Review Preview - La Fogata Churrascaria
April 20th, 2007 by Brian Ries in Openings/Closings, Restaurants, ReviewsThis new Brazilian Steakhouse is almost too slick to fit into the Bohemian Gulfport scene. It’s also a budding chain, and Gulfport doesn’t feel like the ideal place to attract the mass chain consumer, but we’ll see. Cool bar, though.
Check it out and tell us what you think, before my review hits next Wednesday.
April 22nd, 2007 at 6:55 pm
I have been to La Fogata twice, once the first week and once just this past week. The gourmet table just seems to get better every time and the offering of meats is definitely becoming more exotic and high end. I definitely recommend this to any couples looking for a unique night out with some truly great food.
John Howard
April 26th, 2007 at 7:48 am
I have been to La Fogata, the service is HORRIBLE, the food is okay, and the management is oblivious to improving the guest’s experience. I know several different couples who have also been and have received the lousy service just as we did. If you want to experience a REAL BRAZILIAN CHURRASCARIA, head to Tampa to BOIZAO. The service is amazing, the food makes La Fogata’s food taste more like The Golden Corral and the real Brazilian servers cater to you like you are a king and queen. The only thing that La Fogata did right was the decor, too bad all their efforts went to making the place look good, they forgot the service and menu leaving much to be desired. Head to Boizao, and don’t waste your time or money at Fogata!!
Boizão Steakhouse
4606 - Boy Scout Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33607
Phone: (813) 286-7100 / Fax: (813) 286-7113
April 27th, 2007 at 11:12 am
The previous comment was clearly biased. As an UNINTERESTED patron, I would love to see this restaurant flourish. It is a refreshing welcome to the budding town of Gulfport. The owner and management are warm and friendly, and the food and drinks are great. Most of all, this restaurant is BEAUTIFUL, and the outdoor bar is an experience in and of itself. As a Gulfport resident, I have enjoyed this restaurant on many occasions and found it to be very relaxing and classy. My first impression was “Wow “- and after eating, my friends and I agreed that we would come back for more.
April 29th, 2007 at 4:00 am
How about a review from Melissa Hart, “expert on Golden Corral” making a review on LaFogata Churrascaria. I don’t know if I would take any negative response any better than a positive response. Is this woman sleeping with the owner of Boizao Steakhouse or just the “head” Gaucho?! Wait a second…I remember a time I was at LaFogata and a woman dressed in beach-wear said she will NEVER go to LaFogata because she, “refuses to dress nice” because she “lives on the beach”. Melissa Hart, I think that might’ve been you. Does it hurt so bad to dress nicely on your days off?!
May 7th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
My wife and I ate at LaFogata and were AMAZED at how great the atmosphere, service, and especially the food was!! We highly recommend it. Wow!
May 9th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
I agree with Melissa Hart. Whatever it is, La Fogata is NOT a Brazilian steakhouse. Co-owner, Jeffrey was gracious to confirm this during our recent visit and tried to explain the concept of new world cuisine. Some might like it, and it is a spectacular room but it is not a Brazilian steakhouse.
As former resident of Sao Paulo, Brazil, frequent traveler who just ate real churrasco rodizio in Manaus in January, and customer at real Brazilian steakhouses in USA, La Fogota does not qualify. You might want to try the real thing om Waters Ave or Armenia in Tampa. Will try Biozao soon to enjoy and evaluate.
August 3rd, 2007 at 11:12 am
La Fogota does not keep up with all the hype. Yes, it has a nice atmosphere when you walk in, but as John L said, it is not a real Brazilian churrasco rodizio. Further, for $45 per person, you could be dining at a much better quality restaurant. Don’t get me wrong, if you’re just going to stuff your face at and want to be at a fancy looking place, go there. Otherwise, I recommend going just a block down on Beach Blvd. in Gulfport to Elements or Pias. When we went to Elements, they had a live Spanish guitarist playing, amazing food, and desserts that will blow your mind. On Mondays you can get pasta, salad, and a glass of wine for $16. They also offer on certain nights a three course meal for $25. The owners are in the restaurant daily cooking and greeting guests.
If you go to Pias - Pia herself will often time seat you. Coming from Italy, all of the recipies are authentic. You can get a wonderful dinner for $12-27 or a Panini for as little as $6.50. The quality is impecable and the service is great. It is a wonderful date place.
September 10th, 2007 at 2:19 pm
La Fogata rocks. It’s so nice to have a place to go in the St. Pete area that has awesome food and some real atmosphere to go along with the dining experience.
The staff is really nice and if you have any special requests they are happy to accomodate.
And what a great thing for Gulfport to have a business which draws upscale clients to the region!
We tried BOIZAO in Tampa after we did Fogata and it is horrible! The food wasn’t nearly as good and the service was awful. We couldn’t hold a conversation because the staff bombarded us constantly trying to offer meats. Too bad the meat wasn’t cooked correctly either.
December 29th, 2007 at 2:45 am
WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT! I have been to several Brazilian steakhouses across the country and this was my first bad experience. Expecting the same great abundance of food and first class treatment always recieved at other Brazilian steakhouses, I was greatly disgusted. Not only was the price about $10 more per person compared to other places, we got about a quarter of the food we expected. Our waiter never came over to ask if we would like a refill on our drinks, we asked three different people to send over the carvers and noone showed….we sat at our table for over 20 minutes with empty plates until we finally asked a bus boy to clear the table and deliver us our check. ($230 for 4 people). We all left hungry, aggrevated, and disappointed. We are people that do not mind spending money on a good meal, but expect to leave satisfied and receive decent service. We definately did not get even $20 worth of meat brought over to our table. What a waste of time and money.
January 5th, 2008 at 2:10 am
La Fogata, Gulfport Beach. I eat out quite often, all over the country and most of Europe and South America. Unfortunately, I cannot recall a worse experience than at this restaurant in St. Pete, Fla.! Poor, poor, non-existent service, watered awful drinks, dirty, a wayward fly cruising the gourmet table and one of the best “jokes”> the table=side, flamed desserts were pre-made(Sam’s Club, Walmart?) tiny cut pieces and an inexperienced “I just started tonight” young girl who made a soggy excuse for (I think) a crepe - took over ten minutes for a soggy mess! SALTY meats, I could go on and on = this wasjust SAD all for a New HYears’s Eve price (NO drinks included - sloppy meal only) no entertainment, nothing of SEVENTY dollars per person!
January 21st, 2008 at 5:28 pm
We had an amazing meal at La Fogata’s this past weekend. It was a delectable dining experience. I did not taste anything that was not amzaining. It was a wonderful dining experience of tastes and testures. The 10 meats were tender and had wonderful flavors, the pineapple between courses was so refreshing. Come with a very large appetite and go light on the gourmet bar so you have room to try all that is coming your way. This is a “must try” dining experience.
February 5th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
WOW !! Seems all the posters are either at least part owners of Boizao or pimpin’ for La Fogata. Makes it all pretty worthless for those of us looking for facts and an unbiased opinion.
February 11th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Food was fantastic, enjoyed everything I tried. However, service is poor. Waited forever for refills on drinks, despite it being only half-full in the place. You rarely get to see your waiter. Also it can be difficult if you are with someone who prefers meat cooked medium-well or well-done, they will accommodate but will take time. They didn’t charge us for our non-alcoholic beverages and coffee afterwards, but still doesn’t excuse the poor service. Price is high.
Good Food, bad service. Still worth going for the food atleast once, and maybe you will luck out on service.