Fork and Hen On Main — Restaurant in Sarasota

Update: the guys have done it again. They have closed down and reopened with new life. My wife and I stopped in for dinner. We decided to try some of the new items on the menu. We started with the chicken fried pork belly. So delicious and perfectly cooked it melted in your mouth. For our entrees, I went with the pork chop and my wife got the Birria with grits. I CANNOT describe how incredible these dishes are to you. Top of their game fantastic. I didn’t think this place could be any better but they blew me away. And finally, blueberry cheesecake with fresh Chantilly cream on top 😳 At $12, it is 3x the size of the cheesecake at the “Factory” and less money too! Run! don’t walk to this hidden gem in downtown Sarasota on Main. 10/4/25 We love you guys!!🫶🏽

I GOT FORKED!!! This is a locally owned restaurant that uses fresh fruit and veggies from a local farm. I have dined here many times and I have NEVER been disappointed. On 2/8/24, my wife and I stopped by for early dinner. Normally, I look at the menu and choose from one of the many delicious items available. My wife always gets the Cobb salad with spicy chicken. Today, I looked at the Special on the board: The F & H Cubano. WOW 🤩 Chef Mark and Chef Alfonso put their heart in making great food for the people who come in to see them. And Megan always serves us with a smile and a funny quip. Today was no exception. By far the best Cuban sandwich, with a Fork and Hen flair, that made me wish there was more when I finished. SRQ, do yourself a favor, go eat here and get FORKED with great food. 10 out of 10...

Style over Substance?

Fork & Hen is a popular little café with pretty good food. The atmosphere is closer to diner than fine food and the place could use some sprucing up. Service is casual.

We started with the Aguachile Tuna appetizer. It was delicious and the serving was large. It was accompanied by delicious homemade crackers. I also asked for an unsweetened iced tea. I asked for any artificial sweetener and was told that they only have sugar. So much for serving the customer.

For mains I had the Blue Plate Southern Fried Chicken. I love fried chicken and this was pretty good. There might have been more seasoning in the crust. I prefer my fried chicken on the bone and this was various parts of meat only. Under the chicken was a huge, ungainly and rather flavorless corn cake the size of the entire plate. This makes cutting the chicken difficult. The honey lavender butter mentioned on the menu must have melted into the corn cake making it a little soggy. On top of the corn cake were some nice collard greens. The dish would have been better with a smaller corn cake on the side and more collards.

We also had the Pressed Chicken Parm sandwich—at least it’s listed under the “Hands” portion of the menu. A bulbous piece of chicken is set between two thick pieces of focaccia making it near impossible to be picked up and eaten. The flavors were all good—once it was deconstructed.

The mains were quite large and good value, providing lots of leftovers. Overall, the food is very good and good value. But the style gets in the way of...

The culinary prowess displayed at Fork and Hen in Sarasota, Florida, puts it squarely in the spotlight, casting a shadow over some Michelin-starred counterparts and sparking a spirited dialogue about the Michelin Guide's current scope and selections. The restaurant's innovative dishes not only delight the palate but also boldly challenge the conventions upheld by renowned establishments such as Streetlight Taco in Tampa, Los Felix, and even the two Michelin-starred Joel Robuchon in Miami.

Each visit to Fork and Hen reveals layers of culinary excellence that are both rare and exhilarating, prompting one to question why the Michelin inspectors haven't yet graced this gem with their presence. The vibrant and meticulously crafted dishes serve not only as a testament to the chef's ingenuity but also raise the bar for what is considered exceptional in the culinary world.

In this context, Fork and Hen doesn’t just deserve a Michelin star; it demands a reevaluation of how such accolades are awarded. The omission of such a standout venue from the Michelin Guide not only deprives Fork and Hen of deserved recognition but also calls into question the criteria and geographic inclusiveness of Michelin's inspections. As it stands, Fork and Hen is not just a must-visit restaurant; it's a culinary revolution in the making, poised to redefine the standards of...