Ford's Filling Station

I wanted to like this place... the decor seemed nice (nice rug... but the tables are crammed together with uncomfortable hard chairs!) The menus sounded great. The staff is inexperienced (after showing a grungy server some crusty silverware, she heaved a sigh and grabbed a replacement off the next table) and after waiting almost 45" for the Kobe roast(our earnest waiter said it was pre-roasted, but didn't ask us how well we wanted it cooked) it came out almost moo-ing and tendony, even after sending it back for further cooking. BTW, they have the most ridiculous steak knives. The potatoes lyonnaise with fennel would have been tasty if the potatoes were cooked to tenderness. The grilled asparagus and the brussel sprouts were very good. Oh well. I've enjoyed beef more at 1/10th the price, but perhaps they'll iron out the wrinkles. For now, it's all hype.

Pros: good parking

Cons: service, food, price

Posted 04/04/06

Our party of four was seated promptly - right next to kitchen (other tables were available). The waitress was not knowledgable about the beer choices, which should have been more varied and uncommon for a "gastro pub". We ordered the Pub Burger (very good, but not as good as The Office Burger form Father's Office), fish and chips (oily, not very flavorful), a 4-cheese flatbread (artisan pizza - it was acceptable) and the crispy pressed chicken (perfectly fine). The lemonade was reported as tasty but the beers (Guinness, Pyramid hefe, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Firestone Double Barrel) were off in their aroma and flavor. Soapy - possibly due to the pint glasses.

Overall - perfectly okay food and ambience undermined by the high prices. Four for dinner (including 5 beers among the party and an appetizer) was well over $100.00. It's just not a good value.

Pros: varied menu, fast service

Cons: Expensive, Crowded, dark

Posted 04/03/06

Went Sat. night. Grumpy hostess. We sat at the bar waiting for our table. Great bar tender, Michael, who knew his booze. We ordered clams at the bar, which turned up pretty quickly, but were not cleaned of sand (or whatever the crunchy substance was). When we were seated, on time, by no-personality hostess, we were in a tented addition to the restaurant. It was cold, noisy and you really felt as though you weren't part of the restaurant. There was a heater on the ceiling that blew hot into our faces the whole time. The main course was good, I had the trout. My husband's steak was tough and pretty horrid. He didn't finish it. We paid and went back to the bar. Ordered desert - chocolate, flourless cake - that was great - however, had some horrid apricot syrup on it. Won't go again unless it gets better.

Pros: Nice crowd, Good bar service

Cons: Seating

Posted 04/03/06

I tried this place out a few days ago with a co-worker and found it not at all worth the money. It is one of those places where you pay for the name, not the food. I am not into places like that, nor is my wallet. Your jaw will hit the floor when you see the prices and you'll be even more disappointed once you eat the food. The problem is that this type of eatery doesn't belong in Culver City, along a row of diners and spots for people who want to grab a quick bite during a lunch hour. From what I see, it appeals only to a handful of Sony Pictures executives and not the average Joe. Also, the waiters and waitresses have tremendous attitude. A bit too snooty for service workers.

Pros: None

Cons: Service, Price , Food

Posted 03/29/06

I tried this restaurant with five friends last Friday and it was a comedy of errors. Despite our late reservation (9pm) and the fact that I arrived early and checked in at 8:40, our party wasn't seated until 9:45. We ordered drinks and appetizers and it took 1hr from the time our appetizers were cleared for the entrees to arrive.

We were comped dessert and this took another 45 minutes and the check then took 15 minutes more to arrive. Too little to show for a 3hr dinner.

My recommendation - give them a few months to work out their reservation and service issues, then give them a try (if they're still around by then). The chef's dad (Harrison Ford) does well enough so maybe he will underwrite it until then.

Cons: Service, Seating

Posted 03/27/06

My husband and I ate lunch at this restaurant. I ordered the Polenta Cake and I enjoyed very much. I don't mind small portion of food but could serve bread. If you pay $20 for lunch, don't you deserve to have some bread? My husband ordered the Crispy Chicken and it was too dry. Most servers at the restaurant seemed inexperienced. They rather chit chat each other than paying attention to their custormers. Even though our server wasn't busy at all, all of our foods were served by a busser.

Pros: Good food

Cons: Bad service

Posted 03/26/06

Finally a place you can take clients to in Culver City! Space is a little tight but beautifully designed and great bar area. Food was fantastic and the service was even better.

Pros: Great food, Great service, Great location

Cons: Tight on space, Parking is a pain

Posted 03/13/06

This place really helps boost the emerging Culver City restaurant scene. Had dinner last Saturday with my hubby and the place was just packed at 730pm. Nice decor, excellent service, but what we had wasn't something we'd remember (I had fish & chips and he had the Pub Burger). The drinks were good though. Maybe the other items on the menu were better? Still worth visiting, especially since Harrison Ford (chef's dad) & Calista Flockhart make regular appearances (they were there that night!). Avg. bill per person around $40 (entree, alcoholic bev & 1/2 dessert + tax and tip).

Pros: Easy Parking, Nice Decor, Excellent Service

Posted 03/13/06

I was really looking forward to eating at this new hip restaurant. However, it really did not live up to the hype. The service was terrible (we waited over 20 minutes for our drinks), the silverware was filthy (for all three of us), and the fish and chips were nothing but grease. All that, and it was $20 per person for lunch. To be fair, my other lunchmates were just as disappointed with the service, etc., but they were impressed with their burgers.

Pros: Good burgers

Cons: Bad service, Unprofessional, Greasy

Posted 03/12/06

The food we had was good, but there should be no
excuse for running out of food at 7:30 pm on a Thursday.

Our server recommended the Kobe Beef, which my
friend ordered. Only to be told that they had run out. So she ordered the Crab salad -- except they were out of that too. She settled for an appetizer that was disappointing.

The ambience is pleasant, but the tables are too close together. My
friend was back to back with a man at another table. Our server, who obviously lacked
experience, decided that instead of going around the table, she would cut between the two. For a brief yet unbearable
moment, my friend's shoulder became the resting spot for the server's rear end as she squeezed between the two seats.

It's another restaurant to just try once. There are too many great
restaurants in LA to go back.

Posted 03/09/06

There is no doubt that Ford's Filling Station has the potential to be a great new Culver City spot, but based on my first visit, I probably won't ever give it the second chance. A surprisingly small menu and slow initial service got the evening off to a less than stellar start, but a delicious appetizer (a flat bread with cheese) helped. The dinner took a dive when my wife's chicken was terribly undercooked. The waiter took her dinner, left me with mine and returned with the cooked chicken 10 minutes later (after I'd finished) without so much as an appology. With the type of service expected from an $8 per meal restaurant, I was most upset when I really looked at the final check. The food was definitely overpriced for the quality and the service didn't help.

Pros: Great appetizer, Ideal location

Cons: Unresponsive service, Undercooked food, Slim/overpriced menu

Posted 03/02/06

i went the first week he opened, lovely atmosphere, fresh and interesting, food was yummy, ben walked around making sure everybody was great, really positive experience, love the menu layout, PRETTY!

Pros: overall design, flavors of food, gracious chef

Cons: staff a little.....

Posted 02/27/06