Next time someone calls in an order for a grilled cheese at 2pm, just tell them "no, we turned the flat top off because we weren't expecting any more customers even though we are still open", instead of putting melted cheese between two slices of plain white bread. I didn't discover this aberration until getting back to my office when it was too late to return it and had to throw the disgusting thing in the trash. I ask you, what kind of place can't manage a grilled cheese sandwich?
(1)
Denny T.
No reservation was made. Came in late for dinner. Bar tender and host service was good. Bar tender was nice enough to describe various items on the menu. After taking a few suggestions and moments I decide on a drink mojito. I ordered the gumbo (they ran out of the lobster bisque- soup of the day) and firehouse stack (crab cake on a filet on a pillow of mashed potatoes with hollandaise). The pace of service to food was appropriate. First came the Mojito. A nice balance of fresh mint, citrus, and alcohol. The gumbo came shortly after. Right amount of spice, plenty of meat, tomatoes, and some crawfish. Not paying for the broth of meat and seafood here. Crackers were offered but not needed. Freshly made loaf of bread very nice to enjoy in it's own. I finished my drink at this time. I ordered an orange crush. Fireball and orange soda. Drink was on the sweet side, not a complaint. The Firehouse Stack arrived hot from the kitchen. Evaluating each element. Filet was ok. Needed some salt or pepper. Crab cake was a good match to get some of the needed salt. Hollandaise was different add to the combination of proteins. A mix of vegetables were also on the dish. Squash, and carrots were al dente. Mashed potatoes we a bit cream. Nothing spectacular. Good: Overall food, beverages, and service were better than average. More than reasonable priced meals. Bad: No real complaints. I would come back.
(4)
Simon D.
My overall experience was ok. However I do feel it's a bit overpriced. We didn't need reservations for 7pm on a Friday evening. For an appetizer we got the oysters on the half shell, $16 for half a dozen tiny tiny tiny oysters. Honestly 2 of the 6 oysters had meat about the size of a quarter. I would have been embarrassed to serve that. We purchased 3 entrees. The first, the firecracker pasta was pretty good. The flavor was there and the pasta was cooked well. The the shrimp was tender but the chicken was definitely dry, $18. Second entree we got the Land and sea with colossal shrimp. It looked kind of silly coming out. 4oz filet with 3 (albeit large) shrimp with with two half cobs of corn sticking straight up off the plate. The filet was perfectly cooked, but the shrimp was a bit dry $39. Ouch. Third was the king cut prime rib, pretty large cut, with a tangy horseradish sauce. The meat was juicy and tender. We substituted the baked potato for the garlic mash which was very good. The veggies were normal. $29. Over $100 for three slightly above average entrees. For the price I would have expected a nicer ambiance. Premium gourmet prices, but without the quality to match. I wouldn't return.
(2)
Iris L.
The service was great. Food was good. A little under seasoned but better under than over. For the cost of the dinners I think a salad should have been included for the price. But overall a good experience.
(3)
LaRen R.
Amazzzzing...I got the 2 crab cakes with a side of potatoes and a side salad...and I was soooooo pleased...I am very picky about my crab cakes and i felt these crab cakes were some of the best I had...
(5)
Rachel H.
this is a restaurant in an old fire house station, which is really an incredible idea. the roof collaspsed, but the general building is what holds the restaurant. great for a history junky. the staff told us a bit about the place, and showed us photos, so cool! my boyfriend and i are from out of town, and stopped in here for the history and because it was raining pretty bad outside. the bar is in front, so from the window you can't see there's an entire bottom and second floor to this place. i loved the red and black and fire fighter theme through out. it really shows the dedication to the history behind the building. overally, we had just eaten so we didn't order food. we got drinks, i had something with orange, which was freshly squeezed, which very much surprised me. i also got a basic Cesar salad, because it was the only other thing i could afford on the menu (i am a broke college student). service was great, but testy even though we had told her we weren't going to order food; i think she asked if we were okay about 20 times to many, but that wouldn't affect me going back here. a lot of unique things on the menu (both drinks and food). the menu is catered to sea food lovers which i am not. but definitely on the fancier side.
(3)
Shariq H.
Pretty sweet place with slow to average service times. The interior was set up very well and the food choices all sounded amazing. And they were, but simpler than what one would have assumed. They were priced high and offered good sized portions but it was all very simple. The Firehouse Noodle are a no go. Way to bland and nothing to make them fiery. The lobster ravioli on the other hand was quite a treat and the creamy sauce was good. You can get it with red sauce too if you'd prefer.
(3)
Kristen M.
We came here for a rehearsal dinner on a Friday evening. We were seated in the upstairs private dining area and had access to our own private bar. We started our with three appetizers served family style: Fire Bread, Crab, Spinach & Artichoke Dip, and chicken wings (decently spicy). The Fire Bread was my favorite and the crab dip was loaded with crab. For the second course we had options of Ceasar salad, house salad, or Firehouse Gumbo. I had the Ceasar salad which was standard. For the third course we had options of the Firehouse Burger, Stoned Chicken, Firehouse Pasta, or Tuscan Lasagna. I had the Stoned Chicken (Chicken breast wrapped with bacon and grilled under a stone until crispy. Drizzled with a Jack and coke glaze and served with wild rice blend.) It was really juicy and full of flavor. The menu and restaurant have the whole old Fire House theme going for it, which was cute. Great service from the two ladies working the party and a really good, filling, and enjoyable meal.
(4)
Matt H.
Went here for a nice dinner, expecting more than a bar. Place isn't necessarily terrible or like arrogas down the street, but I found the menu small and not very offering considering the pricing. Also my comment when sitting down was when I am spending $30 a plate I don't expect to sit in duct tape covered booth seats.. our drinks were pretty pricy considering Harrisburg as well. Now if this was DC or baltimore inner harbor I wouldn't even mention it but wow for 2nd Street and not being Hilton. All was not lost though, had chicken wrapped in bacon (which looked like the healthiest option on the menu other than salad) which was good, our waitress was also great- reason for the 3rd star here.
(3)
Rebecca L.
The Firehouse gets a 5 star review because of Jonette!! We were in Harrisburg for a wedding, and we made a reservation for Friday night. The food was solid....our group had the crab cakes, chicken parm, lasagna, and the fish 'n chips....no complaints. The service and friendliness of Jonette...made the evening. She was very knowledgable of the food, drinks, area, etc.... she is a little gem in this restaurant!! This is a very reliable restaurant for food, drinks and service!! We will be back when we are in the area.
(5)
Tony B.
Make a reservation, this place fills up. As the name suggests, this place is a former Harrisburg fire station with a nice fire company themed atmosphere. Our waitress was friendly and as prompt as possible with a pretty full restaurant. The pork ossobucco is absolutely awesome. The salted carmel cake, delicious.
(4)
Jerry G.
Really neat restaurant. Get the calamari. Good prices. Great service. Bloody Mary was delicious. Beer is cold. Crab cakes were outstanding. We will definitely return.
(5)
Britt B.
While I'm not a huge fan of the decor/atmosphere (unless you are sitting upstairs), I still really like the food here and the close proximity to the downtown area. The lobster ravioli is definitely my favorite meal here! It was a huge portion, and so delicious. The lobster stuffed chicken and "the stack" are also great meals to get here.
(4)
Barry R.
The portions are gigantic. You are not sure if you are there to eat the food, or if the food is there to eat you! The decor is very fun and colorful, old tin ceilings and exposed brick walls. There are several floors of dining and many big tables able to seat large parties. We were a party of 10, and even though we did not call ahead and arrived on a Saturday night, they sat us within 15 minutes. When we arrived there were several bachelor and bachelorette parties and then more came in as the night went on, but it never got too loud or rowdy. Several of our party had salads, which were hearty (big compliment for salad). A few others had seafood, baked fish and crab cakes, none of it was too greasy and the portions were huge. The meat balls were my wife's favorite, you could taste the quality, it was all homemade, not overly salty or processed. The service was good, one waitress took care of us and she had helpers to fill drinks. Though I don't know how she navigated the stairs and the tables in the dark, it was very dark in there, which was nice for ambiance, and not so good for getting to the bathroom. We picked up the check at the end and the damage wasn't so bad for 10 adults. The Firehouse put out the hunger burning in our belly's. Thumbs up!
(4)
Dwayne S.
I gotta say my Wife's filet mignon and appetizers; fresh tuna and scallops Rockefeller were incredible!! I got the hot wings and they were blah!! They tasted like Redhot. I was very disappointed with the wings! With such a great place you guys need some better wing sauces.
(4)
Lee K.
Very disappointed after hearing great things about this place. Nice decor but food was just average and service was terrible. Waiter added a dollar to each of our items compared to what was in menu and then added a 20% tip to each of our bills. Not used to this for a party of four. Will definitely not be returning!!!
(1)
Jason T.
If you are from out of town DO NOT GO HERE!!! Total local bar where if you are not a regular they treat you poorly. Rude bar service, didn't even have time to try any food; the bar tender and the patrons were super rude. Took 2 sips of my drink and bolted. Not a great impression of Harrisburg, hopefully my next trip here I can find something better. They are getting one star since zero is not an option.
(1)
Sean F.
USED to be great. Last three times in, my meal has been wrong. They USED to have a great blackened chicken cheesesteak, but the guy who must have known how to make it must not work there anymore. We used to LOVE this place, but now... It's a shame.
(2)
Sherry S.
They were having a tough night. Big party of 58 upstairs on the third floor. Trouble was that we were on the second floor. Waitress was AWOL. 20,minutes waiting and no beer. My appetizer/small plate that was supposed to served at the same time as my daughter's steak came out first. No waitress to be found. Eventually called the front desk from my phone and five (count 'em, five),minutes later she had still not shown up. Decided not wait for the steak. Can't comment on the food, but the service was poor. Sorry
(1)
Erin A.
My plan was to order fire bread and calamari. It is always, in house, good and my standard order. (To clarify, I eat out very infrequently, but have always enjoyed firehouse's food.) Yelp reviews recommended crab puffs. I was VERY skeptical. I tentatively called to order firebread and the crab puffs. Oh. My. Gawdess. So yummy! The crab puffs were not what I expected at all. Wow. Amazing. Delicious! Will tell my friends! Yum. As for the firebread, it was okay. Not what I expected, but it seems like home made bread, which I appreciate. I give firehouse a happy recommendation. :)
(4)
Nick C.
After sitting at the Aroogas bar for 15 minutes and not getting served I thankfully walked down to the Firehouse and sat and got immediate service. They had a small but good selection of craft beers and I chose the Troegs Seasonal. Service was fast, pricing was good, atmosphere was awesome and the food was great. I am so glad I got treated so poorly at Aroogas as I found a new favorite spot! Highly recommend.
(5)
Jasin R.
Hate this. Been one time. Never go back. Food order messed up. Service terrible. Not sure how in business so long.
(1)
Angela A.
Dissapointed as all anything. Steak and Calamari salad was a waste, no flavor, the "medium rare" steak was Rare ,like afraid to eat it rare. And the salad was almost all iceberg lettuce, no flavor. My boyfriend's gumbo tasted like black pepper. Highly dissapointed, Will Not be Going Back, $30 down the drain.
(1)
Kristin K.
I had previously reviewed The Firehouse on July 6th following a terrible experience due to a terrible server. Since then, I have been personally contacted by Abby, the supervisor of this server, who has apologized and encouraged me to try the restaurant again. I can't say how appreciative I am of this matter being taken so seriously! This shows that the management cares about how their patrons are being treated and that they have the utmost integrity, as this particular member of (former) staff was attempting to extort the business with false gratuities. I retract my one-star review, as I am taken aback by how The Firehouse reacted and remedied the situation. I look forward to trying out the menu again and going to see Abby - she's great!
(4)
Joe A.
I've been hearing about this pace for years and finally had the chance to stop in. At first I wasn't really sure about it. It was a bit loud and I'm pretty sure something in the kitchen burned because it was a bit smokey upstairs. Our waitress Wendy was quick to visit us and was super friendly. She was also very helpful with appetizer selections. We ordered the bacon wrapped chicken tenders to start. They were awesome in that they were really tender, juicy and full of flavor and just enough spice. They could probably do with a few more craft beers, but they had a few I liked so I can't take off point for that. My girlfriend had a mango mojito which she was a big fan of. For dinner my girlfriend ordered the crab cake, I ordered the sausage and spinach cannolis and my fried ordered the rock chicken. My girlfriend is VERY particular when it comes to crab cakes and I could tell she was blown away by them. It was pretty much all crab and no filler. My friend raved about his rock chicken with the root beer glaze. I would have sampled some of their stuff, but I was in love with what I ordered. I haven't had food that good in maybe a year. I feel like I could have ordered that dinner 3 more times and finished it each time. If they were open today I'd be back there again.
(5)
Katie B.
Came here for my husband's birthday dinner. Enjoyed everything. I got the: steamed clams- perfectly cooked; FireHouse Cheesburger Dip - good just tad too much tomatoes needed more bread and they brought use some fresh; Prime Rib - asked for it with te Parmesan orzo OMG SOOO GOOD! Perfectly cooked took 1/2 home since it was too big for me to eat; and a chocolate peanut butter cup cake - huge piece, not heavy at all. Firehouse by all accounts exceeded our expectations in every way.
(4)
Kelley S.
The filet mignon with mashed potatoes and asparagus hit the spot. The decor is very interesting and the bar serves very strong drinks!
(3)
Michael M.
Super friendly staff ( I sat at the bar). The food was tasty. I had the New Orleans nachos, gumbo and duck cakes. Everything was delicious. I'll be back my next time through Harrisburg.
(5)
Luke M.
So it was a Thursday night, not too busy. We were on the first floor, and any doubts we had about the restaurant were quickly removed as Corey (our server) calmed all of them. We had a million questions because it was our first time there in almost 10 years, and even though Corey was a newer employee (he admitted it after question 10 lol), he did a wonderful job! The food was surperb and beautifully made (I had the stack) and Corey catered to anything we needed, even though I counted at one point him having at least 5 tables at once. If you ever need a fresh personality and a warm smile, ask for him, and get the Mango mojito, they're to die for. You did well hiring this one Firehouse managment. Last time we came here a few years ago, we swore we would never come back, but you've made us regulars again. Corey, if you can read this, keep it up, you withhold the standards of a humble, yet strong server.
(5)
L L.
The Rhode Island Calamari was good and a little different. Do not bother coming here for the Steak. They do not know how to cook steak or select a cut of meat. The filet is cut too thin for a good cook. We ordered the NY Strip and Filet and both asked for medium but they came out Well Done. What was bizarre was that when the waitress brought them out she told us to cut in to them. First - that's a strange thing to tell a customer; Second - I can only assume that it was a recurring problem. Otherwise the ambience was good. I might have liked it better if I had ordered a burger. Ordered coffee at the end - that was good.
I found this restaurant with help from Yelp while in town for a work trip. I was looking for a place to sit at the bar (travelling by myself) but still enjoy some good food, and this place fit the bill! Great atmosphere in this restaurant/bar - there is upper and lower level restaurant seating and the bar is kind of in the mezzanine level with a really cute fire hydrant serving as the bar taps. The restaurant is tastefully decorated in the "firehouse" theme, but no over the top/tacky. You can also tell that this place has some history, which is nice when you are in a place like Harrisburg. I ordered a pint of the local octoberfest beer, and the "world famous" crab cakes with sweet potato fries and a cucumber salad. Service here was super fast - my meal was out in 10 minutes tops! Crab cakes were delicious - so much crab meat and no bread crumbs/fillers. It was also a much larger portion than what I was expecting based on the price on the menu. Overall I really enjoyed my food here and had a great overall experience. I will definitely be back to eat here when in the area.
