NOTE: THIS GUIDE WAS ADAPTED FROM THIS SITE FROM THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT. ALL INITIAL CREDIT GOES TO THE FOLKS THERE
So, Kristi and I decided to grab this guide off of the English website and update it. As previously stated: "We're not exactly Zagats, but then, this isn't exactly New York. We're just a couple who eat out a lot, and so we made this guide to help you with your Gainesville dining decisions. In general, we don't review restaurants that are hopelessly bad or where the cooks can't prepare a dish without first consulting a laminated operations manual from Walmart. (We've made a few exceptions for Archer Road where chains predominate.) This guide also includes encapsulated reviews of bars, coffee houses, and Sunday brunch places."
Actually, Gainesville has restaurants that range from very, very good to the unfortunate not-worthy-of-your-visit. I will rate things here with a star rating of 1-5 (in ascending order) of yumminess and overall experience. These are just opinions on the food and experience. So don't sue me for libel.
Bar and Grill
Da Chains (TGI Fridays, Bennigans, Chilis) SW Archer Rd. Everyone is used to them and we consider them a guilty pleasure of sorts. Every once in a while we head off to one of these chains. All have been in Gainesville for over 10 years now and are sustained based on brand. Absolutely NOTHING unique about eating at these places. No further review necessary. VERDICT: 2-3 stars (it's hard to run a restaurant and you only get more than 3 stars if you actually have to build a customer base)
Cafe Gardens 1632 W. University Ave. 376-2233. This is not a bad little place in the milder seasons. You will want to sit outdoors and chill in the garden with some beer and your thoughts. This cafe offers hamburgers, grilled chicken and fish sandwiches, big salads, and sweet potato fries in a patio setting. "Chilling" in the summer and early fall is NOT an option due to the Florida sun/heat. 3 stars
Gator City 1728 W. University Ave. 376-1667 If you're in the mood for booze and greasy food--chicken wings, fried clam strips, French fries--this is the place you want to be. A student hangout which used to be the Purple Porpoise, it is regaining a reputation for the football game landing zone. Although it has new competition across the street in The SWAMP. 3 stars
The Swamp 1636 W. University Ave. 377-9267 : Can be filled with meatheads and party chicks at times, but it does offer a nice outdoor setting in which you can enjoy a football game or just hang with a group of friends. The food isn't special (READ: tastes like corporate junk) and the place can get hopelessly crowded during football weekends. 3 stars
Emiliano's 7 SE 1st Ave. 375-7381 : Tapas is the order here at Emiliano's and while Kristi and I visit infrequently, our experience has been positive thus far. Make sure that you get the empanadas as they are particularly satisfying. The Pollo con Leche is one of my favorites. 4 stars
Chinese
Mr Han: Down the road from Red Lobster near 75: 6944 NW 10th Pl # 1: Overpriced and overly dressy for the quality of the experience, Mr. Han is still worthy of a visit. The food is really quite good despite the contstantly understaffed dining area and the long waits. If you have more time than impatience, go. 3 stars.Szechuan Panda: 13th street (approaching Williston road): The experience is a little underwhelming, but so is the effort. So like so many restaurants, if they tried a little harder, it could be so much more. Anyway, what you get is good food in a somewhat flat environment. Not bad, just could be a lot more. 3 stars
Super China Buffet: 13th street (approaching 16th ave): Don't go for the environment, it's not what sustains the place. The all-you-can-eat buffet is actually not bad if you have a hankering for quick chinese or are coming off a long shift at the hospital. Note: check your bill, some things are not included on the one price menu. Love the name. Unassuming and somewhat kitsch and best of all, appropriate kitsch.
Gatormenu.com DELIVERY chinese: China Star, Szechuan Palace, Chinese-2-go: If you are in the mood for delivery, then I do recommend ANY of the restaurants on the Gatormenu.com site. The delivery is fast and the food is pretty good. Competition keeps these places in line. Pick any of them, but look for deals.
Continental
Paramount Grill: RESERVATIONS REQUIRED 12 SW First Ave. (Main St.) WHAT A TREAT! The Paramount Grill is absolutely the best food Kristi and I have ever had. An intimate setting sets a wonderful mood for a quiet evening and the BEST dining experience you can have. Absolutely perfect food combinations by the owner/chef Clif will leave you wishing for more. Honestly, our Manhattan experiences did not provide us with anything close to this gem. YOU MUST EAT AT THE PARAMOUNT GRILL. 10 stars (out of 5)
The Sovereign reservations recommended 12 SE 2nd Ave. 375-6307 You know what? After all of the hoopla, all of the hype, all of the gradiose claims...the Soverign experience is not that special. Yes, it is a nice dining area. HOWEVER, it is just a dining area. Yes, its decor has character. BUT, the character is built on attempts to be something else. The Soverign would not be competitive with most Manhattan places of the same genre. That said, the food is edible. 3 stars
Fast Food
Burrito Brothers Taco Company and El Indio 16 & 407 NW 13th St. Both are little hole-in-the-wall takeout places right near campus, and both are staples of the Gainesville college-dining scene. Very reasonably priced, generous portions of yummy tacos, burritos, and guac.
Chinee Takee Outee 14 NW 13th St. 372-7907 That's really the name. We call it Chinee Ethnic Sluree. Another hole-in-the-wall take- out place (located right next to Burrito Brothers), the food is really inexpensive, and, unfortunately, most of it tastes that way, (Is there such a thing as second-hand meat?), but the lo-mein and fried rice are serviceable.
