From the moment I walked in the doors and were seated to the time we left we had an absolutely wonderful time here. It is absolutely charming and spotlessly clean. The servers were very personable and helpful, explaining everything and answering all our questions no matter how silly. All the meats were fantastic. I loved the pulled pork, but I tried the pulled chicken my son had and was blown away. It wasn't actually pulled, it was sliced, but so tasty and absolutely melt in your mouth. I'm picky about barbecue sauces but their Alabama white sauce that they had was delicious. We all had very similar dishes in different combinations and every single one of us was pleased as punch with everything. If living here or just passing through, I highly recommend The Firehouse as the place for great barbecue. read more

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Pros: Very clean, family-friendly atmosphere, reasonably priced, great friendly service, and fun aesthetic. Cons: No beer to pair with the BBQ, and while the food was good, it wasn't great. Overall, Firehouse was a fun spot for a family lunch. The experience, atmosphere, service, and value were all positives, but I was a bit underwhelmed by the brisket in particular. That said, the food was still good and I'd recommend a visit. read more

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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. read more

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Still the best ribs in the region: meaty, flavorful, not overrun with sauce, tender, and not burnt. The barbecue beans are still delicious too. Thanks goodness for consistency in places like this. The hashbrown casserole is always a popular choice with our group, but I decided to take a different path and ordered the smoked macaroni and cheese during this visit. While I didn't find a distinctly smoky flavor, it was still well-made M&C. Service was impeccable, as is the norm here. Our waiter frequently checked on us without being a nuisance; he was prompt and sharp. All the staff we encountered was personable. It's been a long time since I lived in the area, but Firehouse is one of those places I've been visiting for much of my life, and I'll continue to do so. The food is good, the facility and environment are comfortable, and the place represents things I love about being home again. read more

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. read more

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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! read more

The Firehouse - Menu - Barbeque Near Me - Johnson City, Tennessee

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

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. read more

The Firehouse - Pulled Chicken w/Steak Fries & The Volunteer w/baked beans - Barbeque Near Me - Johnson City, Tennessee

Went to dinner here Friday night with a large group. Ordered brisket plate. Macaroni and cheese was cold and I had a HAIR in my food. Sent it all back and they replaced it. I had to PAY for my food. They did give me a free dessert. I spent many years running restaurants and would NEVER have asked my guest to pay for food we screwed up. Absolutely ridiculous!!! read more

You know this place is always great always amazing. The service is always on point just like time work. The food is always a plus quality the vibes always great love this place. It's a staple a staple great place. read more

Brisket and ribs were dried out, you don't know how to serve meat. The sides were great but not the meat. Your place was recommended to me by my VA doctor, won't be returning. Atmosphere is great also! read more

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! read more

The Firehouse - a plate of ribs and broccoli - Barbeque Near Me - Johnson City, Tennessee

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

The Firehouse - interior - Barbeque Near Me - Johnson City, Tennessee

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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! read more

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Decent prices, great food, great service. I usually get a pulled pork platter that comes with two sides and toast for only 14.25. That's about as cheap as bbq can get. read more

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. read more

The Firehouse - Carolina Pulled Pork Plate - Barbeque Near Me - Johnson City, Tennessee

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

Went in Saturday with my 2 oldest sons. One had chips and salsa and a chief burger with steak fries. My other son had the smoked Mac and cheese and the tater skins. I had the chopped steak and steak fries. Food was cooked the way we ordered it. It came out in a timely manner and our waitress lesli was very nice and was very perfessional. read more

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!

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. read more

The Firehouse - Pulled Pork - Barbeque Near Me - Johnson City, Tennessee

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Tried the Firehouse for the first time yesterday. The ambiance is great...really felt comfortable. Servers are very friendly and attentive. The food was delicious. Hubby ordered the whole rack of ribs (and had to take some home lol), and I ordered the volunteer I think it was called. Huge chicken breast sandwich with lettuce tomato and pineapple. Everything was very good. I felt it was in the higher end of cost for a lunch, so just be aware and plan accordingly. This was our big meal of the day, so that was fine. read more

The Firehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Johnson City, Tennessee

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

We went to The Firehouse since it appears on more than a couple "Best Barbeque in Tennessee" lists. The service, from walking in the door to the table service, was outstanding! Then the food was delivered and it went downhill from there. The only good thing I received were the fries. The sauce was far and away the most disgusting sauce that I have ever had in my 50 plus years on Earth. How a Southern restaurant to ruin potato salad is shocking to me (it was nasty). Although my wife said the flavoring of the pulled pork was pretty good, once she put the sauce on it, it was inedible. Needless to say, we will not be back nor recommending it to anyone that asks. Unfortunately, the locals must have had their taste buds removed of destroyed from eating at Pal's, since every "you must eat at..." recommendation resulted in a similar experience. read more

