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    Firefly Grill

    4.4 (877 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Firefly Grill Photos

    FIREFLY GRILL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Trendy
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

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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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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    We stopped here while traveling and had a great experience. The food, service, and atmosphere were wonderful.

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Fantastic place. Top notch service. A pond and beautiful garden beds. Don't just eat, walk around the property. It's a little oasis.

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Excellent food! Taste & quality is super! We ordered takeout & was great. Order was perfect, timely and warm.

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    3 years ago

    Delicious food. Great ambience. It's a farm to table restaurant and the food taste very fresh. We discovered it driving through Illinois!

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Ordered the pork chop, very small cut and over cooked not worth 42.00. Server Victoria was great.

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Excellent food, excellent service, and very nice ambience. Totally enjoyed our visit.

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    3 years ago

    Great place in an unusual place was not expecting that kinda quality I highly recommend this place I will definitely be back

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    Page 4 of 22

    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

    4.4(448 reviews)
    2.2 mi
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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

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

    Niemerg's Steakhouse

    3.6(273 reviews)
    1.3 mi
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    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.

    Great food, friendly staff, so much to pick from on the salad bar! Very comfortable surroundings!!read more

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    Niemerg's Steakhouse
    Niemerg's Steakhouse
    Niemerg's Steakhouse

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    Gopher's Grill - Patty melt on rye with house fries

    Gopher's Grill

    4.2(95 reviews)
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    I used the Yelp app as I often do to find a place for lunch while in Effingham. Gopher Grill got…read moregreat reviews so we decided to try it. We decided to split an appetizer and a meal. The appetizer we decided on was German egg rolls. Absolutely delicious! For the meal we decided on the schnitzel sandwich and brussels sprouts. I could have made a meal out of the brussels sprouts which they roast in blood orange vinaigrette. For those who are interested there are several virtual sports simulators there. The service was good as well. Can't wait to go back!

    We had family visiting and decided to reserve a spot at one of the simulator bays on a Sunday at…read more11. For a party of 9, our waitress kept up with everything nicely. We ordered a variety of apps and drinks. The appetizers were all ok. We tried the mild wings and the loaded fries. My husband liked the wings and the fries were decent, but there could have been more fries for the amount of toppings on them. My biggest complaint.... The place is very dirty. The wall next to our simulator bay had food splattered on it. There was a chicken wing bone among other crumbs and food under our table when we got there and the place had just opened. The couch at our bay was dated and crumbling, making it feel even more dirty. The bathroom was also disgusting. Toilets looked like they hadn't been cleaned in weeks, and again, the place had just opened for the day. Honestly I would have maybe ordered an entree and had more to eat but I had to keep ordering vodka tonics to make myself forget how unsanitary the place felt.

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    Bar area

    Gopher's Grill - German egg rolls

    German egg rolls

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    Schnitzel sandwich with a side of Brussels sprouts

    Fujiyama Japanese Steakhouse

    Fujiyama Japanese Steakhouse

    3.9(94 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    My husband is a native to Effingham and this was our first time at Fujiyama Japanese steakhouse and…read moreit was a nice visit that will have me coming back. Of course, I always get skeptical of seafood being fresh in the middle of nowhere middle Illinois in the Midwest of the USA but this time we went for the hibachi experience so I gave the shrimp a try and my husband ate the chicken. He had a side of fried rice with egg and I opted for noodles with our vegetables. The complementary house salad and soup tonight was mushroom was OK but not as good as other hibachi style restaurants. Our hibachi chef was funny entertaining and was able to connect with each of the guests. He made jokes and put on a wonderful performance. I appreciated that not every seat was filled for hibachi and we were still able to enjoy dinner as a party of eight. Next time we visit, we will eat on the traditional restaurant side to test out the sushi and other menu offerings. The restaurant is fairly wheelchair accessible with everything being on one even level and there's plenty of accessible parking and close parking as Fujiyama is next to a few other stores sharing the parking lot.

    Today I parked my rig at the TA. Walked a few blocks to this restaurant, wasn't too difficult of a…read morehike. Having seen a billboard AD driving along the i70, I thought huh, hibachi down the road on exit 160, let's do this. Originally had other plans, like hitting up the NAF NAF for some Mediterranean food couple miles further. But haven't had any Bennihana style hibachi in ages, I did sort of crave the grilled veges, NY Steaks and hibachi butter fried rice. So got in here today, and it was pretty quiet. Wasn't even sure if there were any parties at the grill. Back in the days I use to work at a pretty high octane hibachi in the Permian Basin (ya, think Billy Bob Thornton in Landman on steroids). We'd have oil field crews pack our entire restaurant, and I'd be doing daily sales of 3,000.00 to 4,000.00 just under my own tab. Those were the days you can order a bowl of Udon noodles and it probably came out to 8.99--- good ole pre- inflation days. So onto the food here. Steak was over cooked, wanted medium rare, tasted well done. Chicken was decent, moist, not dried out. I've had hibachi chicken in certain restaurants where the meat was straight up dried. So good job. The fried rice was a 7/10. Not the best, but better than Panda Express. The grilled veges were alright, the teriyaki sauce was decent not too sweet. And overall the hibachi combo plate of NY Steak, Chicken w/ fried rice was overall a 7.5/10. I want to give a thumbs up to the restaurant for their portions. This being lunch hours, the lunch portion here can play out in many other places as dinner size. The Miso soup was your typical hot soup + instant dried seaweed + supermarket house brands tofu. Can't screw this dish up. And the salad was sugar overkill...along with the Yum Yum Sauce. What I wished they did with the Salad sauce. Okay, blend carrots, apples, increase ginger, couple slices of lemon, and cut down on the sugars. For the Yum Yum Sauce decrease the sugar, more garlic, and please add a tad bit more MSG for that flavor bomb. Now because I figured I might still be hungry, I ordered their 2 roll sushi lunch special-- the Bay bridge, and the Volcano. Sushi rolls were both pretty solid. The sushi chef here gets a 8/10 for his sushi rice making ability. I've seen complete failures at restaurants serving sushi where the rice isn't even cooked through. Worse I've had sushi rice that tasted like those Supermarket sushi franchises Snow Fox and Fuji Foods. Special mention: the wasabi is spicy. Very good. For a hibachi grill restaurant, this place is a solid 7/10. Is it worth walking over here if your semi truck is parked nearby? Yes. Is it worth a detour if you're on a road trip and don't want burgers and fries? Yes. Is it a nice setting to sit down and talk with your colleagues or watch their hibachi chefs perform? Sure. In the end, for price, portion, and just a no bs Japanese teppanyaki meal, I think Fujiyama can fill that void. Why the 3 Stars? because there's room to improve, food wise, like the fried rice: more white peppers, onions, garlic butter, soy sauce, scallions. To my Chinese passerbyers: 覺得路過的客人,可以過來關顧一下,整體食物質量管控還行,就是甜了一點;要是有哪位華人卡車師傅在附近停靠,過夜,我也還是會推薦過來這家日式鐵板試試,想當年羅蘭剛一家老字號的上林鐵板燒已經被蒙古餡餅給取代了,也就是抱有這種懷舊才使得我過來品一品這村莊的日式鐵板。

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    Fujiyama Japanese Steakhouse
    Fujiyama Japanese Steakhouse
    Fujiyama Japanese Steakhouse

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