Location: 40 W. 53rd Street
Cuisine: Brazilian Steakhouse
Best Dish: The ribs are spectacular fall off the bone tender and beautifully seasoned. Be sure to have these as the Gauchos make their rounds. If beef and pork don’t fit into your lifestyle the chicken is just as tasty
Overall: The decor makes for an impressive date, it is beautiful! An absolute conversation piece. The great food and exemplary service are simply icing on an already spectacular cake.
For our first review of the new year, we stopped by Fogo de Chão, an amazing Brazilian steakhouse. Before this review, we had not had the grand pleasure of a Brazilian Steakhouse so we were more than excited to check out the restaurant. Fogo de Chão is a chain restaurant with locations all over the U.S, Brazil and Puerto Rico. We’ve heard about the endless meat parade and was more than ready for the experience. As first impressions go Fogo de Chão NYC makes a real impact. Fogo de Chão NYC is an impressive space. Though the dress code is casual the decor alone will inspire you to ditch those sneaks and put on some real clothes. The Fogo de Chão team hit the jackpot with this space as it was once a museum that is now home to a grand bar setting as well as an inviting dining space with soft mood lighting. We entered and were greeted politely by the hostess who lead us down the slightly winding staircase into the warm dining area. Once we were seated at our comfortable corner table we were instructed on the rules. Small round cards are placed on each table.
These little cards let the “Gauchos” (meat servers) know if they should stop by and offer you their wares or leave you in peace to enjoy your meal. In addition to the copious amounts of meat, we were also invited to enjoy the salad bar for seasonal veggies and other dishes.
As newbies often do, we made the mistake of loading up our plates at the salad bar. We just couldn’t help ourselves, everything looked amazing. The fresh greens, seasonal veggies, and charcuterie were just too good to pass up. Thankfully we skipped the rice and beans or that would have filled us up far too much for the main attraction. As we made our way back to our cozy table, the server brought over three standard sides and a basket of fresh cheese bread. The three sides on the night we visited were mashed potatoes topped with cheese, sweet caramelized plantains, and crispy fried polenta sticks. All very yummy.
This trio is delicious and often replenished by the quick servers. Thankfully each serving size is enough to share without feeling stuffed. You may also refuse any additional helpings so as not to waste any food. The cheese bread is a chewy masterpiece that will haunt your dreams, it is that good. So good in fact that there are no photos because it disappeared that fast!
The best part of service is, of course, the wandering gauchos who present various cuts of carefully seasoned expertly prepared meats. The assortment ranges from chicken breasts wrapped in bacon to succulent lamb. In order to keep the process, streamlined diners are provided mini tongs to assist the server. Be ready, these guys move fast and they have a room full of hungry diners to feed. So once you know what is offered take your cut or politely refuse and be ready for the next option.
Despite the plethora of meaty options, the chicken stood out as one of the highlights. This humble fowl was treated with the same expert hands and it showed. If you are not a beef or pork eater you will not be disappointed. The white meat wrapped in bacon was as tender and juicy as the drumsticks roasted to perfection. Beef lovers can rejoice and sing their praises to the beef gods as cut after cut of dazzling beef is presented during service. We enjoyed the tenderness of filet mignon as well as tender morsels of top sirloin and bottom sirloin seasoned with garlic.
There is something about ribs that just makes meat lovers salivate. The ribs at Fogo de Chão are tasty and covered with a savory dry rub instead of messy barbecue sauce. Despite the classy decor you will want to ditch the knife and fork and dig into these ribs the right way, like a caveman. Put your pride to the side and don’t even think about being cute, just grab them and go for it.
The pricing at Fogo de Chão may be a little higher than similar restaurants but the quality of the service, as well as the cuts of freshly prepared meats, is well worth it. For New York Restaurant Week, Fogo de Chão is offering special dinner pricing for Monday-Friday dining. For just under $40 per person, you get to enjoy the ambiance and impeccable service Fogo de Chão has to offer. Some of the more expensive cuts of meat aren’t offered as part of the special menu but you will get your fill of great options just the same. As Brazilian steakhouses go, I think we may have been spoiled by our experience with Fogo de Chão. I am almost positive all others will pale in comparison.
Visit their website at www.fogodechao.com to find a restaurant near you.