This was quite possibly the most money spent on the worst meal in my history of eating. I will 100% never order from this place again. The pretzel, while huge, was literally coated in salt to the degree it was inedible. The cheese sauce that came with it was grainy, separated, and terrible. The pesto pasta was bland and hardly had any amount of sauce to be calling it a pesto pasta. The chicken quesadilla had completely different ingredients than the menu, and it seemed like they just threw it together. Never again. If I could give zero stars, I would. read more

I recently hosted an event at Firehouse Grill in Evanston, and the experience was outstanding from start to finish. Molly was wonderful to work with--organized, responsive, and genuinely invested in making sure everything went smoothly. The second-floor party space is fantastic. It feels private and perfect for gatherings, with its own bar and restrooms, which made hosting incredibly convenient. (The only thing to note is that the space is accessible by stairs only.) We were also able to stream a slideshow at no additional cost and play our teens' Spotify playlist, which added such a fun and personal touch to the event. The food was a huge hit--guests couldn't stop talking about the Detroit-style pizza, chopped salad, and chicken wings. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and well-prepared. A special shoutout to Steve, our bartender, who took excellent care of us throughout the event. His attentiveness and friendly service really elevated the entire experience. If you're looking for a venue to host a party or special event, I highly recommend Firehouse Grill. They made everything easy, seamless, and memorable. read more

We 4 plus our canine boy, Max enjoyed our first visit this past Sat. 05/23. Seated outdoors, mid afternoon. Really enjoyed the tasty delights and service was just wonderful and attentive. Vegetarian items...delicious as we shared. Liked sharing Max with your staffs fellow dog likes and licks! See you all again! Max, dads & guests. read more

Firehouse Grill - Dads & Max - American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

We went during lunch time on a weekday, so no rush. The waitress and staff were smiling, pleasant and checked on us well. Food was delicious! We ordered the elotes bowl, the nachos, Alfredo pasta, garlic mashed potatoes and the Detroit style pizza. Everything was delicious and looked as appetizing! Can't wait to come back here again! I think their booths have gotten old, so replacement would be great, but overall a great meal! read more

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I'm revising my previous review of Firehouse after an absolutely appalling encounter at this restaurant tonight. I'm an Evanstonian and have been for many years now. I've been to firehouse many many times and have always had positive experiences. Tonight, my friend and I were outright disrespected. We arrived at the restaurant at about 5pm this evening. Surprisingly they were not crowded, there was no wait, and there were several empty tables (including booths with 2 ppl in them). When I've dined here, I have always requested a booth - no matter the day, no matter the time, no matter how busy or calm the restaurant is- and without fail, the kind employees have always said no problem and make it happen. As the young man led us to a table right next to 2 empty booths, I asked if we could have a booth instead and his response was "Ooohhh nooooo! Those are for reservations." Never in the history of coming to this restaurant have I ever been told I needed a reservation to sit in a booth. So my friend and I immediately decided we would not be patronizing this place. When this guy realized we were leaving he then offers me the empty booth and says "the reservation for this booth isn't for a while so you can take this one if you want." I told him I have never ever been denied a booth or told I needed a reservation. He replied on Fridays and Saturdays they get booked up. I cannot even fathom what would have provoked this young man to be so rude and unaccommodating; not to mention we were apparently the only ones being denied a booth when there were empty booths sitting open and they were not at all crowded. This was the first visit for my friend and it was such a terrible experience. I will not be back. read more

Service was quick. Ambiance was nice mix of mid-tone sounds from the tv and a few guests. I like the vibes, plus the very large tables. They give a lot of space for seating and I appreciate that. Super helpful wait staff. The menu. It is the upper side of bar food. I think they could bring it up a notch in flavor though. It definitely needed something. The pizza sauce needs to be rethought. The Mac and cheese? Fabulous. I think that was the best thing on the menu. Burger was basic. Nice medium rare cook though. 5 stars staff. 3 star food. read more

Firehouse Grill - American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Good food -had chilli 8/10 Poor service -waited 20 min for check xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx read more

Great environment and really cool aesthetic. Its a fire station turned into a restaurant giving it a really nice vibe. The food was ok. Nothing special it was sort of like bar food. The service was also great, no complaints there. read more

