Fogo De Chao

08/23/09

Not totally impressed

by RichardandDani at Citysearch

OK. I'm gonna shoot you straight!!!!

If you are a meat lover, you will really enjoy yourself. I'm certain if there is a such thing as having had a previous life, I was a T-Rex. I LOVE MEAT and good food, but I didn't enjoy all of the selections of meat. I really enjoyed the Bottom Cut Sirloin, Parmesan Pork, Filet and Bacon-wrapped Chicken. I was surprised that I did not like the Ribeye as much, since it's one of my favorite steaks and I was totally disappointed with the Pork Ribs and sausage (which I looked forward to the most) and I just didn't enjoy anything about the lamb.

My conflict in eating at any "all you can eat" is that I want to eat far beyond my normal amounts to feel I've gotten my monies worth. Here, considering the cost per person, I attached an extra stomach. At the same time I didn't want to waste the meats I sampled but did not enjoy, so I was stuffed long before I could enjoy a second round of my favorites.

The staff from valet and hostesses to the servers and bartenders were simply amazing and wonderful people, very eager to make your experience the best ever. My trouble with Fogo is the side dishes offered during our meal (only three) and the unbelievably RESTRICTED selection of the salad bar. It was probably the smallest "bar" I've ever seen and many of the items filling it had nothing to do with my type of salad. Although I didn't really care because I came primarily for the meat, my wife does not eat meat and came for the salad. Many reviews spoke highly of the salad bar being wonderful, but there must have been another that we did not see during our visit. You don't expect a $25 salad bar to be this limited, especially when you could go to Ruby Tuesday's or even Golden Coral and have a great salad for a third of the price.

I love having both my meat and sides dancing on my taste buds together, so to only be offered mashed potatoes, fried corn meal and fried plantains was disappointing. If there were other choices, we were never told about them nor did we see any other table receive something different. All in all it was a great EXPERIENCE, and while I would probably eat here again, it won't be any time soon. There are many restaurants I enjoy for far less that what it costs experience Fogo.

• Pros: Loads of meat selections, awesome staff
• Cons: Unbelievably restricted salad bar and side dish offerings.

02/06/08

The best brazilian steaks!!!

by missvegas08 at Citysearch

Meats, Meats, Meats- Galore!!!! Over 50 steaks unlimited- differently seasoned and prepared!!! Be prepared for NAP TIME!!!!

• Pros: you haven't tried real brazilian food until you eat here
• Cons: extremely booked

04/06/07

Great food, atmosphere, but bad service.

by mintybreath at Citysearch

I've been hearing about this restaurant for a while now, so I went with my date. The atmosphere was very nice, the salad bar was great, and the whole coaster flipping thing was brilliant. People walking around with the meat all had some kind of exotic accent, and I even liked that.

Among all the selections of meat, there's three that stood out the most, and they were the Picanha, Fillet Mignon, and the Alcatra. The rest were.....great but not as great as these three. (It's personal preference, mind you.) Their side dishes like the roasted banana was excellent as well. They have a very nice wine list, and I highly recommend having wine with the food, cause it's really rich and greasy, and if you don't have something like wine to wash it down with, you won't get your money's worth.

One negative thing I have to say about the place is the service. I don't know. maybe I dressed too casually. but our waiter was.......always busy with something else. You know that trick they pull on you--"if I don't look at them, I don't have to serve them" thing? He was pulling it all night. Even our payment was handled by another waitress. We even thought they had a shift change until he walked passed us, and served another family at another table. Maybe If I take some Louis-Vuitton bag, or wear Jimmy Choo shoes with lots of make-up next time, he'll pay more attention.

Other then that, it was great!!

05/14/04

Fast-paced steakhouse brings the flavors of a Brazilian cookout to Buckhead.

by Contributor at Citysearch

The Scene
A head-turning cookout aroma and a full parking lot are the best advertisements for this popular Brazilian steakhouse. Seating is comfortable, and amenities are consistent with the prices, but the main draw in this large restaurant is the spectacle of the impeccably mannered, fast-moving servers who move from table to table slicing meats.

The Food
This Brazilian churrascaria caters to your inner hunter-gatherer. All you can eat of 15 different cuts of meat, plus the offerings of a deeply stocked salad bar and small dishes of yucca and mashed potatoes, comes for a single price. A small plastic disc--one side green, one side red--allows you to signal the servers when you are ready for more. Cuts like filet are obviously popular, but be sure to try a more flavorful cut like rump steak, perfectly grilled leg of lamb or even grilled sausages.

07/16/03

Yumm

by jammel at Citysearch

An Atkins dieter's dream restaurant. All you can eat meat! We were seated immediately with our reservation. The service was great! Everyone was very attentive. The salad bar was beautiful, but there wasn't very much on it for a picky eater like me. It would have been nice to have the "weird" stuff labeled. Side dishes of plantains, mashed potatoes, and fried? polenta weren't worth bothering with. Rolls were good. The meat was excellent. Filet was good. Garlicky beaf loin was great. Little chicken legs were marinated in something and were quite tasty. Sausages were nice. Sirloin was a little tough. Filet of beef and filet of chicken wrapped in bacon were both a bit dry and just okay. The atmosphere is VERY loud. There were a lot of big parties with name tags.

• Pros: meat!, Service
• Cons: Noise level, Crowded

02/25/03

Run - don't walk!

by Atlanta_diner at Citysearch

And go at lunch - you'll save 50%!!

The lamb is gamey, and they'd do well to include a sauce or two with the condiments on the salad bar.

I now know what the fuss is about. YOU MUST MAKE RESERVATIONS, AND STILL BE PREPARED TO WAIT

The atmosphere is uninspired, like a hotel is decorated. But just look down at your plate, and you'll be happy!

02/06/03

over the top

by rnelsonga at Citysearch

Be prepared for a wait, even with reservations. The meat is wonderful; however, it does become too much after a while. We had to have the entreé first because the salad bar was wrapped around the dining room. Waiters/bartenders VERY cute.

• Pros: waiters, meats, for a while
• Cons: parking, $$$

01/13/03

Salad bar alone is worth the trip.

by blduck35 at Citysearch

Death by protien...the even give you a flag to raise when you have had enough. by the third meat it all began to taste the same. Some folks love it EHH its ok. I hate to call something as spectacular as Fogo's salad presentation a salad bar it is so much more and I could been happy with just that as my meal.

12/10/02

Interesting

by vdaye at Citysearch

My first visit to this restaurant was very impressive. The staff made sure the people I attended with were taken care of. It was a very good experience. I recommend that if you have a group of 5 or more that you will definitely enjoy your meal here.

10/22/02

UNIQUE EXPERIENCE

by rotkappchen at Citysearch

This restaurant offers a truly unique dining experience. The food is wonderfully prepared and the salad bar is fabulous. Be prepared to eat lots. In general, Fogo de Chao is wonderfully suited for larger gatherings than for smaller, intimate occasions.