Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse — Restaurant in Kendall

Alex's Onsite Insight — Summary Review of Fogo de Chão Kendall, Miami

How the Review Works This review is divided into two parts: FORTES (strengths) written by Alex, and SINS (failures) jointly from Kiki and Alex.

FORTES (By me Only)

Location: The restaurant is in a phenomenal, busy commercial area in Kendall, Miami, accessible from all sides of town.

Decor & Ambience: The entrance is glamorous, with towering doors. Inside, the décor is exquisite, especially the cozy yet lavish bar with beautifully displayed liquor shelves. The luxurious atmosphere makes a strong first impression and invites guests to linger comfortably.

Burger at the Bar: Though I didn’t try it myself, multiple guests ordered the burger, which was impressive in size, well cooked, and well presented. Priced similarly to a fast food meal, it offers excellent value for a gourmet-style dish.

Bar Pricing: Drink prices at the bar are fair and reasonable.

Chairs and tables are very comfortable. Temperature was perfect Bathroom bare reasonable. Chelsea was an EXTRAORDINARY server made us feel right at home. She is classy professional amicable and on top of her game. Samantha is 100% professional and goes into not remembering every order too fast as the restaurant gets busy. She can learn how to smile.

SINS (Kiki + Alex)

Service & Staff

The pineapple lemonade ordered to Samantha was completely ignored for about 30 minutes and only brought after a reminder. Soda and or water refills were a problematic situation. Needs improvement. Guests seated on cushioned benches received noticeably poorer service compared to those on chairs closer to the servers.

Appetizers

Polenta Fries: a joke. Over-fried, flavorless, glued together in an unmanageable heap — the worst ever tasted.

Mini Empanadas: Tiny, oily, and mostly pastry with minimal filling, lacking authenticity and nearly impossible to eat. Obviously made from leftovers.

Chicken soaked in BBQ sauce. The barbecue chicken was overcooked, falling apart, and soaked in sauce to hide poor quality. Everyone returned their portions. It seemed like pre-cooked leftovers forced on customers, a serious quality failure.

Cheese Bread was a major sin. Lord have mercy!

Not authentic Brazilian pão de queijo by all means — greasy, poofy dough that deflates quickly, utterly tasteless. This deceptive dish cheats customers and damages the dining experience completely.

Deceptive "Salad Bar"

Filled with common, ugly everyday dishes reminiscent of family gatherings rather than restaurant quality.

The "feijoada" served was a poor imitation lacking flavor. Missing Brazilian staples everywhere.

Cold cuts were low quality and stale; cheese was dry horrible; excessive fruits were out of place

Caprese salad was visually unappealing and cheap quality

Overall, the salad bar looked cheap, more like a latin cafeteria than a luxury steakhouse. This mismatch between food quality and decor is unacceptable.

Side Dishes

Polenta was over-fried and dry.

Ribs were extremely dry, overcooked, and bland.

Meat Quality Samples were tough, low quality, and overcooked, even when ordered rare.

The picanha had an unpleasant “dirty skewer” taste.

Lamb was tasteless, tough, and dry.

I declined to order the full rodízio after tasting, avoiding what would have been a waste of money.

Cultural Misrepresentation

The restaurant primarily attracts patrons unfamiliar with authentic Brazilian cuisine, making it easy to pass off inferior quality.

This “fooling” strategy will fail long term and always does!

We agreed this version of churrascaria is a inauthentic Mikey Mouse imitation that insults Brazilian rodizio culture.

Fogo de Chão, once respected, now disappoints customers and damages its own brand.

Final Word

The major sin of this restaurant is its blatant choice to go for less while charging for more. Customers come for food, not just decor or service — and here, the food fails spectacularly. This cheapening and deception will inevitably destroy the restaurant’s reputation, no matter how glamorous...

