Firefly Bistro

(626) 441-2443

1009 El Centro St
South Pasadena, CA 91030 34.1147 -118.1569

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Neighborhood: San Marino

EATATFIREFLY.COM

Last updated 6.20.11

Category:

Restaurants, Catering

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Discover, Diners Club, MasterCard

Catering Services:

Restaurant Management

Restaurant Special Features:

Brunch

Cuisine:

Traditional American

What People Are Saying About Firefly Bistro

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The Scene – Firefly captures the festive romance of a tent wedding. Couples and foursomes sit under the open canopy, basking in the well-placed drama lights, surrounded by a grotto of greenery. The staff treats the guests like family, at times overly friendly, but nonetheless charming. – – The Food – This menu shines: The husband-and-wife chef duo deliver modern mixes of fresh, seasonal ingredients with Southern and tropical flavors, often with sparkling results. Highlights include lemony, grilled romaine salad, dotted with hearts of palm and lightly fried artichoke…

Editor's Tips

What to Drink:
The wine list has about a dozen by-the-glass selections, ranging $5-$9. For $7 corkage, bring your own bottle.
When to Go:
The restaurant opens a half hour earlier on Thursday evenings to accomodate foot traffic from the adjacent farmer's market. A special small plates menu is served from 5pm to 8pm.
Know Before You Go:
The menu changes every six to eight weeks based on available seasonal ingredients.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. The ambience is beautiful - dining in essentially the outdoors.
  2. really like the ambiance of this restaurant and the food is quite good as well.
  3. Friendly atmosphere, amazing deserts
  4. Service was pleasant, even though it was a cold night and the restaurant is under a tent it was still nice and cozy.
  5. The atmosphere was very pleasant.
  6. the atmosphere is good, very romantic, not good for groups though.
  7. Since the service issue doesn't really bother me, I find this a great place for special occasion, fun dining.
  8. Great ambience and food
  9. Very nice atmosphere and staff.
  10. It's a very chic outdoor restaurant with a great atmosphere.
  11. the restaurant appeared to be a nice ambience, with twinkle lights and pseudo-outdoor overhead tent (there is NO indoor seating).
  12. The ambiance is very pretty and romantic though the temperature does fluctuate depending upon where you sit due to the tent/patio heating combination.
  13. Thursady night has a great atmosphere with the farm.
  14. The service was great, the food was great, and Ii always love the atmosphere so I never have any complaints.
  15. The outdoor setting was very romantic and the food was great.
  16. The ambience is friendly and fun and the food is excellent.
dessert
57.14000225067139% positive
  1. Also, th hot chocolate was not as good.
  2. The food was overly salted, the portions were small, the salmon was undercooked and had to be sent back, the ribs were tasteless and the waitress although being informed of a birthday, forgot the birthday dessert and simply shrugged her shoulders after pr
  3. The desserts, in particular, are terrific.
  4. The waitress was kind enough to bring out a candle in my husbands chocolate cake but unfortunately the cake was very disappointing and dry.
  5. Friendly atmosphere, amazing deserts
  6. great desserts
  7. Each appetizer, entree and dessert I've tasted I have enjoyed.
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. Nice inexpensive wine list.
  2. have been very impressed with several of their servers who are able to thoroughly describe each dish, suggest complimentary wines and even tell you where the fish is caught.
  3. Great food and wine, all under a big, sturdy wedding-like tent.
  4. Friendly service, nice bar + good beer menu.
  5. Not only did we have the best chicken and lamb that we've had in a very long time, there was a great selection of wines to choose from.
food quality
85.13999938964844% positive
  1. good food
  2. It has great food, good service and a neat local.
  3. We loved both dishes and just about licked our plates clean.
  4. Great ambience and food
  5. My wife had the bass and I had a great steak(called a "baseball", and it was round - though I'd never had such a cut before) and could not get over how great the food was.
  6. The outdoor setting was very romantic and the food was great.
  7. After some tapas we decided on a full meal.
  8. Not only did we have the best chicken and lamb that we've had in a very long time, there was a great selection of wines to choose from.
  9. The food is even worst!
  10. The food was excellent; from the Mint prawn appetizer to the trout entree simply delicious.
  11. After a recent visit I was impressed with the helpful waitstaff and the food.
  12. the people who opted to politely wait for all the food to arrive had to eat cold food, as there was a good 15-20 minute lapse.
  13. The food at Firefly is delicious.
  14. have been very impressed with several of their servers who are able to thoroughly describe each dish, suggest complimentary wines and even tell you where the fish is caught.
  15. The food is delicious and menu items change periodically.
  16. The ambience is friendly and fun and the food is excellent.
  17. Great food, sometimes service is lacking
  18. The food is delicious and the service is almost always quick and never fails to be friendly and talkative.
  19. I've been there a handful of times and always have had a good meal.
  20. Main dishes are interesting, but poultry was either salty or bland.
  21. Brunch food was excellent and we ending up ordering lots of different things and sharing.
  22. The food was overly salted, the portions were small, the salmon was undercooked and had to be sent back, the ribs were tasteless and the waitress although being informed of a birthday, forgot the birthday dessert and simply shrugged her shoulders after pr
  23. Good food, don't over think it.
  24. They provided a beautiful spread of breads and fresh fruit as starters.
  25. The service was great, the food was great, and Ii always love the atmosphere so I never have any complaints.
  26. The first time I went to Firefly, I had heard about it from a coworker who said the food was most excellent.
  27. Their salmon is amazing and they always have a really delicious, creative homemade ravioli dish on the menu as well.
  28. Main dishes are very good.
  29. We loved both dishes and cleaned our plates.
