Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse

The meat here was great and there were some good choices at the salad bar but it honestly was not worth the price. Everything comes out fast so you don’t even spend much time there. You could have a much better experience for the price at any other restaurant in boston. We saw our waiter once. They brought the wrong drink at first. We won’t be going back, money would be better spend elsewhere.

Not worth the $. Too much gristle in the meat. Not somewhere I would recommend spending that kind of money. If you bought your own filet you would be better off then eating the other meat.

Our waitress was really attentive when a coworker and I went. Probably a little too attentive to say the least. Example is when they’ll give us the drink menu and then come back in less than a minute or two to see if we decided on anything. Other times it just felt distracting and took away from conversation when she asked if she could take anything or get us anything.
Food was great and so was everything in the salad bar. Like previous Unilocal reviews have said, the meat here is really tasty. Exception was the filet mignon. It took a while and I had to ask multiple people, multiple times for the filet mignon until I finally got it.
What bothered me slightly was hearing and understanding our waitress’s English. I kind of had to focus whenever she talked to understand what she was saying. But what bothered me the most was when I had a $ 25 off coupon from joining their eclub and she split it and took it off both our checks, so I really had less than $ 13.50 off… which led me to tipping at a higher rate. This did not really feel like I was getting a discount (I could have saved $ 20 and gotten the drinks for free) and she made me end up spending more than what I had intended. Already understood was how easily expensive this place gets but why bother joining their email list if you’re not really getting much out of it.
Bathrooms are nice though to say the least. Overall, for a first time experience, it felt rushed. If asked if I would come here again, that would be a maybe to less likely but it was worth to experience it.
Biggest tip is to watch out for sharp objects. In less than a second as the servers walk and rush (these guys really walked fast when I went) to focus and look at the green/​red cards on the table… an accident is really waiting to happen.

Expensive. Very expensive. You can only eat so much.

If you like meat and you don’t really care about the quality that much then you have to go to this place.
We were a party of 7 people and the service was not good for us.
The salad bar was good (not WoW) but the meats they bring to the tables are average.

First rule of Fogo de Chao: DONT FILL UP ON THE SALAD BAR.
This can be very tempting because there is a lot of delicious food. They also come to your table with irresistible cheesey rolls, polenta fries, AMAZING caramelized bananas, and loaded mashed potatoes. But this is a ploy. You are here for the meat. Repeat after me HERE FOR THE MEAT.
My second rule: Wait for the goof stuff. They have filet mignon (supposedly, it did not get offered to my table), top sirloin, bottom sirloin, rack of lamb, pork ribs, and a bunch of other good things. Don’t fill up on chicken. It’s 100% okay to pass on something even if your coin is green.
Also, the service is fast! If you want meat, you’ll get it in two seconds. I totally thought that I would never turn my coin to red but after 10 minutes I was very overwhelmed.
Even though this place was great, but it has a couple flaws. First, there aren’t really any sauces for the meat. I get that ketchup is a no go, but I was hoping there would be a bearnaise, cream sauce, even bbq sauce, something. There’s only so much plain meat I can take. And it is good but it isn’t the most amazing steak you’ll have. I believe they had A-​1 sauce but I am not a fan and found myself finishing the meal at the salad bar because I got sick of the meat. Second, it’s pricey. Obviously its unlimited meat but the cocktails were around $ 15 which seems like way to much and the dessert was $ 11 or $ 12 too for a mini crème brûlée. I definitely felt a little cheated when I got the check.

We paid 20 $ for parking. The restaurant was very nice and quiet. It’s a bit pricey but you pay for the service as well as for your food. My family and I dined here for my 18^th birthday. Our server, Jessica, was very nice. She was attentive and courteous. After telling her I was celebrating my 18^th birthday she brought me a pudding with a candle on it which was very sweet of her considering I didn’t ask. Crème brûlée wasn’t too sweet, the flavoring was just right. I plan to be back.

You won’t believe it — we walked in for lunch when this restaurant is about 20% full and the manager told us walk in not accepted and their system is down. Therefore we can’t have lunch here when they are empty. Ha.

