The Firebirds catering order form carries almost no labels. There is no badge for spicy, no badge for popular and no badge for new. There is one mark, a small asterisk after the name of a dish, and it sits on exactly seven of the 64 food items.
Those seven are the grill’s headline dishes: the sirloin, the salmon, the seared tuna, the roast beef and the steak penne. The asterisk is the brand’s consumer advisory. It says that the dish is served raw or undercooked, or may contain an ingredient that is. For an office planner it does something more useful as well. It shows you, in one glance, which trays to pair with an unstarred tray so that every guest in a mixed room has a full plate.
In this guide
- The seven starred dishes, and where they sit on the menu
- What the asterisk means, in the brand’s words and the FDA’s
- The two toppings that carry the star on the printed menu
- How to build a mixed room around the star
- The one extra field the checkout asks for
- One chafing kit for every two hot trays, with a worked order
- How to order, and what to settle before you do
Seven Starred Dishes, at All 74 Catering Storefronts
Firebirds Wood Fired Grill sells catering through a dedicated catering storefront, separate from its everyday online ordering. The site lists 74 public catering storefronts, one per participating restaurant, and each one publishes its own copy of the menu. We read all 74 copies. They carry the same 73 products, split into eleven sections, and the same seven names end in an asterisk at every one of them.
| Starred dish | Section | What the menu says it is |
|---|---|---|
| Seared Ahi Tuna* | Shareables | Sushi-grade tuna with sriracha aioli, hot mustard sauce and a cilantro citrus slaw |
| Roast Beef Sandwich* | Boxed Lunches | Beef roasted in house and shaved thin, with pepper jack and a creamy horseradish sauce |
| Grilled Salmon & Spinach Salad* | Boxed Lunches | Grilled salmon on chopped spinach with bacon, mushrooms, tomato and egg |
| Grilled Sirloin* | Entrees | Pre-sliced, with roasted garlic butter |
| Cajun Sirloin* | Entrees | Pre-sliced, with the house chile rub and Cajun butter |
| Wood Grilled Salmon* | Entrees | Salmon with key lime butter and charred lemons |
| Grilled Steak Penne* | Specialty Pastas | Steak, mushrooms, blistered tomatoes and spinach in an Aji Amarillo cheese sauce |
Look at what the seven have in common. Four are beef, two are salmon and one is tuna. Every chicken dish on the menu is unstarred, and so are the shrimp, the baby back ribs, the lobster spinach queso and the bacon deviled eggs. The star follows the kind of protein, and it lands on the cuts that a grill cooks to a chosen doneness.
What the Asterisk Means
The footnote on the brand’s printed catering menu has two parts. The first part says that a starred item is “served raw or undercooked”, or contains (or may contain) raw or undercooked ingredients. The second part reminds the reader that eating raw or undercooked meat, poultry, seafood, shellfish or eggs may increase the risk of foodborne illness, especially for people with certain medical conditions. The same footnote appears on the brand’s health and nutrition page.
That wording is not improvised. The FDA Food Code, the model rulebook that state and local health agencies adopt into their own rules, calls it a consumer advisory, in section 3-603.11. The section asks a restaurant that serves an animal food raw or undercooked to give the guest two things:
- A disclosure. Either a plain description of the dish, or an asterisk that points to a footnote saying the item is served raw or undercooked.
- A reminder. A footnote about the risk. The Code offers three approved versions of it.
Firebirds uses the asterisk for the disclosure and the third, fullest version for the reminder, the one that mentions medical conditions. So the star is a standard, recognised signal. A reader who has seen it on a dinner menu already knows how to read it on a catering tray.
The star is a disclosure. It is not a quality mark in either direction, and it does not tell you how a particular tray was cooked on a particular day. If a guest needs to know, the brand’s own instruction is to ask a manager. This guide is not allergy, dietary or medical advice.
Where the Star Sits, Section by Section
Seven of the eleven sections carry no star at all. That matters, because it means most of the menu needs no second look.
| Section | Starred | Unstarred |
|---|---|---|
| Shareables | Seared Ahi Tuna | Lobster Spinach Queso, Shrimp Cocktail, Bacon Deviled Eggs, Chicken Tenders, Smoked Chicken Wings, both breads |
| Boxed Lunches | Roast Beef Sandwich, Grilled Salmon & Spinach Salad | Twelve other sandwiches, wraps and salads |
| Entrees | Grilled Sirloin, Cajun Sirloin, Wood Grilled Salmon | Honey Garlic Chicken, Baby Back Ribs, Assorted Sandwich Platter |
| Specialty Pastas | Grilled Steak Penne | Firebirds Chicken Pasta, Creamy Vegetarian Pasta, Buffalo Mac, Jambalaya Pasta, Chicken Florentine Pasta |
| Salads | None on the tray itself | All nine salad trays |
| Classic Pastas | None on the tray itself | All four pasta trays |
| Sides and Premium Sides | None | All nine |
| Desserts, Beverages, Add Ons | None | Everything |
The entree section is the one to read slowly. Half of its trays carry the star, and they are the three a grill regular would order first. The other half, a glazed chicken, a rack of ribs and a sandwich platter, carry none. That split gives you a ready-made pair for almost any room.
