We were visiting DC and this restaurant was attached to our hotel. We normally don't eat at the hotel restaurant because we like to get out and explore, but our hotel was offering some of their deviled eggs during the complimentary happy hour and they were the best deviled eggs we ever had. We went to dinner somewhere else and it was.....meh. So we came back to the hotel later and hit the Firefly for drinks and appetizers...Of course we ordered the deviled eggs! The next night we came back again for drinks and appetizers and this time we ordered the shrimp and grits - best thing we have eaten in a LONG time! We had appetizers every night for the remaining time we were there and on our final night, we had dinner there as well. The restaurant specializes in "home cooking with a trendy twist." Everything was wonderful! We got to know the manager and the bartenders and waiters...they are all wonderful people! When we go back to DC, we will probably camp out in the Firefly!!! read more

I had high hopes for this place when I went with a group of girlfriends for brunch. Unfortunately, I left thirsty and disappointed. When you walk in the atmosphere and decor is super cool- I loved the big tree they had in the middle of the restaurant! It was the Saturday brunch rush so they were understandably busy but we were happy to take our time and in no rush at all... until we ended up stuck there for almost 4 hours UGH. The food was fine, but we weren't blown away. The service, on the other hand, was horrendous! I honestly consider myself a pretty patient person but the service at firefly was totally unacceptable. The wait staff was so slow refiling our drinks we decided to ask for the check as soon as the food came. However, and hour after finishing our food we were still sitting there with no check. We asked repeatedly and the waiter just kept saying "yes, I'll bring it in a minute." We explained that we had been there for 3 hours already and really needed to pay and leave. We even asked for another mimosa while we were waiting and he said NO!!!! Eventually we found out that the computer was down and that is why it took over an hour for us to get our check, but by then I had my mind made up about Firefly. See you next time... jk, you won't ever again. read more

What happened to this place? It was one of our favorite places, even though at night you could lose your mind from the noise. Had not eaten here in some time so decided to have lunch there on Thurs, December 30. The menu was not at all the same, but worse of all, simple turkey club sandwiches were terrible. The bread was stale and the turkey was dried out and tasteless. And what is with $4.00 for an ice tea and $3.50 for a diet coke? Glad we only had a bad lunch and did not spend more money by having dinner here. We have written this off. We will not be back. read more

Wow. Like, totally, wow. I had reasonable expectations coming into this dining experience -- none of which were even remotely met. I think their signature dish, the pot roast, is an excellent representation for everything that is wrong with this restaurant. I paid 29 dollars of my hard earned money for something the waitress recommended. When the roast of pot landed on my table I couldn't believe my eyes -- mashed potatoes! gravy! carrots! Wow this is just like what I eat at my family home! For 10 dollars. Okay enough with the snarkiness and down to the nitty gritty: this place is absurdly overpriced. The food is not bad, however the prices invite disappointment. A 29 dollar pot roast should taste better than something I could get from Trader Joe's frozen aisle. A 12.50 cocktail should have a real kick to it. A 24 dollar pork loin should taste better than meat I bought at Giant and threw on the grill. Everything was good (except the average beet salad and "special" butternut squash soup), which was the problem. For the price, everything should have been great. What an epic failure. Firefly's food was just like their fake candles = misleading and ultimately lacking in any spark. read more

Ww went here for breakfast because we were staying at the hotel. The food was ok, fruits were fresh and the small coffee cold and pricey ($4.5) read more

I booked with manager Meredith...friendly, accommodating, inviting. The restaurant was cozy and comfortable and the food was good - deviled eggs were great and a solid steak. The server could have been better but the bartender was great. Thanks Firefly. read more

Great service, homey decor and comfortable ambiance. However, all those things don't make up for the fact that Firefly needs to improve its food. We were greeted and seated immediately upon entering, and received excellent service from staff who demonstrated a high level of professionalism and courtesy. Nonetheless, the food we got was overall not that great. I ate here last night with my boyfriend and his sister, who got the hamburger. She had asked for medium well but got something more like medium rare or just rare. The meat was pretty bloody when she asked about it she was told it would take 15-20 minutes for them to recook it. She decided to keep eating in order not to disrupt the pace of dinner for all three of us. The manager (?) apologized and offered to take the item off her bill, and that was really nice. I got the bistro steak with creamed spinach and potatoes. The spinach was a bit too soggy and it was soaked in the cream which was still on the plate. I had asked my steak to be well done, and although it was thoroughly cooked, it was very hard and not juicy at all. For $27 I would expect something slightly better. My boyfriend had the grilled octopus appetizer for $12 with two sides of creamed spinach and mashed potatoes. The avocado that came with the octopus was lovely. The creamed spinach side, for $8, was just so-so since it was just a small plate of overpriced vegetables. The soup of the day yesterday was sweet potatoes and peanut butter soup that my boyfriend's sister had. She said it was good, and it was $8, probably like the other soups on the menu. One word about the layout of the place, we were originally seated in the smaller room in the back, but there was a group of obnoxiously loud sorority girls whose din overwhelmed the entire room since it was so small. We had to request to be reseated, and the staff was nice enough to accommodate us by putting two tables together in the main dining room. Later on during our dinner we noticed another party also relocated out of the small room, probably because it was too loud. I suggest Firefly seat large groups in the main dining room by putting tables together in the future, since this way it diffuses the noise in the bigger space. Finally, I love the decor and location of this place. It's in a quiet corner on the New Hampshire Avenue just outside Golden Triangle and near West End, tucked away on the side with only one neighbor. I had always thought it would be a perfect place for a date because it looked pretty romantic from the outside. However, from last night's experience it was a lot louder than I'd thought, but it still doesn't detract much from the place's overall appeal to me when it comes to ambiance and decoration. read more

