The Manhattan Firehouse

Just ate here was pretty great fried pork chop was cooked perfect the fried pickles are awesome flavor but could be cut a little thinner I like mine thin but other than that was a great meal for a pretty cheap price. Yep I would deff go back

Burgers and fries are the bomb!!! Whenever my son comes home from California we have to go there! !!!

I love it. Good is always good. Never have I been disappointed. Just not a huge fan of their chicken. Stick to the burgers.

I would have loved to have been able to try the food here. My wife and I had to get a late dinner on a Sunday and the employees decided to close early. We were very disappointed because we have heard good things and wanted to try the food. Oh well.

Super cute firefighter themed pub near Central Park.

Wonderful atmosphere and a great staff. Hand cut fries and freshly made meat for the sandwiches. Overall a great experience! Go here for a sandwich while in Manhattan IL

We stopped by The Manhattan Firehouse restaurant because we heard their food is fresh every day, nothing is frozen. We had to check this out. The food is unbelievably good, and I have picky kids. They liked it so much they want to come back. I do too. It’s hard to find a decently priced meal and have my kids finish it: I love the firehouse theme with the cute firetrucks the kids are encouraged to play with. We will be back, and most likely often.

Burger was good as always. Went out of my element and got the fries garlic/​parm style… Needless to say its a parm garlic sauce thats slopped all over your fries. I literally ate 6 or 7 fries and become overwhelmed it was disgusting actually. Next time, normal fries will be a must. Ill be back though–

We were in the area after taking care of a family for a Burial at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, stopped in for lunch, I had an Excellent grilled Buffalo chicken sandwich with Sweet Potato Fries and honey… My colleague had a burger with fresh cut fries… Everything is fresh not frozen, you see the 100 lb bags of potatoes in the kitchen Definitely a diamond in the desert. Will return in the future.

A fantastic local burger joint. Fresh ground beef, soft toasted buns, and fries that have been expertly perfected. This is our «Go-​To» place when we want a really good steak burger. Owners are great people too. 5+ Stars!

Relay — really good burgers! The seating is plentiful, but kind of awkward. I ordered a Miler Light and it came in a can — bummer. The place is a little run down, but they make the most of it by incorporating a fun fire house theme — interesting! The fries are home cut and you get quite a mound of them, they are included with the burgers. Oh yeah— the burgers! The burgers are juicy, fresh and delicious, and cooked just the way you order them. I always get the half pound burger, it is served with FRESH lettuce, onion, and tomato — delicious!
The ingrediants are about as fresh as you can get, and are purchased locally daily, they don’t freeze anything. The last time I was here I sat at the counter and the empoyees were very pleasant and friendly. When I was leaving, the owner personally thanked me for my business.
I hope this place sticks around and tweaks a few things, (particularly I hope that will stock Miller Light in bottles), and they could really do with some improvements in their seating arrangements, the tables are an awkward size, and I think if they had some conventional booths, they could increase their seating capacity. But PLEASE, PLEASE, continue making the delicious burgers!
Manhattan is an old farming town and not a lot of dining choices exist. The town does not seem to be growing, as their property taxes are abysmally high, we checked out houses there years ago and were shocked at the amount of taxes they require. Consequently, of course, there are not many dining choices in town, but the Firehouse as I call it, is a most welcome addition.
I despise most all of the fast food burger joints, and have been searching for a local place that knows how to prepare an excellent, thick, juicy, hamburger, and it seems that I have finally found what I’m looking for.
Mark, the owner, seems to be that rare type of owner that personally cares about the quality of the food he serves, and takes pride in what he does.
If you find yourself in the Manhattan area, hungry and tired of over processed crappy food, and you do NOT stop at the Firehouse you should be severely and merciessly flogged! LOL!
Mark, I wish you the best and hope that your business prospers!
Is this review over the top? I don’t think so!

The tastiest hamburger ever! The hand cut fries are my favorite. Could have been a five star rating but the coleslaw needs help.

If you are looking for a nice juicy burger this is the place! Little small but the food speaks big! Family owned after few times they remembered my order which made this place personal. A must try if you’re in Manhattan.

Great food!!! But, and this is a huge BUT.
Why is the entire Cook County Sheriff’s Department Training Institute eating here EVERY time I visit

Found this place randomly searching Unilocal as my wife and I live in the next town. Burgers and fries are everything they claim to be. Hand crafted and made from scratch. If I’m not mistaken the pickles also tasted home made. We will definitely be going back. Hope to try something else next time.

