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Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sat. 4:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sun. 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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Yummy yummy yummy.........OH so yummy yummy yummy.....
If you are a steak lover, please, for the LOVE, come to this place. I went on a lunch break with a friend there....oh my. First off, it is a totally upscale place....and you are treated as such, although sometimes it can be a bit annoying if you're trying to spend some time with a friend. But no complaints here!
Their salad bar was great, and yes, soy free dressing! They had an enormous wheel of Parmesan, with shaved pieces for you to take. Also had wonderful fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, and balsamic vinegar to top it with if you like. But the salad bar, sure, it was good, but leave room for the steak!
I was a bit surprised to see that they did NOT have Feijoada (amazing Brazilian black beans), rice, and the usual compliments that you find at not most, but ALL Churscaria's that I have been to. But no worries! I asked the waiter if they had all this, and to my surprise, he was more than happy to bring them out for me, no additional cost. I mean, I just couldn't enjoy my Brazilian steak the same without them....
So all in all, great place for food!!! A bit pricey, so if you can go during lunch, do it. I will most certainly visit this place again.
I wrote up a lengthy review on the D.C. Fogo - I think these two are comparable. The staff seemed to be really inclined to seating you as quick as possible in Baltimore though. If your entire party isn't there - don't bother the girl at the podium!
Otherwise the food is great. The location is near enough to the Baltimore Power Plant if you want to walk over, or to the ESPN Zone.
Cost was comparable to D.C. Fogo - they're probably the same at every branch - so expect to spend 50 bucks a person.
Not bad at all. The salad bar is good and i don't know if you can go wrong with all you can eat meat. The service is extraordinary. I accidentally spilled my water and people were there in like less than five seconds to clean up the mess. They even moved us to a different table so we don't have a wet table to sit at. Though, I did kind of get embarrassed with so many people (at least like 3) coming up to help... but you know.. they were all like, "ma'am, we'll get this cleaned up for you in no time..." so you can't really get mad at that.
The different types of meat were great. But I think I like the beef top sirloin the best. The pork and the chicken dishes that I tried were a little dry, but all the beef dishes were right on. So yeah.
But, good times.
Bottom line: really great for people who can eat a lot... i think i may have wasted $50... I don't think I can eat that much meat. ={
Quantity over quality. Not a lot of flair to the food. They like to "let the natural flavors shine" without adding too many sauces or marinades, which is a great concept but only if your ingredients are top notch to begin with.
Took my boyfriend here to celebrate his first week at a new job. He's a carnivore and I'm a veggie so I thought this would be really special for him.
Reviewers who said this isn't a great date place are right. The frantic pace of dinner (waiters whizzing around with swords, unidentified dishes coming and going, etc) and the sense that you better gorge yourself to get your moneys worth make this a much more suitable place for groups where the drama is part of the fun and not a distraction. Whenever my boyfriend's card was flipped to green (which means "obsessively offer me meat on a sword in a bizarre accent") we just paused the conversation and watched the onslaught.
I think the whole meat-on-a-sword thing is amusing at first but overwhelming after a while. By mid-meal, I was beginning to wish we had a single waiter instead of 25 different people whizzing by, even though it was nice to hear their different accents.
My boyfriend was excited to try the fillet but thought it was overkill to encase it in bacon.
Here's what the veggies being dragged along will want to know: Yes, there's a salad bar. It has some cured meats and chicken salad on it, though, so it's not like it's all veggie friendly. You get: a nice Cesar salad (though nothing too special), really great tabbouleh (the only thing with actual personality), marinated cold shitake mushrooms with very little flavor, flavorless broccoli, plain asparagus (monster sized is not always better), raw spinach, sundried tomatoes, green olives, artichoke bits, and parmesan cheese from a big round thing that SHOULD impart some real flavor but somehow also manages to be bland.
The salad bar does have a few sauces and dressings you can use to try to infuse some flavor on your plate but you really shouldn't have to work that hard to assemble a tasty meal, even if you're a veggie.
Side dishes that come to your table are also veggie friendly. Fried polenta is ok. Plantains are good but get too mushy if they hang out on the table too long. Mashed potatoes are ok.
Wine list is extensive and expensive. There is a very small section for wines by the glass or half carafe. I got a good red for $10 a glass but that was on the low end for the "by the glass" price list. We heard there was beer available but didn't see a list of available beers. We also saw a roving bartender pushing a bar-on-wheels around, probably making caprinihas. I really wanted to try one of those but they weren't on the menu and I couldn't figure out how to get the guy to rove over to me!
