The Biggest Mistakes People Make When Dining At Fogo De Chão Brazilian Steakhouse

Fogo de Chão as a Brazilian steakhouse provides a fairly special dining experience for its customers. Once diners have been sat at their table they will see gauchos — Brazilian trained chefs — circling the restaurant with a variety of mouthwatering fire-roasted meats that are then sliced from the skewer that it's on table-side for customers to sample and enjoy. Besides the wide range of meats, patrons also get to enjoy the buffet-style seasonal Market Table and assortment of side dishes that are also served table-side.

The chain's first restaurant opened in 1979 in the countryside of Porto Alegre and didn't make its way over to the United States until 1997 when it opened a location in Dallas, Texas. While in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, Fogo de Chão was a struggling steakhouse chain but has since turned things around and has even been ranked as one of the best steakhouse chains in the U.S. and was awarded the No. 1 spot in an ultimate ranking of all-you-can-eat buffet chains. Today, it has 97 locations worldwide and is still expanding with 12 locations coming soon, nine of which are in the United States and could possibly be opening in a city near you.

Due to how unique the dining experience is at Fogo de Chão it is easy, especially for newbies, to make mistakes. So, whether you've already visited the restaurant or are preparing for your first time, we have compiled a list of the biggest blunders people make when eating there so you can avoid them. Almost like a kind of beginner's guide to Brazilian barbecue.

It only feels right to start this list off with a key part of the Brazilian steakhouse experience, the table card. When you go to Fogo de Chão and are seated, staff will provide you with a card that looks similar to a coaster and has two sides. Each side is important and has a purpose that is integral to your culinary adventure.

One is green and says "Yes, Please," which signals to the gaucho chefs to keep coming to your table and offering you the different types of meats. The other side is red and says "No Thanks" to let them know that you are good for the moment and taking a break. It is okay to have your card flipped to the green side and still decline specific cuts of meat if you are not interested or waiting for a specific one to come around. It is also perfectly acceptable to have your card flipped to red so you can savor the food and experience or make a quick visit to the Market Table. However, it is important to note that having your card flipped to red for an extended period of time does mean possibly missing out on certain cuts of meat.

As we talked about at the start of the story part of the Full Churrasco Experience is the gauchos walking around with large skewers of steak — such as picanha, which is a top sirloin that is one of the best cuts of steak for grilling — pork, chicken, and lamb. Once you request a certain piece of meat the chefs will slice it directly off the skewer for you to taste.

Due to this table-side serving style, Fogo de Chão provides diners with tongs to use to grab the meat whale it is being cut and then place on their plate when it is done being sliced. One thing you should absolutely never do is grab the meat from the skewer with your fork to transfer it to your plate. Not only could doing that possibly leave remnants of other foods that you have been eating on the meat which is a cross contamination issue, but the fork has also been in your mouth and is therefore covered in your saliva. This is highly unsanitary and if you touch any other part of the meat with your fork your germs are then spread to other tables. So let's keep everyone safe and protect yourself from judgement by using the tongs, the meat will probably be easier to grab with them anyway.

While you are waiting on the meat to make its way to you, staff will bring a variety of sides that the Brazilian steakhouse offers. The side dish options include a seasonal soup, garlic mashed potatoes, caramelized bananas, warm pão de queijo (cheese bread), polenta, and more. Now we understand how tempting it is to devour those tasty sides when they are sitting in front of you and you are just sitting there waiting for the meat but we urge you to exercise restraint. After all, great things come to those who wait.

You should sample the sides in moderation, as while they are delicious, they will fill you up quickly. Which would not be ideal since that isn't necessarily what you went or paid for and would most likely hinder you from trying all of the flavorful meats, if that was your goal.

Due to how busy Fogo de Chão can get, on its website the restaurant recommends making a reservation especially if you plan to visit during the weekend, on a holiday, and/or with a large party. It is always smart to plan ahead and making a reservation will ensure that you and your party will actually get to dine at the steakhouse.

It is important to note that even with a reservation, you may experience a short wait for your table. We do understand that sometimes eating out is a spontaneous decision which doesn't allow you to make a reservation ahead of time. In this case, it would be better to visit during the week as that is when restaurants are typically less crowded. In addition, Mondays and Tuesdays are supposed to be the least busy days for restaurants.

Due to how Fogo de Chão works, and Brazilian steakhouses in general, you should expect your dining experience to be longer than you would typically spend at a more traditional steakhouse. This means that if you have plans afterwards, you need to make sure that you leave enough time to fully enjoy the experience.

Most patrons on Tripadvisor said that their visits to the restaurant took one and a half to two hours, although those who went with larger parties stated that they were there for over two hours. A representative of Fogo de Chão joined in on the conversation and recommended allotting one and a half to two hours for the experience, noting that guests set the pace. While it is highly unlikely that you will get cut off for spending too much time at the Brazilian steakhouse, a Redditor did claim that their uncle once had his card taken away after two hours. However, based on comments under the post, this doesn't seem to be a common occurrence.

With the vast selection of food and meat that you have to choose from at Fogo de Chão, and the excitement of the unique experience, it is easy to let yourself get carried away. However, one of the most important things is to pace yourself.

As soon as you have your card flipped to the green side, you can expect the gauchos to descend upon you with meat fairly quickly, but don't feel the need to say yes to everything. Try small portions of the meat first in order to figure out which one you enjoy and want more of and which ones you're not as fond of and don't want to eat. Or, you could take the five approach, where you take the first five meats offered to you and then flip your card to red giving. After you finish that meat, switch to a "yes, no, yes, no" pattern where you take every-other-meat in order to give yourself time to enjoy each one.

