Excellent Wine selection and the Pork Belly was to die for!! Would put the Pork Belly in top 5 meals I've ever had.

Venue Service Food. Crab cake wasn't very good at all. Too much bread crumbs with over seasoned. read more

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I went to the Firefly with my son to get him what I thought would be an exceptional meal before he left for the Army. After the meal all I can say is I was less than impressed. The menu is overpriced, over priced, over priced. The waitress was fine, I guess. My advise would be to tell the waitress not to have a fake smile plastered on her face. I ordered the steak which was charred black and had too much grizzle. I also ordered shrimp which were 5.00 USC a piece. They weren't even deveined. The mashed potato's may have been instant, they sure tasted like it. The waitress did not keep our drink's full, and the worse thing is when we left my son said, "Dad, I'm still hungry, can we go somewhere else" It's a rip off. I could go to a nice downtown Chicago restaurant and get a much better meal for the price. We would have been better off going to Golden Corral in Effingham read more

Pros: great setting, good local food, good service. Cons: really small portion of wine - too expensive to order two glasses -, asked for appetizers and meal all at once, but appetizer came very early. Overall, a good place to relax, especially the back porch. read more

Firefly Grill - Onion rings - Steakhouses Near Me - Effingham, Illinois

I wish it was in Indianapolis. it's gorgeous and everything tastes amazing. As soon as we walked in, the smell let me know that we'd made a good choice. The hostess was also our waitress, and she was exceptionally friendly and welcoming. We started with the crab purses, which basically is a fancy Rangoon-and by fancy, I mean way above average. I had the ribeye sandwich and my husband had the steak burger. they were both delicious (we switched halfway through to get to try more). My only regrets are that we didn't go there for dinner or during summer, because there's a duck dish with my name on it, and the place must be amazing in summer. They apparently even have a dog park near the porch, so owners can have a nice meal while their puppy-children play. Indianapolis restauranteurs pay attention-this is what Hoosiers need!!!! You just can't go wrong. read more

Firefly Grill - Steakhouses Near Me - Effingham, Illinois

AMAZING FOOD!!! Great service people are very friendly! Love the atmosphere! Definitely will come again!

Strange experience Sunday night - said they "ran out" of hamburgers and pizza! How does that happen? Tried ordering calimari for a starter - didn't have that either. Only chicken on menu was fried chicken piccata, which I had before - not good. Lots of huge $50+ steaks. Very disappointed. read more

I always see the billboard for Firefly Grill on my way down to Carbondale so I figured my friend and I would stop here since it is immediately off the high way. It has a cute farm feel to it although it is quite expensive for a college budget I love that everything is local. As an appetizer we got the fried green tomatoes and for the entree we got the pizza. Both of them were amazing. I am definitely going to be stopping here again on my way to Carbondale. read more

Firefly Grill - Pizza - Steakhouses Near Me - Effingham, Illinois

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Stopped here while traveling to Indianapolis. Such an adorable place with great food! Really enjoyed the Asian Poke Bowl with Tuna. So fresh! Must try their lavender lemonade soda. 10/10 recommend! So good!!!! read more

Firefly Grill - Steakhouses Near Me - Effingham, Illinois

Great food! We came for a corporate dinner and the food was fantastic. Seemed super fresh. The veggies were sweet and fresh, especially the corn. Must have been from the corn fields next doorZ The filet mignon was juicy and delicious inside the crispy bun and the dessert raspberry ice cream and the lava cake were absolutely amazing! read more

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Amazing atmosphere and food as always. Tried the fried green tomatoes with corn salsa...unbelievably good. So glad that they have kept the menu exciting and the quality of food so amazing. Can't wait until our next trip. read more

Stopped here on the way home from a weekend getaway. The food was excellent and the atmosphere was very friendly. My family and I were all very impressed and will be back on our next trip through Effingham. read more

Firefly Grill - Steakhouses Near Me - Effingham, Illinois

I was so impressed with firefly grill that I ate here both nights I was in Effingham. It's the kind of quality service, food and experience you'd expect in New York City or Chicago, but right here in a small town. The service is top notch, with smiling, friendly, knowledgable staff. The first night I started with the ribs, which fell right off the bone and the sauce was a good combination of sweet and savory. We also had the morel mushrooms, which are lightly panko battered and fried, and so tasty. Then we went for the Halibut with mushroom ravioli (bursting with flavor). We ended with the Tiramisu (really good and with a caramel flavor) and Chocolate Lava cake with homemade Blackberry ice cream (so good). Tonight I started with a citrus wheat beer, on tap, and a 'simple salad', with a white balsamic dressing that was great. Then I went for one of their signature dishes (something I like to do when I travel) which is the Montana Mignon, their take on Beef Wellington. The pastry was surprisingly light and flaky (not heavy as some can get) and the steak was just the right size and cooked beautifully. It comes with mashed potatoes (smooth and creamy) and garlic green beans, yum! I didn't think I would have dessert, but when Blake told me about homemade Salted Caramel ice cream, I couldn't resist, and I'm glad I went for it. Combine that with some Camomile Tea and it was a nice finish. I can see why people make the trip to Effingham just to come to firefly grill. If you haven't been here yet, don't wait, head over there soon. read more