My friends and I been talking about coming here for months. We finally made it happen. Made reservations on line walked in and quickly seated. You get cards on the table for keep eating or flip to take a break. I love steaks and this place has more than I could dream of. For $ 51.95 a person all you can eat it’s really a great deal. Salad bar always full and that cheese bread my God I ate a dozen easily. Service was great the meats were coming in so fast I had to flip my card to take a break. We stayed for 90 mins and no one was rushing us to leave. Would come back here again. Parking was valet and that service was good as well. All meat fans and people who can eat this is your place.

This is a pretty good Churrascaria. I’ve eaten here a few times and it’s usually pretty good. The atmosphere is pleasant and the service is good. They have a variety of salad bar options as well. But. Don’t be fooled by it or the good appetizers at the table (cheese bread, polenta, bananas or potatoes.. they mix it up some visits.). When you go to a rodizio, you want the meats.
And they are good! All types of cuts, all kinds of meats. Even chicken hearts, bacon and maybe they do the roasted bread and pineapples (on skewers). Want a drink? They have nice differently flavoured caipirinhas and caipirissimas as well.
The bad? You need to know where to sit. If you’re off to the side, the servers won’t even bother. It’s a problem. One day we sat in one of the sort of enclaves and they simply wouldn’t come. We had to talk to our waitress to get them to bring us the meats. Speaking of. Make sure if there’s a meat you like or want that you TELL THE SERVER. A lot of people don’t know it but you can do this and they’ll bring you the ones you like the most. So… Don’t be afraid to speak up. And don’t be afraid to decline if you don’t want a meat because it looks worn out or not as «sizzlin».
For Boston, this is one of the best Churrascarias. It is a chain… So chances are you can eat at one of these in Orlando or Vegas. Odd as it will sound… You can obviously eat at one (Fogo) in Rio… And that one is actually better than the ones here. And it’s better than the Porcao in Rio as well.

I went here today to have Christmas dinner with my family (of 12). I’ve always wanted to try this place but never had the chance to. We made reservations for 6PM and opt for valet parking; which was $ 20 (the lady over the phone said $ 18 but whatever). The guys were nice and told us to text them with our ticket number 20 minutes before we finished with everything.
Anyways, as we arrived, I checked in to see if we can get a table early; though not everyone had arrived yet but they said everyone has to be present. The place was really nice and spacious; what I had expected in mind for a dine in place at Copley & of course it was busy (but not packed) As we sat down, our server greeted us; he was super friendly and professional. Asked us if we had ever been here and so on. So we got up and head to the salad bar which had a great small selections of cold cuts, veggies, cheese, etc. too bad they only had 2 options of fruits; Papaya & Pineapples.
Then we returned to the table, and the people started going around offering us the meats for the first 20 minutes that we had sat down on top of the appetizers of mash with garlic, caramelized bananas, fried yuccas. Afterwards; it just DIED down. They kept skipping our table and not even make eye contact with us. All ours little round thing was still facing the green sign and they paid no attention. I was pretty upset. We also didn’t get any filet mignon or prime rib, only the basic meats such as chicken wrapped bacon, sausages, top sirloin, bottom sirloin, pork chops, lamb chops, chicken, and that was IT. And afterwards; we sat there for at least 35 minutes and finally someone came to offer us lamb chops and sausages but no thanks; we losted our appetite after we had to wait for your services. The bill turned out to be roughly $ 700 and I felt like I ate only $ 10 worth of meat including food from salad bar. I don’t ever wanna come back here. It’s not worth it.
The Caramelized bananas were good though. But I still won’t return.

