Firehook Bakery and Coffee House

Was looking for a bakery and I’m so glad I came across this place on Unilocal.Everything I had was delicious and priced very reasonable. I got a chocolate espresso cookie, peanut butter cookie and a fruit tart. That fruit tart… so good.

A host provided cookies from this joint and they were good. I ventured there to see what else might whet our appetite. Hubby and I are lovers of chocolate so natch we bought the mini chocolate pie. It was wonderful.

Reviews speak for themselves. Rude staff, mediocre food products. Little sitting room. Not coming back.

The management reached out to me and asked me to taste breads direct from the bakery as opposed to the store shelf. They were indeed much better, moist, and tasty – the Johnny Appleseed that is (not the Lemon Poppy, which I would not buy again). I did go back to the store in Cleveland Park and bought another Johnny Appleseed loaf for some company and it was tasty and moist.
Good management and customer service!

Bleh! Big mistake coming here. Asked what was on the portabello mushroom sandwich and the cashier said «read the sign behind you» and took the next person’s order before I could even respond. It’s almost like she was actively TRYING to frustrate her customers.

That’s it Firehook. I’m done.
When I moved to the neighborhood a couple of years ago, Firehook was a big draw for me: a quiet independent bakery and coffee shop to meet friends at or grab a pastry on the way home. Perfect. I’m not a daily customer, but I probably come in about once a week. I tip. I’m patient if there’s a long line. I have a thick skin.
The rudeness of the staff, and the hostility from the older woman with short hair (maybe the manager or owner) ensures that I’m not returning. Recently it was the breaking point. I’m not spending any more money at an establishment that treats their customers poorly. The convenience and quality don’t justify their behavior.

I’ve gone here twice and both times only one thing stood out to me: the rude older woman at the cashier.
She is short, not friendly, and unaccommodating. For example, I asked if I could have a just-​strawberry smoothie (without bananas) and she said no… even though I asked the same thing about a month ago and was able to.
As for the food: I’ve only gotten smoothies and a salad here, and theyre both not very good and overpriced.

Get their Ham & Cheese Croissant!
It was just a nice warm Saturday afternoon and we was strolling through the neighborhood looking for a nice cup of coffee. As luck would have it, Unilocal put this place within walking distance and gave it a go.
Does this place ever slow down? There were tons of people there and the place was humming like a well-​piled machine. It looked like 4 employees were handling a throng of people — well done!
We grabbed a seat with our coffee and enjoyed a croissant and turnover. Everything was good: the iced coffee could’ve have more flavor, but maybe the ice just melted some, and the croissant was superb but even better if it was hot. It ended up being a nice place to hang out and people-​watch some — critique looks, clothes, food orders, etc.
Highly recommend coming here and I look forward to dropping by whenever!
dmo out

I can’t fathom why there are so many of these crappy coffee shops/​bakeries in DC. Firehook is one of the worst. Poor service, crappy coffee, and the baked goods aren’t even very good.

Stopped in on Sunday for coffee, and despite the place being mobbed, the line moved quickly and the staff was very friendly! The inside is set up oddly, but the back patio was very relaxing, particularly on such a beautiful day! I didn’t try any of the baked goods, but they all looked excellent, and my latte was delicious.
My only criticism is that the place was a little dirty. I’m sure we were hitting them right at their rush hour, so it’s understandable, but a little off putting.
I’ll definitely be back to try some of their bakery items, and for another latte!

3.5 but I rounded up.
Good selection of freshly made bread and pastries.
The ham and cheese crossiants are especially delicious. I usually get lattes. The iced coffee is just OK.

Excellent, experienced baristas. They make things run smoothly even when it gets packed. I think Firehook bakery is fast, efficient, and everyone here is really polite.
I usually order a soy cappuccino and blueberry muffin and enjoy myself outside on their peaceful patio. Their banana bread is great too!
They need more bike racks.

