The side salad only had lettuce and onion. I know brisket is pretty fatty, but it wasn't trimmed and had no flavor. Mostly fat and very gummy. Thankfully, the ribs were actually pretty decent. Cornbread was a bit dry. All in all find another barbecue place. Too bad there isn't a real urban barbecue nearby! read more

Firewater BBQ is the home of the best barbecue in Illinois my mouth waters just thinking of all the food, Rib tips and burnt ends are a must try here. The prices are also very fair for bbq I spend $15-$20 for a meal and may even have leftovers. It's the perfect place to get bbq and the staff is always friendly. I'd recommend getting catering great for parties and you'll be the favorite with what you're bringing read more

Fire Water BBQ - 75 piece platter - Barbeque Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

I work very close by and wanted to get a beer and a delicious lunch today. There were a couple other tables eating around 1:30. I sat at the bar and a few minutes later a woman asked what I wanted. I ordered a beer and asked if there was a paper menu and was told that everything was posted on the boards over the registers. Said woman then got my beer and vanished into the back. Soon thereafter, a customer walked to the register and waited to pay. He stood there for several minutes as we both listened to staff messing around and yelling stop it and swearing in the back. Very odd and off putting. A guy finally came out, settled the guy's tab, and then disappeared quickly into the back without even acknowledging me. I had planned on ordering the brisket sandwich and a side of brisket beans but alas, for the next 30 minutes I was alone in the front of the house except one other customer who was finishing his delicious looking lunch. I finally had the pleasure of being acknowledged and asked to pay for my beer. I guess I will look for BBQ somewhere else where I don't feel like I am a ghost. read more

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I've lived in the Fox Valley area my entire life and I have friends and family scattered through out the Fox Valley area from the north end all the way down to the south end. Never once has anyone ever told me about Fire Water BBQ, until today and me being quite or not knowing about Fire Water BBQ starts today. My buddy picked me up for lunch today and he said "I want BBQ." I said, "OK, do you have a spot?" He said, "yes." And that's how we ended up a Fire Water BBQ. He's been there a handful of times already and he said that I would like it. That's a bold statement to make. How does he know what my taste buds likes or doesn't like? How could he tell? Was the food really that good or was he just that hungry where everything taste good when you're hungry? Or if you were just kind of hungry and the food is mediocre at best? There was only one way to find out and that was for me to try the food myself. We arrive at the restaurant and it's kind of tucked away in a corner of a building and in all my years of driving through downtown Geneva I've NEVER seen this restaurant one time. The signs of the restaurant kind of blends with the building and if you aren't carefully looking then you'll defiantly miss it. We get inside and the ambiance is that of any BBQ joint, big long tables, open seating, your standard bbq restaurant fare. We pick through the menu and decided to get the BBQ smoked chicken wings, which I was extremely hesitant about. My go to dish when go going to any BBQ joint for the first time is centered around the pig or cow but chicken? Naw fam, but I'll try it. In addition to the smoked wings we got a full slab of BBQ ribs, cajun fries, fried pickles, and a pop. Noticed how I said pop and not soda. That's how you know I'm from the Fox Valley area. To go with our lunch I got the sweet home chicago bbq sauce and the spicy bbq sauce. We waited for our food for about 4 minutes and then it was ready. I first dug into the chicken wing because I wanted to be disappointed first because I thought if the chicken wing sucked then at least hopefully the ribs would be better. The chicken wing had a nice crisp to them and was juicy and tender. I WAS BLOWN AWAY BY HOW DELICOUS THESE WINGS WERE. OH MY GOD they were out of this world out-fricking-standing. I'm not sure if I ever had smoked chicken wings before but man you are missing out if don't give these wings a try. Trust me when I write this out, the wings are BOMB, FIRE, FLAME, slap your momma, good. Next up were the ribs. I'm a stickler for ribs and so far I've only found two other places where the ribs were phenomenal. First being The Texan BBQ in Algonquin and second being Smoque BBQ in the city. Now after trying the ribs here from Fire Water they rank up there as some of the best ribs I've had. Tender, had a nice bbq char, tasty dry rub, and the sauce they provide with it just pairs perfectly with the ribs. The fries were good, the fried pickles were good, the fresh pickles were good. In all my years I'm still in shock that not one friend or family member has every told me about this place. I guess it's no fault of them since I had no idea the restaurant even existed in the first place. Overall the dining experience was AMAZING and Fire Water BBQ earned their 5 star review. My only advice is to change the sign in front of the building because it just blends in with the building. Keep up the fantastic job and I can't wait to tell every single friend and family member about this special place. read more

