I have been going to the Fireside for over 10 years with a group of friends at least twice a month. Over time the portions have gotten smaller the prices have continued to go up and the service has gotten from pretty OK , always short staffed, to they suck.  This event  while the waitress was standing there I checked out the special board, and standing there I order the steak tips.  The meal came they were awful but I do not complain. paid the bill and started to leave. As I am walking out I thought the bill was to high, check the copy and I was charged the full price.  Spoke  to the waitress who was there when I read what I wanted off the  "specials" black board  and I was told that because I did not say "the special" I was charged the full price.
The moral of this story, I will never be back, my friends will not be back because I refuse to go in and everyone I know who goes there and is not happy any more I will try to move them down the street. . Â Nice job over a $5.00 dispute.
The food is not the same quality moved on.....
Pub grub? Huh??? Calling this menu pub grub is like calling the Titanic a dinghy! We were here on a Saturday evening, relatively early and the place was not jammed nor was the dining room noisy. The specials menu had prime rib, which I had been craving. It was perfect, and ordered and served truly medium-rare like I like it. My partner had the full belly fried clams with waffle fries (little pillow-like waffle cut potatoes) which were perfect, not greasy or messy at all; it was enough to take home a decent leftover.
A small plate of Greek-Italian style vegetables came with the prime rib dinner. They were nicely done, not overcooked and definitely not out of a can like some places would serve. You can get warm, fresh bread if you ask for it. Dessert (mmmm!) was warm apple crisp with vanilla ice cream.
The wait staff were professional and efficient; the meal came out quicker than we would have expected, and the atmosphere in our opinion in the dining room wasn't dark and dank like some have said, but rather kinda traditional, homey and decently lit with some slightly kitschy, but cool stuff on the walls. I would bet that when the band is playing the dining room and bar could get noisy and busy.
There were the usual boomer-types present when we were there, but a family group with a number of kids came in and they were accommodated (AND BEHAVED) nicely!
One caveat is that with the dinner specials, e.g. the prime rib that is only served on Friday and Saturday is that they don't take coupons with the specials, so if you have a coup, make sure one of your party orders something from the regular menu.
With all the mediocre chain restaurants around here it was a real pleasure to find a locally-owned place with an eye to service and quality. Highly recommended.
In short - very good pub food.
The wait staff were very polite, especially to a relatively large family with a bunch of young children. The menu had quite a few choices, and in addition to the menu, there were a bunch of specials as well. The portions were good.
I had the whole-bodied clams the first time there. The plate was heaped with clams and fries and the clams were perfectly fried. The second time I got the prime rib special, and I was amazed at the size and the quality of the meat. Yeah, it's definitely worth it.
Two downsides: one is the vegetables... but then again have you ever been to a pub that does vegetables well? The second is... well you'd better show up early on Friday evening if you don't want to be serenaded by the band. But then if you do, the band (at least the one I heard) wasn't too bad anyway.
lunch recently...seems like a popular enough spot with a good number of locals frequenting it.....food was ok, my philly cheese steak was good, wifes clam special only had about 7 clams and some boring fries, beer selection decent, service eh!....have been there, probably would choose somewhere else next time we are in the area!!
Review Source:I went out for a celebration and get together with two dear friends. Â We ordered wine and appetizer before our dinner. Â One of us, ordered a steak tip dinner, one friend ordered potatoe skins, and I ordered broiled sea scallops that appeared more like bays. Â I asked the waitress if they were sea scallops and she said they were. Â The scallops tasted rubbery not tender melt in your mouth like they should be. Â I did mention to her they did not taste good at all. Â I just ate the cracker crumbs around the scallops. Â The waitress mocked at us or I should say she laughed at me. Â I asked another server if there was a manager and she said our server was the owner's daughter. Â She was rude to us and I had to ask her to end the conversation as she was in no way trying to be pleasant to us. Â She did not charge us for the scallops, but the experience was not a pleasant one for three ladies just wanting to have a nice evening. Â I don't think this waitress should be serving customers. Â She was very arrogant and mean to us and made us very uncomfortable. I honestly would not go back there. Â We did not leave a tip.
Review Source:My husband and I tried this place because it had a coupon in the Entertainment book, and we are glad we did. Â We went to this restaurant in late October 2011.
The place is a dark pub inside, but a friendly atmosphere.
I got the grilled chicken sandwich in pita bread for $7.99. Â My husband got steak tips sandwich in pita bread for $8.99. Â Both came with fries.
The food was good, prices were about right, and service was good!
Would recommend!
