Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Fogo De Chao-Brazilian Steakhouse

Jstroke
Jstroke Posts: 2,600
in Off Topic
As crazy as this is, I had never been to a Brazilian Steakhouse. In Chicago on biz, someone decided on going. My experience in all honesty was pretty rough. Everyone has an opinion, and it could have just been a bad night for the restaurant. But I found the cuts of meat tough in general to say the least. Not overcooked, but simply low quality. I tried everything they were bringing by on skewers and even the fillet was mediocre at best. However, that was not the overall deciding factor. The biggest negative was the rub they used. All cuts including ribs were covered in the same rub, which I found and the rest of us, overpoweringly salty. It was unreal. I do not think it was kosher salt. I don’t think you could pack that much salt on meat with kosher salt. I have no idea what others have experienced or with other Brazilian steakhouses. Glad it wasn’t on my dime. I can buy a lot of good beef for the money.



Columbus, Ohio--A Gasser filled with Matchlight and an Ugly Drum.
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • paqman
    paqman Posts: 4,669
    I had good experiences at a local place but I can’t say that I’ve tried other locations 

    ____________________
    Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage. •Niccolo Machiavelli
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • dmchicago
    dmchicago Posts: 4,516
    Those places are meat theater. 
    Philly - Kansas City - Houston - Cincinnati - Dallas - Houston - Memphis - Austin - Chicago - Austin

    Large BGE. OONI 16, TOTO Washlet S550e (Now with enhanced Motherly Hugs!)

    "If I wanted my balls washed, I'd go to the golf course!"
    Dennis - Austin,TX
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,733
    that place used to be the rage, now its in the mall.  i cant get beef to taste salty like most steakhouse chains without using a ton of goya adobo.
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,463
    Both places in SLC I've tried were way too salty, think its how they limit the "all-you-can-eat" aspect.  I won't be going back.  
    _____________

    Remember when teachers used to say 'You won't have a calculator everywhere you go'?  Well, we showed them.


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • JohnInCarolina
    JohnInCarolina Posts: 30,936
    It has been several years since I have been to one but my experiences have actually been pretty good.  Take it with a grain of salt (pun intended?) as this was all before I really got into egging.  

    We had one in Durham (it has since closed) and I thought the food was excellent in general.  The biggest issue was that it was all just so much food.   You basically had to prep in advance by eating very little, and then you were good for like a couple of days.  I never went on my dime either as it was super expensive.  We just had a couple of work-related dinners there. 

    I have also been to one in Rio de Janeiro.  That was pretty cool.  
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 9,829
    Your review isn't wrong.  It seems that the quality of the cuts of meat - particularly the tenderloin/filet - has gone down significantly over the past few years - both in the San Antonio and Chicago locations.  I don't recall thinking that things were "overly salty" but they were salty.  That may be a new thing that is related to cook turnover or something.  Like most have said, it is an interesting dining experience that is best enjoyed on someone else's tab.

    With that said, at a different local Brazilian steakhouse, I used to be able to get my money's worth.  They would come around with 8 oz probably prime tenderloins on their skewers and cut them into 1/3s as they served them.  I kept asking for them to return so much that they just started dropping whole steaks on my plate.  I can't eat that much any more so this type of restaurant isn't as appealing as it used to be.

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Jstroke
    Jstroke Posts: 2,600
    Thanks to all for the sanity check. Won’t be returning and certainly won’t be trying others on my dime.
    Columbus, Ohio--A Gasser filled with Matchlight and an Ugly Drum.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • JohnInCarolina
    JohnInCarolina Posts: 30,936
    JohnInCarolina said:
    It has been several years since I have been to one but my experiences have actually been pretty good.  Take it with a grain of salt (pun intended?) as this was all before I really got into egging.  

    We had one in Durham (it has since closed) and I thought the food was excellent in general.  The biggest issue was that it was all just so much food.   You basically had to prep in advance by eating very little, and then you were good for like a couple of days.  I never went on my dime either as it was super expensive.  We just had a couple of work-related dinners there. 

    I have also been to one in Rio de Janeiro.  That was pretty cool.  
    Should have clarified that neither of these were Fogo-de-Chao franchises.  
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories