Fogo de Chao

1 rating
$$$$ • Brazilian Restaurant
Reported to have a gluten-free menu
Reported GF menu options: Bread/Buns
11915 Democracy Dr
Reston, VA 20190

Most Recent Reviews


Symptomatic Celiac

Overall Rating

Review


To start off - I have a gluten detection service dog, I read reviews on other chain locations in the GF app. We went for an event in our own room so I’m unsure if a normal experience would be the same.

I would NOT recommend this for celiacs. When I stated I had an allergy, the guy went to grab me a “menu” which was just a VERY intense list to cross reference. They continuously brought food and just dropped it off without any explanation of what the heck was being put in front of me. When I would ask what things were or if they were gluten free the waiter just told me “what does it say in the menu” which was incredibly dismissive but aside from that NOT HELPFUL. If I didn’t have my service dog I never would have felt comfortable eating anything here and tbh it’s a crap ton of money if you can’t eat anything.

The skewered they thought around consistently touched everyone’s plates - some of which / most of which were from the salad bar which had a ton of bread on the plates. It’s like 60 dollars per person, I’d never recommend this as a safe location. My service dog cleared most of the meats but he also alerted to several, without him I wouldn’t touch this

Safety


How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not at all

Quality & Quantity


Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Below Average

Updated 6 months ago read full review

This establishment is NOT a dedicated gluten-free facility and may not be safe for those with celiac disease. Please contact the establishment directly to inquire about safety precautions.

Gluten-Free Features

  • Bread/Buns
  • Gluten-Free Menu

Categories

  • Brazilian
  • Dairy-Free Friendly
  • Dinner
  • Keto Friendly
  • Lunch
  • Paleo Friendly
  • Restaurant
  • Steakhouse

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Reviews of this Chain

Symptomatic Celiac

Overall Rating

Review


I went here for a company function and had resigned myself to getting sick. I was pleasantly surprised that the buffet had the cheese and meats on the totally opposite side from the bread, which was by the salads. At the buffet I chanced tiny pieces of the prosciutto, papaya and star fruit. The tropical fruits weren’t ripe so I didn’t end up finishing these.

I signaled the waitress of my allergy and she brought out a detailed allergen list. This list showed most of the meats as having soy, which I worried was soy sauce. Though overwhelmed by our party of 16, the waitress eventually brought me the manager who took a trip to consult the chef who told me most meats were simply rubbed in lemon pepper and no soy sauce was involved.

Based on the advice of the waitress and manager, I tried several types of lamb and beef and did not get sick. For drinks I had Caipirinhas. Though they were listed as wheat free I did not try the Pão de queijo, which were prepared in a kitchen that also prepared bread. For dessert I wanted to try the flan, but they were “out” (I saw it being served to other tables, so they must have just run out) and was given vanilla ice cream.

Overall this restaurant did a great job taking care of me and keeping me safe on a very busy night.

Safety


How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings
  • Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions

Quality & Quantity


Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Celiac

Overall Rating

Review


So much food, we had great time here and left sooo full. A fun spot for the family, endless cuts of meat and salad bar. The rolls are safe, meats are safe, a few items on salad bar that we were warned of ( bread items). We had no reactions, nice lunch here.

Safety


How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Quality & Quantity


How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Symptomatic Celiac

Overall Rating

Review


Great experience here, told them of my allergy and they brought me a list of everything and their allergens: gluten was only in a few things! Safe buffet, all the meats except the tofu but I didn’t even see that. Highly recommended. All you can eat is $66 which seems like a great deal!

Safety


How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings
  • Dedicated gluten-free fryer

Quality & Quantity


Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Separate gluten-free menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Other


Other Characteristics
  • Good for dairy-free
Symptomatic Celiac

Overall Rating

Review


Mostly everything here was gluten free. I was hesitant at first and took some precautions, but everything was great. If you haven’t eaten this style before, they come around to your table with a slab of meat and slice off a portion if you want to try it. There are several meats that are not gluten free, but there were more than enough options without it. I was skeptical of the buffet, but [at least on the night I was there] almost everything on the table was gluten free. I stood there and watched it for 5 minutes before deciding it was worth it to check out a couple items. Taking off a star for safety due to the waitstaff; somewhat knowledgeable, but also apathetic and not willing to get answers very quickly (like 30 minutes into the meal when everyone else was already eating). My primary complaint was the servers — one was a little weird encouraging us to drink and drive (we did not, of course), and one just did not help at all. We went somewhat close to the opening and seemed like a decent amount of turnover with the waitstaff, so perhaps it was a logistical issue and has since improved. I had a vegetarian friend who went and found plenty to eat to hang with her family, but I’m not sure I would recommend that for the price point. I did not get sick, and was very full :)

Safety


How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Quality & Quantity


How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Good

Other


Other Characteristics
  • Good for dairy-free
  • Good for dinner
  • Good for keto
  • Good selection of healthy options
  • Reservations recommended

Overall Rating

Review


I haven’t been yet but looking online it looks like their entire market menu is naturally gluten free. Apparently they can also serve Brazi bread. Hope to check out soon.

Quality & Quantity


Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu

More Info