Fireside Tavern — Restaurant in Strasburg

Review: A Fireside Story - Our First and Last Visit

If you're considering dining at Fireside Tavern, let me give you a "sneak peek" into what you can expect—because really, who doesn't enjoy a good story with their appetizers, right?

Once upon a time, my wife and I, in a rare moment of culinary adventure, decided to try out this local hotspot. The tale begins with an innocent 40-minute wait, which we bravely accepted, thinking it was just the usual dinner rush dance. The lobby was bustling, a veritable stage for the drama that was to unfold. As we patiently waited, we witnessed a live-action sequence of dining despair and partiality that could rival any prime-time show.

The highlight? Watching the parade of people who arrived before and after us. Some accepted their waiting fate with the heroic grace of martyrdom, taking their buzzers like badges of honor. Others, wiser perhaps, fled the scene in search of greener pastures. Amid this, the chosen few—those with the mythical reservations—were whisked away to their tables, no doubt to partake in feasts worthy of kings.

Approximately 30 minutes into our saga, enter our antagonists, a couple who, despite being buzzer-bound like the rest of us mere mortals, were soon escorted to their table with the speed of a superhero movie plot twist. Their superpower? Recognizing the host. Ah, what a plot twist! Not all heroes wear capes; some just need to know the right people.

The tantalizing scent of food wafted around, a cruel olfactory reminder of what could have been. It was enough to keep us hopeful, but alas, not enough to quench the flames of injustice fanned by our increasingly evident invisibility.

My wife, ever the diplomat, returned our buzzer, while I confronted the host about this blatant display of favoritism. The response was a rehearsed tragedy of lies claiming reservations where there were none. Even a follow-up call to the owner provided nothing but a rerun of the same sorry script.

So, if you're eager for a night where the allure of good food is overshadowed by a side dish of nepotism, and where you might end up merely a background character in the drama of dining deceit, Fireside Tavern is the place for you.

And now, a limerick to cap off our experience:

In Fireside Tavern, the smells so grand, A feast for the nose, but not for the hand. But oh, what a plot, Friends of the host, you're not, You'll wait while the chosen expand.

In conclusion, the food may indeed be fantastic—if you ever get to taste it, that is. But for us, the bitter aftertaste of injustice will linger far longer than any...

Update: Fireside is a regular place for us now. Brian, our server many a time, is the best. Kirsten, the bus-person is a wonderful help. We are still greeted rather stiffly by a stuffy host staff when we call or first arrive. But our FOOD is the STAR - 5-star food! Every time we eat here, we try something new and the Chef NEVER disappoints! Brian MAKES our night with his attention, good memory and friendly demeanor. We always dine in the Dining Room but many people dine in the bar to get specials. Lately when I call to make a reservation, I get someone on the phone. That's a common courtesy they seem to have in hand now. DON'T go here - we want this place for ourselves - haha! Original Review: After reading of the other Reviews, we were fully ready for a rough ride with long with bad food and bad attitudes. But this did not occur! We arrived early for a reservation we made by leaving a phone message because there was no other way and they hadn’t got the reservation but it was early and they had a table for us and gave us the one that we wanted. They turned on the fireplace, which was gorgeous and we were right in front of it so full on ambience, and it was quiet and a lot of fun…homey atmosphere. Amber was our server, and she was absolutely incredible from start to finish. As it got busier, didn’t see her as much, but that was understandable. She seem to anticipate or every need but the huge headline is really the food. Their Special of cod fish and chips in beer batter was superb. Their fries were fantastic, their sauces - Yum! Tip: Mix the tartar and the cocktail sauce together for a really good bite. It’s rare to get thick, juicy, clean Cod with the beer batter. The fish was white, perfectly cooked and superb. Tip: Their “mint medley” Bigelow tea is a perfect pairing with the fish. Take that lemon they give you and clean your hands with it after you eat. The server Kirstin was very attentive too! The place is a bit of a historic feast for the eyes in all four rooms. I’m not sure the name of our room, but we saw the sign for the Swamp Room over the entrance going in there from our room. I look forward to coming back again and I can’t really say that about too many places. It would’ve been five stars (this was originally a 4-star review), except for the fact that nobody was answering the phone directly and it went to their answering machine. They need to pay a little...

Stopped in here (5/11/24) when they opened. Haven't been here for sometime (pre-covid). The hostess was nice and seated us quickly. The restaurant seemed a bit dark and a little gloomy. Our waitress was friendly, and quick throughout our dining experience. My husband ordered the prime rib sandwich, and I ordered the crab cake sandwich. We each had a drink but were notified when we sat down that most of the beer taps were down. No problem we both enjoyed what we ordered to drink.

When our food arrived, I was very disappointed in my crab cake. It barely looked cooked with a slight hint of brown on top. Inside was mushy and had no flavor at all. I used the tartar sauce in hopes to add some flavor to it, but it too was bland. I should have sent it back to have it cooked longer. This wasn't the crab cake I remember from a few years back, this was a disaster. My husband's prime rib sandwich was cooked well but the seasoning was very generic to the point of him experiencing an MSG like migraine later in the day. On top of it they gave us bags of chips for us to open. I expect that from a deli but not a full service restaurant. Looking at the ingredients on the bag we both noticed that the brand they use has the TBHQ in the chips. This is not what you want to see or eat. I can cause severe headaches and stomach issues. Which we both had later in the day.

We decided to give dessert a try and ordered the apple crisp. This again was a disaster. The apples tasted and had the consistency of canned apples. The topping had to much oatmeal with a tiny dollop of whipped cream. There was no flavor you would expect, such as cinnamon. At this point, after two bites we didn't finish it and told our server how terrible it was. She was kind enough to remove it from our bill.

Upon leaving I noticed the table next to me most of the patrons had ordered the crab cake, and again it was pale looking with a hint of brown. So I know it wasn't just mine that came out looking like it needed more time to cook. Overall I doubt I'll ever return here and I'm quite surprised at the many favorable reviews on here. It could have been an off day, but you lost...