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Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: MBF ()
Date: June 28, 2007 11:11AM

Anyone been there yet; what is it exactly? I've not been able to find anything about it on the web.

EDIT: I figure it's a restaurant; just curious what kind, atmosphere, etc.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/2007 11:14AM by MBF.

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: bdimag ()
Date: June 28, 2007 01:42PM

sounds like one of them futuristic-type russian vodka bars

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: Paul ()
Date: June 28, 2007 02:15PM

Not sure whether it is the same chain, but we have a Fire & Ice in Cambridge, Mass. It is like a massive all-you-can-eat salad bar that in addition to salad, has all sorts of uncooked meats and stuff. You put together a plate of everything you want to eat, then take it to a central grill where they cook it for you. I really don't like the place. When it is busy you have to stand and wait for up to 15 minutes. I 'd rather someone just bring stuff to my table.

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: nothingman49 ()
Date: June 28, 2007 02:20PM

Wow Paul, I figure that I was the only one that left Fairfax but yet still post from lovely Cambridge Mass.

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: ferfux ()
Date: June 28, 2007 02:23PM

id go to that place but there wasnt any parking. you had to Pa'k ya ca'h in tha yaa'hd

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: Lester Burnham ()
Date: June 28, 2007 03:50PM

Where is this located in Fairfax City and is it open or under construction? Sounds like a Mongolian grill place which would be a nice addition to the area.

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: Spacy ()
Date: June 28, 2007 03:58PM

I went to the "Fire & Ice" in Cambridge, MA, and found it to be a dirty place with amazingly bad service. After being seated for a few minutes and scoping it out, I left without ordering anything. It was very trendy when it opened; I don't know if it went downhill after that, by the time I came along, or if it was just some kind of madness that had people standing in long lines. I suspect the latter.

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: MBF ()
Date: June 28, 2007 04:06PM

Where is this located in Fairfax City and is it open or under construction?

It's across the street from Patriot Harley Davidson, in the old Lone Star restaurant building. I believe it is open now.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/2007 04:07PM by MBF.

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: Lester Burnham ()
Date: June 28, 2007 04:59PM

The place in Cambridge is part of this chain...http://www.fire-ice.com/, but the Fairfax restaurant is not one of their locations.

I must not drive down Rt. 50 very often since I had no idea that the Lone Star had closed. Too bad, too, since I preferred it over Outback.

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: ferfux ()
Date: June 28, 2007 05:12PM

I prefer PJSkadooos on 50 myself. oh well. See you guys under the plasma

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l
Posted by: inkahootz ()
Date: June 28, 2007 06:40PM

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/01/2010 11:41PM by inkahootz.

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: Genevieve ()
Date: June 28, 2007 09:54PM

Too bad it isn't the fire-ice.com place. There was this restaurant in Ballston called the Flat Top Grill that had a very similar concept. I only went there once, but the service was fast and friendly and the food was yummy. Then they closed. :-(

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: TRICKIE ()
Date: June 28, 2007 10:03PM

I had my retirement party at PJ Skidoos. It was very reasonable and we had the entire basement party room. Food was plentiful and more could be ordered when some of the buffet containers ran out. I love Demetri, the owner. Oh and his uncle Billy too.

Trickie

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: MBF ()
Date: June 29, 2007 08:49AM

There was this restaurant in Ballston called the Flat Top Grill that had a very similar concept.

The food was good, but inconsistent. Also, the tables were so close, it was like you were at the same table with the people next to you even though you didn't come with them--unless you were one of the lucky few who got the booth.

The service really declined in the last year (twice I got someone else's food, and it was very slow arriving even though it wasn't busy), so I wasn't too suprised to see it go. Most of the time, when I was in that area, I would rather have hit Rio Grande or Rock Bottom Brewery anyway.

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: Guest123 ()
Date: July 03, 2007 02:14PM

Fire and Ice in fairfax has swingers nights on Friday night ;)

It has nice people there, howeveer the bar could have some major renivation. And the bar tenders didn't know how to make a purple hooter shooter.

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: MBF ()
Date: July 03, 2007 03:21PM

So what type of food did they have?

