On a hot summer night we were drawn to Jack's Firehouse by an inviting outdoor dining area that featured shady trees. It was empty! Empty! on this hot night. There was a reason....they had reserved if for a private party that didn't show up for the entirety of our dining session. They sat us, instead, in the front of the building, a converted firehouse, along one of the big firehouse doors, and on the concrete. There was no AC. That inviting space, it called to us. Sigh. Did I mention it was a hot day? We had timed tickets to Eastern State Penitentiary across the street, so we asked if eating was possible in that timeframe. They assured us it was, and we made it, but barely. We ordered - I got the Big Famous Burger, Lion and Sheba got the southern pulled pork sandwiches. They were fine. Nothing spectacular, just nicely done. I would say though that if they had put a sign out saying the garden area was reserved we probably would have gone elsewhere. read more

Jack's Firehouse - Sign - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Jack's Firehouse is a solid establishment. I haven't been for over a year so I'm glad to see they're still hanging in there. Met a friend for lunch and it was a nice session. Pretty holiday decorations, helpful server named Belle and cozy. Tables are spaced well and everything was clean and tidy. We were given complimentary cornbread mini-muffins w/butter and sour cherries to start and opted for the tasty and substantial fish & chips. That fish was everything. Light batter, flaky--yum! I'm not partial to steak chips but they were fine and the salad was fresh. Top marks for the flavourful tartar sauce & malt vinegar (reminded me of home). Will make a few trips back to Jack's! read more

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All the food was very good! We tried the calamari, crab cake, and southern style pulled pork sandwich. The meal also comes with complimentary corn bread muffins at the start and coolies at the end. We were not dissatisfied with anything! read more

Delicious food, great service, complimentary mini corn bread muffins to start and complimentary mini cookies to finish.

This place is awesome - huge portions and great service. Had an omelet that looked like it was 6 eggs. Great ambience for a restaurant - former firehouse - don't live in Philly but have been to city so many times and never knew about this place My server Lidia was phenomenal read more

Jack's is a solid BBQ spot in Fairmount with ample seating inside the refurbished fire station turned restaurant and outside on the patio. Service is always good. The meats are always tasty, but the sides could use a little more seasoning. The prices are a little steep, but I still think it's worth checking out if you're in the area. They always give complimentary corn muffins as an app and cookies for dessert which is a nice touch. They also offer a full brunch menu on weekends in addition to the standard bbq. read more

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Nice spot in Fairmount during the warmer months you can order a Bloody Mary and sit outside. The food is okay, I usually just stick to the apps. The management is always welcoming and offer great customer service. read more

Jack's Firehouse - Bloody Mary - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Came here for brunch while visiting the Eastern State Penitentiary. Very lively and good size portions. They offer complimentary cornbread muffins before the meal and mini chocolate chip cookies after. Waiters are attentive and provide excellent service. There is a automatic 20% tip included in the bill, but it is worth it for the excellent service. read more

Totally grateful for Jack's Firehouse for taking a party of 8 last minute during brunch hours on a Saturday. Went here after completing the half marathon and I was starving! HIGHLY recommend the lobster Mac & cheese. They don't skimp out in the lobster and it was just simply delicious. Good enough portion too. I also really enjoyed the crab Benedict ! Very satisfying choice as well. I don't recommend the steak and eggs. It was just lacking in taste for me. I ordered a mimosa. Let me tell you - bartender didn't make it primarily orange juice lol. If you like it strong, you came to the right place. I personally didn't like it that strong so I had to add more orange juice to mine. Service was great. Got all our orders correct and in a timely manner. My friend requested to have her cocktail made differently and the bartender was able to accommodate. Bathrooms were clean but not fond of the wooden doors stalls with the hook. (I know, I'm weird for commenting on the bathroom but this is important to me! Haha) I would come back to Jack's if I'm in Fairmount again. And you'll definitely find me ordering the lobster Mac & cheese again ! read more

