The Fireplace

Me and my girlfriend just moved to Greenpoint, and after living in Manhattan for 5 years we love it here.
This place is right around the corner from us and we’ve been there 3 times so far… it’s really affordable and you get a lot for your money, every time we are too busy to be making dinner at home or just feel like chilling out with drinks over a meal together we pop in there, so far it’s pretty cool.

The selections weren’t too Megan friendly so I got a Caesar salad. It’s going to sound crazy but I would like to consider myself a Caesar salad eating expert and this place’s Caesar salad was eeeh… okay.
Had a bite or two of my person’s grilled salmon and it was good but I could have just been starving though because I’m not a fan of salmon generally. I most likely won’t be coming back here unless I haven’t eaten in days and I needed food for survival.

When my roommate and I need a place to go in Greenpoint that is delicious but won’t break the bank we usually sit around going through the options before we remember «FIREPLACE!»
But after tonight… It’s been removed from the list of places that we will spend our money.
The service I encountered tonight was unfortunate. We had a party of four and the waitress brought out 2 meals… and then my roommate and I sat for nearly 15 minutes waiting for ours — With no explanation, apology, or mention from the server (It’s important to note that my roommate got the same thing as one of the meals that had been brought out…)
When our food arrived, without apology, the boys had almost finished their meals — and ours were barely warm? I got a Steak Sandwich with a side salad. It looked appealing, but was absolutely disappointing. Freezerburnt? Warmed over? It was WORSE than the microwaved fajita meat you get at Applebee’s.
I didn’t eat it and patiently waited for the waitress to return to the table to refill drinks or ask if everything was OK so that I could find a solution. But she never came by… Instead she started cleaning with a PUNGENT smelling chemical that made the entire party lose their appetites.
When she came around to the table to remove the plates, my roommate asked for a to-​go box. The server then asked me if I’d like mine to-​go, and I said no. At that point, it might have been appropriate to ask why a customer wasn’t satisfied with their meal. After it sitting in front of me untouched for 15 minutes, I didn’t care anymore — I just wanted to leave.
My roommate and I are both waitresses. I try to understand the situation or circumstances — I don’t expect smiles or small-​talk… But I do expect service. This was unforgivable.
Before tonight, I would have recommended Fireplace — told you that they were a ‘hidden gem’ in Greenpoint… I’ve had a couple of delicious, reasonably priced meals here… But this one is the one I’ll remember.

Truly enjoyed hosting my event here recently. I went there on a leap of faith and thanks to the Unilocalers reviews I did it. The food is oh so delicious and not overly priced just because it’s in Greenpoint. The waitstaff is friendly and you just can’t go wrong by coming here. Good food, great prices and great location.

I love this place! They have really good food, a good bar selection and GREAT prices. I come here often either for dinner, drinks with friends or both. I cannot understand why the place isn’t more packed — you may show up and be surprised to find that you are the only couple or group there. Maybe its the location in Greenpoint, since it’s a little off the beaten path? However, don’t let that discourage you. They have great drink specials everyday and night. The food is really good too — I’ve had a number of amazing steaks, tuna, etc here. Even the chicken on their salads is cooked to perfection. I HIGHLY recommend this spot. You can’t beat it. Plus, it’s nice that it’s quiet because it’s one of the few places in the area where you don’t have to yell at everyone you are with in order to communicate.

Choosing this spot for a quick and inexpensive anniversary dinner was a great decision. The food was filling, good, and came out of the basement kitchen very quickly. On a Saturday night it was basically empty, which initially made the two of us dubious as to the quality of the service/​food, but maybe it’s isolated location deep into Greenpoint accounted for that, because there were absolutely no issues with anything during the entire dinner. Our food came out hot, fresh, and delicious, and while the presentation was a bit lacking, dinner was definitely solid.
The environment is very cozy and intimate, and the lighted trees in the front of the establishment really do wonders to enhance the mood. It’s absolutely perfect for a date you might want to impress without breaking the bank. If I was in the area again, I’d definitely duck in for a quick brunch, whose menu was tucked in with the dinner one and seems interesting at the very least. Green eggs and ham!

The dubiously named Fireplace Restaurant is located in a somewhat barren strip of Norman Avenue in Greenpoint, not discounting Syrena Bakery down the block, where it would be apt to avoid their vegetable cream cheese. But I’m getting off track before I’m even on track.
Fireplace is hit-​or-​miss, but if you find yourself in the section of Greenpoint you can have a very nice meal here, or a few beers, if you follow a few basic tips.
1) You may see outside on their specials board «All you can drink Bud and Bud Light Monday Night Football All you can eat buffalo wings.» Do NOT get over excited like I did and immediately start texting Andy L about the Glories of Fireplace Restaurant. I went inside and ordered a plate of their buffalo wings as a sort of prelude to what would be come Monday night and you know what? They were wings, to be sure. But there was no hot sauce to be found. So I ate my plain wings and learned that you don’t get wings at Fireplace.
2) The $ 2 Bud from 12−4pm is both equally a good and bad idea. Nah, scratch that, mostly good.
3) Their dedication to playing top 40s radio is alarming; prepare yourself. You will be tapping your foot to Pink at some point.
4) They do a good job with the Polish food, and I stuck to that for a while, after my near-​fatal buffalo wings incident. But I found out their burger is really good. It’s hand-​molded, juicy, and well-​cooked. They claim to grind their meat in-​house which I believe because I really want to. Don’t you? Don’t be nervous about their claim of having 10-​ounce burgers. That’s just not true. And they serve the perfect amount of steak fries with the burger: 5. Trust me, you don’t need more, if you had more you couldn’t fit in all those $ 2 Buds.
5) The waitresses smile at no one, don’t take it personally.
6) All the windows are also doors. They open the windows to let in a breeze. Be sure to go in the actual entrance or you will find yourself looming above a Polish family in the midst of their meal and they will look at you like you’re a weirdo.
7) I wouldn’t inspect the cleanliness of this place too closely. But Fireplace is like many pub-​like restaurants — clean enough at night, and the natural light that comes in during the day is not its fault.
8) It’s Polish. That’s a good thing. You win already.

imagine with me, if you will, a place where you can get a huge (we’re talking 2 meals at least if you bring home the leftovers) meal, for around 10 dollars in greenpoint. not entirely polish fare, with a classy interior, the fireplace is pretty wonderful. cute bar in the front, but my main interest in that place is the kick ass space near the dining area, which i feel should be used as a dance floor by all patrons. the music playing also seemed to hint at this fact, so don’t think i didn’t bust a move. sandwich boards outside are always saying live music so perhaps next time i can break it down with some old polish guys!

I finally went in to Fireplace, and it only took me a snowstorm to do it.
The lack of people might put you off, or make you a bit weary, but don’t be, inside is filled with exposed brick, a great assortment of paintings from local artists, and some great tunes. Oh right, not to mention hefty portions of some Polish favorites for little moolah!