Firefly Restaurant

Fantastic food and atmosphere. Their fried chicken is to die for along with everything else. A nice blend of culinary cuisine and comfort. A must try.

Pros: Food and service.

Cons: Zip, zero, zilch.

Posted 02/15/09

Like many people I never liked brussel sprouts, they were always so boring, and bitter to me. However, Firefly changed that in me. We ordered roasted brussel sprouts tossed in truffle oil, seasoned lightly! You must order them, they are amazing! The entire menu is delicious, and it is constantly changing. I would call and make a reservation, we had to take a 5:30, which is when they open because nothing else was available! This place is a must!

Posted 02/07/08

It's been about 2-3 years since I've been at Fireflys. It's not because I didn't like the food; it's because I hope to try every restaurant in the City before I die. Here's the thing - I still think about the pork dish I had there. Scary, but it was THAT good. It was perfectly sweet, by-far the best pork I've ever had...EVER. My boyfriend got the steak and that was darn good too. We kept eating off of each other's plates. I highly recommend Firefly...and trust me on the pork. It really is that good.

Pros: Delicious, memorable dishes!

Posted 12/07/06

I live in the Washington DC area presently but ate at the Firefly in 1996 when my daughter graduated from high school. I have never forgotten about that dessert

Posted 10/21/06

We took the East Coast in-laws to this restaurant, and despite their picky palates (they did not care for Chez Panisse, for instance) they LOVED this place! Fried chicken was excellent - pork chop was the best the hubby ever had - beef brisket plate was completely licked clean. We'll definitely return!

Posted 10/05/06

This place has a great atmosphere. The alaskan halibut was brilliant. The signature fried chicken was good however, I think they pre-fry it and keep it warm. We sat at the bar right by the kitchen and I didn't see any frying going on. The peas and carrots it came with looked frighteningly like they came out of a frozen pack. If you're a nice restaurant try not to cut your veggies so they look like they came out of a bag. Other than that, I'd recommend it.

Posted 08/17/06

It is clear why people like the "small town" neighborhood feel of this restaurant, but the food was not spectacular. Portions appeared a bit small for being rated the best in "comfort food" category for me, but my fiance had the fried chicken and was satisfied with the portion and taste. Some interesting flavor combinations.

Pros: Nice atmosphere, romantic-good place to take a break from sightseeing

Cons: Entrees left something to be desired in flavor

Posted 08/13/06

We found the menu offerings to be too limited. To top it off, they had run out of the Osso Buco and the mashed potatoes (?) that went with the fried chicken. The halibut was exceptionally fresh and the fried chicken is tops.

Pros: Fresh ingedients

Cons: Limited menu

Posted 08/10/06

I love the food and the casual ambience at Firefly. I've eaten here several times over the years and they have never failed me! Their menu changes according to the season and it always delights. The staff is friendly and I like the casual feel of the place. Their potsticker appetizer is a particular favorite of mine, but all their food is fabulous. Firefly has been a surefire pleaser with my foodie friends.

Pros: Ambience, Food

Posted 08/03/06

I went here on an impulse from the "best romantic" listing and was amazed by the quality of the food and service. Since we didn't have reservations, we sat at the bar and went with several recommendations from the knowledgeable staff. The shrimp and scallop potstickers are a must-have appetizer. We went with the $32 prefix menu - a great deal for such excellent food. If you like places Delfina, you will surely love Firefly.

Pros: Neighborhood Parking is decent

Posted 06/06/06

I eat at Firefly a few times a year and have always found it to be a very good experience all-around. A warm cozy atmosphere, polished yet warm staff, interesting and well-prepared dishes and a solid wine list. A nice alternative to the other SF "upscale casual" restaurants that don't deliver, especially on the food.

Pros: Good value, atmosphere, service

Posted 03/01/06

Been going there ever since we found this great restaurant. We have introduce friends to Firefly and they have become regulars to. The food is creative and very tasty with unpretentious staff. The menu changes every week so you can't get bore. The deserts are to die for. I agree with a reviewer who said that they only get bad reviews so that you will stay away to make it easier to get a table.

Pros: Food, Staff, Ambiance

Cons: Reservations

Posted 12/15/05

We had the Fried Chicken and pork ribs. The Fried chicken was fantastic with every little crispy bit getting eaten. The pork ribs fell off the bone and smothered in a mild bbq sauce. The sides were ordinary and saved for the last as we ate up the main course.
Service was friendly, welcoming, and attentive. Everything was sparkling clean and they had a brisk separate take-out section that was constantly busy.
Basically great comfort food at a very reasonable price.

