A disappointing experience. Walked in around 7pm and the restaurant was completely empty. That…read moreshould have been our first indication. Our table ordered a couple of dishes: chicken and waffles, southern fried chicken, shrimp fried rice, and the hitman. The water tasted like it came straight from the water fountain outside the restaurant. Chicken was overly breaded and salty, and the corn cake was sour. I also don't know how they managed to dry out dark meat. The waffle was semi burnt. The shrimp "fried rice" was soggy, vinegary, almost sushi rice like texture, and shrimp was heavily salted. The hitman smashed burger... the hitman probably killed people with the insane amount of salt on the plate. See the theme? Lighten up on the salt unless you're trying to give your customers clogged arteries. Extremely disappointing considering all the great reviews we saw before going.

Spending a couple of days in Sarasota, FL and tried Fork and Hen for the first time. Their site had…read moreme at "soul food with a modern twist." The "Best Damn Mac and Cheese" is not false advertisement. Wow. Huge portion and worth every $13 penny. Elevated with Gruyère, donegal cheddar and reggiano cheese with a light béchamel and is so very good. I foresee myself craving this in the future and being sad I live in Orlando and can't even Door Dash. I really enjoyed the Crab Cake Eggs Benedict too - though some of my crab had a little fishy taste, but most of it was perfect. The Meyer-lemon hollandaise was creamy, light and just enough citrus flavor. Love it being served on soft foccacia bread with perfectly poached eggs. Service was fantastic! Our server "Erica" was amazing. She made great recommendations and even made a fresh pot of coffee for me, Including an iced version of it to go along with my husband's iced tea. She said portion sizes are even bigger at dinner! We will definitely be back.

To wrap up our Father's Day getaway, the wife once again reminded me why she's the CEO of vacation…read moreplanning. She found Leroy's Southern Kitchen & Bar in Punta Gorda, and let me tell you this place isn't a restaurant it's a whole Saturday night experience! I walked in thinking there had to be a festival, birthday party, or somebody famous in town. Nope! That's just how they roll every Saturday. Live music, people dancing, everyone smiling I started wondering if they slipped happiness into the sweet tea. Now the wife ordered the Nevermind Pressed Burger with extra cheese and black coffee steak sauce. NEVERMIND?? More like Never mind my diet! One bite then another then another and suddenly her plate looked like the dishwasher had already been there. The burger was cooked perfectly, juicy, cheesy, and that steak sauce should be illegal in at least 12 states. Meanwhile, I ordered the 10 oz. Skirt Steak with jasmine rice, carrots, green onions, and their house made Asian marinade. Listen whoever made that sauce I need the recipe, your autograph, and your retirement plan. I was this close to asking for a to go cup so I could pour it on my cereal tomorrow morning. Mama mia that steak disappeared faster than my paycheck after my wife says, Let's just stop at one more store. Then dessert happened. We saw our neighbors order the homemade Banana Nilla Pudding special. My wife looked at me with that look that says, We're getting one. Fellas you already know that's not a suggestion. Well she got one. I got exactly three bites. THREE! ‍ By the time I looked back, the jar was cleaner than the windows at a car wash. Dear Lord now I understand why my doctor keeps telling me to watch my sugar. That pudding almost had me scheduling my next A1C appointment from the table. The live band had me singing songs from back in the day don't ask which ones. Some of y'all are detectives and I'm not giving away my age! And a huge shout-out to Athena! She knew that menu like she wrote it herself. Friendly, funny, attentive she made us feel like regulars even though it was our first visit. So thank you, Uncle Leroy! Between the food, the music, the atmosphere, and my wife stealing 97% of the dessert, this was the perfect way to end an unforgettable Father's Day getaway. Five stars. Come hungry leave happy and if you order the Banana Nilla Pudding, order TWO. One for your wife and one that you hide under the table. Trust me.

When in Punta Gorda we always come here. I love the chopped salad & add a blackened chicken breast,…read morebest chicken I've ever had, the buttermilk dressing is homemade & the croutons are made from cornbread. We are also trying the pulled pork sandwich which we've never had. Service is always great, they get busy & I believe they take reservations. Very casual place, a Tshirt is ok attire. Big draft beer selection also. The side of cornbread is a must to get. Going to get a banana pudding to go today!

