4. Restaurants

Fire and Ice

50 Church St, Cambridge, MA, 02138
  • (617) 547-9007
  • Store is closed

Fire and Ice Menu

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  • Mark D.

    Dark, Damp, Dingy and scam artist. So we went to F&I on Veterans Day. They were offering free dinner to Veterans, and I being a veterans wanted to try this place out that my sister had raved about. So my, now, wife and I went. 1st off parking in Cambridge is always a joke, but if you're going to have a restaurant there you're going to get a comment in my review unless you have a private lot, so, no private lot, had to pay for parking. Go downstairs, should of been my 1st clue. get seated rather quickly as we still beat any dinner rush. The place was going through renovations at the time but wasn't horrible, just dark, and kinda drab, and dingy, and yea, gave the feeling of being underground, not in a cool way. Waiter greets us, our 1st time, he explains the process, makes sense to me, basic (wannabe) Mongolian. I mention the Veterans Day special they're having, he knows nothing about it but will ask his manager. He returns and asks if I have any paperwork about both the special and proof that I'm a veteran, Thank God I printed out the e-mail. Give him the e-mail and show him my veterans card, he comes back and lets me know, that it wasn't for this location (wasn't mentioned only some locations, and upon further investigation the ad WAS for ALL locations) but they would honor the deal anyways. Good for them, considering our 2 beers would be left on the table opened and unpaid as my date and I walked out of the restaurant. We get our food, have it cooked, it's not crowed so I joke around with the cook, being I was a cook we shared stories. Around my 4th time up I asked him why he didn't work at a real restaurant, he said why when the food never comes back here. He had a point, the F&I mantra is 'if the food doesn't taste good, it's your fault for picking it!" The shrimp smelled fishy, upon telling one of the workers there that, she looked at me like I had 3 heads and said it's fish..... I then went to the manager and told her that the shrimp smelled fishy..... again same look, at least she realized to take the shrimp off the line. So near the end of our.... and I use this word loosely.... meal. Another family come in, 2 adults and 2 kids. The man is ex-milltary. (You know, we know, we all know, we all always know, it's just something the real military notices about everyone) He mentions to the waiter, same waiter we have, That he's a veteran and knows about the free meal for veterans. The waiter went to the manager, again, this time the manager came out and asked the veteran if he had some paperwork on the 'free' meal. I spoke up from my table and said, "why don't you just use the print out I gave you?" Both the manager and waiter turned and looked at me, the waiter must of forgot I was still there, and the manager didn't' know where the other veteran was sitting. Needless to say he got his meal, thanked me because he didn't print out the offer. And if I wasn't there, they would of scammed him, he had kids to feed, not the same as me and my date ability to just storm the hell out. So some advice for everyone, Avoid storming out, and just stay out to begin with.

    (1)

  • Kelsey P.

    Fire and Ice takes a good concept (pick your own raw ingredients and get them cooked in front of you) and executes it decently. My biggest complaint is that they don't really limit you to a particular type of cuisine. In many cases, choice is good, but when you're designing your own meal and don't really know what you're doing, it'd be nice to be given a bit more guidance. Mongolian BBQ places, for instance, tend to deliver more similar dishes since they're a bit more formulaic. Other than that, I'd say that Fire and Ice is just generally solid but unspectacular. The ingredients are fresh but not gourmet, the service is good but not particularly impressive, and the dining area is nicer than at most buffet-style restaurants, but by no means fancy.

    (3)

  • Jeremy K.

    Every city has one of these... A place where when you first hear about it, you immediately investigate and try to check it out. A place so hip, it makes Madonna look like she was cool 20 years ago. I entered this establishment with quite a bit of family: parents, the sis & my cousin. We were welcomed and seated. We had a reservation! We cut the entire line of 35 that was outside... As we descended into the mighty lair, the music came thumping into our ears. Oh man, this place is loud. Will they be serving Tylenol for desert? Our waiter arrives and explains the concept of Mongolian BBQ to us as we stared to him in awe. Seriously? Is that how it works? I walked over to the various stations, while trying to not get grossed out by the fact that people could sneeze, touch, and put their germs everywhere. Germs, germs, germs. They are ewwwie! I picked a few things and brought it out to the middle of the room, where a bunch of "cooks" drop it on the plate and cook it in front of me. What really bothers me is that the first plate I had tasted like seafood because it was cooked next to seafood. But I had steak on it, not seafood. Freaking taste contamination!! I'm allergic to seafood, how could this happen? So I grabbed another plate, filled it up and told the cook to watch it this time. He did and it tasted edible. This place is mostly a gimmick, all about concept and hype but the food itself I did not enjoy. It's fun and that's about it. Oh and the customers around me where obnoxious, spilling food everywhere and cutting in line. But I can't hold that against them! The evening was topped off by my parents complaining about the prices and the loud music for an hour-straight after the meal... Shoot me...

    (2)

  • Keem H.

    I was excited about the place. Many of my friends told me that I should try it. So, I convinced my family to have a dinner there and I assured them that they will like it. There was a waiting list and the incompetent manager said 45 min. So, it's Harvard Sq. We walked around for about 30 minutes and came back. The same incompetent guy said that he called my name and he had to let other people in. No problem. I waited in the waiting area for another 30 minutes and I still see people go ahead of me. When I asked him When is my turn, he said I don't know. "you gotta wait" Oh man, I got mad and start yelling and asking for another manager or somebody else to help me and suddenly out of the blue they found us a table and we finally got in. So, 1- We waited for more than 1 hour 2- Treated badly 3- The food was not worth it 4- It was the worst experience ever 5- Not recommended at all

    (1)

  • Melissa M.

    This place still sucks. That's my update.

    (1)

  • Sarah C.

    Alright, so I think Fire & Ice is a place you either love or hate. I haven't been in years, but I went plenty during college and maybe a year or two before (when did it open again?) It's a good place to go once or twice, for a big group, or a special event/birthday, but once you've been a couple times you realize it's not THAT special, and it's pricey. Now, if you're one to seriously stuff your face, the price is pretty decent ($18 for all you can eat dinner I think?). And the fun part is choosing your ingredients and your sauce, and being able to switch things up. Lunch is definitely a better deal price-wise, just make sure that if your meal is straddling the lunch/dinner switch, to ask your server when you sit if yours will be the lunch prices. Whatever - this place is fun. Noisy, busy, interesting, worth trying at least once. If you don't mind a piece of someone else's food landing in yours once in a while whilst cooking, you'll have a blast.

    (3)

  • Diana G.

    The best part about this place is the fact that you can just fill your bowl with as much steak tenderloin & shrimp as you want. Who needs veggies or pasta anyways. All they do is fill you up, or contribute to a longer healthier life.. Add a pitcher of beer, and you'll soon forget all about the fact that you just picked your own raw meats & fish off of a buffet and watched someone else cook it for you on a grill next to other peoples' raw meats & fish. Chances are, you'll be back, and will repeat the process over and over and over again.. :p

    (3)

  • Andy O.

    I've always been a fan of Fire+Ice. My girlfriend is gluten-free because of a wheat allergy and they had a card that noted which sauces were gluten-free. They didn't have all of them out which really limited her options. What I do appreciate though is that we were charged less since we took just one trip (lunch time).

    (4)

  • Remen O.

    Summary: Fire and Ice is a perfectly acceptable "create-your-own-dish" Mongolian grill experience, but don't expect to walk away wowed by anything aside from how much you ate and how much you spent. The Good: Your fate is in your own hands here. You're given an excellent selection of meats, veggies, pasta, and sauces with which to craft your own culinary creation. Toss that in a bowl and pass it off to the grill-maestro for the finishing touches. The Bad: There's nothing particularly bad about any aspect of the experience, but none of the ingredients struck me as uber high-quality. Additionally, the grilling times for any combination of ingredients seems fairly standard, meaning that some ingredients might be a bit overcooked. Additionally, paying north of $20 for the food seemed excessive, even when taking into consideration that this is a buffet. The Ugly: I was down here for drinks one evening and it was karaoke night. Lots of inebriated patrons were belting out hits from the 80s. Needless to say, some things cannot be unseen or unheard.

    (3)

  • Theresa J.

    Ugh. i will never be back to this location again. All of the sauces here tasted like they were watered down. Seriously. There were sauces I had tried many times and loved but this day I went they were all watery, flavorless, and just plain old NASTY. The waitress I was was awful and I wanted to dropkick her like 5 times for her attitude problem. Ugh Ugh Ugh....yes i will never be back.

    (1)

  • Uncle A.

    Last night. Met friends there who had a reservation YET I was told at the front end (by the young man with an attitude and his sleepy female accomplice) that Fire & Ice didn't accept reservations. Odd. I'd seen a copy of an email apparently from Fire & Ice confirming said reservations. Anyway, attitude-boy denied seating anyone that matched my description of my dinner companions, yet when I insisted on looking myself....there they were! More "odd". Clearly this is a joint that appeals to younger folk who like the gimmicky you-select-they-cook bit. We DID have a great waitstaff guy. The romaine lettuce on the salad bar was artfully torn into the right-sized pieces and was fresh. The meat, poultry and seafood offerings were minimal and not exciting at all. I was not particulary impressed with the cleanliness of the seating area nor the cooking practices around the central grille. If you're over 27, avoid this place like the plague. You'd fare better at McDonalds.

    (1)

  • Erin W.

    what is the point of a reservation if you're going to seat the table a half hour late in a booth that is meant for three less people than the size of the party? upon expressing dissatisfaction with cramming seven adults into a four person booth, we were told to "hang up our jackets to make more room, because they seat seven here all day." no. begrudgingly got moved to another table. waitress was pleasant. the reason people go here is because they claim they can accomodate large parties - definitely not for the food. which is not very good. they cannot adequately accommodate large parties and do not know how to prepare tables for reservations, so I'd say to skip this place completely. the only thing they do right are the drinks.

    (2)

  • Timothy H.

    Love this place! good food and lots of it! Try not to be seated next to the grill though. It may seem convenient, but trust me, its not worth the moist, hot air that gravitates your way the whole meal! Order the Grateful dead drink.

    (4)

  • Elizabeth G.

    If you think it is "fun" to watch someone cook your food using an incredibly simple technique you could do at home... If you think it is "fun" to, then, eat that food, which lacks flavor because it didn't marinate or cook long enough for the spices to seep in... If you think it is "fun" to pay four times what you would at the grocery store for these same ingredients... Then you should drop everything and head to Fire & Ice this minute!

    (2)

  • Julia N.

    I like to pig out sometimes. But even I have a hard time eating a 2nd plate here. It's not worth it because you will be full after one plate. It's very casual here. You pick your raw food from seafood, red and white meat, veggies and sauce. You can get a burger if you want. If you don't like choosing and viewing your food raw or standing around waiting for it, don't go. I'd say this place is best for non picky stir fry lovers, who like do it yourself interactive kinds of places. It's okay. I'd say if you are between the ages of 13 and 20 this would be a cool place for you to go with friends or a first date, so that you can chat and talk and not have those awkward silent moments.

    (3)

  • Jessica L.

    The food was alright, but the place felt very unsanitary. My first time there will likely end up being my last time.

    (2)

  • Chrissy G.

    If your idea of a good time is picking up pieces of raw meat stored in what look like dirty and unsafe (out in the open air, not always kept at proper temperature) containers, mixing them with veggies or noodles, and having it all slapped on a grill in one giant glob with some sticky/sweet sauce... then by all means go to Fire & Ice. If you're not 17 and naïve, don't want to eat a bowl of overpriced "food" that all tastes the same, or potentially get sick, avoid this restaurant like the plague.

    (1)

  • Dan R.

    Gourment food it isn't. But for a very different kind of place, a very fun atmosphere, and the idea of an "interactive meal" - it can't be beat. This place is kind of like the twisted love-child of a salad bar and an all-you-can- buffet. The salad bar has all kinds of vegetables and pastas that will sooner or later end up in your dinner, but more on that later. Broccoli? Yup. Onions and peppers? Yup? anything imagineable that can end up in a stir-fry or a pasta dish. Yup. Oh - and how about raw chicken or beef or seafood or fish. All of it is there. The game-plan is this- you fill up your bowl with as much as you can cram in there, pour on any of a dozen sauces, and the staff will cook your concoction on a humongous circular griile. They push and probe your food with what looks like gigantic pool cues before they shove the hot steaming mass onto your plate. The sauces can make your concoction into any ethnic food in the world- from Thai to Mexican to Szechuan to whatever. The place is a hoot. everyone should love it except your grumpy grandpa. And the food is pretty yumm-o.

    (3)

  • Chenney C.

    Leave it to me that I get an opportunity to try any clam chowder in MA, and I decide to go to a Mongolian grille. Anywho - after I rubbed Harvard statue's toe and got blown off the platform (don't ask), I got a little hungry. With consideration, I had not eaten the whole day. This kind of style of presenting food can be really risky- and I didn't want to look like a starving beggar in front of my boss. That blew out the window as soon as I saw what was before me. All the choices from beef to shrimp to lobster and then all the veggies on the other table. Basically, I was able to take any combination of these awesome things and make a stirfry. That's amazing. Everything looked fresh and tasted amazing. The cooks were also extremely friendly and were considerate when I told them I didn't want any peanut in my oil. That's VERY uncommon for restaurants to be able to have non-peanut oil. Needless to say, I left incredibly happy. As did my tummy!

    (4)

  • Angie C.

    Just like any buffet...quantity not quality. Experience: The staff is forgetful since they don't really serve your food. The concept is similar to a Mongolian BBQ, but with crappy food and overpriced. Food: They try to make the stuff tasty with creative sauces unfortunately everything is cooked over a huge grill and ends up being too dry and bland. If the mixes was cooked correctly or marinated it has potential. Also, a lot of meat sits out and people mixes the utensils. I do not trust someone didn't use the same utensils for meat then vegetables. Overall: Save your money unless you're looking to binge on crappy food and pay too much.

    (2)

  • Giselle E.

    Pretty pricey for a buffet, but their ingredients are a good excuse for a price hike from normal buffets. And if you count the chefs cooking your food as a "show", then you have your justified bill. Unless you go crazy on their seafood, I don't feel like you're getting you're moneys worth, so I make sure to always eat lots of shrimp, scallops and calamari when I come here. The Harvard Square location is deceiving: it looks small from the outside, but as soon as you walk through the doors, it's like you found the Fire&Ice bat cave and are about to expose the hidden flavors beneath. I like how you can pick and choose your ingredients, experiment with the different sauces, follow your diet by adding veggies or lotsa protein, and then watch guys mix up your food on a grill from hell. This is the experience and (in my opinion) is what makes the $17 "worth" it. The drinks are pricey and really strong. I tried their version of a long island and thought it was a lot of alcohol and, well, no island. It's a nice place to bring people who've never had Fire&Ice, but I don't believe it's a place (for me) to go to more than once a year. But I'm guessing this would be a great place for foreigners and people who don't understand English or don't want to bother with a menu and just dive right into their meal.

    (3)

  • Jenn S.

    I think it speaks highly for Fire & Ice that I could work here for a year and still love the food. I haven't been back in a while, so I'm not sure if they still have all the same items that they used to. It was one of my favorite places in college, so when I moved back after graduating and needed something while looking for a job, I immediately applied here. While I worked here, I was able to eat the food (usually for 50% off, sometimes for free) and what's great about it is that you never get the same thing twice! The ingredients change daily depending on what's available at the market. When I used to go in college, they would sometimes have more exotic items such as shark. Now it's usually several different types of fish, poultry and meat - nothing TOO exotic. They have several different salads, chicken breasts for sandwiches, ground meat for amazing burgers (which will fill you up, so don't eat those unless you're a BIG eater or there for a one-up lunch) and are always adding new items. I personally don't eat seafood, so the price is a bit high for me (plus, I usually can't do more than 1 plate), but if you're a big eater or LOVE seafood (or both!) you will definitely get your money's worth!

    (4)

  • lella b.

    This is one of those yeah i'm a fan because for a group of vegitarians, meat lovers and people allergic to shellfish, fire and ice can handle it: this makes going with groups of 8 or so easy. yes, it's not kobe beef (hi, it's $18 per plate ... it's not going to be). they will cook vegitarian and shellfish allerigic in other areas (major score). at times they've had (lower grade) scallops, shripm, crawfish (shellfish crowd likes), chicken, pork, bacon. great veggie selection. i suggest skipping the chips/dip and mixed drinks and desserts. it's a solid, interegenrational place that pretty much everybody can find something to like. not a date night place but an easy place for mini-family reunions.

    (4)

  • Eric S.

    It takes a while to be seated, the dining room is dark, the freshness of the food is questionable, and the food always comes out overcooked. Not to mention that the waitstaff all tend to disappear.

    (1)

  • Michelle R.

    5 of us went here for dinner on 6/18/11. The food was all fresh, and anything one of us didn't like was all on us as we picked out the meats, pastas, veggies and sauces. The grill did an alright job cooking everything - my steak was a bit overdone for my liking, but not horrible. The waitress was slow and inattentive. We had to track her down for drinks and the dessert menu. My biggest complaint was the cleanliness of the place - or rather the lack of cleanliness. While food stations and dishes all appeared clean, the amount of (I am assuming) spills that do not get taken care of was ridiculous! Our feet stuck to the floor no matter where we stood or walked. The counter around the grill was covered in a sticky mess all the way around, and our table was sticky as well. My guess is that there were a few slobs that spilled and rather than clean up the spills they were just getting spread aound with damp, dirty mops and rags. No matter how clean it might have been there - the fact that I almost lost a sandal to the goo when waiting for my food to finish cooking was enough to turn me off of future visits. If we were to try this place again, it would be in the afternoon and hopefully not covered in sticky stuff yet.

    (3)

  • Jobitron C.

    The food was delicious, but the chefs weren't as lively as in Copley, so that kinda ruined the spirit of Fire+Ice.

    (4)

  • Glenn N.

    The idea is really intriguing to me and I've never been disappointed with the food and drinks here, but it's also almost impossible for me to walk away satisfied because I'm never able to eat enough to justify the lofty price tag.

    (3)

  • John L.

    I like the idea of Fire & Ice: you go in, pick out your meats and veggies, let the guy grill them with the different possible sauces, and VOILA! You have food. And it's okay food. But it's not worth doing all of that work, particularly considering how it disrupts the social aspect of eating. For that, it's not a place one should go if you want to sit down and talk, not because of noise, but because there isn't much time where your entire party will be sitting down together. On top of all of this, the outdoor area here at this one is unappealing: It's like a weird rock garden thing that doesn't work considering the outdoor places at other restaurants in Harvard Square. When I want to eat outside, I want the area to be aesthetically appealing, and this one just isn't.

    (2)

  • Kathleen H.

    The food, once I got it, was OK. But the drinks I had were very overly sweet and tasted like they were from a mix. Yuck. It's just not my kind of place. Gimmicky, crowded - I don't need to watch other people cook my food. I want to sit at my cozy little table and have people wait on me and bring me stuff. That's why I go to restaurants. I don't want to wander around a crowded place bumping into all the other wandering people with a bowl of raw food, and then have to sit around waiting and NOT drinking my drink or talking with companions while waiting for it to get cooked next to everyone elses food. . . Up, down, up down. Like church. It's the bastard love child of a mediocre hotel buffet and bisuteki. Neither of which I like, either. Service was slow. Yeah. . no, I didn't like it.

    (1)

  • Lynn F.

    This place was not my choice, but my dining companion really wanted to go so I put on my happy face and said "Sure, I love to try new places!". It met all my expectations - meek veggie and carb base selections, sauce selections that didn't make much sense, rude waitstaff, obnoxious customers. If you like this kind of thing, find a real teppanyaki place - way more fun and way better food.

    (1)

  • Anna P.

    Like all "do-it-yourself" restaurants, there are things that work and things that don't work about Fire & Ice. For anyone who has food allergies, I'm told that this place is paradise. Not only do you know the *exact* contents of your stir-fry, they will put it in a separate pan for you in back. Certainly there's a wide variety of food to try, and if you're in a very large group, this can be massively helpful. I could definitely see coming here with a hungry pack of teenage football players - just not for a quiet night out with your honey. At $17 a head, this is a little steep if all you want is something from their sandwich bar (yes, they have a sandwich bar). I actually think that cutting down on their choices would give them a better "point of view" when it comes to what they are all about. I've been to some fantastic restaurants that make you design your own dishes, but the sauces, veggies and meats all worked well interchangeably - here you can end up with some lousy food if you don't know what you're doing. All in all, nothing is wrong with Fire and Ice, I've just seen the concept done better in other cities (Flat Top in Chicago, Mongolian Grill in MD). Think of it this way: At least it keeps the hungry hordes out of the restaurants you really wanted to go to this weekend!

    (3)

  • Christine H.

    I'd only give it three stars but since the overall experience is different than most other restaurants, I thought I'd tack on a star for fun. Sometimes I would come here and the selections would not be very good. But most of the time I like picking out my own meats and veggies in combination with whatever sauces they had (not always the best choices, seems hit or miss). It's a different way to eat, fun to take newbies, and there's something about watching someone cook my food that is comforting. It's not something I'd crave all the time but once or twice a year it's a lot of fun.

    (4)

  • Kristen E.

    The food was eh. The ingredients were fine, it's just that I really didn't like any of their sauces which brought down any enjoyment I had in my carefully chosen mix of ingredients. Also, the tables are sticky. The only saving grace was this one woman who waited on us who was extremely nice and upbeat. I wanted to grab her hand and whisk her away to somewhere brighter and less garishly decorated.

    (2)

  • Mary C.

    My son and I love it here!! Since about 12 years old, we have been going to Fire and Ice a few times a year for a mother/son outing. Food is fabulous, atmosphere is fantastic and the service is very friendly and fast. Everyone who works there could not be nice enough and they all are very helpful with the menu. I love how they ask you if you have ever been there because if you haven't they will give you a tour of the restaurant and they explain how it all works. They did that for my cousin when she came to visit. It can be a little loud but not loud enough to give it another star down. I have no problem talking to anyone there. Its the kind of atmosphere it is, if you want quiet, its not the place for you. I highly recommend it!

    (5)

  • Walter G.

    ugh. so since fire & ice has been the running joke on here (and on everywhere) for quite some time i was actually a little excited to try it out when i found out my girlfriend's friend was having her b day here. anyone who knows me knows i love complaining and there were way too many an opportunity missed when people would start a bitch fest and i'd have to sit it out. no longer! firstly i just wanna say that it's $18/person to go make your own food and then carry it back to your table YOURSELF like some kinda servant. just wanted to get that out there... so the food was actually pretty good. if it isn't then only you're to blame because you go pick out your own ingredients and sauces and stuff. so anyone who bitches about the food is pretty much saying "after ~20 years on this earth i haven't figured out how to mix flavors to my individual liking." the cooks are pretty good about keeping your stuff separate. the reason it's only two stars is because it just doesn't come together for a great experience in my opinion. some of it is inherent in the design and some isn't. like for example, the gaggle of high school girls that chose to crowd around the little stations and chit chat about "omg kayleigh what should i get omg??" for 5 min. not really preventable with this type of format but still annoying. but then like, ok, we were a party of 15 or so. WHY the HELL would anyone think it was an ok idea to seat us at a table where one side was booth seating and then push all the tables together and then have one end of the booth blocked by a wall??? seriously? "ok guys so we encourage you to get small portions so you can take multiple trips up and try more stuff. yeah just have your EIGHT FRIENDS move everytime you wanna get up for more food or another beer since we aren't attentive to your beer needs during the first round of the NHL conference finals." it's just stupid. and then we asked to be moved to somewhere that wasn't inconvenient as fuck and they're like "sorry we have another reservation". and then no one sat there for the duration of our meal. dicks. oh and there were a lot of people that looked like they were on dates which i thought was amusing. why don't you just take her to the dining hall for chrissakes?

    (2)

  • Jess L.

    I came here for a Harvard program party. We sat in their patio, which was perfect for a gathering of ~50. The service was a bit spotty, but the strength of the drinks well made up for it. The choices for your make-as-you-want stir fry are very good and diverse. I can't say much for the cost because it was on Harvard's tab, but it seems like a low maintenance place for a party. We all had a good time with pretty decent food.

    (3)

  • Jane Z.

    Overall, a great place! It's a lot of fun if you're in a group. They also have salsa dancing, which is always fun!

    (4)

  • Justin H.

    I want to like this play, I really do. A good friend brought me here and because of that I have fond memories. But to be honest I really am not a fan. Here's why: You pay around $17 for an all you can eat buffet where you pick your ingredients and get them stir fried on a huge cooking area in the middle of the cooking area. Pick from rice, noodles, different meats and veggies and sauces, etc. It tastes ok. My issue is that there is NO way that you get your money's worth here. I went with a group of 5 people and most tapped out after 1.5 plates of food whose ingredients must have cost $5 max. I mean, if the main sell here is to be able to put together my plate of food then that's really not worth it the $12 or so bucks I'm putting down. Because of this the value they provide is imbalanced. Granted, the food is decent, but I cant help feeling like this place is gimmicky and a poor and slightly exploitive model that preys on groups who want a good time and will pay an arm and a leg for a food experience, but ultimately not much of a meal- filling up on noodles is not worth $17. Or maybe that's what I'm missing, maybe I don't appreciate the experience. I would go here again if someone pays for me, but I'm not putting down my money to eat some odd combo of noodles, salami, chicken and Thai sauce. Pass.

    (1)

  • Ivette S.

    Hostess needs work! Waitress was great!! Food was good! Cooks need to be more interactive with the customers. It is a fun all you can eat place with amazing sauces to choose from. The Atmosphere is great if you are sitting near the cooking area! The floor layout is strange, someone decided to also add a empty dance floor for night life be the focus instead of the grill. This place needs a serious up date.

    (3)

  • Ali K.

    My beautiful girlfriend had been raving about this place for so long and finally the date came to meet up with some friends visiting from Chicago. I finally wanted to see what all the fuss was about, and yet again the place she chose delivered in spectacular fashion. The crowd was a mix of young and old, also their were some kids there as well, which obviously i didn't mind. There wasn't a whole bunch of them so that's prob why the noise level was reduced. The waitress who served us was very prompt with everything and was very nice checking on us every couple of minutes to see if we were enjoying everything. We started off with a fishbowl, which wasn't the greatest I've ever had but it was very good. (TAVERN IN THE SQUARE SALEM SHOULD TAKE A HINT FROM FIRE AND ICE HOW TO MAKE A FISHBOWL) Then obviously the food format is set up as a buffet and let me tell you, the first time around your prob going to miss a few things so the second time you go up just take it slow and survey all the options. Whatever you can fit into your bowl will be cooked for you. I got two courses worth of food; calamari, chicken tenderloins, a burger, egg noodles, sirloin steak pieces, and a few other things. Plus the sauces they had were amazing and you can sample them all before using them in your food. Then obviously watching the chefs go to work on your food is the best part, seeing the masterpiece you chose, fully cooked before your eyes. The chefs in my opinion were super cool, they joked and talked to me a little bit while they were cooking and my food came out wonderful, well done just the way i liked it. Plus all the TV's in the bar section was a welcome sight b/c of all the NFL action that was on since we went on a Sunday night. I wish they had TV's all over the walls in the dining section though. But this place is reasonably priced and def fun for a group outing. Thanks to my GF once again for bringing me here loved it.

    (5)

  • Ell C.

    Mongolian Pot at Fire and Ice is deeeeelicious here. It's affordable and you choose your ingredients which they will cook on this over-sized looking crepe pan. They usually tell you not to pour the sauce onto your ingredients because it will burn while cooking. I sorta like the charred taste.

    (4)

  • Susan K.

    If you have a lot of time dedicated for dinner and have a stomach big enough for a buffet, come check this place out. The idea is cool that you get to choose your meats, veggies, noodles/pastas, and sauces...and as much as you want. I suggest to pile on as much as you can into the bowl...if possible, get a plate and filled up your food. Then, the cooks are at a central place where they cook your mix. I'll admit, it take a while for your food to get ready if its a busy night. If you're patient or have a lot of time devoted to dinner, its not a big deal. Its a good idea to stay where you are cause if you lose your place in line, you lose you food. I wouldn't recommend this place for someone who's real picky about their food. Sometimes during the cooking process, a little bit of your mix can get mixed with the person's next to yours. Not a big deal for a person who generally loves all kinds of food. If you're a student, I'd suggest coming on Monday nights. If you show your school ID, you get $5 off. So instead of paying $17, you pay $12. Any savings is better than nothing...especially for a student. The atmosphere is dim and could get a little hectic with people walking around getting their foods...typical buffet feel to it. Good for big groups. For the eight of us, we got our seats within 5 minutes...and on a busy holiday night. Not bad. Bought some of my out-of-towner friends to this place and they loved it because it was so different. Don't know if I would come here regularly. Good place to bring out-of-town guests to. Especially if they're hungry boys.

    (3)

  • Joanna M.

    This place is the worst. A couple years ago, I had the worst customer service experience of my life here, and I will never ever go back. We were seated for lunch well before the shift between lunch and dinner prices, and not only did it take more than an hour for our undercooked and cold food to get to us, they saw it fit to charge us the dinner price which is more than twice the lunch price. We talked to the manager, and she told us that we needed to pay the dinner price even though we had been seated long before the shift. Perhaps they have new management/policies now, but this was really lame. I am never going back there. Go to Wagamama. They are nice and great and good.

    (1)

  • Faith N.

    I've been coming to fire & ice for years now, since I was in high school. Sometimes tradition overrules anything else..my girlfriends and I come here for ladies dinners often, knowing that we're not going to have the finest dining experience, but that it's a fun place with good food. We enjoy it... having said that, there is something I've been wondering about this place for a long time. The large grills that are on all day must use up a lot of gas/electricity/etc. I wonder if there is a more energy saving way of dealing with the food preparation and if fire & ice take any environmental initiatives. I'm only saying this because I'm urging all of my favorite spots to look into the Green Restaurant Association's Certification. Pretty good value for your money, and the hot grills are great for warming you up on a cold winter day!

    (3)

  • Lexy K.

    This place is so gross. I didn't know what sort of restaurant this was going in, and only went there because a friend from out of town thought it sounded cool. It was full of groups of fifteen year olds, and just had a dumb atmosphere. It was really hot inside because of the stupid grill, and the music was way too loud. The food wasn't awful tasting. It seemed unsanitary to me, to have to touch all the tongs so many other people have touched, and I got a really bad cold the next morning that lasted a week. Just a yucky, dumb place. I can't understand why anyone would go here.

    (1)

  • Billy K.

    Completely overpriced for mediocre food. The novelty of it all is fun, but it wears off fast.

    (3)

  • A V.

    No, no, no! It 's an overpriced, glorified buffet stand of sorts. This place is noisy and the food is similar to the Mongolian grill station at my college. Well, at least at school I didn't have to pay to listen to a bunch of people go blah blah blah in the background (except for when That Girl spoke in class). I guess if I were a picky little kid, I would like this place since they let you pick out your own ingredients. However, when I'm paying for a dinner nowadays, I prefer a chef to put together a meal with ingredients s/he knows would work well together.

    (1)

  • Geno K.

    Not bad. Not great. Just a fun spot for lunch. Don't go for dinner - it's the same food with a higher price tag... head next door to Border Cafe instead. Their fajitas are cheap and amazing.

    (3)

  • Greer J.

    The qualifier to this review is that I did not order the buffet. However, my quesadilla was cold and hard, the waitress absent and hurried. They set a group of middle age and older folks at a table of high bar stools, then would not put part of the check on a credit card. It was a typical experience of say...a Denny's. Wait, I have gotten much better service at a Denny's. For the price of the food and the level of service, it is not worth a return visit.

    (2)

  • Virginia C.

    trying to catch up on my reviews from last week-\ this is a huge college hang out and monday nights are only 10.00 with a college ID.. i love this place (lots of food), but it takes awhile to get it.. the line is long and they sometimes run out of fish, meats, and vegs, sauce, etc (you get the picture). Trick: Make two plates at once i will always go back again or until my metabolism gives out-

    (3)

  • Jamie F.

    I would never crave for the food here I would never come here on a whim I would never come here with a date or small group I would never come here on any night other than Monday night aka. College Night; $12 all-you-can-eat (used to be $10, hmph) ... yes, I still carry my college ID ;) With that said, I have been here countless times for large group dinners during college years. Cool concept with 3 simple steps: prepare your own food, mix your own sauces, then bring it to the grill to have it stir fried. Yes, the food is so-so but it's much better than the stir-fry at my alma mater's caf! The chefs can sometimes be interactive and entertaining - makes the wait time less boring. Note: might not be a good place for strict vegetarians because the meat from neighbors' food on the grill could potentially bounce into yours, good luck.

    (3)

  • Dee C.

    Our hotel's receptionist sent us here because she has been coming here for 25 years. She must have really bad taste glens. Their food selection is very small, some of the food was not even fresh. Their salmon tasted spoiled, even after it was cooked. Why are they still in business? Why do people come here to torture themselves? This place is not even sanitary with the way they keep and cook their food.

    (1)

  • Corey F.

    [So far, just a review of lunch.] I had long avoided F&I amidst complaints it was too pricey or too gimmicky. And because I was a vegetarian. Well I finally hit the place up for lunch, and I have to say, I'm a fan. The little tagline of "improvisational dining" or "interpretive dining" or whatever may have made me want to retch, but not the food and not the pricing. Still, I think "cafeteria-style hibachi" might be closer to truth. Here the main clarification that would have helped me figure out F&I before I got there: Most people say it's all you can eat, while some folks complain about being charged for an extra bowl of food. Well, they're both right, but it's the best of both worlds: you start with a bowl for $7.95 (which is smallish but can hold a great deal of food if you pile it on right). Then, if that bowl -and- a plate from the included salad bar -and- the rice and tortillas they bring to the table aren't enough to sate you, you can convert the whole thing to endless trips for $3 more. You don't have to decide first, and you can easily get an obscene amount of food for $8. Just to emphasize: you *certainly* don't, as some people made it sound, pay for an all-you-can-eat situation but then get charged for additional trips. That's just crazy talk. It is gimmicky, as evidenced by the fact that they had to give it a kitschy tag. But that gimmick includes endless customization options. Pick your veggies, pick your starches, pick your meats, pick your sauce. Or skip the veggies, because there's a salad bar, and skip the starches, because you get rice and tortillas. That's a honkin' huge pile of meat for $8, and a good variety to choose from. There was a good variety of sauces as well, though the teriyaki I ended up with (thinking I was playing it safe for my first time there) was actually pretty bad. There's also a sandwich/burger option that seems to operate similarly but which I did not investigate. But if the concept of an $11 all-you-can-eat burger bar with all the fixins appeals to you, by all means, ask if that's really how it works. I'll try to remember to ask when I go back and update here.

    (4)

  • Alex S.

    The dining experience at this place was so different that my friends needed to guide me and give me instructions on how to get my food. There's a giant circular stirfry in the middle surrounded by a buffet of raw foods from the organic to the meaty to the replacement-type foods. The buffet is all-you-can-eat but you are limited to one bowl of food per trip. I enjoyed the sirloin steak cuts with all the vegetable goodness I piled on top. The cooks were sufficiently well at keeping customers' dishes separate on the frier, although I am not sure how that would go for people who have strict diets. The food went down well and an awesome way to get my protein, but I kind of wish I had a side item like rice or even potato to accompany it. In a way, what I created felt incomplete, like it needed something more. The hamburger I had for the next trip came out very well and was of a considerable size. The cooks make sure to tenderize the meat and they even warm your bun for you! Could've been nicer with french fries but it was still awesome in itself. Great place for protein-binging.

    (3)

  • Ileana O.

    I was skeptical of eating here because in Chicago I don't really like going to these pick-your-own-ingredient-places... that was until I saw that they also had hamburgers and I was craving one since Bartley's was closed. The only bad thing I would say is I didn't get much direction from the host or the guy who got me a seat. Thankfully I got there at a not-so-busy time and I had the ability to observe and then jump in on the action. I loved it all! My burger was fantastic, I got to put all the toppings I wanted, which were a ton of veggies and huge pieces of portobella mushrooms. Sadly they didn't have any fries but it was OK cause it left room for a second round, I got a mixture of the egg noodles and WOW, they tasted so good with all the veggies. I can't wait to go back! I loved it.

    (5)

  • Stephanie M.

    I've been to all of the area Fire and Ice locations and this is by far the best one. The main cook at the grill has been there for some time now and is very friendly. The food is always fresh and cooked perfectly. This is a great option for vegetarians as well as there are many varieties of veggies and fruits you could have while still having a tasty meal. If you have an allergy or moral objection to having your food cooked on the main grill, the staff will make your food in it's own skillet in the back with no problems. The price is great and this would be a fun spot to eat at before or after a movie in Harvard Square. My only complaints are that it can be loud when it's crowded and the wait staff can be surely but I put it up with it because it's a unique experience.

    (4)

  • Stephen T.

    Food was pretty good! Expensive though! !!! I took my cousin there for lunch and had one beer and it was $40+ tip! To me this is a little pricey for an all you can eat type lunch.

    (3)

  • Jenna G.

    Ordered: Dinner $16.95 Whenever you go to a buffet, you always think that you'll eat a lot and get your money's worth, but most of the time you only get a plate. So is it worth it? Maybe... The place was loud and it takes a while for your food to cook. You can be pretty creative with your dishes, but it can get a bit boring after a while. I'd say that this place is more about the experience than the food. It can be fun for a birthday party or for really really hungry people.

    (2)

  • Brian S.

    Went there for lunch today and for $8 for lunch you can not go possibly wrong. There is a salad bar which is good (not the best I have ever seen, yet good quality and some good options). Then there was the main meal selection. I had: sausage, chicken, and squid over pasta, broccoli, mushrooms, and pea pods. Fun to stand around and mingle while it is cooking. Sauces were good but I wished I tried a spicier question. They even had burgers that looked really good. Going to frequent f&i often.

    (5)

  • Albert Q.

    Came here back in 2005 with a group from Bentley College's Wall Street 101 group. This was bonding time. Essentially, this is your Asian fusion food place. Pile on the goodies, and then bring it to the cooks, who then cook it for you, and then place it on a plate. Come back for more later, eat as much as you want, leave when you like. Honestly very, very satisfying.

    (4)

  • Minda H.

    A good idea gone bad. YES! The idea of picking out your own ingredients sounds specialized. YES! That there are several sauces to use makes it interesting. YES! It's likely that even your picky friends will find something that they are (at least initially) interested in eating. But NO NO NO it doesn't work the way you want it too. First, it's just too expensive for what it is. It's really just a massive salad bar that you can have cooked up for you, sans the lettuce. Second, it takes a long time considering that you have to stand in line, circle style, waiting for your meal to be grilled. And third, the ingredients suffer from massive cheapness. The only item that looked like you might be getting what you pay for were the burgers. I didn't get a chance to see what they looked like after they cooked down (the true test) but the raw patties actually looked appealing, and I'm a vegetarian. But the shrimp and salmon? Semi-thawed bits that immediately brought to mind the discount meat bin at the supermarket. OK and finally for the kicker. It just didn't taste good. I'm a good cook. I know what flavors go together and which do not, and it's just a poor idea to cook EVERYTHING at the same temperature for the same amount of time. That's why no one likes casseroles. And this restaurant serves up individually sized grilled casserole all day long. And don't get me started on what the grill area looked like....

    (1)

  • Meaghan S.

    We ended up here because Border Cafe was having a tough time seating our party of 10 and Fire and Ice could accommodate us sooner. I'd never been here before because chains, buffets and kitschy gimmicks don't really do it for me. (I have however been in this building when it was a Cyber Cafe!) Fire and Ice somehow managed to enhance the low expectations I had for it. It is dingy and cafeteria like. The clientele seemed very suburban and young (not wise to the ways of good food or class), and the food was bland and just boring. There is no question in my mind that my husband and I make better meals every night at home. The alcoholic beverages were week and watery. And as my husband mentioned freaking Cool Whip instead of whipped cream?! To add insult to injury our server was inept and generally nonexistent. He would take orders from half the table and walk away. He brought rice/tortillas to half the table and left the other half starchless. He came over more times to apologize for his shitty service (after a friend complained) than he did to actually take our drink orders or bring us water. This place is a joke. Negative a million stars, Also, as noted in a previous review the bathrooms were atrocious! Two (out of three) clogged poopy toilets. NASTY!

    (1)

  • Tony C.

    I used to come here a lot when i was younger (16-19) with friends, girlfriends, or partys. Fire and Ice is like a teenage hangout with your monthly allowence from taking out the thrash and taking out the dog if you ask me. Recently went and i should of listened to my gut. Food is straight nothing to brag or even write about. Prices are insane for everything. Being older now i wont come back. Not worth the wait, gas, money, and time.

    (2)

  • Julia Z.

    Was my first time to a Mongolian-style grill and I enjoyed it; food was good and fun, my Apple Sour Martini was very tasty, and service was friendly. According to the person I was with it is not nearly as nice as some other Mongolian grills; but if you don't have high expectations this is a pretty fun place for food.

    (3)

  • Dave M.

    Clientele: Obnoxious. (Seriously, there are rules about violating my personal space.) Servers: Kick ass. Food: Meh. The beef was flavorless, and the sauces are heavily unbalanced. Overall: I should have just waited and gone to the one in Tahoe. They do have a $5 off discount for students on monday nights. It didn't account for the obnoxiousness though.

    (3)

  • Katie G.

    If you can imagine it and you see the supplies for it, Fire and Ice can cook it for you. I went here initially when the concept of this restaurant first became trendy. The place was packed (and usually still is!), but the place moves quickly, so seating is not too much of a wait. The selection of meats, veggies, sauces, starchy bases, etc. is very impressive! For a flat rate of $15, you can get yourself as much food as your container will allow you (which, if you are creative, can be quite a bit!). I think watching the cooking process is quite an experience. Yes, it's crowded and everyone is circling around and you get bumped every once in a while, but it's just so cool to be there! It's the atmosphere- everyone is there to have a good time and with that kind of vibe floating around, it's hard not to smile. If you have not yet had the Fire and Ice experience, now is your chance to go- Katie tells you to!

    (4)

  • jonathan u.

    Service was good, food was decent.....the manager staring at us making us uncomfortable because we brought a cake in for my friends birthday was misery. This will be a rant on how much their manager sucks. @!I$#(I know her name but believe that is taking it too far) is a gigantic woman who is a manager at the fire and ice in Harvard square. After our meal we planed on putting candles in a cake for my friend Sheila to surprise her for her birthday. So while she was outside smoking a butt, we lit the candles in preparation of her coming back in. Then the spineless bitch manager yelled at our sever because we did this and didn't even have the guts to say anything directly. She just stared at us like we just kicked her dog and she was ready to attack. I mean that's not the way to be in the service area. I left angry as hell and on principle wont go back. Our food was great, our server was awesome but that bastard of a manger ruined my whole experience! All because she wanted us to buy one of her deserts......

    (1)

  • terrence m.

    I hate this place. Leave it for the teenagers with bland uneducated taste buds to load crap on a plate and heat it up. Not worth spending a night out with this garbage. 1 star cause they served alcohol to help kill the pain of this wasted night.

    (1)

  • Cate K.

    You have to admire it for the genius of the scheme: Get people to pay premium restaurant prices to be their own chef and waitstaff, and sell the laziness off as novelty. If the food weren't so bad and all the sauces so sugary and generic, I'd give them an extra star for just for having balls. If I were the creator of Fire & Ice, I'd forget the restaurant business and found a religion. Now THERE's where the real cash is at!

    (1)

  • pete g.

    Boring, cheap food for which you pay too much to stand and wait and watch dudes fry it. My table got thoroughly crappy service, despite the place being almost empty. Best of all, the desserts are served with Cool Whip (or a generic foodservice knockoff -- it's unclear). Cool Whip. Are they fucking serious?

    (1)

  • Benster G.

    GREAT IDEA, HORRIBLE EXECUTION!! I have been a couple of times, hoping that it will get better, it hasn't and won't. The concept is excellent, the execution is horrible. The choices of food have dwindled over the years, and the quality of cooking isn't all that good. They cook everything well done or raw, especially when you order a burger, there is no in between. The price is decent, if you are hungry, but not if you only plan to go up once or so, to get food. The atmosphere is usually hopping on the weekends especially at night, but at the same time this can be bad as the service can weaken. Considering that the only thing the servers have to do is get drinks, and white rice for the tables (they don't even ask how your food is), I would say this place is sub par for service. They don't allow people to order appetizers at the tables, and there is no alternative to people who don't want to eat so much food. I have been both as a small party of four and a large party of 20 and both times the service was bad, and the food only OK. Not recommended, good for a birthday party....of young teenagers.

    (2)

  • Holly W.

    Everyone goes here once for the novelty. But honestly, the place sucks. I may be biased because I think I've gotten food poisoning both times I've been forced to go here for birthdays, but I just can't recommend this place to even my enemies. The food tastes all the same, no matter what you put in the bowl to stir-fry. It's messy and things touch each other (as someone who doesn't eat red meat and hates onions, this place is a nightmare for me), They take you on an embarrassing "tour" of the food options when you come with someone who makes the mistake of saying they've never been there, as if the concept of putting food you might like into a bowl is just that difficult to understand. Yeah, honestly, it's expensive and I hate this place.

    (2)

  • Skyler J.

    show up with an empty stomach so you can get your moneys worth ... make multiple dishes . Great options to make your meal, pasta, meats, seafoods, vegetables, even burgers! Salad too! Great sauce choices. Fun for a birthday or double date. The guys who work there flirt, and sing, they have fun doing their job and you can tell.

    (4)

  • Leon C.

    This is a great place to go to if you have a group of people who can't decide what kind of food they like and you need a variety. We had a large party with a reservation and they made us wait for everyone before we were allowed in. At least they had a big enough waiting room for us since we were all drenched from the thunderstorm - but I guess they didn't want to give us a large table in case we don't fill. Mind you that place wasn't even that packed. All the food are spread out in an area and you can pick what you want, you're on your own when someone is coughing in that area. Now I had a pretty nice meal because I got the food I wanted and how much sauce I wanted, etc. So if you have no clue on what goes with what - you're pretty much on your own. There is no one there to serve you or help you pick out stuff. The only time our table was waited was for the initial sit down and for drinks.. oh and more drinks. Anyway, after you've gotten your raw food together for them to cook for you, you have to wait on this line for the 2 people at the giant circle grill to cook it for you. It's not too bad because they try to spread everyone's food on the giant circle grill plate so the flavors aren't mixing, but who knows how long that thing was on. The good part is that it was all you can eat and you can pick what you want, the service was not that great, the price is up there - even for a buffet style. So between the wait and the self-cooking, it was ok for what it was.

    (2)

  • Grace S.

    Pros: Choose your own food, choose your sauce (for consistently good results: their teriyaki sauce), watch them cook it, and you're ready to go -- in less than 15 minutes. Oh, and it's $17 for all you can eat! Cons: If you don't want to eat much, $17 ain't cheap. Balance: PROS BOTTOM LINE: Sometimes, I miss New York's restaurants. But frankly, we don't have any place like this in the city -- it's fun, festive, the food is great, and it makes an event out of a dinner-out. I'm a fan.

    (4)

  • Kim P.

    The idea was rather novel at first, a few years back when I first went to Fire and Ice in their Back Bay location I thought it was so cool. Personally, I feel like it kind of lost its novelty, but every now and then I do enjoy taking a trip to go there. I found the Fire and Ice in Harvard Square has a shorter wait then the other locations. Then again, I bet this depends on the time and day that you go. The interior of the place is pretty worn out from age, and the price is definitely expensive. Not a place you want to go to often, but maybe for a special occasion. The atmosphere is definitely geared towards the younger crowd though, so if you're thinking of bringing your grandparents here... it might not be a great idea. The food selection is pretty good considering the different types of things they will cook on the grill for you. I enjoy their seafood selection because the amount of that type of stuff you eat can definitely out range the cost of the buffet. I've heard some stories of people getting sick, but that's the risk you take with dealing with raw food. I'm personally not a huge fan of how all the customer's food is cooked right next to each other because on occasion you'll get some random pieces of food that you clearly did not pick in your dish. In the end, it's still kind of a novelty place to go if you've never been to an "improvisational grill" before. I usually go for lunch because it's only $10 for unlimited food, which isn't too bad at all.

    (3)

  • Ellen C.

    It's okay. I'd rather go somewhere else. I know a lot of people who really like the location though. I find it- a bit uncreative, expensive, and really just too loud to be terribly enjoyable. I find the experience of getting a table to be stressful, and I'd really rather just find a quiet cafe somewhere. This location does prepare the food better than the Boston location, in my opinion, but just really isn't my place if I want to hang out.

    (2)

  • dee a.

    So, I ate at this place with a few friends. We spent a little more than we would have liked to, but it's a reasonable price for buffet style eating. My boyfriend is vegan and I'm a vegetarian.; they do cater to such people, you just have to ask. I really liked the idea of picking exactly what you want and having it cooked for you. I thought their asian/thai style sauces were really good. On the negative, our waitress kind of sucked, but waiters/waitress' really don't serve much of a purpose other than bringing drinks and taking your dirty plates, so they're not too much to complain about.

    (4)

  • Yuri C.

    I like fire and ice. I picked honey garlic for grilling sauce and I couldn't imagine this actually would taste like a real honey and barely garlic flavor. they have nice and fresh salads. i loved salmon. it was in very fresh condition. what else.. oh, good price for lunch. i remember it was like .. $8 . nice place !

    (4)

  • Courtney B.

    I just have to reiterate, I gave this place another try just to try to give them the benefit of the doubt.. The food is mediocre at best but worst of all is the HORRIBLE service. Everytime I go there I am appalled that the waiters and waitresses could be even ruder than they were before. I have so many incidents of bad customer service at Fire and Ice that it is difficult to only choose a few examples to list here. I would skip this pace. Head over to Borders instead which is right up the block.

    (1)

  • Alexandra K.

    I like the idea of an improvisational grill. It's kinda cool! You get to pick what you want, add a sauce, and they grill it up for you! A lot of the other reviews mention your dish not getting the attention it deserves. I can't speak for the dinner crowd, but I can say that its a great place to go for lunch. The lunch there is MUCH cheaper than going for dinner. The place is extremely empty. Chances are, your bowl of goodies is the first to hit the grill of the day and the cook WILL pay good attention to it. Its a great way to eat healthy for lunch and get a good mix of meat and veggies. I'd say without a salad or an expensive drink, you pay at the most $8. The sauces are great, although I'd say that they could use some variety. For someone who doesn't like spicy very much, they don't have many options. Remember - GO at lunch!

    (4)

  • C P.

    There should be an option for no stars. I have been here twice; the first time a friend really wanted to go, and I'd never been, so I said okay. After that experience, I never wanted to go again, then a coworker of my husband planned her birthday dinner here (yes, that says something about her) and I was FORCED to come along. This place is gross. Gross factor #1: Raw meat sitting in buckets (on ice, grant you that) on a salad bar, with tongs all over. Tongs in the raw meat, raw meat juices splashing, who knows where salmonella is lurking. Disgusting. Gross factor #2: Stand next to a zillion pushy people and wait forever for your raw meat and veggies/pasta to be stir-fried on the same grill on which a million other things have been stir-fried that day...with all the tastes of hours of previous dinners mingling with yours as it cooks. Gross factor #3: Cover your stir-fry/pasta with a gross, usually sickly sweet, cornstarchy-thick, high-fructose-corn-syrupy sauce. Blech. Then, after serving your own raw meat, waiting for it to cook, saucing it and bringing it to the table yourself, tip your waiter (who brought you a glass of water and then left, never to be seen again) and pay the ridiculously-high price you are being charged for nasty stir-fry you could have made better, and faster, at home. I don't get the appeal.

    (1)

  • Kana O.

    The first time I went to Fire and Ice was probably about 4 years ago - my husband (then boyfriend) insisted we try this place because he thought it was cool to get to pick your own ingredients and have it cooked right in front of you. Yes, I admit, I like the concept.. But honestly, the food was not great and I told myself never to return. T1 Verdict: 1 star. Well, recently I had a chance to go back because my husband's friend was in town and he really wanted to try this place. T2 Verdict : still a 1 star. First of all, if you don't eat a lot (ie, you can't finish a Cheesecake factory pasta dish) you won't get your moneys worth here. Their ingredients are not fresh and nothing looks appetizing. Despite their mediocre food, there was a good number of people there and I waited in a line to get my food "cooked". Once my food was done, I found it to be overcooked and very very dry. Also, here's what my husband said to me which I think is useful. If you don't usually cook, its hard to put together a good combination of the ingredients they put out. This was probably why I found him wandering around looking clueless even after I sat down with my cooked food (I have to say, this was kind of cute). He said restaurants should serve food that is prepared by chefs, not by him. Point well taken!

    (1)

  • Anna W.

    I used to love this place, but it's lost it luster over the years. The concept is what originally drew me in -- I could pick out the meat, veggies, and sauce for my dish. That was an almost foolproof guarantee that I will like my food, right? Eh, not so much. Even if you can pick the ingredients, you still can't pick how it is cooked. Major props to the guys who work the grill and have to keep everything in check, but that is where everything starts to go downhill. First of all, my meat is always overcooked. To the point where it is tough to chew. Because of how long my meat is sitting on the grill, my veggies and noodles also get charred in the process. Also, did you really just use the same spatula to cook everyone's food? No wonder why my teriyaki sauce tastes like it is mixed with curry sauce -- some person before me had curry as their sauce and I'm sure the person after me has my teriyaki sauce remnants all over their food as well. Also, when it gets REALLY busy and the poor cooks have like 30 things cooking at once, good luck getting your food in a timely manner. I spend about 10 minutes standing for each minute of actual eating. Not a very good ratio IMO. Also, beware of their really big fishbowl/giant margarita glass drinks. It is about 90% ice and as a result, the libation is seriously watered down. However, even the watered-down version will knock you on your ass. So, keep that in mind the next time you think you can drink a whole one by yourself!

    (2)

  • Gina A.

    Came here for a quick dinner with husband and kid. I used to come here as a college student about 8-10 years ago. As a student, I thought the concept was fun (self serve, choose your ingredients and watch them cook it on a huge cooking surface) but today as a working professional who is interested in actual good and decent food, I don't recommend it. We arrived at 5:30pm on Saturday. Hostess told us that we would be seated in a about 5 minutes. When we actually got seated, the place was practically empty so I'm not sure why we weren't seated immediately to begin with... Waitress seemed to hate her job. She was uninterested and inattentive. She was more interested in hanging out by the register at the bar and talking to guys instead. Also, she was more interested in looking at her phone instead of attending to customers. The food is just average, nothing impressive or memorable. The beef sirloin was tough. Ingredients were just average and the sauces were not very flavorful. Since it's in Harvard Sq, there were lots of college kids when we went,. which is expected. I can see it being fun if you are young and looking for a fun place to go eat with friends though. It's not a quite place so may be good to bring the kids since it's not a fancy sit down restaurant. For us, we will not be going back in the future. We would rather spend our $16.95/person somewhere else with better service and food.

    (1)

  • Boogie S.

    There isn't much to be said that hasn't been covered in the last 150 reviews. I just really don't understand why people like this place. Unless you're stoned or just finished a marathon, you aren't going to get your money's worth. Also, hasn't anyone noticed that once you throw the food on the grill, everything tastes the same? The only redeeming quality was the second of two pitchers of sangria we got. The first one was unremarkable. No consistency. Don't go here.

    (2)

  • C O.

    This is one of the worst dining experiences in my life. We've been to the Fire and Ice in Providence, RI and the Fire and Ice in Boston , both of those were great experiences, with no complaints. . Fire and Ice in Harvard Square does not compare. To begin with, the place is cramped around the hibachi grill with less food selections than the other two locations. The salad bar, food selections and sauces are too close to the grill with 75-100 people trying to get at all of this at once. We made reservations at 5:30 for our son's 9th birthday (his choice) and within 15 minutes a party of 50 people and another party of 25 were seated all at the same time, plus all the other patrons already seated and others customers still walking in. It was absolute chaos. We had to wait for clean bowls to be brought out to gather our vegetables, noodles, and meat . My sons were literally pushed out of the way by this party of 75 people trying to get at the bowls, vegetables, and meat all at the same time. I finally gave up after going through the lines once and ended up eating salad. My husband and kids braved it through a second time around. The food we did eat from the hibachi grill was tasty. Kudos to the grill masters They were working their butts off. .At the other two Fire and Grill locations, the cooks are a lot more interactive and show off their knife and culinary skills.These cooks didn't have the time. Our waitress service was slow, leaving dirty plates on our table the entire meal. Never checking back with us to order more drinks. After two hours to get two trips to the Hibachi grill, and not because we eat slow, we finally asked for our bill and asked to speak to a manager. The manager told us, yes they seat parties of 50 and 25 at one time since they are "running a business". When I told her she could have spaced out the seating a bit to able to manage the crowd, she replied, "we know what we're doing". When you know what you're doing, you don't have unhappy customers. Which then made me realize, this wasn't just our one-time bad luck of getting seated at the same time as a large party in a tight restaurant space with poor service. The manager didn't think this was a problem . So not only did we have lousy service and a horrible experience, but a rude manager to finish the meal. We will never visit the Fire and Ice in Harvard Square again. So, we obviously cannot comment on dessert.

    (1)

  • Emmy S.

    This is probably my favorite restaurant ever. It's FANTASTIC. There can't be much (if anything) wrong with a place that offers you almost anything you can think of under one roof. You make all your own dishes out of raw foods (seafood, steak, beef, poultry, you name it), veggies, fruits, pastas, awesome sauces, and they grill it all up for you in front of you. One price for all you can eat, and about $5 off that for Monday College nights. It's fresh, it's amazing, it's a great price (if you can eat your share), and it's 110% customizable. My kind of place. Great for celebrations or dates.

    (5)

  • Jenny C.

