Jack's Firehouse, Philadelphia PA

My only quibble with this otherwise beautiful and well serviced American restaurant is they aren't really taking any risks on the menu, but I guess 'if it ain't broke don't fix it. ' Keep in mind they get a lot of foot traffic from tourism so there is a broad appeal. Everything I've had has been of good quality and some dishes are very generously portioned (fried chicken for 1 is half a chicken). Open on Mondays. Complimentary cornbread and cookies are served.

Fantastic meal while in Philly. Great service to go with it made it a wonderful find for our trip.

I just spent almost $200 on a terrible meal that went mostly into the garbage. We’re here on vacation and visited Eastern State. Was looking for something close to eat for a late lunch. Party of 6. They looked at us like we were insane for not having reservations in a mostly empty restaurant. Service was subpar at best. We wouldn’t have spent more on drinks if the waitress would have been around or asked. The food was not good. Six plates barely touched and no to go boxes. Not a question if there was a problem, just kind of ignored us.

For all of the competition in the area, they really need to step up their game.

Excellent dishes, great service, pleasant environment (especially for a late lunch). And a delicious pecan pie slice!

Friendly staff. Black eyed pea soup was fantastic! Complimentary corn bread muffins were great. Surprise find after spending time exploring the penitentiary but I will likely be back!

This restaurant would be better if the food was good. But it's not. It tasted funny and the cocktails were terrible. The calimari was chewy and the catfish tasted off. Good service and generous portions of their gross food.

So glad they’re back open! My favorite Friday after work spot. The staff are friendly and the food is low key good. The firehouse itself is impeccably maintained. Definitely a must when it’s warm enough that they open the huge front doors with a view of the Penitentiary.

We ordered the salmon and pork chops, both were absolutely fantastic. The pork chops especially combined some flavors I wouldn't have thought of in a masterful way. The cornbread muffins we were given as an appetizer were also delicious - love that butter + sour cherry preserves combo! My partner and I sat outside due to the current COVID resurgence, they have a lovely patio with a tent to keep off the rain and effective heaters to keep out the cold. Thanks for the experience y'all!

Very friendly staff. Service was quick and accurate. The portabella sandwich was good. Came with cheese and pesto which was delicious. Nice selection of wines by the glass along with beers and cocktails. The interior is really nice and dark wood throughout.

Jack's Firehouse is always a favorite go to! Amazing food, drinks and service as always. Yuri's personality and service were outstanding! I highly recommend you visit.

I have been coming to Jack’s for years—my grandparents used to take me when I was in high school (about 20 years ago), my boyfriend from that era took me on one of our first dates there, and when my family gets together, we still often go here. While I no longer eat meat, my best suggestion is the pulled pork. I remember it being delicious and recommend it to everyone (and always feel pretty torn about staying a pescatarian while watching them eat it lol).

As a long time customer went to dine with some guests and recommended to order their delicious BBQ spare ribs. But we were extremely disappointed by the "bare-bone" ribs with a sliver of very thin layer of dry meat, soaked or hidden with huge amounts of very acidic BBQ sauce.the whole thing very disappointing & frustrating. Talked with a manager who gave me some explanation (supplier, sous-chef issues, etc.) and took off the bill 1 out of the 3 orders. I hope they'll fix their issues and get back to what they used to be.

My friends and I had the opportunity to try the chefs special for 4 people. It was a variety of foods on the menu and was very well put together. The service was excellent. We went at night, so the big doors were not open. During the day when the weather is nice they have the big firehouse doors open, so it's nice to sit outside right off of Fairmount Ave and enjoy some food and drinks

Been coming here since the early 90s (when I was old enough to sit at the bar) and got to meet the man himself- Jack! My favorite restaurant in the Fairmount area - if you're visiting Philly, make a point to get here.

Do not let the decor and expensive dishes fool you.this place is a dive bar. One of our dishes came out cold and they definitely used frozen veggies and passed them off as some appetizing version of roasted vegetables.they need to do better.left feeling robbed.

We stopped here for drinks on a Friday evening and it was quite busy. Even though they were short staffed, we were served quite quickly. The drinks were pretty good, although very icy, and the calamari appetizer a little soggy. Overall, the atmosphere is probably what makes this place worth it.

The ribs were pretty good, the pulled pork was okay but served a little cold, the fries too oily.that much plus 3 drinks and a slice of cake runs you $90 at Jack's Firehouse. The one good thing I can say is the dining room is awesome and their house music really does the trick. But I prolly won't be back.

Normally my food is outstanding but this time was a bit different. May have been the waiter. Anywho. Usually it's all of that and some. The Owner was Nice! Happy Ending and Happy Eating!

Have been going to Jack's for many years. Slowly the food has been getting more and more inconsistent. Service and bar stellar as always.

Stopped here for a drink after Halloween Nights at Eastern State. When you enter you immediately notice the tall ceilings of the former firehouse. The building was originally built in the 1864 as the first paid fire department. It was then rebuilt in 1902 by the permanent architect of the Department of Public Health, Philip Johnson.

This is where it gets wild. The original owner of Jack's, Jack McDavid, is the reason that Eastern State is open for Halloween. He brought the press there to show them the facility and then wrote an $18,000 check to turn the lights on for the first Halloween. Incredible.

Back to the present day, we just went here for drinks and thankfully three spots opened at the bar. Our trio ordered a beer, wine and cocktail. My wife was worried the Southern Peach cocktail would be too sweet. The bartender asked midway through and when my wife informed him it was a tad sweet, he happily topped it off with unsweetened tea. Incredible service and an early happy birthday to that bartender!

We had a great experience here and will need to return for food. Will also need to try Down Home Diner, McDavid's first restaurant.