Had to bring it down 1 star because of their food! This place is great for its ambience and excellent service but their food was just blah. I ordered the fish and chips and my order came out with 1 fish (that looked like it was from those microwaveable packs) and two more that looked homemade but the batter was so thick! It came w a side of vegetables which again looked like something out of the frozen food aisle. I did get "homemade" chips which were decent. I love love love their back patio seating ... Just so disappointed with their food! I would come back here but will order something different. read more

Fireside - Fish and chips - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Yet another place that I dig with a dual personality. Actually a little Sybilish to say the least. Great weekend brunch spot. Decent pizza and delivery service. Awesome soups. Nice back yard ( not a patio when the roof is always on sorry folks) and odd late night neighborhood drinking establishment. I've always enjoyed the food, actually decent steaks, good ribs and pizza but sometimes the service is just odd. I don't mean not regular service, I mean someone singing Eagles greatest hits in the bus station and "spacing" on our order when we were one of the few tables there. And a few times service has been less then stellar but for this kind of place it was passable. It actually makes me laugh because I never know what personality is going to greet me. read more

Awesome: 1. Their anchovie pizza. They don't skimp on the anchovies, like most places that serve anchovies seem to do. Here there is no reluctance to make you the saltiest, tongue swelling, most eye puffing pizza EVER! I was so thirsty in the middle of the night that I drank a quart of milk - with Ovaltine. mmmmmmmmmm. Yum. I had the anchovie pizza twice this week, and I want more. (but maybe without the quart of Ovaltine). 2. Fast delivery and Frequent customer discount without asking, because they found my cell phone number in their computer from God knows when I last ordered from them, which I'm positive was before I wrote my initial shitty review here! read more

Ive driven past this place about a dozen times after my basketball intramural games but never noticed it....My friend brought me here the other day and let me tell you I'm a fan....They've got a great outdoor enclosed section in the back with an arbor and tent over it...very nicely set up.... Super nice employees and good food....The chicken pizza is superb...... Full Bar with domestic and import drafts.... read more

Unfortunately, I did not have a great experience here. 2 stars because the food was OK, but I won't be back. The main reason you wonder? A MOUSE SCURRIED ACROSS THE FLOOR! Yes, you read that correctly. Just as we were about to get our food, I see a mouse. Other patrons saw it as well. So, until I know they solved that issue, I will be eating out elsewhere. The restaurant itself is old and cute, has a good vibe. I'm assuming they do their best business in the summer for brunch and the back patio. I came here with my husband and 1 year old son. They were really accommodating. It was a Saturday night around 7 pm and was not at all crowded. There was no music playing which I did not like. Very dim lighting. Food was good, but bland. I had the salmon but my sons mac 'n cheese was better :) I also ordered a lemon drop martini which was very good. So, until next time, Fireside. It will most likely be drinks only. read more

I had Thanksgiving dinner here at The Fireside. I think someone else had described it as "serviceable," and I'd have to admit, that hits the nail on the head. Listed on the "specials," Thanksgiving dinner was $18.95. So very reasonable. That included the entree offerings of Roast Turkey, dark and light meat, mashed and sweet potatoes and dressing. (It occurred to me that the president should really pardon a couple of carbs as well as turkeys, since millions of carbs are sacrificed every year, too.) Nothing green was offered. Had to add on a dinner salad for an additional buck. But no Brussel Sprouts, Green Beans or any veggies at all, which I found a bit unusual. Yet the turkey was moist, the stuffing flavorful, and the piles of sweet and mashed potatoes bigger than my head. The gravies were served in those tiny plastic coleslaw-type containers, and were of the cornstarchy, gloppy variety. I did only eat half, and I accompanied it with a pretty bad martini and then a nice glass of wine. No dessert is included just like the regular menu. No pie for YOU! I think given the choice again of a not-at-home Thanksgiving dinner, I would repeat what I did last year, and just hit the hot table and salad bar at Whole Foods and cart it home. While I did take home half of my Fireside meal, I did miss the greenery, and I think if one is going out to a restaurant for Thanksgiving, it's more fun to save your pennies and do something special like The Drake or The Pump Room. Make it more of a special event. The Fireside is nice for burgers and brewskies, but I would skip it for special occasions. read more