Fantastic brunch, I'm so glad we stopped here! Great atmosphere and even better food.

Do not miss this place, great food. Prices are so low for what they serve- And chill atmosphere and great for children. Deck in back. Outdoors nice. But the food, so exceptional. I come here every time I can, because I love everything about this amazing Farm to Table cuisine read more

Firefly Grill - Brunch - Steakhouses Near Me - Effingham, Illinois

Today while I was on business in Effingham, IL I stopped by for lunch and dinner at the FireFly. It is a beautifully decorated restaurant. The old wood that runs throughout the outside and inside is really lovely. At lunch we were seated out on the covered porch. We overlooked the pond with the koi etc. swimming close by. I selected the bowl of Butternut squash soup with crème fresch and crisped sage. It was nice and creamy but really lacked flavor from either the broth base and or maybe some salt. Next I opted for the Effingham burger. The burger was nice but nothing that would warrant a return for. Now the French fries parmesan, lemon, garlic were extraordinary. Loved them. The service was fine and the place was filled with several customers. Due to business I had to stay overnight and opted to try FireFly for dinner. I decided to sit at the galley bar in the kitchen. Figured I would not take up a table for more customers. It took entirely too long for someone to come and wait on me. Finally someone came with menu. I started with the tuna sushi roll. It was good but you could barely find the tuna. Then I ordered the special lobster with pappadella and lobster broth. Let's say it's less than stellar. Now I know I am in Effingham so I was pleasantly surprised that I had something more to choose from than the cracker barrel. The pasta was just bland and missing flavor. I asked for additional parmesan just to get it some flavor. No salt offered on table. I ordered a side of Brussels sprouts which were probably the best thing I had. Someone flavored them so no need to add anything. I then order an espresso which was lukewarm and the brioche pear bread pudding was good as well. The ice-cream scoop of pumpkin was pretty good. The atmosphere was beautiful so I would come back and try the wood fired pizzas that looked really good. read more

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Just keeps getting better. Don't need much of an excuse to come here. Tried the fried chicken in a bag. Wouldn't normally be my first choice, but what the hey. Definitely worth it. Gourmet in every bite. Beautiful side salad. Wife's French onion was perfect. Expectations keep getting higher. Keep it up, Firefly. read more

Firefly Grill - Brown bag fried chicken, kale side salad. Divine. - Steakhouses Near Me - Effingham, Illinois

"If you are ever in Effingham, IL..." was how the recommendation from my colleague. One is not often ever in Effingham, so on this rare occasion, and not necessarily in the mood for a sit down meal, I paid a visit and was upon the first bite taken back to a farm-to-table in NYC's Chelsea area that I raved about a few years back. This place can stand toe-to-hoof to it or any farm-to-table and compete against some of the prime restaurants in Chicago as well. The food was prepared and seasoned perfectly - not too much or too little of anything. The service was as friendly as you'd expect in a Midwestern family diner, but the ambiance is that of a Chicago suburban steakhouse and grill. Just an absolute pleasure finding this place "in the middle of southern Illinois." read more

Firefly Grill - Montana Mignon - excellent! "If ever in Effingham, Illinois..." It's worth the trip even if you are not! - Steakhouses Near Me - Effingham, Illinois

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They started adding gratuity to take out orders. I feel like that is a customer's option. Rise the prices if you want, but don't automatically add tip to take out orders! They lost a customer because of this! read more