If you are gluten-free or someone in your family or dining party is, no need to worry that they won't be able to indulge and enjoy the Brazilian steakhouse as a majority of its menu is gluten-free, it does appear that items vary based on location. On its website the restaurant advertises that its entire Market Table is naturally free of gluten.

On the Find Me Gluten Free website, Fogo de Chão has an average rating of 4.5 stars as well as a 4.5 safety rating. Users on the site stated that they had great experiences at the restaurant, adding that staff is extremely knowledgeable and will also provide guests with a menu that lists the ingredients of each item so they know what's safe and what isn't. Diners in multiple Reddit discussions also raved about the restaurant and its staff being gluten friendly. One user was very shocked and excited to find out that the pão de queijo (cheesy bread) was gluten free, as well.

The Market Table at Fogo de Chão is much more than just your typical salad bar. While it does offer classic salads as well as specialty salads, it also has seasonal recipes, smoked salmon, black pepper candied bacon, a Brazilian dish called fogo feijoada, a charcuterie section, a selection of antipasti options as well as fresh fruits and vegetables.

We understand that if you are visiting for the Full Churrasco Experience, your main focus is the meat and sampling most (if not all) of it, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't pay a visit to the Market Table. Try the Caesar salad, large cucumber slices, hearts of palm, and the caprese salad. And use the offerings at the Market Table to enhance your experience with the meats by adding the different types of peppers — the restaurant has hot, sweet, and savory ones —, flavored olives, and pickled onions. In addition, you can go back and visit the table as much as you want, so no need to overdo it on your first trip.

Now with how we've described the dining experience at Fogo de Chão, you might think it's not the most child friendly place. While it's true the restaurant doesn't have a kids menu, it does state on its website that it offers complimentary dining for kids under the age of six, as well as half-priced dining for kids aged seven to 12.

A writer with Business Insider even brought their 13-year-old daughter, told the server her age, and was still only charged half the price for the Full Churrasco Experience. Now, we aren't saying that will happen for you, but it does show how the restaurant is kid friendly. Fogo de Chão is an excellent place for toddlers, as there are an abundance of foods for them to try without actually having to commit to a full plate of it which decreases food waste. In addition, considering that under the age of five they eat for free, it is a great way to expand their palate without breaking the bank.

It is easy to stay within your comfort zone when dining out, especially since restaurants like Fogo de Chão have safe sides like garlic mashed potatoes. However, when visiting a restaurant that is based on a certain culture's cuisine, like a Brazilian steakhouse, it is important to try the menu items from that cuisine that they are known for, otherwise what is the point of even going there. Now, we aren't saying that you have to get a full plate and finish it but you should at least get a little scoop to sample.

The Brazilian staples that the restaurant chain offers include fogo feijoada —a black bean stew server over white rice —, farofa — which is yuca flour sautéed with bacon and sausage then lightly seasoned —, and pão de queijo — cheesy bread. A blogger with Half Past First Cast admitted to not being the biggest fan of the fogo feijoada but recommended tasting it, adding they do enjoy the farofa.

As you are sampling the different types of meat that the Brazilian steakhouse has to offer, don't forget that there are sauces that you can add to them. Fogo de Chão offers a few different types of sauces, including a homemade hot sauce, a chimichurri, a horseradish sauce, and a mintchurri.

While the meats are very well-seasoned, adding some of the sauces to enhance the flavor can never hurt. Plus, there may be some pieces of meat here and there that you think could use a little bit of extra help. Reviewers on Yelp said that the sauces were excellent and recommended asking for them to add to the meat. The sauces are also always an option to dip the polenta, as well as some of the vegetable offerings from the Market Table in.

Besides the Brazilian dishes that you need to try, there is also a signature drink that you should try called the Caipirinha — which is actually the national cocktail of Brazil. The drink is fairly simple and only has three ingredients, four if you count the ice, which are sugar, lime, and cachaça — the alcohol in the drink. Cahaça is made from sugarcane juice and is technically a type of rum. Fogo de Chão actually imports a private label of cachaça from Brazil in order to make the drink at its restaurants.

The drink is comparable to a mojito or margarita, and it is sweet and enjoyable but can be strong, so be careful especially if you are driving afterwards. Users on Reddit recommended the drink, with one adding that for those who don't like rum, they substitute vodka, making a drink called the Caipiroska.

If you plan to visit the Brazilian steakhouse more than once or already have visited it and are planning to return, it would be smart to become a member of its rewards program. In order to enroll, all you have to do is dine there once, spend more than $15, and scan the QR code that is on your receipt. After that, you will receive an email about your rewards. The restaurant's website states when dining in a group, everyone can unlock a reward; not just the person who paid the bill.

It is important to note that rewards do have certain stipulations in order to unlock them. One example is that in order to unlock a free jumbo shrimp cocktail, you have to make a purchase of $25 or more. Of course, there are other options to choose from if you're not necessarily a seafood or shellfish fan. As a member of the rewards, you will also receive a $25 birthday reward off a Full Churrasco Experience and access to $1 Caipirinhas on Tuesdays. To redeem the rewards when visiting a Fogo de Chão location, all you have to do is provide the server with a phone number connected to the rewards account.

We know that with all the food options that customers have to enjoy from Fogo de Chão, between the meat, sides, and Market Table, it's easy to forget that the Brazilian steakhouse also has homemade dessert options to choose from. Those include cheesecake brûlée, papaya cream, molten chocolate cake, crème brûlée, key lime pie, tres leches cake, and chocolate brigadeiro.

The tres leches cakes was actually revamped by the chain in 2022 and was deemed as one of the items you should eat on Fogo de Chão's fall menu when it had its new unveiling. And it's always a good idea to split some desserts with your table. Either way, you still might be sent into a serious, but what we also hope is a very worth it, food coma.