fireside grill

good is great but had a bit of an awkward moment. as i walked in the hostess and two other workers were standing chatting. they looked at me and i looked at them and no greetings were said. i just walked past awkwardly. i felt like like my presence interrupted their conversation. bit surprising at the fireside grill but i'm guess everyone has their off days.

with the high quality, delicious tasting food comes a high price. sunday brunch at the fireside grill costs $25 per person. while that may seem (and is for most) steep, you are definitely getting your money’s worth.

fireside grill 4509 west saanich rd. royal oak district saanich , bc (250) 479-1222 j: when it comes to ghost hunting, ed never likes to visit a heritage place on an empty stomach. i guess that is why we visited the fireside grill. the tales this building’s owners could tell could make for some interesting pages in a local history book. but i was more interested in the food. call me uninterested but if we pulled up in the mystery van, i would be looking to make myself a hero sandwich rather than looking for clues. e: yeah, james can pretty much be like the shaggy to any scooby gang should he ever decide to join one. he’s a coward when dealing with spooks but i will gladly try to shake an entity’s hand. even if i visited a haunted house, i’m willing to bet i’ll find him in the kitchen sooner than later while i go scouting the premises in hopes something supernatural may present itself. in this fine establishment’s case, it’s to insure that you have plenty of money to pay for the higher priced entrées — burgers included. the beef and crab combo was a taste sensation i had to bite into. in what cascaded through my taste buds, i was sold. the menu lists truffle crab as the key ingredient, but i detected more of a blue crab taste that was lovingly slathered over the prime beef. food porn can not get any better than this! i suspect what the menu is supposed to say is truffled crabmeat. j: i was tempted to order salt spring island mussels just for nostalgia’s sake. i know raven street market cafe on salt spring is no longer of this world (speaking of ghosts) but damn it i miss them. i was won over by fireside’s lamb and gorgonzola burger with greek slaw under the bun. the prices of these burgers are a little higher than other establishments but you do get what you pay for. the lamb was grilled to perfection, not fried, but at a fancy place such as this it is to be expected. among the patrons wearing their suits and designer clothes, i really did feel like shaggy from scoob

this is a great restaurant. had their 3 course dinner. the fall salad was wonderful. the flat iron steak was prepared perfectly. the apple crumble was a sweet ending to a perfect dinner.

our party arrived with a reservation and we were seated upstairs overlooking the large open dining hall. the ambience is warm, quaint and full of character. the tudor building was constructed in 1939 and many of the original details remain like the vaulted timber frame, leaded glass windows and oversize fireplace (hence the name!). it's a charming space and i imagine quite stunning at christmastime. i see why this is a popular place with the older crowd. service was professional and attentive. most of us ordered from the 3-course tasting menu that changes seasonally. smallish portions but well presented. a couple of people at the table were disappointed the cheesecake was deconstructed not a traditional graham crust. food is comparable to med grill across the road (fine but not totally memorable). busy restaurant so reservations a must.
3.75/5

i gave them 3 stars because i was expecting an above-average dish for the above-average price i was paying. i had pork ribs for dinner and it was so dry. the barbecue sauce wasn't all that special and the spinach that came with it on the side was way too salty. my party had salmon and some chicken dish and the salmon was cooked quite well but the portion was too small for it to be a $20 dish. the chicken was good but again, not worth the pretty penny we were paying for it. sure, you present your dish nicely but if it doesn't taste great, then it's not worth it in my opinion.

very nicely appointed restaurant in an old tudor style building with friendly staff. i've been for dinner many times and always has not only a good selection but good quality tasty meals. no too much for the vegetarian though but does feature an eggplant parmesan and lots of great salads. the spinach salad is excellent and with some choices for he non vegetarian you can customize their wide assortment of salads. the plates are the vertical stack so the presentation is nice but honestly the food is always delicious. i love the salmon with polenta.

a local favourite! i love the 3 course prix-fix menu that's available year-round and changed up once in awhile. the staff are always professional and attentive. if you want to try something uncommon - try the pork belly appy. it's very good!
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sept 2017:
i recently went and had the prawn and scallop linguini. unfortunately the pasta was overdone and was too goopy to swirl around with a fork. apart from that, i recognized our funny friendly server and the linguini wouldn't keep me from returning again.

excellent food and good service. the flat iron steak was perfect ... but the vegetables -- roasted peppers (2 slivers) and wild mushrooms (1) -- were scant .., if not invisible on the plate. the cauliflower mash was delicious.

great food! great staff! great parking!. once again the fireside grill came through for our group for our infrequent lunches together. the sumptuous food was seasoned perfectly. the wine list impressive, the service was superb, the historic atmosphere interesting yet unobtrusive. and the parking was free and plentiful. all was just as we like it!

amazing quality, taste, and service!. this is the real thing, fine dining at its best. the chef knows how to use the finest local ingrediants to make cutting edge dishes. dine around town once again was amazing! one of my favorite places to dine in victoria.
the staff is attentive, friendly and polite!

disappointing.... went for valentines dinner last night.... had only had positive experiences in the past so was looking forward to a lovely dinner!

was shockingly disappointed... our server was uninterested, and never seemed to understand our frustration. the food while presented beautifully tasted like nothing special. the salmon was dry, and the ribs were nothing special.

with such a beautiful decor and setting, you expect a great dinner. but when you're in and out in less then an hour (and had ordered a bottle of wine (white but served with no chiller - we were also sat in front of the fire) appetizers and full mains, this feels more like red robin then a 100$ plus dinner)

needless to say we won't go back, no value for money or experience.

near perfection!. i was taken here for a surprise birthday dinner the other day, and was completely wowed! this place is the last thing i expected to find in this dreary bit of suburban saanich. the mock-tudor building is gorgeous, with high ceilings and lots of wood, looking properly english. it dates only from the late 1930's, but looks much older. we were seated in what felt like a ballroom that had been converted to large but cozy dining hall. with a fireplace at each end of the room, and strategic lighting, it felt surprisingly intimate. it was warm, and quiet, but not too quiet, with a nice steady stream of servers coming in and out. there is also a smaller cozy bar area, and an upstairs more private dining room. it's a huge place! service was quick and very professional; and i am super-picky about service. i was totally impressed by the food - a three course locally-sourced meal for $25. first, the most delicious squash soup i've ever had, and then a huge juicy piece of chicken and tasty morsels of root veggie and kale, etc, followed by an ample chocolate dessert that was not too sweet. perfection. the only drawback ito this place for me is the location. it's not that it's too far, really, if you drive, but just that there is nothing else around of any interest. a real anachronism.

pork belly yumm yumm. just so deliciously made! amaing!

sunday brunch. great spot for sunday brunch. went with a small group and found the food quality pretty good for the price and service and atmosphere was excellent. i think the closest brunch in victoria would be the marina restaurant in oak bay. between the two, i think they are comparable. marina is a bit better value (bit better food, discounts for seniors, water views) but i like how open fireside is and it is much more quiet than marina. would definitely return for brunch.