(4)
Ali Y.
had the soup/sandwich (was told the sandwich was a pizza) combo for lunch, the soup was good but came out after the pizza, and after everyone else had their soup in my group, the pizza was very disappointing, rather a flatbread appitizer rather than pizza it was tiny! the taste was ok, I've had some really good sandwiches before and everyone in my group enjoyed their meal, would have loved to get a pizza!
(2)
Erin B.
Great food, great atmosphere and great service. I've only eaten here once and it was at the bar at lunchtime but I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. It's an old firehouse and they've kept the atmosphere authentic.
(4)
Lindsey C.
Came here with my boss for dinner while on a business trip. He raved about his last time at the Firehouse (6 years ago) so I guess I had higher expectations. Tried the Spicy Ahi Tuna Salad to start. Easily could have been an entree salad. Forgot to ask for the dressing on the side and quickly regretted that as the salad was drenched in dressing. It was good but just too much of it. Ordered the Firehouse stack, filet topped with a crab cake, for my entree. Good portion, crab cake was tasty. Nothing too impressive about the filet. My boss ordered the Baked Chicken Tenders and the Phoenician Baked Trout which is a whole trout baked encrusted in salt. They bring it out and present the fish in the salt crust and then proceed to remove the salt crust and serve the fish by filetting it tableside. Interesting presentation. Overall, decent service and food but if I am ever back in Harrisburg, I'd probably skip the Firehouse.
(3)
Jamal J.
Great food, cool menu, and friendly staff right in the heart of harrisburg. Seeing how there isn't terribly much to do in harrisburg this is a great place to come and hang.
(4)
Debra C.
Had the BBQ chicken sandwich and the Cubanito....both were very good. Would come back here.
(4)
Dan D.
The only saving grace of this place is the quality of the cook and cut of the meat and fish. I got a the prime rib with mash potatoes, asparagus and a horseradish hollandaise sauce. The steak was cooked perfectly but had no seasoning, and no flavor. The asparagus was over cooked, and a dead brown color. I was hoping the horseradish sauce was to work on the steak, but it was so bland all it added to the steak were calories. The mash potatoes were awesome, you could tell that they were fresh not boxed, and were the only thing I cared to finish on the plate. Total rip off at $21 a plate. My wife got a special catch of the day which was hollandaise glazed halibut on top of a bed of potato hash, and asparagus. The hash was comprised of potato, corn, red pepper, and rubbery over cooked lobster. Then drizzled with more hollandaise. The halibut was fresh, moist, and flakey. The hash was outright disgusting. It was an awful concoction that caused us to wonder if the chef even tasted it before putting it on the menu. Another total rip off at $24 a plate. Look if you have to eat here don't buy anything that looks complicated. I'm sure the simpler dishes are so much better because the cooks know how to cook the food. It just seems that the recipes are either way to complex for their own good, or epically fall flat with no flavor.
(2)
Jennie G.
Went here for dinner with some coworkers. Food and service were great. We order the firebread and escargot stuffed mushrooms for the table. Both were tasty, escargot stuffed mushrooms were a little on the small side. I ordered the new york strip that came with mashed potatoes and asparagus. Would definitely come back here again.
(4)
A B.
We came with hockey team and parents. They gave us a huge space upstairs, our own bar and bartender, and over all great service. The food was bar food done well. Downstairs decor was awesome. Bathrooms were clean. Staff couldn't have been friendlier or more competent.
(4)
Rich R.
After all the positive reviews I looked forward dinner at The Firehouse. It was disappointingly average. I know people love this place and I will be widely denounced, but this is my story: Perhaps I ordered the wrong dish and they were having an off night. Chose the "Firehouse Pasta", roasted red peppers, shrimp, and chicken. The server told me it was "spicy"; it wasn't. It was a sloppy combination of bland chicken tenders, a few gamy shrimp and a pool of water in the bottom of the bowl. I did not finish the dish. I am not a food snob, seriously, find me at any White Castle. To sum up my meal, I could have prepared a better version of it at home; and that is not saying much. On a positive note, I did enjoy the building, an 1870's Fire House. OK one more little critique, with so much attention to historic detail I am surprised by the Discount Dinette-Mart choice of tables and chairs upstairs, at least hide them with some tablecloths.
(2)
Jimmi C.
This place is beautiful and classy feeling. The food was great and service was awesome.. Would come again
My date and I started off with a very inattentive waiter who seemed to be preoccupied with everyone else except us. We ordered the crab puffs which we thought we were familiar with. They were not at all what we expected and actually quite disgusting. He never even checked on us considering with both took one bite and left the entire plate as it was. However dinner was great. I has the white truffle orchetti and he had the blackened salmon. So aside from the first hour, everything else was great :)
(4)
Mike S.
Went there today for my birthday dinner with family and ordered the flat iron steak with fries.... I ordered the steak well done i recieved a steak that that was barely warm in the center and blood pouring out of it (the steak was warm to the touch didnt even feel like temp had been reached for proper cooking thats how bloody it was) the fact that someone had cut the steak already made it far worse cause once it was cut obviously it wasnt cooked at i ordered it, so i sent the steak back to be cooked properly. Instead of getting a new steak like i would have thought (since it was already cut and the juices left out) i get the same steak on the same plate with the same old fries that were prolly just put under a heat lamp to stay warm. The steak was seasoned far too much to actually enjoy, a spoon full of spices is what i felt like i was eating because the steak was so dry and so over seasoned. Terrible expirience!
(1)
Peter T.
The worst experience ever. A steak knife fell from the second floor and stabbed my shoulder. I mentioned it to the waitress and she apologized. She said the manager was too busy to stop by. The knife could have hit me in the head. Horrible service. Don't eat here.
(1)
Linna F.
We had just gotten off a 3.5 hour ride from Amtrak and were wandering around the streets looking for a place that was open at 2pm on Saturday. A few locals were nice enough to inquire about what we were looking and 2 folks recommended we check out The Firehouse. Apparently, being the oldest firehouse in PA and the second oldest in the country really lends itself to a great atmosphere. The food (burgers, sandwiches, etc) was really good and very affordable ~$8-10. It was just the right amount of food after being on the train all morning and the food really hit the spot (and didn't leave a dent in my wallet, either!)
(4)
David K.
All 4 times we've been here, everything was outstanding. On the one occasion when they got slammed and the waitress forgot our drinks, she felt bad and gave us a free round. The food, is some of the best consistently in the area. The are slightly down the strip on 2nd st, somewhat annoying to go down there, but its worth it. Really coold design inside, and they've spent a lot of time on details. The firebread is a must have. Its simple, but amazing. The phonetian baked trout might be the best pound for pound meal we've ever had. Its been hard for my wife to even order anything else because it is just so good and unique. It comes with a shell of salt around it, but its only there to lock in the flavor. The fish inside it is cut out and fileted in front of you, and is far from salty. The crispy fried spinach is just unreal.
(5)
Matthew D.
We ate dinner here as a family while spending the night in Harrisburg as we were able to walk and it was recommended by Yelp. A hipster we encountered as we left the hotel confirmed that this is the place to be. We were very pleased. At first when you walk in, you think this isn't going to be a good place for kids but they seated us in a large booth in the rear, upstairs, and it was a great overall restaurant experience. Professional waitress; she knew her stuff and didn't talk too much. Flexible kitchen with regards to our children. I've never seen children eat clams so quickly. I only had one. Great beer selection. Great atmosphere (in front, near the bar would be great without kids, rear is excellent with the kids). Great service. Manager promised to mail my credit card to me after I left it there. I promised her a sterling review on Yelp and it was easy to write this as we had a fun evening in a great restaurant.
(5)
Dorothy B.
The most incredible chik and bello salad - every time I come to Harrisburg I am going to need to come back here!!
(5)
Doug W.
A step-up pub, this place offers some interesting twists to bar food, such as duck cakes: Fried balls of spiced stuffing with chopped duck meat. The place also serves a good classic burger.
(4)
Paul M.
Visiting from LA and wanted outside of hotel for dinner. Loyal to 4+ stars on yelp so tried this great spot. Phoenician trout- outstanding, sea bass very good, tuna tower great and buffalo wings ( I am from Buffalo originally) were up to Buffalo standards. Top off with nice Sam Adams and great service - you have a winner.
(5)
Liza R.
Cool place overall and nice concept. We were with a big party with a kids table. They did not have printed kids menu, which generated some confusion and we ended up paying a hefty price for what we thought was a kids menu item. They did not propose much to rectify the situation, one of the waitresses decided to lecture us instead. So, we could have had a much better experience if they thought to have a kids menu printed for a party with about 20 kids... The manager, although very polite, could not offer an explanation of why there is no printed kids menu... Too bad, overall could have been a better evening if somebody had a eureka moment and decided to prepare for the reserved party with 20 kids at a separate kids table in advance. They did not forget to print out the specials for tonight, though, so they DO have a printer.... LOL
(2)
Mike D.
Any place that celebrates firefighters the way the Hard Rock does rock stars rules automatically, but this landmark is even cooler than I expected. Full of vintage photographs, equipment and restored to its 19th Century glory, it tells the story of the Harrisburg Hope Fire Company that served the Capitol for over a century. My first Rhode Island Calamari experience was indeed memorable. All flavored-up with banana peppers and onions, it's gonna be hard to go back to the usual . Hell yeah, they know how to cook them some jumbo scallops! Perfect, simple goodness. However, I was completely taken by surprise by the parmesan orzo, which is downright sinful. The crab cakes do not suffer from a lack thereof, with rich chunks to be enjoyed along with a nice, juicy steak expertly cooked to order. This is one of times when I wish Yelp allowed halves since this deserves a tad closer to a 5 for all-around experience.
(4)
Jack W.
I find this place OK. Lots of friends recommend this place but according to my books it is OK. This place is just fine, nothing special about it. The menu price is not that expensive 15 bucks per person. Good place to take a causal date.
(3)
Candice S.
I've eaten here on more than one occasion, and have always left full and satisfied with my meal. Favorites of mine are the crab puffs, firehouse bread, and firehouse stacker (crabcake and filet mignon). We decided to hold a family dinner for my 30th birthday based on my love for this restaurant. Reservations were made 3 weeks before the big day, and 3 days before I called to confirm, only to be told that my reservation was never booked. Upon speaking to the owner, who was apologetic while I was frantic, I was told that another party was booked for the night and I had to cut down my guest list. If it hadn't been 3 days before my party and I had guests coming from out of town, I would have found another restaurant to hold the event based on my interaction with the owner, especially since he was the one who initially took my reservation and never booked it. Thankfully, we kept the reservation, and we received the best service I have ever received. The staff were wonderful and made sure every one of our needs were met even though the party was larger than expected (35 people) and everyone needed separate checks.
(4)
Chris S.
A great find from google maps. We were passing through town and needed a place for dinner. Great service and tasty food. I had the salmon which came medium rare, just the way I like it. My wife had a steak and calamari salad which was tasty! Warning. The portions are big!
(4)
William T.
Price seems a little high for the quality and flavor of the food.
(3)
Gordon M.
I had heard rave reviews of the Firehouse from people I know. In fact, in other cases, they have referred me to some great restaurants in PA and NY. Quite honestly, this place was disappointing. The food was OK. Not great. The service was great but I don't come back for service, I come back for great tasting food. The Firehouse doesn't have a tasty crab-cake sandwich. The fries were soggy. The lettuce in my salad was on its last wobbly legs. The best thing I ordered was a bottle of Angry Orchard Cider. The rest was MEH!
(2)
Lou L.
I've been here several times and i've had both positive and negative experiences. The building itself and decor is very cool. It's a converted old firehouse (as the name suggests) and is not done over the top. The service is generally attentive and friendly. The food is generally pretty good, but they have a limited amount of food if you are just looking for sandwiches, burgers, etc. The Backdraft is one of my favorites. I did try a pasta there once and it was very bland. The appetizers are very good too. Definitely wort giving a shot if you are in town.
(3)
Tamara M.
This place rocks! Visiting from outta town, found it on Yelp. So good that we've eaten there 2x in two nights. Have had the trout, the bacon-wrapped chicken tenders, the gumbo, the pasta (Fuoco?), the R.I.-style calamari (dang, I guess we sound like little porkers!). Our waitress Dottie took stellar care of us both nights, and good beer was available, too - of which we drank some. If you're not familiar with this part of downtown - yes those long skinny painted areas off of Liberty (around the corner from the entrance) truly ARE parking spots. ;-) Oh, and the prices? Super reasonable, especially considering the fairly unique, top-notch menu.
I can't say enough good things about this place! I stumbled upon it kind of by accident through a Harrisburg tourist information website as I was planning my best friend's bachelorette party. We were planning on going to the Hershey Spa the next day and needed a place to eat and celebrate. Going out wasn't really the centerpiece of our time in Pennsylvania, it was more about the spa, so I booked a place kind of last minute. I was looking for something relatively low-key, reasonably priced and group friendly. I reserved a table based on the reviews the restaurant got, and not much else. When I reserved a table, I didn't tell them it was for a bachelorette party. When we got there, the waiter took our drink orders and then promptly brought us back a round of shots on the house. He was extremely accommodating and put up with some pretty ridiculous antics on our part. At the end of the meal, he gave us a free piece of chocolate cake to share. Again, we didn't prepare them for this but they treated us so well. We were blown away and they made our night so special! Again, we weren't really expecting much from dinner, just a way to fill our stomachs so we didn't get too drunk back in our hotel room, but they treated us so well and added a whole new level to our celebration. The bride couldn't be happier! The food was also excellent! We shared the firebread. Some girls ordered steaks. I personally had "the Backdraft" sandwich with filet and it was absolutely fantastic! The decor is unique, the service is fantastic, and the food is delicious! I thought for what we got, the prices were definitely reasonable. They managed to make our weekend even more memorable than it had already promised to be! If I am ever back in Harrisburg I will definitely go back and recommend it to friends.
(5)
June L.
Very good place for a business meal, offer a wide variety of food..... Calamari was a bit oily but tasty I had the seafood platter - scallop was good, shrimp was great, but crab cake was a bit salty...... Our waitresses were great, I must have asked her for hot tea, honey and lemon like 5 times and she brought them every time....... some of my party ordered steak, they said it was decent....the trout looked great........ Might have been 5 stars if it wasn't for the calamari and salty crab cake.....
My boyfriend and I had a great experience here. Both dishes were really enjoyable and cooked well, the waitress was attentive, and the whole place had a nice ambiance.
(4)
Stuart W.
Good service. Nice theme and good for a quick meal
(4)
Greg D.
August 2011 An old friend was in town and asked me if I wanted to get together for dinner. He's a foodie like me and he had researched some restaurants here prior to his visit and wanted to check this place out. I of course had heard of it, but had never been. So I happily agreed to join him. We walked in without a reservation and were immediately seated upstairs. It's got a pretty cool atmosphere. It's been a couple of months since I went, so I don't recall all the details. I know we ordered a couple of appetizers but honestly cannot remember what. I think the duck cakes and maybe the stuffed mushrooms. I remember they were tasty. Our server recommended the Phoenician baked trout and I decided to give it a try. YUM! It was outstanding! The salt-encrusted fish was served tableside with frizzled spinach and creamy orzo. Really and excellent meal! My friend had thecrab cake and filet mignon stack which he really, really enjoyed. Service was excellent, prices are reasonable, it has a nice varied menu, and the food was great!
