We went here for the first time and it was terrible. Â Looks nice from the outside, but as soon as I saw the crane game in the foyer, then the red plastic glasses, and then the salad bar, I was concerned. Â We waited over an hour for food and my filet was terrible. Â It was like chewing on rubber. Â I don't think it was a filet and they pawned off another type of beef to make it look like filet.
Review Source:I personally enjoyed my first experience here. Â The decor is very nice both in the lounge and dinning area. Â Perhaps my only complaint is that I personally didn't care for the TV's in the dinning area. Â
i was surprised on how varied their menu is as it has more than just steak, chicken & fish. Â Certainly items on the list which will please the kids in the family. Â
The wait staff were on top of their game, friendly, knew the menu and attentive to our various needs. Â The appetizer was very nice and I liked the salad/soup bar. Â For the entree my prime rib was outstanding! Â The homemade bread they have is very good. Â Nothing like a rare prime rib and soaking up the juices with some good bread. Â
You can bet we will definitely be checking back in here.
Don't think we'll return. First the good stuff. The venue is beautiful. Well decorated and a great place to watch sports. Â My meal came with the soup and salad bar. The vegetable beef soup was outstanding. The salad was average.
Now the bad stuff. When you first walk in, it's not clear where you should go. There is no hostess station or anyone to greet you so we just awkwardly stood around for a few minutes and then found a table ourselves. No server came so my husband got drinks from the bar.
Still no server so we started looking around for menus. Are they on the bar somewhere? Â Should we find somebody to ask? Â We decided to wait it out and drink our drinks. Eventually a server came up and asked if we were being taken care of. We said no and she decided to complain about how a coworker was supposed to take our order but since they didn't, she guessed she old have to do it. From here on out, it just went from bad to worse.
Had to ask for everything. Water, then every refill. More drinks then had to ask for our order to be taken. Then for our plates to be taken away. We sat there after we ate with dirty dishes filled with chicken skin and bones for no less than 15 minutes trying to enjoy the rest of our drinks without these plates interfering. Th server wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but in her defense, her managers had clearly not staffed properly and didn't even have bus people clearing the tables. Â My husband said his burger was good, my chicken Marsala was less than average but even so I may have considered returning if the service wasn't so horrendous. Bad management to have such a nice place for people to come and then nothing going on under the roof!
My husband and I went to Firewood on 120 in McHenry. SLOW and rude front of house - they stood at the stand talking and we stood in front of them for a few minutes before they decided to acknowledge us.
Salad bar "ok", but when my husband went to get soup, he had to go through about 6 bowls to find a clean one. The (1/2) bread loaf we get was doughy and under-cooked. Then we heard the people behind us complaining to the waiter that they didn't like their dinner. ut-oh...I got a 10 oz sirloin (MR) and husband got the pork chop. My steak was so rare it was nearly blue and husband's chop? RAW with some grill marks. disgusting.
Did they care? not really - though we were comped. What a complete and utter disappointment.
I hate to do it... but I have to give this place 2 stars. I'll explain...
We came here on a Saturday night and the place was not crowded, not a great sign but not a terrible thing.
We glanced at the salad bar and I knew my husband would go that route, I decided to to the same. They had romaine and the standard iceberg mix with carrots and red cabbage, both had about 1/2 of a cup remaining in the entire bowl. I asked them to replenish the salad, which they probably did but I never went back to look. The 2 soups they had available both that the film on top from being exposed to air too long without being stirred (or taken from). That was off-putting.
I ordered the Greek Chicken which was good. I would order that again. It came with feta on top of a 1/4 chicken and some roasted potatoes and steamed veggies. My friend got the Thai lettuce wraps, which she said she liked. She may have just been being nice because the mixture was pretty wet looking...
Plus side, decent prices and a big beer selection.
