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Fogo de Chao
Categories: Restaurants Brazilian Restaurants Steakhouses Brazilian, Steakhouses [Edit]
6300 N Scottsdale RdScottsdale, AZ 85253
(480) 609-8866
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 am - 10 pm
Fri 5 pm - 10:30 pm
Sat 4:30 pm - 10:30 pm
Sun 4 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy, Upscale
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
177 reviews for Fogo de Chao
Review Highlights
-
"I love the wide selection of their Salad Bar and Meats." In 94 reviews -
"He tried the bacon wrapped filet & chicken first." In 6 reviews -
"I love the appetizer pao de queijo (Cheese bread." In 14 reviews
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177 reviews in English
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Review from Ian S.
Phoenix, AZ
5/10/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Amazing.
Fogo de chao is nothing short of out of this world. It is expensive, but as soon as you start, you'll know exactly where that money went.
Seriously. Try it. -
Review from John N.
Phoenix, AZ
5/9/2012
Meat Heaven. This place is phenomenal. A good spot for special occasions. This is definitely a restaurant to be enjoyed in moderation. Quarterly is my limit. I always need about three months to recover from the meat coma.
The salad bar is perfect for anyone in your party that doesn't want meat. The service is always fantastic and you never have to wait for one individual to get back to you. Servers and Gauchos are always attentive. -
Review from Alex S.
Tempe, AZ
5/2/2012
Went there for my birthday dinner with the girlfriend and everything was up to par. I've been to Fogo de Chao before, so I knew what to expect, but it was her first time. Needless to say, she loved it.
My only complaint is that it's pretty much pointless to tell the servers what cut you want (medium-rare, etc.). Probably half the time, I would get a cut that was nowhere close to what I asked for.
The house special (garlic beef) was amazing, as was the Sirloin house special. Was a little disappointed with the Filet, but everything else definitely made up for it.
Regardless, everything is still amazing here and I will definitely be back. -
Review from Luciana L.
Buckeye, AZ
4/27/2012
Note to self: fancy place, not the greatest restaurant to take your 14 mo old on a whim and you and your hubby are wearing casual wear. With that said, even though we looked out of place, we still had a great time and the service was excellent!
We never get our money's worth in these type of churrasco restaurants because neither my husband nor I can pack it in. However, the meats were delicious and their appetizer/salad spread was yummy, too!! I love hearts of palm and mushrooms so this was right up my alley but they also had "normal" stuff too like potato salads and regular salads and the like.
Great place for a date, especially if you want to impress. You can go in there in casual wear, too, as we did, but it is more of an upscale type establishment.
Enjoy! -
Review from Greg M.
Scottsdale, AZ
5/2/2012
First trip here May 1, 2012. We were early, about 5:30pm. We walked right in and were seated with no wait.
Wait staff were professional and respectful. We asked questions and had all our confusion resolved quickly. After reading many of the reviews here on Yelp I was prepared for a different dining experience. I was pleasantly impressed.
The salad bar was a little un-impressive with a small-ish selection of veggies, cheese, meats, and dressings. I've been to a lot of salad bars in my life, this one was the nicest to look at but one of the poorest selections. I did not understand the concept of cold veggies normally served at restaurants heated after cooking. Who serves cold cooked asparagus? This place does.
So the process is simple. Seat, order drinks, go to salad bar, and when ready flip your round coaster from red to green and the many meat serving men stop by with their steaks and other meats on steel rods to slice a serving after you specify your desired cook cut (medium rare to well). They give you tongs to grab the slice and pull it to your plate.
As long as your coaster sits green side up they keep coming every few minutes. Turn the coaster to red to halt the meat.
They seemed to come in waves with cooked meats to offer. I had the beef and declined the chicken and lamb. The meat guys were a bit on the quiet side so many of them I had to have them repeat which cut it was since I wanted to avoid lamb and pork.
The meats came fast and hot. We got filled-up quickly.
The service was excellent, dining room and salad bar was clean and beautiful. I would gladly return here. Probably not a place to go in jeans and a t-shirt. Our cost for two with tip was about $130, we don't consume alcohol or dessert. -
Review from Frank S.
