No wait time, easy to read menu, and great service. We order steak with mushrooms, fries, and veggies. Also a sushi pizza with the pulled pork. So yummy live the fried bread rice in the pizza and the steak was yum! Not very crowded so not very loud but it was great. read more

Firehouse Grill - Steak with mushroom sauce - Sushi Bars Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

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We walked into Firehouse Grill with no prior information and had the absolutely best meal in weeks! The menu is surprising--including cornbread muffins and jambalaya! We ordered burgers--best burgers we've eaten in a long time. Amazing food, prepared and quickly out of the kitchen. Beautiful presentation. Service was perfect. Chef (owner?) came out to meet us and we learned his history, including time spent in New Orleans where he learned how to prepare cornbread and jambalaya. Interesting note--we'd asked for restaurant recommendations and this one had not been mentioned by anyone. Honestly, don't know how the other places could beat Firehouse Grill for service, selection, and taste. Next day, sitting in Vancouver, we talked about riding the ferry back to Nanaimo to eat here for a second time. read more

The restaurant was near empty, didn't get attended to for a while, worker had attitude and didn't know the menu. It took over 20 minutes for 2 items. read more

A far cry from the old Firehouse Grill on Victoria. Service was very poor. We were seated for half an hour, in the midst of the wait staff traffic, before we got *water*. Orders and food took longer. Food wasn't bad but not up to standard of former Firehouse fare. read more

After many wonderful times for dinner, something changed. My family of 10, including my parents and aging grandmother, came for dinner a few months ago. The restaurant was involved in some cross-contamination and added 2 shrimp to my grandmothers chicken fettuccine (she's 92 and is deathly allergic to all seafood and shellfish. It took 10 days of her being in bed to recover). My 20-year-old chef of a son returned a well-done and bland steak and asked for seafood chowder. That came back battleship gray, absolutely lifeless and not even hot. My steak was over cooked and under seasoned as well. Their world famous prawn appetizer was soggy by the time it reached the table. Unfortunately, it was so soggy that when you dip it into the accompanying sauce, the shrimp couldn't even stand up and just drooped over. In fact, of the 10 of us... The only one that didn't complain with my daughter and she just got a Caesar salad!! I've sent three messages via the Facebook page to this company and although all three have been read, they haven't replied one time. It's OK to make mistakes, but when I family comes in and spends $1000 on one meal to celebrate and that meal goes sideways... Resolve the issue. Don't ignore it Just... Beyond... Words read more

Firehouse Grill - Text convo - Sushi Bars Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

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Great relaxed atmosphere, friendly staff, and great food. I enjoyed a chicken sandwich and my wife was very impressed with the sushi. Great value, you can't go wrong. read more

This was an impromptu visit with an island friend. She is a local and decided to where we should have our dinner! She did not disappoint! I would definitely comeback here and recommend this! Their beer selections have local brewery and I find that pretty cool as now I reside in California and there's definitely a difference between BC sand CenCal beer. My spouse had Hoyne Pilsner light on the palette and still Hopsy. Our friend had rasberry beer which is more full and hopsy however the rasberry part made it crisp and refreshing. I had the Mojito and the only let down was I ordered double and it didn't taste like one. Maybe I'm just used to American alcohol. It's still good though!! The Miyagi was very spicy for my liking I still tried it and I still enjoyed it. Just washed out the spice with alcohol! The pickled pink part was very sour, I wished there was something to balance it out. I had the Blackened halibut and it's a so-so for me. Nothing to special about it, I just ate it and finished it. What I liked about this place was the vintage feel in which it used to be a firehouse. The place is small but maybe they're also following covid protocol so they cannot accommodate a lot of guest. As said again I will comeback and would recommend. read more