Jack's Firehouse - Crab Benedict - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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When I used to live in Philly, Jack's Firehouse one of our favorite place to go. 7 years later, after taking dear friends to a place we called home we ended having dinner at Jack's. Jack's is located in FairMount Ave and 22th St. there is a lot of places to park in the street. Usually, after a long time of a business of being established we were delighted that Jack's has not lost their great cuisine. All its famous decorations are still in their same place. Has more tables outside (sidewalk), garden area, and inside. Each table has hand sanitizer for their patreons. The menus are now printed papers to be discarded, instead of their usual carte. Our hostess was outstanding. She moved recently from Texas, was very friendly like any Philadelphian, and made sure that we were well taken care of. Beer selection was amazing. Our friends and my wife had Jack's famous ribs, mac and cheese, collards, and mashed potatoes. I had Jacks's famous burger. I tried my wife plate with ribs, collards, and mac 'n cheese and it was amazing. I regret not ordering it as well. My burger was so good, but not as flavorful as the ribs. Jack's Firehouse has not lost their magic touch in American cuisine in Philadelphia. If I were to give an award, I will creat one where I would give 3 Ben Franklin to it which will be equivalent to 3 Michelin stars. read more

Jack's Firehouse - Returning home - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Let me start off by saying if i could give this place 1000 stars i would. This is for one reason and employee names Will and his amazing, outstanding and delicious garlic aioli. I ordered the handheld called the big burger with a shareable called the fire house fries. They were good on their own but with Will's handmade garlic aioli it was unreal. If you are in Philadelphia and need a good place to eat and get garlic aioli please come to this restaurant. For dessert i had the brownies which were also made by will. Those were also goos on their own but dipped in the garlic aioli they were 1000x better. Not getting the garlic aioli when you come here is one of the biggest mistakes you could make. When you come to this restaurant make sure you ask for Will as your server so you could get his soon to be world famous garlic aioli. Overall this is the best garlic aioli i have ever had and i am a garlic aioli addict. read more

Jack's Firehouse - Garlic aioli - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I came here on a Sunday afternoon and my friend and I both ordered salads. The corn muffins to start were a nice touch. The service was okay, our waiter tried the best he could and was honest with us when we sat down that there were some issues causing service to be slow that day. It seemed a bit chaotic, hopefully the management figured that out. read more

A repurposed firehouse that was first built in the 1800's, this bar/restaurant was a great find for lunch after a morning/early afternoon spent at the nearby Philadelphia Museum Of Art. They start you off with a basketful of fresh and warm cornbread muffins with cherry jam. Delicious. We had the calamari and a bowl of New England Clam Chowder as appetizers. Both were awesome. For the main event, we had the cheeseburger and the Catfish Po' Boy. Both were great. No room for dessert, although they did give us some homemade chocolate chip cookies when they brought out the bill. We left stuffed. I'll definitely come back next time I'm in Philadelphia. . read more

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Great food, great service! A nice afternoon stop after your Eastern State Penitentiary tour.

Let's start with the positives... The ambience is super cool! The dark wood and authentic firehouse Paul are pretty awesome. Unfortunately, that is where the positives end. They came for lunch during the week between Christmas and New Year's, and the place was deserted. Only one other table had people at it. We were greeted warmly by a waitress who was accompanied by someone she was training. I asked if there was a kids menu and she said that it was only verbal. The children ordered chicken and fries and I ordered the chili. We were given cornbread while waiting for the food to be prepared. The cornbread was mid. The children got decent size, chicken, and fries but unfortunately my son said they were terrible and chicken and fries is a major food group for him. He did not even eat half of it. The chili was not edible. It sounded like it would be delicious as it is made with brisket, but unfortunately, after one bite, I refuse to eat anything more. I was pleased that the waitress took it off the check. if you're looking for a cool place to grab a drink before heading over to the Eastern state penitentiary across the street I would recommend but save your appetite for a different location! read more

Starving after a couple of hours wandering around across the street at the penitentiary (as museum goers, not inmates). It was a perfect, gorgeous day, so we chose this place for its lovely outdoor sidewalk seating. I started with the honeysuckle sangria (~ $10)I'm a fan of any citrus based alcohol, so I liked the blood orange vodka component. Nicely cold and tasty, especially liked the chunked up apples. The BLT caesar salad ($14) came with discernible big pieces of bacon, cherry tomatoes and of course, romaine lettuce. The salmon I added was grilled perfectly - wish it had been a bigger size. The nice surprises were the little cornbread samplers that were complimentary and included a kind of sweet jam and a flavored butter. Yes, please, I'll have 5 more of those jalapeno ones! And after we finished our meal, one more surprise - tiny little chewy chocolate chip cookies! WHUT. So so good. read more