Was in Manhattan for my concealed carry class. Came here on a whim. Had a burger here and fries. Fried were hand cut and very good. Burger was freshly made and very good as well. My wife had fries pickles. I don’t like pickles and I tasted one. I thought it was OK. But she thought it they were really good. Definitely recommend. I’d certainly come here if were close to my home restaurant resembles a charming country type restaurant.

Farm to table. Handcut fries. They don’t own a freezer or a microwave! The beef and produce are all locally grown. Small family business frequenting small family businesses. Delicious food! Family friendly! Great staff! Love this place!
I love the specials they’ve recently added to the menu, too! #manhattanfirehouse #farmtotable #smallbusiness

This place serves great burgers and fries. The menu is small, but they do a damn good job of making the food that is on the menu. The prices are also very fair.
All sandwiches come with fries, which are great. Homemade and not heavily salted. They have your standard burgers, other meat sandwiches (grilled chicken, pork, etc), or 4 specialty burgers. I’ve had two of them (see pics) and they’re amazing. Very unique and very tasty.
You can call to place an order for pickup, or come by to eat-​in. There are a couple tables and chairs at the bar. Plus, you can always walk down to the park just down the street.
The people here were nice. When we went, the place was packed and the small crew working was running around and working hard. But even with the sense of urgency, the staff was still very polite.
I highly recommend coming here, and then coming back. It’s nice to see that Manhattan, IL has a great, reputable food joint.

Personally, I’m not a fan of the burgers, but with that said, my boyfriend loves them. To each his own. I fell in love with the BBQ chicken sandwich. The flavor of the sauce is perfect– a little spice, sweet, and tasty. The bun is always super fresh and delicious, too. (Kudos to Kirby’s for the buns!) farm fresh ingredients all around = delicious. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
The fried pickles are amazing– hearty hunks of pickle with a light and crispy beer batter coating. I absolutely love them.
The owner Is always there, friendly and welcoming. And I really love what he did with the location– the décor and exterior mural are awesome and make the place look really nice.
Only thing preventing me from giving 5 stars is that they often run out of things (last night it was my beloved fried pickles) and the inside of the place is hot. Hopefully, updated HVAC is on the list for future improvements, along with having enough food!

Manhattan, NY is home to skyscrapers, commerce, and a plethora of significant cultural attractions.
Conversely, Manhattan, IL is little more than a «one traffic light» kinda town.
But it’s also home to The Manhattan Firehouse (it’s in an old village fire station, so the name came naturally), the best burger joint in the area.
First, I need to give some background: I have been a loyal (and frequent!) patron of Joe’s Stone Crab since forever, and in the last five or so years, I’d had a favorite waiter named Mark who always took great care of me. Many happy occasions were celebrated at Joe’s: friends’ wedding, my own recent engagement, new jobs, birthdays, as well as plenty of random lunches and dinners. Whatever it was, Mark always delivered. I would never let anyone else wait on me – that’s how fond of Mark I am. Mark recently left Joe’s and decided to open The Manhattan Firehouse in the area in which he lives. I was only too happy to make the trek out and support Mark’s new venture.
After only being open a few months, it’s already taken off. Mark is there every single day, doing the prep, cooking, and running the restaurant. An absentee business owner he is not; he’s knee-​deep in the trenches.
The meat is delivered fresh several times a week, and the burgers are a blend of brisket, top round, and chuck, all hand-​formed, and nicely textured (not finely ground). Vegetables come from a nearby hydroponic farm and the buns come from a bakery less than 200 feet from the restaurant. It doesn’t get more local than that. There is no freezer on the premises so all goods are delivered multiple times a week.
It’s important to note that it’s not fast food; it’s all cooked to order so you may have to wait a bit, but it’s worth it. You can always call ahead if you’re pressed for time.
Burgers are beefy and delicious and have a great char flavor. Onion rings are battered by hand before they go in the fryer; fries are hand cut and tossed with a spice blend (Old Bay perhaps?). My favorite was the portabella fries – like tempura mushrooms cut in long strips. So decadent.
In addition to the great burgers, soups, salads and hot dogs round out the menu. Beer is served (including a couple of microbrews), and there’s a deck outside so you can enjoy your burger with the sun and breeze. It’s a great local spot but also worth a drive out to Manhattan, a most charming town.