I Tried Fogo de Chão’s Holiday Menu and These 6 Dishes Were Standouts
It’s that special time of year when restaurants are serving up festive cheer along with delicious food and drinks, and Fogo de Chão is no exception. The Brazilian steakhouse chain is wildly popular for its churrasco dining experience; with trained Gaucho chefs serving up delicious cuts of beautifully roasted meat right at the table, everything from chicken and sausage to ribeye steak. I paid a little lunch visit to my local Beverly Hills Fogo to check out some new menu items and to check out the overall holiday experience, and I’m already planning my next visit (yep, it was that good). Fogo is known for having wonderful service, and our visit was no exception—every single member of staff was warm, friendly, accommodating, and passionate about the food. Special mention must be made to Moises, who is something of a legend at the Beverly Hills Fogo, and Leslie, who helped us navigate the menu like a pro. Ok, on to the food! We went for the “Indulgent Churrasco”—here’s what we thought.
Market Table
Fogo’s Market Table is the stuff of legend for good reason: I am not kidding when I say I would happily visit the restaurant just to have a few drinks and enjoy the buffet, which is easily the most impressive I’ve seen. Beautiful charcuterie, smoked salmon, vegetables, salads, peppers, and so much more make the Market Table a crucial part of the dining experience. My husband is convinced this is a strategic move so people don’t eat as much meat later, but I’m not here for that kind of Grinch-like cynicism (he’s probably right though). The Biquinho peppers are absolutely outstanding.
Brazilian Sides
The sides are much better than they have any business to be. We are here for all-you-can-eat meat, stop tempting us with these incredible side dishes like warm Pão de Queijo, made with sweet and sour yuca flour and Parmesan cheese, which just keep coming to the table throughout the meal. These gluten-free balls are incredible, especially when paired with the chimichurri. The Crispy Yuca Fries with grated parmesan and malagueta aioli are also thoroughly additive.
Butter-Bathed™ Lobster Tail
Seafood lovers will appreciate the deceptive simplicity of the Lobster Tail—the butter gives it the most sweet and delicate flavor without being overpowering, and the texture of the lobster itself was absolutely perfect. As much as we liked it, I think next time I would swap it out for the Roasted Bone Marrow for something with a little more of a savory punch.
Lobster Mac & Cheese
The Lobster Mac & Cheese (made from Butter-Bathed™ lobster, rich cheese sauce, and Panko breadcrumbs) is a new, permanent menu item that I firmly believe will become a fan-favorite. For such an indulgent dish, this is actually not as heavy as I was expecting—but if you pair it with lots of other carb-heavy menu items, it might be too much. The ratio of lobster to pasta is ideal, and the sauce is light and creamy.
Outstanding: Costela Beef Ribs
As delightful as all the side dishes are, Fogo de Chão is first and foremost a Brazilian steakhouse, so we have to talk about the meat. We tried several different bites of steak, from the Beef Ancho (bone-in ribeye) to Picanha (prime part of the top sirloin) to the Fraldinha (bottom sirloin) but one cut was so good it’s almost indescribable: The Costela Beef Ribs. These succulent ribs are rubbed with rock salt and then grilled for several hours and the result is the most tender, melt-in-your mouth meat with a beautiful crust and incredible flavor. Moises was almost as happy as we were that it was such a hit—these guys know what they’re doing. Highly, highly recommend.
Outstanding: All Jumbo Lump Crab Cake
The star of the holiday show was one we were certainly not expecting to be as good as it was: the All Jumbo Lump Crab Cake This is a new item on Fogo’s menu and in one word, heavenly. This 4 oz jumbo lump crab cake is perfectly seasoned and complemented by a zesty lemon herb butter, the restaurant says, but there’s so much more going on here. This crab cake is fresh and lemony while maintaining those lovely sweet and savory crab flavors, plus a nice bit of crunch from what I’m assuming was panko. For $18, I consider that an absolute steal. 10/10. Prepare to fight for the last bite!