Farmer's Market Restaurant — Restaurant in Fort Myers

armers Market Restaurant

After seeing the reviews and learning that they’ve been serving up southern home cooking since 1952, I asked myself how have I not heard of this place before? Upon stepping through the front doors I felt like I was transported back in time to a local mom and pop corner restaurant where you can sip coffee and chat with buddies at the counter before work or where you meet the kids after a long day of work and football practice for a family meal, that your just to tired to prep for.

Lo and behold I ended up there for the first time right around the end of the breakfast rush. It’s about 9am and there’s a few stragglers drinking coffee at the counter, a few old gentleman at the table next to us and another couple our age, doing the same as us, enjoying quite meal with their spouse. Regrouping for the days ahead while fueling our body to keep up with what’s ahead.

The atmosphere is great, just a relaxed down home southern place. The building is well kept and clean, the bathrooms spotless, so I would assume their kitchen is as well. Five starts from the start. Served was polite, a little bland in character. Not really friendly but not rude either.

Now to the best part, the food! Now I eat the same breakfast almost everywhere I go. Unless I’m somewhere completely different and unique. 2 eggs over easy with home fries/hash browns and a side of biscuits and gravy. My husbands typical go to is 2 eggs over medium, burnt bacon and a pancake or French toast. Eggs are eggs, they were cooked exactly how we asked. The breakfast potatoes, one of my favorite parts were overcooked and dry. I imagine they could have been very good not overcooked or sitting in a warmer for too long. My husband had the smothered hash browns and sadly he didn’t even take a bite. They looked as if they had been under a heat lamp for the past 30 minutes. The cheese burnt on the edges with that plastic melted look. Onto my favorite, biscuits with sausage and gravy. This southern home meal is a staple yet so hard to find. This establishment is just one more that falls short of flavor. The gravy tasted of creamer and was sweet, lacking that nice sausage kick.

With only one more food item to try we were feeling very under whelmed. Nothing had met any expectations of what we were expecting according to the reviews we have read. But wait . . This fluffy cloud of melting pancake in your mouth had a deliciousness that blew our minds. Somehow this last morsel was perfect in every way from its round shape to its bouncy fluffy texture which instantly absorbed and soaked up the syrup making every bite heaven.

So while I’m sure this place may heave earned their five stars, the kitchen in someway has changed and/or now values quantity instead of quality. I wish I had visit previously and hey let’s be honest the cook could have changed or just be having a rough day, we all do. I will try them again, one day when I’m in the area in hopes of understanding the food that caused these five star ratings. Until then I head on to the...

March 2019

Farmers Market Restaurant, Edison Ave., Ft. Myers, Fl., Here is my 2 cents on the food and chit chat.

Folks if you wish to get your tummy filled , have great food and not break you wallet...this is the place.

Everyday they have a special.. Thursday.... is chicken and dumplings. With 3 sides and roll or muffins.

Only $12 bucks..mmmmm good.

I got 1 of each a corn muffin & roll. Freshly baked and served hot with real butter

The chix & dumpling are house made... Do not expect the meal to be rushed out. Grand food takes time...It is simple fare but oohh so good.

Sides. Green beans with a big chunk of bacon or fatback( look at my photograph)

Delish corn fritters .... a southern favorite fried green tomatoes.

When you come here and you must...It is crowded with folks that have not missed too many meals...LOL...like me. Plus you are sure to find law enforcement personnel with a variety of government workers.

The staff is running around like busy bee's... giving supreme service.

Oh yes, do not do, what I did... I failed to leave room for the pies!!!!

If you have not been here...YOU MUST BOOKMARK it and go.

But go hungry.

I have been searching for good places to eat for 2 years.... I have never heard of this place. They do NO advertising except with the sign out front. This place has been here since the 50's. It kinda in middle of no where. Just industrial stuff around. When I arrived at 1220 PM on a Wednesday the parking lot was full. When I entered there was a crowded & noisy room with a line at the door for seating ...And take out. It was primary seniors, regular people, political folks and a gaggle of Lee Co. Deputy Sheriffs.

The cuisine is southern food.. The corn muffin as good as mine good biscuits fluffy. So we are talkin stick to the ribs REAL food. No calories counters here. fried chix, smothered chix, smothered pork chops, prime rib, country ribs. etc.. With 3 side. I had mac & cheese, collard greens, and some of the best restaurant mash potatoes and gravy in recent history.. They listed about 8 sides..

So if you are a real foodie and not a foo foo on décor. Seek...

Down here good Southern Cooking is “extremely hard to find”. I have even talked to people who have lived here their whole life. They would always send me to Cracker Barrel. Tho, Cracker Barrel is good food , but by no means is it like sitting at Grandma’s table by in Tennessee.Today I was super excited to find off the beaten path Farmers Market Restaurant. It has been here since 1952 and is the “ best keep secret in Fort Myers” . It is currently the oldest continuously operating restaurant in Lee County.I had chicken Livers /fried green tomatoes / and green beans. Let me tell you.. tears came up in my eyes and I literally dance in my seat. Everyone was looking at like I had went crazy. It was like I had just sat down at my Granny Smith’s table. Everything tasted just like I was back home in the Tennessee Hills at my grandmas. This place was amazing and full of history. I highly,highly recommend if your in Fort Myers and looking for homemade ( everything freshly made everyday) Not nothing frozen. Everything home grown and fix right there. You definitely got to stop by this place! I “promise” you cross my ❤️ you will not leave disappointed!!!! Oh! I forgot to tell you everything you see on the menu is someone’s only speciality. Everyone in the kitchen has certain food that they only cook over and over. The cooks and staff have work here for years. Please stop and read the pictures of it’s history. I am telling you this place is mouth watering Southern Cooking at it’s very best!! Just about puts my Granny Smith’s cooking to shame. That’s no lie.❤️❤️❤️ #farmersmarketrestaurant

2022 marks a huge milestone for this Fort Myers mainstay: 70 years in business. That's seven decades of scratch-baked pies; 3,640 weeks of slow-braised collard greens and black-eyed peas; 25,550 days of fluffy corn bread, juicy meatloaf, tender dumplings and some of the best fried chicken anywhere. In those 70 years, Farmers Market has been owned by just three families. Bill Barnwell bought the place in 1980 and kept it in the family when the next generation, Betsy and Chip Barnwell, took...