Food: amazing. Great place for groups. The bar area: average, which may be too much of a compliment. The specials they have are alright, but $3 wells on a Wednesday? No wonder it was empty! I've also noticed that they run out of a lot of things... limes, root beer... things that I would expect to be stocked. I guess mistakes happen, but every time I have been here, there has been some kind of discrepancy.
Review Source:The pizza is alright but the service is terrible. Every time I go I am waiting around for 20 minutes just to get my order taken and then when I finally do, it's another 45 minutes just to get my food. And when it comes to a check, I had to walk into the kitchen just to find my waitress. I do not recommend unless you are desperate.
Review Source:I love the firehouse pizza. The pizza is absolutely tasty and the service there is always great in my opinion. The bartenders are also really nice and I just am shocked that the place doesn't have a higher rating on here. I've never been let down by their food or service and I've been going there pretty regularly!
Review Source:There's an easy work-around for the service. Order and eat on the bar side and avoid the dining room. You'll get quicker and better service on drinks and food.
The service is what I'd call unintentionally bad . . . the people are nice, but the servers either get oversat and can't handle all the tables at once or they don't have the right training to juggle the tables they have. I feel like it's not their fault, whatever that means.
If we're just talking about the food, the thin crust pizza is really good. Crust is not too dry, not too chewy. The toppings are fresh and the cheese isn't too salty. It's one of the better thin crusts in town. And if you don't like the sweet sauce, they have an alternative.
Stay on the bar side, and you're good.
Nice location in Uptown Normal but the pizza is just ok. The service does not quite rise to the level of "ok." Â The waitress and hostess were pleasant but the service level was simply below par. Â I have to think the issue is with ownership or management as the staff seems to be made up of nice, friendly people. Â In todsy's climate of high customer expectations, the location is what keeps this restaurant afloat.
Review Source:I WANT to love this place. Â The pizza sauce is sweet and just the way I like it...but the service plain old sucks. Â The atmosphere fits in well with the Uptown Normal plan.... Â The foods good... but they won't stay open long if the service remains as poor as it is now.
Slow to get a seat or even be greeted by an employee. Â Same story for all the people who entered the restaurant while I was there. Â
Then there is a long  wait for a waitress to take your order. Â
My suggestions.. Hire a friendly hostess who can double as a table buser, and that might help this place turn the tables quicker! Â Maybe add one more waitress as well.
Disappointed. Â There are MUCH better pizzas in town - ala Tobin's and Rosati's.
It's a great space, and great service but the pizza just falls flat. Â The bar area has lots of tvs and 10 or so beers on tap.
We ordered the Firehouse Special on hand tossed crust (three crust choices: thin, hand-tossed, deep dish). Â Apparently, sausage is on ration back in the kitchen because I ate half the pizza and found maybe 4 tiny bits of sausage. Â The special also comes w/pepperoni, onion and green pepper.
The sauce was sweet and lacked any sort of seasoning. Â I experimented w/parmesan, red pepper flakes and salt at the table to get a little more taste into the pizza.
I had the garlic sauce and my friend had the taco pizza. We each got smalls. We both had a beers.$31 before tip. Â The pizza was very underwhelming. I couldn't taste ANY sauce... couldn't taste garlic or butter (what I'm presuming the garlic sauce is). The tomatoes on my pizza were flavorless. They weren't even red. I don't expect garden fresh tomatoes at a pizza place, but come on... give me something better than tiny diced pale pink tomatoes. The beer selection was scarce. But what really drives me to give this place two stars is the service. THere were dirty tables everywhere. People were lined up at the front waiting for a table but couldn't be seated because all the empty tables were dirty (there were only 4 groups seated for lunch so it's not like they were really busy). There was one waitress. She was friendly but a little clueless and just plain overwhelmed. There's so many choices for pizza in BloNo... no reason to come back here.
Review Source:I can't believe this place doesn't have a higher rating. The pizza is great (and fresh), the service is mighty fine, drink prices are fairly reasonable, and they host some fantastic bands. I live about two and a half hours away, but I try to come back here as often as possible for shows.
