Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse

As for the first time experience, it was fantastic! I dressed to the nines with my sis for her birthday and they couldn't have been more accommodating. Got a reservation and nice table, clean and precise. The food was so unbelievably well cooked, our waitress, Thea, was so professional and kind, service with a smile and attention to detail was just the cherry on top we needed. THE FOOD!!! What a treat, so colorful, full flavored, juicy and delicious. Loved how you turned over a colored disk to indicate that you wanted meat brought to you, just loved how we could enjoy what we were served in the moment. The desserts were so good, flavorful and very well displayed. The drinks were strong and well priced. My gripes: Why were the utensils so heavy? The handles are super thick and weighted awkwardly. The plates themselves seemed warn down and very used, scratched up even, seemed out of place for such a nice location. Lastly the salad bar, famed for not filling up on which was good advice and the selection and display was great, but the conveyor belt feeling of waiting for your turn felt a little strange, might just be my preference for fancy dining experiences. All in all, definitely returning! Might not dress up so nice next time, almost seemed the best dressed outside of the manager on site lol

We came in with an 8:00 PM reservation but still had to wait to be seated. Fortunately, once we were seated, the staff throughout the evening were excellent—friendly, attentive, and constantly checking on us. We also came with a plan to get the most value from the experience. We used Costco gift cards, took advantage of the military discount, and intentionally skipped the Market Table until we were full on meat so we wouldn’t fill up on the buffet first. Unfortunately, the food didn’t live up to the price. Shortly after sitting down, we were served what felt like the lower-quality cuts first—bacon-wrapped items, sirloin, and other tougher selections. Many of the meats were heavily seasoned with large salt crystals, and several pieces were chewy enough that we ended up spitting out fatty or gristly bites. Even the filet wasn’t as tender as expected, although it’s possible we just received less desirable pieces. The highlights were definitely the picanha and the lamb. Those were the two cuts we enjoyed most. After we were finished with the meats, we finally visited the Market Table. We kept it light with some fruit, while my husband tried the mashed potatoes and we sampled the fried polenta. The polenta was much heavier than expected and wasn’t something we’d order again. The biggest surprise of the night was actually the warm grilled pineapple. It was incredibly juicy, flavorful, and honestly my favorite item of the entire meal. The Brazilian cheese bread was also excellent, and waiting until the end to eat it was the right decision. For the price, though, the quality just wasn’t there. Too many of the meats were chewy or fatty, making us feel full before getting enough of the better cuts. Even if you skip the buffet like we did, you’re still paying for the entire experience, and we simply expected consistently higher-quality meat at this price point. Overall, we don’t regret trying it, but even after maximizing discounts, we left feeling there are other steakhouses that offer a much better value. We’d consider coming back for a special occasion, but it wouldn’t be our first choice. Total menu value: Approximately $220 (including tip) Actual out-of-pocket cost: Approximately $180 after using Costco gift cards purchased at a discount and the military discount. Only 2 people about $90 per person. W the discounts applied.