(4)
David S.
I have to say this place is pretty cool! The food is good and I very much enjoyed the duck cakes and the scallops.
(4)
Woody H.
Extremely good service for a table for 28. Staff was excellent!
(4)
Mandy H.
The set up of this place was cool. I think it was an actual old firehouse which gave the restaurant an old, authentic feel, but it was also a little dark and dingy, especially the bathrooms. I ordered the seafood papardelli pasta, which was a recommended dish and I have to say it was pretty bland. It came in cream sauce with big flat noodles topped with lobster, shrimp, and some peppers. There really wasn't much flavor from anything other than the creamy sauce. Everyone else I was with really liked their meals, though, so maybe I just picked the wrong entree. My boyfriend got the Phoenician Baked Trout, which was by far the coolest entree to come out. The fish came out of the kitchen whole and covered with salt and the waitress prepared it right at the table, scraping the salt off the fish and serving it over a bed of spinach and risotto on a large fish-shaped plate. Even though I didn't love my meal, I really liked the sangria special I had. It was a white sangria with pineapple and strawberries and soo good. It was $7 (a splurge for Harrisburg) and worth every penny. I would probably return to try something else on the menu if I'm ever in town again.
(3)
J C.
Had a great experience and meal here. We walked in with a party of 9 and they were very accommodating. They gave us a private room upstairs. The service and the food were excellent. Would recommend making this place a routine stop if you are headed to Harrisburg.
(4)
B M.
Had lunch yesterday (on a Saturday) with my wife and we're fans! Terrific food, fantastic service, great atmosphere and very reasonable prices. We shared two of their appetizers ("FireBread" & "Fresh Baked Chicken Tenders ") and a chicken sandwich ("The Backdraft"). Enjoy the free street parking on weekends and enjoy a leisurely lunch at a terrific restraurant!
(4)
Christopher M.
A go-to spot! Great bartenders. Good service. Awesome decor. Interesting layout. Nice menu with quality food that's served up in nice portions. You do have to deal with a sports bar feel. But I heart this place immensely!
(4)
Joy G.
This place isn't bad. I feel like they don't handle large crowds well. We went here for a work-lunch outting and there was about 12 of us. The waitresses seemed pretty annoyed, and it was hard to tell if they were irritated with our group specifically or just large groups in general. Overall good food selection though not great if you are vegan or vegetarian. The food was pretty good but the portions were absolutely huge. I ate a good solid bit and the waitress asked me if the food was ok and if I felt ok because I didn't eat much (which made me feel a little awkward).
(3)
Ryan S.
Was visiting Harrisburg Pa with a group of friends from DC, based on the reviews we knew ahead of time this is where we would be going to get dinner. We arrived early enough (6:30) that we only endured a 15 minute wait to get a table for 4. Thankfully the bar was only half full so the group of guys I was with were able to all pull up a chair, order a beer and watch the game. I was dismayed by their beer choices of Bud, Bud light etc and was going to pass when I spotted a gem; Troeg Pale Ale. Nice save. Right as we finished our beers, the table was called. Our waitress, I want to say Megan, feel bad for not remembering her name exactly .. but I digress .. she is excellent, attentive and engaging. Would ask to be seated in her section again. We started with the Firebread appetizer which consisted of a large ciabatta bread cut in half, buttered, mozzarella cheese and dried crushed red pepeprs sprinkled in the center. What an awesome combination. It was served with dipping butter, I wouldve preferred olive oil but thats me. Still awesome non the less Our entrees came out shortly after. Chicken-bello salad, crab cake salad, filet mignon, Firehouse steak sandwich. The table went deafeningly quiet as we chowed down on our food. Everyone expressed pleasure of their food choice from the tender chicken in the salad, the large portion of crab meat, the steaks that made your mouth water. Oh yes this is what we call a home run. Feeling quite satisfied a few of us opted to order the peanut butter chocolate cake. Some of us thought it was excellent one individual of the group felt it was a bit dry. The approvers quickly revoked his fork and reduced the negative-nancy with childish names. Other references of sour grapes and sand being caught up in a certain body part were also freely applied. Cant wait to go back.
(5)
David B.
Really liked Firehouse. Stopped here for lunch. Service was great. We ordered the cuban pork sandwich, which was Overfilling with meat, and with a side dish of wasabi cole-slaw. We also ordered a grilled chicken sandwich on a pretzel roll, which was also delicious. Would definitely return here again.
(4)
Christopher D.
Great decor, friendly wait staff. Started with Fire Bread and shared Caprese salad, both excellent! Crab cakes excellent with no filler. My filet under the crab cake was overcooked, but I think waitress misheard me due to noise level (surprisingly high for a Tues night), as it was med well instead of the med rare I ordered. good wine list for bottles, but not very good for by the glass...a problem if you're having steak and she's having fish. Too stuffed for dessert!
(4)
chrissy k.
I actually ate there about 3 months ago and can still remember exactly what I had. I had not one but TWO Mango Mojitos. Yes, they have made the mojito better than it already is. Yummmmm. I also had this very lovely crab cake that they boasted had no filler. The crab cake was big, fluffy and all crab, no bread crumbs to be seen. Yes I would surely eat here again. In fact The firehouse has inspired me to search out crab cake recipes so that I might duplicate the masterpiece. I haven't found it yet.
(5)
Cynthia D.
This is a very unique place. Renovated firehouse turned into two story eatery and bar. I had the crabcakes and they were excellent. Great salad too. The downside? It has a bit of a sports bar feel. Not my bag. For Harrisburg, however, this was lovely and unique!
(3)
David H.
Wonderful dinner for 5. Superb Prime Rib, great service and reasonably affordable considering the huge portions. A bid noisy on the upper floor, but overall a great dinner for our only night in Harrisburg
(4)
MoCe C.
On a tuesday, service was swell. Have been here before n if its buzy ur drink order should b patience passion martinie. The duck balls were fab. Its intresting place with a fun menu.
(4)
Stephen A.
Good things first. Great small bar with atmosphere. No waiting to be greeted on arrival. Wonderfully redocorated firehouse with great color choices. Prompt service. Now the not so great. Firebread is good but should have more kick to justify name. Calamari was too heavily crumbed. Steaks are just not well cooked. Should be more charred on outside and juicy in middle. Pasta selections are good but not enough choice. Dessert selection is dreadful. Two choices only? Pass. Not bad. But not as great as it should be.
(3)
Kristina C.
I'm giving this restaurant 2 stars simply based on service alone. The food is 5 star worthy, but unfortunately the staff got a low 2. If you want to wait 45 minutes to finally be seated by a rude host and be constantly forgotten about by your waitress, come to this place. The food is almost worth the trouble. The decor is interesting since it is an old firehouse. If you decide to try this place, please order the bacon wrapped chicken tender appetizer, you will NOT regret it! Their "bello" salads are fantastic as well; good portion even when you order a small :)
(2)
Greg C.
I had the baked salmon and it was absolutely delicious! It was the most flavorful and moist salmon I've ever had - and it was less than $20! The atmosphere is really nice... prices decent and the food is GREAT!
(5)
Andrea W.
My Dad likes this place, so when he's in town, I take him here. Love the atmosphere: The interior is really cool, with bold, rich colors and period detailing. Still, everything is totally casual. Weeknights you can find a mix of post-work Capitol/business folks, parents with kids, 20-somethings. It's a little odd, but nice! I've never been overly impressed with the menu or food quality (last time I had lackluster crab cakes), but The Fire House is a good place to linger over a few beers and catch up without feeling rushed. Just be sure to tip your server well!
(3)
Susan D.
I had to take a business trip to Harrisburg and as I was staying overnight, I thought I'd try the Firehouse for dinner. I'd stayed before at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and tried their restaurant, but I thought I'd try something different. The concierge recommended this place, and am I glad they did! I wanted to start my dinner with a nice appetizer, but as I was traveling and dining alone, I didn't want to waste anything. So I tried the Bello Salad, which was delicious. Now mind you, I could probably have made a meal out of the Crab Cake Salad! I still wanted a hot dinner, but not wanting to try a full-course dinner, I instead opted for Maryland Crab Cake Sandwich, which was served on a kaiser roll. I don't get good crab cakes very often in Pittsburgh, so this was a welcome alternative to a burger or chicken sandwich. It was really delicious and highly recommended. I don't drink, but apparently they don't have a huge beer or wine selection. That's okay. The food and service here are really good and if I'm ever back in H'burg again, I'll be sure to stop in. Maybe I'll try the Firehouse Stack.
(4)
ken m.
This is a cool little place. The food was great. I started out with a small salad and fresh warm bread. I had gotten the filet mignon burger with brie cheese. This was an amazing burger. The meat was so tender it seemed to just melt in your mouth, The fries were...Ahhh OK not that great but the burger was definitely one of the best I have ever had. This was a cool little place with lots of history. But it almost seemed fake with all the little fireman toys all over the place. It just seemed a bit too much. I think you can get a good steak here for around 25 bucks. May not be cheap but after their burger I am sure it might be worth it.
(5)
Scott L.
Fantastic food, fantastic atmosphere and smart servers. The filet backdraft is an awesome sandwich and truly is cooker to order! They're cream of crab is also delicious. Great for lunch or dinner!
(5)
Albert J.
This restaurant is located in a fully restored, early 19th c firehouse in downtown Harrisburg. We had the crabcake sandwich - which was excellent - and some drinks. The atmosphere was fantastic, service good, and noise fine. The birthday special was very classy. The only downsides were limited parking (but downtown on a Saturday night is to be expected and is something of a good sign) and that the drink prices were a little steep.
(4)
Jessica W.
Had my first experience in the private dining room at the Firehouse for a friend's bachelorette party about 2 weeks ago, and it was wonderful. The servers are always great there and this was no exception. I had their signature black martini (which was phenomenal) and the Hungarian Stuffed Peppers, which were one of the best things I've ever had from there. I highly recommend the Chick Bello Salad (my usual) and the Fire Bread is a must! I've always had a positive experience here and will continue to go back.
(4)
Barbara V.
Mediocore food and ok service. The Backdraft steak sandwich is your best bet for consistentcy. Ok bar but small and crowded. You could do better.
(2)
Dave P.
Went on a Saturday night with a party of 6. We were seated downstairs about 15 minutes past our reservation time. It was busy so no big deal. Our waitress showed up and asked when the other two people would be joining us. I said this is it. She seemed dismayed that there was only 6 and not eight of us. Only thing we could figure was she was hoping for an automatic tip. So we ordered drinks and apps. Drinks took some time to show up but again it was busy. We ordered three appetizers. Fire bread, crab puffs, and stuffed peppers. Bread was OK with oil to dip in. Crab puffs were good. Stuffed peppers had the most flavor and were quite good, however that was the smallest appetizer. Another round of drinks and on to dinner. I ordered the "authentic Maryland style" crab cakes because of all the good reviews. To me, I'm not sure exactly what makes a crab cake "authentic", but I was willing to try them out. Two medium size cakes arrived with a heaping pile of sweet potato fries. The cakes had almost zero flavor. Not sure if that's how they make them, but I have had better. Some other meals were blackened salmon and scallops. Both said they were good, however I noticed that only four scallops for an entire entree was skimpy. The decor is a little tired and its just not the cleanest place you will ever eat in. The bill was $250 for 6 of us. That included 6 beers and three frozen drinks. All in all, this is a better bar than a restaurant. I would go back, but I wouldn't be in any hurry. If you like this food, try Black n Bleu on the west shore, its owned by the same people.
(3)
Julia D.
Although the interior is a great experience I've tried this place on three separate occasions just to give it a fair shake and have had the same experience each time. Mediocre to downright gross food, and poor service. The last time I went my table was shoved in a corner and at one point the servers needed our chairs to set up another table. No problem, except they just walked up and started grabbing with out so much as a hello and in the process smashed my husband's knee with a chair leg. I tried to like this place. But they have sorely disappointed. I'll stick with drinks at the bar to avoid the food and table service.
(1)
Allan M.
I'd recommend Firehouse as a decent dining option for dinner. The lunch menu is there, but the dishes are much more hit or miss - I've tried several of their lunchtime specials - between the soups and sandwiches everything is so over-salted and just begs to be compared to a drive-thru fast food restaurant. Back to my point on dinner... Dinner is a good option. Not entirely sure if it's a different staff in the back, or what ... but the service is fast, the food is hot, and the portions are healthy and filling. The pork wings were large and fun, if curious, item on the menu - none of our party had heard of them before but they were surprisingly good. The fried calamari was also well done, lightly battered, and goes fine with red sauce (usual stuff). The entrees, again, very well portioned and everyone left full and satisfied. The filet steak is well prepared as is the prime rib ... which boasts two sizes for a difference of a few dollars, but both of which are enormous enough for any diner. Minus a star for lunch being not good compared to dinner Minus a star or two for having seen a rodent in the establishment on the second floor!
(2)
Courtney W.
Eh. I've been to worse places. The beer was cold and the food was hot.
(2)
Todd R.
Went on Valentine's this year. While they were accepting reservations, I did not make any. We might have waited a halfhour which wasn't bad. We had a few cocktails while waiting and mine was good. They have a lot of drink menu suggestions, almost too much, but the prices are all reasonable. For dinner, I had a salad while the bf had their lobster bisque (SOTD) and he said it was very good. I had the entree special, pork with a corn sauce and potatoes. It had a good presentation and good flavor. BF had one of their regular menu items and said it was really good. We did sample dessert as we split a chocolate cake with peanut butter icing. It was moist and delicious. I asked the server and she said some desserts are made in-house while some, like the cake, are made by their personal catered, the owner's sister. The prices are quite reasonable too. In fact, I would have no problem paying more for my meal.
(5)
Nicole E.
Thanks to all who reviewed this restaurant - we went on you recommendations and had a nice time. We ate outside - and I'm glad we did, it was a bit loud inside since it was a Friday night. We had the firehouse bread and it was awesome!!! I could have had just that for dinner, but I had a salad too and it was good enough, nothing exciting. My husband loved his burger and fries and we were both very pleased with the service.
(5)
Courtney H.
My boyfriend and I decided to take a little trip to Harrisburg on Saturday. Before we left I had researched (on Yelp.com of course) a couple of places to eat. The Firehouse came the most highly recommended of all the downtown restaurants...so we decided that was where we were going to try. Now I don't know where you guys are from that gave this place 5 stars but...we live in downtown Philadelphia where the food is pretty amazing and there is tons to choose from. Yes, I know, we are spoiled. And after reading all the reviews for the Firehouse I thought we were going to be impressed!! There are some seemingly good reviews on there. You can probably see where I'm going with this... we were not impressed. Not even close. BF got the roasted red pepper crab soup- which was ok- and he got a grilled Iron Skillet steak of some sort- which was cooked to a nice med. well and completely tasteless (wasn't seasoned before cooking) - even though he asked for it medium, a side of blue cheese mashed potatoes (they were cold and had huge chunks of cheese in them- which seemed to me like they took regular old mashed potatoes and dumped some cheese in during the last minute) AND some over cooked veggies. I got a side salad (which was mostly brown and wilted- seemed like lettuce out of a bag. I know you know what I mean- the dry edges) and a blackened chicken sandwich with peppers and onions- it gets a C- To top it all off the beer selection was meh. I asked for a Troegs summer ale (like they advertised on the menu) and got a Sam Adams summer beer instead. I drank it and it was good but the point is it wasn't what I ordered. We obviously didn't bother sticking around for dessert. AND the decor! Ugh. I think enough has been said about that from other yelpers. My advice- if you want good food- drive the extra 2 hours and come to Philly. I PROMISE it will be worth it.