    Fire and Ice presents the typical buffet in a very interesting way. One picks all of their own raw food (meat, veggies, etc) and picks their own sauce for their food to be cooked in and watches their food be cooked on a very large, round grill in the center of the room. They also have a great salad bar, with many veggie, topping, and dressing choices. Good for fun, group dinners. The problems with Fire and Ice? It can get very pricey, much more expensive than a regular buffet. The restaurant is also usually very crowded so food can take a very long time to cook (one has to wait in line for a very long time).

    (3)

  • Emily W.

    Not good... My favorite restaurant is a Mongolian bbq place, so this was extremely disappointing. In theory, this should be great. You get a bowl, fill it with meats, pastas, veggies, fruits, etc. of your choice, pick a sauce and watch them cook it. In practice, however, it doesn't work for me. My biggest complaint is that the sauces are pre-made and they taste like they came out of a bottle bought in bulk at Costco. But I also think there is too much variety in the ingredients that the whole places lacks focus and is mediocre, at best. I am being forced to include this statement: My husband said this place deserves 10 stars and that what he got was the best thing he's ever eaten in his entire life. I completely disagree, but there you have it. I'm not changing my rating - he'll just have to become a Yelper and give you the details himself.

    (2)

  • Myra M.

    Great concept, fantastic location, perfect food and service, but please it has been about ten years now, please do a slight make over and make it fresh again. I love the place but it is starting to look old.

    (4)

  • Gregory M.

    More expensive than some of the other Mongolian BBQ. I like it because I do like being able to pick my own food and add the flavors I want. I have been there a few times, and will likely make return visits each time I go to Harvard. I think since I like to cook and have a good sense of the flavors I like, I really like Mongolian BBQ - so perhaps others who can't quite recognize how the sauces and flavors work together would have more anxiety with this place. Of course the value is in question. I suppose you pay for the environment. I have been a lot of places where I overpay for food - this might be one of them, but one I am OK with doing.

    (4)

  • Daniel D.

    I don't know why people are hating on Fire and Ice so much. It's FUN, people! It's FUN! You get to put all of your own ingredients together in whatever combination you want, and then you don't have to do the work of cooking it because they do that for you. Granted, sometimes they'll screw up your order by putting someone else's sauce on your food, and the wait can be considerable if it gets really full, but these are small concerns.. The drinks are fine.

    (3)

  • Aaron D.

    Worst wait ever! Customer service atrocious! We were told a half an hour wait. An hour later, we're still waiting! I didn't even eat I got fed up with the sass of the hostesses and blatant disregard for our wait. Texting don't count as doing your best. Sorry hun

    (1)

  • Gray c.

    I went to Fire and Ice about a month ago with a friend from out of town. I hadn't been in years, but I remembered having a great time and a good meal. That was then... We arrived at 9p, they closed at 10p - from my understanding - 10p is when they closed their doors - nope - at 9:45 we where told to get out "last call" for food - ummm, couldn't they have told us at the door that there was a time limit. By that time at night there were slim pickings - meat/veggies/seafood unappetizing, veggies were wilting. The only positive part of the experience was the guy at the grill - he was quick and proficent

    (1)

  • EJ P.

    Came here with a half-off buywithme offer, which is really the only way to make the insane $17 per meal price worth it. The food itself tastes mediocre and there's a decent selection. However, after returning home, I had a bad reaction to what I'd eaten. I chocked it up to having a sensitive stomach and gave it another try later since we had another coupon, and this time everyone in our party was queasy. Which makes me wonder just how fresh or quality everything really is. For $17 I don't expect to be eating food that makes me feel ill. The seating here is atrocious, and with that comes questionable service that varies wildly with where you sit and who you're served by. Both times I've been here, the greeter attempted to seat us off in some remote, out of reach booth. The first time was in a strange little alleyway that meant that it took us 15-20 minutes to flag down a waitress for anything, since nobody ever came near us. The second time they tried to seat us in a dark corner with one single harsh light bulb, next to the cleaning supplies and exit to the dumpster that smelled like moldy carpet! We asked to be moved obviously (once the waitress meandered by, that is), and the main room with the food they then put us in was great with quick service. Whoever is in charge of the seating assignments is an idiot because both times the restaurant has had maybe 1/2 to 2/3 occupancy. With dozens of people waiting outside for 30+ for tables. In a place they've crammed in as many tables as possible (many just a foot apart from other guests) that doesn't actually require servers to bring out the food, why they don't actually fill the place or put people in spots they can receive service is beyond me.

    (2)

  • Christopher M.

    I remember a time when the line for this place was out the door. I'd show up early so I could get a table before the rush and have a great time. I had great service, some great food, and some fun conversations. Then I went back. Originally, I was really excited because there was no line. That should have told me something, right there. Sadly, I was blinded and deafened by hunger. We were seated promptly, and then forgotten about. The sauce bar was empty. BONE FUCKIN DRY. The meats weren't as diverse as they once were, and the quality of ingredients had gone downhill. On top of that, the grill staff seemed less. . . with it. We actually left to get better food with better service from Sto Two-Fo. . if that tells you anything. All in all the food was bad, the service was lousy, and I had ZERO fun. Sorry Fire and Ice, but. . .you suck.

    (1)

  • Brian H.

    I thought this place was way better than its reviews. A fun gimmick, decent food, full bar with god selection of beer on tap (from $3.95 for 21oz of Pabst to $5.95 for Harpoon IPA; skip the Ice Bowl unless you're a big Blue Curacao fan), something for everybody, good value at $16.95 all you can eat for dinner, and identical twin grill chefs!

    (4)

  • Sophie W.

    I really enjoyed this place! As far as Mongolian goes the selection of proteins, vegetables and various other items was really good. Everything looked really fresh. I also, thought it was cool that you could also have your own burgers or steak and cheese sandwiches grilled or you could make fajitas at your table. I had never seen that at a Mongolian grill before and I thought it was a neat idea. I guess my only complaint is that I wish the sauce selection was a little better, but besides that I really enjoyed this place.

    (4)

  • Joe M.

    This review is really based on the fact that this is where you want to go. Before you go here, you need to realize a few things. 1. The waiters are there to bring you DRINKS only. You'll need to help yourself to food. It's an uncooked buffet. 2. On that subject, it's an uncooked buffet, so after you wait in line for your ingredients, you need to wait to get a spot at the grill and have your food cooked. 3. And I stress this again, it's still a BUFFET. Buffet food is not traditionally good food. The food here is decent, but don't go here expecting anything orgasmic. To sum it up, you're going out to eat at a place where you aren't waited on, the food won't be cooked exactly to your specifications, and the food will be mediocre at best. That being said, this place is actually REALLY GOOD if you're looking more to have a fun, unique time when going out to eat instead of a nice meal. You'll make a few trips, you'll spend half the night waiting while standing, and you'll throw away quite a few mistakes. But it'll be a blast inventing some new dish. Good for groups or a date, whether it's first or fiftieth. It loses a star for weak ass drinks and in the end, it's still a restaurant with busboys only. I can't in good conscience give a restaurant like that 5 stars. Other than that, s'all good baby.

    (4)

  • Josh V.

    An old teacher of mine used to say that "what you find in the middle of the road are yellow lines and dead armadillos." With Fire and Ice, that pretty much sums it up. When I first had it described to me, I immediately thought "MONGOLIAN BARBEQUE!!!!" and couldn't wait to try it. Mongolian barbeque as I remember it is absolutely positively the shit, but I hadn't seen anywhere ever purporting to serve it in America. Then I actually got to Fire and Ice, and found it to be a restaurant that I couldn't really classify. On the one hand, it's clearly influenced by Mongolian barbeque: you gather your ingredients and choose a sauce, and then you have your stuff cooked. But there's where the similarities stop. Instead of the Mongolian grill there's something you take your food to that more closely resembles a large teppan-yaki stove. Also, upon closer inspection the food selection is heavy on one or two different kinds of meat, and lean on vegetables worthy of a stir-fry. Additionally, the sauce selection leaned towards a more Western palate. This isn't to say that the food was bad; it was just not exactly as I'd thought it'd be. Even though there wasn't too much variety in the food, it was tasty and had a decent variety of flavors. If I were to judge Fire and Ice on the food alone I would be giving it a higher rating, especially since it seems to cater to the younger crowd. Unfortunately, the fact that it chooses to try and blend the Mongolian barbeque into its food selection means that when it could be very good as a Mongolian barbeque (which it choose not to do) and it could be a decent traditional restaurant, it achieves neither. Be prepared to wait in long lines, especially on Mondays (more on this later) and if you aren't amused by the antics of the chefs in the center grill then you're going to be bored waiting. Half price Mondays and its all-you-can-eat sort-of-buffet make Fire and Ice extremely popular on Monday nights, in particular with students. Other nights, it's generally still crowded. In the end, a lot of my friends like Fire and Ice, so I still go. Two of my friends' last birthdays have been at Fire and Ice, and if anything it's a great venue for that. But after considering taking my family here, I decided against it: there are much higher quality restaurants in Cambridge far more suitable for taking your folks out. But that said, Fire and Ice is a fun option on a Monday night and it works for a man on a budget like me.

    (3)

  • Shaina S.

    Extra points to this Fire & Ice because it's substantially more pleasant than the downtown location, which is where I usually end up. Even on college night (Monday night) it wasn't all that crowded until a little later in the night. I think the lessened amount of rowdy college kids helped the grillers chill out and this caused them to not burn my noodles. Always a plus. This place is a lot of fun for groups because it's more active and creative than your usual dining experience. I enjoy the self-serve style on occasion (though the flavors can get a little old). There is a ton of variety with meat and a decent amount with the veggies and noodles, but they lack a bit when it comes to putting toppings on my salad. My latest Fire & Ice inspiration is that someday, I'm going to get them to grill me up a quesadilla because they provide tortillas (and rice) on each table.

    (4)

  • .amy E.

    When I was younger, my dad got it into his head that he was going to start making Chinese food, wok and all - without recipes. We'd mix up our combination of spices and sauces and sautee some stuff and combine forces and then...it would be inedible. We would either mess up with the sauce combination, or, worse, pair the sauce with the wrong meat. And that, friends, sums up how easily one can mess up at Fire & Ice. When I was co-teaching a freshmen "pyromaniacs" seminar in school, we'd take our young charges to Fire & Ice for dinner, but that's about the end of my good memories of this place. Well, that, plus stories about ridiculous meat-eating competitions between friends. (I don't know many folks who can fit multiple pounds of meat into their stomachs in one sitting, but the ones who can are honestly among the most interesting. And probably also the most dangerous.) In conclusion: totally expensive and too easy to ruin your meal. But hey, if your friends are jackasses or somebody else is paying for it...

    (2)

  • Cape P.

    Eclectic atmosphere! We enjoyed the variety of choices and being able to create our meals! The staff was attentive. Recommended.

    (4)

  • Sung L.

    If you want large quantity of food, but no expectation on quality, this is the place to go. Other than that, I am not sure it this place has a lot to offer. I will point out few things I have noticed. First, ingredients, sauces, and spices have not changed for many years. I have been to this place few times during the course of six or so years. I have noticed nothing has changed in the menu. For the meat or seafood stuff I understand. However, sauces and spices have not changed. They need to explore other sauces and ingredients. When I went there last time (which was last week), I had to use about 70% of hot sauce on the table since sauces and spices they have does not do much for my taste. Second, the people who does cooking on the grill needs to understand the basics about cooking. When I gave them seafood, veggies, and noodles, I have noticed that seafood and noodles were not cooked enough and I did not touch the noodles. I have seen people giving noodles separately and I understood why. Also, I noticed that they don't mix sauce/spice well with food. I got chunk of sauce in one side and barely seasoned seafood on the other side of my plate after cooking. I would recommend they take some very basic cooking lessons such as frying eggs instead of tossing around shrimps all day. I don't expect world class chef, but at the same time I did not want someone who works at Wendy's works there. Third, wait staff seems to be hard to get hold of. Maybe it was just me, but seems little bit difficult to get their attentions. Overall, I am not sure if I want to go there again any time soon.

    (2)

  • Saehoon L.

    Hopefully the owner reads this. Front reception guy and girl looked like they wanted to burn the place down. A smile goes a long way no? And what's with the hand wave like shoo away gesture to us to wait? At least the waitress Olivia was nice. foods not worth it

    (1)

  • Danny B.

    Pretty unique place and all you can eat for about $17. You pick out your food at different cold bars (meats, veggies, pastas, sauce etc) then bring it to the middle where the chefs cook it all for you on this huge grill. For a city with a ton of craft breweries, I was surprised to see such a small selection on tap. Overall, it's a good place to go if you're with a group of people.

    (3)

  • John M.

    Great place to grub after a long Saturday night! You get what you expect. Not as bad as the reviews say.

    (4)

  • Daniel S.

    Avoid avoid avoid! I've been to Fire and Ice at other locations and they always seemed overwhelmed by the amount of customers but this location has less selection and even worse organization and wait times. We came here thinking it would be a good option for myself as a vegan and my meat eating wife and we were both disappointed. She ended up ordering appetizers from the kitchen while I suffered through the relative tiny selection of vegan options waiting for the party of 150 ahead of us. Last time we ever come here.

    (1)

  • Emily A.

    I really love this place for the food and experience but man I've always had some of the worst service here. Today for example, I swear this guy was just trying to make a few extra bucks. First he brought us a big scorpion bowl when he never specified which size I would like. Wouldn't you assume small if there is just two people at the table? After we asked him about this he completely turned cold on us and never checked up on us again, even when I made eye contact with him multiple times. Super avoident. Then I get charged with an " unlimited plate fee" since when did they start doing that? Isn't it always unlimited? Had to get him to fix the bill yet again because even so, only one of us got multiple servings. I think I'm done trying this location out.

    (2)

  • Di L.

    Meh, you get what you pay for. Fortunately for me, I've only come here for recruitment brunches and free salsa dancing, so I can't complain. That said, I have enough empathy to step into the shoes of a paying customer, and when I do, I am grossly disappointed by F&I. Brunch here is OK. It's AYCE, the "stations" are themed and manned by line cooks with a certain amount of flair, and they serve a wide variety of mediocre food in large quantities. It's essentially a good dormitory cafeteria. I still consider it overpriced, but so are all dormitory cafeterias. You'll get a solid meal here, and that will likely be the extent of your satisfaction. Salsa nights are hot, sticky messes. F&I has had co-op agreements with various dance studios around Cambridge, most recently with Salsa Matei in Central. The deal is, you register online for a free lesson and open dancing afterward. Customer gets in without cover, studio gets more exposure, restaurant fills the floor and more cocktail glasses. Sounds like a win-win-win, right? UNTIL you go to the website and find that you can't register online because, EVEN THOUGH it is BEFORE the sign-up deadline, the guest list is full, and instead of displaying this information on the website and/or providing a wait-list option, they just remove the registration button ONLY, no explanation. UNTIL you get to F&I half an hour after the lesson should have ended to discover that the dance floor has still not been set up because a large party is monopolizing the ballroom and, not only does the manager refuse to kick them out, but you aren't even allowed to wait in the bar/lounge area and have to stand awkwardly between the hostess podium and the door. For 40 more minutes. UNTIL the 30-minute salsa lesson becomes a hurried 10-minute intro to bachata and nobody knows what the deuce is going on because everyone there is a sad hat Cambridge Fancy School lab monkey with little dance experience and even less social grace. Also, their $3 "coat check" is two coat racks next to the stairs. Come on, really? In the future, I'll stick with Havana nights for my dirty dancing.

    (2)

  • Miles H.

    When it comes to places like Fire and Ice, you have to be realistic about what you're getting into. If you want finely seasoned steak aged for nine months, seared over open flames, and drizzled with red wine-laced au jus, you're in the wrong place. But for those occasions when you're seeking little more than a bellyful of cheap, reasonably tasty meat and vegetables, you could do a lot worse than Fire & Ice. The only times I've come here have been for a friend's birthday party and a recovery meal following an extreme marathon weight lifting session. And both times, I stumbled out the door stuffed and satisfied.

    (3)

  • Brie P.

    I am torn with this place. Ive come here for dinner before, and everything was great. I only got the Quesada and enjoyed it very much. Today, went in for brunch, and was beyond disappointed. Watery coffee, eggs Benny not marked with the english muffin too hard to cut with the hollandaise sauce separating and hoarded on top. The omelets were yummy, but we were given too much bacon and flavorless home fries. Went up to make a pancake, with little to no toppings left. The raspberry puree they had was still half frozen and super tart. Not to mention their "morning pastries" look store bought and sad. Suggestions: Learn how to brew the coffee, seriously we live in New England, step it up Have more than two cooks on at once Refill the pancake toppings, maybe even offer them some of the ice cream bar toppings (I'd come for that) Mark things that are in lone standing burners, and pay attention to the amount of time they're in there. Flavor those damn home fries. A lil onion and green peppers could bring them to life! I know I'll probably be back for dinner, but never again for brunch. I feel like I wasted $16 for mediocre brunch. Save yourself the disappointment, go to Tavern In The Square.

    (2)

  • Abby R.

    Eh. This one is definitely not as good as the other location near Copley. If I really needed some Fire and Ice in my life, I'd head there. At the Harvard location, the selection of ingredients and sauces is greatly pared down, the grill is smaller so it takes longer if it's busy and the place has a really weird layout. Bottom line there are many better places to eat in Harvard square, and if you gotta have Fire & Ice the other one is much better. Don't waste your time here.

    (2)

  • Alicia S.

    I have been to the Boston location and it has been my favorite. This place doesn't have a flow like the other one does. The service wasn't that great and she was not friendly at all. She did check up on us but she was honestly annoyed with us it seemed. The food wasn't that great because the chefs kinda sucked. They were rude and not nearly entertaining as the other chefs. They overcooked my food and they were not really nice . The space is cramped. Like you get the bowls in the middle of the food. No one seem to want to help anyone. The sauce station was right near the grill and it was too close to where people where standing waiting for their food.

    (1)

  • Amarys A.

    Great place!!! i love the food and the music. Sangria its the best!! price is ok and i realy had a good time with my friends. Desert are very, very good!!! love it...

    (4)

  • Lauren M.

    I have never been a fan of this place but always end up going for birthdays. I went a few weeks ago for my brother's bday, his girlfriend is a Vegan and they had absolutely no pasta for her to choose from. The 1st time I went up to the grill it took forever and my food ended up way overcooked. The 2nd time I got a burger which was fine but the bacon was in burnt crumbles by the time they put it on the burger. One thing that saved the trip was our waiter who was really nice and gave us 2 free fondue desserts for our troubles. The concept of this place is what entices people to come here, but I would not recommend it based on the food.

    (2)

  • Kelsey G.

    Overpriced and overhyped- this place is NOTHING special. The restaurant itself is grimy and dark. The food is fine, but not as high quality as the cost you pay and the hype you have as you walk in. Of course the concept is awesome, all you can eat food with many meats and sauces.. beyond the issue of poor quality food, another issue I saw multiple times was people taking food from the salad bar and placing it on their raw meat... then putting the tongs back in the salad. There's definitely plenty of contamination all over the place. The other issue is that the service sucks. I guess maybe since the servers don't bring you your food, but they rarely check in and are slow to bring the bill. I have gone for lunch and had to speak to a manager to get my bill and get back to work on time. The lunch deal is enticing, like $10 for a single trip up- but again, the quality of the food is lacking and service is lazy and not prompt enough to be safe for your lunch hour. Just don't go,

    (1)

  • Jeff N.

    I want here for Valentine's Day during the blizzard and I was not expecting great things based on the previous yelp reviews, but I enjoyed my experience in Providence many years ago. I made reservations for 9 PM and arrived a few minutes after due to the parking restrictions in Cambridge. The parking restrictions were due to the snow and not a normal event. My favorite thing about this restaurant is the atmosphere. It is very colorful vibrant and seems like a lot of fun when you are in there. The restaurant is somewhat of a buffet style restaurant, will you choose your ingredients before you bring them up to the grill to be cooked in front of you. The selection of meats and seafood were plentiful, as well as the salad pickings, sandwich station, and toppings for your food. There is also a variety of sauces that your food will be marinated in that you choose at the end of the selection process. The food takes a few minutes to cook but it is done right in front of you while you stand and wait for it. It was relatively quiet when we got there, but in the past it can be a lot of fun while you watch the chefs look like masters of the trade. All of the meats I chose, and the seafood, was cook very good and was very tasty. It is unlimited food here so you can keep going back up as you want. The price is $18 per person for the food. The drinks are made pretty good and our server was excellent, checking on us often and making sure we were happy.

    (4)

  • Nisreen G.

    College nights [ Monday ] at Fire and Ice mean 10$ endless buffets and, at the downtown location, a long line for happy hour priced drinks and never getting seated. At Fire and Ice in Harvard Square, College Nights mean little to no wait and endless room for you and the whole floor to eat happily and merrily. If you're not familiar with Fire and Ice, the restaurant is a buffet where you pick up your raw ingredients ranging from stir fry, burgers, pasta, or salads, and sauces and bring them to a large circular grill where cooks prepare your food in front of you. Heads up, this place is NOT ideal for anyone with food allergies or strict vegan or vegetarians as often your food will touch others while they sit on the grill. But if you enjoy a surprise shrimp or bacon bit here or there, eat on playa, eat on. The best part of the Fire and Ice location in Harvard Square has to be the space. Several different sectioned rooms with tons of seating and an easy manageable flow of foot traffic make it a a much needed improvement to the downtown location.

    (3)

  • Barney B.

    Thursday night...finally a warm Thursday night. Hungry, but so is everyone else. And the students are all still here. Where to take the visiting Mom for a bite to eat?? Somehow we ended up here. Granted this isn't my first F&I experience, but it likely will be my last. Not because of anything bad happening this time - just because it's always been kind of bad. I guess conceptually it's cool, kind of like those hobo clowns at the circus are cool. And like the patchwork coats they wear, this place is kind of a mish mosh of styles, functions, and vibes. And like the circus, the juggling of the food getting fried on the center grill bounces around so much that you will most definitely get a little sampling of something on your plate you weren't quite expecting. A bonus for people with food allergens, huh? (I am not one of them, I'm just sayin.....) No matter what ingredients or sauce you select, everything comes off as greasy - profit margin must be decent, because I couldn't even finish one plate fully. But maybe I am not their target audience - which is good, since this was my last visit.

    (2)

  • R F.

    Fire and Ice is good. I like the Berkely st one better than this, but it's hardly any different. Read that review instead if you want more info...

    (4)

  • Kathleen F.

    So I took the girl I mentor here for her bday since she really wanted to have her bday lunch here. I immediately remembered why I have not been here since my college days when we would have hungover eating competitions (yes, we were gross). The concept is good, but there is barely any decent food to choose from. I was trying to be healthy and go for the fish, veggies, and tofu. The fish looked so UN FRESH. It really grossed me out. There was also not much of a veggie selection. There was some brunch stuff still out and I tried to check that out. Everything looked over cooked and really gross. After my first dish there was nothing else I really wanted, I tried a burger but it was fatty and grossed me out even more. This is definitely a very college-kid experience and is not something that is appetizing at all as an adult. Maybe if they had more fresh and healthy ingredients it would be more appetizing but overall just a disappointing experience. Not worth the $15.95--I could get a much better meal else where for the price, and better service as well.

    (2)

  • Shaye S.

    well the food is not that food, in fact the sauce is either too salty or too spicy.

    (2)

  • Spencer N.

    This place just needs to not happen. I went here with some friends, and honestly, have no intention to go back. While I think the "modern buffet" concept is kinda cool, the rest of it is lacking. The one thing I will say is that they do have a great selection of seafood that I risked eating. Lord knows how long those pieces of squid had been sitting out there but they were tasty. They also had an awesome amount of veggies. So that was nice. I dont really enjoying paying a lot of money to the company of the people I am with and wander around the restaurant, stand for 15min while they cook my food and THEN when finally get back to the table to find the other members of your group have gotten up to get their own food. Its not too relaxing. I would rather go to Todi, the amazing all you can eat seafood and sushi buffet. Its a chain, and better than this place

    (2)

  • Laura W.

    This is possibly my favorite restaurant in the whoooooole world! You fill your bowl with excellent raw meat, veggies, pasta, choose from the delicious sauces, and bring it to the huge circular grill - you can try out as many combinations as you want, and everything I've tried has been awesomely good! The interior is cool looking, too. It's a good atmosphere for eating with you family, friends, bachelorette parties, etc... I've been here so many times (at the Back Bay location, too) and it's always awesome. Escpecially the time our waiter hit on my friend Chris with a foot tall beer glass and his New York accent... Sawce? sawce? sawce? sawce? hehehe.... okay maybe that was only funny to me.

    (5)

  • Adam B.

    I just dont get it. Sure, its all you can eat. But its just stir fry. And OK, you can come up with a hundred different combinations of meat, vegetable, rice or noodle, and sauce. BUT ITS STIR FRY!!!! im pretty sure anyone could cook this stuff at home and it would come out just the same or even better than what they offer. Believe me, i am an avid fan of eating all i can for one set price, but not the same thing over and over and over again. I also don't like the fact, that everything thats cooked is (some times under cooked) on this ginormous grill. what if i have allergies to peas? its like an orgy of all that had been cooked on there before, on your plate. i once picked out chicken, broccoli and a rice mixture and swear i could taste fish and corn...weird. i guess its good to go once and try it. other than that...i just don't get it

    (2)

  • Alvin C.

    IF you don't mind doing some of the work, and a little wait here and there... it's a great place. I love that you can make your own burger, pasta, raps, or any kind of dish.

    (4)

  • Alex L.

    A TON of people made a huge deal about how awesome this place is, how badass all you can eat meat is... Well, I know a little something about badass all you can eat meat and it is most certainly not here. The food is average and it's really hard to eat enough to get your money's worth. The meat quality was low, hell the quality of everything was cheap, only god and the managers know how much food you would have to consume to get your money's worth, and the food isn't all that expensive. I'm a big fan of Mongolian barbecue, but this place is not one I would recommend to anybody, except maybe a homeless guy who found a $20 on the ground.

    (2)

  • Daniel S.

    Four stars for lunch, three for dinner, because the price is double for the same food. I don't think this place is as good as BD's Mongolian Barbecue (which doesn't exist on this coast), but it works okay. I wish the selection would change, but its pretty much constant. If you're not careful you fall into a rut and keep getting the same ingredients every time you go. You take a bowl and fill it with meats and veggies and other tasty bits and fill a little container with sauce then take it to the big circular grill where they fry it up for you. It's fun and you get to let out your inner artist, and then when you screw it up, you can try again. My suggestion: get small portions, take your time, and go back for 3 or 4 bowls! For a special (and painfully filling) treat, get a hamburger (grab the raw ball of beef) and put in a few toppings (onions, mushrooms, peppers?) and get a fun sauce, which they'll put on at the end. it'll taste great. When you go at lunch they bring you chips and salsa, but it's a trap! Don't fill up on them, save room for the good stuff.

    (4)

  • Vanilla P.

    We went for lunch on Saturday, and actually had to wait for 4 tables to be seated in front of us -- On a Saturday! This place would be awesome to visit if you were in a slightly inebriated state, but not so awesome if you were color blind: Lots of primary colors, shapes, light bulbs, metals, etc. Totally '86 Rock and Roll. Our waitress was spunky, and really enjoyed showing us all the different stations inside the restaurant. She brought us our drinks, and sent us on our merry way to collect bowls of raw stuff. Then we went to this big round grill, and watched our raw stuff heat up, become cooked and seasoned, and then dumped onto Fiestaware-esque plates. Back to the table we go, to enjoy our custom made food, as well as the rice and tortillas brought by Spunky Waitress. The food was good, filling, and the process was fun. Not necessarily gourmet, but absolutely edible. I would have given four stars, but no one had restocked the restroom from the night before... No TP, no paper towels, and no soap. That really made me unpleased, and then I remembered how many people use the same tongs to fill their bowls. Some instant hand sanitizer stations might be a great investment...

    (3)

  • Ashley J.

    So last night I was getting my hair cut and one of the hairdressers was going on and on about how she and bunch of friends rented a hummer limo for their "big night in the city" to go to Fire and Ice. I drive pretty far up on the North Shore to see my hairdresser cause she rocks. So I guess "the city" is a big deal to these people. Anyway, point of the story is, this is what you will find. Small town folks who think this place is a big night out. It is a novelty. I hate restaurants that make me serve myself. I hate how once they put my weird combo on the grill it tastes like everything and nothing all at the same time. I hate how everything is all overcooked. So if you are the kind of person who "plans a big night out in the city" I can guarantee you will love it. If you are one of my beloved young urban yelpers, run run run from this abomination.

    (2)

  • Huan z.

    The food is ok, but the deco and idea of have your own bowl of food and sauces is wonderful. It is good if your friends want veges and you want eat chicken, you can all pick your own. only concern is some of their plates are black, I don't know if they burned my food. it's hard to see under that lights. Oval all, it's a nice place I would recommend my friends to try out!

    (4)

  • Nicholas P.

    The best reason to go to Fire & Ice (and the best deal) is to do it for the lunchtime deal. One trip and salad for $8. If you sit at the bar you can walk right in and get in and out in about 30 minutes. Be careful, though. If there is a large school group and only one cook you could be waiting. There's often something for everyone at Fire & Ice. You can always try different flavor combinations and enjoy something different each time. Great for people wish to focus on high protein diets and eat salads.

    (3)

  • David H.

    I'm sure one time or another you've heard of this place. It's a new concept that I hope never takes off anywhere else in the world, because it results in slow service. Basically, they have a large selection of raw foods: uncooked beef patties, meatballs, pasta, chicken, etc. You pick your food and sauce, and bring it to the team of two grill masters. They cook it in front of your eyes on a large circular grill. And this is where the novelty of Fire & Ice comes to a screeching halt. The problem with this concept is that it results in slow, sluggish service. After picking out your food, you have to wait a good 20 minutes until they grill your food. But instead of waiting at your table, talking to your partner or group to pass the time, you'll find yourself standing their like a statue waiting... and waiting... and waiting. Once you get your food, you'll find that it wasn't even worth the wait. There's nothing special about it other than the way you had to wait for it to be prepared. Also, the place gets extremely busy. I ended up eating somewhere else because of the long wait on two separate occasions before I first came here, and it was hardly worth bragging about. Fire & Ice is more of a group of 4-5 people type of place. Don't come with a date or one friend. Also, I'd only come for lunch, since the dinner rush can be hectic.

    (2)

  • Rich O.

    This place seems to have a polarizing effect on people as there appears to be no middle ground. You love it or you hate it. I'm going to be the middle ground. I liked it. I went with someone that loves the place and he walked me through the process. I could have lived with the one bowl/salad lunch (but I didn't know it was an option). My advice would be don't combine ingredients you wouldn't combine at home and go light on the sauce as they can be overpowering. To quote a great football coach, it is what it is and don't try to make it more then it is.

    (3)

  • S D.

    The food is OK, but the atmosphere is equivalent to being in a junior high or even elementary school cafeteria -- children running around screaming, etc. Just awful.

    (1)

  • Andre H.

    The concept of Fire and Ice is good but overrated. I like how you can select your own ingredients when making your own dish and how you can see the cooking process. However the concept falls short because the food is bland, mediocre, uncreative, and boring. All they do is put it on the griddle! I would like to see more technique. Food quality is mediocrity at its best. The meats need seasoning. Taste of the food is based on how well you balance your dish, not on the chefs' cooking abilities. As for the chefs, the concept of Fire and Ice weakens the chef's role in the restaurant. Restaurants make money because of their food, which is based on the chef's cooking abilities. In Fire and Ice, I can't see their vision, cooking style, technique, or creativity. Although a seventeen dollar dinner is fairly cheap, I would rather spend double that in other better restaurants that Harvard Square has to offer.

    (2)

  • Bill B.

    Near as I can tell, the variety of foods from which to choose seems to vary depending on the day and time you arrive. If you go for lunch on a Tuesday afternoon, the wait time will probably be very minimal, but the selection will also be limited. If you go on a Friday night, the wait will be significantly longer, but the overall selection of food will be more bountiful. For those who have never been here, I'll briefly describe how it works. It's a buffet, but the food you choose is raw. You choose your food items and plop them into a ceramic bowl. From there, you grab a smaller cup for sauce. Mix and match them if you like and if you want more than one cup for your sauce, by all means grab two. From there, you place your bowl and your sauce cup on a curved counter that faces a very large, round grill. The grillers take your bowl and lay the ingredients out in front of them in a straight line and they start chopping and flipping with two fairly large, metal spatulas. On a busy evening, you could have upwards of 25 people hanging out at their spot on the curved counter as they watch their food being grilled. You don't need to stay standing to watch your food being cooked, but a lot of people seem to prefer doing that as I think that's one of the perks of eating there as it's somewhat of a spectator sport. For food selection on a good night, they'll have salmon, calamari, shrimp, and catfish; maybe one or two other types of fish that, for the time-being, I'm drawing a blank on. They'll also have tender strips of beef, turkey, and chicken; not to mention chopped andouille sausage, noodles, chopped red-skinned potatoes, broccoli, onions, chopped black olives, watercress, baby corn, carrot slices, and a few other options. You can also get burgers, salads, and they even have steamed white rice, warm tortillas, chili and other soups from which to choose, as well as ice cream and other desserts. Again, on a good night, they'll have a substantial selection from which to choose. And don't worry if you happen to plop raw fish and/or raw chicken on top of your veggies. They cook everything right there on the grill and they do so thoroughly, so it's perfectly healthy. The waitstaff has, by and large, been quite friendly and attentive, but it CAN get busy in there and when it IS busy, it feels not unlike commuting on the T during rush hour, so it can get a little cramped. More often times than not, I'll go between the lunch and dinner rush, so it's more relaxing. They also have a full bar, but I'm not much for drinking. I just write that to let the drinkers among you know. The price is good if you're going there for lunch, but the dinner buffet's a bit pricey. Great food... but pricey. Overall, I have great things to say about this place. Haven't really had a bad experience there. If their weekday lunch options were as bountiful as their Friday night and weekend options, they'd have gotten five stars from me.

    (4)

  • Andrea D.

    Really underwhelming. Good for kids, exciting for a little while but the food doesn't taste or make you feel good.. If you have any other options I'd go elsewhere

    (2)

  • Françoise L.

    Great food. Love being able to customize my meal and it turned out delicious and healthy.

    (5)

  • Ronald M.

    I walked into fire and ice expecting a four course meal. Unfortunately I could only eat 3. I also didn't expect to have to prepare my own meal! I am not a chef that is why I came to fire and ice...come to think of it tuere was no fire nor any ice. I WILL NEVER EAT HERE AGAIN. If wanted to cook myself I would do it at home!

    (1)

  • Joanna Y.

    I've only been to Fire & Ice during the weeknights for dinner. Each experience has been positive. I personally enjoy the concept of experimenting with different styles of food and getting creative with the variety that is available. Not sure if other have come to this restaurant with the same sentiment. The staff is extremely friendly. It is a low key atmosphere that I enjoy on weeknights. I didn't give 5 stars because there were some ingredients that weren't refilled as quickly as I would have liked or just wasn't available. I was trying to make fish tacos that they advertised on their menu (they made it look delicious), but they did not have corn (which was shown on the menu) and the lime wedges were never refilled. My favorite sauce is the Mango Garlic Mojo .

    (4)

  • Michelle A.

    Went in F&I for drinks only to get out of the crazy fair happening in the Square. Sat/stood by the door where it kind of bottlenecks due to the not so great set up of the bar and the tables across from the bar. Were told more than once by a somewhat perturbed young looking manager type fellow not to block the aisle. Well it's not really an aisle. It's the space between the bar and the tables and it's way too narrow for the size of the restaurant. I can only imagine how bad it must get on the weekends. But we were there on a Sunday afternoon and only the bar was open so take it easy young man and maybe look into widening the area instead of blaming us for the issue. People like standing by or near the bar. Fact.

    (3)

  • Jake B.

    Definitely not the bet restaurant I've been to in Boston. The food is halfway decent, but for Hibachi the presentation was lacking. And was quite overpriced. There were throngs of young college kids, definitely stay away if you're drinking age or older. The waitstaff was pretty inattentive. But very friendly when they were around. I would avoid this place if possible. There are better restaurants well within walking distance. And it definitely is on the low end of the food chain for the back bay.

    (2)

  • Julia M.

    At Fire & Ice, the quality of your meal truly depends upon you, for it is up to you to determine which meats, veggies, pasta, & sauce to pair. After filling up a bowl with your selected ingredients, you head on over to the grill, where your food is cooked & topped off with a sauce of your selection. At around $17 per person, it is a bit pricey, but it is all-you-can-eat. A few tips: -This place can get rather crowded on Friday & Saturday nights, so I recommend making a reservation (you can do it online) if you plan on stopping by during either of those times. -Try one of the spicy sauces; they pair better with the stir fry than some of the milder sauces.

    (3)

  • Juliana P.

    This place makes me wish that I could eat more. The experience is always really fun and if you're creative with your cooking, all you can eat can't be beat. I only deducted a star because it can get CRAZY here on weekends--lonngggg wait, tons of people being a little pushy to get their ingredients and get to a grill. Definitely a good deal for a big group of people that want all different food.

    (4)

  • Kim T.

    I don't know if I just hit this place at an off time but my experience was severely unimpressive. I went with my husband and family for lunch and the place was empty. Clue one to maybe we should have gone somewhere else. But we stayed and got their buffet. This place can't seem to decide what it wants to be. Is it a Mongolian grill? Is it pizza? Is it Italian pasta? It doesn't know. It had items on the bar for Asian food but it also had stuff like linguine and alfredo sauce that you could cook on the grill. I didn't get it. And the thing is, whatever they had just wasn't that great. They had a nice variety of raw meats you could add to your plate to have cooked for you but there was something there that just smelled off. Maybe it was the turkey but it had a spoiled meat smell to it. Thankfully, no one in our group got sick though. Likely thanks to the guy manning the grill who cooked the life out of everything. When you finish assembling your plate, you take it to the grill and the guy cooks it for you. But he cooks it completely dry. He literally just throws the stuff on the grill and waits for the meat to cook. At the end, he throws whatever sauce you chose on top of it. So it was unsurprisingly bland. As for the sauces, I don't know if it was supposed to taste that way but the hibachi sauce was sour like vinegar. And not even remotely in a good way. They had a honey ginger that was better but all in all, nothing was that great. With so much good food available in Cambridge and Boston, I won't be going back to this place again. On the plus side, our server was nice and attentive.

    (1)

  • Daniel J.

    This place seems to sell itself on the gimmick of watching your food be prepared on a Korean BBQ style grill, but the cost is excessive, far exceeding what you would pay for an entree at a place most would consider higher quality. Worse, the challenge of selecting and mixing foods, along with flavoring sauces, is left to the consumer. I guess if you go here a lot you may become an "expert" in their sauces and know exactly what to do, but for any first-timers or few-timers, it will be a relative crap shoot. The schtick of this place to me seems to be "choose some arbitrary ingredients and a cup full of overpowering sauces, and we'll mix it up into something that is hot and heavily flavored." Not a place for subtle palates or, really, economically minded eating. To their credit they cater to vegetarians, vegans, and other dietary restrictions, but you will have to ask for the specifics about some of the prepared ingredients (e.g. fried rice is available but it is not vegetarian, and not labeled). Also, they do the honor of preparing special diet food in a separate skillet in the back kitchen, but of course that means it just takes longer and you have to be the schmuck who asks for special treatment. Overall not a great place for special diets in my humble opinion.

    (1)

  • Deanna R.

    I went here with a group a friends a few days ago. It was during lunch time so it wasn't very busy. The food was great but the service sucked. The waiter really only had to worry about drinks and our bill...both of these took him forever. We waited at least 30 minutes just to get our bill. By this time there were a few other people in there but not enough to warrant a 30 min wait to pay. If you're looking for good food at a good price I definitely recommend it. If you're looking for great service then go elsewhere.

    (3)

  • David T.

    Low cost, all you can eat Mongolian BBQ. buffet. The concept is interesting, but the food and service are not as good as they could be. It's also not the cleanest place in the world, as you load a bowl of raw stuff up from the buffet for them to cook for you. Some people inevitably mix raw stuff with non-cooked stuff by mistake. I have been here a few times over the years, maybe I am just getting older, but it seems to get worse each time.

    (2)

  • Court S.

    So after coming here on Wednesday night I have to knock off some stars. My cousin and I ordered alcoholic strawberry lemonade's of which we tasted zero alcohol. I'm a lightweight drinker and couldn't taste not even a drop. The food was still good, but the restaurant had a faint odor of must. It smelled as if the floor was mopped with dirty water. I smelled it everywhere. It really made me nauseas. There were also tiny gnats flying around and the next morning my cousin told me that she felt super sick with and upset stomach. I guess we'll be going to the Fire & Ice in Boston from now on.

    (2)

  • Skye G.

    Mr G and I went to the Fire and Ice with the kids in the fall and I had my fill then so I was so so about going for our office holiday lunch. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see so many vegan sauces to pick from. There were quite a few more then the other place which made things so much easier. I stocked up on the veggies and picked my sauces and waited in the line. They ran out of vegan cards but not many have their meals cooked in the kitchen. They cooked it separately and brought it out hot. It wasn't greasy like my last experience with too much oil. I experimented with the veggies and sauces and was full in no time. Other than getting a parking ticket, yes I paid at the meter, all went ok. We took the entire back row and had apps brought as well. In and out with a big group - this place works

    (4)

  • Travis B.

    We took our daughter and friends there for her birthday once and enjoyed the time. The kind of place you walk out of feeling like you're going to burst, but also the sort of experience you can do with maybe every other year or so. Service was fine, not that hard to get too, parking (paid) across the street.

    (4)

  • Rose L.

    Like their other locations, u pick out what u want & have he folks cook it for u. Selection is slightly diff from the providence location but they do what they can in the space provided. It's def a smaller area to go thru the selection options. Service can b a miss there but they're nice & try their best.

    (3)

  • Kevin D.

    Food was awesome, the chefs were awesome, this place has awesome food. They also offer a college discount on a certain day. the amount of combinations you can make are endless. P.S Also make a reservation before coming here, because the wait can be quite long if you don't!

    (4)

  • Sarah B.

    The food and service were amazing. However, the beer selection was sub par. Along with the overall cleanliness of the restaurant and keep up of the paint, general upkeep, and bathrooms etc. Overall an enjoyable evening!

    (3)

  • Pam C.

    Fire and Ice has a special place in my heart - they seem to embody everything I love about restaurants. Namely, it's all you can eat and I have immense choice in what goes into my food. I'm a huge huge huge fan of Mongolian barbeque. Having eaten so much Mongolian BBQ back in California, I can say that Fire and Ice is pretty horrible Mongolian barbeque. Fire and Ice does try (note I said try) to make up the lack of quality with quantity - they also have a burger bar, a salad bar, and an ice cream sundae bar. They also have soups, tortillas, and rice for your stir fry creation! They usually have an acceptable selection of pastas and noodles, as well as a good selection of veggies, sausages and meat. Their meats are definitely not high quality, and some of them come straight from the freezer, still frozen. They do have a burger bar, which is quite cool and means that you can assemble your own burger as well as noodles (and the bacon is surprisingly delicious). The chefs in the giant grill are pretty hit and miss - some of the are alright, and some of them are pretty horrible and will burn everything. Also, they changed a lot of their sauces - they used to have a lot more tangier, Asian inspired sauces but now it seems like the big focus is on pasta sauces, which is disappointing. This is really NOT a place to go if you have any kind of severe allergies - they cook everything on the large grill that doesn't get cleaned too often, and more often than not, there's significant mixing of food. Fire and Ice really is pretty grungy - service is bad, the restaurant is pretty dirty, and food is of questionable cleanliness and quality. BUT that doesn't mean that I don't love Fire and Ice. I don't know why I keep going back but I do, to mix all of the sauces together and create fun, tangy new combos. Monday is college night for college students!

    (3)

  • Barbara A.

    I get the appeal ... for a college student but this place just does not appeal to me. My son went here with his Chemistry class a few months back and he raved about it. So he trekked me out there for this gastronomic experience. I came, I saw, I conquered ... but I don't think I will be back. It was average but just don't get why standing and watching your food being cooked is fun or interesting. I did, however, like the salad bar but not enough to go back. I "hear" the Boston location is better but I won't be rushing out to try it.

    (2)

  • Kavya S.

    People are too critical of this restaurant. Sure, it's not the cleanest, and yes, it might be a little bit awkward to wait around the grill for your food, but all in all, I really enjoy going to Fire and Ice. I am a huge noodles fan and thus the opportunity to create my own noodle dish is very appealing to me! Try the spicier sauces and get the udon noodles. If you want a dining experience that is a little out of the ordinary, Fire and Ice is your place. It's not the best spot in Harvard Square, but it's interesting and tailored to your flavor and food preferences.

    (3)

  • Dwayne A.

    I visit here frequently when out of town family comes because it's all-you-can-eat. Good food and good bamg for your buck. Service is fine and atmosphere is cool. I'm always glad i have the option of mixing up my food amd getting exactly what i want.

    (4)

  • Ben M.

    Oh boy, Fire and Ice...Well eating at this place is essentially like taking acid and going to Chuck E Cheese except while flailing around in the ball pit someone tells you discreetly that your entire family just died in a fiery plane crash. You want to leave so you can cry but you feel like if you don't finish the meal the overly friendly wait staff will turn on you. I'd rather plead guilty to a murder I didn't commit than go back here. On a side note my waiter was great but it was really hard to properly talk shit about this restaurant as he was so attentive. If you're a server reading this just know I love you and it's all going to be okay.

    (1)

  • Kelsey M.

    We waited for about 40-50 minutes for food, which was eventually mixed unintentionally with everyone elses food on the grill. I got a weird combination of udon noodles, steak, marinara, teriyaki, bacon, half cooked shrimp, and one of every veggie they offer. Only the udon, teriyaki, and steak were mine. YUCK. I didn't bother to go up again. The drinks could really have saved this place, but they were literally watered down, I had two drinks and I'm wondering if there was alcohol in them at all. On the plus side, I didn't need a cab home? We felt ripped off to the highest degree. I'd give zero stars if I could. But I'll attribute the one star to the fact that I didn't get food poisoning and the staff was very friendly. Oh, and since they are one of the only places in the area that accommodates huge parties, expect to be surrounded by obnoxious teenagers and screaming children. And if you're there on a weekend night, expect them to run out of half the food by 9:30, and for the employees to start closing procedures around 10. (ie, get out at least two hours before closing time if you want the full "experience"..whatever it may be)

    (1)

  • Joie S.

    I'm used to the Fire and Ice in Providence and this one is much smaller and cozy. There is a parking lot right across the street which is pretty expensive so look for street parking if you can. The food selection is much smaller than other Fire and Ice's since their space is so much smaller but it was still pretty delicious. I'm a rewards member so they had sent me a coupon for a free appetizer and a free dessert. We had the motzarella sticks and the fire and ice fondue, both were delicious! Service was a little slow considering we were the only people in there on a Sunday at around noon but they were all super friendly. Price for brunch is totally reasonable considering all of the options you have and the location is great, there are so many other great things to see and do in Harvard Square.

    (4)

  • Ryan G.

    Fire and Ice has a great atmosphere and business model. However, this location did not impress me. The overall seating area is lacking. We felt like we were in a basement - which we were. The food and service is great though. The cooks do their job well, are friendly, and quick. The food islands were well maintained and clean. My only wish is that there was more variety. The last time I visited I felt there were more meat and fish choices.

    (3)

  • Logan S.

    Meh... We were hoping that it would be nicer. The Harvard squ. place is getting long in the tooth and a bit grungy. We were seated and a pretty bad booth in the back between a huge party and a smaller party of what appeared to be biker types. We found the food OK-the tenderloin was flavorful and tender , but the waiter was overworked and subsequently very rushed, and the drinks were not fabulous. The flow of what to do is not apparent so it took a while for us to get oriented. There seemed to be a disconnect between what the menu suggested and what was put out and what the cooks expected. So, maybe the newer ones are nicer, but we were underwhelmed.

    (3)

  • Ali S.

    Full disclosure: I'm not really a fan of the Mongolian grill type of restaurant. But, this place is still not worth it. The sauces taste like marinades because they are so overpowering and sodium laden. The vegetables will not cook the way you want and the meat is super bland. As for the burgers (didn't try), the grillmaster spent a good 3 minutes smashing every bit of moisture out of the patty while it was being grilled. It was painful to watch even though it wasn't my burger.

    (1)

  • Mirta S.

    This is probably the best place in Harvard square to bring a large group of people. Everyone gets to eat whatever they like, kids have fun going for seconds and thirds of something other than what they initially got, nobody ever gets bored with the food and the atmosphere is generally really friendly. Waiters are always really nice and helpful in choosing the good combinations. I like that they recently decided to put together a couple of menus for people who are going for the first time, as some of my family members weren't sure where they could start. However, the menus helped them feel comfortable around the food, and the teenage boys we brought were overjoyed by the idea of making their own burgers with any toppings they wanted. Overall, everyone had a lot of fun and left full of good food.

    (5)

  • Corey L.

    Went here on a Friday night with some Haitian friends to what seemed to be a Haitian dance party night. It was really fun - quite enjoyed the music. I was only of maybe 3 non-Haitians, but that was cool. I can hold my own on the dance floor. BAM! Anyway, there was a $15 cover, which was way too high and I wouldn't pay it again. But I went with my friend, so that's how it was. I guess it's b/c Harvard Square has such crappy options for dancing, but I don't like paying so much for a cover unless there's a band playing or something. The drinks were expensive, but quite generous. Getting intoxicated was NOT an issue. That's about it. I'm going to sleep now.

    (3)

  • Julie P.

    I don't want to be too critical of a place that is as cheap as Fire and Ice for a meal- but honestly it was the cleanliness of the tables and menus that caused apprehension in a place that provides the customer with bowls of raw ingredients to assemble unsupervised. It made me wonder how they are able to keep the food clean if they couldn't keep the tables and menus clean. It could be this particular location- I haven't been to others in a long time. That said- I was happy with the meal I concocted and the side soups were a nice addition ( slightly salty but ok). And our teenagers loved the endless cups of soda that they could get.

    (2)

  • Ellen H.

    I went back and forth between three and four stars here, but because of the service at the bar I settled on four. I always seem to round up, but I do think the staff here earned the additional star. Came with an Opentable reservation for 8:30pm on a Friday night. Showed up at 8 and got a lukewarm greeting from the host a few minutes after we were standing there waiting to be acknowledged. To be fair, he seemed busy, but still... We went downstairs to sit at the bar and the two bartenders (one girl one guy, didn't get names) were great! I like to find out what the person making my drink would make for themselves (who knows it better than they do, right?!) and they each had a good option for me after asking me what I like and don't like. It's a little fuzzy now (which means it was damn good), but I think I got a pinktini on the rocks. Times five. Actually, it might have been six.. I'm getting ahead of myself. Back to dinner. We are seated in the dining room after a short wait and we get started on our dinner. The reason for the potential three stars is really because of the inconsistencies in offerings. I understand that the food is all fresh so there can't be the same things all the time, but in this particular location, there are sometimes MANY things and sometimes VERY few things (like, VERY VERY few). This was a very few night. Not only were there not many options, they weren't refilled quickly. Despite the above, me and my date each got pretty much what we wanted, and it was smooth sailing from there on out. The chefs at the Mongolian grill are efficient and know what they are doing. Our waitress was extremely friendly, attentive, and sweet. After dinner we actually moved back to the bar until last call and we were served a half-dozen rounds of consistently well-made drinks at good prices. I really like Fire and Ice -- I'm a fan of tapas when I go out, so I like being able to make a lot of small plates and try different flavors and combinations.

    (4)

  • Sungeeta A.

    Either I had really low standards in college, or this place has gone quite downhill. My guess is it's a little of both. First of all, the area where you pick your food is a zoo! And not laid out in any order that makes sense or flows well. Then you wait for the server to grill the food in front of you, which may be novel but just feels like unnecessary work. The food itself is decent but not worth all of the hassle. Also, our table was so sticky our plates stuck to it! And don't even get me started on the disaster that was the bathroom... I will definitely not be back here. I think Flat Top Grill has a much better model where you go through one line and then leave your food at the grill with a stick that has your name and table number on it. You can then wait in peace for your food to come.

    (2)

  • Jay A.

    Fire and Ice is an interesting mixture between buffet and mongolian style bbq. You gather a bowl of your favorite raw meat (yum) and veggies, and you proceed to wait in a circular line around the large grill. They have space for large parties and I suppose it is a convenient place for a gathering where dietary restrictions are not known for every individual. So those are some positives! In terms of actual food intake, I will say not ideal. The strangely unclean environment just makes me assume that the food is also unclean? It's certainly irrational, but continues to bother me as I try to consume my hopefully cooked chicken.

    (1)

  • Bethany R.

    My boyfriend and I LOVE fire and ice in Boston, so for Valentine's day we decided to try the Cambridge location. BIG MISTAKE. We had reservations, but people who didn't were seated before us. We were seated behind a party of 20 students who decided to leave their bags blocking every direction towards the grill. We asked to move, and were very rudely told there were no seats available - the restaurant was basically empty. I went to the manager and we finally got moved. Our waiter was AWESOME, he was the only good thing about our night. We finally got the the grill, the cooks didn't know what they were doing, they squeezed all the juice out of my boyfriend's burger, my chicken was raw in the middle (don't know how you mess that up?) then we had to fight the backpacks to get back to our table. I won't go back, worst Valentine's day idea. The only reason this got two stars was the normal fire and ice prices (1 star), and the waiter who tried so hard to make our night better (1 star). I will be staying at the Boston location from now on!

    (2)

  • Jayna B.

    This place is just fun. If you love buffets and watching people cook your food, you will love Fire and Ice. Brunch here is delicious- you get a bowl and choose whatever you want for either eggs, pancakes, french toast or stir-fry. Then you give that bowl to the chef and voila! your food is made for you, while you watch. The drinks are strong and they also have yummy pastries and bagels, yogurt, granola and fruit for those of you who are into that. Coffee was just ok. I love coming here and always do whenever I am in town. Great place to bring out of towners because there really isn't anything like this that I have ever seen.

    (4)

  • Karen X.

    One of my favorite places to go in the Square and one of my favorite places to bring friends who come from out of town. They have really fun drinks if you are over 21 - I'm a fan of the Red Lava. If you go on Friday or Saturday nights, be prepared to wait a long time to be seated and to get food though because it can get very crowded. The food is not going to be the most mind-bogglingly good food you've ever had, but it's overall a fun experience!

    (4)

  • Marc M.

    This is my second time eating here... first time was a few years ago. Still as cool as it was the first time... I'm surprised that it only has 2.5 stars... can probably be attributed to the fact that Harvard is directly across the street... just sayin'

    (5)

  • Jen M.

    I do enjoy a good meal at Fire and Ice! I have been to this location about 4 times and I have never had a bad experience. The quality of the food is so delicious after it has been grilled, and there are so many options of delicious food to choose from. It can be a bit pricey, but it's a nice place to be with a group of friends.

    (3)

  • Bruce M.

    I love this place. Chefs are great, atmosphere is noisy but it's to be expected. Great selection of food.

    (5)

  • Annie C.

    If you have a big party don't count on making a reservation guaranteeing you a table on time. 30 minutes later, still waiting.

    (1)

  • Vicky H.

    i've been here a few times already but never written a review so i will base this solely on the last time I was here which was recently. I made a reservation and was seated almost immediately while a couple of groups waited. We were seated adjacent to the room where they teach Salsa at night. It was pretty loud in here but overall, my friend and I were still able to talk and hear each other. We went to get our food and brought it to the center to get it cooked. I mixed the spice up because i don't particularly care for one over another. As I was giving it to the cook, he placed it and spreads it outwards. I told him I didn't want them too well done since they were mostly veggies and seafood. Nothing worse than overcooked shrimp. When it was time for the sauce to be added, I told him to add an equal part in water. He was like *huh?* I told him to fill the cup with water after he put the sauce on the food. He did and mixed it in. The food tasted ok. It's not a bad price if you eat steak and seafood, otherwise, it's way over priced. I did like mine because it wasn't salty like previous times. Getting better at different food combinations. This time, they gave us rice and also wraps. Not bad except both my friend and I do not eat either. We didn't want to fill our tummy with carbs that we don't need :) Lastly, our waitress was very slow. She walked passed by us several times and didn't even look or asked if we wanted water refilled. We finally had to stop her just to get water. The bill also took awhile to get here. and took awhile to cash out. We were there for over 2 hours and most of that we were just waiting around. I gave it 3 stars because of the variety of food you get to choose from.

    (3)

  • Kathleen K.

    This location should probably be closed and renovated at a minimum. I can't image this place could pass a health inspection. I was dripped on from above while standing in the line to create my meal...um yuck! Trust me, you don't want to look up in this place! The raw food items were immediately mixed together after the first few patrons clamored over each other to get at the items they wanted. And the room we were seated in smelled like a sewer. Not surprising that the stench was originating from the restrooms adjacent to our table. And least surprising of all...I got nauseous on the ride home and was later vomiting up my meal for the next few hours. Another location may be your best bet. Sorry!

    (1)

  • Katy M.

    People RAVE about this chain so I'd thought I'd give it a try....and I was really underwhelmed. I got rice noodles, chicken, veggies, and hoisin sauce and it was good, but something I could've made at home at the same quality. The lunch special is a good deal, thoughl: 7.99 for entree, soup, and salad. The service was very friendly. It's a a good concept, but the actual quality of the food makes it nothing special in my opinion.

    (2)

  • Celeste B.

    Went to this great innovative restaurant with a friend who recently moved to the area. The idea of a buffet is not new but the fact that you create your own meal from scratch is. I loved the idea that you could mix raw ingredients to create your meal the way that you want it exactly down to the seasoning. The crowd was mixed but mostly college aged students from the immediate area. The service was prompt and very good. I really had no complaints other then the fact that those with allergies or food preferences should beware about eating here because everyones food is cooked on the same grill (fish, meat, etc.)

