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Firefly Grill

4.4 (877 reviews)
Open • 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

Firefly Grill Photos

FIREFLY GRILL ATMOSPHERE

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Moderate noise
Good for kids
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Firefly Grill

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firefly BREAD SERVICE
Courtney E.

We returned to Firefly last night for dinner and I'm left with overall good feelings but a few hiccups. The bread service, cocktails, and entrees were great. Service and dessert both left a bit to be desired. Our waiter, while friendly, took a very long time to return anytime we asked for something including about 10 minutes between bringing us our check and coming back to get our payment. The fried chicken entree was great as was the bread and beer cheese, and we would order these items again. The banana cake dessert was a big disappointment. The cake itself was dense and dry and it was honestly surprising they'd serve this, given the quality of other items.

JP P.

Alright - I went back for a Round2 do over ! This time around In the middle of Effing nowhere I was blown away by the delicious eats coming out of firefly restaurant. They serve up fresh veggies from the surrounding gardens . Beautiful water views . Loved the vibe and ambiance . Beyond great service ! Chef cooked up some delicious Vegan eats for me "off menu " . Really enjoyed everything . The hummus board was one of the best I've ever had. The highlight for me was the non alcoholic Louie Louie blackberry lemon seltzer infused with hemp derived delta-9 along with the chefs veggies special , Yum .

Shrimp Risotto
Tracy D.

Let me say this... you guys really saved us from a bad experience today. We walked in early after noon during the week and was seated promptly by the friendliest server I've ever encountered. The menu was succinct with just the right amount of choices for each category. I opted for Shrimp Risotto and hubs got the burger. It took a bit but it was worth it! The Risotto was so rich and creamy i knew he was back there stirring for a while... and the shrimp? Cooked perfectly. I'd make the drive for the food alone but the real bonus is the incredible ambiance and amazing customer service we received. We'll be back!

Corn and crab chowder
Kristen B.

Stopped at this restaurant to charge the car and decided to come back for dinner. What a lucky stop for us. We opted to sit on an indoor patio with a lovely view. Our server Ean was wonderful and patient with our questions. The menu was not overwhelming and fresh herbs and veggies came from an adjacent area. Prices reflected the quality of the meat and other ingredients. The corn and crab chowder was a five star experience. The wedge salad was sufficient to split and so was the filet. The potatoes and garnishes were nicely prepared as well. Since we were traveling the leftovers would be wasted. The peach cobbler dessert was also really yummy. Going to put this on our travel agenda in southern Illinois as a required stop. Highly recommend!

Crab cakes
Susan O.

Went to Firefly on 8/20 just before Happy Together concert in Effingham. It is Farm to TABLE, not all veggies are in season just to let you know, just be aware. Make a reservation it is busy, due to mild weather we had gotten a table outside (front of building) they do also have Lake side tables with covered patio in back. plus inside seating as well. We ordered Peach Sangria. Plus meals you see below. Service was stellar.

Mary T.

Before I express any disappointment, let me give a great shout out to Eddie (pronounced Eeeedie)!!! She beautiful, friendly, and a GREAT server!!! The food was really good--not sure worth the higher prices, but really good. The place is stunning and VERY clean restrooms--a huge plus. The negatives? I think it's a bit overpriced, then they add a service charge and then we tipped. Not sure what the service charge was for. We did not get anything from the bar. ??? It was charming. Just an opinion.

Shannon X.

Went here on two seperate occasions while I was in the city. The service was amazing and food was served in a very timely manner. One of the waitresses we had went above and beyond to help reticify a mistake that she had made by accidentally charging the wrong card to the wrong order. We really appreciate her for going the extra mile. However, I felt like the food was lackluster. The first time I went, I got the baby back ribs, and they were on the drier side and felt a little bit bland. The second night, I got the cacio e pepe and the brussel sprouts. The cacio e pepe was pretty standard and the brussel sprouts were prepared very well. They were crispy and flavorful -- to the point where I feel like the bottom pieces drowned in the sauce a little bit. One of the people in my dining party got the truffle fries and those tasted amazing. Especially the aioli sauce, which was probably my favorite thing that I had tried from this restaurant.

Fried green tomatoes?
Sonia L.

