Christine's Firehouse — Restaurant in North Kansas City

Last February (2024), I had the pleasure of dining at Christine’s Firehouse in North Kansas City, Missouri, and it turned out to be a memorable experience shared with my father and his friend. This restaurant is a local gem, famous for its incredible breaded and fried pork tenderloin sandwich, and, as you step inside, you can't help but notice the vibrant firefighter-themed memorabilia adorning the walls. It truly sets the scene!

Our journey to discovering Christine’s Firehouse began when my mother was cutting a customer’s hair at their home. Out of the blue, the customer’s spouse walked in carrying a tenderloin sandwich from this very place. My mother was astounded by its size—she exclaimed, “That is a HUGE sandwich!” Intrigued, she took a bite and was blown away, declaring it the “best pork tenderloin sandwich” she had ever tasted.

Now, a classic pork tenderloin sandwich usually features a fried piece of meat paired with the traditional garnishes of lettuce, tomato, and onion on a bun. However, Christine’s Firehouse elevates this standard to a whole new level. You get to customize your experience, choosing from raw horseradish, creamy horseradish sauce, or good old mayonnaise. Plus, if you're feeling ambitious, they even offer an extra bun for those who want to make a second sandwich with the generous portions they serve!

When we arrived, my father deftly sliced off a chunk of his pork tenderloin and loaded it onto that extra bun. Together, we topped our sandwiches with fresh veggies and a drizzle of sauce, and let me tell you—each bite was a flavor explosion! We even for a side of French fries with our meal. Within no time, Dad and I knew we had to return to Christine’s Firehouse not once, but two or three more times, just to indulge in that outstanding sandwich again.

The ambiance at Christine’s Firehouse complements the feast beautifully. With “firehouse” right in the name, it's no surprise to find firemen’s jackets hanging from the ceiling, fire helmets lining the walls, and toy fire trucks adorning the corner. To top it all off, there’s even a quirky bottle cap fire hydrant behind the bar! Alongside the firefighting decor, the restaurant boasts a collection of vintage automotive memorabilia, including a charming old-school gas station pump and a modern jukebox that invites you to kick back and enjoy the vibe.

The buzz about their phenomenal tenderloin sandwich is palpable, with countless Five-Star reviews lighting up their Google Maps page. Honestly, I take great pride in stating that Christine's Firehouse serves the best-breaded pork tenderloin sandwich in the Kansas City area. It’s hard not to agree when you experience the sheer size of that sandwich and the option to snag an extra bun for sharing.

I do not doubt that anyone who experiences this culinary delight firsthand will be equally amazed and will gladly recommend Christine’s Firehouse to family and friends for their next gathering. If customers are in Kansas City and looking for a delicious food adventure, they need to visit Christine’s Firehouse in North Kansas...

I like Christine’s I’ve ordered food to go but never been there to eat until yesterday the bartender came around to help us I guess because our waiter was busy seemed like she she wasn’t in a good mood let’s say to help us, it was noticeable, one of those deals.... but our waiter showed up good kid, good kid ... my buddy ordered a tenderloin , bigger than both of my hands, and I got decent size hands, put together... it tasted better there, I would have to say then ordering it and taking it home. When you order it to go they put the fries on the bottom by the time you get home fries are soggy the bottom of the tender is just a tad soggy But that’s just part of ordering food to go not on them...also ... I ordered buffalo wings which are always good I’ve ordered them before they have decent wing & and I consider myself the WING GUY a real decent wing. Then we ordered I believe it was some type of barbecue nachos I want to say pulled pork and they were good, surprisingly good the meat was well smoked and not overwhelming, a good chip and just a good pile of nachos. GOOD JOB! The beer was cold ordered @ least six of them total....there was one request that I had that I kind of took Pause when I asked for an extra plate for the 2 appetizers he wanted to charge me a dollar when I asked why I guess because the tenderloin is so big people share it so they want to charge you $1 for a plate... one of two things I recommend but who am I ?! Raise your price on the tenderloin or Recognize (and maybe this didn’t happen)that your customer ordered an appetizer....some people do not like to pick off the same plate some folks like to scoop the appetizer onto a separate plate and eat it...just saying. But besides the two setbacks the emotionless bartender and the extra dollar for a plate, I’d recommend this joint! The Speed in which we receive our beers and food... top notch. Not to mention the number of TVs in the place and the band that was getting ready to kick off Saturday night... not bad not bad at all .... I’II give it another...

We go to Christine’s about once a month. My husband loves the tenderloin and my kids like the wings. I ordered a French Dip and found something in the sandwich that shouldn’t have been in there. Unfortunately I chewed on it and I would describe it as a rubber band (definitely not “normal” gristle). The waitress was kind enough to have the sandwich remade, but by the time it got out my family was finished eating and frankly, I wasn’t confident the other part of it wasn’t in the sandwich and only ate about half. When we got the check, I saw we had been charged for the sandwich, so I asked to have it credited. The manager, Kevin, told the waitress no, so I asked to speak with him. I was told I’d have to walk back to him because he was at the bar. Thinking he was working the bar, I walked back to find him sitting at the bar. He greeted me by saying “Did you eat the sandwich??” and when I told him I’d eaten a little more than half, he told me that I’d be paying for the sandwich. He continued by telling me I was wrong, that I didn’t find a rubber band, that it was just fat and gristle. This went on for a few minutes with me explaining it was gross and inconvenient and Kevin asking if I ate the sandwich. Kevin refused any refund and told me I could ask the owner for the credit the next day, but she probably wouldn’t give me one because I ate the sandwich. After I paid (because it’s not like I was going to walk out on the check) Kevin said he was sorry this happened- he should have lead with that instead of his go to “Did you eat the sandwich?” At this point, it’s not about the $10 sandwich. Kevin is a jerk who needs some training on how to interact with customers. Ideally he needs a beer thrown in his face, but I’m not planning on wasting any more...