Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse

So the meat eaters at the table were ranting and raving about the meat. Awesome. Super happy meat eating bunch. If you chose not to eat meat. You will be so disappointed. Their sub par salad bar is barely anything to brag about. Obviously I was at a meat eaters dream come true. so why only leave 3 stars if the meat was good?
Three stars for lack of options for non meat eaters. The wait staff pushed the desserts a little much and screwed up our bill.
Other than that it’s a pretty fancy place you can pay and arm and a leg to feast on all the meats your heart desires.

sorry. i do not agree with the other reviews. food was good but service was trash. they had servers running around like clowns. i didnt know who was who. i asked 5 servers for a straw for my 18 month old son and none of them brought it. one waiter finally got us one 45 monutes later. the orignal waiter we had that introduced the restaurant to us was very hard to understand. he had the nerves to ask if we had any questions, yes, WTF DID YOU SAY… geeeeeeez… some guy checked in on us 15 minutes of getting there and we didnt see him again. a server seen ojr water glass was empty and he still asked if we want water [what do you think??] the food was the only good thing. will not be going back.

Good atmosphere and service. Liked the buffet. Meat was average though kind of bland. It was all around a decent experience but can’t say I’d rush back anytime soon.

Foods amazing it’s like Brazzaz if you’ve ever been there but bigger. if you’re someone who avoids ALCHOL than this isn’t the place to be, they baste their meat and spritz it’s with wine before they serve it…

Came for a birthday lunch. Liked the lamb but wasn’t impressed with the meal. Some meat was really salty but others were seasoned well. Most of the meat was medium rare. Some servers made more meat to my temprreture request if asked
Not very disability friendly. The ramp is hidden behind a metallic wall. Servers seemed rushed. They totally ignored me, but not the others in our party. I think it was because of my disability.
Frustrated.

I have to say that my experience at Fogo was not fantastic and it was all the staff. These guys up-​sold the shit out of their products to the point where it made me feel embarrassed because I was the cheap asshole who didn’t want all premium in his cocktail. It was all in the wording «oh so you’re saying that you don’t want the all natural premium and most authentic version of this drink and instead that you just want the regular cocktail which isn’t going to taste authentic». Excuse me?! F&*k off!
They don’t sell champagne by the glass either so be cautious because if you even mention the word champagne, they will make you feel like an a-​hole for wanting to discuss the decision with your date and not blindly buying a bottle that’s $ 500…that they will really really want you to buy.
Oh wait then when my bill was $ 140 for two people, old boy re-​asked me three times if I wanted change– of course I want change but now I gotta look like the cheap asshole that doesn’t want to say ahhhh just forget it. Keep the change. And finally… They took about 12 – 14 minutes to get us back our bill. Perhaps hoping we’d give up. In a word I hated this experience. The meat was delicious but fatty. Go to Texas De Brazil. Don’t go here.
Oh and finally, there was a spat between two waiters momentarily in front of the crowd too which was really awkward and unprofessional. I would give this place negative stars if I could.

My mom suggested we go to Fogo de Chao for her birthday after hearing about it from her coworker. It was my family’s first time to a place like this and let me tell you how amazing this place is.
We went during lunch hours (that would be around 11AM-​2PM) when it was not as crowded as it would be during dinner rushes. Our server was kind, patient, and informative regarding explaining what to expect from the Brazilian Steakhouse. The only thing that caught me off guard was his smooth way of having us order an appetizer dish (we thought it was included in the price, but we don’t regret saying yes to the offer of having shrimp for appetizers). The server had checked up on us at least twice to see how we were doing.
Our server had informed us that there is a «Market Table» where we could help ourselves to various salads, cheeses, many other side dishes. The main dishes would be the grilled meats that will be offered at our table by servers who will be consistently visiting us (so long as we have our coaster indicators are facing the green side up). As we were getting really full, the servers asked if we wanted a particular meat to come by. This is noteworthy since we’ve declined a few that came by to ask if we wanted what they were offering. The gesture showed me that they were being attentive. (Or maybe that’s because there were only a few tables to wait on, but I still appreciate it).
At the end, there was a big slice of cake on the house with the words Happy Birthday decorated on the plate. I loved the fact that the staff were all so helpful and friendly!
I definitely recommend this place, and would suggest going here during lunch hours when it’s less crowded. I would also suggest wearing something that isn’t street-​casual clothes; the atmosphere feels a bit dressy.