This place came as a recommendation from a local. What a need place. The fire truck inside and how the smell of bbq hits you right when you walk in. This place was just ok for me. The server was no help and said she couldn't recommend anything on the menu. The bakes beans were odd flavored. The potato salad had big chunks of celery. Did I mention they don't serve any alcohol? read more

The Firehouse - Pulled pork platter - Barbeque Near Me - Johnson City, Tennessee

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

So good and tasty and they give you tons of food! There Macaroni and cheese is the best macaroni and cheese ever! Everything is so tasty read more

The Firehouse - Chicken Tenders - Barbeque Near Me - Johnson City, Tennessee

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

If you love BBQ, you have come to the wrong place. I was impressed by the crowd that had gathered at a quarter to 5 on a Saturday and there was a 30 minute wait, which I think that distracted me from the lack of smoke smell around the restaurant. The service is great and probably the best part of the experience. However, if you come for the food, prepare to be underwhelmed. I had the brisket, which looked like it had been cut on a deli slicer, which meant it was cold then reheated. There wasn't an opportunity to see a smoke ring because it came slathered in barbecue sauce, probably because it was so dry. At first, I thought it was a plate of turkey bacon covered in sauce. My wife's pulled pork had no smoke flavor and had the consistency more of being cooked in a crockpot. The potato skins we ordered were a little on the burnt side, with the skin part being a little too crispy and the potato practically falling out of the skin. On the plus side, the side salads were good. There are so many better places to get BBQ in the area, I'm shocked at how popular this place is with such a lack of quality and pride in its food. The service was very attentive, but doesn't do anything for what's happening in the kitchen. read more

Had the beef brisket it was good. My husband had pulled pork, also good. There were 3 BBQ sauces sweet, tangy, and spices. Sweet BBQ very mild, tangy vinegar base. Tangy start out mild but after taste you will taste the peppers . No alcohol is served.wtf Sides very bland. Service - good. Ambiance-firetruck very cool wish there was information about history of building. read more

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

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

Extremely friendly service. Every server we encountered spoke to us and offered assistance. I ordered the grilled bar-b-q chicken with pineapple. My husband ordered ribs. Both of our orders were excellent. We will definitely eat here again. read more

Fire house bbq is a fun place to go. Tom the owner is always nice to speak with. The grilled bbq chicken sandwich with fries is my favorite meal ! read more

The Firehouse - Firehouse Restaurant BBQ. With a little Road construction - Barbeque Near Me - Johnson City, Tennessee

The pictures do not do our meal justice. We had already split the salad and full rack of ribs, when I took the photo. It was delicious. This was the first time we tried the ribs. I would get them again, in a heart beat. They make their own salad dressings. We have tried them all and they are really good. read more

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

I recently moved to the area and have tried a few bbq restaurants. All have been ok and I would go back to any of them (that was yesterday). Today I had one of the best brisket dinners I have ever had. No need to look any further for the best bbq in Johnson city. read more

So I'll start with the positive because I don't want this be a completely negative review. Stopped in last night for dinner with some out of town friends. The staff are all super nice and friendly. Your greeted with a smile and you definitely feel welcome. They do customer service right here, I just wish the same passion was put into the food. We were in the mood for ribs and orders two full racks and almost immediately regretted it upon seeing them come out. They had absolutely no soul. Generic tasting bbq sauce, no smokiness, no char just kind of bland. Ribs should fall off the bone and these I could pick the whole rack up in one piece. Actually need to bring a knight into the equation to cut ribs off the rack.. which lost me there. The ribs just seem rushed they are cooked long enough to be considered done. If your making ribs is low and slow. They are a labor of love. Same could be said about the sides; they were ok, not bad and definitely not great just generic and ok. Baked potato come with a small cup of butter and sour cream and that's it's. I'm not expecting table side baked potato service ( although this is always a great option but with Covid this isn't a great idea) but let's try a little. Offer a loaded up potato, The baked beans were well more of the same no soul. This place has potential to be really good, but sadly all the effort is in the customer service. If the same level of care was put into the food this place would really be a great restaurant. read more

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

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

Not good at all. When I ordered brisket I requested slices off the flat, and the server didn't understand what I meant. When I got it I shed a tear, as what they called brisket was nothing more than shredded chuck roast slathered in barbeque sauce for $22. Now I don't know for sure if it was chuck roast, but it very well could have been for what they served me. I was with a large family gathering so I didn't feel appropriate being "that guy" and sending it back. There was no discernable flavor above the barbeque sauce, which I was told is "the standard way of serving" the meat. With so many other good BBQ options in town, I will not be returning. The server was very kind. read more