Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse

This restaurant is completely off the chain. I had dinner here tonight as part of a Unilocal event, and I’m currently fighting off the advanced onset of meat coma to get this review up. Once you go, you’ll understand. This is the kind of restaurant you don’t want to wear tight pants to.
Anyway, if you’ve never been to a churrascaria, here’s the gist– You get seated, and a waiter comes around to take drink orders then explains you’re welcome to head up to the salad bar. (Or, the «market table,» as they call it here.) You can tell a churrascaria first timer by who goes HAM on the salad bar. Admittedly, it’s hard not to, as they’re always filled with a great selection of salads, vegetables, and cheeses (or, in this case, also BACON!) but what you want to be doing is merely *sampling* the things you think look good.
The reason for that is the literal and figurative meat to your visit to a churrascaria is the endless parade of chicken, beef, lamb, pork, sausages, and more. When you flip your card to green, all bets are off, and you’re the target of a seemingly endless onslaught of meat. It’s a tricky balancing act too, because you want to collect meats, but they come so fast you hardly have time to eat what you’ve got on your plate while saying, «Oh, yeah, I’ll have some of that,» every 30 seconds.
You really don’t even have time to think of how full you are, because you’re just shoveling meats into your face as fast as they come. As if that wasn’t gluttonous enough, if at any point you feel your plate is too covered in meat juice, they’ll hot swap it in a matter of seconds. Once you’ve had your fill, flip your card back to red, try not to spend too much time analyzing the life choices you’ve made this evening, and make room for dessert. We got an arrangement of different desserts, and the cheesecake is just nuts. No reasonable person needs dessert after eating their weight in meat, but, go big or go home, right?
I guess Fogo de Chao’s big local competition would be Chama Gaucha in Downer’s Grove, and honestly, you’d have to flip a coin to decide which is better. Having been to both now, they’re both worth going to. What’s cool is even though it’s largely the same, there’s minor difference both in their salad bars and how they prepare their meats which makes them both worth checking out.
Oh, and I don’t remember specifically what it was called, but ask for «the Brazillian cocktail.» They’ll know what you’re talking about, and it’s incredible. Anyway, I’m fading fast, and already can’t wait for my next trip up to Fogo de Chao.

Great service… awesome food. If you sign up on the main site you get $ 25 off a lunch. How can you possibly go wrong?
The leg of lamb with mint jelly is fabulous.

Hands down, a phenomenal value for top quality cuts of steak (Filet, Ribeye, Sirloin, and Lamp)!
The service is on point and the bar selection is up to par.
The Naperville location is down the street from me which means I will be a regular at this place.
For those steak aficionados, $ 60 a person for meat is a steal!

I’d been to Brazilian steakhouses before, so I sort of knew what to expect when visiting Fogo de Chao, but was excited for this new addition to the neighborhood regardless. These types of places are known for their exceptional service, and most importantly, delicious food. There’s no exception here.
We were greeted and seated almost immediately on a Friday night, and got a nice table for two near the entrance with a view of the whole establishment. The décor is hotel chic — elegant and modern, but simple and quite cold. Luckily I’m not here for the décor, and my husband and I immediately made our way up to the salad-​y station in the center of the restaurant. SUCH a nicer selection than Chauma Gaucha in Downers Grove! Fresh veggies, delectable cheeses, a huge Parmesan wheel, fresh mozz balls, a mountain of peppered bacon, endless piles of smoked salmon, capers, OMG. The works. I resisted for the most part because let’s be real, you’re there for the meat, but what a tempting a delicious display!
Once we flipped our table cards to «green,» it was on. The Gauchos flood your table with all sorts of incredible selections — from bacon wrapped chicken to leg of lamb to pork sausages to strip steak. All of the Gauchos were incredibly polite and very patient as I awkwardly used the provided tongs to grab my selections. My favorites were the lamb chops and leg of lamb — moist, tender, cooked to perfection. These gauchos were good, too. Once I had my card flipped to red, and I must have been eyeing a selection rather longingly, because he stopped by and offered me some even though my table card was turned over. They seemed thoughtful in their execution, which was nice.
For dessert, I got the flan, which was ordinary but still delicious. We left appropriately stuffed, and with a coupon for a free meal next time — score!
I would have given this place 5 stars, but two managers were viciously whispering to one another about a colleague right next to our table for a significant amount of time, and it really turned me off. They would have filleted (no pun intended, ha!) a staff member for that, so why did they do it?! When they caught me staring at their loud, animated conversation, they took it down a notch, but didn’t walk away or stop. Super annoying buzzkill.

