I don't remember how we ended up here the first time, but within four years, my parents and I ate…read morehere three different times on road trips from Whittier to Arizona, always on the way there (so early in the trip).
At first glance, it doesn't look like much from the outside, but it's really cool inside. There's all kinds of firefighter memorabilia on the walls, and it wasn't until the second time we were here that we realized that the glass "walls" are actually garage doors--as in the place opens up like a firehouse, but for nice weather instead of local emergencies. The patio is also very nice, although it has always been too hot or sunny when we came to eat out there.
As you might expect from a restaurant run by firefighters, there's a lot of meat. I mean a lot. I mean every single thing includes meat, including the vodka penne and all of the salads other than the Caprese--and who likes Caprese salad? The good news is that the servers are very good at recommending either ways to demeatify a given dish or what to order that might not be on the menu. No, there's no secret menu, but it can feel more like visiting your friend's house than going to a restaurant. The second time we came, I had some questions, and the server ran to the kitchen to ask the chef before she had even finished taking our orders!
The service truly stands out here. We've had a different server every time we've eaten here, but one of our old servers remembered us and said hello even though we weren't in her section and we hadn't been here in months. Somehow, she remembered us as the people going to Tempe (we were headed to Phoenix proper this time). Everyone seems to enjoy working here, and there's a very good balance of relaxed and efficient. When they're busy, the food can take a while to come out, but it's a slightly longer than usual wait--not a terribly long wait.
Pay attention to the hand-drawn signs outside. They're punny, sunny, and often quite funny in a dad (who drinks too much) joke kind of way.
When you're coming from the 10, it can be difficult to find the entrance to the parking lot. The restaurant is in the corner of the parking lot, but the two entrances aren't close to it. Enter either by the Carl's Jr. on Gerald Ford Drive or the Cold Stone Creamery on Cook Street.