When this place first came into town I was excited that Geneva would finally have a BBQ restaurant but after trying it I was very very disappointed. The food was cold, sauces were lackluster, service wasn't great either. I've had BBQ all over and this past is terrible. With so many great places to eat in Geneva this is a must skip restaurant! read more

We appreciated the service with a smile. We stopped in for lunch. The portion was enough to feel me and the hubby. Rib has too much extra skin. Based on how my father spent hours at the table cleaning, I know that the skin should be be there. Also, there's this gritty taste when eating the ribs. I think it's too much rub. Fries were good but the grease may have needed to be cleaned. BBQ sauce "sweet home Chicago" was delicious. Fountain drinks and bottled booze. Would I eat here again? Probably. There were some other menu items I wanted to try. read more

Fire Water BBQ - Rib Tips (Heavy) Platter - Barbeque Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

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We have ordered here twice and loved it every time. There was a missing item the first time (rib tips). A quick call and it was fixed with extra items added to makeup for the error. The sides are amazing too. The line was out the door so glad we ordered ahead. We will definitely order again. read more

This is some of the best barbecue I've had in the Chicago suburbs. The wings were by far the all around favorite with my party. They were crispy, juicy and very flavorful. The rib tips were very fatty and not something I would order again. The regular ribs were much tastier and would have been a better choice. Sweet potato fries were delicious with a little cinnamon sugar on them. Last, the mac and cheese was great with a little kick to it. Overall, food was great and will be back again. read more

Fire Water BBQ - Rib tips, smoked wings, sweet potato fries and mac and cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

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Went in to pick up take out, specifically asked if they put the bbq sauce in (bc what's bbq with out the sauce) they looked in the bag and said yes. Got home no bbq sauce, not even the ones that come with the meal or the three I paid for. Called the restaurant- no apology what's so ever, then told me inorder to be refunded for the sauce they needed my credit card information again to refund the entire meal and then recharge it again. Also both the sides tops were not on correctly and spilled. Kicker- no apology at all for there mistake which could have prevented if they actually looked in the bag when asked "is the bbq sauce in here?". All in all I'll stick with bbq kings smokehouse in Huntley. read more

Went there for dinner at 5pm on a Thrusday. Had the salad with brisket and the 2 meat (brisket and ribs) meal with side of beans. The brisket and ribs are both plus $2 because they are premium meats. All of the meat was very dry and had to of been sitting under a heat lamp since the morning. Maybe it would of better at lunch time if it was fresh but if it's that dry don't sell it or sell at a discount. The beans weren't good and had a taco type of seasoning. The salad was just chunks of iceberg lettuce with shredded cheese. Both meals came with cornbread which it is hard to screw up cornbread but they did. It was wet which I assume was from to much condensation in the container they store it in. The sides and cornbread should of at least been fresh. I would never go here again and the meal was over $40. read more

Stopped by last night for dinner. Wasn't very busy. Food came out fast and hot. I had the pulled pork sandwich. It had really good flavor, and was still juicy. I liked that it wasn't overwhelmingly smokey. My wife had the pulled pork cheese fries. This is massive. Do not think of this as an appetizer or side dish. We both ate it, and still brought half home. The place is clean. There was someone always wiping tables, and sweeping. Is it the best BBQ I've ever had, no. However, it definitely hits the spot if you are craving BBQ in the area. read more