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I found some food I liked. The wings that are $10 on Tuesdays and they small Ceasar's salad. You get 10 wings for $10. A choice of sauce and carrots and celery with dressing. It was quite good. 5 flats and 5 drums. The caesar was amazing. a good portion plus lots of croutons and bacon and parm. I ate the whole thing. Their wine selection is awful. Good beer selection though read more

Had our Christmas party at Firehouse Grill and it was perfect. The food was amazing, the drinks were spectacular, and the whole vibe was classy and elegant. Staff was super attentive. Will definitely be back! read more

Firehouse Grill - American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Food was excellent. The place was fun, but parking sucks. We ended up getting a ticket. #iraeats #iraeats1 As a follow up, as soon as I posted my review, the owner messaged me apologizing for my parking issues. He sending me a gift certificate and told me where to park when we come back. GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE!!! read more

Firehouse Grill - American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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We are a great brunch today. Service and entire staff were kind and attentive. Want to go back again

I enjoy this lovely venue in Evanston. Firehouse Grill is in an old Firehouse and the space really is quaint and pretty. I always enjoy dining indoors, and on their lovely outdoor patio space. They have an attentive staff, and menu with a variety of interesting options. We recently stopped in for a late lunch. My husband and I enjoyed their basic Bloody Mary, which was spicey and perfectly made. We also ordered a veggie quesadilla, and it was perfect to share. If there is anything I need to do different, it's to try dining for dinner. We mainly dine for drinks or afternoon snacks, and the venue is perfect for that. read more

Firehouse Grill - American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

My dear friend and her husband treated me to firehouse grill to celebrate my return home from the hospital. I've drove by many times and I am so glad I finally have the opportunity to try their food. I decided to have the breakfast sandwich, which consisted of bacon, fried egg, smoked pork, white cheddar on a ciabatta roll and served with breakfast potatoes. It sounded a lot of food. It was a lot of food and it was absolutely delicious! Apparently, the establishment was formerly a fire station. There are resemblance of it at least. Our waitress was super nice and checked on us a few times during our meal to make sure we are satisfied. The crowds were friendly and everyone seem to be enjoying their meals. There are parking available along Chicago Avenue and near by streets. Parking is free on Sundays. read more

Wonderful neighborhood restaurant Many choices Variety of styles Friendly helpful staff Notary food Parking Lots of room read more

Boosting up my rating from my last review, although one thing remains the same: I've still never been here for a regular sit-down meal. I came here a few weeks ago for an end of the academic year happy hour event for one of the programs I teach in. This seems to strictly be an event space for me, which is a-okay. It's a great venue for events. It was a relatively small event in terms of number of people, but we had the entire second floor reserved, which was awesome. The service was great and prompt, and the food all looked great. They had an array of vegetarian offerings in our buffet (including caprese skewers, which looked amazing), and the vegan option was mixed roasted vegetables (primarily broccoli and cauliflower). I stuck with the vegan option as I'm trying to avoid dairy if I have the option to avoid dairy, and the veggies were roasted to perfection (although they were a little over salted -- definitely made me thirsty, but they did taste yummy!). They had several meat options as well, which looked and smelled good, but obviously I did not partake. Everyone seemed to enjoy it and went back for seconds. We also had an open bar, and they had several non-alcoholic options including 2 NA beers and 4 different mocktails (all of which use various sodas, juices, etc....i don't think they have any with NA spirits at this time). I love that they have that as an option, though, for people who prefer not to drink. I had the pomegranate mule and it was A+++. read more

Firehouse Grill - American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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The hamburger was fine but this place is way overpriced. That and they add a 3% service fee on top of that which I did not see in the menu. It's a "never again" for me. read more

I've been here a few times in the last several years and there is no reason to keep going back. The food is exceptionally MEH. The jalapeño "poppers" are in reality jalapeño floppers. What you will get are super soggy overcooked jalapeños cut lengthwise with some type of cream cheese filler. Tonight I ordered the jerk chicken bowl which was a fascinating experiment in physics with half the bowl very warm and the other half literally containing ice chips. When my husband ordered chili he asked the waiter to make sure it was hot because on previous visits it hit the table cold. The waiter acknowledged others have made the same complaint (HELLO...GET YOUR STUFF TOGETHER). They have a great location and outdoor space so I'm sure that's what keeps people coming back, but the food is super sub par and the service is a slight step above MEH. It seems they just don't care at all about creating a good experience amplified by the fact that they just don't seem to address reviews at all (positive or negative). For the record they weren't even busy tonight, so the poor service and food quality had nothing to do with being slammed. read more

