Was in town and heard this was a great brunch and pizza spot. The server suggested the fried chicken n biscuits... wow! That biscuit was so so good and I wanted to swim in the white gravy. We also got Alan cheese pizza that was perfect, especially when you want to try something different to deep dish. Can't wait to be back in town and try more! read more

Great food and so kid-friendly! My kiddo loves the shelf of fire trucks and I love that I can have a beer while he zooms his fire truck around. I've had the pizza, burger and brunch specials and all were filling, delicious and well executed. I'm sad that summer is over and the patio will close because its so lovely to sit on and great for a train/bus loving toddler too. read more

Firehouse Grill is ok. Some stuff is good while some stuff is bad. My friend and I were seated promptly, but our original waiter seemingly forgot about us. After over ten minutes of waiting for someone to take our order, we had to flag down a staff member to bring over a new waiter. Fortunately, the new waiter was great. I got the lemon chicken. The sauce was quite wonderful, but the chicken itself left quite a bit to be desired. The mashed potatoes that came with were not very flavorful. The serving size was pretty small for the price. My friend got the fish tacos. They were pretty bad. The tortillas were stale, and the fish was definitely not fresh. In fact, the fish might have been somewhat spoiled. The tacos were also quite dry. I should note that I ended up being sick not long after eating here, but correlation is not causation of course. Overall, we think there's much higher quality options for far lower prices elsewhere. We won't be back. read more

I've really tried to like this place but besides the pizza, the food just sucks! The chef does a great job of taking great ideas and turning it into something disastrous. Pizza, , dependably good Cheese curds, , dependable for outside of WI Salads, , always under dressed Chicken and waffles, , poor attempt at best Burgers, , the pretzel bun is a step in the right direction but still falls short read more

Eh, the service was fine, but both my and my date's food was vastly overcooked. I ordered my burger medium-rare and it came closer to medium-well. I probably should've sent it back but I felt bad. Took the rest home and the dog loved it. My boyfriend's Cubano also had really tough dry meat. I found it odd that the meat was so overdone but the cheese curds we ordered were still cold on the inside. We really wanted to love this place but its a no from us for now. read more

I used to live in Evanston and for years i would occasionally go to the Firehouse Grill to watch a Blackhawks game and grab a burger. It met my needs. I have moved away and only get here once a year or so for the last few years. I believe that the food is better every time I come here. Congratulations to the Candlelight folks for transforming an averages restaurant to one I now recommend to friends. read more

They take reservations for outside! It was a beautiful night and it was so nice to be able to reserve a table ahead of time. Amanda was our server and she was great! Awesome martini's and delicious food. Had the cauliflower appetizer, chopped salad and white pizza for the table. All really good! Perfect night! read more

Consider bringing support to Firehouse Grill and the team that makes this place great. See my FB post by following this link: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10158080642169140&id=717444139 read more

The review is solely based on their burger. That's the only item i've had off their menu. i've had it with sweet potato fries and with tots. The burger is perhaps one of the best burgers in all of America. Definitely a 5 star burger. FYI i've only gotten it for delivery. I've never dined in or picked it up myself. I also dont just give out 5 stars all willy nilly. Its a really good burger though and the 5 stars is well deserved. read more

Anyone can see from the outside that this restaurant is a converted old firehouse which is awesome... Right? The novelty soon faded when I went with my husband on a Sunday when there was no one there to greet or serve us. We walked in and a few moments later, a waitress directed us from across the room to seat ourselves. She came to our table twice. Once to bring water and take our order and then to bring the food. We couldn't even get our bill until we went around the first floor to look for her. The menu is decent if you're wanting "classic American" fare. There was zero inspiration in the food. Zero. The experience was overall like getting know a good-looking person who is devoid of social skills and personality. The charming established look from the outside is a facade. read more

If I could give it negative stars I would. Save your money. Food is overpriced and bland. I ordered a salad and there were about 4 Key ingredients missing with no heads up. 14 bucks down the drain. read more

Outstanding! We worked very late and missed taking our daughter out for her 25th birthday. Hadn't been to Firehouse Grill in many years, but they were open at 8:30 at night and we were just leaving work with her, so we picked up take-out. What started as a bummer of a birthday for her changed in a bite! She ordered the cheeseburger and termed it "absolutely amazing!". The Susan Michigan Salad was mine, and equally delicious. My husband was thrilled they had spaghetti, and was just as thrilled at his choice. Pat and Molly have certainly changed up the menu, and continue to do so. Firehouse is absolutely our new go to restaurant! You have GOT to try Firehouse Grill! Great, inventive, comfortable, delicious food. read more

