Fireside Restaurant

Besides the looks from the female staff as if I didn’t belong lol. the chef came forward and took my order as the cashier was too busy engaging in conversation with another patron. I ordered curried chicken, chick peas/​rice and cabbage. The curried chicken was nothing to write home about, cabbage was fresh and still had a slight crisp, which I like… I would eat here again if I was in the neigborhood but wouldn’t go out of my way. food was hot, fresh and made to order. Coco bread was Divine :) not much room to dine in, I would def recommend ordering and eating elsewhere
January 2012*

FINALLY, FIRESIDE HAS REOPENED! I just killed some curry chicken and stew chicken! Definitely having the Jerk tomorrow!!! The place has a new energy. New management and new look! NICE!!!

With greasy, jerk chicken fingers I’m updating this place to a 4-​star! My jerk chicken from here today is perfect. Spicy, without «sauce» and falling off the bones. Love. And judging by the crowd and line up in there for lunch, others have noticed.

Three and a half stars. Although designed primarily as a take-​out operation, with a couple of tables in the front, Fireside is currently the only sit-​down option in Historic Anacostia. On the down-​side, as of Sep 09, they will not longer be open on weekends. Most food is prepared in advance, kept warm in a steam table and plated as you order. Made to order dishes such as fish and shrimp will take an extra 20 – 30 minutes. The jerked shrimp was quite tasty (but not as spicy as Naby’s Island), and well worth the wait. The oxtail was good, if a bit fatty, but the peas and rice were the star; best I’ve had in DC. Wash it all down with a K&D ginger beer.

–food is decent, but can be on and off, in terms of spiciness depending on the day… like from mild through inferno. dunno about you, but i like spicy jamaican food and moreover, consistent spicy jamaican food.
–attempted to charge me over a dollar for a canned soda. im pretty sure that’s the last time i was in there.
–here’s a tip, go late, right before they close. they will give you enough food to feed all the people that come to stay with you during the 2013 inauguration.

I dunno, I’ve been to a handful of Jamaican places in DC, and haven’t been blown away yet. But Fireside is the best of four DC-​area Jamaican places I’ve tried thus far.
I’ve had the chicken curry which was decent but not spicy. I was more pleased with the fricassee I had the next time, which wasn’t spicy but had plenty of peppery flavour.
The side-​dishes were better than average though; good peas and rice, and their collard was great. Having collard as an option over cabbage was great, and their collard (rather than being green mush like at some Southern joints) was lightly cooked, tender postage-​stamp-​sized bits of fresh greenery with a touch of salt.
Overall, neat little place not far from the Metro. I’ll keep looking for another Jamaican joint I like, but this is the best thus far.

Visiting Anacostia, used my Unilocal iPhone App to find Fireside for lunch. I was with some vegetarians who were happy with the vege pies, collards, rice & peas and coco bread. I had the jerk chicken and tried the chicken pies. Everything was great. Service was friendly. Folks in the neighborhood were friendly. If I get back this way, I’d like to try the curried goat.

*burp*
coco bread
*burp*
curry goat
*burp*
rice and peas
*burp*
washed down with ting
*burp*

Fireside is a little café close to the Big Chair in Anacostia that serves Jamaican food.
I went with a coworker today to try it for lunch. They’ve got a pretty decent sized menu, but all of their entrees are made to order (so you may end up waiting a little while for your food– call it in before you come by!). The coworker wanted to try out the Red Snapper entrée but they said it would take half an hour– so you’ve been warned.
Entrees include Red Snapper, Goat Curry, Jerk Chicken, Chicken Fricassee, etc.
To keep things quick I ordered two vegetable patties and a side of rice & peas. My meal was great– all of it for $ 6 and some change.
They also have beef and chicken patties. Their sides include plantains (they were out when I came by otherwise that’s what I would have ordered), rice & peas, plain rice, and cabbage.
A huge selection of drinks — everything in cans or glass bottles (I’m picky… for some reason I can’t stand soda in plastic bottles). A lot of alternative choices for drinks other than your typical coke/​pepsi choices. Including quite a few drinks I didn’t recognize, as well as Jones soda.
They’ve also got ice cream — interesting flavors like coconut, and a few desserts.
The food was great (better than the place I’ve been to on H street in my opinion, but I just may not have tried the right things).
Seating is café style — a few tables and chairs. The place was very clean and the staff were friendly.
I’ll definitely try it out again — it’s good to have more options in the neighborhood other than traditional carry out and chinese. A fantastic addition to Anacostia.
Note: for anyone trying to reach Fireside off the Anacostia metro — it’s about a ten minute walk (safe walk during the day, seriously, I do it all the time…) heading north (take a left on MLK) from the metro.