Firefly

We went there last Saturday with a group of friends for dinner. My wife and I weren’t that hungry, so we ordered the tater tots with chorizo. About 45 minutes later, all of the food came out for the table. Our food was cold. I politely sent it back, indicating that it was cold. 45 minutes later, we finally got it (after everyone else as done). It wasn’t very good. They didn’t charge us, which we appreciate, however 90 minutes total to get an appetizer is beyond the pale. Our server was not very attentive and I got the feeling she wasn’t keen on us. There are lots a great places in the area to eat, so we will be going to those places instead.

We were here for Sunday brunch. We ordered the blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs, home fries, and toast. I don’t know if we were here on an off day or what but the blueberry pancakes were burnt and the eggs were cold. The service was mediocre. The atmosphere is cute and trendy (they have pinball machines and other arcade games!) and it seems like a restaurant I would love to return to… if the food and service were better. There are just so many great choices in Charlottesville I don’t think we’ll be returning to Firefly any time soon.

A couple of friends and I went to get lunch here after seeing Monticello and I was mostly let down.
We showed up just after 1pm and were given a brunch menu. Breakfast-​Lunch menu in the afternoon. Whatever, they could have some good options for lunch, right? Wrong. The only lunch item they had was a burger or veggie burger. I supposed soup qualifies for lunch, too.
Let me expand on «veggie burger». Most of the items on their small brunch menu was vegan or veggie friendly. I am not against it, I am just saying if you are going to make regular food the minority on the menu, let’s make that apparent somehow, before I go in there and get a drink before I am given a good menu.
I ended up getting the burger and it was alright. Nothing special about it, nothing gross about it. It filled my stomach.
The two good things I will say about the place — pretty good selection of drinks. Including both beer and liquor. And they do have old games and board games there, along with a pool table. It made it more enjoyable.
Long story short — if you are a hipster, this is the place to be. Looking to get beers? This will suffice. Good bar food and beer? Many other places to choose from. Fun environment? It is was you make of it.

I live in the neighborhood and want to like this place. They have a good vibe. I’m always underwhelmed by the food but it’s passable. Went tonight for my daughter’s birthday and the waitress said, «I’ll bring her an ice cream sundae.» We said no thanks, we’re having birthday dessert at home. She insisted so we said ok, no ice cream but the brownie is fine. It was a nice gesture and we thanked her. Then she brought the bill and she CHARGED US for the brownie. My wife politely pointed this out and the waitress said yes, I know. So you charged us for something we didn’t want or order. I’m done with Firefly.

FIREFLY is one of my favorite places for a casual meal or drinks. They have a lot of vegetarian options and local food on the menu, but they are also super reasonably priced. The service has been great every time we’ve been. I really like the laid back atmosphere and all of the local beer on draft.

Visited Firefly on a recent trip to Charlottesville. It’s a little divey, but it has games, ping pong and pool. My teenagers liked it. The food was ok. We all had grilled cheeses since it was Good Friday and we couldn’t eat meat. What I will note is that I was told that they don’t carry Coke or Pepsi products. That’s kind of a deal breaker for me as I really wanted a soda to settle my stomach because I was a little car sick and I don’t like off-​brand or craft sodas. I suppose the majority of the clientele drinks beer here, so soft drinks aren’t a priority. I get it. Just my personal preference.

Firefly’s serving up 100% grass fed beef patties, setting this place a notch far above most American burger joints but right on par with other local restaurants. The macaroni and cheese is what makes this place spectacular, in all its creamy and smoky glory. Enjoy the hand-​cut fries, a local craft beer and a game of Cards Against Humanity in an incredibly casual and friendly atmosphere. Friendly folks abound in Charlottesville!

I want to start by saying that Firefly came very highly recommended to us and we were super excited to go. However, based on our experience this past weekend will we never be back, which is unfortunate as both my husband and I are vegetarians.
We were the only diners on a late Saturday afternoon, yet our server could not have been any less attentive. My elderly Jewish mother in law asked our server if the soup of the day was vegetarian and she said she would go check. When she returned to take our orders, she made no mention of whether or not the soup was vegetarian and so my mother in law ordered it thinking the server would have stopped her if there was in fact meat in the soup.
It took 30 – 35 minutes for our dinner to arrive, which seemed rather a long time in that we were still the ONLY customers in the restaurant. At no point during that wait time did our server come check on us or let us know when our food would arrive. In no setting should a table EVER go 30 minutes without a waitress checking in, especially if there was a delay with an order. When our food was served, it was done so in stages. Unfortunately my mother in law consumed some of the soup before realizing there was both ham and bacon in the soup. Additionally, my meal was super salty and inedible, which was very disappointing in that it looked delicious! We never received any condiments, both those expected (ketchup for fries) and what we requested (hot sauce). Again, our server did not check up on us, rather we had to call her over to explain about the soup and my meal. Our server did apologize, said those items would be taken off the check, and offered us the menu to order something else. Again, at no point did she come check up on us until we needed the check.
Ahhh, the check. At this point, there was only one other occupied table in the restaurant and we had been at the restaurant for an hour and a half. When it was obvious we were done with our meal, our server never came to clear our plates or drop off the check. Twice my husband caught our server’s attention from across the room, and twice, she looked straight at him, and turned away! Finally, my father in law went to speak to her directly about the check. When he said he would like the check, she told him she had it and proceeded to walk past him and put the check on our table. We paid for our meal and as we were leaving we received a curt goodbye from our server.
I was very surprised that a restaurant that prides itself on vegan and vegetarian options and cared about customer service never sent a manager over to apologize or let us know that they will be doing things differently next time. This was probably one of the worst customer service experiences I have ever had and it’s disappointing, because I really wanted to support and love Firefly.

