I used to walk by Firefly all the time and always wondered how it was. After reading some Yelp reviews and trying it for myself, now I know! I came with a decently sized group of 8, and we had a reservation on a Saturday night. We were seated promptly, and our waiter was friendly enough. Firefly itself is a bit small, but we were able to sit in the back at a bigger table. It never got too crowded too, in my opinion. I suppose it is a bit more low key (since it is not quite at Dupont Circle? Well, it kinda is). While I like the decor and no major complaints about the service, I feel like the food was just satisfactory. I ordered the mini pot roast, which was good, but nothing too extraordinary. It was also a bit salty. My girlfriend, who wasn't too hungry, ordered the bacon and parmesan grits. While a fan of grits, they were a bit over the top with the cheese flavor, and it didn't taste very good. A friend ordered the ratatouille risotto and didn't look all that thrilled with it. As a whole, I like the restaurant, but perhaps we ordered the wrong things? Prices were a bit steep as well. Maybe I'll give it a try again later, I suppose. Knowledge is power! read more

I enjoyed this cute little restaurant near Dupont Circle. With the closed metro stop nearby, we were easily able to find metered parking. I had an ala carte brunch from their gluten free menu, including cheesy grits, bacon and the fruit cup. The bacon was great, crisp and flavorful, the grits were average, and the fruit cup was plentiful with great fruit, not just a bunch of melons and grapes. I also enjoyed their big selection of mocktails. I saw the $2 mimosas they made, and they were worth more than $2! Plenty of champagne, a splash of orange juice, yum! Prices were average, service was great, I'd go again. For gluten free people. their fryer is NOT gluten free, but they list their potato items on their gluten free menu, so please take note. read more

My mom picked this restaurant for her birthday because they had gluten-free options. I assumed this would be a decent meal (how hard is it to mess up American cuisine?), but I was wrong. This restaurant is more about presentation and show than the actual quality of food. The food looked great and the descriptions sounded delicious. But when the food came out, it was disappointing. Also, who charge $9 for a small side of mediocre french fries. In general, everything was overpriced. My wife got the shrimp and grits and the shrimp looked like the tiny frozen shrimp you get at a grocery store. Our waiter knew a lot about the food. But knowing a lot doesn't make the food good. The best dish was the appetizer with beets. That's it. read more

I'm giving 3 stars for my overall experience & that 3 comes from... -1 star for menu -5 stars for service I visited for brunch. By noon, the place was completely packed. I was sitting in the back room, which was incredibly loud with all the people who were for some reason using their outside voices. I guess $2 mimosas will do that to you. I ordered a quiche with spinach and ham inside. Disgusting. Very thin on flavor and a terrible undercooked egg consistency. I could not stomach it, so I sent it back and ordered eggs benedict instead - what my friend was eating. While waiting, I tried my friend's food and found that revolting as well. I quickly cancelled my order & then sat & just waited for the meal to end. Jackie was our server. She must have told the hostess that I was having an awful time. The hostess came over and assured me that I would not be charged for the quiche, & encouraged me to give something else on the menu a chance. I ordered the cobb salad and ended up LOVING it! In the end, I was completely impressed with the service. Jackie must have told the hostess that I hated the quiche and backed out of my 2nd order, because the hostess knew everything. Her coming over to chat made all the difference, because that's how I ended up with a dish that I liked. All in all, I would not return because the menu clearly isn't my style, but honestly I wish it WAS because I am just so beyond impressed with the attentive service. Top-notch service is pretty impossible to come by! read more

Pros-nice waiter, interesting decor Cons-we were seated in a stale back room--it looked like a large storage room that was opened for overflow. We asked to be moved. The food is expensive and unremarkable. The burger was raw (ordered medium) and by the time it came back, the other guests were finished. Again, the waiter saved the day with extra fries and some deviled eggs--it wasn't his fault. It is noisy--if you like that, great. But it's hard to talk in a group. Keep walking. read more

Happy hour-good bye party for a fellow Yelper. It was really a Hotel restaurant, fairly small sized but opened to the outdoor patio which was nice. The decor was trendy. The Yelpers took up almost half the lounge area. Some of us had macaroni and cheese but I was saving my appetite for a burger face-off. I ordered the Dogfish 60 min IPA and we were surprised to see the bottle labeled just India Pale Ale. The server assured me it was the right one. Towards the end of the night, I was attacked by mosquitoes (scratching the bites right now). read more