I will not exaggerate when I tell you that I literally ate here every day. First day, I ordered mussels and fries, and upgraded the fries to the Truffle Fries. From there on out, I had to have those truffle fries on a daily basis (I was staying at the adjacent hotel that uses Firefly for room service too)! They may be some of the best fries I have ever eaten! The salads are good as well; grilled asparagus was good. read more

There are amazing restaurants in DC, this is simply not one of them. After waiting 2 hours for our food the orders were cold and one took another 20 min. Choose another spot. It's simply not worth sacrificing another opportunity for amazing food that you could have in this city. read more

We made reservations here for Restaurant Week. What a great decision! Since my boyfriend and I are complete losers who don't stay up past 10pm, our reservations were early in the evening. Consequently, we missed out on the insane rush that can accompany the Restaurant Week crowds. Our server was still calm, not frazzled, and was very helpful when it came to selecting menu items. We started with drinks: I had the mulled wine (delicious and great for a winter night), and the bf had a red from Idaho. Who knew that good wine could come from the home of Napoleon Dynamite? The food itself was quite good; not mind-blowing, but certainly of a level that would get me back in the door. Every entree was thoughtfully prepared, with a blend of flavors that worked well. Our only complaints were the cut of steak (bf wished there had been less connective tissue, but he was thrilled with it, otherwise), and the lamb becoming somewhat boring halfway through. A carrot, or some other veggie in there wouldn't have hurt anything. The appetizers and desserts were also quite pleasing. Oddly enough, the star of the meal was the beet salad with goat cheese...maybe it was made with the best beet ever grown on the planet? It was a great combo of ingredients, though. The ambiance is cozy, almost claustrophobic. By the time we left, it was packed, and the noise level had increased considerable. Overall, this was a great place for dinner if you're in the neighborhood. It would also be a great stop for after-work drinks that are a little different. read more

this place shouldn't feel as uncomfortable as it does - but the 'tries a bit too hard' decor made me slam my drink and ask 'where next?'

After so many great recommendations, I finally made reservations at Firefly for Restaurant Week. Although I did enjoy the use of local, seasonal ingredients, I found that each of my courses lacked flavor. The pumpkin/butternut squash soup was bland. Although my Atlantic Chard was good, the quinoia and veggie blend left a little to be desired. My carrot cake had an odd spice in it that didn't belong. It was almost...bitter. My boyfriend's Matzo Ball soup was so-so. I can make it better myself! He mentioned that his filet was ok--the potatoes au gratin were his favorite thing of the entire meal. He noted that his red velvet cake was way too dense and he didn't even finish it (which is very rare)! Honestly, my favorite part of the meal was the brioche the waitress brought to the table and my glass of red-blend wine. Several hours later, I became violently ill...not a good way to end the night. For such an expensive meal, I expected more. read more

We asked a manager if a table by the window was available. He very extremely rude and said that the table was reserved for a larger party (we also had reservations for 4 and the table we asked for was for 4 people). The table we requested remained empty for about 30 minutes until a party of 2 was seated there - later 2 more people joined them. Our food was fine and the waiter definitely tried his best. However, a simple order of bagel and cream cheese came out with barely warm bagel and sweet butter instead of cream cheese. When coming to FireFly be prepared to deal with angry/rude manager by the door. read more

come here for a hearty all-american fancy-ish meal. this place is very cute, i liked the decor and i think they go for an all-organic and fresh from the farm produce type of deal here with their menu. i got the fish of the day which was a halibut seared with quinoa. i also got the squash and pumpkin soup. The food was definitely tasty although the halibut lacked some flavor. my dining mates got the chicken dish and the risotto. They seemed to enjoy it, although the portions are pretty big here and they don't skimp on the butter. We also shared the mac n' cheese since everyone raves about it - and it was definitely good - no bread crumbs though which was inappro finally, we ended the meal with the red velvet cake. good soft delish cake - not mind-blowing but good. i give it a solid 3 stars and would definitely come here again since its right in dupont and pretty good. Would like to try it for a happy hour of wine and a side order of mac n'cheese. yum-oh. read more