Wasn't a horrible place. I went on two occasions: The first time, it was a very late night at the bar side. It was filled with regulars who were overly drunk and crazy rowdy and annoying. Couldn't wait to get the hell out of there that night. I like a local place, but the bartenders were just interested in hanging out with their drinking buddies and the regulars there could have kept it down just a tad, for the rest of us who still want to live life without any serious hearing problems. I'll chalk it up to it being in the wee hours of the night and they had a few too many, but these guys are regulars and I'd rather not run into them again :) On the second occasion, I went to the restaurant side during the day. It was quiet, cozy and the food was good and fairly priced. The table settings were great! The center pieces were little flower pots they were growing their herbs out of. I thought it was neat. read more

Where do I begin? Here are 4 reasons I will never return to Fireside Bar and Restuant. Reason 1- After coming to this bar 6 times in the past month, maybe remembering your loyal patrons is too much to ask. I personally got offended when the bartender pretended that he had never met me before and tried to make an excuse for it. Reason 2- After standing for 15 mins one of the ladies in my party, (party of 4) wanted to sit. So we saw a table that was open and we sat down with our drinks that we had paid for at the bar. Dispite the fact that we were sitting at the waitress's table, she fail to ask us if we needed anything. She completely failed to acknowledge us. 15 mins went past and after my girlfriend finally got the waitress's attention, she told us "Ill be right back". 20 mins passed before she came back to tell us, "I know that you have been waiting but there are other tables that have priority over you. Once I'm done, then Ill come back and take care of you." WHAT. ..that was so RUDE. I then simply grabbed drinks from the bar. And ordered food from the bar. Since we clearly were thirsty and hungry at this point. Reason 3 After ordering a Chicken quesadilla and two Cajon fries, our food came out wrong. The fries had no Cajon seasoning on THEM at all. We never said anything at all. Never complained about a single item. Then a third order of fries came to our table, that we NEVER ordered. The waitress finally came back to inform us that my bar tab was transferred to her and that she will be talking care of us. We never cared were taking care of us and long as SOME ONE did. Which she fail to do. Reason 4- We watched a women walk towards our table and vomit on the floor right by our table. Almost getting her fluid on my girlfriend's friend. (who had never been to Fireside before) IT then took the bartender 10mins to respond and clean up the mess. Fu$#ing Disgusting. My girlfriend and I were so embarrassed by the service, or lack there of. We brought her friends there because we THOUGHT this would be a good spot for food and drinks. I guess we were wrong. I will never return.... read more

The bar we were at shut down way too early for our taste on a Friday night. We were still thirsty for beer and starting to feel pangs of hunger. Fireside was relatively close, would still be open and was serving alcohol and entrees. We didn't give it a second thought. I went with the Gouda covered mac and added chicken to it. It wasn't the best mac n chicken ever, but it hit the spot and there was enough for leftovers. It was all washed down with a pear cider in the heated tent patio area. Good food, good friends, warmth and beer. How could I not be a fan? read more

I tried REALLY hard to like this place. It's close to home and it looks good on paper. I went here twice with my wife and 2yr old daughter. My two main complaints are: 1) they are under staffed and 2) the food is basically frozen food that is microwaved. Here are my justifications for these two statements. On my first trip to this restaurant our meal lasted 1 hour and 45 minutes. Because they are understaffed it took forever to progress through our meal. The restaurant was not that busy but 8 tables for one waitress is not good. This second trip to the restaurant was no better. While the meal time was less it still progressed slowly which is not good when you are eating dinner with a 2 year old. They get bored quickly and things get ugly. There were no less than 2 management looking girls in dresses walking around checking on guests but did not lend a hand to the busy waitstaff. I would have expected these women to pitch in and help bring checks to the tables or help deliver food but no, they just meandered around the restaurant. The food came out and my wife and I were very underwhelmed. We ordered stuffed shells in parmesan cream sauce. The stuffed shells looked and tasted like they came out of the frozen food isle at jewell down the street and were microwaved minutes before the food was plated. The 'parmesan cream sauce' was bland and looked like it was emptied out of a jar. My wife and talked about this place on our way home and both agreed this place needs the likes of Gordon Ramsey or Brad Long to come in here and make this place what it should be. As I was eating my food I could hear GR's voice in my head yelling at the owner "What is this, is this out of a can?" read more