Pros: Quick seating, Fried Chicken, Service

Cons: Wine list-red or wht

Posted 12/11/05

I've read a couple of reviews regarding the snooty service, but I can testify to the contrary. My girlfriend and I went there for a romantic dinner and was very pleased with not only the food but the extremely attentive and friendly service. Despite having a reservation, the wait was still no longer than 5 minutes. And it's not like we were standing outside freezing, intead we sat at the bar and enjoyed a glass of wine.

Pros: Attentive Staff, Tasty food

Posted 08/22/05

Firefly was my introduction to truly great California cooking: subtly perfect flavors, incredibly fresh local ingredients, and effortless fusion of cuisines from all over the world. We've had everything from sushi to old-fashioned meatloaf here, and the kitchen never falters. The tasty lentil spread that comes with the bread (in lieu of butter) is a delectable touch, and the shrimp & scallop potstickers alone are worth the trip. Overall the experience is food as an art form - but without the fancy trappings of a more formal restaurant. The atmosphere is relaxed and homey, like having dinner at a friend's house. My only nitpick would be the host/hostess, who can be a little snooty if you don't look like a Noe Valley type - I made my first visit as a frumpy college student, and we waited 20 minutes despite having a reservation.

Pros: amazing food, great casual ambiance

Cons: chilly host/hostess

Posted 08/16/05

Another restaurant in my hood that's wonderful. Ever since they downscaled the restaurant to affordable and innovative cuisine, this has become the kind of restaurant that you can enjoy any day of the week. It's innovative fusion cuisine and emphasis on fresh ingredients ensure you're enjoying a dish that you probably have never made at home before. Incredible sauces and combinations set this restaurant apart. Try the White Corn Pancakes with Spicy Shrimp Remoulade or the Wild King Salmon Filet with Griddled Leek Risotto Cake and go home smiling!

Posted 05/24/05

Excellent service, food, ambience, and overall experience. I love this place for its total comfort food exp. and people. Recommend highly.

Pros: General manager, Food, Service

Posted 03/17/05

OK, the only reason people are leaving negative reviews is so you don't go there and they can get your table! Don't fall for it, Firefly is great!

This is the best fried chicken I've had this side of the Mississippi. With a warm biscuit, with butter and honey! I wanted to hug the chef.

Our server was very sweet and took good care of us.

The dining room is small and romantic, lovely! I wish I lived closer!

Pros: fried chicken, atmosphere, art on the wall

Cons: need reservations

Posted 02/24/05

Very nice, romantic restaurant with interesting art and bright decor. Food was great! We ordered the pork rib chop and the duck. The pork rib chop was tender and perfectly cooked. The duck was crispy on the outside and juicy inside. I've read reviews of bad service, but we had great, attentive service, probably because it wasn't very busy at the time (6:30 on a Friday night). We also ordered two desserts: chocolate bread pudding and chocolate tart. Both were great. If you reallylike chocolate, you should try the chocolate tart. It's very chocolatey! I would definitely go back again! The only weird thing was the flickering of the lights every so often. It's probably due to MUNI passing by 24th Street. It's really not a big deal and I don't think they could do anything about it.

Pros: Good food, Romantic setting, Attentive waitstaff

Cons: street parking only

Posted 01/30/05

We took our chances and walked in at 5:30 to find it packed! 2 seats were open at the bar so the host suggested we dine there. It was perfect. We started with Champagne and did the prix fix. The brussel sprouts are heavenly as an appetizer. The lentil dip served the bread is hearty and savory. The flow of food was timed well and we enjoyed the "tone" and noticed many happy couples around us. My only complaint is that my mahi mahi (although wonderful on it's own) was swimming in a brown indian-flavored broth that did nothing for the fish. Try the "flourless choc cake" and "cheese plate" for desert.

Pros: service, romantic, soft lighting

Posted 12/12/04

My wife and I were pleasantly surprised to see not one, but TWO of the seven entrees on the menu as vegetarian options. A rare percentage, even in SF. The brussel sprouts made her rethink her childhood suspicion of them, although, admittedly, it was probably more the white truffle oil than the sprouts. The creative veggie entrees - pumpkin steak!? - were perfectly cooked and complimented by well proportioned sides and sauces. The flourless chocolate cake was worth every bit of caloric badness. Our server was gracious and professional and the ambiance was fantastic - even if a bit too cozy at first in contrast to the cool November evening. Highly recommended for special occasions. Reservations made our visit much more enjoyable as we were seated immediately upon arrival.