Love the lamb chop, but that’s about it. Need more choices of meat and the salad bar is okay.

First time at this new location. The food is what you would expect. The thing is… The only way I can justify spending an egregious amount of money on one meal is if the service is stellar, which it usually is at these Brazilian restaurants, so you feel like you get what you pay for. Unfortunately, this location did not impress. I found the staff to be cold and disinterested in providing the customer service that you would expect. I may have let it slide, and maybe given one more star in this review, if it wasn’t for the fact that, on top of being ignored for fresh plates for 15 minutes, we were offered sparkling water before ordering and then charged $ 6.50 for each bottle. Watch out for this — They served us 3 bottles and we didn’t even finish the 3^rd — That means we spent almost $ 20 on water without even asking for it! That is too much to charge your customers who are already laying down $ 70 for a few pieces of meat and a salad bar. I was outraged when we got the bill. We won’t return.
Also– just found out this morning– the less-​than-​enthused hostess didn’t check in our open table reservation so I got tagged as a no show. I have a difficult last name and she obviously didn’t want to take the time to deal with it.

Disappointing experience! I love meat — all kinds of meat! What better place could one imagine than a Brazilian Steakhouse with endless choices of meaty goodness. We have been to Chama Gaucha in Downers Grove and loved it. Now that we have a Fogo de Chao here in Naperville we were excited to try it for a special Valentine’s Day dinner.
Ambiance is nice — a bit too bright for my taste but good looking. We were seated for our reservation time immediately and the server was good and attentive. The Market Table with all the salads, cheeses etc was well stocked with a great variety. The meat unfortunately was a complete letdown. They sure had a good variety and the meat just keep coming. But none of it had flavor! We even had to ask for steak sauce!!! That is almost a sin… but was necessary to have any taste. So sad!
Sorry Fogo de Chao — the Naperville location was a disappointment. We will definitely take the slightly longer trip to Chama Gaucha anytime! Not even a close comparison. Anyone wanting to try Fogo de Chao in Naperville — save yourself the disappointment…

We were snowed in on valentine’s day so we called and they explained how it was a 3 hr wait to be seated but the bar was full service and first come, first serve. We decided to check it out… only to find out that they only offer a bar menu with about 6 choices and the bar staff was rude and extremely uninviting.

Décor — While the Naperville establishment is smaller than many of the other Brazilian steakhouses, the décor is superb for this location.
Reservation wait time — I hate to make a reservation ahead of time only to wait 45 minutes after arriving for a table. I guess I’m not very patient /​-; In this case, I was taken to my table 4 minutes after arrival (9 PM reservation)… Excellent
Servers — The servers seemed to range from average to good as it relates to several areas
— Drink refills
— New plates when needed
— Rolls/​Mash Potatoes /​plantains
— Providing asked for cuts of meat
— Time it took to provide selections
— Knowledge of cuts being served
Manager — Tony was the manager of hand that night and he was outstanding! My wife addressed with him some concern over the lack of meat being brought out to the table and he directly addressed this. Tony went above and beyond my expectations in addressing the issue and made sure we fully enjoyed our dinner experience. I cant express how much we appreciated his service as he truly embodies what it means to be a great Manager and changed this from a ¾ star experience to a solid 5 star.
Final thoughts: Prior to my visit, Chama Gaucha in Downers Grove was my first choice in Brazilian Steakhouses. Having experienced Fogo de Chao of Naperville, I have to rethink that choice.

You’ve all been there. You know the deal. Delicious meats, brought to your table, to your hearts content. Green for go. Red for I need a meat-​break. We went for lunch yesterday for my son’s 22^nd birthday. I’m pretty sure we ate every meat they offered. We were even asked what meats they could bring to us. The Market Bar had great items as well-​salmon, gourmet cheeses and deli meats, green beans with carrots (the carrots are delish), awesome fresh fruits, soups, candied and peppered bacon (a little spicy but tasty), chicken salad, apple salad, the list goes on and on. Everything was amazing, from the food to the service. Tony, the manager made us feel like family. Service was wonderfully attentive. Food was delish. This isn’t a place you can visit often because normal people just can’t eat pounds and pounds of food at one setting, but it’s a great special occasion option. So glad we now have one in Naperville. And after eating all that, we had the most delicious key lime pie I’ve ever had. We had to shove it into our bodies, but we finished it. Great food. Great time.

