Looking for the best Restaurants in Gainesville to Try? Great you have come to the right place if you are looking for awesome places to eat in Gainesville FL.
Along with amazing springs, wildlife parks and botanical gardens, one of the things that makes this area of Florida so special (aside from the amazing activities) is the awesome dining opportunities.
Gainesville Restaurants serve up some of the best Florida Foods in the State with everything from fresh seafood, Sushi, steakhouses, Thai and donuts- whatever you are in the mood for, it is pretty much guaranteed Gainesville will deliver.
So if you are on a trip, or maybe even a local wondering where to eat in the area, check out this list of the 27 best restaurants in Gainesville – it is sure to impress even the pickiest eater.
See more: Things to do in Gainesville FL
27 Best Restaurants in Gainesville You Must Try!
1. La Boutique
If you’re in the mood for Mexican food in Gainesville, La Tienda is the place to go. The Gainesville location of La Tienda is just across the street from the Interstate 75 Williston exit. It is situated on 13th Avenue.
This Mexican counter-style café is located within a grocery shop. It offers a diverse selection of foods! Here, you may get tacos, enchiladas, burritos, and chilaquiles. In Mexican marketplaces, genuine Mexican lengua, also known as cow tongue, Cabeza bull check, and pulled goat, may be purchased.
Grilled veggies, rice-stuffed peppers with vegetables, and cactus-stuffed steaks are all vegetarian alternatives (a kind of succulent plant).
On weekends, stop by for some yummy tamales and some of the best food in Gainesville.
2. Cilantro Taco’s
Cilantro Tacos is an excellent Gainesville restaurant. The Tioga Town Center on Newberry Road now has a full-fledged restaurant that began as a popular food truck!
Customers come for the nachos and salads, as well as the tacos and burritos, at this family-owned restaurant. Tuesdays are the most popular, although there are other daily specials.
For $9.50 you can get a drink along with chips and two tacos.Eggplant, salmon, and shrimp are just a few vegetarian options available in addition to the standard barbacoa, chicken, and ground beef.
This restaurants also serves Gainesville-brewed beer which is a real treat.
3. Embers Wood Grill
Embers Wood Grill in Gainesville is the place to go for an upscale dining experience! Embers’ wine list is famous!
Try the Orange and Blue Salad (inspired by my college days) or the Colossal Lump Blue Crab and Lobster Cake as an appetizer. Additionally to the bone-in cowboy cut and porterhouse, they offer spicy Chilean Sea Bass, braised beef short ribs, and filet mignon.
Consider Spark! This is the section of Embers to visit if you’re looking for a less formal dining experience. This restaurant, situated in the bar portion of the same venue, features grilled shrimp and steak skewers, black grouper with a peanut coating, filet mignon with lobster croquettes, and crispy duck wings with balsamic sauce.
The Embers Wine Festival and the Bourbon Tasting are two of their annual activities.
4. Satchels Pizza
Satchel’s Pizza is a must-visit if you’re in the mood for pizza and are in Gainesville, Florida. Satchels is recognized for its distinctive ambience, which has a VW van, inside and outdoor seats, and an east-side greenhouse. It’s because indigenous art was added to the project. Cash is the sole form of payment accepted at this establishment! On busier days, expect a processing time of up to 45 minutes.
With your lunch, try the Satch Salad; it’s large enough for two and delicious!’ Create your own toppings or choose from a “Mom” pie including four distinct toppings and a Pesto and White pie! Additionally, flax and millet husks may be used as substitutes.
Satch Squared, the newest addition to 4th Avenue Food Park, is known for its homemade skillet pizzas and waffles.
Satchels Pizza, located in Gainesville, is a one-of-a-kind institution recognized for its unique atmosphere and expertly prepared pizza.
Image credit: Satchels Pizza
5. Volcanic Sushi and Sake
Gainesville’s Volcanic Sushi and Sake serve great sushi. They are based in Haile Plain and Hunters’ Pass. If you go to Devil’s Millhopper, be sure to stop here afterwards! Volcanic has delicious sushi rolls and a full lunch and dinner menu.
They also do great Bao Buns (Steam bun with lettuce, cucumber, shredded carrots, scallions and sesame seeds, with choice of protein.)
You may dine indoors or outdoors, and a playground is just 15 meters away, perfect for families! The food includes ramen, curries, and stir-fried pork. The Mark II is a tuna yellowtail roll with avocado; the Barbara is smoked salmon cream cheese; and the Haile is crispy tuna tartare. Shrimp cooked with lemon butter and cream cheese, as well as shrimp tempura.