On a side note, I was a little disappointed to buy a $100 dinner at a place where people are wearing flip flops and t-shirts. I guess being in the Inner Harbor = tourist land so I should have known better! If you're looking for some place with a more leisurely place and less shtick, get out of the Inner Harbor!
p.s. Don't expect the valet folks to bring back your car to you in under 20 minutes. For $10 I was expecting a little more speed.
Came here for a weekday dinner during a business trip to Baltimore. I found that this restaurant will satisfy a customer who: 1) enjoys eating mainly beef, lamb, pork and chicken as a meal, and 2) can eat a large quantity of food. The location is easy to find, however parking can be difficult as very few street spots are available and your only other option is a nearby $7/hr parking plaza. Interior of the restaurant is quite fancy looking. Each person is $46.50 for an all you can eat seasoned and grilled/broiled meat buffet that also includes plantains, mashed potatoes, and polenta on your table and a large selection at the salad bar.
The service is friendly and the waiters come by your table with large chunks of meat offering you a few slices. Options include lamb chops, beef cuts (filet mignon, sirloin, ribeye), pork (ribs), chicken (thigh and breast meat) most of which are lightly seasoned and served without any sauces. Salad bar includes various cheeses and cured meats and a variety of vegetables and salads.
Overall, this place has friendly and fast service and a variety of meat options. For those who might like deeply marinated meats, this probably is not the right place. However, for those with hearty appetites and a meat-lover's enthusiasm this is a great place to try at least once.
This was my first experience with Brazilian BBQ and it was pretty epic. All the cuts were awesome and the salad bar was so good that I cried. Service was a bit intimidating cause the second you flip over that card showing that you're ready for the meats, it's like opening the floodgates. Loved the pants too. I gotta get a pair for the next time I go cause it seems like they are ideal for eating buffets.
All I can say is if you are a meat lover well WELCOME! If not well then they have a huge salad bar.
First recommendation....if you are planning on eating meat...DONT LOAD UP YOUR PLATE ON SALAD! I did that countless times thinking oh it'll be ok, and then once I'm down with my salad I'm half way full and I came there for the meats!
Great quick service. They turn tables like a mother so wait shouldn't be that long even if they say 40min. Just chill @ the bar because they'll add it to your tab.
Great service, they are all there for you! They change your plate really quick too...always refilling ice teas and water...
Just get ready to unbutton your pants at the end of the night! Good thing the inner harbor is right across the street get a nice walk on afterwards!
=D
went during lunchtime over this past summer.
this was my second time dining at fogo, 1st time in LA, and 2nd time here in Baltimore. The food was equally good both times, and cheaper here in baltimore! I would say it's safe to assume that this place will crank out delicious meats at a pretty consistent rate (given my experiences and given the fact that they're a chain restaurant).
best deal is $30 lunch, even though they might not have all the types of meat available.
Meat Lovers paradise! I've been here a couple times for lunch when I worked near the Baltimore Harbor. The service is exceptional. Also, it has a really great salad bar like no other place that I know of that can be compared to the freshness of this place. But don't eat too much from the salad bar if you're here for the main course! The servers are very tentative to your needs and preferences! You just turn your card over to the green and they will come flocking over with a variety of different meats with their big knives too =P. Turn the card over to red they will leave you alone. My favorite is the chicken and sausage. If you love meat try this place out. I think its like $35 per person? for all you can eat meat =)
I like this place. I loved the salad bar. But the real treat was watching the Gauchos move around the room at a dizzy pace serving the various meats. These guys are always ready to serve you. My sister and son were just as pleased. Yes the salad bar was extensive, probably did need more (per Jennifer S. post), but I did like that they kept it refreshed constantly. My son can't wait to return from college and go again. We had to walk a while to relieve the stomach pressure. I agree with anohther post, make your salad plate but save room for the meat samples. I even suggest getting items from the salad bar to specifically go along with certain meats, i.e., sundried tomates to go along with the pork or chicken selections. Delicious!The small sweet peppers were also delicious with the red meats and try the cheeses with all the meats.
I came here for a birthday dinner and I was impressed with the service here. They try very hard to make you feel welcome and they are very attentive to everything here. Someone is always around to take your plate if it is done and to push in your chair every time you stand up or sit back in. They have a salad bar which is pretty good and the salmon, and mozarella is fresh. I liked the fruit salad. There are about 10 different cuts of meat and my favorite were the filet mignon wrapped with bacon, lamb chops, beef ribs and the picanha which is the sirloin. The other cuts of meat were either too salty, tough or after a couple rounds, they all tasted the same. The fried plaintains was also really good. I didn't really like the cheese bread and the mashed potatoes that came out. They also have a very extensive wine list and liquor which is lined all over the restaurant and in the back of the room. Compared to the other brazilian bbq places I've been to in NYC, this one doesn't have as many selections of meat and they don't have as many sides as other places I've been to but it was still pretty good experience. It costs around $50 for dinner but if you go for lunch, it's $30 and you can try all the same cuts of meat at a cheaper price.
