The Firefly Eatery & Bar

Nice place marred by a 5% junk fee and somewhat uninspired service. Sad that California had to make a special law just to eliminate these types of fees, which comes into effect on July 1st 2024. The ambience is fine and rather classy; the exterior is nice and would be pleasant in the summer.We didn't try the food so I can't comment on that. The drinks are a measured poor with an extra splash. Rather forgettable probably wouldn't come here again but not an unpleasant experience. 3.5 stars rounded up to four.

Stayed at the Dana on Mission Bay. This was our second time here, but the first visit was a few years back. Customer Service - The hostess could have been a little friendlier. She looked confused idk, maybe she was still waking up ‍ Our waitress on the other hand was super attentive and friendly. Considering we came for their buffet breakfast her service was exceptional. The also had an omelet station, and the chef too had exceptional customer service. 9/10 overall. Food - Omelet (veggie w/cheese) was delicious. Sausage & bacon was flavorful and cooked well. Oatmeal was good, and pancakes ok. Everything else was meh. Cost - Currently $24.99 adults and $12.99 kids. A bit pricey for what was offered. I've had FREE breakfasts at other hotels that were much better. It was convenient.

3.5 starsLunch is served from 11:30-3 pm. My colleagues and I were at the Dana for a conference and decided to grab lunch at the Firefly before the conference started. For a party of 6, we were seated rather quickly. I think there were only 2 servers and 1 front of house manager, so service was a bit slow, which could be a good or not great thing depending on your time. Also, if you ask for any additional condiments, they may not arrive before you finish, or almost, finish your meal. Fried Chicken Sandwich $16Lettuce, Tomato, Pickles, House Honey Mustard, French FriesThe sandwich and the French fries were delicious and it was quite filling. But.. the grease from the Fried Chicken Sandwich literally continued dripping onto the small plate as I was eating (my colleagues noticed that also), and the outdoor tables had holes on the top, so I was trying to not drip any oil, through the holes, onto my pants. If you're vegetarian, there is not much on the menu besides the Salads and the Cheese Flatbread. If you order the Clam Chowder, it is more like a small cup, than a bowl of soup. A few in my party ordered the Clam Chowder but it was not filling enough, as they thought it would be a bigger portion.For menu serving times, make sure to look them up on the website. The menus are also listed on the website for easier access. The FireFly does close a little early, Sun-Thu 5-9 pm and Fri-Sat 5-9:30 pm, so keep that in mind if you are a late eater or if you wanted to grab something later in the evening. They do have heat lamps and tables with fire pits in the middle as well.Service is a bit slowwww like molasses so we were running late for our conference. We were trying to see if we could get our bill, and I had even walked to the manager to ask and also a server had come by to ask if we needed any boxes or wanted our check. We ended up all walking up to the host station/podium to try to speed up the process of signing for our checks instead of having them walked over to our table. At the bottom of the menu, it states "A 5% surcharge will be added to all Guest checks to help cover increasing costs and in support of the recent increases to minimum wage and benefits for our dedicated Team Members." I am not a fan of extra surcharges, especially when the items are already pretty pricey, on top of tipping as well. One would hope an establishment would be paying their workers minimum wage, but to pass it onto its customers, as a separate surcharge, that is a no-no in my book.Overall, food and service was okay. It is convenient to have an on-site restaurant for the hotel but it is also not the greatest food. Another reviewer wrote "way underwhelmed" and I could not even more, that the food was a bit underwhelming. I totally understand the low-key vibe of service, since most people who visit are on vacation (and want to relax) but if you need to be somewhere, it's a bit of an inconvenience. The restaurant is located right next to the swimming pool and jacuzzi, so I can imagine it being quite lively with families during the summer. For the cooler months, it is lovely to be able to enjoy a quiet meal with a wonderful view of Mission Bay. It is all about location and views.