    (5)

  • Maria D.

    I am probably Fire and Ice's biggest fan. I try and always get the same thing, and I have only been disappointed twice (the first time I went and the most recent time I went). The first time I went, the service was subpar - they took forever to get our drink orders and gave us the check before we could ask for dessert. The most recent time, they ran out of honey garlic sauce. I told the waitress, so that I could try and get some more-- but was grossly disappointed when she spotted me and said, "Sorry, we just don't have any..." I am a very picky eater, so it's important that my meals are consistent -- and sometimes, they're just not. Also, I've been with one other person and with up to 9 other people, and we only ever get ONE bowl of rice. Is it possible to get any more stingy? At the very least, they could have rice as part of the buffet like they have it at the Boston location. Also, only two tortillas for an entire table of 8.... and I don't blame the restaurant, but when one selfish person takes the tortillas and the sour cream, someone's got to get blamed. Ahem. (Yes, I'm talking to you-- in a party of eight, you can't claim it for yourself!) Too pricey for what they give you. The Boston location is noisier, but they seem to get the buffet concept better than they do in Harvard Square.

    (3)

  • Jane C.

    Not sure why people are so negative about this place...then again, haven't been to the other location so maybe standards aren't as high? It's definitely not Harvard square's best, but a fun place to dine out with friends. Only downside is that it's a little pricey for the quality of the food, but the selections are good.

    (4)

  • Naika C.

    I went their like 2 years ago. I stopped going because I always ordered the same thing since they didn't have a large variety. A lot of the stuff they had were like seafood

    (2)

  • Junior T.

    First time I been to Fire and Ice was here, I came with a group of over 25, although that was no problem and the waiter was great, we did wait a while to sit down though, then again it was a large group. There is a large variety of food and drinks and always fun to see the chef cook, in general, this is a great place to attend every now and then, although not a regular place to eat; especially around Harvard Sq.

    (3)

  • Elizabeth H.

    I am a little late in writing a review on the Fire and Ice. I went on 3/16/14 while on a trip to Boston. I enjoyed the concept of this place. It is all you can eat and had ample choices from cereal to omelets. I agree with other Yelpers. The quality of your omelet really depends on the ingredients you choose. If you want to pick something basic it tastes like a basic omelet. The place is also clean and the service is good to excellent. I was having lunch with someone I had not seen in a long time. I really appreciated that the waiter allowed us to sit and chat for almost 3 hours. I never felt like he was pushing to turn the table over. If I had to guess why other Yelpers give Fire and Ice negative reviews is that the quality of food is no better than what you would expect or get from a diner or a cafeteria. The prices do not reflect the quality of food. (It might be a little pricey for what you get.) However the restaurant's ambiance, location and being able to sit comfortable for several hours outweighed the quality of food issue for me. I would go back if I was in the area again.

    (3)

  • Kozichka H.

    This is my favorite restaurant in Harvard Square. I've been going there for 10 years now. I really don't understand all the bad reviews... I've never felt sick after eating their food. But then again, I've never had any of the meat, so I can't judge its quality. I tend to get various kinds of seafood with noodles and vegetables, and that has always been great. I have a favorite combination of sauces, and they make it just perfect. Not too salty, but then again... don't be greedy, you don't have to fill the whole cup! If you drown it in sauce, I can see how that would be salty, but that's kinda your problem... I have loved the food every single time, and go there for my birthday and take out-of-towners there as well. Watching your food be prepared is fun, at least for me, and I love the ability to choose what goes in it. And I like that, as a bonus, they also have salsa dancing on Fridays! It's hard to find salsa around Harvard, unless you go to Central Square, so this has been a good recent addition.

    (5)

  • Alaina P.

    Decent food, average prices. I came here with a friend and we definitely took advantage of getting as many servings as we could eat. We experimented with different combinations and I had a good meal. It definitely wasn't 5 star quality, but I don't have any major complaints.

    (4)

  • Lisa B.

    I originally wrote a really long review, but in the interest of simplicity, I'll pare it down: Fire & Ice has a cool concept, but I think the execution is lacking. Waiting in line was chaotic, our food was bland (and a bit burnt) and our group was overcharged. I'd love to see the stir fry and salad stations spread out a bit more. Adding more veggies would also be a huge plus! Sadly, at $17 per person, I probably won't be back.

    (2)

  • David R.

    This place is kind of like hell -- it's noisy, crowded, underground, and there's lots of fire involved. Hell may or may not be cleaner. I assume the staff in hell is more attentive. On the other hand, it's cheap!

    (1)

  • Alyssa M.

    Such a cool place! So many options! Fun to watch the couples dancing in the room while you eat.

    (4)

  • Subs N.

    I called into the restaurant today from NH - Friday, 10-17-2014 at 7:30pm. The phone was answered by someone named Kathy and she said the Salsa classes are cancelled today and there is NO salsa classes tomorrow 10-18-2014. On the Website and in boston.com it says Salsa dance begins at 9:30pm. I don't know why would the waiter sabotage the business and avoid the customers. If you have been there this date, Can someone confirm that ?

    (1)

  • Sathasaurus T.

    My first time here. It's pretty interesting, we got a really nice and friendly waitress. The food isn't all that great. I only like seafood and they didn't have much selection on that. There's no mussels, clams, etc. But for 16.99, all you can eat, I would say, it's pretty expensive since I didn't really eat much. Plus the sauce were kind of salty. However, the drinks were awesome. We got the fire bowl, ice bowl, and scorpion bowl and let me tell ya, it's fruity as hell but you better take it easy because it will creep up on you! I would go there again for drinks, I'm not impressed with their food/selections.

    (3)

  • Justina G.

    Most recently we went here for my birthday dinner. Since I have three kids, one of whom has significant food allergies, this is a great option for us. We made reservations noting the allergy concerns and that we'd need two high chairs. When we arrived, everything was set up and the high chairs were wiped down especially well. Our waiter knew the routine of saying that the tags on the sauces say whether they're gluten free, vegan, etc. but he looked at me like I had three heads when I asked for more detailed ingredient information. The manager, luckily, knew what I was looking for and was more than accommodating. He understood the possibility of cross contamination between the rice pastas and the wheat ones so he brought out fresh noodles and other possibly-cross-contaminated foods from the back. They cooked everything for my youngest in the kitchen so he wouldn't eat anything made off the shared grill. My oldest had a blast making all the different combinations he wanted and the re-stocking staff and cooks, not just the waiters, were very patient in explaining different things to him. Everything I chose was flavorful and well-cooked; my husband was pleased at well. We don't really drink and didn't order dessert so I can't comment on those parts of the menu, but despite it's failings, Fire and Ice serves our purposes nicely. I would, however, recommend reservations on the busier nights since it does get pretty packed.

    (4)

  • Santosh G.

    This was my first time at Fire + Ice with my and friends family and it was ok. We visited this place on a Sunday night and the place was very much empty. Food selection is good but very limited compared to the Boston location. The food was nicely done and smoking hot. The Veggie burger my friend tried was not great. Service was ok too.

    (3)

  • Adam P.

    I've been here three times and enjoyed each visit. It's not perfect, as others have so willingly noted, but it's fun and they have a pretty nice selection of food to choose from. There's also a ton of different sauces, though my favorite was the spicy szechuan. Meat is always fresh (fish/shrimp is previously frozen) and I've never had an issue with the veggies either. Nice little salad bar, plus a burger station as well. Not my go-to place by any means, but a fun experience and solid enough fare to warrant four stars.

    (4)

  • Emily S.

    I waited a looooong time to try this place but in the end I wasn't impressed. Everyone I talked to said it was the best. I guess I was expecting it to be a little fancier (it's super casual) and I was a little disappointed in the quality of food. I mean the quality isn't BAD but from all the raves I was expecting something more. My old roomate ate here once and didn't feel so great afterwards. Maybe the meat wasn't cooked all the way through? The cocktail I had was mediocre. The variety is great, I'll give them that, but not much else.

    (3)

  • Amy G.

    I can't do buffets. I feel pressure to eat as much as I can (even though the group I was with paid so it was essentially free) which leads inevitably to a feeling of sickness, or I don't stuff myself and feel guilty for wasting the all-you-can-eat aspect of the restaurant. So, this might be more of a "it's not you, it's me" situation, but I did not come away from Fire and Ice with a great impression. The first round, I got steak, shrimp, broccoli, roasted eggplant, and vermicelli noodles. I think that a major problem of the cooking process here is that everything is indiscriminately cooked for the same amount of time. They try to move meat to the inside of the grill and veggies/carbs to the outer edges where it's not as hot, but I think that dishes could be significantly upgraded if they thought about separating types of ingredients. For example, the eggplant they have at the veggie bar is already cooked, so it definitely does not need to be on the grill for as long as a thick slice of tenderloin. Needless to say, I consumed a lot of burnt vegetables throughout the night. Tip: they place white rice and tortillas on your table while you're out at the grill! Had I known this I would not have gotten noodles and just stuck to a stir-fry to eat with rice. I did this for the second round with tilapia, tofu, squash, mushrooms, more shrimp, more broccoli, and more eggplant. I got this second round simply due to the aforementioned pressure of the buffet experience and sadly could not finish the food. And wasting food breaks my heart. The staff is nice--the waitresses clearly explained the process of loading a bowl with raw food and a little cup with sauce and the men at the grill smile at you and make sure your sauce is going on the correct strip of food--but the bottom line of dining reviews is the food, and delicious flavors are not guaranteed when individuals are given free reign to concoct strange combinations of ingredients that will be blindly stir-fried together under a single layer of overpowering sauce.

    (2)

  • Jane S.

    Fire + Ice is an all-you-can-eat grill in which you grab a bowl and fill it with items from the "marketplace," a display of fresh meats, seafood, pastas, exotic and domestic vegetables as well as a broad choice of internationally influenced sauces. The vegetable section had summer squash, potatoes, carrots, brocoli, roasted eggplants (my personal favorite!), mushroom, bell peppers, and baby corns. The vegetables were pretty fresh in general, but it was sometimes messy because people would overfill their bowls and the vegetables fall out. The fresh meats section was a heaven for carnivores, featuring everything from sausage, turkey, chicken, and beef to all sorts of seafood. Andouillie sausage, turkey tenderloin, and chicken tenderloin at the bottom, and tofu (mindful of vegetarians!), sweet Italian sausage,and cajun pork on top. I don't know how I feel about having all these different meats grilled together. The seafood section had haddock, salmon that had odd, non-salmon color, tilapia, shrimp, and squid. I personally don't like fish with other vegetables or meat...Fish is best when grilled by itself. The grill wouldn't be complete with some carb! The noodle section had rice noodle, udon noodle, bowtie and curly pasta, and egg noodle. Lots of variety so you never get bored. The Marketplace also featured a salad bar with sufficient toppings (cucumber, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, olives, etc) for a decent salad. Since I eat at a school cafeteria with salad bar that is always available, my footsteps didn't necessarily lead me to this section. You can also make burgers, either regular hamburgers or veggie burgers. These are toppings you could ask to be grilled, ranging from bacon, mushroom, and onions to spam (ew) and meatballs (weird). Once you fill the bowl with all the ingredients, you go to the sauce section and fill that blue bowl with whatever combination of sauces you would like. There are also tiny sample cups. The variety of sauces were incredibly! The taste of your dish totally changes depending on which sauce you put in. There were marinara, alfredo, sweet and sour, carribean jerk, pineapple curry, szechwan, BBQ, fruit sauce, just to name a few. Now that you have everything--the bowl full of ingredients and sauce--you gather around the 25' round grill located right in the middle of the dining room. Part of the entertainment is watching the grill chefs work their magic, firing up your creations right in front of your eyes. I had eggplants, cauliflower, bell pepper, baby corns, water chestnuts, and a few pieces of top sirloin with udon noodle. Like the name of the restaurant suggests, I could taste the fire (er..the grill) in the ingredients. I liked the slightly burnt parts from the grill, especially the udon noodle because it tasted crispy. I added some salt and pepper because the seasoning was bit lacking. Perhaps I put a little too less sauce? I chose the pineapple curry and fruit sauce for this dish, and it was a poor choice because both sauces were too sweet. For the second round, I opted for egg noodles, squash, egg plants, and tofu with sweet chili and BBQ. I liked the choice of sauce much better because it had a little bit of Zing from the spicyness of the chili, together with the sweetness from the BBQ sauce. I still sprinkled salt & pepper and hot sauce for extra seasoning. The beauty of Fire & Ice is that you can create and customize your own dish to fit your taste and preference. It's definitely exciting to be the chef of your own food at a restaurant. Sure, you may not be doing the actual cooking, but you are picking out all the ingredients and the sauces to create a dish of your own. For dessert, we decided to share chocolate fondue with fresh fruits, pound cake, and marshmallow. The presentation of the dish was not the most appealing. Dipping the pound cake into the chocolate. The pound cake was really dry, but the milk chocolate (even for someone who doesn't like chocolate) was really good! It's probably really cheap milk chocolate though.

    (2)

  • Matt S.

    It's a pretty typical "pick it yourself" kind of meal. As everyone states, you choose your own raw food and a sauce and they cook it for you. I would disagree with everyone saying $17 is pricey for all you can eat considering the area your in though, just know you get what you pay for; you definitely aren't getting kobe beef. Plus, why would you have high expectations for an all you can eat place anyway? It's not bad if you just want to get a lot of food for cheap, then head out and enjoy the area. The only big complaint I had was that the waitress was rude. She was pretty dismissive and while I didn't care my girlfriend did. It won't keep us from going back but a little better customer service would be nice.

    (3)

  • Ignacio B.

    "Cheap" is the only good adjetive this place has. Dirty, full of teens, ... Should I continue? With the large variety of good places you have in Boston don't waste your time, money and patiente going there.

    (1)

  • Mark A.

    I am so disappointed in Fire & Ice... I haven't been there in ages, and made brunch reservations for Mother's Day, thinking it'd be "something different". Showed up, was told we couldn't be seated till our entire party was there. We were waiting on one more person, still wouldn't seat us. I HATE restaurants with asinine policies like that. As we're waiting, a party of 63, no exaggeration... 63 patrons comes in with a reservation. If you've ever been to F&I before, I'm sure you'd agree that no one would want to be seated at the same time as a group of 63, as you're all fighting for the same grill-space. Not being seated with our incomplete party worked out for us, I can't believe they'd accept reservations at the same time as a party with 60+ guests, ludicrous.

    (1)

  • Dan P.

    Well, it's "fun" I guess, if you think that not seeing your dining companions is fun. The food is poorly cooked, not surprising since for a proper stir-fry, the ingredients should be added to the mix depending on cooking time; these guys just put everything on the grill at once. The burgers have all the juiciness squeezed out of them. The sound is deafening, and the place smells like a restroom (exhaust fan, anyone??). To their credit, if you have an allergy, they will take your food to a separate griddle in the kitchen.

    (1)

  • J B.

    I've been going here for a few years and I love the food and the service. I also like the fact that you can choose how you want your food. I always get a fun and energetic waiter so no problems there. All of the food I got from here has always been cooked thoroughly. On weekends, they may have salsa night or other fun activities. Friday and Saturday nights are the busiest.

    (5)

  • Sarah G.

    I don't understand why people have given this place such a bad rep. I mean sure, if I was paying more than $11 which you do if you come here at dinner, and if it was really super crowded which I hear it is often and you had to wait in line forever and they ran out of all of the toppings, etc., then ya I guess I could see it. BUT my experience at lunch today was pretty good. You can make reservations before you come which is good because they can get very busy even at lunch on the weekends, mainly because it is $11 for all you can eat. You get to walk around this Chuck E Cheese painted kind of place which I've been told hosts salsa classes and nights event, and you grab a bowl and then choose whatever you want from all of the different veggies, meat including chicken, steak, pork, sausage, calamari and salmon and tilapia, and then you take all of that to the grill station with your choice of sauce and they grill it up for you. Pretty good idea if you ask me, especially if you are with picky eaters :-) They also have a full salad bar and a burger station as well, and you can go back as many times as you want. Oh and in case the all you can eat isn't enough, they bring you tortillas and rice to your table too ha So if you can ignore the really bright fun times colors inside, and as long as you aren't there when there is a mob, it is a pretty good place to get full for the day for not too much money.

    (3)

  • Kristen K.

    Fire and ice represents itself as a "fun, family restaurant" but it's far from the truth. My husband, daughter, and I took a nice stroll to Harvard square with the plan to have dinner there this evening. Upon arrival we were met by a young Hispanic girl who immediately told us "carriages aren't allowed" and that we must "put the kid in a high chair". We hesitantly agreed but requested we keep the carriage with us as it had things we needed for our daughter underneathe. She told us we had to leave it with her. After a puzzled look she told us to wait a minute that she needed to speak with the manager Andreas. She returned moments later and then brought us down to the back of the restaurant to a secluded area behind a large pole when plenty of tables were available next to the grill. We saw another family with a young child and their stroller. My husband asked "is this where you dump all of your families" to which she laughed. We told her we were leaving and planned to eat elsewhere to which she laughed and replied. "Ok" with a smile. Awful service. Shame on them!

    (1)

  • Allen J.

    If you are a strict vegetarian, vegan, or have specific food no-nos, Fire and Ice is not the place for you. Because everything is cooked on one giant stove by a pair of old-looking twins, food constantly gets mixed together. Everyone can expect to find pieces of food from their neighbor's bowl. Overall, the food is ok. It's typically quite crowded, so it can get loud. The sauce can be quite "heavy" in flavor. Don't feel obliged to fill the little cup with sauce. Also, you can request to have cheese added on top of your food or burger. Also, keep an eye on your food, because they will always ask which set is yours while they are cooking. If you don't know, they'll add the wrong sauce to your food, or they'll add your sauce to the wrong food.

    (3)

  • Tina W.

    Full disclosure: my husband loves this restaurant, wanted to go for his birthday dinner, and got stuffed. All that said, this is my review, and we care about different things in a restaurant. I almost slipped in a puddle of water TWICE as I walked around (different spots). ALL of the bowls were chipped up around the top edges, and most were also visibly dirty (actual bits of stuff in them, stacked there by the meat tables...) The women's bathroom was horrible - chipped up toilet seats, funky smell, lots of graffiti everywhere. I was grossed out by the piles of raw meat sitting out on ice everywhere. It is just not something I find appealing at all, especially in the dirty seeming place :/ I put a bunch of vegetables in the cleanest bowl I could find (which still had water in it) and took them up. When I got them back, the broccoli was still raw. I just really don't get the appeal, at all. The only two things that I was into at all were that, 1, I asked someone if they had black olives and they actually went in the back and found me some even though there hadn't been any out, and 2, the bacon near the burger bar is seriously thick and delicious. Neither of those things warrants a return trip.

    (1)

  • Stef S.

    Honestly the only thing keeping me from giving this place a 1 star is the fact that the waiter was nice and there's nothing particularly horrible about this place. (I reserve my one stars for places that shouldn't exist. Period.) The food was pretty bad though. And for a $16+ buffet, you don't get much selection. The sauces are limited, and the ingredients you can essentially stir fry are basic: spinach, bell pepper, mushroom, corn, etc. etc. A few varieties of meat, of which the sirloin steak is the best. I would NOT come back here just because everything tastes the same. They cook everyone' s dishes on the exact same heated plate. they use the same spatulas for everything. The sauces are pretty horrendous and weird tasting. Fajita sauce with a soy sauce base? Sour tasting Thai red curry that probably has no coconut milk in it? WEIRD! Lastly, because everything's cooked together, some things are overcooked while others are undercooked. Bleh. Overpriced. The desserts aren't any better, so save your money. You could probably make something better, even if you can't cook. I can see how this is fun for a college-aged crowd of friends, because everyone can "pick" what they want, but I'd save your money. There is nothing good about this place, and I'm not even sure how this is a sustainable restaurant in the area. It's just not good! At. All. Also, this would be a horrible date place. As a girl, I'd totally judge you for lack of better judgment or creativity. It's not "gourmet" or "quality" food as other reviews would suggest.

    (2)

  • K. Brooke Z.

    This place reminds me of apple picking. Let me explain my reasoning. At an apple orchard, you pay someone else for the opportunity to harvest the apples for yourself. Sure they put some prep work in beforehand, but you are still going out and collecting your bounty. Its not a bad experience, in fact its quite novel the first time or two. Fire and Ice? Novel the first time. You (over)pay to go up and create a big meal for yourself. Sure, someone else does the actual stir-frying...but you have to wait around and such. Its pretty good, but I know I would have enjoyed it just as much had I ordered it and had it come to my table. The main appeal of fire and ice different, but I don't think it warrants the price unless you are filling up your stirfry bowl with all sirloin steak. If you have picky eaters in your group...sure give it a go. Personally, I would rather pay for a chefs creation and craft rather than my own lack of expertise in plate making.

    (2)

  • David W.

    The concept is just like that of Mongolian BBQ but it's a lot of fun going with people who've never experienced it before. It's a buffet, so you really get to eat your heart out. Two stars just cause this place is SUPER dead and boring if you come for lunch. I came for my birthday lunch and it was so lame...the place was dead.... If you come, come at night! The cooks are a lot more energetic then. At lunch, they just look bored and miserable.

    (2)

  • Shayna C.

    There's nothing I love more than a waitress that barely visits your table, and finding out you can't use a coupon because a few other people in your party used a coupon. Food was good. Rest of my experience was pretty irritating.

    (2)

  • Hayley M.

    I should love this place. I really should. I loved the Southport Grille in Chicago (which is Fire and Ice but a little more Asian), and in theory all-you-can-eat meat, veggies, and pasta should be amaaaazing, but this location has a lot that's wrong with it. It has committed a cardinal sin (in my eyes): disorganization. It's so crowded and the layout isn't conducive to that. The line to get food extends all the way around the restaurant, and blocks the salad bar. It takes about 20 minutes to get to the grill and then when you walk back to your table, you have to walk through a crowd at the bar. Just not a great layout for a restaurant where you're forced to walk around. The service was fine, although if it's someone's birthday, they don't include anything except a candle in a dessert you pay for, and only one waiter will sing and embarrass your friend. I was always worried that I would spill on one of the million people running around the restaurant - or worse, one of them would spill on me. Just not a stress-free dining situation. Also, since all the food is cooked next to every other order, expect to get someone else's food on your plate. This non-pork eater was thrilled to get huge chunks of bacon in my meal. Oh wait, no I wasn't.

    (2)

  • Greg N.

    I'm not wasting any time criticizing the whole Fire and Ice experience. Getting mad at this place because it's a Mongolian grill is like going to a farm and then getting upset because it smells like animals. While this place is uber-kitschy, it's sorta fun in its own messed up sorta way. The chaos of this place makes it quite fun, and for the amount of food you get (it's all you can eat), it's a killer deal. OK, onto the bad. I'm only giving this place three stars because this place needs a serious update. The only thing I kept thinking about while eating dinner was how tired the interior of this place is. A coat of paint, some new flooring, anything.... it's all just worn out. Almost every plate and bowl I had was heavily chipped. Tangentially related, because this place needs and update, it also felt really dirty here. I felt like nothing was really all that clean. I dunno. It was fun... I'd go back if asked, but I'm not rushing back any time soon.

    (3)

  • Shendi X.

    Monday karaoke was filled with high schoolers and college folk - not the most ideal scene, but fairly fun nonetheless. Ripe for shenanigans.

    (2)

  • Chris M.

    I went maybe three years ago so take this review with a grain of salt. My now-wife and I went to the Harvard Square (so tempted to say "HAHVAHD" instead of "HAR-vurd") with a handful of friends for dinner in winter. (Walking around afterwards was a blast too, memories~) We went in and I was initially confused by the format, as I hadn't been to many buffets in my life (I know, weird right?), but the idea is you pick your protein (meat, fish, poultry, et al.), veggies and sauces and bring them to a central circular grill that cooks saute/stir-fry your ingredients on and you take them back to your table to eat by themselves, or with rice, beans or tortillas for burritos, or as a burger). They also function as a sports bar, but that wasn't important for us. I seem to remember a good cocktail list. The waitress was also prompt and accurate with our drinks/side dishes. The price ($17) wasn't bad for what is all-you-can-eat, an entertaining atmosphere, and a very good location. I'd give Fire and Ice four or maybe even five stars if my memory was more current.

    (3)

  • Heidi L.

    The bf wanted to come here for lunch before we went to the Harvard Museum of Natural History. He remembered coming before and loving it. It is a Mongolian grill style restaurant. The place was divided into different stations. There was a station for noodles/pasta and veggie, a station for meats, a station for hamburgers and fixings, a station for salad and salad dressing, a station for extra salad ingredients (such as corn, cheeses, ham, etc.), and lastly a station for sauces. You visit the different stations and fill up a bowl. There was a limit of 1 bowl per visit to the grill. It seemed as if the grill master knew his way around the grill. I was impressed with the way he organized his grill and was aware of when different bowls were done. I would have to say the food was just okay. Even though they had a wide variety of meats, I did not like most of them, the beef was too tough, the calamari was too chewy, the mussels had too much of a fishy taste, and the pork was too spicy and dry. My favorite ended up being udon noodles with veggies, fish, sausage, and honey garlic sauce mixed with teriyaki sauce. The buffet was only $11, so no complaints about the price, especially since the bf paid (he can be a sweetie at times). Service was excellent.

    (3)

  • Katie C.

    WORST EXPERIENCE EVER! And we go out....a lot! This is the first time I've ever walked out of a place, and thought "I can't wait to get home and write a Yelp review." That was truly my first thought. The short of it is: Lines are crazy long. Like 20 + minutes to get the food, to bring to the grill and wait another 10 for the food to cook. We decided not to wait, so we were going to leave some money on the table to cover drinks. My dad felt funny about that, so we told the waiter, and he brought over a $61 check. This was to cover the $9.99 salad only part that we'd eaten. Um no. We said there was no way we were paying that, so the manager knocked $20 off the bill. Fine, but he never even came over to speak to us. We ended up paying $40-then went down the street to have our actual dinner. Bottom line: It was chaotic, dark, dirty, filled with rude staff, and we'll NEVER go back. I'm also not sure that the health department would pass this place-it's so dirty.

    (1)

  • Yancey L.

    How interesting it is to wait around the spectacularly huge grill pan for the BBQ dish you DIYed. All you can eat is always great, and they have a lot of seafood, meat, vegetable choices. I think the only thing I'm not quite satisfied is their sauces. Why they are all sweet ones. But, all in all, that's a great place to have friends over and enjoy a fun night.

    (4)

  • Coco N.

    We were greeted at the door by a really friendly person, which was really the highlight of the night. Everything went downhill from there. We participated in a hyped up salsa lesson taught by "professionals" which are really good dancing but bad teaching. I saw all confused faces around the room and forced people to dance even if they haven't learned the moves yet. They also made us wait for 30 mins because there was a "party" going on. So they were late and their teaching was not good. Icing on the cake!? Left the lesson midway, went to the bar to find no bartender around. I promptly left when the lesson finished (because my friend toughed it out through that nightmare). I left thirsty and disappointed.

    (1)

  • Nic H.

    The atmosphere at this restaurant is just horrible. The food is not bad, but is absolutely not worth the lines, crowds, and generally unclean, dingy environment. I have been here twice (I don't know why I went back the second time) and both times I have had to sit near a large table full of at least 15 tweens who were loud and obnoxious. Loud and obnoxious is basically the environment at this restaurant. I have never had the urge to drop a $20 on the table to cover drinks and just walk out of a restaurant until my second trip to this dump. My party of four had to sit at a table near the sauce station. The extremely slow moving line and traffic from the sauce station basically had our dirty table surrounded by people on both sides. It just isn't pleasant to try and eat with your face sitting at butt-level with a bunch of people who for some reason find the lines and crowds acceptable. On this same trip we decided to leave after having a salad. The line was just horrendous. The salad items are the same items you put in your food -- so I sat about 5 minutes waiting to get to the cucumbers -- which were just five feed down the line from where I was standing. After that wait, and seeing the line grow just to get to the first stage of items to put in our bowls, we decided it wasn't worth the wait. I am not typically picky about food or the atmosphere of restaurants. But I will never go to this place again and I encourage you to not go to this restaurant. If you are a tween going out with 20 of your best seventh grade friends, then have at it. If you are above the age of 18 you will probably not enjoy your time here, especially if it is busy. The layout of the restaurant is just not designed for the kind of crowds that come here on a weekend night. I have been to a number of Mongolian barbeque style restaurants, but none as bad as this. You have to wait in line to get in, wait in line to fill your bowl with food, and then continue to wait in line to get a spot at the grill so somebody can cook it in front of you while you stand around and wait. Please do all of us a favor and don't give this place any more business. They are taking up valuable space in Harvard Square that a more worthy Mongolian Barbeque could better fill

    (1)

  • Clif P.

    I'm surprised by the poor reviews Fire and Ice received from my fellow Yelpers. Although it is a bit hectic/chaotic, the food is good. I really like how I can customize my plates, and it inspires me for when I cook at home.

    (4)

  • Alison K.

    I took my little sister there for a fun lunch which turned out to be no fun at all. We waited about 10 minutes to even be greeted by a hostess that took us over to a table squeezed in the crowded dining area. It took another 10 minutes for a waiter to even acknowledge us. The idea of the place is fun but in reality the food isn't that awesome. The sauces aren't all that great. I don't think I'll be back.

    (2)

  • Meri B.

    The food was good but the service was terrible. It started by waiting almost 10 minutes at the host counter without even an acknowledgement from the host who was on the phone. Our waiter, Paulo then shouted from the bottom of the stairs to come on down. He asked us what we wanted to drink and then we never saw him again. He didn't ask if it was our first time visiting the restaurant or if we needed any explanations on how to go about getting our food, sauces, etc. When we wanted refills on our drinks, I had to literally get up and try to find him as he ignored us the whole time that we were there. Then when he brought the bill, without ever asking us if we wanted any dessert, he had the nerve to stop by 3 times in a very short period of time to pick up the signed receipt. On the 3rd time, he asked if I could finish signing the receipt as he had to close out his shift. After that he was still around for quite a bit longer, so he obviously lied about closing out his shift. If you don't like serving people or interacting with people, you really shouldn't be in the food service industry. My niece was visiting Boston on her spring break and the poor service and experience that we had at Fire and Ice was really disappointing. We felt unwelcome and ignored, which is a pretty crappy way to treat your guests. If you get Paulo as your waiter, don't expect any service at all.

    (2)

  • Kat V.

    It is hard to walk into this place and not compare it to a BD's Mongolian BBQ which is top notch in my book. That being said, it is not that bad. The layout is somewhat strange - but knowing that they are working with a very old and existing structure I am sure they did what they could. The "new room" with the side bar is nice with the high-top tables as seat your-self if/when they are free. Due to the style of food (the all you can eat and open grill, etc) there are A LOT of families and big groups - know that going in. So if you have issues with patience, short/mini humans (my word for kids) and crowds - this is NOT the place for you. You will be waiting in lines, cut in front of, bumped into, etc. Good times. Always remember: Patience is a virtue - Smacking children is a crime (no matter how lame they are being). If you head here for lunch you can get a 1 trip to the salad bar and grill bar for under $10 which is nice - you can stack both plates/bowls as high as you want! A rare find in Harvard Sq. The drinks are typical chain, cheesy drinks. Foo-foo in taste and style, but good. I would not tie one on here, but a drink with dinner is easy and not over priced. If you sign up on their website you get a free birthday meal (buy one meal, get the b-day boy/girl's meal free type of thing). They don't spam mail you either - so seems worth it.

    (3)

  • Meka A.

    I have known this place has existed in Harvard Square, but for some reason it just never makes my normal restaurant list. That being said, I went there for the first time with a Google Offer and was pleasantly surprised. It's exactly what you would expect from a Mongolian BBQ-type place - you pick up your raw food from a buffet, bring it to the grill, someone grills all your stuff, and you end up with a customized stir-fry meal. The whole atmosphere is very no-frills, but it gets the job done and is reasonably priced. Even better, they have a sundae bar where you can order ice cream and then load up on toppings. Yum!

    (3)

  • Ashley L.

    The only good thing about this place was the waitress. She was sweet and attentive, though not mind blowingingly good. I can't believe how crappy the rest of the experience was! My friends and I had reservations for days and were really looking forward to it. But then we are being walked past dirty, empty tables and were brought to a booth shoved in the corner of the back exit, with no light and a sticky table. I kindly asked for a new table and was initially told no, but then I asked again and said we'd be willing to wait. The host went and got another hostess who walked back and said we could but we'd have to wait 30 minutes, despite that fac that were were only a few people in line and SO many tables just dirty and waiting to be bussed. So we got stuck sitting in the darkest corner booth imaginable by an area where they store stuff, just terrible. And the food was awful! Our vegetables weren't cooked because they didn't steam them at all, so thanks for the luke warm pasta and hard broccoli, really worth the money! Just not worth the time, seriously.

    (2)

  • Chris M.

    This place is really hit or miss. To maximize your chance of it being a hit, do the following: - Go for lunch, you get a 1 trip price that is under 10 bucks. - Go early, it was dead, so the buffet was clean, no wait at the grill, etc. The food buffet didn't look messy, or 'mixed'. - Ask for Nick to be your server, he's attentive, quick, and works with you. -Go w/ a small group (4 is the perfect number) so you can talk while you stuff your face Follow these things, and pretty much you'll have a good time. The selection of food is lost on me because i'm picky, but i was able to get spicy chicken and rice, at a fair lunch price, so I am happy. sidenote: 30 mins after we got there a flood of kids showed up, and suddenly i remembered the 'miss' part of the venue.

    (3)

  • Julia C.

    Upon further reflection after being out of college-student-budget mode for about a year, I've made up my mind: Fire+Ice is not actually that great. The steak is tough workout for your jaws, the fish fillets are gross, and the sauces are so boring. The veggies are okay, but really? You'd pay $11 for two bowls of vegetables and some pasta bits? For the amount of money you'd spend here for dinner, which, by the way, got jacked up to 17 bucks per grown-ups and 11 for you college kids, I'd MUCH prefer to go with one of the two-$ restaurants I've earmarked on Yelp. Kids, this place is NOT worth it, unless you're a huge football player with an unending need for cheap protein. If anything, go to happy hour for half-priced food at Grendel's. Just take your money elsewhere. There really is no excuse to eat here.

    (2)

  • Dodge S.

    This place is so great - it's so fun to be able to select your food and then watch it be cooked, to have "all you can eat", great selection of drinks, food tastes wonderful, a lot of fun with friends or groups. If you can't make up your mind where to go out to eat, just go here.

    (5)

  • Sara S.

    Here's how ratings for this place should go: Under 18 years old: 5 stars 18 to 21 years old: 4 stars 21 to 23 years old: 3 stars 23 to 30 years old: 2 stars 30 to 60 years old: 1 star 60 to 70 years old: 2 stars 70 to 80 years old: 3 stars 80 to 100 years of age: 4 stars Over 100 years old: 5 stars And now you know how old I am. Approximately. Unless you think I'm in my 60s......

    (2)

  • Marianne R.

    I actually went to Boston for Labor Day weekend last year and remembered this place as I was planning our next trip back. It was early dinner 5ish and not very busy. We really wanted to try their special Sam Adams brew but they didn't have it. Actually they didn't have any beers really. Our waiter was this older Dominican guy that really didn't seem like the waiter type more of the chilling w/ sandals n socks type. (My man is American/Dominican so I can say that lol) We kept asking for different beers (which they were supposed to have on tap) to which he kept answering they didn't have them. Finally we asked well what do u have? Only 3! Coors light, Sierra Nevada, and Guiness I think (idk something heavier). We chose Sierra Nevada cuz it was right in the middle for all of our palletes. Next thing was the booth, comfortable but broken and if we adjusted ourselves the seat wud slide off. More funny than inconvenient. Next we thought we were seeing double (we had went to the beer garden nearby 1st lol) but apparently the chefs were twins. Took us a while to figure that out! Lol More importantly the food, SLAMMING! Buffet style meets hibachi. So u can go back and try new different ingredients from the sauce, to the noodles, to veggies, to meats, take it up and watch em grill it. It was 5 of us and we absolutely loved it. Prices weren't bad either. With all the lil quirks I wouldn't have changed a thing cuz we thought the food was great! If ur looking for a nicer place w/ more of an ambience then no. But if ur looking for good grub and to make the good time yourselves with friends enjoying your company then hell yes!

    (4)

  • Tessa C.

    I was really impressed when Fire and Ice contacted me about my last review, it showed they have a real interest in customer service! I was offered a free dinner to make up for the experience last time, which I was obviously thrilled about. As usual, I ate way too much and it was delish. If you're looking for a tip, I would say go here with a smaller group, as it can feel a bit overwhelming with large groups.

    (5)

  • Julie C.

    I thought the food was great. They would cook it fast but well done the way I like it. I am definitely going back.

    (5)

  • Heather G.

    We got sat right in front of the air conditioning unit. When I asked if we could move (I had a 10 month old with me), they gave me attitude. (Strike 1...). Then, they gave me a highchair that was missing half the straps so I couldn't even strap my son in. (Strike 2...) I then asked the waitress if we could split the check in 2 and she goes we don't do that here. I asked if we could talk to someone and she said no, we don't do that here. (Strike 3...) yeah I'm done with that place!

    (1)

  • Jessica L.

    If you are looking for a fun environment for stir fry this is the place. If you don't like noise or being around people this place is not for you. They have an assortment of sauces and you can combine whatever you like and watch them neatly fry your dinner on a large circular stove top. The atmosphere is fun and light as you can see from the architecture and design. I haven't figured out the "ice" part of "Fire and Ice" but I enjoyed the food and dining experience. If you haven't gone I'd recommend it, not a place I'd go to regularly but it's one of those "we haven't gone there in a while, let's" sort of restaurants.

    (3)

  • Allie H.

    In the nicest way possible, this place reminds me of my college cafeteria. That is, I have fond memories of the massive Mongolian-style grill, a round flat grill in the center of the room, where chefs would stir-fry any number of ingredients: tofu and sesame oil when I was a vegan; a variety of vegetables and spicy noodles when I was in a different sort of mood. Fire and Ice is kind of like that. For $17, you've the option of a large buffet of ingredients. You fill a bowl with whatever you like: steak, chicken, garlic, beans, shrimp, spinach, tofu, peppers, broccoli, spiced pork, bacon...the list goes on. Fill as separate small bowl with your choice of sauce, from alfredo or marinara to spicy or tangy Asian stir-fry sauces. Bring your ingredients to the grill and wait while the cooks saute everything for you. The first trip, I made the mistake of not knowing what I was after. Some sort of comforting pasta? Beef and broccoli? If you're not the type to make decisions easily, you might be crippled by choices. The first bowl I made, with steak and broccoli in a tangy mushroom sauce was boring. No matter. The next bowl, a chicken-spinach-garlic-alfredo with farfalle pasta was great. I like the idea of this place, especially for families, because you can feasibly make whatever you want (including cooked-to-order burgers). It's not fancy by any means, but it's fun. Be sure to make a reservation.

    (3)

  • Elizabeth G.

    Okay sorry.... this place is WAY too expensive. I grew up near a restaurant like this with the Mongolian grill and you could eat so many bowls of whatever stuff you wanted for only like $11 and it was a nice place.... not dive-y or considered "cheap". This place seems to take itself pretty seriously with the prices and all the limitations on tortillas, rice and what you can get. Come on.... if you're going to charge that much, at least up the selection. Or have some deals or something... Also for some reason they always have a wait. This place is HUGE, especially for Harvard Square but it's always full for some reason. Overpriced, crowded and tacky.

    (1)

  • Carla L.

    Totally packed, yes. Some people didn't get the idea that there are lines, for sure. The creepy waiter hitting on my daughter.. oy. //Mama's shackles rising// The food however was pretty good. I like the concept and really enjoy being able to mix and match what I enjoy to eat? Cannot really go wrong with that. We did enjoy it very much and found the food quite tasty. The plus is that you can wander around and ignore a bad date if you happen to be here on one.

    (3)

  • LeeAnn T.

    I tend to judge restaurants on the quality of the food and normally don't judge based solely on decor. But MAN this place needs an update! It is straight out of some tacky 80's(?) weirdness, and not in a good way. We sat in a room with a strange low ceiling that was kind of gross. The furniture and carpets are really worn. Yuck. The servers were really nice and the guys at the cooking station were mildly pleasant. So I actually like the concept: You get everything you want, put it in a bowl, and it is basically stir fried for you. Of course, that will also lead to some very bad choices since I would guarantee that most people have no idea what to put together. Also, the quality of the food is just so-so. Shrimp were frozen solid (maybe so they don't overcook on the grill?) and the sauces were only OK most of the time. I had a coupon so it was OKish, but I would NEVER pay full price here. EVER. Really, it was not good.

    (2)

  • Jill F.

    My normal roommate wants to say this: Please, SAVE ALL INNOCENT WOMEN who think they should go dancing here with this review. Normally, I would never even be PAID to eat at Fire and Ice, I mean, I could be starving and I would really rather die. But, My psychotic roommate, just back from Rio, insisted we go here for Forró dancing. She also strategically convinced me that it was the only establishment in the Boston area with this type of Brazilian dancing, so of course, to our naive minds, true Brazilians must go! Right? Right?!.... No. For $10 dollars (Lets not even go there), it was as if a Boston party bus (with the lasers and disco ball) exploded with Jersey Shore cast members into the strange brightly colored basement of F&I for their raunchy high school prom. (Did I mention you could be under-age and come here?!) After standing for a little bit, getting two more gin and tonics, (God help me) accepting that the night had just begun....we waited. And I mean waited.....tick......tock.......for someone to dance with us......still waiting, I contemplated, I have never had this experience before. It was so....weird. But let me tell you, for once, in my whole long old life, my roommate and I, usually the interesting, fun and danceable girls in the bar/club. Were not, by any means, attractive OR interesting to these people. It was a rare bread. They wanted booty pops, raunchy headband size skirts and puffed up Lindsay Lohan lips all complete with an Ed Hardy t-shirt. So, being not complete losers (or maybe we still were) we sucked it up and asked two pre-pubescent boys in white tank tops with gold chains to dance with us. No Jive. No groove. I couldn't connect with the boy half my size. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME?! It was a strange night. It's kind of funny now to remember it. But not funny at the time. AT. ALL. But don't worry, I got my jam back....I need someone who is crazy enough to handle me. Somehow...even though WE were the "normal" ones...these boys just weren't crazy enough for us. Go back home boys, your mommy is waiting.

    (1)

  • Sara R.

    AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL. We had a reservation and the hostess was SO RUDE. Acted like we were inconveniencing her by requesting our table. We were seated late without so much as an acknowledgment. The grill was completely disorganized and slow. Terrible experience.

    (1)

  • Theresa K.

    I took my husband and 3 kids (older) with us. We had made reservations at 7:00. I was told if I was not there within 15 minutes of the reservation it would be cancelled. Well we were there but we didn't get seated until almost 7:30! They did ask about allergies, however, I still found someone else's shrimp in my plate. It was dark and filthy and crowded. I have heard that the Boston location is better than the Cambridge location but I still don't know if I would ever give it another try. It gave me the creeps. We all had pieces of other people's meals in our meals. Not a good way to spend a lot of money! I also just received my bank statement and the waitress put someone else's tab on my credit card which the manager just told me they would take care of - so beware. Theresa V.

    (1)

  • Jeremiah C.

    Service at Fire and Ice is terrible. I'm not even sure why they bother paying waiters or why I feel obligated to tip at all. They bring drinks, forget about you, and stop by to collect payment. I dislike the premise. Previously, you could grab your bowl of food, place it at the counter with your table number and return to your table. Now, you must stand with your bowl and wait and wait and wait, separated from your dinner party until your food is cooked. No food is good without company.

    (2)

  • Al A.

    Horrible! How is this place still in business?

    (1)

  • Amanda L.

    I don't care what people say about Fire & Ice because I HEART IT SO MUCH. I mostly go to the one in Back Bay and I absolutely LOVE the cooks. They always put on a great show for everyone especially when your standing there with 80 other people waiting for your food. They make everyone sing to you for your birthday (have done it to my mom and had it done to me). They are amazing The food is not the absolute best but they have great selection. And they cook it in the back if you have food allergies or a phobia of having your food touch other people's food. Brunch is AMAZING here. Pancakes the size of hubcabs. Omlettes filled to the brim with goodies. French toast everything you could ever want for breakfast. I heart Fire & Ice no matter what people say

    (5)

  • Melody H.

    Well... Its... A grill in front of you/buffet. If you aren't very good at picking out what should be put in your food you definitely don't belong in this restaurant. Great place to go though if you are EXTREMELY hungry and you don't know what you really want. As in, you are bored of eating the same things over and over again and you just wanna throw something together completely random that you never can get anywhere else. I only went here once so I didn't get to try out everything. Would I come back? Yes. With lots of friends. And if I wasn't sure of what to eat and I was really hungry. Note to newcomers : So the way the place works is that you pick the ingredients up yourself and toss it into a bowl.. grab a sauce and then go to the center grill to hand it to a chef who just grills up your stuff on the huge metal slab. Tadah! Thats basically the jist of the place. Your waitress is just there to bring drinks and from my experience, she/he doesn't come around too often.

    (3)

  • Rozina K.

    Its hard for me to rate this place because I was "I can eat my own hand" hungry when we got there. So three stars it is. They have a variety of ingredients that you can put together with various sauces to create your own meal. The cooks then cook it on a large grill in the center of the restaurant. The food was mediocre at best (and I don't think I'm all that bad of a cook) and god forbid you get stuck in a long line, it takes forever to get your food cooked. So average at best. Honestly, this wouldn't be my first choice to eat out, mostly because my feeling is that if I'm paying for a meal, I shouldn't have to cook it myself. Had it not been for my bf liking this place, I'm not sure I would have gone.

    (3)

  • Molly S.

    Fire and Ice is the place I bring people from out of town. Ashley O said it perfectly - it's for out-of-towners who think this is big city dining (until it eventually invades suburbia and gives Applebees a run for it's money.) So far, all of my guests have enjoyed it - and I've been in here with my beau once for dinner, and once to try out breakfast. It's pretty so-so when you don't have an excited friend sitting across the table from you. And it is overpriced - but that's the price you pay for "creativity." I can usually only manage one dish per trip, and that's keeping in mind that I should think lightly so I could try more than one combo. I'm paying $17 for stir fry... I usually feel bad afterwards. The breakfast menu is just ok. It's not worth a special trip, and I think we only came here because the restaurant we wanted to go to was PACKED. They do omelettes and pancakes. They have breakfast pastries - which were a little stale, and yogurt - which was a little warm and liquid-y. Take it for what it's really worth.

    (3)

  • Susan D.

    One night, I decided to share one last meal with my boyfriend. My roommate suggested this place in Harvard. Like it was pretty decent. Needless to say, we walked in, then walked out. That's good.

    (1)

  • Alan Y.

    I visited this restaurant tonight with some friends after walking past it dozens of times. After hearing my friends' raves about it, I had expected the food to be worthy of the praise. Unfortunately, it was not. Many chinese restaurants have these so-called "Mongolian grills", yet the food actually tastes good and the wait time isn't long. Basically, the ingredients aren't very fresh, and you have to wait a long time for the chefs to cook the food. The bowls that you use to mix the ingredients for a plate aren't very large, so each bowl of food is not very filling. Although the price is reasonable, I don't really think it is worth it, considering the slow waiting times and the relatively mediocre quality of the ingredients.

    (2)

  • Sam S.

    I just had the Sunday brunch today and was EXTREMELY pleased. first off the hangover helper bloody mary was wonderfully mixed (keep in mind these can be tough), second there was make-your-own omelets and pancakes. i enjoyed a tasty berry combo for the pancake and had a wonderful time deciding what to put on my omelet...bacon, scallions and peppers was the decision. i love the buffet concept and the food is VERY high quality, it's a place i like to go once in a while when I'm up to some eating independance!

    (4)

  • Dan C.

    This place reeks...reeks of manliness. I don't think I have ever come out of Fire and Ice and thought, I could go for something more to eat. Now be warned this place has a price tag of about $20, but I mean all you can eat stir-fry meat buffet, are you kidding me? People out there talk about good bars and volume bars; a volume bar is where you go to hang out with friends, down some cheap PBRs and get wasted. This place is the meat buffet equivalent of a volume bar. Yes, I know the Midwest grill is delicious, but some times I want a burger, then some pasta (with meat), then just some stir-fried everything. This place is loud, busy, interactive, and I love it. Once you fill your bowls with the tasty creations and pick your sauce you stand up at the grill and wait for them to cook it. I have to say I have gotten my fair share of phone numbers while waiting at the bar, but also it is a great time to chat with friends. Does it sound like I am defending this place yet? Well that is because I definitely am. This is not a date place, in fact this would be the worst date place in the history of men courting women (before that you just bought and sold them). The last thing you want to do when trying to get in his/her good graces is to show them that you can eat 3lbs of food. This is a place to cut loose, get a drink that comes in a bowl, and eat and drink until you wake up the next day 4 lbs heavier. The food comes out a little overdone on occasion, but the fact that you drowned your chicken, fish, shrimp, scallop, sausage, udon, broccoli combo in Jamaican jerk sauce makes it hard to tell (and as a man's man you don't care, you eat broken glass for breakfast). Also they give you tortillas, very important if you like eating your stir-fry fajita style. Bottom Line: MAAAAANNN!

    (4)

  • David B.

    Highlight: Watching a 12-year-old approach the grill with a bowl filled with corn kernels and raw bacon. Lowlight: Trying to eat enough to make up for the $17 price tag (I think the spiced tuna has the biggest price per pound on the buffet). Strange conclusion: I really want to go back. I keep thinking of new exciting things to do with corn and bacon.

    (3)

  • Mr. X.

    Went here for a birthday party. Don't think I'll go back on my own initiative. For those unfamiliar with the concept, it's a buffet where you go around with a big bowl that you fill with noodles, meat, seafood, veggies, tofu, whatever, and hand off to a bored 18-year-old standing by a big circular grill in the middle of the buffet room. They spread your stuff out in a line on the grill, and much much later, put it on a plate and hand it back. Now, if you'd lived a quiet life, this might qualify as enough of a show to justify the markup over a regular buffet. You know, the kind where the food is available at will, since it's already been cooked. But I can't see paying the markup to stand around drinking in a bunker with a bunch of frat boys, waiting for food to cook.

    (2)

  • Erik L.

    I've been here three times before - once as an innocent try-out, then twice on an invitation I couldn't refuse. Tonight is going to be the third invitation I can't refuse. Oh well. Its not that I dislike the place, but I somehow can't partake of the joyfulness that I see going on around me. It starts out fun, when you go and pick your selection, because they do have a nice range of meats, seafood, and veggies. Then its annoying because you have to wait forever for your food to be grilled. Then, when they actually start grilling your food, you're going to be agonizing over how they're burning it. I mean, how can you slap seafood, pork, beef, noodle, veggies in one humongous lump onto a grill and expect them to cook to perfection? It ain't gonna happen. I give them one star for being in Harvard Sq, and another star for having a decent foods selection. And don't even think about going here in the summer. Imagine being near a 10-foot grill when its already hot. Post-dinner: still the same experience. The place was chock-full of sixteen-something birthday parties, which makes me surprised I can still even remember being 50% of my current age. I congratulated myself on my food selections and for not having ordered the blue poison which sets you back $17.

    (3)

  • Gary B.

    Fun for the novelty, but that is about it. Your food ends up getting overcooked because they are cooking so many orders at once. They can not give your dish the attention it deserves. I did not like that I had to stand there waiting for my food to cook. I had a beer waiting for me at my table calling my name, but I was standing there waiting for my food to cook. Hmm if I were smart I would have grabbed the beer while i waited. You do not end up eating with the people you go with because you go up and get your food and someone else takes longer than you so your food finishes and you sit to eat while they are waiting for theirs to cook Save your money and go somewhere else.

    (1)

  • Lauren E.

    I wish I could review this place better, but it's just got too many drawbacks. I will say that I have gone a few times, but it was two years between the last two times that I was there, and it will probably be another two before I go back. I'm not saying I hate the place. I mean, they have everything you could want (except parmesan cheese...)---pasta, rice, asian noodles, meats, salads, burgers. But it's almost not worth the price unless you overeat. And who wants to endorse that? The drinks are pricey to the point of being a deterrent. The food is mediocre. It's a good choice for a crowd who can't agree upon a dinner plan, but then again, it must be one who's willing to splurge. Sometimes I have gone and it's been insanely crowded, and other times it's seemed like we were the only table. It's certainly an experience, and admittedly fun, but not an ideal dinner (or lunch) choice.

    (2)

  • Bryanne R.

    Lots of choices. Lots. A bit overwhelming. Cooking the food takes a while...it's good...but if you make a wrong choice in what you've picked..you're majorly stuck with it -- so pick smart! It's a fun experience and the food is fresh, and pretty good. I'd recommened going here with a bunch of people to have a fun and random night. Get the creative juices flowing early in the evening. Oh, get here early so you don't have to wait forever.

    (3)

  • Julia W.

    I went to this Fire and Ice for my birthday in July for a drink with my friends. They have this giant drink call a Scorpion bowl that 3-4 people can share. So we were sitting there drinking and laughing and talking. My sister sees a drink on a nearby table that she thinks has been abandoned. Not so. She takes the drink and to all our dismay it belonged to the girlfriend/wife of a big, hulking, angry man. The man comes over to our table and smashes our scorpion bowl into big chucks of glass all over the table. It had been mostly full so the drink was all over the table as well. Obviously my sister shouldn't have taken the drink, but it is also obvious that this man was totally insane. My problem is that not one staff member came to address the issue. We sat at that table staring at the broken glass/drink mess in shock for a while. No one. So we just left. The end.

    (2)

  • Julian M.

    I worked in Boston for several summers before college. I remembered enjoying Fire and Ice quite a bit, which made it all the more disappointing when I came back now--years later. I understand, respect, appreciate, and enjoy the entire concept this comes from--it's modeled after one of my favorite restaurant types, the Mongolian Barbeque. Unfortunately, there's very little direction to help you get a well-balanced and good-tasting dish. They have an awful lot of kinds of meat, but not very many veggies. The veggies that they did have didn't seem particularly fresh, or even particularly well-cut. Pretty much every person I looked at was filling up their dish entirely with meat. That's not the way to make a well-balanced dish. They also had a wide variety of sauces, but more often than not I found myself wishing I had a different set of things in my dish once I walked over to pick the sauce. It takes too much effort and planning to get a dish that has the right meats and veggies to go with the kind of sauce I felt like having. All-in-all it still gets at least two stars because I did manage to make some decent dishes, and it is quite fun standing around the grill with friends as the staff cooks your food. I wish they had some decent ingredients that weren't meat.

    (2)

  • Ronda W.

    I like the concept of this restaurant. You pick the ingredients; they cook them. Quick seating, you get what you want, and the food generally tastes good. Also, the price is reasonable if you go for lunch. Simple enough. There are only two problems: 1) I personally don't like my raw meat cooked with vegetables. When I cook at home, I cook them separately. I would have hoped the restaurant would have done the same, especially considering I brought the raw meat to them in a separate bowl than the vegetables. 2) I have food allergies. A LOT of food allergies. So when I see my food being cooked that closely to someone else's, it makes me nervous. This visit, there were bits of someone else's food in mine. So... if you're not a picky (or allergy-prone) eater, this is a nice restaurant to visit. If you're like me and don't want your vegetables surrounded by raw meat, or if you have allergies and don't want someone else's food being mixed up with yours, you should eat elsewhere. Also, don't park in the lot across the street. We had to pay $17 for parking and we weren't there that long. Absolutely ridiculous. **2 stars because they made me too nervous to actually enjoy my food. With so many people having food allergies, it would seem they would keep the food further apart to avoid outbreaks/lawsuits.

    (2)

  • Joe V.

    I have been to Fire & Ice once before, but that was a few years ago. Recently revisiting this chain in a newer location in Harvard, I decided it's about time I write a review. We came here with a party of 12 last night and the experience was just great. It was much much busier than the Copley location and felt much more lively and had a nice night-time atmosphere. The food was great as usual and the cooks were fast as ever! I had a lot of bacon and burgers as well as pasta. It was very filling and a tad bit on the expensive side, but this place would just be somewhere for occasion. With a party of 12, we paid $316 (roughly $26 per person). $18 flat fee, +$3 tip each, +$1 tax each and cost for individual drinks, etc.

    (4)

  • Ryan M.

    I've been to this place a few times and it's probably one of the most unique food joints ever. It has your typical seating and you can order what they have on their menus with the typical bar. But what makes this place so different is the fact you can go up to this "food bar" and put together your own meal. Of course it's limited to the size of the bowl but you can keep going up for more. And you can season it and put whatever you want with it. When you've completed your selection you bring the bowl to a circular doughnut like grill with about 3-4 cooks putting other orders together. Then they grab your bowl and throw it on the grill and keep everything in a neat wedge shape pile. They'll continue cooking it all the while throwing on the selection of flavors and seasonings you've brought up. The whole process takes about 5-15 minutes. (depending on what you're eating) It's a pretty hot spot in my honest opinion. The only thing I don't care for is that the food selection IS out in the open, sort of like a salad bar, and there's always that possibility someone has to sneeze. Another complaint I have with the place is the floors, tables, and even handrails are sticky. Sort of like walking into a flytrap. It could be just this location though. Other than the sticky parts in this place, everything else is just flat out awesome. I enjoy the idea of this improv restaurant.

    (4)

  • Rob C.

