Becky - great pleasant server. Good timing., pleasant smile; sometimes I love Americana because I really miss great service that you don't pay a LOT for (I wil be writing about La Terrazza in Vancouver shortly, speaking specifically to this problem). The restaurant itself has a bit of an identity crisis: the lounge is cool with wide (WIDE) wood plank floors, a great bar and couch space. The dining room is a tiny bit awkward with what I can only assume is a party room with a super long bar height table with two weird chandeliers. But, the food was good - I had a woodfire oven baked margherita pizza which when I first looked didn't think it was going to taste as good as it did: good job on the amount of basil and the tomatos added were hunger quenching if that makes sense. Spinach salad has a nice pungent but not too strong cheese and nuts and the Zinfandel was a great compliment. I can only compare this to what I imagine other restaurants in the vicinity are like, but I enjoyed the good fresh tasting food and friendly laid back service. If the rest of the food on the menu tastes as good as what I ordered, I would definitely come back again. read more

Incredible. Went on a Saturday night while they were packed, we did need reservations for a table at 7 still packed at 9 when we left. We ordered what I would classify as a sampler we got the polenta app which was almost like a wet corn bread. Arugal salad was very good although simple the fried goat cheese was especially unique and a real treat. For the main course although the aioli and crunchy rice was very good on the salmon dish the salmon was a little bland possibly tried to make up for this with a mayo like dipping suave that wasn't really doing it for me but was good with fries. The pulled pork pizza was incredible, we loved it very original it had toppings that most people would never think to include on a piZza. Desert was also a treat but couldn't compete with the main course. The drinks were the best part of the meal with an original Thai basil and pineapple drink bring it in as my favorite. read more

I keep wanting this place to be good and keep coming back but it just does not meet expectations. Service is consistently and almost comically slow even on a slow night. Servers look stressed out and uninterested. Rib eye ordered medium was charred jerky. Autumn root vegetable salad is baby kale from a box with shredded carrots and a few small pieces of beets. Everything just needs to be better. Food is uninspired and lacking attention to detail and care. Matt - please revive this place. read more

The bar was out of Cabernet which was disappointing but the Chianti was ok. We started with meatball appetizer which was great! I ordered the Papardelle with wild mushrooms and Italian sausage, which was also great. Friend ordered the bucatini which as also delicious. The cannoli trio for dessert was also delicious. Good choice for your stop in Keene or for a Friday/Saturday night dinner! read more

Came here this evening to reunite with old friends. Hostess was prompt and sat us right away. Food was excellent and our waitress Megan was awesome. She helped make our experience even better. I got the golden goddess drink and the salmon which she recommended. Good choice! My husband got the margarita pizza. Then we finished with an apple crisp.all tasted terrific and well presented. Atmosphere is very relaxing and I will definitely be back. read more

Muscles were flavorless and dry. The sauces looked gross. The asparagus was okay. The atmosphere seems alright but I think food is more important. read more

First off, the service was fine. We were seated promptly and our waitress came right over. I ordered a pasta dish and my husband ordered a burger. We also ordered an appetizer of their calamari. The calamari was only OK. The serving size was good but it was not crisp and a little chewy. When our meals came out, my pasta dish with fresh mushrooms and sausage looked like it had been sitting under the warmer for a little while. It smelled delicious and that's about as good as it gets. My husband's burger, ordered medium rare, came out well done. It was returned for another one to be cooked. And you guessed it, it was well done once again. For a $14 hamburger, we would expect that it could be cooked properly and at $14 you would expect it to be delicious and not dry. The waitress was very apologetic and we received a free round of drinks., The waitress isn't the cook. At these prices you expect really well prepared food. Needless to say, dinner was a disappointment. It used to be really good, not anymore. read more