Great local place and a rare, 4AM liquor license... what's not to like? Seriously; not a big drinker here but the beer offerings and selection are notable, as is the menu. Gourmet fare? Well, not quite, but most everything is at least decent if not downright great and I'd put it many notches above standard pub grub. The mashed potatoes are a treat (and I'm not a mashed potato guy normally) they leave a bit of the red skins on and whip it up with seasonings and serve with gravy. Yum! Burgers are good and cooked the way you want. If you like blackened food you should appreciate several of the special dishes offered at Fireside. The wait staff tends to be friendly, responsive and there's nothing pretentious about the place. Decor is well worn, Chicago-funky but inviting just the same. The dining room feels a bit like a rural Wisconsin supper club but it's great in the winter as there's a gas fireplace to keep you toasty. The rear garden area off of the bar is open almost year round and a nice place for a family or small group. Rich, the owner, has developed this place into a neighborhood institution and is frequently on-site so don't be shy to say hello. read more

Okay, I have this weird relationship with the Fireside. Being a holder of the "friends and family" card, in which gets you free appetizers with every so many meals...I don't know because I get too embarassed to whip it out and look like a total lame ass. There are many things I love about the Fireside: -4am closing w/kitchen until 3 on weekends -super succulent make me cream my panties pork chops -goat cheese marinara so good I forget I'm eating goat cheese -brie cheese in puffed pastry *insert drool here* The things I not so love: - pretty big turnover rate when it comes to wait service....I've never had the same server twice. What the eff are they doing to them? -location very hard to get cab service -has tendencies to run out of Glogg read more

I don't get what the hype is all about. This place serves the equivalent of cafeteria food. I had the country fried chicken and my hubby got the bbq pork sandwich. The sandwich bread was store bought, the tots obviously of the frozen variety, and the chicken was just OK. It came with bland broccoli, not steamed or seasoned or anything. Just dumped on the plate. Fireside is alright to get a bite to eat but not somewhere I'd recommend to a friend. read more

Dull. Uninventive. Same menu past 20 years. Run down. Tired. Service is spotty. Not run tightly. Kitchen is obsessed with salt. Beers on patio maybe. Otherwise, pass. read more

My fiance, a friend, and I had dinner at Fireside last week. it had been recommended by numerous people, and I had heard about the place for years without stopping by. We'd been looking forward to it. The place was huge. They have a large dining room, a large bar, and a large outdoor tented patio area. They weren't very busy so we got seated right away, and got a pretty good choice of where to sit. The beer selection is grand. There are a lot of microbrews and little known beers. They have all the regular massbrews too. The only problem was that the server was reasonably new and hadn't familiarized himself with a lot of the selection. This was easily forgiven as he was able to get the info we needed from the bartender quickly. The girl ordered ribs. They were okay. Our friend ordered beer. Just beer. It was fine. I ordered the Grilled Chicken Sandwich. In the darkness of the patio, it looked okay. I wasn't sure, but thought it may be a little off. Indeed it was undercooked (still pink in the middle). I knew it for sure after one bite. The texture was off and the inside was barely warm. I removed the bite I had taken from my mouth and returned it to the plate. When the server returned to our table about five minutes later, I told him of the problem. After he asked me a few questions on how I knew it was not cooked fully and confirmed that I did not want it replaced, he took the plate back to the kitchen with his apologies. I called the restaurant later that evening, and talked to man who apologized, took my information, and told me the owner would be calling me back the next day. That day came and went without a call. I called the next day and talked to a manager who told me matter-of-factly that in sixteen years of working there she had never heard of anyone getting undercooked chicken from their kitchen. This struck me as slightly odd since another friend of mine, who orders delivery from Fireside on a regular basis, was vomiting and had diarrhea for a week after he recently ate one of their Cajun Chicken Sandwiches, and had called in previously as well speaking to a gentleman who didn't seem to care but told him that the information would be told to the manager. The manager apologized, took my information, and said that she would pass it on to the owner who would then call me back. It is now three days later and I have not received a call. I didn't want or expect anything free or such from the restaurant for my problem, but I certainly would have appreciated a returned phone call. read more