I'll start with saying that I am from the south. I do have a high standard of BBQ. With that being said, I am aware of that and I understood going into it that this wouldn't be the quality that I am use to. However, what I didn't know or understand is that this would be just plain gross. This was legitimately the worst meal I have ever eaten. As I walked into the restaurant it did have a slight wood smell to it. I was greeted by a nice lady behind the counter. She was very nice, and quick at her job. Her customer service was the only good thing about my experience. I ordered the combo plate. Pulled pork and brisket. With a side of potato salad. Pulled pork is my favorite. It is the easiest BBQ to make as well. Brisket on the other hand is a very challenging protein to cook. My meal was only $16. That was a pretty good price for what I ordered. While I waited for my food I went and fixed my drink. I was excited to see that they had sweet tea. Thats something I have trouble finding up here. They had "Lipton sweet tea." It tasted slightly peachy and bitter. It was 100% NOT sweet tea. It wasn't even a good midwestern try. I ended up pouring it out. It took about 7 minutes to get my food. I didn't think that was bad at all. I opened up the box to see everything I had ordered. The pulled pork covered most of the brisket. So I couldn't see until after I ate the pork that this brisket was grey dry, and gross. 1 Slice of brisket still had a lot of unrendered fat on it. Both of the meats had a bad taste to them. Neither had any kind of wood flavor, or bark. The pork tasted like it was cooked in a crock pot. Just slimy and greasy like it had been sitting in its own grease. Moving to the potato salad, it was sour. I don't know what exactly you put into a potato salad to make it taste sour. However, apparently they do. For my sauce I had the Vinegar based sauce. I was too offended to try the Alabama white sauce. The vinegar BASED sauce wasn't exactly vinegar based, it just tasted like apple cider vinegar mixed with ketchup, and then watered down. I did not see a BBQ pit anywhere. So i'm guessing they have an indoor Gas convection Smoker. That would explain part of the reason why the quality of the food was so poor. Overall this was the worst meal I've ever eaten. I regret ever trying it. I can not recommend anyone ever go here to eat. It does not deserve the name BBQ. It is offensive to everything that BBQ is about. read more

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Let me preface this review with how absolutely delighted I am to have a legit BBQ joint spitting distance from where I live in South Elgin. Also, the pricing and the portions are absolutely right on the money! 5 people were able to eat to satisfaction for under $50! That's value! I'd definitely recommend their jumbo Slow-Smoked Wings, Burnt Ends and Ribs! I'd pass on the baked beans next time, wayyyy too sweet, also their potato salad could've been better. Buuuut, their coleslaw was good and not loaded with sugar like some other places. read more

Fire Water BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

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We ordered carry out tonight & everyone loved it! Bbq sauces are fantastic! Finally found a local bbq place around here that we'll be back too soon. read more

I have watched this restaurant come into being all Summer and intrigued by the concept as well as the signage. They opened for a slow opening and we decided to try them out. As you enter the music is the blues and sets the tone for the restaurant. We found the menu on paper as well as above the counter. The restaurant has been transformed with authentic wooden tables. You order and you wait for the food. It doesn't take long for your order. The tray is lined with a replica of "The Daily Tribune." I ordered the beef brisket sandwich and Sandi ordered the rib tips. The food is excellent and filling. The sides are great. You will want to order the combo... Two sides and a drink. The biggest obstacle is parking. The parking lot behind the building is open on the weekends and after 5 pm. You will find limited parking on the street. You can park across the street. Do not let parking become an obstacle. If you are into Southern style barbecue, you will want to become a regular. We will be back. read more

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Expensive chicken sandwich a slab of dry chicken and bun. No lettuce , tomato.... Very dry. Messed up the order on top of that.