Sorry, boys, but 3 strikes any you're out! Â Two less than encouraging previous visits made the "buy on entree, get one free" coupon problematic, but in the end cheapness won me over. Â What a mistake. Â Service was terrible, even though they were not all that busy (walk in and get seated on the spot). Order was taken in reasonable time, but delivery was something else. Â They wanted to give me someone else's order. Â The steak fajita was good, very tasty but was never asked how it should be cooked. Â Beans and rice portions were miniscule, almost an insult to the fajita! Â And then there was the steak gorgonzola - what a joke! Â Loaded with salt, and presented looking like they put the whole concoction through a blender. Â Steak overcooked (they could have asked what I wanted), very small pieces of mushroom and not a lot of cheese flavor.
So, while I live in the area, and pass the place all the time, I will in the future pass the place all the time..
Ever had a night where everything can go wrong?? Firewood has and unfortunately it was for our table. We were there on a Friday and there was a sign on the door saying they were having a wine tasting in the lounge. They shouldn't even bother since we ordered four different bottles from their wine list before they had one in stock.
Then came the food order. One of us ordered soup (never came). The girls shared an order of fajita combos (chicken, steak or combo on the menu). First thing that came out was a rice bowl. She brought it back and then returned with a taco salad. Nope wrong again. Brought it back and then came back with a sizzling plate of combo fajitas.... Chicken and shrimp which wasn't even on the menu. Sent it back AGAIN!!! Meanwhile our other two dinners are getting cold during this entire ordeal. Finally the under cooked and non-sizzling plate of steak and chicken came out.
The food here is ok, but the organization from management to kitchen to service is minor league. I wouldn't go out of my way to avoid Firewood, but I would never suggest going there or go on free will.
I first went here years ago and it was great. Â I loved the food and I was definitely impressed with the decor considering it was McHenry. Â I didn't go back for a while but went a couple times recently. Â The food tastes completely different and not in a good way! Â I think they changed chefs because the food sucks and it is nothing like I remember. Â I keep thinking maybe it's what I ordered and go back but each time I am disappointed. Â Last time, i had their broiled chicken and it was pretty gross, very dry but greasy at the same time.
Review Source:Well, even though I recommended against it, a very good friend of mine went to Firewood last weekend. Â He was on a first date with a girl that he met in Grayslake. Â He reported back that he also had a "horrible experience". Â He said it took 1 hour and 15 minutes to get his meal. Â Clearly this place has some issues that they need to take care of right away. Â It's too bad because a lot of us McHenrian's had very high hopes when they refurbished the building prior to opening years ago. Â Good luck with fixing your issues,,, but as for me,, I will continue not going to this place.
Review Source:Ah, Firewood, Firewood. You come to McHenry and flash elegance but you don't deliver.
For the dining area: The service sucks in every direction and the food MAY be mediocre. It's been flip-flop. What turned me off the most is the service. To wait 20 minutes before someone comes to your table is bad. Additionally, to wait 20 minutes more for a re-fill is bad, especially if it's alcohol. Now, there are some good things. The menu offers some good things like Ahi Tuna (appetizer). I would suggest that you would try it; it's actually pretty good, and it feeds 2-3. Some of the special are good,too. The experience is ruined by the service, however. We went there 5 times, and it sucked. Additionally, many of the food items do not come as advertised. It seems that we were ordering from Gordon Ramsey's and getting McDonald's at times.
Owner, please clean up your business. Otherwise, you will be outta' business, sir.
I was really disappointed in the food. The bar area looked nice. We sat for a while before our table was ready. If we go back, it would probably be for drinks and apps in the bar.
We had a variety of appetizers that I would rate as just OK. However, I had a steak and it was just not good. It had a taste, I don't know what it was, and it just wasn't a good taste. Â I am not sure if it was the meat quality that was the problem. It was prepared very plainly so I really think it was just the meat. My husband tasted it and he also agreed that there was something off about it.
Service was fine. We have not been back for a second try mostly because it appears so crowded on the weekend evenings when we are out.
Unfortunately there aren't many choices for quality dining in McHenry and Firewood isn't one of them. I have been there three times and each time I had a less than quality experience.
