Jack’s Firehouse

Enjoyable atmosphere, better than expected food and good beer selection. Opposite the old Eastern State Prison and ideal for brunch or early evening dinner. Staff very helpful and my food came very quickly.

Very vintage and eclectic feel. Food was very tasty and the people were fun, knowledgeable so I’m sayin yeah when I visit philly I’d go back again

Travelled to Philly this weekend with a friend and ended up going to Jack’s Fire House not once-​but twice during our stay. Phenomenal customer service! That Catfish Sandwich was everything!!! The management of this establishment took very great care of us and the waitstaff was amazing ! Definitely coming back during my next visit!

Service was great, decent seating outside :-) I had the ribs… Very tender and juicy. My mum ordered salmon. We were very satisfied with the service there. Mum and I will be back soon! It is lively especially in the evenings, but not hectic. I was able to relax and enjoy my meal there. :-)
Also forgot to mention that I loved the nostalgic feel the building has. Very nice and inviting inside.

I was pretty excited to check this place out; my boyfriend and I had plans with another couple and we were all looking forward to a kid free night!
I have really mixed feelings about this place. An honest review would be a 3.5 and here is why:
The place is super cute. It was a rather chilly evening, so we opted to eat inside, but I would definitely check out the outdoor seating. Inside is cute, as described in many of the other reviews.
We were greeted enthusiastically by the host and brought to our table right away. Our friends arrived 5 minutes behind us, and before we could get settled our sever was there. I like the attentiveness, but this was a bit over the top, as we were still greeting each other while he stood there waiting for us to sit. We asked him to come back in a few minutes, and he was promptly back in two. Three more requests for more time and we finally just gave in and ordered drinks. Were we ready to order food? No… we hadn’t even opened the menus! A couple more stops to the table and he made the comment, «time is money, people» which was a real turn off to me. It felt very rushed and I did not appreciate this comment. We ordered all at once, although we all mentioned we would have preferred to have more time and course our meals out a bit more.
About the food and drink…
My first drink, a Strawberry Belini, was excellent! Definitely a great starter drink! All other drinks were beers and wines– decent selection to choose from and I was happy with my Pinot Noir.
I ordered the greens salad and filet dinner. The greens salad was exactly that… greens on a plate. I had wanted a different salad but the server talked me out of it because it was not a «starter» salad. I wish he had talked me out of these greens, too. They were dressed nicely, but seriously… borrrring. My boyfriend liked his mushroom soup and our friends very much enjoyed their shrimp and calamari appetizers. I tried the calamari and highly recommend it– the aioli is delicious!
My filet is a different story. The first thing I noticed was that it was just a filet and potatoes. No vegetable. NOW… I get it, it didn’t have a vegetable listed on the menu, but I did think there would at least be a garnish. No. Steak and potatoes. And the potatoes were super dry. I ate about a ¼ of them. The filet was just meh. I ate it, but I wasn’t thrilled. My boyfriend was also searching for a vegetable, had the same complaint about the potatoes but enjoyed his filet a bit more. Our friends both loved their dishes and I was jealous that I didn’t choose what they had– one had crab cakes and the other had the sea bass special. Looked much better and they raved.
As soon as we were done dinner, plates cleared and bam, our server was there asking about dessert. Dude– can we digest or something, please???
My boyfriend and I chose to split an apple crisp and our friends had cheesecake. Apple Crisp is my very favorite dessert. This was not apple crisp. Chopped up apple cubes with some granola and ice cream. Still pretty good, but not what I had in mind. Our friends said the cheesecake was simply ok.
A nice touch were the cookies at the end. YUM!!!
Overall, it was a great night with friends, but our bill with tip was close to $ 300. For that kind of money, I want to be left to enjoy my night with friends without feeling like we are being pushed through an assembly line. Let me eat, digest and enjoy my wine with friends, without you asking every 12 seconds after dessert if we need anything else. Time is money… and we spent quite a bit; we even overtipped because we knew were going to hang out for a while. Once he had the checkbooks back, we never saw him again.
In summation… I am in no great hurry to return, but the menu had a lot to offer, so I would if I had the opportunity. I would opt for outside seating and hope for a more relaxed server.

Great brunch. Sat outside on a sidewalk table and service was g re at. The breakfast quesadilla was amazing I was not able to finish it but I wish I could. My friend loved the filet mignon Benedict. Good drinks and overall pleased. Will definitely return.

Went this morning for brunch. First time there and loved the atmosphere. I got a Bloody Mary which was delicious. My boyfriend had the ribs, which he loved, while I got the breakfast quesadilla. It was very big and filled me really quickly. Our server was so nice the entire time. They gave us complimentary cookies with the bill as well as a biscuit and breads during our meal. Will def be back

This place was an excellent call for brunch on Saturday. We must have arrived shortly after it opened because the place was dead. It seemed nice and fancy and the space is really beautiful (albeit a little dark, so go on a cozy, rainy day like we did to feel the ambiance!).
The waitstaff was great and they brought out a free plate of buttermilk biscuits, banana bread, and cornbread with fresh butter and some cherry jam that my friend LOVED. We ordered coffee and bloody marys ($ 7). The bloody marys are not spicy but have a great texture and flavor.
I ordered the burger with cheddar cheese and thought it was delicious. The fries were crispy but some were a tiny but soggy. Overall I ate plenty and felt very satisfied.
A relatively inexpensive, yet special place to go for brunch on the weekends. Definitely give Jack’s a go!

