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| - In anticipation of what may be my last lunch at Fogo de Chão for a long time (a change in my work location will make this an untenable lunch option), a decided to write my review of this place *before* eating a meal there.
Once upon a time, Fogo e Brasa was the churrascaria in Phoenix. It was OK from what I remembered. It became Brazillian Bull, and more recent memories seem to conjure up images of salt shakers, salt flats, salt water, salt, rock salt, and even more salt. Before I ever tried Fogo de Chão, I thought BB was a reasonable option due to its lower price, but after trying Fogo de Chão (which I actually like to pronounce as correctly as I can: "shoum" with a very soft 'm'), I decided that it would actually be a waste of money, and calorie budget, to go with the cheaper place.
So, why is Fogo de Chão so good?
Two things: the food and the service.
The salad bar and sides are great. I always like to get a few of their fancy cheeses and the smoked salmon, and a few other odds and ends before my meal. The Pão de Queijo is delicious. It's OK to budget space for one or two pieces.
The meats are all good. You do have to be careful, though: if you don't pay attention, you may find yourself with some chicken on your plate, which can take up valuable gastric real estate better used on a good cut of beef or their leg of lamb (my personal favorite). They also cook them nice and bloody - every once in awhile, they undershoot it a bit, and the sheep jumps off the plate and runs away. Best of all, they're seasoned well - even if you get stuck with a mostly-outside piece, it's not too salty.
The only complaint I have is that they never bring me the leg of lamb often enough. And the guarana is $4. A little steep for a can of soda, no?
Really, this is quite the fine establishment, and a worthy place to spend ~$40 on lunch.
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