I just got back from visiting my fam in Brazil a few weeks ago, and to my pleasant surprise, the newest Fogo De Chão location in SoMa had opened up. And look … before we start doing that thing that San Franciscans do and say “Ugh, another chain?!” I’ll have you know that Fogo de Chão is widely considered to be the best place for authentic Brazilian churrasco (barbecue) in Brazil. (By the way, it's all-you-can-eat.) Yeah, it’s a chain, but changing their formula is not what got Fogo De Chão to be the first publicly traded Brazilian steakhouse restaurant chain.

Either way, as a Brazilian, I still skeptically enter the doors of a Fogo de Chão in America. “How will they whitewash Brazil’s greatest export?” I say to myself. And the times I’ve been to Espetus on Market and Gough have been less than stellar. (Real talk: Their salad bar sucks and the quality of their meat wasn’t great.) But I did my best to keep an open mind when I hit up the new Fogo de Chão on Howard Street last weekend and looked to gauge its “Brazilian-ness.” I'll tell you what … I was pleasantly surprised:

[jump] The Salad Bar

My experiences at the lackluster Espetus immediately made me think that the Fogo de Chão salad bar wouldn’t be up to snuff, but this was not the case. There were multiple types of greens, all the hearts of palm you heart desires — see what I did there? — prosciutto, smoked salmon, nice salami. All of this is in line with the extremely comprehensive salad bar  — they call it “The Market Table,” for the record —found at Fogo de Chão in Brazil. I made my customary starter salad and didn't skip a beat. 

There was even a feijoada (traditional Brazilian bean and pork stew) bar, with farofa (fried mandioc flour with bacon and spices. Although I really think the farofa should be a staple at all the tables — but more on that in a second. Either way, the feijoada wasn't bad. 

The signature selection of fancy oils and vinegars to dress your salad with was present and that made me happy. Also, the massive block of parmgiano reggiano cheese found at every good steakhouse in Brazil, was available here. Respect.

The Sides

When we sat down at the table, pão de queijo (Brazilian cheese bread) was quickly served to nosh on. It was excellent and tasted like it does at Fogo in Brazil. I could eat these little suckers every day for the rest of my life (and when I go home to visit, I do.)

Brazilian-style fried polenta came to our table and it was great. Nothing was lost on the recipe,not the crispiness on the outside, not the moist inside, or the sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top. Caramelized bananas were also placed at our table. My only gripe was no farofa. They should bring out a little saucer of this stuff, to encourage guests to dip bites of meat in it like is customary in Brazil. Speaking of which…

The Meat

Again, because of suspect meat quality at Espetus — can you tell that I’m not a fan? — I was worried that Fogo’s churrasco wouldn’t add up. I was wrong. The picanha (rump), which is the most traditional Brazilian cut, was on point. The rib eye (ancho) and New York Steak (chorizo) were great. The filet mignon was just as pedestrian as it is in Brazil — funny how that works, eh? — The lamb chops were excellent, although a bit too pink in the middle, which still didn’t stop me from devouring two double cut chops at the end of our meal. Leg of lamb was also served and mint jelly available upon request like in Brazil.

Chicken, more cuts of meat, all prepared the same way as I remember them in Brazil. One difference though: The beef rib, which you have to ask for specifically. It was better at Fogo SF than what I remember at Fogo in Brazil. Real talk. I’m still thinking about this cut nearly a week later. The meat is the most important facet of the authentic Brazilian steakhouse experience. And Fogo SF passed the test extremely well.

The Drinks

I had a caipirinha (like a Brazilian mojito, made with a sugar cane rum called cachaça, sugar and lime) and ordered it in the same anal-retentive way that I order it in Brazil: Easy on the sugar and strained. They made it just as I asked and it was great. Only difference is that in Brazil, the lime and sugar mash will already be in the glass with ice and the servers pour the cachaça into the glass and stir at the table. It’s a nice touch that was absent at Fogo SF, but whatever, the drink was perfect.

One big knock though: the beer. There was one Brazilian beer on the menu, Xingu. Xingu is a dark Schwazbier that nobody drinks in São Paulo. (Seriously.) I wanted a light Brazilian pilsner like Antarctica or even Brahma (which is widely available in the U.S.), but no dice. Instead, there was a beer called Palma Louca, which is made in Canada. Look, when I’m stuffing my face with more meat and salad bar goodies than I should reasonably be eating, I want a light crisp beer, that’s gonna cut through it all and not sit heavy (see: Brazilian Pilsners.) I ended up going with the closest thing, an Anchor Steam. Sure.

The Dessert

The desert menu was all over the map and I had a flan, which didn’t necessarily stack up to the flans that my aunt and step-mom makes in Brazil, but it wasn’t bad. Papaya cream with cassis was on the menu and that’s a go-to Brazilian specialty, so shouts to that. Ultimately though, I don’t come to Fogo for the desert, I come for the meat, so any combination of items on the dessert menu are a-ok with me.

Conclusion

I’m happy that there’s now a Brazilian steakhouse in SF that I can confidently recommend to friends. The crowds will expectedly be business-minded based on the SoMa location, but that’s how it is in Brazil too. In the meantime, I’ll be thinking about that beef rib and one thing is for sure: Espetus better be shaking in their boots.