Stopped in for a coffee and breakfast sandwich on a Sunday morning. As has already been mentioned this place is not known for great service but I’ve experienced worst. My friend actually had such a horrible experience he vowed to never return. I thought the coffee was great for a house blend and the breakfast sandwich was decent though I’ve had better. I would love to go back once the weather warms up to enjoy the back patio.

Strange layout — not great for seating any number of people. But I love the baked goods. Amazing blondies and ice/​sugar cookies in holiday shapes. Everything is fresh and delicious. Service is good. Nice cosy atmosphere.

Went in on a Friday at about 5:30 p.m.
Was greeted by a surly cashier. Was ignored when I said «hello.» Anyways, got a hot chocolate and a tart. The hot chocolate came out cold and the cup wasn’t even filled to the top. There was no whipped crème on there either. Don’t know if it’s standard, but for what they charge it should be.
The tart was cold and the custard was hard enough that it was obvious it had been sitting out all day.
The guy emptying the trash cans did so when I was sitting right next to the bin and sprayed bleach all over the place while I was eating right next to it. Thanks, dude, that goes great with my meal!
Never going back here again.

I’ve been here countless times so I figured it was a good time to write a solid review. If you’re lazy like me and just want the short version: go here for breakfast and any bakery items. Definitely try the bacon, egg, and cheese croissant sandwich. It is huge and will really fill you up. The bagels are pretty good and I haven’t tried the toast yet. I came here once for lunch and the sandwiches are just alright. They sound better than they taste and are a little pricey for what you get.
Be sure to sit in the back area of the restaurant during a nice day since they have amazing outdoor seating.

I had two things there 1) soy «cappuccino» and 2) raspberry and cream cheese brownie
I would like to start off by saying i’m enormously disappointed in this bakery. The service was mediocre, at best and the soy cappuccino was actually a soy latte… I every feel like paying a premium for coffee when I can do something similar at home. Very sad.
The brownie was so rich and sweet that I actually did not feel good after eating it.
Honestly, there are so many places to go to that I would never return here… Starbucks does a better job and as much as i frequent there I prefer smaller restaurants.

I’ve had the croissants and croissant sandwiches from the location in Old Town, and here is no exception. It’s only a few blocks north from Dupont and has so many amazing pastries to choose from.
Last night my husband brought back cookies for desert. They were both larger than my FACE and were only $ 2.20 a piece, where somewhere else would charge the same for a much smaller cookie.

This review is only for breakfast.
My boyfriend and I were in DC for three days, and all three mornings while walking from the house we were staying in to the subway, we would stop by Firehook Bakery for breakfast and coffee. We would usually get here sometime between 9−10am each morning. They were never really that busy any day that we were there — one day there was about five people in front of us, and that was the busiest they ever were the days we stopped by.
We are simple breakfast people on vacation (we’d rather eat up for lunch or dinner). So each morning we both got a muffin and a bowl of fruit each. We’d also both get a bottle of water and I’d get an Iced Coffee for caffeine load up. Prices were moderate, with the grand total was around $ 12 – 15 each day for both of us.
You really can’t go wrong with what we ordered. The Iced Coffee was tasty. Fruit was always fresh. One morning they were out of the muffin I wanted, but we were there later that morning, but they always had plenty of other muffin options. Service was a hit or miss, depending on how busy they were.
There are tables to eat in the front of the building, a few inside, and a terrace out back (which looked pretty).
For a simple and fast breakfast, this place is the place to go. I’m not sure I would do anything more fancy here than what we ordered though.
Cheers!

I met a friend here for coffee once and it was just okay. First, the building is very long and skinny– not really the fault of Firehook. But there is limited seating and the seating is very crowded. I felt like I was talking to people at other tables.
Disclaimer: I am not a coffee drinker, but every once in a while on a cold day I’ll order some. It was raining the day of my visit, so I went with a simple cappuccino. I thought the drink tasted fine, but there was a lot of empty room in my cup that could have been filled with more coffee. And there was a ton of foam, so the actual drink probably only filled up ¹⁄₃ of the cup.
Since I’m not a regular coffee drinker and this isn’t the best place to meet a friend, I don’t see myself coming here very often.