STOP AND READ Currently staying at Hotel Madera and stopped in for two rounds of drinks in celebration of my daughter's birthday. The bill listed $2 surcharges for ivmce for each drink and one that was $3. The drinks run between $17 and $19 but to add an ice surcharge is preposterous. I was grateful they didn't charge me for oxygen or perhaps a rental fee for the glasses that the drinks were in. NOT COMING BACK read more

Pros: ambiance and nice waitress Cons: everything else Got our food order wrong, waiters were sparse, happy hour ended an hour earlier than advertised (6 pm), my salad was a few pieces of cut up tomatoes and 5 pieces of mozzarella which is insane , and drinks were average. Do not recommend. read more

Expensive and not worth the price. The $38 scallops and $38 halibut were very overpriced for the portions and flavor. They seem to really skip on the sides too and at these prices they should be more impressive. We were still hungry so went somewhere afterward. cocktails were good but also expensive even by DC standards ($17 per cocktail). The parmesan truffle fries were excellent. read more

I looked at the Yelp reviews. So, I trusted them. Maybe it was a different chef. The FACT that they tried to pawn off an overdone dry piece of meat is a disgrace. I think they did have that particular cut. So, instead of coming clean, the chef was hoping I was some country bumpkin who didn't know the difference! They then offered my another choice. It took soo long for the steak to come out. I just asked for a hamburger. The char was good, but WHO PUTS ARUGULA ON A BURGER!! read more

Firefly - This is supposed to be petite filet mignon..... - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Firefly DC's Sunday brunch was moderately satisfying. While the ambiance was pleasant, the food lacked the wow factor we were hoping for. Service was adequate, but could have been more attentive. Overall, an okay experience, but not exceptional. read more

Easy to find the place but parking will be tricky in the area. Give yourself some time to find it ahead of the reservation. It is good to have reservations, if not there will be accommodation for walk-ins during non-peak hours. Ambiance is nice, seats are well cushioned, tables heights are decent but atmosphere is slightly noisier. Staff and service is excellent. Food is decent, the taste won't wow you but cooking methods and attention to details is good definitely noticeable. Overall it will leave you satisfied. Breakfast menu will be available earlier in the morning. Brunch tentatively starts around 10-10.30am. Signature cocktail are decent but Great-great coffee. Everything on the morning fuel is excellent. I liked the espresso martini the most. Brioche French toast toast nice but I was slightly surprised by the value proposition of this dish. Corned beef hash, firefly burger, eggs Benedict, all are nice. I really liked the way they cooked eggs to perfection in Benedict. Sides are good. A good experience overall but only coffee will drive me to visit it again. read more

Firefly - Brioche French Toast, Espresso Martini, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Chicken-Apple Sausage, Pork Sausage - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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There is a very limited brunch menu. The food was mid. The service was pretty slow as well. We felt as if we had to hunt down our waiter and the restaurant wasn't busy. We also sat on the patio, which was okay. read more

Firefly is a nice modern surprise located in the DuPont Circle area. We stopped in for brunch. For me I opted for the Firefly Cheeseburger and fries with a Kentucky Mary to drink. My husband went for the Kimchi hash. The cafe was super clean and nicely decorated. We were seated at a table by the windows which was enjoyable. The burger was very juice and fries were crispy yet nothing really stood out or set it apart. The Kentucky Mary also fell really flat for me. I always enjoy a bourbon drink and paired with bacon, I was certain it was a win. I didn't even finish it. Service was slow but Servers were pleasant. The Kimchi Hash was a tasty dish. I would definitely give it another try and explore the menu some more. read more

Firefly - Kentucky Mary - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Chef Red is amazing! 10/10 I highly recommend and will eat here again. Chef Red created such a great dining experience for my party. I really appreciate his passion for food and the care he took in describing menu items. I ordered the lamb. It was flavorful, tender, and delicious. The steak, mash potatoes and broccoli are also a great choice. Chef's kiss. My only regret is that I didn't have room to order more. The next time I visit I'd like to try the shrimp and grits, his New Orleans special. read more

Food was good and the ambience was nice. Service was ok. Great place to sit and have a quiet meal for conversing. I liked sitting in the window seat but I can imagine it being very warm for most when the sun is out. read more

Firefly - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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the food is so wonderful food, the drinks are fantastic, and Patrick is a wonderful server!