I love how I found this brunch place when I was starving and short on time. First off, I really like the décor and the huge tree in the restaurant, it gives it a cool vibe. I ordered the Deviled Eggs as a starter and they were really flavorful, the garlic chips added a nice touch. For my main brunch entrée, I got the Eggs Benedict with a side of bacon. I always ask for my eggs to be well done, and they did a good job. They offer carafes of mimosas and Bloody Marys...I've had them both :) Last time I was there, my friends and I basically shut down the place (after brunch) and the waiter was nice enough to move us to the bar and keep serving us drinks even though they were prepping for dinner. I highly recommend Firefly for brunch if you're in the Dupont area. read more

This place has potential if they could figure out how to get all the wait staff and bartenders on the same page. We came in for happy hour and the bartender (who was very nice) took our order. He promptly delivered two very tasty cocktails and a half hour later, we still didn't have our appetizer. One of the servers felt bad and comped us two additional appetizers. We then decided to order another drink since they were so nice about the food, but then they forgot to give us the drinks! On a busy night, I completely understand something like this, but we were two of four people in the whole place. Overall, service was lacking, but the food (once it arrived) was good. read more

Firefly's a good stop for drinks-- pretty decor, nice bar space, and a good selection of spirits. It's one of the few District bars that pour Hangar One (the best vodka in America), and their specialty cocktails are concocted by someone with an excellent palette. Their Gibson is one of the best I've had, with wonderful house-pickled purple onions-- divine! The bartender also takes directions very well, and poured me my own recipe lemon drop that almost rivaled the ones made in my kitchen-- a first by a bartender in DC. Firefly's also got a nice looking selection of food items, including cowgirl creamery cheeses on the cheese plate. All in all a very pleasing place for after work beverages and conversation. read more

I have only been here for happy hour, drawn by the glowing reviews and promises of $3 seasonal martinis. First off, martinis are now $5 (beer $3 and wine $4) and they generally do not offer specialty martinis - only rail booze. The bartender was super nice and offered to make an exception and make us the special martinis (which are normally $13 a pop) with rail alcohol for $5. Too bad both of our drinks were absolutely horrible. I had the poinsettia, which had just about everything in it - gin, vodka, grapefruit, grenadine, rosemary and some other stuff. I thought that perhaps the drink were conceived by a "mixologist" like they do in San Francisco, but I think it may have been dreamed up by someone's 10 year old daughter on bring your daughter to work day. What's more, we also ordered the truffle fries, which were on the "Happy Hour Menu" but were a whopping $9 and had barely any taste of truffle. They were however smothered with garlic, which may have killed any taste of truffle that they had in the first place. Everything else on the happy hour menu was between $12-15. What's so happy about that? The only reason Firefly gets 2 stars is that is had quite a nice atmosphere and a very nice staff. This does not mean I will be returning though. read more

Firefly is an adorably cute restaurant! I had been only once before but when trying to think of a place to take my bridesmaids and moms to for a 'bridesmaids lunch' the day before our wedding I knew this was the perfect spot. The restaurant is just so cute with that big tree in the middle and it's on a very nice block in DuPont. I worked with Frankie in advance of the lunch to select the menu and he was so friendly and nice. They had the table nicely set up when I arrived and they printed the personalized menu cards for each guest. Everyone loved the food, in fact, most of us were too full by the end of it! I definitely recommend this place for just a regular lunch or a special event. read more

Firefly - group shot! - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I've had several lunches at Firefly lately, and the overall quality has been very good. I love that they focus on fresh and local foods and the summer squash soup I had one day was really, really good. Everyone, but me, seems to think their truffle fries are the greatest thing since sliced bread. I thought they were okay, but wouldn't go out of my way for them. The service isn't as attentive as I'd like. At one lunch a group of us opted for Peligrino water, and it was a struggle to get them to bring more. Normally, if you opt for mineral water restaurants keep plunking down the bottles to rack up the bill. But we couldn't seem to get enough to keep the glasses filled. At another lunch the service just seemed oddly slow. The atmosphere is fantastic and original and I can't really complain about the food, but I'd like to see them step up the service. read more

