Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse

11915 Democracy Dr, Reston
(571) 531-9777

Recent Reviews

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S Z

Nice quality salad bar and meats but overrated.

Service does not seem genuine. Some staff make you feel welcome but others are just paying lip service to the word service

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 3

Recommended dishes: Market Table & Feijoada Bar

Vivian R

We visited as first-time guests (with a reservation), and I wanted to treat my friend to a great birthday dinner. I thought this would be the perfect place to try. The staff was kind and welcoming from the moment we walked in. Jessie was outstanding. She explained the Churrasco experience clearly, walked us through how the menu worked, & helped set expectations for the evening. I let her know it was my friend’s birthday and that I wanted it to feel special.

There was some confusion at the start since we didn’t realize we needed to grab our own plates from the salad bar in order to begin the meal. Once the staff pointed it out, we got settled in, but it would have been helpful to know that upfront.

When the meat service began, the first cuts brought to us were pork and chicken, even though I had specifically asked for beef and lamb. Once I mentioned it to Jessie, she followed up with the meat staff & made sure the selections moving forward matched what we requested. That attention to detail meant a lot and helped us feel heard.

The meat service itself was fast & steady, which shows strong attention from the team. We had the red and green cards to manage the pace, but at times it did feel a bit overwhelming. We were constantly flipping our cards over to keep up & had to pause just to have a conversation. It also created some pressure not to miss out on the better cuts, which made the experience feel more intense than relaxing.

We did enjoy several of the meats like the picanha, pork belly, ribeye, and bacon-wrapped beef. However, some of the other meats were dry, over-seasoned (one cut of the lamb), or too well done despite our request for medium rare. We were also served several of the same cuts repeatedly, & it was difficult to know what we were being offered since many of the meat staff didn’t announce what they were serving, & some didn’t speak English. A printed list of the meats in rotation or giving customers small meat flags or tabs to indicate what they want to try would really help. Even something as simple as the servers wearing small signs identifying the cut they’re carrying would make a big difference in helping guests keep track.

The truffle butter was also forgotten, which I had been looking forward to trying, & it’s something that might have added to the flavor where some of the meats were lacking.

The drinks were a mix. Our favorite was the Sambo Martini, followed by the Yellow Bird. The Old Fashioned was too strong & unbalanced for our taste. Toward the end of the meal, Stephanie brought out a complimentary cheesecake slice for my friend’s birthday, complete with a candle on a plate that read “Happy Birthday,” which was a thoughtful and sweet touch. Stephanie was attentive & kind & made sure the celebration felt special from her end, which did not go unnoticed. She also packaged it to go, which we appreciated since we were too full to enjoy it right away. The dessert did take a little while to come out and was a bit too sweet with the caramelized sugar on top, but the gesture itself was kind.

Melissa was very friendly, offered great drink suggestions, & was great at entertaining conversation, which made the experience feel more comfortable & fun. Santo also stopped by to check on us during our meal. He was personable, considerate, and genuinely seemed to care that we had a good experience.

The salad bar, which is included in the Churrasco experience, had a few nice options like smoked salmon, but it leaned heavily on items like caprese tomatoes, roasted artichokes, broccoli, bread, cheese, & other vegetables. It was good, but I was expecting a little more variety.

Overall, the staff was wonderful & the service was consistent, but the Churrasco experience just wasn’t the right fit for us. Next time, I would rather try the indulgent menu with classic plated steaks, appetizers, &

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 3

Jinxin Sun

I was drawn to this restaurant by its impressive 4.9-star rating on Google, but unfortunately, my experience didn’t live up to the hype. The Brazilian-style steak came in generous portions, but the flavor was lacking. There was no inviting aroma, no depth of taste, just a lot of meat. Yes, you’ll leave feeling full, but not satisfied.

The service was attentive and friendly, which I appreciated. However, the dessert was another letdown. We ordered crème brûlée, which was served cold. I’ve never had a cold crème brûlée before, and it really took away from the experience.

Overall, while the staff was great, the food didn’t meet expectations. I wouldn’t say it deserves such a high rating based on taste alone.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 1

Service: 5

Alex Waite

Jessie was very attentive! Thanks!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 4

Karen Lowe

Well….I’ll start off with the positive. Service is great! Our server Taryn was attentive and extremely friendly. Taryn and the caramelised pineapple were the highlights of our experience tonight. I don’t understand the hype around this place. I ate here with 3 friends. We all decided to get the Fogo diner experience. It was less than stellar. Salad bar was okay but nothing to write home about. The meat that was presented was tough, dry, and just not good. We were excited to try this place but will not be coming back.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 1

Service: 5

John Ro

I hope this was an isolated incident. The waitress was super nice. Everything started out good and we were all very happy with the service. Then our waitress stopped coming. We learned later that she was sent to another section to help with a party. Understandable. But when we were all ready to leave, all of us just sat there with no one coming to see if we were okay or need anything. We had to constantly flag down a different person, anyone that passed by our table, desert we ordered took over 30 minutes to come out, and everything was very disorganized. After a while, my sister had to go to the managers station, and complained and asked for the check. It took them another 15 minutes or so to bring the check.
We all were seated around 5:15 and it was almost 8pm. by the time we left. We have all practically digested our dinner by the time we left. We were joking that we should just stay and go for another round. As for the food, the meats were executed almost perfect. The tomahawk steak, however, left something to be desired. Perhaps a little more flavor. If I ever return, I hope the service will be better. Much better.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 2

Howard Whyte

Stephine did an amazing job during our dinner.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

Douglas

Nice evening at Fogo. Ismail made us feel well cared for. The flavors of the market table were a great start to the evening. South American wines are a real value. Sammy is a fine host.

Paulina Adrian

Great

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: The Bone Churrasco Board, Chocolate Molten Cake

Dawit Solomon

Thank you Anthony for providing the best first class service and hospitality experience to us !

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Jose Yanes

Ismael Excellent service

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Mayra Guevara

Excellent service and food. Ismael took excellent care of us.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Stiven Osorio

Everything went very well Ismael and Antoni are very friendly

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Josue Natanael Parrillas Morales

All good with Ismael, Antony and the waiters

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

John Tran

Gabi and Pedro the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Cheesecake Brulee, Chocolate Brownie, Lava Cake, Cheesecake Brûlée, Potato Salad

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Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse

11915 Democracy Dr, Reston, VA 20190
(571) 531-9777