Wow, Luke has been nothing but exceptional in our interactions with him! Very professional and knowledgeable. We're new home owners and we got our house only to find out our fireplace wasn't working. Luke came out and removed the difficult to use "electronic ignition pilot system" so we can just use the natural gas line. Later that day, we started smelling gas throughout the second floor. He offered to come out again free of charge to check on it for us. Turns out the valve for the fireplace is faulty and we have to get it replaced and the seller must have just put the electronic ignition pilot system on as a "bandaid" fix to stop the leaking (sketch). Luke helped us identify the leak and really went above and beyond to help us out as new home owners (steps to take, referral to a plumber, etc). We'll definitely be back if we need any fireplace help in the future and would refer him out to anyone that needs him! read more

Beware of this company! I ordered a fire table from this company's website because it clearly states 2-5 business days for shipping. Before placing my order, I even called to confirm that the fireplace was in stock, and I was told it was. It has now been three weeks, and my order still hasn't shipped. I have called over and over, with my calls repeatedly being ignored. I finally managed to get someone on the phone, and they apologized, admitted that the fireplace had not shipped, and told me it should ship the following week. I explained that this delay was causing me additional costs because I had contractors scheduled to install it, and now I would have to pay to have them come back out. They told me they would discuss what they could do to help offset those additional costs and would get back to me. Of course, they never called me back. And now they are once again avoiding my calls. I completely understand that delays happen, but what is unacceptable is advertising 2-5 business day shipping, confirming an item is in stock before purchase, failing to ship it for three weeks, and then refusing to communicate with the customer. Save yourself the headache and think twice before ordering from this company. I wish I had. read more

This is probably the worst place on earth you want to do business with. Their customer service as well as the president of the company do absolutely nothing to help you, oh don't get me wrong, on the phone they tell you everything you want to hear about how they will correct the problem immediately. After several emails and personal calls over two months they still have not called the manufacturer of my unit to give them a needed code number to send me a replacement for my defective part. They don't have to pay them anything, not one dime, just give them a code number and it's done. I truly feel sorry for some one who has dealt with these people. Good luck, stay clear. RobertSullivan read more

They took my money for custom fireplace doors in February and after contacting them every 2 weeks. I got excuse after excuse for the delayed delivery. In August I finally got a response when I called the store number- the store had Closed!!! Took my money, never delivered and ghosted me! I'm out $2500 read more

Attempted to order fireplace doors several times. They did not keep an "expert video consult" appt and did not follow up on a sure sale after a phone conversation to confirm fit to measurement of a product THEY offer. We sought another option successfully. read more

Doesn't answer phone or return messages. It's hard to believe that a company can be so poor in today's world. Hire a receptionist and return calls. I guess they don't care about losing business. read more

I recently had Daniel from Exceptional Fire install gas fireplace logs and a beautiful glass door for my fireplace, and I couldn't be happier with the results! Daniel was incredibly professional from start to finish--he took the time to understand exactly what I wanted, provided clear guidance, and executed the installation flawlessly. The work looks fantastic; the logs burn cleanly and realistically, and the glass door fits perfectly while adding a sleek, modern touch to the whole setup. Best of all, his pricing was very fair and transparent--no hidden fees or surprises. If you're in Orange County and need any fireplace work (gas logs, doors, or anything else), I highly recommend reaching out to Daniel at Exceptional Fire. Will definitely use them again and tell all my friends. read more

Exceptional Fire - Fireplace Services Near Me - Laguna Hills, California

This business used to be called Cool Hand Luke's (previously owned by Robert Soja's father). Robert's father was actually honest and did quality work. The black sheep of the family "crooked" Robert took over the business a few years ago and very recently changed the name of the company to Exceptional Fire. Robert is a total con artist and a liar! He took my deposit of $3K promised to complete work or replacing 3 fireplace doors with 3 new ones in 2-3 weeks time. Instead of ordering the doors, he stole my deposit and went on a two week jaunt to Japan with his friends and with my money! He never returned calls and/or texts when I needed updates on where my job stood. Instead, it was complete silence. I am still waiting for this thief to return the remainder of my deposit 5 months later. STAY FAR AWAY FROM THIS CROOKED CON MAN!!!!!!!!!! read more

Ordered a BBQ from this company, after two weeks they had no information on if or when it would be shipped. I would not recommend trying to buy any of the grilling products they list. read more