I am not normally one to go five stars for a hotel restaurant but we had three wonderful meals here with fantastic service on a recent stay at The Dana. One breakfast and two lunches, we enjoyed their lovely patio seating with our two pups. We had the same fantastic server each time, lucky for us, who always took great care of us. The breakfast buffet was solid, and they make a great vanilla latte. The lunch menu delivered some great eats, we tried the BLTA, Burger, Flatbread, Brussels, and Cobb salad. The cocktails are pretty on point as well. Honestly, if you never wanted to even leave this property you would not have to. We are having an event here in February of 2025 and if this is a sign/indication of the Food & Beverage situation here, then I am stoked.

Giving a generous 3. Generous.I can get into my signature Yelp-y review, but the long and the short of it is this place has mediocre service and really bland food.The experience on the patio with the fire pit was lovely, but it took so long to get our cocktails - prior to ordering food - that our ice water had melted into tepid water before the drinks made their way outside. It was somewhat busy, but a hotel restaurant close to a larger hotel hosting conventions needs to know how to handle that.My coworker and I split the beet salad, coconut shrimp and cheese flatbread. All three were bland and unremarkable. Overcooked beets, but a good dressing. Shrimp was meh. Flatbread was mushy on top, and totally burned on the bottom.Our server was nice enough but either spread too thin or just not on the ball. Either way it was not great. Way underwhelmed.

Stayed at the Dana and of course came to the Firedly for happy hour! Our bar tender was Jacob and he was Great! He took time to answer all of our questions and clarify our doubts. We had the 5 bucks lemon bourbon cocktail and some IPAs. We also had the 1/2 Lb Wagyu burger with fries and the clam chowder. Sadly have to report that everything was very salty the patty, the fries, and even the soup. I would've assumed it was me until my beau said the same thing without me mentioning it. Good thing the drinks were good so we watered it all down with a good priced cocktail. We enjoyed the sunset and chatting at the bar. Price was ok for happy hour.

Very spontaneous decision to go for a date night here and it was amazing!! Ambiance 10/10Food 50/10 Service 100/10Came in like 5m after the were taking the last guest for seating (but we'd called ahead and told them we'd be there)And the bartender was SUPER sweet about it!Accepted all order customizations (grilled chicken instead of breaded for the entree,asparagus instead of fried brussels sprouts,and that too with less oil)Brought out the food really quick - fresh and steamyIn perfect order and perfect timing.We didn't have to wait for any course to come outEven came in and asked what dessert would e the would want so he could keep it aside for us since the kitchen was closing.. and then could bring it out in timeWe celebrated our anniversary there, and the bartender gave us the dessert and drink on the house!!What a great guy!Also very kind with moving the heaters around for usCoconut Shrimp - SO crispy and delicious! Perfect with a big squeeze of lemon juice.Or with that sweet chili sauce. Shrimp it were not too oily either even through they were fried.Grilled Chicken was perfectly cooked! Very soft and not at all dry on the inside.Asparagus on the side - tender and cooked well on the inside too. Not stringy or hard even though they were thick pieces.Gorgonzola Mashed potatoes - creamy and delicious!Mushroom Fettuccine - WHAT A BEAUTY! the Sauce was lovely - perfect garlic parmesan sauce with perfectly cooked pasta and mushrooms. Good portion size too. Loved it!Cheesecake was creamy and perfect! Didn't even need that blueberry compote on top! Strange Brew cocktail was very nice too! Good volume and generous portion size. Very refreshing!

Food is okay, I got a burger and it was just alright. Definitely wouldn't order it again. The service was very slow. We were sitting there for almost 20 minutes before somebody greeted us. This happened several times as well while we were staying there.

Overall I had an amazing experience because of Miguel! He was super sweet and proactive in our needs. Was super happy and willing to explain every question we had about the menu. Thank you so much Miguel for being an awesome human and making our experience here at the Dana so wonderful!

Had the chicken breast it was delicious.Brussels sprouts were cooked with shredded red onion and I really liked them. But mashed potatoes stole the meal! Had shredded cheese and were creamy and delicious.Would go back for just that!