The Fireside Grill

Reviews 4

JI

Jim Lewis

Yah, Im not sure why everyone else is loving this place so much. Put aside the over-the-top sexual innuendos and derogatory comments toward their patrons that riddle their menu and the artwork that hangs on the walls of a guy smoking a dube (real classy, guys) - put aside all that and this place was still lacking in most respects. The method of service is odd. You dont get a dedicated server. The servers there share tables and youll get served from two or more of them. Which, they say, is a strength. Because sometimes your waiter isnt there when you need something but another one might be. So you can call on any of them. There were some other interesting reasons why they said they do it this way as well. But the main disadvantage, as we came to realize, is that sometimes one server really sucks while the other one was really good. But then how much do you tip? If I would have based my tip on the service we got from the arrogant, cocky know-it-all guy who served us 50% of the time I almost wouldnt have left any tip at all. But on the other side the young girl who served us the other 50% of the time was amazing. I should have just given her cash and left nothing on the card. Its a frustrating way of handling service. Theres a reason other restaurants dont do this. But even aside from the service issues the food we had wasnt great either. I ordered a Rueben sandwich, which came out charred/black. It looked like a burnt piece of toast on both sides. When it arrived I said, "Oh wow! A little crispy, huh?" The waiter didnt even acknowledge it and just said, "Anything else I can get you guys?" I was sort of flabbergasted. Ive been a server before at several nice restaurants in the past and I never would have served that to anyone to begin with. But assuming maybe he didnt notice I said something. So if that had been me I would have said, "Oh my goodness, youre right! That is rather charred. Here. Let me go have the kitchen remake that for you. Im so sorry." Instead he just ignored my comment, asked if we needed anything else, and just abruptly left. Fortunately, the INSIDE of this Rueben sandwhich tasted amazing. So I just avoided the outside of the bread and ate it anyway. By this point, it was obvious to both of us that we werent coming back or enjoying our current stay. So the idea was to just make do and get out of there as quickly as possible. My side salad was completely lackluster and regular. My wife got a dish that included potatoes. Two of the piece of potatoes had roots growing out of them, which she had to remove. So tacky! Needless to say, that sort of ruined her appetite. The interior of the place was just your average dive bar. I didnt consider it anything fancy or even interesting. It was just a dive bar, nothing more. Everyone says the burgers there are amazing. And neither of us ordered a burger. So maybe we missed out. But the food we had was lack-luster, as was the decor and 50% of the service. I would never go back and I still cant understand what people see in this place. The place was packed. Ill give them that. They are apparently very popular. Although I have no idea why. The decor, rude commentary on their menu, and pictures of dudes smoking a dube on the wall were enough to make me never want to come back. But the jerk waiter and burnt sandwich just solidified that decision.

KE

Kevan Banngertir

I really dont know how this place has 4.7 stars. My friend and I had both seen this place pop up on our different social media outlets. So we decided to check it out. When we entered I noticed that the interior bar smelled weird. Like they had just had the carpets cleaned but did not air out the room enough. Now a weird cleaner smell lingered. We went up to the bar to order a drink before we found a seat. My buddy was quick to pick a beer, but i was taking a longer. The bartender told us to go find a seat and they would come take our order. But he said it in a like a "youre taking to long get out of my face and sit down" kind of way. So we found a seat outside. I stole some drink menus off a different table. Good thing too because it took about 15min for the waitress to come to us. She brought us some food menus and we didnt see her for another 30min. In fact my friend had to go back up to the bar to see if we were ever going to be able to order some food. Finally the waitress came to us and took our order. I ordered the smoked mac and cheese. my buddy ordered one of the burgers. And we both ordered the house chips to share. The House Chips never came. Smoked Mac and Cheese was ok at best. definitely not worth the $13 price tag at all. And my buddy said his burger was also just ok. I had 2 cocktails that werent bad though. But the crappy atmosphere and deplorable service will keep me from ever coming back. Same with my buddy. FYI. Another couple came in an hour after my buddy and I did. They were seated and order taken right away. Their drinks came right away and their food within about 15min. So I dont know what thats about. But i seriously will never come back.

CH

Christina Waisenkind

I used to come to Fireside a lot with my partner. Its a cozy (occasionally cramped) place with a decent menu, and their food, when its good, is really good. There are about 8 hanging TVs, all of them either showing sports, or a looping fireplace scene (there are no actual fires at Fireside.) Their cocktails are tasty, but are on the expensive side, without prices listed. They grind their beef daily in house, and cook their burgers medium-rare. The result is a very delicious, melt-in-your-mouth experience. The restaurant is run somewhat strangely, with waitstaff being assigned to the entire restaurant rather than specific tables. This results in either too much service, with multiple people asking you the same questions a few times - or the staff is too busy, and there is no attention at all. This is especially frustrating when youre waiting for an open table, and no one acknowledges you. I usually ordered the scotch egg when I came in, which was one of my favorite foods ever, until I was told they are removing it from their menu (although they have yet to update their website.) As such, we dont have much reason to return. It may be a more worthwhile experience if youre there to catch a game on the TV, or when they open their patio in the summer.

SH

Shelli Wittig

This is one of me and my husbands favorite places to go, for Saturday or Sunday brunch (bottomless mimosas!), lunch or dinner -- just depends on what day and what time we happen to decide we need a break and dont feel like cooking. The burgers are awesome. I prefer the lil version personally, my husband likes the full size burgers but beware... the big ones can be pretty rare unless you ask for medium well or well (just in case you dont like that). The lil version is a pretty consistent "medium" so they dont ask your preference. The patties are hand-formed and always taste very fresh and delicious. I love all the variations you can try but the classic "shorty" is great with your choice of like 4 different kinds of cheese and optional bacon. The house made chips instead of fries are great! Our favorite cocktail is the Capri Sun (a unique, tropical delight). We have turned several of our friends onto the place and everybody likes it. BTW, the staff are awesome... weve gotten to know each of them by name and they always make us feel so welcome! Love sitting outside when the patio is open (right next to the Greenway trail) and I love that they cater to dog people with tie-offs and water bowls.