Scottsdale, AZ
3/5/2012
Valentine's Day and what can be better than a wonderful night out with my beautiful wife! We booked reservations at Fogo de Chao and were looking forward to a wonderful evening. We arrive promptly for our reservation and were warmly greeted by a 20 minute wait standing in an overcrowded lobby. We overheard the hostess tell another patron that Fogo was running behind because people were taking longer than expected to eat. I guess they did not account for folks actually wanting to enjoy their meal and their conversation on Valentine's Day.
We were taken to our table and our waiters greeted us with "Man, I am tired, can't wait until by shift ends." - Sorry for the inconvenience. We will try not to ask too much of you. - Well, I think he read my thoughts because we went to the salad bar and returned to find that we still did not have our drinks, including water, or forks. We did a quick check to see in anyone else was eating with their hands as part of the cultural experience. But, they had forks and water, so we waited. And waited... Finally, we flagged down a meat chef who kindly gave use the equipment necessary to begin our meal.
The food was average. The steaks were great, but the lamb was gamey and the chicken was average and a bit dry. The rolls were beautifully prepared and had an interesting texture.
We were invited to try their dessert, but decided that we did not want to overstay our welcome. So we politely asked for our check and waited.... We did pass the time watching the waiters flip through the bills from other customers evaluating their tips like the IRS agents checking tax returns.
To be serious for a moment, for the price of this restaurant, we expected a more classic dining experience with a professional, attentive wait staff, etc. However, it may have just been a over overcrowded since it was Valentine's Day. Yet, that is exactly why we picked this establishment in the first place.... -
Review from Trish S.
3/13/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I really wanted to give Fogo De Chao 5 stars. Their food is amazing. I have been 3 times, and 2 of the 3 times were perfect.
Fogo De Chao is certainly an experience, you start off with the salad bar, which is no where near your typical Jell-o salad bar. They have smoked salmon, and their fresh Parmesan cheese wheel is extremely unique for most places.
The meat selection is not only good, the taste is out of this world. The service for the most part is phenomenal you never have to ask for anything.
Now having said that, my husband and I went to Fogo for Valentine's day. We had reservations, and I understood that we would be waiting. It was more the fact that they had probably about 50, 2 person tables crammed into one of their big rooms to the point that you could not pull your chair out to get up from your table without being in someone elses lap, and forget about getting the meat selection you want if you were in the corner, which we were. Half of the gauchos completely ignored our corner.
It was less then to be desired.
Pros: Fantastic Food and atmosphere (non holiday)
Cons: Holiday planning on their part. Just don't go. -
Review from Morgan S.
Phoenix, AZ
4/28/2012
From start to finish this was the best experience! The wait staff was so friendly and fast. We were discussing my birthday, and they brought me a special dessert just to be sweet. The food was incredible and didn't all have the same smokey flavor (most brazilian steakhouses have the same taste). The buffet and sides were perfect, and complimented the wonderful food. The money is well worth it, I would pay that every day to receive that kind of service. I love this place, and I recommend it for any occasion.
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Review from Darren S.
Phoenix, AZ
2/29/2012
Eating at Fogo De Chao is a great experience as long as you enjoy talking to the wait staff constantly. The valet took our car; we entered only to be seated right away in a large grand dining room surrounded by tables and a giant top shelf salad bar. We took our seat at a little two top and immediately we were greeted by one of our several servers throughout the meal with a small green and red disk. After a quick lesson from one of the 20 or so social waiters and waitresses wandering around, we started our dining experience.
VEGETARIANS NEED NOT APPLY
This place is fantastic with the selections of beef, pork and chicken that are brought to your table as soon as that little disk is turned to green. When your plate is full and you want to eat, just flip it over and enjoy your meal.
The ambiance is a little generic big restaurant, but totally worth the visit if you really like to eat meat. Price is ok, but I personally don't have a problem with a 40-50 dollar per plate meal considering all the variety of samplings made available by this Brazilian churrascaria. Sometimes more is less and sometimes you just want to sample multiple dishes, well at Fogo De Chao you can eat as much or as little of many different styles and kinds of meat of your choosing.