I've been meaning to check this place out in Evanston and I'm so glad I did! It was so great! The ambiance is super cozy, the staff was very attentive and sweet and the food was awesome!! I had the Susan's Michigan salad in a wrap which was delicious. It was a perfect place to hang out and enjoy a Friday night-- will definitely be back! read more

Fantastic food! The wings and the Fireman's pizza are both a must. We will definitely be back!

You would think eating in a fire house would be COOL but no. You would think your waiter or waitress would be wearing fireman clothes but no. Actually, you would think you would know who is actually your waiter by the beginning of the mean but no. You would think that your chicken sandwich wouldn't come out of the kitchen soaked in grease but no. You would think that a restaurant calling themselves "American" flare wouldn't mean everything is fatty and greasy but no. You would think that someone out of a bunch of co-workers and a vendor who is nice enough to buy us lunch would have a decent meal but no. You wouldn't expect to pay an arm and a leg for this crappy meal (I took a peak at the check) but no. I other words no, no, no, no, no, and no. Why one extra star, well they gave my friend a waitress job many years ago and treated her well, NO she doesn't work there anymore. read more

I really wanted to like this place. My boyfriend drives by here often and talked up the whole it "use to be a fire station and now it is a restaurant" thing." I was game, especially since we went around 6PM and it was my first meal of the day (I sleep late). The inside was definitely cute - especially the main section where we did not sit. The "I have a stick up my ass" hostess stuck us in this dark back room next to the window. It was so freezing that I had to ask the waiter to move. He moved us away from the window and it was STILL cold. Brrrrr. Onto the food. For starters, we both ordered the chili. When I asked my boyfriend how his was he said, "Tastes like chili." I felt the same way it was uh, chili. I got the burger and he got the Cobb salad (I love it how this usually happens with us and the server always places salad in front of me and he gets served my burger. Sexist!) Me: "How's the Cobb Salad." Him: "Tastes like a Cobb salad." Nice. My burger was below-average (I've had tastier at BK). And the fries? Blech. They tasted like those frozen fries I use to bake in the oven on a cookie sheet when I was ten. AKA still frozen. The one thing I did like was the fact they had ginger ale - very tasty and not watered-down. I guess I should have thrown some Jack in there for good measure. Oh, and my boyfriend liked his avocado dressing. Back on drinks, our bloody mary's were horrendous - I couldn't taste any tomato in them. Neither of us finished them which is very, very rare. Phoot. I will not be back to the Fire House Grill. I really wanted to go to Hackney's for that onion ring brick but my boyfriend told me only 90- year-olds go there. Who cares?!! I will take some blue hair over a bad burger and frozen fries any day! read more

I went here because it is conveniently located near my workplace, but I won't be back. I sat at the bar and said, '"Hi, how are you?"' to the waitress, who responded with a surly, '"What do you want?"'. I was surprised by the lack of pleasantry; and ordered a hamburger. I asked the waitress if cheese was included in the price of the burger, and she said "Yes". Upon receiving the tab, I noticed that I was charged for the cheese on my burger; and spoke to the manager about the charge. I asked the manager to remove the charge for the cheese, because I was told that it was included in the menu price, and his response was, '"No, I won't do that. The bill total is still the same."' Huh. read more

Firehouse Grill has a unique ambiance as I hear it really was a firehouse at one point. There is a main floor and upper-level (which is often used for private parties). Their burger is probably the strongest menu item, although their salads aren't bad. They have certain nights that they play bingo and the restaurant is completely packed. Good, timely service. read more

