Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse — Restaurant in Washington

UPDATE: The manager Ricardo called me yesterday to say that I accused him of being racist and he isn't. He told me that he never heard me say anything despite looking directly at me, lol. I'm sure this restaurant has cameras and can clearly see that I turned to him and said something. He then apologized and said he was sorry if he hurt my feelings but he had to do what was best for his guest. I WAS A GUEST! With a party of 7 under my name! Him and his horrible apology to defend himself was an absolute joke and an even bigger insult to how he already treated me. Do better Fogo de Chao at the wharf.

I frequent Fogo de Chao off of Pennsylvania Ave. and Tysons Corner a few times each year. My friends wanted to try the newest location at the wharf. WHAT A MISTAKE THAT WAS! We had a 7:30pm reso on Friday 4/18. This happened to be a day where tons of kids were at the wharf which bought a huge police presence to the area. As I made my way to the restaurant, kids were everywhere and I couldn’t get to the main door. I stood off to the side of Fogo de Chao’s patio trying to find a clear pathway to the front door. As I’m doing this, one of the managers (Ricardo) was standing outside the patio door observing what was going on outside of the restaurant. I told Ricardo that I had a reservation in his restaurant and was trying to get to the front door (which he could clearly see was blocked by the chaos) I asked if it were possible to go through the side door that he was standing at. He looked at me, went inside, locked the door, and walked away! I assume he thought because I was black like the kids outside that I was apart of the chaos. Despite me clearly being dressed up and telling him I had a reservation. There happened to be a lady standing next to me and she saw what Ricardo did and was in shock. He could have at least told me “no” or said something to me instead of treating me as if I was trying to infringe on his property. I finally made my way to the front door and my party of 7 was seated. Ricardo saw me sitting down at the table and immediately went the other way. Because he realized that what I told him outside was true and how wrongly he treated me. A manager got everyone’s drink orders and then our server greeted us. The salad bar is very small and there was hair in the eggplant dish. The meats and drinks were good however, I had to get up and ask for a manager as we hadn’t gotten any water/drink refills or sides. Guess who the manager was who assisted me? Ricardo! I let him know that I was the person he closed the door on and walked away. He apologized and said he had to do it. In which I replied he DIDN’T have to do that he chose too. What he should have done was spoken to me like a human being and communicated with words versus assuming the worst because I was black like the kids outside who were being chaotic. Overall, the atmosphere is nice, but the staff wasn’t very attentive nor did they work as a team like most Fogo de Chao staff. I will stick to the Penn Ave and Tysons Corner location. Perhaps Fogo de Chao should invest in management training so another person doesn’t get treated like I did by Ricardo. We spent $700 that evening to be neglected, treated wrongly, and waiting around for someone to come...

We decided to go to Fogo de Chão to continue family celebrations - my brother got enagaged earlier in the day and we were looking to find a restaurant that could accommodate a large group last minute. At first we were so excited to be able to get reservations (not all at the same table, but that was understandable given the size of our group and the last minute request). That said, quickly after we arrived we already realized we had made a mistake.

The service was terrible. Our waitress took our order of waters and an hour later had yet to bring waters or the children’s cups we had requested. She had completely forgotten that we wanted to order cocktails and just needed another moment to decide, she never came back to ask us about our drink order. She did not bring us any of the sides - our meal was basically over when we asked another waitress if the sides were still standard and she was surprised that they were not even offered to us. She quickly brought us a couple of sides but our assigned waitress was still no where to be found. The rest of our meal continued much in the same way - we never got our drink orders taken, most of the meat skipped our section or ran out by the time they got to our section, our server was basically non existent the whole time. Any thing we asked for took an hour or never showed up. Additionally whenever we asked questions about any of the meat we got a barely audible response and sometimes attitude from the severs, which should be able to provide more information about what they are carving so we know what we are eating. Plates piled up at our table while our waitress still MIA. We waited ages just to get a water refill which ultimately came from a different waitress.

We first to the manager because a few other people had joined our group and we did not want them to experience the same as we had door the last couple of hours. At one point the manager mentioned that he would give the people affected by the poor service a dessert on the house. Another 40 minutes passed because our assigned waitress came over to ask if anyone wanted to see a dessert menu. By then someone had already come to tell us that they were closing and we should put in final drink orders etc so we figured this comment from the manager was just to get us to stop complaining. Not to mention that the majority of the people affected by the poor service had already left by the time our waitress even showed up. It was a really poor effort to make things up to us which just showed once again the lack of urgency and care, the general lack of customer service or any sort of concern for the customer’s experience.

We do want to give a shout out to the young lady who stepped up and went above and beyond covering her section and the short comings of our section, and really trying to make the engagement dinner special despite all of the issues. She deserves a raise for her hustle, her polite demeanor and her grace under pressure. Truly she was the only...

There’s something truly magical about Fogo de Chão, and the new location takes that magic to a whole new level! From the moment you step in, the atmosphere feels fresh, vibrant, and welcoming – the perfect backdrop for a memorable dining experience. But let’s talk about what really makes this place stand out: the food, service, and overall experience.

As always, the food was nothing short of incredible. Fresh, flavorful, and perfectly cooked, each bite exceeded our expectations. The quality of the meats, the variety of sides, and the freshness of the bar were all spot-on. But it’s not just the food that makes Fogo de Chão a standout – it’s the service....& DRINKS :)

Our server, Rodrigo, went above and beyond to make sure we had an unforgettable experience. His attention to detail, professionalism, and warmth made our meal even more special. Rodrigo’s team was equally fantastic, though I wasn’t able to catch their names, they were equally attentive and made sure our needs were met at every turn. It’s clear that the entire team is well-trained and genuinely cares about the guests.

One of the highlights of the night was dessert. I had casually mentioned I was in the mood for something sweet, and Rodrigo surprised us with two incredible desserts – a Key Lime pie and a decadent Chocolate cake. Both were perfection, and they ended our meal on the highest note possible.

The experience was made even more memorable by the wonderful managers, Maria and especially Ricardo. It’s not every day that you have managers who take the time to stop by, chat, and ensure that you’re enjoying your time. Their genuine care for the guests really shines through in the happiness and professionalism of the entire staff.

When you have a team of leaders who truly invest in their staff and their guest experience, it shows in every aspect of the restaurant, from their amazing staff, the flawless service to the delicious food. Fogo de Chão has once again proved why it remains a top-tier dining destination. Can’t wait for our next visit! Highly...