See more: best brunch in Gainesville
6. Northwest Grill
Near Gainesville, The Northwest Grill is well-known for its seafood and is consistently rated as one of the best Gainesville retaurants. Northwest Grill on North West 39th Avenue has been named Gainesville’s best seafood restaurant three years in a row!
Weekend brunch, lunch, and supper are all available at the restaurant. Fried Alaskan pollock, Thai shrimp, and shrimp salad are among the complimentary lunch specialties. Alternatively, keep a lookout for daily deals listed on the board!
There is something for everyone for brunch, from Shrimp and Grits to Sunshine Benedict with crab cakes to a more traditional American fare. At one of Gainesville’s seafood restaurants, you are sure to be served excellent quality seafood.
7. Blue Gill
Blue Gill serves traditional southern food with a contemporary twist. The fresh seafood is the star of the show at this laid-back restaurant, which also has a full bar with an extensive drink menu.
Every day, the restaurant serves lunch and supper, and specials are publicized on the business’s Facebook page. This is the best spot in Gainesville if you’re seeking for something out of the ordinary.
The same family owns Mildred’s Big City Food and The New Deal Café! Nowhere else in the South can you find such a vast assortment of fresh seafood! The restaurant serves lunch daily and has a menu of sandwiches and seafood po-boys.
8. Halo Potato Donuts
If you enjoy a good donut this is a great place to go. While other places may provide a variety of donuts, Halo Potato Donuts stands out due to its use of locally produced ingredients and distinctive tastes such as lemon ginger and Florida buckeye.
Halo Potato Donuts is a must-try if you’re looking for downtown Gainesville restaurants and craving donuts. Additionally, they established a second store, complete with a food truck, in Oaks Mall!
Due to high demand on weekends and the fact that they shut when they run out of donuts ekkk, it is recommended that you arrive early. The flavors of the donuts might vary, but they commonly they have glazes, sprinkles, lemon blueberry, Florida buckeye, and a peanut butter chocolate and coffee crumb – yum!
9. Yummy House
Yummy House, a Chinese restaurant serving Cantonese food, is located at Archer and 34th streets. At Yummy House, you’ll discover Gainesville’s top Chinese and dim sum eateries. Today, you may find this restaurant in Ocala, Sarasota, and Orlando – the store has fast expanded as the food is so – yummy.
Dim sum in small, medium, and big portions are all available. Enjoy Shanghai Style Dumplings, Baked Pineapple Buns, and Baked Coconut Buns!In addition to the salt and pepper tofu, the calamari, cashew chicken, hunan-spiced beef in sauce, and sweet and sour shrimp on the main menu are also excellent choices.
10. Paramount Grill
The Paramount Grill is a restaurant in downtown Gainesville. This restaurant offers gourmet food in a casual setting. Lunch, supper, and Sunday brunch are all available at The Mount Grill.
While the menus vary often and include seasonal products, diners can always count on a wide selection. You should definitely try the heirloom tomato, avocado, goat cheese omelet, the roasted-crimini mushroom omelet, and the crab cake benedict. Try wild-caught diver scallops for dinner, pan-roasted center-cut Angus filet with chive mashed potatoes, or grilled duck breast with wild mushroom ravioli.
Additionally, the Grill provides vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free alternatives so it is a good place to dine if you are coming with friends or family with food requirements.
11. Crane Ramen
Crane is one of Gainesville’s greatest ramen restaurants!
Crane Ramen sources all of its ingredients locally and prepares everything from scratch. Choose from a variety of ramen bowls topped with chicken, pork, or vegetarian ingredients! Rather than that, begin with gyoza or pork buns! Crane Ramen in Gainesville serves ramen prepared from scratch. Gainesville and Jacksonville, Florida, each have Crane Ramen restaurants.
Fresh ramen noodles are served in a range of delicious broths and toppings at the cafés. Crane Ramen delivers awesome ramen in Gainesville. The menu varies often to reflect the season.
12. Mi Apa Latin Cafe
This cafe is one of the greatest places in Gainesville to get authentic Cuban cuisine. Genuine Cuban cuisine may be had for a reasonable price and is prepared using only the finest ingredients.
A wonderful place to lunch after a visit to one of Florida’s most gorgeous springs, including Ginnie Springs which is 39 minutes away.
Diners may choose Cuban classics such as Arroz with Pollo and Ropa Vieja, as well as the Elena Ruz sandwich, which is made with turkey and cream cheese and topped with strawberry marmalade. Additionally, they provide breakfast, freshly squeezed juices, and desserts like as flan, Tres Leches, and Cuban Pastelitos!!