We give up. This is such an attractive and comfortable space, we keep hoping that we'll get a satisfying meal here, but other than the first time we visited a few years ago, which was a good experience, the remaining several visits have been disappointing, in spite of trying a wide variety of dishes. We thought that now that the owner is back from his year abroad that there would be more control and oversight in the kitchen, but that was not the case a few days ago, early on a Thursday evening, when they were not busy. Other than the bread, which was outstanding, everything else was disappointing and way over-priced for the poor quality and lack of attention to detail that was demonstrated. We each started with the soup of the day, a Scotch broth, which should have been bursting with flavor, but was served tepid and was tasteless, with nary a scrap or taste of lamb in the stock, although it was otherwise a good quality. You'd think for $9 a serving that they could at least serve it warm, let alone hot. I ordered the Southern-fried chicken, which was also disappointing. especially at $20. The three small pieces of chicken tasted steamed, although they had a thick flour crust. The chicken was served with tasty potatoes, and also a chard flavored with some form of bacon. What doesn't taste good amended with lots of bacon? But this preparation showed no skill, even if it was Southern-style. I also think these veggies were microwaved, they were so scalding hot, which surprised me, considering how lukewarm the soup had been. Does the kitchen staff even realize that microwaving food in a supposedly quality restaurant is cheating? My partner had the spinach salad and added shrimp. It was nothing special compared to other places in town. The service was pleasant, although the server was not informed about several items on the menu, but she did make us well aware of her personal allergy to seafood. Having just met her, we felt this was inappropriate and we wondered if the staff is even trained about not sharing every bit of personal information with patrons. All things considered, charging $70 for this meal before tip was not merited. This was our fifth and final visit. Too bad, because we wanted the food at Fireworks to be reliably good and to show some skill in preparation. read more

Amazing drinks and great pizzas! If you can get the creme brulee trio for dessert get it! Vanilla bean, maple bacon, and my favorite chocolate! read more

Summary: Go for amazing drinks, but eat somewhere else. Amazing specialty drinks that change often. The flavor combinations are always perfect and inventive. They often make their own infusions with fresh fruits and herbs. My latest experience was with a peach old-fashion, made with peach infused bourbon, blood orange bitters with pieces of fresh peach muddled with a bourbon soaked cherry. Becky our bartender was amazing, and the staff is very helpful! I only gave 3 Stars because the food is super disappointing. I have yet to have a good dish at this fireworks, and I have tried many of their plates. The pizza is drenched in extra virgin olive oil and everything is WAY OVER SALTED. The menu options lack originality. There are few vegetarian or gluten-free options so it's not a good place for people with dietary restrictions. read more

I've never had a bad experience here. The fancy pants drinks are fantastic, and the food beautiful, fresh, and fun. The salmon dish is my favorite, and my kid have always enjoyed the pizza. If cost weren't a factor we would be frequent flyers for sure. read more

Delicious food and drinks. The menu has something for everyone and you can tell that the staff and management care deeply about the experience they provide. The atmosphere is posh but relaxed. The cocktails are a necessity. read more

We ate here while visiting family living in Keene. Being from Seattle, we have been exposed to many great restaurants and this is on par with any of them. Other reviewers mention it being a little more expensive but it's well worth it. read more

My husband and I went here for my birthday in November. The food was great. My husband and I both ordered the steak, fries and broccoli which was cooked well and tasted good. The complimentary bread and sides were very good. Our server Melissa was very pleasant and attentive. The ambiance was great. The low lighting, candlelight, and the old time music was very charming and romantic. Definitely worth the visit. read more

Fireworks - complimentary bread - Italian Near Me - Keene, New Hampshire

See all

Nice place which wife enjoyed and local friends love. Drinks were great: not just my fabulous manhattan but other drinks as well. My salad was a disappointment: a watermelon salad should allow a person to find watermelon easily, not requiring a diligent search. My corn and chicken pizza was good but not much of either. I should have had pasta which was well liked at our large table. Table shared one each of every dessert. Nice selection, some creativity in the choices but I was full enough not to have given attention deserved. The dessert drink I ordered was too sweet. I can't complain since it was a dessert drink. read more

The food was delicious however the service was terrible as well as the wait which was 2 hours for our food. We had to ask for everything and the staff acted like we were an inconvenience. My group will not likely come back. read more

Really enjoyed dinner at the bar before seeing a show at the Colonial last night. Nate took great care of us. I ordered the Brussels sprouts as an app and my husband got the calamari. They were able to make both gluten free - hooray! The sprouts were good, the calamari great. It was tender, the rice flour dusting was crisp and not too greasy. Entree was a Blue Moon pizza (gluten free!). Tasted wonderful and was perfect for a cold rainy night, despite the official start of summer. Saw on the menu they also offer gluten free pasta or zucchini "spaghetti" and the kitchen seemed well versed in GF procedures. Lots of options for GF peeps, which I really appreciate. read more

Food was great. Very unique list of draft beers yet with something to please everyone which I really enjoy. Only downside was a really really strong stink, like rotting broccoli or dead bodies under the floorboards?! read more