My boyfriend and I ate here last August and January. This restaurant should be great. After all, it: 1) is located in a former firehouse 2) serves lots of greasy food 3) has lots of beer 4) and is so very very close to our apartment. Here's what happened during our January visit: After we arrived and seated ourselves, our waiter doesn't come by our table for 10 minutes. Keep in mind that when we arrived, it was 5:30 on a frigid Thursday night - the place was not busy. Instead, the employees seemed to prefer hanging out by the bar and talking with friends and coworkers instead attending to any customer needs. We weren't the only people waiting for attention from our server, either. We both ordered hamburgers cooked to a medium temperature. Imagine our surprise when they arrived still mooing. We didn't talk to the server or management about it. Based on the signals they were giving off, they wouldn't have given two hoots about our dissatisfaction. As time passed, business picked up in our section. However, it still wasn't packed to justify another half-hour waiting for our check. I was so happy to leave. My boyfriend and I have had a few conversations since our last visit about how the Fire House Grill could improve and why it's so packed whenever we pass by. We think it's because: 1) It's right by the CTA and Metra Main Street stops. 2) Not everyone can afford to eat at Campagnola all the time, if at all. 3) People go there for the booze, not the food. 4) Patrons who are younger and cuter than my boyfriend and I are treated better by the staff. The thing is, even the older and less glamorous among us need to eat and have money to throw around for food. I wish the owners of the Fire House Grill would keep that in mind - if we hadn't had these crappy experiences, my boyfriend and I would be there all the time. We aren't that hard to please. read more

It's a fine place with a better than expected beer list. If you can't get room at Sketchbook or you have kids and want a Friday night out, it's a fine place to be. Sole recommendation their 'nachos' are a hilariously poor attempt at the food. Don't even waste your time. read more

A restaurant with the word "grill" in its name that is vegetarian friendly? Yes, one such place is Fire House Grill in Evanston. I went here for lunch the other day and was surprised by the number of vegetarian appetizers available. About FIVE to precised. From vegetarian chili to spinach & artichoke dip! I had the vegetarian chili and while it wasn't THE best I've had, it really hits the spot on a typical snowy day in Evanston. There are two vegetarian burgers on their menu, which are the Grilled Portobello and BBQ Black Bean burgers. The BBQ was alright, but the sauce needed more kick. Then again, I'm sure they'd get a lot of shit from customers who complain about the smallest bit of heat in their food. What a bunch of wusses. Their french fries are thin and "rustic" (skins still left on). Meh... I haven't been here for dinner, but I'll definitely come back. There's not much around Main Street Evanston for vegetarians to eat. It's nice to know that there's another option besides Subshack (SNL reference - hurrr) and Lupita's. Oh, and damn! Their drinks are GIGANTIC! Sodas and lemonade at least ... read more

So far we've had bad luck eating at the Fire House Grill, which is a shame, we would love to count on it as a neighorhood eatery. We have gone there twice and have gotten sick both times- both myself and my husband. The service is friendly and the building is important as a part of Evanston history, however, I don't see us going back there again unless there are radical changes to sanitation and health. read more

The only thing saving this place from receiving one star is the fact that I've had previous experiences here that were decent. My most recent visit, however, was far less than stellar, to say the least. Service was slow, while my burger was dry, on soggy bread (how is that even simultaneously possible?), and WAY overpriced at $11. But the kicker turned out to be the rotten tomato slices on our hummus plate. Each of the three slices had a sizeable bad spot on it, and rather than pitch them, the kitchen merely placed the tomatoes strategically so the bad spots were hidden when the plate was brought out. Did they think we wouldn't find 'em?!? Truly revolting. I will not dine at this establishment again. read more

I was very excited about this place as it looked like a cool place my buddies and I could go and have a few beers and good food. Now the bar part was good, but the food was not really all there. There is huge potential here as the place is beautiful. But, unless the menu steps up for higher quality food, and the waiters understand that service comes before socializing, this would be a great place. Just on a side note I have been to the Fire House about 5 times as I wanted to really give this place a fair shot to WOW me. But, so far no such luck. I just hope the owner sees this and can get the place in order as I really would love to start taking client's here for cocktails and food. read more

I've been here a lot of times because it's so close to my house, but I can't bring myself to love it. The food is overpriced for what it is and the portion size (you can get better food for less in at the Prairie Moon, and that still isn't all it could be), the service is poor (don't get your hopes up for ketchup or a water refill), one or two of the waiters are unbelievably unfriendly, and then all the little stuff like sticky tables, torn seats, ridiculously overpriced pool (with sticky balls on tiny old pool tables). There isn't any love in this place, I feel - not for its maintenance, not for the cooking, not for the interaction with the customers, not for its cleanliness, not for its atmosphere (turning up the game a little louder isn't enough). read more