Standard bar menu, historic atmosphere, neat quick place to stop in and grab a drink!

Went there with a dozen work colleagues on a rainy evening. Had the whole place to ourselves.
Our guests from Bulgaria loved everything, especially the original firehouse details. We had a variety of different entrees, all well prepared. Service was attentive and friendly.
I had the Pork Loin with Sweet Potato Mash and Apple Brandy Jus, tender and flavorful. To start I had the Apple Salad with Spiced Pecans & Apple Cider Vinaigrette. Large portion with a great mix of texture and flavor.
They brought cookie trays gratis for dessert and the butter cookies were absolutely divine!

This is not a bad spot, but know that it gets particularly busy around Halloween, when everyone from the haunted prison event across the street comes by before/​after their fright! Where the bar area ends is not exactly clear. What appears to be bar tables becomes dinner tables when it is particularly busy. I’m not sure if that is true or not, but it sure looked like it. The service is not bad when it isn’t too busy, but when it gets busy make sure to flag the barkeep down if you need something and «the look» isn’t working out for you. I came during the fall, and they had an excellent hot spiced cider (boozy type).

Jack’s is one of the few bars to visit while seeing the Fairmount neighborhood of Philadelphia. The menu is relatively limited and the drinks are reasonably priced. The mussels are definitely something to skip as they the size of my fingernails and not very tasty.
I had a pretty terrible experience as Summer was approaching. I wanted to sit outside with my girlfriend and Jack’s has a great area for outdoor seating right on Fairmount Ave. So, one night, we walked by, saw that the place was empty and decided, let’s get a beer! We sit at the bar and speak with the bartender. He immediately asks if we are dining in this evening or just drinking. Our response is that we’re just dropping by for a beer and enjoying the weather and hope to sit in the one of many open tables, as again, the bar is empty. The bartender states that the tables are reserved only for dining guests. I laugh in his face and make a gesture indicating, «Hello, your bar is empty and we want to give you business». His resolution? «Go ahead down the street to Urban Saloon, they’ll let you sit outside. Bye».
I will not be making a return visit to Jack’s to say the least.

Pretty cool spot built in an old fire station. We have been here a couple times now and have had pleasant experiences. We went today for brunch and was satisfied with our meals. I had the breakfast quesadilla with egg, bacon, and home made salsa. Hit the spot, was tasty! Girlfriend ordered the cheesesteak omelet and was happy with it. The side order of grits were ok, but a little runny. Service has always been pretty good. Give it a shot — cool space and decent food! Eat it.

We went last night for dinner, the food and service was good. We had lobster mac & cheese as our appetizer, delicious! For the entrée we had bbq ribs and potato crusted salmon which was stuffed with crab meat; both entrees were very tasty and nice size portions. U are given greens and mashed potatoes to share, firehouse style :-)
I am disappointed that they only offer burgers at the bar, their dinner menu does not include burgers. We asked our wait staff and she confirmed that their dinner menu does not include burgers and if we wanted one we would need to dine at the bar, it is a nod firehouse restaurant– they should at least have 2 burgers on their dinner menu. My boyfriend is a firefighter and trust me, they eat burgers for dinner at he firehouse!

Some friends and I kind of stumbled upon Jack’s Firehouse by accident, and even though it wasn’t exactly what we were looking for at the time, I’d say we had a good experience overall!
A group of 11 of us had just finished playing softball in the hot sun and we wanted to go somewhere nearby for some revitalizing post-​practice food and drinks. Our initial plan was to go to a different pub that some people were familiar with but when we found out that it was full due to quizzo, we decided to check out Jack’s Firehouse instead since it was close by.
It worked out well for us in that Jack’s is very spacious, so they were easily able to accommodate such a large party. However, we did stick out like a sore thumb in the dining area because the ambiance was definitely more upscale than casual, and we were all in our softball/​workout gear. Just try to imagine the STARK contrast: fancy wine glasses and folded dining napkins at each placement on spotless white tablecloths, AND a sweaty dust-​covered group in tank tops carrying water canteens and wearing baseball caps. I would say that the bar area gives off a more casual feel, but when we sat down at the dining area, we definitely felt out of place. And this place is definitely on the upper end of the $$ category, with the entrees averaging $ 21 – 24 (I would maybe suggest it could fall under $$$).
However, the service was delightful and they seemed happy to serve us. Our waitress was particularly great, being very friendly and accommodating in answering our questions and even splitting our checks into smaller groups. The food was pretty good as well — I ordered the apple salad, which was surprisingly filling, especially when I added chicken to the order (for an addition $ 4). Others at my table ordered everything from mussels to ribs to potato-​crusted salmon (a unique dish in my opinion). Jack’s also provided complimentary starters of breakfast breads and free delicious chocolate pecan cookies for dessert, so that really added to the experience! All in all, it was a pleasant visit!