I ordered the flank steak and it was impossible to eat as it was terribly tough. I don't think they took the time to marinate it. Really disappointing as I don't order steak often, and even my garbage disposal had a hard time grinding it! read more

This place is awful. The pizza tastes like school lunch, the burgers are hard with stale buns, the chicken is rubber, the fries are oily and floppy, the cheese curds taste like spent frying oil, the service is slow, and the prices are high. This place is super close to me so I want it to be good but every time I try it again, it sucks just as bad. I'd love for it to be just mediocre but it's not even that. This pic is of the school lunch pizza. I ordered sausage and peppers, got pepperoni and peppers. They comped it. But it still sucks. read more

Firehouse Grill - American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

My husband and I are frequent Firehouse Grill patrons due to convenience. They offer decent bar food and in the warmer months they open up the patio. Typical favorites of ours are their burgers, tater tots and cheese curds. My husband also likes their grilled cheese sandwiches. Pricing is typical for the area. Although they don't have a parking lot, parking is relatively easy to find on the streets. My husband recently went on a solo trip during a nice day and ordered fish tacos with tots to eat on the patio. Although prepared not how he usually prefers fish tacos, they were served blackened versus fried, he liked how the strip of fish served was solid and intact. It didn't fall apart or had a flakey texture. He did say there was a lack of season. He did save one taco for me to try out when he got home and afterwards I shared the same sentiment. It tasted flat. Despite the possible one off, He did want to give shot out to his server that day (CiCi) who was awesome and managed to remake a fresh batch of to go fish tacos and tots when he forgot to take them with him after leaving the restaurant and the busboys took his to-go away. Firehouse Grill is a good spot to visit for casual bar food with great service in Southeast Evanston. read more

Firehouse Grill - Husband's fish tacos with tater tot side. - American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Ever eaten in a firehouse? It may not be one anymore, but you can still say you have. Firehouse Grill is one of the casual large restaurants in Evanston. Has a pretty much standard menu of American classics such as burgers and pizza along with some other good items. There's burgers, pizza, and some vegetarian or healthy options. Came here at lunch before it got busy. It's pretty big, so it can easier handle a crowd. There's a bar and quite a few tables. Lots to get drunk on including many draft beers. There's cocktails too. It's about $11 for a cocktail. We got a few and I liked the Cuzco Mule. It was Barsol Pisco with angostura bitters, ginger beer, and lime. The drinks are only one thing. Burgers and sandwiches seem to be the main parts of the food menu. It's about $15 for an entree, which isn't that bad for the big portions. I got the Veggie Sloppy Joe. Patty was made of lentils, quinoa, and tofu. It wasn't bad. Toppings included green onions, pickled onions, ranch slaw, which I left off, and roasted vegetables. It looked good. Tasted okay. At least it was a lot of food. She had some basic looking pizza. Cheese was skimpy and not melted. The food can be good or bad, but it was good for me thankfully. Fun atmosphere if they do everything right here. It unfortunately seems like something will go wrong though, such as something with the food, which can be great if they're trying. There's big portions meaning you get a lot and there's some things for vegans and vegetarians. read more

Firehouse Grill - Cuzco Mule And Veggie Sloppy Joe - American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

When I lived in Evanston and the north side of Chicago years ago, I can easily state that this was a go to place. Heck, we had lunch here for my all day bachelor party back in 2002 before a Northwestern football game. And it was really good back then. Like they say, never meet your heroes and in this case, never go back to your old haunts. The memories are just that, memories. And what I remember of the food was way different that what we had just a couple months ago. This was a sad shadow of its former glory. There were three of us. My wife got the Detroit-style pizza, our friend got a salad and I got a burger (I have a burger club and we rate burgers from 0-5). This was a mediocre burger. I got the Candlelite BBQ Burger. The one thing I can safely say about burgers is that the more places doll up a burger, the more mediocre it is. Everything on top of the burger (in this case the Merkts pub cheese, housemade bbq sauce, bacon, and crispy onion strings) all take away from the actual flavor of the meat. All these toppings just competed with one another. On top of it, the burger was not the medium I requested, but more on the medium well side. I typically don't send back food unless a place royally screws it up. This was just okay. I'd give the burger a 2.75-3.0. Lackluster. Like I said, don't visit your old haunts. My wife got the pizza. Despite asking for the crust to be well done, it wasn't. It wasn't crispy and was quite doughy. Just greasy with a lack of flavor. Our friend said the salad was okay, but nothing to write home about. The Firehouse Grill was once a great place to go, but now with so many options and a lackluster menu, they'd have to do a complete 180 degree turn to get back to their once former glory. read more