Great ! BEST BBQ in the fox Valley! Wife loves the beef brisket Salad w/ Ranch dressing. 2 plate combo, smoked wings... (lots of meat on the wing) yes smoked, moist, flavorful, dip in sweet bbq sauce, Baked beans a must! Beef brisket best around, moist, bbq flavor, perfection. Super spread out tables for Covid - actually probably too spread out- you will feel more than safe. Take the family out , Kids chicken nuggets and fries the kids shared! High quality BBQ in the Fox Valley Area and great atmosphere! Keep it up! read more

Fire Water BBQ - 2 plate Smoked wings, Beef brisket - Baked beans! - Barbeque Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

I walked into Firewater BBQ on Saturday, 9/7/2024, with high hopes and an empty stomach. Little did I know, I'd leave with both still painfully unfulfilled. After dropping $80 on what can only be described as "BBQ because it comes with BBQ sauce," not a single member of my family could stomach more than a bite. I ordered the 3-meat plate--brisket, burnt ends, and chicken wings. Spoiler alert: it was a disaster. The brisket tasted like someone got carried away with liquid smoke, and I'm almost certain it was cooked in a pressure cooker, as there wasn't a single smoke ring in sight. The burnt ends? More like "burnt ends of my patience," since they were mostly fat and chewy enough to double as rubber bands. The chicken wings, advertised as smoked, seemed to have taken a detour through a deep fryer on their way to my table. Smoke? What smoke? I briefly considered saving some for my dogs, but then I realized I liked them too much to subject them to this BBQ blunder. My wife and kids ordered brisket sandwiches, but things didn't improve. These sandwiches came with four thick slabs of rubbery meat, each about 5 inches long and half an inch thick. Honestly, they looked--and tasted--more like pot roast than any brisket I've ever seen. And as if things couldn't get worse, we tried the so-called "smoked bacon" chocolate chip cookies. Picture a basic chocolate chip cookie with a sad little strip of bacon awkwardly perched on top, like the chef just gave up halfway through. Save yourself the trouble and just grab some cookies from the grocery store. If you're in the mood for BBQ, you're better off going anywhere else--or staying home and eating cereal. We ended up ordering pizza because, well, survival mode kicked in. No one in my family could take more than a few bites before surrendering to the comforting call of pepperoni and cheese. Oh, and just to add insult to injury, it took about 30 minutes for this disastrous meal to come together--despite a kitchen staff of 6-8 people. read more

Burnt ends were good. Baked beans were good. I prefer a sweeter cole slaw, but it was pretty good as well. Do youself a favor and do not order a beer on tap. Not sure if this is standard procedure, but they only fill an (8oz?) Glass about 2/3's full. Stick with a 12oz bottle, if you are thinking about a beer with your bbq. read more

Fire Water BBQ - Told you it was a little beer! - Barbeque Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

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I do not know why people are reading this place solo it's amazing. My family has its roots in Texas so I know barbecue! The serving sizes are generous. The prices are pretty reasonable, and the atmosphere is really nice. I especially like the outdoor seating, but as far as the food, this place has amazing ribs, beef, brisket, pulled pork, cornbread, fried pickles, onion rings, and their barbecue sauces to die for.you gotta give it a try. This is now our official favorite place for barbecue and this area. read more

Fire Water BBQ - Bbq rib tips - Barbeque Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

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Delish BBQ! The pulled pork and chicken are mouth watering and seasoned to perfection! Love the hand cut garlic fries and mac and cheese as well. Service is always prompt here too! read more

I had the Grill master burger with Mac and cheese. Absolutely delicious! Filled with flavor and well seasoned. Customer service was great. The overall setting of this place is beautiful and everyone is very friendly and pleasant . 10/10 would recommend can't wait to come back again! read more

Fire Water BBQ - Grill master burger and 3 cheese Mac and cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

Excellent BBQ! Staff shortages are hurting this business - but not the quality of the food. MUST HAVE: Burnt Ends and Smoked Chicken Wings!!! Rib Tips and Pulled Pork were excellent! Sides of Mac N Cheese and Baked Beans were Very Good and would get again. Brisket was "Good". Cornbread was OK. Casual dining, good stuff, we were passing through and remembered the name from a Pollyanna Brewing event, so we stopped in. They do sell alcohol. Looks like when the weather is warmer they have a nice little outdoor patio. Good stuff! read more

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We saw some photos on yelp and decent reviews so we decided to come here when we were in the area. We ordered the 3 meat combo (ribs, chicken and sausage) and the mac and cheese. Overall we really enjoyed the meat combo and our drinks but the mac and cheese was a big fail for us. It was flavorless and the flavor it did have was very artificial tasting. It's hard to beat $30 out the door for decent food and drinks these days though so we were happy. I would recommend coming here for their BBQ. read more

