Firehouse Restaurant — Restaurant in Portland

I went with my 4 kids (tweens and young adult) on 4/1/14 on our way to Cirque du Soleil and it was a great experience. We made a reservation for 6 but lost one and they changed our table without any problem/complaint. We had a spot by the window with a great view of the bar, beautiful woodfire pizza oven and the outside patio. We got there during happy hour and ate primarily from the happy hour menu. We had their signature, homemade grapefruit soda and vanilla soda, also the Margarita pizza, meatballs, fried cauliflower, and the beet salad. We ordered just the crimini mushroom pizza off the 'regular menu'. I loved the fresh taste of the grapefruit soda and my youngest daughter loved her vanilla soda. My exchange student daughters from Uruguay gobbled up the margarita pizza (their hometown favorite) and loved the crunchy, but doughy crust. We all split the meatballs and dunked our pizza crusts into the delicious sauce. I had the beet salad which had hazel nuts and a very yummy, tangy dressing. My daughter horded the fried cauliflower with creme fraiche. COME ON now... that was so so good. I made it at home yesterday (or tried to). Our crimini mushroom pizza was so so good. I'm from NY and I don't know what it was but the taste took me back to my corner pizza shop where I'd buy a slice from Leonardo (a hunch back chef from the old country that made THE BEST pizza). Not sure if it was the sauce or the olive oil or the mozzarella or what but it was heaven to me. I had no plans for dessert but the kids asked what panacotta was and in my shame of not introducing them to this delicious treat before, I ordered ONE so we could all have a taste. Thinking each of us would get just the tiniest taste... not so! It was a very large serving and each of us got at least 5 big spoonfuls. And it was oh oh oh so creamy and delicious especially with the huckleberries. Even my son who is very picky loved it. Lastly, the service... I mentioned the last minute reservation change with not even a snarky look from the manager but the service continued to be excellent after that. Our server was sweet, friendly, and cheerful. We told her we were trying to make the show and we left ourselves about 1.25 hours to eat. She made sure we were served quickly and the food just kept coming as soon as it was made. We finished within an hour and spent some time checking out the beautiful building and patio. The atmosphere was so cool and I hope to return in the summer when they open the big garage door to their lovely patio. The only small thing that bugged us was the fairly strong smell of the wood fire. I know... it's to be expected and is a small price to pay for such a delicious treat but, we all noticed that we smelled like we were camping and still smelled it on us by the time we got to Cirque. It was just a little strong so I bet when the doors are open in the summer, it won't be so strong. By the time we left, the kids were delighted and full. I fed 5 people with meatball leftovers for my hubby + dessert + nonalcoholic drinks for $65! Friendly, polite, and PDX good-lookin' staff, along with DELICIOUS food made for the perfect beginning to a wonderful night on the town with 4 great kids. Thank...

Firehouse knows how to feed a party. Reminiscing about our 5-course meal, I can't help but be reminded of the light, yet rich Bittersweet Deep Chocolate Torte. Let's not rush to dessert quite so soon...

Our first course consisted of Warmed olives and Terre del Sole Aged Sheep's Milk Cheese on top Rosemary Crackers with Oregon Honey and Spanish Marcona Almonds. It was perfectly balanced; sweet, salty, crispy and crunch. Also arriving on the table was Roasted Beets with Walnuts and Bufala Ricotta Salata. The Bufala Ricotta was finely diced and mixed with the slightly sweet Roasted Beets. Firehouse did an excellent job in making this ordinary root vegetable shine. Tomato Braised Cannellini Beans and Toasted Bread Salsa rounded off the first course.

Our second course began with a bountiful pile of Fennel Fritto and a side of House Cured Sardines. The Fennel Fritto was unique and the sardines were quite fishy. However, the winner of those course went to the Wood Oven Iron Skillet Mussels with Drawn Butter. Seafood and butter, do I need to say more?

Our third course, pizza and more pizza, came in two forms, Spicy House Fennel Sausage, Onion and Fresh Mozzarella and Margherita. The tender sausage paired well with the slightly crunchy onion and melted fresh mozzarella. The sauce was very good and the crust was tangy. Unfortunately, both pizzas were soggy and difficult to hold. This might be circumvented in the future, if the pizzas were served on something other than a ceramic or porcelain plate. Romaine Hearts with Lemon-Anchovie Vinaigrette and Shaved Pecorino accompanied the pizzas. The Romaine salad was simple and enjoyed, as it was completely devoured.

The fourth course came with House made Meatballs Braised with Tomato, Rosemary and Lacinato Kale and Rotisserie Chicken with Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes and Arugula Salad. I preferred the Chicken, as it was juicy and very flavorful. The arugula on top the mashed potatoes were a nice touch.

Lastly, fifth course takes it us back to the beginning of this review. Arriving for the final course consisted of Bittersweet Deep Chocolate Torte and Warm Bartlett Pear Crostata. The chocolate torte was by far the winner. I tend to prefer the fruit choice whenever dessert comes around, but this time the Chocolate Torte was the winner. It came off as very light, but the flavor was very rich.

The service was very good for a party of 30. We were closely seated in a room upstairs that got to be very warm by the end of the night. Firehouse is in a beautiful building with a spacious patio for outdoor dining. I recommend the Rotisserie Chicken and Chocolate Torte. Avoid the pizza, unless it can be...

I really wanted to like this place; I live nearby and have heard many people describe the great food.

When I arrived at 5:30 to sample their happy hour menu with my wife, I was asked if I had a reservation. I did not, and this was apparently my first mistake. The woman who seated me stated explicitly that she would need me to be done by 7:30pm, without any of the social niceties you would expect when involved in a staff-customer exchange. I assured her that, of course, we could accommodate her needs, beginning my visit there with a reversal in the direction of typical customer service. She did not smile, and did not seem to want me there at all.

Our server, on the other hand, was extremely friendly, as attentive as he could be given the demands of the Friday night crowd, and extremely helpful. He took our orders and served us our drinks.

The woman who had seated us delivered our pizza. Nary a smile, with the same cold demeanor as before. This was our last interaction with her, but as we sat and ate at our table near the server station, it seemed that she was a manager, giving clipped orders to the service staff, correcting one in full view of the customers (quietly but not privately), and seemed driven by the goal of clearing tables to seat more customers based on what we overheard as she dealt with her staff.

I cannot overstate that the rest of the service staff seemed willing to bend over backwards to offer a great experience in a friendly way, but the sour taste of what I experienced lingered over my meal in a way that kept me from enjoying what was ostensibly great, well crafted food.

Firehouse is doing a lot of things right, but beware the modus operandi that drives the gears of the machine. Small time happy hour customers are not seemingly the priority for...