Wildfire Steakhouse & Wine Bar

Came here during a busy saturday night. Was AMAZING. Service was meh. Crème brûlée was to die for.

I’m not a regular visitor to wildfire, and I don’t think I will ever return, we waited almost 1 hour between appetizer and our main course.
We went there on a Saturday night with my parents, it was a disaster even the waiter told us they have problems every Saturday night.
I ordered my steak chard rare it came blue, my father order the steak medium rare it came rare, my mother’s pasta was average at best.
Do yourself a favor and don’t go there on a Saturday night. We got there at 7 PM and our meal didn’t get to the table until 845.

(Note: previous review was inadvertently placed erroneously for the Wildfire Steakhouse/​Wine Bar downtown.)
I have not been a regular visitor of Wildfire for some time. My latest visit was in late September 2015 for a casual sponsored dinner function in spite of timing of this post. This review therefore may be positively biased. Overall I’d give it 3.5÷5.
Preamble: location is decent but parking was atrocious (you wouldn’t want to be lured into a law firm’s innocent but exclusive parking lot would you?) Ambience is a casual yet upscale one, sophisticated yet mundane. Service is also more than attentive and sincere.
Back on topic though: I had the Romaine Salad — hearts of romaine tossed in a red wine vinaigrette, with peppers, olives, and feta cheese. For main course I had the New York Striploin — with garlic mashed Yukon gold potatoes and seasonal vegetables. I dissented from what others recommended on the group menu — the Churrasco Mixed Grille — back ribs and piri piri chicken, garlic mashed Yukon gold potatoes, seasonal vegetables (not pictured). And for dessert I had decadent chocolate torte — house made flourless Belgian chocolate torte — desserts which I took home as usual.
Shared appetizer was satisfying. Based on other reviews understood this was a mass production one but I think Wildfire pulled it off decently. I thought the cucumber with smoked salmon mousse was also well executed contrary to what others thought. Salads are just salads and can’t make too much of it. It’s still decently fresh, not sure why it was so moist and soggy (?frozen ?washed too much) but it was still presented with sort of a bibimbap latitude that allows individual autonomy (olives concentrated bottom right, for example, and which I like btw).
But…here’s my beef ahem — it was disappointing for a self-​styled steakhouse. Though a notch higher than my latest travails with David Duncan House a few blocks nearby it just was just not … inspiring. The steak certainly wasn’t criminal — but certainly not memorable either, and I am glad I was not one footing the bill. (Maybe it was another mass production) It does not make much sense when a random piece of beef from a fast-​food court stir fry could be just as good — if not even better — when I already preferred it to be medium rare or even medium in the first place!
Not being a dessert person, I did take the chocolate torte home and family loved it. That was a plus.
Overall competent. You won’t be disappointed of, for lack of a better term, an «upper middle class» excursion. Unless you’re gaming for the main course.

Quiet, romantic, sophisticated atmosphere. Came here for my birthday dinner on a weekday. Not busy at all, no complaints in wait time. Had an excellent very friendly server, he was very kind and professional. The cheesy garlic bread was delicious. We both ordered filet mignons «medium rare» and received steaks that were definitely on the blue rare — rare side. After eating a few slices we couldn’t do it anymore and decided to send it back. Our waiter had no problem with that but his co-​worker or boss, not sure, (short black haired guy with glasses), proceeded to try and tell us that it looked perfectly medium rare to him and basically tried to convince us that it was medium rare, and we were wrong. I did not appreciate this, but they did take both meals back and made us a new one. The new steaks were thinner cuts, a little better that we didn’t want to complain a second time, but still not impressive. Our server was very nice and we understand it was not his fault, just glad we didn’t get his co-​worker as our server as then we would likely not want to tip. Overall not too impressed and we do not want to go back. Definitely looks like they need to improve their meal consistency.

Food was as expected for the price charged. I like my steak medium rare, however, it came out more medium; not a big deal.
The reason for the two stars is the service; the services is as bad as it got on the Friday night we visited. We ordered two beers and they arrived not before our apps, not after our apps but midway through our main. When I asked for a second beer it came 40 minutes later during my desert with my coffee. What was the waitress thinking?
The whole dinning experience was almost 3 hours, about an hour of which was waiting for service including 30 minutes waiting for our bill.
How does this place stay in business.

Cane here again 2 nights ago with a Groupon — and I really love that the staff don’t treat you differently because you use a voucher.
The food is still amazing — fresh bread for starters, a plate of hors d’oeuvres, steak with veggies and crème brûlée to finish (and the best crème brûlée at that!).
The staff was fantastic — we were waited on by two lovely ladies who were very attentive.
Still my favourite restaurant for steak.

Came here for summerlicious today at 7pm. Gave us a table but we didn’t like it so we asked to switch. The second table was still by the exit. Anyway, nobody came to greet us for at least 10 minutes until we asked for service. I had the 45 summerlicious meal. Started with the calamari — just mediocre. Had the new York strip loin for the main — steak was bland and couldn’t taste the garlic in the garlic mash potatoes. For dessert it was the choicolate torte. Just tasted like a warmed up chocolate bar. Medicocre service for mediocre food. Had to ask for the bill twice before getting it. Go to the Keg for a better steak and Moxie’s for better service.

