The Firehall — Restaurant in Oakville

We've been to The Firehall a few times in our trips to Oakville, but tonight was by far the best experience we've had. 2-4-1 wings is a great deal but we definitely had ambition bigger than our stomachs!

However, what made this experience second-to-none was the service we received. Our main waiter was TJ and our food was brought out by Chris. Both were amazing, so friendly, and a huge asset to The Firehall.

TJ was super welcoming and attentive from the get-go. Nothing was ever too much trouble. My girlfriend, Blue, wanted to highlight how accessible TJ's communication was as she is partially deaf. We never mentioned this in the booking, but he always looked at us both when talking and listening, making sure we could hear, and always ensuring that everything was checked back to guarantee everything was perfect. TJ was incredibly personable, took the time to engage with us beyond the "how is everything for you", and guaranteed that we had a positive experience from start to finish. One of the things we noticed that really stood out was the invitation to relax after the meal rather than going straight for the bill, really made us feel welcome and added to what was an incredible experience.

Chris possibly gave us the biggest surprise we've had on our holidays - he remembered us, and beyond just recognising our faces, he even remembered what we had ordered when we last came. It was lovely because, like with TJ, we were able to bond beyond that customer interaction. I mentioned about the soccer in the UK and he mentioned he's a Newcastle supporter (we suppose nobody's perfect 🤣), but having this interaction and building that bond with someone we had met in passing by coincidence will stand out as a huge moment for us. Both Chris and TJ did everything with a massive smile and the best spirits, and it simply renewed our love for this place.

The food was incredible and we will always love The Firehall for this, but the service tonight was beyond perfect and we look forward to visiting again soon before going home, and we know where we'll be...

Super disappointed with our experience. It started with us being sat at a table which just had two empty glasses on it. We sat there for a grand total of 3 moments before a waiter was at our table looking for our order. We just ordered drinks, and before my other half could order a beer our waiter was already walking away from the table, my partner had to shout his order as the waiter walked away. It was busy so we tried to let this go. Unfortunately it just got worse from there. We ordered a Mexican burger which we asked if it came with tomato's and lettuce and our waiter said "I don't think so" so we asked to make sure there was no lettuce or tomato on the burger; the burger ended up coming with huge pieces of lettuce on it... we had to pull it off as my partner can't eat it. I ordered the chicken tenders in honey garlic sauce. We forgot to order our app, since we were so rushed during the order - I ended up having to go find out waiter who was running around like a mad man to order our app. When our food arrived it tasted like it had been sat for 10 minutes and reheated. Our food was warm... barley hot. My fries were not seasoned at all and they tasted like they had been reheated (Chewy and stale). This leads to my biggest problem; we had no cutlery, no napkins, no salt or pepper and no vinegar or ketchup. I asked out waiter for some malt vinegar (I saw it on another table) and he must have forgot because I had to ask again, and then he brought white vinegar. We had to ask multiple times for napkins, salt/pepper and it took quite some time to get to the table. Before we had finished eating our waiter was taking the napkins, salt/pepper, and other condiments for the table; why? were they needed elsewhere?. With that, our bill ended up on the table, we had not been asked if we needed anything else after our mains... we planned to try dessert but at this point we were pretty upset with the experience so we decided to grab dessert elsewhere. We really wish the experience went better - we were excited since the reviews seemed quite good...

Around Two years ago, I left a review about my experience at this restaurant, which unfortunately got deleted when I removed my Google account. However, I believe it's important to share this experience again.

Following the end of vaccine passports, I visited this restaurant with hopes of enjoying a meal as I used to before. However, upon entering, I was met with an unexpected confrontation. The manager insisted I wear a mask despite my exemption, leading to an uncomfortable exchange. I explained my situation, but he persisted in challenging me, even resorting to belittling tactics in front of others.

Despite feeling uneasy, I chose to stay and was seated. In hindsight, I wish I had left, as the incident continued to trouble me the next day. In an effort to address this, I contacted the owner of Catch, Doug Greco, aiming to improve staff understanding of mask bylaws. The owner's response, however, was disappointing. He provided a hostile reply to my review rather than addressing the concern or returning my call.

What troubled me even more was the owner's lack of consideration for a loyal customer. Despite clarifying my regular visits, he inaccurately claimed I had been there just once in the past. This disregard for a long-time patron's experience was truly disheartening.

Adding to the series of disappointments, my vegetarian mother faced a separate issue at Cucci. Despite requesting a bacon-free dish due to her dietary choices, her order arrived with bacon. Although the staff was apologetic, the incident only deepened our frustration.

It's important to note that just a week and a half later, the mask mandate came to an end. In hindsight, the insistence on the mask seemed even more puzzling given the circumstances.

As I continue to pass by the restaurant daily, it serves as a constant reminder of the unfortunate treatment I endured. It's disappointing that these incidents cast a shadow over what should have...