Fogo De Chão and Ruth's Chris are two very different restaurants unified by one very tasty thing: meat! But which chain takes the top spot for steak-lovers?
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00:00Fogo de Chão and Ruth's Crisps are two very different restaurants unified by one very
00:05tasty thing — meat.
00:08But which chain takes the top spot for steak lovers?
00:11Fogo de Chão is a Brazilian churrascaria with a rodizio service style.
00:16This involves servers known as gauchos circulating the restaurant with large skewers of various
00:21types of grilled meats, which they serve tableside.
00:24Churrasco dates back to the 16th century Brazil, when cowboys, or gauchos, would barbecue
00:29large cuts of skewered meat over fire.
00:32"...freedom.
00:33Yeah, I think that's the word it's gonna describe."
00:38While Fogo de Chão's cooking style pays tribute to the past, its decor often draws on a contemporary
00:43aesthetic.
00:44A Case in Point is the chain's first restaurant in New York City.
00:48The 16,000-square-foot, three-story location features a circular bar, oversized mirrors,
00:54and a striking bas-relief sculpture.
00:57In contrast to Fogo de Chão's dining model, Ruth's Crisps provides a more traditional
01:01style, mostly serving a la carte dishes.
01:04Unlike Fogo de Chão, which focuses on a continuous service model with different meats presented
01:09to the table, Ruth's Crisps allows customers to order a range of specific appetizers, mains,
01:15side dishes, and desserts.
01:16Additionally, the chain's steaks are prepared to each guest's preferred level of doneness,
01:21rather than being carved right off a skewer.
01:24In terms of overall ambiance, Ruth's Crisps locations are all unique, however many feature
01:29decorative lighting, wooden details, and wall art.
01:32Fogo de Chão is famous for its all-you-can-eat churrasco experience.
01:37The set price menu includes a variety of barbecued meats, as well as a seasonal market table
01:41and feijoada bar.
01:43Fire-roasted meats are served continuously, with diners able to enjoy as much or as little
01:48as they wish.
01:49For an additional cost, patrons can add a cut of Wagyu beef for their churrasco experience.
01:55For those looking for a specific dish, Fogo de Chão also offers a selection of a la carte
01:59appetizers and entrees.
02:01While Ruth's Crisps specializes in a la carte dining, the chain also features a pre-fixed
02:06menu.
02:07Designed for those wishing to try a variety of dishes, this special menu consists of a
02:11starter, entree, side, and dessert.
02:13The restaurant's choice of set appetizers includes a Caesar salad, house salad, or Louisiana
02:18seafood gumbo.
02:19Meanwhile, the entrees include a salmon filet or a six-ounce filet of beef served with lobster
02:25tail or shrimp, with the option to upgrade the steak portion to 11 ounces at an additional
02:30charge.
02:31The meal is complemented by your choice of sides, such as creamed spinach, steamed broccoli,
02:36and garlic mashed potatoes.
02:39Fogo de Chão's full churrasco experience includes a complementary salad bar called
02:43Market Table, which the company says is inspired by the open-air markets in Brazil.
02:49Each diner is free to approach the Market Table as often as they like and enjoy the
02:53gluten-free assortment of sides.
02:55These include seasonal salads, cheeses, antipasti, cured meats, and fresh veggies like broccoli,
03:01roasted beets, and vine-ripened tomatoes.
03:03The spread is complemented by a feijoada bar, which consists of a black bean stew, rice,
03:09and farofa, a traditional Brazilian side dish made with yucca flour and bacon.
03:15Diners at Ruth's Chris, meanwhile, can choose from a range of individually-priced appetizers
03:19and side dishes.
03:20In the starter department, the chain offers a selection of seafood including seared aji
03:24tuna, spicy shrimp, and sizzling crab cakes.
03:28Those looking for a variety of marine delicacies can opt for the restaurant's chilled seafood
03:32tower with jumbo shrimp, Maine lobster, and colossal lump crab meat.
03:37Ruth's Chris also has a wide choice of side dishes, from hearty to lighter choices.
03:42On the heavier end of the spectrum, the restaurant serves creamed spinach, fried onion rings,
03:46and lobster mac and cheese.
03:48Meanwhile, the restaurant's lighter options include fresh broccoli, grilled asparagus,
03:52and roasted brussels sprouts.
03:54We want to feed people.
03:56We want to feed you.
03:57We want to try this, try that, what do you think about this?
04:01And we do that with passion."
04:02Fogo de Chão serves a wide variety of grilled or fire-roasted meats.
04:06Each expertly prepared to highlight its unique flavor and texture.
04:10The chain's churrasco experience incorporates several beef cuts, such as tenderloin, bone-in
04:16ribeye, and sirloin, as well as beef ribs.