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The service at Fire Water BBQ was absolutely amazing & I cannot even begin on how great the food was as well. We decided to go with the black angus beef brisket & pulled pork cheese fries. definitely 10/10 recommend. read more

Been here recently. Food is great. I've gotten the 3 meat platter. Pork is nice and juicy. Rib tips were tender and juicy. The sausage was juicy and tasty as well. Service was fast even around lunch time when I went. Ambiance was nice. There is a large area to sit down and enjoy your food. I would definitely go again and bring my family along. 7/10 read more

I'm a native to upstate NY and have never found a barbecue place that gives Brooks House Of BBQ a run for their money. Been out in Illinois for a year and finally decided to look up barbecue places on Door Dash. Much to my surprise this blew Brooks out of the water. I know "sacrilege" to my fellow upstate NY peeps. The brisket and pulled pork were amazing. The cornbread is standard. The beans are so yummy. The sauce they give you as it's unsauced they gave me four cups I only tried the spicy and it was so flavorful. Monthly tradition now. read more

Fire Water BBQ - Brisket, pulled pork, cornbread - Barbeque Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

Good not great! I like the pulled chicken here the best. However depends on the portion as sometimes you get to much dark meet for my taste. The sides are average with the fries and coleslaw being my favs. They continually seem to be updating the menu but I understand that. The ribs are pricey for what you get and inconsistent. Probably the best way to describe this location is inconsistent. Staff seems uninterested and if you are getting your food to go, check your bag before leaving. 50/50 shot you're missing something. read more

I love the barbecue here I work in Batavia and I love to go here for lunch. It is the best barbecue around. I will even buy food on Friday so I can take some home and eat it over the weekend. read more

We've been meaning to try this place for a while and we finally did on a rainy Saturday night, hoping it wouldn't be as crowded as we heard it could be. We got there a little after six and it was starting to get busy. Most tables were full by the time we left 45 minutes later. Everyone was super friendly. They had 3 local beers on tap, plus a selection of bottles and cans. We both ordered the brisket combo sandwich since it comes with 2 sides, making it a better deal than ordering each individually. The brisket was tender and moist with some, not a lot, of good smoke flavor. You have a choice of 3 buns and I got the pretzel roll, which was a little heavy. My husband stuck with the plain roll and liked that better. The fried pickles are really good. The cornbread is nice, but a little sweet, even for me as I like sweet cornbread. The fries were average. We will definitely be back to try some of the other smoked meats. read more

Burnt ends were solid Loved the pull pork fries!! Jalapeño sausage was great Good atmosphere read more

Fire water in Geneva needs a lot of work. Their menu is awful. The amount of food that you're paying for is very small and you can't buy any of the meats separate have to buy a whole meal. ordered rib, tips and the sausage. There were four tips and a very small piece of sausage. Had A soft drink and fries. The bill was over $25 per person and we all agreed that we would not be back to this location. Very different from the barbecue places in Austin, Texas. read more

The best BBQ in town. Great location and very retro looking. Very clean and easy to read menus. Prices are fair and the food is great. I had the 2 meat combo. I choose the Beef Brisket and Pulled Chicken. Tried the Sweet Chicago and Texas Heat BBQ sauce. Both were excellent. The Mac and Cheese was the Bomb. My girlfriend has the Six Peace Rib Tips. The order is fit for two people. We had plenty left over and had a carry out plate with extra sauce. Recommend this plate for family get togethers or just an evening with friends. The employees there were great and answered all our questions. Will return for more. read more

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I ordered Fire Water BBQ Geneva for a conference. We had 125 people total. Excellent communication through the entire process, fair price, delivery right on time, and the food was excellent! We had brisket, rib tips, smoked chicken, mac and cheese, cornbread, cole slaw and potato salad! Such great comments from everyone in the room! And EVERYONE loved the cornbread! We have this conference every year, I use a local company every year, and this lunch had the most positive comments we've ever had! read more

