Review: Date Night at Firestation Bar and Grill in Maumee

Firestation Bar and Grill opened in the Maumee area in October 2019. David and I had tried this restaurant shortly after it had opened and really didn’t think anything of it.

However, because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the restaurant temporarily closed due to the lack and quality of their staff.

It re-opened back on May 3rd and is under new management.

We’re always willing to give a restaurant a second chance… so off we went!

This place is definitely one of a kind, thanks to the owner, Jamie Wietrzykowski’s love for first responders.

When pulling up, you can’t miss the three retired fire trucks parked in front, visible along Airport Highway near Holland-Sylvania. The trucks provide a hint of what you will find on the interior of the restaurant, with an atmosphere and unique decor that adults will appreciate and kids will find fascinating.

The restaurant is decorated with fire trucks, photos, murals and other types of firefighter memorabilia. It boasts three full bars, a seasonal patio, and a second floor that overlooks the main dining area.

There is even a fire truck with fully operating lights and sirens in the center of the second floor. All table tops have pictures from local fire stations. The murals had over 500 pictures and are of current and historical engine companies and historical fires in NW Ohio.

Peek inside the Firestation Bar & Grill (click to enlarge)!

We were seated in the closed patio, which sounded nice at first, but then quickly came to the realization that we were sitting in an oven. We were right next to the wall where the sun was beating directly in our faces. It was not pleasant. I didn’t want to be “that” person, however, and demand to sit somewhere else. So, it is my fault that we pretty much sweat to death during the whole experience.

When looking over the menu, we noticed there were not nearly as many options as the old menu had. Their menu downsized significantly, and we also noticed the prices had gone up. That’s not surprising, though.

Our hostess brought us our bread for the table, which were adorable mini cornbread served with a side of honey butter. They were good, but I had wished the cornbread were warm, so the butter could melt onto of them.

Shortly after, our waiter Aaron (who was fantastic throughout our whole meal) took our order.

For our appetizer, we got the Flaming Jalapeño Explosion Bites ($8), which were eight breaded bites of corn, cream cheese, jalapeños, and bacon served with a signature fire sauce and pico de gallo. Despite the name, they were not too spicy, and the sauce added a nice cooling tang.

For our entrées, David settled on a sandwich called The Scorched Swine and Cheese Melt ($15), which was described as BBQ pork with crispy onions, pickles, and Colby jack cheese. I got The Inferno Brisket Sandwich ($15) which was sliced brisket with lettuce, pickles, and the signature BBQ sauce. Both sandwiches were piled high with a side of french fries.

David enjoyed his pulled pork and said it was seasoned well. The barbecue that was on it was not spicy, so anyone of any palette could probably appreciate it. The highlight for him was the mountain of fries, which had a slight crispiness and perfectly golden. He said it was just a middle of the road sandwich, not the best, but definitely not the worst. If he ordered it again, he wouldn’t be mad about it.

My brisket sandwich was also middle of the road. It was a little too fatty for me, and I expected it to be served warm, but it was room temp. I also felt the brisket could have been sliced a little thinner. When I bit into the sandwich, a whole piece came out because I couldn’t bite through it, it was so thick. I ended up eating it with a knife and fork. The bun was buttery and slightly sweet, which was a nice-added element. The barbecue was smoky. Overall my consensus was the same as David’s, not the best, but certainly not the worst. Yes, I thought the fries were excellent as well.

Bottom Line...

I don’t think David and I will come back on our own, but if we were invited here with friends for any reason, we wouldn’t mind coming and eating the food again.

Our service was excellent and everything came to us pretty quickly. Almost a little too quickly at times. We had just gotten into our appetizer before our entrées came, but that’s not a big deal.

Bottom line, it is a unique place if not because of the food, but because of what it stands for. It honors past and present firefighters, first responders and police officers. There is no place quite like it, and it is definitely worth checking out at least once.