The only real problem with this restaurant is since there appears to be no sections for individual wait staff, you do, get a little harassed by the wait staff trying to do their job and asking you if "you're ok". This is a problem I can deal with for such a fantastically filling eating experience.
BE WARNED, WEAR LOSE PANTS -
Review from Meschelle H.
Phoenix, AZ
4/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
A friend of mine recently invited us to join for his birthday dinner at Fogo. My initial thought was "what am I going to be able to eat here?!" but was assured that their salad bar was "banging". So, alas we arrive and the woman and I hit up the bar while we waited for our peeps. She got a really great dark beer and I tried to go outside of the box and ordered a melon martini. It was terrible, but I didn't want to send it back cause it was kind of my own fault. The bartender, however, noticed my full glass and asked if there was something else he could get for me. Thank you sir!!! I got a glass of Malbec instead, and it was great. Our friends arrived, and we were seated. It was like a whirlwind of craziness after. Our server twirled on over and explained super fast how the place worked and what it was all about. He went around asking what we all wanted to drink, and when he got to my lady, he called her sir...annoying. She clearly is a woman. Whatev, stuff happens sometimes when you're high on meat fumes. After he was done with our drink order, we all got up to grab some salad. Now, I know that this place is a meat house, but if you're gonna charge me 23 bones for my salad bar, please, make it great! I grabbed some lettuce and started walking around to see what else I wanted. There were these huge asparagus piled high, so I grabbed a few. Then I grabbed some green beans, huge beet slices and broccoli, too. I went to the dressings and was kind of disappointed. There were ranch, caesar, and what looked and tasted like zesty Italian from Kraft. Boo. Everything looked really good, but nothing was seasoned at all. I mean, I appreciate being given the option to season my own items, but plain bland everything? I want some flavor people!
Once seated, meat on sticks came from every direction. It's kind of funny to watch. Two of my dining companions ordered limeades, and no joke, had to ask for refills from multiple people (at least four times!) before someone came by with a pitcher.
The boyfriend of the birthday boy decided to propose that evening, and asked them to please bring the ring out on the dessert plate, and they did so very well. I'll give them a star for that. It was cute and sweet, both literally and figuratively. I just ordered an after dinner coffee for my dessert, and everyone seemed please with their treats.
Ugh, then when it came time to pay, we decided that I would put $100 on my card and the rest was in cash. When someone FINALLY came by to pick up the bill, I explained this. He looked very confused. So, I repeated "Just 100 on the card and the rest cash." Simple enough, right? Not so much. It literally took about ten minutes for someone else to bring our monies back and when they did, the guy used all the cash and put the remainder of $61 on my card (I'm just glad is wasn't more than what I asked him to put on)...but still, I serve bro! It's not hard to do!
I was completely underwhelmed by my experience here and do not plan on returning. At least I won't suffer from any meat sweats.
NEXT!Listed in: Me thinks not.
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Review from Volkan U.
2/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
This is a place that after you eat here; you put your craving to meat on hold for sometime.
It has really nice selection if meat, I am a big fan of lamb and I got plenty :)
Pros: lots of meat, salad, ambiance
Cons: the meat is extremely salty, I thought I will get an hearth attack :)
2 people with 2 martinis we paid roughly 120$ so a bit pricey :) -
Review from Andy G.
Tempe, AZ
2/7/2012
For the 40$ a head you pay for all the meat and salad you can eat, this is a heaven for a 20 year old guy!! I have been coming to this location for a few years now during birthdays and special occasions with family. One thing I have voiced is how the employees have remained the same throughout the years!
Since working in the reasturant for about 3 years I have witnessed constant overturn at my job, but Fogo has kept the same hard working people hustling and bustling to please the customers needs. This also falls on management! Employees enjoy being there, whenever that happens, food will have more love and quality to it.
All in all I love going to Fogo for the culture I feel I am absorbing by talking with the staff and indulging in the food. -
Review from Jordan P.
San Francisco, CA
2/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
**** My 200th Review! ****
Fogo de Chao I believe loosely translates to "Meat Tornado". I was warned by a friend not to fill up on the salad bar and starchy side dishes before the carnivorous category F5 engulfed the table in a dizzying barrage of beef, lamb, chicken, and pork.