Real Texas BBQ in southwest Florida - Finding great bbq in Florida can sometimes be a daunting…read moretask, I've eaten lots of bbq and consider myself somewhat of an bbq aficionado having enjoyed bbq across this great country, every region has their own unique and different styles so believe me when I say all bbq is not created equal. Texas bbq has always been at the top of my list after traveling and working in Texas for decades and experiencing what I think is some of the best on the planet. I admit my expectations were pretty high long before I walked through the door here - just from the exterior and interior ambiance I immediately knew these people are serious bbq people and some of the friendliest you'll ever meet. In my opinion eating bbq should be an experience yes the meat preparations are of the utmost most importances but the sides, and desserts also have to be on point as well and of course fresh brewed tea. I wanted to try it all which is not reasonable so I read the menu, scanned the daily specials board(s) and also considered the recommendations by our wonderful server. We enjoyed some great sandwiches and sides and couldn't of had a better lunch during our drive through southwest Florida. Chopped Brisket Sandwich - the bun was fresh and toasted perfectly so it held up to the sauce that I drenched on the beautifully smoked meat, the lean to fat ratio was absolutely perfect and the smoked flavors came through making this one of the best bbq sandwiches I've eaten in a very long time. Pulled Pork Sandwich - the perfectly smoked pork was piled high and very lean, this is a big and delicious work of art. We ordered the sauce on the side so we could control the portion and it worked out great. Pinto Beans - these beans are cooked down until they melted into the smooth and creamy broth that was filled with onions and jalapeño peppers - these are a must try especially if you top them with some fresh raw onion and a few dashes of the Tabasco Pepper Vinegar table side the only thing I regret is that I didn't get a quart of these to take back to the campground. Fried Okra - Crispy deliciousness a southern delicacy served with ranch dressing, this combination is never a disappointment when done right and they do the okra right here. It was nice to get pickles and raw onions on the side, in my opinion if a bbq joint misses this step they don't understand what a bbq experience should be. We really enjoyed our meals here and appreciated the hospitality from the staff, great food, great service all at a reasonable price is always a winning combination, this is definitely a place I hope to return to soon...

This is a rustic little gem. The outside is just like an old Texas barbecue and the inside nothing…read morefancy, but nice polite server with great people skills. My wife and I split the chopped brisket sandwich. They actually cut the sandwich in half for us. They have a sweet barbecue sauce, a medium barbecue sauce and a hot barbecue sauce. The hot barbecue sauce will definitely get your attention. They were all delicious. The brisket was moist and tasty. Probably the best brisket sandwich I've had in Florida. We also got two sides, smoked green beans and jalapeño pinto beans. both my wife and I loved the smoked green beans. The jalapeño pinto beans were delicious, but my wife wouldn't touch them, She's a sweet, no heat type of BBQ girl. The food was delicious. The Service was outstanding and the ambience is what you would expect in a hometown Texas barbecue restaurant. I highly recommend trying out the Texas best barbecue restaurant.

Wanted to try a place we've never been. Heard about Fancy's and decided to give it a try. Glad we…read moredid. My husband had pot roast which he promptly gobbled up. I had the chicken pot pie which was yummy. We shared an old fashion drink. Staff is friendly and well informed of their menu. The decor was comfortable and interesting. Thank you Fancy's for a great evenings

I should have listened to the other reviews...they were right on!…read more The food was all ala cart. Nothing comes with your meal. And to purchase sides it's a shareable side. So you have to ask people at your table if they'll go in to get the side you want. Because the "side" was such a large portion. Disappointing. This should be changed immediately. I had the country fried steak. It was ok. Gravy stated white peppercorn gravy. It was not white. But it tasted ok. Much better than the gravy that came on the potatoes. It was NOT good. My husband had the chicken and waffles. He liked it. Our other party had pot roast and they said the seasoning was a very unusual flavor. Not tasty. Potatoes and carrots were not cooked throughout. Liver and onions were good. The corn bread was good. Our server, Luke was cordial however it appeared that we irritated him. I caught him talking about us to another server and the cook as they all turned and looked us. Maybe I'm reading into it but based on other reviews I read I think they were being negative about our group. ‍ Anyway I would not recommend this restaurant and I'm sorry I didn't listen to the other reviews. Yelp never steers me wrong.

