The Wise Glutton’s Guide to Fogo De Chão’s Market Table

Don’t call it a “salad bar.”  

Yes, Fogo de Chão’s “Market Table” has plenty of salads, fresh produce, and other allegedly healthy greenery, but this is not your typical restaurant wilted-lettuce-and-mealy-tomatoes selection. Indeed, the options, which include hot food such as Brazilian feijoada and soup, can be a meal unto themselves.

If you’re visiting Fogo for the first time, the selections can be overwhelming, and a haphazard approach to them can make for a less-than-satisfying experience. A bit of preparation and strategy, however, can optimize your visit to the Brazilian foodie wonderland.

When are You Eating?

Your strategy should be guided by a few factors: Specifically, whether you’re only eating from the Market Table or whether you’ll be getting one or more of the Gaucho-served meats as well. Even if you’re here for the full carnivore experience, I strongly recommend at least a little bit of roughage – otherwise not only will you not get to enjoy the various options, but also because your bowels may get bound up for a week or two in the aftermath.

If you’re a vegetarian, the Market Table may be your only real option. Actually, if you’re a sensitive vegetarian, the various cuts of charred and/or bloody meats may make this a less-than-optimal dining experience for you, but I respect your willingness to indulge your fellow diners. There are plenty of non-animal options here to fill you up satisfactorily. Then again, you really should try the meats.

The Market Table only option is not just for non-meat eaters, though. One of the greatest deals in modern gluttony is the lunch version of it – where, for $15 (not much more than supersizing it at McD’s), you can access to all of its goodies. For an additional fee, you can add one or more meats. So for me, the strategy boils down to that basic distinction – if I’m just getting the Market Table (most times when I go there for lunch), I’ll go heavier on the proteins and cheeses, whereas if I’m going with the full monty (every time I go there for dinner), I’ll go lighter on those and use the ample selection for roughage and as a seasoning station.

What are Some of the “Non-Salad” Options?

Fortunately, if you’re just getting the lunchtime special, there are plenty of protein-heavy (and often fatty, to be honest) foods that will fill you up. The citrus chicken salad, for example, is great. On top of a bed of greens or on a sandwich, it would be a meal unto itself. Along those same lines, there is also smoked salmon and typical fixings such as capers and red onions.

There are also cured meats like two kinds of prosciutto and chorizo, along with quality cheeses – I like the Grana Padano from a wheel, but there are also sliced options.

Finally, there are also the hot food options. You should try the feijoada, a typical Brazilian stew of sausage and black beans. You should also try the farofa, which is bacon-seasoned cooked flour (much better than it sounds). While too much of it can make you gasp for water, the candied bacon is exceptional. Just because you didn’t order the skewered meats doesn’t mean that you have to go meat-free.

Use it for Seasoning

When I go to Fogo for dinner, it’s the churrasco experience – and especially the typical Brazilian cuts like picanha and fraldinha – that I’m there for. I still cannot resist the salad bar….I mean, market table. First of all, I really enjoy some of the options, but used judiciously it can also enhance the overall experience.

That starts with some typical “salad” – various vegetables and accompaniments, all of which tend to be best-in-class – crisp Caesar Salad, massive cucumber slices, Hearts of Palm, and so on. I’m also a sucker for the caprese salad of tomatoes and mozzarella. I try to show some restraint, though, so as not to be full before the main event.

One way to enjoy the Market Table’s riches without overdoing it is to think of the foods on offer as seasonings. Like good Central Texas barbecue, most of these Brazilian meats can stand on their own, without any sort of sauces or condiments, but with a few simple tricks you can amplify their flavor. For example, there are various types of peppers – hot, sweet and savory – that I love in modest quantities. You may want a few of the herbed olives or pickled onions to achieve that same effect. Go small at first, find the ones you like, then grab a fresh plate and go back for more of them.

The Dessert Option

My primary reason for going to Fogo is to get a bad case of the meat sweats, but after all of that protein and fat and salt, I usually need at least a taste of something sweet on the way out. The desserts – including a molten lava chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream – are more than adequate, but if I’ve done my job with my green “yes, please” disc then it’s probably overkill. A full piece of cake could send me to an early grave. If you really need it, and want to share something with a trusted fellow diner, that’s probably ok, but it’s not the only option.

You can go back to the Market Bar and get any of a number of premium fruits. I like the pineapple and papaya, but on occasion there are also options including pomegranate, dragon fruit and star fruit. They may not only satisfy your sweet tooth, but also provide you with the departing illusion that you’ve had a healthy meal.

Pro Tips

• There are times, particularly on weekends during prime meal hours, when Fogo can get exceptionally crowded. While the staff is usually on top of replenishing diminished items, if something is run down go ahead and ask for more. In fact, if there’s something particular you want, it may be worth waiting for a fresh bowl or plate of it.

• At some of the larger restaurants there is a second Market Table. For example, in downtown DC the upstairs eating area has a smaller version with most of the same items. If you’re willing to walk you can use both to avoid crowds.

• Don’t ask for or read the nutritional information unless you are on a super-strict diet or have allergies.

• If you get behind an absolute creeper, the person who examines every leaf of lettuce, can’t decide which items to get, and generally slows down the process, jump ahead or reverse course. Yes, it probably breaks the social contract, but life is too short to wait on picky eaters when it’s all you can eat and there’s meat to be had.