There are 16 different types of meat brought to your plate. You can control the flow of the meat parade by using a little stop-n-go coaster, but who wants to stop the meat parade?
Highlights for me were: anything lamb, bacon wrapped chicken, the garlic beef, and the mashed potato side dish (seriously good).
Lowlights for me were: the sirloins, the pork sausage, the corn fritter things, and the emptiness of salad-type salad bar options.
The staff were top notch, even for a bunch of younger dudes, they communicated well and were very professional. Well done sirs. We had an excellent wine pairing. They brought out a nice desert for our birthday girl and everyone left a little more swollen than when they came in. On a side note, go to the salad bar last, what my friend called "the pusher" and steer clear of their bathrooms unless you want to hear guttural sounds the likes of which you can never un-hear.Listed in: GOOD EATS
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Review from Doug L.
Essex, CT
2/29/2012
From a comparison point of view, this restaurant is not in the same league as the Fogo in Las Vegas. The quality of the food was true to Fago's high standards but the service was over-the-top-annoying. There was way too much "is everything ok?" to the point of interrupting our meal and conversation. I had to tell them that we would let them know if everything wasn't okay and to allow us to enjoy our meal. Seriously, at one point I was asked "how is everything?" twice while chewing the same piece of meat!
In my world, along with food quality, dining service is equally important, if not more-so. This Fago must define it good service differently. -
Review from Cat C.
Union City, CA
4/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
We were so disappointed! We were on vacation in Scottsdale and wanted to try a Brazilian restaurant. It was nothing like the one we have had home. Actually it was completely worse than all three Brazilian steakhouses we have close to home. I tried about 12 different meats and I think there were only 2 out of the 12 that were tender. The rest were over cooked or hard as a rock. We really wanted to love this place as I kept trying more and more of the meats as they came around hoping the next one would be better. Besides being hard, the meats didn't have much flavor. The salad bar was okay and I don't know that I would even pay the cheaper price to just eat from their salad bar. This is sad that I have to say the highlight or our meal was the fresh bread and salami slice you get at the salad bar. :(
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Review from Elizabeth B.
Cave Creek, AZ
2/11/2012
Admittedly, I'm not a huge meat eater. At Brazilian Steakhouses, I gorge on the cheesy bread things, mashed potatoes and plantains (and, in Vegas, a pitcher of sangria). This the only Fogo de Chao location I've visited. I'm thrilled that they are open for lunch. I sometimes meet my hubby there (now, he IS a carnivore and makes up for me not eating much meat). It's not crowded, service and food selection are still great, and it's cheaper. Also, kids 5 and under are free. Unfortunately for them, my four year old eats everything. She's in heaven here.
I still think I prefer Texas de Brazil b/c their plantains and potatoes are better. But, Fogo de Chao has palenta. The salad bar area and meats are about equal.
I did notice that the meats are cooked more than some of the other Brazilian steakhouses. More medium-well. The bacon-wrapped filet was great! -
Review from Lisa M.
2/22/2012
This place is very expensive, but you get your moneys worth. I was actually taken here as a guest of my aunt and her husband and I felt very guilty because even though I do eat meat, I feel like I did not eat enough to make it worth it to bring me.
The salad bar is amazing. Its top of the line food including mozzarella balls as big as a child's fist. The thing is, if you are there to eat meat, then don't fill up here as the big show is next.
You get coasters that on one side are red, the other side is green. Think of a stop light, red is stop, green is go. Men with spits of meat will walk around and ask you if you would like a cut of what they are serving. There is beef, pork, lamb, chicken, and sauages walking around. As long as you are flipped to green, they will keep coming.
When you are finally done with all that meat and you somehow amazingly have more room, then totally go for the desserts. They are out of this world. I got the tres leche cake. So amazing. Along with the pinot noir we got, this was a very decadent meal. -
Review from Danielle B.
San Francisco, CA
4/7/2012
Love it! They have a great salad bar...but make sure not to eat too much here because the meat is the best part. The meat was endless. My favorite was the bacon wrapped filet. The ambiance here is nice as well.