Jack's Firehouse - Jacks Blt Caesar Salad with salmon - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Love the decor. Love the large bottles of water. The fried green tomatoes were amazing! The Po boy sandwich was fair. Way too much bread. Dry! My boys 10 and 13 didn't like the MAC and Cheese on the kids menu. My wife got the Apple salad and enjoyed it. The desert was good but then it's rare that it isn't. Right across the street from the Eastern Pennsylvania penitentiary and a Public parking lot. read more

Jack's Firehouse - Jack's - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Atmosphere here is lovely! We loved our drinks and food! Food is always great here just think they skimp out when it comes to protein in the meals. For example our calamari appetizer had 10 calamari and they made it look like a lot more with a ton of thinly fried carrots and jalapeños throughout. Then the blt salad came with only four regular sized shrimp! The food definitely is more expensive than it should be here. read more

I would not return for the food. Great location and service, maybe a cocktail at the bar and some corn muffins

My husband and I came here as we walk past it almost daily because we live on Fairmount Ave. It was hot out and we wanted a drink and an appetizer. We were greeted warmly by the staff and pleased by the cool atmosphere of the place. We ordered a beer and an aperol spritz. They really hit the spot on such a hot day. The complimentary cornbread muffins are the best things they have, by far. Just so so good. We also ordered the pulled pork nachos, but they were just OK. The food was definitely lacking, but the service and the drinks brought things up to 3.5 stars for me. Overall, it's a pretty good pick, but we probably will be back just for drinks in the future...oh and those cornbread muffins. Overall 3.5 stars. read more

Jack's Firehouse - Good drinks - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Wow. Don't sleep on this gem. As a party of six we needed a dinner reservation in this particular neighborhood so we chose Jack's. The reservation had to be done by phone and the staff member was extra nice, we found parking on the block, and the inside was warm and a nice vibe. I had no expectations for the food but the menu looked great and not the same items you always see. Each of us ordered something different for an entree and we were all blown away. Food was INCREDIBLE and service was great. Crab cake was raved about, maple glazed pork chop was insane, friend chicken, filet mignon terrific and excellent burger. Mini corn muffins were a nice tough. We can't wait to go back. read more

Excellent lunch here. The pulled pork sandwiches were awesome, nice chill atmosphere and friendly servers. Off season, mid-week we got in without a reservation, looked like you'd want to plan ahead if going at a busier time. read more

The firehouse salad was fabulous! Much better than I expected. They give complimentary cornbread and chocolate chip cookies which were both really, really good! That was the highlight for my mom I did not love the firehouse Chardonnay but not bad for the price. Service was good! It was pretty hot in there but other than that the restaurant was clean, chill, casual read more

Food was so bland I thought I had COVID. I got the BLT Caesar salad and it was drenched in dressing so everything was soggy except the croutons which were rock hard. Boyfriend had the Philly Cheesesteak which was on bread that tasted like it was stale. We saw another customer complain to the staff by knocking her hand on her burger bun to show how stale the bun was. Waitress was rude and kept forgetting our waters on a 95* day. The only redeeming part of the meal was the complementary mini chocolate chip cookies that came at the end. It was the only thing that tasted good and fresh. Also, why is there a canoe in what supposed to be a fire house? weird read more

Super nice workers! They honestly seemed pricey until I saw the food. It was in a nice little location right next to the eastern state penitentiary. So fun! read more

Food was amazing!!! Pablo was our bartender and server and he was awesome! So kind and very attentive. Ambiance was spot on and perfect for a rainy day. I can't wait to go back!! read more

This place has two great things going for it. Its location directly across the street from Eastern State Penitentiary so its an easy pre- or post-visit stop. It's also a super cool old fire hall and it has an amazing old crew boat hanging above the bar. However, the food and service was pretty mediocre. The burger looked fabulous that my niece got-- she's a 12-year old burger connoisseur and she liked It. But the cheesesteaks were pretty bad. I would not recommend them. And I'm not from Philly nor am I a cheesesteak connoisseur.... they just weren't good. Meat way too dry, roll too bulky and dry... peppers and onions not adequately grilled... The service was also lacking. It was lunch, they were not busy and had tons of wait staff but we felt like they were debating who would come over and serve us as if we were disturbing them. And we had to ask for everything... extra napkins, extra ketchup, water refills.... and then wait. And for what we got, it was not inexpensive. I know it's Philly but $90 (before tip) for 5 meals not in center city-- 4 of them the pictured cheesesteak and the 5th the burger plate (substitute burger for cheesesteak in pic). We only had water to drink....in part because ordering a soda gets you one of those tiny cokes in a glass bottle... If it weren't for the location, I wouldn't recommend it at all. read more