My coworkers and I came here for lunch today (during Restaurant Week). I was impressed by the food, but not by the service. Let's start with the good stufff: the bread was absolutely divine. It has a little bit of kosher salt sprinkled on top and the butter was soo creamy. It was not anything fancy, but just simple and great. To start I had these really yummy small tomatoes that were stuffed with pesto and pinenuts and then drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Yummmm. I'm going to try to figure out how to make them at home, so good in the summer! For my entree I had a spinach salad with steak, bacon, and fried onions. It was pretty good, but not sensational. The steak was all chopped up and it was pretty obvious they just had a big batch of it in the back rather than setting the salad individually. Dessert was a sundae that was okay, but my coworker's peaches and biscuits was MUCH better. The service was just awful. I understand it's Restaurant Week and you're busy, but the place wasn't even full! It doesn't excuse us never getting refills or asking for a round of waters that we never received. Our waiter never checked on us: only took our order and delivered the check. The decor of the place is lovely and I'd really like to return. I'd like to think that the poor service was due to Restaurant Week, but according to some of the other reviews this isn't the case. Still, the menu is great for vegetarians and I like that they use local foods. read more

Stopped here last night for the Fall Harvest Sangria and some snacks. The sangria was awesome, if not more spring-y than fall-y. Also had the fondue, which was outstanding; the truffle fries, which were great (but $9 for fries??); and finally, the figs and cream, which were delightful: warm figs with lemon verbena ice cream and crunchy almonds. Perfect for an autumn evening. And I love that the check comes in a Mason jar with holes poked in the lid. read more

Let's start with a middle of the road 3 stars. +3 for truffle fries -1 for being so loud I couldn't hear the waiter x1 for the so-so pot roast +2 for a relatively good charcuterie platter +1 for the warm beet salad /2 for the disgusting tuna blt (unripe avocado among other things) -1 for having to work to get our bill out of a bell jar -1 for $12.50 cocktails, $7 12oz beers and $50/head prices You do the math. read more

What a lovely place Hue picked for happy hour! excellent happy hour specials, great service, and best of all, best Yelper company! $5 appetizers had small but nice servings... Octopus was daring and delicious with the avocado bonus! Macaroni and cheese was creamy and nicely baked on top...needed more flavor, but a nice presentation and we had a 3rd that was an artichoke dip...Shhhhh...Hue loves bread!...(if I eat bread I look like a ball within 3.5 seconds...).... The tab was next to nothing...definitely a place to hit and get drinks!!!! We had a taste of the white wine...MEH...I stick with my gin n tonics... read more

This is a great spot! Firefly was one of the first places I went out for dinner and drinks after I moved to D.C. My bartender was incredibly nice and after finding out I was new to town went to the effort of writing me a list of places to check out - bars, restaurants, museums, and neighbourhoods. Thank you so much! Also really appreciate the gluten-free menu! Would be 5 stars, but one mark off for the brussels sprouts which were sickly sweet. read more

The first time I went to Firefly, my parents were staying at the adjacent Hotel Madera and got breakfast vouchers. I had this amazing sandwich with peanut butter, bacon, and bananas. Alas, the next time I went for brunch, it was not on the menu. However, everything I have eaten here has been tasty, if not matching the greatness of that one sandwich. It's a great place for a reasonable sit-down lunch, and I have to give props to their weekday "Lightning Lunch." For around $20, you get a "mocktail" (normally $4), an appetizer (normally $4-$8), an entree (normally $10-$16), AND a bag of granola "for later." Not sure who is still hungry after the Lightning Lunch, but if so you can have some of their homemade granola. The menu consists of a variety of what I think would be considered "contemporary American" food. Lots of thoughtful salads, a shrimp roll, a club sandwich, fish tacos, and mussels share the menu with a variety of other options. Not everything is a home run, but I've never been disappointed, especially for the price point. The service is warm and so is the decor. While lots of businesspeople eat here for lunch, Firefly doesn't feel stodgy. We like it for celebrating coworkers' birthdays because they are good about seating big groups (although they do require a credit card when making a reservation on OpenTable). The "firefly" theme is present but not overwhelming. The place manages to be quaint while also being a sizable, efficient restaurant. No doubt I'll be back for the next coworker's birthday. read more

