Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse

We visited this restaurant last week. It is always a great decision. We wanted steak and lamb and we sure got it. All the meat is always seasoned to perfection. You could literally tell your waiter or waitress what you want to taste and they’ll bring it out just for you. This restaurant has two levels great ambience and has valet parking. Just make sure you are prepared for the price. lol

Meat, meat and more meat. Decent service and great food. You must come hungry. It’s not cheap but you are guaranteed authentic Brazilian specialties. Plan on having the meat sweats all night long I have a good inside track to the Brazilian specialties as my wife is Brazilian. She does it far better than Fogo but it’s nice to be served once in a while.

Went here with a group of six on a Saturday night and had a fairly satisfying experience. Making a reservation was easy with Open Table — they had lots of time slots to choose from. The bottle of Merlot that my friend and I shared was well priced and the salad bar offers lots of options — more than Texas de Brazil! Filet Mignon and the ribeye were the two best cuts they served. The picanha, which came out crispy and almost impossible to cut, didn’t live up to the expectation I had.
My only complaint would be that the server didn’t ask if we wanted our checks split up so after we passed the tab around and manually calculated what each person owed, the assistant waiter asked us why we didn’t just say we wanted a separate checks. Umm…
Oh and the hostess was pretty cranky, she should probably find a new career if she doesn’t like to be friendly.

This used to be my favorite steakhouse in DC but over the years the quality has suffered. The meats just weren’t as fresh and flavorful like they used to be. I experienced an upset stomach the last two times I went and am almost certain I will not return. It is a real shame because it used to be my favorite spot for dinner and drinks.

3.75. For the price and the value of being able to all you can eat somewhat quality meat, I can’t complain too much about this place. My simple advice is this. If you want great service and attention from your waiters, and would like to enjoy a quiet romantic meal, then don’t go here. If you don’t care about anything else but meat, then yeah of course this place will be great for you.
When Jason C and I went to Fogo last Friday, the place was PACKED. There was a promotion going on in the place, so I am sure it was super busy for that reason. Service wise, the servers were running around like crazy, and we had to really jump out and wave both hands desperately at them to get the meats. We were sitting right next to a large crowd, so the servers would go to them first and the meat will be gone in 10 seconds (2 people waving vs. 10 people waving. Yeah they will go to 10). I am glad that there was a manager going around and making sure that we got what we wanted though. After telling her what we wanted, we were promptly served with our choice of cuts.
I like Fogo de Chao, but I don’t love it. Here are the reasons below:
1. Some meats will be fantastic and some will be meh. Filet mignon was just wayyyyyyyyyyyyy to salty. Filet itself was grilled so well, so what a shame. In my opinion, lamb chops and Picanha were the best.
2. War zone. I know, it’s buffet mixed with all you can eat meat. I can’t expect too much. But you really have to throw yourself out to get the meat you want. I’ve been to several Churrascaria, but this was definitely the most hectic one.
3. Salad bar section is mediocre. It looked much better in the photos, and I wonder if New York location offers a better selection to compete against Churrascaria Plataforma? I know, who cares about the salad bar at a steak restaurant, right?
In conclusion, carnivores will love this place. If you don’t mind everything that I listed above, then Fogo is your next favorite restaurant. For me, I liked the place, but won’t return for a while.

Had very high expectations going here. I love steak and I love the idea of Brazilian Steakhouses. Fair warning, you must only go here when you are super hungry… otherwise, you are wasting your money! Expect never ending amounts of meat. oh yeah, there’s also salad. The décor inside is pretty lavish. It’s a very upscale buffet if you will. The service when i visited was not great. I understand it is a steakhouse but would prefer to have some limited seafood options as well. Similar places have salmon/​swordfish/​crab available. For me, this is better than Texas De Brazil, but not as good as Chima.

What an amazing place and food was delicious first time I have been there with my husband for our anniversary tonight! Service was awesome food was on point. The steak Chicken and pork was all delicious I will definitely go back there again. Thank you for being so wonderful to us. We are satisfied and would recommend this place to all of our friends and families!

I love coming here. Trying to keep my limit of 1 visit every 6 months. They always run promotions for restaurant week, Fogo email list coupons and FB deals which drops the price down an average of $ 20. Fogo sets the bar when it comes to Brazilian steak houses. You get great cuts of meat ranging from lamb chops, filet mignon, and ribs. The salad/​food bar is stocked with fresh salad, fruit, salmon, cold meats, and a huge cheese wheel. Best thing to remember to how you like each of your favorite meats cooked. Pace yourself and don’t be fooled by the delicious salad bar. You can always request which meat you want. I do prefer coming here then other Brazilian steak houses because of the quality of meat and variety of fresh options at the salad bar. Some other locations have gamey meat that are not cooked and seasoned well. This is a great location with plenty of street parking and Federal Triangle metro station not to far. I would recommend making a reservation. We came on a Tuesday night and it was packed.

