Bites Nearby: Fire Station 1

Fire Station 1 Restaurant and Brewing Co. strikes the perfect balance of cool brewery restaurant for adults and fireman rescue hero dream for the kids. Mom and Dad get low-priced, quality beer on tap like Hook & Ladder, some of the best crab cakes and french fries in the DC area (from the Examiner’s restaurant review, “Is there a such thing as a perfect french fry? This one is up there…”) and $8 lunch specials.

The restaurant is also a built-in history lesson for the children. Right across the street from the B&O train station and the current, modern fire station facility, the restaurant is housed in the historic Silver Spring National Guard Armory. The Armory was converted to the first Silver Spring fire house in 1919 and the firehouse themed restaurant is even owned by a retired Montgomery County firefighter. Inside, the official fire station decor, as well as the coloring pages and Wikki Stix that the servers will bring your kids, will keep them happily entertained until their food arrives.

The Jr. Firefighters menu is also well-priced and healthier than many kid menus. The default side order to your little one’s handmade mac-n-cheese or 4 oz. (non-frozen) angus burger is steamed broccoli “trees”, although you can instead request those perfect french fries for your little Master or Miss Potato Head.

If you’re a poker person, there’s free Texas Hold’em every Monday, and trivia nights are on Wednesdays. Happy Hour is Monday-Friday from 3-7pm, with $3 Drafts, $5 Martinis, 1/2 Price J Lohr Wines and 50-cent wings.

8131 Georgia Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20910, (301) 585-1370

Monday-Thursday 11am-10pm, Friday 11am-12am, Saturday 12pp-12am, Sunday 12pm-10pm