Firefly

I am very sad to say that Firefly Bistro is now CLOSED! I loved this place and would frequently dine there on Thursday nights after enjoying the South Pasadena Farmer’s Market. Their food was amazing as was their wine list and service. They also had live music and outdoor seating. I went this weekend only to find the place empty. A worker advised me that the place is closed as of last week. Apparently, the owner opened up a new place in Eagle Rock called Cindy’s. I am looking forward to checking it out, but am really bummed to see Firefly leave.

Love this restaurant, so sorry they are selling. Great food, wonderful entertainment and staff. Firefly, you will be missed.

We live locally and were looking forward to walking with our dog to the weekly Farmers Market in town, only to discover once we arrived that dogs aren’t allowed. The folks at Firefly were happy to have us enjoy dinner on their front patio. They were very hospitable and even brought a bowl of water out for my pooch.
I enjoyed the shrimp and grits very much. It offers amazing flavors and textures.
Thanks, team Firefly, for making my night!

Will not come back here. Being a huge southern food fan, I was really excited to try the shrimp and grits. However after we were seated (~ 7:45pm on Friday night), our waiter informed us they were out of shrimp and grits, rosemary chicken, and egg rolls. Firefly has a small menu as it is, how disappointing, so early in the evening! Should have considered another review which had mentioned similar situation. The service was a little slow, slow on the bread and water refills, slow to serve entrees. Sadly only one waiter for the entire restaurant, about 8 – 9 tables. She did a good job tho considering the situation.
Lastly, someone who seemed to be a manager went around to every table except ours. Some tables got two visits too! Maybe if he checks this Unilocal review, he can clarify to me why this was!

I’ve been to Firefly several times now and it’s always been good. It’s good for special occasions, but not as expensive as some other modern American restaurants. They change up the menu but keep the popular stuff, like the butternut squash donut appetizers– delicious.
I’m not sure why the reviews aren’t as high as I’d expect — maybe South Pasadena is just a tough crowd.

Was here on May 14^th to support a friend playing here. The positives: it’s a charming place, the service was great (my server helped me choose something from the menu because of the weird spice combinations and she steered me right!), the food was pretty good and the music is free (they have a tip jar) so you know the venue isn’t ripping off the artists. Those are my positives. Overall, we had a lovely time.
The negatives: unfortunately, there’s no a/​c there and it was a very hot night, so we were VERY warm and the poor performers were sweating bullets. If they’d kept the fans running through the show it would’ve helped a lot, but I’m sure that had to do with sound constraints. Next, the food is completely overpriced. It was good, but for their prices it should have made me want to slap someone to get more but it fell a bit short there. I guess Tuesday is taco night so we went with that. I chose the chicken barbacoa tacos (as suggested by my server) and the fish tacos. I liked the chicken better as it had more flavor. Also, they have a dessert menu but for some reason their pastry chef didn’t come in that day so no dessert was available. It was so hot in there and we really needed a little something sweet and in my case, I was hoping they had some ice cream. But no such luck. Bummer there.
So basically, it was still a fun night and I like the place and the food, but there were a couple hiccups (besides the drive, as I live nowhere near South Pas) that would keep me from possibly returning, at least in the warmer months. But if you’re one of those lucky people that is cold-​natured, doesn’t have to think about how much you drop for dinner and love to support live music, definitely check it out because I think you’ll really like it. :-)

Wow… my catfish w/​collard greens was absolutely amazing. We also had a taco (chorizo) — delicious!!! One of the best I’ve ever had.
The wine selection made me very happy as well — many of my favorite wineries from Paso Robles well-​represented!
Can’t wait to go back there!!!
Live music was great — Brad Colerick’s «Wine & Song» Weds nights with several songwriters performing.