    Yeah, it's spendy as heck, and sure, there's not really much to it, but it's meat. on a grill. with vegetables. or not, even. dumped with some sauce. once in a while (it had been at least five years in my case), that can be pretty good. and sure, it doesn't seem like such a good idea afterwards, but after dancing myself stupid at a concert the night before, i had a mighty hunger that could only be satisfied, as it turns out, by pulled pork, broccoli, bacon, and noodles, slathered in barbecue. how would i have known this if there wasn't a restaurant whose entire business is centered around catering to peoples' worst dietary whims?

    (3)

  • Andrew Y.

    This is a Mongolian style restaurant. You take your seat. You go up to the food trays and pick up all the raw food you want. Then you put the oil on and sauces. The food is good and cooked fast. Also the atmostphere is really fun because everyone is excited about having their food cooked by a non-Mongolian person. They have drinks, but most likely, you will want to just drink water. Anyway, good place for lunch or dinner. Plus, you don't have to get buffet if you don't want to.

    (4)

  • Jacob S.

    I went really early at about 4 for a really early dinner before a concert. VERY EASY TO GET TO. I praise it on this regard. Almost no walking to get to the subway and made it easy to get to the back bay for our concert. I got steak tips, some cheese, vegetables and an Alfredo sauce. I got some food that wasn't mine in my plate but it was fine as it only happened once. The cooks do over cook your food but you can ask them to only make it medium or medium-well. The food was swapped out VERY often. Almost every time I was up there someone was swapping out food. The cooks were quite boring, contrary to the fun attitude of the rest of the place. The place was very big and retro. The food was just fine and we went mainly for the experience. Would go again, but might not make it my first choice.

    (3)

  • Anthony L.

    don't know why this place has gotten such bad ratings. i'm a meat lover, and all i got here was a lot of yummy meat. food was good, price is decent for a buffet (i came for dinner...with tax and tip it was $21), wasn't that long of a wait for food, will come here again!

    (5)

  • David L.

    I'm all for concept restaurants, but this is just wrong. Watching ingredients of mediocre quality being grilled does not a meal make.

    (1)

  • Angband A.

    Sigh. I wanted to like this place. I really did. This place tries too hard to be too many things to too many people. It's a stir fry, sandwich, and salad place all rolled into one. The ingredients are what you'd expect for a bare-bones Mongolian BBQ place, except that the vegetables considered to be sandwichy or salady (i.e., leafy greens, tomatoes) are located in a separate area. Unfortunately, the sauces are a random selection of western sauces that have one thing in common: they are all too overpowering for a light stir fry dish. The meat is overcooked, western style, resulting in a flavorless lump of whitish material with the consistency of a piece of cardboard that your dog had been chewing on, and subsequently abandoned out in the sun when you offered him a piece of real food. At least the ingredients seemed fresh, despite the open air format, and I didn't get sick. Another plus is that there is a separate wok for vegetarians.

    (2)

  • Seamus O.

    Yes, a love it or hate it restaurant. If I'm in the right mood I'll enjoy going there but if I'm convinced to go there by friends I'll usually hate it. The idea is different, and it can be nice to pick out exactly what you're going to eat down to the sauce. Not sure if I trust the quality of the food though. Sometimes i think it's been left out too long and they should change it...especially when it comes to the seafood. It's a very big space down there and i just can't understand why they only have 2 toilets!

    (2)

  • Sharo A.

    Food was good, you get to make it yourself. The first time I went to this place, I really liked it because of the novelty. However, once I went to this place another time--for a creative night out--it really didn't get me going. Despite all of he 'choices,' they all seem to be limited to either an asian or a north american style of eating. I wound up being unimpressed the second time. Also, the service could be better, and the menu could be more accurately priced--it's structured somewhat oddly.

    (3)

  • Daphne M.

    The concept is lots of fun, I'll grant it that. It's really a pleasure to be able to make up your dishes entirely without having to make sure the waiter got all the nuances of what you do and don't like correctly. That said, the actual food is lacking. I say this especially as a vegetarian - just not enough variety. The sauces are pretty boring, clearly not homemade and full of preservatives and chemicals so they taste pretty icky. They don't accent the food at all. I appreciate that they use a separate grill for vegetarian food, but it's not enough to recommend it for veggies. Some say it's a good price for all you can eat; I say I can only eat so much tofu and a handful of vegetables with boring sauce before I say "STOP!" It's dull and it's repetitive. Go there once for the experience and the fun, but I doubt most people will find the actual food very exciting. I'll also add that I was rather miffed that I was expected to tip a full 15-20% for waitstaff who barely did anything but fill water glasses and bring bowls of rice. For god's sake Fire and Ice, pay these people a reasonable wage! They're not doing much for me, so why should pay anything on top for them...they are buspeople. I'm not going to tip them the same amount I'd tip a waiter at a fine restaurant. Sorry.

    (2)

  • Shawn F.

    I've been to this particular Fire & Ice twice. The first time was for a friend's birthday celebration, and the second was when a bunch of my fraternity brothers came up on a roadtrip and I had to find good food for them. Both times the place was a complete hit. So basically at Fire & Ice you go around to these little stations where you'll find raw meats and seafood, uncooked veggies, and various other ingredients that you put into your little bowl. Then you go to the sauce bar and make a selection. From there you head to the grill, where you hand over your bowl and its contents are sauted with the sauce you chose. For some reason, this is extremely fun and incredibly delicious. With the exception of some of the Yelpers here, I've never met anyone who hasn't enjoyed the Fire and Ice experience. It's just really interactive and customizable, and really a treat. The Church Street Fire & Ice could use a bit of a facelift on the inside. The decor and furniture could stand to be updated. Otherwise, it's still a good bet for a fun meal.

    (4)

  • Vivz C.

    You know how sometimes you go to a restaurant and sometimes they have ingredients in your meal that you asked them to remove, but because there was so much confusion, they put it in anyways? Well at Fire & Ice, you don't have to worry about anyone screwing up your order because YOU'RE in charge of deciding what goes into your meal. I love the variety of ingredients they have as well as the sauce station. It's fun trying different kinds or even mixing them to make your own special flavor. And the fact that it's basically an all you can eat buffet is great if you're like me and have a significant other that is a bottomless pit. For someone like me that gets full on 2-3 slices of pizza - it wasn't worth the money as I only went up about 2 times and didn't even finish everything on my plate. But for my bf that went up about 4 times, it was definitely worth it. So you end up going, GO HUNGRY!!!!!! Definitely a fun experience...I dunno if I would recommend it on a weekly basis, but once every couple of months, maybe with a couple of friends, is ok. There's a little something there for everyone.

    (4)

  • Mike H.

    Our evening began when we were seated in what is without a doubt the farthest-away booth from the grill - not in the main room, but down a ramp in a little annex-type area. It was next to a window, but at night the whole area was dark, one of the booth benches was broken, and so upon noticing that many other tables were open we decided to move. After about 5 minutes of wondering if we were meant to go off and get food already, our server showed up, took our drink order, and did a fine job showing us the basics (I had eaten there once before, but many years ago, and my girlfriend and her two brothers had not been there before). The food was ok, ok and nothing more. The meat was fine and the teriyaki sauce was quite decent, but I have a few fundamental problems with the way this restaurant works. First of all, I'm not a chef. I don't know anything about flavor pairings, what works well with certain foods and what doesn't. I realize the Mongolian Barbecue style of F&I is its big draw, but in my opinion there are simply too many ways to mess up and create a plate that just isn't that appetizing. And if you do screw up, you've wasted about 10 minutes of standing around and watching the guys cook your food. That's my other problem - it felt like a substantial portion of our dining experience was spent standing around, watching our food sizzle. Fun once, but it gets boring. I used to go to BD's Mongolian Barbecue when I lived in Kansas, and when I was there it seemed like the food didn't take as long to cook, and the guys on the grill had a bit of personality and at least tried to make it fun for all of us standing around. Not so here. Finally, while our server seemed attentive at the start, we saw him precisely once after that. Our previous plates were always gone when we came back from additional trips to the grill, but it took him at least an hour to actually come back and check on us and refill our drinks. Plus we never got any additional tortillas, despite placing the obviously empty container in a clearly visible location on the table. I did see a lot of other servers around, but they seemed to walk up to the front of the little annex area, look around a bit, and then leave. Fire and Ice is a novelty, nothing more - fun to try once or twice but never again. For the price I would much rather go to a proper restaurant where I can let someone else figure out what sauce goes best with the meat, and where I can actually get my drink refilled when I need it.

    (1)

  • Becka D.

    The concept is fun, and it's a great place to go hungry & with a group. Waiting around the cooking pit can get a bit annoying, especially when you're starving. My game plan is to order drinks, build my bowl, and then enjoy my beverage while I wait for my plate. It's not the type of place you'll visit over and over again, but if you have people in town visiting, or a large group ...it's a fun meal.

    (3)

  • Ben M.

    I feel like I'm writing a half-review for the restaurant and a half-review for myself. The items that I selected came out as all kind of yum mixed with delicious. I picked two types of fish, chicken, steak, calamari, and a few vegetables, with a sweet chili sauce. Originally I was going to eat inside, but then I noticed the outdoor courtyard. It was so chill and relaxing to eat the chef & my creation outside. I came between lunch and dinner so there were hardly any people there. The chef was nice and we talked about how awesome it is to cook on iron surfaces.

    (4)

  • R S.

    Hey you! Don't know your peas from your carrots? You're in luck, my friend--at Fire and Ice, it doesn't matter! Just roll up your sleeves and don you metaphorical chef's hat as you, yes, you play America's Next Top Chef, hunting and gathering the pre-chopped raw materials for your next meal. Make your way to the men in the middle, who will cook everything right before your eyes! That's right, folks. Your bowl of raw provisions will be spread, chopped, and cooked to within an inch of its life, then sauced and returned with flair to your waiting hands. All flash and glam, with little culinary substance. The sauces are overbearing even added sparingly, are the sort of things one can buy bottled in Stop and Shop. Disparate ingredients are cooked together regardless of whether they need different cooking times, and this doesn't begin to get at the most repellent part of the proposition for me: if I'm going out, I want a professional handling my menu. I cook plenty well, thanks, and I can handle a stir-fry on my own in my own kitchen, where I have more control of temperatures and ingredients. And really. Those sauces are abominable, and the various oils and other ingredients available are cheap, not strongly flavored enough to get good results as flavoring agents. I've given it two stars, because the concept is conceivably entertaining. Once. Which is likely the reason it attracts touristing families and young folk who apparently don't yet know better. If loud colors, sounds, and social cooking appeals to you, well, then you may very well like it here. And its other plus is that it is all you can eat, albeit therefore expensive. Oh, American notions of equality, insinuating themselves even into our restaurant experience. Yes, it's true. Trained chefs have got nothing on you, bud. Go mix your surf and turf. Throw in bean sprouts and broccoli. And then leave me the heck alone with my vituperous self.

    (2)

  • Jed S.

    People who come here need to know what they're getting into. This isn't exactly a standard sit-down restaurant! It's not where I'd go on a special ocassion. It's a great 1st date restaurant, and a lousy first anniversay restaurant. And you need to be in the mood for it. That said, it can be tasty and fun. They have all kinds of ingrediants to throw into your stirfry, and a wide variety of tasty sauces. It can be fun to watch it be cooked right in front of you. The staff is friendly, the rice and tortillas is good, and it has a nice location. If you've been to other mongolian BBQ places, there is little to make Fire and Ice stand out-it is really pretty much the same as say, BD's Mongolian Barbeque and other such establishments, but so long as you know what you are getting into, it can be a tasty choice. And the multiple trip-option can be great if you're very hungry.

    (5)

  • Austin R.

    I've been to a few different Fire and Ice's around Boston and this one twice. It's a cool idea and if I'm not paying, I don't mind it, but it's quite expensive and the food is really not good enough to earn the price tag. I've heard the lunch deal is better priced though.

    (2)

  • Mats K.

    Having gone here was a nice experience, but I probably wouldn't do it again. If I am going to pay those kind of prices, I want my food prepared for me by an expert and brought to my table. The concept reminded me a lot of the "stir fry" station in the dining halls at Umass. Essentially, you take a bowl, fill it with a selection of raw meats, seafood, veggies, etc. Get a sauce from the sauce stand, and bring it up to have it grilled for you while you wait and watch. They then put this and your sauce on a plate for you and you go eat it. Since it is a buffet you can repeat this as many times as youd like. I picture this setting appealing to teens a lot. (you know the types who feel the need to "express themselves" all the time, and want to do so by making things/clothes/food etc. themselves?) Bring your teenage girls here. They'd love it. Me, I'd rather leave my food preparation to an established chef.

    (3)

  • John F.

    Neat concept. In practice, though, I would call it lacking. The first time I quite enjoyed, but the aura of "cool new restaurant" faded by number two. I'm always a fan of all-you-can-eat, but as I get older and more conscious of what I'm eating, I feel less and less like I'm getting my money's worth, and that's especially true of Fire and Ice. Try it once, just to say you have, and hey, maybe it'll be more your bag than mine. And don't get me wrong, it IS an experience. Just not one worth repeats.

    (3)

  • Dynne S.

    This place is always a fun time. It's much like a Mongolian BBQ where you select your own raw foods and it is cooked in front of you (like hibachi). I'd recommend going with groups of friends. However, the wait for a table is usually long on weekends and weeknights. I vaguely remember that there are no reservations. I'd call to check ahead of time. Also, this location at Harvard Square seems much more cozy than the one in Downtown (which is really spacious). Parking isn't too difficult either, for Harvard Square standards... or maybe I'm just lucky whenever I go!

    (3)

  • Greg M.

    Proof that I am solidly middle aged. This is a fine place to come if you are young and hungry. The restaurant is a bit scuffed up. My kids chowed down (and enjoyed themselves at that) but my single trip was expensive, as the price is geared to the "all you can eat" crowd. Service was indifferent to hostile. Leave it to the 20- year-old and younger set.

    (2)

  • Diane H.

    I been meaning to come here forever! Everyone was always saying, they cook your food in front of you!! So I had to see what the hype was all about, so I went in for my birthday lunch! About 9.95 per person. I order a Lava Flow...strawberry daquiri mixed with pina colada.. yum! Except the pina colada part was the best, but that's just my preference. OUr waitress was very nice! my group of 6 people stayed for more than 2 hours..maybe 3? Got a nice lil corner booth just enough for all of us, not overly crowded on a Friday at 1pm, so that was good! They do check IDs when you purchase alcohol. I liked the buffet style pasta..so many sauces! no clue what to choose from, thank god my friend was there! The calamari was good! Except it kinda tasted like it wasn't done..BUt whatever I think it was? It was really cool watching your food cook in a big round circle stove thing..yeah, I'm coming backkk! too bad last time they wouldn't serve me the 9.95 buffet on monday night because I didn't have my college id :(

    (4)

  • Jess K.

    I couldn't dislike this place more. If someone suggests it to me I have to keep from screaming at them for wanting to subject me to the torture that is Fire and Ice. The main reason I hate it is simply that I like going out to eat for the experience of going out to eat. That means being able to sit, enjoy a nice long meal, and have everything served to me. I like choosing something from a menu and then BAM! it appears in front of me. No mess, no clean up, no prep, just ordering and then BAM. But not with Fire and Ice. At Fire and Ice you get these little bowls that you fill up with mediocre quality food and choose a mediocre quality sauce and then hand it to a "chef" to have it cooked in front of you while you stand there and wait. And to top it all off this place is crowded! So you wiggle your way to the food, then wiggle your way to the grill, and then have to find your way back to your table through the masses. Simply to spend about 15 minutes eating it and then you have to do it all over again! I can stir fry on my own for a LOT less money and with a LOT less hassle. Rant over.

    (1)

  • Han K.

    With so many choices in Harvard Square for quality dining, I can't imagine why anyone would go, let alone wait, to eat at Fire and Ice. The concept itself is cool, pick what you want to eat, and we'll cook it for you. The problem is that this approach leads just to overly or undercooked items and the sauces are just insipid and boring. Great for big groups I guess with people with a lot of picky eaters, but other than that, it's a pass for me.

    (2)

  • Katia M.

    I've been to such great mongolian barbeque type places that I was really disappointed in Fire & Ice. The sauces aren't that great and though it's been awhile, I feel like the meat selection was weird. I don't know. If you want really good stir fry and still want to pick out your own veggies, hit Betty's Wok & Noodle. They even serve it to you. If you do go here, go for lunch. I know it's all-you-can-eat, but dinner's overpriced and I don't like the "challenge" of trying to get your money's worth and trying to have a drink or two as well.

    (2)

  • Mabel C.

    I don't think the food is that great. It's a limited selection of meats and vegetables with different sauces to choose from that you take to the center for the workers to grill. I tried three different sauces and they all taste kind of the same to me. It reminds me of the stir fry option back in college when I was on a required meal plan my freshman year--not good.

    (2)

  • Lisa S.

    Monday night karaoke is a blast! Way better than anyplace else in Boston. They have an unlimited music selection-more than any other karaoke we have been to. The staff was awesome and the atmosphere was fun. Drinks and apps were very reasonably priced, and fed the whole table for under twenty. They even give away a 50.00 gift card at the end of the night. I hope they expand to other days of the week.

    (5)

  • Mayo B.

    really bad! I have been here when it first opened and it was really good. the food tasted fine back then, but I recently back and the food was awful. the sauces had no flavor; they all tasted salty. never again will i go back.

    (1)

  • Karen D.

    I had gone there a few times and after the last experience, never went back. After getting our meals on a quite Saturday afternoon, we realized we had no silverware. We waited almost 10 minutes without our waiter to be found. I went to the hostess station and asked if she could give us 2 sets of silverware. She said she couldn't and said I had to wait for the server. I told her we had been waiting for 10 minutes. She still wouldn't get silverware. I asked for a manager. When I said our food was cold and we couldn't get silverware and our waiter was not around, the manager got us silverware and said, "the waiter is busy," as if we were an inconvenience. Are you kidding me, busy doing what? You mostly serve yourself.

    (1)

  • Steve N.

    ugh! fat tourists in ugly shorts. do you really wanna work for your meal bumping into blumpkins at the buffet/display area? no, you don't. do you want your stuff cooked right next to someone else's with clashing sauces so everything tastes the same? no, you really don't. drinks are good, but the bad is sooooo bad. run fast, run far.

    (1)

  • Katie K.

    I tried to go here for dinner on my birthday (a Saturday night) and when I got here the line was like out the door and down the street. So curiousity struck me and I wedged my way thru the crowd to ask the hostess how long for a table and she told me over an hr. I turned myself right around and left. I don't care how good the food is "supposed" to be an hr wait for dinner on my bday is definately not cool. See ya later Fire n Ice, just not gonna happen. Haven't been back since. Not worth it to me. My bday still kicked ass though!!

    (1)

  • Sarah A.

    The gimmick gets a bit old, as others have said. Stay away on weekend nights because it is just insanely crowded. It is a good place to bring people from out of town who want to try something new and interesting, or if you are really really hungry. I used to go there a lot when I was doing low carb dieting because you can mix up whatever you want without having to worry about the seafood or chicken being breaded or having tons of rice or pasta in your meal. It can be stressful though having to wait for your food while it is cooking and being crowded around the grill. You can get a nice meal at a sit down restaurant without all the hassle and for about the same price. It gets expensive, especially with mixed drinks.

    (3)

  • Stellina M.

    Fire and Ice is a great place to have a party or a group reunion, or just go there with a byunch of frinds and have a great time! It is like a marketplace of fresh meats, seafood, pastas, sauces and vegetables You help yourself creating your own dish, with an array of culinary possibilities waiting to be fired up at the open 35 square-foot round grill.

    (4)

  • Thuy Tien L.

    I'm glad to see that this place isn't rated too highly (but it also doesn't deserve the current three-star rating) because then I'd have to just roll up into a little ball and cry. Or I'd go and open my own version of Fire and Ice, because, really, the person who thought of this concept is a diabolical genius and business mastermind. This is a lame excuse for a restaurant. All the owner has to do is pay three dudes to cook everything on one single griddle top, hire some more people to take care of drinks, and order massive volumes of mediocre ingredients in bulk. The customers make all the decisions that a real chef would usually make (which ingredients and flavors go best together, how much of each item, etc, etc), and somehow this novel idea of having control over the food you eat just draws people in swarms. All of the proteins were still frozen in the serving dishes, and the "sirloin steak" strips were definitely swimming in a sea of putrid blood. Sketch-o-rama. The loud music at the grill provides the ambiance found in a bad club, and having to stand in line and wait at the grill for your food to be cooked often means that you will not be around some (or any) of the people that you're meant to be eating with, even when you've got your food and you're sitting at the table! So what do you do, strike up a conversation with the greasy kid next to you? No thanks. And my food wasn't even properly cooked because cooking stir-fry generally involves stirring, which definitely does not happen. I do, however, thoroughly admire the three guys who were cooking about 30 meals simultaneously. What's with all the hype? Why would you pay for this? Me, I went because it was free. What's YOUR excuse for coming here?

    (1)

  • Lane S.

    such a creative restaurant...

    (3)

  • Monica T.

    I miss this place. The last time I was there it wasn't as good as I remember, but it is a novel idea. I love being able to pick exactly what I want in my meal.

    (3)

  • La Lilly B.

    This place was okay. The wait is long and like someone else said the sauces were not that great. It is a good place to go with a group of friends.

    (2)

  • k s.

    wow, i have read a lot of reviews that people don't like this place- ME I love it! i come here 2ce a year with my boyfriend, an annual thing. meat eaters or even vegetarians can both come here. it's fun and relaxing. yes the waiter does his thing when you first come in, but then your on your on, not someone at your table every 5 minutes. lunch only what $11-$12 and dinner $16-$17, which is all you can eat! the only 2 minor things for me anyways is it's all indoors now after construction-i used to go in the spring and the outdoor setting with a heater thing over your table was romantic at night, and also One of the hostesses was rude.

    (4)

  • Tasha A.

    Pretty cool place, the food wasn't THAT great. I really did like the atmosphere though. It's just another form of a buffett, with a little extra entertainment at the grill!

    (3)

  • Arnab M.

    This restaurant, apparently a Mongolian grill, is a great place to go when one is VERY hungry. The all you can eat selection of fresh veggies and meats is so scrumptious, it's hard to not stuff oneself. Lunch is half the price, so that's the time to go, and it's also a lot less crowded. Weekend dinner wait times can be really long, so it's probably a better idea to skip it. The chefs are fun to watch while they stir-fry your food for you. Probably not a good place to go if you are a vegetarian or have a million allergies, though, they are very accommodating, and have a separate grill in the kitchen for those who would like their food prepared separately. They have some great sauces, one should try as many out as possible, and mix and match them. Two helps if not more, are a must.

    (4)

  • Matt R.

    While the food is good, the experience is one to have only a couple of times. It gets kind of boring and tacky after a few visits. You collect your own raw food and sauces at the "salad bars" and bring it to the "round table" in the middle of the restaurant and watch them fry it up in front of you. Both food and drinks are pricier than they are worth, however. If you've never been there, I definitely say to give it a shot. I just can't imagine this place ending up as somebody's "regular spot".

    (2)

  • Jackie B.

    This place has a great idea going for themselves, however on a busy night it can get out of control! people cutting people for food, shoving, etc. i believe its 16.99 per person now, which is far seeing you can eat as much as you can put down...the waitstaff is friendly however sometimes it seems they except big tips...even though the people cooking the food do all the handwork! All in all its a fun experience, and a great place to get someone a gift card to.

    (4)

  • W ..

    I've been here twice. Once with a lot of friends. It's a cool idea, pick your own food, stand in a circle and watch it get cooked, yee-haw! It didn't taste great, even though I took 3 or 4 trips to try and pick a better combination. Overall, I blamed it on my lack of cooking knowledge. The second time I went, we thought it would be a cool idea to bring a visiting friend to. She was the type that's never been to "the big city", never really went out to eat. We thought it would be cool for her to experience. And a way for me to redeem myself after a couple years of learning how to cook and matching ingredients together. Wrongo. Still didn't taste good. I don't know what happened. The four of us did have like 3 or 4 pitchers of sangria which eased the pain of failure. But I wouldn't go there again.

    (1)

  • Iska B.

    I am one of the "lovers" of this place. Yeah I do love to pig out. This allowed me to do that. It was funny because the guys we were with ate less then the girls. Moo for us. Anyways, I think the vast assortment, as well as the all-you-can-eat part makes this a great place to go when your are hungry and in the mood for variety. It is not unreasonably priced either as far as I am concerned ($16.95 for dinner and $9.95 for lunch). I love my steak and so I had hunks of rare meat but I also love seafood so I also had loads of shrimp and fish all of which were fresh and good quality. Unless you are a very strict vegan, this place really is for everyone. I seriously doubt that you cannot find at least one thing you like.

    (4)

  • Liz K.

    Fire and Ice is a great place to go if you dont know what you are in the mood for, they have almost everything. The wait staff is extremely nice and the grill masters have their skills down packed. On sundays they offer a GREAT brunch starting at 10am. They have fabulous omlets, pancakes and french toast. Great atmosphere for the trendy artsy crowd. The Fire and Ice bowls are packed with flavor and alcohol, great for sharing. I love going there with girlfriends for the fun atmosphere, great for a girls night out, and also for the relaxing Sunday morning brunch atmosphere. Not the most ideal place for kids, they have high chairs and juice, but Fire and Ice is a place where you sit and enjoy your food plate after plate. Furthermore, my husband and I had to take turns watching our 18 month old son while the other went up to the grille, we never really ate together.

    (4)

  • Meeka P.

    My friends and I went here for dinner when I visited them just because it was the only place we could get a table. It was ok. Good but nothing really special. The place was kind of cool but you smell like food when you leave. Can't really say anything about food coz it's up to you to make your own plate and they just mix it all up and cook it right in front of you. You can choose from an assortment of seafood, meats, poultry, veggies, pasta and different sauces. Experimenting with the sauces was fun specially if it comes out good. The servers were friendly and one of my friends thought that one of the servers was cute too.

    (2)

  • Tiffany D.

    I like this place because I eat a lot and I think it's fun putting them together for them to stirfry together for me. BUT, everything always ends up tasting kind of the same after awhile. Fun, nevertheless, I think that's most of the appeal.

    (3)

  • Thereasa F.

    We had the worst service at Fire and Ice in Harvard Square. The manager was rude and discourteous. The space that was reserved for us wasn't ready and wasn't large enough. I will never go back! Check out Z-Square around the corner, much better

    (1)

  • Kerrin G.

    how much do you tip a server that brings you drinks and the check? and then you have to get up, get your own food, watch your food be made and then sit down and not enjoy what you chose because you are not a chef? sure the singing cooks are fun, sure its good for big groups, sure its a great concept. but.... today's special is stir fry. but you'd like to try something else, the stir fry's great.

    (3)

  • Ariel G.

    i like this place. it is an interesting process and the food is good ( which is kind of up to you) but the only reason i don't give it 5 stars is because if i am paying to eat out i want to be served as well. i also like the fact that you make your food however you want. so i like this place but i am kind of undecided

    (3)

  • nicole z.

    First off, if yelp allowed zero stars, this place would have received that for the rating...just putting that out there. Realizing it was Monday and being in the Cambridge area I remembered that Mondays are college night. (I used to go to school in Cambridge, but transferred) So I went online and checked if that was still the case. Indeed it said it was, and that means. "All you can eat for just $9.95. in Boston, Cambridge, and Providence" So my husband and I call in advance asking how strict they were about bringing college Id's because I couldn't find mine, and whoever answered the phone sounded quite firm that they were needed, I found mine and off we went. We get seated and before we had a chance to sit down the hostess came over and told us we needed to be reseated. We went along with it and went to order our food. My husband then went to get his food cooked and the man cooking told him he has too much food and to make sure it doesn't happen again because he will be sure to remember his face next time he comes. Also, the person next to us put his hamburger that was to be grilled in a salad bowl and he yelled at him for that. Note, in both situations making each customer feel extremely uncomfortable while creating a scene. We sit down and ask what time last call is, and the waitress tells us somewhere between 10:15 and 11 and we will be given ample warning. She then comes over at 10:00 (only 10 min later) and tells us it is last call. We sit down and begin to eat, and the waitress delivers our bill saying, "no rush" .....right. We look at the bill and realize we are charged 11.95 each and its noted college discount. Yet their website clearly says $9.95, (not at participating locations), but explicitly Boston, Cambridge, and providence. We bring it to our waitresses attention and quite aware of the issue, she tells us it's because they are a franchise and she'd be happy (sarcastic) to get the manager. The manager, who is actually the general manager, also sarcastic, gives the same schpiel. We also mention the rude cook, and she tells us they know they aren't supposed to do that at all and have already been talked to about it in the past, and she will talk to the kitchen manager in the morning. Then being so fed-up we ask for a box to wrap our food in because we just want to leave and eat in the comfort of our homes, as we feel so uncomfortable already.The general manager makes a mockery saying no buffet places do that. That is fine, and we get that, but we were bringing home what we already had on our plates....we simply wanted to leave and take the food we did not eat, that we paid more money for than THEY advertise. Overall just a terrible experience, would not go back and definitely don't recommend. Also on the way out, our waitress said "thank you, come back soon." we walk away, and hear her say "....NOT!!!" The table next to us had the same issue and was being treated even worse. Note the waitress actually threatened the other people who put up even more of a stink than us, that she's calling the police! Thinking about it though, this is for college students, and the website is quite appealing to poor college students who want a cheap eat, yet false advertising, Corporate will be contacted, as well as the local Cambridge paper.

    (1)

  • Sutee D.

    This one is not nearly as good as the one on Berkeley Street. It's smaller, less spectacular, and the ingredients are not as fresh.

    (2)

  • Clayton N.

    A Nightmare Experience If I could give this place zero stars, I certainly would. First, I know the place is supposed to be fun and hip, but the staff need a real exercise in professionalism. While I was waiting to get in, I heard the concierge staff making fun of potential customers who were calling with questions about the restaurant. They spent a lot of time talking about their shifts and their work problems in the presence of customers. This indicates a real lack of professional training in terms of putting the customer first, and it's not something I expect from a restaurant where I'm paying $15 for an entree/buffet. Second, I was surprised by how poorly maintained and cleaned the place was. The bathroom had sticky floors, the tables had a layer of food grease/stick and handprints, as did most of the buffet/salad bar surfaces. This is especially gross considering that diners are expected to handle their own raw meat when traversing from the buffet positions to the "Mongolian grill." Moreover, the dishes were filthier than anything I've seen in a restaurant. I had to go through at least four or five dishes before finding one that didn't have grease smudges or caked on food. In fact, my coffee cup contained what appeared to be caked on food or lipstick around the rim. Really disgusting. Third, the place seems to put "entertainment" at the expense of serving the customer promptly and efficiently. I waited at least twenty minutes while the grillmasters carried on with their theatrics. The show would be fine if it was actually entertaining, but it just wasn't. To top it all off, the grillmaster lost track of my order, so I ended up getting a different omelet than the one I assembled. I would have been better off paying for a $7 omelet at the neighborhood diner, where I could have sat and enjoyed my coffee while waiting for my order to arrive. You'd think they'd have a system to keep people's orders straight, but it's clear this wasn't a professional operation. I'd encourage people to stay away from this place at all costs. Anyone willing to trade the lousy "entertainment" or "experience" value of this restaurant for the lack of professionalism and hygiene deserves the case of salmonella they're bound to get. Frankly, I think Fire and Ice ought to give me a refund for my experience. Update: I did get a refund, so this place has at least a touch of class.

    (1)

  • Emily O.

    Not only go hungry, but go with LOTS of time to spare. If it's at all busy, you'll need to spend up to 20 minutes standing around the grill waiting for your food. I guess the idea is good if you don't cook and want to pretend you're wisely choosing your own entree, but why would I go out and pay $16/person to do that? I do that every time I food shop and cook at home. This place is very family oriented (read: kids) and sort of like a school dance somehow. Maybe good for teenagers or a screwy first date, but the food wasn't great, the wait wasn't great and it was generally just too chaotic.

    (1)

  • Jeff D.

    Fire and Ice is HOT HOT HOT! Enough Said! If you don't like it , get out of the kitchen! You kow, if you can't stand the heat and all. Fire and ice is a great place to eat and especially for business people. Though anyone can enjoy Fire and Ice. Its worth a stop! Maybe some of the locals get bored of things after awhile, but I am a local and I think Fire and Ice Burns the house down! Even Ladder company 55 in Boston can't put out this fire

    (5)

  • Sarah H.

    I can see this place gets mixed reviews, and I can see how it might not appeal to all tastes. In my opinion, however, it's a fabulous place to get Sunday brunch. It is relatively inexpensive (around $14pp) compared to many other all-you-can-eat Sunday breakfast places, I've only ever gotten really friendly and helpful service from their waiters and chefs, and there is just something really nice about being able to pick out your own fresh food, have it prepared your way on the spot, and go back as many times as you want. I've never been there for dinner or lunch, so this review is built entirely on my experience with brunch. II've heard that it gets completely packed during dinner and lunch, which I would not enjoy. F&I at brunch, though, is typically quite empty, which makes the whole experience quite a bit more enjoyable. I'd recommend trying this place at least once, then decide for yourself.

    (5)

  • erin e.

    Go once and don't go again. Preferably you will be in high school when you go for the first (and only) time, so as to get it out of your system early. This place is a souped up and over-priced cafeteria, essentially. It even starts to feel a little like a cafeteria after an hour or so. You get to pick your own stuff (yeah, yeah, yeah), which is kind of fun (see above "go once" recommendation), but the final product is not spectacular, and certainly not worth the money for a second round. With drinks and any type of appetizer, it's pretty expensive and you're really paying to watch the chefs in the middle of this big grill try not to mix your super-spicey vegetarian stir-fry with your neighbor's sweet meat-lovers mix. The biggest drawback for me? No cheese.

    (2)

  • krystle j.

    it was okay. on the expensive side i would say, 17$ for all you can eat but the food isn't that great seems like it'd be fun making your own meals, but everything is grilled together and the same way so it's a kindof boring taste and you have to stand there and wait for your food. good one time experience i'd say.

    (2)

  • Deanna R.

    My friends and I started going there quite frequently on the college night (Mondays), even in the summer. We would always go before, the mass of college kids come in. Between 5 and 6:30 were the best times. The later you go, the more chaotic and loud it'll get. You'll have to wait for people to get out of your way so you can pick your food and then you might have to wait in a line that has wrapped around the counter/grill area twice. The busier it gets, the less enjoyable it is. You might end up getting bits of other people's food in your plate. So, if you're an annoyingly picky eater, don't go here. The plus side, is that you can go up as many times as you want and try new things and it is vegan friendly. The last time I went, which was in August or September, I had a really disgusting incident. I was waiting at the counter and I felt an itch on my leg and scratched it and then I noticed it was traveling up my leg! So I shook my leg and my jeans and out fell a cockroach!!! How f---ing gross is that?? At the time, it was super busy and loud, so nobody at all noticed me freaking out, which was odd! I should have complained, but I didn't want to seem like some weirdo making up a story since no one saw anything! What I should have was call the Cambridge Health Department!!

    (3)

  • Valerie W.

    Maybe its just me but when I go to a restaurant I want the chef to make something for me..not me make something for me... after all, the one of the reasons we go out to eat is so that someone with professional training in what tastes good will make something for us. For this reason I don't like Fire and Ice... besides that I find it to be a little cheesy..

    (2)

  • Peter P.

    I don't need to be pampered, I don't need to have my ass kissed, in fact, I'm the kind of person who stacks up my plates etc. because it is easier for the waitress or bus-person to clear the table. So let me get this straight, I stand in line, serve myself, get treated like an all-you can eat buffet, and pay actual dinner prices. Am I expected to tip people? I tip excessively, but I did all the work? If I bus my own table and wash my own dishes will they tip me? Don't get me wrong, the food is good, but the whole atmosphere is too similar to getting food delivered, except you have to wear pants to go to Fire and Ice! They had the same style of eating at my college dorm......need I say more?

    (1)

  • Sarah T.

    Loved DiDi V's review of the place bc I wish I had seen it before I went there yesterday to celebrate my birthday and my brother's birthday with the entire family of 8+ and some friends. The food was great because you got to pick what you wanted to have and they would cook it for you and you got to experiment. Their desserts were delicious esp. those with chocolate because it tasted like a mixture of Nutella and hot fudge and was really good. The chocolate fondue was great if you had actual forks to pick up the items and dip into the chocolate.... the bamboo skewers kept allowing the food slip off into the chocolate. The waitstaff was awesome, accomodating, spirited and helpful at all times. However, I really wish that they put as much priority on making sure their bathrooms are neat, clean and sanitary because we had a 3 year old with us and there was only 1 out of 3 bathroom stalls in the ladies room that were plugged up with human waste and not been fixed in the 4 hours we were there for our celebration. It was DISGUSTING!!!

    (1)

  • Derek S.

    It takes a little getting used to but once you get the hang of it Fire and Ice can be a real good time. The atmosphere is fun and unique and the bar has quite a few options. Everyone shold experience this place at least once.

    (3)

  • Nik O.

    Love this place! Any place that serves tons of meat and lets you keep going back for more is alright by me. It's a fun atmosphere too. A little pricey but it's worth it once in a while when you're really hungry and want to treat yourself. I can't wait to go again actually :) Parking sucks though, that's the only bad thing. I recommend that you keep driving around until you get lucky with a spot, don't pay for a lot or a garage. It's not worth it.

    (5)

  • Ashley F.

    Exactly like it seems...the food is what you make it since you make it! The service was great...thanks Vince! The sweet potatoes with chicken and the honey garlic sauce...so good! And the lemon blueberry margarita rocked! We will go back and we will request Vince!

    (4)

  • Ellie L.

    Go once, when you or someone you know is moving into their freshman year dorm room and you have reached the breaking point of hunger, exhaustion, and crankiness. Then the concept will seem fresh, the amount of food, appropriate, and the drinks, medicinal. If you go twice, you are a sucker with poor taste who will soon be rewarded with a big old belly ache.

    (2)

  • Jennifer K.

    It's unbelievable that people actually flock to this place. I've been dragged there on two occasions: large group dinner outings for birthday celebrations, etc. and I've absolutely hated the experience BOTH times. The wait is painfully long for such a gimmick! You serve yourself pretty much crappy stirfry that you have a lot of potential to mess up if you pick a sauce that just doesn't work with your food selection and you pay crazy amounts of money for this! I'd never go here again... and I'd never recommend it.

    (1)

  • Flora B.

    It's good... but a total nightmare if you are indecisive like me. Sometimes choice is a bad thing! As with my visits to Coldstone Creamery, I end up selecting a combination of things so unoriginal that I should have just gone to any normal restaurant that creates the dishes (or ice cream flavors) for you. Clearly, Fire and Ice is for the creative food-types. I can appreciate this though - five stars for being good at what they do!

    (5)

  • Brenden L.

    The concept of this place is awesome but unfortunately the restaurant itself can be pretty average. The assortment of food and sauces is very impressive and has the potential to be very good but the cooks do usually overcook your dishes. Another thing, all the waiters do is bring drinks and it still takes a long time to get refills which shouldn't happen since they have little to no food responsibilities. The prices have also gone up in the past couple years. If you go, go for lunch when it's not quite as pricey, it is not worth the ridiculous dinner prices. Check out the Sunday brunch too which is actually pretty damn good.

    (3)

  • Tanya G.

    I got this coupon for a free birthday dinner at fire and ice, so went to the one in harvard tonight to redeem it. I gave the coupon to the hostess and she said to just show it to the server. I got seated and showed it to the server and she said "ok, you know how to work the food right?" and I said "yea". So I got some food and had it grilled up, sat down, and started eating it with the water and tortillas my waitress brought for me. A few mouthfuls in, a douchy manager type comes over and tells me my coupon is only for the Boston fire and ice. I say "I've already started eating, you're telling me I have to pay for this after I already started eating?" He says "yes". I'm like "Why didn't you tell me this before i started eating?" and he says "I just saw it". I say "I should at least get a discount or something" and he said no to that too! I was very unhappy with the management here. Here the kicker, when I finally get home and look at the fine print on the coupon I read "coupon only good at his fire and ice" not "this", "his". So the coupon didn't even say it was only valid at the Boston fire and ice. I would not recommend going just because of the douchy management.

    (1)

  • Holly H.

    i hate fire and ice, its skanky and gross, and breeds bacteria with all this raw meat laying around unrefridgerated for god knows how long with all these people poking at it. don't eat here. hopefully it will close and something good will come in it's place. pray pray, go away cheezy crap chain!

    (1)

  • Kyle F.

    one of my favorite places to eat. it's a bit pricey, but it's worth it (or if you are like me and at age 32 still have your old college ID in your wallet, go on student night and get a discount!). i mean hell, first off, it's unlimited trips, so you certainly gonna get your money's worth. and the variety of bowls you can make is limitless. you made something not so tasty, go and try again. always delicious, and you get free nachos. thumbs up.

    (4)

  • Lindsey R.

    I went here for the first time the other weekend and I loved it! Definitely call ahead if you're going on a weekend. The waiting area was very crowded, and it is right by the door people constantly go in and out of, so on a winter night that was pretty inconvenient haha. But besides that, they have a great atmosphere, pretty hip and exciting, they play top 40 songs and the whole time I just wanted to dance! If it's your first time going, your waiter/waitress will teach you how you get your food at Fire and Ice. It is all raw, and you choose what you want to have cooked, and you can mix and match a lot of meats, sauces, fish, noodles, salad stuff, etc. It was a little overwhelming since it was my first time, so I stuck with what I knew and chose to have a pulled pork sandwich made. I thought it was really unique how you line up in a circle around a huge grill and the cooks make your food right in front of you. Make sure you move with your sauce when they move it though, or things can get confusing and the cooks might get confused too! Our waitress was really nice, however, when my boyfriend and I got up for a few minutes, I came back and my unfinished sandwich was gone :( but I guess that was my fault haha. Halfway through your meal, your waiter/waitress will bring a bowl of rice and some tortilla type things with soy sauce and you can make a rice tortilla or something? Anyways, that's what I thought they expected you to do with it so that's what I made. The price is a little expensive, but at a place like this, you have to go in expecting that. Overall, I had a great first experience, I liked the location, and I would definitely recommend Fire and Ice for a date or a night out with your group of friends.

    (4)

  • Rebecca Y.

    My dad loves buffets (retirement will be easy for him) and he was in hog heaven here. Good for groups in capacity (but still make reservations), the price fixe and in variety of food choices. Even vegetarians can eat here - but it is all cooked on the same griddle so if your vegan friend in die-hard, you better go elsewhere.

    (4)

  • Jesse N.

    Fire and Ice used to be called "Boston's Best First Date". There are implications to that statement. The novelty of putting together your own entree and having it cooked in front of you seems exciting your first or second time around. However, after a while, it just gets old. Plain and Simple. Great for a Birthday, special occassion, and again, first date...But not quite the place for a casual dining experience.

    (2)

  • Stephanie W.

    Good concept, but why pay so much for a meal that you cook yourself ? (Lost in Translation movie reference - sorta). I mean, if you are lucky, you make a killer combo, but then again, your stomach could kill you afterwards...

    (2)

  • Lindsey W.

    Raw food and sauces are laid out buffet style. You put together your meal however you want and then give it to the grill guys who cook it for you in the center of the restaurant. Potentially good idea but I'm not a fan. For $17 (not including drinks and appetizers)I want someone to make the dish for me.

    (2)

  • Brandy S.

    I like the idea, and truthfully, it is not a bad place to go, but it is nothing special. Basically you pay a flat fee, and you get to choose between all sorts of meats, veggies, spices, and sauces that you combine together and have one of the chefs cook over a grill. The results can be really good, or one big mess.

    (2)

  • Jen and Tim S.

    I've been here once for lunch, once for dinner. I have to say: I'm not that impressed. It's not that much fun, and I find it a little nerve-racking (it's sometimes tough to pick out a meal at any restaurant, let alone devise your own dish and hope it's tasty). There are, however, many options - for vegetarians, and even for people who only like burgers (cough cough, Tim).

    (2)

  • Greg S.

    I've only been once for lunch and it wasn't too packed but I thought that this place had a really good idea. Let the customers make up their own meal out of a wide variety of fresh ingredients and sauces put it in a bowl bring it to the chef and then have it cooked for them and brought to them at a table. So really, if you don't like your meal, it's your own fault you... made it... after all. I really liked this because I got to make my lunch a lot spicier than I would have gotten it, if it was made for me.

    (4)

  • Jane T.

    Fire and Ice has fantastic food. The price is expensive, but when you consider what you can get (fish, steak, scallops...) it sort of makes sense. Good for groups. There are always bachelor parties there when I go. The drinks look AMAZING, but I haven't had one yet. If you have a food allergy just tell them- they'll cook your stuff on a different stove.

    (4)

  • D L.

    This is the place to go if you're a meat lover! Fire and Ice is very pricey when you go for dinner, but for lunch it is amazing. It is an all you can eat restaurant where you pick your own selection of meat, seafood, and vegetables... and the cooks stir-fry them for you right on the spot. Definitely go here with an empty stomach and a big appetite; you will be satisifed.

    (4)

  • Jeannie C.

    I really like this place too. One thing is you can see the raw food and it is obviously fresh and since they cook it in front of you you can see the how it is prepared. I like that there is not a lot of mystery to the food, what you see is what you get. And it's really good! I also really like all the flavors and combo's that are offered. I've tried many things that I normally wouldn't because you can just sample. I recommend it for a fun night out.

    (4)

  • Ali O.

    Go hungry! There's no one-trip option, but so many options. Recommend doing a couple of smaller stir-fries. Baked apples are delicious. If you're a vegetarian, they can cook your food on a stove in the back (which sounds kinda sketchy, but at least they're willing to make the effort). The ambience is dark and rather loud, so don't go for intimate conversation. Also, Monday is college night, all you can eat $10

    (3)

  • Rico M.

    This is my favorite Fire+Ice restaurant. Many Blue Man Group shows were preceded by a dinner here. While the Berkeley St location might be more convenient, I like the size and spunk of the Chuch St venue. I am a Fire+Ice fan and think that it's always worth trying out. You might find it's not your thing, but maybe... just maybe.

    (5)

  • L S.

    This restaurant has a fun atmosphere and I think it is a great family place. Basically you go to a buffet with all this food that is uncooked, you pick what you want, and then you go to the grill where they cook all your food right in front of you. I think it may be kind of pricey, but it's a fun place. The chocolate cake there is absolutely scrumptious!

    (3)

  • Jessica H.

    I love love loooove Fire and Ice. I think their food is so yummy. And, for one price you can just eat all day long! They have so many foods to choose from: beef, chicken, fish, shrimp, burgers, vegetables, and then there are all of the sauces! You also get wrap breads and rice at your table. And, to top it all off you get to watch the people cook your food in the middle of the restaurant. The whole thing is an event. It's awesome.

    (5)

  • Tom R.

    It's overpriced, especially since it's based on a single gimmick. Don't bother unless you're very hungry and can eat enough to make it worth the money.

    (2)

  • Anna S.

    Fire and Ice is a great experiance. The whole raw food buffet, then watching your food be grilled is great for a date, a hang out with friends or even with your family. On the down side, you may have to wait a long time for your food to be grilled, and make sure you bring enough money. It is not super cheap.

    (4)

  • Juliette V.

    The food is fresh and the gimicky self service is interesting. But, I am not sure I want to go up and get my own food when I am paying restuarant prices for it.

    (3)

  • Marlarissa M.

    Well, at least they don't burn the food like Mongolian Grill. I know I'm a food snob, but the sauces are way too sweet and they could use more toppings.

    (3)

  • Scott J.

    Fire + Ice is my favorite restaurant on the planet for many reasons: unlimited meat, stellar drinks in massive quantities, and a fun atmosphere that reminds me of college. And it's funny, just like at a Dave Matthews Band concert, I get older but everyone here stays the same age. This isn't my favorite location, but it's where I have the most memories. I find that this place gets packed, given that it's on Church Street in Harvard Square, steps away from the famous college, a movie theater, and a very populated area for both students and tourists. Still, they do it right here and I think it's something that everyone should try at least once. Did you know that they also offer brunch? That's right, omelettes and pancakes made on a giant Mongolian grill. But to close on dinner, try some of the more novel concepts, like a cheesesteak or burger. They might even throw on some fries on demand. C'mon, you know you wanna do it.

    (4)

  • Meghan P.

    When I was in Cambridge for college, I loved heading to Fire and Ice with a group for a birthday celebration, when parents were in town, etc. The boys would usually end up competing to see who could consume the most bowls of deliciousness while the girls would all try to control ourselves a little bit... Basically, you throw a ton of amazing ingredients into a bowl and then mix your own sauce from a lot of options. Then, the "chefs" throw your bowl and sauce onto a huge grill and you can watch your creation cook. You can also order rice and tortillas for your table and some cocktails. Then, when the creation is ready, the "chefs" bang their knives on the table and serve the food back in the bowl. The only huge disappointment is when someone claims all your hard work for their own. Then you have to start all over again and wait a long time for your food to be ready... so make sure to keep an eye on your bowl! The decor is fun with lots of bright colors and good seating space. Definitely a great spot!

    (4)

  • Betsy B.

    I went to Fire and Ice for lunch with a free voucher that I received. I am not inclined to write bad reviews of places, as I figure that I should give businesses a chance and let others judge for themselves. I especially am not inclined to write a bad review of something that I received for free. After all, as the saying goes, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth." But this is one situation in which I really feel I have to warn others. I have been to Mongolian grills before and have had very pleasant experiences. But this one did not replicate those. I made a pasta, sausage, chicken, veggie combination that was supposed to be good, only to have the chefs badly burn it and find out upon tasting it that the sauces are almost pure salt. I am not one to waste food, but after eating the few morsels of unburnt meat that I could salvage, I was done. I decided to go back for some fruit, yogurt, and granola, figuring that was safe. Wrong. The yogurt was warm, the fruit was still frozen, and the granola was stale. By the end of the meal, I was already starting to feel nauseous, and about 15 minutes later, I was frantically searching Harvard Square for a public restroom. Over an hour later, I still feel queasy. That is why, even though this was a free meal, I feel that I have to warn others. There are so many other delicious, reasonably priced eateries in Harvard Square. Why waste your time here and risk getting sick, even if you do have a free voucher?

    (1)

  • Jef S.

    Another expensive, eat-'til-you-puke experience in New England. Fire and Ice takes the Mongolian barbecue concept, which is delicious on the West Coast, and transforms it into yuppie chic...sort of. It seems like a good idea, but somehow they don't really do it very well. I will definitely give a thumbs-up to the infused alcohol drinks and shots. It's tasty stuff. Maybe F&I would just be better for a couple of drinks before you head out to a real dinner, but the main draw here is the "fire", the massive grill in the center of the restaurant. The idea is that you're cooking fresh, raw food and your choosing it yourself, so how can it be bad? However, the quality of the food isn't that good to begin with, and I question how sanitary it is to keep raw meat on a buffet. But whatever. Assuming you can get past paranoia attacks about salmonella, I recommend staying away from the sweeter, heavier sauces. And the chicken. And the fish. Stick to red meat and veggies. And pace yourself, for god's sake. Ok, ok, so I tend to overindulge at buffets. It's really easy to do that here, but it's so pricey that it's hard to justify. Service here is godawful, by the way. They do a bit better at the Back Bay location. But they make up for it by hiring unbelievably hot servers. So there's a bonus. Maybe. No. So stop by for the booze, but skip the food. There are some great places to eat in Harvard Square, so you'll definitely find something better.

    (3)

  • Bob J.

    EXCELLENT PLACE FOR A LARGE GROUP! We went here with a large group of people and had an excellent time. The food is fresh and the staff is great. The lines can be long during peak hours, but the cooks will keep you entertained. The prices are very fair for the quality of fresh food you have. They have many different choices from beef, seafood, chicken and vegtables, sauces, etc.............. More choices than I had time for and not nearly enough room in the waistline to try them all. Perfect for veggy only eaters and the beef eaters in one place. "A fat person will never say a buffett is a waste of many"

    (5)

  • CJ G.

    I highly enjoy eating here! The food is good! Its all you can eat and its very good! For the price of around $11 its hard to beat! 1) you go up with a bowl. You pick out your noodles, meat, veggies and or rice! 2) You pick up a sauce or fix a few together 3) Bring it over to the grill and watch as they cook it in front of your eyes! 4) Return to your table and enjoy! It really is nice that it is fully self serve. I love places like this! plus its cheap! So if you in Cambridge Id highly recommend checking this out! 4/5 for me!

    (4)

  • Kate S.

    Fun experience and tasty!!! Lots of options to make something great. I recommend getting small bowls and doing something different each time. (If you have the time...sometimes it takes a while to get your food cooked.)

    (4)

  • Marcella K.

    Love to have food your way??? This is the place you want to come to. The atmosphere is great, and the drinks are strong. I love this place!!! Never go on a Friday or Saturday because the wait is ridiculous. I went one time with friends and we waited for an hour. The time usually go by fast because your chatting with your friends. When seated at the table it may not be properly washed. The table my friends and I were seated at was very sticky like gum paste. I must say the utensils were intensely clean. As if they were brand new. I ordered a lemon blueberry margarita and it was as strong as my other drinks from past visits. The food is always great and the two double mint twins take such pride in their job, and they always greet you with a smile. I just wish they would have more of a selection of ingredients.

    (3)

  • Alexandra T.

    I didn't really want to even try Fire and Ice, but my friend was dying to go, so I tried to have an open mind. We waited over an hour to get seated on a Saturday night, which is something I would never do if I was in charge of a dinner date. You tell me that, and I'm out the door. Then, it's $17 for all you can eat, which may be great for some people, but I was full after one plate. One plate that was not anywhere near worth $17, so of course I went back for more. Twice. I ended up leaving the restaurant feeling way too full and fairly nauseous. Also, it's stir fry. I mean, it's just stir fry. We have stir fry at our dining hall that's only slightly less good then the stir fry here. And they both have the same plates?! I think next time I'll save myself the trip and just go to the dining hall at Northeastern.

    (2)

  • Jamie B.

    I'm pretty surprised by all the low reviews here - we love Fire and Ice! The one-star deduction here is due to the fact that it's a tad overpriced ($16.95 for dinner, which I suppose isn't tooooo bad for all-you-can eat, but I never quite come away feeling like I've eaten $17 worth of food). I honestly think this is a fun place to bring visitors, just because the concept is pretty original, and its an especially good fit for anyone who is picky about their food, since you can pick exactly what goes in (may not be the best for those with allergies though, since there does tend to be some cross-contamination). I do think it would be really cool if they gave some recommended ingredient/sauce combos, since, although everyone always has their go-to's, sometimes having some extra inspiration can be helpful. I know most people opt for the stir-fry, but the burgers are amazing too (with one of the sauces is a must). I've had great luck with their mixed drinks, too - anything frozen and fruity. If you're really looking to get the most bang for your buck (and are extra hungry), I'd recommend going for weekend brunch - make your first course breakfast (pancakes, omelets, etc. all cooked to order), pace yourself, and then have a more lunch-like second course. Do know that this place does get busy, so we tend to avoid it on weekend evenings, and opt instead for more non-traditional times.

    (4)

  • Chris C.

    The concept of fire and ice is really cool -- pick your raw foods (as much as you can fit in your bowl), choose a sauce (if you desire), and watch the cook grill it up in front of you. My coworkers and I frequent fire and ice since it is right down the road. The lunch special is great, and we usually end up spending around $12 or $13 dollars each for lunch and a drink. There are two lunch prices, depending on if you visit the grill once, or multiple times. Usually for lunch, one plate is enough so I'm not sure the price difference. When we were going more frequently, some of the waiters recognized our table and even remembered our drink orders -- this was pretty impressive. Overall, I think this is a great lunch spot. Its quick, you get to choose exactly what you want to eat, and its cheap.

    (3)

  • Dee S.

    Very cool! A friend took me there for lunch. What a great concept. Different and fun. The food was good and watching your food being cooked at the circle was neat. There was a lot to choose from and I went up twice. Can't wait to go back and try something different next time. Nice selection of sauces. Loved the decor as well.

    (4)

  • Brian S.

    Fire + Ice is a standard Mongolian BBQ, only kicked up a few notches in the fun dept. The food is fresh and their sauces are amazing! The last thing you would expect from a Mongolian BBQ is a good sandwich or burger. But they rank right up there with high quality burger joints - no fast food quality here! It would be great if they provided some suggested plates, as there are so many ingredients you could easily get lost. Until you figure out what you like (or until they create a suggested menu), it makes most sense to make small bowls and try different combos. Clearly it's not fine dining, and the price is a bit much for what it's worth. But if you're looking for a good time with a group of friends, this is a place to go!

    (3)

  • N B.

    Cool atmosphere, extremely casual. If want food hot off the grill that you used manual labor to create, this is the spot.

    (3)

  • Kathleen R.

    I used to rave about this place. Then again, i was in high school and didn't have a car or an ID to fully experience what there is to offer in the city. that being said- We arrived with family for a late afternoon lunch for my boyfriends birthday. We were told there was a 10-15 minute wait- with no one waiting in the lobby. Two parties came in after us and were seated before us, and we only had 6 people- its not like we wanted half of the restaurant. I happened to go to the bathroom while we were waiting our 15 minutes and saw 3/4 of the place EMPTY- why the 15-20 minute wait?! When the hostess came to get us TWENTY minutes later she said "i'm sure it felt like forever, but that was only 15 minutes." A) not the thing to say to a hungry party and B) it was 20 minutes. We ordered drinks and I asked for chips and salsa. The waiter look at me in disgust and said "Uh, we stopped serving those a longggg time ago." The last time I was in a Fire and Ice was about 4 months ago, but apparently that is years in employee world. Fire and Ice has had the same menu choices (minus the chips and salsa) since I started going there in high school. It would be nice to see a change in ingredients, especially sauces. The prices have certainly gone up since then, and it would be nice to have some new things to try to accompany the increasing prices.