(1)
Lauren R.
Defiantly the best restaurant in Harrisburg! NO questions about it.... everything here is good....great location on 2nd street and very very friendly staff...and customers as well. I always feel so welcomed in Harrisburg! ps calamari is amazingggg!!!!
(5)
Jared D.
Great atmosphere, although it has always been very loud at night even when you are away from the bar area, it has an old feel, with the decorative tin ceiling being my favorite part. I used to go there often because they had a wonderful portabella burger, but I went back and they had gotten rid of it, and there was basically one or no options for a vegeterian which was disapointing. Another highlight was the chocolate cake which had a truffle on top, which was delicious, not sure if it still on the menu though since that was years ago, and the service was pretty good!
(4)
Juliet G.
I've never had a bad meal here. My dining colleagues had "the backdraft" which they enjoyed. I went healthy with the Salmon Club which was perfect. The downside is parking - its on the street and sometimes hard to get. Parking on state street is your best bet.
(4)
Lorna M.
Went there the other night and as soon as I entered the atmosphere was buzzing. I got a table straight away, and was in the mist of the fun. The waitress was in no particular hurry and did not know her wines. THe food came out fast but was a lot of fried stuff. I would recommend this place for a drink but not for food or the slooooooow service.
(3)
Tanesha C.
I give 3/5 stars mostly due to the fact that the chicken ceasar salad I ordered was not appetizing at all. The lettuce did not have a fresh crisp taste to it at all. It was more along the lines of a soft warm, and wilted. Which knocked down my experience to only 3 stars. But if I could rate the crabcakes alone. I'd give them 5/5 stars. By far the best crabcakes I've had in a very long time.
(3)
John T.
Great place. pleasant staff and great food.
(5)
P R.
I've been here three times over the last couple years and everytime it has been great. Tonight was no different. Had the prime rib - perfectly cooked. Also had a very good caesar salad.
(4)
Tracy S.
We love eating here on the evenings when they have the various quartettes in singing to each of the tables... it is such a nice atmosphere! Everything i've eaten here so far has been great. I especially like the coconut tilapia... It's amazing!
(5)
Brian R.
4 stars for the Firehouse, it's an original concept and the whole place is really quite cool, even if you're not into the whole firefighting scene. The building obviously has a lot of history and it's neat to check out the different levels and see how they've transformed it into a popular dining destination. The food here is generally good, I've had decent experiences with the service but have always been pleased with the meal. Prices are average for the area and they've got a decent menu, I'd recommend the place.
(4)
Amy G.
Sung to the tune of Alouette: Calamari, I love calamari! Calamari, from the Firehouse! It is served up nice and hot, Nice and crispy, hits the spot. Nice and hot, hits the spot, Hits the spot, nice and hot, Oh, oh, oh, oh! Probably the best calamari in Harrisburg. Cute little place. Food is good, drinks are good. Nice place to meet for business meetings, dinner with friends, or even a romantic night out. The bar is an odd shape which makes things a little awkward as you enter or if you're sitting at the bar. The dining area is intimate - with seating on two levels. There is space upstairs on the third floor for larger groups. The portabello salad was always a favorite - but I hear it has been replaced with a Chick & Bello salad. Probably just as good. The grilled cheese is overpriced but a great option if you have kids in tow. I've never heard anyone complain about the Firehouse Melt or the Back draft sandwiches. There are also many fans of the crab cake. I like the blackened chicken sandwich. When an old friend or colleague calls and wants to get together for lunch, this is one of the first places that crosses my mind. The food is really good, the place is quite enough to hold a decent conversation, and the prices are reasonable. I've give it 4.5 stars if I could. I'd give it a 5, but the street parking is a pain - particularly during the day when most of the spots are already taken and you can circle State street until your lunch hour is gone and you're left heading back to the office for a bag of fritos and a pack of gum from the vending machine. Now, if they'd just like me slide down the fire pole.
(4)
p d.
Average at best Not really sure why people this think place is soooo great. Service is good, food is bland and nothing special You are much off better going to a BYO
(2)
Sfgpgirl G.
Not exactly a culinary epicenter, Harrisburg, PA does have the Firehouse Restaurant which is fantastic. Probably the best place in town. Set in a cool old firehouse (get it?) I went with co workers on a quiet Thursday night. I had the Chilean sea bass on leek scented mash with julienned veggies. Most places on W. Coast have stopped serving Chilean sea bass (or stopped calling it 'Chilean sea bass' on the menus) for social reasons, so I didn't feel too bad ordering it at the Firehouse since I never eat it anymore at home. It was a good sized fillet, with a horseradish crust expertly cooked to maintain its buttery texture. But the real star was the roasted prime rib available in 14oz or a whopping 18oz. so tender; you could cut it with a dull butter knife. It was good enough to rival the House of Prime Rib except no accompanying Yorkshire pudding. Dessert was a chocolate peanut butter cup cake, which was just OK. But we shared it between four people. If you find yourself in Harrisburg, be sure to go here for dinner.
(4)
R C.
The filet mignon sandwich is king! Only ten bucks and heavenly. Haven't tried anything else but my wife loved the crab cakes.
(4)
Steve V.
My band played here during an East Coast Music Festival and it was awesome. Tons of great beers, and the whole town was out to enjoy great music. Food was awesome!
(4)
Dan P.
I stumbled into the Firehouse during short a trip from Sacramento and was very pleased with the food, service and atmosphere. I had a great New York steak, blue cheese mashed potatoes and a bowl of little neck clams. All very good. I ate at the bar and the customers and bar tenders made me feel quite welcome. No Michelin stars, but I would recommend the place to anyone looking for a good meal and a good time.
(4)
stefani h.
In Harrisburg on business and didn't expect much in the way of dining options. The Firehouse was recommended by the Hilton - a short stroll through the city. Great decor (truly, an old firehouse) and comfortable booths. Food selection is wide and varied. Had potato wrapped shrimp appetizer - it was okay, but nothing unexpected. For entree, had the phoenix baked trout, cooked in a coating of kosher salt and then filleted table-side. So moist, it was expertly removed from the skin with a spoon. Served over creamy orzo (so-so) and flash fried spinach (outrageously good). Moist, delicious, and a great combination of flavors. Companions' meals equally as delightful - highly recommended. Wait staff pleasant and accommodating.
(4)
Steve M.
The food, service and ambiance were all A+. Our server was friendly, helpful and attentive. The goat cheese appetizer and flank steak were amazing as was the coffee and desert (chocolate peanut butter cake). It is just too bad that it is about 100 miles from home (in Philly) or I would definitely make it a regular spot.
(5)
Scott P.
After a nice stroll along the riverfront, the Firehouse is THE place to eat in Harrisburg. I spend 9 months in Harrisburg for work, and the Firehouse was the best place I ate at, by far. Set in an old firehouse, the decor is great and the food is even better. The Firebread is unique and a great way to start a meal, and the ribs are to die for. I would say I probably ate there at least twice a week, and I never had a single complaint about the service - it's not service in an overbearing way, but much more of a friendly atmosphere.
(4)
Jay G.
I am so glad I checked out yelp when I was in Harrisburg. I would have definitely missed this place. The food was great. I had a crab cake which had very little filler. My father had a salad. He said it was good and it looked great. The price was reasonable too. I am glad we ended up here rather than an applebees.
(4)
Mia K.
My first Firehouse experience was when I tried to go to Duke's for dinner after 8pm with 2 friends who were not yet of the legal drinking age. They turned us away at the door. So we all hopped in the car and headed downtown to the Firehouse. We split several appetizers. They were all good - the calamari and soup were great. The Maryland crab dip was good, and the coconut shrimp was eh... Several YMCA training sessions downtown later - I became a frequent calamari take out orderer from Firehouse. I think Zia's and Firehouse are about tied for best calamari in "da burg".
(4)
E G.
This was our Holiday Lunch destination and for once, our company made a good choice. I had heard many good things about The Firehouse but never got around to trying it. The theme is unique. The crowd is not as upscale as I pictured but it is an enjoyable atmosphere. It is a bit noisy to carry on a full blown conversation but part of the fun is enjoying the atmosphere. The lunch menu is pretty complete of American fare with a touch of Italian influence. Appetizers ranged from fresh soups to calamari. Their salads were unique and included toppings of chicken, steak and calamari. They were big portions and priced well. Entrees included mostly sandwhichs, some traditonal and others that were unique to The Firehouse. Nicely done chicken cheesesteaks, pretzel melts, burgers & wraps and then 2 pastas to choose from. Our waitress was very professional and handled our large group with ease. She checked back on drinks and dessert and didn't get 1 order wrong out of 14 people. My chicken and goat cheese salad was excellent, full of flavor and filled me up as much as a dinner would. What impressed me most was the prices for the food. So many restaurants in Harrisburg charge big city prices for down right bad food. My only knock is the location/parking. In the end, it is refreshing to go to a restaurant where I enjoyed the food, atmosphere and price and felt like I could go back and have the same experience again.
(4)
Erin G.
The best mango mojitos around and delish crab cakes and fresh bread. service can be kind of slow
(4)
Allison S.
I am a big fan of local restaurants and supporting local economy, so after being in and out of Harrisburg for quite awhile, I decided to give the popular Firehouse a try. And was not impressed. The wine selection was lackluster and outrageously expensive (and what? No malbec!?) My party was underwhelmed by their mixed drinks. For our appetizer we got the Firebread which was basically just overly salted cheesy bread with more salty oil and spices which had nothing classy about it and reminded me of the flavor combinations that I could find at an Applebees. I had the NY strip steak that had fine flavor, but again - nothing special. My garlic mashed potatoes were super yummy, but the asparagus side which I was really looking forward to was more of a garnish than a side. Nothing was impressive enough to make us want to stay and have dessert, which was disappointing since I'd heard such great things about this place. Even with reservations and arriving 5 minutes early we still waited for over ten minutes in their entrance/reception area which is basically the highest traffic part of the restaurant, right next to the bar and the bar runners, right at the elevator and the foot of the stairs. Chaotic. Our server was very friendly, but I won't be going back.
(1)
Mike I.
Good menu. Good service. No smoking makes it a great place for a meal now. Didn't like the crab appitizer. Good drinks too
(4)
Alice Z.
Interesting decor. Very edgy. Lots of chrome but also comfy. Delicious food, good service. Calamari was very fresh and crispy but light. Nice change of pace from boring Carlisle restaurants.
(4)
Greg A.
Excellent, trendy restaurant in downtown Harrisburg. Good beer selection, excellent apps and entrees. I had an excellent seabass, and the steaks were cooked exactly by request. It tends to get quite crowded in there, so make sure you have time to wait during busy times.
(4)
Tosh K.
Dropped by during a road trip and what a find - thank you fellow yelpers! Started off the night with the Fresh Tuna Tower - the mango habanero salsa was a fantastic topping for the tuna slices. My cousin got the crab cake sandwich and I got the prime rib. Both were great - the prime rib was tender and juicy and the horseradish cream sauce definitely hit the spot. The service was excellent and the eclectic crowd of all ages all seemed to be having a great time. The interior decor was well done and the lighting was just right - the old firehouse charm definitely makes the place!
(4)
Mark W.
Backdraft steak sandwich with a cold beer is great. Fries are perfect.
(4)
Emily T.
We like the Firehouse. The staff is always friendly although, their Bar needs to be remodeled (very ackward setup). They don't have great beers, but their food makes up for it. Last time we were there we started with the Firebread - delicious, but we didn't realize that you get bread automatically. I had Chilean Seabass with veggies and mashed potatos because they ran out of the trout that I wanted. It was good, but nothing to call home about. He had prime rib with asparagus and mashed potatoes.. VERY good. Bottom line: we recommend it to our friends
(4)
Jeff S.
Many people will tell you that The Firehouse is the best restaurant in Harrisburg and I can see why they might feel that way.
(5)
kathy c.
Nicest casual restaurant in the 'burg to get a good meal and a few rounds of drinks with friends. They also have outdoor seating when it gets nice out, but watch out for those crazy bugs off the Susquehanna. Can really ruin a nice evening.
(4)
Anna S.
I am a huge fan of the firehouse. As the name implies it's a converted firehouse and has a firehouse decor. The bar is up front and it has duel layer dining. They don't have a strict dress code but I do tend to dress a little nicer when we plan to attend and may skip it if I wasn't dressed nicely if we where out and about. However jeans and a nice top will do fine. Some of my menu favorites are the NY Strip with the mash potatoes and asparagus. Their pork "buffalo wings" are extremely nice, and the wasabi tuna was delightful. My husband tends to take me here for special occasions like Mother's Day, etc. It's extremely classy food at a fair price. Only negatives I see it of course being in the city no parking lot, I find state street the best place to find parking when you go, it's close by and a good bit of room to find a spot, also for non-smokers even the non-smoking section gets hit being 2 story dining there is little they can do about that. I also find it a tad on the pricy side but the portions are huge and very high quality.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes 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 : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Jen Q.
Next time someone calls in an order for a grilled cheese at 2pm, just tell them "no, we turned the flat top off because we weren't expecting any more customers even though we are still open", instead of putting melted cheese between two slices of plain white bread. I didn't discover this aberration until getting back to my office when it was too late to return it and had to throw the disgusting thing in the trash. I ask you, what kind of place can't manage a grilled cheese sandwich?
(1)Denny T.
No reservation was made. Came in late for dinner. Bar tender and host service was good. Bar tender was nice enough to describe various items on the menu. After taking a few suggestions and moments I decide on a drink mojito. I ordered the gumbo (they ran out of the lobster bisque- soup of the day) and firehouse stack (crab cake on a filet on a pillow of mashed potatoes with hollandaise). The pace of service to food was appropriate. First came the Mojito. A nice balance of fresh mint, citrus, and alcohol. The gumbo came shortly after. Right amount of spice, plenty of meat, tomatoes, and some crawfish. Not paying for the broth of meat and seafood here. Crackers were offered but not needed. Freshly made loaf of bread very nice to enjoy in it's own. I finished my drink at this time. I ordered an orange crush. Fireball and orange soda. Drink was on the sweet side, not a complaint. The Firehouse Stack arrived hot from the kitchen. Evaluating each element. Filet was ok. Needed some salt or pepper. Crab cake was a good match to get some of the needed salt. Hollandaise was different add to the combination of proteins. A mix of vegetables were also on the dish. Squash, and carrots were al dente. Mashed potatoes we a bit cream. Nothing spectacular. Good: Overall food, beverages, and service were better than average. More than reasonable priced meals. Bad: No real complaints. I would come back.
(4)Simon D.