Went here for Summerlicious lunch, $ 28. The atmosphere was quite dark but very nice décor. The food was good and filling as I had to pack some up. I wouldn’t say anything was extremely special seeing as this restaurant seems to be towards the higher end of the scale but I had no regrets trying this place out and Summerlicious was the perfect time to do it. I was a little disappointed by the fish I ordered as it was very salty but the garlic mash was very good. I was also able to try some of the ribs and they were very good, I especially loved the sauce on them. Staff was very pleasant and always around to help and food was always hot. Warning though, they’re plates were extremely hot to the touch and the server did not warn us about them and I nearly burned my fingers!

Had a great dinner last Saturday for Summerlicious at 5pm. Steak was excellent with great service. My waiter was very attentive and even asked us how we liked our food for each course. Had the scallops, Strip loin steak, escargot, ribs and crème brûlée. Seafood was ok but not as fresh as I liked it. So I would definitely recommend coming here mainly for the steak. Crème Brulee was good and cheesecake was really good. I would order cheesecake & steak again next time I come here :)

My husband and I took advantage of Summerlicious pricing ($ 45 for 3 course dinner) and had dinner at Wildfire on Sun night. The place was packed (good thing we made a reservation) but the service was courteous and friendly. It was also quite fast considering how busy the place was. We ordered escargot and calamari for appetizers and New Your steak and artic char for the main course. My husband and I shared everything, so here are my ratings for these dishes:
— escargot — 5* (perfectly done, soft and delicious)
— calamari — 4* (ok, but not great, a bit overdone)
— steak — 3* (we asked for medium-​rear and received medium-​well done)
— fish — 5* (cooked to perfection)
We finished the dinner with deserts, I had crème brûlée and my husband had cheesecake, both were very good. Wines there are quite expensive, they start at $ 45 – 50 and they were out of most red wines in this price range. We had a bottle of Argentinian Malbec, it was pretty average but the bottle cost $ 65. All in all, it was a good value thanks to Summerlicious pricing, if I had to pay a full price I’d probably rate Wildfire as 3 – 3.5 stars re price to food quality.

Went here to celebrate a job promotion and wouldn’t ever return or recommend it.
My wife and I ordered the surf and turf, while we were waiting for it to arrive we noticed another table, in mid meal, was asked to move so they could get wine out of a cabinet, it ended up taking them almost two minutes as the couple stood there awkwardly while the server rummaged through the cabinet, who does that to someone? I’m sure they enjoyed their cold steaks after that.
When our food finally arrives I cut into my steak and it’s well done, I had ordered medium rare, I show it to the server, an older lady, who then proceeds to tell me that I’m wrong, and it’s not overdone at all! This wasn’t the first time eating steak and I definitely know what well done versus medium rare is. I ask her to take it and show it to the kitchen, she she leaves with my well done little hockey puck.
I cut into the lobster and lone behold, it’s raw! By this time our surly server has returned with the well done steak and the little manager with a french accent who is a real piece of work. I show her the lobster and the manager proceeds to tell me «well we get them frozen and it must have thawed and been refrozen and not cooked enough» upon hearing that comment I start mentally planning my drive to the nearest hospital! They take the lobster away and I then ask about the steak, he tells me this «we cook them over wood so the chefs can’t control the temperature» I then ask why did you ask me how I wanted it done in that case? UNBELIEVABLE!
They only took the lobster off my bill as well, didn’t even buy me a flippin glass of wine or a beer for terribly over and under cooked food.
I then emailed the owner who of course says all the right things, and then says he wants my business and wants to send me a gift card, I send him my address and it’s been two years now and I’m still waiting for that gift card!
Not a place I would recommend to my enemies. If you want better steak and better service head to Harbour 50, Barberians, Josephs, The Keg etc. the options are endless in Toronto, heck McDonalds is better than this place and the staff aren’t complete A-​holes when giving me a hashbrown!

Came here mid-​week to celebrate a birthday and we all had a great time. The ambience is modern steakhouse chic, comfortable, quiet, perfect for conversation. The staff were friendly, pretty knowledgeable and relatively prompt, most of the time. The menus clearly indicate vegetarian and gluten free dishes, which makes dining much easier for any pursuing those options.
We started off with the grilled calamari and the beef carpaccio. Both were very good. The calamari was well grilled but not overcooked, and the carpaccio was very traditional. The kids weren’t too fussy on the polenta fries, but the adults liked them. So far so good.
For dinner we went with steaks, of course. I had the 16oz rib steak, which was perfectly cooked medium rare. Better than that is the executive cut 24oz rib steak. The veal chop was also excellent — tender and tasty. We had the sweet potato fries, mushroom ragout and asparagus sides, and all were truly excellent.
The wine list is surprisingly deep and covers every segment you might expect at a premium steakhouse. In fact, this wine list surpasses that of any steak house I have been to in the same price range — and I have been to many!
The steaks themselves are good, well aged, but I found them a bit chewy, as if they had not started with the best quality beef in the first place. Still, the steaks were perfectly cooked and quite tasty, despite the gristle.
Desserts were also excellent. We had the crème brulee, house made ice cream and the chocolate torte. All were decadent and as rich and fulfilling as one could want. All in all, this was a great night out.
My judgement is that this is a step up from The Keg both in terms of overall dining experience, wine list and price.

