Fogo de Chão is a Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

ian chain of fine dining churrascaria

Churrascaria

A churrascaria is a Brazilian steakhouse. Churrasco is the cooking style, which translates roughly from the Portuguese for 'barbecue'.-History:...

 (Brazilian steakhouse) full-service restaurants with sixteen locations in the United States of America and six locations in Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

. The company is equally owned by two brothers, Jair and Arri Coser. The first United States location was opened in Dallas, Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

 in 1997. The Brazilian private equity firm, GP Investments

GP Investments

GP Investments is a private equity firm focused on emerging markets leveraged buyout and growth capital investments in Latin America...

, made their initial investment in Fogo de Chão in 2006 and currently owns about 35% of the company. The revenues of the company for the year ending 2007 were around $128.8 million.

Meals

Lunch and dinner at Fogo de Chão operate the same and consist of the same items, at different prices. There is a fixed price for endless salad bar and tableside meat service. Customers can choose just their favorites, or simply wait for their favorite cut of meat to make its rounds.

The meal comes in two parts. The first starts at the gourmet salad bar, which offers cured meats, smoked salmon

Smoked salmon

Smoked salmon is a preparation of salmon, typically a fillet that has been cured and then hot or cold smoked. Due to its moderately high price, smoked salmon is considered a delicacy.-Presentation:...

, imported cheeses, vegetables, and salads. The second part of the meal consists of fifteen different cuts of beef, pork, chicken and lamb, served tableside. Some of the meats are:

• Picanha (prime part of the sirloin)
• Top and bottom sirloin
• Filet mignon
  Filet mignon
  Filet mignon is a steak cut of beef taken from the smaller end of the tenderloin, or psoas major of the beef carcass, usually a steer or heifer...
  
  
• Beef ancho
• Beef ribs
• Leg of lamb and lamb chops (Cordeiro)
• Pork tenderloin and pork ribs
• Chicken legs
• Garlic beef

Hot side dishes brought out with the meat course include:

• Cheese bread (pao de queijo)
• Caramelized bananas
• Seasoned mashed potatoes
• Fried polenta

Signature desserts include papaya

Papaya

The papaya , papaw, or pawpaw is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya, the sole species in the genus Carica of the plant family Caricaceae...

 cream, creme brulee

Crème brûlée

Crème brûlée , also known as burnt cream, crema catalana, or Trinity cream is a dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a contrasting layer of hard caramel...

, tres leches cake, chocolate molten cake, and traditional flan

Flan

Crème caramel , flan , or caramel custard is a custard dessert with a layer of soft caramel on top, as opposed to crème brûlée, which is custard with a hard caramel top...

.

The bar features a Wine Spectator

Wine Spectator

Wine Spectator is a lifestyle magazine that focuses on wine and wine culture. It publishes 15 issues per year with content that includes news, articles, profiles, and general entertainment pieces...

-award winning wine list, boasting hundreds of domestic and imported wines. Traditional drinks such as Caipirinha

Caipirinha

Caipirinha is Brazil's national cocktail, made with cachaça , sugar and lime. Cachaça is Brazil's most common distilled alcoholic beverage . Both rum and cachaça are made from sugarcane-derived products...

 and Guaraná

Guarana

Guarana , Paullinia cupana, syn. P. crysan, P. sorbilis) is a climbing plant in the maple family, Sapindaceae, native to the Amazon basin and especially common in Brazil. Guarana features large leaves and clusters of flowers, and is best known for its fruit, which is about the size of a coffee bean...

 are also available.

Awards

The restaurant was named as one of America's top restaurants by Zagat Survey.
The restaurant has won the Wine Spectator

Wine Spectator

Wine Spectator is a lifestyle magazine that focuses on wine and wine culture. It publishes 15 issues per year with content that includes news, articles, profiles, and general entertainment pieces...

Award of Excellence every year since 2002.