Discussions

The Journal did an interview with the owner at the link below.  
It was a couple weeks ago, but it says that they're working toward a September opening:  
http://www.westmanjournal.com/news/local-news/journal-q-a-with-anna-dumas-1.2021207

Anticipating the opening I was wondering what the parking was going to be like and what will be on the menu.

Where is it located?

aarman4 said "Where is it located? "

637 Princess Ave.  
 
http://www.prairiefirehouse.com/find-us.html

Not sure when the official opening is, but I see they have live entertainment booked for Friday, Dec 18th... so I would assume very shortly.

"Come one come all, we here at the Fire House are beyond excited to announce..... We are open for business as of 11 am Thursday the 10th of December. It's been a long time coming and we couldn't be happier. So please come join us for great food great drinks and a warm welcoming atmosphere. We look forward to seeing all your smiling faces."

A piece in this week's Journal re the opening of the Firehouse including a few menu hints (local growers/farmers... "recognizable but adventurous"):  
http://www.westmanjournal.com/news/local-news/prairie-firehouse-set-to-open-1.2128269  
 

syphradic said "What are your thoughts, how was the wait on food/drinks, specials. How were they?     What was the staff an ambience like "

Went there Early Sat afternoon, with a table of 4 adults.  
 
We all choose burgers side of burger and salads.  
 
The meal was about a 7 to 8 on a 1 to 10 scale.  
the patties was smaller then the bun.  
 
We all agree the fries cooled off too quick.  
 
The service was great. If we asked something they did not know they went to find the answers.  
 
The coffee and pop was refilled fairly quickly.  
 
Really could not say if there were any specials.  
 

I made the mistake on going on opening night, but it was a blast! I ordered the brisket with fries, a bit pricey but it was nicely smoked and melted in my mouth. The fries were really good too, but the portion was a bit too small for my liking.  
 
I like that they serve mostly local beers on tap so if you're looking for a pint of Bud Light.. Every other place in town has it, I'm happy to see a restaurant to finally push local for beer!  
 
Bit pricey but that's the norm for Brandon now.. But I had better service here than most restaurants in town. I'll be back!

CL said "I made the mistake on going on opening night, but it was a blast! I ordered the brisket with fries, a bit pricey but it was nicely smoked and melted in my mouth. The fries were really good too, but the portion was a bit too small for my liking.     I like that they serve mostly local beers on tap so if you're looking for a pint of Bud Light.. Every other place in town has it, I'm happy to see a restaurant to finally push local for beer!     Bit pricey but that's the norm for Brandon now.. But I had better service here than most restaurants in town. I'll be back! "

What local beer? Are they a brewpub?  
 

This restaurant is just what we needed The food and atmosphere is fantastic. Please don't listen to the comments that it is to expensive. It is a business. There is overhead. My wife and I went for dinner there and two appies , dinner, several cocktails for under $100. Pretty good if you ask me. I've said it before. If you think it costs to much to eat out.... Stay home and cook yourself.

on-second-thought said "    CL said "I made the mistake on going on opening night, but it was a blast! I ordered the brisket with fries, a bit pricey but it was nicely smoked and melted in my mouth. The fries were really good too, but the portion was a bit too small for my liking.     I like that they serve mostly local beers on tap so if you're looking for a pint of Bud Light.. Every other place in town has it, I'm happy to see a restaurant to finally push local for beer!     Bit pricey but that's the norm for Brandon now.. But I had better service here than most restaurants in town. I'll be back! " What local beer? Are they a brewpub?     "

From what I saw.. 2 beers from Half Pints, 2 beers from Fort Garry and a beer from Farmery.. but Farmery won't be made in Manitoba (Neepawa) until next year

CL said "    on-second-thought said "    CL said "I made the mistake on going on opening night, but it was a blast! I ordered the brisket with fries, a bit pricey but it was nicely smoked and melted in my mouth. The fries were really good too, but the portion was a bit too small for my liking.     I like that they serve mostly local beers on tap so if you're looking for a pint of Bud Light.. Every other place in town has it, I'm happy to see a restaurant to finally push local for beer!     Bit pricey but that's the norm for Brandon now.. But I had better service here than most restaurants in town. I'll be back! " What local beer? Are they a brewpub?     " From what I saw.. 2 beers from Half Pints, 2 beers from Fort Garry and a beer from Farmery.. but Farmery won't be made in Manitoba (Neepawa) until next year "

Good to see this in Brandon,. will have to check it out next time I'm in town.  
 