If you're not interested in live music, they also have many TVs, and some great drink specials on different days of the week and on gameday.
I WANT to love this place. Â The pizza here is really good. Â Two complaints: They took the pigs in a blanket off the menu. Â It was great. Â A natural skin hot dog wrapped in pizza dough and baked. Â Please bring it back. Â Â Also....your service has gone downhill in the last 6 months. Â Fire the twitty college girls who get my order wrong because they are too busy chatting with their pals. Â Replace them with the twitty college girls who CAN remember that I ordered a small cheese pizza for my kid and not the pasta bowl. Â I really want to believe in you guys because I like your food. Â I'll try again but there is only so much of your wait staff I can stand.
Review Source:Went back to ISU earlier this week for a couple of meetings and a couple of bar trips. This was one of the spots I (unfortunately) hit.
It was:
1) Move-In Week
2) Wednesday = Pub Wednesday. But the Pub II was packed and the overflow seemed to pour in to Maggie Mileys and Firehouse.
Anyway, service was beyond poor. It took over 20 minutes to get a drink at the bar. I think the most frustrating part about WHY the service was so slow was because they had TWO bartenders working. Who does that during Move-In week in a college town? The poor bartenders were working their asses off trying to accomodate the masses. Also, one of the other bartenders refused to serve those who didn't tip. Like, outright said to their faces that she wouldn't serve them unless they tipped her.
The other problem? They had another guy behind the bar, in a Firehouse shirt, who just stood there kissing his girlfriend across the bar. Not making drinks, not doing anything...just kissing his girlfriend. Regardless of whether or not he was on the job or not, it just reflected really poorly on the establishment.
The place is also packed to the walls with hipsters and they play crappy, loud hipster music. I seem to remember it being more punky and fun when I was on campus. Some guy kept coming over to our table trying to invite us back later in the week to see his "rock n' roll" band play and then described themselves as "screamy." I think it's just annoying when people come up to you during the night and promote things by handing you a million fliers. Kick them out!
Finally, NO ONE WAS OVER 21. That applies to all the bars in uptown, not just Firehouse. NO ONE. I saw a kid hand a bouncer his ID, say it was fake, ask to be let in anyway, and then LET IN. I think that was why it was just madness all over...because literally 75% of people in the bars could not have been 21.
As for the pizza, I've been here before for the food and it was OK. Not the best pizza in Blo-No but definitely not the worst. Service was much better, during the lunch buffet, but then again I was not making use of the bar.
I enjoy the all you can eat lunch buffet and the TV's at each table make dining in for children easier to handle. I have had some issues with there delivery, they are not equipped for a rush. There pizza and gluten free pizza is very flavorful, fresh ingredients, and a sweet sauce. Â I find their calzones to be less greasy than others I have found in town. Â I would highly recommend them.
Review Source:SLOW. SLOW. SLOW. SLOW.
I've now been there four times in the past few months, and the pizza is delicious but the service is awful. Â I generally have to wait about 1 hour to get drinks and if I get my food and check in under 3 hours it's a small miracle.
The problem is I really like their thin crust (the sauce is yummy), and I crave their honey bbq wings like nobody's business. Â The service is always polite, apologetic and painfully SLOW.
One time I was there with a group of 5 friends. Â We were seated by a family who was there before us and was still waiting for drinks and menus when we ordered our food (the mom got frustrated and snatched the menus off our table - out of my hands! - while the server was writing down our order). Â They got their pizza when we got our checks (almost 3 hours after we were seated). Â On the other side of my group was a group of drunk college students who kept screaming and then laying down on the benches (they took three of our chairs when we went to the restroom and wouldn't give them back). Â The staff seemed completely unconcerned with the constant screaming and disruption - and continued to serve them pitchers. Â This was between 5:00 - 8:00p on a Wednesday.
I'm now to the point where I just can't justify giving Firehouse Pizza money anymore, and hope that no one else will until they get it together. Â It's like rewarding very bad behavior. Â The next time I crave thin crust I'll head over to Lucca in Bloomington. Â Better value and they know how to train their servers.