I really expected a lot better from my dining experience. I had looked forward to trying the Rosemont location of Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse, as I had a wonderful time at the Naperville location — and at other churrascarias in general. Sadly, this wasn’t what we hoped for, and probably wont be going back.
First some introduction. Fogo de Chão is a chain of premium Brazilian steakhouses, also known as churrascaria. Fogo is known for its attentive service, expansive salad bar (known as the «Market Table»), and especially for the unlimited servings of pit-​roasted steak brought to your table by the gauchos responsible for its preparation.
There are a lot of details that make Fogo de Chão a worthwhile experience. The drinks are always good — particularly the house special Caipirinha (the «national drink of Brazil»). Other cocktails and wine selections are also noteworthy. The «Market Table» includes far more than the usual salad bar. You could easily make a meal just from the «Market Table» and get more than enough protein from the feijoada, candied bacon, imported salame, and cold smoked salmon. And the star attraction, the steaks, are almost always first rate.
Now let’s talk about the Rosemont location.
THE GOOD: Reservations mean something here, and we didn’t have to wait long to be seated. Our server was friendly and attentive (at least at first), and went out of his way to make sure that we got our cocktail orders in, and that my wife’s food allergies were accounted for. The Market Table had all the offerings and amenities I had come to expect from Fogo. And gauchos with steak were always at hand, even in the very crowded dining room.
THE BAD: Yeah, about that dining room: Unlike other Fogo locations, the Rosemont dining room was incredibly cramped, bordering on claustrophobia-​inducing. It was almost impossible to make it to the Market Table or the restrooms without having to weave around tables and gauchos and other diners to avoid collisions.
Our server disappeared on us early on and did not return until well after it was time to get the check. This was different from what I’ve seen at other Fogo locations and also quite surprising to us, given that the waitstaff station was only ten feet from our table.
I was also disappointed with the Market Table. While it offered everything found at other Fogo locations, I found that items were being depleted far faster than they were being replaced.
Between the loud and overly-​crowded dining room, the uneven service, and the under-​maintained Market Table, I probably wont be returning to this location. But i have no problem with the quality of the food and overall experience. Perhaps I’ll return during a less-​crowded time. But you know, I shouldn’t have to.
I also have to point out that dining in Rosemont involves a Kafka-​esque journey through confusing side streets and bizarrely layed out parking structure. Parking is free with validation at the restaurant, but hardly worth the hassle.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Delicious meat and wide offerings at «Market Table.» But this dining room is too crowded and cramped, and service is lacking during peak times. Parking in Rosemont is generally a hassle. I suggest trying another Fogo location instead.

Ok, so Fogo gets a second chance. I went last night for a birthday. It was Monday, it wasn’t very busy, and surprisingly, the food was much much better. The rolls were not burnt this time. The salad bar was restocked. The meats were not all well done to a crisp. Overall, this was a much better improvement over Valentine’s Day. They lost a star because their house special picanha is just not as tender as the other brazilian steakhouse. Also, their soups (pea and asparagus) are not good — I wanted to spit it out. But otherwise, the parade of meats was a good one. My favorites this time were the top sirloin and the bacon wrapped beef (not sure what cut it was). And of course, their drinks don’t disappoint, but come at a hefty price tag. Bring your wallet and come hungry!

First tip… come here hungry, seriously… don’t eat all day and then come here to eat!
Second tip… make a reservation! You can do so at OpenTable, you will thank me later!
Lastly…sit back and enjoy while you enter food coma.
Years ago I visited the downtown Chicago location, we had lunch there and it was just an amazing experience… I visited this past weekend and used a coupon which gave us $ 25 off our bill and free dessert for my birthday! Definitely sign up on their email list, you’ll get some good perks that way if you plan on dining there in the near future.
It’s set up like any brazilian steak house… all you can eat — flip your card to green to get the meat flowing, or red to stop, so you can eat!
The service is awesome… they work in a team, so you don’t wait very long for refills, your check, etc.
I definitely plan on coming back here to celebrate future special occasions!

Amazing ambience. Food coma status. Well worth the price. Never felt rushed. The waitstaff was incredibly attentive all the way down to the water service. The lamb chops service is to die for! The Gauchos (servers) are terrific! Love the décor and even the manager came around to the table to make sure all was ok.

Overall my experience with Fogo de Chao was pretty good.
To start my evening, finding the restaurant is like trying to find Waldo. Extremely difficult and frustrating beyond belief. After 15 minutes of driving around aimlessly, we finally found the restaurant and pulled in to the valet/​parking area across the street. We saw an empty space and tried to pull in. As we were halfway in the space, a valet driver began to curse and scream at us to get out. We were horrified and almost considered leaving. As we found the parking lot across the way to park in, we still had a bad taste in our mouths, but decided to continue with our reservation.
Once we were inside, we were excited and greeted with very friendly staff. Our table was constantly checked on by the wait staff. Some of the best service I have ever had.
The meat was cooked to perfection. Go slowly and try it all. Each piece of meat or chicken is delicious! The waiters are so nice about helping you with finding a specific meat you liked previously and will go find it to bring it back to your table. The meal starts with these amazing cheese rolls that are warm pieces of heaven. The salad bar is also a piece of heaven. The sautéed shiitake mushrooms were my favorite part on the salad bar. They have every kind of topping you could imagine on that salad bar!
This place would have easily received 5 stars if it wasn’t for the rude valet. The food, atmosphere and wait staff were incredible. Definitely would come back!