Thinking of going Friday, sounds like a great place!!

.....with mixed reviews.  
 
First ... With it being a new restaurant in a town hungry for new entertainment I thought it best to call and make reservation and were told that they do not reserve for tables of less than 8. On arrival we were told we could expect a wait of approx 25 to 30 minutes and opted to sit at the bar and do so preliminary taste tests. At the suggestion of another patron ( I think off duty staff) I tried a hybrid of two of the Ceasars they offer and was not disappointed.  
 
While enjoying the Ceasar I noticed a few things, the first of what would be two four tops with a "Reserved" sign on them, three occasions of serving staff returning to the kitchen with plates for re-do, and as seems typical in many places, the female staff were costumed in crisp, often revealing outfits while the males were dressed in varied uniforms from black uniforms to casual, almost slovenly, jeans and a shirt.  
 
The room is large and open which makes for a lot of ambient noise. Cell phone conversations are difficult which may or may not be a good thing. The decor is minimal. I am uncertain if that is by design or happenstance but I for one liked it.  
 
Our table was prepared within the time offered but was small for the amount of people we had and, after a longer wait than we thought prudent for initial service, made it awkward and crowded with just our drinks and waters. Service times were an issue last night. We were seated at our table a few minutes after 6:00 PM and were finally eating at 7:30.  
 
It was some time after we placed our order, ( we placed it with the young lady who brought drinks since our waitress appeared to be MIA ) when the waitress came back to inform us that they were sold out of one of the five meals me requested. We adjusted our order but the consensus was that with such a small menu it should be a relatively easy matter to maintain supplies.  
 
When the meals arrived the small table size for our group quickly became a bigger issue as the serving staff then had to look for superfluous items to remove in order to accommodate our plates.  
 
OK to the food. The reviews ranged in this regard as well. I had the vegetarian burger which was flavourful and substantial but was pasty in consistency. The fries were on the cold side but well seasoned and ample. My wife had the " Healthy bowl concoction" in place of the ravioli that was 86'd and was pleased with it. The chicken burger that arrived was tasty but the chicken breast had not been sliced and as a result the appearance of the meal was less than gratifying with the chore of cutting the chicken to accomadate the bun size falling to the consumer. One of the two other identical burgers came without the "sweet and sassy " sauce that the servers were unable to discribe. [b]Actually, and this is one of my pet peeves, when we asked our server about the various dishes she boldly admitted to having NOT tried two of them. [/b] The soup which accompanied one of the two burgers was clearly delicious since he gobbled it down before I had a chance to sample it.  
 
The coffee I ordered came in a cup which allowed for copious heat loss and the handle was too small for me to get my finger through making it necessary to lift it with both hands. I suggest asking for a bar coffee cup unless you have 8 year old fingers.  
 
Will we go back? Absolutely! Though over all I would rate the entire experience last night a 9 on a scale of 13, my assumption is that the shortfalls we encountered are a result of two things. They are still new and finding their stride and with this being the season for large parties, there were three last night while we were there, the service levels will improve.  
 
Kudos must be extended for the bold foray into a volatile industry in a historical building and it is my sincere hope that they succeed in their efforts.  
 

I will be going tomorrow night, but I don't expect perfection simply because the place is new.  
 
It seems to be the norm that when a new restaurant opens  
(A) it is terribly busy as people are eager to see the place, resulting in high wait times, smaller tables, and shortage of food... and  
(B) there are mistakes made! Recipes and procedures are still being fine-tuned. Employees are still learning their jobs and will either improve with time or be let go. They're newbies! They'll get there.  
 