If you’re living on a budget, this isn’t a place you visit regularly. It’s a special occasion, so treat it as such and come in with a game plan. Here’s what I recommend to maximize your value.
Before arrival:
1. Pre-​game. You don’t just spontaneously decide to dine at Fogo, so wisely use the days preceding your visit to prepare. Eat lots of salad and drink water to expand your stomach. Don’t just skip the meal before; it doesn’t actually allow you to eat more.
2. Wear stretchy clothing. You’ll regret wearing them skinny jeans
After arrival:
3. Once you are seated, waiters will drop cheesy bread, caramelized bananas, mashed potatoes, and polenta on your table. Do not be deceived, they are trying to fill you up on the cheap stuff!
4. Others will go up to the salad bar. Stand your ground and don’t fill up on that either. If you must, get a few veggies to cut through the greasiness of the impending meat feast. But if you’re like me, you can grab a few veggies as garnish.
5. Stand your ground one last time; your patience will be rewarded. Servers will come around with cheap meats like chicken, pork, and sausages. Say «no thanks» to those. You come here for the serious meats: beef and lamb, so wait for those to come around
6. Stuff your face with the beef and lamb until you hate yourself.
This place is seriously awesome. Service has always been excellent and the meats are always flavorful cooked perfectly (the servers come to your table with meat on skewers and will cut a part of the meat that is to your liking). My personal favorite is the picanha. And despite the above recommendation, there’s honestly a certain point when you just can’t eat more meat. That’s when you go for the sides, and I highly recommend the caramelized bananas and cheesy bread. They are the real deal.
Finally, come for lunch if you can. I believe lunch is around $ 20 cheaper than dinner, but offers pretty much the same selection.

First be prepared to eat. Not just a dainty small portion size amount but an obscene amount of good food.
I was unprepared, even having had Brazilian food before but the quality along side the never ending quality had me eating quite possibly my body weight in ounces!
Came in for lunch, not cheap but the same assortment as dinner. I know because I ask. Curiosity killed the kitty and if I were feline I would not be writing this review. Seriously I ask a lot of questions.
When you arrive start with the salad bar but don’t fill up on the veggies and rice. You also get plantains and mashed potatoes. Control yourself because what happens next is a carnivores feast.
All you can eat filet, prime rib, chicken legs, lamb chops and an assortment of pork. Can’t comment on the pork. Just not my thing but it was all absolutely delicious.
I’d recommend lunch especially since it’s the same assortment of food unless your Jabba the Hut and have the stomach of a sumo wrestler.
I did ask about weight-​proportioned sized pricing. 90 – 100 ($) 100 – 150 ($$) etc. it got quickly shot down but a little person can try.
All said and done. I waddled away happy!
Eat, feast and enjoy. The staff were great by the way. Hence the five stars.

5 stars for the food, 3 for the service. No complaints about the food at all. It’s the best Brazilian steakhouse. However the service it’s not what it use to be. We waited forever for our wine and started to eat and the wine never came. Our waitress never came back to check on us and when we paid the bill whe informed the waiter that my mother is a Vegetarian and didn’t eat meat — there are different charges for the barbecue and salad bar only– he told us we were lying because she was picking on the little plates. Really? She gets sick if she eats meat. How unprofessional.
That’s sad that such a great steakhouse has lost such great service they use to have.

Fogo is all about the meat. I came here with a group and was well-​prepared by fasting through lunch. We were greeted and sat down at the table and given the instructions on how to use their red/​green card thing (red means no more meat for now, green means meat). I figured I would stay green, but then every 30 seconds a new guy was coming by with some different cut of meat. As I realized my plate was full, it only took about 5 minutes before I had to switch to red.
There are two main aspects of Fogo: (1) the salad bar and (2) the meat delivery service.
The salad bar was really good — lots of greens, some pretty good quality sliced meats, and everything that you’d need to feel somewhat healthy and try to balance out the protein.
The meats were good as well. They’ll come by and ask you how you like your meat cooked and were consistent in slicing off pieces that were to your liking. Ribeye was great, you really won’t go wrong with most of the meats. That being said, you’ll discover a few that just aren’t that special.
Near the end of the meal, they asked us if there were any meats that we would like specifically and how we would like it cooked. Almost instantaneously they came by with our suggestion. Impressive.
Overall, I think the experience itself is great. The food is pretty good, but if you’re looking for an amazing steak you’re better off going to another steakhouse. If you’re fine with entertainment and good steak, you should definitely check it out.

This restaurant was WAY overpriced. The food was decent, but not as good as Chama Grill in Andover, MA. I imagine I was paying more because it was in Boston.
You should come here if you’re visiting Boston and it’s convenient for everyone. It’s right in Copley Square so parking on the street is difficult, you’ll probably have to use an expensive garage.
In Medford and Somerville are numerous Brazilian buffet style places that are much cheaper but nowhere near as tasty.