As far as a steak house goes it is pretty good. Mind you, I've never been to any other of this kind so I don't have whole lot to compare to though... I went on a weeknight for a seminar so had the back of the restaurant all to my group and I liked the place so much that I actually went back!
I had to go during lunch hour b/c man the dinner prices are pretty steep. Lunch is Mon-Fri 11am to 2pm. All you can eat salad and same cuts of meat served during dinner. Meat and salad bar together costs around $30 BUT the dessert is not included. 1/2 bottle of Merlot is around $25 (we had 2 bottles... I recommend Copolla (sp?) merlot OMG, so good) so the grand total for 2 for lunch was around $150 (including the tip).
I would recommend for a special occasion not only because of the price but who can eat ALL that meat everyday?
They have valet parking for dinner service but not for lunch. Use the valet parking when available. $10 for valet vs $20 in the garage. Street parking is available but pretty rare. The prices on the garages are pretty same so do yourself a favor and park right behind Fogo De Chao.
Wanted: Waiters for Fogo De Chao
Do you have an accent (any non-contiguous USA will do)?
Do you like swords, meats, or meats impaled upon swords?
Can you hover?
Rather than writing on and on about the delicate cuts of meat (and they are many), the mammoth upscale salad bar (buffalo mozzarella, asparagus, smoked salmon!) and the ballpark-priced beer, I will be short.
When you go there, you know just what you are getting: giant portions of premium quality buffet food. Go once with a good-sized group of people, and there is no way you won't have a good time as long as you are all hungry. Is it Ruth Chris or Morton's caliber steak? No, but that's not why you are there. You came to gorge yourself on like, eight 4-ounce cuts of beef, chicken and sundry seafood.
America: Capitalism, Football, giant hunks of juicy meats, preferably served an prepared by non-Americans.
Delicious, but once should be enough.
Excellent dining, though better for larger groups than just a couple.
Fogo de Chao is an excellent dinner experience, and was fun for our entire group. The salad bar is full of tempting and delicious vegetables and anti pasta, but we had been advised by friends to try not to fill up on it. Service was attentive and prompt, and everyone enjoyed getting to choose the doneness of their steak - here is where Fogo de Chao really excels, as diners will get the exact doneness that they ask for.
There were a few places for improvement that we agreed upon - it would be nice to have more sauces, or even a few marinated options. Brazilian steakhouses, to me, conjure ideas of chimichurri sauce and strong flavors. The meat was all delicious, but it would have been fun to have a few more flavor options. Also, while the lamb was good, a tenderloin option would be nice. This is more of a request than a criticism - when presented with the fine quality of roasted leg of lamb, we talked about how nice it would be to see what they would do with tenderloin.
Beware the unlisted drink prices, but enjoy the food!
When I first heard about Fogo, I knew I would love this place! Thank God It lived up to my expectations!!
We had a large group of 10 and the service was good for such a large group. The only down side, and something I notice a lot around places here in Baltimore, was the NOISE. Because of the loud freaking people all around us, we couldn't hear our waiter, and I could barely speak to the person next to me. They lose star for that, sorry.
Otherwise I was impressed, very impressed. I ate more meat than I have ever eaten in my life. Except for the bacon wrapped steak. That guy was so damn evasive of our table, not by choice I'm sure, but damn did I want some of that steak!!
The dessert was great as well, very decadent. All in the party were happy with their desserts.
One point of advice, do the valet parking out front, it was cheaper than the nearby garage by half, and much more convenient.
My favorite restaurant in Baltimore!
For a special occasion (it's a little pricey just for a regular dinner), there's nowhere I'd rather go. You do not get a menu, but you do get plenty of choices with the all you can eat salad bar and ALL YOU CAN EAT MEAT!! Typically, when I think of all you can eat, I fully expect to sacrifice quality for quantity. However, this is certainly not the case at Fogo De Chao. Although it is not served on a sizzling buttery plate (it's actually served by waiters who are constantly hovering around the tables), the quality of the filet was up to par with Ruths Chris. Actually, I don't know how any of the meats could have been cooked any better than they were.
Dinner starts with the salad bar, which is very large and easy to fill up on if you're not careful. I particularly enjoyed the huge fresh tomato slices and fresh mozzarella with balsamic. If you're a vegetarian, or with one, you can just order the salad bar.
