Whisper Creek Farm: The Kitchen — Restaurant in Oak Ridge

I was going back and forth between the Michelin recommended restaurants (Primo & Knife & Spoon) located at the Grande Lakes Resorts. But I landed on their sister restaurant Whisper Creek Farm: The Kitchen, which is housed at the JW Marriott.

WCFTK provides a farm-to-table experience with local and sustainable products. The onsite Whisper Creek Farm is home to chickens and a 7,000 square foot fruit and vegetable garden.

WCFTK has a modern style with dard woods and televisions throughout. There is also ample patio seating. Customer service was solid. The food and beverage arrived within an appropriate time frame.

What I Ordered: Peach Cobbler Moonshine Crispy Brussel Sprouts Lettuce Wraps

The Peach Cobbler Moonshine was one of the best moonshines I have had. It tasted like a peach dessert and the slice of peach at the bottom of the beverage was a treat.

The Brussel Sprouts were memorable. I loved the buffalo lime vinaigrette and mojo emulsion. The candied pecans added a great crunch. If I could change one thing, it would be for slightly crispier sprouts.

I really wanted to like Lettuce Wraps, especially given their presentation on a board and the playfulness of the meal. I liked the pickles, peppers, and the crispness of the cucumber. However, the pickled squash lacked acid and the coffee-rubbed short rib salt. While I appreciated the herbaceous quality of the chermoula, the turmeric overpowered the green mango.

I am hoping to return to Orlando sooner than later. The flatbreads, especially the Marg-a-roni,...

The restaurant provides a relaxing atmosphere where the only thing The Kitchen team claim to take seriously is -  food and service. They surely stand behind that claim.

The restaurant features farm inspired comfort food and craft beers. Sample menu items include flatbreads, small sandwiches, snacks and small plates all showcasing produce from Whisper Creek Farm (onsite) and local farmers. Original flavors and fresh tasting food, modern ambiance make it a great afternoon meal with family or friends. Visibility to the entrance off the hotel's main lobby is a great attribute for this modern eatery.

Food choices are varied and yet simple -  from onion dip to crisp salad prepared using the daily harvest are nicely presented. However, the flatbreads are dry and the ingredients overcooked. The base dough is slightly rubbery.

We personally did not try their "WCK Wagyu Burger (made from Grass fed wagyu, foie gras butter, farmhouse gouda, smoked onion aioli) but people seem to be enjoying it.

PROS:

Great location inside the J W Marriott hotel. Modern eatery with farm fresh ingredients. The is an onsite garden sourcing herbs and produce. Full bar serves seasonal craft beer on draught/bottle selections ranging from sweet and pale, to dark. A wide selection of fresh brewed beer and hand-crafted cocktails, gingerly created with fresh ingredients, sourced from the local Whisper Creek farm.

CONS: Price $$$ Small food portions Casual The local honey citrus ale is a bit too sweet and...

Extremely shocked at all of the high ratings tbh. Stayed at JW Marriott for a business trip . First time stopping in The Kitchen was around lunchtime. My Husband and I were extremely hungry and this place looked yummy. The menu was pretty limited so we both ended up getting the same thing...simple meal (burger and fries) Price per plate was $27 and the absolute worst burger EVER! We both ordered it medium and it was far from medium...you could have beat someone over the head with it. Driest, most bland, non flavorful burger ever! It was seriously the worst burger both of us have ever had so I am not sure if we just got a bad cook or bad batch or what but highly disappointed especially due to the price. If we weren't so hungry we would have sent it back and ordered something else but being it took a while we just sucked it up. It was a hard pass but we survived.

Second time visiting I met my husband and our friend at the bar. I myself was hungry but was hesitant on ordering food from there again. I rolled the dice and went for it! Ordered a chicken sandwich that time around which was actually very good. MUCH better than the burger!

Tables are odd as majority of them are high top 6 seaters. Place was full and the only option was to join another couple at the opposite end of their 6 top table (1st visit)

Service was good both times

Hopefully our Burger experience was a 1...