Firebirds Wood Fired Grill — Restaurant in Greenville

Firebirds has always been one of our favorite places to dine and we often go for special occasions such as my birthday last night (Saturday, 12/17/2022). My husband and I have always loved it, and we actually met working in the food service industry over a decade ago so we are VERY understanding when we go to dinner anywhere and usually let things slide, even the mistakes most would treat as a major issue. However, last night we were made to feel like the problem when we expressed our concern by both our server and even the manager.

I'll start by saying our 7:45 pm reservation was fulfilled 35 minutes later at 8:20, which we understood because of the volume and the wait time was around 2 hours without a reservation, so it didn't bother us. Our experience was fine with our service as well until the end of the meal. Let me reiterate, coming from a background of food service ourselves, we are the type to heavily hesitate making complaints, hate to send food back to the kitchen, and are always very polite and especially apologetic, literally repeating "I'm sorry" to them if and when we feel any complaint is deemed as actually necessary and we approached last night the same exact way.

I ordered the 9 oz filet mignon, cooked medium. The filet had a section of fat barrier which kind of split the steak into two parts, which was fine, no big deal there! The side of it I started with was thinner than the second half and was more med rare than medium, but again, we HATE to send back food so I ate this portion. However, the second half was thicker and we realized most of it was actually quite rare. I tried to pick around the most rare sections and just eat the edges which were cooked a little more of course because I'm also extra cautious about undercooked meat right now being 38 weeks pregnant. This is why in the picture below, although cut up, you can see much of the steak was left and not cooked enough for me to comfortably finish.

As soon as we politely made our server aware and showed the steak left plate, her attitude became quite apparent. The manager promptly responded, but made us to feel like we were somehow being dishonest and the problem here. He just kept repeating it was "so weird" that the filet was split as I described it and neither were apologetic at all. But that is what we were served, we did not provide this "weird" cut to ourselves, and we did not send out a medium steak that if you look is clearly quite rare. We were offered free dessert, but asked for just small partial discount since I enjoyed one half of the filet and the sides. They removed our tea and soda, and the added port mushrooms I had, so around $10 worth of food which is fair because I did consume all but the rare sections, but this wasn't the issue. The patron blaming expressed by the manager, the unapologetic approach, and the sheer rudeness of our server after our concern is where the problem truly lied. We already feel bad as it is ever having to make a complaint, so this was just so poorly handled and a better attitude and treatment toward two very patient and kind customers would have completely changed the circumstances. We just remain shocked at how badly we were treated as the problem and these situations should never be handled that way, especially...

I have been a frequent customer at Firebirds on Woodruff Rd., but my visit on 2/4/2025 at around 8 PM was by far the most disappointing experience I’ve had at this location.

Upon arrival, my wife, daughter, and I were seated promptly, and our waiter greeted us and took our drink orders. However, from that point forward, the experience quickly declined.

Seated next to us were two gentlemen accompanied by an employee who appeared to be a manager. She wasn’t attending to any tables or delivering food, and she carried a set of keys with a key card. What stood out was how unusually cozy she was with one of the gentlemen, frequently returning to sit with them after patrolling the floor.

When we placed our orders, the service was noticeably different from our usual visits. I ordered both an appetizer and a chili, and when asked which I preferred first, I specified the appetizer. However, the chili arrived first. While not a major issue, it set the tone for the rest of the meal.

My daughter ordered a cheeseburger but was never asked how she wanted it cooked or what toppings she preferred, which is typically standard practice. It arrived well done with no condiments, and her fries were cold. We requested mustard, ketchup, mayo, and a side of ranch, but only received mustard and ranch. Meanwhile, our waiter became distracted, turning his attention to the table beside us before abruptly leaving with the other employee.

At that point, I flagged down the employee I suspected to be a manager to request the missing condiments. Her response was shockingly unprofessional—she rolled her eyes, let out an audible grunt, and returned with the items without a word before resuming her seat at the adjacent table. By the time we received the condiments, the burger had been sitting untouched for nearly five minutes.

To add to the frustration, I had to flag down another server just to get drink refills.

Overall, this was an extremely disappointing experience due to the poor service and lack of professionalism from the staff, particularly management. Firebirds has always been a place we’ve enjoyed, but this visit fell far below expectations. I sincerely hoped this was an isolated incident rather than the new standard for this location.

Instead of posting an immediate review, I called the next day and spoke with Dante, the general manager. He confirmed that the female employee was indeed the floor manager, acknowledged that this was an ongoing issue he was aware of, and assured me it would be addressed. He also offered VIP cards so we could give Firebirds another try on him.

However, we never received the cards. We however visited again tonight, we experienced the same poor service. Once again, the floor manager was busy flirting with a group of guys at a table, and service was practically nonexistent. This time, even the food was below mediocre.

It’s clear that Dante has a lot of work ahead of him to fix the growing issues at Firebirds. I truly hope he succeeds because, as it stands, this location is rapidly declining.

Update: I contacted the email below, if you are asking don't waste your time. They simply give you the boiler plate "sorry for your experience, we will do...

UPDATE:

After a year, we decided to give Firebirds another try, and regrettably, our experience left us deeply disappointed once again. While our initial seating was prompt and our server, Michael, began things well by taking our drink order (a bottle of J Lohr Cabernet and water) and ordered the deviled eggs—which were excellent with bacon—the rest of the evening faltered.

We ordered a 14‑oz New York Strip (medium rare, with Portifino mushrooms) for myself and a 7‑oz filet with au gratin potatoes for my wife. Shortly after our food was served, we noticed that our water glasses had gone empty. We couldn't find Michael and had to finally flag him over for refills and even for additional straws. When our meals finally arrived, Michael departed abruptly without any follow‐up—a practice that left us feeling neglected and frustrated.

In response to our concerns, we flagged down the hostess and a manager promptly arrived. Although the manager did re-cook both steaks and provided fresh sides, it was clear that our original meals had been significantly undercooked. Additionally, my wife’s meal was later comped as a gesture of goodwill. Despite these corrective measures, the overall service issues marred what should have been a thoroughly enjoyable dining experience—especially on a return visit meant to restore our faith in the restaurant.

As we prepared to take our meals to go, we encountered further lapses. Even our request for a carryout bag was met with an off-putting attitude. Michael later offered a complementary dessert; however, by then our disappointment had set in, and we declined. Ultimately, we tipped 10% on the remaining bill, which was a gift - leaving with the firm decision that we would not be returning.

This visit underscores a recurring pattern of inattentiveness and inconsistency that has only worsened over time. Given the magnitude of service failures—from the missing water refills and unresponsive server to the rushed, insufficient follow-up on undercooked food—we continue to stand by our 1‑star rating.

This updated review aims to capture the full extent of our experience compared to our previous visit, highlighting how issues have persisted and even compounded over time.

2/2

The culinary narrative took an unexpected turn when our server, compelled by an apparent need for transparency, unveiled a behind-the-scenes clash with the chef. This revelation, shared with an air of conflict, insinuated a lack of belief in my wife's account—an aspect that irked her profoundly. The culinary discourse reached an unacceptable zenith when details surfaced about the chef inserting a finger into the matter, crossing the boundaries of professionalism. Such incidents cast an unsettling shadow over what should have been a seamless dining experience.

To make matters worse, when we got home we realized the Chilean Sea Bass looked and tasted...