The Firehall Kitchen and Taphouse

Easy parking, friendly staff, a big open space, creative drinks - it was exactly what I wanted it to be!I met some friends here during the dead week between Christmas and New Year's, and there was plenty of seating, delicious and festive cocktails, and service was prompt, but easygoing and did not pressure me.Of course, I got poutine, which is a pretty large portion, and I was impressed that it came out searing hot. I had a Ginger martini and I need to find the ginger vodka they used because it was phenomenal. The rest of the menu also looks good and I'd love to go back for one of their burgers. Restaurants in tourist towns like La Conner can be hit or miss, but this is a hit and I am looking forward for my next excuse to get down there.

Really good food, very casual and crowded. Nice place to stop in between browsing the shops!

It was a Saturday evening past 7pm. Sleepy La Connor was even sleepier with limited restaurants open. I found Firehall via Yelp with great ratings. The place is a remodeled firehouse/hall, hence the name. The inside is fully modern; the outside features a giant brewer (I think that's what it is.) We're not drinkers, so our focus is food only. The staff was sufficiently attentive; there is a beer garden in the back that was likely taking away the attention of our waitperson. No issue.Both the appetizers were very good; unfortunately, both our main courses were meh. Bummer...The Food:Brussels Sprouts, $10 - 4 StarsThey offer a twist with the typical brussels sprouts by adding blue cheese (I think). I can't eat much cheese; hubby said it was a good mixture. Fried Pickle Spears, $7 - 4 StarsA very good version of fried pickles, lightly battered. Spears of pickles (vs. flat cuts) are my favorite form factor with a juicier pickle taste. Grilled Salmon Salad, aka Firehall Salad, $17 - 1 StarsThe salmon is way, way overcooked. Murdered salmon. It was dry and needlessly dense as a result. The salad greens were good quality but way overdressed. The salad dressing pooled at the bottom of the bowl. I ended up mashing the dry and dense salmon into the excess dressing to make it edible. I hate wasting food, or I would have sent back this dish.Fish (3) and Chips, $22 - 1.5 StarsVisually, we can see the batter is old-school and thick. It was incredibly greasy. The fish is nonetheless very good - thick and juicy. The fries were a huge fail. They were all sad and limp, without any crunch. Even the fries that were not under the fish were lifeless. There are way better fish and chips than this elsewhere. Too, too much grease. Also, use a bigger container so the fish grease is not draining onto the fries. So many wrongs in the execution; it could have been better.The overall rating should be a 2.5 Star. The good appetizers are enough to round it up to a 3.

The Firehall is owned by the same folks who run the brewery, so you'll find their familiar beers as well as others from around the area. A full bar is also available if you prefer cocktails. The atmosphere is great, with a massive outdoor patio area as well as indoor dining and a small bar with great decor. The patio features a several different conversation areas and is great for multiple groups without feeling crowded, with lawn games to keep you entertained. Pets are welcome in the back patio. The best part is the food! Their kitchen cranks out some incredibly tasty dishes. My favorite is the Cowboy Cheeseburger - spicy, with a side of brussel sprouts served with Gorgonzola cheese, dried cranberries and balsamic. Several of the dishes feature Gorgonzola - a favorite of mine. Stop in and check it out! You won't be disappointed.

I guess it was our weekend for touring breweries that used to be fire stations! First on the list was the long-awaited Firehall Kitchen and Taphouse, the newest venture of nearby La Conner Brewing. As frequent La Conner weekend visitors, we've been waiting in anticipation for months (probably closer to a year) for this spot to open, so we might have been expecting a little too much.This taphouse/restaurant looks and smells new inside - everything is clean and freshly painted. Not sure why they chose to paint almost the entire place black, as it makes it pretty dark and dreary in there. What they haven't added (yet) is anything to dampen the loudness. It was seriously hard to have a conversation in here, despite the place only being about half full when we were there.We ordered some fish 'n chips, brussels sprouts, and a couple of beers. The dude liked his IPA, while I found my oatmeal stout almost undrinkable. It was...sharp...as in, it tasted like it was rushed through the brewing process and wasn't yet ready for prime time. When we were about half way through our beers, our harried server arrived to tell us our order had been lost and then to ask us what we'd ordered. It was clear she'd lost our order and had never submitted it. Ten minutes later, our food arrived. The brussels sprouts were pretty good, though they almost had TOO much going on - there were a lot of strong flavors (like blue cheese and dried cranberries) competing with the taste of the sprouts. The portion was pretty small too.The fish 'n chips were okay, but really nothing special. For being a seaside town, I would have expected fresh fish to be used. But these tasted more like something from Cash 'n Carry. The pieces of fish were small, and the portion of fries tiny. It was also accompanied by the tiniest portion of cole slaw in history. Seriously, the little cup of tartar sauce was bigger than the cole slaw.Hopefully this place will improve with time. It did just open in the last month or so. Let's hope, at the very least, they add a few more beers to the menu (since they are a taphouse, after all).