I was lucky enough to have the Fireside provide the food for our wedding. They did an amazing job! Everyone raved at how good the food was, the staff was so good, they came in, set up before and to be honest when they packed up, I wasnt even aware they did it! The food is always awsome there, the chicken parm is the best I have every had, and all my wedding guest raved about the food and what a great job they did! Love IT!
Review Source:This place has some of the best pub grub around.
We stopped in on a Friday night and this was a busy and hopping place.
We got a table without waiting.
Soon extremely busy  sassy waitress came right over and got us beers.
Free popcorn was nice. We got the spicy mussels Diavolo to start which was f-ing delicious. We literally licked the bowl clean.
I got seafood. A combo of fried clams and haddock with came with hand cut fries and homemade slaw.
The POINT! Everything is fresh, homemade and good.
The SCENE: Is Loud, crowded and local.
Prices: Fair and very reasonable and you can get coupons too in the local junk mailings that are sent out monthly.
We will return.
My co-workers and I thought we wanted to try something different! This place is dark, and full of locals, but we love it!  You need to get there early or all of the small  bar area is full.  The service is friendly/(rude on the funny side) and we have a blast! Middle aged or later, but fun atmosphere, good food and the drinks are not too expensive.  I would and will go back!
Review Source:Went there tonight with a friend, and I totally forget how good their food is. Â The regular menu is pretty standard pub fare, but the specials blew me away. Â I had a pork loin dredged in walnut flour, then served with Granny Smith apples and a brandy cream sauce - with red taters and fresh asparagus as sides - YUM! Â It's small, but fun and a local place - give it a try. Â There was a live band just warming up as we were leaving, so I suspect that happens on weekends.
Review Source:I have gone here now many times for lunch and never been disappointed. Â This is a place for the locals. Â On most every day I know who is going to be there before I walk in and what bar stools they will be sitting in. Â The atmosphere is very much an pub, kind of dark, and homey.
The food is pub food, but very good pub food. Â Chicken parm, steak subs, burgers etc. Â The fries are always crispy and the specials are usually very good. Â I give it 4 stars based on bar food and not the complexity. Â I always sit at the bar so I can't say how the table service is.
After passing this place my whole life, my partner and I decided to stop in for dinner, it was convenient.
Nothing great. Â Food....meh! Â Prices, ok. Â It's a nice little place with a homey feel. Â I guess that's part of the appeal. Â Waitresses were super nice. Â
I had broiled Scallops...which I asked for with "light breadcrumbs"...it came loaded with it...but I'll chalk that up to waitress/cook/customer miscommunication. Â They were good, but a little heavy on the butter/oil....I mean it was drenched. Â (Does anyone eat that kind of heavy food anymore?)
If you are nearby, want a quick bite, watch the ball game, have a beer with some friends...a nice little place with a homey feel.
(Someone mentioned here the Phantom Gourmet boys blabbing about it on the air. Â Someone else asked me about it too for that same reason. Â You know the Phantom Gourmet boys are probably stroking them because they are advertisers, right? Â Their reviews are not to be relied upon. Â Anyone with a dollars for advertising will get a good review.)
OK food at OK prices. The place to go if you grew up in Methuen and never left town. Music on the weekends is generally pretty good (one or two people playing familiar cover tunes). Friday nights, the bartenders are excellent and the crowd is more lively. Saturday nights, it falls off a bit.
Cuisine: Lots of deep fried stuff, but some decent if unimaginative entrees (chicken, ziti, broccoli Alfredo, strip steaks, burgers or chicken sandwiches, etc.) to be had in a comfortable, unpretentious atmosphere. Occasionally, one or two people get out of hand closer to closing time (2 a.m. on Fridays ... an hour earlier on Saturdays), but no one's going to hassle you or anything. If you know another patron, especially, it can be a fun, down-market night. After 8 the place gets packed. Before then, it's nuthin' but blue hairs who like to drink. No judgment there, just calling it as I see it.
Better food can be had up the street at New England Seafood, with a little better nightlife there. (They have room for bands and a small dance floor.) Grassfields in Andover has better food than either, at about the same price, but a tiny bar and no nightlife option.
I have heard the Fireside raved about again and again on the Phantom Gourmet and when we were on a trip home from VT we decided to stop and give it a whirl. The place itself was cozy and had that old pub type of feel. Based upon appearance alone you would imagine old folks eating dinner there on a Sunday afternoon at 3pm. My wife and I went with the same French Onion soup and a burger with fries. The soup was below average, heavy hand with celery salt and the onions were barely cooked. A good french onion soup uses caramelized sweet onions and a sherry or fortified wine based broth. This tasted like a mix, very blah and you could tell it was microwaved because the crouton was gummy, gross.
The burger was just terrible. Plain frozen patty overcooked and super greasy. I have really nothing good to say. I will never go back and think the Phantom Gourmet only promotes places that pay him to.