When we sat down and the menus were barely hanging on at the hinge, it should’ve been a sign of what was to come. The meal came with biscuits and cornbread, but they were so hard (probably because they’ve been sitting out for awhile) that it wasn’t really edible.
Our meals were equally as impressive as the biscuits. Ordered a medium burger and got well done with a chunk of unmelted cheese. The bun tasted stale too. The fish sandwich is literally a piece of fried fish in between two white slices of bread.
The only saving grace of the meal was the fries which were nice and crispy. The dessert cookie is also good, but overall very disappointing.

Delicious ! Went here for brunch before visiting the Eastern State Penitentiary with some friends. It’s super convenient because it’s located right across the street from ESP.
Since we were there around 11 we were able to take advantage of their brunch menu, which was awesome. Together we had: filet mignon Benedict, French toast, roasted chicken with bacon Mac and cheese, and the breakfast quesadilla. The bacon Mac and cheese was out of this world, and the chicken was perfectly crispy and moist.
They also give you a platter of breakfast breads, which are fresh and amazing. The cornbread and banana bread were to die for.
Their breakfast cocktails are good. I’d definitely suggest visiting. Perfect for a group of friends wanting good ambiance. I’ll definitely go back, probably for dinner.

There were many great aspects about Jack’s Firehouse.
I was instantly intrigued when I walked by it. The old firehouse has a lot of character, and the huge doors were completely open, so it was a very welcoming environment.
There was only one vegetarian entrée (the Portobello sandwich), but it was great. The sandwich itself was a fair size, but quite small compared to the other sandwich portions I saw. It was also served with fries and a tiny bed of greens, so overall it was very filling. The soup of the day was a wild mushroom that was also tasty. With the check they served complimentary chocolate chip pecan cookies. They were still warm from the oven – delicious!
The atmosphere was nice, and they have friendly staff. The inside of the restaurant was VERY dark, so I was glad to get a seat by the big open door space. That spot also had a great view of the Eastern State Penitentiary.
Tip: They do not accept Discover cards.

This was my second venture here (though the first time was just for a drink).
Decided to give it a go for dinner after touring the Penitentiary (across the street).
The interior seems a bit conflicting/​confusing.
You enter through the side of the building to an entrance that opens up to the bar to the left and a hostess station towards the back. Behind the hostess station there are linen covered tables that give the appearance that this is a «fancy» dining hall.
In front of the bar there are more traditional type seating area that seems more appropriate for this setting.
They boast an eclectic menu with a decent drink selection.
We opted to start with the mussels. This was quite a plentiful dish and was very tasty. Recommend!
We were also served 2 pieces of corn bread and another type of biscuit which was just ok.
My main entrée was the brisket sandwich. In my opinion, it left a lot to be desired.
They were skimpy with the caramelized onions and the brisket was a tad dry. This was served with French fries which were also just ok.
With the check came some cookies which again was just ok.
I think I would rather peruse the rest of Fairmount’s restaurants before having another meal hear.

The GF’s family was in town for Thanksgiving and a few days after the big meal, we decided to venture onto Fairmount Avenue to check out Jack’s Firehouse. Set in a 19^th century firehouse, it’s an expansive and unique space, replete with a rowboat above the bar and wood throughout. Not what I expected at all. We were there on a weekend night and it was pretty bumping around the bar, without being distracting to the diners.
Bread Service
The meal started off with bread service, comprised of buttery biscuits and house-​made corn muffins. This was accompanied by a pat of butter and macerated cherries — a really nice spread.
Southern Style Pulled Pork on Corn Chips [$ 7.95]
We went with the southern style pulled pork on corn chips as an app to share. I figured it would be Fritos a la Texas, but these were house-​made corn chips with a nice spice mix. The pulled pork was sweet and tender.
North Carolina Style Crab Cakes [$ 22.95]
Southern chow-​chow, roasted garlic aioli
I decided to go with the crab cakes, which were substantial, had good flavor, and did not have too much breading. The pickled veggie chow-​chow was a nice counterbalance to the rich crab cakes and roasted garlic aioli.
Roasted Chicken Breast [$ 19.95]
Bacon mac & cheese, wild mushroom sauce
The GF’s chicken breast was juicy and moist, with the mushroom sauce adding some depth. The mac n cheese was nice and sharp, with bits of bacon interspersed throughout the creamy mac.
The kitchen also sent out two huge platters each of mashed potatoes and some of the best collard greens I have ever had. Smoky and vinegary, I almost ate both platters of collard greens all by myself.
Jack’s Firehouse also sent out deliciously homemade chocolate walnut cookies. Crumbly and soft, these were a nice end to our meal.
So if you’re ever in the Fairmount area by Eastern State, do stop by. Chef Jack McDavid’s cooking is committed to using local ingredients and the cooking is down-​home and hearty. I was frankly surprised at the A-​OK 3-​star rating on Unilocal.It should definitely be 4 stars, though I do think the pricing may be a bit steep. Regardless, I know I’ll be back — especially if I can convince the GF to return to ESP during Halloween!