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Review from Kyle S.
Chandler, AZ
1/14/2012 1 photo
I have been to a few different Brazilian steak houses before, but this was my first time here. We went to celebrate a couple birthdays with a group of 8 people.
The service and atmosphere is what earned both stars. The only complaint in this department was when I went to the rest room, a service tray was leaning against the wall less than a foot from the urinal. Pretty gross for a crappy diner let alone a nice evening out.
The food was not worth the cost at all. All meats, except the sirloin, were way over cooked. The carver would ask how you would like the meat cooked, and we quickly learned your response did not matter. Dry and well done was what you got. My wife is pregnant so only soda for her, and one glass of wine for me. $148 total including a 20%tip. Not worth it at all. I will not return, and recommend looking elsewhere for a good Brazilian steakhouse. -
Review from Joel F.
Mobile, AL
1/12/2012
This place is awesome. This is the first Fogo I've been to, but I've spent some time in Brazil and have had "real" BBQ. As with most Brazilian BBQ places, the strategy is to stay away from the salad bar and just load up on meat. Having said that, their salad bar is very fresh and is loaded with some pretty interesting items. The asparagus was cooked perfectly (something I need with beef for some reason).
One of the drawbacks from places like this is overcooked meat. I prefer Medium rare to rare for high quality beef and the servers are more than willing to find you steaks that are cooked to your liking. You're not going to get anything too exotic to choose from like you would in Brazil...i.e...chicken hearts, but it's a nice place in a convenient location. Of course this is in Scottsdale, so you know it's more upscale than it probably needs to be, and that's fine with me. -
Review from Benjamin S.
Phoenix, AZ
1/2/2012
Ok, I'll say this up front, I don't like chains. There are just far too many awesome restaurants in Phoenix/Scottsdale to go to a chain.
That being said, this place is amazing and the quality and consistency here is unreal. Yes, it "seems" expensive but once you've eaten here you'll realize that you are absolutely getting your moneys worth.
So much awesome unlimited red meat.
Don't let them trick you with the salad bar! It's killer but don't fill up! And don't be ashamed to leave your flipper thing on GREEN, the sign of meat greed. hahahahaha.
Lastly, try the Tres Leches and the Key Lime Pie, out of this world. -
Review from Erin A.
2/25/2012 3 photos
One thing I like about this place is that it's a nice treat after a long and stressful week. The ambiance is high class and you feel like you could be in one of those fancy dinner scenes in a movie. For $50 its unlimited Filet Mignon, lamb, beef, and other types of meat dishes that may just possibly clog your arteries. I would say starve yourself and definitely come here with an appetite. My roommate and I shared the chocolate fudge cake with vanilla ice cream on the side. Just what we needed to satisfy our sweet tooth. Overall, I would come here again, maybe once a year. Good experience.
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Review from Phlippen H.
Litchfield Park, AZ
3/19/2012
Place is pretty good. First time going and was bombarded with steak, if you don't take it easily...you et full within minutes
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Review from Rob A.
Mesa, AZ
3/3/2012
Wow - so good. Very, very good!
My wife and I began our evening with reservations (recommended on weekends) and felt that we truly received VIP treatment from start to finish. The food, a variety of Brazilian style cooked meats, was served tableside and each bite tasted better than the last. The wine list was vast and creative.
The service was terrific. Polite, informative, but not too invasive.
A wonderful evening, an interesting experience, and we can't wait to return! -
Review from Vanessa M.
San Antonio, TX
10/26/2011
5 Things
1. if you're on a high protein diet - Go Here!~
2. No prices - rule of thumb.. if you have to ask - you can't afford it. No joke this place for 2 people is an easy $200
3. It's fun.. almost like a game. You have a card which you flip over when you want them to bring you more meat and back over when you don't.
4. Go here if you're starving otherwise you're not going to eat your money's worth.
5. Caipirinha - Don't be fooled it is no mojito.. it will knock you on your ass it's painfully strong..but you can power through it, It's not very sweet, it's actually kinda awful.lol -
Review from Edgar H.
Chandler, AZ
9/10/2011
For my Very First Review, I wanted to do a no brain-er.