The one star is for the very instagram attractive decor, construction and features like the rustic yet modern entry, sprawling bar, charming pond with koi. They lost 4 stars on service and mainly the highlight of this place which is farm to table flair. Service was a slow as the place was not busy. Tables that arrived after us were served before us. We were recommend the fried green tomatoes. Typically these can't be messed up. There was so much breading I couldn't discern the tomatoes from the heavy layer of vegetables topping the dish. Overly salted and the excessive sauces masked the flavors of the farm to table fresh veggies. Not good overall.Similar to I imagine something like you'd get in lower quality chili's type places. I was told that the foccacia for the muffletta would be the best I ever had. It was not. Not pillowy at all. On the heavy side and covered in oil. Seemed to be rubbery like it was microwaved. Meats may have been good quality if I could get past the oil and salt in the focaccia. Muffletta is typically not on this type of bread anyway. Even the fresh arugula was dressed in a very salty dressing. Again I could not enjoy this dish because of the salt. Also tasted my husband's Philly which was the saltiest of all. Why!!?? Farm to table doesn't need to be covered in excessive salt!! The apricot Agua fresca was terrible. Sour and flavorless. Very underwhelming, salty and uninteresting food not to mention the price for the portion was just paying for the insta surroundings. Go if you like cute surroundings and salty dishes but the food had zero farm to table qualities. Skip it and save your $ for local bbq or pack your own road trip lunch instead.

A glimpse of the outdoor eating area.

Beautiful place located right off the main drag. Nice selection of food. We had checked the menu online and were looking forward to hummus sandwiches but when we got there, we were informed they did not have those at lunchtime, which was somewhat disappointing. But we ordered a hummus charcuterie board, which was very good. The focaccia bread was excellent. Lots of indoor and outdoor seating. Corn chowder was very tasty as were the squash blossoms. Service was good. Not sure if we will get to that area again, but if we do, we will definitely stop for lunch or dinner.

Fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, corn chowder, caprese salad
Angela P.

Stopped here for lunch on our 12hr trip back to KC! So glad we did... we had the fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, corn chowder, and caprese salad... The best!! Everything was top notch! We will be back it was nice to have a health choice while driving through

HUMMUS SANDWICH V
Charles M.

Best fried green tomatoes I've ever had. The toppings they put on it make a world of difference. Hummus sandwich was huge but tasty. I've never had one on a focaccia before but it worked. The server I had was as friendly and attentive as they come. The restaurant strikes a great balance of modern and countryside esthetic. The outdoor seating is great, provided you like dogs. I might have to take this detour to Chicago more often now.

The ladies room, where the manager said he'd have the picture moved to the left wall and hooks installed where it had been hung.
Grace F.

The food is always very good, interesting, well prepared, and varied. The ambiance is special, with seating possibilities including the porches in good weather and the enclosed porch overlooking the pond in addition to the main dining room. The service is usually excellent yet this evening it was quite annoying. The waiter insisted on treating us like we were in kindergarten using phrases such as "how is our meal", "what would we like for dinner tonight", "can I bring us anything else". I had to bite my tongue. It became so annoying. There is also a 5% service charge, which we've not noticed in the past, which the Restaurant can remove if we don't want to pay it. Sort of felt shamed into paying it. And lastly, when I was here in October, and it was very cold, I spoke directly with the manager and asked that perhaps they consider adding coat hooks outside the bathroom stalls in the ladies room so that when women exit the stalls, they have a place to hang their coat. Brilliant idea he said. Two months later, nothing has changed. Still trying to figure out where to hang my purse and my coat when I'm washing my hands. Sadly, after five years of stopping here on our way to and from Southern states, we may simply pass. The irritants are increasing.

Kids smoked Gouda Mac and cheese was so decadent, my daughter loved it!!
Nichole S.

Several people recommended this place to us and while the prices had previously kept us hesitant from coming, OMG the food did not disappoint! It was fresh, high quality and delicious! Portion sizes were good and the ambiance was lovely both inside and out. Service was lacking a bit for an expensive place like this (we had to ask for plates and silverware with our appetizers and our server was not very attentive) but the food was so good I'll still give it 5 stars any day!

Chicken Noodle soup

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2 months ago

Great restaurant with. amazing service, and even better food. Best salmon I've ever had. Always worth the stop when in town.

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7 months ago

Excellent farm to table upscale eatery!!!! The server was super attentive and fun!! Great ambiance and decor!! The food was superb!!!!

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1 year ago

Fantastic restaurant with the kindest staff. Food was so good and such generous portions. Kids to adults enjoyed every dish we ordered.

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Firefly Grill Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Firefly Grill

Is this place dog friendly in outdoor seating area?? Heaters available outside?

