Sweetwater Tavern

Been here three times since it replaced the very average Firehouse Grill. Each visit was terrific. I’ve tried a burger, salad, and nachos and each one was really nicely done. Nice craft beer selection to boot. Service is prompt and courteous. Sweetwater is a nice alternative to the usual downtown Danville spots.

Try the Honey Bear cocktail! Drinks executed very well. Service was on point. Food was pretty good, but I’ll order something different next time.

I came into Sweetwater one night for a drink and from my experience there, I can definitely say that I will be back again soon! I sat at the bar and had the pleasure of being helped by Sean. He was friendly and genuine in his excitement to help me find a drink I’d like (I chose the Lynchburg lemonade!) I will be telling my friends about this place!

Decent size portions, food was respectable and came in a timely manner. Although their design upgrades are a huge improvement over its predecessors, it’s still crammed and VERY loud. Staff was friendly and knowledgeable.

First time here. Great atmosphere, food, and drinks. Service was outstanding! Will definitely come back to this cool restaurant in Danville.

This place was amazing. The staff made me feel like family and the food was delicious. Parking wasn’t a problem and I recommend this place to anyone that enjoys a great drink and some amazing food.

Absolutely LOVE! I’ve been dying to try this place since firehouse got kicked to the curb and they did a tremendous job.
The new ownership has truly done a wonderful thing with the place and the tempura veggies, burgers and daisy duke sig cocktail is definitely going to bring me back. But not only that, the service was great and the ambiance was very relaxing and fun (love the southern country vibe)!
My server tonight was a sweet blonde young woman (forgot her name) who greeted us right away and took care of everything we needed.
Thanks Sweetwater we will definitely be back to try the rest of the menu!

New place that took over Firehouse. Unsure of the ownership situation. New? Same? No signage outside to indicate anything is new — the Sweetwater sign is barely noticeable. I only knew about it because they added me on Instagram, and I am on Hartz daily.
Service was nice and the drinks were quite good. However, the food was a bit of a mess. I find it so ridiculous that some restaurants use sliders as a «throw away» easy menu item that they think everyone loves. Not in Danville guys! This place is across from Tower Grill, the best sliders in town.
They were served rare — ew. Don’t do that unless specified. Small patty with cheese, severely wilted lettuce and mayo on a generic sweet roll. Not good at all. I had to rip off ¾ of the bread to even find the meat. Sliders can be such an amazing, popular, revenue generating menu item if done right… And it really isn’t hard to do them right. There was literally no effort put into these.
Nachos — I’m that person that likes Taco Bell nachos so my standards aren’t super high. I heard the kitchen and bartender discussing what they thought came on the nachos right after I ordered them. I observed them consulting the menu right in front of me and because it was early and we were the only customers I knew it was my order they were confused about. Comments like «I thought it came with black beans» «No it doesn’t come with black beans, it comes with green chiles», etc. Definitely a training issue (new
place, not a big deal) but also a self awareness issue — have those conversations in the back.
Nachos were good — cheese sauce could be much stronger/​sharper but I loved the BBQ sauce addition. Though it wasn’t entirely clear on the menu that it came with BBQ sauce. It said «BBQ nachos» and offered a choose of meat (chicken or pork) I’m from the midwest, and true BBQ fans don’t associate the word «BBQ» with «BBQ sauce.» I probably would have ordered it without had I known that BBQ nachos referred to sauce rather than BBQ’d meat. (The chicken was indeed grilled) But, I’m glad I didn’t, because it was quite tasty. The menu did indicate the nachos came with some other toppings that it did not. I get that menu knowledge in the kitchen is part of growing pains of a new place. Not a big deal.
As a bartender myself, friendly service and a good drink gets you a long way in my book but please, for the love of God fix the sliders.

I heard that it is the same owners as Firehouse but I loved the changes they made to the deco, a rustic country vibe. The wall separating the bar/​dining area was removed which opened it up, made it feel larger but my only concern will be does the bar area get compromised. We were there once when it was Firehouse, the game was on but it was so low all we heard was family chatter from one table. This visit the playoffs were and although a bar should never be silent I wished I could hear the game vs the country music. Any other time the music would be appreciated. We ordered the appetizer Pork Nachos to start. The smoked pork was good but the nacho cheese sauce was disappointed, not a fan of that orange sauce. I’m pretty picky when it comes to nachos and I prefer real cheese so it didn’t surpass my two favorites. The sandwiches on the other hand were excellent, I’d rate them a 4. We ordered the Patty Melt on sourdough (perfectly cooked and scrumptious). I was too full to eat my half of the chicken sandwich which I asked them to add sautéed onions but I did have a bite and both are repeaters. It isn’t a place I’ll drink at, way to pricy for a vodka/​soda at $ 9+ and the same round across the street was $ 3 cheaper and that is not even the cheapest local joint with my first choice of vodka (Stolie Blueberry). I don’t mind paying more for a fancier muddled drink but the basics have to be cheaper.
The other bars in the area have certain things we go there for so I hope they find their nitch and make it work (drink or happy hour specials, talkative friendly bartenders, etc.).

This place just opened where «Firehouse Bar & Grille» used to be.
I thought it was a new restaurant, with a new menu. But it changed ownership and name. The menu is exactly the same, almost.
When I reviewed «Firehouse Bar & Grille» I had only been there a few times. After a while, I stopped going because the food wasn’t good at all. It was always over seasoned.
Since I had already gotten seated before I realized it was just a name change, I ordered food not wanting to be rude and leave.
The food was ok, but I knew not to get anything I used to order because I never liked it so I got a salad and played it safe.
3 stars: *When I walked up to the restaurant I was greeted right away. *The server I got was very friendly. *And the restaurant was clean.

I was so happy to see a new BBQ restaurant in Danville and of course had to check them out on opening weekend!
The restaurant is clean, the décor is fun! Love the lights and signs. They have a great country vibe and play country music!
Immediately as I walked in, I was warmly greeted by the hostess. I decided to sit at the bar and have a drink and something to eat.
The bartenders were very friendly and knowledgable about the menu.
It was great to see they have some «skinny» drink options and fun cocktails! The menu has something for everyone! From BBQ to salads to sandwiches, there are lots of choices! I decided on the Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad. The salad was a good entrée size portion, really fresh, the chicken was nicely grilled and I loved the dressing!
I overheard other customers at the bar commenting how great their food was as well!
I plan to come back when I have a bigger appetite and have more of the BBQ options!
Sweetwater Tavern is a great addition to downtown Danville restaurants and I will definitely be back soon!