This is by far the best restaurant I've ever been to. If you Love beef, you will love this place. At about $50 per person it is pricey but the beef has awesome flavor and it's all you can eat so get your grub on.
If you Vegetarian, you can get just the salad bar and it is still incredible. I can't give this place enough stars since it is the only restaurant that easily pleases both Carnivores and vegetarians!
I've been to this location several times and each time the food has been amazing. The truly greatest thing about this place is the consistency. Each time we have gone the service, food and experience has been the same. Amazing.
My personal Favorite is the House special. It has great flavor and is mouthwatering. The lamb is also great. each cut is great in it's own unique way. If you like well done or rare, ask the server and they will ensure you get it. Believe me you won't regret trying this place. -
Review from jamie c.
Scottsdale, AZ
2/14/2012
First off...they're getting one star for cheesy bread. That's it. Horrible service tonight for our group.
Where do I begin. Took 15 minutes to receive our bottle of wine along with another 10 minute wait for our bottle of water. Meats were tasty for about the 15 minutes when we received them. After that the meats stopped coming around even though our cards were up on green. The meat jockey's were still walking around but seemed to ignore our table. The table next to us also received the "salad bar" treatment.
Really disappointed in the service as I had been waiting for this dining experience for a few weeks now. Decided while waiting twenty minutes for the check that I will probably not return. -
Review from John S.
Tempe, AZ
1/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
If you have not yet been to this place and have any sort of respect for being a carnivore, get yourself to FOGO ASAP. I don't think it's possible for anyone to leave this place disappointed. Even a vegetarian would enjoy the wonderful all you can eat salad bar, however if you are trying Fogo for the first time, do not make the rookie mistake and go crazy when they turn you loose on the salad bar. Save every inch of stomach space for the Unlimited amount of 15 different kind of meats that you will be consuming. So go lithe on that salad bar if you must, turn that card over to green and let the glorious amount of meats be carved right onto your plate. The three side dishes they bring you are delish don't get me wrong, partake in those, but don't go crazy, it's ALL about the meat. The only think this place could do better was create a separate bathroom to purge so your stomach could hold more meat.
Fogo is pricey, 47 dollars a head for unlimited food, so if you aren't hungry don't waste your money. They will tell you about their house specialty mojito. It is quite delicious but do beware its 12 dollars and that's not advertised. Do yourself a favor, if it's a special occasion or your just looking to treat yourself to a great meal, GO HERE. PLEASE. You've earned it. Afterwards the amount of meat and food you consume, you may feel that you disrespected all the starving people in the world. YES you did. But damnit its worth it. -
Review from V M.
Phoenix, AZ
8/29/2011
For meatatarians! Wow, bring on the beef. From chicken legs to lamb this place serves you as much meat as you can handle and then some.
Everyone is given a coaster like deal that is red on one side for stop, and green on the other for go! The servers will continue to come to your table as long as the green side is up. I believe I have tried all their cuts of beef, but my fav is the house beef. So tasty and mouthwatering. The salad bar is full of delicious options: salmon, brie, chicken salad....etc. The side dishes are also great: mashed potatoes, this awesome little bread, and plantains.
The desserts are delicious! -
Review from Eric Bernard N.
Phoenix, AZ
2/14/2012
Maybe because it was Valentine's Day night and it was busy... but unfortunately, I'd have to say this place is OVERRATED.
Good thing about this place is that the restaurant is located in a nice upscale area and is easily visible from the main road. Fancy decor and high class environment. People understand that it is upscale so for the most part everyone is dressed up. Good ambiance for a romantic dinner.
For the food, you're paying $50 for each person for a salad bar and unlimited meat. Now the food wasn't bad at all. Everything at the salad bar tasted good and it was all fresh. The meats portion really depends on how much of the different choices you like. Being that it was my first time, I wanted to really experience what they had to offer and get a little bit of everything. Problem with that... everything wasn't great. I would have rather ordered a dish that i preferred and got full off that. But instead i ate a mixture of things that liked and things that I don't really care to try again. At the end of the day, none of the different cuts wow'ed me.