I can not tell you how very please I was. If I could give them a 6 Star score for outstanding stellar customer service, I would!
I had a 50^th Birthday Celebration for my sister and they did such a fantastic job. Everyone made us all feel very special.
I have to point out their manager Tony. The man is unbelievable. He went above and beyond. I want this guy working for me. He is that good with service.
The food was delicious and the experience, the best!

This place was awesome took my family there and we had a great time. Our server’s were always there with the water and food when needed. The assistant manager Mariah stop by the table and joked and talked with my grandson about how he was enjoying the restaurant. I’m looking forward to going back in the near future.

Went for lunch with some co-​workers and we all decided to just have the Market Bar since the full lunch is soooo expensive ($ 35+ for lunch on a weekday? No thanks…). However, there was a decent selection with salads, smoked salmon, cheeses and meats, mushrooms, potato and chicken salads, rice and beans, bread, and soup. The squash soup was delicious. They also put mashed potatoes, rolls, bananas and polenta on the table and brought more whenever we finished one. It was brought up that we were celebrating a birthday and they brought out an enormous (complimentary!) slice of key lime pie that we all shared. Our waiter and the other waiters walking around were very attentive, constantly refilling our glasses and bringing us new plates and whatever we needed. I’m pleased with the whole experience and will more than likely return, just wish their prices were more in line with Texas de Brazil.

Wanted to try this out since it is newly opened. Décor is pretty upscale, service is very attentive, but not excessive in my opinion. The food is a complete miss for the price, though. Compared to other Brazilian Steakhouses I’ve been to, the price here is higher, the selection at the salad buffet is smaller, the beef quality seemed poorer and some cuts too heavily salted, but the pork and chicken options seemed of similar quality. The absolute deal breaker that ruined the whole meal for me was the lamb, though. The lamb was the absolute oiliest, gamiest tasting lamb I have ever had at any restaurant.
Not sure if it’s because the restaurant is new and it might improve over time, but I will probably opt for other Brazilian Steakhouses when the urge arises.

Stellar… in every way! This was my first visit to Fogo de Chao. I wasn’t sure it could live up to the hype, but it did… and beyond!
The front desk staff was very pleasant and showed us to our table within minutes. The restaurant was already hopping at noon on a Sunday. We were immediately greeted by Melissa, who obviously had a great knowledge of the menu and the unique offerings Fogo has available. The Market table was full of delicious salads, fresh fruit, amazing vegetables and fabulous meats and cheeses. The brown sugar and red peppered bacon was one of our favorites. We also loved the black beans and rice. Everything was so fresh, flavorful and unique.
And then came the meats! We tried almost everything that came by. The gauchos were very helpful in describing the meats and how they were prepared. They would slice up a piece that was served at just the right temperature. Make sure to try the homemade steak sauce and horseradish sauce. So good!
The restaurant is light, beautiful and bustling. It really was more than just a meal, but an experience. The managers were observed jumping in wherever needed, engaging with the guests, picking up plates, straightening the market table and keeping the obviously well-​oiled machine running smoothly.
I think Naperville is so lucky to have such a unique, amazing restaurant. I can’t imagine why anyone would go anywhere else for a Sunday Brunch, Special Event or just a Night Out! Amazing!

Came in at 4:30pm and the place was half full. After waiting 20 minutes for the food to come out we finally had to ask for a manager to find out why there was no food going around. He quickly went and grabbed us filet and came right back. Not 5 minutes later the entore resturant ran out of potatoes which is one of 3 sides they offer. Waiter never brought out our kids drinks.
Not at all impressed with this place. I liked Charma Gucha in Oak Brook 10 times better. More expensive here, food not ready/​cooked/​warm. I mean its not horrible but for as expensive it is, its rediculous.

Went here for a Sunday lunch. Extensive wine list! Very attentive service. Seems like they have it together for only being open for a couple weeks.
Market bar was great. Wish I would have had more smoked salmon but I was too stuffed on the meats…
Oh, the meats. Delicious lamb, pork, and beef. Paired with garlic mashed potatoes brought to the table — heaven!
Decent prices for lunch as well! My husband and I will be back!

New construction, really nicely done. Went for weekday lunch, the market table is a good deal. The people working there are lovely, really nice people. We were really pleased.