We couldn't be happier with our fireplace door from Exceptional Fire. From start to finish, the process was easy. Our sales representative Daniel even got on a FaceTime call with us to make sure we measured everything correctly and advised us on options that best suited our fireplace. The quality of the product is great and we were able to install the door ourselves in less than an hour. If you're looking for a fireplace door we highly recommend Exceptional Fire. read more

Exceptional Fire - Fireplace Services Near Me - Laguna Hills, California

Residential Project scope: residential Fireplace maintenance and new log install. Later purchase and install of fireplace doors. There was a great initial response with scheduling to come visit us as the show room has been closed earlier in the year. The owner-installer was bit late for that appointment, but we could easily accommodate the shifted time. The initial visit went well and was very positive. Good product knowledge and install capabilities were demonstrated. An initial quote was provided shortly after the visit around the 1st of December 2025. The pricing was competitive in many areas and I had some follow up questions on others. Unfortunately I had a difficult time getting responses to my follow on calls to discuss the quote and more precise schedule timing. I finally got ahold of someone at the phone number who takes calls. She was able to answer some questions, the rest were to be answered with a return call by the owner-installer who had visited. Again, no response. After the holidays I did try again and left a voice mail. I got a text telling me that I would get a callback later in the day when he freed up. No followup. So now I have been pursuing other options. Two stars for initial engagement and quote. No additional stars for responsiveness and timeliness. read more

Today my new fireplace door was installed and it fits perfectly and is beautiful! I couldn't be happier. Working with the Exceptional Fire team to order the correct size was a pleasure-- they were very helpful and wanted to ensure the measurements of my custom doors were correct. read more

Exceptional Fire - Fireplace Services Near Me - Laguna Hills, California

Ordered this beautiful door. Everyone was helpful, communicated with me anytime I called and the install was perfect no issues! I recommended Exceptional Fire to all my friends and family. 10/10 experience! read more

Exceptional Fire - Fireplace Services Near Me - Laguna Hills, California

Came to look at my fireplace and they never followed up on their end. I even called and left a message after his visit about a week later and no response. read more

Could not fix our gas fireplace with electric starter and didn't even try. No response back after someone came out. Had to call multiple times to get an answer. Answer was go someplace else.... read more

I can't say enough how impressed I am with Cool Hand Luke's . From answering my questions to scheduling. Very professional, incredibly neat and tidy. Everything was spotless when they left my house. And they have some great specials going on right now. read more

Exceptional Fire - My before.... - Fireplace Services Near Me - Laguna Hills, California

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we received fire place doors yesterday well packed everything was sealed until we opened they were given perfect measurements but didn't fit sides were short and right side of glass panel blast like a bomb it not only that it was cut crooked wasn't treated glass! these people hardly pick up the ph or don't return emails.. Terrible inexperience cheap quality but they charge fortune.. read more

Ordered fireplace logs and burner assembly for gas fireplace paid them 1300 and something dollars they never showed up all the remote control electronics that we were supposed to get we're not included. They have been stringing me along to the point where now they won't even answer my text so do not trust this company! read more

Exceptional Fire did a great job for me tho it was all done by East Coast/West Coast phone call! My ordered fireplace doors arrived ahead of schedule, are beautiful, fit perfectly, and look fantastic. Customer service & follow up was great and price and quality were "right on". read more

