The Firehouse

The best place for a good breakfast or lunch. When you want to treat yourself with a fitness-friendly menue this classic restaurant is the place to be.

I always wondered why this place was so quiet all the time… well I discovered for one, although they have outlets, “The boss has a policy that no one can plug into them.” I popped in to have lunch and take a quick meeting on my laptop and no exceptions! I was asked to unplug my laptop from a perfectly good outlet lol. Got the fish tacos which are 100% fish sticks deep fried and with some avo and pico added. Very mediocre. Needless to say I’ll be back never.

Nice dinner with friendly staff. I loved the vibe! And the portions are pretty good.

Saw this spot just being lost driving around Santa Monica. Was super happy they served breakfast at 8pm, because I love breakfast 24/7. Got the Firehouse breakfast. Was delicious. My boyfriend got fish tacos with some hot sauce and damn that sauce was so good. Service was good. One thing tho, their champagne was pricey.

Diner is misleading, this is not a diner, but rather a bar that also serves food. The center of the restaurant is a very large bar that gets quite popular during certain games that are always playing on one of the many TVs. They have a few booths and tables surrounding this bar, and they have some outdoor seating as well. Our service was actually really great because our server was really polite and very attentive, but that was one of the best parts of our meal. They don’t have a parking lot so it will be street parking. My main issue with the meal was the price, everything is just overpriced, especially for the quality. The menu is fairly limited, but they do have some good options on it. I chose the Eggs Benedict for my meal and added avocado and thought it was just OK. The eggs were very runny and the hashbrowns tasted more like home fries and the hollandaise didn’t really taste homemade but more like something out of a can. The prices of everything were just too much and should be stepped down. Overall I would not suggest because of the price and lack of special flavors. It was just not a memorable meal. I do like the location because I am a fan of Venice, but I don’t plan to be back for future visits.

Once a staple in the 90s that I and many others use to go now gone bad, ordered the steak fajitas that came with no steak, ordered the burger where the patty was smaller than the onions. Can see why so many people prefer to go to the vans and street food over this place

Called in just before lunchtime when passing. Ordered a steak sandwich and burger, orange juice (tasted freshly squeezed) and coffee. The food was very good- the fries possibly the best I've had all holiday. All the staff were attentive and friendly and the food arrived in good time. I would definitely eat there again if i was in Venice / Santa Monica any longer.

I really hate to write this review. I was so looking forward to my experience here at the firehouse, but was sadly so disappointed by the food quality and taste. This is not the diner experience. The coffee alone was $6 and that is crazy to me when I could go down the block and get a quality latte for a dollar more. Service was great and they mean well. Overall the food just is not worth the price at all.

Excellent service and lots of vegetarian options for breakfast at this historic building. Walkable to the beach and local amenities. I loved looking at the old firehouse relics.

Great experience, parking lot across the street. Delicious food and good service. Chill vibes, playing the game and just a relaxed environment

Service was friendly, and I like the location, but it feels like the kitchen is just phoning it in. I very occasionally come here with some friends because the location is convenient-ish. Or because the places we really wanted to go were full, so we walked over here. On my most recent visit, I had a sad, less-than-inspired patty melt. The burger patty was considerable smaller than the bread, so roughly half my patty melt was essentially just toast. Also, the texture of the burger was overly firm. The beer was perfectly good. It was easy to get a table. If you want to get beers within walking distance of the beach and have some not-terrible food to go along with it, the Firehouse is an option. I'm hoping they will improve their food offerings. I will probably return at some point, but I can't say I'm eagerly awaiting my next visit.

GREAT Breakfasts, amazing multigrain blueberry pancakes. Friendly service and a great garden with no traffic noise.

Service was solid, quick and easy.. if you're at the beach and want something healthy, this is a great option. They have a muscle maker menu that's really great. I got the chicken bowl and added spinach/brocoli. As you can see- ton of veggies over chicken and brown rice. Exactly what I was looking for. There's a few outdoor tables as well to enjoy the weather.

Ate here post contest. Massive plates for any bodybuilder or strength athlete. All bb should eat here if you visit Venice beach gym.

Solid menu, always dependable. The staff is fantastic and the patio has some of the best people watching on the Westside.