Dined here on the 18^th for a friend’s 40^th birthday so we were seated as a large party. It had all the right settings to what would’ve seemed like a great time amongst close friends. Unfortunately, as the night wore on, the complete opposite occurred.
As for the food, since I’m a pescatarian, I didn’t try any of the meats they offered but all the meat lovers at our table mentioned that it was decent. I personally opted for the a la carte Chilean Sea Bass entrée with the shrimp cocktail as a starter. Both were prepared well with the fish in a citrusy mango salsa and the texture was light and flaky. The salad bar offered lots of different options in terms of salads, starches, cheeses and such but overall, nothing stood out enough that made me want to have second helpings.
Our original server was attentive and friendly but on the last third of our dining experience, she left us with another server which inevitably ruined the night for our birthday boy. We waited close to another hour to flag someone down to come out with the cake and then another half hour to receive our check. Then at the end, there was confusion on the tip leading to the server asking us why we didn’t leave a tip in an accusatory tone. We went over the entire bill with them only to help reveal that they were tipped over 20% in cash even when they ended the night with subpar service.
Needless to say, we were quite upset when we left but that aside, I’d probably try out other options in the area before heading back here anytime soon.

Such a bad aftertaste to what seemed like a promising 5 star evening. We were a party of 10 celebrating my hubby’s milestone bday. Chyanna (not sure if I spelled her name correctly) was a the head server. She was attentive and patient.
We started off at the salad bar (healthy and light). Lots of variety — hearts of palm, asparagus, potato salad, smoked salmon, prosciutto and fresh fruits. Meats (rack of lamb, ribs, different cut of beef and more) were being served at a constant pace. For the pescatarians, they offer Chilean sea bass entrée (with or without the salad bar). Meals are served with soft cheesy baked bread, sweet bananas, fried yucca, and mashed potatoes.
They have a huge wine list (mostly reds — sorry white wine lovers). We ordered several bottles of Pinot Noir for the table. A few others ordered cocktails. In the dining room, someone pushes a drink cart around and promotes drinks/​shots. The birthday boy tried a shot — think it was sugar cane based mixed with other fruit juices and liquor. He thought the drink was refreshing. It added to the whole dining experience.
Where did it go downhill — during mid-​dinner when Chyanna told us she was wrapping up for the night and another server (Michelle) was going to take over for her. Michelle wasn’t as attentive. Not sure if there was lack of communication but we waited a long time (20−30min) after our meal before the birthday cake was brought out. Then for our check — we paid a portion with credit cards and the rest in cash, along with the tip. We waited 15min before someone brought the credit card and slips back. Note — we tipped over 20%.
As we were about to leave the restaurant — another server came up to us near the front door and asked us if everything was okay. A bit puzzled — we said yes, everything was good. He questioned because we didn’t leave anything in the credit slip tip section. We told him we paid the rest in cash along with the tip (over 20%). He said he’ll go check. Then another server came up to us and asked us about the tip. At this point, we felt irritated that we were being harassed about the tip in front of restaurant and other guests especially due to their lack of communication. Definitely, not a great way to end our evening.

DINE OUT BOSTON REVIEW
— — — — — — — — — — —
This is probably the best Dine Out Boston deal because you still get the whole restaurant experience with (almost) their full menu without spending as much!
SALAD BAR:
The plain vegetables and rice went so well with the meats. However, the pre-​made salads and marinated vegetables tended to be soggy and really didn’t get eaten throughout the night.
MEATS:
All of the meats that were cut onto our plates were served hot.
+ Cordeiro (Lamb): The lamb was so tender, cooked perfectly, and was not too salty.
+ Frango (Chicken legs): It’s sad that I preferred this over some of the red meats, which usually doesn’t happen!
+ Costela de porco (Pork ribs): They easily cut off the bone with great seasoning.
— Picanha (Top sirloin): For the most popular meat, our «medium rare» cuts were just rare. We had tried several rounds, even trying to order medium cuts, to get the best cooked part of this meat, but each time the cut was completely rare.
— Fraldinha (Bottom sirloin): This cut was definitely cooked much better than the top sirloin, but with heavy sea salt.
The Brazilian cheese bread, crispy polenta, and caramelized bananas were all great complements to the meats. There were no additional seasonal side dishes available.
SERVICE:
The service from our waiter was fantastic. He made sure we were taken care of and accommodated our requests to replenish our side dishes quickly. He also presented our cake, which we purchased outside the restaurant, on a platter and had written «Happy Birthday» topped with a candle.
However, the servers who cut the meats varied from pleasant to pissed off to very pissed off. It was a very busy night, with many large groups. They were tired of repeating what each meat was, and were tired when we wouldn’t take our tongs to grab the meat quickly.