I have visited the Rosemont location several times. Tonight my husband and I tried the Naperville location much closer to our home. I’m not sure if our complaints stem from a newly opened facility or instructions to the servers from management. I have three main complaints: highly overpriced cocktails that tasted just mediocre, DRY choke-​worthy chicken and service staff that just would not leave us alone! Don’t get me wrong, an attentive staff and one working as a team to service all tables is a great thing but when over a dozen different people are circling your table and asking if things are okay and if they can get you anything it gets exhausting. I did not enjoy my meal. In order to answer and be polite I felt like I could barely eat. One bite of food and someone new wants to check on us. A sip of water and the next one asks again. It was overwhelming and frustrating to say the least! Cool it everyone. At one point my husband said he was tempted to write a note to set on the table that said, «we are good, everything’s tasting fine and yes we’ve been to a Fogo before.» It was relentless! I was very sad to miss out on the opportunity to talk to my husband on our date. We were too busy talking to all the service staff.

First time in a Brazilian Steakhouse, what a wonderful experience my wife and I had. Sat at the bar as we arrived early for our reservation and the entire bar crew was wonderful really enjoyed talking with them and taking pointers on what was good to eat also enjoyed some great drinks. Was seated and was so impressed by everyone I encountered here everyone so friendly and helpful. Even as we were leaving at least 8 staff members thanked us for coming in and encouraged our return. We will most definitely be back what a fantastic place!!! Kudos to the entire staff. Oh did I forget mention how fantastic the food was all the meats were prepared and cut to my satisfaction more on the rare side and each peice was perfect. My favorite was the lamb chop one of the best things I have ever ate. Oh and the bacon I could not get enough of the bacon it was amazing sweet with a bit of heat wow!!!

My friend mentioned this location opened last week so my mom, brother and I went for lunch today. It wasn’t busy when we arrived but packed when we left! This location is pretty small so I am guessing it’ll be busy on the weekends. They have complimentary coat check also and a small bar in the front.
Market table seemed to have less than the Chicago location, but our server said it didn’t. Food was delicious as always. The service was top notch, I’m hoping it stays like that even after it’s been open awhile. Soda is in bottles so you are charged for each one which is a pain. My only other complaint was that we had so many people serving us that no one ever dropped off the check so we had to ask for it. If you sign up for their emails you’ll get $ 25 off lunch Monday-​Friday which was awesome. I took off one star because it’s still really pricey for lunch.
Hoping to return for dinner soon!

The service was excellent! Susana was one of our servers and she was phenomenal. Very attentive to our party of eight. I totally recommend this new location.

My pal Jacqueline B. and I were lucky enough to dine here the night before its opening and we had such a great time! It was our first time at any Fogo de Chao location as well as any kind of Brazilian steakhouse. Luckily a friend had given me a heads up on the style of how this place works before I got there so I was prepared to know a LOT of food was coming!
To start: we had their signature cocktail caipirinha (which is as fun to say as it looks!) — I really loved it. It was light and refreshing. Highly recommend you try it! I also had a passionate caipirinha (with passion fruit juice), which was sweeter but still tasty for me! It was so nice to see a chain restaurant putting in the effort of freshly muddling fruit for their specialty drinks.
When we got to our table we were kindly guided to the Market Place — which has plenty of vegetables, salads, cheeses, and an abundance of other things. I had some caesar salad, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, salami, prosciutto, and olives. Clearly I went with my Italian antipasti favorites here. But there were plenty of other options!
When we sat down the meats began coming. We flipped our chips to green (aka «YES bring me meats please!») and the party started. Pork sausage, plenty of beef, chicken… we had meats for days. Our favorites stood out: primarily the garlic beef (don’t miss this one! flavorful, melt in your mouth, so tasty!) and a very thin cut of beef — a sirloin of sorts (they have at least 3 on their menu) — that was served rare and delicious.
Service was overwhelmingly awesome. Many people at all times were serving food and able to get anything we needed. They were also very friendly and knowledgable, telling us the history of the restaurant and sharing telling us about the meats as they served them.
We wrapped up the night with dessert — chocolate lava cake and their caramelized pineapple. A bit of a let down but I would give some other desserts a try. The best part were the glasses of wine that polished off the meal! That was the real treat to wrap up this intense meal!
Welcome to Naperville, Fogo de Chao!
(PS — Fun fact: this is their 31^st location!)