Fogo de Chao

Ah, the classic Brazilian Steakhouse.  From the moment you step through their doors to the moment you pay for the tab, you know that you have stepped into a different culture entirely.  The Brazilians enjoy their food and are not too proud to show it.  They eat their meals slowly and with much deliberation.  And they enjoy every bite.  When you eat at Fogo de Chao’s, you get to be Brazilian for a day.

Beef

Taste: 10

Presentation: 9

Originality: 9

Service: 10

Appearance: 9

Value: 5

Restrooms: Do not remember.

It’s what’s for Dinner

Taste:  Fogo de Chao is fine dining, at well, it’s finest.  And the experience is one-of-a-kind.  When you are  seated, you are given a disk where one side is red and the other is green.  When you are ready for more food, you flip the disk onto the green side.  When you are eating or need a food break, you flip it onto the red.  When the waiters see your disk on the green side, they come up at different times offering choice cuts of meat and they slice them right at your table.  The servers are helpful and attentive-  Kyle and I felt like royalty.

Presentation: What is on your plate and how it looks is primarily up to you.  But everything else, the folks at Fogo de Chao have made sure every last detail is pristine and grand.  All of the waitstaff wear crisp red jackets and even the chandeliers feel more grandiose in this place than in others.

Originality: These folks claim to have carried on the great tradition of the “Gaucho Way of Preparing Meat,” a way of roasting meat over an open flame that has been happening for centuries in southern Brazil.  Although other “gaucho” style restaurants have opened since these guys, you really won’t find any other experiences quite like this one.

Service: Attentive, helpful staff.  Not all of them speak English fluently, but if they can’t answer your question, they will find somebody who can.

Appearance: This place is so well put-together that I would recommend them for any large event, even a wedding.

Value: Ok, so, this place is ‘spensive.  Even though the food is “all you can eat,” let’s be real, there is only so much that a person can eat. Prices vary per location but at the Kansas City restaurant, lunch is $26.50 and dinner is $44.50.  This does not include beverages or dessert.  But, kids 5 and under are free and children 6-10 are half price.

Save your nickels and dimes and be sure to check out Fogo de Chao yourself.  And let us know when you do!