04:18Fogo de Chão's signature steak is the bacanha, or the prime part of the top sirloin.
04:24In addition to beef, the restaurant chain also serves other meats as a part of the churrasco
04:28feast, including pork belly, pork chops, spicy pork sausages, and bacon-wrapped chicken steak.
04:34Additionally, Fogo de Chão offers Wagyu beef, which is a high-end cut from highly
04:39marbled Japanese cattle.
04:41Some of the meats can also be ordered a la carte.
04:43Ruth's Chris specializes in steaks, which means the main type of meat served is beef.
04:48Several of the cuts on offer include New York strip, T-bone, ribeye, petite filet, and porterhouse.
04:54Despite its steakhouse status, Ruth's Chris also features non-beef protein options, including
04:59veal asobuco ravioli, lamb chops, pork chop, and stuffed chicken breast.
05:05The USDA divides beef into three categories.
05:08The highest-quality cuts are classified as USDA Prime.
05:12These cuts tend to boast abundant marbling.
05:14The other two categories include USDA Choice, with ample marbling, and USDA Select, which
05:19is leaner than the other two options.
05:22Ruth's Chris upscale reputation goes hand-in-hand with the restaurant's USDA Prime beef, which
05:27comprises only the top 2 percent of beef in the country.
05:30The chain serves a variety of different USDA Prime cuts, including New York strip, T-bone,
05:36ribeye, cowboy ribeye, porterhouse, and tomahawk ribeye.
05:40Ruth's Chris also offers filets and petite filets, although the menu doesn't specify
05:44whether these cuts are USDA Prime.
05:47To ensure the steaks are juicy and full of flavor, the chain ages its beef for around
05:5228 days.
05:53"...you're always going to get a consistently great meal because they get and serve the
05:58best of the best."
05:59While Fogo de Chaux specifies that its beef is sourced from U.S. vendors that care about
06:04animal welfare, the chain has always been quiet about the grading of its meat.
06:08Nevertheless, Fogo de Chaux's Fort Lauderdale general manager, Wanderson Oliveira, disclosed
06:13in an interview with Mashed that the restaurant offers USDA Choice cuts for better.
06:18The steaks are then aged for at least 21 days to achieve optimal tenderness and flavor.
06:23Fogo de Chaux also serves Wagyu beef, including a dry-aged tomahawk ancho, aged for 42 days.
06:30Ruth's Chris and Fogo de Chaux are very particular about their respective steak preparation methods.
06:36At Ruth's Chris, each cut is broiled at an ultra-high temperature of 1,800 degrees to
06:41ensure a caramelized crust and a tender and juicy interior.
06:44Since broiling offers both temperature control and uniform heat distribution, diners can
06:49rest assured the steak will be cooked to their exact specifications every time.
06:54Additionally, Ruth's Chris serves its cuts with a little butter and parsley on sizzling
06:58500-degree plates to ensure the meat stays at the right temperature throughout the meal.
07:03When you get a steak here, you don't just taste it.
07:06You're going to hear it.
07:07You're going to smell it."
07:08When it comes to churrasco-style cooking, fire is key.
07:12After all, the cooking style originated with Brazilian gauchos, who didn't have modern
07:16kitchen facilities.
07:17Today, Fogo de Chaux roasts its meat in a special, multi-level grill using lump charcoal,
07:23as highlighted by Fogo de Chaux's Southeast Regional Director, Rudimar Bonfada.
07:28In an interview with Mashed, he says,
07:29"...with all our beef cuts, you want to sear the outside, then you elevate to a higher
07:34place on the grill, where it won't be so hot.
07:36And from there, it continues to make that steak more tender before we serve."
07:41While Ruth's Chris offers a traditional dining experience with servers taking orders and
07:45delivering food to the tables, the atmosphere at Fogo de Chaux is more interactive.
07:50Provided they opt for the full churrasco experience, patrons not only get to select their appetizers
07:55and side dishes, but are also in full control of their choice of meat.
07:59Like most restaurants, dining at Ruth's Chris involves some delay between placing your order
08:04and digging into your meal.
08:06You can begin your feast right away at Fogo de Chaux, however.
08:09Diners normally start by filling their plates with appetizers and sides at the market table
08:13before ordering meat from the roaming gauchos.
08:16But how do you get their attention, you might ask?
08:18Well, diners at Fogo de Chaux are all provided with green and red discs.
08:23If you turn the disc to green, the gauchos will approach the table with various skewers
08:27of meat.
08:28If you set it to red, they'll keep their distance.
08:30"...serve something!"
08:34Despite their focus on steaks, Fogo de Chaux and Ruth's Chris also serve seafood.
08:38Ruth's establishments feature a range of chilled seafood appetizers, such as shrimp cocktails
08:42and seafood towers.
