8282 International Dr.
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 370 – 0711
View Website Here
Fogo de Chão… or “Fire In The Ground”, is Orlando’s newest chain of fine dining full service churrascaria’s. They currently have nineteen locations in the United States and seven locations in Brazil.
As with most Brazilian steakhouses, Churrasco is the cooking style. It is the South American style rotisserie in which the meats are seasoned and cooked over an open flame grill, that owes its origins to the fireside roasts of the gauchos of southern Brazil, from centuries ago.
Fogo De Chao, is very similar to Orlando’s other well known churrascaria Texas De Brazil.
At Fogo they have a large salad bar as its center piece along with sides of black beans and rice and seasoned potatoes. Just like TDB, for the meat that is brought tableside, a green card signals “YES” and red means “NO”.
Your meals will include unlimited sides of fried bananas, fried polenta, mashed potatoes, and of course those little things called – Pão de queijo”– or Brazilian cheese rolls.
One of the more notable differences is the service. At FDC you do not have one dedicated server. While at both FDC and TDB, different gauchos will bring you an array of meat on a stick, FDC employs an all hands on deck service method. This means you do not have only one server taking your drink orders, refilling your side dishes and taking care of the bill. Any server at any time can assist you with your needs.
Although it took getting used to, I must say the service at FDC was fabulous. We were well taken care of the whole time, albeit by a variety of people.
Inside you will find that Fogo pays a little more homage to the gaucho tradition, with large murals of gauchos roasting meats.
The salad bar at FDC is truly a unique centerpiece of the restaurant. Their bar was good but not as appealing in comparison to TDB.
The black beans and rice were exceptional though!
If wine is your thing, FDC has the wine covered. They have been the recipient of the Wine Spectator Magazine Award of Excellence for eight consecutive years.
They feature great wines from all over the world, including some fine Malbecs from Mendoza Valley as well as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlo.
They also have a very cozy bar located at the front of the restaurant.
The sides we had were all very good, except the fried polenta seemed a little soggy.
The Brazilian cheese rolls were delectable bits of warm chewy goodness.
Now…..Lets get to those glorious cuts of meat on a stick!
The biggest difference between FDC and TDB, I believe, is the quality of the meats they use and the seasoning.
TDB is still really good no doubt, but FDC seems to have more succulent cuts of meat with an extra wow factor in the seasoning.
Bacon wrapped Filet & Chicken
The bacon wrapped Filet Mignon and the bacon wrapped Chicken Breast were tender, juicy and cooked perfectly.
Picanha
The Picanha is the prime part of the sirloin that is cooked to perfection and seasoned with sea salt and garlic.
Most Churrascarias pride themselves on this particular cut of meat and…FDC has a lot to boast about with their Picanha.
I usually prefer red meats cooked to medium or mid-well, but with this meat, if you get a cut of the outside crust which is closer to well done, you will be happy. The flavor is outstanding.
Costela De Porco
The Costela De Porco…or Pork Ribs are slow roasted over an open flame and seasoned to perfection.
The ribs were fall of the bone delicious and did not need any sauce to accompany them.
Linguica
The Linguica is a seasoned pork sausage that was very good however, I prefer the chorizo at TDB.
I could go on and on about all the meats we tried but there’s just not enough room here.
Beef Ancho (Prime Rib Eye), Lombo (Parmesan Crusted Pork Filets), Cordeiro (Leg of Lamb), Fraldinha (Bottom Sirloin)…you get the point.
At some point you have to know when to say NO…..or, Nao Obrigado!!
Although we had absolutely no room for it, since it was my birthday, I splurged.
The Molten Chocolate Cake was richly flavored and went well with a side of espresso.
We had a great time at Fogo De Chao. The service was exceptional and the meat was melt in your mouth delicious.
Pricing at FDC is about the same as TDB — around $45.50/person. The pre-set price includes the all you can eat meat-fest with over a dozen different types/cuts of meat with unlimited sides and of course unlimited trips to the salad bar.
Lunch starts at 12:00 and is only $29.50.
Dinner goes from 5:00 – 10:30 most nights.