I am definitely a fan of the Fireside. It's very close to my work and there have been many times that my coworkers and I have chose this place as our Friday night location to have too much to drink. It's a great happy hour location as they have lots of free apps set up buffet style for quite a few hours. The staff have always been friendly and very accommodating as far as rearranging tables so our large group can sit together. I've also been here for lunch and dinner and have never been disappointed. Man, how I wish it was 5pm on Friday right now. Edit: I forgot to mention---if you've ever been here, you probably remember seeing a lime green Vespa/scooter with the side car.out front. It makes for a great prop in drunken debauchery. Just FYI. read more

I am not a fan of the interior - the bar area is dark with uncomfortable seats, and I hate the back outside area with the plastic tarp roof and awful seating. I have only eaten in there once and once is enough. But the takeout is rockin and I have always had good luck with the food being ready & hot when I arrive and everything packaged well. Burgers are pretty stellar, and they give you a bunch of options for toppings. I had a blue cheese and sauteed spinach which was great! The mashed potatoes (less mashed more "smashed") still have the skins mixed in and are chunky & fabulous! I have also sampled their pizza and it is very acceptable as well. Its really convenient to my job so I have to give it high marks. I dont know if I would say the same if I had to travel here though. read more

Three of us were revisiting here after a hiatus of many years. Another two were newly introduced to the Fireside, a fixture of the east-of-Rosehill area. It's a quiet place, being on the other side of the tracks from a cemetery, but that is forgotten in the warm and welcoming interior of this double building. We walked in and turned to the left for the dining room. It features a cozy fireplace befitting its name. A nice, warm feature (all gas-fired, so no fumes) on this stormy night. Drinks of all kinds, mixed, bottled/canned, or straight up, are no problem when there is a full service lounge in the next room. They had a few ciders I was not familiar with and so gravitated to a Washington state one made with the addition of hops, making for a drier taste. The menu is nicely organized into categories that were helpful in deciding based on tastes and pocketbook. At the top of the $ list would be their selection of ribs and steaks, followed by their specialties and pasta plates. Recommended choices were highlighted with a string of Chicago-flag stars before and after the name of that dish. Our newbies especially like the chicken quesadillas, saying they topped ones they had elsewhere. There were a list of tempting appetizers, salads, and sides (next time, maybe something besides the calamari, which had too-crispy breading). As alternates to the dinner type dishes, you could also choose pizzas of various sizes (and prices) or what Fireside is an attraction for, the burgers and sandwiches. The latter are all under $10, which includes your choice of a side dish, like fries, tater tots, chips, broccoli, etc. The room ambience was relatively quiet, so normal conversation amongst five people was easily possible. Add to this, a friendly and helpful waitress, and our evening was a very pleasant one despite the rain outside. Hopefully, next time, no rain, so we can scope out their patio. read more

I made a reservation on Yelp. When we arrived, we were told they didn't honor reservations made on Yelp. Don't set up Yelp to take reservations for your restaurant if you won't honor them. We didn't even get a simple "sorry" for this screw-up. The hostess implied we were at fault. read more

No need to say much since the two stars does it for me. Needless to say, I was not impressed...at least when it comes to their delivery and food (I have not actually been within the lounge itself). I received a menu of theirs in the mail a while back. While having a movie night at my place I was trying to think of somewhere I could both get pizza and BBQ ribs from in the area. Fireside happened to pop in my head (the advertisement mass mailing was successful). It's a plus that you can get $2 off an order of $15+ by either making your order over the phone or online (coupon name: Be Nice!; coupon code: FRS-$2-OFF). However, it's a problem if their online Order Network website doesn't function and freezes on every other page... When we called up to place our order, the employee was friendly, but our orders were wayyy off: lots of BBQ sauce on the ribs instead of light sauce as asked for, no side of sauce for the ribs, the french fries were greasy and cold; not to mention that the website says lots of fries and I could count them all on three hands, and instead of having the pizza cooked well it was soggy and lukewarm. Blame it on the cook, delivery time, or restaurant as a whole, I'm not pointing fingers just giving everyone else a heads up from my experience. In case you dare to see for yourself, delivery costs $3 and you must ask for plasticware and napkins to receive them (not a bad idea to stop waste and be more green, I must say). read more