January 2020 Installation Day: Punctuality is a plus and these guys deliver, called ahead and made appointment. Customer service is grand. I am very happy to have chosen Cool Hand Luke's Fireplace Shop in Laguna Hills California for all of our fireplace and log needs. We completed our research and called a few other places around us and this company (family own and operated) had us at hello! Everyone is the office is warm and welcoming. They are personable and listen to what our needs are and they delivered 5 stars all across the board. Now I will share our experience and allow you see the final product of our beautiful fireplace. The day is here and we just had our custom GDI & GLI was installed before Christmas Day 2019. Custom 30" Quaking Aspen Gas Log Kit with burner, custom Moderne slim finish: Textured black (outer) HAND BRUSHED Autumn Glow (door frame finish) glass (clear) NO mesh single panel, hinge on right. We do not wear shoes inside our house and the installer (owner) and assistant were very polite and gladly removed their shoes. They cleaned up after the installation process was completed, they are meticulous and clearly provided us with the instructions no maintenance and cleaning up steps. I can honestly say that this upgrade has been an important and very well needed investment for our home. I call it an investment bc it will help with our electric bill bc of the efficiency it provides for our home. You see, back in the days and throughout centuries, fireplaces have provided families with comfort, warmth and a steady wood burning flame to prepare the day's meals over. In today's modern world, and in more modern settings, fireplaces are also used for visual appeal and are many times dressed up with decorative fancy fireplace accessories to make them pop and add to the focal point of the home or office space. So aside from being efficiently, did you know that yearly, thousands of homeowners suffer from property damage and thousands of people are killed or injured in house fires that could have been prevented with fireplace glass doors. Without fireplace glass doors hundreds of energy dollars are lost up the chimney. In the winter you pay to heat your chimney and in the summer you pay to cool it. Makes crazy sense? Maybe maybe not... I invite you to do more research and educate yourself so that it can help you make the best decision for your family and home. We are happy we did ours! We love supporting our local businesses and specially family owned and operated businesses. Cheers to a new decade and we are surely putting our fireplace to use. ________________ Previous and initial review from December 2019 Family owned and operated. The entire staff is amazing! They all made the experience a smooth sailing :))))) highly recommend them for your fireplace needs, accessories and service. ___________[___________ Family owned and operated. The entire staff is amazing! They all made the experience a smooth sailing :))))) highly recommend them for your fireplace needs, accessories and serv read more

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One of the hallmarks of a great business is a willingness to help you even when they figure out they can't make any money off of you. This was my experience. I came in with parts that didn't work, looking for help with a solution. Instead of being sold a new $300 kit, I was directed to buy a $5 attachment that they didn't even carry. Total pros. Such a treat to see a business operate this way. read more

Family run business. Great people! Great cozy showroom w an amazing selection. We bought our new insert system and they also installed the system. This business was professional, knowledgeable, punctual and appreciative. Thank you! BRAVO! read more

Dealing with this company has been great!! From visiting their shop till having our new ceramic logs set up. The new look is spectacular... read more

Exceptional Fire - Our new gireplace - Fireplace Services Near Me - Laguna Hills, California

My new fireplace was a great experience from start to finish. Lots to look at in the showroom with generous, friendly advice. Luke came to the house and measured and then returned several weeks later with Bea to install. Luke was right on time for both visits. Installation was smooth and fast and clean. I am very pleased with both the appearance and the function. read more

Exceptional Fire - Fireplace Services Near Me - Laguna Hills, California

I have referred Luke to my neighbors and brought him lots of business. When my fireplace went out I reached out to him in the hopes of him helping me again. No response after several messages....then finally he gets back to me with a "I'm busy"! That's it. Okay well please put me on your calendar. No response after 3 messages. (See screenshots in photos). I have no idea why he refuses to help me. I've been without my fireplace since November! I'm on chemo and sitting near the fire with my pups is my comfort and joy. What a jerk...at least get back to your repeat customers. Oh....and my fireplace is still not fixed. Thanks Luke. read more

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Purchased a faceplate (that presumably is manufactured by Stoll Industries) and the doors, although advertised as doors that seal airflow, did not mate with the mounting plate, allowing air to pass, effectively making the damper useless. Failing the basic "air seal" requirement is a major issue. Reported the issue after receiving the defective unit but no response was received from ExceptionalFire. read more

Luckily I found this business by accident during a web search. Didn't no they were near me and almost neighbors. We've been searching for a fireplace door for some time now after refacing our fireplace. This is a military and first responder friendly business; as well as a family owned business. Friendly professional service and quality "Made in America" products. Doors installed today with no issues.. Amazing quality and it couldn't look any better!! read more

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My wife and I wanted to improve the look of our fireplace (we live in an older condominium) so we looked around for a fireplace company to advise us , and provide a solution to fit our budget. We checked with 3 or 4 companies and most really didn't want to bother with us because of our budget. We really didn't want to spend $8000 to $10,000 to have the ultimate fireplace. When I called Bea at Cool Hand Luke's Fireplace she was polite, courteous and helpful. She had Luke come to our place and he looked at our fireplace, discussed our needs and gave us a price that was acceptable and in our budget. We are thrilled with the results. Thank you so much Bea and Luke. read more

