Fogo de Chao Restaurant Review

Since its first U.S. opening in 1997, Fogo de Chão (pronounced: fo-go dée shown), a genuine steakhouse from Rio Grande de Sul in Southern Brazil, has been awing patrons with the history and tradition of a bona fide “churrascaria,” known in Brazil as a restaurant where meat is the specialty.  With its “Gauchos,” delectably slow-roasted meats and spectacular exhibition of authenticity, the Southern Brazilian chain continues its successful expansion in the U.S.  In addition to the five Brazilian locations, Fogo de Chão restaurants are located in nine U.S. markets: Atlanta, Beverly Hills, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.  I recently paid a visit to the Beverly Hills location and I had a wonderful time and I will definitely be going back again soon.  It’s a great place to go on a date, with a few friends, a big group of friends or big family. 

Fogo de Chão operates under the Brazilian concept of “espeto corrido,” which translates to “continuous service,” Fogo de Chão satisfies palates and the desire for something original.  Instead of a traditional menu, the restaurant offers a fixed price system with unlimited portions.  Guests use a green and red-sided disc at their table to indicate they are ready to eat.  When the green side is displayed, “Gauchos” in their traditional attire surround the table with the finest selections of meat.

I started my evening with a Caipirhina drink which is the national drink of Brazil made with Cachaca.  Caipirhina is much like rum except that the cachaça in a Caiprihina is made from sugarcane juice whereas rum is made from molasses, a byproduct of the sugar refining process. In Brazil it is common to substitute vodka or rum in drinks made with cachaça, including the Caipirinha.  After my drink I started my dinner by visiting the extensive salad buffet which has over 30 items from mozzarella, hearts of palm and prosciutto di Parma.  Normally I am not a fan of big salad buffets, because I relate them to dingy Las Vegas fare, however I knew that I could not miss out on the Fogo De Chau salad buffet because it looked like the antithesis of your typical salad buffets.  I made a little salad consisting of mozzarella bochini balls, prosciutto, sun dried tomatoes, olives and hearts of palm. 

Next I started working on the brazilian side dishes include garlic mashed potatoes, fried bananas, polenta and warm cheese bread, knowing I had to save room for the meat to come I only took a few bits of each side dish.  Then the best part started.  The waiters started coming around with meat samplings.  From filet mignon to prime rib to sauasage, the main course almost seemed never ending.  My absolute favorite meat was the Picanha which is the prime part of a sirloin and served with sea salt-it was delectable.  Seasoned and slow-roasted over an open flame, the meats are presented on skewers and sliced tableside by the native Brazilian servers.  Not only do the waiters present the food, but they cook it as well.  The “Gauchos” have all been trained for at least two years at the Fogo de Chão churrascarias in Brazil to ensure the authenticity of the presentation and flavors.  Fogo de Chão offers 15 different cuts of meat, which include picanha, costela (beef ribs), alcatra (top sirloin), cordeiro (leg of lamb), linguica (pork sausages) and filet mignon.

Fogo de Chão is the dream of two brothers, Jair and Arri Coser.  Devoted to their “Gaucho” heritage, the brothers left their home in the heart of the hill country in Rio Grande do Sul in 1975 for entrepreneurship in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul’s state capital.  They started out as waiters, but soon began sharpening their skills as “churrasqueiros” chefs.  Their dream turned to reality in 1979 when they opened the first Fogo de Chão in Porto Alegre, South Brazil.  After debuting two more in Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city, the partners began hearing constant demand from American business travelers to bring their concept to the U.S. 

For more information, please visit www.fogodechao.com.

Reservations are NOT required but recommended.
Beverly Hills Location:   133 North La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA  90211

   

Published on Sep 06, 2007