The food here is great, the staff are very friendly, they need new management!!! Came in on a Saturday they quoted us a two and a half hour wait time. We couldn’t exactly figure out why seeing as how the bar was completely empty and there were maybe 4 other groups waiting around the hostess station. We went up an hour into our wait because there still wasn’t much new traffic and the hostess told us we would be seated around closing time, we could wait in the bar. I have been in the hospitality industry for more than 20yrs and have never seen such a mismanagement of staff. There is no reason your turnover should be so slow given the volume of people in your restaurant. Sorely mismanaged. Great waitstaff they just need leadership.
I want to update my comment. When it was brought to the managers attention she more than made up for it!!! She was able to turn around what was looking like a pretty bum evening. I would now give my one star a four star. I’m only leaving one star off for logistics of serving, you guys need to figure out why you’re having such an issue with wait time, it wasn’t busy enough to merit those wait times.

I was really hungry, having just started a new diet which is basically cereal/​bar/​oatmeal for breakfast, and no carbs thereafter. I can eat 4 oz. of meat at lunch and 7 oz. at dinner with unlimited vegetables. I was dining solo, so I wanted something special.
Thank goodness for Unilocal and my reacquaintance with Fogo in Naperville. I knew this place could fit the bill. I wandered over to this restaurant in the ‘BIG’ building at MB Plaza in Rosemont. Taken aback at the $ 15 charge for parking, I was pleasantly satisfied that dinner in this restaurant included a validation for my parking to void that bill.
This atmosphere is much warmer than the Naperville location, less hotel jewel box atelier. I actually prefer the décor of the restaurant in Rosemont. Tables are spread out more, the lighting is dimmer, and the colors are more earth toned with slate and wood everywhere. It’s like a cross between a country club and an upscale wedding hall.
I’m pleased to report that the service was as good, if not just a little better than the Naperville location. In any case, both are top notch. Everybody, no exaggeration, stopped by to ask me if I was enjoying everything, needed anything else, or could they take my plate, etc. It’s not cloying, but they obviously really care here.
The menu was exactly the same as Naperville. However, tonight I decided to try the new fish option, Chilean sea bass. If you order this at $ 42.95, it includes the unlimited market table, but just one entrée portion of the fish. This should have come with an 8−10oz. portion of sea bass on a bed of grilled asparagus with mango sauce. And by the way, it is absolutely delicious. My portion seemed meager, I was quite sure that I had more like a 5 – 6 oz. piece, and the manager asked me about my meal. They made everything right, and I was very satisfied.
The market table was as good as ever. I sampled nearly everything that was low carb, excluding cheese. Winners tonight were the imported salami and honey pepper bacon. The soup was an absolutely delicious butternut squash bisque. NOT ON THE DIET, I know, but I’m not going gonna die over this infringement. However, I couldn’t get enough of those peppedew peppers. Sweet-​spicy goodness! Nobody better break my bubble about how they weren’t on the diet. I’m just sayin’.
I didn’t drink any alcohol, nor did I eat the delicious popovers, garlic mashed potatoes, polenta fries (ok, well, I had a tiny nibble of those– yummo), nor any but half a forkful of the sautéed plantains (imagine a more savory bananas foster as a side dish, or don’t, because they’re decadent).
I didn’t really stray too far from the diet, and was only $ 60 poorer with tax and tip for the detour. Somebody better hook me up with a frequent diner discount for this place because I’m a sucker for a salad bar, and the market table at this Brazilian meat enclave is best in class. Do not forgo Fogo.

Meh, meh meh. Meh meh meh meh meh. Meh meh meh. Meh meh meh meh meh meh. Meh meh meh meh. Meh meh meh meh meh meh. Meh meh meh.
Sums it up: meh.
Service: Great. Best part of Fogo. 5-​stars.
Steak: Meh.
Other Meats: Meh +
Buffet Bar, or whatever: Super Meh — Totally uninspired. A blind taste test would put this on the salad bar at Old Country Buffet level.
Décor: Meh. It’s like a Reno casino buffet.
Atmosphere/​Crowd: Double meh. Very noisy and chaotic.
Value: Minus infinity meh
Anyway, go elsewhere for Brazilian Steakhouse for this amount of money. There are two that wipe the floor with this place for a similar price. Comparably, Fogo’s price should be cut in half — seriously.