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One of the coolest restaurants in Downtown Nanaimo! Went here with some coworkers and we devoured all the sushi rolls. The waitress recommend we try the following rolls (shown in the picture), and some appies. We lost track of which roll was which, but we adored them all. Presentation of al the food was lovely as well, as they put all our food on one giant silver platter. This was plenty of food for the 4 of us: - Salmon tuna sashimi (14 pieces) - Fighting Buddha roll - Hookah roll - Dynamite Hawaiian roll - Spicy Sanchez roll - Black and blue tataki - Volcano roll We even came back a second time a few weeks later, and ordered the exact same thing! Friendly service, and you can call ahead of time to put in your order if you are in a rush. When it's a sunny day, its a great spot to have lunch in as well. I assume it use to be a firehall due to its name and architecture of the restaurant. Super cool! read more

Firehouse Grill - Salmon tuna sashimi, Fighting Buddha roll, Hookah roll, Dynamite Hawaiian roll, spicy Sanchez roll, Black and blue tataki, Volcano roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

it was very very busy for a monday night which is surprising but also i guess not many options here. the server was very sweet and nice. but the food did take a very long time to come. the fish was fresh but that's not hard for BC. nothing special. read more

Firehouse Grill - jambalaya - Sushi Bars Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

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Service: 10/10 Friendly, Quick to Cater & Professional Drinks: 10/10 Tea infused drinks to classic Cocktails. Plenty varieties. Food: 10/10 By far the most creative 'Sushi Rolls' I've ever had. Plenty to experience if you're feeling adventurous & of course there are the staple 'A la carte' style Sashimis. read more

This place used to be good when it was in the old firehouse. We tried the new location, and it was such a disappointment. My husband's favourite dish, the black and blue steak and pasta is no longer on the menu. He ordered the steak and veg that's on the menu in its place, priced $42. The steak looked like it had been cooked from frozen and was so tough he could barely saw through it with a knife. He abandoned even trying to eat it after a couple of bites. The server was pleasant but at no point came to see how our meals were. I finished my sushi which was fine and she just asked if he wanted it boxed up. The ambiance isn't great either. Like eating at a five guys. read more

Came to Firehouse Grill on Friday Night, October 18th, 2019. It was pretty packed, ended up waiting for about 20 minutes to get a table, which is not too bad as I live in Vancouver and that's a standard wait time. We were seated by our waitress and not given the actual Menu, just a specials menu, we looked around and saw that other tables had a larger menu so we had to go and ask someone for a menu. We initially had thought the specials and drinks menu was it as that's all our server gave us. We waited about 14 minutes then got up and asked another server if we can order. We ordered a Vegetarian Burger with black pepper french fries. As a vegetarian, I would have rather spent my money at A&W and would have enjoyed those French Fries and the Beyond Meat Burger way more. The French fries were not crispy, they seemed kind of stale. We also tried the Vegetarian Sushizza, you're better off getting a Vegetable Roll of Sushi, I would not suggest ordering that again. We tried the Dessert Platter with Citrus Pie, Brownie, and Cheesecake. That was a pretty delicious combination. Everything was just right! The only reason I am even giving 2 stars to this place was because of the dessert, my Pear Somersby Cider and the actual look of Firehouse Grill. I like the concept they have. The actual service was terrible, our waitress was not welcoming and did not even deserve the tip that we left her. If I did not feel so bad not leaving a tip, I would have left her zero. Server # 001973, name starts with a "W" as per our receipt. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be coming back here to eat, maybe grab a drink one day if I'm really feeling it. read more

HORRIBLE TASTELESS GREASY we order four rolls & a prawn tempura. The Black & Blue roll we were left chewing on woody asparagus, the California had ZERO flavour, Dynamite had no tobiko is the nicest thing I can say about it, WestCoaster had NOT 1 SINGLE SCALLOP on it and looked like a dirty white sock that had been washed too many times-so unappealing, the PRAWNS WERE NOT LARGE as stated in the menu and were the greasiest I have ever ever ever had - bar none! No liquor licence so we couldn't even wash it down. We left hungry and miserable with $85 out of our pockets. We drove to another restaurant and had a nice meal. EPIC FAILURE OF AN ESTABLISHMENT. They should put Pirate Chips back there at least it wasn't as greasy as this place. read more