So Fogo de Chao is my fiancé’s FAVORITE restaurant so we go quite often. It’s only natural that I would throw a dinner party there.
I had high expectations because:
1. This restaurant typically offers a 5 star dining experience
2. I was paying about $ 60/​person
3. I made reservations
However, I was super disappointed. The rice and beans upstairs at the salad bar was dry. The bread was overcooked (every single batch we received). We did not have good service– we would have three meats come and then no one would return for like 10 minutes. It was a large party of about 15 people.
I had greater expectations but this is probably the worst Fogo de Chao that I’ve ever visited.

Wonderful experience! The hubby brought me here for wedding anniversary celebration. Meat was fresh and awesome. The salad bar had various fruits and salads that were satisfying.
It gets extremely crowded here on Saturdays, so make sure you make a reservation in advance.

Thank you, Facebook deal for $ 50 off for our Foge de Chao meal! DH and I came here to celebrate his bday. We made reservations and when we arrived we were seated promptly. As a first time guest, our server explained to us how to navigate the dinner experience. I especially love the salad bar. They have really good papayas when we were there. Since I don’t know how to buy papayas, I definitely enjoyed those in the restaurant. I liked the soup of the day as well – asparagus and pea soup. When we started the meat experience, it was fun. Servers come to your table and ask you how you like your meat cooked. Some of it just melted in my mouth. Servers also kept on giving me big portions. I should remember to tell them to give me a smaller portion next time. For drinks, DH got himself a merlot. I got myself the homemade limeade. It was fantastic. The only issue I had with this place was that in their busyness, it took a long time to get my limeade out. We ended up ordering it twice but when the server saw what happened, he made sure not to charge us twice. Overall, the experience here is great!

It’s been a while since I went to a Brazilian steakhouse. If I was still in my early 20s, I would have gotten my money’s worth. Now? I have to be very picky.
Fogo de Chao has 2 locations (Baltimore and DC), and we decided to venture out to the DC location for a Sunday dinner. We made a reservations and sat within 5 minutes of arrival, so they are definitely prompt. I overheard walk-​in people having to wait at least 30 minutes without reservation, which is a great sign on a Sunday night.
They give you several sides, such as cheesy bread, fried banana, mashed potatoes and etc. Plus you get to venture to their salad bar, which has more than just salad: they have fruits, roasted peppers, garlic, cheese, lox, deli meats, and so on. Of course the main attraction is their meat, so when you turn your coaster to green, you’ll find people stopping with steak, pork, sausages, chicken and lamb.
As far as taste go, you’ll definitely need to assess the meat more closely before you say yes to everything. For example, the sirloin was quite dry while the pork roast and ribs were delicious. Skip the sausages and go easy on the bacon-​wrapped sirloin, which is tastier than regular sirloin, but way too greasy.
Nearby street parking is free on Sundays, otherwise you’ll need to either valet, use the garage next door, or find street parking. It’s metro accessible (and probably a good idea afterwards, to walk off the meat sweat).
Overall we had a great meal and I finished 3 plates (40% from salad bar, 60% meat), especially since they had a $ 25 special offer via their FB page, so our bill came out to be about $ 85 after tips (make sure to tip the whole amount, not after the deduction). But if it’s for regular price, I’ll need to step up my metabolism to really get my money’s worth.

Horrible meat! Awful food.
Arrived within 60 seconds of our reservation time and had to wait fo 8 minutes for reasons I don’t fathom. The place was half full.
Being born in the Midwest, I am used to grain-​fed beef — marbled, flavorful, and tender. Many diners don’t have the problems I have with grass-​fed meat but to me it is a lot more like venison than beef. I tried sirloin, ribeye, and skirt steak and after one bite, I moved it to the discard pile. Then one of my favorites, lamb, came out. I was looking forward to it because lamb is always a little gamy, and that’s part of its charm. And I like mutton as well. But this lamb was honestly inedible. Too tough to chew and too gamy to enjoy.
The beef was cooked well — mid rare like I want, but the taste and texture was awful. If you want chewy and grassy, this is your place. My dining companions agreed although just thought it was bad and didn’t ascribe it to my guess about the feed program.
Pork chops and pork ribs were slightly better, perhaps one star instead of zero for the beef, because they were not disgusting. They were tough and either overcooked or low grade meet — I couldn’t tell. Discard pile again. The bacon-​wrapped chicken leg was OK but the chicken breast was badly overcooked. The good news is that they probably will never send anyone to the hospital by serving jerky.
I asked about seafood and fish and the server said they had it but there wasn’t any in the room. I asked the waiter in charge and he said they had shrimp, but it would be extra. I originally said «No» but then I tasted the lamb and asked him to bring shrimp. I expected grilled shrimp on a skewer but received a giant shrimp cocktail with six jumbo shrimp on ice, lemons, and cocktail sauce. I have no idea what it cost but it was excellent.
Fogo de Chao is not without merit. The caipirinha, a Brazilian rum (chacaca) cocktail was truly outstanding and the wine list is acceptable. The bottle of Meiomi Pinot Noir I buy for $ 22 was $ 68 and the Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet I buy for $ 80 was $ 168, I think.
The salad bar was the star of the evening. Nearly everyone in my party went back for seconds after tasting the meats. And the side dishes of mashed potatoes, bananas and fried polenta were very good as were the cheesy yeast rolls.
The service was fine — my water glass was never more than half empty — but I can’t get past the grassy tough meat.

