If you’ve never been to a Brazilian steakhouse like Fogo de Chao or Texas de Brazil…
Well, let me tell you, you’re missing out!
I mean, who wouldn’t love skewers of meat presented to your table…then whichever pieces you choose sliced off and delivered straight to your plate?
And so much meat to choose from! Steak, chicken, lamb, pork…
But let’s face facts:
Follow The Coconut Mama
• For fun lists, healthy living tips, and bar conversation topics, make sure to follow The Coconut Mama. Click here to access The Coconut Mama’s profile page and be sure to hit the Follow button here or at the top of this article!
• Have feedback? Add a comment below!
Shutterstock
The fact that the food is unlimited comes with a clear downside:
To make a profit, the restaurant has to give you less…either less quantity, or less quality.
And I’ve heard from a number of people who believe that there are other steakhouses (mostly not of the all-you-can-eat variety) who serve better steak.
Are they right? Well, I’ll leave that to you to decide.
Starting with a personal favorite…
Shutterstock
Where you’ll find them: In most large cities, and across 37 states (plus DC).
All about the steak: Classic filet, all the way. (I mean, if you’re really hungry, feel free to get the 40-oz porterhouse, but we’ll have to wheel you out). I’m also a big fan of their lamb chops with fresh mint. Basically, everything at Ruth’s Chris is good – just a little pricey! (But not all that much pricier than Fogo – and if you’re smart about it, you can actually walk out having spent less.)
Shutterstock
Where you’ll find them: Nearly every state, mostly in the suburbs – there are hundreds of Outback Steakhouses around the country, so you’ll just about always find one nearby!
All about the steak: Outback’s slow roasted prime rib (such great marbling) and bone-in ribeye have been longtime favorites for me. And of course, I always love their Bloomin’ Onion and Gold Coast coconut shrimp.
Shutterstock
Where you’ll find them: Fleming’s is in 26 states, mostly centered around bigger cities. So in Nebraska, there’s one in Omaha. In Missouri, St. Louis. In Texas – Austin, Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas. You get the idea.
All about the steak: Fleming’s does a mean tomahawk steak (it’s 35 ounces, so come hungry), and I love their prime dry-aged ribeye (16 ounces) as well for when I want a more “normal” meal. I highly recommend their chilled shellfish tower, with lobster, king crab legs, oysters, and shrimp – it’s an epic beginning to any meal.
Shutterstock
Where you’ll find them: 53 locations across 24 states – Morton’s is where the people are, so look for one (or maybe two) in most big cities.
All about the steak: Get the Wagyu filet for a special treat. It’s small but packs a punch! For an appetizer – I’d go with either the prosciutto wrapped mozzarella or the shrimp calabria.
Shutterstock
Where you’ll find them: There are less than 80 Capital Grilles in the country, and again – noticing a trend, yet? – pretty much in big cities. You’ll find one in Louisville, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Seattle, San Diego, etc. (30 states total.)
All about the steak: I’d recommend the dry-aged bone-in NY strip (18 ounces) – 18-24 days of aging really makes for a juicier cut of meat. For an appetizer, try the calamari with hot cherry peppers or the smoked bacon with Korean BBQ if you’re feeling more adventurous.
Shutterstock
Where you’ll find them: LongHorn is the only other restaurant on this list operating at about the same scale as Outback Steakhouse; there are roughly 600 LongHorns around the country, and they’re in 43 states.
All about the steak: LongHorn’s renegade sirloin is a classic, and really your experience at LongHorn will be great. It’s the ‘fanciest’ steakhouse I’ve been to that doesn’t charge Ruth’s Chris (or Fogo) level prices. Good food, good service, people who take their jobs and the craft seriously – what’s not to like?
Follow The Coconut Mama
• For fun lists, healthy living tips, and bar conversation topics, make sure to follow The Coconut Mama. Click here to access The Coconut Mama’s profile page and be sure to hit the Follow button here or at the top of this article!
• Have feedback? Add a comment below!
Shutterstock
Where you’ll find them: In just a handful of cities – three in Massachusetts, and one each in New York, Chicago, Columbus, Las Vegas, and Miami Beach.
All about the steak: They have an excellent filet oscar; try their gorgonzola crusted filet if you want something with a little more punch. I also highly recommend their duck confit and their burrata (it’s served with Marcona almonds, which – cheese and nuts is always such a great combination).
Shutterstock
I couldn’t NOT talk about how great Fogo de Chao is, even in this article – because it genuinely is amazing, even if the steak isn’t quite as good as these competitors!
Where you’ll find them: In about half of states and most major cities. (It’s the trend with steakhouses!)
All about the steak: Picanha, bacon-wrapped steak, wagyu ribeye, alcatra, fraldinha, beef ancho, and more – you can have it all, in the same meal! Just don’t load up too much on the delicious charcuterie and cheese at the salad bar…
Shutterstock
So there you have it – seven steakhouses with a legitimate claim to having better steak than Fogo de Chao.
Or at least – that’s what their fans would claim!
But of course, this brings up two critical questions:
Shutterstock
#1: What do you think? Is one of these clearly better than Fogo? Or is Fogo the best of the bunch?
#2: Which of these have you NOT yet had a chance to eat at? What would you like to try?
Let us know in the comments!
Shutterstock
Leave a Comment