Firewater

I visited Firewater for the first time last Thursday to watch a Flames game with a friend of mine. The experience was average. The establishment still has a «new shine» to it, yet like so many places in this conservative city, it lacked personality. No décor to speak of or anything on the walls, except a few scattered big screens. The place was also a ghost town.
Our server was extremely friendly and polite, and the food was decent. The menu has quite a variety, which had me a little skeptical. In my experience, the fewer the items a restaurant offers, the better the quality. My friend and I both ordered shawarmas, which I would definitely recommend. I got a greek salad as my side, which I would not recommend. I usually love greek salad, but this one was so drenched in dressing, that’s all I could taste. Their prices are decent and the extensive pizza menu caught my eye for next time!

A-​OK. Went on wing night. Deserted at 7pm. The menu has a flag beside every food item: lots of Mediterranean food. I made a scene when the menu put a canadian flag beside «chicken wings». buffalo wings are sooooooo american. sorry. I made a Larry David like scene, and the waitress was good by not engaging. Anyways, salt+peppa wings too salty but decent meat. Buffalo+ranch was deelish. Medium meatiness on the wings, not too little, but defs not as plump as a wing should be. Just OK. Nothing amazing, nothing mediocre. I’ll come back for wings on a Thursday night if I’m in that area.

Firewater Grill. A nice homey and inviting establishment with an open atmosphere. The restaurant is a bit of a chameleon. It can transform from from neighborly water hole, to friendly night club with a quick change of lighting and a little furniture move.
Firewater has nice staff and the food is usually good. If you are Gluten Intolerant may I suggest the Shepards Pie, Hungarian Mushroom Soup or The Butter Chicken. My least favorite dish on menu is the edamame beans.
Check them out

AVOID ALERT! This past Friday we headed down for lunch with a group from the office and arrived near 12:45pm. WOW what a place from the perspective of lack of preparedness to conduct business as a food and beverage establishment.
The server was completely dis-​organized and very over whelmed but it was apparent staff was too thin to serve a near full restaurant. In most establishments servers take control and welcome, advise of daily specials and take an initial drink order — not here. I wonder where the owner/​manager was to support their staff?
Amongst the beverages ordered by the group was red wine — interesting presentation in a champagne flute… yes a flute. This was the first sign that this was amateur hour as food orders were crossed up. Fries were an accompaniment to most items and the menu and they ‘ran out’, the caesar salad was drowning in dressing to hide the wilted greens. BUT, the beer was cold (one star for that).
The final blow was the last two meals in the group being served at the same time the rest of were finished and the table cleared. Do NOT expect this place to be around long as the service was terrible which will be its downfall. The food was 5/10…I’ve had better and I’ve had worse.