Exceptional Fire - Fireplace Services Near Me - Laguna Hills, California

What an outstanding experience with Luke. Extremely professional, attention to detail & clean. We are extremely happy with the service & highly recommend this company. Thank you so much Luke for the excellent service you provided. Our fireplace has never looked this good. Christine & Maritza read more

Excellent service. I went to their shop really not knowing what I wanted, but Bea gave me a few suggestions and I was completely happy with what I chose and the outcome was beautiful. Within a week, Luke came out and installed a new burner and fire glass. They were very professional. read more

Exceptional Fire - New burner with fire glass. - Fireplace Services Near Me - Laguna Hills, California

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Luke came out and did our install a couple of weeks ago. We are thrilled. Installation was fast and the finished product looks amazing. Thank you to Luke and Robert for their helpful, knowledgeable and professional service! read more

Exceptional Fire - Fireplace Services Near Me - Laguna Hills, California

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Luke was very friendly, arrived on time and treated home very good (had a piece of cloth to cover the floor near the fireplace and took his shoes off). He fixed my fireplace problem in some 2 minutes and did not take any money (!) because he said he just cleaned the sensor. I was trying to pay with no luck ;) 100% recommend Luke and will call again if I ever have a fireplace problem again. read more

Exceptional Fire - Fireplace Services Near Me - Laguna Hills, California

Luke, Robert and staff were great to work with. We converted our old fireplace being used as wood burning to gas/fire-glass and could not be happier. They were spot on with how much lava rock and glass we'd need, and were lifesavers with the color combination and sloped install design consult. Very impressed with the quality of the products. Would highly recommend Cool Hand Luke's and look forward to doing our outdoor firepit next! I've attached a couple pics that probably don't even do it justice but we're extremely happy with how easy it was to do and with how it turned out... read more

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I have a chimney service company that does cleanings, inspections and repairs. Luke addresses gas fireplaces with electronic ignition. I have heard from his customers that he charges fair prices and does good work. read more

In the world of watches there are watches that tell time and there are watches that people WATCH! If you want a watch (fireplace) that people will watch and admire, Cool Hand Luke's Fireplace Shop is the place for you. Luke works with you to meet your expectations helping with design and offering multiple options for your fireplace. He also shows up on time. Couldn't be happier with the work. Don't miss this business for your fireplace needs and wants. read more

Exceptional Fire - New doors and new log set - Fireplace Services Near Me - Laguna Hills, California

This review is long overdue but wanted to provide feedback on the quality of their product. We had their gas logs installed 3 years ago and the unit is still going strong. Luke is very skilled, honest, and reliable. Would gladly purchase from them again! read more

I'm so happy I found Cool Hand Luke's! Luke and his wife Bea were both professional and nice. Talking with knowledgeable professionals was a real treat. I am happy to recommend them to my friends and neighbors. To yelp please stop removing my review! read more

Exceptional Fire - Fireplace Services Near Me - Laguna Hills, California

I shopped four other fireplace vendors and cane back to Cool Hand Luke's, where I started. Good value, good focus on a single type of product (some other places treat fireplaces as an afterthought or side line). I chose them for tgeir expertise and the solutions they offered for my installation. Great installer. Recommended. read more

We were spending our first night in our new home and wanted to have a fire. We stopped by Cool Hand Luke's and they had just what we needed. Robert was awesome. When we got it home my husband had a few more questions and Luke himself came by to help finish the set up. Customer service is second to none! Thank you Cool Hand Luke's! read more

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Hi everyone...we started looking a few weeks ago for a fire log set. Went to Cool Hand Luke's and a few other places. Their people were amazing. Family owned business...we spoke with Robert at the Showroom. Masks were worn by all and it was great to see a few of the gas log sets in person. We were quoted a price including installation which based on what I had seen online was a great value for the dollar. We then went to 2 other companies who carried the same or similar products. One of them quoted almost 40% more but said that they would meet or beat anyone's price(then why start out that much higher). Spoke with Bea on Monday letting her know that we wanted to purchase the Grand Canyon weathered oak set and she ordered it and it was installed just 4 days later. The install was great....they showed up on time..the guys were both wearing face coverings and they cleaned out our fireplace and installed the set. We are so happy...it looks amazing. I highly recommend that if you are interested in a Fire log set or any other fireplace related work go here. I will add pictures later. Joe read more

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