    (2)

  • Joanna Y.

    I've only been to Fire & Ice during the weeknights for dinner. Each experience has been positive. I personally enjoy the concept of experimenting with different styles of food and getting creative with the variety that is available. Not sure if other have come to this restaurant with the same sentiment. The staff is extremely friendly. It is a low key atmosphere that I enjoy on weeknights. I didn't give 5 stars because there were some ingredients that weren't refilled as quickly as I would have liked or just wasn't available. I was trying to make fish tacos that they advertised on their menu (they made it look delicious), but they did not have corn (which was shown on the menu) and the lime wedges were never refilled. My favorite sauce is the Mango Garlic Mojo .

    (4)

  • Michelle A.

    Went in F&I for drinks only to get out of the crazy fair happening in the Square. Sat/stood by the door where it kind of bottlenecks due to the not so great set up of the bar and the tables across from the bar. Were told more than once by a somewhat perturbed young looking manager type fellow not to block the aisle. Well it's not really an aisle. It's the space between the bar and the tables and it's way too narrow for the size of the restaurant. I can only imagine how bad it must get on the weekends. But we were there on a Sunday afternoon and only the bar was open so take it easy young man and maybe look into widening the area instead of blaming us for the issue. People like standing by or near the bar. Fact.

    (3)

  • Jake B.

    Definitely not the bet restaurant I've been to in Boston. The food is halfway decent, but for Hibachi the presentation was lacking. And was quite overpriced. There were throngs of young college kids, definitely stay away if you're drinking age or older. The waitstaff was pretty inattentive. But very friendly when they were around. I would avoid this place if possible. There are better restaurants well within walking distance. And it definitely is on the low end of the food chain for the back bay.

    (2)

  • Julia M.

    At Fire & Ice, the quality of your meal truly depends upon you, for it is up to you to determine which meats, veggies, pasta, & sauce to pair. After filling up a bowl with your selected ingredients, you head on over to the grill, where your food is cooked & topped off with a sauce of your selection. At around $17 per person, it is a bit pricey, but it is all-you-can-eat. A few tips: -This place can get rather crowded on Friday & Saturday nights, so I recommend making a reservation (you can do it online) if you plan on stopping by during either of those times. -Try one of the spicy sauces; they pair better with the stir fry than some of the milder sauces.

    (3)

  • Juliana P.

    This place makes me wish that I could eat more. The experience is always really fun and if you're creative with your cooking, all you can eat can't be beat. I only deducted a star because it can get CRAZY here on weekends--lonngggg wait, tons of people being a little pushy to get their ingredients and get to a grill. Definitely a good deal for a big group of people that want all different food.

    (4)

  • Kim T.

    I don't know if I just hit this place at an off time but my experience was severely unimpressive. I went with my husband and family for lunch and the place was empty. Clue one to maybe we should have gone somewhere else. But we stayed and got their buffet. This place can't seem to decide what it wants to be. Is it a Mongolian grill? Is it pizza? Is it Italian pasta? It doesn't know. It had items on the bar for Asian food but it also had stuff like linguine and alfredo sauce that you could cook on the grill. I didn't get it. And the thing is, whatever they had just wasn't that great. They had a nice variety of raw meats you could add to your plate to have cooked for you but there was something there that just smelled off. Maybe it was the turkey but it had a spoiled meat smell to it. Thankfully, no one in our group got sick though. Likely thanks to the guy manning the grill who cooked the life out of everything. When you finish assembling your plate, you take it to the grill and the guy cooks it for you. But he cooks it completely dry. He literally just throws the stuff on the grill and waits for the meat to cook. At the end, he throws whatever sauce you chose on top of it. So it was unsurprisingly bland. As for the sauces, I don't know if it was supposed to taste that way but the hibachi sauce was sour like vinegar. And not even remotely in a good way. They had a honey ginger that was better but all in all, nothing was that great. With so much good food available in Cambridge and Boston, I won't be going back to this place again. On the plus side, our server was nice and attentive.

    (1)

  • Daniel J.

    This place seems to sell itself on the gimmick of watching your food be prepared on a Korean BBQ style grill, but the cost is excessive, far exceeding what you would pay for an entree at a place most would consider higher quality. Worse, the challenge of selecting and mixing foods, along with flavoring sauces, is left to the consumer. I guess if you go here a lot you may become an "expert" in their sauces and know exactly what to do, but for any first-timers or few-timers, it will be a relative crap shoot. The schtick of this place to me seems to be "choose some arbitrary ingredients and a cup full of overpowering sauces, and we'll mix it up into something that is hot and heavily flavored." Not a place for subtle palates or, really, economically minded eating. To their credit they cater to vegetarians, vegans, and other dietary restrictions, but you will have to ask for the specifics about some of the prepared ingredients (e.g. fried rice is available but it is not vegetarian, and not labeled). Also, they do the honor of preparing special diet food in a separate skillet in the back kitchen, but of course that means it just takes longer and you have to be the schmuck who asks for special treatment. Overall not a great place for special diets in my humble opinion.

    (1)

  • Deanna R.

    I went here with a group a friends a few days ago. It was during lunch time so it wasn't very busy. The food was great but the service sucked. The waiter really only had to worry about drinks and our bill...both of these took him forever. We waited at least 30 minutes just to get our bill. By this time there were a few other people in there but not enough to warrant a 30 min wait to pay. If you're looking for good food at a good price I definitely recommend it. If you're looking for great service then go elsewhere.

    (3)

  • David T.

    Low cost, all you can eat Mongolian BBQ. buffet. The concept is interesting, but the food and service are not as good as they could be. It's also not the cleanest place in the world, as you load a bowl of raw stuff up from the buffet for them to cook for you. Some people inevitably mix raw stuff with non-cooked stuff by mistake. I have been here a few times over the years, maybe I am just getting older, but it seems to get worse each time.

    (2)

  • Court S.

    So after coming here on Wednesday night I have to knock off some stars. My cousin and I ordered alcoholic strawberry lemonade's of which we tasted zero alcohol. I'm a lightweight drinker and couldn't taste not even a drop. The food was still good, but the restaurant had a faint odor of must. It smelled as if the floor was mopped with dirty water. I smelled it everywhere. It really made me nauseas. There were also tiny gnats flying around and the next morning my cousin told me that she felt super sick with and upset stomach. I guess we'll be going to the Fire & Ice in Boston from now on.

    (2)

  • Skye G.

    Mr G and I went to the Fire and Ice with the kids in the fall and I had my fill then so I was so so about going for our office holiday lunch. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see so many vegan sauces to pick from. There were quite a few more then the other place which made things so much easier. I stocked up on the veggies and picked my sauces and waited in the line. They ran out of vegan cards but not many have their meals cooked in the kitchen. They cooked it separately and brought it out hot. It wasn't greasy like my last experience with too much oil. I experimented with the veggies and sauces and was full in no time. Other than getting a parking ticket, yes I paid at the meter, all went ok. We took the entire back row and had apps brought as well. In and out with a big group - this place works

    (4)

  • Travis B.

    We took our daughter and friends there for her birthday once and enjoyed the time. The kind of place you walk out of feeling like you're going to burst, but also the sort of experience you can do with maybe every other year or so. Service was fine, not that hard to get too, parking (paid) across the street.

    (4)

  • Rose L.

    Like their other locations, u pick out what u want & have he folks cook it for u. Selection is slightly diff from the providence location but they do what they can in the space provided. It's def a smaller area to go thru the selection options. Service can b a miss there but they're nice & try their best.

    (3)

  • Kevin D.

    Food was awesome, the chefs were awesome, this place has awesome food. They also offer a college discount on a certain day. the amount of combinations you can make are endless. P.S Also make a reservation before coming here, because the wait can be quite long if you don't!

    (4)

  • Sarah B.

    The food and service were amazing. However, the beer selection was sub par. Along with the overall cleanliness of the restaurant and keep up of the paint, general upkeep, and bathrooms etc. Overall an enjoyable evening!

    (3)

  • Pam C.

    Fire and Ice has a special place in my heart - they seem to embody everything I love about restaurants. Namely, it's all you can eat and I have immense choice in what goes into my food. I'm a huge huge huge fan of Mongolian barbeque. Having eaten so much Mongolian BBQ back in California, I can say that Fire and Ice is pretty horrible Mongolian barbeque. Fire and Ice does try (note I said try) to make up the lack of quality with quantity - they also have a burger bar, a salad bar, and an ice cream sundae bar. They also have soups, tortillas, and rice for your stir fry creation! They usually have an acceptable selection of pastas and noodles, as well as a good selection of veggies, sausages and meat. Their meats are definitely not high quality, and some of them come straight from the freezer, still frozen. They do have a burger bar, which is quite cool and means that you can assemble your own burger as well as noodles (and the bacon is surprisingly delicious). The chefs in the giant grill are pretty hit and miss - some of the are alright, and some of them are pretty horrible and will burn everything. Also, they changed a lot of their sauces - they used to have a lot more tangier, Asian inspired sauces but now it seems like the big focus is on pasta sauces, which is disappointing. This is really NOT a place to go if you have any kind of severe allergies - they cook everything on the large grill that doesn't get cleaned too often, and more often than not, there's significant mixing of food. Fire and Ice really is pretty grungy - service is bad, the restaurant is pretty dirty, and food is of questionable cleanliness and quality. BUT that doesn't mean that I don't love Fire and Ice. I don't know why I keep going back but I do, to mix all of the sauces together and create fun, tangy new combos. Monday is college night for college students!

    (3)

  • Barbara A.

    I get the appeal ... for a college student but this place just does not appeal to me. My son went here with his Chemistry class a few months back and he raved about it. So he trekked me out there for this gastronomic experience. I came, I saw, I conquered ... but I don't think I will be back. It was average but just don't get why standing and watching your food being cooked is fun or interesting. I did, however, like the salad bar but not enough to go back. I "hear" the Boston location is better but I won't be rushing out to try it.

    (2)

  • Kavya S.

    People are too critical of this restaurant. Sure, it's not the cleanest, and yes, it might be a little bit awkward to wait around the grill for your food, but all in all, I really enjoy going to Fire and Ice. I am a huge noodles fan and thus the opportunity to create my own noodle dish is very appealing to me! Try the spicier sauces and get the udon noodles. If you want a dining experience that is a little out of the ordinary, Fire and Ice is your place. It's not the best spot in Harvard Square, but it's interesting and tailored to your flavor and food preferences.

    (3)

  • Dwayne A.

    I visit here frequently when out of town family comes because it's all-you-can-eat. Good food and good bamg for your buck. Service is fine and atmosphere is cool. I'm always glad i have the option of mixing up my food amd getting exactly what i want.

    (4)

  • Ben M.

    Oh boy, Fire and Ice...Well eating at this place is essentially like taking acid and going to Chuck E Cheese except while flailing around in the ball pit someone tells you discreetly that your entire family just died in a fiery plane crash. You want to leave so you can cry but you feel like if you don't finish the meal the overly friendly wait staff will turn on you. I'd rather plead guilty to a murder I didn't commit than go back here. On a side note my waiter was great but it was really hard to properly talk shit about this restaurant as he was so attentive. If you're a server reading this just know I love you and it's all going to be okay.

    (1)

  • Kelsey M.

    We waited for about 40-50 minutes for food, which was eventually mixed unintentionally with everyone elses food on the grill. I got a weird combination of udon noodles, steak, marinara, teriyaki, bacon, half cooked shrimp, and one of every veggie they offer. Only the udon, teriyaki, and steak were mine. YUCK. I didn't bother to go up again. The drinks could really have saved this place, but they were literally watered down, I had two drinks and I'm wondering if there was alcohol in them at all. On the plus side, I didn't need a cab home? We felt ripped off to the highest degree. I'd give zero stars if I could. But I'll attribute the one star to the fact that I didn't get food poisoning and the staff was very friendly. Oh, and since they are one of the only places in the area that accommodates huge parties, expect to be surrounded by obnoxious teenagers and screaming children. And if you're there on a weekend night, expect them to run out of half the food by 9:30, and for the employees to start closing procedures around 10. (ie, get out at least two hours before closing time if you want the full "experience"..whatever it may be)

    (1)

  • Joie S.

    I'm used to the Fire and Ice in Providence and this one is much smaller and cozy. There is a parking lot right across the street which is pretty expensive so look for street parking if you can. The food selection is much smaller than other Fire and Ice's since their space is so much smaller but it was still pretty delicious. I'm a rewards member so they had sent me a coupon for a free appetizer and a free dessert. We had the motzarella sticks and the fire and ice fondue, both were delicious! Service was a little slow considering we were the only people in there on a Sunday at around noon but they were all super friendly. Price for brunch is totally reasonable considering all of the options you have and the location is great, there are so many other great things to see and do in Harvard Square.

    (4)

  • Ryan G.

    Fire and Ice has a great atmosphere and business model. However, this location did not impress me. The overall seating area is lacking. We felt like we were in a basement - which we were. The food and service is great though. The cooks do their job well, are friendly, and quick. The food islands were well maintained and clean. My only wish is that there was more variety. The last time I visited I felt there were more meat and fish choices.

    (3)

  • Logan S.

    Meh... We were hoping that it would be nicer. The Harvard squ. place is getting long in the tooth and a bit grungy. We were seated and a pretty bad booth in the back between a huge party and a smaller party of what appeared to be biker types. We found the food OK-the tenderloin was flavorful and tender , but the waiter was overworked and subsequently very rushed, and the drinks were not fabulous. The flow of what to do is not apparent so it took a while for us to get oriented. There seemed to be a disconnect between what the menu suggested and what was put out and what the cooks expected. So, maybe the newer ones are nicer, but we were underwhelmed.

    (3)

  • Saehoon L.

    Hopefully the owner reads this. Front reception guy and girl looked like they wanted to burn the place down. A smile goes a long way no? And what's with the hand wave like shoo away gesture to us to wait? At least the waitress Olivia was nice. foods not worth it

    (1)

  • Danny B.

    Pretty unique place and all you can eat for about $17. You pick out your food at different cold bars (meats, veggies, pastas, sauce etc) then bring it to the middle where the chefs cook it all for you on this huge grill. For a city with a ton of craft breweries, I was surprised to see such a small selection on tap. Overall, it's a good place to go if you're with a group of people.

    (3)

  • John M.

    Great place to grub after a long Saturday night! You get what you expect. Not as bad as the reviews say.

    (4)

  • Daniel S.

    Avoid avoid avoid! I've been to Fire and Ice at other locations and they always seemed overwhelmed by the amount of customers but this location has less selection and even worse organization and wait times. We came here thinking it would be a good option for myself as a vegan and my meat eating wife and we were both disappointed. She ended up ordering appetizers from the kitchen while I suffered through the relative tiny selection of vegan options waiting for the party of 150 ahead of us. Last time we ever come here.

    (1)

  • Emily A.

    I really love this place for the food and experience but man I've always had some of the worst service here. Today for example, I swear this guy was just trying to make a few extra bucks. First he brought us a big scorpion bowl when he never specified which size I would like. Wouldn't you assume small if there is just two people at the table? After we asked him about this he completely turned cold on us and never checked up on us again, even when I made eye contact with him multiple times. Super avoident. Then I get charged with an " unlimited plate fee" since when did they start doing that? Isn't it always unlimited? Had to get him to fix the bill yet again because even so, only one of us got multiple servings. I think I'm done trying this location out.

    (2)

  • Di L.

    Meh, you get what you pay for. Fortunately for me, I've only come here for recruitment brunches and free salsa dancing, so I can't complain. That said, I have enough empathy to step into the shoes of a paying customer, and when I do, I am grossly disappointed by F&I. Brunch here is OK. It's AYCE, the "stations" are themed and manned by line cooks with a certain amount of flair, and they serve a wide variety of mediocre food in large quantities. It's essentially a good dormitory cafeteria. I still consider it overpriced, but so are all dormitory cafeterias. You'll get a solid meal here, and that will likely be the extent of your satisfaction. Salsa nights are hot, sticky messes. F&I has had co-op agreements with various dance studios around Cambridge, most recently with Salsa Matei in Central. The deal is, you register online for a free lesson and open dancing afterward. Customer gets in without cover, studio gets more exposure, restaurant fills the floor and more cocktail glasses. Sounds like a win-win-win, right? UNTIL you go to the website and find that you can't register online because, EVEN THOUGH it is BEFORE the sign-up deadline, the guest list is full, and instead of displaying this information on the website and/or providing a wait-list option, they just remove the registration button ONLY, no explanation. UNTIL you get to F&I half an hour after the lesson should have ended to discover that the dance floor has still not been set up because a large party is monopolizing the ballroom and, not only does the manager refuse to kick them out, but you aren't even allowed to wait in the bar/lounge area and have to stand awkwardly between the hostess podium and the door. For 40 more minutes. UNTIL the 30-minute salsa lesson becomes a hurried 10-minute intro to bachata and nobody knows what the deuce is going on because everyone there is a sad hat Cambridge Fancy School lab monkey with little dance experience and even less social grace. Also, their $3 "coat check" is two coat racks next to the stairs. Come on, really? In the future, I'll stick with Havana nights for my dirty dancing.

    (2)

  • Miles H.

    When it comes to places like Fire and Ice, you have to be realistic about what you're getting into. If you want finely seasoned steak aged for nine months, seared over open flames, and drizzled with red wine-laced au jus, you're in the wrong place. But for those occasions when you're seeking little more than a bellyful of cheap, reasonably tasty meat and vegetables, you could do a lot worse than Fire & Ice. The only times I've come here have been for a friend's birthday party and a recovery meal following an extreme marathon weight lifting session. And both times, I stumbled out the door stuffed and satisfied.

    (3)

  • Brie P.

    I am torn with this place. Ive come here for dinner before, and everything was great. I only got the Quesada and enjoyed it very much. Today, went in for brunch, and was beyond disappointed. Watery coffee, eggs Benny not marked with the english muffin too hard to cut with the hollandaise sauce separating and hoarded on top. The omelets were yummy, but we were given too much bacon and flavorless home fries. Went up to make a pancake, with little to no toppings left. The raspberry puree they had was still half frozen and super tart. Not to mention their "morning pastries" look store bought and sad. Suggestions: Learn how to brew the coffee, seriously we live in New England, step it up Have more than two cooks on at once Refill the pancake toppings, maybe even offer them some of the ice cream bar toppings (I'd come for that) Mark things that are in lone standing burners, and pay attention to the amount of time they're in there. Flavor those damn home fries. A lil onion and green peppers could bring them to life! I know I'll probably be back for dinner, but never again for brunch. I feel like I wasted $16 for mediocre brunch. Save yourself the disappointment, go to Tavern In The Square.

    (2)

  • Abby R.

    Eh. This one is definitely not as good as the other location near Copley. If I really needed some Fire and Ice in my life, I'd head there. At the Harvard location, the selection of ingredients and sauces is greatly pared down, the grill is smaller so it takes longer if it's busy and the place has a really weird layout. Bottom line there are many better places to eat in Harvard square, and if you gotta have Fire & Ice the other one is much better. Don't waste your time here.

    (2)

  • Alicia S.

    I have been to the Boston location and it has been my favorite. This place doesn't have a flow like the other one does. The service wasn't that great and she was not friendly at all. She did check up on us but she was honestly annoyed with us it seemed. The food wasn't that great because the chefs kinda sucked. They were rude and not nearly entertaining as the other chefs. They overcooked my food and they were not really nice . The space is cramped. Like you get the bowls in the middle of the food. No one seem to want to help anyone. The sauce station was right near the grill and it was too close to where people where standing waiting for their food.

    (1)

  • Amarys A.

    Great place!!! i love the food and the music. Sangria its the best!! price is ok and i realy had a good time with my friends. Desert are very, very good!!! love it...

    (4)

  • Lauren M.

    I have never been a fan of this place but always end up going for birthdays. I went a few weeks ago for my brother's bday, his girlfriend is a Vegan and they had absolutely no pasta for her to choose from. The 1st time I went up to the grill it took forever and my food ended up way overcooked. The 2nd time I got a burger which was fine but the bacon was in burnt crumbles by the time they put it on the burger. One thing that saved the trip was our waiter who was really nice and gave us 2 free fondue desserts for our troubles. The concept of this place is what entices people to come here, but I would not recommend it based on the food.

    (2)

  • Kelsey G.

    Overpriced and overhyped- this place is NOTHING special. The restaurant itself is grimy and dark. The food is fine, but not as high quality as the cost you pay and the hype you have as you walk in. Of course the concept is awesome, all you can eat food with many meats and sauces.. beyond the issue of poor quality food, another issue I saw multiple times was people taking food from the salad bar and placing it on their raw meat... then putting the tongs back in the salad. There's definitely plenty of contamination all over the place. The other issue is that the service sucks. I guess maybe since the servers don't bring you your food, but they rarely check in and are slow to bring the bill. I have gone for lunch and had to speak to a manager to get my bill and get back to work on time. The lunch deal is enticing, like $10 for a single trip up- but again, the quality of the food is lacking and service is lazy and not prompt enough to be safe for your lunch hour. Just don't go,

    (1)

  • Jeff N.

    I want here for Valentine's Day during the blizzard and I was not expecting great things based on the previous yelp reviews, but I enjoyed my experience in Providence many years ago. I made reservations for 9 PM and arrived a few minutes after due to the parking restrictions in Cambridge. The parking restrictions were due to the snow and not a normal event. My favorite thing about this restaurant is the atmosphere. It is very colorful vibrant and seems like a lot of fun when you are in there. The restaurant is somewhat of a buffet style restaurant, will you choose your ingredients before you bring them up to the grill to be cooked in front of you. The selection of meats and seafood were plentiful, as well as the salad pickings, sandwich station, and toppings for your food. There is also a variety of sauces that your food will be marinated in that you choose at the end of the selection process. The food takes a few minutes to cook but it is done right in front of you while you stand and wait for it. It was relatively quiet when we got there, but in the past it can be a lot of fun while you watch the chefs look like masters of the trade. All of the meats I chose, and the seafood, was cook very good and was very tasty. It is unlimited food here so you can keep going back up as you want. The price is $18 per person for the food. The drinks are made pretty good and our server was excellent, checking on us often and making sure we were happy.

    (4)

  • Nisreen G.

    College nights [ Monday ] at Fire and Ice mean 10$ endless buffets and, at the downtown location, a long line for happy hour priced drinks and never getting seated. At Fire and Ice in Harvard Square, College Nights mean little to no wait and endless room for you and the whole floor to eat happily and merrily. If you're not familiar with Fire and Ice, the restaurant is a buffet where you pick up your raw ingredients ranging from stir fry, burgers, pasta, or salads, and sauces and bring them to a large circular grill where cooks prepare your food in front of you. Heads up, this place is NOT ideal for anyone with food allergies or strict vegan or vegetarians as often your food will touch others while they sit on the grill. But if you enjoy a surprise shrimp or bacon bit here or there, eat on playa, eat on. The best part of the Fire and Ice location in Harvard Square has to be the space. Several different sectioned rooms with tons of seating and an easy manageable flow of foot traffic make it a a much needed improvement to the downtown location.

    (3)

  • Bill B.

    Near as I can tell, the variety of foods from which to choose seems to vary depending on the day and time you arrive. If you go for lunch on a Tuesday afternoon, the wait time will probably be very minimal, but the selection will also be limited. If you go on a Friday night, the wait will be significantly longer, but the overall selection of food will be more bountiful. For those who have never been here, I'll briefly describe how it works. It's a buffet, but the food you choose is raw. You choose your food items and plop them into a ceramic bowl. From there, you grab a smaller cup for sauce. Mix and match them if you like and if you want more than one cup for your sauce, by all means grab two. From there, you place your bowl and your sauce cup on a curved counter that faces a very large, round grill. The grillers take your bowl and lay the ingredients out in front of them in a straight line and they start chopping and flipping with two fairly large, metal spatulas. On a busy evening, you could have upwards of 25 people hanging out at their spot on the curved counter as they watch their food being grilled. You don't need to stay standing to watch your food being cooked, but a lot of people seem to prefer doing that as I think that's one of the perks of eating there as it's somewhat of a spectator sport. For food selection on a good night, they'll have salmon, calamari, shrimp, and catfish; maybe one or two other types of fish that, for the time-being, I'm drawing a blank on. They'll also have tender strips of beef, turkey, and chicken; not to mention chopped andouille sausage, noodles, chopped red-skinned potatoes, broccoli, onions, chopped black olives, watercress, baby corn, carrot slices, and a few other options. You can also get burgers, salads, and they even have steamed white rice, warm tortillas, chili and other soups from which to choose, as well as ice cream and other desserts. Again, on a good night, they'll have a substantial selection from which to choose. And don't worry if you happen to plop raw fish and/or raw chicken on top of your veggies. They cook everything right there on the grill and they do so thoroughly, so it's perfectly healthy. The waitstaff has, by and large, been quite friendly and attentive, but it CAN get busy in there and when it IS busy, it feels not unlike commuting on the T during rush hour, so it can get a little cramped. More often times than not, I'll go between the lunch and dinner rush, so it's more relaxing. They also have a full bar, but I'm not much for drinking. I just write that to let the drinkers among you know. The price is good if you're going there for lunch, but the dinner buffet's a bit pricey. Great food... but pricey. Overall, I have great things to say about this place. Haven't really had a bad experience there. If their weekday lunch options were as bountiful as their Friday night and weekend options, they'd have gotten five stars from me.

    (4)

  • Andrea D.

    Really underwhelming. Good for kids, exciting for a little while but the food doesn't taste or make you feel good.. If you have any other options I'd go elsewhere

    (2)

  • Françoise L.

    Great food. Love being able to customize my meal and it turned out delicious and healthy.

    (5)

  • Ronald M.

    I walked into fire and ice expecting a four course meal. Unfortunately I could only eat 3. I also didn't expect to have to prepare my own meal! I am not a chef that is why I came to fire and ice...come to think of it tuere was no fire nor any ice. I WILL NEVER EAT HERE AGAIN. If wanted to cook myself I would do it at home!

    (1)

  • Ali S.

    Full disclosure: I'm not really a fan of the Mongolian grill type of restaurant. But, this place is still not worth it. The sauces taste like marinades because they are so overpowering and sodium laden. The vegetables will not cook the way you want and the meat is super bland. As for the burgers (didn't try), the grillmaster spent a good 3 minutes smashing every bit of moisture out of the patty while it was being grilled. It was painful to watch even though it wasn't my burger.

    (1)

  • Mirta S.

    This is probably the best place in Harvard square to bring a large group of people. Everyone gets to eat whatever they like, kids have fun going for seconds and thirds of something other than what they initially got, nobody ever gets bored with the food and the atmosphere is generally really friendly. Waiters are always really nice and helpful in choosing the good combinations. I like that they recently decided to put together a couple of menus for people who are going for the first time, as some of my family members weren't sure where they could start. However, the menus helped them feel comfortable around the food, and the teenage boys we brought were overjoyed by the idea of making their own burgers with any toppings they wanted. Overall, everyone had a lot of fun and left full of good food.

    (5)

  • Corey L.

    Went here on a Friday night with some Haitian friends to what seemed to be a Haitian dance party night. It was really fun - quite enjoyed the music. I was only of maybe 3 non-Haitians, but that was cool. I can hold my own on the dance floor. BAM! Anyway, there was a $15 cover, which was way too high and I wouldn't pay it again. But I went with my friend, so that's how it was. I guess it's b/c Harvard Square has such crappy options for dancing, but I don't like paying so much for a cover unless there's a band playing or something. The drinks were expensive, but quite generous. Getting intoxicated was NOT an issue. That's about it. I'm going to sleep now.

    (3)

  • Julie P.

    I don't want to be too critical of a place that is as cheap as Fire and Ice for a meal- but honestly it was the cleanliness of the tables and menus that caused apprehension in a place that provides the customer with bowls of raw ingredients to assemble unsupervised. It made me wonder how they are able to keep the food clean if they couldn't keep the tables and menus clean. It could be this particular location- I haven't been to others in a long time. That said- I was happy with the meal I concocted and the side soups were a nice addition ( slightly salty but ok). And our teenagers loved the endless cups of soda that they could get.

    (2)

  • Ellen H.

    I went back and forth between three and four stars here, but because of the service at the bar I settled on four. I always seem to round up, but I do think the staff here earned the additional star. Came with an Opentable reservation for 8:30pm on a Friday night. Showed up at 8 and got a lukewarm greeting from the host a few minutes after we were standing there waiting to be acknowledged. To be fair, he seemed busy, but still... We went downstairs to sit at the bar and the two bartenders (one girl one guy, didn't get names) were great! I like to find out what the person making my drink would make for themselves (who knows it better than they do, right?!) and they each had a good option for me after asking me what I like and don't like. It's a little fuzzy now (which means it was damn good), but I think I got a pinktini on the rocks. Times five. Actually, it might have been six.. I'm getting ahead of myself. Back to dinner. We are seated in the dining room after a short wait and we get started on our dinner. The reason for the potential three stars is really because of the inconsistencies in offerings. I understand that the food is all fresh so there can't be the same things all the time, but in this particular location, there are sometimes MANY things and sometimes VERY few things (like, VERY VERY few). This was a very few night. Not only were there not many options, they weren't refilled quickly. Despite the above, me and my date each got pretty much what we wanted, and it was smooth sailing from there on out. The chefs at the Mongolian grill are efficient and know what they are doing. Our waitress was extremely friendly, attentive, and sweet. After dinner we actually moved back to the bar until last call and we were served a half-dozen rounds of consistently well-made drinks at good prices. I really like Fire and Ice -- I'm a fan of tapas when I go out, so I like being able to make a lot of small plates and try different flavors and combinations.

    (4)

  • Sungeeta A.

    Either I had really low standards in college, or this place has gone quite downhill. My guess is it's a little of both. First of all, the area where you pick your food is a zoo! And not laid out in any order that makes sense or flows well. Then you wait for the server to grill the food in front of you, which may be novel but just feels like unnecessary work. The food itself is decent but not worth all of the hassle. Also, our table was so sticky our plates stuck to it! And don't even get me started on the disaster that was the bathroom... I will definitely not be back here. I think Flat Top Grill has a much better model where you go through one line and then leave your food at the grill with a stick that has your name and table number on it. You can then wait in peace for your food to come.

    (2)

  • Celeste B.

    Went to this great innovative restaurant with a friend who recently moved to the area. The idea of a buffet is not new but the fact that you create your own meal from scratch is. I loved the idea that you could mix raw ingredients to create your meal the way that you want it exactly down to the seasoning. The crowd was mixed but mostly college aged students from the immediate area. The service was prompt and very good. I really had no complaints other then the fact that those with allergies or food preferences should beware about eating here because everyones food is cooked on the same grill (fish, meat, etc.)

    (5)

  • Bethany R.

    My boyfriend and I LOVE fire and ice in Boston, so for Valentine's day we decided to try the Cambridge location. BIG MISTAKE. We had reservations, but people who didn't were seated before us. We were seated behind a party of 20 students who decided to leave their bags blocking every direction towards the grill. We asked to move, and were very rudely told there were no seats available - the restaurant was basically empty. I went to the manager and we finally got moved. Our waiter was AWESOME, he was the only good thing about our night. We finally got the the grill, the cooks didn't know what they were doing, they squeezed all the juice out of my boyfriend's burger, my chicken was raw in the middle (don't know how you mess that up?) then we had to fight the backpacks to get back to our table. I won't go back, worst Valentine's day idea. The only reason this got two stars was the normal fire and ice prices (1 star), and the waiter who tried so hard to make our night better (1 star). I will be staying at the Boston location from now on!

    (2)

  • Cape P.

    Eclectic atmosphere! We enjoyed the variety of choices and being able to create our meals! The staff was attentive. Recommended.

    (4)

  • Sung L.

    If you want large quantity of food, but no expectation on quality, this is the place to go. Other than that, I am not sure it this place has a lot to offer. I will point out few things I have noticed. First, ingredients, sauces, and spices have not changed for many years. I have been to this place few times during the course of six or so years. I have noticed nothing has changed in the menu. For the meat or seafood stuff I understand. However, sauces and spices have not changed. They need to explore other sauces and ingredients. When I went there last time (which was last week), I had to use about 70% of hot sauce on the table since sauces and spices they have does not do much for my taste. Second, the people who does cooking on the grill needs to understand the basics about cooking. When I gave them seafood, veggies, and noodles, I have noticed that seafood and noodles were not cooked enough and I did not touch the noodles. I have seen people giving noodles separately and I understood why. Also, I noticed that they don't mix sauce/spice well with food. I got chunk of sauce in one side and barely seasoned seafood on the other side of my plate after cooking. I would recommend they take some very basic cooking lessons such as frying eggs instead of tossing around shrimps all day. I don't expect world class chef, but at the same time I did not want someone who works at Wendy's works there. Third, wait staff seems to be hard to get hold of. Maybe it was just me, but seems little bit difficult to get their attentions. Overall, I am not sure if I want to go there again any time soon.

    (2)

  • Jay A.

    Fire and Ice is an interesting mixture between buffet and mongolian style bbq. You gather a bowl of your favorite raw meat (yum) and veggies, and you proceed to wait in a circular line around the large grill. They have space for large parties and I suppose it is a convenient place for a gathering where dietary restrictions are not known for every individual. So those are some positives! In terms of actual food intake, I will say not ideal. The strangely unclean environment just makes me assume that the food is also unclean? It's certainly irrational, but continues to bother me as I try to consume my hopefully cooked chicken.

    (1)

  • Kozichka H.

    This is my favorite restaurant in Harvard Square. I've been going there for 10 years now. I really don't understand all the bad reviews... I've never felt sick after eating their food. But then again, I've never had any of the meat, so I can't judge its quality. I tend to get various kinds of seafood with noodles and vegetables, and that has always been great. I have a favorite combination of sauces, and they make it just perfect. Not too salty, but then again... don't be greedy, you don't have to fill the whole cup! If you drown it in sauce, I can see how that would be salty, but that's kinda your problem... I have loved the food every single time, and go there for my birthday and take out-of-towners there as well. Watching your food be prepared is fun, at least for me, and I love the ability to choose what goes in it. And I like that, as a bonus, they also have salsa dancing on Fridays! It's hard to find salsa around Harvard, unless you go to Central Square, so this has been a good recent addition.

    (5)

  • Alaina P.

    Decent food, average prices. I came here with a friend and we definitely took advantage of getting as many servings as we could eat. We experimented with different combinations and I had a good meal. It definitely wasn't 5 star quality, but I don't have any major complaints.

    (4)

  • Lisa B.

    I originally wrote a really long review, but in the interest of simplicity, I'll pare it down: Fire & Ice has a cool concept, but I think the execution is lacking. Waiting in line was chaotic, our food was bland (and a bit burnt) and our group was overcharged. I'd love to see the stir fry and salad stations spread out a bit more. Adding more veggies would also be a huge plus! Sadly, at $17 per person, I probably won't be back.

    (2)

  • David R.

    This place is kind of like hell -- it's noisy, crowded, underground, and there's lots of fire involved. Hell may or may not be cleaner. I assume the staff in hell is more attentive. On the other hand, it's cheap!

    (1)

  • Alyssa M.

    Such a cool place! So many options! Fun to watch the couples dancing in the room while you eat.

    (4)

  • Subs N.

    I called into the restaurant today from NH - Friday, 10-17-2014 at 7:30pm. The phone was answered by someone named Kathy and she said the Salsa classes are cancelled today and there is NO salsa classes tomorrow 10-18-2014. On the Website and in boston.com it says Salsa dance begins at 9:30pm. I don't know why would the waiter sabotage the business and avoid the customers. If you have been there this date, Can someone confirm that ?

    (1)

  • Sathasaurus T.

    My first time here. It's pretty interesting, we got a really nice and friendly waitress. The food isn't all that great. I only like seafood and they didn't have much selection on that. There's no mussels, clams, etc. But for 16.99, all you can eat, I would say, it's pretty expensive since I didn't really eat much. Plus the sauce were kind of salty. However, the drinks were awesome. We got the fire bowl, ice bowl, and scorpion bowl and let me tell ya, it's fruity as hell but you better take it easy because it will creep up on you! I would go there again for drinks, I'm not impressed with their food/selections.

    (3)

  • Justina G.

    Most recently we went here for my birthday dinner. Since I have three kids, one of whom has significant food allergies, this is a great option for us. We made reservations noting the allergy concerns and that we'd need two high chairs. When we arrived, everything was set up and the high chairs were wiped down especially well. Our waiter knew the routine of saying that the tags on the sauces say whether they're gluten free, vegan, etc. but he looked at me like I had three heads when I asked for more detailed ingredient information. The manager, luckily, knew what I was looking for and was more than accommodating. He understood the possibility of cross contamination between the rice pastas and the wheat ones so he brought out fresh noodles and other possibly-cross-contaminated foods from the back. They cooked everything for my youngest in the kitchen so he wouldn't eat anything made off the shared grill. My oldest had a blast making all the different combinations he wanted and the re-stocking staff and cooks, not just the waiters, were very patient in explaining different things to him. Everything I chose was flavorful and well-cooked; my husband was pleased at well. We don't really drink and didn't order dessert so I can't comment on those parts of the menu, but despite it's failings, Fire and Ice serves our purposes nicely. I would, however, recommend reservations on the busier nights since it does get pretty packed.

    (4)

  • Santosh G.

    This was my first time at Fire + Ice with my and friends family and it was ok. We visited this place on a Sunday night and the place was very much empty. Food selection is good but very limited compared to the Boston location. The food was nicely done and smoking hot. The Veggie burger my friend tried was not great. Service was ok too.

    (3)

  • Marc M.

    This is my second time eating here... first time was a few years ago. Still as cool as it was the first time... I'm surprised that it only has 2.5 stars... can probably be attributed to the fact that Harvard is directly across the street... just sayin'

    (5)

  • Jen M.

    I do enjoy a good meal at Fire and Ice! I have been to this location about 4 times and I have never had a bad experience. The quality of the food is so delicious after it has been grilled, and there are so many options of delicious food to choose from. It can be a bit pricey, but it's a nice place to be with a group of friends.

    (3)

  • Bruce M.

    I love this place. Chefs are great, atmosphere is noisy but it's to be expected. Great selection of food.

    (5)

  • Annie C.

    If you have a big party don't count on making a reservation guaranteeing you a table on time. 30 minutes later, still waiting.

    (1)

  • Amy G.

    I can't do buffets. I feel pressure to eat as much as I can (even though the group I was with paid so it was essentially free) which leads inevitably to a feeling of sickness, or I don't stuff myself and feel guilty for wasting the all-you-can-eat aspect of the restaurant. So, this might be more of a "it's not you, it's me" situation, but I did not come away from Fire and Ice with a great impression. The first round, I got steak, shrimp, broccoli, roasted eggplant, and vermicelli noodles. I think that a major problem of the cooking process here is that everything is indiscriminately cooked for the same amount of time. They try to move meat to the inside of the grill and veggies/carbs to the outer edges where it's not as hot, but I think that dishes could be significantly upgraded if they thought about separating types of ingredients. For example, the eggplant they have at the veggie bar is already cooked, so it definitely does not need to be on the grill for as long as a thick slice of tenderloin. Needless to say, I consumed a lot of burnt vegetables throughout the night. Tip: they place white rice and tortillas on your table while you're out at the grill! Had I known this I would not have gotten noodles and just stuck to a stir-fry to eat with rice. I did this for the second round with tilapia, tofu, squash, mushrooms, more shrimp, more broccoli, and more eggplant. I got this second round simply due to the aforementioned pressure of the buffet experience and sadly could not finish the food. And wasting food breaks my heart. The staff is nice--the waitresses clearly explained the process of loading a bowl with raw food and a little cup with sauce and the men at the grill smile at you and make sure your sauce is going on the correct strip of food--but the bottom line of dining reviews is the food, and delicious flavors are not guaranteed when individuals are given free reign to concoct strange combinations of ingredients that will be blindly stir-fried together under a single layer of overpowering sauce.

    (2)

  • Jane S.

    Fire + Ice is an all-you-can-eat grill in which you grab a bowl and fill it with items from the "marketplace," a display of fresh meats, seafood, pastas, exotic and domestic vegetables as well as a broad choice of internationally influenced sauces. The vegetable section had summer squash, potatoes, carrots, brocoli, roasted eggplants (my personal favorite!), mushroom, bell peppers, and baby corns. The vegetables were pretty fresh in general, but it was sometimes messy because people would overfill their bowls and the vegetables fall out. The fresh meats section was a heaven for carnivores, featuring everything from sausage, turkey, chicken, and beef to all sorts of seafood. Andouillie sausage, turkey tenderloin, and chicken tenderloin at the bottom, and tofu (mindful of vegetarians!), sweet Italian sausage,and cajun pork on top. I don't know how I feel about having all these different meats grilled together. The seafood section had haddock, salmon that had odd, non-salmon color, tilapia, shrimp, and squid. I personally don't like fish with other vegetables or meat...Fish is best when grilled by itself. The grill wouldn't be complete with some carb! The noodle section had rice noodle, udon noodle, bowtie and curly pasta, and egg noodle. Lots of variety so you never get bored. The Marketplace also featured a salad bar with sufficient toppings (cucumber, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, olives, etc) for a decent salad. Since I eat at a school cafeteria with salad bar that is always available, my footsteps didn't necessarily lead me to this section. You can also make burgers, either regular hamburgers or veggie burgers. These are toppings you could ask to be grilled, ranging from bacon, mushroom, and onions to spam (ew) and meatballs (weird). Once you fill the bowl with all the ingredients, you go to the sauce section and fill that blue bowl with whatever combination of sauces you would like. There are also tiny sample cups. The variety of sauces were incredibly! The taste of your dish totally changes depending on which sauce you put in. There were marinara, alfredo, sweet and sour, carribean jerk, pineapple curry, szechwan, BBQ, fruit sauce, just to name a few. Now that you have everything--the bowl full of ingredients and sauce--you gather around the 25' round grill located right in the middle of the dining room. Part of the entertainment is watching the grill chefs work their magic, firing up your creations right in front of your eyes. I had eggplants, cauliflower, bell pepper, baby corns, water chestnuts, and a few pieces of top sirloin with udon noodle. Like the name of the restaurant suggests, I could taste the fire (er..the grill) in the ingredients. I liked the slightly burnt parts from the grill, especially the udon noodle because it tasted crispy. I added some salt and pepper because the seasoning was bit lacking. Perhaps I put a little too less sauce? I chose the pineapple curry and fruit sauce for this dish, and it was a poor choice because both sauces were too sweet. For the second round, I opted for egg noodles, squash, egg plants, and tofu with sweet chili and BBQ. I liked the choice of sauce much better because it had a little bit of Zing from the spicyness of the chili, together with the sweetness from the BBQ sauce. I still sprinkled salt & pepper and hot sauce for extra seasoning. The beauty of Fire & Ice is that you can create and customize your own dish to fit your taste and preference. It's definitely exciting to be the chef of your own food at a restaurant. Sure, you may not be doing the actual cooking, but you are picking out all the ingredients and the sauces to create a dish of your own. For dessert, we decided to share chocolate fondue with fresh fruits, pound cake, and marshmallow. The presentation of the dish was not the most appealing. Dipping the pound cake into the chocolate. The pound cake was really dry, but the milk chocolate (even for someone who doesn't like chocolate) was really good! It's probably really cheap milk chocolate though.

    (2)

  • Matt S.

    It's a pretty typical "pick it yourself" kind of meal. As everyone states, you choose your own raw food and a sauce and they cook it for you. I would disagree with everyone saying $17 is pricey for all you can eat considering the area your in though, just know you get what you pay for; you definitely aren't getting kobe beef. Plus, why would you have high expectations for an all you can eat place anyway? It's not bad if you just want to get a lot of food for cheap, then head out and enjoy the area. The only big complaint I had was that the waitress was rude. She was pretty dismissive and while I didn't care my girlfriend did. It won't keep us from going back but a little better customer service would be nice.

    (3)

  • Ignacio B.

    "Cheap" is the only good adjetive this place has. Dirty, full of teens, ... Should I continue? With the large variety of good places you have in Boston don't waste your time, money and patiente going there.

    (1)

  • Mark A.

    I am so disappointed in Fire & Ice... I haven't been there in ages, and made brunch reservations for Mother's Day, thinking it'd be "something different". Showed up, was told we couldn't be seated till our entire party was there. We were waiting on one more person, still wouldn't seat us. I HATE restaurants with asinine policies like that. As we're waiting, a party of 63, no exaggeration... 63 patrons comes in with a reservation. If you've ever been to F&I before, I'm sure you'd agree that no one would want to be seated at the same time as a group of 63, as you're all fighting for the same grill-space. Not being seated with our incomplete party worked out for us, I can't believe they'd accept reservations at the same time as a party with 60+ guests, ludicrous.

    (1)

  • Dan P.

    Well, it's "fun" I guess, if you think that not seeing your dining companions is fun. The food is poorly cooked, not surprising since for a proper stir-fry, the ingredients should be added to the mix depending on cooking time; these guys just put everything on the grill at once. The burgers have all the juiciness squeezed out of them. The sound is deafening, and the place smells like a restroom (exhaust fan, anyone??). To their credit, if you have an allergy, they will take your food to a separate griddle in the kitchen.

    (1)

  • J B.

    I've been going here for a few years and I love the food and the service. I also like the fact that you can choose how you want your food. I always get a fun and energetic waiter so no problems there. All of the food I got from here has always been cooked thoroughly. On weekends, they may have salsa night or other fun activities. Friday and Saturday nights are the busiest.

    (5)

  • Sarah G.

    I don't understand why people have given this place such a bad rep. I mean sure, if I was paying more than $11 which you do if you come here at dinner, and if it was really super crowded which I hear it is often and you had to wait in line forever and they ran out of all of the toppings, etc., then ya I guess I could see it. BUT my experience at lunch today was pretty good. You can make reservations before you come which is good because they can get very busy even at lunch on the weekends, mainly because it is $11 for all you can eat. You get to walk around this Chuck E Cheese painted kind of place which I've been told hosts salsa classes and nights event, and you grab a bowl and then choose whatever you want from all of the different veggies, meat including chicken, steak, pork, sausage, calamari and salmon and tilapia, and then you take all of that to the grill station with your choice of sauce and they grill it up for you. Pretty good idea if you ask me, especially if you are with picky eaters :-) They also have a full salad bar and a burger station as well, and you can go back as many times as you want. Oh and in case the all you can eat isn't enough, they bring you tortillas and rice to your table too ha So if you can ignore the really bright fun times colors inside, and as long as you aren't there when there is a mob, it is a pretty good place to get full for the day for not too much money.

    (3)

  • Kristen K.

    Fire and ice represents itself as a "fun, family restaurant" but it's far from the truth. My husband, daughter, and I took a nice stroll to Harvard square with the plan to have dinner there this evening. Upon arrival we were met by a young Hispanic girl who immediately told us "carriages aren't allowed" and that we must "put the kid in a high chair". We hesitantly agreed but requested we keep the carriage with us as it had things we needed for our daughter underneathe. She told us we had to leave it with her. After a puzzled look she told us to wait a minute that she needed to speak with the manager Andreas. She returned moments later and then brought us down to the back of the restaurant to a secluded area behind a large pole when plenty of tables were available next to the grill. We saw another family with a young child and their stroller. My husband asked "is this where you dump all of your families" to which she laughed. We told her we were leaving and planned to eat elsewhere to which she laughed and replied. "Ok" with a smile. Awful service. Shame on them!

    (1)

  • Allen J.

    If you are a strict vegetarian, vegan, or have specific food no-nos, Fire and Ice is not the place for you. Because everything is cooked on one giant stove by a pair of old-looking twins, food constantly gets mixed together. Everyone can expect to find pieces of food from their neighbor's bowl. Overall, the food is ok. It's typically quite crowded, so it can get loud. The sauce can be quite "heavy" in flavor. Don't feel obliged to fill the little cup with sauce. Also, you can request to have cheese added on top of your food or burger. Also, keep an eye on your food, because they will always ask which set is yours while they are cooking. If you don't know, they'll add the wrong sauce to your food, or they'll add your sauce to the wrong food.

    (3)

  • Tina W.

    Full disclosure: my husband loves this restaurant, wanted to go for his birthday dinner, and got stuffed. All that said, this is my review, and we care about different things in a restaurant. I almost slipped in a puddle of water TWICE as I walked around (different spots). ALL of the bowls were chipped up around the top edges, and most were also visibly dirty (actual bits of stuff in them, stacked there by the meat tables...) The women's bathroom was horrible - chipped up toilet seats, funky smell, lots of graffiti everywhere. I was grossed out by the piles of raw meat sitting out on ice everywhere. It is just not something I find appealing at all, especially in the dirty seeming place :/ I put a bunch of vegetables in the cleanest bowl I could find (which still had water in it) and took them up. When I got them back, the broccoli was still raw. I just really don't get the appeal, at all. The only two things that I was into at all were that, 1, I asked someone if they had black olives and they actually went in the back and found me some even though there hadn't been any out, and 2, the bacon near the burger bar is seriously thick and delicious. Neither of those things warrants a return trip.

    (1)

  • Stef S.

    Honestly the only thing keeping me from giving this place a 1 star is the fact that the waiter was nice and there's nothing particularly horrible about this place. (I reserve my one stars for places that shouldn't exist. Period.) The food was pretty bad though. And for a $16+ buffet, you don't get much selection. The sauces are limited, and the ingredients you can essentially stir fry are basic: spinach, bell pepper, mushroom, corn, etc. etc. A few varieties of meat, of which the sirloin steak is the best. I would NOT come back here just because everything tastes the same. They cook everyone' s dishes on the exact same heated plate. they use the same spatulas for everything. The sauces are pretty horrendous and weird tasting. Fajita sauce with a soy sauce base? Sour tasting Thai red curry that probably has no coconut milk in it? WEIRD! Lastly, because everything's cooked together, some things are overcooked while others are undercooked. Bleh. Overpriced. The desserts aren't any better, so save your money. You could probably make something better, even if you can't cook. I can see how this is fun for a college-aged crowd of friends, because everyone can "pick" what they want, but I'd save your money. There is nothing good about this place, and I'm not even sure how this is a sustainable restaurant in the area. It's just not good! At. All. Also, this would be a horrible date place. As a girl, I'd totally judge you for lack of better judgment or creativity. It's not "gourmet" or "quality" food as other reviews would suggest.

    (2)

  • K. Brooke Z.

    This place reminds me of apple picking. Let me explain my reasoning. At an apple orchard, you pay someone else for the opportunity to harvest the apples for yourself. Sure they put some prep work in beforehand, but you are still going out and collecting your bounty. Its not a bad experience, in fact its quite novel the first time or two. Fire and Ice? Novel the first time. You (over)pay to go up and create a big meal for yourself. Sure, someone else does the actual stir-frying...but you have to wait around and such. Its pretty good, but I know I would have enjoyed it just as much had I ordered it and had it come to my table. The main appeal of fire and ice different, but I don't think it warrants the price unless you are filling up your stirfry bowl with all sirloin steak. If you have picky eaters in your group...sure give it a go. Personally, I would rather pay for a chefs creation and craft rather than my own lack of expertise in plate making.

    (2)

  • David W.

    The concept is just like that of Mongolian BBQ but it's a lot of fun going with people who've never experienced it before. It's a buffet, so you really get to eat your heart out. Two stars just cause this place is SUPER dead and boring if you come for lunch. I came for my birthday lunch and it was so lame...the place was dead.... If you come, come at night! The cooks are a lot more energetic then. At lunch, they just look bored and miserable.

    (2)

  • Shayna C.

    There's nothing I love more than a waitress that barely visits your table, and finding out you can't use a coupon because a few other people in your party used a coupon. Food was good. Rest of my experience was pretty irritating.

    (2)

  • Adam P.

    I've been here three times and enjoyed each visit. It's not perfect, as others have so willingly noted, but it's fun and they have a pretty nice selection of food to choose from. There's also a ton of different sauces, though my favorite was the spicy szechuan. Meat is always fresh (fish/shrimp is previously frozen) and I've never had an issue with the veggies either. Nice little salad bar, plus a burger station as well. Not my go-to place by any means, but a fun experience and solid enough fare to warrant four stars.

    (4)

  • Hayley M.

    I should love this place. I really should. I loved the Southport Grille in Chicago (which is Fire and Ice but a little more Asian), and in theory all-you-can-eat meat, veggies, and pasta should be amaaaazing, but this location has a lot that's wrong with it. It has committed a cardinal sin (in my eyes): disorganization. It's so crowded and the layout isn't conducive to that. The line to get food extends all the way around the restaurant, and blocks the salad bar. It takes about 20 minutes to get to the grill and then when you walk back to your table, you have to walk through a crowd at the bar. Just not a great layout for a restaurant where you're forced to walk around. The service was fine, although if it's someone's birthday, they don't include anything except a candle in a dessert you pay for, and only one waiter will sing and embarrass your friend. I was always worried that I would spill on one of the million people running around the restaurant - or worse, one of them would spill on me. Just not a stress-free dining situation. Also, since all the food is cooked next to every other order, expect to get someone else's food on your plate. This non-pork eater was thrilled to get huge chunks of bacon in my meal. Oh wait, no I wasn't.

    (2)

  • Greg N.

    I'm not wasting any time criticizing the whole Fire and Ice experience. Getting mad at this place because it's a Mongolian grill is like going to a farm and then getting upset because it smells like animals. While this place is uber-kitschy, it's sorta fun in its own messed up sorta way. The chaos of this place makes it quite fun, and for the amount of food you get (it's all you can eat), it's a killer deal. OK, onto the bad. I'm only giving this place three stars because this place needs a serious update. The only thing I kept thinking about while eating dinner was how tired the interior of this place is. A coat of paint, some new flooring, anything.... it's all just worn out. Almost every plate and bowl I had was heavily chipped. Tangentially related, because this place needs and update, it also felt really dirty here. I felt like nothing was really all that clean. I dunno. It was fun... I'd go back if asked, but I'm not rushing back any time soon.

    (3)

  • Shendi X.

    Monday karaoke was filled with high schoolers and college folk - not the most ideal scene, but fairly fun nonetheless. Ripe for shenanigans.

    (2)

  • Chris M.

    I went maybe three years ago so take this review with a grain of salt. My now-wife and I went to the Harvard Square (so tempted to say "HAHVAHD" instead of "HAR-vurd") with a handful of friends for dinner in winter. (Walking around afterwards was a blast too, memories~) We went in and I was initially confused by the format, as I hadn't been to many buffets in my life (I know, weird right?), but the idea is you pick your protein (meat, fish, poultry, et al.), veggies and sauces and bring them to a central circular grill that cooks saute/stir-fry your ingredients on and you take them back to your table to eat by themselves, or with rice, beans or tortillas for burritos, or as a burger). They also function as a sports bar, but that wasn't important for us. I seem to remember a good cocktail list. The waitress was also prompt and accurate with our drinks/side dishes. The price ($17) wasn't bad for what is all-you-can-eat, an entertaining atmosphere, and a very good location. I'd give Fire and Ice four or maybe even five stars if my memory was more current.

    (3)

  • Emily S.

    I waited a looooong time to try this place but in the end I wasn't impressed. Everyone I talked to said it was the best. I guess I was expecting it to be a little fancier (it's super casual) and I was a little disappointed in the quality of food. I mean the quality isn't BAD but from all the raves I was expecting something more. My old roomate ate here once and didn't feel so great afterwards. Maybe the meat wasn't cooked all the way through? The cocktail I had was mediocre. The variety is great, I'll give them that, but not much else.

    (3)

  • Heidi L.

    The bf wanted to come here for lunch before we went to the Harvard Museum of Natural History. He remembered coming before and loving it. It is a Mongolian grill style restaurant. The place was divided into different stations. There was a station for noodles/pasta and veggie, a station for meats, a station for hamburgers and fixings, a station for salad and salad dressing, a station for extra salad ingredients (such as corn, cheeses, ham, etc.), and lastly a station for sauces. You visit the different stations and fill up a bowl. There was a limit of 1 bowl per visit to the grill. It seemed as if the grill master knew his way around the grill. I was impressed with the way he organized his grill and was aware of when different bowls were done. I would have to say the food was just okay. Even though they had a wide variety of meats, I did not like most of them, the beef was too tough, the calamari was too chewy, the mussels had too much of a fishy taste, and the pork was too spicy and dry. My favorite ended up being udon noodles with veggies, fish, sausage, and honey garlic sauce mixed with teriyaki sauce. The buffet was only $11, so no complaints about the price, especially since the bf paid (he can be a sweetie at times). Service was excellent.

    (3)

  • Katie C.

    WORST EXPERIENCE EVER! And we go out....a lot! This is the first time I've ever walked out of a place, and thought "I can't wait to get home and write a Yelp review." That was truly my first thought. The short of it is: Lines are crazy long. Like 20 + minutes to get the food, to bring to the grill and wait another 10 for the food to cook. We decided not to wait, so we were going to leave some money on the table to cover drinks. My dad felt funny about that, so we told the waiter, and he brought over a $61 check. This was to cover the $9.99 salad only part that we'd eaten. Um no. We said there was no way we were paying that, so the manager knocked $20 off the bill. Fine, but he never even came over to speak to us. We ended up paying $40-then went down the street to have our actual dinner. Bottom line: It was chaotic, dark, dirty, filled with rude staff, and we'll NEVER go back. I'm also not sure that the health department would pass this place-it's so dirty.

    (1)

  • Nic H.