After salad, they'll bring you a clean plate and a small card which is red on one side and green on the other. When you turn the card to green, be ready to be bombarded by the servers. They will bring all sorts of meat to your table and if you like what they've got, they'll slice it right in front of you. If not, they'll go away for a time and others will take their place. If you want something special, just ask and they'll quickly get it for you. When your plate is full, turn the card to red and take a break.
While you're eating, they'll also continually fill the sides on your table, which include mashed potatoes and plantains. The potatoes were very good, but again, be careful not to fill up...you're here for the meat!
Service is phenomenal. The servers constantly have food ready, the waiters take away dirty plates and replace them with clean ones before you have a chance to look up, and the I've never been there without having a manager come over to check on us. I was actually told once, when we didn't need any more mashed potatoes, that we had to get more, because the server would drop a new plate as soon as the waitress picked the old one up. Sure enough, as soon as she picked it up, a server caught a glimpse of it and dropped a new one!
As mentioned, it's not cheap (around $50), but I think it's absolutely worth the price! Like I said, the filet is equal in quality to Ruth's Chris, but all you can eat! A filet in a good steak house goes for around $30, not including the sides, salad bar, and everything else you'll get here.
If you are a carnivore at heart then you have to try Fogo de Chao. They do have a salad bar too that is pretty good but that's probably not why you would go here in the first place. Rules are simple, flip the coaster to green and servers will give you all the meats you can eat, flip it to red and they'll leave you alone. The service here is second to none. Come hungry because this place is all you can eat.
It is expensive at $30 per person for unlimited meats and salad bar so make sure you eat a lot to get your moneys worth. The meat they serve is top notch and you'll get lamb and Fillet Mignon for example. Expensive but worth it if you want to treat yourself.
The only reason I am giving three stars is because Annie liked the meat here. I would have given it 1 star for atmosphere, 1 star for that nasty salad bar, and no stars for service.
I like the idea of getting tons of meat thrown in my face, but i don't like the idea of calling it Brazilian when they only season their meat with salt and pepper. I know a good deal about South American cuisine, and this is simply not it. I would imagine this would be a great place to go with a large group but not as a pair of people going out for a birthday dinner.
First impressions are it is as loud as Ravens stadium, and the service is way too fast. You really get the idea that they want you in and out as fast as possible. I didn't like seeing the guy with the sword of ribs walking past me 20 times before I could get his attention, and I didn't like having multiple servers to take care of our drinks etc. The white asparagus at the salad bar was limp and over cooked, choices were extremely limited and every time I went to the salad bar everything was pretty much empty. Best parts of the meal were the lamb, the bacon wrapped filet mignon (not Brazilian) the breads(not Brazilian), and the cheese: parm, blu, english chedder, gouda and red wine goat cheese (you guessed it, not Brazilian) but who can argue with cheese and tons of meat.The fried Plantains they gave us on our table were NOT plantains, they were clearly bananas.
I do believe that this place is over priced for the quality of food you receive. Its hard to say I wouldn't go back, because I would if it were with a large group. I feel they don't care very much about the run of the mill 2 top in this place, and focus their meat offerings to the larger groups of people with their cards turned to the green side. If you are looking for a place to go and just get stuffed with sub par food, this place is great, but if you are looking for a Brazilian steak house, as Fogo De Chao claims to be, I would suggest looking elsewhere. All in all this place did not meet my expectations.
Brazilian BBQ = meat heaven. Don't get distracted by the salad bar considering that this place is pretty expensive. It's set up where you sit there with a circular cardboard, one side red and the other side green. If you flip the green side, waiters come at you with meats and accents. If you flip the red side, you bring a pause to all the goodness.
If you want to go for a fuller brazilian experience, try some of their Guarana soda. After drinking this stuff, some friends have told me that they miraculously started to to speak spanish and obtained thick accents like the waiters.
Well, where do I start. I guess with come hungry...or rich enough not to try and eat your money's worth. As others have said don't bother with the salad bar. Do have one of those special Brazilian cocktails. Drink water. The meat is a little salty, I think on purpose to make you fill up with water. However for a somewhat unique experience and a hedonistic meat orgy save up your pennies and have a go. There are better versions of this kind of restaurant in the ethnic area of New Jersey, more exotic offerings and lower prices.
Two months ago in office. Phone rings.
"Hi. Dad is retiring and we need help contacting people for a surprise retirement party. He mentions you a lot, so can you help?"
I paused for a moment thinking how much incriminating evidence this complete stranger already has on me but decided she would not have called if she had that kind of quality information.
"Sure," and exhaled.
