I first met Steve Uliss when he was a Phantom Gourmet darling for Tennessee's a chain he later sold. {Note: if you buy a business get that 5 year non-compete clause Sparky}. When we moved to metro-west and were quite disappointed with Tennesee's, Steve had already sold, we discovered Firefly's (can't stress that non-compete stuff enough). For 3 years we were in BBQ heaven, they even opened a new store in Framingham that was also convenient to our locale. Then they added real Southern Fried chicken, woop! Steadily the quality began to slip. Dry ribs, fatty ribs and gasp, sometimes even chewy ribs! Nothing lasts forever. things I still like: * the catfish on a stick * the sauces and the condiment bar in general * the fried chicken * the fried dill pickles * outdoor sitting in the summer * you can still catch a decent batch o' ribs but it's hit or miss. lately we have had better luck with Framingham store, my neighbor is a die hard, I've had FF's when at his house for parties. read more

Our first dining experience at Firefly's was absolutely phenomenal. As native Tennesseans, we KKOW great barbecue. This was the very best barbecue we've had since leaving TN 2 years ago. This barbecue is actually better than some back home. Not only was the barbecue amazing, but equally delicious were the collard greens, corn bread and cold slaw. The owner, Steve, came by our table to introduce himself and assess our thoughts on the food. He is in the right business, such great customer service. We look forward to our next visit, Tina & Honey, read more

My last review of Firefly's was back in 2008, so I think it's time for a updated review. My wife and I have been going to Firefly's for about 15 years now. We used to go there quite often during the early years (every 2 weeks), but we now go there about every 2 or 3 months as it's a 45 minute drive each way from our house which makes it a long drive for us as the both of us are getting older these days. My review on the BBQ ribs are excellent. I order a rack of st. louis ribs with memphis sauce every time while my wife orders the shrimp tacos. The ribs are bodacious like the commercial you see on the Phantom Gourmet claims they are. My wife enjoys the shrimp tacos every time. The staff and Steve Uliss are great and always treat us very good every time we go there. However, my wife and I miss some of the older staff that used to work there, but that is expected when we have been going there for so long. We also have known Steve personally for many years and he knows that I am pretty picky when it comes to my ribs, so if he is in the restaurant while we are there. He makes sure I approve of the ribs. However, he does that with all his customers as he goes around each table and makes sure everyone is happy with their food. Our last visit was back in early February of this year and we are looking forward to our next visit once this virus is over and the dining room is open again for customers. The only down side of this review is that we wish we lived closer to the restaurant, so we could go once a month and get our BBQ fix. Both my wife and I recommend going to Firefly's if you are in the mood for some great BBQ. You will not be disappointed. read more

i had my birthday dinner on the 10th.what service.the food was great and our waitress was very polite.the meal was delivered fast and the best was the delicious cake afterwards.yum! read more

Firefly's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Marlborough, Massachusetts

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Firefly's catered our May 2011 wedding and it was PERFECT! We knew we didn't want the dried out chicken or steak option. So Firefly's came out with their smoker and made our food on site (the delicious smell of BBQ was everywhere!). The cost (a TON of food, seriously enough for 300 people for a 110 person wedding, plus appetizers for the cocktail hour) was unbelievable - about $40/per person. Everyone was able to have seconds and thirds! The food was fresh, delicious, and our guests LOVED it.. They are still talking about it actually. I highly recommend working with Firefly's. Kerri at the Marlborough office was a pleasure to work with. The contracting and payment schedule was easy and entirely reasonable. read more

What a great night at Fireflies!! Kaleena is amazing!. She did a wonderful job serving a big party. Thank you!!