Jack's Firehouse - The cheesesteak. - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I received a gift certificate from Jacks. I had not been in years so went for Valentines Day. Pretty disappointing . The tipoff should have been that it was empty on Valentines Day. I had pork chops that were overdone, dry and tasteless. My wife had crab cakes that were tasteless surrounded by tasteless couscous. The salads were good and large enough for two. The desserts were three kinds of brownies which I passed. It used to be good, but no more read more

Southern style on Fairmont. Cornbread is fantastic. Food are decent. Wish beer menu be more extensive. read more

Jack's Firehouse - Cornbread - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Turns out it's a tourist trap. The chicken and waffles was awful somehow - dry chicken and soggy waffle. Couldn't even eat it. They saw us leave a plate full of food and didn't even ask about it. It's also incredibly overpriced. And they told me cherries and cornbread is a southern thing, but as a southerner no one I know has ever heard of it. Feels inauthentic to me. The ambience outside looked so nice. Too bad we will never be back. read more

i made a reservation here for my graduation dinner and i couldn't have been more pleased. the restaurant is gorgeous, we sat outside and it was like a garden oasis back there. our waiter was incredibly friendly, attentive, and kind. the food was amazing, and they even treated myself to a free mocktail for my graduation and some free pecan cookies that everyone loved. standouts of the meal were the calamari and the butter cake. 10/10 would recommend going here and will definitely be back read more

On my visit here last week, Jack's was offering a 3-course winter menu which I decided to try. For $30, you get a full-sized appetizer, entree, and dessert. Here's what I picked: -Brussels Sprouts: These were perfectly cooked, and a big portion! The creamy dipping sauce that came on the side didn't do anything for me but I didn't mind it. I shared these with the table and everyone else really liked them as well - especially those crunchy outer leaves. -Miso-Glazed Salmon: The salmon was prepared nicely with crispy skin. I could have used a little more miso flavor and maybe something more acidic on the side to cut through the fattiness of the salmon + sweetness of the sauce. I also wished I had more of the greens served on the side. Overall this was good but I would probably try something else as an entree next time. I will say that portion-wise, this and the brussels sprouts were enough to fill me up. -Almond Toffee Butter Cake: This was incredible. Dessert is rarely my favorite part of the meal but in this case it definitely - pardon the pun - takes the cake. Each slice had a chewy bottom layer with a meringue-like crispy shell on top. I wish I could get the recipe for this and try to make it at home. Great way to end the meal. I stole a few bites/sips of my dining companions' options as well. The Black Eyed Pea Soup was pretty tasty, and I'd say that's a good choice for an app. I also liked the Kentucky Peach cocktail, although it was mixed with finely diced peach pieces instead of the puree listed on the menu, which made drinking it a little weird. Another highlight of the meal: a small dish of warm corn muffins with salted butter and raspberry preserves was brought to our table before our appetizers arrived. They were delicious, and a really nice gesture to bring these on the house. The regular menu prices seemed a little high, but the special winter menu was definitely worth it. I saw the value in the three courses, and the brussels sprouts, almond cake, and complimentary corn muffins were highlights of the meal. read more

I wanted to order the crab cake so I asked the waitress if the crab cake had a lot of filler. She said no she thought it had a lot of crabs. So I ordered the crab cake. It came out to be about 80% filler and about 20% crab. I picked out the pieces of crab and I showed the head guy that all the filler and he tried to tell me that I was showing him the couscous but it was actually the filler that I was showing him. He tried to tell me that it was 20% filler and 80% crab. It was not it was the other way around. I don't suggest ordering the crab cake unless you want to eat a lot of filler. I did not like their attitude about it. If he looked he could have saw that it was still her and not couscous. Do not order the crab cake if you want to eat crab. read more

