Firehouse No.1 — Restaurant in San Jose

Appetizer: Fried Calamari (seasonal special) Entree: Firehouse Burger, medium rare Side: Arugula Salad

tl;dr: Satisfying, high-quality food; a little pricey but I got what I paid for

The fried calamari was chewy - as expected for calamari - but still tender enough to be manageable. The breading had a good crisp, with a light pepper seasoning that worked well to offset the oil, but it also had a tendency to fall off the squid bits. This was served with a very complex spicy Mayo dip, with a subtle, almost fruity undertone to it.

The arugula salad was very unexpected, in how far it got with so little accompaniment. Other than a slight sweet'n'sour edge from the dressing, the arugula is all you can taste here. But I wasn't left chewing disconsolately, like I often am with underseasoned greens; they were savory and, again, slightly peppery, in a way that almost buries the expected bitterness. An enjoyable eye-opener.

The Firehouse Burger has the beef as its centerpiece, and for good reason - it's high-quality, rich, savory deliciousness. The usual burger veggies (tomato, lettuce, &c) were served on the side, almost embarrassed to accompany the burger lest they detract attention from the main event. They do cut the beef's richness when used, though it's debatable whether that's a good thing! ;)

This was our third choice in the area after other restaurants didn't pan out, but even though we didn't have a reservation they were able to find us a...

Pre and none pre covid review. Upon walking in we were greeted right away. But we went for the bar.

The outside and inside atmosphere was great! A lot of mix in age and everyone was respectful. Not talking to loudly or any screaming of any kind. The inside is updated and new looking. Clean and inviting.

The bar is a well constructed bar. With a very proper bar counter and chairs. And many great selections of liquor.

Moving onto the food.

Mac n cheese. Absolutely amazing. It's A LOT to and is easily a full meal. Can be shared between 3 people without a problem. If you like a bit of spice add the jalapeño purée. It's excellent

Roasted bone marrow. 4 large ones. Excellent appetizer. You know this is crazy to say. But I'm not kidding when I say it. Best roasted bone marrow I've ever had in the US. Without question. And that's saying a lot! If you like a good roasted bone marrow you cannot go wrong with this place. HIGHLY recommend it.

Bison burger. Large portion of food once again. Fresh ingredients, perfectly cooked meat ( asked for medium rare ) and it was in fact medium rare. Seasoned well and not overbearing. Highly recommend this burger if your feeling a burger.

With that said Will I return? Oh without question. For the bone marrow alone!

Food: Very much above average.

Staff: Excellent! Very helpful and professional.

Decor: Updated. Good atmosphere

Bathrooms: N/A...

Stopped here on a Saturday night for dinner with friends, and thoroughly enjoyed the meal.

Somebody else described as heavy comfort food, and I'd have to agree. The small plates were pretty generous portions for the price, and we ordered several to share, including mac & cheese, calamari, pork belly, chicken wings and the charcuterie platter. Everything was cooked perfectly, and we were pretty full by the end of the night. Drinks were great, too - Habanero Matador and Barrel Aged Goddess were great.

Decor is very cool and casual - it's old school exposed brick, and they have seating in the back and in the patio out front. Parking lot is directly across the street, and they do validate the parking as well. I would just advise checking the Sharks schedule because we left when the game let out, and it was pretty difficult getting out of the parking lot (or even better, get there early and don't be forced to park on the 6th floor like we did...).

One star off for the loudness - I get that it's a bar, but after 9PM it was so loud it was hard to hear everybody else at the table. Make a reservation as it does get...