Firehouse Lounge

Why did it close?
I love this place!
I’ve always celebrated my birthday there every year while I lived in the LV!
Sad to hear it’s closed. Great spot!

Maybe I like this place because it’s the only place I know to go dancing in Pittsburgh? Maybe I like it because they always play «Push It» by Salt ‘n Peppa? Maybe I like it because I call it the «Fire hose» and giggle? Who could answer just timeless questions… Alls I know is that I’ve had fun every single time I’ve gone here, so I suggest you follow suit.

Great place for a peaceful evening with a couple of good drinks on the 1^st floor.
Great place for a fun evening wth tons of dancing on the 2^nd floor.
They also have an open area which is great during summers.

Excellent place for cocktails, upstairs you can grab some tasty craft brews. I suggest you skip the upstairs after 10pm, though if you are over 30 or don’t like the cluby type scene. Even with that the upstairs creates a great environment for people watching. Downstairs prohibition era cocktails that are made with high quality fresh ingredients. Check it out

This is a good place to dance to electronic music. On Saturdays it’s a bit of an upscale meat market for the international crowd and yuppies in Pittsburgh. If that’s your thing, then you’ll probably have a good time. If not, then I’d recommend going somewhere in Lawrenceville.

Of all the clubs in Pittsburgh I think so far I prefer the Firehouse. It has changed over the years but for the most part when you come with friends who are down to dance it will be a good time.
I came here for NO’s Birthday last year and we had a blast! The drinks are more expensive than your regular dive bar so a pregame action can never hurt. Not that it hurts anytime you are going out. If you have the chance to get some friends who want to get a VIP couch that works too because it will be the place you all keep coming back too.
After stopping at the dollar store with lot’s of trinkets to play with, tiaras, wands, flamingo kid glasses, and a big Birthday hat the night was in full swing. I even got a woopie cushion! So fun!
The crowd is def not casual. I wouldn’t say dressy but more in dance attire. Everyone wants to look nice for who they may be winking at later that night. The crowd used to be, seen and be scene people but now it’s a little more Ghetto fabulous! A lot more rap music being played.
If you don’t like crowds than BEWARE because it can be so busy you can barely get through. If you have a couch it’s a nice loungy feel. I will be back this spring because of the outside deck. The summer brings better D.J.‘s and people watching, plus they plan some bumpin’ events. This can be a vodka redbull scene so watch out for the meat market!

Went back after a couple of years away.
Music on the deck was pretty good– a mix of old and new house.
Unfortunately, it was so crowded that when one person dances, 5 people get hit in the face by flying elbows.
I’m also well on my way to getting a lung transplant… the smoke was that bad.

I will be honest, I was a bit hesitant walking into this place because from the outside it seemed too small and cramped to be a nightclub. But before the end of the night, I definitely had a ridiculous time.
As usual, I went to the bar to grab a round of beers, and was surprised to see the selection they had on tap. Dogfish to be specific. Really, you mean that I don’t have to drink a Pabst Shooter (not that there is anything wrong with that). Anyways this place was off to a good start. The next thing that caught my attention was that they had one room for hip hop and rap music and a separate room for dance music. This place really was not as small as it looks from the entrance, but not massive that you lose your party. I have been back several times and every time the music is great on both dance floors, respect to the djs.
I really think the best thing about this place was how easy it was to get a drink. Even though the place was packed, I never had to wait too long to get my next drink.
Good drinks, good crowd, and good location. hop over to delucas after.

Well, I just did a review of Embury and since that’s always followed up by going upstairs to Firehouse Lounge, I figured I should do the same for that.
Firehouse is one of the most consistent club/​lounges in Pittsburgh. The décor is funky but classic. The bartenders are pretty good and you’ll find the wait staff pretty attentive, quickly flitting in and out of the crowd.
The inside lounge plays hip-​hop on Fridays and Saturdays. The outdoor patio (covered in the winter) plays dancehall on Fridays and techno/​electronic-​shizzle on Saturday. Friday crowds tend to be sparser and there’s more room to maneuver (personally, my more favorite day to go). Saturdays brings out the trendy, European-​ish crowd. Either way it’s usually a good time.