I went here to use a Amazon Local coupon. The restaurant itself was pretty empty when we got there, but I guess that is to be expected from Pasadena past 8pm.
Anyways, we ordered the spicy butternut squash donuts as an appetizer which were very tasty. A little bit odd of a combination, but the flavors worked together.
For our entrees, we wanted to order the famed catfish, but they had run out unfortunately so we went with the mezze plate and the braised pork shank.
The pork shank was pretty tasty and went well with the sweet potato that it came with. The mezze plate was also pretty good, but I felt that it was three separate dishes combined rather than a complete plate.
Overall, the service was very friendly and the food was decent but the atmosphere and vibe of the place left a lot to be desired.

= DINNER WITH LIVE MUSIC =
A combination of Fresh Food, Good Wine, Great Company and Live Blues sure brings a smile to my face. FIREFLY is a cute little restaurant hidden in the South Pasadena area. I had to park about a block away during my visit because El Centro Street was closed off for the Farmer’s Market.
Restaurant is inside a tent, but I love how they have the low light and heaters to keep you comfortable while to sway to the music. However, I visited FIREFLY during Fall 2013 when temperature is just perfect. So, I don’t know how comfortable this tent setting will be during hot summer days or cold winter nights.
Since this was my first time at the restaurant, I trusted my fellow Unilocalers and their recommendations and went with the CATFISH. It was cooked perfectly and I licked my dish clean. Little bit on the pricey side, but I guess it was worth it considering I loved the live music so much.
Would definitely be coming back…

Man. Every time we come here its amazing.
Just the creativity of the menu, the dedication of the chef and his consistency, and of course the owners… who have always bent over backwards to get us a great table or refill a glass or whatever.
Great establishment and great people!

I’m sitting here right now after having their dinner. This is really bad cafeteria food. I had 2 appetizers: lamb barley soup and the Swedish meatballs. OMG, the soup was oily and bland and it was served with a side of cornbread muffin. The muffin was so hard it had to have been microwaved and served. My partner had the house salad and Chinese spareribs. The ribs were super tough and really salty. The house salad was poorly chopped and also bland.
If I could I would give this zero stars. It was that bad and such a disappointment. I’ve been wanting to try this place out for a while. But I should have known not to expect much when the menu looked like some international fare. There’s a Chinese dish, an Indian dish, ceviche, Swedish meatballs, etc. Nothing made sense and everything tasted like it was truly cafeteria food.

Is there a ZERO Star located in Unilocal???Well I guess it’s better to spell it out rather than place it. We Unilocaled a spot in south pas on a whim and saw photos on of Firefly that fit our needs. Excited! Perfect parking spot for a Sat night. Walked in and felt a bit awkward cuz it didn’t seem like usual dinner crowd going on. Hesitantly we walked in. Quickly, a very very VERY ANGRY RUDE MAN at the bar in the front literally kicked us OUT! Literally gestured with his index finger slicing his throat basically gestured to LEAVE! What in the world!!! we were looking for someone to help us. There was no sign? He could’ve merely just said we have a private party going on or something. HE WAS JUST PLAIN RUDE AND SHOULD BE FIRED!!! Never ever coming back. We went to MIKE AND ANNE“s at the corner. Best place to go!!! Professional!!! Have some class people in a classy neighborhood!!!

Super cute place for a date! I came here on a weekend for dinner and they had a live band playing as well.
Yay:
–Shrimp and grits: this is one of their house dishes and it was delicious! Not overly salted and a good a mount of shrimp as well.
Other:
–Steak: I forgot which one it was but it came with green beans (I think) and hush puppies. I was not a fan of the hush puppies. I didn’t think they complimented the steak at all. The steak was also the incorrect temperature than I had ordered. I should’ve sent it back but I was too hungry.
Nay:
–Bread: I wasn’t a fan of the complimentary compound butter with the bread. It was short of like a tangy cajun spread.

This is a review of JUST the venue — not the food or dining experience!
I had initially planned a brunch at Firefly, but once we set foot here, we knew it was only right to leave. For those who haven’t been here, this place looks cute like a typical LA brunch spot, but the «indoor» seating area is covered by a large tent/​canopy. So imagine on a hot summer day what your dining experience would be like.
After feeling the 90 degree heat and warm winds blowing via the house fans, we decided to relocate. I cannot imagine brunch being enjoyable under those conditions. I am willing to return here during any other season, however. Just a heads up for any other fellow Unilocalers!