Best meat in town EVER!!!
Delicious food, good atmosphere, great staff,
One of my restaurants in the city

We have always had great experiences here! Amazing service and delicious food. The meat is what we came for, which melts in your mouth, but I like the salad bar equally as much with all the fresh choices. They do 50% off for veterans on memorial and Veterans Day, which is an amazing offer. I highly recommend this restaurant for anyone visiting the DC area and looking for fine dining. Make sure to arrive plenty of time before closing so that you get your fill!

Meh. That about sums up my experience. I’m a steak snob, and wasn’t impressed with any cut of meat except their house cut. The salad bar is amazing, but the meat was not up to paar with my expectations for «one of the best steakhouses in DC.» The service was mediocre, as we’re the sides and steak. The ambiance is enjoyable.

I came here for a celebration lunch during a weekday lunch and found it very easy to make reservations for a large party.
Having been to Chima, I think I prefer Chima over Fogo. Although Fogo is very conveniently located downtown, it was a pain to drive and find parking on a weekday for lunch. I thought they had valet service, but apparently valet is only available for dinners. So my only option was to pay 12 dollars an hour for the garage right next door ($ 24 max per day), or drive around 11 and 12^th street looking for 2 hour street parking. Luckily after driving around, I finally found parking right in front of hotel, lucky day.
Upon arriving, I thought the interior was nice, we were seated by the entrance, and away from the salad bar. I was not impressed with their salad bar, and they did have lox, a great mango salad, kale salad, papaya, pineapple. But I thought their other greens were not very fresh, and there was a heavy emphasis on marinated veggies such as peppers. They had a limited selection of cheeses which were good.
Then comes the brazilian steakhouse part, the people came and cut meat at our tables came in very quick waves in the beginning, and never returned again. Even though the rest of my party had their signals turned to red (which means they did not want any more meat), I kept mine at green (since I didn’t get meat the first time around because I was concentrating on my salad bar items), but they did not return to my table.
Also, the few pieces of meat that I did get during my first round were quite dry and tiny slivers. I noticed the other people in my party got much more generous portion of the meats, and did not get very dry pieces like me.
I am addicted to their complimentary mini cheesy popovers, I don’t usually eat much breads, but this was quite an exception especially when they kept refilling it. As for the free sides such as mashed potatoes, fried plaintains, and polenta. I loved the polenta and the mashed potatoes, but they were never refilled and got cold quickly.
At the end of my meal, I was a unimpressed, but can see why others can have a good time. Servers themselves were extremely pleasant and nice.

Fogo De Chao is one of my favorite go to spots for some good meat to feed my inner animal. I like the way they bring the meat to your table and also have a magnificent salad bar to feed the inner rabbit. lol…
Service is always good here from my experience…
Worth a taste!

Absolutely amazing! I can’t say it enough. The thing that really made this five stars is the staff. They pulled chairs out, were so attentive and so sweet. They even asked us if we were celebrating anything, which we were. They then gave us an amazing chocolate lava cake for free with Happy Anniversary written on it. The food is exceptional and as soon as you turn that card green, the meat never stops coming. I was never wanting for anything, whether it was more meat, more sides, a clean plate or more drinks. I also liked that they asked which meat we liked the best and brought it back to our table. I cannot wait to go back. The food is amazing and I can’t stress how amazing the staff is – so so attentive.
The only con I have to say is that dessert is not included in the price and we were not told that at first when they came over to the table to present us with it. It’d be nice to know it was extra.
If you are celebrating a special occasion or just want to be spoiled for a night, look no further. I cannot wait to go back!