Great food accompanied by generous helpings of broken promises, indifference and contempt for their customers is how I see this establishment.
The experience of what was essentially a meal prepared to perfection, with the exception of an abominable Caesar’s Salad, was totally eclipsed by an unbelievably offensive management policy on gift cards. I had lunch at this establishment, for a bargain price of $ 25 for a 12oz ribeye, a garden load of fresh vegetables, fries, and a Caesar’s Salad. I presented my $ 50.00 gift card and they did not allow me the remaining $ 25.00 as a balance for the next visit. I was told their policy is that it has to be used in its entirety on one visit. My bill showed the balance as a gratuity.
I was told that I would be given a replacement gift card for the problem by one of the owners. That was over three weeks ago. I emailed him twice, with no response, asking when I could expect the replacement. I have yet to receive it.
(Update) Today is September 23^rd and it is exactly one month that the management and owners were made aware of my issues. THIS IS THE ONLY RESTAURANT I HAVE EVER HAD A COMMITMENT FROM THE OWNERS TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION AND FAILED TO DO SO IN MY ENTIRE 62 YEARS.
Being my first visit, I must emphatically state that this is not how business relationships are built; it is how they are destroyed before they get started. As a professional with almost four decades of experience and a graduate degree in management, this is not how I was mentored in marketing strategy. This policy of Firewater is most unprofessional and an overt sign of a lack of marketing savvy on the part of the owners.
For thirty years of my career, being 62 and semi retired now, I ate an average of two meals per day in restaurants. I estimate I have eaten at least 25,000 meals in restaurants. This is the only experience in almost four decades where I have seen such a policy. Virtually every other establishment where I used a gift card, with no exceptions whatsoever, I was allowed to use the balance on my gift card for another day. This includes cards given as promotions too.
This card was given to me by a business colleague. It may have been given to this person as a promotion. Regardless of whether it was promotional or not, you do not give a first time customer the impression that they were ripped off.
For this reason, despite the fact that the steak was one of the juiciest, most tender, and most flavourful I have ever eaten in a restaurant, I will never return nor do I recommend that anybody consider patronizing this establishment as long as they keep the balance of the gift cards for themselves. As previously stated, my bill showed the dinner cost and a 100 percent gratuity, totally unacceptable.
The Caesar’s Salad was dreadful, the lettuce was limp, the dressing had the viscosity of water, the croutons were soggy because of the dressing, and it was missing essential ingredients of a Caesar’s Salad. THERE WERE NO BACON BITS NOR ANY FRESHLY GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE.
If I could give zero stars I would, one star will have to suffice. Remove the appalling gift card policy and I will give this place four stars, not a moment before. Learn how to make a Caesar’s Salad properly, which currently you do not, and my rating will be upped to a full five stars. Your steaks are actually that good; too bad I cannot say the same for the respect shown customers.
One additional note, on the online menu I saw French Onion Soup that was served with mozarella and parmesan. In real French Onion soup never. This is not the authentic method. Mozzarella is a tasteless soup topping that does not carmelize. The real McCoy is made with either gruyère or raclette. They are sharper cheeses that cut through the flavour of the onions and deliver a strong carmelization when properly baked. Those who have experienced real brioche or fondue will be most familiar with the amazing taste results from either of these two cheeses and bland results from mozzarella. The cheeses Firewater uses are not even French so how the soup could be labelled French escapes me. This is another menu item that needs fixing to bring the quality up to the level of their steaks and vegetables.

Just ok… The menu is so divers it makes you nervous that they could possibly make anything well… Not too often do you see steak, burgers, Vietnamese sandwiches, butter chicken… And Thai on the same menu!
I had the steak sandwich… It was decent, but not great. My friend had the burger… It was very dry and clearly made from a frozen patty.

From the get-​go, there are some definite flaws with Firewater.
First of all, like so many «bar/​pub-​type» eateries, there is way to much on the menu. To make matters worse, there is no concept; just a strange amalgamation of pasta dishes, vietnamese food, burgers, burritos, indian food, steaks, etc. etc. etc.
… All resulting in long periods of indecisiveness and confusion.
After being guided by a couple server-​recommended options, we finally settled on a pizza and the «grande chicken burrito.»
The pizza was actually one of the better things we tried. Just your standard, pub-​style, (but less greasy) Pizza-​Hut-​like pizza with a fluffy, yet crispy crust. Actually, strangely similar to the style of Vina Pizza, which I reviewed just recently.
The burrito was (as expected) just your normal «white-man’s burrito.» Green tortilla, bland chunky salsa, cheap cheese. Y’know.
Jessica and I also split a burger which was, similarly, just average. Good bacon, but the meat was not great and clearly over mixed (tough patty).
The onion rings, which we got with the burger were, however, very good! Maybe the highlight of the meal? Which doesn’t say much.
Nothing really notable here. Not a bad experience by any means, but nothing about it makes me feel the need to come back.