13. One Love Cafe
One Love Cafe in Gainesville is one of the prettiest spots in town for an outside supper! There is a large covered space as well as picnic tables placed across the grassy field at this family-friendly breakfast location.
One of the best parts of this cafe is that it provides farm-to-table meals by sourcing items locally and cooperating with local bakeries. Live music is played Thursday through Sunday. Thursdays include a farmers market.
This vegetarian restaurant features jackfruit or pork tacos, flatbreads, salads, burgers, and sandwiches, as well as a full bar menu! A great place to go on a nice sunny day.
14. Bangkok Square
Bangkok Square is a family run Thai restaurant, it is thought to be one of the best Thai restaurants in Gainesville. From Archer Road and 39th Avenue, it’s just a few minutes away! The dining areas, which are decorated in a Thai theme, provide an ideal setting for unwinding. Lunch offers starting at $10 include a spring roll, soup, and an entrée!
In addition to Pad Thai and Fried Rice, Drunken Noodles and Bangkok Duck, Tom Kha Soup and Yum Tofu, Thai curries prepared with red, green, and coconut milk are also available. Try the mango sticky rice, the coconut ice cream and the Thai doughnuts if you have the chance.
15. Beque Holic
Looking for Korean BBQ in Gainesville? You have come to the right place. Beque Holic is a very unique dining experience since Korean BBQ requires you to make your own meal on a grill directly in front of you! Cooking is now smoke-free thanks to ground-breaking downdraft technology.
The goal of Beque Holic is to use only the freshest ingredients! There are several options available to diners, including all-you-can-eat combo meals, combination menus, and customized dinners.
For a modest price of $23, customers can get brisket, pig belly, chicken three ways, and squid. To cap it off, each meal comes with nine complimentary appetizers! Tempura veggies and grilled mixed vegetables are vegetarian options available. You can check out what’s on the menu currently via their website.
16. The Flying Biscuit
Gainesville’s favorite breakfast place is The Flying Biscuit! Flying Biscuit has provided both outside patio seating and inside dining at its new downtown Raleigh location since 2009. Although the restaurant began in Atlanta 25 years ago, each site now produces more than 5000 freshly baked biscuits every week!
Because they are so well-known, their grits, oatmeal pancakes, savory breakfast tacos, and benedicts should not be missed. A vegan tofu veggie sandwich and a vegetarian scramble are additional options for vegetarians.
On the menu, you’ll also find a selection of sandwiches, including fried green tomato BLTs, hot-lanta chicken subs, shrimp and grits, and a fruity chicken salad.
17. Mojo Hogtown BBQ
Everyone knows and loves Mojo Hogtown BBQ for its bourbon and smoked meats! Gainesville’s greatest barbecue may be found at this establishment. There are specific tables if you want to bring your furry friend and enjoy your meal in the fresh outdoors air.
Every day from 3 to 7 p.m., $3 drafts, $4 craft beers, including Cigar City’s IPA, $5 spirits, $6 wine, and $7 cocktails are available!
Some of the BBQ items on the menu include North Carolina pork, Beef Brisket, St. Louis Ribs, Pit Smoked Chicken, or Texas Hot Links. Sides include yummy collard greens, garlic cheddar grits, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, BBQ pit beans, and hand-cut fries.
18. Dragonfly Sushi
One of Gainesville’s most well-known sushi spots is Dragonfly Sushi. Sushi is the specialty of this modern Japanese eatery, which prides itself on serving only the freshest and best sushi. For those who choose to dine inside or out, there is also a covered bar and lounge area.
Be prepared to wait if you visit on a weekend. The Mango Tango and Black Dragon are two of sushi’s most popular rolls!
Steamed buns, Tiger Shrimp Tempura, Miso Black Cod, Beef Tataki, and Braised Short Ribs are among Dragonfly’s traditional Japanese delights.
Don’t miss the extensive range of Japanese whiskey, Shch, Sake, and other alcoholic drinks available at the bar. Additionally, there are speciality drinks available, such Gangster and the Geisha and Only Taimu Tell.
19. Amelia’s
Amelia’s is Gainesville’s finest Italian restaurant. This restaurant has been serving authentic Italian cuisine from scratch for more than two decades, using only the freshest ingredients.
In downtown Gainesville, the Hippodrome Theater is only a few feet from another cafe so you can have a nice pasta meal and head to the movies after.
If you’re in the mood for pasta, we recommend the Linguine con Clams, the Fettuccini Alfredo, or the Eggplant Parmigiana. Scaloppini Francese, Suprema di Pollo Piccata, or Dentice Napoli with Red Snapper.
20. The Top
Another option is The Top, a downtown Gainesville restaurant that opened in 2000. Along with meat meals, the restaurant serves vegetarian and vegan options.
Come in and take advantage of the vibrant atmosphere, 33 draft beers on tap, and a diverse assortment of alcoholic drinks! To whet the appetite, appetizers such as garlic and kimchi cauliflower, buffalo tenders, tempeh or tofu, or sweet potato fries are available.
Black bean and vegetarian burgers have been added to the menu, in addition to the more traditional grass-fed beef burgers! Vegan chocolate cake and vegan peanut butter pie from The Top are excellent dessert alternatives!
21. Metro Diner
One of the best places to go in Florida for a traditional American feed. At Metro Diner, you’ll find classic All-American fare like the world-famous burgers, amazing meatloaf, and chicken pot pie.
Want to begin your day with something nutritious and filling? Metro Diner serves breakfast all day. From breakfast to lunch to supper, everything is made from scratch and served with a grin.
22 Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grille
Harry’s Seafood Bar and Grille offers a one-of-a-kind dining experience.
To produce some of the most popular dishes, such as Shrimp and Scallop Orleans, Grilled Chicken Baton Rouge, Crab Crusted Blackened Red Fish, and Bourbon Street Salmon, the restaurant uses a combination of traditional Cajun and Creole ingredients and modern cooking methods.
Delicious seafood options are available, including salmon stuffed with crab and seafood platters. Fresh fish may be fried, battered, or broiled. Speciality meats such as Bourbon Street beef tenderloin is also included on the menu.
One of the best restaurants in Gainesville for sure.
23. Adam’s Ribs
Adam’s Ribs is one of the most popular local option for succulent ribs as it boasts the greatest ribs in Gainesville. Ribs are cooked to perfection at Adams and have an excellent flavor.
In contrast to other BBQ restaurants in the area, the flavor at Adams is rated much better as the owner is thought to be an expert in rib seasonings.
If you stay in Gainesville for an extended period of time, you must try this restaurant!
24. Chuy’s
This is a typical Gainesville teeny-tiny Mexican eatery.
On the menu are awesome Tex-Mex specialties such as Chile Relleno en Nogada (stuffed chile pepper in cream sauce). The chips are free and are accompanied with a fiery salsa.
This popular hangout is conveniently located off Archer Road, making it a great stop before or after shopping.
Chuy’s is a very typical Mexican restaurant. A spicy, warm salsa is one of their most popular dishes, as is a fast and easy enchilada. They’re well-known for their margaritas made using non-Corona tequila.
25. Wahoo Seafood Grill
The Wahoo Seafood Grill, situated in Gainesville, FL., is a new seafood restaurant. If you’re searching for a peaceful setting, pleasant service, and yummy seafood, the Wahoo Seafood Grill is the place to go. In addition to the regular lunch and dinner menus, they offer daily seafood specials which is always nice if you are looking for a seafood restaurant to visit without breaking the budget.
There is something for everyone at Wahoo Seafood Grill, from lunch to supper and even breakfast. There are also options for vegetarians and others who are allergic to shellfish at the restaurant. Wahoo also has a substantial wine cellar.
26. Cracker Barrel
The Cracker Barrel restaurant in Gainesville, Florida, has a laid-back vibe and delicious food. Breakfast, lunch, and supper are all available to you at the restaurant.
If you are gluten free, this is a great place to go as there are lots of gluten free options available on the menu.
It’s hard to miss Cracker Barrel Old Country Store in Gainesville’s dining scene. This café has an inviting ambience and amazing food. The restaurant offers family-style dining, including fresh farm staples such as grilled chicken and apple pie. The staff at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store in Gainesville is kind and accommodating. Fried chicken, meatloaf, and ribs are among the restaurant favorites.
27. Texas Roadhouse
Looking for a location to meet the fellas for a steak or a few drinks? Discover Texas Roadhouse for yourself. Indulge in their world-famous, fall-off-the-bone ribs or choose from a variety of awesome sizzling steaks.
Assure that everyone has space for one of their homemade sides, such as baked beans or cornbread. After a long day, their ice-cold beer, including local breweries on tap, will satisfy your thirst. Each meal at Texas Roadhouse is prepared fresh and hot in their world-famous kitchen and presented by one of their professional servers.
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