yea 4 stars 1 star for the quality you expect from firefly, no its NOT authentic south of the mason dixon, but come on, what is? 1 star for trivia on mondays. we had the lead and the hostess was pretty nice, but in the end our team of two tied for last, dam you oldest brewery in north america, yuengling right? nope, molson..booo 1 star for pretty decently priced items, a top shelf margarita was only 8 bucks, however, their 5 dollar house is better left unordered, in fact, i would really ask you to skip mixed drinks and keep it real with a sams summer 1 star for PATIO! too cold last night, but i could see fun times in our future...if we had a designated driver....and a babysitter....and a bailbondsman....jk about chico. why not five stars? well as i was saying the sour mix tasted like shoe polish and the service was lack luster, we had a bartender due to moving for the trivia and to be honest i had to go to the bar to pay/order/refill/etc. i was fine with it, but for my 20% (which i still gave cause im nice) please come to us. additionally, it was merediths birthday, dam, I even named our trivia team "TODAY IS MEREDITHS BIRTHDAY" and we didnt even get our slice of red velvet cake. i bet if we went to the framingham FF we would have, but they my yelpers are not open on mondays. happy bday mermer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

They have the best brunch on the weekends. I love the bartenders there. I went one day and Jay was very accommodating. The only downside which I don't really even think is a downside, is the people watching. There's a lot of freaks flying their flags there on the weekend for the breakfast buffet. It's kind of comical. Definitely check it out. read more

Here's an idea, go to Fireflies in Marlboro for Brunch on a Sunday. You get tons of food to choose from, for a set price. If something doesn't grab you, get something else. Then, go to the pool room, where you get to shoot pool for free until, I think , 5 PM. It's a great afternoon party! We held a joint Birthday Party last February, and had a rollicking time! My sweetie is addicted to their Coca Cola Cake: trailer park cooking at its best! Boston is not known as a BBQ town. Aside from a guy who sells BBQ out of his backyard in Roxbury (I ain't revealing this one), this is about as good as it gets. Yeah, I love Redbones; but try getting in, why don'tcha. Actually, look at my Redbones review, for tips on getting in there, and timing their brisket perfectly. One really negative note: We played pool there this August, and found a legion of ants marching up to all the table surfaces, looking for food. Yikes! read more

I like Fireflys' the service is good and friendly. The atmosphere is fun and the food is good. I have had the ribs (of course) and they are always tender, juicy and full of flavor. The chicken and waffles are tasty and the homemade sauces are good as well. It's usually crowded so expect a wait read more

As a bbq enthusiast I've been all over the USA and have had a lot of good even great bbq..... But Fireflys has hands down won me over for the best burnt ends in our great states! I was hesitant to try them being in Massachusetts but our friendly and attentive server Dana suggested we had to try them and I'm so glad she insisted....you'd think I'd gone to bbq heaven. The southern fried chicken was also perfection as if it walked out of my grandmas kitchen... The variety of sauces were spot on...my personal fav even tho I'm a Memphis gal by heart was they're Texas:smokey chipotle tomato with a hint of onion and sweet black tar molasses....and best part folks they'll ship you their sauces and rubs. So don't fret that you aren't from Massachusetts...you can still have some bodacious bbq!!! Forever fan from SoCal read more

Went to Fire Fly s today for Easter Dinner. They had the buffet and it was wonderful ! Had to wait a bit for our table but that was ok. The service was good and if you went away hungry that was your fault. Excellent ribs and the coleslaw is to die for. And the cumber salad ! Yum. All was good. My honey Paul loved the ribs. A great place to eat at Anytime. We have been there a few times and never disappointed! Good job FireFlys! read more

Firefly's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Marlborough, Massachusetts

Love Firefly's. Have been coming here for years (either Marlboro or the now closed Framingham location), and have had them cater my husband's 30th birthday party at our house. All great experiences. Best BBQ in Metrowest! Last night, had the beef brisket, along with the fried dill pickles, and candied bacon appetizer shared with my group of friends. Mouths watered and plates were cleared. Great beer menu. Chocolate waffles for dessert - delicious! Attentive waitstaff and a friendly owner who visited all the tables to make sure he had happy customers. Nice touch: Complimentary valet parking! See you soon, Firefly's! read more

