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    The Firehouse

    4.3 (192 reviews)
    ModerateBarbeque, American
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

    The Firehouse Photos

    Business Info

    THE FIREHOUSE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - The Firehouse

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    Reviews With Photos

    Upstairs dining room
    Robert P.

    Stopped in while in Johnson City, TN. I had the Carolina burger and my wife had the chargrill chicken BBQ. The food was delicious. Alisha was our server. Joey was the shift manager (I hope I got his position correct). He gave us a tour of the restaurant and gave us a history of the area. Everyone in the restaurant was very polite and welcoming. The restaurant was clean and comfortable. It had numerous photos on the wall and had a real working Firetruck that was about 100 years old. We will be back again.

    Mike B.

    We were looking for a place to grab dinner and checked our Yelp bookmarks for ideas. We originally chose another restaurant but it was closed. We noticed that The Firehouse was also bookmarked and just down the street. After reviewing the menu online, we decided to check it out. The business was created in 1980 as the Bucwood Bar-B-Que. It was originally located in the back storeroom of the "Buc Plaza" convenience market on the corner of ETSU's campus. They became famous for their hickory smoked BBQ. As business grew, in 1981, they purchased the Walnut Street Firestation at auction from The City of Johnson City. We arrived about 5pm on a Friday and parked in the parking lot which had quite a few spaces still open. We walked to the entrance as other parties were also arriving . We were disappointed to see their antique fire engine was not in the lobby. The building still appears to have the bones of the original fire station but also had the throwback atmosphere of the 80's with a lot of brick and wood paneling. We both thought it could use some refreshing. The hostess was quick to seat us in a booth. The place was probably about half full. We were provided menus and offered drinks. We perused the menu and my wife decided to order the Beef Brisket Barbecue Platter with Broccoli Salad and a side salad. I chose the Bacon and Cheddar Burger with Smoked Mac N Cheese. Our meals were delivered in a timely fashion and looked delicious. We both enjoyed them. My wife really enjoyed the broccoli salad. She prefers her brisket without sauce but was not given the option. I thought the mac and cheese was delicious, just a bit runny, it could have been thicker. The burger hit the spot. After our meals were delivered, no one came back to our booth. We waited for a while after we were finished but my wife needed to use the restroom and said she would go check in with someone about our bill and ask for a to-go container for leftovers. When my wife returned, she shared that she was told our server was sent home because of health issues and they were reassigning a replacement server and apologized we had to check in at the hostess station because no one had stopped in. My wife was able to pay our bill and get the to-go container at the hostess station. Overall this was a good experience but it did feel a little off.

    Menu
    Jennie A.

    Cool place to have lunch with southern hospitality. Food was delicious and service spot on. I had the Carolina Pulled Pork bbq platter with potato salad and smoked Mac & Cheese. Sooo good. Hubby had the Chief burger and he said that was delicious and juicy. Go check it out if you are in town!

    Pulled Chicken w/Steak Fries & The Volunteer w/baked beans
    Tanya W.

    This was a cute little restaurant I drove by and it had a lot of cars in the parking lot, where all the other places had maybe one or two cars. So, I popped in to try it out. I figured the locals know what's good here so I followed the herd. The place offers a downstairs, order at the counter option and then go find yourself a seat. Or, a sit down waiter style restaurant upstairs. I chose the upstairs option. All the staff were super polite and very friendly. We asked what their best seller was and the waitress told me it was the pulled pork and then the pulled chicken. We both ordered a chicken dish. Me "the volunteer " a BBQ grilled chicken breast, on an onion roll bun, with pineapple, lettuce, Swiss cheese and Dave's mayo. It was delicious. My buddy ordered the pulled chicken with slaw and steak fries. The pulled chicken looked more like chicken strips on a bun. It didn't come with anything in it, but nose pulled sandwiches don't. He said it was very good and had no complaints. I did feel his sandwich didn't look as tasty as mine, but that doesn't affect the flavor at all. Would I go here again? YES! Would I tell others about it? YES! Did I like the staff and service? Absolutely! What a great experience.

    a plate of ribs and broccoli
    Joel C.

    First of all, be informed that they do not serve alcohol. Parking was easy. The staff was friendly and helpful; 5 star service. A full rack of ribs was thoroughly enjoyed along with some sweet tea. Carolina Pulled Pork sandwich was very good too. The iconic firetruck in the lobby was really cool and it's my understanding is still used for parades, etc. I don't think they take reservations so you may have to wait a bit. Price point was super good too!

    interior
    Lex M.

    Excellent friendly service, tasty inexpensive food, great beef brisket. Mostly local crowd.

    Michelle S.

    Great food, service and ambience! I used to cone here back in 1991 studying for gross anatomy lab exams! It's still here and still had the cool vibe with antique firetrucks i side and old photos everywhere. I loved it then and now! Great BBq, beans, baked potatoes and hamburger steaks!

    Carolina Pulled Pork Plate
    Elizabeth M.

