I was in Florida for a vacation to visit friends and family over the summer, and I found myself in…read moreOcala on a Monday evening in July. I was with my in-laws, and we were looking for a place to eat dinner in downtown while waiting for some other family to join us.
It seems like on Mondays, there is not a ton open in the downtown Ocala area in terms of restaurants. This makes sense, but we chose to eat here primarily because it was open on a Monday, along with recommendations from those I was with. They had eaten here before, but it was my first time.
The restaurant is located on a corner in downtown Ocala, near the square. Since it is in the city, there is no dedicated parking beyond what you find on the street. However, I have never had an issue finding parking in the general area when visiting this part of town, so unless it is a crowded evening or special event, you should have no issues.
When we arrived, it was still early in the evening and we had no issue getting a table. As the night progressed, more people started coming in for their Bachelor viewing party. It seems like this draws a big crowd. They even announced that they were doing giveaways and other fun activities for the series season finale the following week. I imagine they hold other types of events as well, so that might be something to look out for if you are planning on stopping.
We sat at a table near the front, and waited a couple minutes for the server to come by. She was, honestly, somewhat aggressive and not very kind. I tried to order a beer on the menu, and she went to make sure it wasn't out of stock. Then, I asked her about the Monday special on the menu, and she acted like she never even heard of it before. She stated that she didn't normally work on Mondays, but the manner in which this was communicated made it feel like it was my fault for inquiring about this.
I ended up having a Garage Beer on tap, and it was serviceable. I also wanted to order the advertised $10 Grilled Cheese and Fries special, and got the D-Nice Way Grilled Cheese with this. I actually very much enjoyed the grilled cheese, but the fries were the star of the plate. They were crispy and crunchy, but not very thin. I had never had a fry quite like that! Would highly recommend giving them a try here at least once.
Our food came out in a reasonable timeframe after we ordered. It was not too quick, but did not take forever, either. Besides what I mentioned previously, I was satisfied with the other service received.
I thought the prices here, in general, were fair and on par with other restaurants that are similar. They run different specials during different days of the week, as outlined on the menu. For example, Monday is supposed to be $10 Grilled Cheese and Fries. I ordered this, but I am not confident I got it for this price. Someone I was with paid the bill, but the waitress did not seem to be aware of what this special actually was. So, if you are wanting to order a special, I would explicitly say that when ordering to be sure you get it.
Overall, I enjoyed the vibes and the food at this place. It seems like they have activities several nights a week to bring in different crowds, along with specials on food and drinks. The service left a lot to be desired, as our waitress was not very friendly nor knowledgeable on the specials. I would be willing to give this another try, but hopefully with a different waitress.