We made our first visit to the new Firehouse location. Service was excellent so thank you Lua and Alexis. The sushi and tempura was perfectly prepared and had a wonderful taste. The only downside was customer related. Pet peeve 1, people who bring small children to an adult restaurant and then do nothing when the child is misbehaving so we all have to listen to it ruin an otherwise great meal. Pet peeve 2, customers that continuously raise the volume of conversation over other conversations if everyone talked quietly it would be a much more pleasant experience especially in the much smaller lolol cation which I found cozy and comfortable. We will be back but will definitely aim for a quieter time. read more

Just went to Fire house yesterday and the food tasted amazing. My friends and I had different dishes and all of them were good so far. I had seafood sushizza and pasta. Love them from the first bite. The price is affordable. We enjoyed a lot. Service: 10/10 Food: 10/10 read more

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I have to be honest when I was told we were heading out to Nanaimo for Sushi I wasn't exactly jumping up and down. I live in San Francisco where Sushi restaurants are a dime a dozen and even the little corner joints are pretty damn good. Well slap me silly because I have a new favorite place on Vancouver Island! The Firehouse Grill as the name says is located in an old firehouse. I happen to love businesses that take up residence in old converted buildings so right away a few points were scored. As soon as we stepped into the place there was a nice buzz in the air and we hadn't even been drinking yet. This place was pretty busy with a lively crowd - another good sign to me. What I really liked most is how they situated the sushi bar as the focal point when you walk into the restaurant. You have no choice but to walk intimately past it where everything is proudly displayed and the chefs are happily creating the dishes little nuggets of goodness you will soon enjoy. Why hide it...flaunt it I say and that is just what they did! One of the guests in our party knows the sushi chef so we were fortunate enough to have them take control of the menu. I can't exactly tell you what we ate but I will say this sushi had a twist. Sure there were some traditional ingredients but they were paired with some great sauces that complimented the main ingredient. Everything I had was amazing! No lie I was so surprised at how fresh and tasty everything was in every bite. The flavors just exploded for me. This place could easily come to San Francisco and be a hit. Their little twist really sets them apart from any of the sushi houses I have been too. Sure it may not sit well with a traditional Japanese sushi eater but they are not trying to be traditional. And no doubt if that is what you want you will find it on the menu. If they keep up this quality it will continue to be a destination spot. The crowd was very hip and I would gather local since it was in the off season on the island. Guaranteed when word gets out and the warm weather sets in this place will have them lining up out the door. Thanks to the staff for a great night out in Nanaimo. As our fine Governor of California once said: "I'LL BE BACK!" read more

Firehouse Grill - New Years Sushi Platter - Sushi Bars Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

EXCELLENT service! The food was amazing (we went 2 nights) in a row! The staff recognized us from the night before, which was awesome! The manager was working on new spring drinks, asked our opinions, lemon with Soda or seven up, vodka and fresh blueberries!the drinks were great. The food was FRESH and fast! I just can't say enough about this place! Was a GEM! Go if you want black n blue coffee rubbed tuna salad, home made dressing, the Sushi suburb! Hubby had the cracklin shrimp n chicken.. To die for! All n all staff n food 5 STARS! read more

Firehouse Grill - Sushi Bars Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

I ordered my steak sandwitch rare and the steak came to me medium well so i very nicely sent it back to have another one made it took a long time and the place was dead... when it finally got to me it was RAW and cold. I paid for my beer and left hungry read more

Staying in Nanaimo for work, I didn't feel much like the typical Cactus Club fare. So I asked some locals what they suggest. Firehouse Grill came up, so I decided to give it a shot. The atmosphere is great, in an old heritage brick building with nice modern furnishings. The food is a mix of western and Japanese choices. I went with the pulled pork sandwich with chowder. The chowder was good, creamy and hearty. An the sandwich was also good. However it recieves my three stars because the price was high for some foods, the special rolls for example. The servers were great and prompt. An overall good dining experience read more