My friend the Broccoli Queen took me to Fireside in late January for my birthday treat. The restaurant was my choice. I knew it had a large menu, an inviting dining room with a fireplace, and its own parking lot adjacent to the restaurant. Although its menu is heavy on meat and I am a vegetarian, I knew I could find something to eat. Since the occasion was a celebration of my birthday, I also wanted to have a couple drinks with dinner, and I knew that Fireside had a full bar. It all seemed reasonable, and the Broccoli Queen was enthusiastic. She knew from past visits that she could get broccoli. The parking lot is really convenient. If the lot is full, you'll find plenty of free, nearby parking on Ravenswood. The dining room was very pleasant. It was a cold night, of course. We arrived shortly before 6pm, when there weren't a lot of other customers. We asked to sit near the fireplace, and we got a good table nearby. The waitress gave me a drink special menu, and among all the specialty drinks, I saw that they had glugg. Perfect! That's what I ordered. Oops! The waitress told me that they didn't have glugg anymore. In fact, the restaurant hadn't actually carried glugg for a couple months, along with another specialty drink. OK, I don't get my fancy drink -- first world problem, right? Still, why pass out a menu that's incorrect, and has been for a couple months? And why didn't the waitress tell me as she gave me the drink menu, we're out of these two? That's a big bad on the restaurant, and a little bad on the waitress. I ended up with some kind of hot cider drink. It was pretty good, but not good enough to get a second one. I went with a red wine which turned out to be only okay. My friend ordered a pizza with broccoli. She was deliriously happy. I saw that there was a whole section on the menu for macaroni and cheese. You could get it plan, or you could get it with all sorts of additions. I ordered it with peas. I did get what I ordered, which is good. The taste, though . . . what a big nothing. I've seen lots of Yelpers say things like, this food tasted like it came out of a box, and I've thought, oh, they're exaggerating. When I tell you that this macaroni and cheese tasted like Kraft out of the box, I am not exaggerating. Big, big disappointment. I thought, wistfully, of the macaroni and cheese I get at Café Selmarie in Lincoln Square, and I wished we had gone there instead. Bottom line: Ambiance: 5 stars. Parking: 5 stars Alcohol: 2 stars Food: 2 stars Service: 3 stars read more

Color me disappointed. I strolled over to my former flame, Fireside, for dinner on this sultry summer Sunday. I was tossing the usual coin between the veggie burger and the vegetable stir-fry as we approached. We chose to sit inside due to the aforementioned humidity. That's where the choices ended. I opened the menu and began reading, or actually scanning, for my usual suspects. Funny, there's no veggie burger in the burger section. (Okay....) Hmm, not in the sandwich list either. (Worry grows.) Maybe there's a vegetarian section I forgot about? Maybe it's in the fine print? (No. And, whoa.) Well, what about the stir-fry? Where was that listed? (Not in specialties.) Was it in the pasta list? (Oh Jeebus: no.) Fireside has taken my two favorite things off the menu. Our waitress confirmed it and waved a carrot, saying they might be back in the fall. We'll see if I am. In case you think I starved tonight, rest assured that I ate the portabello mushroom sandwich with spinach. It was pretty salty and a little hard to swallow with the lump in my throat. Pour a little of your 40 oz. for my phantom favorites. :( read more

I owe this place a little more respect that I show it, showing up at 2am on its doorstep looking to get some after a night of drinking around town. Fireside is a place you end up at. The thought has never crossed my mind to make this place the first stop of the night. WIth a kitchen open till 3am, a jukebox and a few dart boards - this is the kind of joint you end up at for 4th meal. But everytime I eat here, every time I look at their beer list, I always wonder why I don't come here more often. Their beer list is solid and extensive. For fall, they have issued in an excellent transition in the menu to stouts, porters, red ales and the controversial pumpkin beers. The roasted chicken and cajun chicken pasta are fantastic, but their ain't nothin wrong with their wings, pizza or tots either. read more