My wife and I have been to Firehouse twice since we have lived in Evanston. I must admit the first time we went the place was decent. My burger was pretty tasty and the Arrogant Bastard ale certainly helped top things off. We visited again and will never go back. Our server was either stoned off his a** or so hungover he didn't know where he was. He could barely intriduce himself and seemed to have issues taking down our orders. Blah! I guess we have all had a bad day. Now on to the food...... I ordered a Daisy Cutter which came out flat. One of my favorite summer beers of all time ruined!! Next came my burger which was a complete mess. It came with green onion, but I didn't expect 3 pounds of greasy, moist green onion! Yuck. Every time I took a bite the massive layer of green onion would fall out. I eventually just took it off. We ordered a giant pretzel, which was clearly frozen and thrown into a microwave before making it to our table. I could see an episode of Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmare's being filmed here. I honestly don't want to imagine what the kitchen may look like. I have seen previous posts regarding management loving their regulars but ignoring all other's. If I owned the place our server would have been sent home before taking any patron's orders. Clearly this place isn't run right and need to be revamped. Too bad because it's such a cool location and atmosphere. read more

I come here quite often for Trivia on Tuesday evenings, mostly because the booths are comfortable and it's close to where I live. Prices are reasonable, but the food is universal meh on the good side to abysmal on the not so good side. We've actually wondered on more than one occasion if the owners have ever tasted the food. Never order a dish featuring smoked chicken, unless you like your food to taste like half a bottle of liquid smoke. There are only a few beers on tap at once, and they're a pretty random selection. There's no local focus, which I'd prefer, and they're never on special. There are, however, $2.50 tall boys of PBR and $4.00 margaritas on Tuesdays. I'll keep coming back for trivia, but wouldn't recommend the food. read more

I've driven past this place many times, and admired the old firehouse. A friend recommended it, so my husband and I finally gave it a try. I expected it to be more of a gastropub, but it is definitely a family restaurant. This would have been fine, if we hadn't been sat in the kiddie section (Engine Room). I teach 700 rowdy kids a week, I don't want to experience them in my free time as well. The noise level in the room quickly became obnoxious, like Chuck E. Cheese obnoxious, so we asked to be seated in the main dining area. We were sat at another table by our waitress, then the hostess came and told us we had to move, when we said we were ready to leave, she offered us a hightop at the bar. Honestly, I don't know why she didn't seat us there to begin with. The atmosphere was definitely charming in the main dining area, but the food was unremarkable. I don't think we will be back, but I would definitely recommend it if you want to drink beer surrounded by young children. read more

3.5 Actually we ended up here on New Year's Eve after Erwin screwed up our reservation and could only offer us a makeshift table in the Men's room. (Even the valet took pity on us and refused compensation, so we tipped him $10 for his kindness.) On the long drive home amidst angry babbling and incoherent cursing, we realized we were famished and when we drove by the Fire House Drill, er Grill - figured, "What the H***" Suffice it to say it was not crowded and we sat at the bar. It was still early and the manager was tending - he was very friendly and comped us a round of beers. We chatted for awhile about the restaurant business and he showed us a catering menu. (Yes J.B. -They do do bridal showers...!) Our burgers were competent and cooked to order. The ambience was masculine and warm and felt like anything but New Year's Eve. Back at home we watched the festivities on TV. Later we enjoyed BBQ ribs and sides that I had purchased earlier ((from MERLE'S, ahem, Dee W.) intending to enjoy on New Year's DAY. That plus good champagne finally washed away the nasty taste in our mouths left from not eating at Erwin. read more

We were there one busy night a couple of weeks ago and apparently caught the kitchen while they were just swamped with orders and came out with substandard food, and wrote a review pointing that out. The owner reached out to me and let me know they were already taking steps to fix the issues I ran into. Last weekend I dropped in almost on a whim to see how they were doing -- they were about as busy as they were last time, but the food was just as it should be, the servers were busy but smiling, and I had a really nice meal. (A followup visit a few days later with the family was just as good.) We still eat there frequently, which is why I'm now four-starring them. It's a fun place to have dinner, the food is great, and the servers are just awesome. read more

Whenever in Evanston area this is the place my mom, brother and I enjoy! They have delicious cheese burgers and fries!! There pretzels and cheese are super tastey!!! Foods always delicious!!! read more