The outside is dog friendly, but I don't know if they have heaters outside this late in the season. We are having a fairly mild winter right now, but it's wet, and when wet, the outside isn't the place to be.

Thinking of planning a wedding here and wondering if anyone has and could give a little insight on cost and experiences most likely would be in the sunset room?

Absolutely beautiful place for a wedding. The property is amazing. I love the country setting yet modern feel of the restaurant. The staff is so friendly I'm sure they would enjoying giving you a special tour. Congratulations

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Gabby Goat American Pub & Grill - Hand cut ribeyes wed and fri starting at 5

Gabby Goat American Pub & Grill

(448 reviews)

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Food was great. I got the brisket - delicious but MAN those waffle fries with the butter rub sauce…read moreor whatever it was. GET THEM!!! My son loved his burger. Their fries were too! Service was great. Sports bar but families wwre around also and chill area for low top tables. Lots of TVs! Lots of parking!

Effingham was our first stop on a road trip to San Antonio. We pulled in medium late but full…read morehungry. Scanning the food places we picked this because it seemed to have decent ratings and a lot of reviews. Plus, you get go wrong with good ol' American cuisine. The first kind of hiccup is that they must have recently moved building. Though they moved right next to their existing building, there was no signage and we had to rely on our own eyeballs. Which almost led us into the wrong building. Not a bid deal, realistically, but it threw us for a loop. Getting inside, it was super clean. Long bar, plenty of tables, modern, many tvs for many sports. Plus, the building itself seemed rather large. A chonker of a building, if you ask me. Our hostess brought us into what seemed like the back 40 of the building and seated us next to a garage door that overlooked a cement pad that will one day be a cement pad with things on it. Not even mad. Saw a train. Here's the money shot. Have you ever been happy adjacent? Have you ever been right up to the edge, the precipice, the peak, then turn around and leave? That was kind of the ideal feeling here. The ambiance and service and general-ness of the entire place was spot on. The food itself looked top-tier. But it felt a click away from perfection. Let's look into it. As a hefty man (fat, not the garbage bag brand), I'm a man of appetizers. Also of wings. Therefore, sign me up for 12 bone in wings for an app. Split into three flavors: Carolina BBQ, Buffalo, and regular BBQ. They came out looking and smelling delicious. The sauce flavors hit hard. But I was a little let down with the dryness of the wings. I know sometimes it can be difficult to knock a wing out of the park because those damn things just want to get crispy. But I don't want to fight chewing the meat off the bone. It felt like a battle me and my mush mouth would lose. Now, from what I understood, all sides were a la cart. Color me fine with that, fatty will order anyways. Especially since I saw they offered street corn AND hushpuppies. So naturally, that's what I ordered. The hushpuppies came out and were the round kind. Which I am no stranger to. They had good flavor, good done-ness, but missed the mark on the size. If they were hush people, they would have been premies. A little sad they didn't get to experience their full potential. Now, for this part I will say I was forewarned. My server did mention the street corn came in a bowl and was served cold. I thought I was better than somebody who judged street corn by its temperature. I was wrong. It did come cold. And because of that, it was not tasty. Missed the mark completely. I did get a bonus side, your typical, run of the mill French fry. They came out and looked great. Meadiu

Iron Horse Cafe

Iron Horse Cafe

(3 reviews)

$$

Inside a supermarket that seems untouched by time--Kirby Foods in Effingham--you'll find a…read moretrain-themed eatery called "The Iron Horse." Staffed almost entirely by high schoolers, they still managed to craft a Breaded Pork Tenderloin (BPT), which is so impressive, you'd think it could only be made by someone with a divorce or two under their belt. The balance of juice to crunch was nearly perfect. While some might find it slightly under-pounded and gently fried, the quality of the loin itself was so exceptional that any shortcomings were easy to overlook. The breading's seasoning was a bit subtle for my taste, but the fundamentals were so solid that nitpicking felt irrelevant. The tray was teal. The mustard was yellow. The meat was quality. The vegetables were crispy. The Onion rings are ideal. ...all for under $10.

