The Firehouse

Whenever in the Southeast, I always seek out BBQ. Firehouses was solid. Pulled pork was classic and ribs decent. The baked beans had bacon and a nice kick — they were very good. If in Johnson City and looking for BBQ, worth the visit.

My son and I went there by ourselves for the first time last week and had the best dinner! Ribs were excellent, service was great and the dessert we got to go was even better later!

I found this place from a Unilocal search based on most reviews, and since I was on a road trip and decided to give it a try.
Our party of two were immediately greeted and promptly taken to a booth table, per our request. We glanced at the menu, which was not overwhelmingly loaded. I looked at my friend, and asked if he wanted to try something else at another location, and he agreed.
We were ready to leave when Leya, the manager, asked us if we had an issue. I simply said we had changed our minds, to my surprise, she began asking us what we were looking for so that she could suggest other establishments near by. I mentioned that we were used to a BBQ portion with at least three different meats. She grabbed the menu and made some good suggestions. I must admit I have never been persuaded not to leave a location in such a candid way.
So, we decided to go back to our booth seat and give it a try. Immediately after we sat, Tom, the owner, approached us asking about any concerns we may still had. He reassured us that all the meats were smoked there and we were not going to be disappointed.
Our waitress, Sarah, took our order and answered some of our questions about local soda pops: Dr. Enuf and Cheerwine. Personally, I am not a soda drinker, but since these sodas were locally made, I tried them.
Dr. Enuf tasted like sprite without the sugar load, and the other one is like cherry coke.
Our order of babyback ribs and smoked brisket, came with two sides each. We tried potato salad; cole slaw; baked beans and broccoli salad. Ok, this last one is must have, it includes sunflower seeds, bacon, raisins and apples.
I tried the smoked ribs and brisket, and I can’t even begin to explain the flavors in mouth. I was not disappointed.
Tom came to our table to check on us, and brought us a sample of pulled pork. This is one of the best menu bestseller. He also brought two bottles of his hottest BBQ sauce.
I kept telling my friend how great the food was, but the customer service was extraordinary.
If I’m ever back on a road trip again, I will definitely go back.
Awesome culinary experience.

Cool antique Fire Engine from the 1930s right inside the front door. Consistent and pleasant theming for the décor. The bathrooms were spic and span also. The Hungry man tried the ribs and I got the Steakhouse salad. I was a big fan of the hash brown casserole. My daughter’s pulled pork sandwich was decent. The steak on my salad was overdone and tough. The hungry mans ribs were perfectly adequate, but not the best we’ve ever had. They were definitely accommodating of our group of nine with several children. The service was very friendly and quick. Would definitely eat here again. I have a feeling if I order differently I would be more pleased with my meal. The other people at the table were pleased with their meals. However I would avoid the steakhouse salad.

Great place to go while in Johnson City. Everything my husband and I got was delicious. Their sweet tea was perfect southern tea, the bbq was some of the best that I’ve ever had (I got pulled pork, hubby got the brisket), and I really recommend trying their house dressing if you like a good salad and the fried pickles. The atmosphere was really fun/​casual and the service was fantastic. If you’re looking for good bbq this place will not disappoint.

The food was good at the table, but not as leftovers. Ordered the beef & pork combo and opted for the brisket for an extra $ 1. They have four sauces: tomato-​based and vinegar based, and spicy versions of each. Only the spicy ones were worth the calories.
Its priced not unlike Applebees: you are paying for a nice place to have lunch. Fried potato skins app was meh. Garlic bread was hard and stale — good to feed to the birds at the nearby river!
We went on a Saturday for a late lunch and there was a 15 minute wait for the 3 of us. Service was fine for how busy they were — and our server obviously cared that we ordered the right food, how it was, and if there was anything else she could do. Can’t ask for much more than that!

Best bbq in Johnson City! Every time we’ve been we get perfect service! The staff are great and the food is wonderful! If you haven’t been here, you are definitely missing out! It’s in an old fire station and is designed beautifully! It’s always a joy to go here… definitely one of my favorite places!

