Edison Tavern — Restaurant in Fort Myers

Where to begin. I reserved a table for two for the Valentines Dinner special on Feb 14, 2016 @1830 hours with intentions of fine dining (even though it was a fixed menu) and a great atmosphere. From the start, we (myself and my fiance') arrived early (40 minutes) and were seated by the hostess rather quickly in the dining hall which had a impressive view of the golf course. After five minutes went by, our waitress introduced herself and asked us what we wanted to drink. We gave our drink order and didn't see her again (not once in the dining hall) until fifteen minutes later when she arrived with our drinks. She then asked if we were ready to order from the selected menu. We both said yes and submitted our orders. We both asked if we could get a bread basket or something to nibble on while we waited for our order to arrive. The waitress stated that she could do that and would be back. Another twenty minutes elapsed and didn't see the waitress at all though another individual (I'm assuming the cooks helper) was delivering food to the other table behind me. After another five minutes elapsed from the sight of the helper, we both agreed to leave as the service was horrendous and walked up to the hostess for the bill on what we had to drink and paid it. The hostess decided to see what the hold up was with the order and came out with the first course in her hand and asked us if we were willing to sit down again and finish were we started. I flat out said "NO" and we left.

Now here is my rant. First off, the menu selection. Who in there right mind offers escargot or crab cakes as a selection on the first course and nothing else. Always offer something that is a non-seafood item. Have you heard about people not liking crab cakes or escargot. Maybe some people have shellfish allergies. Who knows, but the chef or management should have caught this right away. I even asked if I could get a substitute and was told "No" by the waitress. The waitress stated "this is all that is being served". I can say that you had a better selection in the second, third and fourth course.

Second, the customer service. Not sure if management is to blame or the waitress. Not sure if the waitress was over worked. From the start, the dining hall that WE were seated in wasn't that busy. Maybe there was another area that the waitress was working that I wasn't aware about. I don't know, regardless, she wasn't around to make sure that the patrons were being looked over. Also, to top that, you had another employee (Chef's helper) handing out the food when that was the job of the waitress. So again, either the waitress has to be replaced or the get the management to do there job.

Third, the Hostess. I respected what the hostess did by investigating on what was the hold up with the first course, though asking us to stay and be seated again with the food in her hand wasn't very appetizing. If she came out with it that fast then how long was that food sitting there? It makes you think!

Finally, the drinks. I should not have paid for the drinks as we waited for forty-five minutes with nothing to show for. But being that I have integrity, I did. I can say this though, I will never be back to eat...

First and last time coming here. I don’t know if our expectations were too high since it’s off McGregor Boulevard surrounded by multi million dollar homes and the restaurant is also attached to a banquet hall/ golf course where people have their weddings. When we walked in all of the booths had a DIY vinyl wrap job with staples sticking out everywhere. The chandelier above our table had cobwebs and dust. The condiment caddy on the table had a layer of grease and dust. Our server did not bring us silverware, and all of our food, the salad, appetizer, and entrées came out within five minutes of each other. One of the employees was sitting at the bar, drinking a beer, rolling silverware, and the other was vaping in the middle of the bar. We started off with Caesar salad, and the croutons were stale and the lettuce was bitter. Our appetizer was supposed to be loaded tater tot’s. The oil was rancid, tots were soggy and stuck to the paper with melted shredded cheese. Toppings on the menu, said cheese sauce, chives, and sour cream. They decided to throw bacon, jalapeños and red onions on top. I ordered the steak with mixed vegetables and rice. The steak was cooked perfectly, but had no seasonings whatsoever. Vegetables were raw, and the rice looks like it came from a bag. My fiancé had Tuscan chicken. All of the toppings tasted like they came from a jar, the sauce was more of a gravy and the chicken was pink. The main entrées were comparable to hospital food, all incredibly bland. It was a chilly night so the door was open. The only thing you could smell was cigarette smoke and garbage drafting through. I’m incredibly disappointed as I have driven past this place almost every day. With such an iconic name and the Edison homes right down the street, we expected much more. What we saw and experienced was beyond subpar. I worked many years at a country club and I understand the industry. This place needs a chef not cook…. Some standards wouldn’t...

Never again. It was probably the worst experience I have ever had at a restaurant. We made a 5:30 reservation thinking that it would be pretty busy on the Saturday before Christmas and we had a larger group of 6 adults and 3 kids. There was maybe 4 other people in there when we showed up. Service was horrible. Our waitress didn't even have a uniform so I am assuming she wasn't even a normal staff person. There was no bartender. When we asked for crayons for the kids she brought 2 so the 3 and 5 year old got to fight over them. We never got water, my husband got the wrong beer and my sister in law had to wave her hands around to get another drink. Another group sat down about 15 min after us, but besides that the place was empty. We ordered hotdogs for the kids and 45 min later were told there was no buns. We could not find a manager despite 3 of us getting up and looking for one. At about 6:45 most of the table got food- over an hour after sitting down. My brother got a pizza but no plate. My husband ordered the shrimp p.o. boy and it had 4 shrimp on it. When he mentioned it someone brought out a cup of shrimp 15 min later when his sandwich was already cold. They totally forgot about my food and I finally got it at 7- an hour and a half after I ordered. The soup and salad were brought out with the food, not before. When I asked about it our server acknowledged that usually they do come out first, but wouldn't for us. When we finally got the bill they only took off 1 kids meal. When my mom said that that wasn't enough taken off they brought back a larger bill! Of course the 20% gratuity was on there, because I guess they deserve to be rewarded for horrible service. When we finally left the group that came in after us still hadn't gotten their food either. I am surprised this place is actually still...