The Chicago Firehouse Restaurant

Overall, this was an enjoyable evening that provided acceptable food, beverages, and service. The service was average, with the waiter difficult to get at times.

This was a perfect place for lunch after visiting the Field Museum. It was an easy walk to a nice meal. The interior is a renovated firehouse. It was reinvented with elegance and is perfect for people who like to dine in leisure.
We sat in a plush booth. Natural light flooded through the wall of windows on the west side and twinkled off of copper and brass details. As much as I loved that large window and the other windows around the space I wonder if they attributed to the harsh chill? It was very cold in the restaurant and I kept on as many layers that I would ordinarily remove inside.
The bathroom is especially cold. It’s small and vintage — just one toilet facing the sink and extremely high ceiling.
We each enjoyed the side salad, soup, and sandwich special. Mine was the Second or Third Alarm which included a cup of Lobster Bisque. My friend got the First Alarm which had the French Onion Soup. All of the food was really delicious. Even the side salad had quality greens and tasty dressing. We both got the Turkey Sandwich which was scrumptious! It had freshly sliced turkey on a soft baguette.
Since I was so cold I chose to get a warm cocktail as well. I opted for the Kentucky Bluebird for $ 9. My friend hated it but I thought it was good. I liked the taste of the tea mingled with the whiskey and sweet amaretto.
Service was good. It was prompt, cordial, and helpful. Our server thoroughly answered all of our questions and made good recommendations.

I recently had a brunch for my bridesmaids here and the entire experience was great. They worked with my wedding planner to create a custom menu (based on the items from their brunch menu) and allowed us to bring in printed menus for the table. We were seated in a private-​like area near the french doors leading to their patio and mimosas were on the table before my guests arrived (as requested). Our server was always smiling and catered to all of our needs. They even allowed my photographer to come in and also set up their patio furniture as props for my photos. Again, awesome experience.
Oh yeah, the food was DELICIOUS and reasonably priced.

Chicago Firehouse has a wonderful atmosphere and a great ambiance. However, I was ultimately disappointed with my meal and will not go back.
I started off with the lobster bisque. The pastry on top makes for a nice presentation but didn’t add anything to the flavor. Texturally the bisque was better without eating the pastry part. The broth was flavorful. However, the pieces of lobster I had were just okay. The texture was a bit off.
The rest of the table ordered steak but I was the lone ranger ordering seafood. I think that was my mistake. I ordered the scallops. First off, it was a small portion and there were only four medium sized scallops (especially for $ 34!). Aside from a small portion, half of my scallops were overcooked. When scallops are overcooked, they get rubbery and tough. It was not appetizing. I was hungry enough so I ate most of my dish. In hindsight, I should have flagged a server down and sent the dish back. That is hard to do at your dining companions’ favorite spot and in any event our server didn’t check on us until much farther into the meal. Although my meal was poorly executed, my husband’s steak (the filet trio) and sides were very good. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare and is the saving grace for this review.
The drinks were okay. The red wine that we had was excellent and a good value. My husband had an Old Fashioned cocktail that he did not like — it was bitter and not balanced. Although he did not order a second, they brought him another one when the rest of the table ordered another cocktail and charged us for it. It was an expensive average-​at-​best meal. Chicago has so many steakhouse and seafood options so I can’t see myself going back.

In Chicago for a Show at McCormick Place and decided to search for a Dinner place. Steaks were the meal of choice and Chicago Firehouse did not disappoint. Pricey, but it is a Chicago Steak House it is what you expect.
Love being able to search on Unilocal and make reservations on Open Table right from the show floor.

If we’re rating the Chicago Firehouse restaurant just as a steakhouse, it’d be 3 stars. Service was a little slow, and the steaks weren’t on the same level as the top tier places in the city…
…but, there are too many other things about this place to rate it that low:
Cool setting! They did a great job in keeping some of the elements of the old firehouse as they converted it to a restaurant!
Sunday brunch is worth 4 stars. Prices are similar to other brunch places in the area, but the setting is much nicer (white tablecloths, etc).
And, if you’re looking for a private event for about 15 people, look into the wine cellar room here. Such a neat setting!

