My vote for the biggest rip-off in Chicago goes to Fogo de Chao on La Salle.
The last time I saw a salad bar, I think I was 14. I smelled trouble when we passed a biggin on the way to our table, though it did look quite good. Any buffet type thing is always going to be extra annoying with people trying to “just crab a couple things” while others are waiting in an invisible line so they can get a good look at everything. Whatever, that’s a matter of taste. Maybe a salad bar doesn’t bug you.
After you sit down, a dude comes over and gets your drink order and starts spewing off a bunch of lame rules they have. He explains this stupid round card that when you’re ready, you flip over a stupid card so the meat servers know it’s finally time to attack. Once you flip that thing, watch out. Every ten seconds, a new dude comes by with a bunch of meat on a stick. I felt compelled to accept most of them because I didn’t know what would be coming next. It’s not like you get to order anything. So the meal turns all manic and there are meat servers everywhere, ahhh, flip the card back over! Hurry! It’s the only way to stop them! I ended up with six types of meat of which I thought two were pretty good. Nothing special.
I can see that some people might like the way they operate, but the real crime with this place is that they don’t list prices anywhere. I didn’t see a number until I got the bill, and what a bill it was. At $46 a person, plus drinks, our total for four with tip was $260. I would have paid $30 a person, but I think it was worth more like $20. I strongly encourage you to skip Fogo and go to ANY other nice restaurant where you get to order your meal, and only pay for what you get.