Bring on the food coma, we ordered buttermilk chicken tenders tossed in the Dixie kiss bbq sauce, fried pickles and half slab st Louis rib platter with dirty rice and pecan sweet potato. Everything was crispy and delicious, the ribs were perfectly smoked, and the sweet potato pecan pudding was definitely worth trying. read more

We've lived up the street grin this place and finally got to try it. We tried the other Firefly's out in Framingham a few years before it went under and were thoroughly disappointed. So that may explain why it's taken us so long to give this one a chance. The difference in the two... I can't even begin to explain. It's like night and day. The food here is delicious. I mean absolutely terrific. The brisket is a little on the fatty side, but that is my only complaint about the food. The atmosphere is wonderful, the waitstaff is really pleasant (I've never left without giving a 20+% tip, and I believe that a really good tip should be earned, so that says a lot about them.) When you order your food, you get to choose what kind of BBQ Sauce is used, this adds a lot of points for me because I'm a huge fan of two of their sauces: Beelzebar and Dixie Kiss. I keep a bottle of each in my fridge at all times for when I cook. Beelzebar is the one I recommend most. It's a smokey/spicey sauce that makes your mouth water when you're cooking with it. They also have an assortment of hot sauces on the wall for people to try. They also always seem to have something going on there at all times; Pool tables to rent, live music, and a ton of fun. I never leave this place thinking anything other than; I'm really glad we made the decision to come here tonight. So why not 5 out of 5? Well... Really it's just because they open sort of late on the weekdays. 4:30pm when my boys have a 6pm bed time (young kids) makes it difficult to make sure that they're fed. Don't get me wrong, the food is made quick, but it's still 20-30 minutes. Also, they have a 'special' hot sauce under lock and key that you have to fill out a funny little waver to try... well much to my wife's annoyance, I signed the form and tried it. WEAK!!! It was disappointing for all that build up! I have hotter sauces at home that I cook with! Seriously, if you're going to have that level of build up, make it some Satan's Blood, Mad Dog Sriracha, or something out of Blair's Selection. Anyway, that's just my opinion. Otherwise, the restaurant is fantastic! I sincerely hope it'll be there for a very long time... because it's never a bad time for BBQ and daddy loves his ribs! read more

Well the Taste Train certainly missed a stop. I ate here with my sister last night. Our waitress, Jessica was fantastic, our food however, was not. My sis is a recovering vegetarian, she now eats fish. There were 2 items on the menu that she could eat. The one she picked was the Salsational salad with salmon. The salmon was so fishy smelling it was hard to get past the smell to actually taste it. Once she did, she sent it back as it wasn't any good. No discount off the entree for that either. I ordered the pulled pork platter because I thought the sides sounded tasty so I wanted to get some sides instead of the straight up pulled pork sandwich. Big mistake on my part. The mac and cheese was more like mac and butter, no cheese flavor to be had. The grilled zucchini I was looking forward to, what taste it did have, tasted like chlorine, no nutty grilled zucchini fabulousness for me. The pulled pork was good, but nothing special, the 'texas toast' had no garlic flavor. We also got the fried dill pickles, which were the reason we went here in the first place. Fried in a cornmeal breading, they were tasty, but alone, not worth coming back here. We each had a cocktail with the meal and the total bill came to about $46 (!) without tip. The food we ate was definitely not worth the price tag. I wouldn't go back based on my experience here. read more

Wow, what a fantastic experience, although probably not one everyone can relate to. Our friends had recommended "Firefly's" and so on our way out of Marlborough, we figured we'd give it a try. We arrived at 3:30pm on Friday, January 1st and to our disappointment they didn't open until 4:30 (which is clearly visible on their door). We were already inside at this point and our disappointment quickly turned into gratitude and appreciation when the staff accommodated us by seating us in their bar area while they opened the restaurant. They let us know what we were able to order from the menu and served us the same as they would have had they been open for regular business! Our group of 7 ordered a variety of food ranging from pizza to pulled pork and ribs. The food was excellent and we will most certainly be going back on our next trip up to Marlborough! Thank you Firefly's BBQ! read more

They catered a wedding that I attended last weekend. The ribs were awesome, some of the best I ever had - & not too messy either!