8 years ago I was like, pfff, look at this fru-fru restaurant with a sparkly tree in the middle??!! 4 years ago I invited my friend to go check it out, and she had an amazing meal because of all the Gluten-Free options and I was equally pleased! And last week, I went again and was floored with its dishes and service. FOOD: 5 SERVICE: 5 AMBIANCE: 5 VALUE: 5 OVERALL: 5 . This was my actual note from my phone: pot roast. off DA HOOK So yes, please please try the pot roast. You don't need a knife -- it was that tender! Beautiful flavors from fresh vegetables The "chicken fried" oysters were also a 5 star dish, and a good portion for it being an appetizer. Also the Mac n Cheese, I mean, come on, you can't go wrong! Further to the impressive food, was the great service while sitting AT THE BAR. Usually I find at other places you get overlooked or slow service at the bar. The bartender was quite attentive, friendly, knowledgeable, and speedy! I should also mention that it was a TUESDAY and the restaurant was full (surprising). That is why I sat at the bar. The cocktails we had were: one with beet = kinda weird tequila / fruit / jalapeno = delicious Ambiance: you can go for a casual dinner after work, or a more romantic setting. Pretty sure I saw 2 dates at the bar alone. Enjoy! read more

I really enjoyed our meal here! The decor (complete with firefly tree) is just lovely, and we had some yummy cocktails before dinner -- I enjoyed the ruby sparkler (pomegranate -- antioxidants!) but was tempted by the cherry blossom mojito. At dinner we ordered a bunch of items to share, including the local beer and cheddar fondue and the killer mac and cheese. My tilapia entree was delicious, and I heard raves about the soft shell crab and the crabcake. Firefly got a thumbs up from our very discerning buddies in town from San Francisco and New York. In fact, they no longer believe me when I complain about my generally sub-par experiences with restaurants in D.C. so far. read more

Great find thanks to Yelp. Fabulous lunch. They have a great $20 lunch option (salad/soup, sandwich, drink). But the sandwiches aren't your standard fare. My dad had the French dip, the turkey salad was fantastic. Dessert! Too many great options. We went with the chocolate chip bread pudding with run raisin ice cream. Extremely kid friendly- great kids menu, crayons, and our daughter decorated and baked her own ginger bread cookie. read more

One dollar mimosas are still excellent. My neon green eggs and ham quiche was rich, smooth and filling. The side salad was a nice combination with the rich quiche. My friend had the mushroom omelet with home fries and multi-grain toast. The omelet wasn't light or delicate but the small mushrooms were tasty. The home fries were nothing special but I did enjoy the orange colored fruit spread and butter on the toast. I'm curious what kind of jam it was. The small French press coffee for 5 dollars is enough for 3 full cups of coffee and it was strong and my type of coffee. 35 bucks for all of this food but we picked the cheaper items on the menu. There are not many choices on the menu so if we chose other items this could easily have been a 50 dollar brunch. read more

Firefly - Green eggs and ham - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I have friends who live around the corner from this place and my reaction has always been it's fine. We usually go for brunch when I'm in town visiting from New York. It's convenient, and the prices aren't too ridiculous. I was happy to see their portions were larger today. However, two things happened that made me want to write a review and only give 3 stars. We were there at 11:15am on a Sunday, and the restaurant wasn't more or less busy than a normal brunch day. No one was waiting in line out the door for a table, but most of the tables were full. These are the two things: 1. On the menu there are biscuits and gravy and a side of biscuits. We were a table of 4, and two of my friends were going to share the biscuits and gravy. My friend ordered and said, "We'd also like to order the biscuits to share. I know it's a lot, but I can't decide between these two things." The waiter said ok, great, checked our order and placed it. When the food came out, we were brought the side of biscuits, and when they were informed that was incorrect, the waiter did apologize and the manager or supervisor came and gave us the correct order, almost immediately. This would have been terrific and great if it wasn't for the awkwardness that happened which was the manager asking us repeatedly to say "yes the biscuits and gravy are right, the other is wrong." It doesn't sound too bad, but the interaction was uncomfortable and awkward. The waiter apologized for the confusion, and we got on with our brunch. 2. I ordered the ultimate blte and potatoes. It was fine. The sandwich comes on white toasted bread, and is very large. There was no mayo or mention of mayo, so it was a little bland. I asked for hot sauce and enjoyed it more. However, I didn't finish it and decided I'd take the other half on a bus with me I was going to catch right after. I asked the manager when he asked how we were if I could wrap it up and also have some tin foil so the sandwich wouldn't fall apart. He told me yes, but forgot, and never returned with it. We also asked the waiter. Neither of them returned with it and I just took the sandwich in the container. I understand that it was busy, but disappointed I never received what I asked for, and ran out of time to ask again and wait as I had a bus to catch. Overall it's not awful, it's not great. The service and food are both fine. read more

