This is my second review for Firebirds Wood Fired Grill in Gainesville, VA. My wife and I can confidently say this is our go-to spot for great food, service, and ambiance. You can always tell when a restaurant has strong chemistry among its staff -- and that comes from being managed by people who truly care. The place is spotless, and the food is always five-star -- tasty, hot, beautifully presented, featuring amazing seasonal specials, and consistently appetizing. The reason for this second review is to give a special shout-out to Cali from Nokesville (not California -- inside joke!). Nothing against today's younger generation, but it's rare to find someone with such natural ease in conversation. Cali is an old soul with a wonderful personality, genuine warmth, and incredible knowledge of the menu. She's the kind of server who doesn't just take your order -- she connects with you. Early in our meal, I asked about something that's normally only offered for to-go orders. Cali said she'd check into it, and I didn't think much of it. Well, an hour and a half later, after we'd finished dining and checked out, she came back -- having remembered my request -- and made it happen. That level of attention and follow-through is rare these days. Firebirds Gainesville continues to impress us in every way, and with staff members like Cali, it's easy to see why. Five stars all around! read more

Overall a solid choice. The waitstaff was the most attentive I have experienced in a while. The prime rib good. Rare to the point I had to eat it quickly because the fat congealed. The BLT salad great. The bake potato could have been hotter for my taste so the toppings would melt. The Mother's Day crowd was reservation only type place. Definitely more upscale places for the area. Normal background chatter and music to make it feel 'special.' Celest and Cali was the highlight of my experience, they knew the menu. Definitely more of a 'special' kind of dinning place. I wish I rolled that way but I'd be broke and fat. A solid choice overall. Almost a five if I had not experienced better. It was the bread and tap water, that killed the five. I would definitely recommend. read more

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill - BLT Salad - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

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So, once a month, we get some dinner to take home. Order online and such. Ordering works fairly seamless. Very nice staff! The restaurant itself is very pleasing. We've also had dinner in the restaurant, and enjoy it. But, just a heads up - kinda like how Bourdain and Ramsey would caution. If you order a steak to go, you're probably getting something from the back of the grill, knowing it won't be eaten until 20 minutes later. I purposely order my steak med rare, knowing it's going to rest on the drive. I should just make one at home. The latest had zero seasoning and was medium/med well, and tough! If I had been at a table, it would have gone back immediately. I assume since I was going home with it, who really cares? Do better, Firebirds, please? Thanks. read more

My friend and I made a reservation at this place for 5pm. We arrived just in time and it took us a while to get seated but, that was alright. The hostess was wonderful and kind, however our waitress wasn't. Not that she was TERRIBLE, but we did not feel very welcomed- just kind of, tolerated (which may have been because we look a bit young), so I can't blame her. The place was overall very clean, beautiful, deep mood lighting which is my kind of place. The Caesar salad and bread was wonderful! And the Spiritless Spritz is AMAZING- I loved that they gave you the rest of the red bull can. Our food however, was not great. My friend asked for her burger well done and- well.... Look at the picture. And my steak penne was lacking in salt and cheese and had tomatoes (which weren't in the picture online). Especially for a $70 bill, we weren't pleased. read more

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The staff at this restaurant was VERY attentive and friendly. We were seated outside and everything was clean and organized. The lunch special was a great value. The salmon blt and blt salad were delicious! My friend also had some dietary restrictions and they happily adjusted her meal for her. I will be coming back. read more