Oh, and I got their delivery once, but it took forever (big surprise) and the crust was cold and soggy. Â Never again.
I went back to Firehouse Pizza again and it has improved. Â The pizza was great and it was actually hot! Â Our server, Tim, was also awesome. Â He could barely hear my order with the music playing, but managed to get it right. Â I will definitely give it another shot since it's not that far from where I live.
Review Source:I've been here a few times since my early review and the place has grown on me.
The service is still quite slow. Â Don't go here if you're in a rush. Â They appear to have a lunch buffet, so maybe that would work well for you. Â I haven't had that.
Anyway, their thin crust pizza has really grown on me, and the bread sticks and garlic bread are really quite good. Â They tend to have a lot of coupons out there, and if you use one of those, this place is a really great value.
I recently had a bunch of people over... we ordered a bunch of take out from here to keep us going for the night.
One of us order Buffalo Wings, another ordered Chicken Fingers and the last ordered a Margherita Pizza.
The outcome was this, from my opinion: rather generic Buffalo Wings. Â They're nothing to be impressed by, but they were tasty. Â I wouldn't suggest going out of your way for wings here.
The Chicken Fingers? Â They were chicken fingers... not much to go crazy about.
The Margherita Pizza? Â Pretty good. Â Very flavorful and the veggies popped on it. Â It was a well prepared pizza that really made the whole order worth it. Â It didn't taste generic or boring, but rather tasted like someone put love into making it, rather than the other two items in the order. Â It helped me realize that the pizza they make it their specialty and that they really shouldn't be judged by their other aspects. Â They are, first and foremost, a pizza place. Â Much love to them.
Came here after we arrived on the train because my cousin knew of the place. Â We walked in and it seemed they had been opened about an hour - we chose to sit in the bar area.. that was a mistake.. the bartender was late and not there yet (seemed they were open an hour). Â We waited about 15-20 minutes and moved to the other room... ummm someone should talk to that bartender :) Â I wouldn't stand for that.
Lunch buffet is a good deal - do it!! I was on a mission of finding my wings (see my headline). Â This wasn't it. Â I ordered the hottest and she said "you realize how hot is is??"
ummmm it was like a dumb down level of Frank's Hot sauce.. sorry.. no heat other than the plain temperature of the wings coming out of the oven..wing sauce needs work...
Pizza is delicious and I love the individual t.v.'s at the booths!!! Â go here.. it's worth it! :)
Ate at Firehouse in Normal the other night with my partner and a coworker from out of town. Â Firehouse definitely has its pros and cons...and I'll look at both.
PROS:
-It's in Uptown Normal which is always fun to visit and unless you are severely handicapped or insist on parking RIGHT outside the door, parking is NEVER an issue in Uptown. Â Plus you can go to Emack and Bolio's for ice cream after dinner.
-CHEAP beer. Â It's not as cheap as $3 pitchers on the weekends at Elroy's, but the beer doesn't taste nasty either. Â We sat on the restaurant side (more about that later) so I didn't see the full range of beers but from what I hear it's decent.
-The pizza ROCKS! Â We ordered two pizzas, a medium taco and a medium BLT. Â The Taco Pizza honestly wasn't half as good as Casey's taco pizzas, but it held it's own. Â The BLT Pizza, which I don't think you can find anywhere else in Blo-No. Â The sweet sauce is excellent and the crust is a little bit more cracker like than Monicals (didn't have the deep dish or New York style crust). Â My partner is not a big pizza eater but said we'd be ordering Firehouse once a week so I guess that's a seal of approval????
-TVs: Lots of them. Â Each booth has it's own TV you can change to whatever channel you want (on the restaurant side). Â I wish Elroy's would do this but I understand the drunken frat boys on Thursday/Friday/Saturday make this impossible. Â
CONS:
-Service was definitely lacking. Â Firehouse seems to hire the tall blonde girls who can't get hired at Pub II. Â They also seemed to have two girls working a busy dining room and I'm guessing they probably had to work the bar side (the old NV Ultra Lounge) also. Â We ordered mozzarella sticks as an appetizer and they came out after the pizza did because "the kitchen screwed them up". Â How do you screw up mozzarella sticks? Â FAIL.