The mac and cheese was really good and so were the tacos! The rolls served were tasty. The service was average. The paella was relatively flavorless and uninspired. I am not sure I would go back for dinner. Stick with appetizers? Or Maybe try for brunch? read more

Amazing food, recommend the burger and the grasshopper desert. Our waiter, Michael, was amazing!!! Definitely recommend coming on a nice night and sitting by the window! read more

Do not be tricked by the quirky name/decor, this restaurant is just like every other pretty good but wildly overpriced DC restaurant. The service was very professional and the food was good (our group had burgers because everything else was so ridiculously expensive). Wouldn't go again myself, not worth the $$$, but if you're rolling in dough, might be up your alley. read more

AWESOME service! I hosted a business dinner for ~30 at Firefily. In the contracting process, there was confusion about the dates (primarily my fault for not catching the error). With 30 guests anxiously awaiting dinner, Matt Bridges (General Managers) and his team rose to the occasion honoring the contractual commitment and even adhering to the pre-planned menu with less than 1.5 hours notice. Matt, the lead bartender that evening and the entire Firefly team did a PHENOMINAL job saving the day! On a side note, I ate there the first night of my visit as well - wonderful, cozy restaurant, very friendly staff and delicious food. HIGHLY recommend. :) read more

Reducing my rating by two stars after my experience today. We arrived at 11:45, and absolutely no other tables were occupied. But we were told that we would have to sit at the bar because no tables were available for us due to the expected lunch rush. I ordered the grilled cheese sandwich at the bar. My friend, who is new to town and I was excited to show off Firefly, ordered the mushroom burger. 45 minutes later the restaurant has a total of three tables filled, all of their food is starting to come out of the kitchen, but we still don't have our food. I understand that things go wrong, but this was embarrassing. I wish that I had gone someplace else. read more

Pretty good happy hour. For drinks we had a seasonal peppermint martini and the bee's knees. The peppermint martini was a tasty concoction, not too sweet. The chicken mole tacos were pretty good at $3 each. The steak tartar was relatively well done. The fries were good, but small. The restaurant has a laid back atmosphere with good customer service. It was near our hotel, so perfect for our last meal in the city before flying home. read more

Terrible service, the food is subpar (terrible brunch) and it's way too small/claustrophobic inside. They attempt to squeeze in as many diners as possible which makes any dinner/brunch or even drinks there feel super stressful and awkward. read more

Great happy hour specials. Really liked the hush puppy appetizer. Tastefully and funky designed interior. Helpful nice bartenders.

We have been here twice now, once in January for dinner and then today for brunch. After the January experience, I crossed this place off my "return to" list. It wasn't bad, just not anything special. Well, we were staying at Hotel Madera (which the Firefly is in) last night and decided to give it another try for brunch. The menu had some really great options that had a lot of potential to be great, but again I was disappointed. The food was just meh, nothing special. We had the pork belly with sweet potato and fried egg. It was delicious, but so rich. There was nothing acidic or fresh to break up the richness of the rest of the ingredients, making it impossible to eat more than half the dish. We also had the biscuits and gravy, which had the same issue. The deviled eggs were the one bright spot. The service took a while as well. We waited a good 20-25 minutes from ordering before our food arrived, even the deviled eggs, which cant take that long to prepare. In fact the table next to us that arrived 10 minutes after us were served just before us. Also, it is incredibly loud in the dining room. Both times, the noise level could be considered absolutely "energetic" and the room really isnt that big. You can barely talk to the person across from you without raising your voice to a low yell. They should really consider putting some sort of noise dampeners in the room. Our server was nice though, so I will give them that. All in all, there are better places in DC to spend the money. read more

Lovely setting and intimate seating. The waitress was extremely friendly and efficient. She recommended the special chocolate pancake with cranberry and strawberry, which was pretty good. Their shrimp and grits is great. Apple wood bacon is ok. Good for small groups. We went on a cold Saturday morning. The restaurant is pretty empty when we got there at 11pm. Started getting crowded after noon. read more

Had a bizarre experience here at 10 30 am on a Sunday. Our waitress was never available to the point that I asked my husband if we were on a hidden camera show. Candid camera? We saw our waitress when we placed our order, our food was brought by a busser or food expediter. Toast was plain with no butter, and no ketchup for omelets. We waited for about five minutes until we could flag down a bus boy who brought a hostess who then sent our waitress. After that, we could never flag down anyone to get a refill of water or coffee. I ended up drinking one cup that quickly got cold, my husband ran our of water and started drinking out of a water bottle I had in my purse. Our waitress came several times to the table next to us and seemed to actively ignore us. My husband had to walk to the wait station to ask for the check. Then he had to walk again and almost follow our waitress into the kitchen to give her our credit card. The food was extremely salty. Very awful service for what was a mildly busy Sunday early morning. read more