Firehouse Grill - Delicious cheese burger and fries ! - American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Whoever took over as the chef is doing a great job! Friendly staff and cool historic building. I'm also a big fan of the party room upstairs! read more

I have to say, I was a little bit disappointed by Firehouse. Touted as an "Official Blackhawks Bar," I went in with an expectation of a full house, good crowd, lots of TV's, game sound, the works. I mean, I drove from Round Lake to Evanston to watch Game 5. When we walked in, we were greeted by two TVs in the bar. Two. When we inquired for a table for 8, they stashed us away in a side room away from the rest of the establishment, with one small TV and three tables. Not exactly the ambiance I was going for with an important Hawks game on the line! Needless to say, we relocated to a different establishment before the game started, with a much livelier atmosphere. Our server and the host weren't even sad to see us go, nor did they try to accommodate us better. They just said "okay, no problem, bye!" I think I'll pass on Firehouse in the future for watching sports. read more

Sweet place. This is a bar with pretty good food. There are shuffle boards and pool tables on the top. We were a group of four and it was saturday evening, we had the entire top floor to ourselves, we would have been playing pool for like 1.5 hrs. I was under the impression that pool was free, apparently it wasn't, maybe because it was a weekend. (P.S. Word of advice - please ask the rates before playing) Drinks were fairly priced and staff were friendly. I would definitely see this as a decent spot for hanging out around the area. read more

I love the "New" Firehouse Grill! The staff is all very nice and friendly. The new space makeover is contemporary and inviting. Love the menu's variety. I crave their Firehouse burger and Candlelite white Detroit style pizza . I also love their new patio, perfect place to hang with friends and drink/eat. I would highly recommend Firehouse Grill as a great cozy, neighborhood joint! read more

Water comes with dirt inside the glass The Turkey Reuben must have been made with Turkey from last thanksgiving. I have been sick since I had this sandwich Price is normal for the area read more

The manager Fritz, was friendly, very accommodating, and rectified an issue with our online order for pickup without any trouble. Great service, very helpful. The Detroit style pizza was delicious. Highly recommend. read more

When this place opened, it was great. They had good fries and one of the best steak sandwiches on earth. Then I attended two dismal house-catered events in the upstairs space. We're talking room-temperature rubbery hamburgers, crummy potato wedges, and sub-Jewel-level cookies. I ate here three times after that, and the food deteriorated each time. Not sure what happened, but that steak sandwich became tough and bland with stale, crappy bread. I finally stopped trying about two years ago. If the steak sandwich returned to its former glory, I would probably eat here every other month. read more

I've been here three times and each time was less than stellar. The first time, the service was sketchy at best and I got the feeling that our waitress didn't really want to be there. She asked me how I want my meat cooked, and I requested medium and received it very well done and dry and my side was wrong. The second time, I got a burger and although it was a decent burger, again, I requested medium and got it crispy and dry. The worst part of this visit was that the waitress brought us our check before we even got our food. This was forgivable, because it was very fairly busy. Tonight, we went there and there was a sign saying "Please seat yourself," which I'm totally ok with doing. We attempted to grab the last available booth, but it was still messy with food (all over the table), a booster seat and napkins on the seat. I attempted to flag down a waiter to have the spot cleared, but the wait staff showed little sense of urgency, as they were busy joking about what was on the TV. Finally, the waiter comes over and we request that the booth be cleaned. Shortly after, a bus boy came out and cleared the dishes, but did not clean the table, leaving remnants of the previous occupants dinner on the table. We decided to leave, but before leaving, I made sure to point it out to a less than sympathetic shift manager. We were in there for nine minutes (timed against the parking meter) and left unsatisfied. We opted to go to the Candlelite, which was a five star choice. According to my fiance, the chili at Firehouse is excellent. I stand by my statement that their steaks are mediocre and their burgers are decent. Don't expect to get them any other way than well done. read more

The food and drinks are fantastic: the burgers are always cooked perfectly (I recommend The Chief with a fried egg), and we love the desserts and drinks, too: don't even get me started on the Firehouse Cookie Bucket; your life will be forever better with the cookie bucket in it! Four stars because it always takes us FOREVER to get out of here! Last week we sat in our booth for almost ten minutes waiting for our check, and then another fifteen minutes for our waitress to grab our card. One time we waited a half hour to get the check, only to find out our waitress left for the night! read more