Ford's Filling Station

We went in about nine on a Saturday night and though it was crowded, we were seated right away. We enjoyed everything we had: tomato salad, skirt steak, scallops and a delicious glass of red wine. The service was friendly but professional. A very nice meal. Pros: good food, good service Cons: a little loud more

My wife and I went here for dinner on Saturday night. We really wanted to like it, its close to us and we were looking for great food in a cool environment. The food is tasty and the atmosphere is fun, but unfortunately there is nothing special about it. for $100 between the 2 of us including drinks, I know of a dozen other places we would have rather gone. Pros: Convenient location, interesting decor Cons: pricey for what you get, overall "average" dining experience with above average price. more

I love this restaurant- because it made me fall in love with food again. Seriously, I have been so disappointed by so many restaurant experiences in the last few years- even stopped craving certain meals at my then favorite restaurants. But Ford's has fixed it! I had the scallops and they were TO DIE FOR...never had scallops so good- I want some right now. My boyfriend had the burger with blue cheese and he hates blue cheese- but somehow LOVED the burger. This chef is great. Next time...because there will be a next time...I want to go to the chef and thank him!! I highly recommend this restaurant and I hope you have a good a time as I did. Pros: parking structure right behind the restaurant! more

Okay, so I call myself a foodie. But when I go out to a casual place I tend to cut it a little slack because you can't always get a ""foodie"" experience when you're not paying an arm and a leg...So when I went to Ford's I just had no idea things could be so good. The cheese plate I ordered came out and wow'd me. The cheese was a perfect temperature and had figs and dried fruit to pair up with each one. When I got seated at my cute ""the restaurant is tonight's entertainment"" seat, I was bowled over by the gorgeous beef cheeks and my friend's perfectly executed scallops. And the wine pairing? Perfect as well. Who knew you could have a cool ""Tom Waits"" song playing in a dimly lit room, with amazing food and great prices? I certainly didn't. But I'm definitely coming back soon. I loved it! Pros: Casual atmosphere more

I went there with a small group of friends, one of whom suggested the place. I did not expect anything, but after hearing the name ""blah blah filling station"" I thought to my self: a dinner. What a nice surprise it was to enter a restaurant with a nice street patio, a stocked bar, and and when I saw the menu I almost fell off the chair. Pros: food Cons: name, crowded more

I went to this place about a week after it first opened and I was really blown away. I got the duck confit flatbread and it was simply exquisite! However, I have been there a few times since and I have to say that it has never been consistent. The duck flatbread has never come close to the perfection of the first one I had. I agree that the service is spotty, but I also have noticed that they are WAY understaffed at lunch. There is also something about an entire page of the menu being dedicated to cold cuts and cheese that just annoys me. I enjoy the occasional after dinner cheese plate as much as the next gal, but it just doesn't interest me that much. Seems like something that a snobby culinary school grad would appreciate more than the average diner. This place perplexes me to some degree. I have had a few dishes at Ford's that were unbelievable, but I have also sent back just as many. There is obviously some real talent in the kitchen, but there are also clearly some real duds back there too. I think this place could be a great restaurant if they could just work out their kinks. Pros: wine list, friendly staff, location Cons: inconsistent, sparse menu more

We had such great service and food, that we have been there 3 times in one week. I have recommened Ford's to several friends who have had the same great service and food as I have. Culver City is the hot, new place to be. Pros: Great decor, location, food and service. Something different than your normal "trendy" place. Cons: No valet more

I went here with a girlfriend and we ordered the sea bass special, which our waitress claimed was large enough for two people to split. She was right, seeing as they filled the inside of the fish with mashed potatoes. (Not in the description.) It's a good thing we got a salad beforehand (which our busboy cleared before we were finished eating it...) That brings up another point: the service was worse than I expected. Our waitress, while friendly enough - wasn't very attentive. In addition to our food being cleared before we were done, she also rushed us out before we had a chance to tell her we'd like to split the bill... The food seemed overpriced for nothing special. Pros: Outdoor seating Cons: Service, price more

I've eaten lunch at this place twice now (second time b/c the place we actually wanted to try was closed), and each time I've noticed that the service is bad, it takes too long to get your food, and it is totally overpriced. If you're going to charge people $14 for a hamburger (during lunchtime!), or $16 for chicken, you should at least have excellent service. Instead, it takes forever, they give you no bread while you wait (yet another perk you should have if you're going to charge so much), and the servers aren't all that skilled or even polite. One server dropped a full pitcher of water right next to our table and the water began seeping into the rug under our feet, but she didn't apologize or say a word to us. It's too bad about the service, because the food (once you finally get it) is decent and the decor inside is cool. However, I've left each time feeling ripped off. Pros: Nice decor Cons: bad service, overpriced for what you're getting, limited menu. more

