Firefly Grill

I have been here many times and the service and food were exceptional. Tonight neither were. The waitress acted like we were an inconvenience as we tried to accommodate my sister’s gluten sensitivity. The pork in the Adobo Pork was extremely dry. I tasted as small bite and had to nibble at it because my mouth was dry. The Lobster Risotto should have been a little looser and creamier, but the flavors paired well the nice glass of wine I had. All in all, I was disappointed. I am always here when there is a family crisis. And when I visited my grandmother before here death, it was a haven I could take my once vegan daughter too.
It makes me sad because I have bragged about this place to anyone I knew who would be in this area. I hope they get their act together. Wednesday is as important as Saturday night.

When I’m in town for work, I make every effort to dine at the Firefly at least once. Their bar is welcoming and the bartenders are friendly and eager to serve you. I appreciate their seasonal approach to food and they have a great cocktail menu.
Tonight I had squash blossoms (very light, crispy, herby — not heavy or oily at all) and the mushroom and goat cheese pizza. It should be noted that other than a couple salads, I’ve only ever eaten the mushroom and goat cheese pizza. The crust is crispy/​chewy, and if you’re lucky it’ll come out a little bit charred. There are delightful blobs of goat cheese on every slice and this pizza is even tasty at room temperature (or cold). For the pizza, squash blossoms, and a glass of Prosecco, my bill (before tip) was less than $ 40 — very reasonable for the caliber of food and atmosphere you’re getting.
Consider sitting on the back patio and you’ll be rewarded with the peaceful sounds of birds and the fountain in the pond (which I noticed tonight contains giant koi).

Ate here while passing through town for work, what a lovely lunch spot to find off the highway! They have a garden that wraps around the restaurant, and a pretty man made pond the deck overlooks.
I had the fish tacos, which were fresh and delicious with yummy dipping sauces. My business partner had the Reuben and he loved it. Also loved that they offer homemade sodas (lemon lavender!).
Staff was friendly and quick. Restaurant is beautiful!
Plan on staying overnight in Effingham next time I’m up that way so I can check out this spot for dinner!

Excellent food and service! A great find not too far off the highway. We all loved it.

I love this place. The service is outstanding, but the food is even better. If you are a foodie, then you will love this place. They serve some typical fare but they also serve some unusual dishes that are absolutely amazing. The atmosphere is spectacular and they are dog friendly out on the patio. Make sure to step out back if the weather is good. The dock over the water is beautiful and don’t forget the huge garden where they grow everything fresh.

Chanced upon this restaurant on our way from east coast to Kansas City. Stopped for lunch and were so happy we did. Great food, great service & SO much better than another fast food stop Check it out if you have the opportunity!

We just ate at the Firefly and the food was superb. The wait staff was great and the esting deck was an awesome view of a pond with a variety of fish with a deck. Ask your server for food to feed the fish and enjoy your wait for your farm to table food. Excellent experience and will return when we are in the area. A hidden jem!

Stopped here to grab dinner before our destination of Mount Vernon, IL. Gotta say, was not expecting to find a place like Firefly Grill in Effingham, IL. We were resigned to eat some fast food or a chain restaurant so when I saw the sign along 57 that just read Fireplace Grill «Farm to Table», we had to check it out.
You can see the farm on the side and in back of the restaurant. They know and work with all the local farms for their meat. Seafood is all flown in fresh. Cool and casual vibe with a diverse crowd mix.
Food was excellent. We had the pork meatballs with garlic toast, crab cakes, simple salad and dessert of the week which was a homemade ice-​cream sandwich. The ice-​cream sandwich was more of a shortcake with your pick of one of six homemade ice-​creams — we went with salted caramel.
The pork meatballs were my favorite, flavorful, moist. My husband surprised me when he said his favorite was the salad. It was a clean and fresh palate cleanser, not weighed down with a bunch of other ingredients besides some fresh queso. The crab cakes were good, not too much, we didn’t want to gorge ourselves. Although that went out the window when the ice-​cream sandwich arrived — it’s sized like a shortcake and we ate every bite of it, scraping the melted ice-​cream out of the plate with no shame.
Pumped to know this is here, and it will become our regular stop to eat when visiting my folks.

I stopped by Firefly Grill while traveling through Illinois. The restaurant is very nice and modern inside. The menu has a nice variety and the prices are fair. I ordered the Firefly Chicken Sandwich. It was awesome. Our server, Rachel, was excellent. I would definitely return again if I was in the area.

