text: I visited Firebirds with my wife during the recent Arizona Restaurant Week I did not realize it was a chain until after I would made reservations This would usually be a nonstarter for locavores like us but the prixfixe menu looked appealing and it was close to home for a weeknight dinner so we stuck with the plannnThe place is BIG Claim Jumper big but not obscene like Cheesecake Factory This was a bit of a putoff but the dim lighting and wellspaced seating made it feel a bit more intimate The smell of wood smoke in the entryway was delightful and did a good job communicating what Firebirds is all about Both the hostess and waiter were polite and knowledgeable Service was attentive but not rushed on what appeared to be a slow weeknight we spent an hour or so enjoying our dinner rather than feeling like a turnnnThe Restaurant Week menu was a great bargain at bucks a head for an app entree and dessert Learning that wine by the bottle was half price that night was just a cherry on top They started us out with a nice bit of crusty fresh baked breadnnFor apps the boss had a crab cake and I ordered Firebirds signature BLT salad The crab cake was well seasoned if a bit mushy in the center The accompanying coleslaw was a split decisionI liked it but she did not enjoy the tortilla strips that were meant to add crunch Honestly the crisp purple cabbage provided plenty of texture I am not usually a salad guy but the BLT was fantastic The finelydiced tomatoes and abundant large bits of crisp thickcut bacon appeared in every bite and it was tossed with just the right amount of creamy garlic dressingnnOur entrees were nicely prepared which is a tall order when one of them is a pork tenderloina cut that is not naturally flavorful and very easy to dry out Mine was done to a perfect medium as promised by our waiter with a moist barely pink center despite a great char from the grill Another half teaspoon of the glaze and it would have been perfect The wifes sea bass was cooked and seasoned well but the thickness of the fillet was inconsistent resulting in slightly overcooked edges The potato sides chile cheddar mash for me and a potato pancake for her were both excellent but overabundant We sure would have loved some fresh veg instead of all those carbs and plenty of butter no doubtnnOur desserts were nothing to write home about The flute of mixed fresh berries and cream was light and refreshing but nothing more than you would expect The chocolate brownie a la mode was a bit dense and lacked the chocolate punch and fudgy texture I look for in a good brownie it certainly did not give the impression that it was baked in housennWith the exception of the potato sides mentioned above portion sizes were appropriatesatisfying but not excessive The prices listed on the regular menu for the items we ordered were pushing the limits of what I would consider fair they certainly would not be what I would consider a bargainnnOverall we were impressed This threestar review is in part a reflection of my personal preference for small locallyowned restaurants with executive chefs you know by name Compared headtohead against its true peers upperechelon national chains it is deserving of four stars and will be one of our goto places when we need a safe choice for a nice dinner with a mixed group of friends or family