We stopped at the Farmer's Market Restaurant for breakfast after dropping my family at RSW Airport…read more The eggs were perfectly cooked to over medium. Ordered a single biscuit and gravy. The gravy was delicious. The home fries were fantastic. Our waitress sat us and took our drink order. She was very pleasant and attentive. She also refilled our coffee twice without asking. A bonus was the restroom was very clean. Thanks for an awesome visit.

Read about this restaurant in several different reviews and decided to give a try. So glad we did…read more... absolutely delicious. My husband finished his plate of smoked bbq pork ribs, sweet potato and cole slaw. I had 1/4 fried white meat chicken, sweet potato, fried okra. The corn muffins were hot and delicious. We will need to come back and try more delectable offerings. We brought home a slice of sunshine cake which we will have this evening. A little noisy but it was because it was full house. Generous seating with bar seating on one end. The restaurant is clean and well maintained. Staff is friendly, attentive and provides quick and gracious service. We will be back and bring others with us.

Not my first visit, nor will it be my last. Consistently great food and service. Especially fond…read moreof their smash burger on a sesame seed bun, with great French fries, and the boudin balls! So nice to have this gem in Southside Village!

We came here for lunch and had a fantastic meal! The inside has both stool-top and regular table…read moreseating along with the bar. We got lucky at the time we went to get a table right away! The Caesar salad was great, and the crushed croutons were a lovely add. It doesn't sound like anything crazy, but it distributed nicely over the salad compared to pieces of croutons. The dressing was also very creamy and seemed homemade. The burger and fries were similarly amazing. The sesame burger bun was truly a SESAME bun (which you can see in the photo). The burger was cooked perfectly and everything was fresh. The fries were absolutely homemade were a great mix of crunchy and soft.

Food is always a hit and the family setting is awesome. Service has always been pretty good.read more

A true staple to the area and a must visit for amazing food. Growing up in the south and brought up…read moreon Southern food, I look to restaurants that really embody all of the southern qualities from good food to good hospitality. I use to come here all the time when family lived in the area and upon driving through I HAD to stop in for lunch. The customer service here is great. Everyone is pleasant and the server made sure we understood the setup on home to get food and the cost. Our drinks were never empty here. The food is just fantastic. The kitchen does a great job on cooking and keeping everything on the buffet line stocked. Some of my favorites were the ribs, green beans, and fried chicken. The ribs were so tender and packed with flavor. The fried chicken had the perfect crispiness on the skin. The green beans were real southern fixed green beans. The desserts were great and my mom and I split 4 of them! Worth trying everything. Thank you for a great meal!

Outstanding. Dare I…read moresay superlative? The apple and pecan pie (separate) is worth the price of admission alone. The fried chicken is good but not great. What is great? The meatloaf. All day long. Any cooked vegetable dish is a great side. I haven't tried their cornbread or any gluten options. Aside from the pies. I would die for you...

Restaurant is a buffet, specializing in southern comfort food. I do not eat fried food or greens,…read morebut there were many other items to choose from. Server was great the first time, friendly and helpful. The second time, not so much. It was challenging to track her down. The ambiance is great if you are a people watcher. I am always amazed how much food people put on their plates, only to waste it. Take what you want, but eat it... don't waste it. The prices are high for a buffet; however, it is higher quality compared to similar type restaurants. Try Fred's for yourself and post a review.

Home cooking at its best. Just off i-75 in Venice FL. The front of the restaurant has an immediate…read moresouthern feel with a wooden patio and rocking chairs. They have a cool store with a ton of everything as soon as you enter the main doors. Clothing, root beer, candy, and household items too. Past the store we enter the packed restaurant with a southern vibe boasting a massive fireplace and multiple tables. We ordered a simple eggs, bacon potatoes with their signature buttermilk biscuits and thick gravy for dipping. While waiting each table has a fun peg game to play. The meal was served in about ten minutes and was delicious. Our waitress was very friendly and the bathroom was very clean.

Warning! Eat at this restaurant at your own risk…read more Where is the Management oversight? Are they incompetent or do they choose to ignore industrywide safe sanitation practices for restaurants? The restaurant is dangerously filthy, with a complete disregard for safe food handling standards. Twice in one month, they served expired milk to children. The cooks rarely wear protective gloves - if ever. Employees, including managers, are constantly eating food on the line, and they seldom wash their hands. You are literally better off eating at the McDonald's you passed on the way to this Cracker Barrel. Crazy thing is, their corporate offices don't seem to care.