Went out for a Thursday dinner with my stepson and his wife. We love going to La Conner any chance we get. If you have not been, highly recommend you go visit.Now on to The Firehall!The food was very good! The Cuban was exactly what it should be which I love! We kinda shared everything we tried and everyone really enjoyed it. The Curry bowl is one of the best "bowls" I have had in a long time. It is delicious. The Baja Bowl was also very tasty, while I am not a huge fish person, it was not overwhelmed by the locally caught halibut.Sides do not come with meal's, however we ordered the French Fries and there were more than enough for 3 people.My only knock on The Firehall is they have a somewhat limited tap list. I am hopeful it expands.This would not be a deterrent for though, I will be back.

I have honestly become pretty jaded when it comes to dining in waterfront tourist towns. Most restaurants seem to coast on their location and push mediocre cuisine on 'One-and-Done' tourists who aren't coming back a second time anyway. I'm starting to form a hypothesis that to escape this you have to go inland at least a few blocks. The Firehall Kitchen and Taphouse seems to be validating that hypothesis...THE ROSES: Fun, airy, open dining space. Set up as a sports bar, TFKaT has many large-screens TVs around, tuned to popular sporting events. VERY helpful staff who are eager to please and guide you if you have dietary restrictions and need a dish 'adjusted'. Very reasonable prices. Many of the menu offerings are much better than expected. The Brussels Sprouts appetizer is a delight, with pan-roasted sprouts nicely carmelized and dressed with Gorgonzolal, dried cranberries, and balsamic glaze. If you like fish and chips, you'll LOVE theirs! REALLY thick, meaty and moist fingers (more like the size of large sausages!) of fresh cod are lightly coated in beer batter and fried to perfection. Menu has good variety with both lighter and more hearty fare. Excellent selection of local beers and more.THE THORNS: While the menu is mostly 'hits', there are some definite 'misses'. The Cole slaw, which is often treated as a 'throwaway' dish, definitely gets that treatment here. It is seriously underdressed and uninspired. The only reason I bring this up is because when it's clear you have a chef and kitchen that is committed to turning out superior cuisine, it is a slight letdown to see some dishes not treated with the same enthusiasm.THE VERDICT: The Firehall Kitchen and Taphouse gets it: to tempt diners away from the narrow confines of the waterfront strip, they have to offer superior cuisine and service. TFKaT SERIOUSLY punches not only above its weight, but WELL above it's weight class, delivering a dining experience that is fun, delicious, and a superior value.Very highly recommend: get in here!!!

Decent menu, decent tap list, nice copper counters. They have liquor as well which is a nice benefit over most tap houses.Didn't get food today but will return to experience. Friendly bartenders.TP improperly installed, unacceptable

First off let me start by saying I NEVER forget to take the pictures before devouring. But when this food came out we lost our minds, and it wasn't until we were all well through our food that I realized I messed up! I had the elk burger with blackberry jam and the brussel sprouts... oh.my.goodness!!!! Everything about my plate will have me coming back for more! Our server was super sweet, and attentive for how busy they were. She even brought out some extra pickles for my little one. It's a really fun atmosphere, with family friendly, and 21 and up option. You can't miss with this one.

The restaurant is clean and has a lot of space. Went here with three friends. One friend uses a walker and there was easy accommodation for that. We were there when they first opened. The food is okay. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't fantastic either. I wanted to try the Cuban sandwich, but when I asked the server which dish to get she suggested the steak bowl that I asked about instead. The steak was cooked well, but it was really sweet and had too much sauce. My friends had fish & chips, the chicken bowl, and a burger. First all the sides cost extra. My friend with the burger didn't get a side and was still hungry after his burger. The chicken bowl was by far the best looking dish out of the four. This is a sportish bar and has the possibility of being busy on a Friday or Saturday. So plan accordingly. It is owned by the same folks that own the brewery in town on the Main Street. Our server was new. She was nice. I think she was new to serving and I could see why they had her scheduled on a Saturday morning. She was friendly and cordial. I don't think I would go back here. It might be more fun on a weekend night outside with games, beers, and snacks. Definitely focuses on beer.