Firehouse puts focus on food
It doesn’t take long to figure out that at Firehouse BBQ, it’s all about the food. If you’re looking for white tablecloths, ambience, soft music, pick another place. That said, we liked most of what we sampled at an early Saturday dinner.
Firehouse is a no-frills kind of place. Orders are placed at the counter and handled by a friendly staff who will probably call you “Hun” more than once.
We seated ourselves at a table and waited for our food, having been told that the hamburger in our order would take about 20 minutes. Glancing around, the only decoration worth noting was a wall-size mural painted by Denham Springs artist Johnny Beil. The scene depicted the Old West with two families in covered wagons headed out on a long journey, stopping to grill meat over an open fire along the way. Insert your own interpretation here.
The cheeseburger ($5.19, on bun; $6.59, po-boy) was delicious. The thick, juicy patty (100 percent certified Angus chuck according to the menu) had a fresh, homemade flavor and was decked out with lettuce, tomato and pickles. Nice and drippy, the eatery had the situation covered with a roll of paper towels handy at each table. Along with the burger I ordered potato salad (small, $1.99; large, $3.79) because I’m always curious about different places’ takes on the American classic. This one should more accurately be called “baked potato salad,” as the creamy concoction featured chunks of potato, bacon bits, chives and sour cream. The dish got a thumbs-up all around.
The brisket plate ($10.49) offered two sides and a roll along with a generous amount of fall-apart tender beef. Firehouse’s sauce, found in plastic dispensers on the tables, was pleasing with a hint of sweetness, maybe from apple cider vinegar. The baked beans were also quite good, sweet and thick, with bits of pork throughout. The well-seasoned French fries also hit the spot.
The ¼ chicken plate ($8.69) also came with two sides. The chicken was cooked until tender and had a good, smoked flavor, but not much seasoning otherwise, so the sauce really helped it out. The accompanying side salad was larger than usual, but consisted only of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and shredded mozzarella cheese. A guest had the fries with this one as well.
Firehouse would be a good take-out option. They also have a kids’ menu, and offer meat by the pound and catering.