Firehouse Grill - Sushi Bars Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

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Love the building, ambiance inside is great! Great service too Neighbourhood was a little sketchy Food was delicious, sushi was big and fancy and fresh lots of fusion/special rolls The crazy shrimp appetizer was our favorite The hot wings seemed a little over-salty but they were huge and crispy and the sauce would have been delicious if it wasn't too salty read more

The spicy chicken burger and mushroom soup I had and the wife's salad were very good so four stars. The sushi I saw go by was of the covered in goo and bits variety and was gigantic. Didn't have so can't say but I'm more of a sushi traditionalist so I probably wouldn't order anyways. read more

We recently took my Dad to Firehouse Grill for his 90th birthday. The food was super....loved the tuna tataki salad and the tempura....so good and different. The service was wonderful. I would highly recommend this restaurant. We came in by seaplane and it was only a 2 minute walk. read more

Really good food - like really good. The Magic Shrimp was especially tasty. Also, do yourself a favour and get a Caesar. The only drawback is that they don't take American Express. read more

We've been regulars here for some time now when visiting Nanaimo, but for a while it was a staff problem that made us almost not want to come back. This issue seems to be fixed, at least at the bar anyways, which is where we always sit. The last several visits (over the last two-three months) they have had some new bar staff or management, not sure, but it is so much better now. They are attentive and friendly and it makes us enjoy our experience...finally. We have also been ordering the chef's choice at the sushi bar and we have been so impressed. We've been treated very well by the sushi chefs and they take great care presenting their food. read more

Firehouse Grill - Chef's choice sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

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Really modern and uptown place. Not what I expected at all.. it's got a very posh feel to the restaurant. Definitely not casual! Food was delicious staff were friendly and the dining room is very large and open with a beautiful view of the ocean. read more

Had such a good supper here tonight with friends from work. Had the Hawaiian Dynamite and Woodstock sushi , love the presentation always looks like a piece of art . Would recommend to anyone wanting to try something new and different lots of options on the menu and server was very helpful. read more

Firehouse Grill - Sushi Bars Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

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This was our first and only visit to the Firehouse Grill. My wife found it online and liked the reviews and the menu, so we made the trip up from Victoria, what a disappointment. It all started out good and started to go downhill fast, there was only 1 waitress on duty with the bartender/manager helping, it was a little busy but not that bad. The waitress was slow to take our drink order and to deliver it The main issue was with my wife's order, she asked for a lettuce wrapped burger, she is celiac, and the waitress said that would be no problem, my wife went on to say that her order had to be gluten free, which as she was still placing her order, we all thought the waitress took note. When the food was delivered, by the manager, she told my wife that hers would have to be changed to a chicken burger because the patties had gluten in them. They didn't give my wife a choice, just said they would make a chicken burger. The rest of us were all finished our meals before the chicken burger arrived, mean while the waitress had come to the table and said my wife didn't say she was a celiac and tried to put the blame on her. Then when the bill came, they only offered a 25% discount and again tried to blame my wife for the mistake. I complained and they removed it from the bill, all the while the waitress grumbled that it wasn't her fault. The manager never came to discuss the problem, just left us with her disgruntled waitress, hence the review they earned. read more