The kids macaroni and cheese for example was about $6 for a plate of half a box of Kraft macaroni and cheese. No sides, no drink. On top of that, there was no kids menu so there was no way of knowing what you were getting for how much. The mashed potatoes were cold and tasteless. The lettuce on my chicken Caesar wrap was warm and wilted.
Customer service was poor and issues with our bill were difficult to resolve.
I will say that the atmosphere is nice but that's about it.
I don't like to give a poor review but I really can't recommend this to anyone! I hope that they can use these reviews to better their restaurant! McHenry could use a nice place to eat with a variety of foods (other than Italian food!).
Browsing around for a little friday nite fish fry and read about their fish dinner. Ad hooked me on the price, until it was explained in detail. Went for the buffet. Fish was ok. Wife complained of the worst tasting mac and cheees she ever had, then went for the mostaccioli, which disappointed her further. Both agreed the chicken was good. The tuna pasta salad was watery and flavorless. Cole slaw was bitter. Waitress never came by for refills, except when presenting the check. No reason to waste my time or money on this establishment again.
Review Source:My (now) boyfriend and I went here on our second date, because he had heard great things about it and had had a favorable experience in the bar area. Â My great aunt also sung her praises about it, so it seemed like a safe choice.
We arrived around 8pm on a Friday night, and waited for nearly 10 minutes in front of the register/hostess area. Â We were passed several times by staff, yet not acknowledged. Â My date (boyfriend) finally flagged down a server, who assured us the hostess was probably busy and would be right with us. Â Several more minutes passed and no one came. Â The same server finally came back over, asked if we had been helped yet (nope), and then went to find the hostess. Â
She came and seated us... due to the long delay we thought we'd find the dining area busy, but there were literally two or three other tables occupied. Â We promptly ordered drinks and began to look over the menu.
Our beers arrived, and we each ordered a pasta dish: he ordered a chicken fettuccine and I the spaghetti and meatballs ($11).
Our orders arrived a while later, and it was absolutely the worst food I've ever had in MY LIFE! Â My spaghetti was cold, there were probably 3 dollops of a Ragu-type marinara sauce on it, and the meatballs were also cold and were the consistency of wet cat food (the spongy loaf variety). Â Seriously. Â I even had my date (boyfriend) try it. Â His wasn't much better. Â We could barely eat any of it. Â It was kind of insulting that they would charge more than a few bucks for what I could have made (better) at home with a jar of Ragu and a box of generic Jewel pasta.
Thankfully the beer kept flowing and I was in such good company that it was COMICAL how awful the food was. Â (I ended up bringing 90% of my dinner home, and tried to give it to my parrot... she wouldn't touch the meatballs either.)
So, I guess I can see how my geriatric 87 year-old great aunt could like the food here; it's flavorless, and you probably don't even need your falsies to chew the food.
I feel that Firewood is very over rated on this site. I just tried this for the first time tonight. We had the artichoke spinach dip appetizer that someone else on here receomended....TGIFridays has much better. For dinner I had the Shrimp and scallops and my girl friend had a steak.....very middle of the road quality and over priced. Service was below average. For $60 for 2 I expect good quality food and service.....Firewood definetly can't deliver either.
Review Source:I came here for the first time last Friday with the In-Laws-To-Be and the fiance. Â We sat at the bar and enjoyed a surprisingly delicious dinner. Â Service was decent, even though the bar was packed. Â I only ordered diet coke to drink, but the bartender was really great about filling me up even though i wasn't adding to my tab. Â I ordered the BBQ chicken salad for my meal. Â Came with garlic bread, and everything about this meal was delicious. Â This place is not what you expect! Â I have been to many a fancy sports bar - and the food is nasty crap. Â Firewood goes above and beyond to create a fun, un-stuffy atmosphere, yet serves superior food with great service!