Gerry is amazing! He's prompt, attentive and nice! The food and drinks are always top notch. I've never had a bad experience there. Loved the music on the patio! read more

Man i wanted to like this place alot because it's a cool little BBQ joint right next to my house but even a great tap selection and really good service can't make up for dry dry dry smoked meats. I had the 2 meat combo with turkey and brisket. I understand that it is can be difficult to smoke turkey and keep it moist and flavorful but this had not a drop of moisture to it and just when I thought my cotton mouth couldn't get any worse I took a bite of the brisket and wow, the meat just cumbled from being so dehydrated. I also know that brisket is one of the easier things to get right. The side of baked beans were good though but the coleslaw had a really strange taste. Like I said at the beginnig one star for beer selection and one star for service. read more

Very good! The layout in the dining room is a little wonky -- the tables are a little close in places. It is very, very casual. The barbecue is excellent. There is a bar with peppers and pickles that you can snack on before your order arrives -- a good place for a casual lunch or dinner. They also have a good function room in the back, with pool tables and a bar window -- the company I work for had a meal there, and it was fun. read more

This was a great time we went for my daughters birthday the brunch she loves there Mac and cheese... Service is great and there food is fresh Definaly recommend this place for brunch read more

I went to Firefly's after the Phantom Gourmet did one of their typical food porn segments on it. The cracklin' bread got me going especially... So we made the trek out there. Meat lovers. STARVING. 4 of us. The cracklin bread was just ok. The catfish was DELICIOUS. The ribs - MEH! Dry! Tough! Not very savory. The sides were nothing special. The meal was much more expensive than it was worth. I will not be going back - I can get far better BBQ and sides at Bob's Southern Bistro. read more

Date of service: Oct 26, 2014 Meal: Dinner, dine in All Ratings out of 10: Quality of food: 7 Food to Spend Value: 8 Quality of Service: 6 Overall Rating: 7 (though will round down to a 3 on Yelp's scale) As I have mentioned in previous reviews, finding good BBQ (which is one of my favorite types of food, period) outside of Texas can be challenging, and I would not expect New England to have good BBQ at all. I was recommended Firefly's and intrigued by their menu, so I decided to give it a shot. And though I don't think it is on par with Texas BBQ, it is definitely worth trying. We started with an appetizer that was a special that night. It was deep fried calamari rings with deep fried banana peppers, but it was served with this sweet & spicy sauce on it that was amazing. Firefly's should really consider adding this as a regular menu item, as it was really fantastic and some of the best calamari I have ever had. For my main course I went with the ribs. Ribs and brisket are my 2 favorite types of BBQ meat, and they generally will reveal how good the BBQ is at a restaurant. I got it with jalapeno cheddar cornbread, mac n cheese, and BBQ beans. The ribs were good and tasty but not amazing, and the sides were nothing to write home about though they were good. The jalapeno cornbread came out cold, and I had to have the server bring me a fresh one. Hot jalapeno cornbread was quite delicious, though it was disappointing it didn't come out that way. They had coconut cream pie for dessert (which was served as a mini personal pie), and it was scrumptious. I was too full to finish it but brought it with me and had the rest as a late snack. The prices are pretty reasonable, and the portions are very filling. The service was ok but not exceptional. The food quality was also high, but the BBQ itself was not amazing, and the sides that I had were not that great (with exception of the jalapeno cheddar cornbread, though the first piece was cold). For Massachusetts and New England as a whole, this is probably some of the best BBQ I have had, but in the grand scheme of BBQ wizardry, this falls far behind the top mages as it doesn't really do anything to distinguish itself. It is a bit out of the way, but if you have a hankering for BBQ and don't mind a drive (depending on where you are in MA), then it is definitely worth checking out. read more