Unbeknownst to me at the time, she was also concerned about incriminating evidence. Being at a company for 42 years, there are episodes that happen at work and travel that should just stay at work. She was worried a story would leak out where he would storm out like a hornet (he has done that) and write her out of the will...we were now in this together...bonded by fear.....and potential litigation.
This retiree is one of the smartest and creative person I have ever met...and I knew people on the Manhattan Project. He manipulates math and physics as Segovia does strings on a guitar He is a national asset in his field.
He lectured an auditorium of MIT professors on math and physics. A PhD spoke up and said,
"None of the textbooks ever do it that way."
The retiree turned around and said without breaking stride,
"Then the textbooks are wrong" and proceeded with the talk. It turned out he was right and changed that field forever.
So this guy is pretty damned smart. And it is hard to surprise him. He usually figures it out. So I went underground and just used text messaging and email. No phoning at home. However there were 3 close calls in two months.
1. I have 2 computers in my office and he was reading a document on one of them. Suddenly on the other an email pops up from his daughter. "CRAP" I quickly minimized it...but I don't think he saw it.
2. The package for the party invitations comes to his house and he breaks the packing tape seal without reading to whom it is addressed. He sees his daughter's name on the box and puts it aside, claiming he didnt go further to peek inside. Well heck, it could have been something personal say from Fredericks...and dads get really upset seeing things like that....
3. Day of party he calls the restaurant to check on the reservation!!!! GEEEZ. Fogo's do not make large party reservations on a Saturday night, but his daughter could sell shoes to fish and was able to twist their arms to make it. Well the person that answered the phone, looks at the reservation for 50, and says,
"It looks like you might have a reservation for 5," thinking a party of 50 on Saturday was a typo. WHEWWWWWWW..
So how was the food.......?
Salad bar: Not as extensive as the Biltmore Sunday brunch in Santa Barbara, good high quality items (smoked salmon, cheeses, greens, artichokes, olives, various salads, asparagus spears, Italian thin sliced ham, etc. so that the salad bar could be a meal if you don't like beef. 4.5 stars
Beef: Out of the 12-ish selections of meat entrees, 8-ish were beef. (Wasn't counting) Every conceivable cut of beef. They could have carted in a cow and sliced off anything you wanted. From flank to filet mignon. Each cut had its characteristic texture and flavor. The medallions of filet wrapped in bacon was a disappointment. The bacon did not have a good flavor and was way over salty. 4.5 stars for the beef
Chicken: Overcooked in my book. 3 stars.
Pork tenderloins: Wayyyy overcooked. Shame on them. 2 stars
Pork sausage: Surprisingly tasty but overcooked. 3 stars
Lamb chops: Way too small (1/2 inch thick) so the meat was usually well done to medium. Should be thicker so meat can be rare. 3 stars
Flan: Very well done. I detected a very slight curding texture but not enough to be distracting. 4 stars
Creme Brulee: Very good taste and execution. 5 stars
Spanish coffee: Well done and balanced in flavors. 5 stars
Ambience: The servers makes this a festive place and the appointments are first class. But the walls are paper thin and the noise drowned out the speeches. . 2-3 stars if you want quiet. 4-5 stars if to party.
OVERALL: 4 stars if you are a beef lover and like to try many different beef cuts in one sitting. Impossible to do in any other restaurant. The rest of the meats dragged this place down from being a 5 star destination.
So how did the party go? This was one of the best retirements I have attended. Everyone got along, everyone had a chance to talk to each other.
1. Parking plus tip: $20
2. Retirement gift including gags: $120
3. Fogo check for 50 people plus 4.5 hours of open bar: $OMFG.HS*
4. Expression on "hard to surprise" retiree's face when entering room: PRICELESS (but pretty damn close to #3)
* Oh My F#$%ing God . Holy S$@%!!!!
PS. He didn't storm out and i think her inheritance is still intact. However I will know for sure if I don't hear a knocking at the door and see suitcases on the porch.
So after reaching out to everyone about this place we head there ourselves. I called Thursday to make reservations and was told anytime before 5:00 (they open at 4:30) and anytime after 9:00. So we were already downtown all day so we said 4:30. There weren't many open tables at 4:30. My husband and I were very lucky (at least we thought) because we got a table that is right up against their wine cellar. They offer many different varieties of wines from domestic to European to South American to Australian and Italian wines.
Instead of ordering from a traditional menu, Fogo de Cho offers a prix-fixed system where guests can sample the entire menu, or just focus on their favorite items. The menu features unlimited servings of 15 different delectable cuts of fire-roasted meats, a sumptuous buffet of gourmet salads and fresh-cut vegetables, and a variety of Brazilian side dishes. Each guest uses a two-sided disk to control the pace of their meal. The green side signals the Gaucho chefs to bring out skewers meats to carve at the table. The red side indicates a stopping point. Turning back to green lets the Gaucho chefs know to start offering the meats again. So I recommend not eating anytime soon before you come!