Elegante y la atención estupenda esperaba más variedad en los cortes de carne y en la ensalada
Encontré que los cortes seleccionados tenían mucha grasa para mi gusto

We came here for a work event lunch. Because there were so many of us, they gave us a whole room to ourselves.
We started with the salad bar. The salad bar is immense. It could be a decadent meal unto itself. Options included salad greens, cheeses, chick peas, salmon, veggies and so much more.
The lunch is the same or very close to the dinner offerings. They bring sides to the table, polenta and mashed potatos. Both are amazing, as are the pop up rolls. So good. Rather than Servers randomly approaching with hot meats to cut, at a larger banquet style lunch each server will come one at a time making their way down the menu. All the meats were offered to us and then they came back and asked if we wanted any repeats.
Service was excellent.
Limited parking next to restaurant or in the decks.

Management could use improvement. If you have a large group (over 10 people) you will be packed into with very little space. The gauchos will be carving meat VERY close to your head.
Service, Meh, I’ve experienced better. Our server was waiting on our table (15) and setting other tables, taking drink orders, and bussing dirty plates. There was no way one person could do this single handed. Poor management.
The meat stopped coming out despite 2 people at our table with green cards. When the mean finally did come out the server was on to taking coffee and dessert orders. I guess it really is not all you can eat.
Lastly, when we pointed out to management an issue with the reservation we were told that there is no problem and that everything is fine. Very unprofessional approach from a service industry management team.
Pros:
Good meats
Cons:
Poor management (Most of the cons below are likely caused by poor management)
Initial fast then slow, cut you off meat service
Over-​worked servers (for large tables at least)
Uncoordinated bill pay process

I have mixed feelings about this place. My family and I of 11 came here for my mom’s birthday a few days ago. We had made a reservation at 7pm. When we got there, the lady in the front told us that we had a reservation for only 9. My brother had called many hours in advance to change the number of people coming. But we were told that we didn’t change that. So we ended up waiting 40 minutes for our table because it wasn’t ready. That was really frustrating. But fogo’s customer service made up for all of that. The manager came and told us that we would get free shrimp cocktails and dessert. Also, there were people constantly checking up on us asking if we were satisfied with our dinner. I wanted to stay mad because waiting for that long when we had a reservation was not acceptable. But I couldn’t. Everything went smoothly and everyone was very kind and professional.
I would talk about the food, but you already know it’s very very delicious. Just make sure your reservation is set.

Christmas dinner 2015. What a fantastic choice. This is a meat lovers paradise. Very upscale, very pricey, very good!
Great place for special occasions. The service was exceptional. The food was outstanding. Meat galore. All you can eat.
We really enjoyed the experience.

Excellent food, service, ambiance and overall great dining experience. I’ve been to Fogo twice in the past several months, the second time was with a large group of people for a work event.
Our party was seated in the private dining room and we enjoyed the most wonderful array of meats, side dishes, wine and dessert. I can’t think of a better place to go for a special occasion or business meeting. The cheese popovers they serve on the side are to die for — worth going back just for them!

We chose Fogo as the place to say goodbye to a loved one before she moved to Brazil. –It just seemed apropos. I loved that they placed us in a private dining room; it couldn’t have been a more perfect seating situation given the circumstances. It was very intimate. The restaurant was booked solid with a convention nearby. Having our own room away from the noise was a real gift. We also seemed to have our own exclusive waitress and she was wonderful. Personable and very attentive.
Having just recently eaten at another Brazilian steakhouse, I could not help but compare the two. The meats were much the same but I cannot deny that the cuts of meat that were offered at Fogo, were not as good as the cuts I received at the last Brazilian restaurant I reviewed. They just weren’t as plentiful and not as perfectly cooked as I’ve had them. — and both my husband and myself took note of that.
I am the type of girl who thinks that Thanksgiving is ALL about the sides. –Forget the turkey! While here, it really is about the meat, the sides still hold an important place in my stomach. Maybe it was an off night, but the potatoes were simmered for two long. Perhaps even boiled. When you do that, the potatoes absorb way too much water, leaving your mashed potatoes flat and tasteless. They looked like soup. I barely ate any, which was better for my waistline but sad for my mouth. But, what I didn’t eat in potatoes, I made up for in those evil cheese rolls! I was tempted to make like an old man and shove some into my pants for later!
While overall, I wasn’t as impressed with the meat and sides, the salad bar was excellent. A very broad selection and very fresh. The rice and beans bar was a very nice added touch as well.
Knowing we were there to send someone off, they very graciously brought out a delicious cheesecake with «Boa viagem!» written on the plate. –the service really was lovely. But, if I ever feel like getting my carnivore on again, this would not be my first choice. Good, but I know where I’ve had better.