08:44Fogo de Chaux's version of the platter comes with cold-water lobster tails, lobster claws,
08:49jumbo shrimp, snow crab legs, and green-lipped mussels.
08:53Meanwhile, Ruth's Chris' take on the dish includes main lobster, jumbo shrimp, and colossal
08:58lump crab meat.
08:59In addition, Ruth's Chris also serves warm seafood starters such as barbecued shrimp,
09:04calamari, and sizzling crab cakes.
09:06Both chains serve very similar seafood entrees.
09:09For example, Ruth's Chris offers a broiled salmon filet with lemon, butter, and parsley,
09:13while Fogo de Chaux serves pan-seared salmon with chimichurri sauce and grilled asparagus.
09:19Another fish on both menus is Chilean sea bass, with Ruth's Chris' take on the dish
09:23involving a panko garlic crust and lemon butter, while Fogo de Chaux's creation is drizzled
09:28with a zesty papaya vinaigrette.
09:31While the desserts at both Fogo de Chaux and Ruth's Chris sound indulgent enough, Fogo
09:36de Chaux's sweet treats seem to have a slight edge over its competitor.
09:40One of the highlights is the papaya cream with a fresh papaya and ice cream blend, creme
09:45de cassis, and cinnamon pastry crisp.
09:47For chocolate enthusiasts, the restaurant offers a chocolate brigadeiro with a chocolate
09:51cookie crust, truffle chocolate, chocolate ganache, and sprinkles.
09:56There's also the chocolate molten cake filled with chocolate fudge and topped with vanilla
09:59ice cream and chocolate ganache.
10:02Several of Fogo de Chaux's other sweet offerings include a cornmeal cake, crème brûlée,
10:06tres leches cake, and key lime pie.
10:09While the desserts at Ruth's Chris may lag a little behind Fogo de Chaux's decadent after-dinner
10:14sweets, they shouldn't be overlooked.
10:16For instance, the chain makes its own version of a bread pudding by adding a splash of whiskey
10:20to the New Orleans classic.
10:22Ruth's Chris also serves a crème brûlée, a chocolate mousse cheesecake served on an
10:27Oreo cookie, as well as a chocolate sin cake.
10:31The Ruth's Chris story starts in 1965, when Ruth Fertel opened her first restaurant, Chris
10:36Steakhouse, in New Orleans.
10:38The restaurant got its current name after a fire destroyed the original premises in
10:421976.
10:43She moved the restaurant down the block in a week, and she said, I don't know, just put
10:47my name in front of it, and it became Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.
10:51Today the chain boasts more than 130 locations across the U.S.
10:55The states with the most Ruth's Chris locations include Florida, California, and North Carolina,
11:01meanwhile the cities where the chain has the largest footprint are San Antonio in Texas,
11:05Denver in Colorado, and Charlotte in North Carolina.
11:09Ruth's Chris also has international locations in several countries, including Mexico, China,
11:14Indonesia, and Singapore.
11:16The first Fogo de Chaux opened in the city of Porto Alegre on the southern coast of Brazil
11:21in 1979.
11:23It wasn't long before the restaurant grew a loyal following, expanding its reach in
11:261986 with a location in Sao Paulo.
11:29The chain's foray into the U.S. began in Dallas, Texas in 1997, and today it has over 50 restaurants
11:35in the country.
11:36In addition, the chain has an international presence in countries such as Ecuador, Bolivia,
11:41Greece, and the United Arab Emirates.
11:44Ruth's Chris and Fogo de Chaux both offer a range of wines by the glass, albeit with
11:49a slightly different focus.
11:50While Fogo de Chaux features wines from around the globe, a large number of them come from
11:55Argentina and Chile.
11:56The restaurant's other offerings per glass includes reds, whites, and sparkling wines
12:01from a variety of countries including the U.S., Italy, France, and New Zealand.
12:06At Ruth's Chris, wines by the glass are served in either 6- or 9-ounce measurements.
12:11While the chain doesn't feature many South American wines, the wine list still boasts
12:15both local and international drops.
12:17In terms of the U.S., Ruth's Chris focuses on wines from California, Oregon, and Washington.
12:22Meanwhile, the chain's international selection includes wines from European countries such
12:27as Italy and France.
12:29While Fogo de Chaux and Ruth's Chris are both steakhouses, they're also pretty much chalk
12:34and cheese.
12:35Ruth's Chris offers a formal atmosphere and primarily a la carte dining, while Fogo de
12:39Chaux is a more casual restaurant that specializes in Brazilian, Tarasco-style dining.
12:45Obviously, choosing between Ruth's Chris and Fogo de Chaux comes down to personal preference
12:50and, in some cases, the specific occasion.
12:53That said, we believe that the overall ambiance, style, and menu items offered at Fogo de Chaux
12:59win out over Ruth's Chris.