Diner is misleading, this is not a diner, but rather a bar that also serves food. The center of the restaurant is a very large bar that gets quite popular during certain games that are always playing on one of the many TVs. They have a few booths and tables surrounding this bar, and they have some outdoor seating as well. Our service was actually really great because our server was really polite and very attentive, but that was one of the best parts of our meal. They don't have a parking lot so it will be street parking. My main issue with the meal was the price, everything is just overpriced, especially for the quality. The menu is fairly limited, but they do have some good options on it. I chose the Eggs Benedict for my meal and added avocado and thought it was just OK. The eggs were very runny and the hashbrowns tasted more like home fries and the hollandaise didn't really taste homemade but more like something out of a can. The prices of everything were just too much and should be stepped down. Overall I would not suggest because of the price and lack of special flavors. It was just not a memorable meal. I do like the location because I am a fan of Venice, but I don't plan to be back for future visits.

The movie 'Speed' was filmed here. Visited in the 90's and the food was descent. Can't believe it is still around d

I rarely write reviewa, especially negative ones, but I feel like the owners need a wake up call before it is too late for this landmark bar/restaurant/cafe that I first experienced in 1995 and have frequentes since. I remember the Firehouse when it was bustling with the local Venice / Santa Monica crowd day and night, (yes, their amazing bar was once open til 2 a.m. and was a great local hangout and beach destination,) when the Gold's Gym fitness crowd from around the corner filled the booths and tables with giant orders for their fitness breakfast & lunches, when the visiting Hollywood crowd came to pitch/develop screenplays during weekend brunches and tourists visiting Venice Beach and Main Street would pop by to check out one of the coolest firehouse-restaurant locations in California. Since before COVID, it's been a ghost town at the Firehouse every time I walk by or stop in. Empty bar, empty cafe counter, empty booths and empty outdoor courtyard. I keep trying to support and return, but even though the servers try, the menu is an overpriced trainwreck: the food overcooked , and the orders and billing messed up. Today was no different. No wonder why it's always empty; locals will tolerate poor experiences so many times before giving up. I can only assume they stay open because the owners own the building and don't pay rent, otherwise I have no idea how they stay in business. It is still an iconic location with a great history and great space, so I hope the owners wake up, or if you just don't care anymore, please sell to someone who does. It needs a massive overhaul: new management, new menu, new cooks and new staff. Figure it out or move on...

Went to grab a quick bite.Eggs were tasty and fluffy. Owner is very nice as well. Atmosphere is a mix of diner/bar vibes. A bit on the pricier side.

Hey, I love this place and have been coming here for basically decades, so I'll keep it short + sweet: Behold the $19 BLT (and the fake Heinz in the Heinz bottle and the fake Diet Coke). 2 single strips of bacon. $19. GTFO.

I pass by here all the time but it was almost always empty especially during regular lunch or dinner hours. Now I understand why, the food is pretty terrible. You're basically paying for food close to the boardwalk, but I would suggest eating on any other restaurant on rose since you're probably spending about the same except the food is probably better elsewhere

This is a must after Gold's!! Delicious & healthy food! Service was great too. You know you're officially a body builder when you hit Gold's & then firehouse! Amazing location and ambiance!

Unbelievable waste of money. The garlic sausage had little to no flavor and I paid $25 for 2 eggs, 1 sausage. And a bowl of leaves with nothing else in it? Complete rip off. Waiter pretty grumpy too.

Cool spot with solid food! Nothing crazy but I don't really expect to be blown away by diner food. It's a great location and the decor is quirky and fun. There's a nice outdoor patio in back that is dog friendly, as well as lots of indoor dining. Would recommend sticking to the basics here and not making any crazy choices when ordering - all the breakfast food we had was tasty, but the burrito for example was pretty weird looking (inside) and tasting and not what I would recommend.

The food has little to no flavor. The staff was not terrible. Cool little spot with the right food could be a great neighborhood spot. Will not be back

Food is great as is the service. The environment is pretty cool knowing its an old firehouse. I appreciated a good and special menu to fulfill my needs.

Honestly i thought i waa the only one who thoight the food had zero flavor, but looking at reviews it seems to be an issue. We thought it was a cute place took a chance but, not worth the visit Sorry really wanted to like it. Nice staff.