I have driven past the Firefly many times on my way to pick up my sons girlfriend. While tonight my foodie bud could not make dinner, so since my sons girlfriend needed a pick me up, we gave Firefly a try.
The décor is so cute, nothing too extravagant, yet very elegant. The service was superb and it definitely added to our dining experience. The owner walks around making sure you’re happy with you meal.
Lost a star due to a very limited menu. The meal was nothing to get excited about.
But if you want to enjoy a night under the tent, and live music. 1star for service, one star for vibe feels cozy, one star for its location (south Pasadena). if i could give another half star, it would be the fact the owner stops and checks to see how your doing.

Like Abby C., I wanted to be a fan of this place. It had pretty good Unilocal reviews so the two of us (along with Crystal W.) came here for dinner to celebrate my birthday. It’s a pretty cute place located in Pasadena with street parking easily found nearby. And it’s unique in that you’re eating in a large white tent. The décor is minimal but inviting and our server was quite friendly.
We started off with the Spicy Butternut Squash Doughnuts: with toasted walnut-​madras curry dip & oregano honey. The honey is drizzled over the doughnuts and the dip is served separately, which is good since I am allergic to nuts. I asked if they had any other dips to offer instead but they told me they only have items that are listed on their menu so the only other «dip» they could offer me was salad dressing. Um, no thanks. This is the issue when you have a small seasonal menu –_​– Anyway, they are more like fried donut holes, and there were three of them so we were able to have one each. And boy, the menu wasn’t kidding when they called them spicy! I don’t know what was in the doughnuts besides butternut squash, but it set my mouth on fire. Apparently the dip is really good at cooling down the doughnuts and making them much more enjoyable… unfortunately, all I had to cool down was a glass of water. And a glass of their white wine sangria (which was actually pretty decent). So unlike my friends, I wasn’t a big fan of the doughnuts.
For her entrée, Crystal decided to get two appetizers. She got the Seared Beef (with lemon grass, peanuts, chili, scallion pan cake & charred lime) and the Grilled Asparagus & Corn Salad (with chicken fried blue cheese, baby spinach & marjoram-​roasted tomato vinaigrette). The presentation of both dishes was a bit disappointing and I don’t think she was a fan of either of them. I tried a little bit of her seared beef and it was just okay. Abby got the Spring Pea Pappardelli (with mushroom pancetta, caramelized fennel, stewed tomato, whole parsley & pecorino cheese). As you can tell by her review, she didn’t like her dish either, especially since it was really salty. The only thing that sounded good to me on their current menu (damn these small seasonal menus!) was their Grilled Ribeye (with rosemary roasted potatoes, Tuscan broccolini & tomato-​onion compote). I ordered it medium rare, and it looked it, but it was a lot tougher than I expected. It was pretty hard to cut and eat, which is not how medium rare should be. For shame!
For dessert, we got their Malted Chocolate Crème Brulee. It comes with a split maltball on top and they also served it with a lit candle since we told them we were celebrating my birthday. While it’s not the best crème brûlée I’ve had, it was actually pretty delicious. Beautiful carmalised top with creamy goodness underneath. It was my favourite item of the night, but unfortunately not enough to redeem this place for me, especially considering how much our dinner cost.

Wonderful ambience, live music, and $ 10 corkage fee. I’ve found a new hangout!

