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 firesidegrillbut i'm guess everyone has their off days.

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

firesidegrill4509 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

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 medgrillacross the road (fine but not totally memorable). busy restaurant so reservations a must.
3.75/5

great food! great staff! great parking!. once again the firesidegrillcame 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!

excellent anniversary dinner. we ate at the firesidegrilllast night for our 16th wedding anniversary dinner, and it was delightful. our server, jd, was very professional and attentive but not intrusive. our meal was beautifully presented and full of flavour - all in all, quite wonderful. the filet mignons was cooked to perfection ... the wine was a beautiful white zinfandel ... the dessert we ordered was a sampler of two sets of 4 different small desserts which was just enough and all so scrumptious! we are new to victoria and were delighted with our choice of restaurant; we found the atmosphere to be very welcoming and arriving earlier in the evening we managed to get a table by the fireplace. the staff were all courteous and professional and we will definitely go back to the fireside grill. thankyou for a memorable evening!

aug 8th- 2nd anniversary dinner. my husband and i throughly enjoyed our 3 course anniverary dinner this evening. i highly recommend it.
i had an incredibly delicious salmon served over quinoa salad. havne't had anything as flavourful in quite a while. my appetizer was the scallops and dessert was the strawberry shortcake. my husband had the short beef ribs which were succulent, tender and tasty served with roasted baby potatoes and green beans, scallop appetizer and an incredible kiwi sorbet dessert. i wished i'd had that too. what a delicious meal for $20, you can't go wrong. our server was jay d, a very pleasant, cheerful man. he even did us a favour and took to pictures of us. thank you.


-----15 may, 2011-----

friday the 13th-may 13/11. this was my 1st experience with firesidegrillthrough my meetup group.it was a casually elegant experience which i enjoyed. i felt very comfortable in the heritage surroundings. the staff was very polite and attentive but not stuffy.
i decided to give the renewed dine around menu a try for $20.
the pakora style appetizer was delicious, the flat iron steak-med rare was very tender & tasty. the chocolate mouse dessert was delightful.
the company of my group was engaging & joyous.
i was impressed with the entire evening, despite it being friday the 13th.
i'll definitely be back for more.