I was so impressed with firefly grill that I ate here both nights I was in Effingham. It’s the kind of quality service, food and experience you’d expect in New York City or Chicago, but right here in a small town. The service is top notch, with smiling, friendly, knowledgable staff. The first night I started with the ribs, which fell right off the bone and the sauce was a good combination of sweet and savory. We also had the morel mushrooms, which are lightly panko battered and fried, and so tasty. Then we went for the Halibut with mushroom ravioli (bursting with flavor). We ended with the Tiramisu (really good and with a caramel flavor) and Chocolate Lava cake with homemade Blackberry ice cream (so good).
Tonight I started with a citrus wheat beer, on tap, and a ‘simple salad’, with a white balsamic dressing that was great. Then I went for one of their signature dishes (something I like to do when I travel) which is the Montana Mignon, their take on Beef Wellington. The pastry was surprisingly light and flaky (not heavy as some can get) and the steak was just the right size and cooked beautifully. It comes with mashed potatoes (smooth and creamy) and garlic green beans, yum!
I didn’t think I would have dessert, but when Blake told me about homemade Salted Caramel ice cream, I couldn’t resist, and I’m glad I went for it. Combine that with some Camomile Tea and it was a nice finish. I can see why people make the trip to Effingham just to come to firefly grill. If you haven’t been here yet, don’t wait, head over there soon.

I had the Firefly burger w/​egg & garlic green beans. Wow. Was cooked to perfection. I’m not an onion fan but those on that burger… Great meal.

Firefly Grill continues to be our priority stop when we’re headed to Southern Illinois, St. Louis, or heck, when we just want to drive a bit for an incredible meal! Our most recent experience was the Easter brunch, which… let’s just say, we’re headed back for Mother’s Day brunch as well. An amazing bread and pastry plate to start things off, fruit and granola with yogurt, and then I had the most savory, tender brisket with eggs. Service was kind and prompt as always, the dining room is a wonderful, relaxing space, and you know you’re eating well and as local as can be!

It wasn’t really AOK but I only ate here this evening and would likely try it again or at least give them the benefit of the doubt. There’s a lot of places like this opening across the country and not enough culinary talent to really realize their dreams.
The Cesar had way too much raw garlic. It was too much for me and I absolutely love garlic. They’re generous with their portion for the money but the dressing lacks balance.
The pizzas aren’t all that good. We tried the cheese with red sauce and the Greek with white sauce. They come out under baked. I noticed the same at other tables. I saw the head chef check ours after the pizza guy put it up there. Why? Did he think it was under? Under baked and under fermented flour doesn’t make for a tasty finished crust.
The red sauce is delicious. The white is undercooked and has a bit too much nutmeg. If you bake these longer then maybe the sauce wouldn’t taste as undercooked. The Greek is bland and could use a drizzle of a high quality olive oil to finish. It had way too much garlic powder and it has stayed with me for hours now.
Nice place. Nice menu. Food needs a lot of work.

Our first time here… We went for noon time brunch and we were seated right away with a beautiful man made lake view. Their menu has a range of things to choose from. We had their French onion soup that was oh so flavorful and the melty cheese was the best part! We also had their chicken and beef pork buns as a starter. Wish it had more filling but it was okay. Last but not least we has their chicken pretzel burger sandwich. The fries were cooked to perfection and a little heavy handed on the salt. I love the blue water glasses. We found this hidden gem thanks to Unilocal

We came to Firefly on my birthday yesterday while headed down south seeking warmer biking weather. I can’t believe we pass by this place all the time when we’re headed south to visit family and we’ve never stopped in before! We started with drinks and the mussels. The waitress was very informative and told me that the fish is all fresh never frozen (not really something to brag about in my opinion but, I appreciated the info). The mussels were good, not the best quality mussels but we are in the midwest after all. The liquid it was cooked in was superb! It was creamy and mustardy and I almost wanted to eat it like soup after all the mussels were gone! The drink I ordered was a cocktail (not sure why I’ve been into those lately). It was a cinnamon sugar and orange cocktail. If you’re into sweet drinks, this one is good! It’s not just sweet for sweet sake but it had a true orange flavor that tasted like fresh squeezed orange juice. The cinnamon sugar rim was a bit over the top but I was surprised how much I liked the pairing of cinnamon and orange. Maybe next time, I’d opt for just cinnamon.
For the main course, I went with the pork shank and my boyfriend had a burger with an egg on it. Most parts of my pork were cooked to absolute perfection, other parts had too much sugar on it and cooked on too high of a heat producing this thick, hard coating on top of it that was frankly inedible. The parts underneath that were protected from the heat were absolute heaven! The sticky collagen when it melts into the pork are my absolute favorite! It came with mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts. I always forget how simple and amazing roasted brussels sprouts are. The burger was good. The egg was cooked perfectly — the yolk had started to gel but parts still remained runny.
After feeling absolutely stuffed, we decided to go for dessert… what the heck! It was my birthday after all. We went with the waffle banana split. It was absolutely incredible! Three different kinds of ice cream: chocolate, caramel/​butterscotch, and vanilla. I’m a huge chocolate fan yet my favorite was definitely the toffee/​butterscotch flavor. The little candied nuts on top were my favorite part whereas my boyfriend loved their handcrafted waffle.
Overall, we had a great time. Brittany, our server, was super helpful and accommodating! Except for a few flaws, the food was great! The parts of the menu where they wrote «firefly» in front to signify it’s something special are cheesy from my perspective. I mean, I’d hope that all the menu items are equally «special». If it signified a special ingredient, signature cooking process, or one time item, then I could maybe see the significance but from what I was told, it’s just a special «take» on a menu item… Part of me also feels like the menu is overpriced but I’m not sure you can find this quality of food so close to any other I-​57 exit so it’s not a huge turn off. Next time we’re looking for a high quality dining experience right off the highway, we know where to go!