The salad bar was the most gourmet salad bar I have ever seen. It had some many things are it from smoked salmon, proccito, sin-dried tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, green and white asparagus and the best Caesar salad dressing I have ever had. After you sit down they explain how things work and tell you that you can go to the salad bar as many times as you want- 1 trip to taste the things was more than enough for me with everything else!
Once you turn your disc green you are in for food a plenty! They first bring side dishes of warm cheese bread, fried bananas, crispy hot polenta and seasoned mashed potatoes. The fried bananas were wonderful. Neither of us was very impressed with the mashed potatoes (they were very thing).
Then came the meat... and man let me tell you- between the 2-3 people who take care of you and the men who bring the meat around they move... they are constituently dogging each other but their wasn't one spill! Some of our favorite of the 5 different types of meat were the fillet mignon wrapped in bacon, Beef Ancho (rib-eye), and our favorite was Picanha (sirloin seasoned with sea alt or garlic).
Overall we extremely enjoyed ourselves even though we were full to the brim! If you are against buffet and all you can eat places this is not where like those places to don't pass it up! Before we left I have the opportunity to talk to the manager. As we were talking I was blown away over a statement he said: We were joking about a service to roll you to your car and his reply was if he gave me one I would have to come back at the end of the night and get him to his car because they would have over 1,000 people in that night!
So save your pennies ($45 a person for dinner w/out drinks) and GO!
This place is like a three-ring circus of meat... Delicious meat!
I had to be rolled out - the service is great! Instead of one server who can become preoccupied with other customers, the whole waitstaff is at your service. There was never an empty plate (unless you turned your card to red to end the madness) or empty glass.
And if you can ... save room for the delicious Lava Cake with Ice Cream. Great place for a group!
Completely unnecessary, but fun none the less. The service is impeccable. The meat selection is smaller than other Brazilian BBQ restaurants i've been too. The sides were meant to be left to the side. The salad bar has a great selection of cheeses and salmon. Not worth the $50 for dinner, but lunch has exactly the same menu for $30. Good luck finding parking.
All you can eat meat? Is this what heaven is like? Or maybe this is just a spot that vegetarians and Peta activists would like to see razed to the ground. In any case, this is a great place to take a group of hungry friends for a stomach-busting feast.
Both the waiting bar and main dining hall are covered in dark wood and overwhelmed with a flurry of activity. This makes the atmosphere a bit loud at times - meaning I'd recommend it for group dining just slightly more than a quiet romantic dinner for two. Although, if your date is an unabashed carnivore, get her here pronto!
Wait staff was extremely friendly, funny, and personable, thoroughly explaining the whole experience we were about to take part in. We were given a coaster-sized card that is green on one side, red on the other. When you flip the card to green, it's go time. Waiter after waiter will come up to you with skewered meat to shave off onto your plate. It's like being hounded by paparazzi, except they're holding filet mignon instead of cameras. If you don't like the particular meat they bring, just shoo them away and wait for the next offering - which there are about a dozen to choose from. Wash it down with a beer, fine liquor, or a wide variety of excellent wines.
Most of the meat was quite good, although there was an offering here and there that was a little dry. A collection of sauces, while perhaps insulting to the chefs and unnecessary for most of the cuts, might still be a welcome addition to the table.
With the speed in which they come and cut the meat for you, it's at first overwhelming and hard to hear and understand just exactly what you're eating, but after several visits to your table, you'll quickly establish your favorites and actively scan the dining room for your meat of choice.
For those who want a break in the action, there's an excellent salad bar in the middle of the room. I wish I could tell you how everything there tasted, but I only grabbed the salmon and some mozzarella. I'm sure not going to fill up on a salad in a steakhouse!
When you're done eating, you and everyone at your table will likely be sitting back and patting your stomachs. When you think about dessert, just remember that Vaccaro's is just a five minute walk east into Little Italy!
Yum, yum, yum... Food - impeccable, service - excellent, the only reason this isn't 5 stars is the atmosphere is too loud and busy for what I consider fine dining. Having said that, we'll go again and again and again...
Love the atmosphere of this place, but this one is definitely not as good as its DC location. Meats didnt seem as high quality. The meat service was rushed and the slicers didnt seem to care what I told them concerning my preference for rare to med rare. Most of the time they served me well done....
This is also a lot louder than DC. Which is fine, and I guess I kind of expected it to be, but if this is a concern for you, don't come here.