I recently dined at Fogo de Chão, and I can’t say enough about how incredible our waiter, Roberto Carlos, made the experience. From the moment we sat down, he greeted us with a warm smile and a genuine enthusiasm that set the tone for the entire meal. It’s not every day you encounter someone who seems so passionate about ensuring you have a great time, and Roberto’s energy was contagious. He took the time to explain the churrasco dining process to us newcomers, making sure we knew how to use the green and red cards and what to expect from the endless parade of fire-roasted meats.

What really stood out was Roberto’s attentiveness. He didn’t just drop by once and disappear like some servers do—he checked in regularly without ever feeling intrusive. When I mentioned I wasn’t sure which cuts of meat to try first, he recommended the picanha with such enthusiasm that I couldn’t say no, and it turned out to be the highlight of my meal. He even noticed when my drink was getting low and had a fresh one ready before I could ask. It’s that kind of proactive service that makes you feel truly taken care of, and Roberto nailed it.

Roberto also brought a personal touch that elevated the whole evening. He shared a little about the Brazilian roots of the restaurant, tossing in fun tidbits about the gaucho tradition that made the meal feel like more than just food—it was a mini cultural experience. When my friend spilled some sauce on the table, he swooped in with a laugh and a quick cleanup, turning a small mishap into a moment we could all chuckle about. His ability to connect with us made the night memorable beyond just the delicious food.

The food itself was phenomenal, of course—the Market Table was a feast of fresh salads and sides, and the meats kept coming, each one juicier than the last. But Roberto made sure we got the full experience by coordinating with the gaucho chefs to bring out specific cuts we hadn’t tried yet, like the lamb chops, which he insisted were a must. He was right, and his knack for anticipating what we’d enjoy kept the meal exciting. It’s rare to find a waiter who’s so in tune with both the menu and the diners.

Overall, Fogo de Chão was a fantastic spot, but Roberto Carlos was the real MVP of our visit. His blend of professionalism, friendliness, and genuine care turned a great dinner into an unforgettable one. If you’re heading there, ask for Roberto—you won’t be disappointed. He’s the kind of waiter who makes you want to come back, not just for the food, but for the experience he creates. Five stars...

I am a Fogo de Chao customer for about 7-8 years since they had only the Miami Beach location. For a couple of years was going to the Coral Gables location because is closer and today went for the first time to the Dadeland location for Father’s Day. Prior to go, called the location because I am in the Rewards Program to see if my Free Churrasco Dinner is available on a holiday. A woman answer and I asked her about it and she replied that there’s no more reservations??? (I wasn’t asking that), So I asked again, and her response was that Yes, I can use my Free Dinner today. To make sure I asked for the manager, another woman answer and I asked if she was the manager and she said no but maybe she can help me, Well, I asked her the same and she said yes but there’s no more reservations??? Finally I told her, I already have a reservation, I only want to know if I can Use my free dinner anywhere in The US TODAY that is father day and again she said Yes. One hour a a half later went to the Dadeland Location and had a nice lunch with my daughter. When We finish and I asked for the check I told the waitress my phone number to apply the Rewards and she told me that today is not available. I asked for the manager andI explained him the call that I did earlier and the 2 women that told me YES, I can use the Free dinner today. His name is RANGEL and he asked me for details and names but I didn’t ask for names, at the end He told me that he could “ Comp” me the dinner but then I will use it again because there is no way to apply today the rewards. I was really upset at that time, I even offer him lo leave my number so he can cancel it, but with a bad attitude he went to the computer and swiped his card almost like want to break it, and came back with the Comp applied and leaving the check mumbling a few words. I really want to tell him what he deserved for his childish and really bad attitude towards a customer that takes clients, family and friends several times a year to Fogo but I didn’t because my daughter was present, was father day, etc. Finally, there’s my name RANGEL, take my free dinner out of my account (won’t use it) and will never come back to the Dadeland location, rather drive a few more minutes to Coral Gables or Miami Beach. NOTE: We left over 22% tip from the total amount (including the Comp dinner) because the waitress was really polite and...