The reason I'm giving this such a bad review was the service. Again, I'm sure it was because it was Valentine's Day but It was just horrible! Servers come to tables with the different meat randomly and there were times where everyone had empty plates and it took a while for another server to come. Also, some of the meat never came to our table so we had to ask for them towards the end of the meal. At the end of the meal, they brought out our dessert twice and forgot the hot tea. Different waiters were asking if we needed anything, but they would forget about it. They just didn't seem organized. Finally, we had to wait over 30 minutes for our bill. They did apologize for it because their "system was down." Finally, we got a bill and noticed that the 2 beers we ordered and the dessert wasn't on there. I thought that was a nice gesture to compensate for the wait. However, a couple of minutes later another waiter comes and tells us that we received the wrong bill! He then gives us the correct one with everything on it. I'm not complaining that we had to pay for what we got, but that just made them look so bad.
Ultimately, if I make reservations at a restaurant, come dressed up, and I'm paying $50/person for a so-so meal, they better be on point when it comes to customer service. Our servers knew that it was our first time there and they did nothing for us that would make us want to come back. -
Review from Tyler S.
1/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
If you have never eaten at a Brazilian churrascaria this place is a pretty good representation of one. Word to the wise...... get ready for a mass intake of meat products.
The menu here is non existent. You sit down, order some beverages, and get down and dirty. The salad bar here is definitely above par for the course (to all of you golfers: the salad bar just shot a 69 at Augusta). I think it had thirty five or so items to excite the palate. Now don't fill up with all of that rabbit food because the next stop is protein town, population you.
In my mind I said "bring on the beef!" I think that message was picked up subliminally by every waiter in the joint. The moment I was done with my salad our table was surrounded by beautiful glistening beef, lamb, chicken, even a little pork. I made the fatal mistake of thinking I could try a little of everything. At the end of the meal I was so overloaded with meat products I almost passed out at the table. The quality of the meat and flavors was top notch and highly recommended.
I guess I should also note the service was fantastic. All of the meats are made to order. The lamb was a little over done for my taste and they had a fresh skewer of rare meat out in a flash. All of the drinks were full and the house had a pretty good wine selection. -
Review from Jason B.
11/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Love. This. Place.
It is not cheap and I'm pretty sure I had a mild heart attack from all the fat and sodium I ingested; but oh so worth it. Not the best cuts of meat and some pieces are a bit fatty but this is pretty much a meat lovers paradise. I went here as part of a ginormous 30-person party and everything went pretty smoothly considering our group's size. The staff was very professional and tried to keep everything straight even though things got a little bit hectic.
Can't wait to return. -
Review from Ahriza M.
Updated - 9/16/2011 4 Check-ins Here
A quick FYI: This coming week for Restaurant Week they will be offering dinner for $40 per person...a great deal!
I love LOVE this place! I love the wide selection of their Salad Bar and Meats. I also LOVE their desserts!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/18/2010
I suggested we go here for my boss' surprise birthday for lunch!
The place was not packed during… Read more »
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Review from Robin B.
Tucson, AZ
2/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
Best place ever. Plus kids eat free. Meat and more Meat!! My husband loved it. So good.
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Review from Jim S.
Fremont, CA
7/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Alright, I'm going to make this as short and sweet as possible. If you're vegan or vegetarian, yes there's a giant salad bar for you, but don't waste your time and money. If you're a meat eater but mostly fish or chicken because red meat is soooo bad for you. Go jog to your favorite sushi bar and fill up on those cute little morsels. If you are a true carnivore. I mean you embrace the fact that we have been blessed with canine teeth for the ripping and shredding of flesh. If you pass by a farm filled with cows and you don't notice the smell of poop and moreover you are suddenly blazing a trail to Carl's Jr for a $6 burger. If you look longingly at your local butcher's apron and think about sucking that fabric clean. Well my friends, Fogo de Chao is for you.
Now the place if very nicely adorned. Staff very professional. Prices are pretty high. But at the heart of it beats a BBQ joint. Here's the deal: The salad bar is awesome. All of the various extras they bring by your table, delicious. Having said that, only a fool partakes in those features of this restaurant. This is all you can eat meat, off a skewer, and when the gauchos come by carving off every type of meat imaginable, you better not have filled up on fluff! You can get all that other stuff at a million restaurants. But you cannot get meat like this anywhere else.
