Loading ...Fogo de Chão
Posted by Foobooz on April 9th, 2007
Craig LaBan takes it all in at Fogo de Chão and despite maddeningly inconsistent meat dishes, the show is what makes it worth the visit.
And the unfailing charm of those gauchos, who slice their meats with tableside theatricality in an elegant room that few local restaurants can match, is ultimately what saves this newcomer from falling back into the one-bell fire.
Fogo de Chão (which means “Fire of the Ground” or “Campfire”) has a number of flaws – including a gas grill that gives its meats noticeably less flavor than traditional charcoal flames.
But the fun factor here is undeniable, and it is definitely worth a visit. I’d choose lunch if given a choice, as it is nearly half the price of dinner ($24.50 compared with $44.50) for the same selection of all-you-can eat meats and salad bar. Though with pounds of beef in your belly, you’d best plan a midday nap instead of going back to work.
Two Bells – Very Good
Fogo de Chão [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Fogo de Chão [Official Site]
Related Tags: Brazilian, Center-City-East, Craig-LaBan, Fogo-de-Chao, Reviewed, Steak
February 19th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Interesting concept, it’s an upscale Brazilian steak house buffet. I figured that we can’t go wrong for picking something on Chestnut Street in center city. That was a mistake. We had the worst services from our two waiter/waitress. They acted as if they had something better to do than being there. Both didn’t even bother to look at us when we are talking to them. They would ask how we are doing and before I could answer, they would start walking away and I’m talking to their back. Why even bother asking? Their timing is completely off. Both would interrupt us constantly when we don’t need anything, but when we needed them, we sat there forever waiting for them. Beside our waiter/waitress, the other staffs are terrific. The salad bar was great and the steaks weren’t bad depending on your taste. I personally like the lamb chop, pork rib and house sirloin.
Our mistake was going on a Monday night. As the old saying goes, the best waiters/waitresses usually work on the weekend. The rookies get Monday nights. For $180 including tips, we were expecting better services. We should have taken our money down the street to Brasserie Perrier or Morimoto for a better dining experience.