Firefly is a unique and quirky location in the Belmont area. This restaurant/​bar has a very nostalgic feel to it with old pinball machines, Ski-​Ball, board games, Foosball, retro arcade games and other activities.
We went in early during the weekend to catch Brunch. The meal started off with Bloody Marys and coffee that is supplied by Mudhouse, a local coffee roaster. Firefly’s Bloody Mary wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great. The cocktail itself was a bit bland and I actually enjoyed the stuffed olive, bacon and celery garnish more than the rest. We had the Brunch Tacos, Sausage Omelette and Home Fries with Peppers and Onions. Temperature, quantity and quality was good but we both agreed that the food overall was a bit bland and under seasoned and couldn’t find any salt or pepper on our table or nearby tables to remedy the issue.
Redeeming qualities for Firefly are ample parking in the back in a town that is plagued with parking issues, fun atmosphere, ample events and a respectable bar and beer selection. One day I’ll return to give Dinner a go.

Love hanging out here and grabbing a couple beers, fun barcade atmosphere and they offer a lot of creative dishes. It’s pretty nostalgic seeing new (well older) arcade games occasionally being added to the place Fun place, check it out!

Simple tasty fun food with good beer and a nice chill atmosphere away from the Corner and Mall. Definitely the place to go if you want a more relaxed evening with games and fun. They have board games as well as arcade games which is awesome.

This was a great restaurant to stop at in Charlottesville. It has lots of character and isn’t too formal. The menu has a good selection for people with dietary restrictions too– vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free.

If you are in a rush, don’t come here. It’s not a place you can just get in and out of. So plan to be here for a while.
If you want immaculate attention from the wait staff, don’t come here. If you are high maintenance, want special attention or expect to have someone anticipate your needs, this isn’t the spot for you.
If you expect a place for adults, don’t come here. There were more kids than adults in this joint tonight.
The food was ok. The beer was decent. The décor was cool.
A recommendation: hire an experienced restaurant manager to help you get the kitchen together.

Came for Sunday brunch. Had the blueberry pancakes and my mom had the French toast. Both were delicious, and I really appreciated that they came with real maple syrup. The blueberries were clearly fresh and ripe. My Dad also enjoyed his omelet. So much better than pigeon hole; wish it was closer to grounds!

First time visit on a Saturday eve for dinner with a couple of sometimes picky kids. What an awesome experience. Food was delicious (I had ribs special, wife had butternut squash soup with grits). Loved the food. Interesting to have such a selection of local mead to compliment the local beer and wine.
Kids had fun with the pinball machine and shooting pool. Grabbed random games from the game cooler (chess for my son, Sequence for daughter). Just… really beat, good food, nice ambience, good people.

Nice beer selection and surprisingly good food (limited menu). I love all the games they have! Fun vibe.

I love the venue. relaxed and a fit for both family and friends. With the Football season coming I hope they reserve me a spot! The games are a throw back to fun arcade fun and Pool table is always welcome. I did see several tables enjoying Board Games so nice vibe with cool menu!
Hey how about a dart board :)

Great find in the Belmont area! It’s what my friends would say, a «bar-​cade» with both bar, arcade, and restaurant features all in one.
We sat on the patio tonight and ordered a dinner solely from the appetizer menu. I was impressed with their gracious serving sizes on the tater tots, truffle fries, hummus, and Korean styled hot wings. We thought we would order more but once the food came we barely had any space left on our table!
The service was extremely friendly, patient with us as we decided on drinks, and knew when to check in to our table without interrupting our dinner conversation. I don’t remember our servers name, but we really appreciated her sincerity with our interactions. She seemed like a genuinely nice person that made our night off that much sweeter!
The space itself looks to be a converted factory space to restaurant with great charm in the brick, exposed beams in the ceiling, and sheet metal bar details. I especially love the game theme of the place which is stocked with ample board games, a few throw back arcade games such as Ms. Pacman, pinball, and of course foosball, ping pong, and two pool tables. Apparently on Wednesdays they have karaōke night, and every day from 4−7pm they have happy hour specials!
Bottom line: we’ll be back and we’ll be bringing our friends!

We love this place! It’s not necessarily meant to be for kids but it’s very kid friendly. The casual atmosphere allows for my toddler to not stand out if she decided to «talk» or wanted to get down to see the video games. Happy hour is 2 dollars off beer and glasses of wine and we can take advantage of trying the ever changing beer menu.
The food is fresh and well prepared. We have had the same waiter every time and he has been excellent.
I can go w my family or a large group of friends and have an equally good experience.
The arcade games, pool tables, and ping pong table make for a unique experience.

I have eaten here with my wife two times, and have enjoyed the food immensely. The hamburgers are wonderful, and I had the Philly Cheese Steak special that was really good. But, the fries are to die for! Not just cooked to perfection — both my wife and I like them very crispy — but they are well spiced to perfection.
In addition, the side salad with its homemade vinaigrette dressing reminded us of salads in much more expensive restaurants we’ve eaten at. Beautiful greens with a generous helping of arugula. It itself is worth coming in.
The staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and generous with allowing me free tastes of some of the micro-​brews, until I found one to my taste.
This is now on our «regular» list of places to frequent.