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Jack’s Firehouse in Fairmount – Restaurants in Philadelphia

February 20, 2025 By Jeff Belonger

‘Innovative American Cooking Style’

Jack’s Firehouse is located in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia, approximately five blocks from Eastern State Penitentiary. The restaurant was a firehouse from the 19th century, built around 1871 and moved to its new location in 1954.

Jack’s Firehouse Experience & Atmosphere

When walking into Jack’s Firehouse, the original mahogany interior, wood plank floors, and even the brass fire pole remain intact. You’ll also notice the large mahogany bar with beer taps resembling old fire canisters. And if you look above the bar, you’ll see an old racing scull hanging above, which gives an added touch to the bar.

Jack’s has six types of beer on draft and 12 bottled beers. When it comes to wine, they have seven types of red wines and seven types of white wines. They also have a few signature drinks, such as the Extinguisher 11, which is warm spiced apple cider with aged rum and brandy. Or you could try the Hooks and Ladders Martini, which has blueberry vodka and blue curacao.

The founder of Jack’s Firehouse, Chef Jack McDavid, is a celebrity in his own right. He is best known for his four-year stint at the Food Network’s Grillin’ and Chillin’, and he has been cooking for 40 years. Jack opened his first restaurant, the Down Home Diner, in March of
1987, at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. In 1989, he opened Jack’s Firehouse in Fairmount, Philadelphia.

Jack uses locally grown food to accomplish his cooking style, many of which come from 200 Pennsylvania farms. Some of the specialties at Jack’s include super meaty crab cakes, crispy fried calamari, Jack’s Barbequed Ribs, house-cured salmon, and superior cuts of beef.

Jack’s Firehouse in Fairmount has continued Jack McDavid’s traditions through owner Mick Houston, who realizes the importance of maintaining relationships with the local community and using local products. The restaurant itself adds a different style and ambiance to those restaurants in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia.

Jack’s Firehouse Restaurant Extras

Outdoor seating – weather permitting
Upstairs seating for parties and banquets | Seating up to 60 people | Jack’s can accommodate up to 200 including the downstairs