I know that Firewater really means and strong spirit, like whiskey or rum, but for some reason, when I hear Firewater, I think, «Will it hurt coming out?» I can’t be the only one that thinks this. Therefore, I do not think it is a good name for a restaurant. Minus 1 for Firewater.
This location has always been kind of tricky. Who remembers how many restaurants have been through this space? No, I don’t either. You know why? Because nobody went there (aside from a rather drunken evening where I ended up at Señor Frogs, but I prefer to block that memory out). However, it seems as though Firewater is making a reasonably good attempt at staying open. Plus 2 for Firewater.
I’m not sure what kind of food I expected from a place by the name of Firewater, but it certainly wasn’t pub food. Having said that, is there anything more delicious than French fries with seasoning salt? No, there isn’t. Nachos were pretty good too. Another point for Firewater.
I hate to mention this, because it makes me sound old, but I felt like I had to leave the place faster than I wanted to because the music was so loud. As in, so loud I got a headache and didn’t feel like drinking anymore. Do you know how often that has happened to me? Once in my entire life. All points revoked from Firewater as this possibly qualifies as a crime against humanity.
I ordered a glass of white wine and had it served in a champagne flute. I don’t know if they ran out of glasses or the bartender was confused, but either way, I found it adorablly quaint and charming. Plus 3 points for Firewater.
…but don’t let the shitty music happen again, k?

It has a great ambiance and feel to it, loved the food. It was super busy during Twestival, but staff was always friendly and easy to spot if we needed. Will be back there for sure!

Firewater is always an enjoyable experience. This is the second time I’ve been. The first was about a year ago, with about 50 people in the upper seating area. Not sure if it’s changed, but the only issue was the Firewater Chicken… the chicken pieces were quite crispy, even a little burned. It seemed to be the same way for everyone that evening.
The latest visit was during a huge event that took up the entire venue. It was mostly standing room only, unless you managed to snag a table earlier in the evening. I had two pieces of a pizza that had chicken on it (to be honest, I have no idea what it’s called on the menu) — it was divine! Due to the busy nature of the event, I had some issues ordering a drink, but the servers were managing the crowded event very well.
The atmosphere is cozy, the decorations are homey. Love Firewater. I will be back.

Smooth, hardwood floors. Dimly lit ambient lighting. Ample seating at booths, tables or at the bar. A large chandelier hangs from the ceiling on the upper level.
Ambiance, that’s one aspect I think Firewater’s gotten right from the start. They’re relatively new to Calgary (they opened in the last couple of years), and seemed to have a bit of a turnover in staff when they first started out. Now, though, now it feels like they’re on the move to get things right.
Our server this evening was Nika. Fun, bubbly and friendly, she’s set a good standard for service. Her timing on visiting the table throughout the night was spot on. It wasn’t busy, often times that means a table is visited too often, or not regularly enough. But like baby bear’s porridge, she got it just right.
The menu contains all of your typical pub-​ish style food. Appys, burgers and sandwiches, some entrees too. Their calamari and their chicken fingers, from what I remember, were my favourite appys. This evening I indulged in the Chicken Burrito with poutine. I wouldn’t call it authentic Mexican cuisine, but it was a neatly rolled tortilla filled with tasty cheese and chicken and served with salsa and sour cream. The poutine was a nice mound of french fries, gravy and cheese (though not cheese curds).
Drinkwise, I splurged on the banana split martini. I thought the price tag was a little steep at $ 9.50, but man oh man was it ever tasty.

