The FireFly Diner

Can’t give it any stars. Don’t even try. I don’t think it was an off day… not much can be done with dehydrated onions, frozen potatoes and plastic tasting OJ.

We were driving down route 1, after an overnight in Wells. I searched «diners by Me» on my phone and Firefly came up. Awful, cold, tasteless food. The cook was wiping his nose when I looked over, so I decided to stop eating at that point. One good comment I can leave is that the two waitresses were very nice and attentive. Drive further and look for someplace else.

Arrived for brunch at 1PM. Restaurant was nearly empty. Waitress was delightful. The husband decided to start with onion rings, and that was a good choice. They are shoestring, homemade, melt-​in-​your-​mouth good. Unfortunately, the rest of the meal was not worth the price we paid. Home fries are so bad, they should be illegal. The cook isn’t even trying to make them tasty. The eggs were unseasoned and not hot. The coffee was undrinkable. So, I offer two stars for the waitress and rings. I’m sorry the cook isn’t focusing more on the food, because her waitress deserves more customers.

My wife and I were driving by on our way up north and just happened to swing in for a quick breakfast. On the waitresses recommendation I got the biscuits and gravy. I almost never get biscuits and gravy except in the southern states were they know how to do it. The gravy here was some of the best I’ve ever had. My wife loves her meal as well. I will be coming back next time I go to Maine.

Drive a few more miles to York for better options.
The Firefly is uderstaffed on the floor and in the kitchen. We waited an hour for breakfast that was mediocre at best. The steak was way overcooked and tough. The homefries are actually french fries cut into squares and salted.

We went to The FireFly this morning for a nice family brunch after a wedding that we attended. We waited for over ten minutes for a table. There were six empty tables but all of them were covered with dirty dishes. I did not mind waiting for a table, but was slightly bothered by the fact that we were not acknowledged once during this time.
We got nice, pleasant service when we sat and ordered. Unfortunately, we were there for ONE HOUR AND FIFTEEN MINUTES before our food arrived. Not ONCE during this time did our waitress or anyone else apologize about the wait or update us on the status of our food. If we were not so hungry we would have walked out. One of the parties that came in after us sat down, ate, paid and left before we got any of our food. The only reason that I am giving two stars instead of one is because the food was very good. I am shocked, however, that this restaurant is still in business with the atrocious customer service and the fact that six breakfasts take 75 minutes to cook. Very disappointing.

Delicious lobster roll and hand cut string onion rings to die for at a reasonable price. Not a fancy place. It’s a diner so expect a diner. You’re in Maine not New York so expect to wait a bit longer.

Stopped here on the way up the coast for a quick brunch. We were seated promptly and our food came out within 10 minutes of ordering (although it is a weekday so I can imagine it’s a bit different on busy Kittery shopping days). I had a ham and cheese scrambler and added peppers and onions for $ 1 — it was delicious! Home fries were eh but the coffee was good as well. Bathroom is homey and very clean and the bill was less than $ 10 a person. Would recommend!

The sign says Firefly Diner: Breakfast all day. Probably because it takes all day to get your breakfast. Given it may be «off season» this diner is working with a skeleton staff. The one waitress came to take our drink orders before even giving us menus and we had ask again each time she forgot our orange juice and waters. It was over 30 minutes before getting only 3 out of 4 meals. My ham, (over easy) egg, and cheese on an English muffin came out as a ham and cheese scramble and my friend’s home fries were brought with out the onions she asked for. Eventually the ham, non-​over easy egg, and cheese sandwich came out. I’m not sure why it took so long with only 8 tables full. The food tasted good and the location is great right next to the outlet stores but the service was so poor that we won’t be back. Ask for your check well in advance if you’d like to get on with your day when you’ve finished eating and if you need change or a box for your leftovers you may need to remind the waitress. Also note that each refill is charged as a full drink and coffee is $ 2 each so the bill might be more than you expect as a small town strip mall diner.

Good full American breakfast. Not to many places around. Found Firefly open early. Small mom & pop place. We were party of 4 and were seated right away. Service was friendly. Nothing matches in the diner. Table, chairs, plates, all different but I thought that made it cuter.

Good local spot. Breakfast average. Service prompt. Clean restrooms. Boasts animatronic horse children can ride during visit. All in all, a family diner where everyone seems to know one another. At this writing, CASH only.

Wow, this place is just terrible. We love going out for breakfast, and trying new places in the area, so one day when we wanted to stick around the Kittery area, but try something different, we decided to head to the FireFly Diner. Big mistake! First of all, this space clearly used to be an office, and the owners have made no effort to make it look like anything else. They are still using what appears to be the office furniture, plants, decorations, etc. that the previous occupants left behind. I don’t even want to know where the «kitchen» is, but my money is on one guy/​girl out back in the bathroom or break room with a microwave and a hot plate. Service was terrible — there were at least two waitresses, hardly any customers, and it still took 10 minutes for someone to come over and take our drink order (coffee), then another 15 minutes for the coffee (which was undrinkable) to come out, then 20 minutes later and a woman finally emerged to take our meal order, and so on. Just a miserable experience all around. If you are looking for breakfast in Kittery, the Sunrise Grill on the traffic circle is no-​frills, but the waitstaff is always friendly and the food is good and comes out very quickly, even when they are packed.

