A Meat-Lovers Paradise, Fogo de Chao Brazilian Restaurant, Opens in Downtown Summerlin
The folks at Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse, invited us to dinner, and you’d better believe we accepted.
This is the second location for the Fogo de Chao, a restaurant whose name: 1) technically requires a tilde over the Chão, and 2) you’re pronouncing “Chão” wrong.
Seriously, though, you’re pronouncing it wrong. It’s Portugese, a language that mysteriously adds a soft “n” to the end of words that don’t actually contain any.
Here’s the correct way to say Fogo de Chao.
That’s right, it’s pronounced “fo-go dee shown.” There will be a quiz.
Now that we have the formalities out of the way, let’s eat. And drink. Although, not necessarily in that order.
In case you’re not familiar with Brazilian restaurants, it’s not your typical style of service. Rather, it’s “espeto corrido” or “continuous service.” While you have a primary server, once you flip over your coaster (green on one side, red on the other), multiple gaucho chefs approach your table bearing gifts.
Or, as our dining companion put it, “I turned over my button and all these men approached me and offered me their meat.”
The meat served at Fogo de Chao is remarkably good, perfectly seasoned, roasted over an open fire (called “churrasco”) and carved tableside.
The charming gentlemen delivering your meats aren’t servers, they’re Brazilian-trained gaucho chefs. About 90% of the chefs at the Downtown Summerlin location of Fogo de Chao are from Brazil.
Beside the protein, there’s also a gourmet Market Table and Feijoada Bar, with salads, soups, vegetables, Brazilian side dishes and feijoada, which we luckily had a news release to inform us is a traditional black bean stew with rice, fresh orange and yucca flour.
The stars of the show, though, are the meats. There’s Picanha, the restaurant’s signature sirloin, filet mignon, our personal favorite, lamb, chicken wrapped in bacon, chicken legs and others.
When you want to pause the meat delivery, you simply flip your coaster over to the red side.
The cost per person for the “churrasco” experience is $49.95. Visit the official Web site for more details, including what are rumored to be great happy hour values. We were far too busy shoveling food to stop and take notes.
Fogo de Chao is truly a distinctive and memorable experience. The service is exceptional, even in a town where exceptional service comes standard.
Fogo de Chao is a must-visit for Las Vegas locals, and while many visitors won’t venture to Summerlin (about 20 minutes west of The Strip), if you do, this should be on your short list of restaurants to try.
Enjoy more photos, and please resist the temptation to lick your computer monitor or smartphone.
Fogo de Chao Las Vegas
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