I usually pass this place up on the way to Andersonville. So I decided to take a chance and see what it was all about. It's very homey and a great place to just hang out, grab some drinks, some quick bites, and a place just to chill. There's a patio that you can hang out at during a nice day. Beware, they might forget about ya. Also a fireplace section that you can chill in. But the best thing about this place is that the kitchen is open late. If you're craving for that late night hunger... and some drinks... this is a definite place to hang out. The prices are very reasonable and it's a place to lay low on those lazy Saturday nights. read more

After a very long night of carting drunks around town and dealing with bicycle traffic, I was ready to throw my arms up and scream, "I NEVER GET TO DRINK!" Then we showed up at Fireside. It was 3 a.m., and the server told me I could still drink for 90 minutes. A night of hopping around Wicker Park had made me sick of pretense and hipster bullshit, so seeing a room full of people interested in drinking and talking about things other than themselves made me very happy. Our server was a darling, and my whole group of seven (all of whom could grab a stool) had a great time. The drink prices were a little higher than I expected for a place so far off the beaten path, but they were by no means outrageous. And if you're going to stay open to serve me until 4: 30 a.m., a premium price is OK. read more

Update- I went here a bit ago for brunch and had the crab cakes. I do not recommend them at all. So much so that the Fireside lost a star. They were all breading and pepper- tiny bits of crab. No thanks. Other than that... *********************** I like the fireside, and sometimes, I even love it. We used to head here after a hard day of teaching, so hitting the fireside at 4 pm- lead to an incredibly long night of drinking. The bartender was always great- and dealt with our drunken fumbling to deal with the tab. You never know who you will meet, you can count on that. Late night dining has been enjoyable many, many times. The fried calamari (they baste it with milk) is really yummy, especially after 5 hours of drinking. On cold winter nights, I have loved the toasty warm heaters in the covered patio, it reminds me that summer is coming! Delivery from the fireside is guaranteed to be good. One of my favs is the stuffed shells... they are fantastic... word to the wise... forget ordering the calamari for delivery. By the time they get to you, the yummy goodness is turned to soggy yuckiness... Writing this is making me want to go back... and soon! read more

Great neighborhood restaurant and bar. They have a huge menu and friendly staff (especially Laura who was an awesome server). There is a separate restaurant and bar area, as well as a back patio area which is heated and enclosed in the winter, and open in the summer. I'll definitely have to go back to try it then. The fireplace in the restaurant area is very cozy but you need to specify you want to sit by it when you make your reservation. They have their own beer- Fireside Ale- as well as a huge list of cocktails and other beers. We ordered appetizers of cajun shrimp, coconut shrimp (don't go here for the shrimp) calamari (go here for this), and chicken wings. I ordered the slab of ribs for dinner which is supposed to be one of their specialties, but were just OK. The best things to order here seem to be the burgers and the pizza. They have various celebrations for holidays- Mardi Gras and St. Patricks Day are coming up, and Sunday Bloody Mary bar. Definitely would go back. read more

Came here for brunch with a bunch of yelpers. I enjoyed a mimosa and a different champagne cocktail (called Lush--raspberyy vodka, chambord, and sparkling wine), both were tasty and reasonably priced, and the bartender and patrons at the bar were friendly. The waitress was friendly, though our order got messed up a little and the food seemed to take a while. Not a big deal though, and everything was fixed with a smile on her face. She also let us take up her table for quite a while, which was appreciated. The spinach and goat cheese omelet was fine, and decently priced. One freaky thing was that a bird was flying around inside. He didn't land on me or our table though, so I guess it wasn't too bad. The place was warm and cozy and a nice place to be on a cold winter morning, and parking there is easy. I would go back. read more

Four stars seem a bit too generous? Well, when comparing against other bars in the open until 4am (5am on Saturdays) category, Fireside is the best of the worst. Know what I mean? Pros: open 'til at least 4am. 365 days a year. Even Christmas! There's a jukebox, plenty of seating, a parking lot (!), a patio, and alcohol (duh!). Cons: the food is... well, it's average. But, the quesadilla is actually decent, and the guacamole is fresh. As far as late-night drinking destinations go, Fireside is it. read more

