Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chão offers a $20 buffet lunch that is hard to pass up. However, two women couldn’t believe the total bill after accepting the server’s offer for “regular water.”
In a video with over 297,000 views, TikToker Zoey (@zoeysfeast) shows the buffet lunch options, which include fresh fruit, seafood, soups, and meat dishes. However, one item added an unexpected cost to their bill.
On-screen text reads, “Just 2 girls thinking we’re saving money with Fogo de Chao $20 buffet lunch special but not realizing each bottle of water we ordered was $10.” The caption continues, “Sparkling or regular? HOW BOUT SINK WATER.”
Does Fogo De Chão Charge $10 For Regular Water?
Fogo de Chão offers premium bottled sparkling and still waters, like Acqua Panna and Saratoga, which can cost up to $10 per bottle. When servers stop by the table, they may offer flat or still water without mentioning that the bottles come at an upcharge.
As it turns out, there’s a small nuance that restaurants hope you miss. “Still” water is typically regular bottled water, while “tap” is the free option. Some servers may not offer the free alternative, hoping it ups the total bill for a larger percentage-based tip.
However, it gets confusing when some restaurants use “still” and “tap” interchangably, Philadelphia Magazine reports. So, it can be difficult for diners to figure out if they can expect an upcharge on their bill or not.
How To Avoid The Water Upcharge
In the comments of the viral video, other restaurant-goers explain how they avoid servers bamboozling them into paying for water.
A commenter wrote, “Just tell them tap, they should’ve said sparkling, bottled or tap.”
“Omg they tried doing that to me ln at a different restaurant. The guy brought a sparkling bottle first. Then a spring bottle I was like um no I want regular free water sir,’ another shared.
“They scam with that bottle of water, I say gimme tap tf,” a third remarked.
Others say the Fogo de Chão server should have warned them about the charge beforehand.
“Last time they did that, I just deducted it from the tip. I knew sparkling is an upcharge but I caught off guard when being charged for still and not being offered tap,” one said.
“Girl they got us too. They asked of we wanted water and we said yes. And they brought us like 8 for the whole table. I was shocked at the price when I saw the bill. Never again,” a second commented.
@zoeysfeast Sparkling or regular? HOW BOUT SINK WATER. #fogodechao #braziliansteakhouse #cheapeats #lunch #buffet
BroBible reached out to Zoey via TikTok direct message and comment and to Fogo de Chão via email for further comment. We will update the story when they reply.