Hammer and Fire — Restaurant in Upper Merion Township

I visited this Hammer & Fire for breakfast with family. I had prepaid for the breakfast package as part of my stay at the Alloy DoubleTree. I am a disabled veteran with two trained service animals who are clearly marked and included in my hotel reservation. They assist with psychological disabilities, including hypervigilance and intervention support.

From the moment we arrived, I was made to feel out of place.

We were offered outdoor seating—despite the restaurant being nearly empty—presumably because of my service animals. I declined and asked to sit inside with other guests. We were seated, but no one came to our table for over 10 minutes. No one greeted us, offered water, or even acknowledged we were there. I received noticeable stares from the staff, including the host and servers.

When the restaurant manager finally came over, she said pets weren’t allowed. I clarified that my dogs are service animals, trained and legally protected. She asked what they were trained to do, and I explained their functions related to psychological regulation and self-harm prevention. She then told me I couldn’t have “emotional support animals,” and I had to clarify again: they are service animals. She said she would escalate it to another manager.

No one had taken our drink or food order.

I called the front desk from the table to report what was happening. The front desk supervisor walked over immediately, was kind and empathetic, and made sure we were taken care of. Thanks to her, we were finally served the meal we had already paid for, and she even made accommodations to our bill. Her compassion was the only part of this experience that felt respectful.

Unfortunately, the emotional damage had already been done.

My oldest sister was deeply affected by watching the situation unfold. I asked her not to intervene, because I was trying to manage my own stress levels and she was ready to start a revolution (rightly so). She chose not to eat at the restaurant at all, and when she tried to wait at the nearby bar—which was clearly closed—the same restaurant manager crossed the lobby to ask her to leave that space as well. No one else was being asked to move. It felt targeted and inappropriate.

In the end, I stayed along with my other sister, and we did eat. The food was fine. The server who finally came over was courteous. But the lasting impact of being treated like I didn’t belong, of having my rights challenged again, and of watching how it affected the people who care for me—it’s exhausting.

Disabled guests deserve to be treated with dignity without needing to defend their service animals or explain their trauma in public.

You can’t undo the emotional toll with comped food or points.

Hammer &...

Hammer an fire restaurant is located Inside newly renovated hotel Alloy. Clean crisp look with covid protocols in mind. Everything easily cleaned and sanitized. Decor was very nice and silverware was elegant with good weight and nice texture. Jeremy was very pleasant and informative Ample outlets provided for charging devices of all types. Fire and shrimp gumbo Decadent base filled with shrimp, shredded crab, okra and long grained rice. Beautifully presented with shrimp in every bite. Very pleased thus far even though menu mention scallops and sausage were non-existent. Could have had a little heat which probably came from andouille  sausage that were missing. It was nice that they added the rice at the end white kept the rice from being overcooked. Forge Burger Huge burger cooked to order. Topped with leafy lettuce, thick slice of tomato, and a sunny side up egg. The bacon jam was absolutely the star while the gruyere was hardly there. Burger was order medium but still had just a touch to much charr for me. Even still it was delicious and I devoured it. Cajun shrimp & grits Great presentation with large shrimp and thick slice of andouille sausage on a bed of stone ground grits. With a decadent cream on the side, but once that cream, which was ladle on the side, disapated the dish was a little dry. Even still it was delicious and got devoured. Chocolate torte Like a chocolate truffle on steroids according to my wife. I order the blueberry cheesecake and it looked delicious but it had chocolate to which I am allergic.  So, Jeremy  accommodated me and got me a creme bruleé that was good. Overall very satisfied and enticed to see the rest of the renovations in the hotel. If I could have I would rates 4.5 but Will...

Went to dinner with friends during restaurant week. Jeremy is an incredibly knowledgable waiter and did a phenomenal job of explaining the menu to us. Not once did we feel rushed or ignored throughout our entire dining process. Our dishes were mixed up coming out of the kitchen, so the temperatures on our steaks were switched by accident. Jeremy took them back and brought us entire new dishes very quickly, apologizing for the mistake (which he didn't even make). The food was delicious and the presentation was incredible. Restaurant week was a really good deal, but we will be back for regular dining. The completely updated dining room was very modern and comfortable, with a choice of several different kinds of tables. I am 6 months pregnant and was totally comfortable in my seat for our entire meal. As a new restaurant, some kinks may need to be worked out, but the staff here is very accommodating and willing to make...