  30. Great food and wine, all under a big, sturdy wedding-like tent.
  31. The servers have always been quite friendly and knowledgeable about the food, but sometimes they seem to have their heads somewhere else.
  32. Nice setting but food does not live up to the hype
  33. The food however is horrible.
  34. the food was alrite not great but very expensive (i think) and the portions was small.
  35. I've had the grapefruit tart and (more recently) the panna cotta--both of which were delicious.
  36. good food but very pricey
  37. really like the ambiance of this restaurant and the food is quite good as well.
menu variety
83.33000183105469% positive
  1. The food is delicious and menu items change periodically.
  2. Their salmon is amazing and they always have a really delicious, creative homemade ravioli dish on the menu as well.
  3. Their menu is short, and they do virtually everything on it well (although the ribs are not so great, apparently!)
  4. Friendly service, nice bar + good beer menu.
  5. Not only did we have the best chicken and lamb that we've had in a very long time, there was a great selection of wines to choose from.
  6. It has a fabulous menu that is ever changing and accumulating new items.
overall
100.0% positive
  1. This is a great place to go for a special occaision and reservations are easy to make.
  2. hesitate to write this review because I don't want too many more people to know about Firefly, but it's such a great little restaurant I w.
  3. Since the service issue doesn't really bother me, I find this a great place for special occasion, fun dining.
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. Anyways, I'm just surprised and a bit excited so I'll be back and recommend this restaurant, highly.
  2. We had a pleasant experience overall and will return to your establishment on another occasion.
service
67.23999977111816% positive
  1. Every time I go, be it with friends or family, I am warmly greeted, seated promptly and receive excellent service.
  2. It has great food, good service and a neat local.
  3. The ambience is friendly and fun and the food is excellent.
  4. The service is usually quite slow - and dining here is not a quick experience.
  5. i've been to Firerfly bistro quite a few times and always had a good time though the service can be slow and sometimes the servers seem disorganized.
  6. The service was the worst I have ever experienced.
  7. was the first one there in my party and the hostess was rude and sarcastic.
  8. The waitress was kind enough to bring out a candle in my husbands chocolate cake but unfortunately the cake was very disappointing and dry.
  9. the people who opted to politely wait for all the food to arrive had to eat cold food, as there was a good 15-20 minute lapse.
  10. she made faces and spoke under her breathe very rude!
  11. Very nice atmosphere and staff.
  12. We all thought that was a little rude and a bad way to welcome a big dinner party to your restaurant.
  13. The food is delicious and the service is almost always quick and never fails to be friendly and talkative.
  14. Great food, sometimes service is lacking
  15. Very special feeling, great event facility great staff attentive can b a bit more vrried with music but all in al my husband and my night was the best and most memorable for not only us but for ou fmily and friends to!
  16. One of the female hostesses (the one that has been at the restaurant since it opened) is consistenly rude, especially strange since the servers and the older gentleman who walks the room are so friendly.
  17. Even if the restaurant is empty, the service is slow.
  18. The food was overly salted, the portions were small, the salmon was undercooked and had to be sent back, the ribs were tasteless and the waitress although being informed of a birthday, forgot the birthday dessert and simply shrugged her shoulders after pr
  19. The only complaint I have is that every time I go there, the service is SLOW.
  20. The service was great, the food was great, and Ii always love the atmosphere so I never have any complaints.
  21. The staff were attentive and very nice.
  22. The staff is pleasant and friendly, which is great, but the real surprise is the warmth of the other patrons.
  23. The servers have always been quite friendly and knowledgeable about the food, but sometimes they seem to have their heads somewhere else.
  24. The servers are friendly enough but I'd rather have them be friendly AND efficient.
  25. Friendly service, nice bar + good beer menu.
  26. have been very impressed with several of their servers who are able to thoroughly describe each dish, suggest complimentary wines and even tell you where the fish is caught.
  27. The manager and waiter did everything to make our afternoon perfect.
  28. Since the service issue doesn't really bother me, I find this a great place for special occasion, fun dining.
  29. hesitate to write this review because I don't want too many more people to know about Firefly, but it's such a great little restaurant I w.
value
62.5% positive
  1. good food but very pricey
  2. The best part of Firefly is that you are able to dine outside under the canopy, and that the prices are reasonable.
  3. Nice inexpensive wine list.
  4. Small portions are great because you can order more than one course, and not be completely stuffed.
  5. I'm a huge hot choc fan and this was not the way it was before.
  6. Life is too short for expensive, bad meals.
  7. the food was alrite not great but very expensive (i think) and the portions was small.
  8. The food was overly salted, the portions were small, the salmon was undercooked and had to be sent back, the ribs were tasteless and the waitress although being informed of a birthday, forgot the birthday dessert and simply shrugged her shoulders after pr
wait time
41.66999816894531% positive
  1. The service is usually quite slow - and dining here is not a quick experience.
  2. The food is delicious and the service is almost always quick and never fails to be friendly and talkative.
  3. Not only did we have the best chicken and lamb that we've had in a very long time, there was a great selection of wines to choose from.
  4. i've been to Firerfly bistro quite a few times and always had a good time though the service can be slow and sometimes the servers seem disorganized.
  5. the people who opted to politely wait for all the food to arrive had to eat cold food, as there was a good 15-20 minute lapse.
  6. Even if the restaurant is empty, the service is slow.
1 Star Rating: Poor

