Ford's Garage

The menu has more depth than people may initially expect. Yes, Ford’s Garage is absolutely a burger destination. It is also where you will find sandwiches, barbecue, salads, seafood options, comfort food, appetizers, craft beer, cocktails and some very dangerous desserts. We decided that if we were doing a true Ford’s Garage preview, we needed to lean into the experience. Peter started with the Blue Oval Margarita. It was blue, naturally, and had a tropical coconut character that made it a fun drink. He ordered it frozen and enjoyed it, although after trying it that way he thinks his next one will be on the rocks. Sometimes research requires a follow-up visit. We are willing to make that sacrifice. Giant Funnel Tower of Piston Onion Rings One of the restaurant’s great presentation pieces is the Piston Onion Rings. You do not get a little basket of onion rings. You get a tower. Beautiful, golden onion rings are stacked high on a funnel, tying the food directly into the garage theme. They come with Hidden Valley Ranch and Chipotle ketchup. That Chipotle ketchup has become something of a personal challenge for Peter. He loves it enough that he has tried several times to recreate it at home. So far, Ford’s Garage is winning. Edsel’s Hot Pretzels Now we need to speak directly to our Beachwalk and Beacon Lake neighbors. If you like soft pretzels, prepare yourselves. They are big, warm, fluffy and exactly the kind of pretzel you want to pull apart while dipping pieces into beer cheese or honey mustard. Peter has already figured out that when the Beachwalk location opens, the pretzel run may become a golf cart trip. We are not entirely convinced this is good news for his diet. He does not seem concerned. Ford’s Pickles Susan is the pickle person in our relationship. Peter is most definitely not. So Susan was responsible for quality control on the Ford’s Pickles. They were crispy, nicely breaded and paired with a dipping sauce that gave them plenty of extra flavor. Susan’s verdict was easy. She loved them.

This is where a concept restaurant either proves itself or falls apart. You can have all the memorabilia and clever names in the world. Eventually someone has to take a bite. Ford’s Garage delivers where it matters. Smoked Brisket Burnt Ends Melt If there is one item Peter talks about when Ford’s Garage comes up, it is the Smoked Brisket Burnt Ends Melt. This is serious comfort food. Smoked brisket burnt ends are caramelized in bourbon barbecue sauce and combined with sharp cheddar and bacon jam on country white toast. Read that again. Brisket. Bourbon barbecue sauce. Sharp cheddar. Bacon jam. Grilled bread. There is almost no way for that combination to be subtle. Nor should it be. It is rich, smoky, savory and indulgent. Is this the meal your cardiologist is likely to circle on the menu? Probably not. But if you want something fun that sticks to your ribs and reminds you why comfort food is called comfort food, this is one we highly recommend. The Model “A” Susan decided to be healthy. Peter decided someone needed to take the review seriously. So he ordered the Model “A” Burger. This thing comes loaded with sharp cheddar, Applewood smoked bacon, pico de gallo, arugula, lettuce, tomato, red onion and a sunny side up egg on a brioche bun. Before you even eat it, the presentation gets your attention. The Ford logo branded onto the bun is one of those details that makes you reach for your phone before you reach for the burger. Then you take the first bite. The egg adds richness. The bacon brings smoke and salt. The sharp cheddar adds another layer, while the pico, arugula and vegetables keep everything from becoming too heavy. It looks great in a photograph. Thankfully, it tastes even better than it looks. Susan’s Seared Ahi Tuna Bowl Now we get to one of our biggest surprises. Susan ordered the Seared Ahi Tuna Bowl. We knew she was going healthy. What we did not expect was for a tuna dish at Ford’s Garage to become one of the standout items of the evening. The presentation was beautiful. Seared tuna was paired with jasmine rice, avocado, diced cucumber, pickled red onions and slaw, bringing together freshness, texture and color. The slaw was particularly interesting because it gave the rice and tuna another dimension. Here is what made the dish memorable to us. Ford’s Garage is not primarily a seafood restaurant. This is a place known for burgers, beer, barbecue and American comfort food. So when a kitchen like this puts out seared tuna that makes us stop and say, “Wow, this is really good,” that gets our attention. Kudos to the kitchen. It showed us that the menu has more range than people may assume. This is also important for the Susan and Peter dynamic. If one person wants a big burger piled with bacon, cheese and an egg while the other wants something lighter and fresher, Ford’s Garage can keep both people happy. Trust us. We tested the theory. Brookie Sundae By dessert, we should have been finished. Completely finished. Then our waiter intervened. He had been phenomenal throughout the evening and told us we had to try the Brookie Sundae. At this point, we were clearly vulnerable to suggestion. It arrived in a warm cast iron skillet with a fudge brownie, chewy chocolate chip cookie, vanilla ice cream, Hershey’s chocolate sauce and crushed Oreo. There are desserts that are delicate. This is not one of them. This is the dessert equivalent of going all in. The warm brownie and cookie underneath cold vanilla ice cream create that perfect hot and cold combination. Then the chocolate sauce begins melting through everything, with the Oreo adding another layer of crunch and chocolate. We have absolutely no explanation for where we found room to eat it. But we did. And we would do it again.

Our waiter was outstanding. He was friendly, attentive and knew the menu well enough to guide the experience instead of simply taking an order. His Brookie Sundae recommendation was the perfect example. We were ready to stop eating. He knew better. Good servers understand when to give people space and when to offer a recommendation that can turn into one of the highlights of the evening. He did exactly that.

Ford’s Garage is not trying to compete with fast food. You are paying for a sit-down dining experience, substantial portions, themed presentation and an environment that is part restaurant and part entertainment. When an appetizer arrives stacked on an automotive funnel, burgers arrive branded with the Ford logo and you are surrounded by memorabilia and vintage automotive touches, there is value beyond simply calculating the cost of the ingredients on the plate. Most importantly, the food backs up the experience. We consider it a very good value for the type of casual dining experience being offered.