Pros: Creative entrees, ambiance/decor, laid-back, pro staff

Posted 11/12/04

I really wanted to love this place, and even waiting the 10 minutes just to get greeted I still planned for a good evening. It may have been busy but it took our waiter 15 minutes to come over and say hello. Not that it would change anything he's personality resemebled card board and to top it off he forgot our bottle of wine leaving us to flag him over and end up only getting a glass each. But the food is what you come for, and even that was a little dissapointing. The potstickers were amazing and the salad pretty good but the entrees were so off I felt like I was at Mel's Diner. My boyfriend got the tuna and 2 pieces were warm one was hot and one was almost cold. How is that possible????? I could say more but....... just don't do it

Pros: Pot Stickers, Warm decor

Cons: , Kitchen WAY off, parking

Posted 11/03/04

Firefly is a lovely, charming restaurant. My husband and I come here as often as possible. Even though I'm a vegetarian, I can't resist the fried chicken. The vegetarian and fish entrees are delicious. We've always gotten great wine recommendations and good service. We took some friends there to celebrate their engagement recently and we had a fantastic evening.

Pros: delicious food, charming decor, great wine selections

Posted 10/20/04

Excellent Restaurant. Terrific food. Good wine. Ambience perfect for a romantic enening or just plain good eating. Value is outstanding

Pros: good value, servers excellent, food wonderful

Posted 06/14/04

My friends and I still talk about "our first time" at Firefly six years ago. Whenever we come to San Francisco we meet there to relive the experience. Especially if the fried chicken is on the menu! We haven't found chicken so delightfully light and crispy anywhere else in the world. Although the food we enjoyed set the standard for excellence, it was the service we remember best. We will never forget our handsome waiter's elegant, poetic, description of the bread and butter. He even made us feel like the water was special!
Our favorite San Francisco dining experience!

Pros: Poetic service, handsome owner, scrumptious food

Posted 06/11/04

My boyfriend and I are regular visitors to Firefly and have NEVER had one bad experience there..........we go as often as we can to enjoy the wonderful food and ambience and can't recommend it highly enough to people we know. The Prix-fixe deal is a steal and we bring any out of town visitors there and always choose it as our first choice for birthdays , anniversaries etc . Keep it up Firefly, WE know what the deal is and we'll keep coming!!!!!

Posted 05/13/04

I love this place. I have been there many times and their diverse menu is excellent. From home style items like pot roast to asian influenced fish they do it right. Great salads. The fixed price deal Sun-Thurs is a steal. Always good sevice.

Pros: Balanced menu, easy parking

Posted 05/13/04

The restaurant is lovely and has a great ambiance, but I couldnt get over the 'funky smell' permeating the restaurant. After some wine I either no longer noticed the smell or had gotten used to it. The service was seriously bad. Our waitress seemed off and moody. As if I needed more proof, upon hearing us complain the couple sitting next to us made a comment that she had made five mistakes on their meal.
I felt rushed, yet our dirty plates would sit on our table for long periods of time.
Our waitress was right on cue with a smile and friendly disposition delivering our dessert and check (coincidence?).
My dining group is always looking for a place to add to our preferred list. Great atmosphere, great food, but poor service, and a funky smell. Im sad to say it wont be a repeat for any of us.

Pros: Good Food, Great Atmosphere

Cons: , Strange Smell

Posted 03/03/04

The host took a while to notice us, then stared at us until we requested a table. The waitress became unfriendly upon hearing that we were not ordering a bottle of wine. The fried chicken entree was good, but you can get the same for a quater of the price at powells on Hayes. The halibut was VERY dry and lacked any flavor, and the sauce it came with for the fish and jasmine rice was only soy sauce. Way to expensive for what we got. I will not be going back.

Cons: awful service, food not great, bad value

Posted 09/28/03

I can't say much about this restaurant except that I was incredibly disappointed. It is not at all what it is hyped to be. The food was just above cafeteria quality...no originality, luke warm, and sloppy. The service is absolutely terrible.

Pros: cute sign out front

Cons: food, service

Posted 09/02/03

Bad Food. Bad Service. Bad Location. Not worth the money.

Posted 09/02/03

Lots of hype. Very warm atmposphere. But the food is below average. Service is terrible. Been there twice. Lots of dishes served luke warm to cold. Lots of dishes with little to no flavor. With such a nice room, I want to ask the owner if i can use the kitchen to cook my own meal and eat there!

Posted 03/11/03

After trying three times, we were finally we able to get a table at Firefly, though the only open time was at 6 pm. I have to say that my husband and I were disappointed. The restaurant is over-hyped, the food is overrated and the service was terrible. The waitress refused to bring me a biscuit, though I said I'd pay extra for it, which was hyped on the menu as "the best in town" and came with the fried chicken. Our appetizer ($8.75 for 4 measly potstickers) was cold. We won't be returning.

