Bakersfield Life

Dining Divas:Firehouse

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 A meal with a view     Whitney: We got a 911 call to report to the Firehouse for a little food and fun! I loved the atmosphere! Casual and family-friendly with the biggest screen TVs that I have ever seen! I don’t think there is a bad seat in the house to watch a football or baseball game.    Aimee: The largest television screen makes you feel like you are watching the event in person. The Dodgers were playing while we were there and we couldn’t have had a better view of the game if we were there in person! Drinks     Aimee: If you are the indecisive type or want a specialty cocktail, the Firehouse offers a number of signature drinks. I am one of the indecisive people, so I had to try two different cocktails. I started with the Absolut Mango Mabo. It was a combination of mango vodka mixed with triple sec, cranberry juice and a splash of lime juice, served over ice in a tall glass. It is a twist on the normal vodka cranberry cocktail, which I am a fan of. As you know from the last review I love a good mojito. The Firehouse offers a fantastic Parrot Bay key lime mojito that ranks as one of my overall favorites. It was not too strong or minty. All the Divas agreed … I made the best drink choice! Appetizers     Aimee: We decided to order two appetizers to share the Stop, Drop, and Rolls and the Smoky’s pork quesadilla. The rolls were made with flat iron steak, American cheese, sautéed onions rolled in a wonton wrapper. They were so good, a perfect starter size. The quesadilla, on the other hand, could be shared as an appetizer or eaten as meal by itself. The slow-smoked pulled pork, jack and cheddar cheese was a yummy combination. The Firehouse also has a variety of wings. They offer more than just the regular hot and barbecue sauces, but also have old bay, garlic parmesan and teriyaki flavors!    Wendy: I will say that the Quesadilla was by far my favorite and could have easily been a meal all by itself. The shredded pork was tender and packed with a sweet but tangy flavor. I’m not a pork lover but this was incredible.      Whitney: I think the group favorite was the Stop, Drop, and Rolls. It was unique with steak and cheese wrapped up in a wonton wrapper and deep-fried with a teriyaki glaze that is spicy yet sweet. Both appetizers were very filling and priced right. Fun and games    Wendy: The Firehouse would be a great place for families. The atmosphere alone makes it very kid-friendly. There is plenty of arcade entertainment for the kids with 22 games to choose from. If you love billiards you will love the fact that the Firehouse has 17 pool tables.     Whitney: I grew up with a pool table in my house and played the neighborhood kids for 25 cents a game. Yes, I was a pool hustler and was looking forward to taking on the girls since I had heard the restaurant has a bunch of pool tables! They didn’t know what hit them and the pool hustler in me lives on!    Aimee: We are four grown women and we had a ball playing the games; just think how much fun it would be for the kids. Lori and I were in competition mode this month. She challenged me to a game of firefighter (you had to squirt water on a burning house to put out the flames and earn points). Let’s just say she gave it her best shot, but Bakersfield would definitely want me to be the first responder if there was a real fire.    Lori: Aimee and I were partners on the games we played. We played a firehouse-themed game; if you want to get out of a burning building alive you might want Aimee to be your firewoman! She was the winner both times we played. Then we decide to play the shooting game — guess who won that? — Aimee, she can be the cop too. But I do think she has a little more advantage (background with guns, she is married to a cop). There are 22 different arcade games and lots of pool tables. Shuffle board and golf games available too. Lunch    Lori: I was looking to order something the other girls wouldn’t order so I decided on the BLT — bacon, lettuce, melted mozzarella and a deep-fried tomato. Very tasty! The sandwich was plenty big enough and very scrumptious. I did kind of want the rib eye, but of course Wendy got to order first and ordered that. With Wendy I don’t think any of us will ever be able to order a steak! Everyone was in a very sharing mood that day so we all got a little taste of everyone’s food. Every entrée was excellent.    Wendy: I don’t feel bad ordering the steak, I’m the beef expert of the group. I ordered my steak cooked medium, “because anything more ruins the flavor.” There were three other steaks to choose from. The B.F.D. filet sounded good too. It is topped with a portabella mushroom and crumbled blue cheese. The Firehouse has a wide range of meals to choose from, from pizzas, salads and wraps too. You won’t have a problem finding your favorite meal at the Firehouse.    Aimee: I ordered the next best thing to a steak — a big burger. The Black and Bleu half-pound burger was a beast. The Angus beef patty was thick and juicy, covered with a peppercorn onion ring and blue cheese crumbles! It was so big I had a difficult time eating it, but I gave it my best shot.    Whitney: I went with the 1st Responders’ chicken. My boneless chicken breast was stacked high with applewood smoked bacon, honey cured ham and melted jack and cheddar cheeses. The chicken was so tender you could cut it with a fork. I gave each of the gals a bite and they all loved it. I got a little smirk on my face knowing I whipped them at pool and they wanted another bite of my chicken. Gloating is an ugly trait I need to work on.  Dessert    Aimee: We all shared the carrot cake, the chocolate Chubby Wubby cake, orange 50/50 and raspberry cheesecakes. While they were all good, my two favorites were the orange cheesecake and the carrot cake. The cheesecake was rich and creamy. It was like eating the 50/50 ice cream bar with a fork …yum! I am not usually a fan of carrot cake, but the Firehouse’s was great. The cake was very moist with the perfect amount of spice.    Lori: The carrot cake, my favorite, was excellent. Chubby Wubby chocolate cake was let’s just say; if you need a chocolate fix order it. Love that one too. Yes, we did all share the desserts and no one complained. Everyone is all about sharing now.    Wendy: The carrot cake was my favorite. It was so light and moist. It was a great ending to a great evening.    Whitney: I think the crowd favorite was the carrot cake. It’s big enough to share and rich enough to add a pound or two.  However, it does have carrots in it, so it’s the healthy choice and I’m all about health while sipping my lemon drop martini, feeling completely stuffed with a few extra quarters in my pocket.  Firehouse7701 White Lane, A-3. 831-4688 or firehouseeats.com.Open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.