My overall experience was ok. However I do feel it's a bit overpriced. We didn't need reservations for 7pm on a Friday evening. For an appetizer we got the oysters on the half shell, $16 for half a dozen tiny tiny tiny oysters. Honestly 2 of the 6 oysters had meat about the size of a quarter. I would have been embarrassed to serve that. We purchased 3 entrees. The first, the firecracker pasta was pretty good. The flavor was there and the pasta was cooked well. The the shrimp was tender but the chicken was definitely dry, $18. Second entree we got the Land and sea with colossal shrimp. It looked kind of silly coming out. 4oz filet with 3 (albeit large) shrimp with with two half cobs of corn sticking straight up off the plate. The filet was perfectly cooked, but the shrimp was a bit dry $39. Ouch. Third was the king cut prime rib, pretty large cut, with a tangy horseradish sauce. The meat was juicy and tender. We substituted the baked potato for the garlic mash which was very good. The veggies were normal. $29. Over $100 for three slightly above average entrees. For the price I would have expected a nicer ambiance. Premium gourmet prices, but without the quality to match. I wouldn't return.
(2)Iris L.
The service was great. Food was good. A little under seasoned but better under than over. For the cost of the dinners I think a salad should have been included for the price. But overall a good experience.
(3)LaRen R.
Amazzzzing...I got the 2 crab cakes with a side of potatoes and a side salad...and I was soooooo pleased...I am very picky about my crab cakes and i felt these crab cakes were some of the best I had...
(5)Rachel H.
this is a restaurant in an old fire house station, which is really an incredible idea. the roof collaspsed, but the general building is what holds the restaurant. great for a history junky. the staff told us a bit about the place, and showed us photos, so cool! my boyfriend and i are from out of town, and stopped in here for the history and because it was raining pretty bad outside. the bar is in front, so from the window you can't see there's an entire bottom and second floor to this place. i loved the red and black and fire fighter theme through out. it really shows the dedication to the history behind the building. overally, we had just eaten so we didn't order food. we got drinks, i had something with orange, which was freshly squeezed, which very much surprised me. i also got a basic Cesar salad, because it was the only other thing i could afford on the menu (i am a broke college student). service was great, but testy even though we had told her we weren't going to order food; i think she asked if we were okay about 20 times to many, but that wouldn't affect me going back here. a lot of unique things on the menu (both drinks and food). the menu is catered to sea food lovers which i am not. but definitely on the fancier side.
(3)Shariq H.
Pretty sweet place with slow to average service times. The interior was set up very well and the food choices all sounded amazing. And they were, but simpler than what one would have assumed. They were priced high and offered good sized portions but it was all very simple. The Firehouse Noodle are a no go. Way to bland and nothing to make them fiery. The lobster ravioli on the other hand was quite a treat and the creamy sauce was good. You can get it with red sauce too if you'd prefer.
(3)Kristen M.
We came here for a rehearsal dinner on a Friday evening. We were seated in the upstairs private dining area and had access to our own private bar. We started our with three appetizers served family style: Fire Bread, Crab, Spinach & Artichoke Dip, and chicken wings (decently spicy). The Fire Bread was my favorite and the crab dip was loaded with crab. For the second course we had options of Ceasar salad, house salad, or Firehouse Gumbo. I had the Ceasar salad which was standard. For the third course we had options of the Firehouse Burger, Stoned Chicken, Firehouse Pasta, or Tuscan Lasagna. I had the Stoned Chicken (Chicken breast wrapped with bacon and grilled under a stone until crispy. Drizzled with a Jack and coke glaze and served with wild rice blend.) It was really juicy and full of flavor. The menu and restaurant have the whole old Fire House theme going for it, which was cute. Great service from the two ladies working the party and a really good, filling, and enjoyable meal.
(4)Matt H.
Went here for a nice dinner, expecting more than a bar. Place isn't necessarily terrible or like arrogas down the street, but I found the menu small and not very offering considering the pricing. Also my comment when sitting down was when I am spending $30 a plate I don't expect to sit in duct tape covered booth seats.. our drinks were pretty pricy considering Harrisburg as well. Now if this was DC or baltimore inner harbor I wouldn't even mention it but wow for 2nd Street and not being Hilton. All was not lost though, had chicken wrapped in bacon (which looked like the healthiest option on the menu other than salad) which was good, our waitress was also great- reason for the 3rd star here.
(3)Rebecca L.
The Firehouse gets a 5 star review because of Jonette!! We were in Harrisburg for a wedding, and we made a reservation for Friday night. The food was solid....our group had the crab cakes, chicken parm, lasagna, and the fish 'n chips....no complaints. The service and friendliness of Jonette...made the evening. She was very knowledgable of the food, drinks, area, etc.... she is a little gem in this restaurant!! This is a very reliable restaurant for food, drinks and service!! We will be back when we are in the area.
(5)Tony B.
Make a reservation, this place fills up. As the name suggests, this place is a former Harrisburg fire station with a nice fire company themed atmosphere. Our waitress was friendly and as prompt as possible with a pretty full restaurant. The pork ossobucco is absolutely awesome. The salted carmel cake, delicious.
(4)Jerry G.
Really neat restaurant. Get the calamari. Good prices. Great service. Bloody Mary was delicious. Beer is cold. Crab cakes were outstanding. We will definitely return.
(5)Britt B.
While I'm not a huge fan of the decor/atmosphere (unless you are sitting upstairs), I still really like the food here and the close proximity to the downtown area. The lobster ravioli is definitely my favorite meal here! It was a huge portion, and so delicious. The lobster stuffed chicken and "the stack" are also great meals to get here.
(4)Barry R.
The portions are gigantic. You are not sure if you are there to eat the food, or if the food is there to eat you! The decor is very fun and colorful, old tin ceilings and exposed brick walls. There are several floors of dining and many big tables able to seat large parties. We were a party of 10, and even though we did not call ahead and arrived on a Saturday night, they sat us within 15 minutes. When we arrived there were several bachelor and bachelorette parties and then more came in as the night went on, but it never got too loud or rowdy. Several of our party had salads, which were hearty (big compliment for salad). A few others had seafood, baked fish and crab cakes, none of it was too greasy and the portions were huge. The meat balls were my wife's favorite, you could taste the quality, it was all homemade, not overly salty or processed. The service was good, one waitress took care of us and she had helpers to fill drinks. Though I don't know how she navigated the stairs and the tables in the dark, it was very dark in there, which was nice for ambiance, and not so good for getting to the bathroom. We picked up the check at the end and the damage wasn't so bad for 10 adults. The Firehouse put out the hunger burning in our belly's. Thumbs up!
(4)Dwayne S.
I gotta say my Wife's filet mignon and appetizers; fresh tuna and scallops Rockefeller were incredible!! I got the hot wings and they were blah!! They tasted like Redhot. I was very disappointed with the wings! With such a great place you guys need some better wing sauces.
(4)Lee K.
Very disappointed after hearing great things about this place. Nice decor but food was just average and service was terrible. Waiter added a dollar to each of our items compared to what was in menu and then added a 20% tip to each of our bills. Not used to this for a party of four. Will definitely not be returning!!!
(1)Jason T.
If you are from out of town DO NOT GO HERE!!! Total local bar where if you are not a regular they treat you poorly. Rude bar service, didn't even have time to try any food; the bar tender and the patrons were super rude. Took 2 sips of my drink and bolted. Not a great impression of Harrisburg, hopefully my next trip here I can find something better. They are getting one star since zero is not an option.
(1)Sean F.
USED to be great. Last three times in, my meal has been wrong. They USED to have a great blackened chicken cheesesteak, but the guy who must have known how to make it must not work there anymore. We used to LOVE this place, but now... It's a shame.
(2)Sherry S.
They were having a tough night. Big party of 58 upstairs on the third floor. Trouble was that we were on the second floor. Waitress was AWOL. 20,minutes waiting and no beer. My appetizer/small plate that was supposed to served at the same time as my daughter's steak came out first. No waitress to be found. Eventually called the front desk from my phone and five (count 'em, five),minutes later she had still not shown up. Decided not wait for the steak. Can't comment on the food, but the service was poor. Sorry
(1)Erin A.
My plan was to order fire bread and calamari. It is always, in house, good and my standard order. (To clarify, I eat out very infrequently, but have always enjoyed firehouse's food.) Yelp reviews recommended crab puffs. I was VERY skeptical. I tentatively called to order firebread and the crab puffs. Oh. My. Gawdess. So yummy! The crab puffs were not what I expected at all. Wow. Amazing. Delicious! Will tell my friends! Yum. As for the firebread, it was okay. Not what I expected, but it seems like home made bread, which I appreciate. I give firehouse a happy recommendation. :)
(4)Nick C.
After sitting at the Aroogas bar for 15 minutes and not getting served I thankfully walked down to the Firehouse and sat and got immediate service. They had a small but good selection of craft beers and I chose the Troegs Seasonal. Service was fast, pricing was good, atmosphere was awesome and the food was great. I am so glad I got treated so poorly at Aroogas as I found a new favorite spot! Highly recommend.
(5)Jasin R.
Hate this. Been one time. Never go back. Food order messed up. Service terrible. Not sure how in business so long.
(1)Angela A.
Dissapointed as all anything. Steak and Calamari salad was a waste, no flavor, the "medium rare" steak was Rare ,like afraid to eat it rare. And the salad was almost all iceberg lettuce, no flavor. My boyfriend's gumbo tasted like black pepper. Highly dissapointed, Will Not be Going Back, $30 down the drain.
(1)Kristin K.
I had previously reviewed The Firehouse on July 6th following a terrible experience due to a terrible server. Since then, I have been personally contacted by Abby, the supervisor of this server, who has apologized and encouraged me to try the restaurant again. I can't say how appreciative I am of this matter being taken so seriously! This shows that the management cares about how their patrons are being treated and that they have the utmost integrity, as this particular member of (former) staff was attempting to extort the business with false gratuities. I retract my one-star review, as I am taken aback by how The Firehouse reacted and remedied the situation. I look forward to trying out the menu again and going to see Abby - she's great!
(4)Joe A.
I've been hearing about this pace for years and finally had the chance to stop in. At first I wasn't really sure about it. It was a bit loud and I'm pretty sure something in the kitchen burned because it was a bit smokey upstairs. Our waitress Wendy was quick to visit us and was super friendly. She was also very helpful with appetizer selections. We ordered the bacon wrapped chicken tenders to start. They were awesome in that they were really tender, juicy and full of flavor and just enough spice. They could probably do with a few more craft beers, but they had a few I liked so I can't take off point for that. My girlfriend had a mango mojito which she was a big fan of. For dinner my girlfriend ordered the crab cake, I ordered the sausage and spinach cannolis and my fried ordered the rock chicken. My girlfriend is VERY particular when it comes to crab cakes and I could tell she was blown away by them. It was pretty much all crab and no filler. My friend raved about his rock chicken with the root beer glaze. I would have sampled some of their stuff, but I was in love with what I ordered. I haven't had food that good in maybe a year. I feel like I could have ordered that dinner 3 more times and finished it each time. If they were open today I'd be back there again.
(5)Katie B.
Came here for my husband's birthday dinner. Enjoyed everything. I got the: steamed clams- perfectly cooked; FireHouse Cheesburger Dip - good just tad too much tomatoes needed more bread and they brought use some fresh; Prime Rib - asked for it with te Parmesan orzo OMG SOOO GOOD! Perfectly cooked took 1/2 home since it was too big for me to eat; and a chocolate peanut butter cup cake - huge piece, not heavy at all. Firehouse by all accounts exceeded our expectations in every way.
(4)Kelley S.
The filet mignon with mashed potatoes and asparagus hit the spot. The decor is very interesting and the bar serves very strong drinks!
(3)Michael M.
Super friendly staff ( I sat at the bar). The food was tasty. I had the New Orleans nachos, gumbo and duck cakes. Everything was delicious. I'll be back my next time through Harrisburg.
(5)Luke M.
So it was a Thursday night, not too busy. We were on the first floor, and any doubts we had about the restaurant were quickly removed as Corey (our server) calmed all of them. We had a million questions because it was our first time there in almost 10 years, and even though Corey was a newer employee (he admitted it after question 10 lol), he did a wonderful job! The food was surperb and beautifully made (I had the stack) and Corey catered to anything we needed, even though I counted at one point him having at least 5 tables at once. If you ever need a fresh personality and a warm smile, ask for him, and get the Mango mojito, they're to die for. You did well hiring this one Firehouse managment. Last time we came here a few years ago, we swore we would never come back, but you've made us regulars again. Corey, if you can read this, keep it up, you withhold the standards of a humble, yet strong server.
(5)L L.
The Rhode Island Calamari was good and a little different. Do not bother coming here for the Steak. They do not know how to cook steak or select a cut of meat. The filet is cut too thin for a good cook. We ordered the NY Strip and Filet and both asked for medium but they came out Well Done. What was bizarre was that when the waitress brought them out she told us to cut in to them. First - that's a strange thing to tell a customer; Second - I can only assume that it was a recurring problem. Otherwise the ambience was good. I might have liked it better if I had ordered a burger. Ordered coffee at the end - that was good.
(2)Esq. H.
Just Ok......but good customer service! I came here for an office holiday lunch. You can reserve the 2nd and 3rd floors for private dining and events. We reserved the 2nd floor, which was ok ta best. The random lounge chairs in the room looked like they were attacked by piranhas (see photos) and the sound system doesn't work in that room so one of the employees randomly turned on a Pandora Christmas station on her iphone and then stuck it in a glass so it would resonate and we would have Christmas music - which no one requested. O_o We had a party of approximately 15 ppl. 5 if us ordered the same sandwich (chicken cheesesteak), naturally everyone got their sandwich and the entire party had their food.... but me. Supposedly they 'missed' my sandwich.....it arrived 10 minutes later. The portion size was large and the sandwich was tiring to eat......yes. Think large dry chunks of chicken on thick bread. We thought the meat would be thin sliced or shredded ..... we were wrong. It was ok but I wouldn't order it again. To make up for the error I was randomly given a red circle chip....with no explanation of what it was. ....come to find out it was a drink coin - for a free drink of my choice..... what if I don't drink..? When the bill came another person provided me with a 10$ gift card to pay for my meal which was more like it. They let us have separate checks and there was no overall gratuity for the large group. I also checked in on yelp and was about to use the $2 off coupon. The décor is ok, a few cool things though I was expecting more.....how is there no pole in a Firehouse...? Random side note they are now under new management as of Dec. 2013.
(3)Emily M.
I found this restaurant with help from Yelp while in town for a work trip. I was looking for a place to sit at the bar (travelling by myself) but still enjoy some good food, and this place fit the bill! Great atmosphere in this restaurant/bar - there is upper and lower level restaurant seating and the bar is kind of in the mezzanine level with a really cute fire hydrant serving as the bar taps. The restaurant is tastefully decorated in the "firehouse" theme, but no over the top/tacky. You can also tell that this place has some history, which is nice when you are in a place like Harrisburg. I ordered a pint of the local octoberfest beer, and the "world famous" crab cakes with sweet potato fries and a cucumber salad. Service here was super fast - my meal was out in 10 minutes tops! Crab cakes were delicious - so much crab meat and no bread crumbs/fillers. It was also a much larger portion than what I was expecting based on the price on the menu. Overall I really enjoyed my food here and had a great overall experience. I will definitely be back to eat here when in the area.
(4)Ali Y.
had the soup/sandwich (was told the sandwich was a pizza) combo for lunch, the soup was good but came out after the pizza, and after everyone else had their soup in my group, the pizza was very disappointing, rather a flatbread appitizer rather than pizza it was tiny! the taste was ok, I've had some really good sandwiches before and everyone in my group enjoyed their meal, would have loved to get a pizza!