This place is fantastic. I have only been for brunch so I can't speak to the lunch/dinner menu but everybody at my table was extremely satisfied with their meal. However the food is not the only allure here. Fireside's bloody mary bar has to be considered one of the most impressive I have ever seen. You can go back as much as you want and take advantage of the many fixins and hot sauces that they have for your enjoyment/amusement/consumption. Additionally they have an interesting bloody mary alternative for those of us who aren't that into tomato juice (sigh) which is a spicy chili beer that can't really be described well with words but allows you access to the bloody mary bar and is pretty tasty. Finally the venue itself is pretty great, with a monstrous back patio/outdoor area that managed to make me wish I lived a lot closer to this place for when it is warm out. read more

I have such mixed feelings about Fireside. It's right around the corner from me and is consistently a cozy, comfortable place. But their food is mediocre and their service is disappointing. While their burgers and salads are great, the rest of their menu is fairly boring. I recently ordered their gouda mac & cheese, and couldn't even finish it. While i'll go there, i'll never be wowed by the food. Recently their service has gone downhill; it's taken me 20 minutes to get a drink, and you practically have to put on a show to flag down your server to order. The crowning affair was when my card was charged completely wrong, and after a 10 minute conversation with our server, we still left having paid the totally wrong amount. The bottom line is that Fireside is a great place to go split a bottle of wine with a good friend, or to sample a beer. Their late night delivery is perfect for when you are sick on the couch. But overall they don't live up to their image. read more

You don't go there for the food, or service. I had Eggs Benedict. The eggs were over cooked and the Hollandaise sauce had no flavor at all. I asked the waiter to bring a slice of lemon since there was none in the sauce. It was served with some cubed roasted potatoes. Both the eggs and potatoes were cold. Not warm. Cold. My friend felt like snacking so she got humus and tater tots. The potatoes were also cold. Then our waiter disappeared for an hour. Never came to check on us to see how the food was. Never came to clear the table. We were sitting in the enclosed garden area. When it was time to go my friend had to search to find our waiter. Then when we were ready to pay the bill we got tired of waiting for him to pick it up and went to pay at the bar. This is the second time I've been there and had very bad food both times. So, if not for the food or service, why go? I enjoyed my pumpkin ale. I guess you go there for a quick drink (wait, don't count on it being "quick") and then go somewhere else to eat. I feel like I should say something positive. It was a Saturday afternoon and college football was on TV. They didn't have it too loud so people could still carry on a conversation. read more

Do not eat here. My boyfriend and I have been here twice. The first time I ordered a steak sandwich and he ordered a ravioli dish. I picked the steak off the sandwich, and he forced himself to eat half of what tasted like microwaved chef-boyardi. Today we ordered pickup. 2 burgers, both of which were tasteless, soggy and undercooked. We didn't eat them despite being starving. Fireside gets 1 star for the random girl in spandex grooving in front of the jukebox to boys II men. Even that seemed tasteless, soggy and a little contaminated though. It's unfortunate that the space is so awesome, but the food and service are beyond repair. I'm convinced that this place is under new management since any review prior to 9 months ago or is either about a different restaurant or a paid advertisement. read more

It's been an up & down relationship with the Fireside. Most recent visit will probably keep us away for awhile. Our waitress had instant amnesia; she got three things wrong on our order and was not attentive. The food quality and portions have also declined. I was NOT impressed with my ribs, and the tap cider tasted sour. The food and ambiance did not live up to the price. Oh, and the women's bathroom was freezing and my daughter reported a restroom door that was 'repaired' but not effectively enough because you weren't afforded privacy....ew....Fireside, you should NOT do that to your paying clientele. read more

Old, stale, outdated, explains everything from the menu, restaurant and staff and many of the customers. It needs an overhaul, unless it's trying to appeal to folks who have lost their taste buds or don't mind continual order mix ups and delayed service. It could own four square blocks of the area since there is nothing around, but I think it relies on that feature in order to maintain the status quo, the status quo of the 1970's that is. read more

