Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse has recently offered Oak Brook a new dining experience.  The new location offers a wide variety of Brazilian cuisine and is located near the Oakbrook mall. 

The restaurant is best known for their rodízio style of serving, where roving waiters offer a wide selection of meats on skewers. Included with the rodízio style is access to the market table containing a salad bar full of fruit, cheese, bread, and countless other toppings and appetizers.

Walking into the restaurant, we were welcomed by beautiful Brazilian art and a bustling room full of customers. Despite having a reservation, we still had to wait over 10 minutes to be seated; however, the food was definitely worth the wait. 

One of the most refreshing parts of the restaurant was the attentive, amiable, and knowledgeable staff.  Since it was our first time at the Fogo de Chão restaurant, our waiter walked us through the menu and all the different options available. Our party of three all went with the rodízio style ($55.95), which we would definitely recommend, as you get a wide variety of food. 

After we got our first plate of sides from the salad bar, our table was filled with perfectly seasoned garlic mashed potatoes, fried plantains, bananas, and cheesy bread rolls, all of which were endless and complimentary.  Each person at the table received a circle of paper, with one side of the sheet being green, while the other was marked red. This is how each customer is able to communicate with the waiters on whether or not they want more meat: green indicating you would like them to bring you meat and red indicating you do not want them to bring meat to you. While there were times where we had to wait for the roving waiters, typically the wait was short. 

Once we were settled, we started trying the different meats available. It was a super exciting experience receiving the meat on the skewers. Everyone receives a pair of tongs, which are used to grab the meat while the waiter cuts off the piece you request. We tried Filet Mignon, lamb, ribeye, pork loin, although an assortment of nine other meats are offered as well.  The meat was cooked perfectly to how we requested, and we couldn’t get enough. To finish off our meal, we shared the New York Style Cheesecake with strawberry sauce ($10.25). With three of us at the table, it was the perfect size after a big meal. 

Overall, Fogo de Chão was a pleasant experience. While it is pricey, costing just over $200 (not including tip) for three people, you definitely are given the opportunity to eat more than what you paid for, and all the food is perfectly cooked, seasoned, and easy to get.  We would recommend making a reservation in advance due to possible wait times. 

The restaurant is very easy to find as it is on the outskirts of the Oakbrook mall, located at 1204 22nd St, Oak Brook.  Along with friendly staff and a welcoming atmosphere, Fogo de Chão truly is an experience that is more than just the food.