I’ve been to Fogo 20+ times and haven’t had a bad meal here. It’s that consistently good. Service here rivals any top steak house but without the stuffy vibe.
Why I come here? It’s actually a toss up between the meats, sides and salad bar… constantly juggling for position in my stomach, sort of like a food Game of Thrones.
The little cheesy bread are seriously made out of crack. If you think the cheese biscuits at Red Lobster are good, these blow those out of the water. Another of my favorite sides is the caramelized bananas. It’s a simple dish but complements the meat perfectly.
As for the meats, everything is good here. I tend to go for a couple servings of the picanha, my favorite cut. The best is if you get a super charred piece with the fat.
Also the limeade is freshly made, refreshing, and free refills.

I have heard marvelous things about Fogo de Chao but I just never had the time or the appetite to visit. The last time I went to a Brazilian steakhouse was 4 years ago and my experience there was like no other. my stomachache after that was also like no other. clearly I had stuffed my face a little too much. I finally went to this place last night and oh my gaaaaawd I don’t regret going to sleep at midnight with a 10 pound food baby.
From the reviews, I gathered that Fogo gets packed during the weekends and holidays but when my friend and I walked in last night (a Wednesday night) around 8pm we were told that there was an hour wait! Not sure if there was anything special happening in downtown but once we were finally seated (40 min later) this place looked like it was a Friday night. Our server was magnificent and the folks who switched the dirty plates with cleans ones were also super friendly and quality of service we got from them was stupendous. My friend and I even got a delicious roasted hot pepper and onion side dish on the house.
On to the food! The salad bar had a variety of cheese, salads, and cured meats. I tried to not eat too much from the salad bar because I was at Fogo for one thing and one thing only. The meats! After I was (mentally) ready for the meats I turned that green card and it was not even 2 minutes later when I had meat servers right and left coming up and asking if I wanted a slice of lamb, filet mignon, sirloin, etc you name it. The meat servers where too good with their job Haha. I had to turn my tab over to the red side to get a break from all the meat selections coming my way. At the end of the night I was surprised with a delicious bday chocolate cake and ice cream *insert omg emoji face here* My birthday was three weeks ago and I neither my friend nor I had mentioned this little detail, but it turns out two of the servers were a friend of a friend of a friend (I guess it doesn’t just happen in the movies lol) and remembered it was my bday a few weeks back. Great food and overall one of the best dinner locations I have ever dined! Highly recommend this place :)

Great for groups, the salad bar is divers, very fresh. The waiters were attentive as they pay close attention if one desired more steak. The various steaks, rib eye, sirloin, lamb were generously offered. There are several options for fish lovers or vegetarians.

I find that the food has gone down a bit. I think I’ve been to too many Brazilian type steakhouses where they serve an endless amount of meat. I was here last night and few things occurred. My waiter dropped my martini on me. NO big deal, accidents do occur. It was replaced quickly. The meat that I didn’t want kept coming endlessly which I continue to ask for lamb chops and it only came one time and never came again. All the seafood is la cart system, so everything is an extra charge. No big deal and the sea bass is fantastic here.
If I had a choice, I’d prefer Texas de Brazil, but I don’t usually go there anymore because I got tired of eating same things over & over.

You will feast here! This is a chain Brazilian Steakhouse across the street from the new Trump Hotel. You can get at at Metro Center and walk 5 minutes and be here. Two story restaurant with salad bars both up and downstairs. The upstairs salad bar is a fraction of the size so you may want to go downstairs.
To the meat of the review: we had top sirloin, bottom sirloin, ribeye, filet, sausage, chicken, bacon wrapped chicken, lamb, and ribs! There’s plenty more to choose from and they keep bringing it. All of the meat was delicious and they provide temperature options.
In addition to the salad bar, which has a lot more options than just vegetables, they bring sides to the table. They brought us bread, mashed potatoes, sweet plantains etc…
To sum up, all you can eat meat for around $ 55 an adult. Drinks are expensive, even for DC. Service was above average, a team effort. I cannot comment on dessert. Seems to be a very touristy and family-​friendly place. Overall, I will go back the next time I want to eat like a caveman!

I love brazilian steak houses but this one takes the cake. As good as it gets.