Great Date Place? NO
Great Group Place? YES
My favorite food groups are here. Lamb, Beef, Chicken, Sausage and I think there's a salad somewhere in here too. I had never tried Brazilian food before, but I am happy to say I'm now a believer. They totally cater to my love of da meats and it's all you can eat. Heaven has shined a light on me with Fogo de Chao.
It was a freezing night, so instead of starting with a red to pair with the red meats, I ordered a vanilla hot tea. Then we were told that at any time we could start on the salad and to get the meats we should flip the disc to green on the table. Man... I should have skipped the salad all together. As soon as the meat started swirling I was all disappointed that my plate was filled with leaves. I scarfed them down because I didn't want to waste food and then flipped my disc to green. Then out came fillet minion, lamb chops, lamb shank, sausage, chicken, sirloin, and rib eye oh my! I never wanted to leave, but my stomach was just a little too full from this Atkins styled meal. The fried plantains were good, but the cornmeal polenta was not so good.
But still the experience was great. I'd love for them to open one of these up in the SF Bay Area.
This was my first experience with one of these over the top meat halls, and I've got to say that I enjoyed myself fully. The place is huge and loud and crowded, but when you're in a big group it just adds to the experience. Like Jim said, I wouldn't recommend coming here for an intimate meal for two, but it's perfect for birthdays, graduations, or any other group celebration (we yelpers were celebrating, um, Saturday night).
As soon as you flip that little green card over, the meat starts coming, and it comes fast. I opted to hit the salad bar first, just because I needed a little veggie precursor to the host of animals I was about to annihilate. The salad bar was awesome: highlights were the sundried tomatoes, both hard and soft cheeses, and the chicken salad. Most of the meats were really good, although I couldn't tell you which was which. A card that listed all the things being served would have been handy, but I remember the garlic steak being really garlicky, the house special was good but a bit too fatty, and I was pleasantly surprised by the very tender bacon-wrapped chicken. I felt like the amount of meat being served ebbed and flowed, there would be a ton of guys all at once and then you wouldn't see anyone for a while.
Overall, the service was absolutely fantastic... in more ways than one. Our waiter was gorgeous, charming, quick, and helpful... all with an Irish accent to boot. He even handled Kevin's ploy to completely embarrass me with great tact.
Even though this dinner was a huge splurge for me and my budget, I still felt like I got my money's worth. For the next couple of weeks you'll find me living protein-free in an attempt to get my iron levels down to normal, but it was totally worth it.
This is definitely a restaurant for a hardcore carnivore. Almost all of the meat here was excellent. Some of it seemed a little bit on the salty side, but it was juicy, not overcooked, and it took no time at all to get served more. The sides were decent but not spectacular, but the salad bar was exceptional. Service was extremely attentive, it was easy to get overwhelmed with meat. Fogo De Chao isn't cheap and it certainly isn't healthy, so save this for a special occasion, but if you want to celebrate with a lot of meat then this is the place to go.
This is a great restaurant right in the Inner Harbor. The variety of meat and service was great. I came for a company holiday party, and I think it's perfect for any similar event or for going out with a group of friends. I wouldn't take a date here, you're inevitably going to eat more food than you can handle, I doubt anyone leaves feeling attractive!
I've been to Brazilian steak houses before and while it's been a great experience every time, this one really surpassed everything.
Stay away from the chicken (probably the only "healthy" thing on the menu actually...). The beef will not disappoint you.
They will try to sell you the caipirinha's / caipiroska's - they're OK but I've definitely had way better. It's tough to find a good caipirinha in a restaurant.
Hopefully Fogo will open a restaurant in San Francisco soon!
While I haven't been to a great churrascaria in the US, I've been to a number of better ones than this. The salad bar is a typical salad bar with a few extras. The meat when I went was barely passable - half the pieces being served were either inedibly fatty or just not very good. The meal came down to picking one or two cuts that tasted OK and getting more of the same. Nothing exotic here either, you're not going to get chicken hearts, etc. as you would at Greenfield in Rockville. The meat was uniformly overcooked - the rarest meat you could get was medium-well.
In short, the quality is not that far above a Sizzler, and the quantity doesn't mean much unless you're an absolute glutton. And the price, well... it's very expensive for what you get.
Stream-of-consciousness before Fogo: "Can't wait to eat - I'm starving! I've barely eaten all day and I'm totally looking forward to scarfing until I can't eat another bite."