Feels like a restaurant struggling to make it. Chef came out to greet us which was nice and the service was fine. But .....starters and mains came out together. I've never had a caesar salad with spring mix, tomatoes, and parmesan before. Alfredo sauce tasted like it came from a jar. Old fashioned tasted more like sweet tea. Lamb chops were well over cooked and brussel sprouts were only halfway steamed. Mashed potatoes were very dry and likely leftovers. We were the only diners there. They are charging A+ prices for C- food. Sorry. Wish it was better. read more

I've been here twice for brunch and impressed both times on quality of food, ambiance, and service. I think the avocado toast is one of the best in the city! And, they'll let you add an egg any style if you'd like! Highly recommend if your looking for a low key relaxing brunch. Can't wait to try their dinner menu! read more

Firefly - Avocado Toast with soft boiled egg - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Service was impeccable, staff was extremely friendly and the atmosphere was really nice. The only missing link was the food itself. I wouldn't say the food was bad, but it was extremely average. Not the quality I would expect at that price point. read more

The bar is out of this world. The selection, staff, and mixology is much better than most. The only reason for 4 stars is the hours of operation and variety of eats. Mostly hours. I'd be sitting there right now drinking and watching the game if they were not closed at 8:30pm on Sunday. read more

Fantastic brunch experience. Came late on a Sunday morning and ordered drip coffee (La Colombe) and the avocado toast with a side egg (sunny side up). Avocado toast was to die for! It was served with some greens as well. Ambiance was nice and airy, window was open letting in a cool breeze. Very much enjoyed brunch! read more

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Nice ambiance. Wasn't too crowded. Actual food is better than the menu looks. Avocado toast was spectacular. Staff were very nice. Plan on going back again! read more

Firefly - Avocado Toast - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Ambiance was good, wait staff was very friendly. However our food took a long time and was just ok. read more

Firefly was a great spot for happy hour! We came on a rainy day so we were seated inside which was actually really nice, the decor and interior design was beautiful. But more importantly the food and drink was great, my shrimp tostada was really creative and tasty and I also thoroughly enjoyed the Circle of Life cocktail. However, the service was kind of slow even though the restaurant was pretty empty. And while I thought my Happy Hour order was fairly priced my friend who ordered a Sprite was charged $5 for a small glass with a large amount of ice... other than these two minor complaints I enjoyed my experience and would return if I was in the area! read more

Firefly - Shrimp Tostada, It's The Circle of Life - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Excellent service, excellent drinks, pretty good food. It's a good date spot. Soft lighting and eye-pleasing cocktails. We split a few appetizers -- the cheese & charcuterie board, crispy shrimp, and mac and cheese. The shrimp shined here. Five plump pieces drizzled in a spicy mayo-esque sauce and served on a bed of crisp greens. The shrimp were fried, but ever so slightly so, lending them a crunch without the greasiness. The Mac and cheese was bland. I would certainly skip that dish. The cheese & meat board was decent. I particularly enjoyed the honeycomb with chevre, and the cornichons of course. We didn't get an explanation of what was on the board, so I can't attest to what else we had! read more

Firefly - Scrimps, mac and cheese, and charcuterie board. - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Yum...I ordered the shrimp and scallop appetizer. Generous portions; 2 skewers and a some greens. Our other order was the special...a local made veggie burger with a mushroom cap; I would tell you what that was like, but the hub gobbled it without sharing! The chef, Red, came out and asked us about the special as it was a new rollout. Loved giving positive feedback to a chef that is truly behind his art. Service was excellent...the bar made 2 mistakes; a room temperature martini (sent back and rectified) and a second beer was not what was originally ordered ( as in, I'll take another round, but got something unexpected). Overall, a positive experience. read more

I came here because it claimed to have a good gluten free menu and because it claimed to be farm to table. We had a little trepidation because it is a restaurant that is part of a hotel. The name of the hotel is Madera which I had never heard before so I did not know what to expect. When we arrived we sat to have a drink at the bar before dinner. That's when we met brendon the bartender. He had a blow torch and was burning wood on the bar. Wait what? Yep he was burning wood with a blow torch and then placed a glass over it so it filled with smoke. Obviously that started a conversation. It ended with some seriously awesome drinks. When we sat down for dinner the food was really awesome. They sourced everything locally and the flavors were great. And they indeed have enough gluten free options to keep me happy. This is a place we will return to for sure. The decore is odd, the place is small and can get loud. But for an awesome cocktail and great food, this hotel restaurant is pretty awesome. read more

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Firefly has a few strikes against them and it's warranted. First off, it's a restaurant in a hotel. Secondly, it's only three stars on Yelp. Finally, their main selling point is a giant tree in the middle of the restaurant. Enough said. I met the CEO of the Muse here for a small group discussion about the future of work. We had a small back room reserved that was very quiet. The service was fast and hands on, but the food was just okay. I ordered the pumpkin soup (which was the stand out dish of the lunch) and a reuben that was mediocre. If you're a hotel guest, there's worst places to dine, but in a city full of top restaurants, I'd spend time researching other options. read more