I had the opportunity to visit the Firehouse Lounge twice over the past year. Most recently, I was with a group of friends for happy hour on a Thursday evening. The place was pretty quiet between 6 – 8 pm with only a few people at the bar and our group of 6.
The environment and atmosphere is comfortable with lots of original architectural touches throughout. While the space is fairly large, the seating is conducive for smaller intimate conversations among friends.
I was pleasantly surprised by the food. The homemade mozzarella sticks were HUGE and tasted far better than the usual frozen variety. The buffalo chicken dip was great and not overly greasy like similar dips I’ve had at other restaurants. Sadly, a couple of the items were out of stock like the fried pickles. I had the crab cakes as my meal and they were awesome. Moist and had great flavor.
It’s a good hang out spot. If there had everything in stock on the menu, I would have given it 4 stars.

Best bar/​lounge/​club I’ve been to in Pittsburgh. Small intimate bar area on the first floor, a large bar area/​dance floor on the second floor, and a great deck. As some of the other reviewers have mentioned, the music is different from any other place in Pittsburgh — downtempo, electronica, etc. Firehouse Lounge has the most «european» feel of any club I’ve been to in Pittsburgh, and that’s a good thing.
The bartenders are quick, drink prices are reasonable (this is Pittsburgh, after all), and the atmosphere is amazing. The crowd seems to be a mix of young professionals/​students in their 20s-​30s and is diverse and international.
I will definitely be going back.

I was glad when Firehouse Lounge had a Groupon special since I’ve been wanting to check it out. We visited on a not-​so-​busy Thursday. The ambiance is pretty cool… I’d describe it as Moroccan vintage? It’s an odd, eclectic space and I like it. I could really do without the lame jazz muzak though… I felt like I was stuck in a low budget DVD menu screen.
We sat at the bar, and the bartender was friendly and helpful. We ended up trying the crab bites and fried zucchini. I had the salmon burger. The crab bites were moist and more crab than cake. The 4 bites were kinda pricey at $ 9, but they were good. The zucchini (breaded rather than battered) was tasty and crisp and not slimy like some fried zucchini can be. My salmon burger was tasty, although I was slightly disappointed that it was a salmon patty rather than a real piece of salmon. We had a couple beers from their excellent, and reasonably priced, beer list. Everything was pretty reasonably priced and we’ll probably be back. This seems a good place to bring buddies or out of towners for a drink.

We heard about «Mexican Night» at the Firehouse and were VERY excited as good mexican is a hard find in Pittsburgh. When we were told about the nachos it sounded «hip», think small plates. They arrived and the execution of this dish was sub par. So was the taste.
We then had the Tacos — Beef and Chicken. They were served and the 1^st thing I noticed was that they had cabbage, not lettuce on them. I then took a bite and they possibly were the WORST tacos I have ever eaten. The beef tasted like they broke apart a hamburger and tossed it in a taco shell. They topped this beef with what seemed like Thousand Island sauce… I didn’t finish it and asked for the check…
If looking for «Mexican» Cuisine or anything that resembles Mexican food, go else where!

I’ve always had an amazing time here!
Ambiance: Classy, sexy, and slightly vintage
Music: Probably some of the best music in the burgh!
Crowd: Diverse, sometimes its a completely different scene between the patio and main room. There is a very pish posh cigar bar downstairs too.

I have so many good memories of Firehouse. Keep in mind that many of these memories are from a few years ago, but here they are:
— Fantastic food. Both lunch on the weekends and some small dishes around happy hour.
— A terrific salsa night. Sadly, I’m not sure if it’s the same anymore.
— A great beer selection, and a staff that actually knows their beer. How many lounge/​clubs carry more than a few light beers and Heineken? Not this one. One of my favorites was ‘Old Leg Humper’, which they had on tap.
— Good music, and a diverse crowd. (Hope this is still the same!)

In terms of décor, vibe, and music, the Firehouse has all the cheesy Pittsburgh clubs beat. A downtempo night? In Pittsburgh? Great staff and great DJs. The crowd is normally diverse and international. Great place to meet new, interesting people.
Still, I’d say to watch out for Sats around midnight when a disproportionate number of bros and hos hit the scene ruining the crowd much like rotten apples.
Hit this place up early while it’s still chill and intimate.