If a year down the road, the place is still a disappointment... well let's just hope Prairie Firehouse doesn't let that happen

Food was good, staff was good.  
A bit of a wait for food, but that's to be expected when its super busy.  
Light atmosphere.  
But because it was so busy, it was a bit loud... not much of a complaint I know. LOL

a couple of weeks ago and found it good. Hard to judge on opening night because they are still figuring it out. I found it ok, until the music started. The music was great as i was a live band…however they need to do something about the sound because it was worse than a bar. I was screaming and the people across the table couldn't hear me. The food was pretty good, I had the smoked ribs. Different, but good. I found they didn't have too many choices so I hope they will put more options once they get going… overall I would go again for sure, but if I go again and the noise is the same I wouldn't go back. If I wanted to listen to music that loud I would go to a bar.

Good to know. That has always been my big concern about the location. I was curious how the parking situation was and if metered parking was the only option.

Are you really blaming the restaurant for your parking ticket? Welcome to downtown! Most of the restaurants downtown do not have their own lots because--news flash--there is limited room. You have to use the meters to park.  
I'm sorry you got a ticket, but I don't see why you need to be so harsh on the restaurant for not having a parking lot. You were the one who didn't read the parking signs.  
 

downtown Brandon is no different then any other downtown city limited by space. It's unfortunate about the ticket but you can't come one here annoyed with a restaurant because you parked illegally and got a ticket. If my memory is correct I believe there is signs saying the parking is for Brick customers only. Also I have heard great things about this place but I myself have yet to go and try it.

to have lunch/supper at a restaurant and park in a furniture store's parking lot. Although I see this all the time at 10th. and Victoria with a couple of businesses  
 
Lack of a dedicated parking lot doesn't stop people from eating at some of the popular restaurants that we have downtown, like The Double Decker, Komfort Kitchen and Double Happiness to name a few.

So I just went for lunch today to check out Prairie Firehouse. Didn't find parking to be that bad at all. Parked at a meter right around the west corner of the restaurant. Figured I would try a the smoky beef burger. If a dining establishment can't get a burger right then there is probably more wrong with the restaurant. Thankfully it went beyond expectation. Was very delicious. Also had the Chocolate Stout cake which was also very delicious however it is a dessert that could be shared very easily. Huge portion. I will be back to try the dinner menu. Highly recommend!

It actually was one of the servers that recommended parking back there prior to us going.  
I'm not saying it's the restaurants fault or one of the employees for me getting a ticket, just frustrating as that was implied prior to going.  
Gotta love downtown Bdn !!!

Most downtown cores, Brandon's included, do not require parking for buildings. most of downtown was built in the days before cars were really a thing, so its too late to put in parking now. to be fair, Brandon's downtown parking is pretty cheap as long as you plug your meter, parking in Winnipeg is like triple the price.

Finally made it in for lunch today.  
Parking was a non issue. Went just a few mins after noon and used a metered spot across the street (50 cents and no worries for the time I was there). Had a couple other equally good if not better parking choices including one directly in front.  
 
They'd done such a good job with the exterior that I had high hopes for the inside and wasn't disappointed. I'd say the place was somewhere around 2/3 full which was plenty busy enough to create a franchise feel atmosphere for lack of a better way of describing. My lunch mate commented along the lines of it being loud enough that you felt like you have privacy, which I thought was accurate.  
 
Was surprised at just how quick my panini and soup made it to the table. Didn't time it and I don't know what industry standard would be but it felt quite a bit quicker than I'd have expected... guessing I could have comfortably used the fingers on my hands hand to count the minutes. Taste was quite good. Only small note on the other side of the ledger that would prevent five stars is that the side soup portion seemed like it could've been just a touch larger... Not that I left hungry by any means as the sandwich did the trick.  
 
I'll definitely be back for a supper, both to try from that menu and to see what atmosphere is like on a Friday/Saturday.  
 
Side thought. I don't know why but I had it in my mind that for some reason it would be coolish inside. Older building, open space I guess. Anything but the case as the place was very comfortable.  
 
Kudos to everyone involved for so well repurposing the building.  
 
Edited by Adam, 2016-02-10 14:39:20