The service was amazing! And don't let me get started with the food, the burnt endz were my favorite! My friend and I shared the Pulled Pork Cheese Fries and those were delicious! The store is clean, and everyone knows what they're doing. I will most definitely come back!! read more

We have been here about 4 or 5 times. This past Friday my husband walked in with 2 friends and I was on my way in to meet them. He walked in and was surprised because he thought they were open to dine in. Side note: the majority of restaurants in the area are open for dine in. He asked the person at the register when they stopped dine in. She looked at him and with a crappy attitude said, " When the governor ordered." My husband said I was here a couple months ago, when did you stop, she repeated the same thing. Not once did she say, I'm sorry, we closed due to the governor's order or could I get you something to take out. Nothing. He walked out so angry that he is refusing to ever go back. I would've said something to her, but he is much more tolerant than I. He said she was so nasty that he is done with this place. Their bbq isn't good enough to be abused by the staff. If I was rating them on every one of our last visits, they would get a 3. Not the greatest bbq, but okay. Somewhat inconsistent on the quality of the burnt ends and ribs. Their sides are mediocre. Unfortunately, due to this woman, I dont think we'll return. Go try them. Maybe you'll go on a night when she's off. The only reason they aren't getting a 1 star is because every visit before the staff was okay. read more

Walking in, the aroma of Woodfired-Meat is a smart move by Fire Water BBQ venting a smoke wall directly into to the double door vestibule. But don't let that sway you. The smoke intensity treads lightly when it comes to flavoring the 'Meat'. It transfers to a 'hint' of smokiness especially after FW BBQ completes a unique cooking process. I ordered a Large Rib Tip anticipating some distinctive cleaver action chopping up my order. But NO...these pre-cooked, pre-chopped refrigerated pieces took a dive in the deep fryer to bring them 'up to temperature'. "Ouch"! 'Burnt Ends' took a similar detour. Nice lookin' chunks of Brisket were 're-cooked' on the flat-top screaming helplessly as they slowly turned into Pot Roast. I have no problem with Pot Roast, except when I'm at a BBQ Joint! And, the sales pitch for the slow roasted Prime Rib Sandwich should look like Prime Rib! A seasonal special available for a 'limited time' is only limited by your vulnerability to buy it! An eye-opener review of BBQ that I stand by. read more

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Excellent food and great service!! My son ordered the combo plate smoked wings , beef brisket and pulled pork with side of onion rings, hand cut fries and mac and cheese. i ordered the angus prime rib sandwich came on a brioche style bun. Look online 1st before going lol because you want to order everything on the menu. They also have tons of beer to select from and Two Brothers vodka mixed drinks. I got the sweet tea and vodka and my daughter in law got the vodka lemonade. Great place and constantly busy. read more

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Fire water the best bbq in the suburbs. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. My favorite bbq sauce is the the hot one the offer, it has just enough heat and is amazing. The brisket super tender and juicy and full of flavor. The pulled pork sandwich very good and has a lot of meat and if you get it heavy your gonna be amazed. The laffy apple bread pudding WOW and you can't go wrong with a brownie. I been coming to the Geneva location since the opened been here several times and it's always amazing. read more

I have been here twice now, both times have been positive visits. The first time was a Sunday night and it was pretty packed, I was shocked at how many people were there. I had the tacos, they are my favorite (literally the only thing I have ever ordered haha, but they really are great). I will say that the staff behind the counter did not seem friendly or happy maybe they were just a bit overwhelmed with the evening rush. Either way, the food was great. Its a nice, cozy place, they have plenty of seating and there are TVs. Food also came out quick and hot. The second time I came here it was a week night and the place was empty. The staff behind the counter were different and seemed much more pleasant, maybe because they weren't slammed. I ordered the same thing and my friends ordered various meals. We all enjoyed our meals very much but oh my goodness the fries were extremely salty. We were brushing salt off of them as we ate them. Other than that the visit was a positive one. The only downside is the parking situation, which isn't something the restaurant can control, but just a heads up to those visiting. I have been lucky and gotten parking right behind the restaurant, but on the second visit I had to park a couple of blocks away. read more