The meat is so simply prepared, just heat and salt used as ingredients. But don't let that fool you into thinking it's boring. While I admit, I am a sauce man. Love all kinds and love it all over my BBQ, no matter what kind of meat. This meat is of superior quality, and so there is very little needed to be done to it to make it taste fantastic. Look, I can go on and on about the tasty virtues of their perfectly cooked meats. All you need to know is say yes to every hunk of protein brought by on a sword until you are ready to burst. Then force down the Creme Brulee, it really is pretty damn good! -
Review from Shiraz B.
Phoenix, AZ
1/5/2012
I love this place! You know when its good when even Brazilians go to this place to eat. If you are a big meat lover, this is your spot. Its pricey but well worth it!
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Review from Shannon W.
Tucson, AZ
6/28/2011
For me, Fogo de Chao is a place that you should try at least once. After that, it may not be worth it.
Don't get me wrong, the food is good. The salad bar is very impressive- cold meats and cheeses, marinated vegetables, the infamous wheel of parmesean. I am a bacon addict, and they have a huge pile of thick, crispy bacon.
Once you turn your card to green, you are swarmed with selections of meats on a stick (11 of them in all, if I recall correctly). Several of the meats were incredible tasting, particularly the Picanha, which is the house specialty. I loved all of the beef selections, actually. The chicken selections are tasty as well, but they aren't really anything special. I did not care for the sausage or the lamb (too gamey tasting for me). The sides they bring you are like the chicken- good but forgettable. I liked the
mashed potatoes, but the bananas were too mushy.
It's definitely a unique dining experience here, and that's what you are really paying for. It was a lot of fun to try, and I got to taste some really delicious things. But our bill for 2 was $100 (before tip), and was this the best $100 dinner that I could have? I don't think so. -
Review from Bailey G.
Scottsdale, AZ
1/13/2012
Great food and lots of it! Service was awesome! Come hungry! May not be the best for kids as our daughter did not enjoy the variety like us.
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Review from Jonah O.
Long Beach, CA
7/20/2011
I felt like a King...but at a king's price. I had the meal, one mixed drink, and coffee and tip....$78
By the end of the meal, my head was spinning and I was dizzy with the excessive hospiality, the over abundance of great food, great service and good coffee. -
Review from Susan W.
Ferrari's + Fashion + Filet = Fogo de Chao
Maybe it's just me, but I felt out of place here. Well, I am getting up there in age and no longer feel a part of the "in crowd." As we parked our car (yes, we parked our own car and didn't use the valet), we saw Ferraris, Mercedes, Escalades, BMWs and they were everywhere. My husband and I drive a Lexus, so we're not exactly chopped liver, but the car display here was over-the-top.
Then, there's the "eye candy." Granted it was "AZ Restaurant Week," so the restaurant was bustling with high energy. There were so many gorgeous young girls in stilettos and spandex dresses that were two sizes too small; I'm not sure how my husband was able to concentrate on his food.
As for the food, it was good. The salad bar is huge with exotic and high end offerings including: tender fresh asparagus stalks, apple salad, hard salami and prosciutto, shaved authentic Parmigiana Reggiano, sun-dried tomatoes, and freshly made buffalo mozzarella.
Here's how the all-you-can-eat carnivorous feast works. After you've had your fill of the salad bar, use your special coaster to let the waiters know you're ready. Flip the coaster to green to signal food service or red to take a break. Each waiter carries dramatic skewers with different meats. There are at least a dozen different varieties of beef, chicken, lamb, sausage, pork. Once we flipped our coasters to green, those waiters swarmed on us like flies to honey. Truth be told, it was overwhelming, almost scary. So we quickly flipped our coasters back to red so we could enjoy our feast. I was surprised that many of the meat selections were dry. Maybe they could set some flavorful dipping sauces on the table to provide moisture and a variety of flavors. But perhaps that would defeat the purpose of showcasing the meat?
At any rate, I can see how many people enjoy Fogo de Chao. But for me, I'm not a fan.
