<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

The responses to my Oct. 23 posting asking listserv members about their experiences eating at the Fogo de Chao restautants have stopped, so I'm posting this summary.  Thank you all for your help.

Fogo de Chao restaurants are  good places for celiac sufferers to eat, although there is no "official" proof the food is GF.  Please note: the last posting listed here is very informative.

Angel in Atlanta

>>I have to add a postscript to what Angel Rodriguez wrote last night -- 
in addition to all this great food at Fogo de Chao are the ROLLS!  This 
is the only restaurant I know of where I can the rolls  -- and are they 
good!  I don't know exactly how they're made but I was told the flour 
was from the yucca plant. That was before I'd ever heard of  Chebe 
bread. But now I think they are the same since Chebe bread is made from 
manioc and they are both cassava plants. I don't know more than that. 
When the Fogo de Chao opened here in Dallas 6 or 7 years ago, I was so 
excited to be able to eat the rolls that I forgot to leave room for the 
dinner. That makes those the most expensive rolls I've ever eaten!  :-)) 

>>I did contact the company to verify that the rolls were gf but that was, =
as I said, 6 or 7 years ago. We haven't been to that restaurant in a =
couple of years now so I can't vouch for them but they are well worth =
asking about when you eat there!
Sally

>>Yes, we LOVE our Fogo de Chao!  But since it is so expensive, we save it
for really special occasions, and our little celiac, who is only 9,
hasn't yet been able to join us.  I don't know if they have a kid's
plate, and I don't think he can eat enough to justify the buffet price.

>>But it is a GOOD place for celiacs, what with the cheese rolls being GF,
such a nice salad bar, and the meat that is cooked without any spices or
sauces.  And what meat!  Oh my gosh, the first time we went, I thought I
had died and gone to heaven!  The lamb is fantastic.

>>I do think the gaucho look of the waiters is a bit cloying, but I don't
go for costumes much anyway.  And with such great service, who am I to
decide what they wear?  Just keep that meat coming, por favor!
Juliane in Houston

>>That is interesting, it sounds like the type of restaurant thatt they call 
a Chuascaria (Wrong spelling though) (?) pronounced show-hass-ka-rhea... in Brazil.  
I was there in Brazil several times on Business and loved those places.  
Too much meat though.  Wish there was one in Los Angeles...
Enjoy,
Dave

>>I live in Decatur (Georgia) and have eaten several times at Fogo de Chao and loved it.  
But, yes, I agree...it is a bit pricey!  I really don't get gluten reactions, 
but did love how there were so many gluten free items to eat!
Christine
Decatur, GA

>>Funny that this e-mail popped up.  My husband was just telling me (celiac) 
that we should try this restaurant.  Glad to hear you had a good experience. 
Hope to try this next weekend.  Thanks and Good Luck!!!
Diane

>>Yes, we have eaten in the Fogo de Chao in Dallas and Sao Paulo.  Both
times, my wife had no gluten reaction.  It is expensive and much more of
a business entertainment type of restaurant...but it is great for beef
eaters.

That style of eating is typical Brazilian cuisine, and something similar is
often done in Argentina and Uruguay.  That is, the custom of serving many
types of meats done over a huge open barbecue pit, and offering them in
turn.  Often there are sauces (which are usually GF), they tend to be kind
of like Mexican salsa, chopped up tomatillos or tomatoes, onion, etc., and
sometimes look a little like dill pickle relish with extra spices added.
They are not usually spicey hot, however.  Most of this style of dining is
called churrasco.    

The great thing about Brazilian cuisine is that they also have any number of
side dishes which tend to be GF, obvious things like rice, beans, and
bananas (which are often HUGE slices fried to look like pancakes, and not
very sweet, they taste more like potatoes.)  There are less obvious things,
too - they fry fingers of manioc, which look a bit like fat french fries,
but are very tasty.  Manioc is what tapioca is made out of, so it's GF,
unless of course, they coat things with wheat before frying, etc.  But the
use of manioc, either as a vegetable (it's a root) or as manioc flour, etc.,
is quite common in Brazil, there are desserts made from manioc flour and
coconut and egg, etc.  There are also WONDERFUL little golfball sized breads
made from manioc flour, egg, and cheese.  They are like mini-popovers,
served nice and hot and chewy.  Lots of times a big bowl of them will be
brought with a meal, usually plain, but sometimes with herbs in them or
rolled in sesame seeds.  Occasionally I have seen them served sweet, rolled
in coconut or honey, etc.  There is a product in the U.S. called chebe bread
(GF) that is a knockoff of the standard Brazilian recipe.  You can also buy
them pre-formed and frozen here in Seattle, I can't remember the brand.  I
usually would buy the regular mix from a Brazilian store here, it is
cheaper, and make them fresh.  They are called Pao de Queijo (or Cheese
Bread), and I highly recommend them.  If there is an interest, I could also
send along a recipe to make them from scratch (I don't have it here with me
right now.)  

There is a similar restaurant to the one you mention, in Atlanta, called
Carro de Boi.  It is on the north side of Atlanta, in Roswell or Alpharetta.
I took my family there (3 of us must eat GF), and they were very impressed.
But it does tend to be a bit pricey.  I also found a Fogo de Chao in Dallas
(or Addison? TX) and they had a similar place called Texas de Brasil, and
there is at least one in Miami, I can't remember the name, but it included
something like Porco (pig in Portuguese).  I assume there will be more as
more folks find out about them.  But in most cases, they will have a big
smorgasbord salad bar with all you can eat first, a lot of that is
delicious, but you have to inquire very carefully, because there is likely
to be a high percentage of non-GF stuff.  When it comes to the main entrees,
you are more likely to be safe for GF purposes.  It is important to inquire,
however, as always.  

I'd suggest anyone who needs to eat GF check out whatever Brazilian or
Argentinian restaurants they can find in their area - they're all likely to
have some good GF options.  
Linda

* Please remember some posters may be WHEAT-FREE, but not GLUTEN-FREE *