This is one of our new favourite places to go fine dining meets casual. A blend of farm house rustic with industrial accents. They are able to do small intimate settings for to or large groups. The hostess was friendly and efficient leading us to a small table with faux candles a little led light at the bottom of a shaded blue candle holder matching water goblets. The server ( kylie) was phenomenal both knowledgeable about the menu and genuinely friendly. As soon as a glass was empty she was replacing it with a full one as is the case with most gifted service people they always seam to know what you want or need before you do. She was no exception always appearing at exactly the right time The appetisers arrived very quickly were hot almost overly so and delicious an example of things to come the main course was cooked perfectly. For desert we had a seasonal creme brûlée sour apple. Keeping in the farm to table motif the napkins were recycled paper as was the take away boxes. The only problem with the entire evening was the chairs were uncomfortable which is why they got 4 out of five stars. All in all a great place to go. The Michelin guide states that 3 stars is worth a special trip just to go there. If that is your guid you follow then firefly would be a solid one This is our third trip to this restaurant so expectations are high. This the first time that we brought or 15 year old son who is trying to decide between Hyde Park and Paris. Hmmm. We arrived on time for our reservations and had to wait a short time while the hostess and the manager discussed something. Afterward she greeted us with a megawatt smile asking how many in you party. When told that we had reservations she looked it up then greeted us by name. We were quickly seated at a table in a glasses in patio handed menus and told our server would be with us in a minute. To our delight Kayle was our server she was last time and was amazing. Will have to admit that this time she was even better given the circumstances she had to contend with a very contentious 4 top where nothing seamed to suit them. She put on a master class in grace and patience with dealing with them and still making her other tables feel as if we were her only customers. We order the pretzels and crab purses both were excellent the purses were ever bit as good as I remembered them being. Then we all got the Montanan mignon it was very good last time it had bacon wrapped around which is typical this time it did not. Become the bacon does not get very crispy when cooked this way we all decide it was better this way than last time. We had for desert the orang blossom creme brûlée with the decision split toni likes this one better i likes the one we had last time better sour apple creme brûlée. The only down side was brought by my son and it was more of a question than a complaint half way into a very enjoyable meal the table was wet from condensation from the glasses why don't they us coasters? read more

Excellent food for both dinner and brunch. What can I say? There is nothing really to see in Effingham, but we come here just to go to Firefly Grill. And when we do, we normally stay the night at a nearby hotel so we can have dinner on Saturday night followed by brunch the next morning. Food is excellent. Amazing cocktail list. Excellent wine list. We had a bottle of Saint Emillion. Stuffed Zucchini Flowers is easily their best appetizer. We had the filet Mignon wrapped in a puff pastry with Boursin and bacon. Wow! Love coming here and leaving so stuffed I feel like exploding. Great kids menu. Only complaint is silverware size for the kids. Their silverware is huge and consequently the kids ages 4 - 10 were constantly dropping them. Tip...bring your own from home. read more

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I have been here many times and the service and food were exceptional. Tonight neither were. The waitress acted like we were an inconvenience as we tried to accommodate my sister's gluten sensitivity. The pork in the Adobo Pork was extremely dry. I tasted as small bite and had to nibble at it because my mouth was dry. The Lobster Risotto should have been a little looser and creamier,but the flavors paired well the nice glass of wine I had. All in all, I was disappointed. I am always here when there is a family crisis. And when I visited my grandmother before here death, it was a haven I could take my once vegan daughter too. It makes me sad because I have bragged about this place to anyone I knew who would be in this area. I hope they get their act together. Wednesday is as important as Saturday night. read more

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Wonderful Sea bass entree, Key lime pie for dessert, I would recommend both! We enjoyed the outside dining on a beautiful September evening! read more

This review will probably be like the rest..... This place is amazing! Great atmosphere, service, and food! If you can, sit on the back patio! Their brunch menu is amazing! read more

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This is a very hit or miss restaurant, there is not much consistency. I I took my wife there last Friday night and ordered the Asian Poke Bowl for a starter. What came out was completely different from the what was described on the menu, and what we received the last time we ordered it. When we questioned our server about it ( we were eating at the bar) she stated that's always how it is served. She was not at all interested in fixing it, or listening to our concerns. During another evening here, we walked in to get a table and the hostess asked if we had a reservation, when we said no we were told it would be a 15 min wait. There was NOBODY else in the entire restaurant. We sat at the bar and had a drink while they looked for a table, then a hostess came and seated us. It was VERY bizarre. All things considered, I cannot recommend this restaurant. It is not consistent with food or service. read more

Been here several times over the last 12 years. Always wonderful and flavorful LLC prepared dishes. Fresh is everything when counting flavors. Nice quiet dining, full bar and on a pond. Outdoor seating on the pond. Good music..no rap. Good wine list. Comfortable seating and rustic decor. In summer lots of flowers. Farm to table. Yum! Gotta go food's here! read more

