Fogo de Chao : Brazilian Gluttony !!
Written: Aug 10 '07 (Updated Aug 10 '07)
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Pros: Meat lovers paradise. Great salad. Superior service.
Cons: Expensive. Use OPM - Other Peoples Money!!
The Bottom Line: Save your calories and hunger for a meal of Brazilian excess. You have to try this at least once for the experience.
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| jcare's Full Review: Fogo de Chao |
The Top Line
It’s now been six years since I last went to one of these carnivore-loving Brazilian restaurants (last time it was Texas de Brasil in Dallas ).Since all the steak I devoured has been fully digested it was time to go back once more and test the sharpness of my incisors!
The Story
We heard about the Fogo de Chao chain from some friends who visited the restaurant in Philadelphia. As we were on our way to visit our daughter we decided to make a reservation in Chicago and stuff ourselves full of meat on a Friday night. Now, while I do like my steak, I cannot hold a candle to the appetites displayed by my wife and eldest daughter when it comes to red meat.
I knew they were serious when they both had a very small lunch to “prepare” for the evening.
The Restaurant
Fogo de Chão describes churrasco as "the Gaucho way of roasting meats over pits of open fire...". As you enter the restaurant you see a tall blue tower where you can view the original process of cooking all the meats. To the left is a expansive bar, and to the right you catch a glimpse of a massive salad table and about 300 people devouring enough food to feed a small African nation. All around you there are very large wall murals of Brazilian cowboys, and the floor is constructed of authentic Brazilian slate, offset with some dark wood.
There are tables of two, four and six everywhere, and larger bench-style tables which can handle 12-16 people. At the back there is a semi-private area (using sliding/folding doors) for about 60 people and separate private dining room seating 40. All around the salad bar there are railings which separate the tables from the food, allowing enough room for diners to grab their salad, plus act as a thoroughfare to the back of the restaurant.
Should you lift your head up from the plate in front of you, if only to take a deep breath and loosen a button or two, you may also notice two large wine rooms and a couple of very elegant chandeliers around you.
The Service
Our reservation was for 7.30 on a Friday evening, so we braved Lakeshore Drive, and then cut into N.Lasalle St. The restaurant offers valet parking for $12, which is an absolute steal unless you are a Chicago native and know all the secret spots to park. We were warmly greeted inside, informed that the establishment was running 10-15 minutes late, and if we cared to hang out in the bar we’d be notified through our handy-dandy little buzzer. A few minutes later we were buzzed, and taken back, past the salad bar, towards our table.
Service at Fogo de Chao is espeto corridor, which is apparently Portuguese for continuous service. Our waiter explained the how/why/when to get food, took our drinks order, and then left us on our own. The basic concept of the restaurant is that the gauchos tour the rooms with various meats on skewers. When they come to your table you are free to select what they have to offer or pass on it. Each diner is also given a small disk, which is green on one side – for Feed Me! and red on the other for Stop – my intestines are exploding. The gauchos will keep returning to your table until everyone turns red!
The Food
You have two options – the all-you-possibly-eat option for $46, or the salad-bar-only for $19. Even if you have vegetarians among you there is enough at the salad bar to keep them comfortable and well-fed. Most people who go for the meat either skip the salad bar or just use it to warm up their palate. There is a good selection of salad, pasta, breads, prosciutto, cheese, salmon, potato, brushetta and salsa plus other miscellanea to keep you occupied.
The gauchos will also bring an endless supply of warm cheese bread, fried bananas, polenta and seasoned mashed potato to your table. And now the fun starts. Fofo de Chao claims to serve fifteen different kinds of meat, which are well documented on their website. Here is my take on them..
Filet Mignon The most succulent piece of tenderloin meat. Sometimes wrapped in bacon. One of the most popular servings and you may have to physically intercept the gaucho carrying it.
Alcatra : Top sirloin cut. I found this to be very tasty.
Linguica : Seasoned and robust pork sausages. Many people avoid these, but I loved them.
Frango Chicken drumsticks and also chicken breast wrapped in bacon. Don’t bother with the drumsticks but try at least one serving of the breast.
Fraldinha : A Bottom sirloin cut. Just OK, there are better things on the prowl around the room.
Costela : Juicy beef ribs. If you are a ribs fanatic you should double or triple up on these.
Costela de Porco same as the Costela, but pork ribs.
Cordeiro : Young leg of lamb sliced off the bone, almost gyro style. Mint sauce available upon request. To me this was the prize meat along with the Filet Mignon.
Lombo : Pork loin, seasoned with parmesan cheese.
Picanha : The noble part of the sirloin, seasoned with salt and garlic.
Beef Ancho : The prime part of the rib-eye. This is a new addition to the menu.
You’ll find that for the first 10-15 minutes the gauchos seem to come one after another and you can end up with piles of potentially unwanted and cold meat on your plate. So pace yourself, feel free to reject meat offered to you, and do remember to eat some of the sides. If you decide to try one serving of everything before you focus in on what you really like you may find yourself surprisingly full. So if you need to sample, grab a bite from someone else’s plate at your table and then make your decision.
Other Miscellanea
Dress is fairly casual. I saw people wearing jeans, khakis and even a few suits. You can pretty much walk in off the street.
Location : 661 North LaSalle Street
Chicago, IL 60610
Contacts: Phone (312)-932-9330
Web http://www.fogodechao.com/
Hours of Operation:
Lunch: Mon – Fri : 11.30am to 2.30pm
Dinner: Sun 4.00pm to 9.00pm
Mon-Thu 5.30pm to 10.00pm
Fri 5.30pm to 10.30pm
Sat 4.30pm to 10:30pm
Special Note for Philadelphia
The Philly location, which opened in December 2006 is 1337 Chestnut Street.
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: No
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Choose wisely. Avoid the breads and anything else really filling. Dessert, should you have room - is an optional plus-cost extra. Try the mango ice-cream milk-swirl.
Best Suited For: Friends
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Epinions.com ID:
jcare
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Location: Southeast Pennsylvania
Reviews written: 265
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About Me:
Bullets can hurt people. Both in guns and PowerPoint.
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