    Walking into the front door, first sight is old firehouse truck with the Dalmatian on seat waiting on driver . Everyone from walking in to walking out was super friendly! So nice to be back with southern hospitality. I tried the pulled pork; it was very good along with the side coleslaw I ordered. Maria, my waitress was Johnny on the spot; I never had to ask for anything; refill, napkin, to go box or the check. I would definitely return.

    Pulled Pork
    Bryan F.

    For a bbq place I was surprised not to smell anything smoking. Walking through the front door you first have to make it past the antechamber and giant enter sanctum doors. The dining room seemed smaller than the waiting area. My wife told me later that there was a much larger seating area that no one was in. Th wait staff was very nice, well groomed, and provided the right amount of attention. Nothing more and nothing less. The food was good but not great. I had the pulled pork. It seemed like it have been slow cooked in a crockpot, not in a smoker. My wife had the chopped stake. She liked it. The fries were good, but had that frozen fry feeling. If in JC, I might try it again simply because of how clean it was and how nice the staff were.

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    1 month ago

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    2 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 months ago

    Excellent service and superb food . Menu selection awesome. Beautiful area for dining

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    10 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    2 years ago

    A staple in the university neighborhood. Cool building formerly a real firehouse. Friendly service and good BBQ and other items available.

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    1 year ago

    It's my favorite bbq in town. Always friendly, nice atmosphere... it's just an all around great place with good energy. Can't go wrong!

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    I used to work there and can highly recommend it. They have their own smokehouse and also have a catering service.

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

    Good local spot. Food was good and service efficient on this busy Tuesday evening. I thought the Beef Brisket was flavorful.

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great local spot!! Staff is very friendly, food is delicious, and I appreciate the history behind it all! Highly recommend!!

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    The food was very good and speed was great. The server was friendly and wait time wasn't bad either.

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Food was top notch! Staff were so professional and seemingly overly nice. I loved the atmosphere & ambience too.

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    3 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Amazing meal and service! Turkey stack and chief were delicious. We will definitely be back soon

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    3 years ago

    Courteous staff! Good food! Family atmosphere. We arrived minutes before they closed and never felt rushed to leave.

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    2 years ago

    Always pleasant waiters and good food. Usually get the barbecue plate and it is always very tasty.

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    Page 1 of 5

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    Label Restaurant

    Label Restaurant

    4.1
    (399 reviews)
    0.5 mi
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    We just moved to the area and visited Label for the second time last night, and it has quickly…read morebecome one of our favorite restaurants in Johnson City. I'm honestly surprised it doesn't have a full five-star rating. The food is excellent--creative, high-quality gastropub fare that's easily some of the best we've had in the area. As newcomers, one of the biggest adjustments has been finding great restaurants, and Label has definitely filled that gap. We had a large group, and the service was outstanding from start to finish. Everyone's meal came out great, and not a single person left disappointed. To top it all off, the desserts were phenomenal and the perfect ending to a great meal. If you're looking for one of the best dining experiences in Johnson City, Label is absolutely worth a visit. We'll definitely be back!

    I ordered the Dragon Roll and was honestly pretty shocked when I saw how tiny it was. I'm used to…read moresushi rolls being 2-3 times this size for what we're paying here, so the portion was very disappointing. Then there was an issue when I went to pay. The lady told me she didn't have change, and when I pulled out some coins, I assumed she meant she didn't have change in coins. I ended up giving her cash and change, and she said thank you. I then asked, "Can I get my change back?" because I was supposed to receive about $5 back. Apparently, she had assumed I was giving her a $5 tip on a $15 takeout order. To be clear, I was not. I understand tipping when someone is providing a service, but this was a takeout order--I walked in, picked up my food, and left. There was no table service or anything beyond handing me my order. She did have to go to the back to get my change and brought it back to me in $1 bills. The whole situation was just awkward and frustrating. Between the extremely small portion and the confusion over my change, I honestly wasn't impressed with the experience.

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    Yee-Haw Brewing

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    4.1
    (101 reviews)
    0.4 mi
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    Super nice brewery to hangout located in main area with great views of the area. There's a parking…read morelot, but also parking along main roads in area as well. Super cute decor. Brewery vibes all around! Great indoor seating arrangements, as well as outdoor (with a massive fire pit). They also have massive umbrellas outside to make it even more comfortable which is awesome. They can accommodate larger parties as well both inside and outside. Beer was good. So was the margarita. They do have several options of beers and cocktails. Nice to be able to order either and not just all beer. They do have merchandise available for purchase as well. Very friendly people and staff. They are connected to a taco shop which is convenient if hungry. All around great place. Would return.

    Yee Haw Brewing Company in Johnson City, Tennessee. Plenty of choices of beer and the prices were…read morefantastic. One of the beers I had was a TN Stud, a strawberry guava variety with a fruity note to it... very enjoyable to drink. I had a couple of other beers that were pretty good as well. I ordered some Chips and Queso from White Duck Tacos along with some other sauces for less than $10 bucks. Queso was a little soupy but other than that, it went well with the beers. Nice atmosphere, friendly staff.. kudos to the beertender for taking care of my order and making sure I had water as well. Would definitely go back!

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    Tasty..

    The Firehouse - bbq - Updated August 2026

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