This is the second time I have dined at The FireFly Diner. Our first experience (last year) was enjoyable. This time it wasn’t nearly as memorable. We were traveling to Maine for the day and needed some quick, inexpensive grub after driving for 4 hrs. I ordered the steak and eggs dish. The steak was likely the worst that I’ve ever had. It was tough, and more importantly completely unseasoned. It had very little flavor. The steak came with two fried, but cold eggs that the juices of the steak hade made a shade of brown. I wonder if they cooked the eggs and steak together. Also it came with home fries (no seasoning or peppers/​onions) literally just dry, fried potatoes. The toast was covered in steak juices and was soggy and somewhat gross. My fiancé ordered a veggie omelet that was overcooked and had way to many vegetables that it was over powering. Our daughter enjoyed her strawberries and cream pancake. The staff seemed miserable this time and I don’t think i will return to this diner again.

If you are in search of a staple breakfast to begin a fun-​filled day of shopping at the Kittery Outlets… The Firefly Diner may be an option for you. It being a Sunday on the morning of my visit, the diner itself was quite busy. Fortunately, my boyfriend and I were seated relatively quick, though ended up being witness to the fate of many a party waiting for some time before deciding to leave in search of edibles elsewhere.
Excited at the prospect of a hearty breakfast before our return trip home, orders were placed and coffee poured. Coffee sipped… sipped… sipped… gone. 10 minutes go by as my breakfast mate and I read the Trivial Pursuit question cards supplied at each table for our entertainment. 20 minutes go by and I begin to anxiously look at each plate of food that whizzes by the table. 30 minutes and I’m beginning to fidget in my seat at my stomach growls louder. 40 minutes and I’m going over the reasons why I chose this restaurant in the first place. Just as I’m glancing around at the eclectic mix of dining room tables and various seating for the 100^th time, the food finally arrives just shy of the 50 minute mark. Umm… seriously? These are eggs, toasts, etc that are coming out of the kitchen. It takes this long?
I ordered French Toast and scrambled eggs. The food itself was quite good and certainly provided at a more than reasonable price. Worth the wait? My stomach would have agreed with you… but my mind thinks otherwise. I recommend checking the parking lot before committing your time and efforts to this establishment. Clearly, they are doing something right with the food, just need to work on efficiency in service. Employees appeared overworked and understaffed.

On the drive home yesterday from a lovely weeklong stay in Pine Point with the fam, I had breakfast with my parents at The Firefly Diner. We had actually tried going to another restaurant first, one the folks had frequented often, but it was inexplicably closed. So after driving around Kittery for awhile, we finally stumbled upon this place.
The waitress is super friendly and kinda quirky. I imagine she’s one of those seasoned veterans of the food industry who calls everyone «sweetie» and means it but also wouldn’t take no guff from no customer! Rock on, girl.
There are a lot of specials on a big blackboard at the back of the restaurant and my mom got one of them. She ordered the cinnamon swirl french toast and was very pleased with the big portion as well as the wholeness of the bread and overall flavor. My dad loves to order eggs over easy and is somewhat particular about this seemingly ordinary dish. But he said they were great and finished his hearty portion.
I ordered the «New England omelette» as the description piqued my interest: three egg omelette with sausage, chedder (I forgave them the misspelling of cheddar on the menu), onions, peppers, and maple syrup. It came with home fries and toast. When it arrived, my eyes bugged out of my head. The damn thing was humungous. The waitress laughed and said it wasn’t that big and many have finished it in the past. I said I would probably not be one of those brave souls. As it turned out, I was right. It was too much food for me but I did get close! I ate about 85% of it and thought it was an excellent blend of ingredients. The sausage pieces were plentiful though not too big to overwhelm, and the cheddar cheese was just the right amount. The home fries were actually oversized potato cubes and though they were already generously seasoned I added a couple dashes of salt, pepper, and a squirt of ketchup. In the end, these home fries were epic. The whole wheat toast was classic diner whole wheat toast dotted with melted butter and cut into as-​you-​like-​it triangles. Oh, and the coffee was very good as well.
The décor of the place, however, is a little odd. There are a couple of family-​sized dining room tables as well as a number of different, regular sized (4 – 6 seater) tables. Over in the corner, there is a couch and a coffee table that looks like a waiting area. Maybe it’s nice if there is a wait but the overall «feel» of the restaurant seems mismatched and kinda Twilight-​Zoney. That said, though it took me awhile to get used to it, I did get used to it. And I ended up becoming a fan of the avant garde furniture. After all, we’re talking about a diner here. And this is a diner with great food, great service, and very reasonable prices. It’s just a joy to eat here.
Also, and I can’t speak to this from first-​hand experience, but I understand from other Unilocalers that their lunch menu is fantastic! I hope to come back and try it the next time I am in the area.