Don't go to Firehouse hoping to catch the game... I wanted a place to watch the last Canucks playoff game - the big one against the Blackhawks - and decided to forgo my ferry trip to watch it at Firehouse. I walked in and saw hockey flags and a few TVs above the bar so I went to grab a couple seats. Was told the two spots I wanted at the bar were reserved so I sucked it up and sat somewhere with a slight angle to the TVs. (No one ever actually came in to get those seats.) I ordered up a delicious Sushi Caesar - with ponzo and soy sauce and a wasabi dusting on the rim - and kicked back to watch the game start. When it did start there was no sound. I mentioned it to the server and he went to talk to someone about it. You could tell he wanted to hear it too, but was told they wouldn't put the volume up. The same woman who told me the seats were reserved seemed to be in charge so I approached her and was told that it was not allowed. I pushed further, wondering if it was a condition of their license but was told it was the owner's policy not to play sound along with the games. What's the point? You think I watch hockey 'cause it's pretty to look at? The place had about 3 tables filled and everyone was looking up at the TVs, along with everyone at the bar, however this staff member was more interested in rules and working within them, than being flexible to her clientele. She made it sound like having the TVs on in the first place was a favour...instead of what it really was which was a place misrepresenting itself. I found it hard to stay, explained this to her, paid for my drink and left without ordering dinner for my guest and I. read more

Something for everyone at this restaurant with a view! Great and creative sushi, great burgers, great service and wonderful ambiance. A must-visit when in Nanaimo! read more

Had a great family diner at the Firehouse. Very very accommodating for our group. Food was awesome, very happy with all parts of the meal, from the first cocktail till the final course. - thanks read more

The three words that best describe this place are Me, dee and ochre. I don't mind paying top prices for great food, but this missed the mark. The halibut was only just edible for $28. My friend's wild sockeye salmon was edible but over cooked, $24. The seafood jambalaya was inedible ($19) -- this should more accurately be called fish with ketchup and rice. The best thing we had were the yam fries, for which I am giving this place 2 stars instead of one. read more

Gorgeous aesthetic in a historic firehouse draws you in hard and fast with its exposed brick interior and a fun fusion vibe on the menu. Food- took around 40 minutes for the food to arrive after ordering (sexy salmon and volcano roll 7/10 ; crab cakes and house chowder 6/10) Service- 5/10 fairly underwhelming service. Not unfriendly or unwelcoming, but somewhat inattentive and I'm a customer who prefers less helicopter service. After eating it took 20 minutes before we got up to ask to pay the bill, it which point it still took 10 minutes to finish paying. Not a particularly busy evening but maybe they were short staffed Overall- would maybe just go with the sushi next time? read more

I suppose if you're from a homogeneous area such as Nanaimo, this passes as "sushi" and "food". However, where I'm from, I am used to locally sourced uni encrusted foie gras if I have to wait 2 hours to get a table. Which this place did not have. Since no Canadian could possibly discriminate against me for not looking "white", I will say this place disappoints severely for not having a menu worth the quoted wait. I mean, I'd understand if this place required reservations months in advance a la The Dorsia, but c'mon. This is Nanaimo. You should appreciate the fact I even have beaver pelts to spend on your mediocre pleb slop. read more

The Firehouse Salmon was awesome! Definitely recommend to order. Seafood Fettuccini was just ok, it tasted kind of plain and the noodles are flavourless. Good atmosphere and cozy, friendly staff. Will go back again but not order Seafood Fettuccini again. read more

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Underwhelmed. This place has great sounding fusion sushi, but that's a tough category to be in. The sushi would have to be very inventive, very tasty, and well priced to receive a great review from me. For us, it did not live up. The rolls were inventive but all and all basically "sushi for non sushi eaters." If there was a way to cover up the raw fish, they did it. So on inventiveness it was not a total hit but quite good. On price it is on the high side. And, finally, and perhaps more importantly, on taste it is just good - not amazing. The ambience was really stellar, being in an old firehouse. Our waitress was very nice, but there were multiple hiccups in terms of a forgotten dish, etc. As a result, overall, this place only earned 3 stars. Worth a visit if you live there, but probably not if you're just visiting. read more

