fogo de chao brazilian steakhouse

great seleaction of salads. lunch was $15. service was spot on and so fast. the bbq portion would be expensive for lunch. the price did not detract families with children. fresh food and great atmosphere as well.

wow. just wow. service was superb. the salad bar was fantastic. hearts of palm, artichokes, olives, large shavings of parmesan cheese. not just a bunch of cold grocery store salads like other brazilian grills. probably the best lamb i've ever had.

i don’t dream about food, which is odd because i think about food all the time when i’m awake.  but there are meals that put me in a dreamlike state, which is actually better because the tastes and sensations are genuine.  fogo de chão is where my meat fantasies become reality.  wait…you don’t fantasize about meat?

i haven't been to fogo de chao since 2012 so this visit was long overdue and what a visit it was. arriving to a packed house on a thursday night, i thought to myself...is everyone here for dinela? the answer was yes because that's all me and my friends heard echoing throughout the restaurant from both servers and customers.

of course for myself, dinela was one of the primary factors for my visit. you can't beat the $49 price tag for a feast at fogo de chao and it was the second to last night for dinela week. the salad bar, unlimited meats and desserts were all included within the cost. i know a good deal when i see one and you better believe i'll go for it.

the salad bar included a variety of greens, veggies, meats, and cheeses to choose from. the soup of the day and a black bean soup with sausage were also available. the highlights were the marinated mushrooms, prosciutto and the croutons. i'm sure some will say...croutons? really? yes! those were some delicious croutons on top of my salad and the marinated mushrooms were just awesome. the salad bar could have consisted of nothing but marinated mushrooms and i would praise it. i went back a few rounds for mushrooms to eat as a stand alone item and back a couple of more times for mushrooms to eat with the meats. simply delicious.

steaks, chicken, lamb, pork ribs, pork chops, and sausages were all up for grabs in the feast with the steaks being front and center. the steaks had the most variety when it came to the meats and rightfully so since this is a steakhouse. if you're not a fan of rare steaks then you'll become one after a meal here. when carving, the server will ask whether you want a rare slice of meat or a medium cooked slice. medium is great but nothing beats the rare here. the seasonings from the steak crust can be tasted all throughout the meats and their juices. all were tender with not a single carve being thick nor tough. i wasn't sure if there was anything that could make any of the meats better until the bacon wrapped meats started to make their way around. i can't stress how much i love bacon. i crossed my fingers hoping a bacon wrapped lamb would arrive to the table. no luck on that but that's perfectly fine because the lamb was delicious with or without bacon just as all the other meats.

the sides included in the meal were the cheese breads, crispy polenta, caramelized bananas, and mashed potatoes. the cheese breads are dangerous because they're so delicious. if you're like me, you'll keep digging into the breads but will have to take it easy otherwise you'll find yourself full before you can get through all the meats. i also try to go easy on the polenta and bananas. one of my favorites as a kid was having cheerios with sliced bananas on top and that's exactly what the polenta & caramelized bananas remind me of in flavor. the two combined are awesome. the potatoes were rich and smooth. i'm not the biggest mashed potatoes fan but these i wouldn't mind having on a plate more than once.

last up were the desserts. the course offered new york cheesecake, chocolate mousse cake and tres leches cake as the choices. there was three of us dining so we figured why not get one of each and share them. needless to say, all were great with the new york cheesecake taking the crown for the best of the three. i would have loved a glass of milk with these desserts but anymore food or liquid and i would have burst. we stuffed ourselves into a food coma. the only thing i was looking forward to after was my bed haha.

this restaurant is a meat lovers fantasy. if you can pay a visit during dinela week then i say go for it. the deal is great for what's all offered. if you can't then no worries, you'll still be getting your moneys worth at normal price and it's well worth it. juicy and flavorful steaks coming none stop to your table, i couldn't ask for a better meal.

visit date 1/26/2017

fogo de chao is the best of the high end brazilian steakhouse chains. fogo is my go to restaurant whenever i have a craving for amazing tasting grilled meat without spending twice the price at a high end steakhouse. fogo serves everything from filet mignon, sirloin, and ribeye steak to chicken, pork, leg of lamb and lamb chops. the only reason someone would be disappointed dinning here is if they were a vegetarian. even then, fogo's options and great flavors may just turn them back into a carnivore. i tend to dine here at least once a quarter and would recommend fogo de chao to anyone who enjoys top quality grilled meat.

incredible. not much can be said about fogo de chão that hasn't already been said. waitstaff are so fast and notice coaster colors very quickly. the salad bar is great, but the assortment of meats is the best. very fun place to go with a small group of 4 people or so.

absolutely loved the concept! you walk in and you see waiters walking around with meat skewers; all types of meat. they slice a piece of that onto your plate and it's all yours to enjoy! also loved the salad bar: it's very rich and has many options!