The staff is very knowledgeable and attentive. Also, they have the cleanest and most unique draft lines in town... Bravo for the maintenance. I will be back! read more

The food was amazing and so was the service. Drinks were also the best I have had. Mixologists definitely know what they are doing. I highly recommend the lemon ginger martini. We went back three times in our visit to Keene because it was so good! Restaurant manager was especially friendly and part of the reason we came back. A very welcoming atmosphere. read more

This place is awesome, can't wait to go back. I sat at the bar for a bit before the restaurant opened for dinner, nice vibe and great drinks. For dinner I had the gnocchi dish - sooooo good. The bread was awesome too. The bathroom was really nice and clean which is a big plus. read more

Wow! I was beyond impressed, from start to finish. Came in around 5-5:30pm on a Saturday that was hot like fire. We sat in sun room like area, the cocktail menu looked amazing and unique. The drinks were A+, fantastic quality and priced quite fair. In fact, the whole menu was priced fair compared to the shoreline towns of CT & MA. The food was phenomenal, I was blown away because I never expected to get Calamari that great in New Hampshire, and the gambas al ajillo are waaayyy better here than at the Spanish tapas restaurants in CT, big respect! The chefs here really know what they're doing. And desert?? Fruit crisp and flourless chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream, it was heaven in your mouth. I'll be sending everyone I know to you guys. Shout out to Meatball Meg, thanks for all the hospitality! We will be back :) read more

My husband and I had dinner at Fireworks for the first time and we were not disappointed. Its our new favorite, The food was awesome. We made reservations and we were seated with in 5 minutes. (we were a little early.) We spent the longest time just trying to decide what to order because every thing sounded so good. I had Portuguese Style Spaghetti. It had mussels, clams, pancetta, sausage, garlic, tomato and chilies. So good, and I had a dessert cocktail after. Chocolate martini which is a little dangerous because they are delicious, but strong. Highly recommended! read more

Bar was fine, service was good , but our appetizer was burnt, as were our 2 pizzas, and the steak was way undercooked. Our server was excellent and gave us a free dessert but the meals were really bad. read more

I was in Keene with my band for the annual music festival. After glossing over the menu in their window, we decided to give it a whirl. Our first impression was being unabashedly sized-up (raised brows, the 'visual scan' and all) by two snotty young men at their host stand, who then talked to us with a "holier than thou" attitude. That really bothered me & my companions. I work with the public, so catty people are easily ignored/diffused, but that impression stuck with the rest of the group. We sat, and fortunately our server was quite pleasant. Most of my companions were there to try the pizza. But as I am on a special diet I tried one of their chicken dishes, paired with a malbec. THAT was delicious. I quite enjoyed my meal, but the consensus was that their "famed" brick oven pizza was mediocre at best. Overdone, too. The phrase "I've had better" was heard 'round the table. We did not air any grievances with our server, however, as mediocrity is not a reason to waste food. The atmosphere was relaxing, and either bright or dark, depending on where you sit. Moral of the the story folks: Expect staff to put on "fancy restaurant" airs and be judged by the staff for what you are wearing, don't bother with the pizza, and be prepared to spend well over $100 on a party of four. read more

About once a month for dinner. Food good, staff attentive, nice ambience . I like the mixture of different strong ales. And the radio advert is genius! read more

I definitely recommend Fireworks if you're looking for a good dinner in Keene with a fun ambiance! We came here with a large group and had a great experience! I highly recommend the mixed cheese ravioli (made with butternut squash, brown butter and sausage). For apps - the mac & cheese and calamari! The drinks are also delicious. We had cocktails at the bar - great bartender. I ordered a delicious cocktail special, made with apple cider, rum, cinnamon. I will be returning when I'm back in Keene. I definitely want to try brunch, I heard they were launching it soon! read more

Came back to try the pizza, sitting at the bar this time. Ned, the bartender, seemed pretty disinterested in discussing what was on tap tonight. He just told me to look at the card. I will not be back here. Keene is charming and offers many good places. This is not one of them. read more