(2)Erin B.
Great food, great atmosphere and great service. I've only eaten here once and it was at the bar at lunchtime but I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. It's an old firehouse and they've kept the atmosphere authentic.
(4)Lindsey C.
Came here with my boss for dinner while on a business trip. He raved about his last time at the Firehouse (6 years ago) so I guess I had higher expectations. Tried the Spicy Ahi Tuna Salad to start. Easily could have been an entree salad. Forgot to ask for the dressing on the side and quickly regretted that as the salad was drenched in dressing. It was good but just too much of it. Ordered the Firehouse stack, filet topped with a crab cake, for my entree. Good portion, crab cake was tasty. Nothing too impressive about the filet. My boss ordered the Baked Chicken Tenders and the Phoenician Baked Trout which is a whole trout baked encrusted in salt. They bring it out and present the fish in the salt crust and then proceed to remove the salt crust and serve the fish by filetting it tableside. Interesting presentation. Overall, decent service and food but if I am ever back in Harrisburg, I'd probably skip the Firehouse.
(3)Jamal J.
Great food, cool menu, and friendly staff right in the heart of harrisburg. Seeing how there isn't terribly much to do in harrisburg this is a great place to come and hang.
(4)Debra C.
Had the BBQ chicken sandwich and the Cubanito....both were very good. Would come back here.
(4)Dan D.
The only saving grace of this place is the quality of the cook and cut of the meat and fish. I got a the prime rib with mash potatoes, asparagus and a horseradish hollandaise sauce. The steak was cooked perfectly but had no seasoning, and no flavor. The asparagus was over cooked, and a dead brown color. I was hoping the horseradish sauce was to work on the steak, but it was so bland all it added to the steak were calories. The mash potatoes were awesome, you could tell that they were fresh not boxed, and were the only thing I cared to finish on the plate. Total rip off at $21 a plate. My wife got a special catch of the day which was hollandaise glazed halibut on top of a bed of potato hash, and asparagus. The hash was comprised of potato, corn, red pepper, and rubbery over cooked lobster. Then drizzled with more hollandaise. The halibut was fresh, moist, and flakey. The hash was outright disgusting. It was an awful concoction that caused us to wonder if the chef even tasted it before putting it on the menu. Another total rip off at $24 a plate. Look if you have to eat here don't buy anything that looks complicated. I'm sure the simpler dishes are so much better because the cooks know how to cook the food. It just seems that the recipes are either way to complex for their own good, or epically fall flat with no flavor.
(2)Jennie G.
Went here for dinner with some coworkers. Food and service were great. We order the firebread and escargot stuffed mushrooms for the table. Both were tasty, escargot stuffed mushrooms were a little on the small side. I ordered the new york strip that came with mashed potatoes and asparagus. Would definitely come back here again.
(4)A B.
We came with hockey team and parents. They gave us a huge space upstairs, our own bar and bartender, and over all great service. The food was bar food done well. Downstairs decor was awesome. Bathrooms were clean. Staff couldn't have been friendlier or more competent.
(4)Rich R.
After all the positive reviews I looked forward dinner at The Firehouse. It was disappointingly average. I know people love this place and I will be widely denounced, but this is my story: Perhaps I ordered the wrong dish and they were having an off night. Chose the "Firehouse Pasta", roasted red peppers, shrimp, and chicken. The server told me it was "spicy"; it wasn't. It was a sloppy combination of bland chicken tenders, a few gamy shrimp and a pool of water in the bottom of the bowl. I did not finish the dish. I am not a food snob, seriously, find me at any White Castle. To sum up my meal, I could have prepared a better version of it at home; and that is not saying much. On a positive note, I did enjoy the building, an 1870's Fire House. OK one more little critique, with so much attention to historic detail I am surprised by the Discount Dinette-Mart choice of tables and chairs upstairs, at least hide them with some tablecloths.
(2)Jimmi C.
This place is beautiful and classy feeling. The food was great and service was awesome.. Would come again
(5)Kellie F.
The atmosphere, décor and history was better than the food and service. I'm glad I came and read about the building history, but probably won't return. I went during business lunch hour and all the tables were full, so it was a bar meal for me. Normally, I like eating at the bar because I can get a better perspective on the menu from the bartender. However, the 2 bartenders weren't in a friendly mood, so no chit chatty for me. I did check in on Yelp and received a $2.00 discount (yeah!), but I was surprised I was charged for my 2 diet cokes at a $1.00 a piece, so no discount for me! I had the grilled cheese and chili. It was okay...nothing great, but at least edible. I did share a crab fritter appetizer with my friend and they weren't edible...not even sure what was inside the fried coating.
(2)Roma P.
My date and I started off with a very inattentive waiter who seemed to be preoccupied with everyone else except us. We ordered the crab puffs which we thought we were familiar with. They were not at all what we expected and actually quite disgusting. He never even checked on us considering with both took one bite and left the entire plate as it was. However dinner was great. I has the white truffle orchetti and he had the blackened salmon. So aside from the first hour, everything else was great :)
(4)Mike S.
Went there today for my birthday dinner with family and ordered the flat iron steak with fries.... I ordered the steak well done i recieved a steak that that was barely warm in the center and blood pouring out of it (the steak was warm to the touch didnt even feel like temp had been reached for proper cooking thats how bloody it was) the fact that someone had cut the steak already made it far worse cause once it was cut obviously it wasnt cooked at i ordered it, so i sent the steak back to be cooked properly. Instead of getting a new steak like i would have thought (since it was already cut and the juices left out) i get the same steak on the same plate with the same old fries that were prolly just put under a heat lamp to stay warm. The steak was seasoned far too much to actually enjoy, a spoon full of spices is what i felt like i was eating because the steak was so dry and so over seasoned. Terrible expirience!
(1)Peter T.
The worst experience ever. A steak knife fell from the second floor and stabbed my shoulder. I mentioned it to the waitress and she apologized. She said the manager was too busy to stop by. The knife could have hit me in the head. Horrible service. Don't eat here.
(1)Linna F.
We had just gotten off a 3.5 hour ride from Amtrak and were wandering around the streets looking for a place that was open at 2pm on Saturday. A few locals were nice enough to inquire about what we were looking and 2 folks recommended we check out The Firehouse. Apparently, being the oldest firehouse in PA and the second oldest in the country really lends itself to a great atmosphere. The food (burgers, sandwiches, etc) was really good and very affordable ~$8-10. It was just the right amount of food after being on the train all morning and the food really hit the spot (and didn't leave a dent in my wallet, either!)
(4)David K.
All 4 times we've been here, everything was outstanding. On the one occasion when they got slammed and the waitress forgot our drinks, she felt bad and gave us a free round. The food, is some of the best consistently in the area. The are slightly down the strip on 2nd st, somewhat annoying to go down there, but its worth it. Really coold design inside, and they've spent a lot of time on details. The firebread is a must have. Its simple, but amazing. The phonetian baked trout might be the best pound for pound meal we've ever had. Its been hard for my wife to even order anything else because it is just so good and unique. It comes with a shell of salt around it, but its only there to lock in the flavor. The fish inside it is cut out and fileted in front of you, and is far from salty. The crispy fried spinach is just unreal.
(5)Matthew D.
We ate dinner here as a family while spending the night in Harrisburg as we were able to walk and it was recommended by Yelp. A hipster we encountered as we left the hotel confirmed that this is the place to be. We were very pleased. At first when you walk in, you think this isn't going to be a good place for kids but they seated us in a large booth in the rear, upstairs, and it was a great overall restaurant experience. Professional waitress; she knew her stuff and didn't talk too much. Flexible kitchen with regards to our children. I've never seen children eat clams so quickly. I only had one. Great beer selection. Great atmosphere (in front, near the bar would be great without kids, rear is excellent with the kids). Great service. Manager promised to mail my credit card to me after I left it there. I promised her a sterling review on Yelp and it was easy to write this as we had a fun evening in a great restaurant.
(5)Dorothy B.
The most incredible chik and bello salad - every time I come to Harrisburg I am going to need to come back here!!
(5)Doug W.
A step-up pub, this place offers some interesting twists to bar food, such as duck cakes: Fried balls of spiced stuffing with chopped duck meat. The place also serves a good classic burger.
(4)Paul M.
Visiting from LA and wanted outside of hotel for dinner. Loyal to 4+ stars on yelp so tried this great spot. Phoenician trout- outstanding, sea bass very good, tuna tower great and buffalo wings ( I am from Buffalo originally) were up to Buffalo standards. Top off with nice Sam Adams and great service - you have a winner.
(5)Liza R.
Cool place overall and nice concept. We were with a big party with a kids table. They did not have printed kids menu, which generated some confusion and we ended up paying a hefty price for what we thought was a kids menu item. They did not propose much to rectify the situation, one of the waitresses decided to lecture us instead. So, we could have had a much better experience if they thought to have a kids menu printed for a party with about 20 kids... The manager, although very polite, could not offer an explanation of why there is no printed kids menu... Too bad, overall could have been a better evening if somebody had a eureka moment and decided to prepare for the reserved party with 20 kids at a separate kids table in advance. They did not forget to print out the specials for tonight, though, so they DO have a printer.... LOL
(2)Mike D.
Any place that celebrates firefighters the way the Hard Rock does rock stars rules automatically, but this landmark is even cooler than I expected. Full of vintage photographs, equipment and restored to its 19th Century glory, it tells the story of the Harrisburg Hope Fire Company that served the Capitol for over a century. My first Rhode Island Calamari experience was indeed memorable. All flavored-up with banana peppers and onions, it's gonna be hard to go back to the usual . Hell yeah, they know how to cook them some jumbo scallops! Perfect, simple goodness. However, I was completely taken by surprise by the parmesan orzo, which is downright sinful. The crab cakes do not suffer from a lack thereof, with rich chunks to be enjoyed along with a nice, juicy steak expertly cooked to order. This is one of times when I wish Yelp allowed halves since this deserves a tad closer to a 5 for all-around experience.
(4)Jack W.
I find this place OK. Lots of friends recommend this place but according to my books it is OK. This place is just fine, nothing special about it. The menu price is not that expensive 15 bucks per person. Good place to take a causal date.
(3)Candice S.
I've eaten here on more than one occasion, and have always left full and satisfied with my meal. Favorites of mine are the crab puffs, firehouse bread, and firehouse stacker (crabcake and filet mignon). We decided to hold a family dinner for my 30th birthday based on my love for this restaurant. Reservations were made 3 weeks before the big day, and 3 days before I called to confirm, only to be told that my reservation was never booked. Upon speaking to the owner, who was apologetic while I was frantic, I was told that another party was booked for the night and I had to cut down my guest list. If it hadn't been 3 days before my party and I had guests coming from out of town, I would have found another restaurant to hold the event based on my interaction with the owner, especially since he was the one who initially took my reservation and never booked it. Thankfully, we kept the reservation, and we received the best service I have ever received. The staff were wonderful and made sure every one of our needs were met even though the party was larger than expected (35 people) and everyone needed separate checks.
(4)Chris S.
A great find from google maps. We were passing through town and needed a place for dinner. Great service and tasty food. I had the salmon which came medium rare, just the way I like it. My wife had a steak and calamari salad which was tasty! Warning. The portions are big!
(4)William T.
Price seems a little high for the quality and flavor of the food.
(3)Gordon M.
I had heard rave reviews of the Firehouse from people I know. In fact, in other cases, they have referred me to some great restaurants in PA and NY. Quite honestly, this place was disappointing. The food was OK. Not great. The service was great but I don't come back for service, I come back for great tasting food. The Firehouse doesn't have a tasty crab-cake sandwich. The fries were soggy. The lettuce in my salad was on its last wobbly legs. The best thing I ordered was a bottle of Angry Orchard Cider. The rest was MEH!
(2)Lou L.
I've been here several times and i've had both positive and negative experiences. The building itself and decor is very cool. It's a converted old firehouse (as the name suggests) and is not done over the top. The service is generally attentive and friendly. The food is generally pretty good, but they have a limited amount of food if you are just looking for sandwiches, burgers, etc. The Backdraft is one of my favorites. I did try a pasta there once and it was very bland. The appetizers are very good too. Definitely wort giving a shot if you are in town.
(3)Tamara M.
This place rocks! Visiting from outta town, found it on Yelp. So good that we've eaten there 2x in two nights. Have had the trout, the bacon-wrapped chicken tenders, the gumbo, the pasta (Fuoco?), the R.I.-style calamari (dang, I guess we sound like little porkers!). Our waitress Dottie took stellar care of us both nights, and good beer was available, too - of which we drank some. If you're not familiar with this part of downtown - yes those long skinny painted areas off of Liberty (around the corner from the entrance) truly ARE parking spots. ;-) Oh, and the prices? Super reasonable, especially considering the fairly unique, top-notch menu.
(5)Eddie K.
The only reason I am giving this place any stars were the duck cakes and stuffed peppers. They were pretty good. But the entrees were terrible. Had the filet with crab cakes. Ordered medium rare, came out well done. Why would you serve béchamel sauce with filet? Ordered prime rib medium rare, got well done+. No kidding. In Harrisburg, go to Bricco.
(2)Jeannette H.
I can't say enough good things about this place! I stumbled upon it kind of by accident through a Harrisburg tourist information website as I was planning my best friend's bachelorette party. We were planning on going to the Hershey Spa the next day and needed a place to eat and celebrate. Going out wasn't really the centerpiece of our time in Pennsylvania, it was more about the spa, so I booked a place kind of last minute. I was looking for something relatively low-key, reasonably priced and group friendly. I reserved a table based on the reviews the restaurant got, and not much else. When I reserved a table, I didn't tell them it was for a bachelorette party. When we got there, the waiter took our drink orders and then promptly brought us back a round of shots on the house. He was extremely accommodating and put up with some pretty ridiculous antics on our part. At the end of the meal, he gave us a free piece of chocolate cake to share. Again, we didn't prepare them for this but they treated us so well. We were blown away and they made our night so special! Again, we weren't really expecting much from dinner, just a way to fill our stomachs so we didn't get too drunk back in our hotel room, but they treated us so well and added a whole new level to our celebration. The bride couldn't be happier! The food was also excellent! We shared the firebread. Some girls ordered steaks. I personally had "the Backdraft" sandwich with filet and it was absolutely fantastic! The decor is unique, the service is fantastic, and the food is delicious! I thought for what we got, the prices were definitely reasonable. They managed to make our weekend even more memorable than it had already promised to be! If I am ever back in Harrisburg I will definitely go back and recommend it to friends.
(5)June L.
Very good place for a business meal, offer a wide variety of food..... Calamari was a bit oily but tasty I had the seafood platter - scallop was good, shrimp was great, but crab cake was a bit salty...... Our waitresses were great, I must have asked her for hot tea, honey and lemon like 5 times and she brought them every time....... some of my party ordered steak, they said it was decent....the trout looked great........ Might have been 5 stars if it wasn't for the calamari and salty crab cake.....
(4)John Q.
Food is hit or miss. Ask for recommendations.
(3)Jenn S.