Happy Hour! From 5 to 6pm on Monday through Friday, they serve $3 cocktails, $3 Sam Adams Light and seasonal beers and $4 glasses of house wine in nice wine glasses :-) And it's cozy and loungy - especially in the winter. read more

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Planned a birthday party for my expectant mother friend here and called ahead to ask a) about reserving space in the lounge area and b) about the fabulous mocktails I had read the bartender would make for non-drinkers in the group. I was told that there were no reservations possible in the lounge, but that it would be no problem to find seats for a group, and that the bartender would be happy to offer a bunch of mocktail options or make a specialized drink based on my friend's preferences. Upon arriving on the day of our celebration, we found the lounge completely reserved for the evening--no seats available-- and were told that there was only one mocktail available--a sickly sweet, crunchy kind of drink that really wasn't good. We made due and sat at the bar, receiving friendly and speedy service. The cocktails and snacks were tasty. But I'm disappointed by the false information I received over the phone. I would have made a different choice of birthday venues had I had the facts. read more

Firefly is an excellent dining experience at the Madrona Hotel, a Kimpton property. My wife and I stopped here for dinner, though we were staying in another Kimpton hotel and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The menu is made up of comfort food that is very well done with excellent cocktails. The shallot gravy on the pot roast was great, if I had a spoon, I would have eaten it all up. The décor is a mix between modern and rustic, clean modern lights, but tree trunks adorn the walls and there is even a large tree trunk in the middle of the restaurant. While I didn't quite get where they were going with the tree, it was begging me so I got to gaze upon my wife instead. My greatest disappointment is that we didn't have dessert. There were some great whiskies, a creme brulee and a bread pudding, desserts that make up favorites for me and my wife. The restaurant is a little small, but we visited fairly early on a Monday and were able to get a seat without issue. I'm always wary of hotel restaurants, but this is one I'd recommend, both to out of town visitors or residents of DC. read more

I went to Firefly for Happy Hour intending to only be there for an hour or two having some food and drinks with friends visiting from out of town. However, I arrived at 5:15 and didn't leave until close to 9 PM. That should tell you how much fun we were having. We sat at the bar tables, which were fine, and had excellent service from the bar staff. At one point, we realized we were all hungry, but couldn't really make a decision off the menu. We therefore told the servers to bring us 5 or 6 of their best appetizers - whatever they recommended. And they were delicious! I definitely want to go back for a full meal at some point. There are only a few reasons why I didn't give it a 5: the food, though delicious, was in rather small portions, even for appetizers (I'm such an American). I loved the restaurant itself as far as its decor, ambiance and size, but it did get a little crowded in that bar area as the night went on and it was difficult to move around easily. Other than that, it was great! I also can't gauge prices very well for this place since my visiting friends graciously paid for me the whole night. But from what I saw of the menu and happy hour prices, it was okay. read more

Came here with new, better girlfriend and friends. Ran into girl I used to like in elementary school, who was apparently on a date. Look at me now, Son! Burger good. Lots of fries. read more