fogo de chao is awesome! i was excited to enjoy a top steakhouse in minneapolis! we had the greatest service ever! from start to finish we were treated like kings! it was our 3 year anniversary and the amazing service was perfect. we made our reservation on open table and revived 100 points which was fantastic. we were greeted by a very kind hostess with the greatest smile. she checked us in and said "happy anniversary you two" which was a very nice touch. we requested a window table which they honored very nice for sure. the server greeted us right away and the knowledge and hospitality was like something my boyfriend and i have never experienced. the server suggested the brazilian national drink made with juicy limes and a rum from brazil. we ordered the sensational drink and had a couple more after!! the salad bar was the first course, and what a salad bar! giant asparagus, aged perfect cheese and meats,and the best butter nut squash soup i have ever had. the server delivered our drinks and sparkling water before we got back from the salad bar and the coolest think was is that he folded our napkins again and pulled our chairs our for us as we returned. this is not something that happens often especially for a gay couple. they made us feel so welcome and set us at ease. after we enjoyed our delicious salad and soups we stated on the meat course. at fogo you have a little cute green and red disk, when the disk is on green the cute gaucho chefs in the little outfits serve meat to the table. they show and tell you what kind of meat they are serving you can say yes or no and the meat come and comes. it's so fun to chose the meat you want. it's like virtual ordering. back and forth from red and green all night we dinned on the best meats i had ever had! if your looking for a place that you chose your experience and your treated like royalty as you do it then fogo is the place for you. a special thanks to eddie,al and matthew for stopping by the table to thank us for dinning with them. how many places have you had a manger not to mention 3 stop by thank us for dining and say "if everything isn't perfect let me know and i'll make sure it is" so amazing! fogo you made our anniversary perfect and we will be back. customers for life!! jim and josh.

i'd always wanted to try a brazilian steakhouse and my husband finally relented on this dc trip. the service was absolutely great. when you turned your card to green, several guys would run over with all different options of delicious meat. you do not leave this place hungry. they also have an incredible salad bar with cheeses and very nice salads and vegetables.

my recommendation is hold out for the good cuts of meat. in the beginning you're kind of overwhelmed and i said yes to everyone that came over, and i wish i would have declined and waited for the higher quality meat to come around, which i did, but i was very full at that point.

great management and service here, everyone was working really hard. i believe our server was fiorella, so thank you fio! and the guy in my photo was also awesome. he remembered i wanted medium rare so when he had that he came back to me to give me a good cut.

fogo de chao, while a chain restaurant, has a uniqueness not only due to their food, but also how much each one varies from location to location. the one is dc is unique- a beautiful corner building a few blocks from the white house. very stately, with a warmth and classy touch.

the food is truly special. the "market" table is fit for a king, or queen, with myriad selections from fruit, salad, veggies, smoke meats, soup, bread and deserts. my companion is a pescetarian and can more than amply fill herself up with these fine selections. for me, a starting point, for her, a starting and end point.

the meats themselves are succulent, and cooked to taste. the staff is almost overly attentive- pity the soul who forgets to turn over their "green card- more meat/red card-let me catch my breath) because if you forget, and want to take a break, they are all over you. from the garlic tenderloin, lamb chops, leg of lamb, bacon wrapped filet, sausages, parmesan pork, hard to pick a favorite. have them all and decide for yourself.

one of the best steakhouses i have eaten. fogo has a great selection of steaks and grills to chose from. the ambience is friendly and conducive to heavy and long binges. make sure you book a table in advance as the restaurant is usually heavily booked!

i ate dinner at fogo de chao during restaruant week, which is not necessarily a representative experience. i was very impressed with the range of options on the salad bar and enjoyed the opportunity to taste a variety of very flavorful meats, carved at my table. the noise level was very high, though – too loud for me!

incredible! what an experience. i have never dined anywhere like this before. i adore the concept! i love that there isn't any waiting for anything you need. i went with my husband and two boys and the boys were so excited that they started with meat right away. my husband and i visited their amazing salad bar. they had imported meats, cheeses and vegetables. very impressive! i couldn't get enough of their edamame salad! i told the manager how much i loved it and they gave me a recipe card so i can make it at home. 

the service is the best i have ever seen. the servers were so great with my boys, engaging with them. everyone looked happy to be there, especially the gaucho chefs! they come to the table and offer you a cut a meat with the biggest smile! sometimes its hard to say no because their brazilian accent is so charming, the next thing i know i have pork ribs when i told my husband that i was only going to have beef! the parmesan pork was a favorite of the kids. my husband feel in love with lamb chops (i think he had 8!!!) and my favorite was a cut they call the house special. it was thinly sliced and it had a little fat around the outside, it was absolute perfection! 

the entire staff was very friendly but the manager really stood out to me. he is from brazil and shared with us about his culture and how brazilian steakhouses started. he probably talked to us for 10 minutes and the restaurant was very busy! we felt very special and can't wait to go back!

i seriously love this place! from the minute you walk in everyone is so friendly and helpful. we arrived downtown early because we didn't realize how easy it is to park (their valet is only $10 btw!) and they sat us 20 minutes before our reservation with no problem! we were seated in a room in the back with a great view of the fire.

it was incredibly busy but all of the service staff was very helpful and always around when we needed them. it was like they could read our minds, they anticipated our every need! the salad bar was beautiful with homemade soups which my server said was new. my husband loved the imported cheeses.

as far as the meats go, everyone loves filet mignon but their house special was my favorite. the parmesan pork was also pretty amazing. we didn't save room for dessert but our server insisted and said they give desserts for anniversaries. we tried their flan which was to die for.

best anniversary ever!

my favorite of all the local brazilian steakhouses. the salad bar has a large selection and is full of tasty and unique offerings. the meats are served piping hot and cooked perfectly. my son adores the fried plantains. the service is impeccable. lunch is pretty much the same as dinner but substantially a better value for your dining dollars