Fire House Grill

I really REALLY wanted to love this place when I went in with the wife two weeks ago.  It's close to my home.  It's got the vintage charm of an old firehouse.  It's has a good selection of fun beers.  But that's where fantasy ends and reality begins.

How can a burger and fries go wrong?  When they serve the burger cold and the fries dripping with oil.  How can my favorite beer go wrong?  When it's served flat and when we notify the server she disputes it for 2 minutes before returning with another selection.  

But the greatest misstep is the service.   How can the friendly firehouse atmosphere go wrong?  When it's populated by a waitress that has no intention of actually serving the patrons.  She rushed my wife through her order and tapped her pen on table to let us know that WE were inconveniencing her.  She brought out the food 30 minutes after we ordered it without the smallest hint of an apology for it's tardiness and coldness.  When I asked for more napkins, she walked away from the table shaking her head as she retrieved one.  At the end of the meal, she slapped the bill on the table and never made eye contact.  I think the firemen who once operated the firehouse need to be called to put out this 5-alarm blaze of waitress indifference.

Sadly, the Fire House Grill is a big bad wolf in sheep's clothing.  Looks charming on the outside, but is full of disappointment and meanness on the inside. I will never be back unless it goes under new ownership and is ready to clean house.

Why do I keep coming back to this place? I end up eating here about ten times a year and every time I ask myself why. The food is not very good, the staff is indifferent, and the management does not seem to care either. They have some good beers, convenient parking, and pleasant atmosphere. That is all. The mystery continues...

I come here quite often for Trivia on Tuesday evenings, mostly because the booths are comfortable and it's close to where I live. Prices are reasonable, but the food is universal meh on the good side to abysmal on the not so good side. We've actually wondered on more than one occasion if the owners have ever tasted the food. Never order a dish featuring smoked chicken, unless you like your food to taste like half a bottle of liquid smoke.

There are only a few beers on tap at once, and they're a pretty random selection. There's no local focus, which I'd prefer, and they're never on special. The are, however, $2.50 tall boys of PBR and $4.00 margaritas on Tuesdays.

I'll keep coming back for trivia, but wouldn't recommend the food.