Food had no flavor. Seems like this place is for the bodybuilders just looking for macros. I wanted something tasty and even after trying to doctor the food up, it was bland as hell. I saw Mexican people working, so I just knew there would be some sazón, but no!!! I guess they cater to the watered down tastebuds. Service was great, but I'll never be back.

Came on a Sunday morning with the kids. Food was average and overpriced but Armando, our server was great. The pancakes were dry and the sausage was salty. Overall, this place could be better if they found a way to make quality food. Rose cafe across the street could have a run for its money if this place overhauled the menu. It's a really charming location.

A perfect place to have a healthy meal after a workout or sustain a healthy lifestyle

OVERCOOKED & OVERPRICED. The food was not tasty or appealing, but blah, unappetizing. Will never go back. Too bad cuz it's a great location. Maybe just needs a better chef.

Love the location. (Thats about it) It seems like they just charge an arm and a leg because they're close to a tourist area "venice beach" but coming from a local LAlien this is straight up PUKE FOOD I'm not kidding. There bloody Mary was also vomitous material. I gave the rest of my burger to my dog and he almost didnt want it. I'm also not that hard of a person to please. I know good food. This was sad... our bill came to $80 something. I can't believe I spent this much here. I'm upset with myself rn.

Great breakfast, with good proportions! They play good music too! Firehouse Breakfast

It was okay, its not a luxurious or gimmicky place if youre looking for that. Just a casual by the beach with some regular menu items. Their shake was yummy and service is good. I like the atmosphere a lot with the wide open space and the breeze of the beach.

I enjoyed my lunch here...hadn't been here in decades...lots of healthy options and the patio had lots of great CA outdoor ambiance. Servers on top of filling my coffee :)

I'm at the firehouse now. Great music, great menu. Restaurants on the boardwalk are packed. No wait here. Brought my dog. She loves firehouse too. Big portions too !

This place is seriously mediocre. Weird diner-style menu with no coherent through line. The food I have ordered in my few visits all resembles bad hotel food. Soggy fries, overcooked eggs, flavorless nachos, hard chicken tenders... The decor and atmosphere feels untouched in a bad way. The firehouse theme is poorly executed and not a vibe even in a nostalgic way. Nothing comfortable or cool about this place. The hours are very strange. I've walked by many times when it should be open and it isn't. Have also thought they were out of business many times only to see a few ill-informed tourists eating there the next day. The beer selection is *okay* but not worth coming here for. Overall, it feels like the people running it have zero passion for making this a worthwhile place to eat or drink. Such a waste of a cool building and great location.

Great service and good food!would love for them to have longer hours because we come from out of town. But when we are there during the day they are the first place we want to eat!

Pretty decent bar. Nothing to rave about but it's a good pregame before going to brunch at another location.

Great food reasonably price definitely recommend, we had Chinese chicken salad and chicken tender and fries was the best

Not about the Firehouse, but across the street - The Rose! Same Story! Dec. 31. Closing. Go now.

Fast delicious vegan burger, good vibe and great service. Not too busy on a Sunday. Thank you Firehouse!

We are in Venice from Vernon Hills, Il. The breakfast I had of buckwheat pancakes and sausage was very good. My husband had the eggs, bacon and toast. He really liked the toast. Our waiter was Albino and we had him both times and plan to go back once more before we go home. This place is close to where we are staying and is very comfortable. High five for Albino!

After zipping inside for a working lunch between looking at apartments on a Monday afternoon, I was delighted to find reasonably priced American brunch cuisine every day of the week. The service was just present enough to serve excellently; these professional waiters were not chitty chatty waitresses from some local diner where the politicians show up every two years. Vintage music from the 50s and 60s pumped through the speaker system to feed the soul. And the adorable ambiance looked straight out of the California countryside. Best of all, if cute and vintage are not your thing, you can still enjoy the delicious food by walking two blocks straight to the ocean with it. I don't know why more people aren't every day.

Awful place. Flies were everywhere and the staff was incredibly rude. The food wasn't bad at least but there is better for cheaper close by.

We've been coming here on and off for many years. The food is always great -- esp. the stir fry and garlic fries. (Bring back the chili!) The service can be a struggle at times. There used to be so many more casual restaurants in Venice and Santa Monica in the spirit of Firehouse. Firehouse is among the last of a dying breed. Great neighborhood spot.

