Fogo de Chao Botafogo

After reading online that it might not be as good as it used to be, I hesitated to go. But having tried more than ten Rodizio restaurants in Brazil, I’d put this one in the top 20%. The salads were better in flavor and quality than at nearly all the other places I've visited, and the buffet overall was very good. The meat was good too, and the à la carte dishes were tasty. Some buffet items could be replenished faster. The service was excellent and attentive. My wife's salmon was slow to arrive, and we heard the waiter chasing colleagues to hurry it along. They cleared plates quickly and kept pouring wine. When you signal that you want meat, it comes very fast. I'd definitely come back.

They always make you feel like you're somewhere luxurious, with beautiful design and impeccable service. The meats are high quality and the food is delicious. It's one of my favorite restaurants anywhere, and the quality is consistently good across their international branches. A must-visit!

I've eaten at Fogo de Chao in a lot of places, including Brooklyn and Queens in New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. Since it's a Brazilian steakhouse, I wanted to try one in Rio, Batafogo, and chose it for my fiancé's birthday dinner. It turned out to be one of my worst dining experiences. The meats I got to try were delicious, but only a few arrived at our table. We told two waiters that no meat had come yet, and we were literally the only Black people there. I don't want to think that was why they weren't serving us. At least they sang a little happy birthday to bae at the end. Bae had the dry-age T-bone, and I got the full churrasco experience.

The variety is incredible, and the atmosphere makes the higher prices feel worthwhile. For delicious halal meat in Rio, this is the place to visit.