I’ll “MEAT” You at Fogo de Chao [Brazilian Steakhouse Review]

This post is sponsored by Fogo de Chao. All photos and opinions are mine.

I will never forget the first time I went to Fogo de Chao. I was in junior high and my mom was working for a big energy company in Houston. The company she worked for had taken her to this Brazilian Steakhouse in Houston, Texas and after going there on the company dime and loving it, she knew she just had to take the whole family.

So one day, we walked in and it was like nothing we had ever been to before. Right as you walked in, there were big slabs of meat on large metal rods rotating around a roaring fire behind the glass. We knew we were in for a treat from there on out.

Once we were seated, we were given free reign over the salad bar. They quite the spread of delicious salads and antipasta! After the first course, we were given these little round cards with red on one side and green on the other. The idea is simple – there will be waiters that come around with different cuts of meat, and if you’d like some, you flip your card to the green side. If you have enough on your plate and don’t need anymore, then you flip it to the red side. It makes for quite a fun game of do I really need to flip this card for more (i.e. can I fit more in my belly?).

And then there’s the desserts. Their creme brulee is to die for! You can see all of the little vanilla bean flakes in it; it’s just glorious.

So why am I talking about this place today? Fogo de Chao invited me to their restaurant to sample their Spring menu. This season, they have all sorts of delicious seasonal items added to their menu. Some of these items include Carrot & Ginger Soup, Roasted Cauliflower Salad, Brazilian Kale & Orange Salad, Pork Picanha, Linguica Sausage, Creme de Coconut dessert, and a Blood Orange Manhattan cocktail.

I tried all of these seasonal items (plus everything else they have!) and I’m going to give you the “must haves”.

The Rolls. The Bacon.

I don’t know what’s in those rolls of theirs, but man oh man are they delicious! Also, the candied bacon on the salad bar is out of this world good. True story: when I was going through the photos from my visit there and editing the photos for this post, the bacon picture seriously got my mouth watering. Now that’s good!

Seasonal Items.

I don’t typically spend a ton of time in the salad bar area here, but there’s a few items over there now that will keep me coming back.

You MUST get a cocktail. This one is strong and delicious! It’s their seasonal Blood Orange Manhattan and it packs a serious punch!

The carrot and ginger soup was SO good! It’s rich and creamy and warms you from the inside out. The roasted cauliflower also had a really great flavor!

As for the seasonal meats, I hope they keep the Pork Picanha around for good. It was delicious! And the way the meat caramelizes on the outside, oh it’s amazing!

Save room for dessert! The creme de Coconut dessert is amazing! It’s packed with shredded coconut and served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a little lime zest on top. So SO good!

Sides & Sauces.

The mashed potatoes. Oh, the mashed potatoes. They were refilled on our table at least twice. Also, the green chimichurri sauce is amazing on the beef. It adds a zingy flavor that helps cut through the fattiness of the beef.

Regular Meat Options.

The Beef Picanha and the Filet Mignon will always been my favorites. They have such great flavor and that seared outside of the meat is what makes them amazing. The Lombo Pork is also very good. It’s a parmsean crusted pork loin filet that’s perfect for if you’re not a big beef eater. If you’re a lamb lover, their Cordeiro Lamb (lamb chops) are delicious as well.

One Last Tip.

If you’re feeling overly when you leave, that’s totally normal. But you don’t have to be miserable! Go over to the salad bar and get a piece of two of pineapple. The pineapple will actually help break down the enzymes of the beef in your stomach and will have you feeling better in no time!

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