-The dining room is a little odd and has no flow with the bar next door...but that's the fault of the people who designed the failed wings restaurant and failed NV I guess.
Overall Firehouse was good and I'll definitely go back. Â They should also bring back the outdoor seating NV used to have since Uptown is a great place to sit outside.
We went to this place for lunch after a long morning at the Children's Museum with our 2 1/2 year old. Â They gave us a very dirty high chair for the kid, which they cleaned off after our request. Â We ordered a large NY style Margherita pizza and were then given two melamine plates, one was visibly dirty. Â We asked for a replacement as well as an additional plate for our toddler (why do servers ignore children clearly old enough to take part in a meal?) and were given...one more plate. At least it was clean. Â With the additional plate we were given two sets of silverware (again, not three!) and low and behold...the fork on one had pieces of dried onion stuck to it. Â This did not bode well for our eating experience. Â Eventually the plates and cutlery were all squared away and we anxiously awaited our pizza. Â The TV's were actually a nice touch for our family since it distracted the antsy toddler, but I could see it getting obnoxious if the place was busy.
Then arrived the pizza. Â Let me clarify what was described - Margherita pizza: mozzarella, olive oil, tomatoes, basil. Â This was what arrived: Â A pizza loaded with massive amounts of cheese, maybe 1 sliver of tomato per slice, a very light sprinkling of *dried* basil, and the kicker... a ridiculous amount of olive oil poured all over the top. Â We seriously used about 20 napkins sopping up the mess.
As for the taste, it was okay. Â I'm sure it would have been better had it not been drowned in olive oil. Â I managed to eat two pieces before feeling a bit sick, but surprisingly our toddler ate a full slice and a half. Â However, he also eats play-doh, so take that for what it's worth.
As readers of my reviews already know, pizza is of critical importance to my life. Â So when I heard a popular pizza place from a nearby town that featured New York Style pizza was moving in to a prominent spot in Uptown Normal, and that they were also going to serve beer, I was cautiously optimistic.
Finally, it opened. Â And with no small amount of nervous excitement, we went to check it out.
The space is great location-wise, and it's big. Â There is a two-story bar area that looks pretty chic (although the bass was thumping pretty significantly by the time we left), and then a much more ordinary (read:boring) space adjacent to it with extra tables. Â We arrived on a busy Friday night, and were seated in the "boring" space, which was fine. Â There are mini TVs at every station, which we found weird. Â We flipped ours off, but most people seemed to enjoy watching the Olympics. Â No biggie.
Service staff were learning the ropes but certainly friendly.
Beer selection was a big letdown. Â They were all light beers, plus Guiness. Â My husband labeled it Dude Beer. Â I had a Stella which was fine, but I'd love to see more interesting beers, or at least one choice with some hops. Â Pale ale? Â IPA? Â Nothing??
There are 3 pizza styles: thin crust which most people seemed to have ordered (what IS it with this town?), a Chicago style that looked sort of strangely limp on the sides, and then... (deep breath), New York Style pizza. Â The test run on any pizza, to our minds, is the plain cheese, so we crossed our fingers and ordered an extra large New York Style cheese pizza. Â 13 bucks.
It came out pretty quickly, and it looked great. Â But not really New York Style in any discernible way, other than the crust being not thin and not Chicago style. Â It was big, cooked properly, and really tasty. Â The sauce is very sweet, the crust had a nice carmelization at the edge and a nice enough chew. Â Cheese had herbs in it so it was sort of zesty. Â And it was ideal to top with cheese from the Parmesan shaker. Â
My final verdict is that I really like the pizza, but A) it's not really New York style, and B) the beer selection and atmosphere aren't enough of a draw to make me want to dine in again. Â 3.5 stars would be my ideal rating, but to me it's more A-OK than Yay, I'm a Fan.
Still glad it's here, glad that space is no longer vacant, glad there is another pizza option, and hope the place makes it.
But seriously, I still think B-N can support a true NY style or woodfire pizza joint. Â Maybe one day....
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