Another top Happy Hour pick is Firebirds Wood Fired Grill. FYI, this is only at the Firebar and patio area; available Monday through Friday from 4-6:30. I will go ahead and forewarn you; the Double Black Diamond Martini is one that can get you in trouble! It is a simple, yet refreshing drink that goes down so easy you may not realize the effects before it’s too late. They infuse their vodka with pineapple, and this is prominently displayed on their bar corners. This cocktail is brought to your table being shaken along the way and poured table-side in a chilled glass, garnished with a slice of pineapple.

On to another top pick, the Siesta Sangria. It comes with either red or white wine, and both are delicious, served with diced fresh fruit. This is probably one of the best sangrias I’ve tasted. The white sangria is made with the Capsaldo Moscato, which makes it sweeter. The Lemonade Drop is tasty here as well, served with a sugar rim and mixed with Alex’s Lemonade, which donates a portion to fight childhood cancer.

A good start from the Happy Hour menu is some Fired Up Shrimp. These fried shrimp are tossed in a spicy Sriracha sauce. They have a little heat but nothing to set your mouth on fire. Another of my go-to’s here was the Chimichurri Grilled NY Strip Skewers. This was a great gluten-free option. The steak was well seasoned, and the cilantro chimichurri was delicious. This was all served over some cubed, herbed potatoes, and was a hearty appetizer which could honestly be a small meal in itself. I say all that in past tense because they have now changed this appetizer to Steak Tacos. This is wood-grilled chimichurri steak with spicy sriracha sour cream, cabbage and pickled onions. The flavor is still great, but I wouldn’t opt for these again. The steak is a little chewy … the skewers were much better. One appetizer that wasn’t my favorite was the Chile Chicken Tostada Bites. These are nothing more than a few corn tortilla chips with a little topping, and rather disappointing in size and its lack of flavor. The goat cheese gives a unique flavor to nachos, but they are rather dry with just a little bit of green chile cheese sauce.

The Beef Sliders are delicious for the price, especially if you have kids, these are perfect, and come three to an order. There’s just something about a little cheeseburger with a pickle and mustard to dip them in. These do come with several grilled, diced onions and mustard on the burger, so if you’re not an onion or mustard fan, you may want to leave these two items off. Another delicious option is the Prime Rib Sliders. The tender prime rib shavings are served on toasted brioche buns and topped with a zesty horseradish sauce and crispy onion straws.

A newer addition to the Happy Hour menu is the Crab and Corn Fritters. These are similar to hushpuppies, made with jumbo lump crab, corn fritters and fried, served over chipotle ranch. These are crispy and presentation is appealing. The crab isn’t overwhelming but can be found throughout these tasty bites.

A couple of items not on the menu any longer included the Meatballs served with a creamy tomato sauce and grilled focaccia bread. These were very tender with the rich flavor of the tomato sauce and bread, it was one of my favorites. If you were looking for a little fiesta in your mouth, the Tuna Street Tacos. The seared tuna came topped with charred corn salsa, along with avocado lime slaw and fresh jalapeno and cilantro. This was popping with flavor. I would love to see these two items come back on the menu.

An appetizer not on the Happy Hour menu but is one to try is the Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls. These are crispy on the outside and cheesy on the inside, served with Thai chili and Hot Mustard sauce drizzled on top. Firebirds Lobster Spinach Queso didn’t impress me. It’s not much queso for the amount of chips (of course I drown my chips with dip) and the flavor of the queso is lacking, and not much lobster to speak of.

The atmosphere here can be casual or dressy. There is a fireplace centered near the Firebar area, a patio area to take advantage of on a pretty day and the giant folding windows that open. The remainder of the restaurant has regular seating along with a private dining room that can be reserved at no cost.

For another Happy Hour review, please click here!

-Tennessee Taster