We hit Fogo for Restaurant Week (okay, okay, Dine Out Boston) dinner at $ 38 pre-​tip/​tax. We played smart and made a reservation early on, however they declined to seat us till our full party was in attendance.
Cheesebread, fried polenta sticks, garlic mashed, and sweet caramelized bananas soon descended upon the table. Yucca joined shared sides as I special requested it. Additional platters arrived over the duration of the dinner, however I thought it odd that they did not remove the now chilled shared plates as their warmer counterparts hit the table. We particularly loved the crisp polenta and the sweet bananas, but personally I had a tough time leaving the cheesey breads alone.
We hit the buffet with care as we wished to do a good job on the meats which would later be served to us right at the table by men bearing skewers of the stuff. A good variety of veggies were available, alongside a good chicken salad rendition, flat thick crispy slices of bacon, and smoked salmon.
Men welding meat on sticks then served us a diverse selection (limited to 8 types for RW) of protein at the table.
The negatives — my water glass went empty, and their normally generous dessert was sadly cut quite thin for our RW meal… which made me feel a bit stupid after having lauded it so much to my DCs prior to our dinner.

Positive note: They were very accommodating when I called and said we were running late. As soon as we got there they sat us down immediately.
The ambiance was lovely, a very comfortable setting. Our service started off great but then became terrible as the night went on. First they told us they couldn’t cut any meats for us until we got our drinks. It took about 20 mins for my drink to arrive. I should’ve told him to take it back since at that point, I didn’t want it anymore. During the entire evening, no one ever came to refill our water. Before we could recall to ask, they were gone in a flash. Also, once our waiter got us our deserts, we became nonexistent to him. He didn’t attend to us at all. The bus boy was the one that took initiative to ask if we were all set and brought us our check.
So, the salad bar was great, there was plenty of options to choose from. The meats were decent, nothing in particular that I can compliment on. I did get most items well since medium was still pretty rare. We did however enjoyed the pork ribs the most. The cheesy bread was tasty as other reviews mentioned. They gave us the smallest piece of desert ever! I’d recommend saving your money and going to a high end steak house for the price here.

+ Service superior and friendly, all meat men seemed to be actually Brazilian too
+ excellent food, both meat and salad bar, and bread!
+ great atmosphere, good for small and large groups
+ easy to access: Boylston T stop and it’s just around the corner.
Came here during restaurant week and was probably one of my favorite picks of Boston’s fine dining on a budget! While $ 38/​pp is nothing to wink at, it’s lower than their regular pricing and for a BUFFET… common’ how can you complain? The meat came out in speedy fashion and the men sliced through everything in pure style! Half the time I couldn’t understand their accents so I’m not quite sure what I was eating, but literally everything was magical! Their cucumber, watermelon, cheese salad was by far one of my FAVORITE from the salad bar… refreshingly clean and juicy with a hint of balsamic vinegar, mmm i’ll have to figure out how to make it myself!
Everyone was super nice and friendly and happy to answer any questions about what they were serving. I suggest booking a reservation earlier in the night so you don’t get caught up in the waiting game… people ARE eating buffets after all and you can’t hurry that!
For trying this place on a budget and NOT during Dine Out Boston, I suggest coming her for lunch! It’s still buffet and still awesome, but less expensive!