Suelo desayunar en este lugar seguido, me gusta la comida, pero una sola vez, fui y pedí permiso de usar el baño, la persona de la entrada de una muy mala manera me dijo que tenía que comprar Algo, a lo cual le dije, que estaba bien. No dejaron de verme cuando salí del baño, para que tomara la carta, y comprara algo, estaban ahí esperando, a lo cual fue muy incómodo para mí y decidí irme, al salir, el del bar y el de la entrada me gritaron que la próxima ves no regresara si no compraba. Entiendo el punto pero la manera que se dirigieran a mí, fue muy grosera. Y reitero, soy un cliente frecuente de este lugar, pero no pienso regresar por ningún motivo.

Clean, simple, and great value. A lot of my bodybuilder friends eat here regularly, and with good reason. Firehouse is well-entrenched for delivering clean, prep-conscious dishes for the physique seekers. Yes, Gold's (the Mecca) is right around the corner, but there are tons of other restaurants around, and they come here for clean eating. Do not come here expecting anything gourmet. I actually compare this to more of an adult cafeteria.... something you'd expect to find at, say, an Equinox corporate HQ, if they had an employee-only cafeteria, and if said employees were all trainers that occasionally competed. Pricing is great, considering the price of neighboring establishments. I actually had to do a double-take when I saw the bill was less than $70 for my family of 5. Anywhere else nearby would have pushed me closer to $100. It's ok. Worth it if you're hungry and on a budget.

The service was terrible, I had to get up and flag someone down. No one came to check on us. Nothing was cleaned up from our table and I had to get up to get napkins from the empty bar and front area. Our chicken wasn't seasoned and it was still pink. My hot wings were in a pool of watery pink liquid. I wish I took a before picture. And our bill was $73.36. Please don't waste your money. On the bright side the outdoor seating was cool I guess.

This place is ideally located in Venice. Great views of the Venice crowd passing by. Long menu with lots of choices. The fish tacos were the best we've had, even compared to the ones we had in Tijuana and Ensenada. Great fast courteous service. Free parking in their own lot.

I love the firehouse and their staff!! The outdoor seating is super cozy! Like all the food I've had so far but they have a really good meatball sandwich and their garlic parm fries are perfectly golden just delish!! Enjoy

Super cute restaurant but needs some updating. Great service, we sat on the patio enjoyed some micheladas and a breakfast sandwich.

Came here for a lunch with my family. It was a pleasant experience and the portions are HUGE and fairly priced. (My photos are after half of the meals were eaten ) We ordered: super salad (w/o egg & strips) to make it vegan. With rice vinegar dressing. The dressing was sweet and sticky. The salad was very fresh. It was crispy and sweet, perfect for a warm day near the beach. I would order again. Stir fry w/ brown rice & no protein added. I love when stir fry's are packed with multiple veggies. Not just the basics in here! Cauliflower, broccoli, bean sprouts, mushrooms, peas, carrots, & zucchini! Again, would order again! Sausage egg hash brown plate I didn't try this, but my hubs was craving a good ol classic breakfast and it satisfied for him. Philly cheese steak Also, did not personally try this, but it was a no for my man. The service was great, nothing to complain about. Food came out quickly, they cleared plates fast. The location is clean. We sat on the patio, the weather was perfect, there's a tree that provides JUST enough shade. It's not very crowded, a couple other parties when we arrived and none when we left. The menu is extensive and while doesn't cater to vegans, there are some options.

The food was amazing I had breakfast and beers. Our waiter was so nice and friendly and his recommendations were good. Patio seating is nice.

Food. I keep giving it a chance and the food fails me. Living locally I support the place. Great staff and location but.. the food. For me falls short.

My kid went nuts for this place. Pancakes at a firehouse?? We were out for a beach day, needed lunch. I wanted something healthy and he wanted kid food. The kids menu has all the right stuff and they've got a lot of clean, protein options. Fantastic, shaded outdoor space, with beach breezes. Great indoor space ventilated by massive, open firehouse doors (if you're reading this after 2021, that's a big plus in a pandemic). And the Chiefs were on (football, not fire). Good TVs. Great place to casually watch sports. Service was friendly and welcoming. Good for brunch, post-workout, having a beer.

Three of us came for Saturday morning breakfast! We ordered Omelette, Eggs w/ Jalapeno, Hose Down, Coffee. Everything was served quickly and hot! Our food was delicious Armando our server was