In PA with no idea where to eat, so we searched Yelp for ideas. No luck, no luck, then... We stumbled upon the reviews for The Firehouse. We immediately knew we had our place! We called @ 6:30 for call-ahead or a reservation and were able to make a res for 7:30. PERFECT. When we got there, we found parking right across the street! Nice. We walked in and had to wait about 30 seconds for the hostess to greet us (there's no hostess stand, which is a bit odd...) and were immediately sat downstairs. I remember one of the previous reviews mention a smoking section? We did not encounter that. We were in a tall, large booth, and had plenty to look at - all the knick-knacks and pictures - so fun! Since we were planning on getting movie popcorn after, we didn't get the amazing-looking Firebread, but were eventually given a loaf of hot-from-the-oven fresh bread. It took a LONG time though - would have been nice to have that first! For our meals, we settled on a large salad for me (Chick peas, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms - I left these off, cucumbers, roasted sunflower seeds over mixed greens with your choice of dressing) and the Blackened Chicken Cheesesteak for my hubby (with sautéed onions and green peppers with melted cheddar cheese on a toasted baguette roll with firehouse fries). I, of course, had to sample his. My salad was huge - I couldn't even finish it, which is unusual for me - and SOOO good. It was exactly what I wanted. And the cheesesteak & fries? Delish as well! Apparently there was an accident with his sandwich, so that's why our food took so long. But the waitress didn't tell us that until she brought the food out. Would have been nice to have been told sooner. Other than that, the service was fantastic. I have down at home what the price was, so I'll have to update this, but I remember it being pretty reasonable (granted, my salad was $6, plus $2 for added blackened chicken). A fantastic meal in a unique place with great history!!
(4)Francesca A.
My boyfriend and I had a great experience here. Both dishes were really enjoyable and cooked well, the waitress was attentive, and the whole place had a nice ambiance.
(4)Stuart W.
Good service. Nice theme and good for a quick meal
(4)Greg D.
August 2011 An old friend was in town and asked me if I wanted to get together for dinner. He's a foodie like me and he had researched some restaurants here prior to his visit and wanted to check this place out. I of course had heard of it, but had never been. So I happily agreed to join him. We walked in without a reservation and were immediately seated upstairs. It's got a pretty cool atmosphere. It's been a couple of months since I went, so I don't recall all the details. I know we ordered a couple of appetizers but honestly cannot remember what. I think the duck cakes and maybe the stuffed mushrooms. I remember they were tasty. Our server recommended the Phoenician baked trout and I decided to give it a try. YUM! It was outstanding! The salt-encrusted fish was served tableside with frizzled spinach and creamy orzo. Really and excellent meal! My friend had thecrab cake and filet mignon stack which he really, really enjoyed. Service was excellent, prices are reasonable, it has a nice varied menu, and the food was great!
(4)David S.
I have to say this place is pretty cool! The food is good and I very much enjoyed the duck cakes and the scallops.
(4)Woody H.
Extremely good service for a table for 28. Staff was excellent!
(4)Mandy H.
The set up of this place was cool. I think it was an actual old firehouse which gave the restaurant an old, authentic feel, but it was also a little dark and dingy, especially the bathrooms. I ordered the seafood papardelli pasta, which was a recommended dish and I have to say it was pretty bland. It came in cream sauce with big flat noodles topped with lobster, shrimp, and some peppers. There really wasn't much flavor from anything other than the creamy sauce. Everyone else I was with really liked their meals, though, so maybe I just picked the wrong entree. My boyfriend got the Phoenician Baked Trout, which was by far the coolest entree to come out. The fish came out of the kitchen whole and covered with salt and the waitress prepared it right at the table, scraping the salt off the fish and serving it over a bed of spinach and risotto on a large fish-shaped plate. Even though I didn't love my meal, I really liked the sangria special I had. It was a white sangria with pineapple and strawberries and soo good. It was $7 (a splurge for Harrisburg) and worth every penny. I would probably return to try something else on the menu if I'm ever in town again.
(3)J C.
Had a great experience and meal here. We walked in with a party of 9 and they were very accommodating. They gave us a private room upstairs. The service and the food were excellent. Would recommend making this place a routine stop if you are headed to Harrisburg.
(4)B M.
Had lunch yesterday (on a Saturday) with my wife and we're fans! Terrific food, fantastic service, great atmosphere and very reasonable prices. We shared two of their appetizers ("FireBread" & "Fresh Baked Chicken Tenders ") and a chicken sandwich ("The Backdraft"). Enjoy the free street parking on weekends and enjoy a leisurely lunch at a terrific restraurant!
(4)Christopher M.
A go-to spot! Great bartenders. Good service. Awesome decor. Interesting layout. Nice menu with quality food that's served up in nice portions. You do have to deal with a sports bar feel. But I heart this place immensely!
(4)Joy G.
This place isn't bad. I feel like they don't handle large crowds well. We went here for a work-lunch outting and there was about 12 of us. The waitresses seemed pretty annoyed, and it was hard to tell if they were irritated with our group specifically or just large groups in general. Overall good food selection though not great if you are vegan or vegetarian. The food was pretty good but the portions were absolutely huge. I ate a good solid bit and the waitress asked me if the food was ok and if I felt ok because I didn't eat much (which made me feel a little awkward).
(3)Ryan S.
Was visiting Harrisburg Pa with a group of friends from DC, based on the reviews we knew ahead of time this is where we would be going to get dinner. We arrived early enough (6:30) that we only endured a 15 minute wait to get a table for 4. Thankfully the bar was only half full so the group of guys I was with were able to all pull up a chair, order a beer and watch the game. I was dismayed by their beer choices of Bud, Bud light etc and was going to pass when I spotted a gem; Troeg Pale Ale. Nice save. Right as we finished our beers, the table was called. Our waitress, I want to say Megan, feel bad for not remembering her name exactly .. but I digress .. she is excellent, attentive and engaging. Would ask to be seated in her section again. We started with the Firebread appetizer which consisted of a large ciabatta bread cut in half, buttered, mozzarella cheese and dried crushed red pepeprs sprinkled in the center. What an awesome combination. It was served with dipping butter, I wouldve preferred olive oil but thats me. Still awesome non the less Our entrees came out shortly after. Chicken-bello salad, crab cake salad, filet mignon, Firehouse steak sandwich. The table went deafeningly quiet as we chowed down on our food. Everyone expressed pleasure of their food choice from the tender chicken in the salad, the large portion of crab meat, the steaks that made your mouth water. Oh yes this is what we call a home run. Feeling quite satisfied a few of us opted to order the peanut butter chocolate cake. Some of us thought it was excellent one individual of the group felt it was a bit dry. The approvers quickly revoked his fork and reduced the negative-nancy with childish names. Other references of sour grapes and sand being caught up in a certain body part were also freely applied. Cant wait to go back.
(5)David B.
Really liked Firehouse. Stopped here for lunch. Service was great. We ordered the cuban pork sandwich, which was Overfilling with meat, and with a side dish of wasabi cole-slaw. We also ordered a grilled chicken sandwich on a pretzel roll, which was also delicious. Would definitely return here again.
(4)Christopher D.
Great decor, friendly wait staff. Started with Fire Bread and shared Caprese salad, both excellent! Crab cakes excellent with no filler. My filet under the crab cake was overcooked, but I think waitress misheard me due to noise level (surprisingly high for a Tues night), as it was med well instead of the med rare I ordered. good wine list for bottles, but not very good for by the glass...a problem if you're having steak and she's having fish. Too stuffed for dessert!
(4)chrissy k.
I actually ate there about 3 months ago and can still remember exactly what I had. I had not one but TWO Mango Mojitos. Yes, they have made the mojito better than it already is. Yummmmm. I also had this very lovely crab cake that they boasted had no filler. The crab cake was big, fluffy and all crab, no bread crumbs to be seen. Yes I would surely eat here again. In fact The firehouse has inspired me to search out crab cake recipes so that I might duplicate the masterpiece. I haven't found it yet.
(5)Cynthia D.
This is a very unique place. Renovated firehouse turned into two story eatery and bar. I had the crabcakes and they were excellent. Great salad too. The downside? It has a bit of a sports bar feel. Not my bag. For Harrisburg, however, this was lovely and unique!
(3)David H.
Wonderful dinner for 5. Superb Prime Rib, great service and reasonably affordable considering the huge portions. A bid noisy on the upper floor, but overall a great dinner for our only night in Harrisburg
(4)MoCe C.
On a tuesday, service was swell. Have been here before n if its buzy ur drink order should b patience passion martinie. The duck balls were fab. Its intresting place with a fun menu.
(4)Stephen A.
Good things first. Great small bar with atmosphere. No waiting to be greeted on arrival. Wonderfully redocorated firehouse with great color choices. Prompt service. Now the not so great. Firebread is good but should have more kick to justify name. Calamari was too heavily crumbed. Steaks are just not well cooked. Should be more charred on outside and juicy in middle. Pasta selections are good but not enough choice. Dessert selection is dreadful. Two choices only? Pass. Not bad. But not as great as it should be.
(3)Kristina C.
I'm giving this restaurant 2 stars simply based on service alone. The food is 5 star worthy, but unfortunately the staff got a low 2. If you want to wait 45 minutes to finally be seated by a rude host and be constantly forgotten about by your waitress, come to this place. The food is almost worth the trouble. The decor is interesting since it is an old firehouse. If you decide to try this place, please order the bacon wrapped chicken tender appetizer, you will NOT regret it! Their "bello" salads are fantastic as well; good portion even when you order a small :)
(2)Greg C.
I had the baked salmon and it was absolutely delicious! It was the most flavorful and moist salmon I've ever had - and it was less than $20! The atmosphere is really nice... prices decent and the food is GREAT!
(5)Andrea W.
My Dad likes this place, so when he's in town, I take him here. Love the atmosphere: The interior is really cool, with bold, rich colors and period detailing. Still, everything is totally casual. Weeknights you can find a mix of post-work Capitol/business folks, parents with kids, 20-somethings. It's a little odd, but nice! I've never been overly impressed with the menu or food quality (last time I had lackluster crab cakes), but The Fire House is a good place to linger over a few beers and catch up without feeling rushed. Just be sure to tip your server well!
(3)Susan D.
I had to take a business trip to Harrisburg and as I was staying overnight, I thought I'd try the Firehouse for dinner. I'd stayed before at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and tried their restaurant, but I thought I'd try something different. The concierge recommended this place, and am I glad they did! I wanted to start my dinner with a nice appetizer, but as I was traveling and dining alone, I didn't want to waste anything. So I tried the Bello Salad, which was delicious. Now mind you, I could probably have made a meal out of the Crab Cake Salad! I still wanted a hot dinner, but not wanting to try a full-course dinner, I instead opted for Maryland Crab Cake Sandwich, which was served on a kaiser roll. I don't get good crab cakes very often in Pittsburgh, so this was a welcome alternative to a burger or chicken sandwich. It was really delicious and highly recommended. I don't drink, but apparently they don't have a huge beer or wine selection. That's okay. The food and service here are really good and if I'm ever back in H'burg again, I'll be sure to stop in. Maybe I'll try the Firehouse Stack.
(4)ken m.
This is a cool little place. The food was great. I started out with a small salad and fresh warm bread. I had gotten the filet mignon burger with brie cheese. This was an amazing burger. The meat was so tender it seemed to just melt in your mouth, The fries were...Ahhh OK not that great but the burger was definitely one of the best I have ever had. This was a cool little place with lots of history. But it almost seemed fake with all the little fireman toys all over the place. It just seemed a bit too much. I think you can get a good steak here for around 25 bucks. May not be cheap but after their burger I am sure it might be worth it.
(5)Scott L.
Fantastic food, fantastic atmosphere and smart servers. The filet backdraft is an awesome sandwich and truly is cooker to order! They're cream of crab is also delicious. Great for lunch or dinner!
(5)Albert J.
This restaurant is located in a fully restored, early 19th c firehouse in downtown Harrisburg. We had the crabcake sandwich - which was excellent - and some drinks. The atmosphere was fantastic, service good, and noise fine. The birthday special was very classy. The only downsides were limited parking (but downtown on a Saturday night is to be expected and is something of a good sign) and that the drink prices were a little steep.
(4)Jessica W.
Had my first experience in the private dining room at the Firehouse for a friend's bachelorette party about 2 weeks ago, and it was wonderful. The servers are always great there and this was no exception. I had their signature black martini (which was phenomenal) and the Hungarian Stuffed Peppers, which were one of the best things I've ever had from there. I highly recommend the Chick Bello Salad (my usual) and the Fire Bread is a must! I've always had a positive experience here and will continue to go back.
(4)Barbara V.
Mediocore food and ok service. The Backdraft steak sandwich is your best bet for consistentcy. Ok bar but small and crowded. You could do better.
(2)Dave P.
Went on a Saturday night with a party of 6. We were seated downstairs about 15 minutes past our reservation time. It was busy so no big deal. Our waitress showed up and asked when the other two people would be joining us. I said this is it. She seemed dismayed that there was only 6 and not eight of us. Only thing we could figure was she was hoping for an automatic tip. So we ordered drinks and apps. Drinks took some time to show up but again it was busy. We ordered three appetizers. Fire bread, crab puffs, and stuffed peppers. Bread was OK with oil to dip in. Crab puffs were good. Stuffed peppers had the most flavor and were quite good, however that was the smallest appetizer. Another round of drinks and on to dinner. I ordered the "authentic Maryland style" crab cakes because of all the good reviews. To me, I'm not sure exactly what makes a crab cake "authentic", but I was willing to try them out. Two medium size cakes arrived with a heaping pile of sweet potato fries. The cakes had almost zero flavor. Not sure if that's how they make them, but I have had better. Some other meals were blackened salmon and scallops. Both said they were good, however I noticed that only four scallops for an entire entree was skimpy. The decor is a little tired and its just not the cleanest place you will ever eat in. The bill was $250 for 6 of us. That included 6 beers and three frozen drinks. All in all, this is a better bar than a restaurant. I would go back, but I wouldn't be in any hurry. If you like this food, try Black n Bleu on the west shore, its owned by the same people.
(3)Julia D.
Although the interior is a great experience I've tried this place on three separate occasions just to give it a fair shake and have had the same experience each time. Mediocre to downright gross food, and poor service. The last time I went my table was shoved in a corner and at one point the servers needed our chairs to set up another table. No problem, except they just walked up and started grabbing with out so much as a hello and in the process smashed my husband's knee with a chair leg. I tried to like this place. But they have sorely disappointed. I'll stick with drinks at the bar to avoid the food and table service.
(1)Allan M.
I'd recommend Firehouse as a decent dining option for dinner. The lunch menu is there, but the dishes are much more hit or miss - I've tried several of their lunchtime specials - between the soups and sandwiches everything is so over-salted and just begs to be compared to a drive-thru fast food restaurant. Back to my point on dinner... Dinner is a good option. Not entirely sure if it's a different staff in the back, or what ... but the service is fast, the food is hot, and the portions are healthy and filling. The pork wings were large and fun, if curious, item on the menu - none of our party had heard of them before but they were surprisingly good. The fried calamari was also well done, lightly battered, and goes fine with red sauce (usual stuff). The entrees, again, very well portioned and everyone left full and satisfied. The filet steak is well prepared as is the prime rib ... which boasts two sizes for a difference of a few dollars, but both of which are enormous enough for any diner. Minus a star for lunch being not good compared to dinner Minus a star or two for having seen a rodent in the establishment on the second floor!
(2)Courtney W.
Eh. I've been to worse places. The beer was cold and the food was hot.
(2)Todd R.