Had a relaxed business lunch. The building is very cool bearing all the signs of an old firehouse. We enjoyed crispy calamari, sausage and lentil soup with a 12 oz ribeye cooked to perfection and generously covered in melted blue cheese. The meal was topped of with Cream Brulé topped in fresh fruit. I can be pricey as lunch for three was almost $ 300 including generous tip.
A very nice experience with shouldn’t be missed.

I highly recommend Chicago Firehouse for Brunch on a nice day. I would not recommend you go here for dinner.
I live across the street from Chicago Firehouse and have gone here a few times. How could you not like a place that was the setting of the main firehouse in Backdraft! Great location and a beautiful space. The outside patio area is the perfect spot to have a lazy brunch. Breakfast food is good, but expensive.
Dinner is almost always a disappointment as it is overpriced and not very good. On one occasion I was given a filet that was very poor quality and burned to a crisp. I asked for a new filet and was given something that was still overcooked and still of a poor quality.

If you want a good fine dining steakhouse in a historic Chicago firehouse, check this place out!
My boyfriend and I came up from Toronto for the weekend and we had a pleasant dinner here. We ordered the lobster bisque and wedge salad to start and for our entrees we ordered prime rib and the filet flight. I LOVED my steak for the sauce they brushed on too and how succulent it was cooked however my boyfriend wasn’t impressed with his steak and had to send his back to be cooked a little more.
The service was outstanding and the décor was very traditional. If the weather wasn’t so humid we would’ve eaten on the beautiful patio.
It was a little too expensive for my taste but overall it was good restaurant with all the traditional perks of a fine dining steakhouse.

This is a good, solid place for a business dinner. I’ve had them here while in town on several occasions. I wouldn’t give high marks for creativity, but I don’t think that’s what they are about here. The food is fresh, well prepared, and service is spot on.
Good wine list too!

I expected more from a premium steal restaurant. I had to send me fries back because they were cold. My steak (8oz Filet) was like warm and the plate was not even warm. I was alone so I suppose the urgency and quality did not pose as a priority. Even though it was not at the caliber that it should have been I still enjoyed the environment and my dinner.

Had brunch with the family on one of the busiest days in the city with Lollapalooza and Bears family night. Living one block away from the restaurant, strangely enough we have gone back after 3 years today. The food is subpar hasnt changed much. We ordered Chicken strips and hamburger for the kids with a side of bacon and blackened Tilapia for me and steak for my husband. I didnt like the seasoning on my Tilapia, it was pungent and disappointing. Its my neighborhood restaurant and i will definitely go back.

The Chicago Fire house would be very overlooked as a restaurant if it was not for the atmosphere and ambiance. The building it self is very cool looking, but the food is just not great.
We were greeted very politely at the front desk and when we were seated I was expecting that same attitude and service throughout the night.
Our waiter was very slow, especially with getting our order out to the table. At one point he asked my dad weather or not he liked his calms, and they weren’t even out yet. Things like that aren’t a big deal but it’s just unprofessional and you can tell the lack of communication between the employees.
I had the steak. Well I ordered the steak, this steak had a different flavor then any other steak I’ve ever had in my life. It tasted very gamey and reminded me of deer or bison. I am sure they served me beef, but the flavor was unexpected and off putting and I was not a fan. Also I have never seen so much fat on a filet before. That being said the texture was nice.
My dad, like I said earlier had the calms for an app and said they were really good and had nice flavor. He had he Amish brick chicken and said it was good but not amazing or anything.
We ended our meal with the vanilla bean cheesecake which was the highlight for me. The berry coulée was very refreshing and the cheesecake had a great flavor and texture.
Overall if I lived in the area I probably wouldn’t eat here again. I am sure there are other better steak houses around. That being said though, if your a visitor like I was, the firehouse is great because of it’s uniqueness.

Not worth the money. The steaks were very disappointing for this price point. My husband ordered a filet and he said it was almost like a ribeye in consistency, lots of tough parts, gristle, etc. Yuck. I ordered the pork chop and I was pleased with my meal, but I think everyone who ordered steaks were disappointed. there are too many amazing Chicago steakhouses to not get a great steak.
The upside: the interior is beautiful, and they made a great martini. Maybe go for a drink and then have your dinner elsewhere.

