Ford's Filling Station

My fiance and I went here last night for the first time. I can't say enough good things about it. I had the flat iron steak. It was cooked to perfection. Fiance had the special, sturgeon, which was amazing. It was presented on mashed potatoes that had been whipped up with sturgeon. The food was impeccable. Everything was so intentional and well-matched. The service was good. Laid-back and not too pushy. I was very impressed and the place was worth every penny. Pros: Food, location, free Culver City parking, drinks Cons: pricey (worth it though) more

Usually on everyone's list to try, Father's Office has become a nuisance to go to. The microbrews and the much ballyhooed burger is worthy of accolades, the wait and the seating is just about unbearable. A friend and I decided to try out Ford's Filling Station. Although they don't have any microbrews to speak of, they do have decent beers on tap. We ordered the burger...pretty darn good and much heartier than FO. The place was fairly packed on Saturday night, but we were able to get a seat at the bar within minutes and a table in less than 30 minutes. Overall, pretty decent. However, take note that a new FO is suppose to open in Culver City in 08. Pros: In the heart of downtown Culver City - great meal before movie or walking around afterwards Cons: A little on the pricier end more

Last week, my husband & I went to Ford?s for a special lecture/dinner entitled, ?What the hell is a Gastropub?? The evening featured true gastropub dishes (too many to list here!) & special guest, Peter Bouckaert, brewmaster of New Belgium Brewery. Each of our chosen courses was paired w/ a New Belgium brew. Once we ordered, Ford began his lecture, which was informative, thought provoking, informal & fun. The food was impeccable (as it has been every time we have eaten at Ford?s). We started w/ Chilled Marinated Leeks & Smoked Trout Brandade. Both were beyond delicious. My leeks were marinated in a vinaigrette made from New Belgium?s La Folie beer; the taste was epic. My husband swore he wanted to eat the Smoked Trout Brandade everyday for the rest of his life. For entrees, we ordered Shoreman?s Pie w/ crab, clams, leeks, sweet peas & truffle potato + vegetarian polenta w/ frisee & herb mascarpone (this wasn?t on the menu but was kindly prepared for me). Our entrees were stellar. The mascarpone was to die for & my husband thoroughly enjoyed the Shoreman?s Pie, an unconventional take on a classic dish. For dessert, we ordered Ricotta w/ Chestnut Honey. Totally amazing. All of the paired beers definitely complimented the food. We thought the idea & actualization was adventurous & perfectly appropriate. Overall, the evening was immensely enjoyable + a good deal on all of the food & beer we were served. Ford?s enthusiasm & commitment to his beliefs were palpable, both in his speech, as well as in the food. Yes, the proof is in the pudding. Nowhere else can you find a chef so dedicated to creating a restaurant with a welcoming vibe, community spirit & unpretentious atmosphere that serves innovative comfort food using the freshest seasonal ingredients & truly pushes boundaries. We?ll definitely be back for the upcoming lectures/dinners, as well as whenever we want our mouths & minds challenged, enlightened & satisfied by one of the best restaurants/chefs in town. Pros: incomparable food more

We went for lunch and arrived wet (it was raining) and bedraggled. The hostess took one look at my droopy 10 year old and led us to the totally empty patio. I got the message and protested. She told me the main room was only for reservations, but when I told her that unless we occupied one of the empty tables in the warmer area we were leaving, she gave us a table (but not after banging the menus onto our table after seating us). My daughter wanted to leave, but I knew the food was great and our waitress was charming, so we stayed and enjoyed the fried clams (which is a huge platter for an appetizer, with a terrific tartar sauce). My kid had the baguette french toast with bacon and strawberries, which was delicious. I finished with one of the biggest cappucinos I've had recently and on our way out spotted the grumpy hostess eating lunch at one of the ""reserved"" tables. It did put a damper on a rainy but tasty lunch. Pros: Food and presentation Cons: Grumpy hostess, table games more

i wanted this place to be cool. but the beer is lame, the bar staff is lame. the food is good -- on occasion. we need good bars in cc, so come on fords, get it together. more

Ford's Filling Station is a restaurant i can always rely on. The flatbread is always yummy. and the meat... more

My boyfriend and I had never been so we checked it out on Friday night. The restaurant was packed and the wait was too long for a table so we decided to eat dinner at the bar. The two female bartenders were really knowledgable and very gracious. The food and the dessert was really good too. We'll definitely be back. Pros: Bar, Food Cons: Need reservations for a table more

Ate her based on reviews alone, ordered apps at the bar, good service, loud room, good casual decor. the shrimp pizza was terrible, and the salad was boring and bland. I would return for drinks but not the food. more

Having read lots about Ford's Filling Station on a walk around Culver City we thought we would try it. I ordered the fish and chips and my friend ordered a burger. The fish was greasy and pretty boring especially for the price of $22. My friend's burger was better than the fish but still for the prices you would expect the service to be better. The servers seemed more interested in talking with each other than being attentive to the customers. We sat outside and they rarely came out to the tables. We probably won't go back and have told our local friends it's not worth the money. Too bad as we were hoping for great food! Pros: easy to access and parking in the neighborhood Cons: terrible service and overpriced more