Firefly - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The Firefly that I used to know is dead. I have eaten at this place MANY times over the years and it actually has been one of my "go to" places - I always looked forward to the food, the atmosphere and the service. I even organized a Christmas party for my office here a number of years ago. That is how highly I USED TO THINK of this place. Things have certainly changed for the worse. I have been here pretty recently and I knew that the dining room decor had changed and NOT for the better. Gone were the cozy white birch trees used as decoration. Gone was the slightly muted color/lights of the old dining room that made me feel like I was eating at a small outdoor patio somewhere outside of Seattle. The interior design is completely gone - there is no cohesive theme or decor. The lighting is sort of industrial. The biggest wall behind the banquettes is now a mish mash of scattered rectangles created from thin pieces of wood - I think I did that to my dorm room back in 1982. There are fake flowers on a concrete pillar - kind of a "thing" in hip restaurants nowadays - but Firefly just did not put enough flowers to make it look good. The ambience - such as it is - just does not work. And the lights were way too bright. You would think they would dim the lights ALOT in a dining room that looks this bad. Still, the last few times I was here, the food was still good. This time, however, every aspect of dinner reflected a restaurant in serious decline. There is no attention to detail. The host station is gone, replaced with a service bar (think coffee cups, silverware and other restaurant equipment) and a wine refrigerator (Costo called, they want their wine refrigerator back). And this service area occupies a prominent place right at the front door and right in the middle of the dining room. The flower vase on our table had dirty water in it (think mold and mildew and decaying leaves). I know the place is named Firefly but there were actual fruit flies buzzing around us all night. Really disappointing. The food at Firefly used to be a treat to behold. Tonight's food was nothing to be proud of. We ordered the Firecracker Cauliflower as an appetizer. It had no fire, no spice, no nothing - just roasted veggies sitting in a bottled sauce of some kind. AND it came at the same time as our main courses. When we told our waitress about this, she replied "well the kitchen closes soon." My crab cake was $36 which I would be happy to pay had it been good. But of course it was not. I figure there was about 10% crab to 90% filler. No big hunks of crab at all. At most, it was a 4 ounce cake - definitely not enough to justify the price. The only good thing is that is smelled like crab. At least I hope that is what the smell was. Only time will tell. My spouse got the scallops. There were 3 of them. They were cold. But we could not send them back because the kitchen was closing too soon. For $36, this was also a big disappointment. No dessert because, of course, the kitchen was closing too soon. There is simply nothing I can say about this Firefly experience that was good. Seriously. Even the service was bad. We waited forever for our order to be taken (which, if the kitchen was closing soon, you'd think they would take care to move us along). When my spouse wanted to complain because his drink - a Manhattan - tasted watered down, there was nobody in sight. Oh wait - I guess something good did happen at the restaurant tonight. When we complained about our appetizer, our main courses and our drinks, the waitress offered and gave us a discount - 50% off. They know that the place is as bad as my review says it is. The Firefly that I remember from the past - the one with great food served inventively by interesting professional waiters - IS DEAD. The only thing that resembles the old, good Firefly are the prices. This was such a disappointing meal out, such a waste of money, such a waste of calories. I want the old, good Firefly back please! I will not be going back to this place. read more

My girlfriend and I went to brunch at Firefly on my birthday and the service was terrific. MJ and Chef Red really made our experience unforgettable. We were surprised with some cake and were given tips on fun things to do in the area. The food was amazing and the ambiance was perfect. We would definitely recommend going to Firefly for a bite to eat! read more

5/3/25, 1:45pm. We were excited to try Firefly's Brunch. It was a busy weekend with the Embassy Tours, and the sun was out. We didn't make a reservation, and were happy to sit at the bar. Unfortunately, we didn't get the chance. The moment I entered the door, the waiter glared at me. I waved at the bartender and said "hello" -- His response wasn't a greeting, nothing welcoming... "do you have a reservation?" ----- UMMMM, do I need one? There wasn't one person patron at the bar, and maybe two tables of people. 90% of the restaurant (or more) was vacant. I said "we'd like to have brunch" He looked angry and said "are your friends coming soon?.. we're closing soon!" ---I decided this wasnt' the place or the vibe for us. I mean, WTF?! You're closing in one hour and fifteen minutes. You have a major attitude in a sad, tired, lame old restaurant? (we used to frequent this place years ago, when it had some abiance, where's the tree? lol). Truth is, you wanted to close early. I hope the owner or manager sees this review and makes some changes. We walked right down the street and ate and spent a few hundred bucks at Chef Geoffs, which I highly recommend. Skip Firefly, it's DOA. Can't wait to see what new restaurant replaces this dump. read more

A little disappointed in the dining experience here. My cocktail was delicious, but the service was subpar. The waiter seemed to be running to and from our table, and when he did speak with us, it was short and abrupt. My halibut was pretty good, maybe a little salty. If you're looking for a fancy cocktail, this might be your place, but don't expect anything more than that. read more

10/10 probably the best chicken & waffles I've had in a while. Service was great. Highly recommend making a reservation