The food is nasty, and ridiculously overpriced for the lack of quality. The service is generally bad. There's one or two good servers in the entire restaurant and if you don't luck out and get one of them, you will be waiting 45+ minutes for your food. Worst of all, the manager "Byron" (taller middle-aged black man) is literally a nutjob and will come to your table to talk to you for several minutes if you complain about a dish and ask for it to be sent back and corrected. Not exaggerating, 5+ minutes. Charging $200 for some drinks and mediocre steak is one thing, but we have to sit here and be harassed by the manager? Just take the dish back and go away. He will literally interrogate you over what was wrong with the dish with wide crazy eyes and a huge creepy smile on his face, pretending he's happy to be helping and understanding of the issue but you can tell that he's absolutely livid because he's terrible at hiding it. The layout is also just the most abhorrent restaurant layout I have ever seen. There's a row of tables where you're right by the kitchen food line where the servers pick the food up, and you can hear EVERYTHING that the servers and managers say (mostly vulgar things that no one wants to hear while they eat, or complaints about their tables). All in all, a terrible restaurant with terrible food and terrible ambiance. And a NIGHTMARE of a manager who turns dinner into an interrogation. I half expected him to shine a light in our faces. If that sounds like your vibe, this is the place! read more

Amazing waitress and service when I went in person. I've also ordered a family size take out multiple times and it's delicious for a great price (plenty of food with leftovers). read more

Midweek lunch at noon and things just were not working correctly. We were seated almost immediately, but the hostess said they had limited wait staff. We should have departed at this point. Our order was taken after fifteen minute wait. The food was delivered after another 45 minutes; clearly, the kitchen was also understaffed. Food was a mixture of hot and cold (e.g., meat cool and fried too hot to eat). At these prices, this place needs to do better. This Restsursnt has now moved towards the bottom of our list as a pls r to eat. read more

Every time I eat here the food is good as well as the service and this time was no exception. I would recommend making reservations - even if you're going there on a Tuesday night! Everyone always seems warm and friendly and most times I go, the manager will stop by the table and ask if we need anything. read more

On a whim, my boyfriend and I had Firebirds carrot cake delivered late last night, and it was so worth it! The warm caramel to drizzle over the perfectly iced piece of warm, moist carrot cake is simply to die for. 10/10 read more

This place has a great atmosphere but this visit wasn't the best. We were forgotten about pretty often so much that the server apologized to us EVERY time they came back to see us. Our waters went empty often, and the pasta dish was pretty terrible. Onion ring starter was the best part. This place is pretty mid. read more

The food is delicious! My burger was so good. The service seemed a bit slow in the begin with ( we first sat n the bar area and took forever to get drinks and our order placed) then we got seated n the dining area. Our waiter was excellent! It's great for a date night/first date or whatever. There were children there and they were well mannered-but it's not a place for hollering children or just running around. It has a cozy atmosphere. read more

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill - Hot honey chicken sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

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Excellent food excellent service great teamwork with you servers and even the manager stopped to buy. Prices are attached on the high level but you need to expect that at a place like this. This is a perfect place to bring a second date, your first date needs to be casual right? I got the fish sandwich with the Caesar salad which the fish sandwich wasn't that impressive but I did enjoy the Caesar salad better. She got the garlic butter tenderloin rare which came out really tender and flavorful. Her BLT salad Topps my Caesar salad which had a nice smokey making flavor in it with diced tomatoes. I do not remember her name but the African American lady was our server and she was rea lly good to us.. July 8th 2024 visit 1:00 p.m. read more

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The manager Bvyron, completely went the extra mile for my birthday. I was there alone and they made me feel apart of Firebirds! They brought me ballon's and a complimentary desert! Plus other amazing things! They do be in goodwill! The waiter Ryan was a sweet heart and couldn't do enough to help me. I met Shelby and Bryce who were not my waiters, but also sooo sweet to me! That says it all! Great food and service and love the ambiance there! read more

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As you can see from my last review in January 2022 I like this place for lunch or dinner. This place uses wood fire grilling. They use an open flame to cook...pretty much everything. Whether you're craving hand-cut steak, fresh seafood, locally-sourced vegetables, this is your place. I was here with my family of eight including two elementary school children. We were seated at a nice table in the center of the main room. We shared the lobster queso app for $18.50 and the chicken wings with bleu cheese and garlic ranch dressing for $9.95. I started with my two double black diamond martinis with an infusion of fresh pineapple and New Amsterdam pineapple vodka, garnished with a pineapple slice for $12.50 each. I also enjoyed my hand carved slow roasted prime rib steak with homemade au jus and creamy horseradish for $39.95, which has limited availability but was properly cooked medium rare. As usual I also enjoyed the locally sourced port mushrooms for $6.95. Overall I was pleased with my prime rib, mushrooms and our table service. My total bill for my family of eight was $474 including a 20% gratuity. We all agreed we will return here for lunch or dinner. read more

