JohannaE

Since I will be doing a Whole30 on Valentines Day, I've been looking for good places to eat out. One that caught my eye is Fogo de Chao, but I am concerned about how the meat is prepared since it's not made to order. Has anyone had a conversation with a manager about whether the meat is brushed with butter, and if so if it's clarified, and which of their marinades contain any added sugar or soy? I'm hoping to figure out what cuts of meat I can have, and whether it's worth going.

This is disappointing - We want to provide a quick update on our Whole30-friendly menu items. Unfortunately upon further review, our food and beverage team has removed our Winter seasonal Raw Beet + Dill Salad and Spicy Turmeric Tahini dressing from the list. We sincerely apologize for the oversight and appreciate your understanding! If you have any additional questions please let us know.

I thought I'd provide an update on the Cava conversation since as a mod noted ingredients change from time to time. I reached out to Cava, and am excited to confirm that there are still many options. Please see below! Thanks for reaching out. At CAVA, we change our menu four times a year to reflect the change in seasons and think eating seasonally is a great way to fuel your life. Our current 2018 Winter menu items includes lots of items that anyone doing Whole30 can enjoy! Base: All of our greens (Supergreens, Arugula, Baby Spinach, Romaine, Splendidgreens) Dip + Spreads: Harissa Proteins: Chicken, Braised Lamb, Braised Beef (available at select locations), Spicy Lamb Meatballs, Seasonal Roasted Vegetables Toppings: Shredded Romaine, Cabbage Slaw, Tomato + Onion, Diced Cucumbers, Tomato + Cucumber, Kalamata Olives, Pickled Banana Peppers, Lemon Wedge, Fresh Mint, and our seasonal Raw Beet + Dill Salad Dressings: Lemon Herb Tahini, Green Harissa, and Spicy Turmeric Tahini (an amazing dressing for these cold months, also on our seasonal menu!) Juices + Teas: Unsweetened Black Tea, and two seasonal drinks: Jasmine Tea and Pineapple Apple Mint So that you are aware, these ingredients do not contain dairy, grains, legumes (chickpeas) or have any added sweetener. You can also view more on our menu/allergens at: http://cava.com/menu/allergens.Best of luck on your challenge - thanks to letting CAVA help fuel your life!

I am happy to report that I was VERY happy with my dining experience at Fogo de Chao! (And proud of myself for sticking to my Whole30 despite strong thoughts of "it's a special occasion, would a little wine and a piece of chocolate one day really hurt?") Anyways, I told our waiter about all of my dietary restrictions right away. He was very knowledgable and immediately told me what I could have as is (the Picanha, filet mignon, rib eye, top sirloin, bottom sirloin and beef ribs), what they could modify for me by cooking in only sea salt (the lamb legs, the lamb chop and the chicken) and what I should avoid all together (the parmesan pork loin, the sausage and anything wrapped in bacon). He made me feel completely comfortable asking, and even walked me through the salad bar to point out what I could have and what I couldn't. This was really helpful because I wouldn't have had any idea about a lot of the cooked and marinated veggies (for instance, the beets had added sugar but the zucchini and string beans were just in olive oil salt and pepper). Anything they didn't know (like does the smoked salmon have sugar? it didn't!), they found out the answer right away. All of the servers seemed to know my requirements, but all were very subtle about it. I didn't ask them to make chicken special for me (who wants chicken when you have lamb and filet mignon?!), but they made TWO batches of lamb legs with just salt and it was awesome! I had more than enough to eat, but didn't feel disgusting like I would after a heavy carb binge. I definitely recommend Fogo for Whole30 dinners out!

I did end up calling and speaking with the manager. All of the beef items are simply sprinkled with salt and pepper. The chicken and lamb, however, have wine or beer in the marinade. However, they said they would be happy to make those meats with only salt and pepper at my request. The sausage, pork and any of the bacon wrapped items are out entirely. We're still planning to go on Friday - no, I can't have the rolls or the caramelized bananas, but I bet we'll still eat well! Plus, gotta get out once in a while! I'll let you all know how it goes!