I LOVE BRAZILIAN STEAKHOUSES.
Now that we’ve established that obvious bias, I will say, Fogo de Chao is the best that I’ve ever been to. The meats are amazingly flavorful, the service is prompt and polite, and the cheese puffs… I could eat them forever!
Some tips from a person who cannot afford to dine here every day:
If you’re going to dine here, sign up for the email listserv. I got a $ 25 off coupon to use on Mondays-​Fridays. Perfect for lunch on President’s Day — the day after Valentine’s Day. Cheaper lunch prices AND $ 25 off made this meal come to only bout $ 30 a person.
Do NOT order drinks because they are pricey. I made the mistake of asking for «sparkling water», assuming that since I didn’t select the «bottled sparkling water» that they had an option that came from the soda machine. But no no, we were brought a bottle that set us back by $ 7.50.
Do at least check out the salad bar. I know, I know — vegetables are cheap compared to steak but they have a huge selection that’s at least worth considering. They even have lox, of which you could easily eat back your money’s worth if you have a high tolerance for salt.
Side dishes will continue appearing at your table. Those cheese puffs (pão de queijo) may be just a side dish but THEY ARE STILL WORTH IT. They’re like little puffs of heaven — soft, airy, salty, and warm. AMAZING.
Dessert unfortunately is not included in the meal. But it’s okay because you can just eat MORE CHEESE PUFFS.
As for the meats:
–Bacon-​wrapped chicken: I know, I’m at a steakhouse and talking about chicken? Well, this chicken is worth it. The bacon keeps the inside moist, and the fattiness of the bacon compliments the leanness of the chicken breast.
–Lamb: My favorite meat and done pretty well here. I will say the first portion I had was better distributed in terms of fattiness. The second cut was a bit overcooked, which made the fat harder to chew.
–Steaks — Unfortunately, I already forgot which ones I enjoyed and which were meh but hey, you’re at a buffet so why not try them all? Do be clear on which temperature you’d like it cooked — otherwise, you may find yourself eating a more well done steak that you had thought.
–Chicken legs: These little bites of dark meat on bone are really juicy. Very well done and tender. Great for poultry lovers like my boyfriend.
All in all, a worthy splurge (and not even that bad price-​wise if you have the coupon). If there’s something you want to celebrate, or a friend you want to take for a nice treat, this is a great place to be!

The best steakhouse ever! Worth every penny, highly recommend it ! I come here every valentines day and they include a free gift card next dinner/​lunch free for one person

If you plan on coming here, starve yourself for at least 24 hours. It’s a fancy, all you can eat steakhouse in the heart of downtown DC near the National Mall. There’s plenty of seating and it includes a very nice salad bar. However, that’s where they get you. The salad bar looks so amazing you want to fill up on that. Definitely go to the salad bar, but only get a little so you can indulge on any piece of amazing steak that the servers bring by. They give you a little card you flip over to green when you want more meat and turn to red when you need a break.

Guys. Unlimited choice cuts of well seasoned meat. Seriously, enough said. We went here the day before the big blizzard and it was packed! Both my friend and I were starving so we made a beeline for the salad bar, which is rather extensive. I personally loooved the marinated mushrooms, I believe they shitake and the asparagus, but there was plenty of other offerings as well. Then the meat arrived. you’ve seen the menu so you know that they have all sorts of beef, pork and chicken and my favorite, lamb! Oo those lamb chops, going to dream about them for a while. There are a variety of doneness to the meats so ask for what you like. When it got to be too much meat (it’s possible) I liked bringing back some refreshing bites to the table from the salad bar for in between bites of meats. We were both in hardcore meat sweat status by the time we left. It was worth it.

So, as a native New Jersey woman growing up next to the old rodizio (Brazilian steakhouses) of the Ironbound section of Newark, and being the lover of fine grilled meats, I decided to go out with two friends to celebrate the end of the semester. This review will actually be a 2 for 1 deal, because I went here for an anniversary dinner with the boyfriend prior to this second visit!
First time (with the rundown of procedure on 10÷24÷15):
PRICE: $ 55 (USD) not including drinks and desserts
We made reservations via OpenTable, and we were greeted by friendly staff. This place gets busy, especially Fridays and weekends. We dressed up a little bit, but nothing too fancy. Anyways, the décor and ambiance is that of a higher end restaurant. The male waiters will even pull the chair out for the ladies.
So, they have a card system. Real simple. When you’re ready to feast, flip the card to the green side for endless meat. If you’re done or want to take a break from the meat, flip the card to the red side. There’s a fantastic salad bar and they provide fried polenta, plantains, and Brazilian cheese bread to the table.
I pretty much had all the meat that was available. Though I can’t particularly remember the names of all of them, the garlic sirloin is the stand out. I could have that garlic sirloin the entire night. The sausage was awesome too. They will cut whatever size and doneness you like. For desert, my boyfriend had the papaya cream and I had the tres leches cake. Both were excellent!
Second time (12÷12÷15)
So this time around, I went with two friends. The staff was friendly, but it took them a while to get around to putting down the sides. What was annoying about this particular visit was that we ended up having to flag down multiple waiters, and none of them seem to know anything about the drinks or house cocktails. The plantains were way overripe, to the point where I felt like I was eating dessert. It was also very frustrating to actually get servers to come to the table to refill drinks and to also get to our table with the other meat options. Also, even though we asked for particular doneness of certain cuts, it was either too overdone or basically raw. Still, overall, it was really good. I would also strongly suggest having the coffee drinks. I just wish the service and the meat doneness was better.
Overall, it’s a good experience if you are willing to splurge. However, I can’t wait to move back to Jersey and be able to taste more meat varieties and better quality cuts, with a better price tag. FYI: Jersey rodizio averages about 30 bucks, even 25 at some places.

