” I would say that the best f_ckin burger I ever had was at a bowling alley, ’cause they surprise you there, some of them alleys hire some of the best cooks, and they ain’t a restaurant but that doesn’t mean that the cook ain’t gonna put some f_ckin pride in their burgers”. Terry Cahill - FUBAR
Firehouse is a welcome recent addition to Sukhumvit’s Soi 11 dining scene and has gained a large following amongst expats, tourists and Thai’s due to their extremely tasty burgers. Decked out with authentic helmets and gear from fire departments around the world, this place has a fun theme that serves as an homage to the hardworking and brave men keeping us safe. What makes this story even better is the fact that some of the recipes in use were crafted and perfected by firefighters right in their own firehouses and rumor has it that they are getting close to adding a few more authentic award winning dishes created by America’s bravest that should hit the menus within the next month or two.
Earlier this month Firehouse hosted a great bachelor party dinner for the man, myth, and legend known simply as Greg and a special shout-out to Scott from Smiling Albino for bringing it all together. Last week’s visit was my third and this time we kicked things off with a Baja fish taco (THB 120+(7%) / $4+) followed by a grilled steak taco (THB 150+ / $5+). Both were served open-face atop a flour tortilla, a blanket of melted cheddar and piled high with lettuce and Pico de Gallo . Their unique version (well to me at least) of a taco reminded me of a Mexican pizza and let me tell you, that’s a very good thing!
Gooey cheese, flat top grilled tortillas, easy to cook and comforting as a hug, quesadillas are the grilled cheese sandwiches of Mexico. The Firehouse version (THB 220+ / $7+) came loaded with grilled chicken, cheddar cheese and Pico de Gallo sandwiched between two crispy flour tortillas. Like the absence of pockets on a uniform at a nudist camp the quesadilla felt naked and missing something without a side of salsa. It doesn’t have to be much but an ounce or two of a smokey and spicy sauce would perk things up nicely. All in all a solid dish just waiting for a wedge of lime and a serving of salsa.
Following a tried and tested recipe, there is now a new contender for the best fish and chips in Bangkok. An order consists of hearty piece of beer battered dory the size of your face, a generous portion of crinkle cut fries (or hand cut wedges) and a skewer of homemade pickles (THB 250+ / $8+). The batter is crisp and not overly greasy and the crinkle cut fries and malt vinegar form a perfect duet. Firehouse just gave us another reason to not have to head back to the UK.
Daily hand grinding of Thai-French rib-eye and forming each patty by hand only after the order is received is how they roll here. Like J-Lo and Kim Kardashian the buns are not an afterthought but rather the happy result of an artisan Austrian bread baker getting his bake-on and making fresh deliveries. They have a deluxe Black Angus Burger (THB 380+ / $13+) which I enjoyed at the stag party but the real star of the show is their Premium Burger (THB 195+ / $6.50+). Passing over the cheddar and mozzarella we felt adventurous and nervously tried the Gorgonzola (THB 80+ / $2.75+) and similar to a burly ladyboy, the cheese was strong but actually complimented the meat well. The tomato, red onion and crisp iceberg lettuce were right on the money and the flavorful burger hit our table cooked to a perfect medium.
We were presented at the end of the meal with a nicely baked chunky homemade brownie that was topped by a VSOP cognac reduction. Though we are personally not fans of alcohol based sauces (would be perfect in a shot glass on the side) this dessert brought a nice happy ending to the meal.
Last and definitely not least, if you are tired of paying more for a mixed drink in Bangkok than you would in Europe or North America, Firehouse has you covered with THB 140+ / $4.75+ standard cocktails (THB 160+ / $5.25 for top shelf premium) and THB 90+ / $3 bottles of beer all day long. Come between 4:30 and 8:30 and draft Heineken and standard mixed drinks are buy 1 and get 1 free. There’s only expensive drinks on Soi 11? Fuhgeddaboudit!
When most people think of a firehouse they think of a place that firemen wash and park their shiny red trucks. If you looked a little bit closer you would see that most firehouses are 24/7 operations where procedures, traditions and rituals rule. Saving lives would officially rank #1 on the top 10 list of what is most important but if you asked what’s #2 the majority of firemen would probably reply ‘good food’. Unlike their police brethren who get most of their meals on the go, firemen almost always prepare their own food and are legendary for producing some of the best comfort meals you can find. There are no paying customer’s where they cook but that doesn’t stop them from cooking with pride. Just like Firehouse Pub & Restaurant.
Firehouse Pub & Restaurant
33/26 Sukhumvit 11 (across from Q-Bar)
Monday – Closed
Tuesday – Saturday: 11:00AM – 3:00AM
Sunday: 11:00AM – 12:00AM
02-651-3643
www.firehousethailand.com
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Your reviews are seriously making me want to relocate to Bangkok!!!
Snoop – we have a bed with your name on it! Or we can hit up Red Robbins when I’m back
Eaters,
Thanks for yet another great review and you nailed it. The Firehouse is good stuff and awesome burgers. I thought the tacos were a bit small and skimpy considering the prices and no salsa a downer. Certainly not enough to fill up whereas their burgers are huge.
The drink prices are a huge plus. Rather than feeling gouged you can have 4-5 drinks while you’re there and not spend a ton – a big bonus for a guy like me that enjoys a handful of drinks with a meal out.
The only downside here was the slow pace of the staff. While the restaurant is small and they had 3-4 servers on, we had to ask for each additional drink/item, ask them to clear the table, etc. They could have easily sold another 1,000B worth of stuff had they just came by and asked. Always mystified when restaurants can’t sell things and manage the tables they do have. Hopefully they can get this resolved.
Great work again and a solid review with top photos – thanks!
Steele – I’ve heard that salsa is in the works and totally agree with you on the solid drink prices here. Fair comment on the staff and hopefully they can heed your advice and be more pro-active when a big thirsty group shows up. Thanks for stopping by WWWT
Look Tasty, but a little high calories though!!! Interesting one anyway.
Nui – A little high on the calories but even higher on the taste! A good place to go when you are tired of Thai food.
and some of the menu items can be ordered from the Q bar across the road.
Lomax – thank you for stopping by WWWT. A stiff drink from QBar and comfort food from FH. That’s a winning combination!
I have a reference to this website from my friend and now am feeling hungry. Funny write up and pictures are well done.
FF – tell your friend thank you for the referral and we are glad you enjoyed the review. If you are hungry and in the area, now you know where to go.
Been following your write ups for a while now, and must say I really enjoy them. You work is very informative, descriptive and entertaining to read. I had been thinking of giving the Firehouse a visit for a while now, but now it will be a must thanks to your mouthwatering pictures. ^_^ Keep up the good work!
Dear Tom – it is comments like yours (and others) that really make writing the blog worthwhile. We checked out your in-depth blog and have both added it to our favorites for future reading. Hope you enjoy your food at FH and thank you for your kind words and for stopping by WWWT.
I loved your humour and the pics made my mouth water. The hamburger looked a little rare though for my liking. What was that red thing on top of the brownie?
Am going to send it to one of the parents (firefighter) at the toddler centre.
Cydney- glad you liked our review. The burgers in Thailand (or for that matter outside of Canada) can come pretty much anyway you request them. At Firehouse they grind their meat daily which virtually eliminates any chance of bacteria. I’ll order you one ‘medium’ the next time you are here : )
Have heard of the place, even had the sliders at a catered bachelor party, but the pics and review took it to a whole new level. Have to try all this stuff now, hopefully soon!