Hacking Fogo de Chão
Longtime readers of our blog know that we’ve loved our fishing trips to Brazil. I’ve gone to Amazonia three times to chase peacock bass, payara, and wolffish, and also visited Rio in my teens on a family trip. It’s a vibrant country with friendly people and all sorts of diverse experiences. I’ve seen only the smallest slivers of it.
But what if you can’t go to Brazil for any reason? Or you’re hungry for a taste of it in between trips? One good way to experience the country’s flavor is through their food. Some of our favorite meals have been piranha on the houseboat and tambaqui ribs, but to Americans the best-known Brazilian food is churrascaria. The Brazilians call it rodízio, which reflects the fact that it includes various cuts of meat, served by roving gauchos who slice it directly from skewers.
I’ve had it at multiple restaurants in multiple cities in Brazil, as well as three outlets in the United States, and in my opinion the best of the bunch is the international chain called Fogo de Chão, which happens to have an outlet about 15 minutes from my house, and two more within an hour. The food is exceptional, and while it’s not inexpensive, it is a great value – particularly if you’re hungry. All-you-can-eat top quality meat, and so much more. We recently went twice in an eight-day period, which made me think that like everything else there has to be some strategy involved. Thus, the origin of this blog.
Why Should You Go to Fogo?
Are you hungry? Do you like meat? Are you looking to eat out? Then Fogo should be on your list. As noted above, it’s not inexpensive, but you get more food and more variety for your money than you would at an upper-tier steakhouse. Figure about $60 a person for all-you-can-eat meat, salad bar (which is loaded with non-salad items, too), and side dishes. That doesn’t include drinks, tax or gratuities, but for a special night out it’s great. Despite the fact that it is a white tablecloth restaurant, it’s surprisingly casual, and just about everyone can find something to eat there. In fact, we once visited competitor Texas de Brazil with a group that included a vegetarian – she was able to purchase unlimited salad bar trips only for a reduced price, and while she may have been grossed out by some of our antics, she seemed to like the food. Furthermore, it’s a chance to dip your toe in a possibly unfamiliar foreign cuisine while still enjoying plenty of familiar staples.
Fogo Locations
There are currently 48 Fogo outposts in the United States, including four in Chicago and New York, along with three in Dallas and Los Angeles. They’re effectively in every larger city in the country. Per their website, there are six more coming here soon. There are also seven Fogos in Brazil (four in São Paulo, with a fifth on the way), along with six in Mexico and, remarkably, two in the Middle East.
How to Hack the Fogo Experience
You can go to Fogo, turn your table card from red to green, watch the gauchos descend upon you, and leave an hour later stuffed and happy. However, after thinking about it a bit, I realized the just being full is not a sign of success. If you want to leave feeling that you enjoyed the experience to the max, here are some tips, whether you’re a frequent guest or a first-timer:
Make a reservation – If you’re going to visit a popular location, during prime time (especially on a weekend, and especially if you have a large group), make a reservation. You’ll want to be assured that you can waltz right in and sit down.
Consider off times – We recently went at 5:30 on a Sunday evening, and when we sat down the room was about 2/3 full. When we left a while later, not only was the room entirely full, but the waiting area and bar were stuffed to the gills. I’ve heard some speculation that it’s actually better when it’s crowded because that’s when the skewers of meat are likely to be freshest – but with my luck I’d get behind that one family in the salad bar line who have to pick through every leaf of lettuce. Mo’ people, mo’ problems, in my opinion.
Try lunch — In normal circumstances the lunch options are every bit as fulsome as dinnertime, and substantially less expensive. For a while, the Fogo near my office had a deal where you could choose any one meat, as well as all the side dishes and unlimited trips to the salad bar, for a price that wasn’t much more than a sandwich, chips and a drink somewhere else.
Don’t fill up on starches – Shortly after you arrive, the staff will place side dishes on your table like garlic mashed potatoes, caramelized bananas, pão de queijo (cheese bread), and polenta. This is a trap. I repeat, this is a trap. Yes, they’re good. Yes, you should sample them, but wait until the meats are served and try them only in moderation. They’ll fill you up quickly without providing much satisfaction. You came here for the meat.