Stream-of-consciousness during Fogo: "Why aren't they serving us? Oh, we have no plates. Should I get a plate from the salad bar? I don't want to fill up on that. I want meat. Will they get us plates? Oh, okay. Yay, a plate! MEAT! MORE MEAT! You're cute AND you have an Irish accent AND you're going to refer to me as 'luv' and 'sweetheart?' Hellooooooo, nurse! This Parmesan pork is off the chain! Yuuuum! Sure, I'll have some more of that house special! This is incredible... Oh, bacon-wrapped fillet mignon? Yes, please! Yes, medium rare please. Wow, these sun-dried tomatoes from the salad bar really are delicious! Okay, I'll have a slice of the top sirloin. Hot Irishman! I could use some water. Ooooo, fillet! Hm - do you think they'll come around with more water? Maybe I can flag down one... never mind. Maybe the next waiter... never mind. (dreamy sigh) Can I just listen to you talk to me, hottie? Oh yes, I'd love a refill on my water. You want dessert?! You clearly did something wrong. Hey - all that for sixty bucks a head including tax and tip?"
Stream-of-consciousness after Fogo: "WHYYYYYYYY?! Ow - I think I'm going to 'splode. Dayum, that was good! Yay - Yelpers in the B'more! But whhhhhyyyyyy?! Okay, twist my arm - I'm in for dessert at Vaccaro's..."
Welcome to a day in the life of my mind. Try not to get lost.
The best service I have ever had at a restaurant. The meat selection is unreal. And TASTY! My only issue is the price but I'm assuming the rent down at the Harbor can't be cheap. HIGHLY recommended.
What can I say... it's still a buffet! And a $50/person base price buffet at that! Not worth the $$ unless you can really eat. I would rather it not be a buffet and have better quality control - some meats were rather overcooked and sometimes we couldn't seem to flag down the server serving the type we meat we REALLY wanted. Salad bar is okay, but nothing too great - no hot sides available. The ambiance is crowded and loud - unfortunately when I pay $100+ for two people I expect my meal to feel at least a little special - i.e. not part of a cattle drive - where people are cramped in the waiting area, waiting for the diners to scarf down as much food as possible in a short a time as possible. Really, Fogo De Chao is just not that good...it's not bad but for the price you can do MUCH better in Baltimore!
Soooooo goooood. soooooo full.
After hearing a couple of my friends rave about this establishment, I knew I had to try it out for myself. The focus is definitely on the meat. My friend and I started out with the salad bar, but that was the only trip we took there all night. (hey...at least i had SOME veggies). Each person in your party is given a round disk--one side colored red, the other side green. So in red light green light fashion, you get to eat to your stomach's content. As soon as you flip your card to green, "gaucho" chefs start coming at you in every direction offering you cuts of whatever protein they have on their stick. My friend and i were so overwhelmed by the almost immediate attention that we usually only got one or two cuts of meat at a time before flipping our disks back to red (i needed time to actually try everything on my plate). I felt that most steak and lamb dishes were great. I enjoyed the pork sausages as well. I actually didn't try the chicken because I was so full by the time it came around. One thing I would not recommend is the parmesan encrusted pork...I thought it was too salty.
Overall, I thought it was a great dining experience. The staff are all very attentive, making sure you have everything you need. I don't know if I'd ever really have the occasion to go again, as it is kind of a splurge, but If I could ever make it for the less expensive lunch time menu (only offered weekdays) I definitely would.
Why only 2 stars? Only because there are so many better restaurants in Baltimore for the same price (or lower), even if all you crave is a beautifully tender hunk of meat. My friends brought me here and I didn't have any complaints. All of the meat was cooked perfectly. The salad bar - good. Serivce - very attentive, almost to the point of being annoying! But I assure you in this vast city, you can find better! A bit of a tourist trap, now I can say I went there, but I probably won't ever go back.
There is no doubt that the food is delicious. However, keep in mind that you are definitely paying for quality. At about $50/person for just the buffet itself, I expect more bells and whistles. The salad buffet is very good, but I would like to see a more extensive collection of greens and other salad items. The brazilian barbeque itself, of course, is memorable with about a dozen different types of meat, including different steak, pork, lamb, and chicken. The servers cut the meat however you like from rare to well-done. I was extremely disappointed at their bacon wrapped filet mignon, which was overcooked and difficult to chew. Otherwise, I have very few complaints about the meat. The side dishes were also good, my favorite being the fried bananas. Service here is very attentive and very friendly. However, overall, I would say that Fogo de Chao is still overpriced for what you get. It is also very loud, so good for big birthday parties, but not so good for small conversations. On the other hand, with all that good meat, who has time to talk anyway?
Baltimore, MD
Category: Restaurants
Baltimore, MD
Category: Seafood
Baltimore, MD
Category: African
Baltimore, MD
Category: American (Traditional)
Baltimore, MD
Category: Spanish
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