Fireplace

Very expensive. Overrated food. BUT DELICIOUS BREAD! more

This is my first-time message on this board. Pros: Food, herbs and spices just right, not oversalted more

I have to say. Both times I've been here I've had positive experiences. Food is usualy good, so is the service. Servers even joke playfuly and recomend items, something you cant say anymore about many Boston restaurants. With Dalias across the street, the competition is strong but this place holds up well. Keep up the good work! more

I thought brunch here was OKAY. I had the stuffed french toast, which was good - but I have had better at... more

Top notch customer service- the other reviews speak for themselves on this outstanding restaurant's food, ambience etc so I won't waste space on that. I go out to eat regulary for work functions in the NYC area and am constantly surprised/disappointed by customer service in restaurants. My own memory was when I needed help on my brother's birthday and the owner of this restaurant made sure everything was taken care of. Not all places understand or take the time to go that extra step, I would suggest anyone to go here if you're looking for a wonderful meal, experience and I bet you'll book your next reservation before you've finished dessert. more

My husband and I came here for a dinner because it was listed as a local restaurant that had gluten free options on their menu. Being a celiac, I have to be weary of every place I eat and I was overly impressed with the knowledge of the waitstaff and their care in making sure my dinner remained uncontaminated by gluten Pros: Great Gluten Intolerance Awareness, Ambience, Parking lot, friendly waitstaff, delicious food more

I am writing this review based on 1 item on their Sunday brunch menu. They serve corn waffles with this... more

This place has one of the greatest kitchens in Boston. However, the service and staff leave much to be desired. Our party of three was dismissed from the dining room after being escorted to the table and asking for just drinks and desserts. We would have not minded, but for the rude tone of the hostess and the fact that there only six people in the restaurant. Sadly, we choose to not go there again. Pros: Location Cons: Service more

The food is not at the quality (preparation and presentation) suggested by the price. Really not even close. Thew service is also below par on occasion. I go there because I live around the corner and will continue to go for that reason. Brunch is a better value and is generally worth it. There is usually no waiting for a table for brunch (rare indeed). The atmosphere is nice but this place is a pretender. Pros: atmosphere Cons: value more

I couldn't believe when I read the other reviews that they mentioned bad service. As a waitress myself, even I would have been frustrated with my two elderly dining companions last night, but our waitress at the Fireplace could not have been more courteous. They asked about everything on the menu, twice. She was so friendly and patient. The food probably took a little longer than it should have, most likely due to the fact that one of my dining companions was eating her appetizer interminably slowly. I had the scallops which I thought were excellent, and I am pretty picky when it comes to scallops. There were six, decent-sized scallops and they were not at all grainy, which is a big plus. They came over mashed potatoes and arugula with mandarin orange segments and a vanilla glaze. Seemed like an odd combination but it made for a nice flavor profile. My grandmother loved her half chicken dish and the other lady seemed pleased with both her lobster and corn appetizer and her main course. They offer ""tastes"" of wine for $2-4, which is 2 oz. I find this an unusual, but nice option, as I wanted a sip but not a whole glass. They also have wine by the standard size glass and the bottle. The berry cobbler was good, nothing too fancy, but then again what do you expect when you order a cobbler? Pros: Service, Outside Patio, Atmosphere, Food Cons: Menu not anything too different from other ""New American Gourmet"" menus more

The Fireplace is a great place to go when you want good food without all the fuss. The meals are delicious, reasonably priced, and nicely prepared. The ambiance is relaxed but still upscale enought to compliment the sensations coming from your taste buds. The owner, who makes an appearance once i a while, is the nicest man you have ever met. PLus, he very much supports local causes and charitable organizations. No wonder so many celebrities have come to eat at this happening spot! Pros: Food, Atmosphere, Principles Cons: None. more

