text: You wanna' talk \"all you can eat Brasilian BBQ?\"...... Here's my qualifier.\n\nOur family, on my wife's side, is Brasilian. (In Brazil, it's spelled with an \"s\"). Over the last 30 years or so, I've eaten at the most complete churracarias both in Brasil and here. And I've eaten at the most modest; including a churracaria in a gas station in Sul de Minas on the way to visit a coffee cooperative. (see my youtube video titled, \"Coffee Cupping in Sul de Minas.\") The defining/qualifying points are the same; quality and flavor of the meat, completeness of the salad bar, or \"bars\", (Some restaurants have a full sushi bar, with chef!), and quality of service. . So trying to remain both objective and relevant, I'll share my opinion.\n\nI've been to the Fogos in Dallas, Beverly Hills, and now Las Vegas. My best experience was in Dallas, but understanding that I was there right after their opening, and because Fogo corporate is in Dallas, I think they worked at \"doing it all\". This was probably before they reviewed and revised their operations. (?) Dallas was the best. Beverly Hills, and now Las Vegas, were both a disappointment, but more because they do not reflect the best of what I expect in a \"high end\" churrascaria. And I personally think they're making a mistake. Here's what most non-Brasilians are missing....... but wouldn't know it if they've never been to a more \"typical\" churrascaria in Brasil.\n\nThe salad bar.... In Brasil, and at churrascarias like Fogo in Sao Paulo, Rio, and the interior cities like Brasilia, Goiania and Uberlandia, there will be everything you see at Fogo in LV, plus another full bar of hot entrees, including fish and meat dishes, stroganoff, hot vegetables, rice and black beans. And yes, the fried plantans too. All this is available at the bar, all you can eat, not brought to your table like at Fogo. You'll also see that \"cheese bread\" called \"pao de queiju.\" In some restaurants, there'll be either a small, or very expanded sushi bar. The salad bar, by itself, can easily support anyone's craving for a full meal. Fogo's salad bar is amazingly small, in my opinion, and for Brasililans, incomplete... especially for the money! Fogo offers the \"salad bar only\" for under $30... but in my opinion, it's not worth it. If they had a traditionally full salad bar offering, it would be great for non-red meat eaters, as there would be a huge variety of fish, shrimp, etc. \n\nThe meats... Here, Fogo does well, as the quality of the meats is very good. While some churrascarias buy low end meats, my feeling is that what Fogo doesn't offer in the salad bar, they make up for in the meat department.\n\nIMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT GETTING WHAT YOU WANT... If you want rare, medium rare, well done, etc., you should tell both the table waiter, and the meat servers! I will sometimes tell the servers that I only want the Picanha (tri-tip), the Filet, and the Fraudinha (flank steak). You're paying... tell them what you want, and how you like it! They appreciate your specifics, and even at this Fogo, I got what I wanted in meats.\n\nThe service... For a high-end churrascaria, it was ill-timed meat delivery, and it was slow. And when the gauchos (meat servers) did start coming to the table, it was an \"onslaught.\" The mark of a great churrascaria is \"consistency\" with an even rhythm. We spoke to our waiter, assigned to manage our table, and I could see that he was struggling to maintain service level to us, and other tables. That issue alone... erradic service, would be a major complaint point. And for this Fogo, all I could think of was....... this would never fly in Sao Paulo, or Rio, or at any other of their Brasilian locations. \n\nA major deal breaker for Brasilians, and what told me this operation was tailored to \"Non-Brasilians\", was the fact that they serve rice and black beans only after being asked. Had I not asked, our table may have been overlooked. That's rediculous, as the foundation for a plate in Brasil is your rice, black beans, vinegrette salsa, and farofa, or toasted corn meal that tops off the beans rice and salsa. When you have to ask for those very basic items, you know that Fogo has tailored, or \"dumbed down\" their restaurant to non Brasilians. And frankly, most people love these items after being introduced, and shown how to \"build their plate.\"\n\nSo I gave Fogo a 4-star just because they do serve great quality meat. And knowing ignorance is bliss, I figure that if what they do serve is good, and the clientel like it. who am I to complain because they don't mimic my preferred style of service. (although....... I do think you deserve better than what they offer at their salad bar setup.)\n\nBTW..... for a more traditional salad bar, and certainly more complete, visit Texas de Brazil at the Town Square Shopping Center, off South Las Vegas Blvd. I think you'll better understand my comments about the salad bar, and maybe agree that the trade-off at Texas de Brazil may be in the quality of the meat.