I wanted to celebrate with my wife our second anniversary, I wanted my wife to try something new, the food was great, we loved the wide selection of the salad bar, there are things for everyone, I loved the pickled mushroom salad, my wife loved the smoked Nova salmon, sun dried tomatoes, Lebanese taboula salad and many other choices of tasty Brazilian dishes, part two of this great dinner begins when they brought many different type of meat, I loved the house specialty pecinia, very tasty and with lots of flavor and the filet Megion, we finished with a slice of key lime pie.
The service was excellent, very attentive and informative wait staff did the job they set to do, we will be back to enjoy this Brazilian feast … Its a little pricy but it’s worth it.

Great experience for a brazilian steakhouse virgin! The prices were decent, and the food was worth every penny! It’s $ 50 but if you sign up online for the newsletter, you get $ 25 off, so your meal is only $ 25! That’s a deal you can’t beat, considering the quality of meat and the sides. The kale salad and squash was delicious and very different.

Word of mouth is a powerful thing. I didn’t know what a Brazilian Steak house was at first but through friends and family, they convinced me to try this place out. I took my girlfriend here for an anniversary and we both couldn’t have made a better choice. We love this place!
This place has a salad, soup blahblah bar that I didn’t bother getting any of because I wanted the meats! They have many choices of meats and as the servers bring them around to your table, you can ask for a certain cut of the meat and they’ll slice it for you.

For people who don’t know Brasilian food, this restaurant will seem great. My family and I have been here many years ago and boy how things have changed. There is smaller selection with the meat and salad bar, the meat isnt salted enough and nothing is hot. I’m not sure why the beans are not heated at the bar, they just sit there in a bowl. It seemed like the beans were from a can and the rice was from a box.
For the cost we paid for this dinner, it was really disappointing.

The only reason I’m giving Fogo a 4 star is because of the meat. When I moved to NOVA and walked around the DC area, I was really stoaked to see a Fogo de Chao or even a Brazilian steakhouse here. So I told my husband that I wanted to come here for NYE.
We made reservations 3 weeks in advanced for NYE. Made reservations with Open table and already got my name on the list. We arrived about 5 – 10 minutes early and got seated right away. So where we sat, I wasn’t too impressed. We were put in the corner and was placed in an area that had high traffic with the staff there which I brushed off my shoulder. Once we got seated we waited about 5 – 7 minutes for our server (in which he did not give us his name) to come. We were SO hungry that we didn’t even bother to wait for our server to come we just flipped the card green and got our meat. So back to the server… He first didn’t greet us with his name nor apologized for the delay. He explained the process of how the card works since my husband hasn’t been to this place before (but he knew the deal).
Anyways onto the food… meat quality is one of the best that I’ve had. But the salad bar isn’t as great as I had hoped. Although the fruit and veggies are very fresh and the BACON was so flavorful! Every time a server would come up with the meat, they would say what meat it was so fast that I couldn’t even remember the name but I remembered how it looked like and tasted!
So back to our server… throughout the night, we maybe saw him 3 times and those 3 times he never asked us how everything was going or if we needed anything else with our meal. I don’t know if it’s because it was a very busy NYE night or he just sucked. After we were done with our meal, our table got cleaned up by and gave us a dessert menu to look at. We didn’t get any dessert because we were so FULL from all the meat we ate. So come 10 minutes later after deciding we didn’t want dessert, we saw our server and waved him down. We asked for the check and he thought the dessert menu was our check.
Overall, I would definitely come here again for the meat because my husband and I sure LOVE meat. But, I do hope that we get seated elsewhere and have a better server.
PS: our bill says our server’s name was Susana… Don’t think that’s our server’s name because that’s clearly a female’s name and our server was a male.