Posted 11/15/02

As a local Noe Valley resident, I urge you to stay away from Firefly...so that I can keep it to myself. Had a great experience there on 11/2. As walk-ins, we expected quite a wait, but enjoyed a couple of glasses of Vin Gris -- gratis -- from the very pleasant and apologetic hostess. We ate at the bar -- a great experience in any place -- and found the food (potstickers, mayfair salad, pork chop, dessert!) wine, and service to be excellent. My sea bass was a little overcooked, but it didn't taint the experience. The bartended never hesitated to comp my Port once they were aware they had forgotten it. No place is perfect -- it's how they dealt with little problems that truly made Firefly stand out. So stay away.

Pros: Great service, Potstickers!, Wine!

Cons: Need Reservations

Posted 11/02/02

i've dined at firefly 4 times over the past several years, and the bottom line is that it has proved to be inconsistent, 2 out of my 4 experiences have been duds, which assures that i will not return.

this last time, evening of 10/28, appetizers, deserts were both excellent, but my girlfriend ordered the seabass which was horribly overcooked, and served on top of cold risotto.

unfortunately our server only offerred to send the dish back, and we had already waited 30 minutes for our entrees because the small kitchen was backed up.

i would have preferred that she offer a free desert, or scratch the entree entirely from our check, and she did neither.

i would say this place is a 50/50 shot, and in a town with so many good neighborhood restaurants, its not worth the gamble in my mind.

Pros: appetizers, desert

Cons: poor service, entree ruined

Posted 10/25/02

My friends and I dined at Firefly last night and were most disappointed when our waitress failed to bring our wine after two reminders and approximately 25 minutes.

Then the big disappointment of the evening came...the food. YIKES. The porkchop was very dense and dry and the seabass was tough with little flavor. I had been to Firefly once before (several years ago) but the food was excellent. Perhaps this was a fluke but I will most likely not go back after this dining experience.

Pros: pleasant host, decent atmosphere, romantic

Cons: food, parking

Posted 10/04/02

Cute decor, food was not as well prepared as I would have expected. Friendly staff.

Cons: Lack of Quality Food

Posted 09/12/02

I live nearby and have been dining at Firefly since it opened (was it 9 years ago?) and it has never failed to impress! The menu is relatively small but well-thought out, and caters to nearly every taste. Prices are much more reasonable -- and portions more generous -- than many of the better restaurants in the City. The decor is sophisticated-eclectic and comfortable.

Pros: Great food, Great presentation, Good selection

Posted 09/04/02

Great food at affordable prices in a great atmosphere - you simply can't beat Firefly!

Posted 09/02/02

Wonderful food, thoughtful and delicious wine list, and very friendly but not overwhelming service.

Posted 08/27/02

Very creative menu, comfortable atmosphere. Excellent food. Good Wine selection. Reasonably priced.

Pros: creative menu, pleasant vibe, excellent food

Cons: bad location

Posted 08/24/02

You won't be disappointed. It's good, real good. Bring a date or your family from out of town. It's as fancy or casual as you want to make it. The fried chicken is to die for!

Posted 08/24/02

Our meal was at once traditional and inspired. These plates are thoughtfully put together and the flavors compliment one another to the last bite. Every appetizer was imaginative and outrageously delicious. We could have made a meal of appetizers alone. No nonsense main courses were delicately prepared, perfectly unfussy and served in the coziest/most romantic of environments (thanks to the genial host/owner whose attention to guests and cuisine betray a well seasoned perfectionist). No wonder this star has shone so brightly for so long.

Posted 08/21/02

We've only been here twice, so far, but will definately go back. The staff are very pleasant and skilled, and the food very tasty. A very comfortable place with solid food, all in all.

Posted 08/21/02

Delicious food and good service! Homey, warm atmosphere - a hidden gem in the Noe Valley area!

Pros: Good parking, Innovative dishes

Posted 08/02/02

I'm quite surprised to see ANY negative reviews of this place. I loved Firefly...from the decor to the food to the service. The seafood potstickers are addictive. The fried chicken and mashed potatoes were just like Mom's. The dessert was a chocaholic's dream come true. The restaurant got a little warm, but it was buzzing with happy diners. I wish we had a place like this in MY neighborhood, I would eat there constantly. Fun, comfy, delicious, a great place to take a date.

Pros: great waitresses, outstanding food, neighborhood feel

Cons: a little too warm

Posted 07/19/02

My wife and I had dinner here on a recent trip to San Francisco. We laughed and had fun from the minute we arrived. Our waitress was a hoot. She had us call her Rock Star and kept us laughing the whole night. The wine list was excellent, the tuna was very fresh and perfectly prepared. I am puzzled by some of the negative reviews here. Granted, the edgy style might not be up everyone's alley, but it was perfect for me. Thanks Rock Star.

Pros: Service, Food, Prices

Posted 06/25/02