The Old Firehouse Wine & Cocktail Bar — Restaurant in Duncan

WINE/ FOOD PAIRING LOVERS STAY AWAY! We decided to visit the Old Firehouse for the first time for my husband's birthday yesterday as he loves wine/food pairing. I made reservations. However, it didn't seem to matter. We were seated at a tiny little table right next to a closet that shouldn't even be a table. The closet was frequented numerous times by staff. So we had staff bending over with butts in our faces for the first half of our dining experience. The table was not large enough for our plates, so they moved us to the neighboring table, which was a little larger. The lighting and ambiance was nice, apart from the very strange artwork on the walls. One picture was a cow giving birth to a human. It made the vibe quite bizarre. it was also very, very loud. We couldn't hear each other across the table. We ordered olive tempinade, venison carpaccio, simple greens, pumpkin ravioli and regular charcuterie board from the starter and share menu to get an idea about what this restaurant is about, along with both their white and red wine tasting flights. Not a single wine paired correctly with the food. It would have been helpful if the menu provided wine pairing suggestions with their food as well as the server informing us what we were drinking. The same goes for the charcuterie board. We didn't know what we were eating. The wine selection alone was quite nice. However, expensive wine doesn't necessarily mean it's the best pairing, and this was evident by their tasting selections. The food itself wasn't terrible but for the prices they charged, it could have been elevated. Overall, the restaurant identity is confusing. It's like they are trying to be both a wine tasting bar/fine dining and a pub catering to the locals. While we haven't tasted their cocktails or pub food, their wine and fine dining selections definitely suffer. With a little more effort, planning, and forethought to get their identity more cohesive, this establishment could really stand out as a fine dining experience in the...

My review today is about the Valentines 5 course dinner. My husband and I arrived and before we even had a drink in our hand, we had two of the courses delivered to the table. We asked them to slow down the process so we could sip our cocktails and then perhaps talk about some wine pairings. Once this happened, the meal became a bit more enjoyable and I did receive a wine pairing for each of the courses going forward (but no explanation of what they were) I asked for a list before I left which they hand wrote. For a wine bar I expected this would be an add on that they would have thought about in advance?

The food was just ok. Some courses were absolutely incredible (ravioli with egg yolk, crispy beef shank and the pork belly were mouth watering, as was the dessert). The green olive accompaniment to the black cod was way too strong, and I love olives. The soy cured salmon was very fishy. The portion sizes were extremely small, so given we were paying $100 per person ($20 a course!), we did not feel we got value for the meal.

Waiter was nice, but very busy- he did his best.

The atmosphere was not romantic. Lights were too bright and tables/chairs are too rustic, more of a pub style than fine dining (to match the prices).

Final thoughts: Will go back in the hopes I can have more of the food I enjoyed, but never again...

Great atmosphere, great waitress and good wine / cocktail selection. First time there and a little disappointed though. We were excited to have a local bottle of Enrico / Unsworth wine as indicated on their website; however neither bottle was listed on their menu in the restaurant. If that’s the case, and you’re going to maintain an online presence then the menu should reflect what’s in the restaurant. Ordered the firehouse charcuterie and cheese plate. Again, very disappointed. Poor presentation ...meats/cheeses and spreads plopped on a square cold plate. Probably the poorest I’ve seen...But the thing that was very surprising was that there were no crackers or bread served with the board?!? What are you supposed to spread the dips on? Your hands? Mentioned it to a manager/owner (not sure) and he seemed perplexed by the question. Had to order some bread on the side with my charcuterie “appetizer.” I have never ordered a charcuterie board that doesn’t come with either some type of cracker or baguette. It’s hard to believe that a place with chefs could omit something so basic. It’s like ordering spaghetti with no noodles. Again, it’s a good wine...