I came here with my girlfriend last night to make use of a groupon.
Ambiance was casual to fine dining– nice décor and dim light setting.
We each enjoyed a four course meal. Hors d’œuvre, appetizer, entrée, dessert and also came with wine.
Our mains were wildfire backribs and shrimp on a bamboo skewer (fries and vegetables on side) and a 10 oz New York striploin (mashed potato and vegetables on side). Why not try some meat at a steakhouse right? Both very great, seasoned well and filling (did not skimp out).
Check out my pictures for a description of the other dishes.
For the wine, I don’t drink alcohol, so the server made me a custom drink and it fit the meal quite nicely.
Overall, it was a great experience. Great value with the groupon.

Went here during winterlicious. Ordered the escargot, steak, and crème brulé as part of the 45 dinner. Added ribs and ordered wine from their winterlicious menu as well. Escargot was really tasty. My friend ordered the calamari and it was definitely very fresh. I ordered the steak medium rare and it was almost perfect. The pepper is bit charred so don’t put too much. Steak and ribs weren’t too special overall, not the highlight of my meal. The crème brulé was really smooth and tasty, highly recommended. Their cheesecake is good as well.
The service was great, friendly server who definitely deserved the 18% gratuity. Ended up spending 85 per head. Pricey but the stomach was satisfied til the next day. Definitely a place to try out! Their wine is cheap and tasty. Definitely worth getting a few bottles to try.
Order took longer to come than expected, so might want to come here when you’re not tight on time!

Horrible service
V. Mediocre menu
Lack of spice & flair, absolutely nothing ‘wild’
Extremely overpriced
Altogether lousy option for uptown dining, steer clear

We came here on a voucher. The food was slightly underseasoned but still quite tasty as the quality of the ingredients was very good.
The best part of our visit was the service! The hostess, the servers who brought our food and our waiter were all awesome. Our waiter started by asking if we were on our way to a show (which we were) and what time it was so that they could be completely sure to get us out on time. He was funny, attentive but not hovering, knew the menu very well, gave good beer and drink tips and even gave us a complimentary coffee and desserts!

First time in this restaurant. The atmosphere is very nice. The service is pretty good. It’s excellent to drink wine here. It’s romantic! We had the ribs and shrimp, New York steak. The ribs are very good but the steak was so so. This is consider a $$$ restaurant. If the price wasn’t $$$ then I would give a 4 star. Overall it’s a very nice place.

Came here with a 89 $ groupon for two. Atmosphere was dark and the tables were way too close together. We had 4 people and were seated awkwardly on a big round table pushed on the wall. Just 30 cm behind me was another table and the waiter had to squish through to get to them.
Food was decent, we ordered the escargot which was a bit bland. The steak was decently cooked and the short rib was tender but had too much sauce. The best part was the thick and rich cheesecake and the chocolate torte dessert was also great.
Would not come here for the full price of the meal. I would say that the groupon price was a fair price, anything more, I would go somewhere else.

I came here with a group of 4 for Winterlicious. I’ve never had high expectations for the quality of service or food during these events, but I was not impressed with our experience at Wildfire.
This review is mainly for the quality of service we received and the dishes I was able to try from our table.
Some hiccups happened with our dinner reservation and as a result we had to wait 10 – 15 minutes. The bartender was nice enough to provide us each with a glass of bubbly on the house.
Appetizers: Caesar salad and calamari. The Caesar salad was soggy and subpar at best, and the calamari was undercooked and too gooey for my liking.
Main: Lobster came out cold, and when I told my server, they simply either microwaved it or put it back in the steamer. Either way, it over cooked my lobster and it came back to me rubbery. The ribs were actually pretty good, they were moist and flavorful. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare and was also good. The fries and mashed potatoes as our sides tasted old, as if they’ve been sitting around all day.
Dessert: crème brûlée and caramel cheesecake were good.
The warm fresh bread and hummus and dessert were probably the best parts of my meal, which frankly is quite sad to say.
Service: our server Steve never once asked us how our meal was, never asked if we needed anything, never filled up our water until we specifically asked after my glass had reached empty, mumbled a half assed apology for my cold entrée. Our server seriously did not give a single F that night. However, the food runners were sincerely apologetic and were happy to fill our waters for us.
Overall, thoroughly disappointing experience and we will not be returning.

This is a very nice dinner option if you’re looking to dine north of Lawrence. However, the prices are definitely ‘south of Lawrence’ :)
Recommended dishes:
–Escargot
–Back ribs with BBQ sauce
–Wild mushroom risotto
–fish special (arctic char) was also excellent
Not recommended:
–caesar salad