Fire on the Mountain burns the house down with their elevated bar bites. This isn’t the average dive bar—it prides itself on providing wholesome ingredients in dishes meant to be devoured in seconds. Their specialties of wings and fried favorites are what make people excited to give them a try.
It is the creativity in their sauces, organic ingredients and textbook execution that make Fire on the Mountain a neighborhood gem. On Logan Street, it is easy to spot the restaurant with rows of picnic tables bringing the backyard feast vibe alive. Their set up makes for just enough room to store all their shareable appetizers.
There is nothing better than ripping apart fried mozzarella to expose the melted mess hidden behind a layer of garlicky bread crumbs. The pearly white center holds on dearly to hand-dredged crumbs, and it may just be the world’s longest cheese pull. Marinara sauce is the expected sidekick, but there is a kick of spice to the tomato base. It complements the natural sugars in tomatoes and is packed with fresh herbs that stand up to the other flavors at play.
Whether they are traditional or sweet potatoes, french-cut or tots, these tasty sides are not to be skipped. The crispiness is exactly what to expect from a fry. The hefty sprinkling of salt leads to euphoric tingling, but can be switched up with their cajun flavor that imparts notes of garlic, onion and paprika.
The real show stopper is their wings. Each is delicately fried, so they have a thin crisp exterior to keep the steaming chicken tender. No wing can live without its saucy partner. The minds behind Fire on the Mountain hit on every level of buffalo flavor but set themselves apart by playing mad scientist with some. Pre-COVID-19, they had pretzel rods and little cups of the sauces at the ready to give customers a quick taste of each one.
Both drumstick and wings come slathered in the sauce of your choosing. Their “fire” comes through in sauces like “el jefe” that show you who’s boss. For those that want to make it through at least half a dozen, there are options that tone down the spice and add in flavors from sour to sweet.
What arrives in bright orange hues is not be their buffalo sauce, but a spicy Thai peanut. We may usually see this sauce coating noodles, but it is a great switch-up on wings. Instead of simply making them hot, it supplements and adds depth to the spices. It creates new flavor profiles that make a recognizable sauce more nuanced.
Their lime-cilantro sauce brings you back to enjoying every minute of that fiesta while eating a tortilla with a squeeze of lime. It is no doubt a refreshing flavor, as the citrus complements the sharpness of the cilantro.
Keeping with the theme of bold flavors, they also do a Jamaican jerk that packs a huge punch. It has layers of heat and garlic, as well as a hint of sugary sweetness. The Caribbean flare comes into play with notes of citrus to keep the brightness alive. They are not too spicy, so before long, the tray will only be bare bones!
The sweet barbecue builds off the tomato base and incorporates deep caramel notes of molasses. It gives the wings that familiar sticky feeling that comes with eating with your hands. Ordering the spicy peanut and raspberry habanero together make for an iconic match-up. This is not the peanut butter and jelly we grew up with in our brown bag lunch. Instead, it creates a balanced trifecta of spicy, sweet and salty.
Even with the fun bar aesthetic, this restaurant keeps quality to the highest degree and makes sure to source locally. Their chicken is cage, hormone and antibiotic-free. Go over to Fire on the Mountain for some wicked wings—they do not wing it with a random dinner reservation.