We stopped in tonight and ordered takeout and the food and service were outstanding. We had our two kids with us and Dan, Mike, and Henry behind the bar all went out of their way to make our 5 year old feel special even after he instantly spilled his entire apple juice all over the counter. They could not have been more friendly and accommodating. The food was great when we got home. We had the salmon, fried chicken, and pork chops. We will definitely be back soon. read more

Really cool looking from the outside, transformed firehouse to restaurant, open air seating, and right across from the Eastern State Penitentiary. I thought this place would be young, casual, and delicious. Unfortunately I had a different experience. Perhaps it was due to my server. It was much fancier than I had anticipated (and wanted). And more expensive. And our seating out in the side yard felt like we were forgotten and in overflow space, instead of a special unique setting. Not really a great place to bring kids (which I didn't know!) - the kids meals start at over $8 each. I ordered the highly recommended (by server) crab sandwich - supposed to be what they are known for. Sadly I could barely taste the crab in it, and the ratio of crab to bun was way off - it was like a small drop of crab on an oversized bready bun. It you're gonna visit, try something different. read more

Jack's Firehouse - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I only post a review if I'm really disappointed. I ordered the saffron risotto. It was a Saturday evening after visiting the penitentiary Halloween thing. We made reservations because we thought it would be super busy... the fact that it wasn't said a lot. We came here because I was here YEARS ago... got the pork belly and loved it. I see it's not even on the menu anymore. New owner (?) I don't know... but whoever does own this place... seems to not care. We waited forever for our food ( there was 5 of us... and most of the dishes were burgers and cheese steaks. The place was practically empty... so it shouldn't have taken that long. I ordered the saffron risotto. First of all the Brussels sprouts... honestly ... we're BARELY cooked. Hard as a rock....the risotto was undercooked and flavorless. I didn't send it back because by then we had waited so long ... it wasn't worth it. Just like going here... not worth it. Cool building in an amazing location. It's a shame. read more

I love this venue. The Old Firehouse never looked better. I loved the nice heavy wood, decorations and the old fire pole. Unfortunately, The Cheesesteak was a huge disappointment. It came on a house-made fresh roll that I thought was just not right for a cheesesteak. It is a very good roll but it is very dense and every time I bit into my Cheesesteak everything squished out. The other two people that were eating at the bar had cheeseburgers they look really good. In the cheesesteak I know they use real meat because I got two big pieces of gristle. It was cheesy. The Cheesesteak does come with french fries but $18.75, holy mackerel, it needed it be bigger and have everything work together better. Everyone does get two free house made biscuits and a house made cookie. read more

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Went to this place last night for dinner and LOVED IT! the inside is warm and welcoming. Great music playing. Hosts and servers immediately came over to us and showed us to our dining table. We had delicious food (burger and caesar salad). They gave us complimentary corn bread at the beginning and cookies at the end! We were blown away by the high level of service and the amazing quality of the food. The menu also has tons of good options on it. We will definitely be back. Thanks for making our night a memorable experience! read more

I have been going to Jack's firehouse for years now since 2017 and it never disappoints except this time my friend did have some piece of plastic in her food which was very odd. However, I have been there so many times that I've never been disappointed that I'm not going to leave a bad review. I think that was just a unlucky time that we all went and we had a weird experience. I love the ambience. I'm literally obsessed with this restaurant. I think it's beautiful and I love how it's right outside the penitentiary. I also think the food is pretty good and has a great menu of various options that are quite different from others in the city. I have been going here because of the penitentiary and we go there before entering into the haunted houses. we usually go for dinner, but this time was brunch and it was good and I loved the potatoes. The service was also fantastic. He made sure that the plastic was very odd and even gave us another platter and gave us a discount off of the check. read more

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My boyfriend and I went to Jack's for dinner on a Saturday night. It's a really cool building , but the tables and chairs look straight out of the 80s. We waited a full hour for our drink orders. I ordered spiked cider and it came cold. As for food, my partner had to repeatedly ask the waiter to check on his food allergy and was dismissed. Finally the waiter said he'd check. We didn't see the waiter for about 45 minutes until another waiter delivered our food. He had never checked on the allergy. I got the ribs and fries. The ribs were over cooked and fries soggy. While eating, we noticed a mouse eating crumbs off the floor. At the end of the night, I asked for the check and we waited another 30 mins. To top it off-- 20% gratuity is automatic (this usually never bothers me). Long story short: we won't be back. Eat at Fare or Urban Saloon just down the street. read more