Nice setting! Friendly servers and upbeat atmosphere! For the menu tonite we tried the Baked Feta and Fire Fly Fillet Mignon (most reassembled a beef Wellington). For the money you cannot do better than this for flavor and dining experience! The appetizer and main plate are delicious beyond expectations. Overall I would have to say this place is a must try for any one visiting Effingham Illinois! If you do visit try to get cayla as your server. What an incredibly friendly server who is happy too provide information on menu items to restaurant history! Five stars from this Diner! read more

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We stopped in the town for the night and found this gem of a place! Wow! The atmosphere and food were amazing! We had appetizers and entrees. It was so good. Innovative flavor combinations were used with farm to table ingredients. If you are anywhere near here, I'd make it a point to try it. read more

We have visited this restaurant 3-4 times over the last 10 years, whenever we're passing thru as we make a 20+ hour trip to visit relatives. We were looking forward to eating there earlier this week & made our reservation with anticipation of great food and service. When we arrived, we observed a very frazzled front hostess interacting with another couple who apparently didn't have a reservation. (The restaurant maybe had 2 customers at that time.) The hostess & another young female began moving chairs around, the hostess seemingly upset with having to do so. No acknowledgement of me while she proceeded to rush around with a disgusted demeanor. When she did acknowledge me, there was no smile just business & took me to my table. The waiter arrived &, after reviewing the wine list, I asked for a taste of one of the choices. The waiter acquiesed, bringing me barely enough to gauge the quality. I'm speaking maybe a teaspoon. I hesitantly ordered a glass for my meal and my husband ordered his drink. We ordered a wedge salad, pizza and the glazed salmon dish. The salad was delivered about 10 minutes later while we had to becon another waiter to bring our drinks. Food came and the wedge was good, pizza ok and the salmon tasty. Our waiter was mostly non existent & when the bill came , we saw the service charge which was a surprise. This charge should be listed on the menu! Also, after paying, I realized the $13. glass of wine was $17. Never was I asked what portion I wanted, assuming the 5 oz glass would be delivered. Once again, the waiter should clarify what amount the customer wants, not charge the higher price. A little disappointed that it seems the restaurant has lost some of its appeal. We've been to many high quality restaurants but felt this experience left something lacking. We spent over $100. and have no qualms with the price, just the experience. read more

I realize the prices are a little higher there then some places, but the food is absolutely exceptional! Worth the drive from anywhere and conveniently located off of the interstate. Great place for parties, Business meetings, celebrations and weddings of an upper scale quality. They allow private music, photographers and cakes which is rare in this type of venue. Also, they have private spaces including an enclosed heated porch and a wine room that is super elegant. They raise their own garden which they glean as many ingredients as possible out of. Events coordinator Megan is fantastic and will help you through every detail. The kids can't even feed the massive quantities of golden carp in the Pond that the restaurant is situated on. You will not be disappointed. read more

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I was excited to see that Firefly was finally opening safely. I follow them in Facebook and was really impressed with how thoughtful and intentional they were about reopening during COVID. My husband and I decided to get take out. We ordered the sweet corn risotto (which they were able to ensure was vegetarian because everything is made fresh), the caprese salad, onion rings, and the sweet corn elote. Everything was delicious. Even though it was takeout everything still had a beautiful presentation, kept fresh, and hot. I love the sauces used for the sweet corn elote and the onion rings. I will also be trying their fine in experience for bunch and am looking forward to it! read more

By far the best place I went during my work trip in Effingham. Staff were very professional and well put together. The food was somewhat pricy but in this case it was understandable. The shrimp cocktail was delicious, the burger I had well seasoned, and cheesecake shooter the perfect end to my meal. The atmosphere was also modern but homey and I enjoyed seeing them preparing the plates before delivering them. The restaurant sits off the beaten path and feels more secluded giving it a more exclusive feel. Really nice place. read more

Firefly Grill - Steakhouses Near Me - Effingham, Illinois

A gem. Amazing staff, food was exceptional. Thanks to Jill, Alexis and McKenzie for there recommendations especially while they were very busy. I will be back, when in the area and will likely find myself 'in the area'. Owners should be proud as their brand is well portrayed by each person working for them. Keep up the great work and thanks for making the end of my long day so enjoyable. Cheers! Oh the fried green tomatoes were out of this world. read more

This is like food heaven!!! I have eaten here many times with friends and family, as we are travelling across Illinois, and it has been good each and every time! I would even say that it is worth driving to here from Saint Louis, if you have a special event or holiday to celebrate, like Birthday or Anniversary, as it is really that good. The first thing you notice as you arrive is that there are fresh herbs growing in front. There are plenty of fresh vegetables, like tomatoes and eggplants -- and they are all used in the foods that you can get inside. Everything is fresh read more

