Welcoming Fogo De Chao To The Burbs

Fogo De Chao just opened a new location in the suburbs of Vegas (Summerlin) and I was happy to greet the restaurant when it opened. The newest location for Fogo De Chao in Vegas is at shopping complex Downtown Summerlin. (Unrelated to Fogo, Downtown Summerlin is quickly becoming my go to dining location when I’m looking for somewhere to grab a bite.)

Fogo De Chao is a chain of Brazilian steakhouses with locations all over the US, Brazil and one in Mexico. Brazilian steakhouses were in the doghouse with me until a recent visit to Via Brasil. That dinner gave me faith that the idea of “gimme all of the meats” could be delicious and not make me feel ill.

This was my first visit to Fogo De Chao and it did not disappoint.

I was invited to the ribbon cutting and grand opening preview which was quite the experience. It seemed as though the entire staff for the restaurant was working on this night. That was a blessing and a curse. The service was almost too fast and too attentive. Let me explain.

When you order a rodizio style meal the servers will bring you food when the round sign above is on the green side and stop when it’s red. It’s nice to be able to breathe a minute before having a new piece of meat. We actually had to use the red side on this preview night – a lot.

There were so many people working that the service was beyond great and almost too fast. (Awww…too much meat being brought to me too quickly. Call the wahmbulance. I know.) That’s not the worst thing in the world but it wasn’t perfect.

Fogo De Chao - The Meat Service Begins — Fogo De Chao – The Meat Service Begins

Service with a smile…again! Remember this guy at Via Brasil?

Fogo De Chao has 6 cuts of beef on their menu and a variety of chicken, pork and lamb. Looking back I think I had every piece of meat that they offered. The Beef Ancho (ribeye) and Fraldinha (Bottom Sirloin) were probably my favorite items on the menu.

The full churrasco dinner is $49.95 and includes the market table/salad bar. I tend to avoid the market table as I’d rather use that space in my tummy for meat.

The same churrasco for lunch during the week is only $32.95. That’s a great deal if you don’t mind eating such a large meal in the middle of the day.

Note, prices at the Summerlin Fogo De Chao are $2 cheaper than the other Las Vegas location.

Fogo De Chao - Molten Chocolate Cake — Fogo De Chao – Molten Chocolate Cake

I’m not normally a dessert person but after a little post dinner chit-chat and too much delicious coffee it seemed like the thing to do. The (rare) beautiful picture above does the molten chocolate cake justice. This was a perfect way to end the evening.

The food and service at Fogo De Chao were both excellent but the atmosphere in the massive space left something to be desired.

The food made me think I was eating at a Brazilian steakhouse but the room made me feel as though I could have been eating any food anywhere. I guess that’s the difference between a chain restaurant like Fogo De Chao and an independently operated restaurant like Via Brasil.

Both Brazilian steakhouses have good food but have a different way of presenting it. There’s nothing wrong with having different options for different moods.

I certainly wouldn’t say no to visiting Fogo De Chao because of vibe from a restaurant preview night. I generally visit a restaurant to eat good food. Chances are that a return to Fogo De Chao will be in my future.