Fogo De Chao - Washington, DC

Entrance

Fogo De Chao is a Brazlian Churrascaria, or steakhouse.  Started in Brazil in 1979, Fogo has built up a devoted following, and emphasizes fresh and top quality food and customer service.

As you enter the restaurant, there is a small bar area to the left.  The restaurant opens up into a bigger space on the right, with upstairs seating, that is only available on the weekends.

Although Fogo De Chao is a steakhouse, diners also have the option of only ordering the salad bar.

At each seat, there is a little disc that is red on one side and green on the other.  When on the red side, it signals the servers that at is red on one side and green on the other.  When on the red side, it signals the servers that you would not like any meat brought to at that time.  Once you turn the disc over to the green side, a parade of different cuts of meat will start coming your way.

To begin your meal, you start at the salad bar, which contains several prepared salads, such as Caesar salad, potato salad, pasta salad and a chicken salad.  I have not seen the chicken salad at other locations, and it was quite good with a light curry type spice and raisins.  There are large chunks of chicken that are still tender and moist in a light mayonnaise dressing.  Other items at the salad bar include roasted beets, grilled vegetables, hearts of palm, salami, prosciutto, and different cheeses to name a few.

Menu

Menu

In addition to the cuts of meat pictured on the menu, there was also garlic sirloin, flank steak, another type of sausage and lamb t-bone (which I have not seen at other Fogo De Chao’s before).  I most likely missed a couple of other cuts brought to the table, as it does get overwhelming after a while.

Some of my favorites were the bacon wrapped filet, as the bacon added much needed salt and fat to an otherwise boring cut of meat.  The smokiness of the bacon added another dimension.  With bacon fat bathing the filet, it keeps it both moist and tender, while adding a punch of flavor.

The flank steak was super tender and juicy, something not usually associated with flank steak.  Well-seasoned, I could easily eat several servings of this alone.

The Picanha, is also the house specialty.  The thick fat cap bastes the sirloin as it cooks, keeping it moist and juicy.  With each bite, a packet of meat juice explodes in your mouth.

While Fogo De Chao is not an everyday restaurant at $51.50 per person, it is certainly worth the money considering the quality of ingredients, expert cookery and the overall experience.

For those interested in miles and points, I was pleasantly surprised when miles were added to my account with a dining program, such as the ones offered by American Airlines, United Airlines or Delta Airlines.