This establishment is actually inside the IGA. It is cafeteria style, with a salad and soup…read morebuffet. It also seems for at least the lunch time, they set up some main meal such as chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, rolls and a few dessert options. I didn't go with the salad/soup bar, but it looked really good and I'll probably take that option next time. But wait, there's more ! As mentioned, this a cafeteria style cafe, serving Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. The menu has a good variety of foods. The breakfast menu seems to cover the basics, and for lunch/dinner, the items range from chicken, ham, pork, roast beef, fish and of course all the basic sides, such as corn, mashed potatoes, and oh my gosh, some really nice looking desserts. The chocolate pie was really good ! But wait, there is another cool thing to add. If you are hankering for a nice, fresh submarine sandwich, well just go on over to the deli where they have fresh breads and serve up Boar's Head deli meats and cheeses, custom made by super friendly sandwich assemblers and then you can eat it in the dining area... it does not get any better than this folks ! And wait till you see the prices, as they are very wallet friendly, especially considering the quality and quantity of the food you get here ! I'm so happy this place is so close to my work and you can bet I'll be a regular here !!

Niemerg's Steakhouse - Two piece fried chicken, all white meat

Niemerg's Steakhouse

(272 reviews)

$

Passed through Effingham IL again and decided to commence my 30 minutes + off duty break here…read more Low-Key truck stop next door to Niemerg's Steakhouse is the Speedway; the startegy is park your rig there and walk over to this landmark. Haven't not been inside this restaurant ever, i kept an open mind I didn't know what to expect. Theres apparently three dine in area options. You have a whiskey, bar lounge that probably the likes of General MacArthur would patronize for food and cigars like at the Historical Manila Hotel in Manila Philippines. Then you have the open dining room where you seat yourself and it was reminiscent to an Army Chow Hall...sort of with retro 80s decor. And lastly, I chose the Salad Bar room with a booth seating. Server Jessica was fantastic! Went through the standard protocols with me; I was really enjoying the vibes at this place. It's very Mahogany, 1960s - 1980s feeling, almost like that steakhouse Warren Buffet likes to go to in Omaha Nebraska. Very community family oriented, quiet, really quite different than any restaurant or diner you patronize in a city like Los Angeles. A lot of retired folk here and truly, you feel like you been thrown back in time to the 80s and early 90s in some sense. So anyways on to the food. I'm going to state my opinion straight up, the salad bar hot food bar is the star of the show. In fact everything from the soup to the oven potatoes to the COLESLAW (Best Coleslaw Ever), reminded me of that once upon a time Soup Plantation that died during Covid....and the best part is the Cold and hot bar is all-inclusive with your main entree order. Yes you heard that right, you buy the resort tickets, and you enjoy your stay with unlimited cocktails at Cancun...I mean Neimergs... Now to the Iowa Premium Rib Eye Steak. To the kitchen staff: 2 minutes on the top side, 2 minutes on the bottom side. Bake in oven 1 minute on both sides. Done. Medium Rare. A perfectly good steak was destroyed because it came out well done. To future passerbys, skip the baked potato loaded if you decide to dine in at the hot and cold bar room. Last thoughts. I want to give the steak a 3 stars but the overall ambiance, the grandpappy grandma vibes and that overall feel like your dining at someone's home in farm country really elevated the entire experience. Plus the servers are all working their tails off. So I've rated this place a 4 stars. Think anyone on a road trip, or just driving their rig through town should give this historical site a visit. 1978 right? Or something like that. This place also has some of the freshest greens.

Wifey and I stopped by here while on the road. We've been here before. In fact, I came here about…read more21 years BEFORE I ever even MET wifey! I first came here ( my I can remember) as a little five year old. Quite a bit has changed over the decades (but, I guess none of that matters for this review, though). We ordered French toast with strawberries (her) and a full order of biscuits and gravy with a side sandwich (Egg n Muffin). First, the full order of biscuits and gravy in no way needed that sandwich sidecar!! The order was definitely full! The sausage gravy was excellent. The biscuits were large, but a bit under baked. They were still tasty, but could have used a touch more time in the oven. The sidecar sandwich (my name not theirs) was not necessary, and I took it to go. The coffee was a little weak, but good flavor. Our server was Felicia. She was incredibly friendly! Wifey's take? My french toast was both pretty and tasty. The good news is I got to take half home for a snack later. I had also ordered the side of eggs and toast and had to take some of that home as well - so maybe I will pull the whole kit and caboodle out for lunch or dinner. The rye toast and my one over medium egg was perfect. My other egg was more medium plus but it was all good. I agree with the hubs that the coffee was definitely weak for us but we are pretty hardcore with that. It did the trick, though. We left more caffeinated than when we came in.

Firefly Grill - steak - Updated May 2026

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