I enjoyed Firehouse, but I haven’t been often enough to talk about the consistency of the food.
I found the staff to be helpful, polite, timely, etc., even though a few others found them distant and brusque.
I don’t know about the two flight climb to the bathroom because I’m like a camel and I only go like once a day.
I can tell you the crabmeat, the steak tartare, and the shrimp cocktail are great. I’d definitely recommend this place to anyone who happens to find themselves in the south loop area looking for food. The loop restaurants tend to be cold and corporate for the most part… this is a welcome change. Try it.

A mixed bag. Great cocktails and well priced. Beautiful architecture. Ask for a tour; you won’t be disappointed. Generous portions and a diverse menu.
But…
The food lacked flavor and proper texture. For example, the short ribs should be tender, not tough. The Brussel Sprouts were a great idea in theory. But for something that contained bacon, there was no salt or flavor.
The service was inconsistent. Friendly, but slow and inattentive.
It’s not a bad experience, but it’s not great either.

Impress me the first visit and I think you got lucky. Impress me the 2^nd time and I think you could be a good restaurant. I’m really falling for this place.
We have done both dinner and brunch here and both times have been exceptional. We initially went because the Tribune said they had a good burger. Our burger quest turned into a dinner of seared tuna and a fillet flight. Both were incredible. Our server, Dominikia, was on spot with everything and super friendly. We returned for brunch this weekend and we both loved the crab cake eggs Benedict and the pork belly eggs Benedict. Service was perfect and we enjoyed our leisurely Sunday brunch. And they probably have one of the best patios in the city!

When we walked out of The Chicago Firehouse my wife said to me, «I bet I know what your review is going to say.»
«Oh?»
“Yeah. That you’re glad you came, but you didn’t like it.”
«Well, you’re half right,» I said.
I didn’t like it. Can you say overrated? The only thing this place really has going for it is the location. I mean, an old historic firehouse? How freakin’ cool is that?
But to drop $ 100 on a mediocre lunch? And on our 10^th anniversary no less? Eff that.
We started with sharing a crab cake. A $ 14 crab cake. One. Crab cake. $ 14. It wasn’t bad, and there was more crab than cake, but still. For $ 14 they could’ve given us two.
Next up was the lobster bisque. It was weak sauce. The stuff they sell in the premade section of your grocery store is better.
Then I got my filet trio. They were undercooked, the crust was more of a sauce and they came with absolutely nothing. Not a vegetable or a French fry in sight. And at $ 35 I feel like I got ripped off.
And where the heck did our server keep disappearing to? Did she take naps between bringing us our food?
Am I glad I tried it? No.
Am I glad I saw it? Yes.
Will I come back? Not a chance.
Also, no wifi and for some reason both of our phones had no signal.

I love this restaurant, it is usually very good, with all of the food being great. I’ve had one two experiences of underdone broccoli or overdone pork chop, service is usually great, but I had one bad experience with that as well.
They had a halibut that was to die for before with the hollandaise and crab. Brunch is excellent with great morning cocktails.

The average rating here is 3.5 and I think that accurately reflects what you can expect from the Firehouse.
Atmosphere: B
Absolutely beautiful converted firehouse with a charming patio. Upscale, with white jacketed servers.
Wine: A
I have to say, this was a pleasant surprise as I fully expected to get hosed on pricing (see what I did there?). Most glasses were in the $ 8 – 12 range which I consider very reasonable for a steakhouse.
Food: C–
I had the «filet flight» which was 3 filet medallions — one with blue cheese, one with a horseradish crust and one with red wine peppercorns. The steak was cooked medium as requested and was very tender but… all three tasted exactly the same. Kind of defeats the purpose of the dish, no? Our roasted vegetable side had large chunks of carrots and zucchini that were still hard and uncooked. Yuck. Vanilla Crème brûlée was good taste wise but was soupy as the custard hadn’t set fully.
Service: B+
Attentive — not too much or too little attention.
Overall: B-​/​C+
There’s a lot to like about the Firehouse but the food isn’t quite up to snuff, especially considering many of the entrees exceed $ 40 (a la carte of course!) I’m definitely not «on fire» to come back.