Having read Trip Advisor's reviews giving it a #1 ranking on Sanibel, a group of five of us went to Doc Ford's on Saturday evening, June 21, 2008. What we found on entering was a large, dark, extremely noisy, low-class sports bar. It was not just noisy; it was bedlam. But, we thought, the quality of the food would more than compensate for the unpleasant atmosphere. After all, it was ranked #1 on Sanibel, wasn't it? We were so wrong! Not only was the food atrocious; the service was poor as well. As we waited to order, small roll was brought to our table upon request, unsliced, for five people, with the announcement that any additional would cost $1.50. An inauspicious beginning. One of our group ordered a dozen clams on the half shell as an appetizer, intending to order her entree later. A menu was left for her, but her entree order was never subsequently taken. The clams were served sitting in a brimming puddle of water in which floated a few tiny melting icecubes. (Price - $10.95). A second member of our party ordered the Dinkin's Bay Boil - 1/2 lb. of steamed shrimp ($13.95). Rubbery, overcooked, sitting in a soupy concoction identified as Old Bay spices and lime juice. Another of our party ordered the Deep Water Mahi Mahi ($19.95). Edible, but dry and tasteless. Another of our group went for the Polynesian Chicken ($17.95). Inedible and returned after one or two mouthfuls; the chicken was dry and the rice terribly overspiced. My own entree was worst of all: Banana Leaf Snapper (21.95). This was described on the menu as snapper wrapped in a banana leaf lined with 'Masa Harina, Ancho Chili Puree and Pine Island Lime Juice." The waiter did caution me that it would be spicy. I happen to like spicy food, so this was not a problem. The problem was locating the tiny piece of alleged snapper in the very large gob of cooked corn meal mush, the whole mess the consistency of mashed potatoes. It was not particularly spicy-hot, but did have a heavy amount of cilantro, overpowering the whole dish. This mess was inedible, and was returned, along with the inedible Polynesian Chcken dish. I told the waiter, who was profusely apologetic, to "just bring th check so we can get the hell out of here." By now, the noise level had become intolerable, not helped any by an adjoining table full of yelling, screaming kids, whom their doting parents, seated separately nearby, made not the slightese attempt to control, even though the kids were littering the floor with food from their table. Though I had wanted to pay and leave, a more outspoken member of our group decided to speak to the manager, which he did, and subsequently to the owner. The manager's reaction was to remark: "Well, they were probably pissed off when they came in." We were not. We'd come prepared to have a pleasant, enjoyable evening, dining out at what we had been led to believe via Trip Advisor reviews was a wonderful restaurant. The manager grudgingly deducted $20.- from our check, which I did not care about at all. We just wanted to get out of there. IN SUM, STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE UNLESS YOU LIKE BAD FOOD, POOR SERVICE, AND WANT A MIGRAINE FROM THE NOISE!!