This place is terrible. We went for Sunday brunch. It took a while to be seated. Then a waitress took our drink order. After a long, long time, someone brought out our drinks. I wanted to order food, but she said that wasn't her job. She said a server would come out. But no one ever came out. We waited a while, drank our drinks. People around us were being served. Eventually we just left. I was hoping they'd see us walking out without paying for our drinks, and come stop us so we could order food. But this didn't happen. read more

Tried this since it as close to the hotel. It was OK. The squash soup was great. The oysters in oatmeal where so thickly covered that you could hardly taste the oyster inside. The deviled eggs were great. The mini pot roast was very good. The trout was good but only got half of the fish so too small a portion for the price. The desserts were the highlight of the meal. Slow service and low value for price lowered the experience for us. read more

Firefly - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

One of the best restaurants I have ever been to! The food is art and tastes as good as it looks! Tobias -GM, Anna-manager and Anna-Head Bartender went over and above to make our experience perfect! I'm dreaming of returning for.... Salmon Bagel, Tuna Tartar, Caesar Salad, chicken and waffle sliders, Caprese Salad.... I need to try everything else!! You will not be disappointed! read more

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We reserved a spot at Firefly at 9:30, 30 minutes before their close but arrived a little bit early and were accommodated. We were the only ones in the restaurant besides one other couple, which made the environment homey and personal. The food was exceptional: we had Caesar salads, grilled octopus, and chicken and waffle sliders. Everything we ate, we loved. We also loved our wine choice, photo attached. The service we received was fantastic - our server and the serving assistant were caring, quick, and very kind. We loved our whole experience. read more

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Greta service, good food, and modern chic vibe! We were seated immediately and tended to greatly.

First time at this spot , took me away with all the flavor ! Very small but yet big in taste , I don't mind it at all . Great vibes and the staff was beyond nice and generous , always attending us in whatever we needed .. food was good won't lie I will come back again . We sat on the VIP corner I like to call it LOL . It's COVID friendly if I may .. they all have tables set apart and staff always wearing mask . Very clean place I recommend the wings and burger if you want to go the basic way , it's not just a burger , it's a gustoso burger !! read more

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The best healthy brunch option that was filling and $16. Was told it's made from scratch and the lemon vinaigrette for the side salad was great. read more

Firefly - Egg White Frittata - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

AMAZING FOOD i had the berry waffle with wip cream and it was Fantastic and the service Was GREAT our waiter was funny and great. I recommend read more

Firefly - A picture of the place - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Food: hit or miss Service: attentive Atmosphere: tree house like Price:$$ The food was exactly how I said hit or miss. The appetizer Shrimp and Grits were great. Super flavorful and buttery. The menu is a bit limited and not friendly to vegetarians/pescatarian. My gf got veggie pasta dish and it kind of tasted like Birdseye frozen microwaveable bag :(. The duck dish was good and the sauce is pretty sweet (BBQ like). My take away is if the prices were 10-15% lower it would have been 4 stars. read more

Firefly - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I went to this restaurant in July and LOVED it! Great food and service in an intimate setting. Well, we went this week for restaurant week and it was not a good experience at all. We had made a reservation and showed up at our time to wait twenty minutes for a table. I would have thought it was because it was a busy night, but there were multiple tables empty and we were the only ones waiting. Finally, we were seated and then it took over a half an hour for anyone to check on us or take the order. The only reason that happened is because someone in the party stood up and asked a waiter to take our order. The waiter walked over took our orders and left... without taking the menus or filling out waters. That was an additional twenty minute wait to get any water. The music was so loud on the speakers above us that the waiter could not hear us. We never received new silverware after eating our first course so we had to take them off another table. We also had no knives to cut our meat. The craziest thing was our appetizer came AFTER our dessert because they forgot to bring it in the beginning. The service was unhelpful and seemed a bit clueless. The food is good, but not worth this experience. read more

We came here Sunday for brunch. We were sat quickly, with making a reservation online about 2 hours prior to arrival. The inside of the restaurant is very cool, clean and overall had a great vibe. They were pretty busy so service was a little slow, however our waitress was very friendly. The chicken and waffles was a good choice. We didn't like the chicken sausage it was bland. read more

Firefly - Chicken & Waffles - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Such amazing food! I'm here for a conference and was looking for a close spot to eat that looked amazing! This is it! Amazing service! Very friendly staff and they will make sure that you are left happy! They're also very interpersonal and love to hear where you're from and hear your experiences! Really nice interior and ambiance! You won't regret coming here! And if you are a coffee drinker, order their columbian (regular) coffee!!! It is amazing!!! And I am very picky about coffee, normally get mine from Starbucks, but this was the best coffee that I've EVER had!!! Hands down!!! Beautiful view from the window!!! Outside seating is nice too!!! read more