Everyone is wearing dungarees, I get that they are trying to mimic the ol’ days firemen/​women but they rather inspire Lego figurines.
The food is pretty good, portion is on the smaller/​modest side for a Southern BBQ place. I have no complains about that.
If you are into the whole plastic picnic cloth covered tables kind of experience for $$ price point, you will love it.
Overall, I give 4 stars for food and the cool firetruck & 1 star for the whole Dixie-​ness. So 3 stars in average.

The Firehouse is the best BBQ is Johnson City. For me, this is almost a perfect restaurant.
I’ve been to the Firehouse dozens of times and can’t recall a single instance of getting a bad meal. Almost everything on the menu is excellent. And the only reason I say «almost» is because I haven’t literally tried everything, but I’ve yet to encounter anything that was not extremely good.
Service is almost uniformly excellent. I’ve been there during slow times and during the rush, and never had poor service. Even with a new waiter /​waitress, I can’t think of anything beyond minor issues that were quickly rectified. The Firehouse is one of the best at training its staff on customer service.
Prices are good and the portions are very reasonable.
The décor and atmosphere are excellent. Who doesn’t love eating in an old firehouse? Love all the little snippets of Johnson City history in the restaurant as well.
I love The Firehouse and I try to stop by there at least once every time I’m in town. Unless something drastically changes, I can’t imagine that tradition changing any time soon.

Exceptional food. Wonderful service. Down home feel. Visiting from South Carolina, exactly the kind of thing I was looking for when seeking out Tennessee BBQ. Ribs and brisket were smoky and delicious. Hashbrown casserole was unique and tasty. Dr. Enuf rounded out the local experience. A must visit if in Johnson City.

One of the best places for BBQ in town! Excellent service and wonderful atmosphere! You won’t regret stopping here! A++++++

Long time Unilocaler, first time reviewer. Only reviewing because this restaurant had the best service, ever. Owner even brought over samples of the chowder when he heard we were first timers. Everything was delicious, but make sure to try the homemade Blue Cheese dressing!

Ate there tonight for the first time. The atmosphere is great, the service is top-​notch, and the food is excellent! Can’t wait to go back again! Highly recommend!

We’ve finally made it after months and months and we are definitely coming back. The pulled pork and ribs were phenomenal. Our waitress was as friendly as ever and answered all of our questions without hesitation.

We found this place based on a Unilocal review and were very pleased. We had the pulled pork and baby back ribs. Both were great. Sides were also solid. Nothing too fancy or out of the ordinary, but that’s why I liked it. I got what I expected and it was very good.

Awesome food… Great atmosphere … old fire engine (1925) at entrance.
Clean restaurant. Service was fast and very friendly.

Firehouse suffers from being too nice, too polished. If you want a tumbledown, down home BBQ experience, this is not it. Firehouse was clean, comfortable, not unlike a Benigans with much better Q.
The Carolina pulled pork was good, moist. I enjoyed the sauces. Sides of slaw, broccoli salad, steak fries were good. The service could not have been friendlier.