I have visited this restaurant twice and each time the food was below average, hostess was rude, and the chef out of the kitchen schmoozing when he should be behind the stove. I do not understand the hype. Cons: Service, Ambience, Noise Level more

Had a reservation for 8:45pm, and arrived right on time. Upon arriving, was told that they were behind and that there would be a 15 minute wait. 30 minutes later there was still no table and after asking the hostess if it would be much longer she said she didn't know and turned her back. A finer establishment would have offered something for our trouble (i.e. an appetizer on the house) but the host staff acted as if we should have expected a half hour wait even though we had reservations. We ended up leaving as it was getting close to 9:30 and didn't want to eat that late. Dissapointment. more

The fried clams were good, the wine was the best I've ever had, and the strawberry shortcake was wonderful. However, the entree was a let-down. The flat-iron steak was well-prepared and tender, but the spinach souffle was a bit bland. My friend's porterhouse turned out to be pork (it says so on the menu, but both of us missed it--when else is porterhouse anything but beef?). On top of that, the service was negligent, which it really shouldn't be at these prices. With wine, a split appetizer, entrees, and desserts, we each spent a little over $60. At $45-50 each, the price would have been right (although I still would have considered the service to be slack). Ford's Filling Station is good, but it's not great, and I'll go elsewhere to get my money's worth out of the dining experience. Pros: Good public parking Cons: Lack of value for price more

Overall, had a good experience. Was treated for a birthday dinner by a friend-in-the-know. And was impressed with the fact that we were promptly seated at the time of our reservation, eventhough the place was JUMPIN'! Lots of people, hip atmostphere, but not too sceney. Everyone appeared to be enjoying themselves. Food was good; patio was nice and probably not as loud as the inside. It is definately a meat place. We both enjoyed our hamburgers. Though my burger had some ""marbling"" that I did not enjoy. Everything was great, up until the end when we tried to linger a bit to chat and were given the boot. I can't blame them because they were busy, but it really put a damper on an otherwise very enjoyable meal. I'll go again, and be sure to have plans for after. Pros: Great Atmostphere, good food, good parking Cons: If it's busy, don't plan to linger more

Very cool spot to have a little nosh and a couple of drinks with cool staff and fun more

I have three words to describe Ford's Filling Station - Yum Yum Yum!! Aw.....and maybe one more YUM! Fun atmosphere, nice people and truly good food make this place dreamy. Pros: Cute Chef Ben Ford interacts and cares about your experience, neat atmosphere Cons: What cons???? more

For weeks, I walked by this place attempting to get a same-day reservation. No luck. When I finally got it, it was so worth it. Prompt, unpretenious service. Amazing oysters with spinach. Also recommend the steaks. more

This restaurant has been hyped so much that I was wary about whether it could meet my expectations. Everything was exceptional from the moment we walked in. We had reservations and were seated promptly. The butter leaf salad and the oyster appetizers were delicious. The crispy chicken was a piece of comfort-food heaven. We finished our meal with the Strawberry Shortcake which was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. We liked it so much we are going back this weekend. Pros: Terrific service and food Cons: Crowded, No Valet more

I visited this place because my daughter told me it was great. And it really is - so I keep going back! I have been several times and had delicious oysters (rockefeller type), a meat platter with yummy cheese, steak tartar, crispy flattened chicken, incredible polenta, a beautiful full flavored tomato salad with a cheese I had never had before (boratta - sooo incredible), and tried all three desserts! I can't wait to return because while it is delicious restaurant food - it is the closest to the best home cooked food I can remember! I love it - my favorite place in Los Angeles - and fyi - the service is perfect - everyone is so nice. I love the fact that Chef Ben Ford is so friendly! He greets every table with sincere interest in their experience. Maybe thats why they are so popular. Pros: Really fun and positive vibe Cons: none that i could see - more

After hearing some good things about Ford's, I went to check it out with a friend. The restaurant was much more expensive than I thought it would be and the food was simply ""okay."" I had the scallops and the sides and fish were good but not memorable. The cheese flatbread was tasty, though, and the service was attentive. The biggest problem was that it was so crowded and so loud that I had to strain to hear my friend talk. All and all, with all the great restaurants in L.A., I wouldn't rush back anytime soon. Pros: Tasty flatbread, good service, great location. Cons: Too noisy, too expensive for the average food. more

I went there for the sexy chef. Stayed for the dinner and left with butterscotch cream in my mouth. Yummy. Pros: desserts, steak tartar, meat more