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: phil ()
Date: July 06, 2007 08:02PM

Dining at Fire and Ice was a very disappointing experience. I had the kabobs, which were very dry and tasteless. The apitizer that we had, the calamary, was under cooked and slimy and probably is a hazard to one's health. My friend had the "Athenian Chicken" which was also extremly dry and difficult to swallow. It is slathered in herbs that overpowered the chicken itself. It came with a side of so called "french fries" and were dripping wet and soggy for reasons unknown. My other friend has the "sweet and Sour Pork" which looked very unapitizing. We were also very displeased with the service which was slow even though no one was there. I don't recommend eating here.

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: ya ()
Date: July 06, 2007 11:22PM

Lester Burnham Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Where is this located in Fairfax City and is it
> open or under construction? Sounds like a
> Mongolian grill place which would be a nice
> addition to the area.

Like the one in Pimmit Hills near 7 that was infested with cockrocaches?!?!? SUre, bring in the mongolian rat grill back!!

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: funtimes ()
Date: July 06, 2007 11:22PM

They have all types of food. American, Mexican and so on. After 9pm they turn into a night club...Over 21. Wasn't bad food. Needs to get some kinks out though

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: TheMeeper ()
Date: July 06, 2007 11:45PM

Like the one in Pimmit Hills near 7 that was infested with cockrocaches?!?!?

Whoa, which one are you talking about? I've lived around this neighborhood for over a decade and I've never seen a Mongolian place in Pimmit. And trust me, I know all the local places.

Do you mean the one that was in McLean Commons from about 98-99?

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: RESton Peace ()
Date: July 06, 2007 11:48PM

a lot of people consider that entire area pimmit

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: TheMeeper ()
Date: July 07, 2007 12:00AM

a lot of people consider that entire area pimmit

Yeah so do I, but that place wasn't near 7, I'm just trying to figure out where he's talking about, or if he's just referencing a story he overheard somewhere. That place hasn't been there in a long long time, and it only existed for a few months, I'm surprised anyone even remembers it- I sure didn't!

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: ya ()
Date: July 07, 2007 03:30AM

Sorry, Mclean Commons is correct. Restonpeace is correct that some people consider the whole area pimmit in a way, only in that its so close. That place was damn good, until you spot cockroaches and all of a sudden they go under. Sounds like they relocated to Fairfax.

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: ya ()
Date: July 07, 2007 03:31AM

Also, I got 7 confused with Chain Bridge Rd, my fault.

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: KrpytoniteKid ()
Date: July 12, 2007 12:32PM

Fire and Ice, you say? I ate there about a week ago. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the area, the venue used to be a Lone Star Steak house, complete with the standard dimly-lit booths and cookie-cutter steakhouse atmosphere and menu. Fire & Ice seems to have gone to great lengths to renovate the place, having taken out all the booths, replacing them with cafeteria-style tables and chairs. In keeping with the cafeteria theme, Fire and Ice is very well-lit inside, with nary a wall or partition separating one table from another. The first hour or so of my visit was eerily quiet, as no music was playing and the lack of other patrons made conversation between my date and I awkwardly loud. The food was very no-frills: rolls/cornbread muffins were offered to us immediately, much like at finer dining establishments such as Coastal Flats or even Outback; these rolls, however were likely purchased in bulk from an army surplus store. If any of you are former Fairfax County Public Schools attendees, you'll recognize the bland, bleached, white flour rolls from the spaghetti Wednesdays lunch entree, circa 1990. The menu could only be categorized as eclectic, offering anything from fried chicken tenders and burgers to something named "Athenian Chicken." Don't let the pretentious international names fool you, though. Dishes we ordered came with steamed vegetables that taste fresh-out-of-the-freezer, and grilled chicken breasts that tasted like something that might've gotten thrown on the grill and forgotten about until the kitchen started filling up with smoke. Condiments/dipping sauces were served in disposable plastic sauce cups, and knives looked an awful lot like they might've been left behind by Lone Star when they left.
As for the wait staff-- no real complaints. Our waiter was very attentive, though our food took curiously long to arrive. I think my baked potato caught them off-guard. My overall impression of the place is that it warrants a second trip, if only to do some more investigation into whether it offers services other than food or is a front for criminal activity, as I can't imagine that the food was anything more than an afterthought when the owner decided to set up shop. If this place hopes to survive, they're going to have to rely on a hell of a lot more than a microwaved baked potato and frozen vegetables, which brings me to the most intriguing part of the whole experience, as told by a waitress:
- there is supposedly "dancing" between the tables after nine (but no "DJ" or dance floor, as state/local regulations require an entertainment license which hasn't yet been obtained by F&I)
- "cocktail waitresses", who supposedly wear next-to-nothing, serve drinks after 9pm.
- the fire and ice rooms become lounges?
I'll almost certainly be back, but next time for "cocktails," and not anything on the printed menu. ;)

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: Mike22Va ()
Date: August 03, 2007 11:14AM

Does anyone have a phone number for this place? I'm headed there tonight.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/03/2007 11:15AM by Mike22Va.