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This was my first time at firefly's and I don't know how I've missed out on this place for so long. The service was wonderful, are staff were all friendly attentive. The food was amazing! read more

Coming from Memphis...I know my BBQ. And as for New England BBQ, this place has some. Now, I'm going to start off saying I only go for one thing. That's the All You Can Eat Sunday Brunch Buffet! When I say it's all you can eat...I promise you I don't eat anything else the rest of the day! How can you go wrong when you're eating Ribs, Chicken, Pulled Pork, Mac and Cheese, Bisquits and Gravy, Bacon, Catfish, Baked Beans, Cole Slaw...and then the desserts that are there after. My kids love the BBQ, but love that they can get waffles and pancakes as well. I love to take the bacon and crumble it into that creamy dreamy mac and cheese. Then take that with my Pulled Pork. It's a little bit of heaven in my mouth! Then, those Bisquits and Gravey....it's almost as good as my grandma used to make in Kentucky. (looking up) I said ALMOST MiMi! I haven't ever eaten there for anything else, so I can't comment on the club side...or what it's like to eat off the menu. But we make it a trip to go there once and awhile for this buffet. And for 15 bucks, it's a VERY good deal as you can get WAY more than 15 dollars worth of BBQ off that Buffet! read more

Hard one to nail down a rating for, but in the end, just A-OK. I went here for a ladies' night out get together with some friends. A couple of us got there pretty early and took up a table in the bar for a long while while drinking Diet Pepsis without being hassled, but it did take almost a half hour for someone to come take an order for nachos. We also put our name in for a table about 45 min before we were looking to sit down, and it's a good thing we did since it was over an hour 15 before they had a table for us, which just seems out of control on a Thursday evening in the burbs. The nachos we had in the bar were definitely yummy, but I found the pulled pork a little bland (I like it spicy). We had fried pickles for an app at the table, and they were just meh, I like the ones at Texas Roadhouse a lot better. I got jerk chicken, mac and cheese and green beans for dinner, and again, just meh. The jerk wasn't that spicy and my mac and cheese was tasty, but a little cold. The star of the night, though, was our server, Matt. If this were just aabout him, 5 stars all the way. A friend is going through some rough stuff and spent a good chunk of the night filling us in on the deets, and he was just amazing. Funny and able to step in at just the right time, not to mention offered my friend a hug. He was an awesome server and deserves serious kudos for handling a rowdy group of women late into a Thursday night. When it comes down to the food an overall experience though... 3 stars feels about right. read more

Our daughter had to cancel her Disney wedding. We had to have the celebration in the grooms parents back yard. I called Fireflys to see if they were available. Thankfully they were. Bianca the catering manager was more than accomadating when we had to make changes to our original plans. The 2 servers showed up on time. They practiced all Covid 19 safety practices,and were very friendly too all our guests.All paper goods were supplied even down to wet naps to clean your hands. The food was wonderful and there was plenty of it. The servers boxed up all the leftovers and my daughter and her friends had a wonderful lunch the next day. Cudos to all aspects of our fireflys experience. Too any brides out there that had there dream wedding cancelled allow Fireflys to make the best out of a bad situation for you. read more

Just finished a awesome brunch buffet Sean was our server Food was spectacular Lots of choices Breakfast and bbq Was very yummy Why pay 19.99 for one rack of ribs when you buffet all you can eat I can't wait to go again read more

This place is so hit or miss for me. I've attended 3 work functions here and the catered food was good. I've also been for dinner on a few other occasions and it's been a 50% success rate. The worse experience we had was a few years back where the food tasted as if it had been sitting out for the entire day and then served to us for dinner. That was a one time deal but it left enough of an impression on me. We did have one great dinner there with friends from out of town. The food was on point, fresh and really well seasoned. But that was also a one time deal. Drinks here are pretty good. Never attended band night and not sure I care to, but that's a personal preference. This is one of the places in town, along with Wildwood, that I wish would just consistently knock it out of the park! If that was the case, I'd be here every week!! read more