Two Toppings Carry the Star on the Printed Menu
Eight of the nine salad trays and all four classic pasta trays come with an “Add Protein?” option. It offers the same six grilled toppings each time: grilled chicken, grilled shrimp, grilled salmon, grilled sirloin, grilled Cajun chicken and fresh vegetables. The Garden Salad asks for a dressing instead.
On the order form, the six topping names carry no mark. The brand’s printed catering menu lists the same toppings under “Add to any salad above” and “Add to any pasta above”, and there it stars two of them: Salmon* and Steak*. The printed menu is the one to follow. It uses the same salmon and sirloin that carry the star as entree trays.
The planning rule is short. A Caesar tray with sirloin on top, or a basil pesto pasta with salmon, is a starred tray. The same tray with chicken, shrimp or vegetables is not. The same logic applies to the Assorted Sandwich Platter, which lets you pick two fillings. If you pick roast beef, treat that platter the way the boxed lunch treats its roast beef sandwich.
How to Build a Mixed Room Around the Star
Some guests avoid undercooked meat or fish, for their own reasons, and they do not owe the planner an explanation. The star lets you plan for them without asking. The method has three steps.
- Pair every starred entree with an unstarred one. Grilled Sirloin with Honey Garlic Chicken is the obvious pair. Wood Grilled Salmon with Baby Back Ribs works as well.
- Keep the starred item off the shared trays. Put the sirloin or salmon on its own tray, and top the salad and pasta trays with chicken, shrimp or vegetables. That way a guest who skips the starred tray still gets a full plate from the rest of the line.
- Label the line. A small card with the star and the dish name lets guests decide for themselves. It also saves the host from repeating the same answer at the buffet.
For boxed lunches the same rule works per person. Twelve of the fourteen boxes carry no star, so a planner who collects choices in advance can offer the whole list and let each guest pick. Our guide to ordering catering for mixed dietary needs covers how to collect those choices, and boxed lunch catering for meetings covers the box format in general.
Plan a mixed-diet grill menu with CaterAi
The One Extra Field the Checkout Asks For
Every catering checkout on the storefront collects one custom field, and it applies to all orders. The field is Headcount. It asks how many people the order is for, separate from the trays.
Fill it in with the number of people who will eat. The restaurant then sees the size of the room next to the trays you chose, and it can spot an order that looks thin before the day. Each tray section on the form also states how many people it serves. Read that line on each section, because the sections do not all use the same figure.
Two more lines on the form save a phone call. The Add Ons section carries Include Tableware and Do Not Include Tableware as separate items. The first covers cutlery, plates, napkins, and cups if you also order drinks. Pick one of the two either way. The boxed lunches have their own choices: sandwiches and wraps ask for a side (cider slaw, fresh fruit, chips or no side), and most boxes let you keep or drop the cookie.
One Chafing Kit for Every Two Hot Trays
The printed catering menu states the rule for hot food plainly: order one kit for every two hot food items served. Each Traditional Chafing Kit holds one wire rack, one foil pan for water and two fuel cans. It is an item in the Add Ons section, next to the tableware lines.
The arithmetic takes one step. Count the hot trays, divide by two, and round up.
| Example order | Hot trays | Kits |
|---|---|---|
| Grilled Sirloin, Honey Garlic Chicken, Firebirds Chicken Pasta, Parmesan Mashed Potatoes | Four | Two |
| Wood Grilled Salmon, Baby Back Ribs, Killer Mac & Cheese, Seasonal Vegetables, Grilled Street Corn | Five | Three |
| Boxed lunches, a Caesar salad tray and a cookie platter | None | None |
Salad trays, the cider slaw, the fresh fruit, the desserts and the boxed lunches are not hot trays. Leave them out of the count. If you are not sure whether a tray arrives hot, ask the restaurant when you order.
What Is on the Menu
The menu is built like the dining room: appetizers to share, grill entrees, salads and pastas, and a side list that reads like a steakhouse’s. Eleven sections carry it.
| Section | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Shareables | Lobster spinach queso, shrimp cocktail, deviled eggs, tenders, wings, seared tuna, two breads |
| Boxed Lunches | Sandwiches, wraps and entree salads, boxed per person |
| Entrees | Sirloin two ways, salmon, honey garlic chicken, ribs, a sandwich platter |
| Salads | Nine salad trays, most with a grilled topping option |
| Classic Pastas | Four meatless pasta trays that take a topping |
| Specialty Pastas | Six pastas with the protein built in |
| Sides and Premium Sides | Mashed potatoes, vegetables, slaw, broccoli, fruit, charred carrots, street corn, grains pilaf |
| Desserts | Cheesecake, brownie and carrot cake bites, three cookies, two platters |
| Beverages and Add Ons | Gallons of tea, lemonade and Arnold Palmer, bottled water, ice, tableware, chafing kits |
For a grill-style lunch built from local catering partners instead, the directory has pages for grilled chicken catering, pasta catering, Caesar salad catering, mac and cheese catering, BBQ ribs catering and chicken wings catering.