Don’t order appetizers – I’m sure that the seafood tower is tremendous, but it’s just a waste of money.
Use the salad bar judiciously – The salad bar is incredible by itself, with top-notch produce, various prepared antipasti, excellent charcuterie, and so on. You will be invited to sample it before you start in on the meats, and again the temptation will be to try everything and pile it on. First of all, you can go back as often as you want, so don’t go crazy. Second, use these items as complements to the meats rather than as a meal by themselves. Otherwise, you’ll be too full for the main attraction.
Get a little Brazilian – the “Market Table” next to the salad bar features various hot items, including some Brazilian staples. I don’t love the feijoada, a type of stew, but on our trips to the Amazon I’ve really learned to enjoy farofa, a yucca flour that is sauteed with bacon and seasonings. If you’re not going to at least try the Brazilian stuff, you might as well go to an American steakhouse.
Ask for clean plates – They’ll want you to use a clean plate on each trip to the salad bar or market table, so don’t hesitate to ask someone to take your messy one away. I like to do that during the meat session as well – it’s like a forced intermission that requires me to slow down and take stock of what I’ve eaten and what I still want to eat.
Get the Brie with Honey – I know that it doesn’t sound Brazilian, but Fogo has a cooked brie drizzled with honey that is absolutely orgasmic. If they don’t offer it to you, ask for it.
Candied Bacon, yes – Fogo makes peppered candied bacon that I would buy by the pound at any cost if I could. Once again, if you don’t see it, ask for it.
Try small portions of meat at first – You will be given a disc which has one green side and one red side. When you turn it to green expect the gauchos to descend upon you en masse. That’s ok, but don’t take huge portions of meat at first. Instead, take bite-sized pieces and figure out which ones you like and want to resample.
It’s ok not to finish things – I typically don’t advocate waste, but if you don’t absolutely LOVE a particular meat, don’t finish it. Save that room for the ones that you really enjoy.
Don’t assume that everything will be the same as last time – Fogo’s quality-control is consistently high, but that doesn’t mean everything will be the same every time out. The picanha (top sirloin), their signature steak, is usually my favorite, with the fraldinha (bottom sirloin) a distant second. On our last trip I almost declined the latter, but for once it was much more tender and flavorful than the former.
Go light on chicken – You’re in beef country, man. You can get chicken anywhere. Fill up on the good stuff. I’m lukewarm on the lamb and sausages, too, although the parmesan pork is a consistent winner.
Don’t buy the upsell – Your waiter may ask if you want certain extra special cuts – like Wagyu ribeye or Wagyu New York strip – for an extra $20-30 per person. Resist the temptation. I’ve never left Fogo feeling like I would’ve been any happier if they’d just had more or more premium cuts of meat.
Try a Caipirinha – In the simplest terms, this is Brazil’s version of a mojito or margarita. It’s sweet and goes down easy and occasionally can be a little bit strong. A few may be a few too many to drive, but one or two is a nice sugary diversion.
Drink water – No matter what else you drink, just like on a hot day in the rainforest, if you don’t drink enough water you’re going to pay for it later. The meat is salty and heavy. You need to balance that out lest you wake up in the middle of the night gasping for air.
Go light on desserts – If you’ve done your job well, you should leave the restaurant with a satisfying case of the “meat sweats.” Nevertheless, it doesn’t hurt to cap it off with a little something sweet. By this point in the meal I usually don’t have much appetite, so we tend to split one dessert for every two to three people. I’ve had the molten chocolate cake and tres leches cake, hardly Brazilian staples but still compelling.
Tip well – The service is beyond exceptional. You won’t be served by just a single person, but rather by an army of attentive gauchos and others. I really have no idea how many people help each table on an average night, but it’s a machine, and remember that your gratuity is being split up among them.
Finally, if you do fall in love with this style of food and it compels you to make a trip south of the Equator to fish, try not to overdo it at an in-town rodizio on the night before you hit the water – you probably don’t want to be bloated or to have to head to a snake-covered bank at midday. Save this treat for your final night in the city before heading home.