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Always a pleasant atmosphere. Very welcoming and the manager, Byron makes one feel happy to be here. As usual, I have the Colorado Chicken Salad....even after all these years, a true delight!! read more

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill - Colorado chicken salad with cheddar cheese instead of bleu cheese. Delicious!!!! - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

First time visit on a Monday evening. Staff was friendly. Restaurant was clean. We had a 3 course entree each including salmon and shrimp and a steak. We also tried their lobster queso that was really delicious. Additionally, we tried the crème brûlée and bread pudding. Very tasty. Good portions. Nice options. Different taste in food for sure with their method of cooking, but not bad at all. read more

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My wife and I are from Atlanta visiting family. We are a non-chain family for eating out. We found Firebirds on Yelp. Great menu. Great atmosphere. Great food. Great service. Fair price. What more could we ask for? read more

Quick service, large portions, and they have their own wine club! Went here for a late night treat on Friday night as a celebration for buying a new car! Caprese Chicken Pasta with tomatoes, basil, spinach, and balsamic cream sauce. There was a perfect amount of sauce for the proportions. There was ample parking by the restaurant. We were seated immediately without reservations. It has a higher-end environment that would be perfect for an anniversary dinner or first date. I definitely would say that the portions they serve at Firebirds Wood Fired Grill is larger that most restaurants I have been to. I was only able to eat half an appetizer (fried chicken) and half of the pasta entrée. read more

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Firebirds keeps on hitting a home run. We had another great meal with great service. The fresh salad with grilled salmon was delicious. I had the blackened prime rib and a flavorful salad. Wine and cocktail selections were very good. Ambiance was energetic but quiet enough to hear other people at the table. The food quality and service have consistently been excellent over the past 6 visits. read more

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill - Flavorful Caesar salad - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

The hostess and server were both kind, quick, and wonderful. No complaints about service here! The restaurant was also clean and had a nice atmosphere. However, the food was not good. The burger was small and sad and came with hardly any fries (full disclosure- we had already eaten 2 or 3 by the time we took a pic). The honey garlic chicken had a decent flavor, but was dry and tough, and kind of cold. We did dine around 8:45pm, so perhaps food was falling off by that point in the evening. Overall, would not dine here again. I know steak is their thing, but I wouldn't pay for a steak here when the other food items can't keep up. read more

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

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We live in the area and come here often. It's always busy, so we usually sit at the bar. Today, we got seats at the bar, and the waiter brought us napkins with utensils. My husband opened his napkin, and it was already used and unwashed. Then, I opened mine--OMG, it had lipstick all over it! I called the manager, Misami, to show her, but she just looked irritated and said, "I'll change them," without even apologizing. The entire time, she seemed cranky and annoyed. This is a basic and important hygiene issue. Terrifying experience--always check your napkin! read more

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

Ordered the NY strip. Disappointed overall - I asked for medium, but it came out rare with a charred exterior. I should have taken a clear picture of it cut in half, but even then, it would be hard to tell since the lighting in the restaurant was so dim. They tried to make up for it, but I think the dish was doomed anyway. Maybe I was just unlucky because the chicken dish was much better, and the mushrooms were well made too. Service was great otherwise. Ambience is fancy. read more

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill - Wood Grilled NY Strip* - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

Wife and I ate here yesterday and one of the appetizers came out on a dirty plate unfortunately we already started eating before we noticed it or we would of sent it back immediately. We pointed it out to the waiter and he said sorry and took the plate away. He said nothing else about it and we paid full price for the appetizer? Firebirds - please do better! read more