Went on Valentine's this year. While they were accepting reservations, I did not make any. We might have waited a halfhour which wasn't bad. We had a few cocktails while waiting and mine was good. They have a lot of drink menu suggestions, almost too much, but the prices are all reasonable. For dinner, I had a salad while the bf had their lobster bisque (SOTD) and he said it was very good. I had the entree special, pork with a corn sauce and potatoes. It had a good presentation and good flavor. BF had one of their regular menu items and said it was really good. We did sample dessert as we split a chocolate cake with peanut butter icing. It was moist and delicious. I asked the server and she said some desserts are made in-house while some, like the cake, are made by their personal catered, the owner's sister. The prices are quite reasonable too. In fact, I would have no problem paying more for my meal.
(5)Nicole E.
Thanks to all who reviewed this restaurant - we went on you recommendations and had a nice time. We ate outside - and I'm glad we did, it was a bit loud inside since it was a Friday night. We had the firehouse bread and it was awesome!!! I could have had just that for dinner, but I had a salad too and it was good enough, nothing exciting. My husband loved his burger and fries and we were both very pleased with the service.
(5)Courtney H.
My boyfriend and I decided to take a little trip to Harrisburg on Saturday. Before we left I had researched (on Yelp.com of course) a couple of places to eat. The Firehouse came the most highly recommended of all the downtown restaurants...so we decided that was where we were going to try. Now I don't know where you guys are from that gave this place 5 stars but...we live in downtown Philadelphia where the food is pretty amazing and there is tons to choose from. Yes, I know, we are spoiled. And after reading all the reviews for the Firehouse I thought we were going to be impressed!! There are some seemingly good reviews on there. You can probably see where I'm going with this... we were not impressed. Not even close. BF got the roasted red pepper crab soup- which was ok- and he got a grilled Iron Skillet steak of some sort- which was cooked to a nice med. well and completely tasteless (wasn't seasoned before cooking) - even though he asked for it medium, a side of blue cheese mashed potatoes (they were cold and had huge chunks of cheese in them- which seemed to me like they took regular old mashed potatoes and dumped some cheese in during the last minute) AND some over cooked veggies. I got a side salad (which was mostly brown and wilted- seemed like lettuce out of a bag. I know you know what I mean- the dry edges) and a blackened chicken sandwich with peppers and onions- it gets a C- To top it all off the beer selection was meh. I asked for a Troegs summer ale (like they advertised on the menu) and got a Sam Adams summer beer instead. I drank it and it was good but the point is it wasn't what I ordered. We obviously didn't bother sticking around for dessert. AND the decor! Ugh. I think enough has been said about that from other yelpers. My advice- if you want good food- drive the extra 2 hours and come to Philly. I PROMISE it will be worth it.
(1)Lauren R.
Defiantly the best restaurant in Harrisburg! NO questions about it.... everything here is good....great location on 2nd street and very very friendly staff...and customers as well. I always feel so welcomed in Harrisburg! ps calamari is amazingggg!!!!
(5)Jared D.
Great atmosphere, although it has always been very loud at night even when you are away from the bar area, it has an old feel, with the decorative tin ceiling being my favorite part. I used to go there often because they had a wonderful portabella burger, but I went back and they had gotten rid of it, and there was basically one or no options for a vegeterian which was disapointing. Another highlight was the chocolate cake which had a truffle on top, which was delicious, not sure if it still on the menu though since that was years ago, and the service was pretty good!
(4)Juliet G.
I've never had a bad meal here. My dining colleagues had "the backdraft" which they enjoyed. I went healthy with the Salmon Club which was perfect. The downside is parking - its on the street and sometimes hard to get. Parking on state street is your best bet.
(4)Lorna M.
Went there the other night and as soon as I entered the atmosphere was buzzing. I got a table straight away, and was in the mist of the fun. The waitress was in no particular hurry and did not know her wines. THe food came out fast but was a lot of fried stuff. I would recommend this place for a drink but not for food or the slooooooow service.
(3)Tanesha C.
I give 3/5 stars mostly due to the fact that the chicken ceasar salad I ordered was not appetizing at all. The lettuce did not have a fresh crisp taste to it at all. It was more along the lines of a soft warm, and wilted. Which knocked down my experience to only 3 stars. But if I could rate the crabcakes alone. I'd give them 5/5 stars. By far the best crabcakes I've had in a very long time.
(3)John T.
Great place. pleasant staff and great food.
(5)P R.
I've been here three times over the last couple years and everytime it has been great. Tonight was no different. Had the prime rib - perfectly cooked. Also had a very good caesar salad.
(4)Tracy S.
We love eating here on the evenings when they have the various quartettes in singing to each of the tables... it is such a nice atmosphere! Everything i've eaten here so far has been great. I especially like the coconut tilapia... It's amazing!
(5)Brian R.
4 stars for the Firehouse, it's an original concept and the whole place is really quite cool, even if you're not into the whole firefighting scene. The building obviously has a lot of history and it's neat to check out the different levels and see how they've transformed it into a popular dining destination. The food here is generally good, I've had decent experiences with the service but have always been pleased with the meal. Prices are average for the area and they've got a decent menu, I'd recommend the place.
(4)Amy G.
Sung to the tune of Alouette: Calamari, I love calamari! Calamari, from the Firehouse! It is served up nice and hot, Nice and crispy, hits the spot. Nice and hot, hits the spot, Hits the spot, nice and hot, Oh, oh, oh, oh! Probably the best calamari in Harrisburg. Cute little place. Food is good, drinks are good. Nice place to meet for business meetings, dinner with friends, or even a romantic night out. The bar is an odd shape which makes things a little awkward as you enter or if you're sitting at the bar. The dining area is intimate - with seating on two levels. There is space upstairs on the third floor for larger groups. The portabello salad was always a favorite - but I hear it has been replaced with a Chick & Bello salad. Probably just as good. The grilled cheese is overpriced but a great option if you have kids in tow. I've never heard anyone complain about the Firehouse Melt or the Back draft sandwiches. There are also many fans of the crab cake. I like the blackened chicken sandwich. When an old friend or colleague calls and wants to get together for lunch, this is one of the first places that crosses my mind. The food is really good, the place is quite enough to hold a decent conversation, and the prices are reasonable. I've give it 4.5 stars if I could. I'd give it a 5, but the street parking is a pain - particularly during the day when most of the spots are already taken and you can circle State street until your lunch hour is gone and you're left heading back to the office for a bag of fritos and a pack of gum from the vending machine. Now, if they'd just like me slide down the fire pole.
(4)p d.
Average at best Not really sure why people this think place is soooo great. Service is good, food is bland and nothing special You are much off better going to a BYO
(2)Sfgpgirl G.
Not exactly a culinary epicenter, Harrisburg, PA does have the Firehouse Restaurant which is fantastic. Probably the best place in town. Set in a cool old firehouse (get it?) I went with co workers on a quiet Thursday night. I had the Chilean sea bass on leek scented mash with julienned veggies. Most places on W. Coast have stopped serving Chilean sea bass (or stopped calling it 'Chilean sea bass' on the menus) for social reasons, so I didn't feel too bad ordering it at the Firehouse since I never eat it anymore at home. It was a good sized fillet, with a horseradish crust expertly cooked to maintain its buttery texture. But the real star was the roasted prime rib available in 14oz or a whopping 18oz. so tender; you could cut it with a dull butter knife. It was good enough to rival the House of Prime Rib except no accompanying Yorkshire pudding. Dessert was a chocolate peanut butter cup cake, which was just OK. But we shared it between four people. If you find yourself in Harrisburg, be sure to go here for dinner.
(4)R C.
The filet mignon sandwich is king! Only ten bucks and heavenly. Haven't tried anything else but my wife loved the crab cakes.
(4)Steve V.
My band played here during an East Coast Music Festival and it was awesome. Tons of great beers, and the whole town was out to enjoy great music. Food was awesome!
(4)Dan P.
I stumbled into the Firehouse during short a trip from Sacramento and was very pleased with the food, service and atmosphere. I had a great New York steak, blue cheese mashed potatoes and a bowl of little neck clams. All very good. I ate at the bar and the customers and bar tenders made me feel quite welcome. No Michelin stars, but I would recommend the place to anyone looking for a good meal and a good time.
(4)stefani h.
In Harrisburg on business and didn't expect much in the way of dining options. The Firehouse was recommended by the Hilton - a short stroll through the city. Great decor (truly, an old firehouse) and comfortable booths. Food selection is wide and varied. Had potato wrapped shrimp appetizer - it was okay, but nothing unexpected. For entree, had the phoenix baked trout, cooked in a coating of kosher salt and then filleted table-side. So moist, it was expertly removed from the skin with a spoon. Served over creamy orzo (so-so) and flash fried spinach (outrageously good). Moist, delicious, and a great combination of flavors. Companions' meals equally as delightful - highly recommended. Wait staff pleasant and accommodating.
(4)Steve M.
The food, service and ambiance were all A+. Our server was friendly, helpful and attentive. The goat cheese appetizer and flank steak were amazing as was the coffee and desert (chocolate peanut butter cake). It is just too bad that it is about 100 miles from home (in Philly) or I would definitely make it a regular spot.
(5)Scott P.
After a nice stroll along the riverfront, the Firehouse is THE place to eat in Harrisburg. I spend 9 months in Harrisburg for work, and the Firehouse was the best place I ate at, by far. Set in an old firehouse, the decor is great and the food is even better. The Firebread is unique and a great way to start a meal, and the ribs are to die for. I would say I probably ate there at least twice a week, and I never had a single complaint about the service - it's not service in an overbearing way, but much more of a friendly atmosphere.
(4)Jay G.
I am so glad I checked out yelp when I was in Harrisburg. I would have definitely missed this place. The food was great. I had a crab cake which had very little filler. My father had a salad. He said it was good and it looked great. The price was reasonable too. I am glad we ended up here rather than an applebees.
(4)Mia K.
My first Firehouse experience was when I tried to go to Duke's for dinner after 8pm with 2 friends who were not yet of the legal drinking age. They turned us away at the door. So we all hopped in the car and headed downtown to the Firehouse. We split several appetizers. They were all good - the calamari and soup were great. The Maryland crab dip was good, and the coconut shrimp was eh... Several YMCA training sessions downtown later - I became a frequent calamari take out orderer from Firehouse. I think Zia's and Firehouse are about tied for best calamari in "da burg".
(4)E G.
This was our Holiday Lunch destination and for once, our company made a good choice. I had heard many good things about The Firehouse but never got around to trying it. The theme is unique. The crowd is not as upscale as I pictured but it is an enjoyable atmosphere. It is a bit noisy to carry on a full blown conversation but part of the fun is enjoying the atmosphere. The lunch menu is pretty complete of American fare with a touch of Italian influence. Appetizers ranged from fresh soups to calamari. Their salads were unique and included toppings of chicken, steak and calamari. They were big portions and priced well. Entrees included mostly sandwhichs, some traditonal and others that were unique to The Firehouse. Nicely done chicken cheesesteaks, pretzel melts, burgers & wraps and then 2 pastas to choose from. Our waitress was very professional and handled our large group with ease. She checked back on drinks and dessert and didn't get 1 order wrong out of 14 people. My chicken and goat cheese salad was excellent, full of flavor and filled me up as much as a dinner would. What impressed me most was the prices for the food. So many restaurants in Harrisburg charge big city prices for down right bad food. My only knock is the location/parking. In the end, it is refreshing to go to a restaurant where I enjoyed the food, atmosphere and price and felt like I could go back and have the same experience again.
(4)Erin G.
The best mango mojitos around and delish crab cakes and fresh bread. service can be kind of slow
(4)Allison S.
I am a big fan of local restaurants and supporting local economy, so after being in and out of Harrisburg for quite awhile, I decided to give the popular Firehouse a try. And was not impressed. The wine selection was lackluster and outrageously expensive (and what? No malbec!?) My party was underwhelmed by their mixed drinks. For our appetizer we got the Firebread which was basically just overly salted cheesy bread with more salty oil and spices which had nothing classy about it and reminded me of the flavor combinations that I could find at an Applebees. I had the NY strip steak that had fine flavor, but again - nothing special. My garlic mashed potatoes were super yummy, but the asparagus side which I was really looking forward to was more of a garnish than a side. Nothing was impressive enough to make us want to stay and have dessert, which was disappointing since I'd heard such great things about this place. Even with reservations and arriving 5 minutes early we still waited for over ten minutes in their entrance/reception area which is basically the highest traffic part of the restaurant, right next to the bar and the bar runners, right at the elevator and the foot of the stairs. Chaotic. Our server was very friendly, but I won't be going back.
(1)Mike I.
Good menu. Good service. No smoking makes it a great place for a meal now. Didn't like the crab appitizer. Good drinks too
(4)Alice Z.
Interesting decor. Very edgy. Lots of chrome but also comfy. Delicious food, good service. Calamari was very fresh and crispy but light. Nice change of pace from boring Carlisle restaurants.
(4)Greg A.
Excellent, trendy restaurant in downtown Harrisburg. Good beer selection, excellent apps and entrees. I had an excellent seabass, and the steaks were cooked exactly by request. It tends to get quite crowded in there, so make sure you have time to wait during busy times.
(4)Tosh K.
Dropped by during a road trip and what a find - thank you fellow yelpers! Started off the night with the Fresh Tuna Tower - the mango habanero salsa was a fantastic topping for the tuna slices. My cousin got the crab cake sandwich and I got the prime rib. Both were great - the prime rib was tender and juicy and the horseradish cream sauce definitely hit the spot. The service was excellent and the eclectic crowd of all ages all seemed to be having a great time. The interior decor was well done and the lighting was just right - the old firehouse charm definitely makes the place!
(4)Mark W.
Backdraft steak sandwich with a cold beer is great. Fries are perfect.
(4)Emily T.
We like the Firehouse. The staff is always friendly although, their Bar needs to be remodeled (very ackward setup). They don't have great beers, but their food makes up for it. Last time we were there we started with the Firebread - delicious, but we didn't realize that you get bread automatically. I had Chilean Seabass with veggies and mashed potatos because they ran out of the trout that I wanted. It was good, but nothing to call home about. He had prime rib with asparagus and mashed potatoes.. VERY good. Bottom line: we recommend it to our friends
(4)Jeff S.
Many people will tell you that The Firehouse is the best restaurant in Harrisburg and I can see why they might feel that way.
(5)kathy c.
Nicest casual restaurant in the 'burg to get a good meal and a few rounds of drinks with friends. They also have outdoor seating when it gets nice out, but watch out for those crazy bugs off the Susquehanna. Can really ruin a nice evening.
(4)Anna S.
I am a huge fan of the firehouse. As the name implies it's a converted firehouse and has a firehouse decor. The bar is up front and it has duel layer dining. They don't have a strict dress code but I do tend to dress a little nicer when we plan to attend and may skip it if I wasn't dressed nicely if we where out and about. However jeans and a nice top will do fine. Some of my menu favorites are the NY Strip with the mash potatoes and asparagus. Their pork "buffalo wings" are extremely nice, and the wasabi tuna was delightful. My husband tends to take me here for special occasions like Mother's Day, etc. It's extremely classy food at a fair price. Only negatives I see it of course being in the city no parking lot, I find state street the best place to find parking when you go, it's close by and a good bit of room to find a spot, also for non-smokers even the non-smoking section gets hit being 2 story dining there is little they can do about that. I also find it a tad on the pricy side but the portions are huge and very high quality.
(4)