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    The Firehouse

    4.3 (189 reviews)
    ModerateBarbeque, American
    Open 11:00 am - 8:30 pm

    The Firehouse Photos

    Business Info

    THE FIREHOUSE ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - The Firehouse

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    Reviews With Photos

    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.

    interior
    Lex M.

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

    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!

    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.

    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.

    Pulled pork platter

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    1 year 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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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year 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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    1 year ago

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    1 year 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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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year 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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    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

    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

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

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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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    5 years ago

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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

    Food and service was amazing! Best BBQ we have ever had and the chicken was great as well! We will definitely be back!

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    Page 1 of 5

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    Blue Moose Burgers & Wings

    Blue Moose Burgers & Wings

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    This was our first time! We love wings & I'm super picky for some good wings! These were so yummy!…read moreCooked perfectly, great size & the spicy garlic was good! Tons of wing flavors to choose from! We got the platter, comes with 8 traditional/or boneless wings & two sides for 17$! Such a good deal, it was a lot of food, and we both had left overs! I got it with the Mac & onion rings & he did fries & fried okra so we could try different sides! All very good!! Mac was a bit bland , but salt n pepper helped!! It was overall a fun little laid back sports bar! Def would be fun for playoff games, tons of tvs, even some at the tables! Arcade room! Our server Marcus was great. He was friendly, gave us suggestions & refilled refills quickly! I come from 15+ years in hospitality! It's nice to still see great people in this industry that care about guest like I do!! We def will be back!!

    Went back to watch an NFL game. I had a "Brotherly Love" Cheese Steak Sandwich and fries, and my…read morefriend had the Mushroom burger with onion rings! The onion rigs were great, crispy and tasty, so were the fries. The burger was cooked well and tasted ok as burgers go! My steak sandwich on the other hand was bland, I had to look closely as i first thought it was ground beef instead of steak! If this sandwich served in Philadelphia it would be thrown back to the kitchen! Service again was poor! Three ladies were standing arguing over the tabs, and ignored my friend who waited 4 - 5 minutes just to get their attention! She finally walked over to where the employees argued and had to ask for anther drink! UNACEPTABLE! Doubt if we are coming back! There are too many other burger joints in Johnson City with big screen TVs and better service! !

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    Label Restaurant - Extremely thin (about 1/4") boneless fried chicken

    Label Restaurant

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    We had a couple of friends visiting us from RI so I decided to make reservations for dinner last…read morenight. Our company commented on how nice the restaurant is and the 4 of us were seated at a large booth which gave us plenty of room. We were promptly greeted by Bree, who brought us waters and took our drink order. We ordered the spinach dip which everyone devoured. On to dinner...I have been here several times and asked Bree to help me decide between the Chef's pasta or the buttermilk chicken. She recommended the pasta if I was hoping to have leftovers. I had it with the Cajun cream sauce and blackened salmon. Absolutely delicious!!!! The other dishes were blackend salmon with Pomodoro sauce and the sea bass. Ordered a side of brussel sprouts and garlic parm fries for the table to share. Bree was outstanding and our meals were all delicious. We prefer to eat at the bar but we're very happy with our table and the service.

    Recently visited Label for the first time in years and the experience didn't disappoint. Love that…read morethey have sushi options along with steaks, pastas, salads, and sandwiches. On this occasion I had a spicy tuna roll, which is my go to. We also ordered Firecracker Shrimp and Crab Rangoon for the table. The sushi and crab Rangoon were both great and I would definitely get again. The shrimp was ok but I've had better at different restaurants. For my entree I ordered the Chef's Pasta and opted for the Cajun cream sauce with blackened salmon. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the sauce and salmon made it the perfect combo. Would definitely get this entree again. The service was great and our drinks never ran dry. Our waitress made several suggestions for the table and was super attentive and kind. Overall we had a great experience at Label and will be back.

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    The Firehouse - bbq - Updated May 2026

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