My family ate at Fogo de Chão for the first time for $230. The steak house's unlimited salad bar and excessive meat service weren't our thing.

We visited Fogo de Chão on a Friday evening and were surprised to see people lined up around the host stand and in the bar area.

Although we made a reservation in advance, we had a long wait just to check in. Then we were given a buzzer and told to hang out in the bar area until our table was ready.

We waited about 10 minutes before the buzzer went off and we were led through a packed dining room to our table.

As someone who has recently adopted an alcohol-free lifestyle, I was impressed to see all the zero-proof cocktails and mocktails on Fogo de Chão's menu.

For my drink, I ordered a nonalcoholic cucumber martini ($8), made with a vodka alternative, basil, cucumber, and lemon.

The drink was really good, and I didn't miss alcohol at all when it was in front of me.

My husband had two glasses of malbec red wine ($16 a glass) with his dinner. There were less pricey wines as well, in addition to lots of cocktail and beer options.

My daughter started her meal with a virgin mojito ($6.50) before ordering a Sprite ($4.50).

There are plenty of entrées on the regular menu, but we visited Fogo de Chão to try out its tableside meat service.

Chefs make their rounds to each table, carving meats like steak, pork belly, and bacon-wrapped chicken.

My husband and I chose the adult prix-fixe menu, which cost $63.50 a person.

The Fogo de Chão menu says kids ages 7 to 12 receive their meal half off. But we told the server my daughter was 13, and her prix-fixe meal only cost us $32.

Our meals came with access to the all-you-care-to-enjoy salad bar, which was stocked with everything from feijoada — a black-bean stew — to veggie-packed salads and charcuterie.

I've admittedly never been a buffet person. Standing in line for food and waiting for other people to scoop a dish onto their plates before I get a turn feels a bit stressful to me.

Everything I put on my plate was delicious, but I only made one trip. Waiting in long lines to get to crowded salad bars didn't give the relaxing Friday night dinner vibe I was hoping for.

Each prix-fixe churrasco experience comes with warm pão de queijo (a cheese-filled Brazilian bread), crispy polenta, mashed potatoes, and caramelized bananas.

We enjoyed them all quite a bit. But since the restaurant was pretty busy, it was difficult to get more when we ran out.

All the meat we tried was really good.

Our favorite was the tender and moist filet mignon. But there was also delicious bacon-wrapped chicken, pork sausage, lamb, and different cuts of beef available.

We were given two-sided cards (one green for yes and the other red for no) that we could place on the table to indicate to the servers if we wanted more meat.

Visiting Fogo de Chão on a Friday night may not have been the best move. The restaurant was continuously crowded and felt chaotic.

Seated in the middle of a loud dining room amid crying babies and families who just left the Orlando theme parks for the day, we felt a bit overwhelmed by the volume level and crowds.

The servers appeared to be feeling the same way — whether we turned our card to red or green, they continually brought meat to our table and tried carving it onto our plates.

We'd have liked to have a bit more time in between carvings. Full and overwhelmed, we felt a bit too rushed to really digest and enjoy our food.

There are plenty of people who would enjoy dining at Fogo de Chão, especially those with hearty appetites who could get the most value from the all-you-care-to-enjoy meal.

I think it's a great way to try lots of new dishes all at once. But our total came to about $230 before tax, which is pretty pricey for a chain.

No one in my family is a huge eater — we've often marveled at the amount of leftovers we take home from chain restaurants. And I didn't feel like I was able to feast on $64 worth of food.

There was no arguing that the food at Fogo de Chão was delicious. But we've had similarly priced meals that felt way more relaxed and decadent at other chains.

It all felt rushed, but that may have been a result of the timing of our visit since we went on a Friday.

The format of the salad bar and tableside meat service weren't really for us, and the price per person wasn't worth it for our family.

I probably wouldn't return to the restaurant, but I think it's a great option for people who enjoy buffet-style dining, have bigger appetites, and don't mind a vibrant and busy dining experience.