    The atmosphere at this restaurant is just horrible. The food is not bad, but is absolutely not worth the lines, crowds, and generally unclean, dingy environment. I have been here twice (I don't know why I went back the second time) and both times I have had to sit near a large table full of at least 15 tweens who were loud and obnoxious. Loud and obnoxious is basically the environment at this restaurant. I have never had the urge to drop a $20 on the table to cover drinks and just walk out of a restaurant until my second trip to this dump. My party of four had to sit at a table near the sauce station. The extremely slow moving line and traffic from the sauce station basically had our dirty table surrounded by people on both sides. It just isn't pleasant to try and eat with your face sitting at butt-level with a bunch of people who for some reason find the lines and crowds acceptable. On this same trip we decided to leave after having a salad. The line was just horrendous. The salad items are the same items you put in your food -- so I sat about 5 minutes waiting to get to the cucumbers -- which were just five feed down the line from where I was standing. After that wait, and seeing the line grow just to get to the first stage of items to put in our bowls, we decided it wasn't worth the wait. I am not typically picky about food or the atmosphere of restaurants. But I will never go to this place again and I encourage you to not go to this restaurant. If you are a tween going out with 20 of your best seventh grade friends, then have at it. If you are above the age of 18 you will probably not enjoy your time here, especially if it is busy. The layout of the restaurant is just not designed for the kind of crowds that come here on a weekend night. I have been to a number of Mongolian barbeque style restaurants, but none as bad as this. You have to wait in line to get in, wait in line to fill your bowl with food, and then continue to wait in line to get a spot at the grill so somebody can cook it in front of you while you stand around and wait. Please do all of us a favor and don't give this place any more business. They are taking up valuable space in Harvard Square that a more worthy Mongolian Barbeque could better fill

    (1)

  • Clif P.

    I'm surprised by the poor reviews Fire and Ice received from my fellow Yelpers. Although it is a bit hectic/chaotic, the food is good. I really like how I can customize my plates, and it inspires me for when I cook at home.

    (4)

  • Meri B.

    The food was good but the service was terrible. It started by waiting almost 10 minutes at the host counter without even an acknowledgement from the host who was on the phone. Our waiter, Paulo then shouted from the bottom of the stairs to come on down. He asked us what we wanted to drink and then we never saw him again. He didn't ask if it was our first time visiting the restaurant or if we needed any explanations on how to go about getting our food, sauces, etc. When we wanted refills on our drinks, I had to literally get up and try to find him as he ignored us the whole time that we were there. Then when he brought the bill, without ever asking us if we wanted any dessert, he had the nerve to stop by 3 times in a very short period of time to pick up the signed receipt. On the 3rd time, he asked if I could finish signing the receipt as he had to close out his shift. After that he was still around for quite a bit longer, so he obviously lied about closing out his shift. If you don't like serving people or interacting with people, you really shouldn't be in the food service industry. My niece was visiting Boston on her spring break and the poor service and experience that we had at Fire and Ice was really disappointing. We felt unwelcome and ignored, which is a pretty crappy way to treat your guests. If you get Paulo as your waiter, don't expect any service at all.

    (2)

  • Kat V.

    It is hard to walk into this place and not compare it to a BD's Mongolian BBQ which is top notch in my book. That being said, it is not that bad. The layout is somewhat strange - but knowing that they are working with a very old and existing structure I am sure they did what they could. The "new room" with the side bar is nice with the high-top tables as seat your-self if/when they are free. Due to the style of food (the all you can eat and open grill, etc) there are A LOT of families and big groups - know that going in. So if you have issues with patience, short/mini humans (my word for kids) and crowds - this is NOT the place for you. You will be waiting in lines, cut in front of, bumped into, etc. Good times. Always remember: Patience is a virtue - Smacking children is a crime (no matter how lame they are being). If you head here for lunch you can get a 1 trip to the salad bar and grill bar for under $10 which is nice - you can stack both plates/bowls as high as you want! A rare find in Harvard Sq. The drinks are typical chain, cheesy drinks. Foo-foo in taste and style, but good. I would not tie one on here, but a drink with dinner is easy and not over priced. If you sign up on their website you get a free birthday meal (buy one meal, get the b-day boy/girl's meal free type of thing). They don't spam mail you either - so seems worth it.

    (3)

  • Jessica L.

    If you are looking for a fun environment for stir fry this is the place. If you don't like noise or being around people this place is not for you. They have an assortment of sauces and you can combine whatever you like and watch them neatly fry your dinner on a large circular stove top. The atmosphere is fun and light as you can see from the architecture and design. I haven't figured out the "ice" part of "Fire and Ice" but I enjoyed the food and dining experience. If you haven't gone I'd recommend it, not a place I'd go to regularly but it's one of those "we haven't gone there in a while, let's" sort of restaurants.

    (3)

  • Ashley L.

    The only good thing about this place was the waitress. She was sweet and attentive, though not mind blowingingly good. I can't believe how crappy the rest of the experience was! My friends and I had reservations for days and were really looking forward to it. But then we are being walked past dirty, empty tables and were brought to a booth shoved in the corner of the back exit, with no light and a sticky table. I kindly asked for a new table and was initially told no, but then I asked again and said we'd be willing to wait. The host went and got another hostess who walked back and said we could but we'd have to wait 30 minutes, despite that fac that were were only a few people in line and SO many tables just dirty and waiting to be bussed. So we got stuck sitting in the darkest corner booth imaginable by an area where they store stuff, just terrible. And the food was awful! Our vegetables weren't cooked because they didn't steam them at all, so thanks for the luke warm pasta and hard broccoli, really worth the money! Just not worth the time, seriously.

    (2)

  • Chris M.

    This place is really hit or miss. To maximize your chance of it being a hit, do the following: - Go for lunch, you get a 1 trip price that is under 10 bucks. - Go early, it was dead, so the buffet was clean, no wait at the grill, etc. The food buffet didn't look messy, or 'mixed'. - Ask for Nick to be your server, he's attentive, quick, and works with you. -Go w/ a small group (4 is the perfect number) so you can talk while you stuff your face Follow these things, and pretty much you'll have a good time. The selection of food is lost on me because i'm picky, but i was able to get spicy chicken and rice, at a fair lunch price, so I am happy. sidenote: 30 mins after we got there a flood of kids showed up, and suddenly i remembered the 'miss' part of the venue.

    (3)

  • Julia C.

    Upon further reflection after being out of college-student-budget mode for about a year, I've made up my mind: Fire+Ice is not actually that great. The steak is tough workout for your jaws, the fish fillets are gross, and the sauces are so boring. The veggies are okay, but really? You'd pay $11 for two bowls of vegetables and some pasta bits? For the amount of money you'd spend here for dinner, which, by the way, got jacked up to 17 bucks per grown-ups and 11 for you college kids, I'd MUCH prefer to go with one of the two-$ restaurants I've earmarked on Yelp. Kids, this place is NOT worth it, unless you're a huge football player with an unending need for cheap protein. If anything, go to happy hour for half-priced food at Grendel's. Just take your money elsewhere. There really is no excuse to eat here.

    (2)

  • Alison K.

    I took my little sister there for a fun lunch which turned out to be no fun at all. We waited about 10 minutes to even be greeted by a hostess that took us over to a table squeezed in the crowded dining area. It took another 10 minutes for a waiter to even acknowledge us. The idea of the place is fun but in reality the food isn't that awesome. The sauces aren't all that great. I don't think I'll be back.

    (2)

  • Marianne R.

    I actually went to Boston for Labor Day weekend last year and remembered this place as I was planning our next trip back. It was early dinner 5ish and not very busy. We really wanted to try their special Sam Adams brew but they didn't have it. Actually they didn't have any beers really. Our waiter was this older Dominican guy that really didn't seem like the waiter type more of the chilling w/ sandals n socks type. (My man is American/Dominican so I can say that lol) We kept asking for different beers (which they were supposed to have on tap) to which he kept answering they didn't have them. Finally we asked well what do u have? Only 3! Coors light, Sierra Nevada, and Guiness I think (idk something heavier). We chose Sierra Nevada cuz it was right in the middle for all of our palletes. Next thing was the booth, comfortable but broken and if we adjusted ourselves the seat wud slide off. More funny than inconvenient. Next we thought we were seeing double (we had went to the beer garden nearby 1st lol) but apparently the chefs were twins. Took us a while to figure that out! Lol More importantly the food, SLAMMING! Buffet style meets hibachi. So u can go back and try new different ingredients from the sauce, to the noodles, to veggies, to meats, take it up and watch em grill it. It was 5 of us and we absolutely loved it. Prices weren't bad either. With all the lil quirks I wouldn't have changed a thing cuz we thought the food was great! If ur looking for a nicer place w/ more of an ambience then no. But if ur looking for good grub and to make the good time yourselves with friends enjoying your company then hell yes!

    (4)

  • Tessa C.

    I was really impressed when Fire and Ice contacted me about my last review, it showed they have a real interest in customer service! I was offered a free dinner to make up for the experience last time, which I was obviously thrilled about. As usual, I ate way too much and it was delish. If you're looking for a tip, I would say go here with a smaller group, as it can feel a bit overwhelming with large groups.

    (5)

  • Julie C.

    I thought the food was great. They would cook it fast but well done the way I like it. I am definitely going back.

    (5)

  • Yancey L.

    How interesting it is to wait around the spectacularly huge grill pan for the BBQ dish you DIYed. All you can eat is always great, and they have a lot of seafood, meat, vegetable choices. I think the only thing I'm not quite satisfied is their sauces. Why they are all sweet ones. But, all in all, that's a great place to have friends over and enjoy a fun night.

    (4)

  • Coco N.

    We were greeted at the door by a really friendly person, which was really the highlight of the night. Everything went downhill from there. We participated in a hyped up salsa lesson taught by "professionals" which are really good dancing but bad teaching. I saw all confused faces around the room and forced people to dance even if they haven't learned the moves yet. They also made us wait for 30 mins because there was a "party" going on. So they were late and their teaching was not good. Icing on the cake!? Left the lesson midway, went to the bar to find no bartender around. I promptly left when the lesson finished (because my friend toughed it out through that nightmare). I left thirsty and disappointed.

    (1)

  • Allie H.

    In the nicest way possible, this place reminds me of my college cafeteria. That is, I have fond memories of the massive Mongolian-style grill, a round flat grill in the center of the room, where chefs would stir-fry any number of ingredients: tofu and sesame oil when I was a vegan; a variety of vegetables and spicy noodles when I was in a different sort of mood. Fire and Ice is kind of like that. For $17, you've the option of a large buffet of ingredients. You fill a bowl with whatever you like: steak, chicken, garlic, beans, shrimp, spinach, tofu, peppers, broccoli, spiced pork, bacon...the list goes on. Fill as separate small bowl with your choice of sauce, from alfredo or marinara to spicy or tangy Asian stir-fry sauces. Bring your ingredients to the grill and wait while the cooks saute everything for you. The first trip, I made the mistake of not knowing what I was after. Some sort of comforting pasta? Beef and broccoli? If you're not the type to make decisions easily, you might be crippled by choices. The first bowl I made, with steak and broccoli in a tangy mushroom sauce was boring. No matter. The next bowl, a chicken-spinach-garlic-alfredo with farfalle pasta was great. I like the idea of this place, especially for families, because you can feasibly make whatever you want (including cooked-to-order burgers). It's not fancy by any means, but it's fun. Be sure to make a reservation.

    (3)

  • Elizabeth G.

    Okay sorry.... this place is WAY too expensive. I grew up near a restaurant like this with the Mongolian grill and you could eat so many bowls of whatever stuff you wanted for only like $11 and it was a nice place.... not dive-y or considered "cheap". This place seems to take itself pretty seriously with the prices and all the limitations on tortillas, rice and what you can get. Come on.... if you're going to charge that much, at least up the selection. Or have some deals or something... Also for some reason they always have a wait. This place is HUGE, especially for Harvard Square but it's always full for some reason. Overpriced, crowded and tacky.

    (1)

  • Jayna B.

    This place is just fun. If you love buffets and watching people cook your food, you will love Fire and Ice. Brunch here is delicious- you get a bowl and choose whatever you want for either eggs, pancakes, french toast or stir-fry. Then you give that bowl to the chef and voila! your food is made for you, while you watch. The drinks are strong and they also have yummy pastries and bagels, yogurt, granola and fruit for those of you who are into that. Coffee was just ok. I love coming here and always do whenever I am in town. Great place to bring out of towners because there really isn't anything like this that I have ever seen.

    (4)

  • Karen X.

    One of my favorite places to go in the Square and one of my favorite places to bring friends who come from out of town. They have really fun drinks if you are over 21 - I'm a fan of the Red Lava. If you go on Friday or Saturday nights, be prepared to wait a long time to be seated and to get food though because it can get very crowded. The food is not going to be the most mind-bogglingly good food you've ever had, but it's overall a fun experience!

    (4)

  • Vicky H.

    i've been here a few times already but never written a review so i will base this solely on the last time I was here which was recently. I made a reservation and was seated almost immediately while a couple of groups waited. We were seated adjacent to the room where they teach Salsa at night. It was pretty loud in here but overall, my friend and I were still able to talk and hear each other. We went to get our food and brought it to the center to get it cooked. I mixed the spice up because i don't particularly care for one over another. As I was giving it to the cook, he placed it and spreads it outwards. I told him I didn't want them too well done since they were mostly veggies and seafood. Nothing worse than overcooked shrimp. When it was time for the sauce to be added, I told him to add an equal part in water. He was like *huh?* I told him to fill the cup with water after he put the sauce on the food. He did and mixed it in. The food tasted ok. It's not a bad price if you eat steak and seafood, otherwise, it's way over priced. I did like mine because it wasn't salty like previous times. Getting better at different food combinations. This time, they gave us rice and also wraps. Not bad except both my friend and I do not eat either. We didn't want to fill our tummy with carbs that we don't need :) Lastly, our waitress was very slow. She walked passed by us several times and didn't even look or asked if we wanted water refilled. We finally had to stop her just to get water. The bill also took awhile to get here. and took awhile to cash out. We were there for over 2 hours and most of that we were just waiting around. I gave it 3 stars because of the variety of food you get to choose from.

    (3)

  • Kathleen K.

    This location should probably be closed and renovated at a minimum. I can't image this place could pass a health inspection. I was dripped on from above while standing in the line to create my meal...um yuck! Trust me, you don't want to look up in this place! The raw food items were immediately mixed together after the first few patrons clamored over each other to get at the items they wanted. And the room we were seated in smelled like a sewer. Not surprising that the stench was originating from the restrooms adjacent to our table. And least surprising of all...I got nauseous on the ride home and was later vomiting up my meal for the next few hours. Another location may be your best bet. Sorry!

    (1)

  • Katy M.

    People RAVE about this chain so I'd thought I'd give it a try....and I was really underwhelmed. I got rice noodles, chicken, veggies, and hoisin sauce and it was good, but something I could've made at home at the same quality. The lunch special is a good deal, thoughl: 7.99 for entree, soup, and salad. The service was very friendly. It's a a good concept, but the actual quality of the food makes it nothing special in my opinion.

    (2)

  • Heather G.

    We got sat right in front of the air conditioning unit. When I asked if we could move (I had a 10 month old with me), they gave me attitude. (Strike 1...). Then, they gave me a highchair that was missing half the straps so I couldn't even strap my son in. (Strike 2...) I then asked the waitress if we could split the check in 2 and she goes we don't do that here. I asked if we could talk to someone and she said no, we don't do that here. (Strike 3...) yeah I'm done with that place!

    (1)

  • Maria D.

    I am probably Fire and Ice's biggest fan. I try and always get the same thing, and I have only been disappointed twice (the first time I went and the most recent time I went). The first time I went, the service was subpar - they took forever to get our drink orders and gave us the check before we could ask for dessert. The most recent time, they ran out of honey garlic sauce. I told the waitress, so that I could try and get some more-- but was grossly disappointed when she spotted me and said, "Sorry, we just don't have any..." I am a very picky eater, so it's important that my meals are consistent -- and sometimes, they're just not. Also, I've been with one other person and with up to 9 other people, and we only ever get ONE bowl of rice. Is it possible to get any more stingy? At the very least, they could have rice as part of the buffet like they have it at the Boston location. Also, only two tortillas for an entire table of 8.... and I don't blame the restaurant, but when one selfish person takes the tortillas and the sour cream, someone's got to get blamed. Ahem. (Yes, I'm talking to you-- in a party of eight, you can't claim it for yourself!) Too pricey for what they give you. The Boston location is noisier, but they seem to get the buffet concept better than they do in Harvard Square.

    (3)

  • Jane C.

    Not sure why people are so negative about this place...then again, haven't been to the other location so maybe standards aren't as high? It's definitely not Harvard square's best, but a fun place to dine out with friends. Only downside is that it's a little pricey for the quality of the food, but the selections are good.

    (4)

  • Naika C.

    I went their like 2 years ago. I stopped going because I always ordered the same thing since they didn't have a large variety. A lot of the stuff they had were like seafood

    (2)

  • Junior T.

    First time I been to Fire and Ice was here, I came with a group of over 25, although that was no problem and the waiter was great, we did wait a while to sit down though, then again it was a large group. There is a large variety of food and drinks and always fun to see the chef cook, in general, this is a great place to attend every now and then, although not a regular place to eat; especially around Harvard Sq.

    (3)

  • Elizabeth H.

    I am a little late in writing a review on the Fire and Ice. I went on 3/16/14 while on a trip to Boston. I enjoyed the concept of this place. It is all you can eat and had ample choices from cereal to omelets. I agree with other Yelpers. The quality of your omelet really depends on the ingredients you choose. If you want to pick something basic it tastes like a basic omelet. The place is also clean and the service is good to excellent. I was having lunch with someone I had not seen in a long time. I really appreciated that the waiter allowed us to sit and chat for almost 3 hours. I never felt like he was pushing to turn the table over. If I had to guess why other Yelpers give Fire and Ice negative reviews is that the quality of food is no better than what you would expect or get from a diner or a cafeteria. The prices do not reflect the quality of food. (It might be a little pricey for what you get.) However the restaurant's ambiance, location and being able to sit comfortable for several hours outweighed the quality of food issue for me. I would go back if I was in the area again.

    (3)

  • Mary C.

    My son and I love it here!! Since about 12 years old, we have been going to Fire and Ice a few times a year for a mother/son outing. Food is fabulous, atmosphere is fantastic and the service is very friendly and fast. Everyone who works there could not be nice enough and they all are very helpful with the menu. I love how they ask you if you have ever been there because if you haven't they will give you a tour of the restaurant and they explain how it all works. They did that for my cousin when she came to visit. It can be a little loud but not loud enough to give it another star down. I have no problem talking to anyone there. Its the kind of atmosphere it is, if you want quiet, its not the place for you. I highly recommend it!

    (5)

  • Walter G.

    ugh. so since fire & ice has been the running joke on here (and on everywhere) for quite some time i was actually a little excited to try it out when i found out my girlfriend's friend was having her b day here. anyone who knows me knows i love complaining and there were way too many an opportunity missed when people would start a bitch fest and i'd have to sit it out. no longer! firstly i just wanna say that it's $18/person to go make your own food and then carry it back to your table YOURSELF like some kinda servant. just wanted to get that out there... so the food was actually pretty good. if it isn't then only you're to blame because you go pick out your own ingredients and sauces and stuff. so anyone who bitches about the food is pretty much saying "after ~20 years on this earth i haven't figured out how to mix flavors to my individual liking." the cooks are pretty good about keeping your stuff separate. the reason it's only two stars is because it just doesn't come together for a great experience in my opinion. some of it is inherent in the design and some isn't. like for example, the gaggle of high school girls that chose to crowd around the little stations and chit chat about "omg kayleigh what should i get omg??" for 5 min. not really preventable with this type of format but still annoying. but then like, ok, we were a party of 15 or so. WHY the HELL would anyone think it was an ok idea to seat us at a table where one side was booth seating and then push all the tables together and then have one end of the booth blocked by a wall??? seriously? "ok guys so we encourage you to get small portions so you can take multiple trips up and try more stuff. yeah just have your EIGHT FRIENDS move everytime you wanna get up for more food or another beer since we aren't attentive to your beer needs during the first round of the NHL conference finals." it's just stupid. and then we asked to be moved to somewhere that wasn't inconvenient as fuck and they're like "sorry we have another reservation". and then no one sat there for the duration of our meal. dicks. oh and there were a lot of people that looked like they were on dates which i thought was amusing. why don't you just take her to the dining hall for chrissakes?

    (2)

  • Jess L.

    I came here for a Harvard program party. We sat in their patio, which was perfect for a gathering of ~50. The service was a bit spotty, but the strength of the drinks well made up for it. The choices for your make-as-you-want stir fry are very good and diverse. I can't say much for the cost because it was on Harvard's tab, but it seems like a low maintenance place for a party. We all had a good time with pretty decent food.

    (3)

  • Jane Z.

    Overall, a great place! It's a lot of fun if you're in a group. They also have salsa dancing, which is always fun!

    (4)

  • Justin H.

    I want to like this play, I really do. A good friend brought me here and because of that I have fond memories. But to be honest I really am not a fan. Here's why: You pay around $17 for an all you can eat buffet where you pick your ingredients and get them stir fried on a huge cooking area in the middle of the cooking area. Pick from rice, noodles, different meats and veggies and sauces, etc. It tastes ok. My issue is that there is NO way that you get your money's worth here. I went with a group of 5 people and most tapped out after 1.5 plates of food whose ingredients must have cost $5 max. I mean, if the main sell here is to be able to put together my plate of food then that's really not worth it the $12 or so bucks I'm putting down. Because of this the value they provide is imbalanced. Granted, the food is decent, but I cant help feeling like this place is gimmicky and a poor and slightly exploitive model that preys on groups who want a good time and will pay an arm and a leg for a food experience, but ultimately not much of a meal- filling up on noodles is not worth $17. Or maybe that's what I'm missing, maybe I don't appreciate the experience. I would go here again if someone pays for me, but I'm not putting down my money to eat some odd combo of noodles, salami, chicken and Thai sauce. Pass.

    (1)

  • Ivette S.

    Hostess needs work! Waitress was great!! Food was good! Cooks need to be more interactive with the customers. It is a fun all you can eat place with amazing sauces to choose from. The Atmosphere is great if you are sitting near the cooking area! The floor layout is strange, someone decided to also add a empty dance floor for night life be the focus instead of the grill. This place needs a serious up date.

    (3)

  • Ali K.

    My beautiful girlfriend had been raving about this place for so long and finally the date came to meet up with some friends visiting from Chicago. I finally wanted to see what all the fuss was about, and yet again the place she chose delivered in spectacular fashion. The crowd was a mix of young and old, also their were some kids there as well, which obviously i didn't mind. There wasn't a whole bunch of them so that's prob why the noise level was reduced. The waitress who served us was very prompt with everything and was very nice checking on us every couple of minutes to see if we were enjoying everything. We started off with a fishbowl, which wasn't the greatest I've ever had but it was very good. (TAVERN IN THE SQUARE SALEM SHOULD TAKE A HINT FROM FIRE AND ICE HOW TO MAKE A FISHBOWL) Then obviously the food format is set up as a buffet and let me tell you, the first time around your prob going to miss a few things so the second time you go up just take it slow and survey all the options. Whatever you can fit into your bowl will be cooked for you. I got two courses worth of food; calamari, chicken tenderloins, a burger, egg noodles, sirloin steak pieces, and a few other things. Plus the sauces they had were amazing and you can sample them all before using them in your food. Then obviously watching the chefs go to work on your food is the best part, seeing the masterpiece you chose, fully cooked before your eyes. The chefs in my opinion were super cool, they joked and talked to me a little bit while they were cooking and my food came out wonderful, well done just the way i liked it. Plus all the TV's in the bar section was a welcome sight b/c of all the NFL action that was on since we went on a Sunday night. I wish they had TV's all over the walls in the dining section though. But this place is reasonably priced and def fun for a group outing. Thanks to my GF once again for bringing me here loved it.

    (5)

  • Mark D.

    Dark, Damp, Dingy and scam artist. So we went to F&I on Veterans Day. They were offering free dinner to Veterans, and I being a veterans wanted to try this place out that my sister had raved about. So my, now, wife and I went. 1st off parking in Cambridge is always a joke, but if you're going to have a restaurant there you're going to get a comment in my review unless you have a private lot, so, no private lot, had to pay for parking. Go downstairs, should of been my 1st clue. get seated rather quickly as we still beat any dinner rush. The place was going through renovations at the time but wasn't horrible, just dark, and kinda drab, and dingy, and yea, gave the feeling of being underground, not in a cool way. Waiter greets us, our 1st time, he explains the process, makes sense to me, basic (wannabe) Mongolian. I mention the Veterans Day special they're having, he knows nothing about it but will ask his manager. He returns and asks if I have any paperwork about both the special and proof that I'm a veteran, Thank God I printed out the e-mail. Give him the e-mail and show him my veterans card, he comes back and lets me know, that it wasn't for this location (wasn't mentioned only some locations, and upon further investigation the ad WAS for ALL locations) but they would honor the deal anyways. Good for them, considering our 2 beers would be left on the table opened and unpaid as my date and I walked out of the restaurant. We get our food, have it cooked, it's not crowed so I joke around with the cook, being I was a cook we shared stories. Around my 4th time up I asked him why he didn't work at a real restaurant, he said why when the food never comes back here. He had a point, the F&I mantra is 'if the food doesn't taste good, it's your fault for picking it!" The shrimp smelled fishy, upon telling one of the workers there that, she looked at me like I had 3 heads and said it's fish..... I then went to the manager and told her that the shrimp smelled fishy..... again same look, at least she realized to take the shrimp off the line. So near the end of our.... and I use this word loosely.... meal. Another family come in, 2 adults and 2 kids. The man is ex-milltary. (You know, we know, we all know, we all always know, it's just something the real military notices about everyone) He mentions to the waiter, same waiter we have, That he's a veteran and knows about the free meal for veterans. The waiter went to the manager, again, this time the manager came out and asked the veteran if he had some paperwork on the 'free' meal. I spoke up from my table and said, "why don't you just use the print out I gave you?" Both the manager and waiter turned and looked at me, the waiter must of forgot I was still there, and the manager didn't' know where the other veteran was sitting. Needless to say he got his meal, thanked me because he didn't print out the offer. And if I wasn't there, they would of scammed him, he had kids to feed, not the same as me and my date ability to just storm the hell out. So some advice for everyone, Avoid storming out, and just stay out to begin with.

    (1)

  • Kelsey P.

    Fire and Ice takes a good concept (pick your own raw ingredients and get them cooked in front of you) and executes it decently. My biggest complaint is that they don't really limit you to a particular type of cuisine. In many cases, choice is good, but when you're designing your own meal and don't really know what you're doing, it'd be nice to be given a bit more guidance. Mongolian BBQ places, for instance, tend to deliver more similar dishes since they're a bit more formulaic. Other than that, I'd say that Fire and Ice is just generally solid but unspectacular. The ingredients are fresh but not gourmet, the service is good but not particularly impressive, and the dining area is nicer than at most buffet-style restaurants, but by no means fancy.

    (3)

  • Jeremy K.

    Every city has one of these... A place where when you first hear about it, you immediately investigate and try to check it out. A place so hip, it makes Madonna look like she was cool 20 years ago. I entered this establishment with quite a bit of family: parents, the sis & my cousin. We were welcomed and seated. We had a reservation! We cut the entire line of 35 that was outside... As we descended into the mighty lair, the music came thumping into our ears. Oh man, this place is loud. Will they be serving Tylenol for desert? Our waiter arrives and explains the concept of Mongolian BBQ to us as we stared to him in awe. Seriously? Is that how it works? I walked over to the various stations, while trying to not get grossed out by the fact that people could sneeze, touch, and put their germs everywhere. Germs, germs, germs. They are ewwwie! I picked a few things and brought it out to the middle of the room, where a bunch of "cooks" drop it on the plate and cook it in front of me. What really bothers me is that the first plate I had tasted like seafood because it was cooked next to seafood. But I had steak on it, not seafood. Freaking taste contamination!! I'm allergic to seafood, how could this happen? So I grabbed another plate, filled it up and told the cook to watch it this time. He did and it tasted edible. This place is mostly a gimmick, all about concept and hype but the food itself I did not enjoy. It's fun and that's about it. Oh and the customers around me where obnoxious, spilling food everywhere and cutting in line. But I can't hold that against them! The evening was topped off by my parents complaining about the prices and the loud music for an hour-straight after the meal... Shoot me...

    (2)

  • Keem H.

    I was excited about the place. Many of my friends told me that I should try it. So, I convinced my family to have a dinner there and I assured them that they will like it. There was a waiting list and the incompetent manager said 45 min. So, it's Harvard Sq. We walked around for about 30 minutes and came back. The same incompetent guy said that he called my name and he had to let other people in. No problem. I waited in the waiting area for another 30 minutes and I still see people go ahead of me. When I asked him When is my turn, he said I don't know. "you gotta wait" Oh man, I got mad and start yelling and asking for another manager or somebody else to help me and suddenly out of the blue they found us a table and we finally got in. So, 1- We waited for more than 1 hour 2- Treated badly 3- The food was not worth it 4- It was the worst experience ever 5- Not recommended at all

    (1)

  • Melissa M.

    This place still sucks. That's my update.

    (1)

  • Sarah C.

    Alright, so I think Fire & Ice is a place you either love or hate. I haven't been in years, but I went plenty during college and maybe a year or two before (when did it open again?) It's a good place to go once or twice, for a big group, or a special event/birthday, but once you've been a couple times you realize it's not THAT special, and it's pricey. Now, if you're one to seriously stuff your face, the price is pretty decent ($18 for all you can eat dinner I think?). And the fun part is choosing your ingredients and your sauce, and being able to switch things up. Lunch is definitely a better deal price-wise, just make sure that if your meal is straddling the lunch/dinner switch, to ask your server when you sit if yours will be the lunch prices. Whatever - this place is fun. Noisy, busy, interesting, worth trying at least once. If you don't mind a piece of someone else's food landing in yours once in a while whilst cooking, you'll have a blast.

    (3)

  • Diana G.

    The best part about this place is the fact that you can just fill your bowl with as much steak tenderloin & shrimp as you want. Who needs veggies or pasta anyways. All they do is fill you up, or contribute to a longer healthier life.. Add a pitcher of beer, and you'll soon forget all about the fact that you just picked your own raw meats & fish off of a buffet and watched someone else cook it for you on a grill next to other peoples' raw meats & fish. Chances are, you'll be back, and will repeat the process over and over and over again.. :p

    (3)

  • Andy O.

    I've always been a fan of Fire+Ice. My girlfriend is gluten-free because of a wheat allergy and they had a card that noted which sauces were gluten-free. They didn't have all of them out which really limited her options. What I do appreciate though is that we were charged less since we took just one trip (lunch time).

    (4)

  • Remen O.

    Summary: Fire and Ice is a perfectly acceptable "create-your-own-dish" Mongolian grill experience, but don't expect to walk away wowed by anything aside from how much you ate and how much you spent. The Good: Your fate is in your own hands here. You're given an excellent selection of meats, veggies, pasta, and sauces with which to craft your own culinary creation. Toss that in a bowl and pass it off to the grill-maestro for the finishing touches. The Bad: There's nothing particularly bad about any aspect of the experience, but none of the ingredients struck me as uber high-quality. Additionally, the grilling times for any combination of ingredients seems fairly standard, meaning that some ingredients might be a bit overcooked. Additionally, paying north of $20 for the food seemed excessive, even when taking into consideration that this is a buffet. The Ugly: I was down here for drinks one evening and it was karaoke night. Lots of inebriated patrons were belting out hits from the 80s. Needless to say, some things cannot be unseen or unheard.

    (3)

  • Theresa J.

    Ugh. i will never be back to this location again. All of the sauces here tasted like they were watered down. Seriously. There were sauces I had tried many times and loved but this day I went they were all watery, flavorless, and just plain old NASTY. The waitress I was was awful and I wanted to dropkick her like 5 times for her attitude problem. Ugh Ugh Ugh....yes i will never be back.

    (1)

  • Uncle A.

    Last night. Met friends there who had a reservation YET I was told at the front end (by the young man with an attitude and his sleepy female accomplice) that Fire & Ice didn't accept reservations. Odd. I'd seen a copy of an email apparently from Fire & Ice confirming said reservations. Anyway, attitude-boy denied seating anyone that matched my description of my dinner companions, yet when I insisted on looking myself....there they were! More "odd". Clearly this is a joint that appeals to younger folk who like the gimmicky you-select-they-cook bit. We DID have a great waitstaff guy. The romaine lettuce on the salad bar was artfully torn into the right-sized pieces and was fresh. The meat, poultry and seafood offerings were minimal and not exciting at all. I was not particulary impressed with the cleanliness of the seating area nor the cooking practices around the central grille. If you're over 27, avoid this place like the plague. You'd fare better at McDonalds.

    (1)

  • Erin W.

    what is the point of a reservation if you're going to seat the table a half hour late in a booth that is meant for three less people than the size of the party? upon expressing dissatisfaction with cramming seven adults into a four person booth, we were told to "hang up our jackets to make more room, because they seat seven here all day." no. begrudgingly got moved to another table. waitress was pleasant. the reason people go here is because they claim they can accomodate large parties - definitely not for the food. which is not very good. they cannot adequately accommodate large parties and do not know how to prepare tables for reservations, so I'd say to skip this place completely. the only thing they do right are the drinks.

    (2)

  • Timothy H.

    Love this place! good food and lots of it! Try not to be seated next to the grill though. It may seem convenient, but trust me, its not worth the moist, hot air that gravitates your way the whole meal! Order the Grateful dead drink.

    (4)

  • Elizabeth G.

    If you think it is "fun" to watch someone cook your food using an incredibly simple technique you could do at home... If you think it is "fun" to, then, eat that food, which lacks flavor because it didn't marinate or cook long enough for the spices to seep in... If you think it is "fun" to pay four times what you would at the grocery store for these same ingredients... Then you should drop everything and head to Fire & Ice this minute!

    (2)

  • Julia N.

    I like to pig out sometimes. But even I have a hard time eating a 2nd plate here. It's not worth it because you will be full after one plate. It's very casual here. You pick your raw food from seafood, red and white meat, veggies and sauce. You can get a burger if you want. If you don't like choosing and viewing your food raw or standing around waiting for it, don't go. I'd say this place is best for non picky stir fry lovers, who like do it yourself interactive kinds of places. It's okay. I'd say if you are between the ages of 13 and 20 this would be a cool place for you to go with friends or a first date, so that you can chat and talk and not have those awkward silent moments.

    (3)

  • Jessica L.

    The food was alright, but the place felt very unsanitary. My first time there will likely end up being my last time.

    (2)

  • Chrissy G.

    If your idea of a good time is picking up pieces of raw meat stored in what look like dirty and unsafe (out in the open air, not always kept at proper temperature) containers, mixing them with veggies or noodles, and having it all slapped on a grill in one giant glob with some sticky/sweet sauce... then by all means go to Fire & Ice. If you're not 17 and naïve, don't want to eat a bowl of overpriced "food" that all tastes the same, or potentially get sick, avoid this restaurant like the plague.

    (1)

  • Dan R.

    Gourment food it isn't. But for a very different kind of place, a very fun atmosphere, and the idea of an "interactive meal" - it can't be beat. This place is kind of like the twisted love-child of a salad bar and an all-you-can- buffet. The salad bar has all kinds of vegetables and pastas that will sooner or later end up in your dinner, but more on that later. Broccoli? Yup. Onions and peppers? Yup? anything imagineable that can end up in a stir-fry or a pasta dish. Yup. Oh - and how about raw chicken or beef or seafood or fish. All of it is there. The game-plan is this- you fill up your bowl with as much as you can cram in there, pour on any of a dozen sauces, and the staff will cook your concoction on a humongous circular griile. They push and probe your food with what looks like gigantic pool cues before they shove the hot steaming mass onto your plate. The sauces can make your concoction into any ethnic food in the world- from Thai to Mexican to Szechuan to whatever. The place is a hoot. everyone should love it except your grumpy grandpa. And the food is pretty yumm-o.

    (3)

  • Chenney C.

    Leave it to me that I get an opportunity to try any clam chowder in MA, and I decide to go to a Mongolian grille. Anywho - after I rubbed Harvard statue's toe and got blown off the platform (don't ask), I got a little hungry. With consideration, I had not eaten the whole day. This kind of style of presenting food can be really risky- and I didn't want to look like a starving beggar in front of my boss. That blew out the window as soon as I saw what was before me. All the choices from beef to shrimp to lobster and then all the veggies on the other table. Basically, I was able to take any combination of these awesome things and make a stirfry. That's amazing. Everything looked fresh and tasted amazing. The cooks were also extremely friendly and were considerate when I told them I didn't want any peanut in my oil. That's VERY uncommon for restaurants to be able to have non-peanut oil. Needless to say, I left incredibly happy. As did my tummy!

    (4)

  • Angie C.

    Just like any buffet...quantity not quality. Experience: The staff is forgetful since they don't really serve your food. The concept is similar to a Mongolian BBQ, but with crappy food and overpriced. Food: They try to make the stuff tasty with creative sauces unfortunately everything is cooked over a huge grill and ends up being too dry and bland. If the mixes was cooked correctly or marinated it has potential. Also, a lot of meat sits out and people mixes the utensils. I do not trust someone didn't use the same utensils for meat then vegetables. Overall: Save your money unless you're looking to binge on crappy food and pay too much.

    (2)

  • Giselle E.

    Pretty pricey for a buffet, but their ingredients are a good excuse for a price hike from normal buffets. And if you count the chefs cooking your food as a "show", then you have your justified bill. Unless you go crazy on their seafood, I don't feel like you're getting you're moneys worth, so I make sure to always eat lots of shrimp, scallops and calamari when I come here. The Harvard Square location is deceiving: it looks small from the outside, but as soon as you walk through the doors, it's like you found the Fire&Ice bat cave and are about to expose the hidden flavors beneath. I like how you can pick and choose your ingredients, experiment with the different sauces, follow your diet by adding veggies or lotsa protein, and then watch guys mix up your food on a grill from hell. This is the experience and (in my opinion) is what makes the $17 "worth" it. The drinks are pricey and really strong. I tried their version of a long island and thought it was a lot of alcohol and, well, no island. It's a nice place to bring people who've never had Fire&Ice, but I don't believe it's a place (for me) to go to more than once a year. But I'm guessing this would be a great place for foreigners and people who don't understand English or don't want to bother with a menu and just dive right into their meal.

    (3)

  • Jenn S.

    I think it speaks highly for Fire & Ice that I could work here for a year and still love the food. I haven't been back in a while, so I'm not sure if they still have all the same items that they used to. It was one of my favorite places in college, so when I moved back after graduating and needed something while looking for a job, I immediately applied here. While I worked here, I was able to eat the food (usually for 50% off, sometimes for free) and what's great about it is that you never get the same thing twice! The ingredients change daily depending on what's available at the market. When I used to go in college, they would sometimes have more exotic items such as shark. Now it's usually several different types of fish, poultry and meat - nothing TOO exotic. They have several different salads, chicken breasts for sandwiches, ground meat for amazing burgers (which will fill you up, so don't eat those unless you're a BIG eater or there for a one-up lunch) and are always adding new items. I personally don't eat seafood, so the price is a bit high for me (plus, I usually can't do more than 1 plate), but if you're a big eater or LOVE seafood (or both!) you will definitely get your money's worth!

    (4)

  • lella b.

    This is one of those yeah i'm a fan because for a group of vegitarians, meat lovers and people allergic to shellfish, fire and ice can handle it: this makes going with groups of 8 or so easy. yes, it's not kobe beef (hi, it's $18 per plate ... it's not going to be). they will cook vegitarian and shellfish allerigic in other areas (major score). at times they've had (lower grade) scallops, shripm, crawfish (shellfish crowd likes), chicken, pork, bacon. great veggie selection. i suggest skipping the chips/dip and mixed drinks and desserts. it's a solid, interegenrational place that pretty much everybody can find something to like. not a date night place but an easy place for mini-family reunions.

    (4)

  • Eric S.

    It takes a while to be seated, the dining room is dark, the freshness of the food is questionable, and the food always comes out overcooked. Not to mention that the waitstaff all tend to disappear.

    (1)

  • Michelle R.

    5 of us went here for dinner on 6/18/11. The food was all fresh, and anything one of us didn't like was all on us as we picked out the meats, pastas, veggies and sauces. The grill did an alright job cooking everything - my steak was a bit overdone for my liking, but not horrible. The waitress was slow and inattentive. We had to track her down for drinks and the dessert menu. My biggest complaint was the cleanliness of the place - or rather the lack of cleanliness. While food stations and dishes all appeared clean, the amount of (I am assuming) spills that do not get taken care of was ridiculous! Our feet stuck to the floor no matter where we stood or walked. The counter around the grill was covered in a sticky mess all the way around, and our table was sticky as well. My guess is that there were a few slobs that spilled and rather than clean up the spills they were just getting spread aound with damp, dirty mops and rags. No matter how clean it might have been there - the fact that I almost lost a sandal to the goo when waiting for my food to finish cooking was enough to turn me off of future visits. If we were to try this place again, it would be in the afternoon and hopefully not covered in sticky stuff yet.

    (3)

  • Jobitron C.

    The food was delicious, but the chefs weren't as lively as in Copley, so that kinda ruined the spirit of Fire+Ice.

    (4)

  • Glenn N.

    The idea is really intriguing to me and I've never been disappointed with the food and drinks here, but it's also almost impossible for me to walk away satisfied because I'm never able to eat enough to justify the lofty price tag.

    (3)

  • John L.

    I like the idea of Fire & Ice: you go in, pick out your meats and veggies, let the guy grill them with the different possible sauces, and VOILA! You have food. And it's okay food. But it's not worth doing all of that work, particularly considering how it disrupts the social aspect of eating. For that, it's not a place one should go if you want to sit down and talk, not because of noise, but because there isn't much time where your entire party will be sitting down together. On top of all of this, the outdoor area here at this one is unappealing: It's like a weird rock garden thing that doesn't work considering the outdoor places at other restaurants in Harvard Square. When I want to eat outside, I want the area to be aesthetically appealing, and this one just isn't.

    (2)

  • Kathleen H.

    The food, once I got it, was OK. But the drinks I had were very overly sweet and tasted like they were from a mix. Yuck. It's just not my kind of place. Gimmicky, crowded - I don't need to watch other people cook my food. I want to sit at my cozy little table and have people wait on me and bring me stuff. That's why I go to restaurants. I don't want to wander around a crowded place bumping into all the other wandering people with a bowl of raw food, and then have to sit around waiting and NOT drinking my drink or talking with companions while waiting for it to get cooked next to everyone elses food. . . Up, down, up down. Like church. It's the bastard love child of a mediocre hotel buffet and bisuteki. Neither of which I like, either. Service was slow. Yeah. . no, I didn't like it.

    (1)

  • Marlarissa M.

    Well, at least they don't burn the food like Mongolian Grill. I know I'm a food snob, but the sauces are way too sweet and they could use more toppings.

    (3)

  • Scott J.

    Fire + Ice is my favorite restaurant on the planet for many reasons: unlimited meat, stellar drinks in massive quantities, and a fun atmosphere that reminds me of college. And it's funny, just like at a Dave Matthews Band concert, I get older but everyone here stays the same age. This isn't my favorite location, but it's where I have the most memories. I find that this place gets packed, given that it's on Church Street in Harvard Square, steps away from the famous college, a movie theater, and a very populated area for both students and tourists. Still, they do it right here and I think it's something that everyone should try at least once. Did you know that they also offer brunch? That's right, omelettes and pancakes made on a giant Mongolian grill. But to close on dinner, try some of the more novel concepts, like a cheesesteak or burger. They might even throw on some fries on demand. C'mon, you know you wanna do it.

    (4)

  • Meghan P.

    When I was in Cambridge for college, I loved heading to Fire and Ice with a group for a birthday celebration, when parents were in town, etc. The boys would usually end up competing to see who could consume the most bowls of deliciousness while the girls would all try to control ourselves a little bit... Basically, you throw a ton of amazing ingredients into a bowl and then mix your own sauce from a lot of options. Then, the "chefs" throw your bowl and sauce onto a huge grill and you can watch your creation cook. You can also order rice and tortillas for your table and some cocktails. Then, when the creation is ready, the "chefs" bang their knives on the table and serve the food back in the bowl. The only huge disappointment is when someone claims all your hard work for their own. Then you have to start all over again and wait a long time for your food to be ready... so make sure to keep an eye on your bowl! The decor is fun with lots of bright colors and good seating space. Definitely a great spot!

    (4)

  • CJ G.

    I highly enjoy eating here! The food is good! Its all you can eat and its very good! For the price of around $11 its hard to beat! 1) you go up with a bowl. You pick out your noodles, meat, veggies and or rice! 2) You pick up a sauce or fix a few together 3) Bring it over to the grill and watch as they cook it in front of your eyes! 4) Return to your table and enjoy! It really is nice that it is fully self serve. I love places like this! plus its cheap! So if you in Cambridge Id highly recommend checking this out! 4/5 for me!

    (4)

  • Kate S.

    Fun experience and tasty!!! Lots of options to make something great. I recommend getting small bowls and doing something different each time. (If you have the time...sometimes it takes a while to get your food cooked.)

    (4)

  • Betsy B.

    I went to Fire and Ice for lunch with a free voucher that I received. I am not inclined to write bad reviews of places, as I figure that I should give businesses a chance and let others judge for themselves. I especially am not inclined to write a bad review of something that I received for free. After all, as the saying goes, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth." But this is one situation in which I really feel I have to warn others. I have been to Mongolian grills before and have had very pleasant experiences. But this one did not replicate those. I made a pasta, sausage, chicken, veggie combination that was supposed to be good, only to have the chefs badly burn it and find out upon tasting it that the sauces are almost pure salt. I am not one to waste food, but after eating the few morsels of unburnt meat that I could salvage, I was done. I decided to go back for some fruit, yogurt, and granola, figuring that was safe. Wrong. The yogurt was warm, the fruit was still frozen, and the granola was stale. By the end of the meal, I was already starting to feel nauseous, and about 15 minutes later, I was frantically searching Harvard Square for a public restroom. Over an hour later, I still feel queasy. That is why, even though this was a free meal, I feel that I have to warn others. There are so many other delicious, reasonably priced eateries in Harvard Square. Why waste your time here and risk getting sick, even if you do have a free voucher?

    (1)

  • Jef S.

    Another expensive, eat-'til-you-puke experience in New England. Fire and Ice takes the Mongolian barbecue concept, which is delicious on the West Coast, and transforms it into yuppie chic...sort of. It seems like a good idea, but somehow they don't really do it very well. I will definitely give a thumbs-up to the infused alcohol drinks and shots. It's tasty stuff. Maybe F&I would just be better for a couple of drinks before you head out to a real dinner, but the main draw here is the "fire", the massive grill in the center of the restaurant. The idea is that you're cooking fresh, raw food and your choosing it yourself, so how can it be bad? However, the quality of the food isn't that good to begin with, and I question how sanitary it is to keep raw meat on a buffet. But whatever. Assuming you can get past paranoia attacks about salmonella, I recommend staying away from the sweeter, heavier sauces. And the chicken. And the fish. Stick to red meat and veggies. And pace yourself, for god's sake. Ok, ok, so I tend to overindulge at buffets. It's really easy to do that here, but it's so pricey that it's hard to justify. Service here is godawful, by the way. They do a bit better at the Back Bay location. But they make up for it by hiring unbelievably hot servers. So there's a bonus. Maybe. No. So stop by for the booze, but skip the food. There are some great places to eat in Harvard Square, so you'll definitely find something better.

    (3)

  • Bob J.

    EXCELLENT PLACE FOR A LARGE GROUP! We went here with a large group of people and had an excellent time. The food is fresh and the staff is great. The lines can be long during peak hours, but the cooks will keep you entertained. The prices are very fair for the quality of fresh food you have. They have many different choices from beef, seafood, chicken and vegtables, sauces, etc.............. More choices than I had time for and not nearly enough room in the waistline to try them all. Perfect for veggy only eaters and the beef eaters in one place. "A fat person will never say a buffett is a waste of many"

    (5)

  • Marcella K.

    Love to have food your way??? This is the place you want to come to. The atmosphere is great, and the drinks are strong. I love this place!!! Never go on a Friday or Saturday because the wait is ridiculous. I went one time with friends and we waited for an hour. The time usually go by fast because your chatting with your friends. When seated at the table it may not be properly washed. The table my friends and I were seated at was very sticky like gum paste. I must say the utensils were intensely clean. As if they were brand new. I ordered a lemon blueberry margarita and it was as strong as my other drinks from past visits. The food is always great and the two double mint twins take such pride in their job, and they always greet you with a smile. I just wish they would have more of a selection of ingredients.

    (3)

  • Alexandra T.

    I didn't really want to even try Fire and Ice, but my friend was dying to go, so I tried to have an open mind. We waited over an hour to get seated on a Saturday night, which is something I would never do if I was in charge of a dinner date. You tell me that, and I'm out the door. Then, it's $17 for all you can eat, which may be great for some people, but I was full after one plate. One plate that was not anywhere near worth $17, so of course I went back for more. Twice. I ended up leaving the restaurant feeling way too full and fairly nauseous. Also, it's stir fry. I mean, it's just stir fry. We have stir fry at our dining hall that's only slightly less good then the stir fry here. And they both have the same plates?! I think next time I'll save myself the trip and just go to the dining hall at Northeastern.

    (2)

  • Jamie B.

    I'm pretty surprised by all the low reviews here - we love Fire and Ice! The one-star deduction here is due to the fact that it's a tad overpriced ($16.95 for dinner, which I suppose isn't tooooo bad for all-you-can eat, but I never quite come away feeling like I've eaten $17 worth of food). I honestly think this is a fun place to bring visitors, just because the concept is pretty original, and its an especially good fit for anyone who is picky about their food, since you can pick exactly what goes in (may not be the best for those with allergies though, since there does tend to be some cross-contamination). I do think it would be really cool if they gave some recommended ingredient/sauce combos, since, although everyone always has their go-to's, sometimes having some extra inspiration can be helpful. I know most people opt for the stir-fry, but the burgers are amazing too (with one of the sauces is a must). I've had great luck with their mixed drinks, too - anything frozen and fruity. If you're really looking to get the most bang for your buck (and are extra hungry), I'd recommend going for weekend brunch - make your first course breakfast (pancakes, omelets, etc. all cooked to order), pace yourself, and then have a more lunch-like second course. Do know that this place does get busy, so we tend to avoid it on weekend evenings, and opt instead for more non-traditional times.

    (4)

  • Chris C.

    The concept of fire and ice is really cool -- pick your raw foods (as much as you can fit in your bowl), choose a sauce (if you desire), and watch the cook grill it up in front of you. My coworkers and I frequent fire and ice since it is right down the road. The lunch special is great, and we usually end up spending around $12 or $13 dollars each for lunch and a drink. There are two lunch prices, depending on if you visit the grill once, or multiple times. Usually for lunch, one plate is enough so I'm not sure the price difference. When we were going more frequently, some of the waiters recognized our table and even remembered our drink orders -- this was pretty impressive. Overall, I think this is a great lunch spot. Its quick, you get to choose exactly what you want to eat, and its cheap.

    (3)

  • Dee S.

    Very cool! A friend took me there for lunch. What a great concept. Different and fun. The food was good and watching your food being cooked at the circle was neat. There was a lot to choose from and I went up twice. Can't wait to go back and try something different next time. Nice selection of sauces. Loved the decor as well.

    (4)

  • Brian S.

    Fire + Ice is a standard Mongolian BBQ, only kicked up a few notches in the fun dept. The food is fresh and their sauces are amazing! The last thing you would expect from a Mongolian BBQ is a good sandwich or burger. But they rank right up there with high quality burger joints - no fast food quality here! It would be great if they provided some suggested plates, as there are so many ingredients you could easily get lost. Until you figure out what you like (or until they create a suggested menu), it makes most sense to make small bowls and try different combos. Clearly it's not fine dining, and the price is a bit much for what it's worth. But if you're looking for a good time with a group of friends, this is a place to go!

    (3)

  • N B.

    Cool atmosphere, extremely casual. If want food hot off the grill that you used manual labor to create, this is the spot.

    (3)

  • Kathleen R.

    I used to rave about this place. Then again, i was in high school and didn't have a car or an ID to fully experience what there is to offer in the city. that being said- We arrived with family for a late afternoon lunch for my boyfriends birthday. We were told there was a 10-15 minute wait- with no one waiting in the lobby. Two parties came in after us and were seated before us, and we only had 6 people- its not like we wanted half of the restaurant. I happened to go to the bathroom while we were waiting our 15 minutes and saw 3/4 of the place EMPTY- why the 15-20 minute wait?! When the hostess came to get us TWENTY minutes later she said "i'm sure it felt like forever, but that was only 15 minutes." A) not the thing to say to a hungry party and B) it was 20 minutes. We ordered drinks and I asked for chips and salsa. The waiter look at me in disgust and said "Uh, we stopped serving those a longggg time ago." The last time I was in a Fire and Ice was about 4 months ago, but apparently that is years in employee world. Fire and Ice has had the same menu choices (minus the chips and salsa) since I started going there in high school. It would be nice to see a change in ingredients, especially sauces. The prices have certainly gone up since then, and it would be nice to have some new things to try to accompany the increasing prices.

    (2)

  • Ell C.

    Mongolian Pot at Fire and Ice is deeeeelicious here. It's affordable and you choose your ingredients which they will cook on this over-sized looking crepe pan. They usually tell you not to pour the sauce onto your ingredients because it will burn while cooking. I sorta like the charred taste.

    (4)

  • Susan K.

    If you have a lot of time dedicated for dinner and have a stomach big enough for a buffet, come check this place out. The idea is cool that you get to choose your meats, veggies, noodles/pastas, and sauces...and as much as you want. I suggest to pile on as much as you can into the bowl...if possible, get a plate and filled up your food. Then, the cooks are at a central place where they cook your mix. I'll admit, it take a while for your food to get ready if its a busy night. If you're patient or have a lot of time devoted to dinner, its not a big deal. Its a good idea to stay where you are cause if you lose your place in line, you lose you food. I wouldn't recommend this place for someone who's real picky about their food. Sometimes during the cooking process, a little bit of your mix can get mixed with the person's next to yours. Not a big deal for a person who generally loves all kinds of food. If you're a student, I'd suggest coming on Monday nights. If you show your school ID, you get $5 off. So instead of paying $17, you pay $12. Any savings is better than nothing...especially for a student. The atmosphere is dim and could get a little hectic with people walking around getting their foods...typical buffet feel to it. Good for big groups. For the eight of us, we got our seats within 5 minutes...and on a busy holiday night. Not bad. Bought some of my out-of-towner friends to this place and they loved it because it was so different. Don't know if I would come here regularly. Good place to bring out-of-town guests to. Especially if they're hungry boys.

    (3)

  • Joanna M.

    This place is the worst. A couple years ago, I had the worst customer service experience of my life here, and I will never ever go back. We were seated for lunch well before the shift between lunch and dinner prices, and not only did it take more than an hour for our undercooked and cold food to get to us, they saw it fit to charge us the dinner price which is more than twice the lunch price. We talked to the manager, and she told us that we needed to pay the dinner price even though we had been seated long before the shift. Perhaps they have new management/policies now, but this was really lame. I am never going back there. Go to Wagamama. They are nice and great and good.

    (1)

  • Faith N.

    I've been coming to fire & ice for years now, since I was in high school. Sometimes tradition overrules anything else..my girlfriends and I come here for ladies dinners often, knowing that we're not going to have the finest dining experience, but that it's a fun place with good food. We enjoy it... having said that, there is something I've been wondering about this place for a long time. The large grills that are on all day must use up a lot of gas/electricity/etc. I wonder if there is a more energy saving way of dealing with the food preparation and if fire & ice take any environmental initiatives. I'm only saying this because I'm urging all of my favorite spots to look into the Green Restaurant Association's Certification. Pretty good value for your money, and the hot grills are great for warming you up on a cold winter day!

    (3)

  • Lexy K.

    This place is so gross. I didn't know what sort of restaurant this was going in, and only went there because a friend from out of town thought it sounded cool. It was full of groups of fifteen year olds, and just had a dumb atmosphere. It was really hot inside because of the stupid grill, and the music was way too loud. The food wasn't awful tasting. It seemed unsanitary to me, to have to touch all the tongs so many other people have touched, and I got a really bad cold the next morning that lasted a week. Just a yucky, dumb place. I can't understand why anyone would go here.

    (1)

  • Billy K.

    Completely overpriced for mediocre food. The novelty of it all is fun, but it wears off fast.

    (3)

  • A V.

    No, no, no! It 's an overpriced, glorified buffet stand of sorts. This place is noisy and the food is similar to the Mongolian grill station at my college. Well, at least at school I didn't have to pay to listen to a bunch of people go blah blah blah in the background (except for when That Girl spoke in class). I guess if I were a picky little kid, I would like this place since they let you pick out your own ingredients. However, when I'm paying for a dinner nowadays, I prefer a chef to put together a meal with ingredients s/he knows would work well together.

    (1)

  • Geno K.

    Not bad. Not great. Just a fun spot for lunch. Don't go for dinner - it's the same food with a higher price tag... head next door to Border Cafe instead. Their fajitas are cheap and amazing.

    (3)

  • Greer J.

    The qualifier to this review is that I did not order the buffet. However, my quesadilla was cold and hard, the waitress absent and hurried. They set a group of middle age and older folks at a table of high bar stools, then would not put part of the check on a credit card. It was a typical experience of say...a Denny's. Wait, I have gotten much better service at a Denny's. For the price of the food and the level of service, it is not worth a return visit.

    (2)

  • Virginia C.

    trying to catch up on my reviews from last week-\ this is a huge college hang out and monday nights are only 10.00 with a college ID.. i love this place (lots of food), but it takes awhile to get it.. the line is long and they sometimes run out of fish, meats, and vegs, sauce, etc (you get the picture). Trick: Make two plates at once i will always go back again or until my metabolism gives out-

    (3)

  • Jamie F.

