South Fork Kitchen & Bar — Restaurant in Florida

This was our 4th time visiting south fork. Obviously we like the place because we keep coming back. A nice selection of small plates ( starters) and generally very good food and service - cocktails are typically very good as well. Sunday night was pretty slow in the dining room with a few empty tables- a little loud for us meeting with old friends so we chose the patio which only had one or two other tables occupied. Sunday evening is a treat since a selection of seafood starters is half price. The chowder and jumbo shrimp were outstanding. Unfortunately before I had finished the delicious chowder - and still my wife and I were working our way through the shrimp- our BAMF burgers were dropped onto the table. I realize that sometimes it’s difficult to time / or get a read on a table - for how fast or slow they want their food- however it was pretty clear to anyone who cared to notice that the four of us were deep into our conversation and perhaps not eating as quickly as others might. In my experience as someone who dines out frequently that’s what a professional server is supposed to pay attention to. It was seriously irritating to be served and rushed this way. The server was indifferent in other ways- my wife clearly requested mayonnaise on the side with her burger. It did not come with her burger and by the time the server got around to bringing it her food wasn’t warm any longer. No apology - nothing- btw a medium burger is not the same as a well done burger- all three were over cooked. $18 burgers should be cooked to order- there’s more . The apple crumble dessert was so awful it wasn’t barely touched. I can’t describe how tasteless it was. I can’t believe the same kitchen made the coconut cake which was just out of this world yummy. They were apparently not made by the same pastry chef. Last thing - how tacky can you get ? The server with an iPad - table side -and the server actually stands over my shoulder while I’m entering the tip percentage. I actually dropped the amount I tipped her. Have some class! Now perhaps this is what we get for going out on a Sunday evening- the backup chef and part time server?? Will definitely give it another shot in a few weeks , but one more experience like this and we will find another place to spend our money- If you took the time to read this- we went back …. With a party of four 2 weeks later for my wife’s birthday- our guest from Orlando: one formerly a waiter at the Boca Hotel the other formerly a chef. The appetizer of octopus and cauliflower were excellent. The Pad Thai wa a generous portion, nice and hot- the other entrees were very good ( chicken something) and a delicious pork chop - unfortunately the potatoes served with it were at room temperature- while the spinach was at a proper temperature- the pork chop was also at room temperature- there’s no point in sending food back- then your guests are eating while you wait for your food-?? After our appetizers the entrees came and the dirty dishes hadn’t been cleared yet. When asked if everything was okay- I mentioned my food was served cold - no- well let me bring that to the attention of the manager or the chef - or I’m so sorry. We had to ask to have our water glasses filled because that’s not the waitress’s job? This place has so much potential but it’s clear the owner is making enough money and just makes no effort at all to train is front end staff. Although I can see from previous comments by the owner in response to other comments gives a snarky reply -for a $300 dinner is it unreasonable to expect professional service? We’re done with this place - maybe will try again in a...

We arrived at 8:24pm tonight (closing hour on the door stated 10pm) and were the only people waiting to be seated at the hostess stand, which was uncomfortably close to the front door. There were 6-8 people at the bar but otherwise the restaurant was 40% full. A few staff members noticed us waiting, but no one seemed to want to greet us. A male in black collared shirt and black rimmed glasses looked around to see if anyone else was going to greet us before finally doing so himself. We were offered a table by the window or a booth. We opted for a booth, and pointed to the one in the corner. He told us the booth we selected would be quite loud because it was where the bass was located. We opted for that table anyway, and it was not loud at all. A young lady came by and wiped the table and the guy who seated us, put down roll ups and small plates. At the onset of our visit the server was quite personable, very willing to chat, but that changed later. We ordered Pinot Grigio and an Old Fashioned. We were asked for a bourbon preference, but our choice was unavailable. That was not a problem, as another suitable bourbon was. The old fashioned had a nice large ice cube and orange rind garnish. We ordered grilled octopus as an appetizer, filet mignon, Brussel sprouts, and parmesan crushed chicken. The appetizer had great presentation, in a warm plate with a creamy sauce, roasted garlic, white beans and small rounds of pepperoni. It was a significant portion and definitely succulent and delicious. Unfortunately there was no crostini or any type of bread to more fully appreciate the incredible sauce. It was a great portion nonetheless and very much enjoyed. The entrees took a considerable amount of time to arrive, and our empty drinks were ignored in the interim. The filet mignon was over-salted but cooked to temperature. The truffle potato puree was flavorful, luke warm, but we didn't care for the mushy texture. The sauteed spinach was well-cooked and had good flavor, with roasted garlic. The Brussel sprouts were amazing in a soy/maple syrup!! The parmesan chicken was nice size and cooked through, with tender artichoke hearts accompanied by a hearty slice of grilled tomato. The sauce was delectable, and the parmesan crust added a crisp texture. We asked our server for bread, but none was ever brought. In a short while our server returned and asked if we wanted boxes. Instead of being offered dessert, immediately after the boxes were delivered so was our check. Our credit card was swiped at 9:26pm. When I inquired about dessert, I was told the kitchen was closed. That was a little surprising, given the table beside us was just offered cheesecake and other desserts moments ago. Though we arrived after all of the other guests in the restaurant, several tables remained occupied on the far side of the restaurant at our untimely departure. No parting comment was given by any staff member. The male in the black shirt and black glasses appeared to be management, but his attention was devoted to a couple of young girls at the bar for the entirety of our visit. The food was so incredibly good that we would have considered coming back, however, feeling unwelcome and unappreciated I'm not sure that we will. The fastest service we received was delivery of the check....

We heard a few good references from friends about South Fork so 6 of us decided to give them a try. We had a reservation for 6 pm on a Saturday, arrived on time but it took 10+ minutes for them to setup a table for us. Looks like they have more settings for 4 vs 6

Service was great at first, our waitress was very attentive, friendly and prompt to get us our drink orders. She came by several times to chat and recommend a few meals. Our orders were placed and was delivered in a reasonable time.

During our meal, we started to notice there were no waitresses or staff helping the 6 outside tables. The outside bar was full and they had there service but not us. Then we noticed a couple behind us leave because they had no service.

We sat for another 25 minutes, finished plates on the table, empty drink glasses, and no waitstaff to clear our table or check in with us…. We could have walked away without paying but we’re not that group.

After reaching our frustration level, I went to see one of the hostesses and asked for the manager to come see us outside. After a few minutes, what looked to be the cook checked on us and we told him our table should have been cleared 20 minutes ago and we have not seen our waitress for longer than that…. He asked who our waitress was. My response was it’s your management tvs job to know who wait which table.

When the waitress final appeared, she gave some excuse about software issues with their POS / IPad device. I’m sorry, you don’t ignore a group of tables for 25 minutes.

We again asked to speak with a manager and we were told there is no manager…. So we asked to speak with the owner…. We were then told he was also not working that night. It’s a full house on Saturday night and there’s no management and no owner. We we told the owner went to a concert for the night.

Sorry Ron Kerr, you not only lost this group of customers but we will be talking to 100+ local golf friends about the poor service, short staffed and the lack of care about the customer. Good luck in your new restaurant but it looks like your priority is not taking care of your...