Our daughter arrived early for a party of 5 and was seated immediately. That's not something most restaurants do. The Hostess was charming. Our server, Savannah was excellent. I can't say enough about her pleasant and efficient service. The food was excellent with the only complaint, if you can call it that, was the plates should have been warm/hot to the touch. The mashed potatoes got room temp quickly. Appetizers, entrees, doneness, all perfect! Highly recommend! read more

It was an okay experience. We ordered the ribs and burger and both were over cooked. The bacon almost tasted burnt, but fries were solid. The ribs needed more meat, and to not be dry. Broccoli was solid. Service and ambiance were good, but I would prolly check out another spot. read more

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill - Ribs - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

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We went to have lunch and Kali was our server and she was AMAZING! SO very kind, knowledgeable, patient and accommodating. She made the entire meal such a wonderful experience! Leave room for the carrot cake; you will be glad you did because it's delicious! Thank you Kali for making our day so special!! read more

I came in for Mother's Day last night with my little, my heart was set on ribs and SOME sort of chocolate yumminess, to my disappointment they were completely out of both chocolate dessert options AND their ribs which I found out a bit after placing our order. The service was pleasant despite my back to back disappointment and patience as I redirected my tastebuds. Only other downsides to my order experience was that I didn't get a heads up that instead of a vegetable medley I would get asparagus, and what's worse is my margarita was heavy toward the sour side (I could definitely taste the alcohol, which I appreciated, but it needed a balance of more triple sec and a dab more simple syrup). As a margarita lover I don't recommend their perfect margarita. Ultimately, if the margarita had tasted decently it would have been 4 stars (I feel like I forced myself to finish it). Overall the food tasted great and good quality, service was good, and the atmosphere was great enough to come back and give it another chance to gain a better rating. I was pleasantly surprised on how tasty the crème brûlée cheesecake was! I wouldn't had tried it if the chocolate options were available, so thankful for that experience! read more

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This meal was EVERYTHING I needed on a super cold snow day! Started my meal with the lobster spinach queso and My mother recommended the baby back ribs, and they did not disappoint. Tender, flavorful, nice lil char flavor from the grill, and the sauce was simple yet delicious. I chose the southwest au gratin potatoes and charred carrots as my sides. YUMMMY I ate the leftovers cold they were so good lol. Service was quick and friendly our waitress was very attentive and management was walking through the restaurant checking on customers and making sure everything was running smoothly. I love the comfortable seating and cozy fireplaces throughout the restaurant. I will definitely be back soon! read more

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill - Full rack Baby Back Ribs, Southwest Au Gratin Potatoes, and Charred Carrots delicious!!! - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

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Decided to give this place a try and stopped in for lunch today. We were immediately greeted and taken to our table. The inside of the restaurant is done up nicely and the lights are dimmed. They have multiple seating options to include the bar or outside patio. Our waitress came right over and took our drink orders followed by our food order. I was surprised at how fast the food came out especially with a lot of people sitting in the restaurant. The food was really good as were the drinks that we ordered. We were really impressed with the quality of service that we received. The prices are reasonable considering how much food you get. We will definitely stop in here again. read more

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Firebirds in Gainesville is our "go to" restaurant. We typically dine there once a week and the food is consistent, plentiful and is delicious. All the associates are top notch from Emma, the Hostess, Byron, the manager, his assistants, and all the severs, from Kayla, Jazz, Maritza, Mac and all the others that have assisted us over the years. We tried the Thanksgiving meal to go and it was excellent! There was an overabundance of food, allowing for plenty of leftovers. Don't hesitate to try and they sell out early. read more

Firebirds has no reason to be this good. Every dish was absolutely delicious, like genuinely that chicken sandwich was the best chicken sandwich I've ever had in my life. Serving sizes are also huge, great at the price. And service was very friendly. Just go, just eat there. It'll be so worth it. read more

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill - Philly Cheesesteak Wrap - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

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Firebirds never disappoints. We had the lobster queso dip and it was awesome. Zach was our server and he did an excellent job. The vibe is always inviting and the staff is excellent. They always have very clean restrooms too. That's a real bonus these days. read more

