not specify a separate weight or piece count for each meat in each size.
Morcilla and mollejas are not listed as components of this parrillada. They appear separately on the shared menu, so do not assume they come on the tray.
The restaurant's location-specific menus and shared menu identify these options across its five Southern California locations:
Gaucho Grill Pasadena lists Half Parrillada for two with one side, making it a useful starting point for a shared dinner on South Lake Avenue. Pasadena menu.
Gaucho Grill Buena Park lists Ultimate Parrillada for three people or more with two sides, an option for a small group that wants several meats in one order. Buena Park menu.
Gaucho Grill Downey lists both Half Parrillada and Ultimate Parrillada, allowing a pair or a small group to choose the menu's suggested sharing size. Downey menu.
Gaucho Grill West Covina lists Ultimate Parrillada with two sides, useful for a shared meal when your table wants more variety than individual steaks. West Covina menu.
Gaucho Grill Temecula offers Half Parrillada and Ultimate Parrillada through the Temecula menu selector, giving diners in Old Town a mixed-grill option for two or a larger sharing order.
“Three people or more” is the menu's wording, not a guarantee that one Ultimate Parrillada feeds a group of any size. For a larger table, ask about the number of platters and sides before ordering. If the meal is becoming a private gathering, the Old Town Temecula private-dining guide covers a different planning question than choosing dinner for two.
How to choose an Argentine parrillada near you
Look past a photograph of a very large platter. Start with a menu that names the cuts, explains the sausages and gives you a serving size. Ask how the meats are grilled, what comes with the order and whether offal is included or separate.
Cooking over wood or charcoal embers is central to asado tradition, but a tabletop brazier is not an authenticity certificate. Nor does a longer list of meats automatically make a better dinner. Clear descriptions, careful cooking and a combination your group will actually enjoy matter more.
If you are planning a meal, compare the menus by location before deciding how much to order. Then leave time to sit, eat and talk. That part of the tradition needs no translation.
FAQs
What does parrillada mean in English?
In this Argentine food context, it means a mixed grill: an assortment of grilled meats, often shared. It does not name one particular cut of beef.
What is the difference between parrilla and parrillada?
Parrilla means the grill and can also describe a grill-focused restaurant. Parrillada is the assortment of grilled meats served as a meal.
Is asado the same as parrillada?
The words overlap, but they are not identical. Asado can mean the cooking method, the shared gathering or a rib cut. Parrillada usually describes the mixed grill itself.
What comes in the Gaucho Grill parrillada?
The Gaucho Grill Parrillada menu section lists entraña, New York strip, lamb chops, short rib, chorizo argentino and pollo a la brasa. Morcilla and mollejas are not listed in that combination; check the selected location's menu for separate orders.
Can two people share a Gaucho Grill parrillada?
Yes. Gaucho Grill describes its Half Parrillada as good for two people and includes one side. The Ultimate Parrillada is described as good for three people or more and includes two sides. Appetite and any starters or extra sides will affect how much your table needs.
Which Gaucho Grill locations have parrillada?
Gaucho Grill lists parrillada on the menus for Pasadena, Buena Park, Downey and West Covina, and in the Temecula selection of its shared menu. Check the menu for the location you plan to visit rather than assuming prices or every detail are identical.
