Firehouse Pizza & Pub

The burger was impressive.  The pasta is made in-house and tasted excellent!

Stopped by on a Sunday afternoon just out of an early movie.  I had seen this place for a while in downtown Oswego but had not thought of stopping by but with a head full of Tom Cruise I was feeling adventurous.

Let me start by giving a complement - this place is a dive.  But in the best use of the term.  The staff was very friendly, the setting was like someone converted their garage into a bar and grill (and from what I could see that's almost exactly what happened.  It does not have the sterile, over rehearsed feel of the chains and...the food is pretty good.

Let's talk pizza.  They do a NY style za in only one size - HUGE.  Now you have to be a fan of fold-up pizza but they do it right.  Of course if you don't feel you can down five pounds of pizza they will whip up a slice of your choosing.  I had a slice of sausage and was not disappointed.  Although I prefer chunks of sausage this is a crumbled kind of place (hence NY style).  At $3.50 for a single slice and two for $6.00 the portion is way more than generous.  The base red sauce was just a little on the sweet side to my taste but the abundance of cheese made up for it.  Over all i enjoyed the pizza and would not hesitate to order it again.

I also had a 10 piece order of their wings in the medium spicy Asian sauce.  The wings are deep fried with a dusting of flour so you get a crunchy result without getting soggy breading a la Hooters.  The wings were well coated but not served in a soup of sauce - big bonus in my book.  I also liked that the celery and blue cheese dressing was included - again, well done!  had I been dining alone I would have gone for one of their hotter sauces and I look forward to doing that on my next visit.

My wife had the mushroom Swiss burger which was cooked to YOUR desired doneness and hand formed.  I took a proffered taste from my sweetie and found the burger to be delicious. They use a unique hybrid of hamburger/ croissant bun which was very tender yet hearty enough to handle the juiciness of the burger.  I could easily make this my new burger joint.

We finished off with the cinnamon ties - and DO NOT leave before you have an order.  These are strips of pizza dough tied in a simple knot and deep fried.  I am well aware of the fried dough desserts all pizza places offer but, trust me, these are different.  The had a light texture packed with sugar and cinnamon and jam-your-mouth-full tasty.  If there had been a side of glaze to dip i would have been a dead man.

There are some minor downsides. The parking is not well marked and you can easily end up driving around the block to find yourself going the wrong way on a one-way alley.  The interior has an unfinished feel about it and the slate floor looks like it's dirty in need of mopping, but it's really just the maroonish color that shows every bit of detritus.

The menu has a lot of variety in both za and sandwiches. There is a bar area and a large (70+) selection of bottled imports and craft brews.  The place is stuffed with flat screens on a variety of sporting events so it is a little noisy - but HEY!  It's a pizza dive!  The prices are reasonable, my wife and I came away with about $35.00 including tip and sodas.

I am recommending this place on two levels, first - it's good food at a good price with a fun atmosphere.

Second -= IT'S NOT A CHAIN!  Support this place, you will not be disappointed!

This local place has as many positives as negatives;

Let's start with the positives, The Jalapeno Popper Pizza was Orgasmic, The crunchy crust loads of Mozzarella and Cheddar, real strips of bacon and hot jalapeno made my tummy happy.

The do have a decent beer list, lots of safe picks and some beers I have never had!

We came on a Wednesday night and it was full but we sat ourselves and were served quickly. She was attentive and friendly.

The place has tasteful decor touches, and is very clean, The brass fire extinguishers for lights above the bar are nice. Comfy seating, lots of t.vs,  great place to watch a game.

Negative Nancy says:
The menu is limited, and what we ordered was not on it, we saw it on another table, and took a chance, they do not even list what toppings they offer!  Obviously we don't eat based on price alone, but had no idea what it would cost.

I know I am kinda a beer snob but most the list was bottles, and I am weary of a 50 plus list of craft beers as they have a tendency to sit for to long and get skunk,  8.50 for a draft beer is outrageous!!!!! They also did not give you any more information then the name of the beer. Bad Form.