Fogo de Minas

It was a birthday celebration, and the request was simple: Brazilian steak. The problem? It was Valentine's Day weekend, and nearly every restaurant was booked. Except this one. The catch? Outdoor seating. In winter.We showed up right at opening, and it was already packed--a good sign. The staff were super friendly and welcoming, and they got the outdoor heaters going right away. Still, we were nervous. At first, no meat was coming out, and we started second-guessing everything. Did they forget us? Was this a mistake?Just as regret began to creep in, the magic started. Skewers upon skewers of perfectly grilled meats arrived in an endless parade. Every bite was rich, flavorful, and exactly what we had hoped for.By the end, we were full, happy, and completely satisfied. They forgot the birthday cake at first, but a quick reminder had it in front of us within seconds. Small hiccup, but nothing that beat the experience.Great food. Great service. A hidden gem that delivered when others couldn't. Would we come back? ABSOLUTELY. Shoutout to Brenda & Isaac!!

Came here for an early valentines dinner and it did not disappoint. I love how small and intimate this Brazilian steakhouse was. I'm used to going to the bigger ones like Espetus and Fogo de Chao in SF but you occasionally get skipped at the bigger restaurants. I also liked that they asked us how we like our meat cooked and made sure to clarify how the meat was cooked every time it was offered to us. My favorite cuts were the ribeye, flank steak, lamb chop, and picanha. I'm on keto so this was the perfect place for me to eat without worrying. The bacon wrapped meats did have a tomato sauce on it so those were the only ones I stayed away from. My plate looks so messy with the chimichurri because they ran out of the little sauce cups at the time but the sauce cups wouldn't have been enough chimichurri for me anyways LOL but yes the chimichurri here was pretty good.

All time favorite Brazilian BBQ place. I have to come here at least once a month. Staff are friendly, accommodating and quick. My favorite is their garlic steak, picanha, lamb chop and grilled pineapple. I can also eat their cheese puffs for days. I'm SOOOO happy that their put soda on tap, that was honestly the only thing missing for me. I've tried the other Brazilian places in Sac, none have come close to this one. Very affordable, AYCE, soda on tap. What more can you ask for?

We've been to Fogo de Minas a few times now and have enjoyed lunch and dinner here as dates, as well as with friends and family. This is a smaller Brazilian Steakhouse, but they definitely hit the marks when it comes to delivering a full experience.They're located in a group of businesses off of Gateway Oaks Drive and El Camino. There is plenty of parking available and you can stop in with or without a reservation. They're open for dinner Sunday through Thursday and for lunch and dinner on Fridays and Saturdays. On the days they offer lunch they have a quick reset before dinner where they close and get ready for the next service.They offer a hot food and salad bar as well as full rodizio options and non-alcoholic drinks as well as beer and wine options. When we come we order the full rodizio and I love ordering their passionfruit blended juice. They'll start you off with some cooked plantains and pao de queijo at the table and you can grab a plate at the salad bar. The salad bar has much more than salad though- there are veggies, olives, cheeses, pastas and more. I typically grab some tomatoes, olives and grab some chimichurri to dip my meat into before heading back for the main attraction- the meat.The staff is very friendly and they are very attentive when it comes to making sure you have the opportunity to enjoy all the meats offered. There's a good variety and if you let them know your preferred cook they'll make sure to have cuts that are to your taste. I prefer medium rare, while my husband prefers medium/medium well and they were really great at keeping that in mind.My favorite cuts are the beef rib, picanha, garlic steak and pineapple. I always start by saying yes to almost everything and then get more selective as I get full. The cuts are so flavorful right off the grill though, so pace yourself and enjoy them hot instead of letting them sit on your plate. The staff is happy to come back around with your favorites.They offer desserts and they are really good- but typically I'm so full by the time we're done that I don't want to even look at food until the next day. This is the type of place you come to for celebrations or when you're really craving meat.It's always a treat when we stop by.

Wonderful service and ambiance, and delicious food. Fogo de Minas is smaller than other Brazilian steakhouses I've gone to, which I liked because it didn't feel as crowded or overwhelming.All the employees were very kind and fast, and we had no problem making requests for specific cuts. Picanha, ribeye, and lamb chops were my favorite! Very tender, well-seasoned but not overly-salty, and they do a great job of giving you your preferred temperature.Their salad bar is self-serve and comes with a good assortment of sides. They have a nice variety of dessert and came out with a tray to showcase all their various desserts - we went with their lava cake with strawberry icecream, though I definitely want to try their flan next time! So glad we only live 5 mins away - this was our first (though certainly not last) visit for dinner! :-)

Looked up gluten-free places on GF app and this place popped up in my neighborhood. Of course, I checked out the reviews on Yelp and decided to check it out for myself. This place just opened for lunch for the day at 1100 on a quiet Saturday morning, so my son and I were the first ones there. Emma, the hostess/waitress greeting us as we entered in and knowledgeably answered my questions for gluten free options. The restaurant is CLEAN and nicely decorated. They have spacious dining area (in and out door seating areas), salad bar with exquisite selection of meat and cheese, and a full bar area with large selection of red and white wines. Ambiance is chill and casual - nice spot for date night ! We ordered side cheese bread (gluten free!), two combo meat lunch combo (upgraded top sirloin/pork ribs) and chicken salad to go. Be sure to ask Emma for the upgraded top sirloin option, which is not on the menu. The chicken was surprisingly so moist, juicy and full of flavor! I got to taste the pork and sirloin which were both cooked-to-perfection. Nice portions and esthetically arranged to go made it more eye pleasing to eat !! Can't wait to come try in-dining next time !

AWARENESS:My daughter asked we take her to a Brazilian Steak House for her birthday. Since San Jose is too far and based on the positive Yelp reviews, we decided to dine her at Fogo de Minas for lunch.NARRATIVE:Even though we made reservations, we really didn't need them. When the doors opened for lunch, our party of three were second in the door and seated right away.Our server was quick to take our drink orders and explain how things worked as far as the Buffett goes. He also explained the "red light, green light" cards on the table and how it worked. The only surprise I noted was Fogo de Minas only sells Beers, Wine and Champaigns. No hard stuff is available or offered at the restaurant.The Buffett - Not huge but plentiful. Lots of fresh greens and fruits, not so munch on the seafood side.The Food - Lots of perfectly cooked steaks, lamb, chicken and pork items. The best in taste goes to their fire roasted pineapple; I just couldn't get enough. Best of all. It keeps on coming as long as you're hungry.SCENE:Fogo de Minas is located in the rear, back corner of a strip-mall in the South end of Natomas. Not a huge place but they do a great job in lighting and making a great Brazilian atmosphere. Service was outstanding and again, the food was awesome!RECOMMENDATION(S):I'm glad my daughter wanted to try this place. They now have friends for life.

Over $200 with tip for 2 ppl doesn't seem worth it. The place is nice but the quality of the meat is on the cheap side. If they upgraded there meat to a better quality then it would be worth it. They do come around around alot with different meats often.

So delicious!!! Even the salad bar, which I generally avoid because.. MEAT... had some excellent options. The pickled artichokes were good. The cheese was... good :). The meat was excellent. Nothing like a guy circulating slicing meats directly from the roasting stick. Shrimp were probably my favorite and the meat with the Brazilian name (can't remember it) but it was chefs kiss! The price is a bit more reasonable at lunch time. Service was super nice. They had a horse sculpture on the wall that kept looking at me haha was cute. Will be back!

I liked my server. That's kind of the end of the list. The food was way too overpriced ands very bland. I don't see myself ever returning