My husband and I went here on a date and luckily we made reservations bc the place was hopping. Though we were seated quickly due to our reservations our server didn't approach us for our drink or food order for over 15 minutes. We order the fish and chips and the burger and both were less than mediocore. The fish and chips were $22 and basically just a greasy, bland mess. The burger was better, but just OK - if you're going to pay over $15 it should really good. And like I said before, the service was pretty terrible. Our server checked on us once the whole night after bringing our food and we had to hunt her down to get our check. And believe me, we weren't in a hurry it's just that we didn't want to spend over 3 hours waiting around. Pros: Ambience/Decor, Beer Selection Cons: Service, Price, Food more

I was visiting girlfriends in LA and my friend lived just a few blocks from here so when I got into town we went here first. The food was good and the service too, but it seemed a bit overpriced. It wasn't like a really nice, posh restaurant and the food wasn't much posh either but the prices were. Was busy though and my gal says it's fair new so they must be doing much right, right? Pros: live, for sure. Cons: not relaly best value for price more

My friends and I are hard to please! Found that the food was very, very fresh, perfectly prepared, neither over seasoned nor under seasoned and servers were accommodating and agreeable. Nice mix of children and adults were present at the 6:30 p.m. seating on the side patio. more

With summer still in full swing, there is nothing more enjoyable than stopping by Ford's. Capitalizing on his use of fresh ingredients in keeping with the season, Chef Ford & his talented kitchen staff never cease to amaze me with their innovative flavor sensations, the newest of which I had last week - New England Crab Cakes with strawberry relish. Simply delectable. The crab is fresh & tasty laced with just the right hint of peppers and onion. The flavors simply pop in your mouth & the strawberry relish is a simply incredible taste sensation. It glides over the palate with a slight sweetness & a hint of fragrance of a summer breeze wafting over a strawberry patch. Divine. I could make a meal of just the relish. One of my faves is still the Caesar salad with fresh white anchovies but with chicken added. Light, tasty and the crusted boneless chicken breast on top - simply succulent. One of the talented bartenders introduced me to a great afternoon summer drink of vodka-pomegranate juice and sprite. Light and delicious. A lunch ""must have"" is the steak sandwich with a horseradish creme dressing (but get extra dressing) & 3 potato wedges that had just the right amount of crispness on the outside with a flavorful potato taste inside. The perfect size and perfect amount of food for an afternoon. Not a dessert person, I was compelled to try the Almond brown butter cake with bing cherries. Forget the cherries. The cake is great and reminds me of a butter cake my grandmother used to make. Yummy. I still say Ford's has the friendliest most competent and attentive servers and bartenders around, not to mention chefs whose talents are amazing. I can't say it enough to potential Ford's diners, for food, drink, friendly atmosphere and attentive staff and management, FORD'S FILLING STATION is THE best place in Culver City and them some. Make a reservation, plan to have a litle bit of a wait on weekend nights, but your taste buds will be well rewarded. Pros: Animal, vegetable and tasty libations all rolled into one Cons: Midnight closing more

Who knew Culver City would become so cool? Ford?s Filling Station definitely has the location thing locked down. Not so much the food. There?s more hype than substance here. And although the menu items sound interesting, I can?t say the same for the execution. Aside from the slightly fancier ingredients, the food is average at best. If you are looking for an amazing culinary experience, you might be disappointed. Upside, it?s in a cool part of town and the restaurant, at least for now, is a hip place to be. Pros: Ambience, Location Cons: Average food more

I went into Fords for lunch today. The place was soooo packed but the hostess told us we could eat at the bar if we wanted to. My friend and I ended up having what is considered to be one of LA?s best burgers. The greatest part of our lunch was when our bartender started playing dice with us! It was nice to visit Fords at lunch rather than dinner for once, different menu / different energy. Both of which I enjoy a great deal. I am usually take meetings there at dinner but it seems like lunch is the real meeting spot. Pros: great for lunch meetings more

They had a great tuna confit dish served in a jar with crusty bread and rock salt. It was amazing!! We tried the Kobe sliders and duck taquitos - both were outstanding. This is now officially my new Friday hangout...transition into the weekend :-) Pros: Great happy hour concept, nice afternoon vibe more

Disappointing--- Pros: No one got sick. Cons: Food was mediocre, overly high prices, below average service more

Due to numerous recommendations and Ben Ford's impressive culinary resume, I expected much more from FFS. Pros first: the decor is warm, and the hostesses were friendly. This was, however, by far the worst dining experience I've had at this high price point, and I actually think the food made me sick that night and the following day. Pros: Warm atmosphere, friendly hosts Cons: Disappointed in everything we ordered more

A group of friends and I have been determined to find some great places in town. Well this is one of them. I really had a good time at this bar. The bartenders were awesome and the place had a really cool vibe. Thanks for a great night. Pros: easy parking more

I just clicked into the site and it looks like today the new site went up for Ford's! It is awesome - gives you the feel and texture of the restaurant itself.....makes me hungry.....for a great porcetta sandwich. Pros: It feels so comfortable there, and the food is so good. They took us as a walkin on a busy night - more