“We consider this restaurant to be a destination-themed restaurant,” said operating partner Sam Tancredi. “We stay true to the brand.”
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
Mike McGuigan founded the original Ford’s Garage in 2012 in Fort Myers, Fla. — less than a mile from Henry Ford’s winter home. Tancredi said McGuigan had a love for Ford and wanted to create a unique lunch spot. After opening his third restaurant location, Ford’s Garage became a franchise.
Today the restaurant is an official licensee of the Ford Motor Company. The Liberty Twp. locationis its 25th restaurant.
From the Ford Model A hanging above the bar to the napkins featuring shop towels wrapped in hose clamps, the restaurant pays attention to the details. It has a 1930s garage feel with a Ford Roadster in the middle of the dining room and two other vintage cars sitting out front of the restaurant with gas pumps. The team wears nostalgic auto shop uniforms and if you’re lucky, you’ll be sat at a table featuring the front of a Model T.
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
“Mike came up with all these ideas that are still alive today in this restaurant,” Tancredi said.
McGuigan continues to be a franchisee, opening restaurants in Indianapolis, Ohio and Kentucky.
The 9,000-square-foot restaurant that seats 260 people has a burger centric menu with comfort food. Must-try Black Angus burgers include:
- Ford’s Signature Burger (featuring Tillamook aged sharp cheddar cheese, applewood smoked bacon, bourbon BBQ sauce, chopped romaine, tomato and red onion on a brioche bun)
- The Estate Burger (featuring smoked gouda cheese, sweet red onion marmalade, arugula, tomato, fried onion straws and white truffle bacon aioli on a brioche bun)
- The Jiffy Burger (featuring American cheese, applewood smoked bacon, chopped romaine and creamy peanut butter on a brioche bun)
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
Other favorites include the Beer Battered Fish N’ Chips, Blackened Salmon, Smoked Brisket Burnt Ends Melt, Mama Ford’s Homemade Meatloaf and the Chicken Henry. The restaurant also has a variety of macaroni and cheese and several salads.
“We always lead with quality,” said Jessica Tomlinson, vice president of culinary. “The quality of our ingredients is definitely noticeable throughout our menu.”
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
Every three months, the restaurant serves a limited-time only menu. Tomlinson encourages customers to try the Jalapeno Crunch burger topped with roasted jalapenos, chipotle aioli, fried onion straws and a sweet red onion marmalade. She also said customers should save room for dessert, specifically their peach cobbler.
The restaurant has an extensive cocktail list with favorites such as the Old Fashioned that is smoked at the bar and delivered tableside in a skillet with an apple wood chip topper or the Ol’ Reliable Tea made with Jim Beam Peach and fresh-brewed ice tea. Ford’s Garage also serves wine and beer.
Every Sunday brunch is served from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. with chicken and waffles, a brunch burger, breakfast burrito or skillet.
Ford’s Garage has hired around 150 people for the Liberty Twp. location. The franchise owners will open their next location in Avon, Indiana and are looking at sites in the Columbus and Cleveland area.
MORE DETAILS
Ford’s Garage is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
A lunch menu is available Monday through Friday until 2 p.m. Happy Hour is from 2 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday at the bar only with food and drink specials.
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