Dueling salad bars, brunch options, and more meat than you can imagine.
In a showdown of top notch Brazilian steakhouses, we dive into which is better: Fogo de Chão
or Texas de Brazil.
It's nice to know that if you frequent a certain establishment and fork over a lot of your
hard-earned cash for great food, the place recognizes that and gives you a little something
special for all your business.
If you're an enthusiast of either Texas de Brazil or Fogo de Chão, you'll be pleased
to know both have membership clubs you can join.
It costs nothing to join the Fogo eClub or the Texas de Brazil eClub, and once you're
a member, you can get some pretty sweet deals.
The Fogo website doesn't go into much detail as to what members receive, but with Texas
de Brazil members already know before signing up that they instantly receive $20 off a dinner
for two and gifts on their birthdays and anniversaries.
Both restaurants understand the value of customers and strive to make their lives a little more delicious.
"We care deeply for you, and the communities we serve.
We always have and always will."
When comparing and contrasting two restaurant chains, you can sometimes determine which
one is more popular based on the number of locations each one has.
When it comes to Fogo de Chão and Texas de Brazil, both restaurants come close to having
the same number of locations, but Fogo wins by a small margin.
Fogo de Chão operates 54 restaurants in the U.S.
The two states with the most locations are California and Texas, with each state having eight.
The company also has a handful of spots in Brazil, Mexico, and the Middle East.
Texas de Brazil operates three fewer U.S. restaurants with 51.
Florida holds the record for most Texas de Brazil locations with nine total.
Interestingly, there are no Texas de Brazil locations anywhere in Brazil, but there are
a few in the Middle East, South Korea, and South America.
Brunch is a great way to gather with friends and talk about the previous night's shenanigans
while tossing back great food alongside bottomless mimosas and bloody Marys.
So, if you're a brunch enthusiast, you'll want to head to Fogo de Chão, which has a
pretty awesome brunch menu.
It costs $44 for the continuous meat-carving tableside churrasco experience, but it has
a ton of other options if that's not what you're looking for.
You can snag yourself some Chilean sea bass with papaya vinaigrette, or a vegetarian cauliflower
steak with basil sauce, just to name a few.
And, of course, there are cocktails like the Fogo Bloody Mary and Passion Fruit Mimosa
if you're looking to attack brunch the proper way.
When it comes to the food available at the bar, Fogo de Chão does a much better job
at offering a large menu with some really great cuisine.
If you find yourself at Texas de Brazil, yes, it has food, but you're limited as to what
you can order.
It serves lobster bisque, meat and cheese charcuterie, and a few meats like chicken
breast, sausage, and sirloin.
Fogo de Chão really kicks things up several notches with a large menu that includes braised
beef sliders, Brazilian empanadas, lobster and shrimp tacos, crispy parmesan polenta
fries, and a selection of churrasco meat boards as well.
You likely won't find yourself hunting for more food after a stint at Fogo's happy hour,
and that's a good thing.
When it comes to drinks themselves, if you're someone who really places importance on cocktail
variety at restaurants, you'll definitely want to choose Fogo de Chão over Texas de Brazil.
Fogo has a bunch of great South American cocktails ready to ride shotgun next to the meaty feast
you're eating.
If you're seeking something classic and don't want to venture too deeply into unknown territory,
you can always order yourself a Manhattan, an old fashioned, or a martini.
You get a tasty drink without any curveball ingredients thrown at you.
But, if you're looking for something unique, you have plenty of choices.
Try the Caramelized Pineapple Old Fashioned with muddled caramelized pineapple, orange,
and Luxardo cherries.
Or, go with a Fogo staple and order yourself a tasty Caipirinha.
There's something for everyone on the list, including any wine enthusiasts out there.
"So Adam I heard you guys have over 200 varieties of wine at the restaurant, is that true?"
"It is true."
Both Fogo de Chão and Texas de Brazil offer customers a discounted price when it comes
to kids, which is great for families who want to treat themselves but are worried about
the cost.
But, Fogo de Chão is the restaurant that will save a family more money in the end.
Now, the deal at Texas de Brazil isn't a terrible one, but it does fall behind Fogo de Chão,
depending on the age of your kids.
Children under 2 years old get to eat for free at Texas de Brazil, any child between
the ages of 3 and 5 is charged $5, and kids ages 6 to 12 dine for half off.
At Fogo de Chão, the churrasco tableside experience is complimentary for all kids ages
6 and under, and those who are between 7 and 12 years old eat with a 50% discount added.
Now, most people who walk through the doors at both Fogo de Chão and Texas de Brazil
have meat on their mind.
However, as amazing as all those protein options look, it's never a bad idea to get a little
green in your diet.
Luckily, you don't need to concern yourself with a lack of veggies at either of these places.
They both offer an extensive selection of nutrient-packed foods so you won't leave feeling
like you just disappointed your cardiologist.
Fogo de Chão offers customers what's called The Market Table with foods inspired by Brazilian markets.
Specialty salads include roasted apple and butternut squash, quinoa tabbouleh, and citrus chicken.
It also has various charcuterie options and an array of antipasti like roasted artichokes,
pickled onions, and marinated mushrooms.
The Salad Area at Texas de Brazil has a spread of healthy options like steamed asparagus
with orange vinaigrette, onion ceviche, roasted jalapeños, and couscous salad.
So, rest assured that whichever restaurant you end up at will certainly supply you with
doctor-approved goodies.