I decided to check out Firewater’s ‘Wing Wednesday’ for this week’s chicken wing fix. Firewater has a 25¢ wing deal (regular $ 9.95/lb) with nearly 20 flavours to choose from, including Red Thai, Firewater BBQ and an Inferno wing that lives up to its name.
I went by mid-​afternoon, so I’m not too sure how packed this place gets or what type of clientele they attract, but I’m confident it would be a great place to spend an evening.
Ordered up a pint of Grasshopper and sampled 6 flavours of wings, including the Red Thai, the Inferno, BBQ, Teriyaki, Hot and Honey Garlic.
Service was prompt (and cute) and while I waited, I watched the game on 8 (give or take) big screen televisions all over the place. Great location to head down to for watchingkey sports with buddies, for sure.
Once the wings came out, it was down to business.
The presentation was great. Nice big round plate with 2lbs of saucy, steaming wings and acomplimentary veggie centrepiece. Then there was a healthy stack of napkins and wet wipes (essential) and a boneyard (side plate), as well asa hot-​water dish (classy!).
I started off by going around the plate and trying 1 of each of the 6 flavours selected. The breakdown went a little something like this:
Inferno: I had to start *hot*, cause the burn feels sooo good. Nice big drumstick, slathered, but not dripping, with a nice red looking hot sauce. Good and f’in scorching but certainly very do-​able. Sip of grasshopper and I moved on.
BBQ: Dark BBQ sauce, a little tangy, and, as BBQ sauce tends to be, good, thick and messy. Delicious.
Teriyaki: Pretty basic Teriyaki sauce and wasn’t too coated, which was great.
Red Thai: You have to try this one. Nice little bite to it, but really flavourful. Unique flavour for sure.
Honey Garlic: Was a bit more on the Honey side than the Garlic side, but still nice.
Hot: It was lip tingling, but after having started with the Inferno, this was pretty tame, although nice and saucy. Pretty sure it was a Frank’s RedHot based sauce.
Out of the entire plate of wings, the size was consistent, with no runts to be found on the dish. 2 pints later, I was stuffed and struggling with the last Teriyaki wing.
I’ll absolutely be back to Firewater on another night, maybe when a game is playing and I need a martiniwith adose ofwings.
Thumbs up!

This place is great to catch a game on one of the many TVs or for a quick lunch. The food menu is very diverse and reasonably priced. Many lunch and dinner items are priced between $ 8 – 12 and the portion sizes are very filling.
My favorite dishes are the Shepard’s Pie and their Fish & Chips. I have a friend who’s gluten-​intolerant, and this is one of the few places that have a variety of gluten-​free dishes that he can take (including the Shepard’s Pie).
Finally, there are televisions all over the place; if you’re there to watch a game or a fight, the sight lines are fantastic. They have wi-​fi access too, although you’ll need to ask the waitress for the password.
If you live or work around that area, Firewater is a place worth checking out.

I so wanted Firewater to be a good experience. A quality sports restaurant /​pub blocks away from work would have made a great location for weekly after work drinks. Sadly it wasn’t to be.
We had made a reservation for a group lunch two weeks before and when we arrived the hostess seemed unsure where to place us. The entire section was packed and had a single waitress assigned to it. I’m sure she tried however it was 15 minutes before drink orders were taken, another 15 before menus arrived however there weren’t enough for everyone and drink refills only came after we asked another waitress for assistance. The food was mediocre with a chicken quesdilla consisting of what was apparently an entire chopped onion w/​a single piece of chicken. That said I have to mention the steak sandwich was huge, for a lunch sandwich it could have passed as an evening entrée.
The décor was great, windows letting in sunlight, televisions on every wall so that everyone could watch and a wood /​brass theme that felt warm & inviting.
I’m sure once the service issues are ironed out Firewater would be a good place however after spending 2.5 hours during a workday lunch I’m not sure I have the time to give them another chance.

Many may remember the address as belonging to Señor Frogs, but much has changed! The new décor is welcoming. Love all the windows.
TV’s in every sight line offer hours of entertainment. Owners support soccer, and opened for breakfast for a limited time to allow patrons to catch games during summer of 2010.
With an upper seating area, and only a few menu items over $ 15 — this is a great place to take a group for a reasonably priced meal that is declicious.
Must-​try menu item is the Mushroom Soup! The spinach dip is hard to resist, and prime rib is unbelievable.
Check out the special on Sundays — all pizza options are ½ price — affordable & tastey alternative to cooking!
Find them on Twitter — @GoToFirewater
Highly recommend!

This is a good spot for hanging out and watching a game or grabbing a bite to eat. The food was good and the menu diverse.