RESTAURANT REVIEW: Fogo de Chão

800 South Figueroa St. | Los Angeles, CA 90017 | (213) 228-4300 | www.fogodechao.com | Prices: $$$

By ANGELA DE FELICE | Food and Style Writer

Dining downtown is always a culinary adventure and never more so than at the Brazilian churrascaria Fogo de Chão. It is a meat-lover’s paradise where waiters outfitted in typical gaúcho fashion parade around protein-packed skewers as the patrons try desperately to keep up.

Almost as welcoming as the hostess at the entry is the large container of Cachaça infused with pineapple. The authentic Brazilian steakhouse imports its own premium brand of the distilled spirit made from sugarcane juice. Since it was only lunchtime we opted for limeade made with condensed milk to start – it was like a delicious glass of key lime pie.

I had been warned about the dangers of the salad bar or as FDC prefers to call it – the Market Table. It is easy to fill up on the tastiest papaya outside Hawaii, perfectly cured meats, spicy bacon, imported cheeses and fresh salads all inspired by the markets of Brazil. I think I managed to keep it down to two trips.

We were instructed to use the coasters labeled green on one side and red on the other to signal the waiters serving everything from six different cuts of beef to chicken, pork and lamb. Another useful tool was the tongs at each place setting to assist in the carving process.

In our experience the flurry of meat was non-stop no matter what color the coasters indicated. It was a little overwhelming at times.

Of the 13 varieties of skewers circulating, highlights included chicken thighs marinated overnight in beer and brandy, filet mignon (which was served rare per our request) and the signature steak Picanha, a cut of beef top sirloin cap. 

More often than not we found the meat to be a little on the dry side. However the Passadores (meat waiters) were always quick to accommodate our request for rare meat.

To accompany the vast selection of meats are ramekins of mint jelly, chimichurri, horseradish and the like. I tried desperately to keep it to a minimum of one breadbasket but those warm little pão de queijo (Brazilian cheese bread, similar to French gougères) were addictive.

Caramelized bananas, crispy polenta and roasted potatoes were placed family style on the table.

There was absolutely no room left for dessert but that’s never stopped us before. The Papaya Cream is the most popular of all in the U.S. and Brazilian locations (there are 26 locations in the U.S. and Puerto Rico and nine in Brazil).

A stemmed glass filled with fresh papaya and blended with vanilla ice cream is topped tableside with Crème de Cassis for the finishing touch. Dare I say it was the perfect digestif? Just like an adult creamsicle. The South American Flan was creamier and less gelatinous than her Mexican cousin. There was a strong caramel flavor. The second dessert was completely indulgent, but we didn’t regret a single bite.

Lunch overall is an excellent value, especially considering the significant markup at dinner.

It’s also the perfect excuse for an afternoon siesta – when in Brazil!