It's rare to find an un-cookie cutter, un-chainy, un-15 dollar hamburger, cool spot with good food AND decent service in Nanaimo. We came into the restaurant not too starving, and not in a hurry, which was good, because they were holding tables for several large parties with reservations, and were told there would be a 45 minute wait. After about 30, there was a cancellation, and we were seated. The tables they were holding were empty our entire meal. They apparently aren't comfortable with the rate of their table turnover. So, if you're on your way to a movie, allow plenty of time. Like I said, we weren't in a hurry to eat, or be in and out, so if the meal is the event, this restaurant is perfect for that. We kept saying it would be a cute date night place. Huge windows overlook downtown Nanaimo, and the decor is upscale and a little funky. I LOVED my sushi... it was fun, L.A. style huge roll sushi, which I was totally stoked on. I started with the miso soup. (meh. skip it.) Another reviewer on here dissed the price of the specialty rolls, but the amount of food in the rolls...they're completely justified in price. I had two rolls, the Fighting Buddha-- salmon, tuna, and avocado, topped with tempura tamago (YUM! the perfect crunchiness), smoked salmon, a yin yang sauce (almost southwestern, maybe chipotle, sauce) black sesame seeds, and salmon roe. It was gorgeously plated. 12 bucks, but 12 pieces of delicious. Not unreasonable at all. I also had the spicy scallop roll. Smaller, but tasty. 7 bucks. Soup and two rolls, and I brought food home. It will be an amazing breakfast tomorrow. The hubby and one kiddo both had the chicken sandwich, marinated in Firehouse chicken sauce, flash-fried, and served with salsa, melted cheddar cheese. Hubby loved the texture of the fried batter, very light, he said, with a toasted, garlic buttery tasting bun. The sides were interesting to choose from-- corn muffin, mashed potatoes, rice, caesar or tossed salad, and pepper fries. Hubby had the fries, yum, I tasted them, kiddo had caesar on the side. Other kiddo had a full size caesar salad. She loves caesar salad, and ate the entire thing. She was especially impressed with the monstrous size of the croutons. The dessert menu was missing that ridiculous, decadent chocolate something, so we skipped it. Kinda disappointed about that. Our service was very friendly -- so not the norm in Nanaimo, and our food came not entirely quickly, but it wasn't completely out of the range of acceptable. Like I said, if you're in a hurry, this isn't it. Their sushi is definitely labour-intensive, I can understand. But do make a reservation. read more

Excellent food and drinks. The sushi rolls never disappoint! The view from the restaurant is also lovely

On a trip to Nanaimo and thought we would give this place a go! I had the black and blue tuna salad and my boyfriend had a California burger, both were great. We were there at about 1 pm on a week day and it wasn't very busy, so I'm not sure how they are at a dinner rush, but service was good and quick and we really did enjoy our meal! If you are looking for some cool fusion sushi, their menu looked quite interesting, although we didn't give it a try! Definitely a spot worth checking out when in Nanaimo! read more

I first went to this restaurant years ago when I was visiting Nanaimo. Now that I have moved here I wanted to try it again and am very happy that I did. I was excited to see something on the menu called the Chefs Choice which is a $30 dish that has whatever the chef feels like making. Since both my friend and I are pretty adventurous when it comes to food, it was a no brainer. While we waited for the sushi we tried Miyagis Magic Prawns which were delicious. Several good sized battered or crusted prawns with some kind of sauce and kimchi salad and rice.... It could have been a meal for one person and we ate every bite. When the sushi arrived it was beautifly presented and the portion was large. There was a seared piece of tuna with some kind of citris rub on it and was served with some rice and more of the kimchi salad. There was also two huge rolls that I can't even attempt to identify. Every bite was perfect and the creative mix of ingredients was spot on. I would say that this is the best restaurant in Nanaimo that I have tried so far and I will be back to try some other dishes soon. read more

Our first time here and sadly will be our last. My husband had sushi which he said was good. I had a cajun chicken caesar salad but the lettuce was not fresh and had some brown spots and the dressing was tasteless. We were there a total of 2 hours which is way too long for a salad and some sushi. read more