Fireside Kosher

Excellent meal. Had a reservation for 5. Table was ready when we arrived. One very positive point, was that our server told us that he tried everything on the menu so we should feel free to ask for his input. We started with pulled brisket nachos. We all liked them. My son and I each had the burger. Cooked to a perfect medium. My daughters shared a ribeye which was also cooked to a perfect medium. My wife likes her steak well done, and is was cooked just that way without being dried out.
By the way, my son has a nut allergy, and our server was very careful to tell us to stay away from certain things not only because they contain nuts, but also because they were made in a station that was next to other items that contain nuts.
All in all, everyone had a very pleasant experience.

Very solid grub. Ordered out from here yesterday and was very happy with my burger. Especially enjoyed the «house» fireside sauce. Also enjoyed our side of chicken tenders and the 4 accompanying dipping sauces.

Moved here in 1990… it took a touch under a quarter of a century, but we FINALLY got a place that makes shlepping to Teaneck or even NYC… wholly unnecessary… unless you prefer shlepping more and spending more to experience pretty much the same level of ambiance and the same (or better) level of dining as Ny’s «better» kosher establishments… actually,(and star trek teleporters aside), the quickest way from Monsey to a seriously upscale yet still welcoming NY restaurant… is by walking through this restaurant’s doors… why? Because from the moment u walk in, you’re instantly transported into place with a serious downtown vibe… the style has substance without being pretentious… the service is responsive without being cloying or making you feel like they’re hovering (which they aren’t)…the food is seriously impressive as well… no small feat when you realize most restaurants these days only care about making sure words like «steak» and «beef» are always preceded by the word «aged»…here its clear every item matters… the appetizers… the sides… nothing is just «there»…instead every menu item feels like it’s been curated for the occasion… the veal I ordered was soft without losing texture tasting like a handicapped steak (a reference that i feel describes 93% of every veal roast, chop and burger ive ever had) their chefs get veal right because they clearly are prepped in how, to properly prep veal for consumption… same with my wife’s steak… finally a place that understands, medium rare isn’t an «either or» proposition but that elusive sweet spot in-​between, where the exterior char actually stops at the exterior without taking the inside with it, in short, great service… great ambiance… great food and presentation… all without forcing you to make the trek from 845 to 212 or 201… and all it took for us to finally get it, was 25 years.

I’ve eaten about a quarter of the menu, many things multiple times, so I feel ready to review the items I’ve had.
Beer-​Battered Chicken Fingers — Awesome when fresh, which they always are, plenty of dipping sauces. Better than your average chicken fingers or nuggets. Far more sophisticated.
Pulled Brisket Nachos — I’ve eaten Mexican food from before I was kosher, and I’ve never had something like this. I was raised on ground beef when I was young, and then the Ortega mix that everyone uses, so that’s what I was expecting. This was totally different from that. It is real brisket, salty and tasty, though the meat doesn’t sit on nachos the same way that ground beef does. You’ll love it anyway.
Gravy fries — Everyone else at my table was a big fan of this. I wasn’t. The fries are wet (with gravy), and some people love wet fries and some people love crispy dry fries, so just take that into account when ordering.
Tumbleweed Onions — Made fresh, vary a little with each order as a result, from great to excellent.
Yam Curls — Like fries that don’t need a dipping sauce, look more like chips. Salty and flavored with batter. I put salt on everything and I didn’t need to put salt on these, they were so delicious.
Fireside fries — Crispy, just the way I like them, and served in a cute little wire basket.
Fireside Burger — Definitely up there in the best kosher burgers I’ve ever had. Juicy but not greasy. It’s a lot of meat and they don’t skimp on the veggies or pickles or sauce, so I don’t know how people manage to order the burgers with more on top and still finish them.
Tacos — I’ve never had tacos like these, for similar reasons as the brisket nachos. I’m used to tacos with low-​quality ground beef in a hard shell instead of high-​quality brisket with sauce and seasoning and soft shells. It’s a totally different experience from the tacos from the box. Not even comparable.
Cured Filet — Look, if they have anything cured as a special, make sure someone at the table gets it. They really cure it, so it’s been infused with flavor for days, yet isn’t over salty like most kosher steaks.
Rigatoni Bolognese — My guilty pleasure. Pasta and delicious meat sauce. Take it home — great as a leftover. I’ve eaten so much of it leftover it’s ridiculous. Some people say it’s not sophisticated enough, or it’s a steak house, why would you order a pasta dish? Well you should because it’s amazing. People are wrong.
Cowboy steak — Comparable with La Surprise at La Marais, but bigger. The bone is insane. At my table two people got it to split and said, «Oh, we’ll get through it, don’t worry.» And then they didn’t. They couldn’t make it. It was too much meat. What a shame, they had to take it home and eat it the next day. Life can be so hard sometimes.
Veal chop — Best veal chop I have ever had in my life. Hands down. Ordered it for my parents, they said the same thing. I was going to give up veal for ethical reasons, but apparently I’ll be putting that chumrah on hold for a while.
Other things:
Desserts — The desserts are always being changed up. I’ve never had a bad one. They actually have an issue that the sizes are two big. How is that even a complaint that exists? «Oh no, the dessert came, it was too much food for us, how terrible»? What restaurant serves too much dessert? A great restaurant, that’s what.
Service — There were some early service issues, growing pains for the restaurant, but they have vastly improved.
Water — They used to charge for water because the water is SUPER filtered by a special system (some people in Monsey think the local water is awful), but now they don’t.
Ambiance — Great. Wooden and stone plates are intimidating, but they show that you are in for a serious meal for serious eaters. They don’t play around. What’s that? Too much steak? You’re complaining about how your steak is too big? That you’ll be so full you won’t need to eat for twelve hours? That you’ll skip breakfast? Man, I wish these guys were open Erev Yom Kippur.