    I would never crave for the food here I would never come here on a whim I would never come here with a date or small group I would never come here on any night other than Monday night aka. College Night; $12 all-you-can-eat (used to be $10, hmph) ... yes, I still carry my college ID ;) With that said, I have been here countless times for large group dinners during college years. Cool concept with 3 simple steps: prepare your own food, mix your own sauces, then bring it to the grill to have it stir fried. Yes, the food is so-so but it's much better than the stir-fry at my alma mater's caf! The chefs can sometimes be interactive and entertaining - makes the wait time less boring. Note: might not be a good place for strict vegetarians because the meat from neighbors' food on the grill could potentially bounce into yours, good luck.

    (3)

  • Dee C.

    Our hotel's receptionist sent us here because she has been coming here for 25 years. She must have really bad taste glens. Their food selection is very small, some of the food was not even fresh. Their salmon tasted spoiled, even after it was cooked. Why are they still in business? Why do people come here to torture themselves? This place is not even sanitary with the way they keep and cook their food.

    (1)

  • Corey F.

    [So far, just a review of lunch.] I had long avoided F&I amidst complaints it was too pricey or too gimmicky. And because I was a vegetarian. Well I finally hit the place up for lunch, and I have to say, I'm a fan. The little tagline of "improvisational dining" or "interpretive dining" or whatever may have made me want to retch, but not the food and not the pricing. Still, I think "cafeteria-style hibachi" might be closer to truth. Here the main clarification that would have helped me figure out F&I before I got there: Most people say it's all you can eat, while some folks complain about being charged for an extra bowl of food. Well, they're both right, but it's the best of both worlds: you start with a bowl for $7.95 (which is smallish but can hold a great deal of food if you pile it on right). Then, if that bowl -and- a plate from the included salad bar -and- the rice and tortillas they bring to the table aren't enough to sate you, you can convert the whole thing to endless trips for $3 more. You don't have to decide first, and you can easily get an obscene amount of food for $8. Just to emphasize: you *certainly* don't, as some people made it sound, pay for an all-you-can-eat situation but then get charged for additional trips. That's just crazy talk. It is gimmicky, as evidenced by the fact that they had to give it a kitschy tag. But that gimmick includes endless customization options. Pick your veggies, pick your starches, pick your meats, pick your sauce. Or skip the veggies, because there's a salad bar, and skip the starches, because you get rice and tortillas. That's a honkin' huge pile of meat for $8, and a good variety to choose from. There was a good variety of sauces as well, though the teriyaki I ended up with (thinking I was playing it safe for my first time there) was actually pretty bad. There's also a sandwich/burger option that seems to operate similarly but which I did not investigate. But if the concept of an $11 all-you-can-eat burger bar with all the fixins appeals to you, by all means, ask if that's really how it works. I'll try to remember to ask when I go back and update here.

    (4)

  • Alex S.

    The dining experience at this place was so different that my friends needed to guide me and give me instructions on how to get my food. There's a giant circular stirfry in the middle surrounded by a buffet of raw foods from the organic to the meaty to the replacement-type foods. The buffet is all-you-can-eat but you are limited to one bowl of food per trip. I enjoyed the sirloin steak cuts with all the vegetable goodness I piled on top. The cooks were sufficiently well at keeping customers' dishes separate on the frier, although I am not sure how that would go for people who have strict diets. The food went down well and an awesome way to get my protein, but I kind of wish I had a side item like rice or even potato to accompany it. In a way, what I created felt incomplete, like it needed something more. The hamburger I had for the next trip came out very well and was of a considerable size. The cooks make sure to tenderize the meat and they even warm your bun for you! Could've been nicer with french fries but it was still awesome in itself. Great place for protein-binging.

    (3)

  • Ileana O.

    I was skeptical of eating here because in Chicago I don't really like going to these pick-your-own-ingredient-places... that was until I saw that they also had hamburgers and I was craving one since Bartley's was closed. The only bad thing I would say is I didn't get much direction from the host or the guy who got me a seat. Thankfully I got there at a not-so-busy time and I had the ability to observe and then jump in on the action. I loved it all! My burger was fantastic, I got to put all the toppings I wanted, which were a ton of veggies and huge pieces of portobella mushrooms. Sadly they didn't have any fries but it was OK cause it left room for a second round, I got a mixture of the egg noodles and WOW, they tasted so good with all the veggies. I can't wait to go back! I loved it.

    (5)

  • Stephanie M.

    I've been to all of the area Fire and Ice locations and this is by far the best one. The main cook at the grill has been there for some time now and is very friendly. The food is always fresh and cooked perfectly. This is a great option for vegetarians as well as there are many varieties of veggies and fruits you could have while still having a tasty meal. If you have an allergy or moral objection to having your food cooked on the main grill, the staff will make your food in it's own skillet in the back with no problems. The price is great and this would be a fun spot to eat at before or after a movie in Harvard Square. My only complaints are that it can be loud when it's crowded and the wait staff can be surely but I put it up with it because it's a unique experience.

    (4)

  • Stephen T.

    Food was pretty good! Expensive though! !!! I took my cousin there for lunch and had one beer and it was $40+ tip! To me this is a little pricey for an all you can eat type lunch.

    (3)

  • Jenna G.

    Ordered: Dinner $16.95 Whenever you go to a buffet, you always think that you'll eat a lot and get your money's worth, but most of the time you only get a plate. So is it worth it? Maybe... The place was loud and it takes a while for your food to cook. You can be pretty creative with your dishes, but it can get a bit boring after a while. I'd say that this place is more about the experience than the food. It can be fun for a birthday party or for really really hungry people.

    (2)

  • Brian S.

    Went there for lunch today and for $8 for lunch you can not go possibly wrong. There is a salad bar which is good (not the best I have ever seen, yet good quality and some good options). Then there was the main meal selection. I had: sausage, chicken, and squid over pasta, broccoli, mushrooms, and pea pods. Fun to stand around and mingle while it is cooking. Sauces were good but I wished I tried a spicier question. They even had burgers that looked really good. Going to frequent f&i often.

    (5)

  • Albert Q.

    Came here back in 2005 with a group from Bentley College's Wall Street 101 group. This was bonding time. Essentially, this is your Asian fusion food place. Pile on the goodies, and then bring it to the cooks, who then cook it for you, and then place it on a plate. Come back for more later, eat as much as you want, leave when you like. Honestly very, very satisfying.

    (4)

  • Minda H.

    A good idea gone bad. YES! The idea of picking out your own ingredients sounds specialized. YES! That there are several sauces to use makes it interesting. YES! It's likely that even your picky friends will find something that they are (at least initially) interested in eating. But NO NO NO it doesn't work the way you want it too. First, it's just too expensive for what it is. It's really just a massive salad bar that you can have cooked up for you, sans the lettuce. Second, it takes a long time considering that you have to stand in line, circle style, waiting for your meal to be grilled. And third, the ingredients suffer from massive cheapness. The only item that looked like you might be getting what you pay for were the burgers. I didn't get a chance to see what they looked like after they cooked down (the true test) but the raw patties actually looked appealing, and I'm a vegetarian. But the shrimp and salmon? Semi-thawed bits that immediately brought to mind the discount meat bin at the supermarket. OK and finally for the kicker. It just didn't taste good. I'm a good cook. I know what flavors go together and which do not, and it's just a poor idea to cook EVERYTHING at the same temperature for the same amount of time. That's why no one likes casseroles. And this restaurant serves up individually sized grilled casserole all day long. And don't get me started on what the grill area looked like....

    (1)

  • Meaghan S.

    We ended up here because Border Cafe was having a tough time seating our party of 10 and Fire and Ice could accommodate us sooner. I'd never been here before because chains, buffets and kitschy gimmicks don't really do it for me. (I have however been in this building when it was a Cyber Cafe!) Fire and Ice somehow managed to enhance the low expectations I had for it. It is dingy and cafeteria like. The clientele seemed very suburban and young (not wise to the ways of good food or class), and the food was bland and just boring. There is no question in my mind that my husband and I make better meals every night at home. The alcoholic beverages were week and watery. And as my husband mentioned freaking Cool Whip instead of whipped cream?! To add insult to injury our server was inept and generally nonexistent. He would take orders from half the table and walk away. He brought rice/tortillas to half the table and left the other half starchless. He came over more times to apologize for his shitty service (after a friend complained) than he did to actually take our drink orders or bring us water. This place is a joke. Negative a million stars, Also, as noted in a previous review the bathrooms were atrocious! Two (out of three) clogged poopy toilets. NASTY!

    (1)

  • Tony C.

    I used to come here a lot when i was younger (16-19) with friends, girlfriends, or partys. Fire and Ice is like a teenage hangout with your monthly allowence from taking out the thrash and taking out the dog if you ask me. Recently went and i should of listened to my gut. Food is straight nothing to brag or even write about. Prices are insane for everything. Being older now i wont come back. Not worth the wait, gas, money, and time.

    (2)

  • Katie G.

    If you can imagine it and you see the supplies for it, Fire and Ice can cook it for you. I went here initially when the concept of this restaurant first became trendy. The place was packed (and usually still is!), but the place moves quickly, so seating is not too much of a wait. The selection of meats, veggies, sauces, starchy bases, etc. is very impressive! For a flat rate of $15, you can get yourself as much food as your container will allow you (which, if you are creative, can be quite a bit!). I think watching the cooking process is quite an experience. Yes, it's crowded and everyone is circling around and you get bumped every once in a while, but it's just so cool to be there! It's the atmosphere- everyone is there to have a good time and with that kind of vibe floating around, it's hard not to smile. If you have not yet had the Fire and Ice experience, now is your chance to go- Katie tells you to!

    (4)

  • jonathan u.

    Service was good, food was decent.....the manager staring at us making us uncomfortable because we brought a cake in for my friends birthday was misery. This will be a rant on how much their manager sucks. @!I$#(I know her name but believe that is taking it too far) is a gigantic woman who is a manager at the fire and ice in Harvard square. After our meal we planed on putting candles in a cake for my friend Sheila to surprise her for her birthday. So while she was outside smoking a butt, we lit the candles in preparation of her coming back in. Then the spineless bitch manager yelled at our sever because we did this and didn't even have the guts to say anything directly. She just stared at us like we just kicked her dog and she was ready to attack. I mean that's not the way to be in the service area. I left angry as hell and on principle wont go back. Our food was great, our server was awesome but that bastard of a manger ruined my whole experience! All because she wanted us to buy one of her deserts......

    (1)

  • terrence m.

    I hate this place. Leave it for the teenagers with bland uneducated taste buds to load crap on a plate and heat it up. Not worth spending a night out with this garbage. 1 star cause they served alcohol to help kill the pain of this wasted night.

    (1)

  • Cate K.

    You have to admire it for the genius of the scheme: Get people to pay premium restaurant prices to be their own chef and waitstaff, and sell the laziness off as novelty. If the food weren't so bad and all the sauces so sugary and generic, I'd give them an extra star for just for having balls. If I were the creator of Fire & Ice, I'd forget the restaurant business and found a religion. Now THERE's where the real cash is at!

    (1)

  • pete g.

    Boring, cheap food for which you pay too much to stand and wait and watch dudes fry it. My table got thoroughly crappy service, despite the place being almost empty. Best of all, the desserts are served with Cool Whip (or a generic foodservice knockoff -- it's unclear). Cool Whip. Are they fucking serious?

    (1)

  • Benster G.

    GREAT IDEA, HORRIBLE EXECUTION!! I have been a couple of times, hoping that it will get better, it hasn't and won't. The concept is excellent, the execution is horrible. The choices of food have dwindled over the years, and the quality of cooking isn't all that good. They cook everything well done or raw, especially when you order a burger, there is no in between. The price is decent, if you are hungry, but not if you only plan to go up once or so, to get food. The atmosphere is usually hopping on the weekends especially at night, but at the same time this can be bad as the service can weaken. Considering that the only thing the servers have to do is get drinks, and white rice for the tables (they don't even ask how your food is), I would say this place is sub par for service. They don't allow people to order appetizers at the tables, and there is no alternative to people who don't want to eat so much food. I have been both as a small party of four and a large party of 20 and both times the service was bad, and the food only OK. Not recommended, good for a birthday party....of young teenagers.

    (2)

  • Holly W.

    Everyone goes here once for the novelty. But honestly, the place sucks. I may be biased because I think I've gotten food poisoning both times I've been forced to go here for birthdays, but I just can't recommend this place to even my enemies. The food tastes all the same, no matter what you put in the bowl to stir-fry. It's messy and things touch each other (as someone who doesn't eat red meat and hates onions, this place is a nightmare for me), They take you on an embarrassing "tour" of the food options when you come with someone who makes the mistake of saying they've never been there, as if the concept of putting food you might like into a bowl is just that difficult to understand. Yeah, honestly, it's expensive and I hate this place.

    (2)

  • Skyler J.

    show up with an empty stomach so you can get your moneys worth ... make multiple dishes . Great options to make your meal, pasta, meats, seafoods, vegetables, even burgers! Salad too! Great sauce choices. Fun for a birthday or double date. The guys who work there flirt, and sing, they have fun doing their job and you can tell.

    (4)

  • Ellen C.

    It's okay. I'd rather go somewhere else. I know a lot of people who really like the location though. I find it- a bit uncreative, expensive, and really just too loud to be terribly enjoyable. I find the experience of getting a table to be stressful, and I'd really rather just find a quiet cafe somewhere. This location does prepare the food better than the Boston location, in my opinion, but just really isn't my place if I want to hang out.

    (2)

  • dee a.

    So, I ate at this place with a few friends. We spent a little more than we would have liked to, but it's a reasonable price for buffet style eating. My boyfriend is vegan and I'm a vegetarian.; they do cater to such people, you just have to ask. I really liked the idea of picking exactly what you want and having it cooked for you. I thought their asian/thai style sauces were really good. On the negative, our waitress kind of sucked, but waiters/waitress' really don't serve much of a purpose other than bringing drinks and taking your dirty plates, so they're not too much to complain about.

    (4)

  • Leon C.

    This is a great place to go to if you have a group of people who can't decide what kind of food they like and you need a variety. We had a large party with a reservation and they made us wait for everyone before we were allowed in. At least they had a big enough waiting room for us since we were all drenched from the thunderstorm - but I guess they didn't want to give us a large table in case we don't fill. Mind you that place wasn't even that packed. All the food are spread out in an area and you can pick what you want, you're on your own when someone is coughing in that area. Now I had a pretty nice meal because I got the food I wanted and how much sauce I wanted, etc. So if you have no clue on what goes with what - you're pretty much on your own. There is no one there to serve you or help you pick out stuff. The only time our table was waited was for the initial sit down and for drinks.. oh and more drinks. Anyway, after you've gotten your raw food together for them to cook for you, you have to wait on this line for the 2 people at the giant circle grill to cook it for you. It's not too bad because they try to spread everyone's food on the giant circle grill plate so the flavors aren't mixing, but who knows how long that thing was on. The good part is that it was all you can eat and you can pick what you want, the service was not that great, the price is up there - even for a buffet style. So between the wait and the self-cooking, it was ok for what it was.

    (2)

  • Grace S.

    Pros: Choose your own food, choose your sauce (for consistently good results: their teriyaki sauce), watch them cook it, and you're ready to go -- in less than 15 minutes. Oh, and it's $17 for all you can eat! Cons: If you don't want to eat much, $17 ain't cheap. Balance: PROS BOTTOM LINE: Sometimes, I miss New York's restaurants. But frankly, we don't have any place like this in the city -- it's fun, festive, the food is great, and it makes an event out of a dinner-out. I'm a fan.

    (4)

  • Kim P.

    The idea was rather novel at first, a few years back when I first went to Fire and Ice in their Back Bay location I thought it was so cool. Personally, I feel like it kind of lost its novelty, but every now and then I do enjoy taking a trip to go there. I found the Fire and Ice in Harvard Square has a shorter wait then the other locations. Then again, I bet this depends on the time and day that you go. The interior of the place is pretty worn out from age, and the price is definitely expensive. Not a place you want to go to often, but maybe for a special occasion. The atmosphere is definitely geared towards the younger crowd though, so if you're thinking of bringing your grandparents here... it might not be a great idea. The food selection is pretty good considering the different types of things they will cook on the grill for you. I enjoy their seafood selection because the amount of that type of stuff you eat can definitely out range the cost of the buffet. I've heard some stories of people getting sick, but that's the risk you take with dealing with raw food. I'm personally not a huge fan of how all the customer's food is cooked right next to each other because on occasion you'll get some random pieces of food that you clearly did not pick in your dish. In the end, it's still kind of a novelty place to go if you've never been to an "improvisational grill" before. I usually go for lunch because it's only $10 for unlimited food, which isn't too bad at all.

    (3)

  • Yuri C.

    I like fire and ice. I picked honey garlic for grilling sauce and I couldn't imagine this actually would taste like a real honey and barely garlic flavor. they have nice and fresh salads. i loved salmon. it was in very fresh condition. what else.. oh, good price for lunch. i remember it was like .. $8 . nice place !

    (4)

  • Courtney B.

    I just have to reiterate, I gave this place another try just to try to give them the benefit of the doubt.. The food is mediocre at best but worst of all is the HORRIBLE service. Everytime I go there I am appalled that the waiters and waitresses could be even ruder than they were before. I have so many incidents of bad customer service at Fire and Ice that it is difficult to only choose a few examples to list here. I would skip this pace. Head over to Borders instead which is right up the block.

    (1)

  • Alexandra K.

    I like the idea of an improvisational grill. It's kinda cool! You get to pick what you want, add a sauce, and they grill it up for you! A lot of the other reviews mention your dish not getting the attention it deserves. I can't speak for the dinner crowd, but I can say that its a great place to go for lunch. The lunch there is MUCH cheaper than going for dinner. The place is extremely empty. Chances are, your bowl of goodies is the first to hit the grill of the day and the cook WILL pay good attention to it. Its a great way to eat healthy for lunch and get a good mix of meat and veggies. I'd say without a salad or an expensive drink, you pay at the most $8. The sauces are great, although I'd say that they could use some variety. For someone who doesn't like spicy very much, they don't have many options. Remember - GO at lunch!

    (4)

  • C P.

    There should be an option for no stars. I have been here twice; the first time a friend really wanted to go, and I'd never been, so I said okay. After that experience, I never wanted to go again, then a coworker of my husband planned her birthday dinner here (yes, that says something about her) and I was FORCED to come along. This place is gross. Gross factor #1: Raw meat sitting in buckets (on ice, grant you that) on a salad bar, with tongs all over. Tongs in the raw meat, raw meat juices splashing, who knows where salmonella is lurking. Disgusting. Gross factor #2: Stand next to a zillion pushy people and wait forever for your raw meat and veggies/pasta to be stir-fried on the same grill on which a million other things have been stir-fried that day...with all the tastes of hours of previous dinners mingling with yours as it cooks. Gross factor #3: Cover your stir-fry/pasta with a gross, usually sickly sweet, cornstarchy-thick, high-fructose-corn-syrupy sauce. Blech. Then, after serving your own raw meat, waiting for it to cook, saucing it and bringing it to the table yourself, tip your waiter (who brought you a glass of water and then left, never to be seen again) and pay the ridiculously-high price you are being charged for nasty stir-fry you could have made better, and faster, at home. I don't get the appeal.

    (1)

  • Kana O.

    The first time I went to Fire and Ice was probably about 4 years ago - my husband (then boyfriend) insisted we try this place because he thought it was cool to get to pick your own ingredients and have it cooked right in front of you. Yes, I admit, I like the concept.. But honestly, the food was not great and I told myself never to return. T1 Verdict: 1 star. Well, recently I had a chance to go back because my husband's friend was in town and he really wanted to try this place. T2 Verdict : still a 1 star. First of all, if you don't eat a lot (ie, you can't finish a Cheesecake factory pasta dish) you won't get your moneys worth here. Their ingredients are not fresh and nothing looks appetizing. Despite their mediocre food, there was a good number of people there and I waited in a line to get my food "cooked". Once my food was done, I found it to be overcooked and very very dry. Also, here's what my husband said to me which I think is useful. If you don't usually cook, its hard to put together a good combination of the ingredients they put out. This was probably why I found him wandering around looking clueless even after I sat down with my cooked food (I have to say, this was kind of cute). He said restaurants should serve food that is prepared by chefs, not by him. Point well taken!

    (1)

  • Anna W.

    I used to love this place, but it's lost it luster over the years. The concept is what originally drew me in -- I could pick out the meat, veggies, and sauce for my dish. That was an almost foolproof guarantee that I will like my food, right? Eh, not so much. Even if you can pick the ingredients, you still can't pick how it is cooked. Major props to the guys who work the grill and have to keep everything in check, but that is where everything starts to go downhill. First of all, my meat is always overcooked. To the point where it is tough to chew. Because of how long my meat is sitting on the grill, my veggies and noodles also get charred in the process. Also, did you really just use the same spatula to cook everyone's food? No wonder why my teriyaki sauce tastes like it is mixed with curry sauce -- some person before me had curry as their sauce and I'm sure the person after me has my teriyaki sauce remnants all over their food as well. Also, when it gets REALLY busy and the poor cooks have like 30 things cooking at once, good luck getting your food in a timely manner. I spend about 10 minutes standing for each minute of actual eating. Not a very good ratio IMO. Also, beware of their really big fishbowl/giant margarita glass drinks. It is about 90% ice and as a result, the libation is seriously watered down. However, even the watered-down version will knock you on your ass. So, keep that in mind the next time you think you can drink a whole one by yourself!

    (2)

  • Sam S.

    I just had the Sunday brunch today and was EXTREMELY pleased. first off the hangover helper bloody mary was wonderfully mixed (keep in mind these can be tough), second there was make-your-own omelets and pancakes. i enjoyed a tasty berry combo for the pancake and had a wonderful time deciding what to put on my omelet...bacon, scallions and peppers was the decision. i love the buffet concept and the food is VERY high quality, it's a place i like to go once in a while when I'm up to some eating independance!

    (4)

  • Gina A.

    Came here for a quick dinner with husband and kid. I used to come here as a college student about 8-10 years ago. As a student, I thought the concept was fun (self serve, choose your ingredients and watch them cook it on a huge cooking surface) but today as a working professional who is interested in actual good and decent food, I don't recommend it. We arrived at 5:30pm on Saturday. Hostess told us that we would be seated in a about 5 minutes. When we actually got seated, the place was practically empty so I'm not sure why we weren't seated immediately to begin with... Waitress seemed to hate her job. She was uninterested and inattentive. She was more interested in hanging out by the register at the bar and talking to guys instead. Also, she was more interested in looking at her phone instead of attending to customers. The food is just average, nothing impressive or memorable. The beef sirloin was tough. Ingredients were just average and the sauces were not very flavorful. Since it's in Harvard Sq, there were lots of college kids when we went,. which is expected. I can see it being fun if you are young and looking for a fun place to go eat with friends though. It's not a quite place so may be good to bring the kids since it's not a fancy sit down restaurant. For us, we will not be going back in the future. We would rather spend our $16.95/person somewhere else with better service and food.

    (1)

  • Boogie S.

    There isn't much to be said that hasn't been covered in the last 150 reviews. I just really don't understand why people like this place. Unless you're stoned or just finished a marathon, you aren't going to get your money's worth. Also, hasn't anyone noticed that once you throw the food on the grill, everything tastes the same? The only redeeming quality was the second of two pitchers of sangria we got. The first one was unremarkable. No consistency. Don't go here.

    (2)

  • Aaron D.

    Worst wait ever! Customer service atrocious! We were told a half an hour wait. An hour later, we're still waiting! I didn't even eat I got fed up with the sass of the hostesses and blatant disregard for our wait. Texting don't count as doing your best. Sorry hun

    (1)

  • Gray c.

    I went to Fire and Ice about a month ago with a friend from out of town. I hadn't been in years, but I remembered having a great time and a good meal. That was then... We arrived at 9p, they closed at 10p - from my understanding - 10p is when they closed their doors - nope - at 9:45 we where told to get out "last call" for food - ummm, couldn't they have told us at the door that there was a time limit. By that time at night there were slim pickings - meat/veggies/seafood unappetizing, veggies were wilting. The only positive part of the experience was the guy at the grill - he was quick and proficent

    (1)

  • C O.

    This is one of the worst dining experiences in my life. We've been to the Fire and Ice in Providence, RI and the Fire and Ice in Boston , both of those were great experiences, with no complaints. . Fire and Ice in Harvard Square does not compare. To begin with, the place is cramped around the hibachi grill with less food selections than the other two locations. The salad bar, food selections and sauces are too close to the grill with 75-100 people trying to get at all of this at once. We made reservations at 5:30 for our son's 9th birthday (his choice) and within 15 minutes a party of 50 people and another party of 25 were seated all at the same time, plus all the other patrons already seated and others customers still walking in. It was absolute chaos. We had to wait for clean bowls to be brought out to gather our vegetables, noodles, and meat . My sons were literally pushed out of the way by this party of 75 people trying to get at the bowls, vegetables, and meat all at the same time. I finally gave up after going through the lines once and ended up eating salad. My husband and kids braved it through a second time around. The food we did eat from the hibachi grill was tasty. Kudos to the grill masters They were working their butts off. .At the other two Fire and Grill locations, the cooks are a lot more interactive and show off their knife and culinary skills.These cooks didn't have the time. Our waitress service was slow, leaving dirty plates on our table the entire meal. Never checking back with us to order more drinks. After two hours to get two trips to the Hibachi grill, and not because we eat slow, we finally asked for our bill and asked to speak to a manager. The manager told us, yes they seat parties of 50 and 25 at one time since they are "running a business". When I told her she could have spaced out the seating a bit to able to manage the crowd, she replied, "we know what we're doing". When you know what you're doing, you don't have unhappy customers. Which then made me realize, this wasn't just our one-time bad luck of getting seated at the same time as a large party in a tight restaurant space with poor service. The manager didn't think this was a problem . So not only did we have lousy service and a horrible experience, but a rude manager to finish the meal. We will never visit the Fire and Ice in Harvard Square again. So, we obviously cannot comment on dessert.

    (1)

  • Emmy S.

    This is probably my favorite restaurant ever. It's FANTASTIC. There can't be much (if anything) wrong with a place that offers you almost anything you can think of under one roof. You make all your own dishes out of raw foods (seafood, steak, beef, poultry, you name it), veggies, fruits, pastas, awesome sauces, and they grill it all up for you in front of you. One price for all you can eat, and about $5 off that for Monday College nights. It's fresh, it's amazing, it's a great price (if you can eat your share), and it's 110% customizable. My kind of place. Great for celebrations or dates.

    (5)

  • Jenny C.

    Fire and Ice presents the typical buffet in a very interesting way. One picks all of their own raw food (meat, veggies, etc) and picks their own sauce for their food to be cooked in and watches their food be cooked on a very large, round grill in the center of the room. They also have a great salad bar, with many veggie, topping, and dressing choices. Good for fun, group dinners. The problems with Fire and Ice? It can get very pricey, much more expensive than a regular buffet. The restaurant is also usually very crowded so food can take a very long time to cook (one has to wait in line for a very long time).

    (3)

  • Emily W.

    Not good... My favorite restaurant is a Mongolian bbq place, so this was extremely disappointing. In theory, this should be great. You get a bowl, fill it with meats, pastas, veggies, fruits, etc. of your choice, pick a sauce and watch them cook it. In practice, however, it doesn't work for me. My biggest complaint is that the sauces are pre-made and they taste like they came out of a bottle bought in bulk at Costco. But I also think there is too much variety in the ingredients that the whole places lacks focus and is mediocre, at best. I am being forced to include this statement: My husband said this place deserves 10 stars and that what he got was the best thing he's ever eaten in his entire life. I completely disagree, but there you have it. I'm not changing my rating - he'll just have to become a Yelper and give you the details himself.

    (2)

  • Myra M.

    Great concept, fantastic location, perfect food and service, but please it has been about ten years now, please do a slight make over and make it fresh again. I love the place but it is starting to look old.

    (4)

  • Gregory M.

    More expensive than some of the other Mongolian BBQ. I like it because I do like being able to pick my own food and add the flavors I want. I have been there a few times, and will likely make return visits each time I go to Harvard. I think since I like to cook and have a good sense of the flavors I like, I really like Mongolian BBQ - so perhaps others who can't quite recognize how the sauces and flavors work together would have more anxiety with this place. Of course the value is in question. I suppose you pay for the environment. I have been a lot of places where I overpay for food - this might be one of them, but one I am OK with doing.

    (4)

  • Daniel D.

    I don't know why people are hating on Fire and Ice so much. It's FUN, people! It's FUN! You get to put all of your own ingredients together in whatever combination you want, and then you don't have to do the work of cooking it because they do that for you. Granted, sometimes they'll screw up your order by putting someone else's sauce on your food, and the wait can be considerable if it gets really full, but these are small concerns.. The drinks are fine.

    (3)

  • R F.

    Fire and Ice is good. I like the Berkely st one better than this, but it's hardly any different. Read that review instead if you want more info...

    (4)

  • Rich O.

    This place seems to have a polarizing effect on people as there appears to be no middle ground. You love it or you hate it. I'm going to be the middle ground. I liked it. I went with someone that loves the place and he walked me through the process. I could have lived with the one bowl/salad lunch (but I didn't know it was an option). My advice would be don't combine ingredients you wouldn't combine at home and go light on the sauce as they can be overpowering. To quote a great football coach, it is what it is and don't try to make it more then it is.

    (3)

  • S D.

    The food is OK, but the atmosphere is equivalent to being in a junior high or even elementary school cafeteria -- children running around screaming, etc. Just awful.

    (1)

  • EJ P.

    Came here with a half-off buywithme offer, which is really the only way to make the insane $17 per meal price worth it. The food itself tastes mediocre and there's a decent selection. However, after returning home, I had a bad reaction to what I'd eaten. I chocked it up to having a sensitive stomach and gave it another try later since we had another coupon, and this time everyone in our party was queasy. Which makes me wonder just how fresh or quality everything really is. For $17 I don't expect to be eating food that makes me feel ill. The seating here is atrocious, and with that comes questionable service that varies wildly with where you sit and who you're served by. Both times I've been here, the greeter attempted to seat us off in some remote, out of reach booth. The first time was in a strange little alleyway that meant that it took us 15-20 minutes to flag down a waitress for anything, since nobody ever came near us. The second time they tried to seat us in a dark corner with one single harsh light bulb, next to the cleaning supplies and exit to the dumpster that smelled like moldy carpet! We asked to be moved obviously (once the waitress meandered by, that is), and the main room with the food they then put us in was great with quick service. Whoever is in charge of the seating assignments is an idiot because both times the restaurant has had maybe 1/2 to 2/3 occupancy. With dozens of people waiting outside for 30+ for tables. In a place they've crammed in as many tables as possible (many just a foot apart from other guests) that doesn't actually require servers to bring out the food, why they don't actually fill the place or put people in spots they can receive service is beyond me.

    (2)

  • Christopher M.

    I remember a time when the line for this place was out the door. I'd show up early so I could get a table before the rush and have a great time. I had great service, some great food, and some fun conversations. Then I went back. Originally, I was really excited because there was no line. That should have told me something, right there. Sadly, I was blinded and deafened by hunger. We were seated promptly, and then forgotten about. The sauce bar was empty. BONE FUCKIN DRY. The meats weren't as diverse as they once were, and the quality of ingredients had gone downhill. On top of that, the grill staff seemed less. . . with it. We actually left to get better food with better service from Sto Two-Fo. . if that tells you anything. All in all the food was bad, the service was lousy, and I had ZERO fun. Sorry Fire and Ice, but. . .you suck.

    (1)

  • Brian H.

    I thought this place was way better than its reviews. A fun gimmick, decent food, full bar with god selection of beer on tap (from $3.95 for 21oz of Pabst to $5.95 for Harpoon IPA; skip the Ice Bowl unless you're a big Blue Curacao fan), something for everybody, good value at $16.95 all you can eat for dinner, and identical twin grill chefs!

    (4)

  • Sophie W.

    I really enjoyed this place! As far as Mongolian goes the selection of proteins, vegetables and various other items was really good. Everything looked really fresh. I also, thought it was cool that you could also have your own burgers or steak and cheese sandwiches grilled or you could make fajitas at your table. I had never seen that at a Mongolian grill before and I thought it was a neat idea. I guess my only complaint is that I wish the sauce selection was a little better, but besides that I really enjoyed this place.

    (4)

  • Joe M.

    This review is really based on the fact that this is where you want to go. Before you go here, you need to realize a few things. 1. The waiters are there to bring you DRINKS only. You'll need to help yourself to food. It's an uncooked buffet. 2. On that subject, it's an uncooked buffet, so after you wait in line for your ingredients, you need to wait to get a spot at the grill and have your food cooked. 3. And I stress this again, it's still a BUFFET. Buffet food is not traditionally good food. The food here is decent, but don't go here expecting anything orgasmic. To sum it up, you're going out to eat at a place where you aren't waited on, the food won't be cooked exactly to your specifications, and the food will be mediocre at best. That being said, this place is actually REALLY GOOD if you're looking more to have a fun, unique time when going out to eat instead of a nice meal. You'll make a few trips, you'll spend half the night waiting while standing, and you'll throw away quite a few mistakes. But it'll be a blast inventing some new dish. Good for groups or a date, whether it's first or fiftieth. It loses a star for weak ass drinks and in the end, it's still a restaurant with busboys only. I can't in good conscience give a restaurant like that 5 stars. Other than that, s'all good baby.

    (4)

  • Josh V.

    An old teacher of mine used to say that "what you find in the middle of the road are yellow lines and dead armadillos." With Fire and Ice, that pretty much sums it up. When I first had it described to me, I immediately thought "MONGOLIAN BARBEQUE!!!!" and couldn't wait to try it. Mongolian barbeque as I remember it is absolutely positively the shit, but I hadn't seen anywhere ever purporting to serve it in America. Then I actually got to Fire and Ice, and found it to be a restaurant that I couldn't really classify. On the one hand, it's clearly influenced by Mongolian barbeque: you gather your ingredients and choose a sauce, and then you have your stuff cooked. But there's where the similarities stop. Instead of the Mongolian grill there's something you take your food to that more closely resembles a large teppan-yaki stove. Also, upon closer inspection the food selection is heavy on one or two different kinds of meat, and lean on vegetables worthy of a stir-fry. Additionally, the sauce selection leaned towards a more Western palate. This isn't to say that the food was bad; it was just not exactly as I'd thought it'd be. Even though there wasn't too much variety in the food, it was tasty and had a decent variety of flavors. If I were to judge Fire and Ice on the food alone I would be giving it a higher rating, especially since it seems to cater to the younger crowd. Unfortunately, the fact that it chooses to try and blend the Mongolian barbeque into its food selection means that when it could be very good as a Mongolian barbeque (which it choose not to do) and it could be a decent traditional restaurant, it achieves neither. Be prepared to wait in long lines, especially on Mondays (more on this later) and if you aren't amused by the antics of the chefs in the center grill then you're going to be bored waiting. Half price Mondays and its all-you-can-eat sort-of-buffet make Fire and Ice extremely popular on Monday nights, in particular with students. Other nights, it's generally still crowded. In the end, a lot of my friends like Fire and Ice, so I still go. Two of my friends' last birthdays have been at Fire and Ice, and if anything it's a great venue for that. But after considering taking my family here, I decided against it: there are much higher quality restaurants in Cambridge far more suitable for taking your folks out. But that said, Fire and Ice is a fun option on a Monday night and it works for a man on a budget like me.

    (3)

  • Shaina S.

    Extra points to this Fire & Ice because it's substantially more pleasant than the downtown location, which is where I usually end up. Even on college night (Monday night) it wasn't all that crowded until a little later in the night. I think the lessened amount of rowdy college kids helped the grillers chill out and this caused them to not burn my noodles. Always a plus. This place is a lot of fun for groups because it's more active and creative than your usual dining experience. I enjoy the self-serve style on occasion (though the flavors can get a little old). There is a ton of variety with meat and a decent amount with the veggies and noodles, but they lack a bit when it comes to putting toppings on my salad. My latest Fire & Ice inspiration is that someday, I'm going to get them to grill me up a quesadilla because they provide tortillas (and rice) on each table.

    (4)

  • .amy E.

    When I was younger, my dad got it into his head that he was going to start making Chinese food, wok and all - without recipes. We'd mix up our combination of spices and sauces and sautee some stuff and combine forces and then...it would be inedible. We would either mess up with the sauce combination, or, worse, pair the sauce with the wrong meat. And that, friends, sums up how easily one can mess up at Fire & Ice. When I was co-teaching a freshmen "pyromaniacs" seminar in school, we'd take our young charges to Fire & Ice for dinner, but that's about the end of my good memories of this place. Well, that, plus stories about ridiculous meat-eating competitions between friends. (I don't know many folks who can fit multiple pounds of meat into their stomachs in one sitting, but the ones who can are honestly among the most interesting. And probably also the most dangerous.) In conclusion: totally expensive and too easy to ruin your meal. But hey, if your friends are jackasses or somebody else is paying for it...

    (2)

  • Lynn F.

    This place was not my choice, but my dining companion really wanted to go so I put on my happy face and said "Sure, I love to try new places!". It met all my expectations - meek veggie and carb base selections, sauce selections that didn't make much sense, rude waitstaff, obnoxious customers. If you like this kind of thing, find a real teppanyaki place - way more fun and way better food.

    (1)

  • Shaye S.

    well the food is not that food, in fact the sauce is either too salty or too spicy.

    (2)

  • Spencer N.

    This place just needs to not happen. I went here with some friends, and honestly, have no intention to go back. While I think the "modern buffet" concept is kinda cool, the rest of it is lacking. The one thing I will say is that they do have a great selection of seafood that I risked eating. Lord knows how long those pieces of squid had been sitting out there but they were tasty. They also had an awesome amount of veggies. So that was nice. I dont really enjoying paying a lot of money to the company of the people I am with and wander around the restaurant, stand for 15min while they cook my food and THEN when finally get back to the table to find the other members of your group have gotten up to get their own food. Its not too relaxing. I would rather go to Todi, the amazing all you can eat seafood and sushi buffet. Its a chain, and better than this place

    (2)

  • Anna P.

    Like all "do-it-yourself" restaurants, there are things that work and things that don't work about Fire & Ice. For anyone who has food allergies, I'm told that this place is paradise. Not only do you know the *exact* contents of your stir-fry, they will put it in a separate pan for you in back. Certainly there's a wide variety of food to try, and if you're in a very large group, this can be massively helpful. I could definitely see coming here with a hungry pack of teenage football players - just not for a quiet night out with your honey. At $17 a head, this is a little steep if all you want is something from their sandwich bar (yes, they have a sandwich bar). I actually think that cutting down on their choices would give them a better "point of view" when it comes to what they are all about. I've been to some fantastic restaurants that make you design your own dishes, but the sauces, veggies and meats all worked well interchangeably - here you can end up with some lousy food if you don't know what you're doing. All in all, nothing is wrong with Fire and Ice, I've just seen the concept done better in other cities (Flat Top in Chicago, Mongolian Grill in MD). Think of it this way: At least it keeps the hungry hordes out of the restaurants you really wanted to go to this weekend!

    (3)

  • Barney B.

    Thursday night...finally a warm Thursday night. Hungry, but so is everyone else. And the students are all still here. Where to take the visiting Mom for a bite to eat?? Somehow we ended up here. Granted this isn't my first F&I experience, but it likely will be my last. Not because of anything bad happening this time - just because it's always been kind of bad. I guess conceptually it's cool, kind of like those hobo clowns at the circus are cool. And like the patchwork coats they wear, this place is kind of a mish mosh of styles, functions, and vibes. And like the circus, the juggling of the food getting fried on the center grill bounces around so much that you will most definitely get a little sampling of something on your plate you weren't quite expecting. A bonus for people with food allergens, huh? (I am not one of them, I'm just sayin.....) No matter what ingredients or sauce you select, everything comes off as greasy - profit margin must be decent, because I couldn't even finish one plate fully. But maybe I am not their target audience - which is good, since this was my last visit.

    (2)

  • Kathleen F.

    So I took the girl I mentor here for her bday since she really wanted to have her bday lunch here. I immediately remembered why I have not been here since my college days when we would have hungover eating competitions (yes, we were gross). The concept is good, but there is barely any decent food to choose from. I was trying to be healthy and go for the fish, veggies, and tofu. The fish looked so UN FRESH. It really grossed me out. There was also not much of a veggie selection. There was some brunch stuff still out and I tried to check that out. Everything looked over cooked and really gross. After my first dish there was nothing else I really wanted, I tried a burger but it was fatty and grossed me out even more. This is definitely a very college-kid experience and is not something that is appetizing at all as an adult. Maybe if they had more fresh and healthy ingredients it would be more appetizing but overall just a disappointing experience. Not worth the $15.95--I could get a much better meal else where for the price, and better service as well.

    (2)

  • Laura W.

    This is possibly my favorite restaurant in the whoooooole world! You fill your bowl with excellent raw meat, veggies, pasta, choose from the delicious sauces, and bring it to the huge circular grill - you can try out as many combinations as you want, and everything I've tried has been awesomely good! The interior is cool looking, too. It's a good atmosphere for eating with you family, friends, bachelorette parties, etc... I've been here so many times (at the Back Bay location, too) and it's always awesome. Escpecially the time our waiter hit on my friend Chris with a foot tall beer glass and his New York accent... Sawce? sawce? sawce? sawce? hehehe.... okay maybe that was only funny to me.

    (5)

  • Adam B.

    I just dont get it. Sure, its all you can eat. But its just stir fry. And OK, you can come up with a hundred different combinations of meat, vegetable, rice or noodle, and sauce. BUT ITS STIR FRY!!!! im pretty sure anyone could cook this stuff at home and it would come out just the same or even better than what they offer. Believe me, i am an avid fan of eating all i can for one set price, but not the same thing over and over and over again. I also don't like the fact, that everything thats cooked is (some times under cooked) on this ginormous grill. what if i have allergies to peas? its like an orgy of all that had been cooked on there before, on your plate. i once picked out chicken, broccoli and a rice mixture and swear i could taste fish and corn...weird. i guess its good to go once and try it. other than that...i just don't get it

    (2)

  • Alvin C.

    IF you don't mind doing some of the work, and a little wait here and there... it's a great place. I love that you can make your own burger, pasta, raps, or any kind of dish.

    (4)

  • Alex L.

    A TON of people made a huge deal about how awesome this place is, how badass all you can eat meat is... Well, I know a little something about badass all you can eat meat and it is most certainly not here. The food is average and it's really hard to eat enough to get your money's worth. The meat quality was low, hell the quality of everything was cheap, only god and the managers know how much food you would have to consume to get your money's worth, and the food isn't all that expensive. I'm a big fan of Mongolian barbecue, but this place is not one I would recommend to anybody, except maybe a homeless guy who found a $20 on the ground.

    (2)

  • Susan D.

    One night, I decided to share one last meal with my boyfriend. My roommate suggested this place in Harvard. Like it was pretty decent. Needless to say, we walked in, then walked out. That's good.

    (1)

  • Andrew Y.

    This is a Mongolian style restaurant. You take your seat. You go up to the food trays and pick up all the raw food you want. Then you put the oil on and sauces. The food is good and cooked fast. Also the atmostphere is really fun because everyone is excited about having their food cooked by a non-Mongolian person. They have drinks, but most likely, you will want to just drink water. Anyway, good place for lunch or dinner. Plus, you don't have to get buffet if you don't want to.

    (4)

  • Daniel S.

    Four stars for lunch, three for dinner, because the price is double for the same food. I don't think this place is as good as BD's Mongolian Barbecue (which doesn't exist on this coast), but it works okay. I wish the selection would change, but its pretty much constant. If you're not careful you fall into a rut and keep getting the same ingredients every time you go. You take a bowl and fill it with meats and veggies and other tasty bits and fill a little container with sauce then take it to the big circular grill where they fry it up for you. It's fun and you get to let out your inner artist, and then when you screw it up, you can try again. My suggestion: get small portions, take your time, and go back for 3 or 4 bowls! For a special (and painfully filling) treat, get a hamburger (grab the raw ball of beef) and put in a few toppings (onions, mushrooms, peppers?) and get a fun sauce, which they'll put on at the end. it'll taste great. When you go at lunch they bring you chips and salsa, but it's a trap! Don't fill up on them, save room for the good stuff.

    (4)

  • Vanilla P.

    We went for lunch on Saturday, and actually had to wait for 4 tables to be seated in front of us -- On a Saturday! This place would be awesome to visit if you were in a slightly inebriated state, but not so awesome if you were color blind: Lots of primary colors, shapes, light bulbs, metals, etc. Totally '86 Rock and Roll. Our waitress was spunky, and really enjoyed showing us all the different stations inside the restaurant. She brought us our drinks, and sent us on our merry way to collect bowls of raw stuff. Then we went to this big round grill, and watched our raw stuff heat up, become cooked and seasoned, and then dumped onto Fiestaware-esque plates. Back to the table we go, to enjoy our custom made food, as well as the rice and tortillas brought by Spunky Waitress. The food was good, filling, and the process was fun. Not necessarily gourmet, but absolutely edible. I would have given four stars, but no one had restocked the restroom from the night before... No TP, no paper towels, and no soap. That really made me unpleased, and then I remembered how many people use the same tongs to fill their bowls. Some instant hand sanitizer stations might be a great investment...

    (3)

  • Julia Z.

    Was my first time to a Mongolian-style grill and I enjoyed it; food was good and fun, my Apple Sour Martini was very tasty, and service was friendly. According to the person I was with it is not nearly as nice as some other Mongolian grills; but if you don't have high expectations this is a pretty fun place for food.

    (3)

  • Dave M.

    Clientele: Obnoxious. (Seriously, there are rules about violating my personal space.) Servers: Kick ass. Food: Meh. The beef was flavorless, and the sauces are heavily unbalanced. Overall: I should have just waited and gone to the one in Tahoe. They do have a $5 off discount for students on monday nights. It didn't account for the obnoxiousness though.

    (3)

  • Amanda L.

    I don't care what people say about Fire & Ice because I HEART IT SO MUCH. I mostly go to the one in Back Bay and I absolutely LOVE the cooks. They always put on a great show for everyone especially when your standing there with 80 other people waiting for your food. They make everyone sing to you for your birthday (have done it to my mom and had it done to me). They are amazing The food is not the absolute best but they have great selection. And they cook it in the back if you have food allergies or a phobia of having your food touch other people's food. Brunch is AMAZING here. Pancakes the size of hubcabs. Omlettes filled to the brim with goodies. French toast everything you could ever want for breakfast. I heart Fire & Ice no matter what people say

    (5)

  • Melody H.

    Well... Its... A grill in front of you/buffet. If you aren't very good at picking out what should be put in your food you definitely don't belong in this restaurant. Great place to go though if you are EXTREMELY hungry and you don't know what you really want. As in, you are bored of eating the same things over and over again and you just wanna throw something together completely random that you never can get anywhere else. I only went here once so I didn't get to try out everything. Would I come back? Yes. With lots of friends. And if I wasn't sure of what to eat and I was really hungry. Note to newcomers : So the way the place works is that you pick the ingredients up yourself and toss it into a bowl.. grab a sauce and then go to the center grill to hand it to a chef who just grills up your stuff on the huge metal slab. Tadah! Thats basically the jist of the place. Your waitress is just there to bring drinks and from my experience, she/he doesn't come around too often.

    (3)

  • Rozina K.

    Its hard for me to rate this place because I was "I can eat my own hand" hungry when we got there. So three stars it is. They have a variety of ingredients that you can put together with various sauces to create your own meal. The cooks then cook it on a large grill in the center of the restaurant. The food was mediocre at best (and I don't think I'm all that bad of a cook) and god forbid you get stuck in a long line, it takes forever to get your food cooked. So average at best. Honestly, this wouldn't be my first choice to eat out, mostly because my feeling is that if I'm paying for a meal, I shouldn't have to cook it myself. Had it not been for my bf liking this place, I'm not sure I would have gone.

    (3)

  • Molly S.

    Fire and Ice is the place I bring people from out of town. Ashley O said it perfectly - it's for out-of-towners who think this is big city dining (until it eventually invades suburbia and gives Applebees a run for it's money.) So far, all of my guests have enjoyed it - and I've been in here with my beau once for dinner, and once to try out breakfast. It's pretty so-so when you don't have an excited friend sitting across the table from you. And it is overpriced - but that's the price you pay for "creativity." I can usually only manage one dish per trip, and that's keeping in mind that I should think lightly so I could try more than one combo. I'm paying $17 for stir fry... I usually feel bad afterwards. The breakfast menu is just ok. It's not worth a special trip, and I think we only came here because the restaurant we wanted to go to was PACKED. They do omelettes and pancakes. They have breakfast pastries - which were a little stale, and yogurt - which was a little warm and liquid-y. Take it for what it's really worth.

    (3)

  • Alan Y.

    I visited this restaurant tonight with some friends after walking past it dozens of times. After hearing my friends' raves about it, I had expected the food to be worthy of the praise. Unfortunately, it was not. Many chinese restaurants have these so-called "Mongolian grills", yet the food actually tastes good and the wait time isn't long. Basically, the ingredients aren't very fresh, and you have to wait a long time for the chefs to cook the food. The bowls that you use to mix the ingredients for a plate aren't very large, so each bowl of food is not very filling. Although the price is reasonable, I don't really think it is worth it, considering the slow waiting times and the relatively mediocre quality of the ingredients.

    (2)

  • Dan C.

    This place reeks...reeks of manliness. I don't think I have ever come out of Fire and Ice and thought, I could go for something more to eat. Now be warned this place has a price tag of about $20, but I mean all you can eat stir-fry meat buffet, are you kidding me? People out there talk about good bars and volume bars; a volume bar is where you go to hang out with friends, down some cheap PBRs and get wasted. This place is the meat buffet equivalent of a volume bar. Yes, I know the Midwest grill is delicious, but some times I want a burger, then some pasta (with meat), then just some stir-fried everything. This place is loud, busy, interactive, and I love it. Once you fill your bowls with the tasty creations and pick your sauce you stand up at the grill and wait for them to cook it. I have to say I have gotten my fair share of phone numbers while waiting at the bar, but also it is a great time to chat with friends. Does it sound like I am defending this place yet? Well that is because I definitely am. This is not a date place, in fact this would be the worst date place in the history of men courting women (before that you just bought and sold them). The last thing you want to do when trying to get in his/her good graces is to show them that you can eat 3lbs of food. This is a place to cut loose, get a drink that comes in a bowl, and eat and drink until you wake up the next day 4 lbs heavier. The food comes out a little overdone on occasion, but the fact that you drowned your chicken, fish, shrimp, scallop, sausage, udon, broccoli combo in Jamaican jerk sauce makes it hard to tell (and as a man's man you don't care, you eat broken glass for breakfast). Also they give you tortillas, very important if you like eating your stir-fry fajita style. Bottom Line: MAAAAANNN!

    (4)

  • David B.

    Highlight: Watching a 12-year-old approach the grill with a bowl filled with corn kernels and raw bacon. Lowlight: Trying to eat enough to make up for the $17 price tag (I think the spiced tuna has the biggest price per pound on the buffet). Strange conclusion: I really want to go back. I keep thinking of new exciting things to do with corn and bacon.

    (3)

  • Mr. X.

    Went here for a birthday party. Don't think I'll go back on my own initiative. For those unfamiliar with the concept, it's a buffet where you go around with a big bowl that you fill with noodles, meat, seafood, veggies, tofu, whatever, and hand off to a bored 18-year-old standing by a big circular grill in the middle of the buffet room. They spread your stuff out in a line on the grill, and much much later, put it on a plate and hand it back. Now, if you'd lived a quiet life, this might qualify as enough of a show to justify the markup over a regular buffet. You know, the kind where the food is available at will, since it's already been cooked. But I can't see paying the markup to stand around drinking in a bunker with a bunch of frat boys, waiting for food to cook.

    (2)

  • Erik L.

    I've been here three times before - once as an innocent try-out, then twice on an invitation I couldn't refuse. Tonight is going to be the third invitation I can't refuse. Oh well. Its not that I dislike the place, but I somehow can't partake of the joyfulness that I see going on around me. It starts out fun, when you go and pick your selection, because they do have a nice range of meats, seafood, and veggies. Then its annoying because you have to wait forever for your food to be grilled. Then, when they actually start grilling your food, you're going to be agonizing over how they're burning it. I mean, how can you slap seafood, pork, beef, noodle, veggies in one humongous lump onto a grill and expect them to cook to perfection? It ain't gonna happen. I give them one star for being in Harvard Sq, and another star for having a decent foods selection. And don't even think about going here in the summer. Imagine being near a 10-foot grill when its already hot. Post-dinner: still the same experience. The place was chock-full of sixteen-something birthday parties, which makes me surprised I can still even remember being 50% of my current age. I congratulated myself on my food selections and for not having ordered the blue poison which sets you back $17.

    (3)

  • Gary B.

    Fun for the novelty, but that is about it. Your food ends up getting overcooked because they are cooking so many orders at once. They can not give your dish the attention it deserves. I did not like that I had to stand there waiting for my food to cook. I had a beer waiting for me at my table calling my name, but I was standing there waiting for my food to cook. Hmm if I were smart I would have grabbed the beer while i waited. You do not end up eating with the people you go with because you go up and get your food and someone else takes longer than you so your food finishes and you sit to eat while they are waiting for theirs to cook Save your money and go somewhere else.

    (1)

  • Stellina M.

    Fire and Ice is a great place to have a party or a group reunion, or just go there with a byunch of frinds and have a great time! It is like a marketplace of fresh meats, seafood, pastas, sauces and vegetables You help yourself creating your own dish, with an array of culinary possibilities waiting to be fired up at the open 35 square-foot round grill.

    (4)

  • Lauren E.

    I wish I could review this place better, but it's just got too many drawbacks. I will say that I have gone a few times, but it was two years between the last two times that I was there, and it will probably be another two before I go back. I'm not saying I hate the place. I mean, they have everything you could want (except parmesan cheese...)---pasta, rice, asian noodles, meats, salads, burgers. But it's almost not worth the price unless you overeat. And who wants to endorse that? The drinks are pricey to the point of being a deterrent. The food is mediocre. It's a good choice for a crowd who can't agree upon a dinner plan, but then again, it must be one who's willing to splurge. Sometimes I have gone and it's been insanely crowded, and other times it's seemed like we were the only table. It's certainly an experience, and admittedly fun, but not an ideal dinner (or lunch) choice.

    (2)

  • Julia W.

    I went to this Fire and Ice for my birthday in July for a drink with my friends. They have this giant drink call a Scorpion bowl that 3-4 people can share. So we were sitting there drinking and laughing and talking. My sister sees a drink on a nearby table that she thinks has been abandoned. Not so. She takes the drink and to all our dismay it belonged to the girlfriend/wife of a big, hulking, angry man. The man comes over to our table and smashes our scorpion bowl into big chucks of glass all over the table. It had been mostly full so the drink was all over the table as well. Obviously my sister shouldn't have taken the drink, but it is also obvious that this man was totally insane. My problem is that not one staff member came to address the issue. We sat at that table staring at the broken glass/drink mess in shock for a while. No one. So we just left. The end.

    (2)

  • Julian M.

    I worked in Boston for several summers before college. I remembered enjoying Fire and Ice quite a bit, which made it all the more disappointing when I came back now--years later. I understand, respect, appreciate, and enjoy the entire concept this comes from--it's modeled after one of my favorite restaurant types, the Mongolian Barbeque. Unfortunately, there's very little direction to help you get a well-balanced and good-tasting dish. They have an awful lot of kinds of meat, but not very many veggies. The veggies that they did have didn't seem particularly fresh, or even particularly well-cut. Pretty much every person I looked at was filling up their dish entirely with meat. That's not the way to make a well-balanced dish. They also had a wide variety of sauces, but more often than not I found myself wishing I had a different set of things in my dish once I walked over to pick the sauce. It takes too much effort and planning to get a dish that has the right meats and veggies to go with the kind of sauce I felt like having. All-in-all it still gets at least two stars because I did manage to make some decent dishes, and it is quite fun standing around the grill with friends as the staff cooks your food. I wish they had some decent ingredients that weren't meat.

    (2)

  • Ronda W.

    I like the concept of this restaurant. You pick the ingredients; they cook them. Quick seating, you get what you want, and the food generally tastes good. Also, the price is reasonable if you go for lunch. Simple enough. There are only two problems: 1) I personally don't like my raw meat cooked with vegetables. When I cook at home, I cook them separately. I would have hoped the restaurant would have done the same, especially considering I brought the raw meat to them in a separate bowl than the vegetables. 2) I have food allergies. A LOT of food allergies. So when I see my food being cooked that closely to someone else's, it makes me nervous. This visit, there were bits of someone else's food in mine. So... if you're not a picky (or allergy-prone) eater, this is a nice restaurant to visit. If you're like me and don't want your vegetables surrounded by raw meat, or if you have allergies and don't want someone else's food being mixed up with yours, you should eat elsewhere. Also, don't park in the lot across the street. We had to pay $17 for parking and we weren't there that long. Absolutely ridiculous. **2 stars because they made me too nervous to actually enjoy my food. With so many people having food allergies, it would seem they would keep the food further apart to avoid outbreaks/lawsuits.

    (2)

  • Nicholas P.

    The best reason to go to Fire & Ice (and the best deal) is to do it for the lunchtime deal. One trip and salad for $8. If you sit at the bar you can walk right in and get in and out in about 30 minutes. Be careful, though. If there is a large school group and only one cook you could be waiting. There's often something for everyone at Fire & Ice. You can always try different flavor combinations and enjoy something different each time. Great for people wish to focus on high protein diets and eat salads.

    (3)

  • Joe V.