I order from Fireside a few times a month. In the past the delivery was quick and the food was always hot, fresh and delicious. However my last experience with Fireside has left a very bad taste in my mouth. Usually when I place an order my food arrives within about an hour or so, however this past order took almost 2 hours to arrive. I called Fireside about 5 minutes after the food was suppose to be delivered and they told me it just left the restaurant and it will be there shortly. After waiting another 30 minutes the food finally arrived, but we wouldn't have even noticed because the delivery driver didn't call or buzz us. By chance we looked out our window to see him standing at our front door. Finally we sat down to enjoy our very late food, only to realize that they got the order wrong and we were missing an appetizer, as well as the food was soggy and not even hot. We ended up not even eating it because it was a mushy mess. So, we called them again and explained our issues only to be interrupted by the girl on the phone explaining that they could only give us a 20% off for our next order and that they could not refund our money for whatever reason. Honestly worst customer service experience of my life. If you want your food to be a sloppy, mushy mess then order from Fireside, but if you want a good meal that is worth your money, please go somewhere else. read more

An extremely horrible experience and rude customer service. A party of 10 people waited over 90 minutes for food. Yes, I understand it's a party of 10, but when we arrived, we were 10 out of 23ish people. No one was in the back patio and when we finally acknowledged the long wait, blame was placed on a large party in the patio that arrived over an hour AFTER us. Then, orders weren't correct and when asking a different server to make a correct one, side eye and attitude. I'm sorry but if I'm a customer who's about to spend money, I should get what I order, not what you want to give me. Then, over a 30 minute wait to get the check and pay. Mind you, not once was the long wait acknowledged, we were just ignored. read more

Fireside, oh how I love thee. Unpretentious, fabulous patio, solid beer list and good reasonable grub. These facts I knew. However, now with a brand new 9 week old, I did not know how damn kid-friendly you can be (before 7 pm). Longing for normalcy and the days within which we could have a beer and a drink without hearing loud screaming, or the occasional newborn puke in our hands, we took the family to Fireside last Friday at 6 pm and arrived at 630 or so. We progressed to the patio - a favorite fall destination - and much to our surprise saw other refugees from the new baby war seeking equal solace. And solace we collectively found. Amidst tables of new parents, we befriended our neighbors, toasted with beer and shots and had some super solid burgers to boot. Perhaps it was the brief normalcy, but for some reason I can never recall a Goose Island Green Line tasting that delicous. We left around 8 and were happy to see that the non-parent crowd took over. As the hipsters, neighborhood folks and old men and women comfortably scooched in, we smiled knowing we were once among them embarking on a next day hangover. Cheers, Fireside. read more

I'd like to preface this review by saying that I have eaten here many many times and this was my first negative experience. This time I chose delivery and what a terrible mistake. The food was COLD! This food just doesn't travel well. Now lets get to the food. We ordered the crab cake appetizer and when they say crab cake they mean crab cake. There was just one burger patty sized cake that was largely flavorless and drenched in tartar sauce. The huge quantity of sauce should have been a giveaway. I also ordered a smothered burger which was again flavorless and a huge disappointment. The Swiss must have been bargain bin cause it added nothing whatsoever to the flavor. The burger had the right amount of mushrooms and onions though again they lacked any flavor perhaps due to either low quality ingredients or products past their prime. The burger itself could be improved by adding some seasoning though there was a pleasant hint of char. The delivery came with one set of plastic cutlery for 2 people (wife ordered her own entree) and zero condiments. This place is on the downslide. Corner cutting has taken this place from a previous favorite to an also ran. I may give them another shot but it will only be because I either don't have other options or I am too drunk to remember how bad it was. read more

Several orders, all of them incorrect, incredibly rude guy taking phone orders, veggies taste burnt, food is somewhat subpar, always felt sick afterwards. Steak was the only good/edible item. Most dishes were rather gross tasting. Bad customer service. Will not be giving them my business again. This is more an alcoholic's paradise. *Also, ordered a side of fruit, it was literally a thimble sized mini-plastic ramekin cup,not even the normal small ramekin size like you'd get a condiment in. This after we asked for a large fruit side to act as a dessert for two. It wasn't enough for a child. VERY disappointing. *We were house sitting for my husband's colleague and gave this place another try based on the local's opinions. It was much better quality than last time but still very bland and mainstream food. The steak was still really enjoyable however. The staff was slightly less rude.* read more