I have been here twice now and each time I left with the same thought: meh. The ambiance is pretty cool, as the restaurant is located in an old firehouse. There are some interesting murals on the walls and the fire pole is still intact, which is cool. Service is also fantastic: very attentive, super nice people. I like that the tables aren't super close together, however, the cleanliness of the tables themselves leaves a lot to be desired. Today I had a reservation at 11:30 a.m., which is right when they open. The booth I was seated at had so many random crumbs and other gross stuff on the seat that I almost didn't want to sit down, but I made it through in an effort not to be rude to the server or my dining companions. Glancing around at a few nearby tables, I noticed that several of them didn't look very clean either, although presumably they hadn't been used since the previous day. Very strange. The menu has a lot of options, and there was a separate menu with brunch specials as well. I chose the grilled cheese sandwich with tots. It's insane because they give you two full-size sandwiches and a ginormous mound of tots. In fairness, the sandwich is called the Big As Your Head Grilled Cheese, so I probably shouldn't have been surprised, but Jesus. The food was okay but not great, honestly: kind of bland and too greasy for my taste. Yes I realize I ordered food that is traditionally greasy in nature, so me saying it's too greasy says a lot. Overall, the place is fine. I didn't spend a lot of money, which is good. I think the restaurant is ideally suited for people who have little kids. It is not a place I would gravitate to of my own accord. read more

Firehouse Grill - Big As Your Head Grilled Cheese Sandwich with tots - American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I've lived less than 2 miles from here for five years and I never got around to trying it until this week! I was exhausted from work and really wanted a veggie burger, so I ordered delivery from here. I got a veggie burger and bacon cheeseburger and they came hot and everything tasted great and fresh. It comes with a side, I got fries and tater tots and enjoyed both. I would probably get the tater tots again next time. It was a little pricey but the food was good quality so I can't really complain! read more

Firehouse Grill - Homemade Veggie Burger Hand Cut Fries Side - American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

First time here, Service was speedy and friendly. I ordered a cheeseburger medium well had a light char. My food came out pretty fast. The fries are actually really good. I really enjoyed them. Ambiance is super chill perfect for October 1st. read more

Firehouse Grill - Cheeseburger - American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Terrible service as well as the food! The waitress we had was young and disrespectful. None of us enjoyed the food that was baby portioned and over priced! I totally would never eat here again with my family. I gave the waitress waitress over $25 as a tip because I felt mercy for her ignorance. read more

Service was excellent. The food was very good. The young White, staff was very good with our four year-old grandson. My wife loved the pear martini. In summary a nice family oriented place to go. read more

Dakota was incredibly helpful. From accommodating my family to making sure we had every need. I appreciate him and the experience he brought to me and association with firehouse. As long as he's there I'll rent and take my family here. read more

Man, this place has seriously gone downhill. I used to order their blackened salmon...until they went to a micro-portion of it. Then, I recently discovered their new thai chicken wraps...until I received it (delivery) WITHOUT their in-house peanut sauce (which makes the ENTIRE dish) and when I called, I just received a, "sorry about that." Not even a hint of wanting to make it right. So, now I am stuck with these stupid wraps with no dip! wtf?! However, there were plenty of cilantro stems included so...lucky me. lol. WAY too inconsistent to recommend. read more

Firehouse Grill - American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Our daughter remembered the upstairs area when she was looking for a reasonably priced wedding venue. We had almost 100 of our family and friends present to enjoy their wedding reception. The food was warm and was presented as ordered. There was plenty of room to dance and it was great having the restrooms on the same floor as the stairs were a challenge for a few of our guests. The staff was friendly and helpful. My daughter was in frequent contact with the coordinator which kept her stress level down. I heard the most compliments about how nice the bartenders were. read more