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: MBF ()
Date: August 03, 2007 12:52PM

According to the city of fairfax website, the fire & ice # is 703.865.7610

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Re: DEAD AND GONE -- Fire & Ice -- STARTING OVER
Posted by: Restaurant Owner ()
Date: October 10, 2007 06:55PM

On September 26, the name of the restaurant was changed to "The Fairfax Boulevard Restaurant." This was partly because the owners of the chain restaurant based in Boston were suing us, as they should have. My late partner neglected to check on whether the name was trademarked, or he didn't care -- don't know which. It's a much better name anyway. I'm glad to have the wierd logo gone, too

A lot has changed since the last post here on July 21. This is, coincidentally, the day my partner died. We have re-redecorated the dining room to achieve a more bright, welcoming look. The cheesy mirrors are gone, too. But we've preserved the monocromatic look of the bar, which was nice. The dining room is now all non-smoking, so the smaller rooms on the west and south sides are now available for private parties.

Swingers on Friday nights? I don't think so, but you're welcome to come by and check for yourself. We DO have a shag-dancing group that comes by and has dinner and dances in the aisles a little bit. We don't move tables for them or have a DJ (they mix their own music programs -- mostly beach music and classic rock -- that we play for them while they are here). Check them out on www.nvshag.org. We can't and won't have a DJ until our request for Special Permits for dancing and live entertainment are approved by the Fairfax City Council. Maybe by year-end -- the Zoning Office staff are abysmally slow.

We are, first-and-foremost, a family restaurant. Please check us out at www.fairfaxboulevardrestaurant.com. We'd like to create a club-type atmosphere on Friday and Saturday nights (after 9:30 PM), but that depends on the aforementioned Special Permits.

As for the food, it never was an afterthought, but it has gotten better than it was. Most of the dishes were and still are prepared fresh, despite what a previous poster asserted. We don't serve packaged dinner rolls that have been reheated any more, but the corn muffins were and are made fresh in our ovens as are the baked potatoes. The vegetables were horrible, as any product from a number-ten can would be. We've fixed that. There's a lot more to say abpot the food-- check out our website.

look, I don't want to be defensive here. It WAS what it was, and that was far from perfect. We're making progress every day. We arent'trying to be some gastronomic delight -- just a local restaurant that serves a variety of "market segments" who want good food in a hospitable atmosphere. Hope you'll give us a try.

Bill

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: joe d. ()
Date: October 11, 2007 08:28AM

I have heard from some swingers that go to the Fire House Grill in Fairfax that they also frequent this place too and are "recruiting"

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: Fairfax1 ()
Date: October 13, 2007 10:48AM

I know the poster of the original long-winded review and think I'll convince him to give it another shot.
To the owner: Thanks for the response! Its always nice to see mgmt respond to comments/criticism.

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: TRICKIE ()
Date: October 13, 2007 11:12AM

Thank you Bill for your honest comments. I will try the restaurant when I get a chance. Be careful. There are lots of homeless people hanging around there. They wait for that soup kitchen to open at Fairfax Circle by the 7/11. They drink a lot.

Trickie

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Re: Fire & Ice--Old Lone Star Building in Fairfax City
Posted by: Amanda Reed ()
Date: April 04, 2008 04:59PM

I don't think anyone will ever come to this site again but if you do I hope you read this comment. My father Rick Reed opened Fire and Ice and I worked there too I Know it had some kinks to get out and they would have happened easier and faster if Bill wasn't so cheep or would do things the RIGHT way the FIRST time but it really does not matter anymore. After my father died Bill ruined my fathers dream and great family restaurant because he had no idea what he was doing. He fired my whole family one month after my father died right after we moved closer to the restaurant. But like I said at my fathers funeral What does not kill you only makes you stronger...and I am still alive today! .....whats goes around comes around...

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