Ford's Garage Kissimmee — Restaurant in Four Corners

Update 2/28/20 So this was our fifth or sixth trip to this location and the food was fantastic. We had great service and everyone was friendly.

That being said, I did have some issues this time. First and foremost for me is that they carry Coke products but do not have Coke Zero. For some unknown reason they believe it is the same as diet Coke. Someone in the higher ups needs some reeducation. Every time I ask I get told by both the servers and the bartenders that they get lots of requests for it and they don't know why they do not carry it. Time to move to the present people.

On this particular occasion we got the pulled pork nachos to share with jalapenos on the side. They looked and smelled fantastic. We took our time and finished the entire plate. I definitely recommend them. My companion got the Chicken Henry with mashed potatoes and green beans. This is a regular for them and we both love it. I tried the Ranchero Roadster burger off the lunch menu which is a 1/3 Pound of Grilled Black Angus, Topped with Bourbon BBQ Sauce, Hickory Smoked Brisket, Red Onions, Shredded Cheddar Cheese, and Crispy Onion Straws. I ordered mine medium well with no red onions. This is the point where things went a bit wrong. When it arrived it looked fabulous. The fries were very tasty and the burger tasted great, however it was quite a bit pinker than I am used to for medium well. When I got our servers attention I asked if it looked medium well to them. They said that was their medium well and I tended to disagree. They offered to remake it to their well done and I accepted. It was but a short wait till my fresh burger and fries arrived and everything looked great and was piping hot. I did have to remove the red onions that they put on this one but that is not a big deal. The burger was perfectly cooked and tasted great. The fries were again wonderful and I ate too much.

In the end I was very happy with the food and the service. My issues were I felt fairly minor but they took them seriously and handled everything quickly and efficiently. When the bill arrived they had to make a correction on it as the final was issued after 2pm and got the price on my lunch special wrong. Again, they took care of it perfectly.

For us they are a bit pricey but they have great food and and friendly service. We don't get to stop in often but they are one of our favorites and we have been to the one in Orlando too.

If they get Coke Zero I will give the fifth star. A great place to visit for anyone who appreciates a good meal in an interesting atmosphere.

Another new restaurant in our area. We went on Easter Sunday around 4 in the afternoon and they were not hugely crowded, but they are off 192 and not as visible as other places. So the first thing you notice is a couple old Ford's out front and then some nice automotive decorations inside.

We were greeted upon entering and seated immediately. They have an extensive beer menu and they do flights. The menu itself is bound in leather and not too large. They specialize in hamburgers but have other wonderful items. There were 4 of us and we visited a few sections. I had the Chop Shop Salad, no onions or ranch. I went with Italian instead and it was excellent and filling. My first child had the Meat Loaf with white cheddar mashed potatoes and green beans and it was above and beyond. My other child had the Berries and Gorgonzola salad and it had a wonderful aroma and they said it was excellent. Their friend who was with us was going to have they basic cheeseburger but while reading the menu found the Jiffy Burger and made a face at the thought of it. I explained why it could be an interesting choice and they decided to try it. It is a cheeseburger with bacon and peanut butter. While it was a but messy they devoured it and we're glad they decided on it. I need to try it next time now.

Make sure to visit the restrooms. Just saying.

Overall a...

Just visited Ford's Garage. The host was very friendly and asked us if we had been there before. We told him it was our first time visiting and the host explained everything that we should expect from our visit. Including the 20% mandatory "service fee" to which I had no problem with.

We were quickly seated and our server came and greeted us promptly and our drink orders were taken and we got them swiftly.

We decided on the pulled pork nachos for an app, a mushroom and Swiss burger for me cooked to medium and a veggie burger for the wife.

Pulled pork nachos: The chips, liquid cheese and the bbq sauce were all very good. The cheddar cheese on top of that in spots wasn't melted and the pork was rubbery. No idea what happened to the cheese but when pork is rubbery it's either undercooked, overcooked or has been frozen. And for $19.00 there were a ton of chips and most certainly not a lot of pulled pork. Several people visited our table while we were eating the nachos and no-one asked how the nachos were......

Swiss mushroom burger: Nice presentation with the Ford Restaurant logo burnt into the top! Good quality Swiss cheese that you can actually taste. The mushrooms... are they canned? they were cut up tiny about the size of canned mushrooms.... canned mushrooms lack the flavor of fresh mushrooms and these were lacking of flavor... The burger was ordered medium and it came out well done on the sides and achieved the perfect medium only once I had reached the middle. It was mostly dry and sad. But had a good flavor. The fries were pretty good. But the biggest thing of all once again???? No-one asked me how my food was....... Weird

Wife's Veggie burger: Overall the flavor was good, BUT...... Ive cooked these things before. I know how they are...... They're bean patties which have good flavor but can be a bit soggy...... But this thing? When you went to pick up the burger as a whole the patty would ooze out the sides and that's no joke..... My wife wound up eating it with a fork and knife..... and once again..... no-one asked us how the food was.......

A brief history about me. Im a cook of about 10 years. And Ive screwed up many dishes over that time. But I always want the opportunity to make whats wrong , right. This didn't happen... And I know things get busy in the kitchen and the dining room did get hectic but the attention to food and service detail was just not there. All for a bill that came out to $70.00 for a tray of nachos, two burgers a water and a coke no ice.......

Im not saying don't go there and I most definitely will be back in hopes that things get better especially because of the good reviews already on google..... but for a first time visiting, It was a great disappointment for my wife and I.

I hope to re-review this place and report much better results...

Today, more than a week after visiting Ford's Garage I am editing my review and dropping their Service Stars a bit. Why? Because after my original review I received a response from them stating I should go to their web site, fill out a form and they will reach out to me.

Well, I did go to the site and completed the form over a week ago.

Did I hear from them?

No, which says to me the service from their corporate entity is just as bad as the local restaurant, if not worse. I guess the apple does not fall far from the tree in the Ford's Garage family.

ORIGINAL REVIEW

I have been writing reviews for many years, and it wasn't until recently that my experiences have been bad. In the past the places I went to were great, of late, that is not the case. And Ford's Garage was another disappointment.

I guess it started when my wife and I entered and were told there will be an automatic 20% gratuity placed on our bill. I generally tip based on service 15-25% is my normal range, but there are times I have exceeded my norm, and times I went under. So the mandatory 20% did not sit well with me.

And to tell you the truth, if I wasn't so drained the evening I went there I would have asked for the manager because the staff did not deserve the 20% they received.

Why?

First, the silverware was dirty, scratched, and full of water spots. Then, the service left a lot to be desired to say the least. When I wanted to get a second beer, it took about ten minutes until I saw my waiter and could ask for the beer. And the food...we ordered nachos with pulled pork and cheese, and fried chicken tenders with a side of jalapeño creamed corn...the only thing that was hot was the chicken. The nacho dish was luke-warm with the cheese already solidifying when we got it. Also, it had much too much sauce on it for our taste. The corn was also warm, not hot. But the chicken was piping hot. It was as if they placed everything on the dishes before they started to cook the chicken, and added the chicken when it was done, and then brought it all out to us. How else can it be explained?

And by the way, as you look at the pictures I took, it wasn't like the place was busy with customers and the staff had too many people to handle. Nope, it should have been a much better experience...should have been able to get a second beer promptly...should have had clean silverware and the food should have been hot.

Maybe it is time I stop going out to eat. I can make myself a sub par meal at home and actually use clean utensils to eat it, and get a cold beer out of the fridge the minute I am ready for it. And then give myself a well deserved...