Review Source:Food was great, service was OK, we had a huge group of about 20 so I don't blame her. All was great until the jukebox got going, very loud and obnoxious, the conversation suddenly ceased and people were ready to go get out of there. To much of a night club feeling in the lounge and it was barely 7pm... fix that and I will make the place a 5 anytime. Also no wine list? Rumor has it the desserts are incredible as well. Something about the Carrot Cake being to die for!
Review Source:I have been to Firewood several times, but my latest experience motivated me to write a review. I was there with a party of 5 for an early Sunday dinner. The service was great, we never had to ask for drink refills. We ordered the Spinach Artichoke Dip for an appetizer. It comes with pita chips and always tastes amazing.
For an entree, I ordered the Parmesan Crusted Tilapia. It came on a bed of angel hair pasta and alfredo sauce. I must say that this is one of the tastiest fish dishes I have ever ate! The fish was cooked perfectly and there was something magical about the combination of flavors. Next time I go, it's going to be hard to order anything else off the menu now that I know how tasty the Tilapia is.
I also enjoy the decor and ambiance of the restaurant. The sinks in the bathroom are also very cool.
In my opinion, the one area for improvement at Firewood is the salad bar. I've never ordered it because it's never really enticed me.
All in all, Firewood is one of our favorite local restaurants.
I did not give Firewood 5-stars because it took about 30 mins to place our order and we had to go to the bar ourselves to refill our drinks.  However, on behalf of Firewood, it was Monday and packed with football fans.  So, that's understandable.  The good part was the great chicken parmesan which was  delicious and also the $5.00 pizza special was great.  Needless, to say I will defenitely return to this place :).
Review Source:Holy Cow do the McHenrites love this place? Â Are there seriously no other restaurants in all of McHenry/Lake County? Â We pulled into the parking lot when my sister-in-law said "Oh...it won't be THAT busy on a Saturday night!" and found the parking lot (and all surroundng parking lots) completely packed and the valets parking cars. Â My sister-in-law must not have discovered that there is one thing, and ONLY one thing, to do in McHenry County on a Saturday night, GO OUT TO EAT!
The front half of the restaurant is a bar filled with McHenrites who got babysitters for the night and are out for a wild night filled with well vodka crans. Â The back half is every McHenrite family celebrating any possible occasion and dragging frazzled looking grandma along. Â I hate kids and this place had plenty of them on a Saturday night...buzzkill. Â The place was so packed and had an hour and a half wait (yes...I did say hour and a half) so we decided to place a to go order and have them deliver it to the in-laws house. Â The food was decent but forgettable...I would have rather had pizza ordered from Rosati's. Â The delivery boy was delish though. Â That's why they got 2 stars.
If you want to wait an hour and a half for food here is my suggestion. Â Get in the car, head down Lake Cook Road and hop on 90 to go into the city. Â You'll be downtown in an hour and a half and can have your choice of thousands of quality restaurants....all you need to do is call ahead and make a reservation before you leave the sticks. Â If you don't want to make the drive you can probably find a better meal in Scumburg with less of a wait and at least then you're not stuck out in BFE with nothing to do but go to Halftimes in Johnsburg.
This is a really nice space in McHenry county, inside and out. I was pleasantly surprised in how classy the place was from the bathrooms to the dining area. There is an outside dining area complete with a fountain that looked pretty nice that was currently enclosed for the cooler months.There is also a great looking bar space with a solid tv representation and a buffet presence,although I didn't really get the details on that. The first impression was that the server was really eager to get our order, asking us as many as 4 times if we were ready. He was polite so I can't really crap on him... yet. The menu was fairly diverse, from pastas ,salads and steaks , to a nice selection of pizzas. We ordered the seared tuna appetiser , which I thought scored a solid good. The seafood pasta Alfredo was very good,complete with shrimp and bay scallops, one of the better seafood pastas I've had.The server ,at some point fell off the face of the Earth , never to be seen again. In his defense there was a Halloween costume party going on at the bar area , so he was probably involved there. All in all, a solid spot to which I would readily return.
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