Fernando B.
Yelp
My first time at this location but not my first rodeo at Fogo de Chao. I have been to other locations in Miami and San Diego. This one is brand new.
The restaurant is beautiful and inviting. It has a great vibe and it has prime location in Reston Town Center. Parking is a hassle on weekends, so I highly recommend using valet parking or arriving very early.
The food was great (with one exception)
The service was excellent (also with one major exception).
Our reservation for a party of three was at 5:45 PM on a Saturday. Very busy night, but they took care of us quickly. We were seated on the back room of the restaurant, which is actually a great section. It's quiet and more intimate, away from the craziness and the "market table" (i.e. salad bar). So far, so good.
Our servers were extremely attentive the whole night. Their service was impeccable.
The popular cocktail here is the Caipirinha. They will try to upsell you the Premium version (almost twice as expensive as the regular one). No problem, so I agreed to have the premium instead. The cocktail was pretty bad, with a lot of alcohol and not much flavor. I had to return it and ask that they fix it, which they did. I still do not recommend you go premium. Not worth the updgrade.
First half of our dinner was great, but then, a party of 8 people comes along and they get assigned the table behind us. No problem, there is room for that. HOWEVER, the party of 8 has a baby with them, and they put their stroller right next to our table. One of the people on my party had to move to the other side of the table because this was uncomfortable. I first blame the people on that party for lack of manners and consideration. However, I blame the restaurant even more, for letting this happen and not doing anything about it.
If I'm paying almost $300 for our meal the last thing I want is a stroller on my face. I can deal with that at my local McDonald's, but not at a place like Fogo. There are ways to deal with situations like this, but the restaurant did nothing about it, hence the reason I cannot give them a higher rating than 3 stars (which I think is generous).
PRO TIP:
In order for Fogo the Chao to make a profit, they have a very clever system to make sure you get full before the most expensive cuts of meat get to your table. So here's what I suggest you do (assuming you love filet mignon and other tenderloin cuts and that's why you came here):
As soon as you get seated, ASK your server to bring you the filet mignon. This is their prime meat and they want you to eat less of it and eat it last, preferably when you are full. Even if you order it from the get go, it will take a while for them to bring it to your table (in our case it took more than 20 minutes).
Resist the temptation of filling up yourself with the food at the salad bar. This is low cost food (still quality food, don't get me wrong) that will fill you up fast! (breads, soups, salads). You come to a place like Fogo to pig out on quality meat, so start there. You can always eat lettuce or cold meats at home.
For the first 20 minutes, they will come to your table with a ton of chicken and sausages. This is by design, again, to fill you up with the less expensive stuff so be careful how much you eat first.
In addition to the meats, they will bring other delicious items to your table, such as grilled cheese, polenta fries, cheese bread, and more. Again, this is made to make you fill full as quickly as possible. Avoid the temptation. Stayed focused on your carnivore goal!
Just because they bring a ton of meat to you does not mean you should say yes. Take your time to enjoy and digest your food, they will keep coming all night long, so don't suffer from FOMO.
Arrive between 4:40 PM and 5:30 PM on weekends (reservations are a must). You will avoid the crowds and give more time to your body to digest your food and sleep much better at night!
All in all, our experience was mixed. Quality food and great servers, but a lousy cocktail and a baby stroller that almost became the fourth person in our party. Not a great experience.
Would I come back to this Fogo the Chao? Probably not. If you want better options in the vicinity where I am absolutely certain that they would never let a stroller get in the way of a pleasant meal, go to Morton's or Davio's. Both within walking distance. Let the stroller crowd take over Fogo the Chao.