Written by Karen Pacifico
Photography by Donna Huffman

here’s a new destination in town and its’ theme is a firehouse. From the name, menu, décor, telephone number and staff attire, you know that owner, Mari-Rene is carrying the theme for the restaurant in all she presents.

Growing up in Brooklyn, NY I heard the sound of sirens along with all the other traditional street sounds twenty-four hours a day. The first fire engine which was used in Brooklyn was a wooden box, about eight feet long, three feet wide, and two feet six inches deep, and was mounted on four small solid wheels like those of a child’s go-cart. It was bolted together with iron and was almost wholly without beauty or symmetry.The position of fireman was eagerly sought as one of respectability and honor, and in 1787 nine citizens were appointed firemen and compelled to obtain licenses, for which they paid 4 shillings each, the fees thus received being applied towards payments of the current expenses of the company. Needless to say we’ve come a long way since then. The sound of sirens was a part of the larger city picture and not as obvious as they are when heard in the quietness of the Lowcountry. This review is as much about Station 70 as it is a tribute to the men and women associated with this well respected profession.

The first organized fire fighting forces appeared in ancient Rome around 23 B.C. during the reign of Augustus Caesar and as you can imagine their duties were very basic in nature. The services provided today by our nation’s fire organizations, including the Fire Rescue Department, are extremely diversified. The Bluffton Township Fire District has responded to the growth of this area and is comprised of six stations: 30 serves Downtown, 31 Pritchardville, 32 Callawassie, 33 Moss Creek, 34 Sun City and 35 Headquarters. Station 70 celebrates these stations with each booth being named for a Bluffton fire station and including a photo of that station on the wall of the booth. We all know you can’t have a legitimate fire station without the Fire Department’s Dalmatian mascot and Station 70 is no exception. You won’t hear him bark and he won’t beg for scraps from your table but he’s part of the interesting memorabilia that Mari-Rene has incorporated.

In addition to booths, you may want to sit at the unique custom-made concrete bar with a stage built directly overhead where everyone can view the entertainers. Or enjoy their outside Beer Bar or the outside screened patio which has a covered area and a misting system for additional comfort. There are eight flat screen HD TVs, offering the Baseball Package DirecTV, NASCAR, and more.

The menu has Fire Starters (appetizers), First Alarm (salads and soup offerings), and Second Alarm which provides various Burger options and sandwiches. Donna and I enjoyed speaking with Sharon Pennington, Front of the House Manager who has worked in the Food and Beverage business for a number of years.There are daily lunch and dinner specials, happy hour specials, Big B Karaoke, Kid’s Night and Early Bird Specials. Served after 5pm are Full on Blaze (hand cut steaks), Fire Drill (pasta and chicken) and From the Hydrant (seafood).

Donna enjoyed the Station 70 Cheese Burger, which is a 10-oz. hand-made prime burger, served with lettuce, tomato and onion.The burger is 100% Ground Angus Beef, cooked to order and served with fries. I felt a little more adventuresome and tried the Prime Rib Sandwich, which consists of tender prime rib, caramelized onions, and melted cheddar cheese. We both ate half our main meal taking the other half home so we could sample a soup and dessert. We shared the Baked Potato Soup; a delicious creamy style chunky soup topped with bacon, cheddar and scallions and shared a yummy Bananas Foster for dessert. Thank you Sharon for that suggestion.

Stop in and visit the newest Station in town. As you can tell Mari-Rene really has created an atmosphere with an interesting concept.

From the area residents, workers, visitors and tourists, we offer our thanks to those special professionals who provide for emergency medical and fire protection services to the community. So sound the alarm, enjoy a beer and toast our local stations.

STATION 70 BAR & GRILL
(843) 837-FIRE (3473)
70 Pennington Drive #1, Highway 278 in Sheridan Park
www.station70.sc.com
Hours: Monday –Saturday
11 till 10pm for dinner,
with bar open till “the call”
Sunday 12 –8pm
Early Bird:
Monday –Friday 4-6pm
includes glass of House Chardonnay or Merlot
Happy Hour: 4-7 pm
Lunch Buffet: includes soft drink or tea
Kids Eat Free Wednesday: kids enjoy 1 free meal with purchase of 1 Adult entrée
All Day Friday:
Fish Fry includes hush puppies and slaw