Located inside a former fire station, this locally owned BBQ joint has a friendly and professional staff, fantastic marinated pulled pork and chicken, and a dessert menu prepared in-​house every day. This was an amazing meal experience I will repeat as often as I visit this city.
I arrived along with the grandmother early on a Tuesday night. The house was packed with locals, many of them eating here on a weekly basis. It is near the East Tennessee State University, so you will find college students dining and working here. The staff where fire department staff uniforms for a fun and professional vice. An old firetruck adorns the lobby as you enter. Firefighter memorabilia cover the walls. It is a unique dining location.
I ordered a BBQ platter that came with some pulled pork, steak fries, and BBQ beans. This was some of the best BBQ I’ve ever had because it was cooked thoroughly but not seared dry, still juicy from the vinegar-​based sauce they used to marinate the meat, and the pulled pieces weren’t chunky or fatty in the least. They only have two BBQ sauces to add to the meal: a standard sauce, and a spicier version you can request from your waiter or waitress.
The grandmother ordered a sliced pork sandwich and coleslaw. She must’ve really enjoyed it cause she didn’t do much talking during the meal. Either that, or she just doesn’t like talking to me anymore. I think she liked the meal. Between the two of us we also ordered the pimento cheese dip. It was really amazing, heated and melted, and not overwhelming. But that leads to the only detraction of the meal experience: the chips were so salty my mouth felt like the Sahara Desert after the first bite. However, when I told this to the waitress she quickly brought us a fresh batch of salt-​free chips.
This was a wonderful dining experience that I look forward to repeating again soon. This place is good for children old enough to enjoy this type of food, great for groups, and highly recommended to anyone with a taste for BBQ.

I went here for the first time on the fourth of July and was very pleased with the taste and the price. However, it took very long to get our food. We waited forever and it wasn’t busy at all. We had the firehouse nachos, turkey reuben and pulled pork platter. The reuben was soggy probably from sitting and waiting on other food to get done, but we ate it and still give them five stars. So in general it was good, prices were great and we will give them one more try.

One of my favorite barbecue places. The sliced pork is great. The beans are delicious and the slaw is some of the best I have ever eat. If you like steak fries they won’t disappoint. Also they have different sauces you can try. I like the tomato based.

Best bbq in tri cities! Go there at least once every other week. Try the sliced pork platter with hash browns and the house salad with homemade blue cheese.

Was looking for some good southern BBQ, and was told The Firehouse was the place for that. They did not disappoint !!!
I had the ribs and brisket with baked beans, and potato salad. Everything was great. The brisket was a tad bit dry, but not too bad. The ribs were great, as was the homemade beans. The star of the meal was the potato salad. BEST I’VE EVER TASTED !!!
The staff were super friendly and very engaging. I would definitely recommend this place and if I ever return to the area, I’m going back !!!
Well done Firehouse …

Great service and cool firehouse decorations. Love the bbq pork, my husband likes the brisket. Get the hashbrown casserole!

The staff is super friendly. Seems to be a place for regulars. Love the theme and how it is decorated.
Good size portions and good prices.
Very sweet bbq sauce. Too sweet. And it was on everything. Sides were lacking in options. Not a big fan of the baked beans.

Seriously this is our go-​to restaurant almost every week. We love their BBQ, I go for the Sliced Pork Platter — delicious smoked pork loin, with the traditional sides, fries, bbq baked beans (delish)…my honey loves their Rueben sandwich. We always get a Large House Salad with their fantastic house dressing!!! LOVE. Also I will tell you their service is bar none. The managers will work very hard to make things right if you ever have an issue with your order. Customer service is first rate!!!

Stopped here on our way to New York from North Carolina. After reading all the reviews I expected it to be very good. It was ok.
Fried pickle appetizer was ok.
I had the Carolina pulled pork sandwich. It was dry and my bun was soggy. I ended up having to add the sauce that was on the table which was ok. Came with a baked potato salad (the better of the meal)
Someone else had the brisket platter. Brisket was Was better than mine but the plate was orange from all the grease.
BBQ beans were different but very tasty. We liked them.
Free refills with sodas.
Service was great, everyone super friendly and polite. Place was very clean.
I don’t think I would return if I had to make the trip again. I feel like I have eaten better pulled pork sandwiches at some chain restaurants in NY. (Maybe we are spoiled with food from NY)

Delicious food! Pulled pork platter and brisket were amazing! Must try with their spicy sauce! Great find thanks to Unilocal and other’s review. A cute little restaurant with a country feel. If in Jensen city a place u must try.

Service was good. Chicken and brisket was too dry for me. The pulled pork was perfect. They were out of ribs. The beans had a sweet onion flavor and were very good.