The best steak I’ve ever had. Went for restaurant week so it was $ 38 instead of the normal $ 52. Everything was phenomenal. I purposely skipped lunch so I would be able to enjoy the food here as much as possible. Even though the servings are small, you can always ask for more, this is also better, because you can keep trying everything they have to offer. Service is friendly, restaurant as a whole (including bathrooms) were spotless, the food was exquisite, so much so that if I had had to pay the original $ 52, I still feel it would have been worth it.
The system is pretty simple and convenient, you have a little disc in front of you, if it’s on the green side, it means you want the servers with the meat to come over to serve you, if it’s on the red side, it means you don’t want anything from them. The drinks are sold separately.
Just an incomplete list of everything I tried: apple salad, asparagus, cucumber, papaya, watermelon, salmon, prosciutto, grilled bell pepper, artichoke hearts, bacon, potato salad, chicken salad, pão de qiejo (cheese balls), caramelized bananas, crispy polenta, and for dessert, the chocolate mousse cake.
One last thing, even though the price PER PERSON (which is what the Unilocal review asks for) is in the $$$ range, if you are going with somebody (which you most likely are) then it’s definitely in the $$$$ range.

Fogo De Chao was my first and has been my only experience with Brazilian steak houses, and it has been a series of extremely satisfying experiences.
I’m a hound for meat, and I absolutely adore the seemingly endless onslaught of steak and lamb that materializes on my plate — and mysteriously fast into my stomach. I will say that I was not particularly fond of the bacon-​wrapped chicken or the wings, but it was mostly due to all the beef options the restaurant provides — ones that I will always choose over poultry. The steaks, especially the House Premium Sirloin and prime rib, are winners. My shares of meat always came to me, still sizzling on the metal skewers, wafting the all-​too-​familiar aroma of meaty juiciness that carnivores crave.
The endless sides (mashed potatoes, caramelized bananas, and that crispy thing that looks like fries) were all yummy as well, but the bananas were hands down my favorite. They reminded me of fresh Filipino banana lumpia, the kind your favorite Filipina aunty makes.
The customer service was what I expect from a higher end place to eat. The waitresses were all very polite, but I noticed they were significantly nicer and more attentive to my boyfriend. Curious if that has anything to do with the demographic of their customer base, but I won’t question it too much — I was treated well.
I await my next trip to Boston to re-​visit the carnivorous heaven that is Fogo De Chao.

I got a text from my friend this morning: «I just burped filet mignon». Normal people would probably have responded with «gross», but not me. I wrote «that. is. awesome.» because it is.
Yesterday, I finally got to try the oh-​so-​infamous fogodechao. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. I was so excited the entire morning that I studied Unilocal reviews during work, took mental notes and had absolutely no shame pulling up the photos, which took up my entire computer screen. Seriously, this is what Unilocal is for.
When we sat down, the waitress began to explain the market place/​salad bar. I immediately turned off my brain. I knew she was just trying to tempt me into filling my stomach with little leaflets. Absolutely not. I was not going to fall for it. I got 1 asparagus and a little bit of arugula (btw. the salad bar isn’t as amazing as other people have been saying. I would never come JUST for that…). Then, it was meat time. Meat on meat on meat!
DEFINITELY GET: garlic coated top sirloin and the FILET MIGNON… melts in your mouth… and for all the fellow carnivores who like their meat «so rare that I can hear it moo-​ing» — THEY DO IT PERFECTLY!
The service was amazing. Some of the servers looked like they hated being there, but Vinny made our evening better with his positive energy. He was so informative and quick to ask what kind of meat we wanted so he could send the server over to us as soon as possible. Vinny was awesome, but you know what else was awesome? THE BOOZEMOBILE — a cart of various dark liquors and a bartender who walks around to make you the best drinks. The drinks he made were $ 12.50 each, which is pretty standard for Boston. I explained what kind of drinks I liked; he told me to trust him and he made me a special concoction that was perfection in a cup, but he gave me so little… I wanted 3x the amount he gave me :(Disclaimer: I’m not an alcoholic. My cup was only ¹⁄₅ filled with liquid…
Literally, I can’t even comment on the side dishes because I wasn’t going to waste stomach space on that, but it didn’t look bad.
It scares me that I ate 2+ lbs of meat yesterday night and want to go again tonight… byebye paycheck, byebye arteries.