So I have visited this place twice. The first time it wasn’t busy and I ordered the chicken tenders being told they very good. I took my friends advice was sadly disappointed at the end of it all. The chicken
«tenders» them selves were just thickly sliced chicken breast… but no tender… foodies, you gotta know what i mean.
Moving on to the second time. It was busy and there was the same waitress working as the first time, but she was all alone (just like last time). So it took her awhile to get our orders and drinks and yadda yadda yadda. You could tell she was flustered, I honestly would be too, if I were her. This time I ordered breakfast, corned beef hash, toast and eggs… breakfast food is hard to mess up (in my opinion) and its my all time go to meal, just for the pure simplicity of it all. So yea, breakfast was yummy. And I was going to get my hash to go, but i never got me a box, so we just paid and left. That really wasnt a big deal to me, but the server lady overall was really nice everytime and I enjoyed her vibe and personality.
At the end of the day it is a diner next to a gas station/​liquor store (the pines or something like that) so don’t expect Michelin star quality. And get breakfast, they serve it all day. One more bummer, the close at three, but I don’t see any reason for them to do dinner there. Things get pretty dead in kittery in the non touristy season.
What we learned today… Plus some extras!
1. If its busy turn around or go occupy your time until it winds down.
2. I will go again because the server lady was very nice and my friends live right next to it.
3. I forgot to mention how affordable this place is. Cheap but mostly good.
4. Get breakfast! Or a burger (my friend dave always slobbed his gob with one everytime I went).
5. Don’t get chicken boob impersonating succulent tenders.
6. Did I mention The server lady was Really nice and accomadating? Even when she was all alone doing 6 to seven tables of mostly four people? Oh right, because she was… yes it took a little time when it was busy, but like I said previously just wait a bit and go after the people leave!
This rant is over.

Arrived @ 10:00am and was seated right away.
I had the three eggs, bacon & home fries,
The kitchen was a little slow but food was hot when served
Takes cash only

DELICIOUS!!!
The homemade fries were seasoned to make them utterly addictive!
I had the grilled chicken blt special… whoa baby it was yummy! My sister got the cheeseburger plate, good, but definitely a pre formed patty.
Service was great and friendly.
I will definitely go back when I am in the area again!

The food is pretty average (but good!) diner fare; the décor leaves a little to be desired – kinda makes you feel like you’re dining in an office and someone’s living room at once – but the service was utterly incredible. Our waitress was so friendly and kind and fun and if I lived in the area, I’d go here a lot.

After shopping at the outlets in Kittery, I worked up quite an appetite. I decided to stop in at The Fire Fly Diner (est. 2009), which is located in the Pine Tree Plaza (next to Hair Outlet & Chun Ping Lau). This casual eatery serves breakfast all day and lunch and has been open for about a year and nine months, as of March 2011.
I arrived here around 1:45PM on a Saturday and I was seated in the back corner of the dining room, though I would’ve preferred sitting closer to the front since the place was almost empty. The atmosphere is casual and bright with ample table seating and counter seating too, with that hometown family restaurant feel. The staff and regular customers address each other on a first name basis, as I witnessed.
The breakfast menu offerings include egg dishes, bennies, 3 egg omelettes, breakfast sandwiches, pancakes, French toast, specialty platters, hash, and breakfast sides. The lunch menu offerings include sandwiches, subs, burgers, chicken tenders, chili, chowder, salad, and comfort dishes like haddock-​n-​chips and shepard’s pie w/​corn bread. Pepsi fountain drinks are served here. Blackboard specials are offered, like country fried steak dinner, banana pancakes, steak tips, and lobster benedict. The prices are fair for the area, most items/​dishes are priced $ 3.95-$ 9.95 range.
The food I ordered came out at the same time. I started out with a cup of Chowder ($ 3.99), which was thick and very creamy with lots of potatoes, clams, and some fish too, oyster crackers on the side. Next, the Steak-​N-​Cheese Sub ($ 6.95) was a good size with plenty of grilled well done shaved steak and melted American cheese (very dense) on a grilled soft hoagie roll (that’s the way to do it!) and a bag of Lays potato chips on the side (no fries upgrade option for sandwiches). The food was satisfying and filling to eat.
The service was good and pleasant with both the manager and my waitress checking up on me periodically (how’s your lunch?), as they were tidying up the dining area before the 2:30PM closing. Classic rock & roll was playing loudly on the big boom box, which I didn’t care for, as I was trying to have a relaxing lunch. The check for lunch came out to under $ 12 with tax and before tip.
This rating for lunch straddles somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. I will have to return for breakfast on my next visit. I have to try the deep fried grit squares!
(3.4÷5.0 stars overall for lunch)
CASH ONLY
OPEN Fri-​Wed: 6AM-2:30PM, closed on Thurs.