Simply amazing! My husband and I found this place on our way to San Antonio and decided to stay in this lovely town for the night. Jordan was our server and had the best suggestions. read more

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I don't write reviews but I simply must support this fantastic restaurant near my childhood home of southern Illinois. We had the squash blossom appetizer (holy moly you have to try this if they have it, even if you think you don't like squash blossoms or aren't sure what it is- you will NOT regret it). fried chicken, morel mushroom ravioli, salmon, two cheeseburgers, and two salmon-kids meals. Every bite was so delicious and treasured! YES, the prices are high, however the value is spot on. The quality of food is five star - Chicago, and prices reflect the great lengths they go to get the highest quality food products in environmentally sustainable ways. And if it some of the entrees seem too pricey to stomach, go for the cheeseburger - which at the surface might seem high for a cheeseburger (&12), that is until you actually try it. I have had far more expensive cheeseburgers that don't even compare to these! You can also stroll through their large vegetable garden to get a look at the beautiful vegetables they grow which end up on your plate. This is also great fun to do with your kids. Speaking of kids.....Their kids menu was adorable. They have the usual options, but they also have salmon prepared just as deliciously as the adult version. The presentation for the kids meals makes them feel like their food is as fancy as yours - it comes on a silver tray with dividers, includes an additional (amazing) pretzel bread roll, a generous portion of apple butter (which must be home made), a side of vegetables, in addition to the salmon and rice which were also separated - fun for those picky kids who don't like their food to touch. The setting is lovely and tranquil as the restaurant overlooks a beautiful pond. I live in Chicago, but I'm from Marion IL and so effingham is a bit far, but I simply cannot wait to return. (And don't forget to look up the story of the owners. It's lovey too) read more

My husband and I stopped at Firefly Grill because of the rave reviews on Yelp. We knew the people associated with the restaurant must really care as they even responded to good and bad reviews. And we love farm to table restaurants. The service was fine, although not spectacular, the ambiance was great, although noisy as it was busy. There was a bus load of people in a separate dining room and I thought it commendable that they could serve so many people and we didn't have too long a wait. We started with fried green tomatoes which were extra tasty as they were served with a homemade marinara and goat cheese. My husband's ribeye was only fair considering it was a $58 steak. I ordered shrimp cakes as there were so many great reviews about crab cakes on yelp. Our server said they were just like the crab cakes, but made with shrimp and everyone she served loved them. I've eaten a lot of crab cakes and I've made them myself. I wouldn't even call these shrimp cakes, as I literally picked apart the cakes looking for shrimp. These were fritters. All dough with a tiny piece of shrimp if you could find it or use your imagination. I should have gone with a steak, although I prefer seafood. My only other complaint is that I've never been to a farm to table restaurant where the plates look so bleak for lack of vegetables. Just meat and potatoes? At your prices, you could dress up plates with a few greens at least. My husband's brownie was wonderful and I enjoyed the sticky toffee dessert. For those who prefer caramel to chocolate it's a good choice. $8 for one scallop? Just not worth the price and not much concern over my complaints, so Never going back. read more

Absolutely fabulous! So worth the trip. This place has been on my to do list for years and I finally made it. We sat on the covered porch and started with the hummus. Best ever! We ordered a cheeseburger, fish and chips, poke bowl with tuna, chicken sandwich and firefly farm salad. For dessert we concluded our experience with blackberry cobbler. Everything was amazing from the decor, the service, the meal and the opportunity to feed the fish off of your dock. The world would be a happier place if there were more Firefly Grills in the world. Thank you a wonderful experience and meal. read more

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Wow! This place was awesome! The ambiance was nice as well as each staff member we encountered. Our server was a very nice young man that gave us the right amount of attention and offered up a few ideas since everything on the menu sounded amazing. My husband ordered the pan seared scallops risotto and I had the duck breast. I must say, this was the best risotto I have ever eaten and I lived in Italy for four years and ate it quite often; it also beat out Gordon Ramsey's at his restaurant in New York. The combination of the bacon, peas, mushrooms, parm and of course scallops were literally perfect. My duck breast was cooked perfectly and even went well with the risotto I stole from my husband's plate;). I would love to eat here over and over so I could try everything, but we were just passing through:(. read more

Firefly Grill - Duck Breast - Steakhouses Near Me - Effingham, Illinois

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Stopped in after days of travel, not knowing what to expect. It was lovely! The food was great, we were served quickly, and the staff was a delight. We probably won't be back that way, but I definitely recommend. read more