I thought this place was pretty solid. I came here for dinner, but I see they are open for lunch. Thats a big PLUS in my book. You can read all the other reviews as well. Its basically a bar and grill. Burgers, sandwiches, pizza, and salads. Its nice to have these around, especially when they are local. I went with the Irish Pub burger which I thought was ok. The meat seemed a little too well done. Maybe I will ask for Medium next time instead of medium well. My dad got the pizza which was actually the highlight of the meal. I will get that next time. Its Detroit style which isn't my absolute favorite type of pizza, but this was the best one I have had outside of Michigan. It had a nice crust and the sauce was good. As for the service, it was good, but not great. I think our server had too many tables and he was helpful when we were able to get him. Probably the worst thing was the prices of the sides. There was some confusion on the kids menu on what items came with sides. My nephew ordered a side thinking it was a kids portion. It was a full portion which was $5 dollars! That seems....much. We brought it up to the server and he mentioned that they don't have kids side and that he already "gave us free sauces" or something like that. Is it the end of the world, no, but you would think that you would say something to the parents if a 7 year old kid is ordering a giant plate of fries. All in all, the food was good, the vibes were great, and its nice to support a local business. The whole family will probably be back, but I will sure be back since its another lunch spot near work! read more

Stopped here on the way to our hotel. Cool place to chill outside and have a drink. The food was great! I had the "Big as your head" grilled cheese and my son got the chicken Alfredo pasta. Two totally different types of cuisine, but Firehouse made both of them great! We will definitely return next time we are in Evanston. read more

Unique setting in an old firehouse. Neat old murals above the bar. Old wood planked floor. We sat inside due to the hot humid weather in Chicago. The patio looked inviting. I started with a cold brew on tap. It was delicious and the beer list was adequate. I wanted to eat healthy and chose the roasted cauliflower with a balsamic sauce. The first bite tasted healthy but nothing spectacular, the next bite was better and better and better. They came with a green creamy sauce that was a good match. My boyfriend had a burger and he said it was cooked perfectly!! read more

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Second time ordering the veggie quesadillas. Full of fresh veg, seved w sour cream and good salsa and guacamole on the side. While busy on a lovely Wed night on the patio, service was good. Recommend. read more

Firehouse Grill - Veggie Quesadillas YUM - American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Greetings and salutations, It was cool Saturday afternoon so I decided to give Firehouse grill a second try. This time I went durning the lunch hour and the environment was great for lunch time. I do wish they had a bunch menus but what I ordered was good. I kept it simple and got a burger with fries. My friend tried the Gumbo. First thing I want to say is the staff at Firehouse are kind and accommodating. Very attentive and even when I walked in without my mask they kindly ask me to put it on with our being rude. My burger was great evenly cooked and the homemade pickles gave a nice flavor to the over all presentation. I also really like the fries. I washed everything down with a coffee and shot of Kahlúa which was perfect the chilly afternoon. My friend wasn't a fan of the gumbo. I tried the corn bread and was decent. I did like the over all prevention. This is most definitely a spot if your hungry and want a quick bite with a friends and family. The booths are very large so they can accommodate. I did see that the wings are still sold out and look forward to trying them some day. Lastly I will mention they added a brownie with ice cream to the menu which I also look forward to trying in the future. I put 3 stars but more like 3 1/2 out of 5. read more

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I love building my own Detroit style pizza here. Delicious! And the staff are super friendly :)

We were a party of nine, including kids, and the staff couldn't have been nicer or more accommodating to us! The food was absolutely delicious--each of us was very pleased with our choices. Also a very nice ambience in the restaurant, and terrific service. read more

Popped in tonight for a drink and to get some dinners to go. The staff was so pleasant and accommodating. I did a specialty order because I do not like cilantro and the kitchen made sure to keep that benighted weed off my plate. Good food, good drinks, great staff. read more

The wife and I have driven by this restaurant countless times and wanted to try it. Then, a friend asked us to meet her there during phase 4. Our second restaurant meal since reopening began. we sat at a reserved table on the patio (not sure if indoor dining is open here yet. I recommend getting a reservation as if was fairly busy even at 14:30. Service was good. The server was friendly and the food and drinks came out quickly. She brought iced Tea refills without being asked. The iced teas were rather watery, but kept us hydrated in a hot day. The only slightly annoying thing was that the server only gave us one food menu for 3 people. We c I ordered the pot roast chili and the wife had the veggie burger. The chili was good, but had some chewy pieces of meat in it. The wife's veggie burger was also good, but lacked integrity and made the bun soggy, which fell apart. It contained quinoa, mushrooms, squash and other vegetables (house made). She ended up eating the second half without the bun. She ordered a side of Mac and cheese, which was also good, not outstanding, but good. read more

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