The family was out and about last week and we were looking for somewhere to grab a quick bite to eat. We kicked around some of our cheap and faithful standbys, then dabbled into our more expensive and faithful standbys, when we ran across Firehouse Subs in Woodstock, GA on 92. We decided to be adventurous, as we often are. Boy are we glad we did!
The restaurant is just your basic sandwich stand, much like a Subway or Blimpies. You go in and order from a variety of made-to-order sandwiches. Once the food is ready, they bring it to your table. We ordered two combos, one for me and one for the wife, and one kid’s meal for the munchkin. The total came to just shy of $20.00 and the food was excellent!
I ordered the New York Steamer®. With my favorite corned beef brisket and pastrami, this was an instant hit. Heated and melted with provolone and mayo, mustard and Italian dressing. The wife ordered the Firehouse Meatball™. With plenty of hot meatballs, marinara sauce and provolone, she was quite pleased. The munchkin got the Kid’s Grilled Cheese, his favorite when available. It came with a drink and a couple of Oreos®.
The wife and I shared our sandwiches. They were the medium size, 8″ subs, which were the perfect size. With the combo came a bag of chips and a 16 ounce drink. We threw in a chocolate chip cookie for good measure. Now, this was fast and fresh done right. Sure the chips were bagged, but when you go to a sandwich shop, that’s what you expect. I didn’t see anything I would change. There were multiple bottles of hot sauce available for those who so choose. I tried an Irish hot sauce which added an interesting fire to the sandwiches.
If you are in the mood for a sub and there is a Firehouse nearby, check them out. They are definitely worth it!
We recently visited the newly opened Canyons Burgers establishment in downtown Woodstock, GA. After anticipating a new restaurant in the area, we were quite disappointed. When you enter you feel as if you were at a McDonald’s on steroids. You follow down the inside wall of the building, much like an elementary school cafeteria. When you reach the registers, a pleasant person takes your order. Behind the cashiers is a window where you can see the cooks working away on orders. I didn’t think this was really something I needed to see, so I’m not sure if this was a feature of the restaurant or just how it was designed.
Unless you order a chicken tender plate or a “lil’ campers” meal, everything is a la carte at this restaurant. There are 9 different burger choices with 21 toppings you can choose from. You also have 8 “sides” with only 4 options actually qualifying as a true side dish. Drinks are also ordered separately, with a surprising option of “Ice Cold Beer.”
The family (myself, the wife, and our 10 year old munchkin) placed our order: Cheese Burger with Fries and Soft Drink (me), Swisshroom Burger with Split Fries (regular and sweet potato) and Soft Drink (wife), Soft Drink (munchkin). The cost came to $21 and change. WOW, expensive!!! We’re given a number and some cups and told to help ourselves to the drinks and sit anywhere, our food will be out shortly. We get our drinks from the self-serve (I like to call them “hydration stations”), get our condiments and find a table.
While we are waiting (and waiting) we notice there are 5 big screen plasma tvs on the walls. They must be for your visual enjoyment, because there was no sound. All of them were tuned to some kind of sport or outdoor show. Seemed like a waste as they don’t really fit the concept of a burger joint. But now I understand why food for 2 is so expensive.
When the food itself finally found us, we were again disappointed. For the money we expected much more. The burgers may have been fresh and 100% Black Angus, but the toppings, buns and fries dragged the whole experience down. For advertising that everything is fresh, the french fries were most decidedly “oven ready” and were undercooked as well. The wife said the sweet potato fries were good.
At the end of the meal, another pleasant young person came by the table and removed our dishes and cheerily said, “Make sure you take your souvenir cups with you!” So that’s why it’s so expensive!
Unfortunately, for the price, the atmosphere and the food, Canyons only gets a C- from me. We won’t be going back any time soon.
Watch for my upcoming review of Five Brothers Burgers.