The Firehouse Restaurant is a fine dining establishment located in historic Old Sacramento, housed in an 1853 redbrick firehouse. It opened as a restaurant in 1960.

History

In 1850, Sacramento organized California’s first fire department. After two major fires resulted in extensive damage to the area, a new brick firehouse was built in 1853 to house the fire chief and volunteer crew of Engine Company No. 3. A succession of owners and tenants were custodians of the building until its purchase by Newton Cope in 1959. Mr. Cope undertook a major renovation on the firehouse building, converting it into a small bar and restaurant reminiscent of the Gold Rush Era. This was the first building renovation of the new Historic District. The Firehouse was later designated as a historical landmark. The Firehouse Restaurant officially opened for business in 1960. The restaurant has since attracted governors, politicians, diplomats, sports and entertainment celebrities, international business people, tourists and locals. The Firehouse wine list represents more than 2,100 individual labels and its wine cellar houses more than 18,000 bottles. As the governor of California, Ronald Reagan held both of his inaugural dinners at The Firehouse. In 1999 Harvego Enterprises purchased the restaurant. The restaurant has a staircase which was previously used in the Preston Castle (now the

Preston School of Industry The Preston School of Industry, also known as Preston Castle, was a reform school located in Ione, California, in Amador County. It was proposed by, and ultimately named after, state senator Edward Myers Preston. The cornerstone was laid in Dec ...

) until it was closed and portions of the castle sold at auction. In 2004, the building was used as a set in the 2005 film,

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. In 2009,

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held a press conference at the restaurant to announce that the city would be included in the 2010 Amgen Tour of California. The Sacramento chapter of

The Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestant church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. The organisation reports a worldwide membership of over 1.7million, comprising soldiers, officers and adherents col ...

held its first meeting at the Firehouse Restaurant on May 19, 1885. On May 19, 2010, the Firehouse Restaurant hosted the chapter's 125th anniversary meeting.

Awards & recognitions

*“Award of Excellence” from

Wine Spectator Magazine ''Wine Spectator'' is an American lifestyle magazine that focuses on wine and wine culture, and gives out ratings to certain types of wine. It publishes 15 issues per year with content that includes news, articles, profiles, and general entertain ...

Sacramento magazine ''Sacramento Magazine'', sometimes titled ''Sacramento'', is a monthly regional magazine based in Sacramento, California, published and owned by Hour Media. The magazine was established in 1975. Mike O'Brien bought the magazine from Micromedia Aff ...

readers voted The Firehouse for various dining awards, including “Best Wine List, Best Special Occasion, Best Outdoor Dining and Best Old Favorite.” *Received Sacramento magazine’s Editor’s Choice Award “The Firehouse Courtyard—Best Atmosphere for Dining.” *

Citysearch Citysearch is an online city guide that provides information about businesses in the categories of dining, entertainment, retail, travel, and professional services in cities throughout the United States. Visitors to each of Citysearch's local city ...

awarded The Firehouse the “Best Special Occasion” award. *Awarded the “Award of Unique Distinction” from

Wine Enthusiast Magazine ''Wine Enthusiast'' magazine is an American wine magazine published by Wine Enthusiast Companies in Valhalla, New York. Founded in 1979 by Adam and Sybil Strum, Wine Enthusiast Companies engages in the wine accessories, storage, information, educat ...

in 2006 and 2007. * California Restaurant Association's Best California Wine List Competition Winner

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Firehouse Restaurant Buildings and structures in Sacramento, California Restaurants in California Tourist attractions in Sacramento, California Commercial buildings completed in 1853 Restaurants established in 1959 1959 establishments in California