I have been here many times with my family and even with friends. This is a classic in my household. We are all passionate meat-​eaters so this is the perfect place for you if you are one too.
The meat is cooked to perfection, no matter what style you like your meat you are sure to 100% enjoy it. It is juicy, full of flavor and practically melts in your mouth. The salad bar goes above and beyond your typical «salad bar» and lets you explore different options.
Yes, it is $ 54 per person for the full dinner service, but in my opinion it is completely worth the money. With that said, this is a great place for a date or a group dinner with friends and with family. The service is just as wonderful as the food and they go above and beyond to give you a good experience.
If you are more of a beef fan instead of chicken or sausage, (like me,) then I suggest to try the pecana steak cut. It is a personal favorite.

This place is expensive at around $ 55 a plate but worth it every once in a great while. The salad bar is tasty here but don’t let them get you on salad! Save room for all the meat you can possibly eat. The steak cuts (especially the bacon wrapped) are all enjoyable, the sausage and chicken aren’t my favorite, and be sure and try the Parmesan crusted pork. The mashed potatoes are tasty but don’t fill up on them! The rolls are tasty but same warning. I really like the plantains and had one of them as a little dessert after I finally had to admit defeat.
The service was friendly as always but my discarded salad plate sat on our table for an oddly long time until the manager noticed it and grabbed it. They also didn’t refill the mashed potatoes which was a little weird, not that I was going to eat any more of them in the midst of a meat coma.
If you like meat this place is a must try but come hungry and plan to take a 6 hour nap immediately after you leave!

Good but overhyped. Dinner here is not inexpensive, and you quickly wonder why you are paying all that money for the meat that after a short while seems to all taste similar? Or perhaps my palate isn’t sophisticated enough to full appreciate an all-​you-​can-​eat meant joint?
The salad bar is quite interesting with several salad mixes ready to scoop up, veggies, cheeses, and a bunch of other goodies. I saw one guy with a pile of Palm hearts on his plate. It’s good, but that’s not why you come to a place like this.
My favorite meats were the chicken legs, pork ribs, and pork. Both pork items were very tender and flavorful. The chicken legs were juicy and very memorable. Sadly the beef cuts are mostly forgettable.
Interestingly the most memorable things I ate were side dishes placed on every table. The polenta fries are worth hiding in a napkin to go. The cheese bread rolls are just the right amount of soft and doughy, and I like the caramelized bananas. Sort of like a flambé, but without the torch.
Overall it’s pretty good, but there are better places to fill your belly.

Have you eaten today? Have you eaten in the past three or four days? Well then, Fogo de Chao may not be the place for you…
COME HUNGRY.
I’ll admit this is not my first run in with a Brazilian Steakhouse, so I should have known the rules. I came semi hungry, but was in no way ready for the meat coma that was to come.
Now this wasn’t your basic going out to dinner night, we were out celebrating! We were able to call an hour before our arrival time and secure a table, which made being seated easy. The staff was friendly and quick to seat us once everyone had arrived.
However, once we were seated we sat for about 10 minutes before our server came over to take our drink orders. I assume they thought we were ready to dig right in. But whats a proper overindulgent meal without at least 2 glasses of wine?
The salad bar was good and had a lot of options, but there were a lot of heavy items (make sure you don’t overeat the salad bar!). Black beans, rice, cheese (an entire wheel of cheese Baxter!), smoked salmon, charcuterie, and of course your basic salad stuff (veggies to make your own salad and a premixed Cesar salad). I loved the sun dried tomatoes!
On the table they also serve fried plantains, mashed potatoes, polenta fries, and tiny rolls (why are the rolls so small… they should double the size so that people can make meat sammies with 8 different kinds of meats). These dishes are continuously refilled (because obviously we don’t really want to know how many scoops of mashed potatoes you’ve been served).
As for the meat, (I need to preface this with I’m not a huge red meat person) I thought the meat was great. The best pieces were the filet mignon (duh), the lamb, and the parmesan crusted pork. The rest of the meats are all a blur. SO MUCH MEAT.
Finally, we wrapped up our meal with a slice of the mousse cake. It was nothing special. The white mousse was really overpowering and tasted like a cadbury cream egg. Ick. (no offense). I love sweets and I never leave a dessert uneaten, so this may have been a first for me. Not that I needed a piece of cake after eating my red meat intake for the year.
Overall, the meal was good, not spectacular, and the price was a bit much for what we received. I’m not sure if I’ll return any time soon.

To me the best Brazilian steakhouse i have been to in America. Ive been to this location a dozen times and it as never disappointed.
At about $ 50 for dinner it is honestly a good deal, the meats are that good.
This place is right on Pennsylvania Ave between the White House and Capitol building. As such he crowd is a big mix, from people in suits, to tourists with t-​shirts with their plumbers cracks showing.
Filet and Filet wrapped in bacon are my faves but all the food is amazing and if you dont like one thing you have 14 other choices. Pao de queijo (cheese bread) is really good. Have never had the dessert because im always too full.
Keep in mind the meat is a bit rarer than you are accustomed to, but u can request it any way you want it
Tip: drink water, dont fill up on the salad bar.