    I have been to Fire & Ice once before, but that was a few years ago. Recently revisiting this chain in a newer location in Harvard, I decided it's about time I write a review. We came here with a party of 12 last night and the experience was just great. It was much much busier than the Copley location and felt much more lively and had a nice night-time atmosphere. The food was great as usual and the cooks were fast as ever! I had a lot of bacon and burgers as well as pasta. It was very filling and a tad bit on the expensive side, but this place would just be somewhere for occasion. With a party of 12, we paid $316 (roughly $26 per person). $18 flat fee, +$3 tip each, +$1 tax each and cost for individual drinks, etc.

    (4)

  • Bryanne R.

    Lots of choices. Lots. A bit overwhelming. Cooking the food takes a while...it's good...but if you make a wrong choice in what you've picked..you're majorly stuck with it -- so pick smart! It's a fun experience and the food is fresh, and pretty good. I'd recommened going here with a bunch of people to have a fun and random night. Get the creative juices flowing early in the evening. Oh, get here early so you don't have to wait forever.

    (3)

  • Ryan M.

    I've been to this place a few times and it's probably one of the most unique food joints ever. It has your typical seating and you can order what they have on their menus with the typical bar. But what makes this place so different is the fact you can go up to this "food bar" and put together your own meal. Of course it's limited to the size of the bowl but you can keep going up for more. And you can season it and put whatever you want with it. When you've completed your selection you bring the bowl to a circular doughnut like grill with about 3-4 cooks putting other orders together. Then they grab your bowl and throw it on the grill and keep everything in a neat wedge shape pile. They'll continue cooking it all the while throwing on the selection of flavors and seasonings you've brought up. The whole process takes about 5-15 minutes. (depending on what you're eating) It's a pretty hot spot in my honest opinion. The only thing I don't care for is that the food selection IS out in the open, sort of like a salad bar, and there's always that possibility someone has to sneeze. Another complaint I have with the place is the floors, tables, and even handrails are sticky. Sort of like walking into a flytrap. It could be just this location though. Other than the sticky parts in this place, everything else is just flat out awesome. I enjoy the idea of this improv restaurant.

    (4)

  • Rob C.

    Yeah, it's spendy as heck, and sure, there's not really much to it, but it's meat. on a grill. with vegetables. or not, even. dumped with some sauce. once in a while (it had been at least five years in my case), that can be pretty good. and sure, it doesn't seem like such a good idea afterwards, but after dancing myself stupid at a concert the night before, i had a mighty hunger that could only be satisfied, as it turns out, by pulled pork, broccoli, bacon, and noodles, slathered in barbecue. how would i have known this if there wasn't a restaurant whose entire business is centered around catering to peoples' worst dietary whims?

    (3)

  • Jacob S.

    I went really early at about 4 for a really early dinner before a concert. VERY EASY TO GET TO. I praise it on this regard. Almost no walking to get to the subway and made it easy to get to the back bay for our concert. I got steak tips, some cheese, vegetables and an Alfredo sauce. I got some food that wasn't mine in my plate but it was fine as it only happened once. The cooks do over cook your food but you can ask them to only make it medium or medium-well. The food was swapped out VERY often. Almost every time I was up there someone was swapping out food. The cooks were quite boring, contrary to the fun attitude of the rest of the place. The place was very big and retro. The food was just fine and we went mainly for the experience. Would go again, but might not make it my first choice.

    (3)

  • Anthony L.

    don't know why this place has gotten such bad ratings. i'm a meat lover, and all i got here was a lot of yummy meat. food was good, price is decent for a buffet (i came for dinner...with tax and tip it was $21), wasn't that long of a wait for food, will come here again!

    (5)

  • David L.

    I'm all for concept restaurants, but this is just wrong. Watching ingredients of mediocre quality being grilled does not a meal make.

    (1)

  • Angband A.

    Sigh. I wanted to like this place. I really did. This place tries too hard to be too many things to too many people. It's a stir fry, sandwich, and salad place all rolled into one. The ingredients are what you'd expect for a bare-bones Mongolian BBQ place, except that the vegetables considered to be sandwichy or salady (i.e., leafy greens, tomatoes) are located in a separate area. Unfortunately, the sauces are a random selection of western sauces that have one thing in common: they are all too overpowering for a light stir fry dish. The meat is overcooked, western style, resulting in a flavorless lump of whitish material with the consistency of a piece of cardboard that your dog had been chewing on, and subsequently abandoned out in the sun when you offered him a piece of real food. At least the ingredients seemed fresh, despite the open air format, and I didn't get sick. Another plus is that there is a separate wok for vegetarians.

    (2)

  • Daphne M.

    The concept is lots of fun, I'll grant it that. It's really a pleasure to be able to make up your dishes entirely without having to make sure the waiter got all the nuances of what you do and don't like correctly. That said, the actual food is lacking. I say this especially as a vegetarian - just not enough variety. The sauces are pretty boring, clearly not homemade and full of preservatives and chemicals so they taste pretty icky. They don't accent the food at all. I appreciate that they use a separate grill for vegetarian food, but it's not enough to recommend it for veggies. Some say it's a good price for all you can eat; I say I can only eat so much tofu and a handful of vegetables with boring sauce before I say "STOP!" It's dull and it's repetitive. Go there once for the experience and the fun, but I doubt most people will find the actual food very exciting. I'll also add that I was rather miffed that I was expected to tip a full 15-20% for waitstaff who barely did anything but fill water glasses and bring bowls of rice. For god's sake Fire and Ice, pay these people a reasonable wage! They're not doing much for me, so why should pay anything on top for them...they are buspeople. I'm not going to tip them the same amount I'd tip a waiter at a fine restaurant. Sorry.

    (2)

  • Valerie W.

    Maybe its just me but when I go to a restaurant I want the chef to make something for me..not me make something for me... after all, the one of the reasons we go out to eat is so that someone with professional training in what tastes good will make something for us. For this reason I don't like Fire and Ice... besides that I find it to be a little cheesy..

    (2)

  • Peter P.

    I don't need to be pampered, I don't need to have my ass kissed, in fact, I'm the kind of person who stacks up my plates etc. because it is easier for the waitress or bus-person to clear the table. So let me get this straight, I stand in line, serve myself, get treated like an all-you can eat buffet, and pay actual dinner prices. Am I expected to tip people? I tip excessively, but I did all the work? If I bus my own table and wash my own dishes will they tip me? Don't get me wrong, the food is good, but the whole atmosphere is too similar to getting food delivered, except you have to wear pants to go to Fire and Ice! They had the same style of eating at my college dorm......need I say more?

    (1)

  • Mike H.

    Our evening began when we were seated in what is without a doubt the farthest-away booth from the grill - not in the main room, but down a ramp in a little annex-type area. It was next to a window, but at night the whole area was dark, one of the booth benches was broken, and so upon noticing that many other tables were open we decided to move. After about 5 minutes of wondering if we were meant to go off and get food already, our server showed up, took our drink order, and did a fine job showing us the basics (I had eaten there once before, but many years ago, and my girlfriend and her two brothers had not been there before). The food was ok, ok and nothing more. The meat was fine and the teriyaki sauce was quite decent, but I have a few fundamental problems with the way this restaurant works. First of all, I'm not a chef. I don't know anything about flavor pairings, what works well with certain foods and what doesn't. I realize the Mongolian Barbecue style of F&I is its big draw, but in my opinion there are simply too many ways to mess up and create a plate that just isn't that appetizing. And if you do screw up, you've wasted about 10 minutes of standing around and watching the guys cook your food. That's my other problem - it felt like a substantial portion of our dining experience was spent standing around, watching our food sizzle. Fun once, but it gets boring. I used to go to BD's Mongolian Barbecue when I lived in Kansas, and when I was there it seemed like the food didn't take as long to cook, and the guys on the grill had a bit of personality and at least tried to make it fun for all of us standing around. Not so here. Finally, while our server seemed attentive at the start, we saw him precisely once after that. Our previous plates were always gone when we came back from additional trips to the grill, but it took him at least an hour to actually come back and check on us and refill our drinks. Plus we never got any additional tortillas, despite placing the obviously empty container in a clearly visible location on the table. I did see a lot of other servers around, but they seemed to walk up to the front of the little annex area, look around a bit, and then leave. Fire and Ice is a novelty, nothing more - fun to try once or twice but never again. For the price I would much rather go to a proper restaurant where I can let someone else figure out what sauce goes best with the meat, and where I can actually get my drink refilled when I need it.

    (1)

  • Becka D.

    The concept is fun, and it's a great place to go hungry & with a group. Waiting around the cooking pit can get a bit annoying, especially when you're starving. My game plan is to order drinks, build my bowl, and then enjoy my beverage while I wait for my plate. It's not the type of place you'll visit over and over again, but if you have people in town visiting, or a large group ...it's a fun meal.

    (3)

  • Ben M.

    I feel like I'm writing a half-review for the restaurant and a half-review for myself. The items that I selected came out as all kind of yum mixed with delicious. I picked two types of fish, chicken, steak, calamari, and a few vegetables, with a sweet chili sauce. Originally I was going to eat inside, but then I noticed the outdoor courtyard. It was so chill and relaxing to eat the chef & my creation outside. I came between lunch and dinner so there were hardly any people there. The chef was nice and we talked about how awesome it is to cook on iron surfaces.

    (4)

  • R S.

    Hey you! Don't know your peas from your carrots? You're in luck, my friend--at Fire and Ice, it doesn't matter! Just roll up your sleeves and don you metaphorical chef's hat as you, yes, you play America's Next Top Chef, hunting and gathering the pre-chopped raw materials for your next meal. Make your way to the men in the middle, who will cook everything right before your eyes! That's right, folks. Your bowl of raw provisions will be spread, chopped, and cooked to within an inch of its life, then sauced and returned with flair to your waiting hands. All flash and glam, with little culinary substance. The sauces are overbearing even added sparingly, are the sort of things one can buy bottled in Stop and Shop. Disparate ingredients are cooked together regardless of whether they need different cooking times, and this doesn't begin to get at the most repellent part of the proposition for me: if I'm going out, I want a professional handling my menu. I cook plenty well, thanks, and I can handle a stir-fry on my own in my own kitchen, where I have more control of temperatures and ingredients. And really. Those sauces are abominable, and the various oils and other ingredients available are cheap, not strongly flavored enough to get good results as flavoring agents. I've given it two stars, because the concept is conceivably entertaining. Once. Which is likely the reason it attracts touristing families and young folk who apparently don't yet know better. If loud colors, sounds, and social cooking appeals to you, well, then you may very well like it here. And its other plus is that it is all you can eat, albeit therefore expensive. Oh, American notions of equality, insinuating themselves even into our restaurant experience. Yes, it's true. Trained chefs have got nothing on you, bud. Go mix your surf and turf. Throw in bean sprouts and broccoli. And then leave me the heck alone with my vituperous self.

    (2)

  • Jed S.

    People who come here need to know what they're getting into. This isn't exactly a standard sit-down restaurant! It's not where I'd go on a special ocassion. It's a great 1st date restaurant, and a lousy first anniversay restaurant. And you need to be in the mood for it. That said, it can be tasty and fun. They have all kinds of ingrediants to throw into your stirfry, and a wide variety of tasty sauces. It can be fun to watch it be cooked right in front of you. The staff is friendly, the rice and tortillas is good, and it has a nice location. If you've been to other mongolian BBQ places, there is little to make Fire and Ice stand out-it is really pretty much the same as say, BD's Mongolian Barbeque and other such establishments, but so long as you know what you are getting into, it can be a tasty choice. And the multiple trip-option can be great if you're very hungry.

    (5)

  • Austin R.

    I've been to a few different Fire and Ice's around Boston and this one twice. It's a cool idea and if I'm not paying, I don't mind it, but it's quite expensive and the food is really not good enough to earn the price tag. I've heard the lunch deal is better priced though.

    (2)

  • Shawn F.

    I've been to this particular Fire & Ice twice. The first time was for a friend's birthday celebration, and the second was when a bunch of my fraternity brothers came up on a roadtrip and I had to find good food for them. Both times the place was a complete hit. So basically at Fire & Ice you go around to these little stations where you'll find raw meats and seafood, uncooked veggies, and various other ingredients that you put into your little bowl. Then you go to the sauce bar and make a selection. From there you head to the grill, where you hand over your bowl and its contents are sauted with the sauce you chose. For some reason, this is extremely fun and incredibly delicious. With the exception of some of the Yelpers here, I've never met anyone who hasn't enjoyed the Fire and Ice experience. It's just really interactive and customizable, and really a treat. The Church Street Fire & Ice could use a bit of a facelift on the inside. The decor and furniture could stand to be updated. Otherwise, it's still a good bet for a fun meal.

    (4)

  • Vivz C.

    You know how sometimes you go to a restaurant and sometimes they have ingredients in your meal that you asked them to remove, but because there was so much confusion, they put it in anyways? Well at Fire & Ice, you don't have to worry about anyone screwing up your order because YOU'RE in charge of deciding what goes into your meal. I love the variety of ingredients they have as well as the sauce station. It's fun trying different kinds or even mixing them to make your own special flavor. And the fact that it's basically an all you can eat buffet is great if you're like me and have a significant other that is a bottomless pit. For someone like me that gets full on 2-3 slices of pizza - it wasn't worth the money as I only went up about 2 times and didn't even finish everything on my plate. But for my bf that went up about 4 times, it was definitely worth it. So you end up going, GO HUNGRY!!!!!! Definitely a fun experience...I dunno if I would recommend it on a weekly basis, but once every couple of months, maybe with a couple of friends, is ok. There's a little something there for everyone.

    (4)

  • Seamus O.

    Yes, a love it or hate it restaurant. If I'm in the right mood I'll enjoy going there but if I'm convinced to go there by friends I'll usually hate it. The idea is different, and it can be nice to pick out exactly what you're going to eat down to the sauce. Not sure if I trust the quality of the food though. Sometimes i think it's been left out too long and they should change it...especially when it comes to the seafood. It's a very big space down there and i just can't understand why they only have 2 toilets!

    (2)

  • Sharo A.

    Food was good, you get to make it yourself. The first time I went to this place, I really liked it because of the novelty. However, once I went to this place another time--for a creative night out--it really didn't get me going. Despite all of he 'choices,' they all seem to be limited to either an asian or a north american style of eating. I wound up being unimpressed the second time. Also, the service could be better, and the menu could be more accurately priced--it's structured somewhat oddly.

    (3)

  • Mats K.

    Having gone here was a nice experience, but I probably wouldn't do it again. If I am going to pay those kind of prices, I want my food prepared for me by an expert and brought to my table. The concept reminded me a lot of the "stir fry" station in the dining halls at Umass. Essentially, you take a bowl, fill it with a selection of raw meats, seafood, veggies, etc. Get a sauce from the sauce stand, and bring it up to have it grilled for you while you wait and watch. They then put this and your sauce on a plate for you and you go eat it. Since it is a buffet you can repeat this as many times as youd like. I picture this setting appealing to teens a lot. (you know the types who feel the need to "express themselves" all the time, and want to do so by making things/clothes/food etc. themselves?) Bring your teenage girls here. They'd love it. Me, I'd rather leave my food preparation to an established chef.

    (3)

  • John F.

    Neat concept. In practice, though, I would call it lacking. The first time I quite enjoyed, but the aura of "cool new restaurant" faded by number two. I'm always a fan of all-you-can-eat, but as I get older and more conscious of what I'm eating, I feel less and less like I'm getting my money's worth, and that's especially true of Fire and Ice. Try it once, just to say you have, and hey, maybe it'll be more your bag than mine. And don't get me wrong, it IS an experience. Just not one worth repeats.

    (3)

  • Dynne S.

    This place is always a fun time. It's much like a Mongolian BBQ where you select your own raw foods and it is cooked in front of you (like hibachi). I'd recommend going with groups of friends. However, the wait for a table is usually long on weekends and weeknights. I vaguely remember that there are no reservations. I'd call to check ahead of time. Also, this location at Harvard Square seems much more cozy than the one in Downtown (which is really spacious). Parking isn't too difficult either, for Harvard Square standards... or maybe I'm just lucky whenever I go!

    (3)

  • Greg M.

    Proof that I am solidly middle aged. This is a fine place to come if you are young and hungry. The restaurant is a bit scuffed up. My kids chowed down (and enjoyed themselves at that) but my single trip was expensive, as the price is geared to the "all you can eat" crowd. Service was indifferent to hostile. Leave it to the 20- year-old and younger set.

    (2)

  • Diane H.

    I been meaning to come here forever! Everyone was always saying, they cook your food in front of you!! So I had to see what the hype was all about, so I went in for my birthday lunch! About 9.95 per person. I order a Lava Flow...strawberry daquiri mixed with pina colada.. yum! Except the pina colada part was the best, but that's just my preference. OUr waitress was very nice! my group of 6 people stayed for more than 2 hours..maybe 3? Got a nice lil corner booth just enough for all of us, not overly crowded on a Friday at 1pm, so that was good! They do check IDs when you purchase alcohol. I liked the buffet style pasta..so many sauces! no clue what to choose from, thank god my friend was there! The calamari was good! Except it kinda tasted like it wasn't done..BUt whatever I think it was? It was really cool watching your food cook in a big round circle stove thing..yeah, I'm coming backkk! too bad last time they wouldn't serve me the 9.95 buffet on monday night because I didn't have my college id :(

    (4)

  • Jess K.

    I couldn't dislike this place more. If someone suggests it to me I have to keep from screaming at them for wanting to subject me to the torture that is Fire and Ice. The main reason I hate it is simply that I like going out to eat for the experience of going out to eat. That means being able to sit, enjoy a nice long meal, and have everything served to me. I like choosing something from a menu and then BAM! it appears in front of me. No mess, no clean up, no prep, just ordering and then BAM. But not with Fire and Ice. At Fire and Ice you get these little bowls that you fill up with mediocre quality food and choose a mediocre quality sauce and then hand it to a "chef" to have it cooked in front of you while you stand there and wait. And to top it all off this place is crowded! So you wiggle your way to the food, then wiggle your way to the grill, and then have to find your way back to your table through the masses. Simply to spend about 15 minutes eating it and then you have to do it all over again! I can stir fry on my own for a LOT less money and with a LOT less hassle. Rant over.

    (1)

  • Han K.

    With so many choices in Harvard Square for quality dining, I can't imagine why anyone would go, let alone wait, to eat at Fire and Ice. The concept itself is cool, pick what you want to eat, and we'll cook it for you. The problem is that this approach leads just to overly or undercooked items and the sauces are just insipid and boring. Great for big groups I guess with people with a lot of picky eaters, but other than that, it's a pass for me.

    (2)

  • Katia M.

    I've been to such great mongolian barbeque type places that I was really disappointed in Fire & Ice. The sauces aren't that great and though it's been awhile, I feel like the meat selection was weird. I don't know. If you want really good stir fry and still want to pick out your own veggies, hit Betty's Wok & Noodle. They even serve it to you. If you do go here, go for lunch. I know it's all-you-can-eat, but dinner's overpriced and I don't like the "challenge" of trying to get your money's worth and trying to have a drink or two as well.

    (2)

  • Mabel C.

    I don't think the food is that great. It's a limited selection of meats and vegetables with different sauces to choose from that you take to the center for the workers to grill. I tried three different sauces and they all taste kind of the same to me. It reminds me of the stir fry option back in college when I was on a required meal plan my freshman year--not good.

    (2)

  • Lisa S.

    Monday night karaoke is a blast! Way better than anyplace else in Boston. They have an unlimited music selection-more than any other karaoke we have been to. The staff was awesome and the atmosphere was fun. Drinks and apps were very reasonably priced, and fed the whole table for under twenty. They even give away a 50.00 gift card at the end of the night. I hope they expand to other days of the week.

    (5)

  • Mayo B.

    really bad! I have been here when it first opened and it was really good. the food tasted fine back then, but I recently back and the food was awful. the sauces had no flavor; they all tasted salty. never again will i go back.

    (1)

  • Karen D.

    I had gone there a few times and after the last experience, never went back. After getting our meals on a quite Saturday afternoon, we realized we had no silverware. We waited almost 10 minutes without our waiter to be found. I went to the hostess station and asked if she could give us 2 sets of silverware. She said she couldn't and said I had to wait for the server. I told her we had been waiting for 10 minutes. She still wouldn't get silverware. I asked for a manager. When I said our food was cold and we couldn't get silverware and our waiter was not around, the manager got us silverware and said, "the waiter is busy," as if we were an inconvenience. Are you kidding me, busy doing what? You mostly serve yourself.

    (1)

  • Ashley J.

    So last night I was getting my hair cut and one of the hairdressers was going on and on about how she and bunch of friends rented a hummer limo for their "big night in the city" to go to Fire and Ice. I drive pretty far up on the North Shore to see my hairdresser cause she rocks. So I guess "the city" is a big deal to these people. Anyway, point of the story is, this is what you will find. Small town folks who think this place is a big night out. It is a novelty. I hate restaurants that make me serve myself. I hate how once they put my weird combo on the grill it tastes like everything and nothing all at the same time. I hate how everything is all overcooked. So if you are the kind of person who "plans a big night out in the city" I can guarantee you will love it. If you are one of my beloved young urban yelpers, run run run from this abomination.

    (2)

  • Huan z.

    The food is ok, but the deco and idea of have your own bowl of food and sauces is wonderful. It is good if your friends want veges and you want eat chicken, you can all pick your own. only concern is some of their plates are black, I don't know if they burned my food. it's hard to see under that lights. Oval all, it's a nice place I would recommend my friends to try out!

    (4)

  • David H.

    I'm sure one time or another you've heard of this place. It's a new concept that I hope never takes off anywhere else in the world, because it results in slow service. Basically, they have a large selection of raw foods: uncooked beef patties, meatballs, pasta, chicken, etc. You pick your food and sauce, and bring it to the team of two grill masters. They cook it in front of your eyes on a large circular grill. And this is where the novelty of Fire & Ice comes to a screeching halt. The problem with this concept is that it results in slow, sluggish service. After picking out your food, you have to wait a good 20 minutes until they grill your food. But instead of waiting at your table, talking to your partner or group to pass the time, you'll find yourself standing their like a statue waiting... and waiting... and waiting. Once you get your food, you'll find that it wasn't even worth the wait. There's nothing special about it other than the way you had to wait for it to be prepared. Also, the place gets extremely busy. I ended up eating somewhere else because of the long wait on two separate occasions before I first came here, and it was hardly worth bragging about. Fire & Ice is more of a group of 4-5 people type of place. Don't come with a date or one friend. Also, I'd only come for lunch, since the dinner rush can be hectic.

    (2)

  • Andre H.

    The concept of Fire and Ice is good but overrated. I like how you can select your own ingredients when making your own dish and how you can see the cooking process. However the concept falls short because the food is bland, mediocre, uncreative, and boring. All they do is put it on the griddle! I would like to see more technique. Food quality is mediocrity at its best. The meats need seasoning. Taste of the food is based on how well you balance your dish, not on the chefs' cooking abilities. As for the chefs, the concept of Fire and Ice weakens the chef's role in the restaurant. Restaurants make money because of their food, which is based on the chef's cooking abilities. In Fire and Ice, I can't see their vision, cooking style, technique, or creativity. Although a seventeen dollar dinner is fairly cheap, I would rather spend double that in other better restaurants that Harvard Square has to offer.

    (2)

  • Sara R.

    AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL. We had a reservation and the hostess was SO RUDE. Acted like we were inconveniencing her by requesting our table. We were seated late without so much as an acknowledgment. The grill was completely disorganized and slow. Terrible experience.

    (1)

  • Theresa K.

    I took my husband and 3 kids (older) with us. We had made reservations at 7:00. I was told if I was not there within 15 minutes of the reservation it would be cancelled. Well we were there but we didn't get seated until almost 7:30! They did ask about allergies, however, I still found someone else's shrimp in my plate. It was dark and filthy and crowded. I have heard that the Boston location is better than the Cambridge location but I still don't know if I would ever give it another try. It gave me the creeps. We all had pieces of other people's meals in our meals. Not a good way to spend a lot of money! I also just received my bank statement and the waitress put someone else's tab on my credit card which the manager just told me they would take care of - so beware. Theresa V.

    (1)

  • Jeremiah C.

    Service at Fire and Ice is terrible. I'm not even sure why they bother paying waiters or why I feel obligated to tip at all. They bring drinks, forget about you, and stop by to collect payment. I dislike the premise. Previously, you could grab your bowl of food, place it at the counter with your table number and return to your table. Now, you must stand with your bowl and wait and wait and wait, separated from your dinner party until your food is cooked. No food is good without company.

    (2)

  • Al A.

    Horrible! How is this place still in business?

    (1)

  • Tasha A.

    Pretty cool place, the food wasn't THAT great. I really did like the atmosphere though. It's just another form of a buffett, with a little extra entertainment at the grill!

    (3)

  • Arnab M.

    This restaurant, apparently a Mongolian grill, is a great place to go when one is VERY hungry. The all you can eat selection of fresh veggies and meats is so scrumptious, it's hard to not stuff oneself. Lunch is half the price, so that's the time to go, and it's also a lot less crowded. Weekend dinner wait times can be really long, so it's probably a better idea to skip it. The chefs are fun to watch while they stir-fry your food for you. Probably not a good place to go if you are a vegetarian or have a million allergies, though, they are very accommodating, and have a separate grill in the kitchen for those who would like their food prepared separately. They have some great sauces, one should try as many out as possible, and mix and match them. Two helps if not more, are a must.

    (4)

  • Matt R.

    While the food is good, the experience is one to have only a couple of times. It gets kind of boring and tacky after a few visits. You collect your own raw food and sauces at the "salad bars" and bring it to the "round table" in the middle of the restaurant and watch them fry it up in front of you. Both food and drinks are pricier than they are worth, however. If you've never been there, I definitely say to give it a shot. I just can't imagine this place ending up as somebody's "regular spot".

    (2)

  • Jackie B.

    This place has a great idea going for themselves, however on a busy night it can get out of control! people cutting people for food, shoving, etc. i believe its 16.99 per person now, which is far seeing you can eat as much as you can put down...the waitstaff is friendly however sometimes it seems they except big tips...even though the people cooking the food do all the handwork! All in all its a fun experience, and a great place to get someone a gift card to.

    (4)

  • W ..

    I've been here twice. Once with a lot of friends. It's a cool idea, pick your own food, stand in a circle and watch it get cooked, yee-haw! It didn't taste great, even though I took 3 or 4 trips to try and pick a better combination. Overall, I blamed it on my lack of cooking knowledge. The second time I went, we thought it would be a cool idea to bring a visiting friend to. She was the type that's never been to "the big city", never really went out to eat. We thought it would be cool for her to experience. And a way for me to redeem myself after a couple years of learning how to cook and matching ingredients together. Wrongo. Still didn't taste good. I don't know what happened. The four of us did have like 3 or 4 pitchers of sangria which eased the pain of failure. But I wouldn't go there again.

    (1)

  • Iska B.

    I am one of the "lovers" of this place. Yeah I do love to pig out. This allowed me to do that. It was funny because the guys we were with ate less then the girls. Moo for us. Anyways, I think the vast assortment, as well as the all-you-can-eat part makes this a great place to go when your are hungry and in the mood for variety. It is not unreasonably priced either as far as I am concerned ($16.95 for dinner and $9.95 for lunch). I love my steak and so I had hunks of rare meat but I also love seafood so I also had loads of shrimp and fish all of which were fresh and good quality. Unless you are a very strict vegan, this place really is for everyone. I seriously doubt that you cannot find at least one thing you like.

    (4)

  • Liz K.

    Fire and Ice is a great place to go if you dont know what you are in the mood for, they have almost everything. The wait staff is extremely nice and the grill masters have their skills down packed. On sundays they offer a GREAT brunch starting at 10am. They have fabulous omlets, pancakes and french toast. Great atmosphere for the trendy artsy crowd. The Fire and Ice bowls are packed with flavor and alcohol, great for sharing. I love going there with girlfriends for the fun atmosphere, great for a girls night out, and also for the relaxing Sunday morning brunch atmosphere. Not the most ideal place for kids, they have high chairs and juice, but Fire and Ice is a place where you sit and enjoy your food plate after plate. Furthermore, my husband and I had to take turns watching our 18 month old son while the other went up to the grille, we never really ate together.

    (4)

  • Meeka P.

    My friends and I went here for dinner when I visited them just because it was the only place we could get a table. It was ok. Good but nothing really special. The place was kind of cool but you smell like food when you leave. Can't really say anything about food coz it's up to you to make your own plate and they just mix it all up and cook it right in front of you. You can choose from an assortment of seafood, meats, poultry, veggies, pasta and different sauces. Experimenting with the sauces was fun specially if it comes out good. The servers were friendly and one of my friends thought that one of the servers was cute too.

    (2)

  • Tiffany D.

    I like this place because I eat a lot and I think it's fun putting them together for them to stirfry together for me. BUT, everything always ends up tasting kind of the same after awhile. Fun, nevertheless, I think that's most of the appeal.

    (3)

  • Thereasa F.

    We had the worst service at Fire and Ice in Harvard Square. The manager was rude and discourteous. The space that was reserved for us wasn't ready and wasn't large enough. I will never go back! Check out Z-Square around the corner, much better

    (1)

  • Kerrin G.

    how much do you tip a server that brings you drinks and the check? and then you have to get up, get your own food, watch your food be made and then sit down and not enjoy what you chose because you are not a chef? sure the singing cooks are fun, sure its good for big groups, sure its a great concept. but.... today's special is stir fry. but you'd like to try something else, the stir fry's great.

    (3)

  • Ariel G.

    i like this place. it is an interesting process and the food is good ( which is kind of up to you) but the only reason i don't give it 5 stars is because if i am paying to eat out i want to be served as well. i also like the fact that you make your food however you want. so i like this place but i am kind of undecided

    (3)

  • nicole z.

    First off, if yelp allowed zero stars, this place would have received that for the rating...just putting that out there. Realizing it was Monday and being in the Cambridge area I remembered that Mondays are college night. (I used to go to school in Cambridge, but transferred) So I went online and checked if that was still the case. Indeed it said it was, and that means. "All you can eat for just $9.95. in Boston, Cambridge, and Providence" So my husband and I call in advance asking how strict they were about bringing college Id's because I couldn't find mine, and whoever answered the phone sounded quite firm that they were needed, I found mine and off we went. We get seated and before we had a chance to sit down the hostess came over and told us we needed to be reseated. We went along with it and went to order our food. My husband then went to get his food cooked and the man cooking told him he has too much food and to make sure it doesn't happen again because he will be sure to remember his face next time he comes. Also, the person next to us put his hamburger that was to be grilled in a salad bowl and he yelled at him for that. Note, in both situations making each customer feel extremely uncomfortable while creating a scene. We sit down and ask what time last call is, and the waitress tells us somewhere between 10:15 and 11 and we will be given ample warning. She then comes over at 10:00 (only 10 min later) and tells us it is last call. We sit down and begin to eat, and the waitress delivers our bill saying, "no rush" .....right. We look at the bill and realize we are charged 11.95 each and its noted college discount. Yet their website clearly says $9.95, (not at participating locations), but explicitly Boston, Cambridge, and providence. We bring it to our waitresses attention and quite aware of the issue, she tells us it's because they are a franchise and she'd be happy (sarcastic) to get the manager. The manager, who is actually the general manager, also sarcastic, gives the same schpiel. We also mention the rude cook, and she tells us they know they aren't supposed to do that at all and have already been talked to about it in the past, and she will talk to the kitchen manager in the morning. Then being so fed-up we ask for a box to wrap our food in because we just want to leave and eat in the comfort of our homes, as we feel so uncomfortable already.The general manager makes a mockery saying no buffet places do that. That is fine, and we get that, but we were bringing home what we already had on our plates....we simply wanted to leave and take the food we did not eat, that we paid more money for than THEY advertise. Overall just a terrible experience, would not go back and definitely don't recommend. Also on the way out, our waitress said "thank you, come back soon." we walk away, and hear her say "....NOT!!!" The table next to us had the same issue and was being treated even worse. Note the waitress actually threatened the other people who put up even more of a stink than us, that she's calling the police! Thinking about it though, this is for college students, and the website is quite appealing to poor college students who want a cheap eat, yet false advertising, Corporate will be contacted, as well as the local Cambridge paper.

    (1)

  • Sutee D.

    This one is not nearly as good as the one on Berkeley Street. It's smaller, less spectacular, and the ingredients are not as fresh.

    (2)

  • Clayton N.

    A Nightmare Experience If I could give this place zero stars, I certainly would. First, I know the place is supposed to be fun and hip, but the staff need a real exercise in professionalism. While I was waiting to get in, I heard the concierge staff making fun of potential customers who were calling with questions about the restaurant. They spent a lot of time talking about their shifts and their work problems in the presence of customers. This indicates a real lack of professional training in terms of putting the customer first, and it's not something I expect from a restaurant where I'm paying $15 for an entree/buffet. Second, I was surprised by how poorly maintained and cleaned the place was. The bathroom had sticky floors, the tables had a layer of food grease/stick and handprints, as did most of the buffet/salad bar surfaces. This is especially gross considering that diners are expected to handle their own raw meat when traversing from the buffet positions to the "Mongolian grill." Moreover, the dishes were filthier than anything I've seen in a restaurant. I had to go through at least four or five dishes before finding one that didn't have grease smudges or caked on food. In fact, my coffee cup contained what appeared to be caked on food or lipstick around the rim. Really disgusting. Third, the place seems to put "entertainment" at the expense of serving the customer promptly and efficiently. I waited at least twenty minutes while the grillmasters carried on with their theatrics. The show would be fine if it was actually entertaining, but it just wasn't. To top it all off, the grillmaster lost track of my order, so I ended up getting a different omelet than the one I assembled. I would have been better off paying for a $7 omelet at the neighborhood diner, where I could have sat and enjoyed my coffee while waiting for my order to arrive. You'd think they'd have a system to keep people's orders straight, but it's clear this wasn't a professional operation. I'd encourage people to stay away from this place at all costs. Anyone willing to trade the lousy "entertainment" or "experience" value of this restaurant for the lack of professionalism and hygiene deserves the case of salmonella they're bound to get. Frankly, I think Fire and Ice ought to give me a refund for my experience. Update: I did get a refund, so this place has at least a touch of class.

    (1)

  • Emily O.

    Not only go hungry, but go with LOTS of time to spare. If it's at all busy, you'll need to spend up to 20 minutes standing around the grill waiting for your food. I guess the idea is good if you don't cook and want to pretend you're wisely choosing your own entree, but why would I go out and pay $16/person to do that? I do that every time I food shop and cook at home. This place is very family oriented (read: kids) and sort of like a school dance somehow. Maybe good for teenagers or a screwy first date, but the food wasn't great, the wait wasn't great and it was generally just too chaotic.

    (1)

  • Jeff D.

    Fire and Ice is HOT HOT HOT! Enough Said! If you don't like it , get out of the kitchen! You kow, if you can't stand the heat and all. Fire and ice is a great place to eat and especially for business people. Though anyone can enjoy Fire and Ice. Its worth a stop! Maybe some of the locals get bored of things after awhile, but I am a local and I think Fire and Ice Burns the house down! Even Ladder company 55 in Boston can't put out this fire

    (5)

  • Sarah H.

    I can see this place gets mixed reviews, and I can see how it might not appeal to all tastes. In my opinion, however, it's a fabulous place to get Sunday brunch. It is relatively inexpensive (around $14pp) compared to many other all-you-can-eat Sunday breakfast places, I've only ever gotten really friendly and helpful service from their waiters and chefs, and there is just something really nice about being able to pick out your own fresh food, have it prepared your way on the spot, and go back as many times as you want. I've never been there for dinner or lunch, so this review is built entirely on my experience with brunch. II've heard that it gets completely packed during dinner and lunch, which I would not enjoy. F&I at brunch, though, is typically quite empty, which makes the whole experience quite a bit more enjoyable. I'd recommend trying this place at least once, then decide for yourself.

    (5)

  • erin e.

    Go once and don't go again. Preferably you will be in high school when you go for the first (and only) time, so as to get it out of your system early. This place is a souped up and over-priced cafeteria, essentially. It even starts to feel a little like a cafeteria after an hour or so. You get to pick your own stuff (yeah, yeah, yeah), which is kind of fun (see above "go once" recommendation), but the final product is not spectacular, and certainly not worth the money for a second round. With drinks and any type of appetizer, it's pretty expensive and you're really paying to watch the chefs in the middle of this big grill try not to mix your super-spicey vegetarian stir-fry with your neighbor's sweet meat-lovers mix. The biggest drawback for me? No cheese.

    (2)

  • krystle j.

    it was okay. on the expensive side i would say, 17$ for all you can eat but the food isn't that great seems like it'd be fun making your own meals, but everything is grilled together and the same way so it's a kindof boring taste and you have to stand there and wait for your food. good one time experience i'd say.

    (2)

  • Deanna R.

    My friends and I started going there quite frequently on the college night (Mondays), even in the summer. We would always go before, the mass of college kids come in. Between 5 and 6:30 were the best times. The later you go, the more chaotic and loud it'll get. You'll have to wait for people to get out of your way so you can pick your food and then you might have to wait in a line that has wrapped around the counter/grill area twice. The busier it gets, the less enjoyable it is. You might end up getting bits of other people's food in your plate. So, if you're an annoyingly picky eater, don't go here. The plus side, is that you can go up as many times as you want and try new things and it is vegan friendly. The last time I went, which was in August or September, I had a really disgusting incident. I was waiting at the counter and I felt an itch on my leg and scratched it and then I noticed it was traveling up my leg! So I shook my leg and my jeans and out fell a cockroach!!! How f---ing gross is that?? At the time, it was super busy and loud, so nobody at all noticed me freaking out, which was odd! I should have complained, but I didn't want to seem like some weirdo making up a story since no one saw anything! What I should have was call the Cambridge Health Department!!

    (3)

  • Sarah T.

    Loved DiDi V's review of the place bc I wish I had seen it before I went there yesterday to celebrate my birthday and my brother's birthday with the entire family of 8+ and some friends. The food was great because you got to pick what you wanted to have and they would cook it for you and you got to experiment. Their desserts were delicious esp. those with chocolate because it tasted like a mixture of Nutella and hot fudge and was really good. The chocolate fondue was great if you had actual forks to pick up the items and dip into the chocolate.... the bamboo skewers kept allowing the food slip off into the chocolate. The waitstaff was awesome, accomodating, spirited and helpful at all times. However, I really wish that they put as much priority on making sure their bathrooms are neat, clean and sanitary because we had a 3 year old with us and there was only 1 out of 3 bathroom stalls in the ladies room that were plugged up with human waste and not been fixed in the 4 hours we were there for our celebration. It was DISGUSTING!!!

    (1)

  • Derek S.

    It takes a little getting used to but once you get the hang of it Fire and Ice can be a real good time. The atmosphere is fun and unique and the bar has quite a few options. Everyone shold experience this place at least once.

    (3)

  • Nik O.

    Love this place! Any place that serves tons of meat and lets you keep going back for more is alright by me. It's a fun atmosphere too. A little pricey but it's worth it once in a while when you're really hungry and want to treat yourself. I can't wait to go again actually :) Parking sucks though, that's the only bad thing. I recommend that you keep driving around until you get lucky with a spot, don't pay for a lot or a garage. It's not worth it.

    (5)

  • Ashley F.

    Exactly like it seems...the food is what you make it since you make it! The service was great...thanks Vince! The sweet potatoes with chicken and the honey garlic sauce...so good! And the lemon blueberry margarita rocked! We will go back and we will request Vince!

    (4)

  • Ellie L.

    Go once, when you or someone you know is moving into their freshman year dorm room and you have reached the breaking point of hunger, exhaustion, and crankiness. Then the concept will seem fresh, the amount of food, appropriate, and the drinks, medicinal. If you go twice, you are a sucker with poor taste who will soon be rewarded with a big old belly ache.

    (2)

  • Jennifer K.

    It's unbelievable that people actually flock to this place. I've been dragged there on two occasions: large group dinner outings for birthday celebrations, etc. and I've absolutely hated the experience BOTH times. The wait is painfully long for such a gimmick! You serve yourself pretty much crappy stirfry that you have a lot of potential to mess up if you pick a sauce that just doesn't work with your food selection and you pay crazy amounts of money for this! I'd never go here again... and I'd never recommend it.

    (1)

  • Flora B.

    It's good... but a total nightmare if you are indecisive like me. Sometimes choice is a bad thing! As with my visits to Coldstone Creamery, I end up selecting a combination of things so unoriginal that I should have just gone to any normal restaurant that creates the dishes (or ice cream flavors) for you. Clearly, Fire and Ice is for the creative food-types. I can appreciate this though - five stars for being good at what they do!

    (5)

  • Brenden L.

    The concept of this place is awesome but unfortunately the restaurant itself can be pretty average. The assortment of food and sauces is very impressive and has the potential to be very good but the cooks do usually overcook your dishes. Another thing, all the waiters do is bring drinks and it still takes a long time to get refills which shouldn't happen since they have little to no food responsibilities. The prices have also gone up in the past couple years. If you go, go for lunch when it's not quite as pricey, it is not worth the ridiculous dinner prices. Check out the Sunday brunch too which is actually pretty damn good.

    (3)

  • Tanya G.

    I got this coupon for a free birthday dinner at fire and ice, so went to the one in harvard tonight to redeem it. I gave the coupon to the hostess and she said to just show it to the server. I got seated and showed it to the server and she said "ok, you know how to work the food right?" and I said "yea". So I got some food and had it grilled up, sat down, and started eating it with the water and tortillas my waitress brought for me. A few mouthfuls in, a douchy manager type comes over and tells me my coupon is only for the Boston fire and ice. I say "I've already started eating, you're telling me I have to pay for this after I already started eating?" He says "yes". I'm like "Why didn't you tell me this before i started eating?" and he says "I just saw it". I say "I should at least get a discount or something" and he said no to that too! I was very unhappy with the management here. Here the kicker, when I finally get home and look at the fine print on the coupon I read "coupon only good at his fire and ice" not "this", "his". So the coupon didn't even say it was only valid at the Boston fire and ice. I would not recommend going just because of the douchy management.

    (1)

  • Holly H.

    i hate fire and ice, its skanky and gross, and breeds bacteria with all this raw meat laying around unrefridgerated for god knows how long with all these people poking at it. don't eat here. hopefully it will close and something good will come in it's place. pray pray, go away cheezy crap chain!

    (1)

  • Kyle F.

    one of my favorite places to eat. it's a bit pricey, but it's worth it (or if you are like me and at age 32 still have your old college ID in your wallet, go on student night and get a discount!). i mean hell, first off, it's unlimited trips, so you certainly gonna get your money's worth. and the variety of bowls you can make is limitless. you made something not so tasty, go and try again. always delicious, and you get free nachos. thumbs up.

    (4)

  • Lindsey R.

    I went here for the first time the other weekend and I loved it! Definitely call ahead if you're going on a weekend. The waiting area was very crowded, and it is right by the door people constantly go in and out of, so on a winter night that was pretty inconvenient haha. But besides that, they have a great atmosphere, pretty hip and exciting, they play top 40 songs and the whole time I just wanted to dance! If it's your first time going, your waiter/waitress will teach you how you get your food at Fire and Ice. It is all raw, and you choose what you want to have cooked, and you can mix and match a lot of meats, sauces, fish, noodles, salad stuff, etc. It was a little overwhelming since it was my first time, so I stuck with what I knew and chose to have a pulled pork sandwich made. I thought it was really unique how you line up in a circle around a huge grill and the cooks make your food right in front of you. Make sure you move with your sauce when they move it though, or things can get confusing and the cooks might get confused too! Our waitress was really nice, however, when my boyfriend and I got up for a few minutes, I came back and my unfinished sandwich was gone :( but I guess that was my fault haha. Halfway through your meal, your waiter/waitress will bring a bowl of rice and some tortilla type things with soy sauce and you can make a rice tortilla or something? Anyways, that's what I thought they expected you to do with it so that's what I made. The price is a little expensive, but at a place like this, you have to go in expecting that. Overall, I had a great first experience, I liked the location, and I would definitely recommend Fire and Ice for a date or a night out with your group of friends.

    (4)

  • Rebecca Y.

    My dad loves buffets (retirement will be easy for him) and he was in hog heaven here. Good for groups in capacity (but still make reservations), the price fixe and in variety of food choices. Even vegetarians can eat here - but it is all cooked on the same griddle so if your vegan friend in die-hard, you better go elsewhere.

    (4)

  • Jesse N.

    Fire and Ice used to be called "Boston's Best First Date". There are implications to that statement. The novelty of putting together your own entree and having it cooked in front of you seems exciting your first or second time around. However, after a while, it just gets old. Plain and Simple. Great for a Birthday, special occassion, and again, first date...But not quite the place for a casual dining experience.

    (2)

  • Stephanie W.

    Good concept, but why pay so much for a meal that you cook yourself ? (Lost in Translation movie reference - sorta). I mean, if you are lucky, you make a killer combo, but then again, your stomach could kill you afterwards...

    (2)

  • Lindsey W.

    Raw food and sauces are laid out buffet style. You put together your meal however you want and then give it to the grill guys who cook it for you in the center of the restaurant. Potentially good idea but I'm not a fan. For $17 (not including drinks and appetizers)I want someone to make the dish for me.

    (2)

  • Steve N.

    ugh! fat tourists in ugly shorts. do you really wanna work for your meal bumping into blumpkins at the buffet/display area? no, you don't. do you want your stuff cooked right next to someone else's with clashing sauces so everything tastes the same? no, you really don't. drinks are good, but the bad is sooooo bad. run fast, run far.

    (1)

  • Katie K.

    I tried to go here for dinner on my birthday (a Saturday night) and when I got here the line was like out the door and down the street. So curiousity struck me and I wedged my way thru the crowd to ask the hostess how long for a table and she told me over an hr. I turned myself right around and left. I don't care how good the food is "supposed" to be an hr wait for dinner on my bday is definately not cool. See ya later Fire n Ice, just not gonna happen. Haven't been back since. Not worth it to me. My bday still kicked ass though!!

    (1)

  • Sarah A.

    The gimmick gets a bit old, as others have said. Stay away on weekend nights because it is just insanely crowded. It is a good place to bring people from out of town who want to try something new and interesting, or if you are really really hungry. I used to go there a lot when I was doing low carb dieting because you can mix up whatever you want without having to worry about the seafood or chicken being breaded or having tons of rice or pasta in your meal. It can be stressful though having to wait for your food while it is cooking and being crowded around the grill. You can get a nice meal at a sit down restaurant without all the hassle and for about the same price. It gets expensive, especially with mixed drinks.

    (3)

  • Thuy Tien L.

    I'm glad to see that this place isn't rated too highly (but it also doesn't deserve the current three-star rating) because then I'd have to just roll up into a little ball and cry. Or I'd go and open my own version of Fire and Ice, because, really, the person who thought of this concept is a diabolical genius and business mastermind. This is a lame excuse for a restaurant. All the owner has to do is pay three dudes to cook everything on one single griddle top, hire some more people to take care of drinks, and order massive volumes of mediocre ingredients in bulk. The customers make all the decisions that a real chef would usually make (which ingredients and flavors go best together, how much of each item, etc, etc), and somehow this novel idea of having control over the food you eat just draws people in swarms. All of the proteins were still frozen in the serving dishes, and the "sirloin steak" strips were definitely swimming in a sea of putrid blood. Sketch-o-rama. The loud music at the grill provides the ambiance found in a bad club, and having to stand in line and wait at the grill for your food to be cooked often means that you will not be around some (or any) of the people that you're meant to be eating with, even when you've got your food and you're sitting at the table! So what do you do, strike up a conversation with the greasy kid next to you? No thanks. And my food wasn't even properly cooked because cooking stir-fry generally involves stirring, which definitely does not happen. I do, however, thoroughly admire the three guys who were cooking about 30 meals simultaneously. What's with all the hype? Why would you pay for this? Me, I went because it was free. What's YOUR excuse for coming here?

    (1)

  • Lane S.

    such a creative restaurant...

    (3)

  • Monica T.

    I miss this place. The last time I was there it wasn't as good as I remember, but it is a novel idea. I love being able to pick exactly what I want in my meal.

    (3)

  • La Lilly B.

    This place was okay. The wait is long and like someone else said the sauces were not that great. It is a good place to go with a group of friends.

    (2)

  • k s.

    wow, i have read a lot of reviews that people don't like this place- ME I love it! i come here 2ce a year with my boyfriend, an annual thing. meat eaters or even vegetarians can both come here. it's fun and relaxing. yes the waiter does his thing when you first come in, but then your on your on, not someone at your table every 5 minutes. lunch only what $11-$12 and dinner $16-$17, which is all you can eat! the only 2 minor things for me anyways is it's all indoors now after construction-i used to go in the spring and the outdoor setting with a heater thing over your table was romantic at night, and also One of the hostesses was rude.

    (4)

  • Brandy S.

    I like the idea, and truthfully, it is not a bad place to go, but it is nothing special. Basically you pay a flat fee, and you get to choose between all sorts of meats, veggies, spices, and sauces that you combine together and have one of the chefs cook over a grill. The results can be really good, or one big mess.

    (2)

  • Jen and Tim S.

    I've been here once for lunch, once for dinner. I have to say: I'm not that impressed. It's not that much fun, and I find it a little nerve-racking (it's sometimes tough to pick out a meal at any restaurant, let alone devise your own dish and hope it's tasty). There are, however, many options - for vegetarians, and even for people who only like burgers (cough cough, Tim).

    (2)

  • Greg S.

    I've only been once for lunch and it wasn't too packed but I thought that this place had a really good idea. Let the customers make up their own meal out of a wide variety of fresh ingredients and sauces put it in a bowl bring it to the chef and then have it cooked for them and brought to them at a table. So really, if you don't like your meal, it's your own fault you... made it... after all. I really liked this because I got to make my lunch a lot spicier than I would have gotten it, if it was made for me.

    (4)

  • Jane T.

    Fire and Ice has fantastic food. The price is expensive, but when you consider what you can get (fish, steak, scallops...) it sort of makes sense. Good for groups. There are always bachelor parties there when I go. The drinks look AMAZING, but I haven't had one yet. If you have a food allergy just tell them- they'll cook your stuff on a different stove.

    (4)

  • D L.

    This is the place to go if you're a meat lover! Fire and Ice is very pricey when you go for dinner, but for lunch it is amazing. It is an all you can eat restaurant where you pick your own selection of meat, seafood, and vegetables... and the cooks stir-fry them for you right on the spot. Definitely go here with an empty stomach and a big appetite; you will be satisifed.

    (4)

  • Jeannie C.

    I really like this place too. One thing is you can see the raw food and it is obviously fresh and since they cook it in front of you you can see the how it is prepared. I like that there is not a lot of mystery to the food, what you see is what you get. And it's really good! I also really like all the flavors and combo's that are offered. I've tried many things that I normally wouldn't because you can just sample. I recommend it for a fun night out.

    (4)

  • Ali O.

    Go hungry! There's no one-trip option, but so many options. Recommend doing a couple of smaller stir-fries. Baked apples are delicious. If you're a vegetarian, they can cook your food on a stove in the back (which sounds kinda sketchy, but at least they're willing to make the effort). The ambience is dark and rather loud, so don't go for intimate conversation. Also, Monday is college night, all you can eat $10

    (3)

  • Rico M.

    This is my favorite Fire+Ice restaurant. Many Blue Man Group shows were preceded by a dinner here. While the Berkeley St location might be more convenient, I like the size and spunk of the Chuch St venue. I am a Fire+Ice fan and think that it's always worth trying out. You might find it's not your thing, but maybe... just maybe.

    (5)

  • L S.

    This restaurant has a fun atmosphere and I think it is a great family place. Basically you go to a buffet with all this food that is uncooked, you pick what you want, and then you go to the grill where they cook all your food right in front of you. I think it may be kind of pricey, but it's a fun place. The chocolate cake there is absolutely scrumptious!

    (3)

  • Jessica H.

    I love love loooove Fire and Ice. I think their food is so yummy. And, for one price you can just eat all day long! They have so many foods to choose from: beef, chicken, fish, shrimp, burgers, vegetables, and then there are all of the sauces! You also get wrap breads and rice at your table. And, to top it all off you get to watch the people cook your food in the middle of the restaurant. The whole thing is an event. It's awesome.

    (5)

  • Tom R.

    It's overpriced, especially since it's based on a single gimmick. Don't bother unless you're very hungry and can eat enough to make it worth the money.

    (2)

  • Anna S.

    Fire and Ice is a great experiance. The whole raw food buffet, then watching your food be grilled is great for a date, a hang out with friends or even with your family. On the down side, you may have to wait a long time for your food to be grilled, and make sure you bring enough money. It is not super cheap.

    (4)

  • Juliette V.

    The food is fresh and the gimicky self service is interesting. But, I am not sure I want to go up and get my own food when I am paying restuarant prices for it.

    (3)

  • Carla L.

    Totally packed, yes. Some people didn't get the idea that there are lines, for sure. The creepy waiter hitting on my daughter.. oy. //Mama's shackles rising// The food however was pretty good. I like the concept and really enjoy being able to mix and match what I enjoy to eat? Cannot really go wrong with that. We did enjoy it very much and found the food quite tasty. The plus is that you can wander around and ignore a bad date if you happen to be here on one.

    (3)

  • LeeAnn T.

    I tend to judge restaurants on the quality of the food and normally don't judge based solely on decor. But MAN this place needs an update! It is straight out of some tacky 80's(?) weirdness, and not in a good way. We sat in a room with a strange low ceiling that was kind of gross. The furniture and carpets are really worn. Yuck. The servers were really nice and the guys at the cooking station were mildly pleasant. So I actually like the concept: You get everything you want, put it in a bowl, and it is basically stir fried for you. Of course, that will also lead to some very bad choices since I would guarantee that most people have no idea what to put together. Also, the quality of the food is just so-so. Shrimp were frozen solid (maybe so they don't overcook on the grill?) and the sauces were only OK most of the time. I had a coupon so it was OKish, but I would NEVER pay full price here. EVER. Really, it was not good.

    (2)

  • Dodge S.

    This place is so great - it's so fun to be able to select your food and then watch it be cooked, to have "all you can eat", great selection of drinks, food tastes wonderful, a lot of fun with friends or groups. If you can't make up your mind where to go out to eat, just go here.

    (5)

  • Sara S.

    Here's how ratings for this place should go: Under 18 years old: 5 stars 18 to 21 years old: 4 stars 21 to 23 years old: 3 stars 23 to 30 years old: 2 stars 30 to 60 years old: 1 star 60 to 70 years old: 2 stars 70 to 80 years old: 3 stars 80 to 100 years of age: 4 stars Over 100 years old: 5 stars And now you know how old I am. Approximately. Unless you think I'm in my 60s......

    (2)

  • Meka A.

    I have known this place has existed in Harvard Square, but for some reason it just never makes my normal restaurant list. That being said, I went there for the first time with a Google Offer and was pleasantly surprised. It's exactly what you would expect from a Mongolian BBQ-type place - you pick up your raw food from a buffet, bring it to the grill, someone grills all your stuff, and you end up with a customized stir-fry meal. The whole atmosphere is very no-frills, but it gets the job done and is reasonably priced. Even better, they have a sundae bar where you can order ice cream and then load up on toppings. Yum!

    (3)

  • Jill F.

    My normal roommate wants to say this: Please, SAVE ALL INNOCENT WOMEN who think they should go dancing here with this review. Normally, I would never even be PAID to eat at Fire and Ice, I mean, I could be starving and I would really rather die. But, My psychotic roommate, just back from Rio, insisted we go here for Forró dancing. She also strategically convinced me that it was the only establishment in the Boston area with this type of Brazilian dancing, so of course, to our naive minds, true Brazilians must go! Right? Right?!.... No. For $10 dollars (Lets not even go there), it was as if a Boston party bus (with the lasers and disco ball) exploded with Jersey Shore cast members into the strange brightly colored basement of F&I for their raunchy high school prom. (Did I mention you could be under-age and come here?!) After standing for a little bit, getting two more gin and tonics, (God help me) accepting that the night had just begun....we waited. And I mean waited.....tick......tock.......for someone to dance with us......still waiting, I contemplated, I have never had this experience before. It was so....weird. But let me tell you, for once, in my whole long old life, my roommate and I, usually the interesting, fun and danceable girls in the bar/club. Were not, by any means, attractive OR interesting to these people. It was a rare bread. They wanted booty pops, raunchy headband size skirts and puffed up Lindsay Lohan lips all complete with an Ed Hardy t-shirt. So, being not complete losers (or maybe we still were) we sucked it up and asked two pre-pubescent boys in white tank tops with gold chains to dance with us. No Jive. No groove. I couldn't connect with the boy half my size. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME?! It was a strange night. It's kind of funny now to remember it. But not funny at the time. AT. ALL. But don't worry, I got my jam back....I need someone who is crazy enough to handle me. Somehow...even though WE were the "normal" ones...these boys just weren't crazy enough for us. Go back home boys, your mommy is waiting.

    (1)

  • Christine H.

    I'd only give it three stars but since the overall experience is different than most other restaurants, I thought I'd tack on a star for fun. Sometimes I would come here and the selections would not be very good. But most of the time I like picking out my own meats and veggies in combination with whatever sauces they had (not always the best choices, seems hit or miss). It's a different way to eat, fun to take newbies, and there's something about watching someone cook my food that is comforting. It's not something I'd crave all the time but once or twice a year it's a lot of fun.

    (4)

  • Kristen E.

    The food was eh. The ingredients were fine, it's just that I really didn't like any of their sauces which brought down any enjoyment I had in my carefully chosen mix of ingredients. Also, the tables are sticky. The only saving grace was this one woman who waited on us who was extremely nice and upbeat. I wanted to grab her hand and whisk her away to somewhere brighter and less garishly decorated.

    (2)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:30 am - 10

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : No
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Dinner
    Parking : Street
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : No
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : Yes
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Fire and Ice

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