The Gaucho Way of Preparing Meat

After 10 months of waiting, I finally experienced dining in an authentic Brazillian Churrascaria, a steakhouse featuring continous service. Gauchos roam the restaurant carrying giant skewers of meat that have been slow roasted over an open flame. They bring it to your table and if you want what they have, they will slice it on to your plate. And you control when you want them to come to you, with a color-coded coaster - green brings it on, red holds of for a while.

In addition to the meat, there was a giant salad bar included in the flat rate price and I enjoyed the unlimited side dishes I tried: cheesy rolls and mashed potatoes. But the reason you go to Fogo de Chao is for the meat. I've ranked them into 4 tiers:


Good:
Top Sirloin
Bottom Sirloin
Pork Roast
Parmesean Pork

Both of the sirloins were great. Some bites were a little too crispy, but they were flavorful cuts. The pork roast was moist, and the parmesean cheese gave it added flavor. This group was enjoyable, and added to the variety, but better things lie ahead.


Better:
Picanha (house special)
Leg of Lamb
Filet Mignon
Pork Sausages

These four meats were outstanding. The filet was tender, the picanha had a rich, salty flavor. The leg of lamb was surprisingly excpetional. I've never tasted lamb this good. The sausage was bold. Maybe the best sausage I've ever had. If you were at a normal restaurant and just ordered any of these as your entree, it would have been a meal to brag about. Having all four was a feast. And yet it was not the best.


Best:
Filet Mignon wrapped in bacon
Chicken wrapped in bacon

It's hard to describe the culinary masterpiece that is the two pieces wrapped in bacon. Crispy on the outside, moist and juicy on the inside. Cooked and seasoned to perfection, these cuts were the best in the room. Each bite was a sensory overload, rich and full in the mouth. These cuts alone made the dinner worth the trip. It was a sure sign that I was done, when I couldn't take another bite of these cuts. As a side note, both cuts were deliverd by one gaucho. If you let him walk by without getting at least one piece, it was equivalent to passing on Reggie Bush.


Not Good:
Pork Ribs
Beef Ribs

Despite all the praise I've given here, there were 2 disappointing cuts. Both of the ribs were lacking in texture and flavor. The pork ribs were dry and small. But the beef ribs were the low point of the meal. Not only did I have to specially ask for them, because in the hour and 30 minutes that we sat there feasting, not once were offered beef ribs. That turned out to be a blessing, as they were fatty and tasted like an overcooked pot roast.



But of the 12 meats that I tasted, 10 were amazingly good and I would probably consider it the best meal I've ever had. Not only was the meat overall fantastic, but the service couldn't have been any better. My water glasss was never more than half empty and when they took the mashed potatoes away the replaced them in one motion. And if you ever had an empty plate of meat then you forgot to turn your coaster over.

Although at a flat rate dinner price of 48.50, (tax and tip brought it to $63) Fogo won't be mistaken for "free meat" and if I go once a year, I'll be lucky.