FireFlies Restaurant

"Popular hangout for locals with live music, ok food, and average, bar-style service"

Food: 3/5
Service: 2/5
Atmosphere: 3/5
Parking: 1/5
Cleanliness: 3/5

   
     Fireflies is very popular with Del Ray locals for their live music, full alcohol selection, and bar food. Local bands showcase their music, and neighbors flock together to grab a quick drink. Nothing particularly memorable, just a neighborhood bar.

     Food here is ok, not bad, just not good. The keen eye can tell that the ingredients are certainly bar-esqe in that the menu is certainly not chef-inspired with exotic ingredients and scratch-made products - more along the lines of diner food put together into dishes. The prices are excellent but don't expect truffle mac n' cheese with lobster - expect more burger with fries. Not a complaint, just a comment for a restaurant in a hipster community locally famous for it's boutique stores and specialty restaurants.

      Service here has been consistently slow and diner style....no set script like one would expect in a corporate place with timed requirements (30 seconds to greet a table, 2 minute drink delivery, etc.) It's more "hey, are you ready to order". Little eye contact, smiling, no menu recommendations, just not up to par with other restaurants that employ a premade script for servers to follow.

     Parking is terrible as it is located in Del Ray which is, like much of Alexandria, infamous for the lack of parking so come early if you do plan on coming to enjoy some live music, drinks, and maybe a side of fries.

Was excited to try this place after seeing decent reviews however I was disappointed.  The location and service are good but the food was underwhelming--just ok.  My pork shop was severely overcooked and lacked flavor; others at the table had similar complaints.  The place looks great but the food fell flat for me.

I really, really wanted to fall in love with this place.

A friend and I popped in for Sunday brunch. We were seated very quickly, which was impressive. However, we were sat right next to the bluegrass band. The music was very loud and not conducive to conversation; however, we got there at the tail end of their performance so it wasn't a big deal.

The service was excellent. Our waiter was very attentive and brought us drink refills without being prompted.  He was also very knowledgeable of the menu and was able to offer suggestions.

The food was just okay. My friend had the breakfast burrito and enjoyed it. I had the french toast, which was a bit bland. The portions were HUGE and worth the price.

The restaurant itself is very dark and cramped. I felt like I was practically sitting on top of the people at the next table.  When I washed my hands in the bathroom, the faucet knob broke off in my hand. However, I read that the restaurant is moving to a new location. I hope the new location is more spacious and brighter.

Overall, I feel like there are better places to eat in Del Ray. I might be willing to try FireFlies again once they move to a new location.