I’ve been here a few times. Once for a small group dinner and once for a large dinner in the back room. Firefly really knows how to match great service with great food!
There is nothing on this menu that I can pinpoint as being a «must try». All of the food is amazing. I have no reason to stop here other than the fact that our work has a location not too far away.
If you’re looking to do a nice group dinner, there is no better place in the area than Firefly to do it. The staff is professional and attentive. Clearly our group was not their first rodeo, and we were all impressed as to how flawless the night was with the food/​service.

I’ve been here 3 times while on business trips. Each time the food and service are exceptional. There aren’t many non fast food or chain options in the area. I will continue to come back. I think the menu items are well priced for the atmosphere and food quality.
I’ve had: wedge salad, pork steamed buns, feta cheese appetizer, and crab cakes; they were all great.

I’ve driven to Cincinnati from St. Louis many times now and I’ve always noticed the Firefly Grill billboard. I finally decided that I needed to stop on my next trip after reading an article that simply raved about the place! It was the day before my birthday and I was in the mood to celebrate and simply order dessert. Since I was dining by myself, I sat at the bar. I was torn between the brownie and the bread pudding, so I asked my waitress which was bigger, badder and crazier. She was strongly in favor of the brownie, so I went with that. However, she also happened to mention that one of the current ice cream flavors was blackberry, so I chose to sub that for the vanilla.
Not five minutes later, she was back with my dessert! The brownie is served in a huge bowl that is about as big as my head. The brownie itself had to be about 3.5−4″ square and 1.5″ tall! Along with this, she brought a long platter with several little bowls — these held all of my toppings. The hot fudge, the caramel, the whipped cream, the blackberry ice cream, the cherries and the chocolate-​covered peanuts. My waitress then proceeded to top my brownie with all of the ingredients, making my mouth water! The brownie had a VERY rich chocolatey-​flavor, it was moist and dense and it was served warm (of course), which made the chocolate chips throughout nice and gooey. The cherry, chocolate-​covered peanuts and whipped cream were classic and delicious toppings! But were I to get this dessert again, I would tweak a few things — I would totally swap the fudge out for extra caramel. First off, you already get some serious chocolate going on just because of the brownie. Secondly, their caramel is house made and AMAZE-​BALLS! It isn’t overly sweet. Instead, it’s perfectly buttery. The other thing I would tweak — I would take the menu’s suggestion and stick with the vanilla ice cream. I’m not usually a vanilla girl, so it’s not unusual for me to swap it for another flavor. But their blackberry ice cream has the tang of a sorbet, which isn’t my preference. And frankly, a simple creaminess of vanilla would’ve been the perfect balance for the rest of the dish. However, I still immensely enjoyed my enormous dessert and wouldn’t hesitate to order it again and again!
On top of this wonderful food, because it was my birthday, my waitress informed me that my dessert was on the house! I couldn’t believe it — what a pleasant surprise! And very generous!
I definitely plan on paying another visit to the Firefly Grill! If my husband is along, I’m sure we would love to check out their burger! Or, if I’m on my own and feel like getting sugared up again, I might check out that bread pudding…

Excellent food for both dinner and brunch. What can I say? There is nothing really to see in Effingham, but we come here just to go to Firefly Grill. And when we do, we normally stay the night at a nearby hotel so we can have dinner on Saturday night followed by brunch the next morning.
Food is excellent. Amazing cocktail list. Excellent wine list. We had a bottle of Saint Emillion. Stuffed Zucchini Flowers is easily their best appetizer. We had the filet Mignon wrapped in a puff pastry with Boursin and bacon. Wow! Love coming here and leaving so stuffed I feel like exploding.
Great kids menu. Only complaint is silverware size for the kids. Their silverware is huge and consequently the kids ages 4 — 10 were constantly dropping them. Tip… bring your own from home.

We make frequent trips from Indianapolis to St. Louis, and had seen the billboards but only remarked upon them because Firefly is the best television show of all time. Then I read a blog about hidden dining gems, and this place ranked highly, so we decided to check it out. I can’t believe this incredible restaurant is tucked away in a little town otherwise remarkable for a giant torture device made of metal siding.
The entire place is stunning. It sits on a lake, so sit by the windows and watch massive, lovely carp swim around. We saw some folks feeding them, which all seemed to enjoy. The service is top-​notch. The food is RIDICULOUS. I had trouble deciding, there were so many things I wanted to try, so I’ll look forward to going back for more. We had a steamed bun apiece for appetizer, pork and shrimp, both delicious. I had the crab eggs benedict, which was unreal.
We will ALWAYS stop here now.