On a busy Thursday night, when all other Coolidge corner restaurants were full, we meandered into a half-empty Fireplace restuarant...was this a sign? Yes! Only as a last-option did I go here because I have felt disappointed by the overpriced mediocre food in the past. But, my aging parents were in town and I didn't want to drag them all over creation to wait an hour or more at another establishment. We were somewhat lost upon entering as the hostess station is 50 yards from the door (not practicle!) We were silently pointed to our table by a disinterested hostess to be greeted by an even less interested waiter. Despite the restaurant being half empty, our waiter rudely rushed my mother repeatedly to make her wine order. In fact, he was so impatient that he left and came back 3 times to our table because he could not be bothered to wait more than 30seconds each time to wait on us, saying ""Oh, I guess you need a few more minutes then?"" When we finally got our drinks and ordered our food, we were greeted with a reading of specials that even seemed to bore the waiter while he was reciting them. The questions my vegan-father had about his ""Winter White Bean Vegetable Stew"" were met with dismissive remarks. When our food did arrive, my father's white bean stew was a bowl of cubed potatoes in mystery-sauce, my $6 side of ""Rutabega and Potato Risotto"" was a bowl of suspiciously similar looking cubed potatoes in a cream sauce, and my husband's King Salmon was served over....you guessed it....mystery cubed potatoes. My mother's $28 scallop scampi was 75% elbow macaroni and cheese sprinkled with canned bread crumbs. On top of all the expensive potatoes and starch, our drinks remained empty for ages until we could flag down our waiter for a second drink....apparently they don't care about selling alchohol here. Point of this story:.you'll pay too much, have bland food, and as this is the 3rd time I've experienced rude waitstaff, that seems like a guaruntee as well. Stay away! Pros: nice live jazz music and cozy lighting Cons: staff, service, prices, food, did I mention bad service? more

While dining at the fireplace one Saturday night, a cokcroach came out and started walking near our booth. The waiters didn't really do anything until we asked if we could switch tables. Then when another waitress helped us, our waiter didn't check in to see if all was OK. Never did they ask if there was anything they could do to help us...really poor customer service. Food was okay, but overly priced. more

I think the best thing about having dined here happen a month after being there when my girlfriend turned to me and said, ?I can still taste the flavors of our meal at the Fireplace.? I know now why there are people always in the restaurant whenever I pass by. more

This is one of my favorite restaurants. I love the food,decor,service and prices. I love the American wine list and the martinis as well. It is very creative and charming.The chicken rivals any in the city but I also love the variety of menu items and there are great daily specials.It is a must to visit!!!! more

The food's not bad, the service isn't bad, the decor is kind of interesting, the price isn't great. Why go? more

Some friends and I went to the fireplace a few nights back. I've been wanting to try it for a long time now, as it looks so cozy inside. Much to my dismay, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. We were greeted by a hostess at the top of the stairs, far from the front door who waved us in her direction. It seemed rather abrupt. Since the rest of our party was not there, she invited us to have a drink at the desolate bar. Design-wise, the bar is too wide to promote a comfortable feeling. But that was nothing compared to the fact that there was not a bartender. The hostess doubled as a bartender and took forever to take our drink order and then make our rather uninspiring cocktails. (A manager just stood by) We were seated in the main dining room and had a nice view of the street and the other tables. The menu had stalwart items like roasted chicken, a pork chop on mashed potatoes, and some kind of seared fish, among other things. Each sounded good, but nothing was terribly innovative. I just feel like this place is stuck in the near past. Our corn chowder was good, but again, it was just that. It wasn't served piping hot, so that may have played a role in my opinion. The pork loin was flavorful and well-prepared, but putting it on plain mashed potatoes just did not inspire me. I really enjoyed the small ravioli filled with fresh peas (they must've been right out of the garden) very much, though it was confusing as to how they were to relate to the fish (I forget what kind). The desserts were incredible. I had a berry tart that was so sweet and full of berry goodness and mixed perfectly with the ice cream served alongside it. Pros: Great desserts Cons: Good, but not great food. Average service. more

I had heard good things about this place, but after two unimpressive meals, I can say with confidence that this place is over-rated. While the service was okay, the food was just bland and very overpriced -- any pretty good home cook can do much better. Very disappointed. Pros: Nice bar area Cons: Bland food more

I would definitely go back for the rotisserie chicken. It was a good value with little pretense and will fill the hungriest patron. However, the person I was eating with has twice ordered fish, the last time was sea bass, and was not impressed by the size or taste. I would recommend making a reservation, though they have tables in the bar area, the service is much slower. Pros: good hearty meals Cons: mediocre fish, not enough servers more

The waitress forgot to mention the two things on the menu that they didn't have and only told us as we were ordering them. Would have been good to know since I picked the place for the options the menu offered. Then after getting our bread and drinks we were asked to move. Apparently the inexperienced hostess seated us at the wrong table. Food was mediocre. Mussels were small for the price and the chicken was something that I could make at home for a lot less (would have had the steak, but they didn't have steak on a Saturday night). Staff wears jeans that are too low and should not be worn when bending over tables (we didn't appreciate the rear view thrown in our faces when the table next to us was being cleared). No direct apology from the Manager was received (I don't even know if he knew); however, they did offer us free desert. Neither of us were interested in desert so we declined. We received no compensation (not even the drinks were taken off the bill). Will not go back to this restaurant and would advise my friends not to as well. There are plenty of other restaurants out there... Pros: right off the T line Cons: inexperienced staff more