Myself and two companions started with the calamari. It was nicely done, a tad underdone if anything, and the portion was reasonable. Funny but the one thing I added to the "salt and pepper calamari" was salt and pepper which it definitely needed. Maybe the menu is giving a suggestion! I had the fried chicken and should have read the reviews on Yelp as they were accurate and the chicken was dry. You get three small pieces, one small drumstick, one part of a thigh, and part of a breast. The server told me they would be all drumsticks - not true - but no biggie. The breast was the worst and was so dry I immediately had to reach for a drink, and dunked the rest in the bland "gravy" and I'm not a gravy guy. The sides were nothing to write home about. I was really looking forward to good fried chicken and didn't get it. By now I'm sure the restaurant knows the chicken is dry. They should do something about it or take it off the menu. My wife had the pappardelle with mushrooms and sausage. Even though we don't expect or usually even want large portions at a restaurant this portion was a little on the small side. Dish was perhaps a little too garlicky but otherwise well prepared and tasty. Our companion reported his salmon was good. I had a local cider which was dry and very good. Wife had wine by the glass which was fine but overpriced. Ambiance and service were good. Would probably not go back. read more

Another solid Keene eatery. You always know what to expect there which is comforting. Not quite fine dining, but fancier than an Applebees or Chilis that's for sure. Never had a bad experience! They do a really good arugula salad, risotto, and hearth baked feta! it's a good date spot too! read more

I stay at the Fairfield Hotel next door so I often pop into Fireworks for dinner. The food is alway good and as long as they are not slammed the service as well. I have tried a bunch of other Keene restaurants and fireworks is kind of like old faithful as it never disappoints. read more

This was our first visit to Fireworks. Their daily specials included locally sourced ingredients such as fiddleheads and broccoli rabe. Bread was served at the beginning of the meal and was paired with two dipping sauces. The tomato garlic sauce was excellent however, the olive oil and balsamic vinegar had an unpleasant burnt flavor. We had the fiddlehead risotto and enjoyed the unique flavor signatures contained within. My husband had a pasta dish that had feta cheese and pea pods. I had a pork dish that was spicy but not overwhelming. For dessert, we shared the strawberry rhubarb crisp. The portion sizes were fairly large and we took home enough to make a second meal. I would recommend Fireworks as a good option for those who want an upscale dining experience. read more

I've been twice now and Both times I was very underwhelmed. The atmosphere is nice, and our servers were great, but the food was kind of pathetic. It was not worth the money we spent on it. read more

We finally got around to trying this place. Yup. This deserves it's 4 stars (it's not quite 5 star place. If I could award a half star it would be a 4.5.) The atmosphere was great. Waitstaff very nice and great at their job. The bar drinks were amazing (OMG!). The pizzas we each ordered were tasty. Although I thought they were a smidge overdone, just a smidge!. We'll be back. 12/22/15: We've been back a number of times and I'm still quite happy with the place. read more

Excellent service and good food. If you are in Keene and are in the mood for Italian food, then this is a good place to eat.

This place has great ambiance but is simply trying to pretend it's something it is not... a nice restaurant. The food is average at best and the service needs some serious work. You can have a nice view and light all the candles you want but with the food and service we've experienced the past few visits it's easy to say that there are several better options in Keene. read more

We had a delicious meal for both kids and adults, while sitting outside on a gorgeous summer evening. Gluten free option, incredibly friendly service, and an inexpensive kids menu made this place a great choice for our family. And although we didn't eat inside, the decor and atmosphere are lovely. The portions could have been a bit larger given the prices, our only reason we didn't give 5 stars. My daughter does say the food is yummy yummy in her tummy. read more

Went for brunch awhile back. Took and hour to get our food and we were second table seated. Eggs and other food cold. Too bad...because we heard good things. That's why we went. Did email management so they could respond and never got a reply. Also to bad..because they cant fix problems unlesa they know. read more

Had a terrific meal at Fireworks in Keene last night... Mussels appetizer was subtle and delicious... just the right size for sharing with my husband. Orchiette with pesto and fried eggplant was very tasty and my hubby loved his pasta bolognese. Had a drink special with guava juice that was quite good... Ambience was good... my only complaint was the size of the table... Like a postage stamp! read more

Went here yday with my husband. Ordered calamari which was good then shared a pizza and a pasta special. My husband thought the food was delicious but I thought it was a bit on the salty side. Overall, we had a decent meal until the dessert. We ordered the tiramisu which was rotten! It was sour and super dry. When we complained, the waitress acknowledged that it was spoiled and gave us a new tiramisu. We were surprised though that they didn't even take it off our tab. The waitress was very nice but in an empty restaurant, it was difficult to get her attention on multiple occasions. I will not be returning. read more