Internationally famous Brazilian steakhouse opens giant restaurant in Coral Gables

Fogo de Chão, the Brazilian churrascaria where roving waiters roam table to table serving sizzling grilled meat from a skewer, is opening a huge new restaurant in Coral Gables.

Just a few blocks south of Miracle Mile, the new flagship for the brand will be in The Plaza Coral Gables, a mixed-use development with hotels, residential units, dining and shopping. The restaurant will have a 280-seat dining room, with an open-air churrasco bar where diners can eat and watch chefs butcher, prepare and grill different cuts of meat gaucho-style over open flames.

There’s also a big patio for outdoor dining.

The restaurant brand, which was founded in southern Brazil in 1979 and boasts more than 60 locations around the world, is a good fit for The Plaza, said general manager Neimar Hensel, a native of Brazil and of the Fogo de Chão in Orlando.

“At Fogo, we continuously strive to provide a dining experience of discovery and joy for our guests,” he said. “The premier dining and shopping scene at The Plaza Coral Gables is the perfect setting for us to show our Fogo fans and new guests what’s next for Fogo as we showcase new design and experiences.”

The Coral Gables restaurant is the brand’s second location in South Florida: There’s a Fogo in the South of Fifth neighborhood of Miami Beach, and one planned for Fort Lauderdale.

But the new Gables restaurant presents a new vision for Fogo’s future, with two new additions unique to this location: The exclusive, upscale Next Level Lounge on the mezzanine level, which specializes in premium whiskey, bourbons and South American wines, and The Butchery, a grab-and-go market selling imported charcuterie, with butchers on hand to answer any questions a home grill chef might have.

Going forward, the plan is to incorporate both elements into future restaurants, according to a spokesperson.

At the main restaurant, continuous table-side service of signature meat cuts is $56.95 per person for dinner, with the option of upgrading to what the restaurant calls “indulgent” cuts. The basic price includes the open Market Table and Feijoada Bar, which includes sides like salads, vegetables, imported cheeses, smoked salmon, cured meats, soup, Fogo feijoada (traditional black bean stew with sausage) served with rice and more.

Fogo de Chão

Where: The Plaza Coral Gables, 2801 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables

Opening: April 22

Reservations: fogodechao.com