I had been wanting to try this place for some time, but the stars just never aligned. Then recently, my sister declared that this is where she would like to celebrate her birthday. Perfect excuse!
You get a friendly greeting as you enter from a rummpled-​cowboy-​hat wearing host. We were seated promptly as we had a reservation, but it seemed rather uncrowded for a Saturday night. The dining room is pleasantly decorated, and it takes a moment to realize that it is actually a vinyl tent of the sort that might be rented for wedding receptions. Jazz and Blues play in the background.
Despite the modest patronage this night, there were only 2 menus available for our party of 6, so we had to share until more could be wrangled up. The menu is not too expansive, and they claim it to be seasonal, but here we were in the last week of winter, and the menu was dated «Autumn 2012.» There is a sort of contemporary southern influence to the menu. Drinks were ordered and served (beer, wine, and sochu based cocktails are available), and menu questions were answered and orders taken.
It seemed to take longer than it should have for the food to come out, but it all came out together, which was good. Everyone thought that the food was OK. I had the «Lambalaya» a jambalaya made with lamb. It tasted fine, need more spice, and the rice was a little more al dente that I like, but what do I know? A flat iron steak was well cooked and sauced nicely. Shrimp and grits were simply prepared and cooked perfectly. Perhaps the best received was the vegetarian offering, eggplant parm, which, true to the southern roots of this eatery, were presented more like fried green tomatoes than the classic Italian American version of this dish.
All in all, not a bad place, but my curiosity is satisfied, and while I won’t balk at going again, it’s not at the top of my list. The Thursday «Beer, Burgers, and Blues» night sounds like fun, so I may give that a try some time.

Not really sure the price warrants the quality of the food, but they try to make an effort.
A very small portion of bite size pieces of complimentary bread with hummus is served.
Pumpkin chowder — decent portion of soup but tasted way too thin and watery for a chowder. Consistency of a minestrone soup. Pumpkin flavor was almost non-​existent.
Caesar salad — simple & crunchy with toasted peanuts added to it.
Pot Roast with apple corn polenta — good dish.
White fish with beans — the dish was a bit watery for me. Perhaps, grilling the fish would have been the better way to go vs. pan searing it. Anyway, I felt like I was eating a hearty fish stew instead of a fish entrée.
Honey ginger panna cotta — this was so creamy and sweet, it tasted more like flan. Didn’t get any ginger flavor from it but this was surprisingly good.
Flourless cake — surprisingly good, tasted and shaped like a mild flavored brownie.
Ambiance: essentially, the whole restaurant is outside that is covered by a tent ceiling with heaters nearby to keep you warm. Very dark, minimal lighting. Very similar to the ambiance of Café des Artistes in Hollywood.
To sum it up: the food tasted like homemade food that was spruced up a notch. I really appreciated that they don’t over do it with too much salt. While some dishes were more salty than others, the meal overall was well balanced.
Parking: free street parking (after 6pm I think)

OMG. why haven’t I known about this place earlier?! I didn’t know about this place existed until I was brought here for a lazy Sunday brunch day. Right when I stepped in, I was really impressed by the relaxing fun ambiance of the restaurant. There was a big fountain out front and a man playing the guitar, making you feel like you’ve stepped into New Orleans with the music and smell of good food all around you. The restaurant is outdoors with a nice rooftop that covers the eating area so that there is shade. I love the orange and red and colorful handmade lanterns all around the room and brightness of the walls and doors to give the restaurant a lively fun feel.
Huevos Rancheros– Green chili, black beans, over easy eggs, flour tortilla
& spicy guacamole. Great flavor of the chili with the eggs and grilled tortilla. It was surprisingly tasting.
Shrimp and Grits– Tasso ham, crimini mushrooms, Herbsaint & tarragon
over parmesan-​Tabasco hominy grits. I was alittle diappointed by this dish because I didn’t realize how soupy and watery the broth was going to be. For some reason I was picturing more of a risotto like presentation with the shrimp and grits but instead it was a savory broth with some grits in the middle. Flavor was good but I wouldn’t order the dish again because I didn’t want my dish to be grits soup. Alittle disappointed.
Overall, my experience here was good. I wasn’t happy with my dish but I definitely want to try the other interesting dishes they have on the menu. This is a perfect lazy sunday brunch or even lunch/​dinner place with great ambiance and interesting cajun food. Live music was great and service was good as well.