At Firefly, Madera Hotel's restaurant off of Dupont Circle, I had the best cocktail - something I've always been looking for. It's called the Pointsettia Americana: "blue coat american dry gin and absolut vodka, freshly muddled grapefruit, cranberries and rosemary." Wow! Not sweet whatsoever - just enough to offset the herby bitterness of the rest of the mix. And while it was hot pink in color, fiance and I both agreed it wasn't a girly drink at all. There was another pretty cool drink there though called the Salsa Verde: "patron silver tequila infused with fire-roasted poblano peppers, cointreau orange liquer, garden cilantro, agave nectar, fresh lime, peppered salt rim." Uhh, did they make this drink with me in mind?? Tequila, hot pepper and lime? Holy crap, I love you Firefly. Even so, I probably couldn't drink more than one in a row. It really tastes like you're drinking a pepper - that fresh vegetable taste comes right through. Both drinks, I have to say, were strong enough (and delicious enough) to justify the price of $12.50 each. They were also fairly big - my Pointsettia Americana lasted me through the meal, which is usually pretty impossible. While the dessert was unbelievable (the Brown Betty), we left wanting something more satisfying after dinner. The funny part is that Firefly is all about amazing, satisfying comfort food, and everything was perfectly cooked, but almost too simple. Fiance got the Mini Pot Roast, which has been favorably described by food critics, and this was definitely the case with his. Somewhere there should have been more flavor. My Braised Lamb and Pampardelle was butter in my mouth, but again, all the flavors were mild. The domineering one in my dish was the lamb, despite the pasta sauce and marscapone. Lamb flavored pasta just wasn't enough. I wanted just a little more to savor. Overall, we weren't satisfied, which is why we went for dessert. That said, Firefly is absolutely worth a visit. An added plus was the clear lean towards organic, fresh-made and eco-friendly practices and ingredients. The atmosphere is intimate, chic, but also not intimidating. It has a tree in the middle of the room, which everyone seems to write about, but I thought the wall of trees was more impressive. And, despite my review, the food is still so creative and interesting, that you'll want to try it just to see what each combination will bring. Plus of course, the drinks! read more

I was looking for a place to take a coworker for happy hour to cheer her up because there was a massive firing at the job and she was a casualty. After checking yelp, I decided on this place. I walk past this place all the time but have never ventured inside. The place is small but cozy and the waitress was attentive and funny. The drink menu was diverse but well put together. We had the Parmesan truffle fries both with and without the Parmesan. The fries were good but not great, however, it was a good complement to drinks. The final analysis is that I like this place. This was cemented when my coworker stated that she enjoyed herself and for a couple of hours she forgot about being unemployed. Good job Firefly. read more

Have been here for brunch, happy hour, and late night drinks. Love the cozy interior with the giant trees and woodsy feel. Brunch: we ordered the sun's special omelet which was pretty good, although I thought $13 was quite reasonable for the west end/dupont. Also got me a $3 mimosa, because that makes brunch so much better. Note: it was very busy at brunch and this place gets pretty warm...so if you don't like people don't come here. Happy Hour: all bar bites are $5, so get you some deviled eggs and truffle frites. Didn't try the pork rillette but that obviously sounds yummy too. The happy hour has come a long way - I remember a few years back when they only offered a peanut mix as a happy hour special. For drinks I got the house white, but I'll be back to try a Pimm's cup for $6 during hh. Late night drinks - cozy, intimate setting...and you can get either a spot at the bar or a comfy seat. This place tends to be much busier for brunch/dinner rather than later on, which is good if you actually want to talk to the person you are with. read more

For me Firefly is a better happy hour bar/scene than it is a dining establishment- which is not to say the food is bad per se, but nothing special for the prices. Go here for happy hour or a pre-dinner drink, then go somewhere better in Dupont for dinner. Cool scene, good drinks. Alot of reviews are callng it a great date place, but seating is pretty crowded. read more

It's Labor Day...my daughter took me here today for brunch since it's the eve of my birthday. Thoroughly enjoyed the service and the food. Thought the prices were fairly reasonable. Will definitely come here again! read more

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Thumbs-up all around for Firefly. It has the feel of a neighborhood restaurant, even though it's in the Hotel Madera. There are so many restaurants these days that do sell mediocre "comfort food" at upscale prices, but Firefly does this genre really well. There is a spacious lounge / waiting area and bar to hang out before taking your table, and the dining room is not at all cramped. The food is what sets Firefly apart, though. I liked the mac & cheese appetizer as well as the deviled eggs. The crab cake was a great entree -- moist, with lots of crab, but not too rich. It's a little on the spendy side for a neighborhood place -- with drinks, appetizers and dessert, you'll probably hit around $60 per person -- but the the food matched the price. read more

I had my birthday brunch at firefly and I was not disappointed! Everything was great, especially the service! I ordered the lemon ricotta pancakes and they were so delicious. I ate the whole thing! The service was amazing and I will definitely be going back! read more