I dined here last Friday 8-21-2009.
This was my first time eating here and I enjoyed everything about it.
It was not too busy around 7:30 when we arrived, and we easily found a table to sit at. I don't remember her name, but the waitress was very friendly and was quick to ask us for our drink orders and to bring extra sour cream and some shaker cheese, when asked.
I ate the Chicken Broccoli & Ziti Alfredo. It was soo good !! The chicken was nice and moist, the broccoli was firm and fresh, and best of all was the sauce that was just right. Not too thick & not to watery. I also ordered one of their bottles of homemade root-beer witch was tasty but not enough carbonation for me, seemed a little flat. Maybe that's what home made root-beer is like.
Overall it was a great meal all around.
note : A man started playing guitar and signing at around 8 o'clock. not really my thing but a nice touch.
The Fireside is a fun little pub with a homey atmosphere. Driving home from Burlington every day, it is one of the main places I think about as a viable place to stop for dinner anytime.
I like the trivia games at the bar and the self serve popcorn is pretty good, never stale. I have to say that the Ruben's are excellent, and only once have I had it where it was too oily, but every other time, it has been perfect.
As others have said in reviews here, they have an EXTENSIVE menu. While I tend to stick to a few favorites, they have a tri fold menu with stuff on every side except the front cover!
They make a good drink, not skimpy, and the atmosphere is very fun. I would recommend this to new comers to the area, and for those who simply haven't been there yet.
What ever you do, try this place, you might find it a regular haunt thereafter! Oh, and since I am a fan of fries, I will tell you, the waffle fries are PERFECT!
WONDERFUL!
We read about this restaurant online and thought we'd try it. We're so happy we did! It's not much to look at, a pubby ambiance, but the experience was great! Our waitress, Angela, was a font of information. She guided us thru the extensive, comfort food, selections! This is strictly a comfort food restaurant. Not a bad thing! We had Crabstuffed mushrooms and Fried Mozzarella sticks for apps. The mushrooms were heavenly and delicious! The Mozzarella sticks were not the frozen variety that taste like rubber sticks, they were soft and oozing. Yummy!! For entrees, hubby had, at Angela's suggestion, the Fried Clams! AWESOME! Better than we've gotten in Gloucester. I had Fish n'chips which I never order but was recommended, also. It was fantastic! The desserts are limited but all homemade. Hubby had Bread Pudding which he raved about and I had Grapenut pudding, also delicious. We haven't had desserts like this is ages. It was an all around comfort food night. Wonderful. We will make the drive from Peabody. Angela alone is worth the trip!!
Contessa
I was driving back to New Hampshire on a Saturday evening. I got off I-93 at Exit 47 and decided to stop at the Fireside Restaurant & Pub for dinner, which is conveniently located across from the I-93 Southbound ramps at Cross Street. The Fireside has the atmosphere of a cozy New England pub which serves the typical pub fare including appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, soups, salads, steaks, chops, chicken, seafood, comfort dishes, pasta, kids' menu, and desserts. Daily specials are offered everyday including Pot Pies on Thursdays and Prime Rib on Saturdays & Sundays. The prices here are moderate, average dinner price is $15. Check out the full menu and prices at <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.firesidemethuen.com%2F&s=ff4d1cf352a031e98ca8acdfd6e1ba01a554975768f17593da5dd277a34d1435" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.firesidemethu…</a>
The clientele here is mostly aging baby boomers and senior citizens, the kind of place my folks would enjoy. I'm now thinking the food has to be pretty good for the money.
As you enter & exit the place, be very careful to watch your step between the doorways. The restaurant has seating at the cocktail bar, flat screen TVs and table seating in the L-shaped dining room. There's usually live entertainment here on some nights. It's seat yourself here with menus and place settings at each table. There are curtains on the windows and the brown wood walls are decorated with traditional wood etched paintings.
I grabbed a table in the dining room and my waitress took my drink order instantly. For dinner, I ordered the Country Fried Chicken served with soup, salad, or mixed vegetables ($11.99). I had the Autumn Soup (garden vegetables & ground beef in a tomato base broth) was very hearty and good. The Country Fried Chicken was a good delicious portion of food, two pepper breaded chicken breasts, chunky mashed potatoes smothered in lots of brown gravy, and a side of cranberry sauce.
For dessert, the Fried Cheesecake ($4.99) was very sweet and rich, which was cheesecake stuffed in a deep fried cinnamon sugar tortilla wrap served with vanilla ice cream, strawberries, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream on the side.
Overall, the food was very good and traditional. The service here was very friendly and attentive with timely delivery of food and refills on drinks.
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