Amazing food .. perfectly smoked meats .. cool ambience .. fantastic staff .. complementary condiments and sauces are a must try ! read more

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Excellent. I've been looking for large belly fried clams and I finally found them at a bbq restaurant. Who would've thought? Also the burnt end appetizer is delicious. Everything is great including the friendly staff. They couldn't be nicer. Loved everything. Thank you read more

I went with my roommate last night (halloween) for the first time. I have short hair and my roommate was wearing a wig and fake lashes because she had to dress up for work. (We are both straight). The bartender wasn't friendly (a skinny middle aged woman)... She wasn't attentive. And she treated us in a way that made me feel that my roommate and I were a couple. I felt judged. Even if we were gay, it wouldn't be anybody else's business. Poor service. Judgment look. read more

LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. I've probably came here a million times and it never disappoints me, ever. Every thing on the menu is amazing and the service is absolutely phenomenal. I always get baby back ribs with fries and mac & cheese, the best. I love how they have a mini bar where you can get your sauces and etc. I highly recommend this place to any southern food lover!! read more

I always get the same thing when I come here, so take my 4 stars with a grain of salt... Pulled chicken platter ROCKS! You get to pick your sides & I always pick the mac n cheese & the sweet potato 'pudding' (although it's not pudding..) They have a toppings bar, but I've never used it, so I'm not really sure what it's all about. They also have a giant spice rack on the wall of all kinds of hot sauces. My 9 year old nephew always wants to go here whenever I take care of him, he says it's the best mac n cheese ever. I'm wondering if it's because of the smiley fries and giant cookie... but who knows. Side note- the largest drinks around. The cups are huge! Also have a pretty nice pool room in the back. Can get pretty packed on Sat. nights, so plan accordingly. read more

If you're a first time visitor, I would highly recommend doing the combo plate. You can choose 2 or 3 different meats and 2 sides as well as the cornbread it comes with. This is plenty of food and everything you order will be equally delicious. I got the beef brisket and St Louis ribs as my meat with my sides being mac and cheese and sweet potato fries. Everything on my plate was excellent! Our server was also very helpful and friendly. Easily some of the best BBQ you will have in MA. read more

Wow! The bbQ is SO yummie! I first tried it for Superbowl this year and I'm sad that I never tried it sooner!! I love their fresh made loaded chips!!! The wings are SO delicious and taste right off the grill of your own backyard and the ribs are to DIE for! I have yet to try all of the sauces yet but I'm working on it! (Just don't get their Red Velvet Cake, boo!) read more

Don't know what Steve is doing differentl, but it's paying off! Our meal tonight was perfect. Great, no amazing, service provided by Meghan T. Keep it up, this is the Firefly's I fell in love with. read more

Firefly's BBQ - Yum - Barbeque Near Me - Marlborough, Massachusetts

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Absolutely love this place! By far the best BBQ I've had. It's a hour drive but well worth it.

This review is negative, but it should be noted that it's very specific to their dessert item availability. I enjoy the banana bread pudding at Firefly's. That's why I go there. I had a foodie friend in from out of town, and I hyped her up about it. We went and sat down. We were told that "you're lucky, we've just got two left." Okay, we'll take 'em! She comes back a moment later to tell us that "I'm sorry, it turns out that we don't have any after all." We leave sadly. The next day, the last day of my friend's visit, we return. This time we're told that there isn't any because the manager who came up with the recipe left the company, or something to that effect. "So, we haven't been making it." What?? One guy was responsible for making a menu item? We left again and my friend is legitimately saddened because she won't get to try the banana bread pudding. We wasted a decent amount of time and gas for a menu item that is frequently just not there. This was in fact the third time I've gone there for the pudding and found that they just didn't have it. read more