How to Order Firebirds Catering
- Choose the restaurant. Open the catering storefront and pick the restaurant nearest the office. Pickup is on at all 74 catering storefronts and delivery is on at 72 of them, so check the options after you choose.
- Build around the entrees. Pick one starred and one unstarred entree tray, then add pastas, salads and sides. Put the salmon or sirloin toppings only where you want a starred tray.
- Count the hot trays. Add one chafing kit for every two.
- Settle the tableware line. Include it or decline it, one or the other.
- Enter the headcount. The number of people who will eat.
- Raise dietary needs before you pay. The brand asks guests with allergies or a gluten sensitivity to speak to a manager. Speak to the restaurant directly about any serious allergy.
The brand’s catering page asks for a day’s notice. Our office manager’s guide to ordering catering covers what to have ready on the day, and boxed lunch vs buffet vs family style helps you choose a service format before you start.
Where Firebirds Catering Fits
This is a menu for a meal that should feel like a restaurant dinner moved to the office: a client lunch, a board meeting or a team celebration. The sliced sirloin and the salmon trays are the reason to order it, and the star simply tells you how to plan around them. Our guides to client appreciation catering and board meeting catering cover those occasions, and the Outback catering guide and Fogo de Chão catering guide cover two other ways to bring steak to the office.
A Better Option for Recurring Office Meals
A grill menu is good at one occasion. By the tenth lunch the same room is eating the same sirloin tray, and the planner is still pairing the same two entrees by hand.
Zerocater works the other way round. You describe the room once, including the guests who skip certain foods, and CaterAi builds a menu from local catering partners that deliver to your address. It then rotates the menu so the team does not eat the same lunch on a loop. Our office lunch ideas and office catering budget guide show what a rotation can look like, and our corporate catering page covers the service in full.
Build a rotating office lunch with CaterAi
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Firebirds do catering?
Yes. Firebirds Wood Fired Grill runs a separate catering site with 74 catering storefronts on it, and every one of them publishes the same menu of shareables, boxed lunches, entree trays, salad trays, pastas, sides, desserts and drinks. You choose a restaurant first and the menu loads after that.
What does the asterisk mean on the Firebirds catering menu?
The brand’s footnote says that a starred item is served raw or undercooked, or contains (or may contain) raw or undercooked ingredients. That wording follows the consumer advisory in the FDA model Food Code, which lets a restaurant mark such items with an asterisk that points to a footnote. It is a disclosure, not a warning that something is wrong with the dish.
Which Firebirds catering items are starred?
Seven: the Seared Ahi Tuna shareable, the Roast Beef Sandwich and the Grilled Salmon & Spinach Salad boxed lunches, the Grilled Sirloin, Cajun Sirloin and Wood Grilled Salmon entree trays, and the Grilled Steak Penne. All seven carry the star at every one of the 74 catering storefronts.
Are the salad and pasta toppings starred?
The order form lists the six toppings without a mark. The brand’s printed catering menu stars two of them, the salmon and the steak. Plan a tray with either of those toppings as a starred tray, and plan the grilled chicken, Cajun chicken, shrimp and vegetable toppings as unstarred.
How many chafing kits should I order from Firebirds?
The brand’s rule is one kit for every two hot food items served. Count the hot trays, divide by two and round up. Four hot trays take two kits. Five hot trays take three. Each kit carries one wire rack, one foil pan for water and two fuel cans.
Why does the Firebirds order form ask for a headcount?
Headcount is the one extra field the catering checkout collects, and it applies to all orders. It gives the restaurant the size of the room alongside the trays you chose. Enter the number of people who will eat, not the number of trays.
Does Firebirds catering include plates and cutlery?
You choose. The Add Ons section carries two lines, Include Tableware and Do Not Include Tableware. The first asks for cutlery, plates, napkins, and cups if you also order drinks. Pick one of the two so the restaurant does not have to guess.
Can Firebirds deliver catering?
Pickup is on at all 74 catering storefronts and delivery is on at 72 of them. The storefront shows which options your restaurant offers after you choose it. The brand’s catering page asks for a day’s notice.
Who should I ask about allergies or dietary needs?
The brand’s printed catering menu asks guests with food allergies, a gluten sensitivity or other dietary needs to speak to a manager. Do that before you order. This guide is not allergy, dietary or medical advice.
Every menu item, option and store figure in this guide was read from the brand’s own catering storefront and printed catering menu on 26 September 2026, and the advisory text from the FDA Food Code 2022. Menus change, so check the catering storefront for your own restaurant before you order. Nothing here describes an order that was placed. This guide is not allergy, dietary or medical advice.
