this past saturday my friends and i went to this great brazilian steak house in chicago called fogo de chow. it was hands down one of the best restaurants i’ve been to in a while. you can start your meal by visiting their huge salad bar and fill your plate or plates with the veggie fare. we chose to skip that part of the experience and jump right into the “meat” of the meal. my buddy brawnski suggested that we all not eat much beforehand, and rightfully so.

we sat down and the host explained to us how their system worked. you have a coaster in front of you that is red on one side and green on another. when your ready for some meat you flip it to green, otherwise you show it up as red. the whole time your eating these waiters dressed in brazilian gaucho garb, think matador, are walking around with 3 foot skewers of various cooked meats with different cuts. when one comes to your table and sees your green marker is showing he tells you the meat he has and offers it to you. if your interested then you use your small personal tongs and take the meat from him while he cuts it from the skewer. it’s very different than any other dining experience i’ve had before, which is what i think i enjoyed most about it.

i must have had 10 different types of cuts of meat ranging from lamb, pork loin, sausage, beef, filet mignon all the way to parmesan crusted or bacon wrapped chicken. they have various daily specials from what people have said so the selection may vary depending on the day of the week or time of year you visit. i didn’t have a single piece of fatty or grizzly meat and every bite practically melted in my mouth. to top off the meal, while your picking away at various meat offerings, they are bringing you unlimited garlic mashed potatoes, fried banana, and fried yucca. the service was really great and the environment was comfortable.

i’m sorry but if you leave fogo hungry or unhappy with your dining experience then it’s your own fault. this is a restaurant to be experience by anyone with a healthy appetite and who’s certainly not a vegetarian.