Firefly - Lemon ricotta pancakes - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The food was okay. The service was great. So let me explain why it gets 3 stars. I don't eat beef or pork (for personal reasons) so I asked to sub in some other meat instead of the ham. They have turkey on the menu but it comes in a premade sandwich. They said I could get chicken for an additional 3 bucks. I say okay cool but once the omelet arrived the chicken wasn't a good fit. I told two people about my displeasure and neither offered to replace or take off the extra amount. I'm not one to make a fuss so I just paid the bill. Long story short. They're not really good about accommodating picky customers like myself. So if you're a pork lover this may be the place for you. Oh and the deviled eggs weren't my fav but they're not bad. read more

My now-husband and I first met at this hotel bar a handful of moons ago - and we return once a year to celebrate. One thing that makes this place so wonderful is the service - every time we go I feel like our waiter is so happy to be there, and thrilled to tell us all about the food. I am a creature of habit - and if I eat something good, I have a hard time ordering something new -- the lamb pappardelle is one of those dishes. While I am sure they have many other wonderful items on their menu, as long as they serve this dish I will order it. So many rich flavors, with the tang of the mascarpone cheese and olives, and the juicy braised lamb - it is a fantastic dish with truly unique flavors. A side note - we were surprised by how many families with kids were at the restaurant - given that the meals are not cheap. One family sat next to us, and their young daughter was handed an uncooked sugar cookie with sprinkles to decorate -- when she was done decorating it the waiter took it back to bake for her. I'm pretty sure this is the nicest thing i have ever seen a restaurant do for a kid, ever. While I don't doubt there are better restaurants in DC - I love how unpretentious Firefly is - while still offering top notch food and service. read more

We came here on a Friday night with our two children, aged 2 and 5. We actually chose this place because we found a notable mention about it being kid-friendly on a few different sites. While both my children enjoyed decorating their cookies, neither of them really enjoyed the food (they had the peanut butter & jelly with banana sandwiches - so not really sure how one could botch that). I had a bite of the sandwich to see what was wrong because neither one was really touching the sandwich and realized that there was barely (if any) peanut butter on them. While I would certainly not classify this place as kid-friendly, the food, otherwise, is actually quite good. We had the lobster appetizer, which was curried lobster served on toast - it was fantastic. I ordered the crabcakes, and my husband the steak. Both of them were also very good. We ordered the 3-cheese mac n cheese as well, although our waiter forgot to put the order in. He did not admit it, however, so the mac n cheese came out, pretty much as we were finishing our entrees. The waiter, in general, was distracted, and not very attentive. We were waiting on refills the entire night. It was not a particularly busy evening, so I think we got really unlucky with our waiter. Overall, good food - but poor service. read more

We took friends from out of town here last night for dinner and the food was delicious. First off, the drinks, the cherry blossom mojito was amazing as well as the delicious Porter beer, if you're a dark beer lover. The food was delicious. Everyone was more than satisfied with their meal, and the portion sizes seem small for the price, but it'll definitely be worth the money. We didn't have the desserts as we were so full from our dinners and drinks. But like the food, I'm sure it will be delicious. I even liked the decor, we sat by the big tree and it kind of reminded me of the tree in Pocahontas. The check came in a mason jar with holes, which added a nice touch to the name, Firefly. I highly recommend this place for intimate dinners with friends or family or even a first date! read more

I've been to Firefly for both brunch and dinner. We usually have large groups for brunch, so we get stuck in the back room away from the more civilized brunchers (probably for the best). The food is your typical brunch fare, nothing really spectacular (although I will say the lemon ricotta pancakes are particularly good), but it hits the spot. The mimosas aren't bottomless, which is sad, but they're still pretty affordable at $15 carafes. The service is great! We can be a pretty rowdy brunch crowd, but the staff at Firefly always seems to accommodate us while maintaining a professional and pleasant atmosphere. I actually prefer their dinner to their brunch. I think "urban farmhouse/picnic" most aptly describes it. It's very rustic inspired, but presented in a chic way. I love the deviled eggs, and you'll never see me turn down a charcuterie board. You can't go wrong with the Risotto or the roasted pork loin either. Everything is well cooked and I liked the fresh take on classics. My one caveat is that I find giving the receipt in a mason jar with "fireflies" to be a little gimmicky... but just my opinion. :) read more