Fogo de Chao, the Brazilian steakhouse that has locations all around the world is no newcomer to DC. If you are new to the concept, here's what you need to know. Fogo specializes in Brazilian churrasco, where cuts of meat are cooked over open fire by “gauchos”, who are essentially the South American version of cowboys, extremely skilled at this method of cooking Waiters then bring the cooked meats around on spits, portioning out pieces for customers tableside. Part of the fun for customers is in using the card at the table to indicate whether to keep the meat coming (Green!) or hold off (red!). There is also a popular market table salad bar which is very extensive – with a variety of salads, cured meats, cheeses and a Feijoada bar of Brazilian sides.

Bottomline: Go Hungry. Sip on a caipirinha. Eat.

I had an opportunity to try the brand new location of this meat utopia in Tysons Corner and learned a few things that I did not know earlier, while stuffing myself with all the food, of course!

Here's what you probably didnt know:

1. The “Chao” in Fogo de Chao is pronounced “shown” in Portuguese, not chow like I’ve been saying all along!

2. It’s a complete meat fest, BUT there is also a pescaterian option! Who knew?! I’ve been to Fogo a couple of times before and since I’m not a HUGE meat eater, I tend to stick with the Market Table selection instead. Now that I know there’s a fish option, it opens up a whole new set of possibilities, and friends to take there! As it turns out, they’ve always had this, but only just started promoting it more! Learn more about their seafood options here.

3. Those addictive cheese bread rolls that they keep refilling at the table – those are Gluten free! Now, I’m not allergic to gluten or anything, but again, just surprising to know! These are made with tapioca flour, giving them them that unique chewy texture, and are so addictive that it's hard to not fill up on these before the perfectly roasted meats arrive!

4. The full churrasco experience also involves “espeto corrido”, which means continuous service. And they do not take that lightly. When you card says green, be prepared for a barrage of servers presenting 16 different cuts of meat! The trick is in not loading up on the first few cuts, but pacing yourself to see which ones are you favorite and then going all in on those. The house specialty Picanha sirloin, the rib eye, lamb chops, and chorizo are favorites!

Pro Tip: Eat lightly the day you are planning to go, don’t overload on the Market table (use it more as a warm up for the main meat event), ENJOY the total meat fest, and don’t forget to save some room for their dessert (I can’t resist a Tres Leches!).

Nothing left to say really, other than pick a date, gather some friends, and head to the newest meat mecca that is Fogo De Chao !