The mini pot roast was amazing. The ambience is perfect for a cozy night with friends and is conducive to chats and just hang out. The place is pricey though. read more

Service was slow as heck!!! They asked us to leave because we were holding up another party but we had been trying to leave for the past 30 minutes they just took forever to give us back our change. The food was yummy though. read more

Delicious brunch! Lemon pancakes were amazing. Service was great and let us linger at the table. And love the tree in the middle of the restaurant read more

The best food and the best service in town. A phenomenal brunch that keeps us coming back! Ask for Joe, he is truly the best. Make sure you check out Firefly! read more

The best thing about Firefly is the ambience. It's delightful. The food and service are also very good. As others have noted, it's pricey, but I think you get what you pay for here. I find that I always have a good experience at Firefly. read more

The deviled eggs were nondescript and didn't have any character - the octopus paired with a ton of avocado was bland save over salting. I'd skip it next time. read more

Standard new-American cooking - for this price, I would expect more delicate and innovative dishes. Pasta dishes are good; my parpadelle was silky and perfectly married to the braised lamb...ok that was amazing. But the appetizers and desserts were sub-par. read more

I went there for restaurant week with my boyfriend and put in a reservation for 7:30 but we got there at 6 hoping that there would be available seats, and there were. (Yay!) The customer service was definitely wonderful from the host to the waitress and the manager kept checking up on us as well. The deviled egg was great! It was so good! Must order for appetizer. (I'm drooling as I'm thinking about it lol) I had the crispy soft shell crab and my boyfriend got the steak. Our food was really good! The portion sizes were pretty good, especially since it's a 3 course meal. After we finished, we looked at each other really satisfied and full and then remembered we still had to kill desserts. I had the "mud pie" and he got the cheesecake (I think). My dessert was chocolate and chocolate and chocolate! I'm usually not that big on chocolate because the taste/smell can be overwhelming at times, but this definitely was not. The overall aesthetic of the restaurant definitely stuck to its name. The whole restaurant was open, meaning doors and windows were open. It was a fairly nice day: 80s and breezy. (But made me wonder what happens in the winder time or when it's really hot outside) But being open and airy, I did get mosquito bites by the end of dinner. -_- The decoration of the restaurant was "nature-ie". When they give you the check, it's put inside a glass gar with little holes at the lid and a little fake candle inside. (so cute!) The place was a little smaller than I expected, but definitely glad we tried there for dinner. :] read more

First of all, the interior was gorgeous--there was a tree in the center with "fireflies" on it. Food was great (I recommend the soft-shelled crab), as was the service. Waiter recommended a drink, and even offered to bring it back for them to fix it. The check came out in a jar with a candle in it--cute! Great for date night :) read more

Came here for brunch. The eggs benedict was amazing, and the portions for everything were huge. Beware of the yogurt and granola...there's way too much for one person! read more

I can only attest to the brunch, which I've now had twice. (The dinner looks quite expensive, and being a veggie, not sure it makes sense for me.) You should make a reservation as the place does get pretty crowded. The food is delicious. As the yelp description states, it is comfort food-esque, so expect it to be quite heavy on the sugar/salt/butter. I wouldn't recommend coming here often, but if you think you've earned it...or if your hangover is of a massive scale, treat yourself. I've had both the sweet and the savory, and I don't think you can go wrong with either. read more

My wife and I had a brunch for our families after our small morning wedding (there were 15 of us). The food was delicious; our waitress was friendly and worked hard to keep up with our group. We reserved semi-private space and Frank was very communicative, positive and wonderful throughout the process. read more

Exceptional all the way around - menu, service quality of good and the outstanding cozy rustic vibe of the decor. We were staying nearby for a weekend of sightseeing and Firefly was a culinary highlight. Terrific brunch - insanely scrumptious cinnamon raisin French toast, great lemon ricotta pancakes and generously portioned and delicious breakfast tacos with chorizo. Highly attentive and personal service compliments of our waiter Gregory. What a find! read more

I had an excellent experience with Firefly! To begin with, I called the restaurant and made a reservation. The host who picked up the phone introduced herself (her name was Maddie) and was very efficient! When I arrived for my meal, we were instantly seated. The service was overall great, although I felt a little rushed by my server. I would highly recommend this place for anyone looking for a midrange meal!! read more

I havent been to this place in years, but i can say that i loved it when i went. The ambiance is very nice and bar area is great. I ate some sort of fish and it was done well and paired well with the wine that y waitress recommended. The drinks at the bar were strong, word to the wise! I was tipsy during dinner because we got drinks before hand! read more