These guys are good. They just love to put stuff on your table just to distract you from all the meat they have to offer. I mean, they throw in rice, bananas, mashed potatoes… another type of potatoes. I mean. c’mon…I know you’re doing your job, but I don’t need those items to slow me down.
Plenty of meat to go around. Not bad too for $ 50. And if you do want to slow down a bit, they have an excellent salad bar. I love the bacon and fried rice.
They focus on customer service here. Not just one guy waiting your table, but several, and asking you every 5 minutes or so, if you wanted anything else, or if everything else is ok.

I have been both locations: DC and Baltimore, and they are both amazing. From the high quality salad bar to all meat served, everything is top notch! Service was very good also! Too bad they don’t have any down in the south, but this place will be on my list to go when I go back to visit next time!
Also, if you would just like to try it out, I suggest to try lunch first. They have almost the same items there and it’s a cheaper way to try out their food before paying more for dinner.

I’ve been to Fogo’s Baltimore location once before and was really bummed when NYC’s opened after I moved to DC. I’m not a big meat eater so I know I would never make my money worth paying full dinner price. I waited for restaurant week but dc’s location didn’t run the promotion this past winter — then ta-​da: a birthday email complimentary $ 25 off.
I came for lunch and I opted for the salad bar. My husband joined me a bit later and went with endless meat (only $ 10 more than salad bar only). It took multiple requests before any sides which were lukewarm to be brought to the table. The salad bar was fine but nothing impressive — the best item was the chicken salad and it was your standard. My husband found most of the meat to be either under seasoned or over seasoned — he did however enjoy their house special sirloin with garlic salt.
It felt somewhat chaotic for the most part of the meal — no one was in charge of any particular table, we flagged down whoever we can and made multiple requests for the same thing — more water? Refill on sides? As a whole, we felt ignored.
Fogo earned back a star with their complimentary chocolate mousse cake — they lit a candle and wrote happy birthday. Even though they were clearly overwhelmed, I’m thankful that they put the effort in making a birthday girl a bit more special. Overall — thanks for the complimentary meal and cake, but definitely don’t see myself paying $ 60+ for the full experience in the future.

Excelente as carnes que comi! Muito boa a mesa de variedades e os garçons foram super educados. Alguns falam português. Embora ache que o fogo de chão de São Paulo seja melhor, este daqui de Washington está de parabéns.

Don’t let the open salad bar, small plates of fried plantains and cheesy bread fool you. You came here one reason and one reason only. That is to question yourself if you made ate enough meat and if you need a schedule an appointment with your doctor so he/​she can prescribe you Lipitor for the impending artery clog. Eating at Fogo de Chao is a treat; I came here during my birthday and scheduled a holiday party to seat 150 guests in our own individual section upstairs so our eating competition is uninterrupted. When I came here for my Birthday, the waiter gave me a complimentary chocolate cake dessert, which was fluffy and delicious. It even had a candle on top so I can make a wish to come back in the near future. That wish came true. Because I ended up working with the Manager of this restaurant 2 months in advance to book my department’s Christmas lunch at this location.
Let’s talk about the food. The Picanha and Cordeiro are my favorite cuts of meat off the stick. The meat is extra tender, juicy, flavorful, whatever adjective you can think of for a delicious slice of well cooked meat. Then you have the other amazing cuts of meat: Filet Mignon, ribeye, leg of lamb. That sounds delicious right? Well because it is. The meat here is fresh and prime. If you were to eat this much at another restaurant it would break your bank account. Since I came here with a group, we made a game out of the experience. It was basically a pissing contest between a bunch of people to see who could keep eating until they get sick or weak enough to turn the card over to red. Fortunately and unfortunately I wasn’t the winner of this competition.
If you want to mix things up. There is smoked salmon, salami meat, and leafy green salad over at the salad bar. Additionally there is mashed potatoes, cheese bread, plantains, and polenta if you’re missing carbs from your meal. If you portion it correctly, this meal satisfies you’re daily food pyramid. Except, the 2000 daily caloric intake allowance turns into a 5000 – 6000 calorie meal made up of mainly fat and protein.
It’s as good as it gets in terms of service and food all mashed together. I’ll be back; I’ll make sure to be on a caloric deficit a few days in advance so dinner will be guilt free.

Excelente lugar para comer carnes y ensaladas. El pan de queso es muy rico, la carne toda es muy buena. El servicio en español. Un poco costoso, pero vale la pena. Se come hasta que realmente uno quiera comer. Las bebidas y postres no están incluidas en el precio.