Just a follow up to my comments earlier about Strobe. I have met him before and he is a good guy. I just don’t agree withthe direction he took the music on Saturday nights at Firehouse. I personally don’t think it belongs there. Strobe, if you read this and want to discuss further, hit me up. I wasn’t trying to hate even if my words were harsh, but I don’t want Firehouse to turn into the musical selection of other clubs in the strip, that’s all. I’ve heard you lay down some sick tunes along with 7up and Elysium, but the last couple times I was there after their departure hasn’t been too impressive. I hope you continute to improve your sound and do something spectacular and unique without jeopardizing your integrity as a DJ.
Cheers,
Adam

I want to put up a review to balance this out a little bit, because Firehouse is certainly not for everyone like these reviews seem to make it out to be.
I’ll start with the positives. The lounge (and it is a lounge, not a club), is gorgeous inside. The attention to detail is great and the style is very funky (yet sophisticated). The staff means business… they pour strong drinks, and they tackle the huge crowds quickly (that is, if the bar isn’t blocked by a wall of girls looking at each other with their martinis).
Here’s where the good stuff ends. When Firehouse first opened, it was a very eclectic/​artsy crowd with great house music by 7up, Elysium and Strobe on Saturday nights. People DANCED, and danced hard. It was slow to get busy, but the crowd was respectful, polite and friendly… and that eventually translated into great things on Saturdays. The place started to pack in for the past couple years.
I don’t know what happened exactly, (it got too popular for it’s own good?) but 7up and Elysium are now gone on Saturdays as of about a month ago I think, leaving only Strobe, and the house is much more mainstream than it used to be. 7up and Elysium made this bar. It used to be such a cool spot with a good crowd. Somewhere along the line the crowd also turned into the stripey-​shirt squad… lining up down the block by 11pm to cram inside and elbow each other all night long.
By no means is this place terrible, but if you’re looking for a place to really let loose, drink, and dance, I really think you should look elsewhere. If all you’re concerned with is an attractive crowd (that doesn’t necessarily need to have any personality), then Firehouse could be your spot.
Also check out the other nights of the week when it’s not such a mob scene. The music is really diverse, and there’s room to breathe.
BTW — please don’t compare this place to anything in NYC or LA. Their sound system is a rental system for christ sake.

When this place opened a few years ago, it was a slow start. I remember thinking to myself, «hmm, cool place, too bad no one is here.» But now, this place is where it’s at. This is one of the very, very, very, very, … very few places in Pittsburgh where you may actually feel like you’re in DC, NYC, or some other more metro town. Firehouse draws an eclectic crowd. Mostly CMU and Shadyside types. If that’s you’re crowd, you’ll dig it. If not, you won’t. Pretty simple.
On any given Friday or Saturday night, things get started late, figure 11pm or so the line starts to form outside. Once you’re in, they have 2 separate «rooms». The first is the main bar/​lounge area with its own DJ spinning mostly hip-​hop and some mixed up pop. The second is actually the deck (which obviously is covered and heated in winter). Out here you can smoke (bad) and the DJ spins impressive house music (good).
The cool factor here is high and the possibility for having fun is good even if you’re not hammered. My only complaint, it gets obnoxiously crowded, and hence 4 stars.

The Firehouse Lounge has been the sight of a few memorable experiences in my life like a very close male work associate dropping his pants in the bar to prove to me that he had a tattoo of Popeye on his thigh… and I don’t need to go any further down that road. And most recently, the spot where I experienced my first kiss with the man that I consider to be my soulmate.
The Strip District desperately needs some oxygen pumped into its system and this joint is a start. Located on the second floor of a converted firehouse, the bar oozes with mystery and ambiance with a beautiful palm tree mosaic painted as the backdrop of the antique bar. Beyond the bar are a plethora of couches and chairs to complete the lounge experience. Cooler still is the patio that is a godsend on balmy clear Pittsburgh nights. Heat lamps ensure that the patio experience can be enjoyed year round.
And the coolest thing of all is that the parking lot are surrounding the Firehouse is used during the spring/​summer months as a farmer’s market and the management incorporates the locally produced goods into their menus. This truly sets a precedent for other local restaurants and bars in the area, and I’m pulling for them to sustain!