02/15/11

Not Coming Back

by ZacharyL at Citysearch

My wife and I went here for Valentine's Day and had an absolutely terrible meal with atrocious service. The $100/couple set price was exorbitant. When I asked the waiter for details on how a dish was prepared the waiter took the menu from me and read the description (NOTE: I can read), which he had clearly never studied. After running out of ingredients for one of the three main course dishes they were serving that night, my wife and I finally settled on the arctic char and rib-eye plates. I spend more time and energy in the process of chewing my flat leathery steak than the chef had apparently spent in culinary school. The manager (owner?) and waiter were ill prepared and conceited. I will not be coming back.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

12/05/10

Fabulous Dining Experience

by candicetg2 at Citysearch

My husband and I consider ourselves to be foodies and are very selective about restaurant dining. We were blown away. I had the pecan crusted catfish (which I only tried because it is a house special), my husband had the NY steak - which sounded great, but I'm not a fan of the NY steak cut of meat. We also started with an appetizer of butternut squash "doughnuts" which the waiter recommended. All three items were flawless in their flavor and presentation. The chef creates an amazing balance of flavors that are subtle and others that are prominent. The waiter was attentive and informative and the overall ambiance was also quite nice - we also enjoyed the live music.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

02/16/10

Great place!

by agentorange at Citysearch

I had a wonderful experience. Carl, the owner, took care of me and my date for Valentine's Day and made sure we left completely satisfied. I can't wait to come back.

  • Pros: Food, parking, Service
  • Cons: None
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

11/30/09

I Had My Reception Here

by Elton3 at Citysearch

Very special feeling, great event facility great staff attentive can b a bit more vrried with music but all in al my husband and my night was the best and most memorable for not only us but for ou fmily and friends to! thanks Carl, Paul and Staff!!!!

  • Pros: Local Easy and Spaciouse
  • Cons: cut throat bck 2 bck prtys
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

04/12/09

Sunday Blues brunch

by blondie4LA at Citysearch

Eating under the "tent" surrounded by beautiful plants made us feel like we were on a picnic. Brunch food was excellent and we ending up ordering lots of different things and sharing. But the best thing was the music. An absolute master guitarist played 4 different guitars and mixed up his originals with down home country blues. We didn't want to leave buy could see people lined up waiting for a table. We will be back.

  • Pros: Loved the cinnamin rolls
  • Cons: hard to park

The Details on Firefly Bistro

Place Categories:

  • great brunch food
  • slow service
  • wonderful experience
  • cold food
  • great atmosphere
  • very nice staff
  • big sturdy weddinglike tent
  • recommend little restaurant
  • beautiful ambience
  • enjoyed appetizers
  • pretty bad everything
  • terrific desserts
  • quite good ambiance
  • loved main dishes
  • quite friendly servers
  • great event facility great staff attentive
  • nice outdoor setting
  • very disappointing cake
  • enjoyed main course
  • creative homemade ravioli dish
  • tasteless ribs
  • able prices
  • great place
  • bad meal
  • plain awful firefly
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