The worst last THREE experiences. They used be fine a few years ago but whatever has happened--be it management or corporate or what--has made it a waste of time and money. I keep hoping it'll be better, but they've gotten worse and worse every time. The wait times are absurd, but I wouldn't even care about that if the quality was there. Entirely uncooked, and at best, unsafe temperatures of meat. For the wait and the price, they should be ashamed of what they've become. A million employees yet no one has any sense of urgency or service. So disappointing. read more

Bryce was an exceptional server. He was on point and showed every table attention. Not stressed and all smiles. Food was great and delivered hot. read more

Had a nice dinner at the bar with my wife last night 10/13/2024 after spending the day in Middleburg. Forget the bartenders name, but the best service that we've had in a while and we eat out often. Nice ambiance too! We both had full salads with Salmon for our entrees and we started with a cup of soup. Chicken tortilla soup was great as was my wife's potato soup. Great place. We'd probably be regulars here if we lived nearby. read more

Perfect place to eat! Recommend: Without a doubt! Incredible ambiance, electric-fast service, King Kong sized salads. Need a drink, be amazed at the 'Wall O' Whiskey'... front to back, really great experience, hard laughter abound, Wait Staff covering down on everything who were very attentive. Loved the overall decor including the other walls of wine. Ordered Cobb and Colorado salad and side dish of bread. Everything was perfect but man talk about SALAD?! The size of those things; bring an appetite! read more

We went on a really nice day 8/8 at around 5 pm. They are always frantic in the bar around around this time every day. We got lucky and snagged a high top near the window. Ordered the BLT large salad with grilled chicken ($22), Honey chicken sandwich (18), the deviled eggs ($15) and 2 drinks ($18 and $15) and a beer. These prices are normal for EVERY mid range mostly junk food sit down offering in Gainesville, VA (think BJs, Outback- and yes I lump this one in with those). The salad was fine but they used no nutrition iceberg instead of a dark lettuce, the chicken sandwich was FRIED (think honey chicken wings but with more fired breading- not stated on the menu) side was garlic mashed potatoes- they were tasteless. The deviled eggs suck. I don't know how they make them but there is triple the filler with the egg yolk- doesn't even taste like eggs, The bacon stirs were the best thing about the dish. I guess the Manhattan was on the HH sled- he said it was ok. The double jack and coke would have been good had I not let the ice melt it down (my bad). The total was $92 and I gave a $30 cash tip to the server. I would not recommend this restaurant at all, plus it was super hectic and just not a classy restaurant- which I think it what it tries to frame itself as. I would rather go to Outback. read more

I wish zero was an option. This review is based on my experience with dinner on September 14, 2024. My party arrived at 8 15 pm and were seated right away. Two of us ordered the Salmon and Lobster fondue dish. We waited. And waited. And waited (they were moderately busy but not slammed). It took about 50 minutes to get our food. My other 2 guests got salads. My friend who ordered the Salmon also got a salad and asked it be brought out before the main meal. It wasn't. The server apologized and said it was sitting in the kitchen with the main dish .... red flags all around. The food. Salmon was cold, over cooked (almost jerky) Fondue wasn't fondue ..... is was Campbell's cheese sauce opened from the can and poured over the dish. I ordered mashed potatoes. You guessed it .... cold and tasteless. Wall paper paste has more flavor. They obviously made the Salmon dishes, let them sit, and then remembered to make the salads for my other guests. My friends dish was, actually, worse. Just as cold but Salmon was burned and no fondue. He wad so hungry, he ate it anyway. I sent the meal back. The kitchen staff obviously doesn't care about doing their job right and management was not helpful ... just offering apologies. Avoid the restaurant and choose to spend your hard earned money elsewhere... some place where staff actually take pride in serving quality food and not crap. read more

Deviled egg appetizer was excellent! Our waiter was new and he did a great job! We had BBQ ribs, salmon salad, burgers with steak fries. Tater tots were a little too salty and my daughter's steak was a little tough but all and all great dinner! read more