After chowing down on some delicious meats, you might find yourself in need of a totally
different flavor profile to balance out that saturated taste living in your mouth.
This is where dessert swoops in like a sugary superhero to round out your meal like a champion.
Texas de Brazil reigns supreme when it comes to the sweet stuff.
Now, the desserts at Fogo de Chão are nothing to scoff at.
It has options like Açai Cheesecake, Chocolate Molten Cake, and Key Lime Pie.
But it doesn't offer as many choices as Texas de Brazil.
There, you can snag yourself treats like Brazilian Flan, Pecan Pie, Coconut Chess Pie, Bananas
Foster Pie, and a Chocolate Mousse Cake.
There's nothing quite like biting into something overly sweet after a hoopla of meat, so go
ahead and treat yourself.
Just don't tell your dentist.
If you want to have a proper meal, then it's imperative you include a selection of side
dishes to accompany the entrée's journey into your belly.
A side dish can even crank an entrée's taste up several notches if the flavors are all
balanced correctly, and that means good eating all around.
Now, if you go to a restaurant with the intention of ordering a slew of side dishes to feast
on, both Fogo de Chão and Texas de Brazil offer diners the same number of options.
There are some similarities between the two menus, which is to be expected.
Both spots offer garlic mashed potatoes, sweet bananas, and a cheese bread.
But, Fogo de Chão also strays in its own direction with options like polenta, black
bean stew, and seasonal soups.
Texas de Brazil offers items like feijoada, sautéed mushrooms with wine, lobster bisque,
and potatoes au gratin.
All of these dishes are amazing accompaniments to an already epic dining experience.
Meat, meat, and more meat.
That's exactly what you can expect at a Brazilian steakhouse.
It's literally an unending parade of decadent skewers arriving at your table while servers
slice glistening pieces onto your plate until your stomach is bursting at the seams.
"This is the best meat in town.
You better visit Texas de Brazil right now."
Both Fogo de Chão and Texas de Brazil offer a wide selection of proteins, but if you're
looking for the biggest selection possible, you'll want a table at Fogo de Chão.
With 17 different cuts of steak, chicken, lamb, and pork, plus several seafood options,
the carnivore in you will feel like it attained nirvana.
Fogo de Chão offers cuts like picanha, which Steak School calls the queen of meats, as
well as filet mignon, both beef and pork ribs, bacon-wrapped chicken, spicy pork sausage,
and lamb picanha.
Plus, for an upcharge you can add the coveted Wagyu ribeye and Wagyu New York strip.
There's so much meat that visions of proteins might twirl through your head while you sleep.
You've been warned.
Anyone can throw a piece of meat onto a flame until the outside turns black and the inside
cooks through.
That doesn't take any skill.
However, that lack of care will likely result in an aggressively unappetizing piece of food
deserving of no one's time.
If you want people clamoring over a great cut off steak, chicken, or pork, you need
to put an immense amount of love and passion into the cooking process.
And, anyone who's eaten at either Fogo de Chão or Texas de Brazil knows there's a whole
lotta passion dripping off all that meat.
The style at Texas de Brazil is what's known as churrasco.
This term refers to a tradition in southern Brazil when cowboys would whip up massive
feats of meat and veggies over a fire, which would then be brought by hand to the dining
table and carved directly onto the plates.
"We grill it over a charcoaled fire and bring it straight to your table, where you are assisted
with tongs tableside."
Fogo de Chão also offers the churrasco experience.
All of its meats are USDA choice or above, and once they arrive at the restaurant, they're
aged for 21 days to concentrate the flavors.
The cooking process starts super early every morning in preparation for the day's customers.
Special lump charcoal is used for temperature regulation, and the gauchos use their highly
trained senses to ensure every cut of meat leaves the grill in a state of perfection.
As fun as going out to eat with friends and family is, it can definitely do some damage
to your wallet.
You want to enjoy yourself and indulge in cuisine you normally don't have, and that
comes at a cost.
Now, as you can imagine, an epic meal at Texas de Brazil or Fogo de Chão isn't cheap, especially
considering how much food you're offered during your stay.
And though prices vary by location, Fogo de Chão will most likely run you up a higher
bill when all is said and done.
At Texas de Brazil, if you're an adult who doesn't qualify for the discounts offered
to children, you'll be shelling out just under $60 per person for the endless-meat churrasco experience.
If you hit the salad bar and skip the heavy protein, it'll cost you just over $30.
At Fogo de Chão, however, expect to fork over $75 per person for the churrasco experience,
and if you're tempted to dabble in the Wagyu options, get ready to leave with that wallet
a whole lot lighter.
So, where will you be spending your money the next time the urge for Brazilian barbecue
strikes like a piping hot skewer?
Obviously, there will be those who live and die by one or the other, and their minds won't
change one bit.
But if you're looking to us for advice, then it's Fogo de Chão that wins the Brazilian
barbecue race.
Yes, Fogo is more expensive overall, which right away will turn some people off.
However, the list of meats is larger, which means you get to indulge in more rich flavors
throughout the night.
If you end up arriving early and posting up at the bar, you're treated to a larger selection
of cocktails and food, which will more than help pass the time.
You can also hit Fogo on the weekends for brunch, which is a huge plus for those who
love that experience.
And, if you have kids who want a Brazilian barbecue experience, you'll certainly enjoy
the better discounts thrown their way.
In the end, it sounds like it's time to go-go to Fogo.