Leonardo's by the Slice 1245 W. University Ave. 375-2007 Low-cost Chicago-style pizza, beer, pasta, healthy salads, and gourmet coffee in a junkshop atmosphere. Top your pasta or pizza with the roasted vegetables. Bonus: the staff carries itself with a surly kind of confidence that can only come from certain knowledge that their conspicuous piercings and tattoos make them hipper than you.
Steak n Shake 1610 SW 13th St. 376-0588 Resist the temptation to try any entree other than the steak burgers. That's not to say that the steak burgers are particularly good; rather, everything else is particularly bad. Don't even think about what "chili three ways" might mean. If you're in a hurry, this place is a better option than its fast-food neighbors, Arby's or Hardee's. Plus, the milk shakes rule.
Indian
Maharaja 101 SE 2nd Pl. 337-9599 We are hesitant to include this place in our review since we fear that it may go out of business any day. No one ever goes there, but honestly, the food's not bad. If you are a connoisseur of Indian food, you will likely find this place second-rate, but stick to the vegetarian dishes for a fine meal. Our favorite is chat. To drink, order the sweet lassie.
Italian
Satchel'sAmelia's reservations recommended 235 S. Main St. 373-1919 The food here is generally great. If you still eat veal, you'll really like this place. Of course, the chef offers plenty of other Italian delicacies to choose from. Tira misu, tira misu, tira misu. The dining room is romantic and intimate. It has the same feel as the one in The Big Night which, by the way, is a great food film. It's about these two brothers who own an Italian restaurant; well anyway, you should rent that movie if you haven't seen it.
Japanese
Kotobuki 1702 W. University Ave. 372-8214 This is a pretty safe bet for lunch. It's right near campus and serves tasty Japanese dishes at reasonable prices. Dinner's a different story. It's more expensive and features a so-so sushi bar and entrees that should just taste better. But we like going here because you can eat dinner while sitting on the floor.
Miya Sushi 3222 SW 35th Blvd. 335-3030 This place offers low-cost, fresh sushi, sashimi, and teriyaki dinners but not much in the way of atmosphere. Ultimately, Miya is about no nonsense Japanese dining.
Sawamura 1624 SW 13th St. 373-1076 is one of those Japanese steak houses where they cook at your table, although the menu also includes sushi, tempura, and other dishes that are prepared in the kitchen. We can heartily recommend the shrimp, scallops, filet mignon, and chicken cooked tableside. Pay close attention when the chef creates a fireball several inches to the left of the shrimp. We haven't yet figured out how it makes the food taste so good, but it seems to work. Bonus: you might see the chef lose a finger.
Sushi-Matsuri 3418 SW Archer Rd. 335-1875 features amazingly fresh fish; this freshness is really important since the fish may begin to grow stale waiting to get from the sushi bar to your table. Service at Matsuri can be sadistically slow, but the wait staff is usually friendly, and the food is decent. (Some people whose opinions we respect think this is the finest restaurant in town.) We recommend sticking to the appetizer menu to get a wide variety of foods.
Korean
Hometown Korean Restaurant 2204 SW 13th St. 378-7525 Did you know that "hometown" in Korean is "ko hyang gip"? That's what our waiter told us. Anyway, this is the only Korean restaurant in Gainesville (and probably within 100 miles of here), and it's not bad. Lots of interesting pickled vegetable appetizers and the soups, meat, and rice dishes are pretty good. Bulkoki dishes cooked tableside are very good. Note for the neurotic: watch out for potentially unsafe pork-handling practices (huh, huh, huh) when getting bulkoki cooked tableside.
New OrleansHarry's 110 SE 1st St. 372-1555 They're supposed to serve New Orleans-style Cajun food, but their formula for culinary success seems to be "bland food + cheesy Mardi Gras decorations = Cajun goodness." It doesn't add up. The red beans and rice are pretty good, though.
Nouvelle
Leonardo's 706 706 W. University 378-2001 This is definitely one of the best restaurants in town. OK, so a really fine restaurant would only display--not sell--the artwork on its walls, but still, this place serves delicious nouvelle cuisine in a hep setting. Try the pasta with shiitake and shrimp or scallops if offered as a special. When ordering from the menu, try the tortelloni (big tortellini) Raphael and the lotta tomata California pizza. The desserts are fabulous, especially the chocolate pate and the apple cobbler with cinnamon ice cream.
Steve's Cafe Americain reservations recommended 12 W. University Ave. 377-9337 This place has served us some fabulous meals; unfortunately, it doesn't always uphold its standards. We especially get annoyed when the chefs try to appear upscale by putting sarcastically small portions on absurdly large plates. But even at its worst, this place beats most of Gainesville's other food choices. The dining room is lovely, and if you order from the prix fixe menu, you should get plenty to eat.
Other (bland catch-all term)
Pura Vida 12 SW 1st St. 378-3398 This is one of the places where we take friends from out of town because the menu is great, the food is affordable, and the chef never lets us down. Well, we don't like the fishcakes, but the jerk chicken is one of the best meals in town and the polenta is great if you put some hot sauce on it. A cozy little cafe, Pura Vida also serves delicious coffees and freshly prepared herbal tea blends. You should definitely eat here.
Thai Bahn Thai 1902 SW 13th St. 335-1204 is the best restaurant in Gainesville. Quite honestly, we can't think of anything nasty or back-stabbing to say about this place. If you like Thai food, you'll love Bahn Thai. If you've never tried Thai food before, this is the place to start. Vegetarians and meat-eaters alike can choose from an elaborate menu of authentic appetizers and entrees, ranging from mildly-seasoned dishes that are friendly to the western palate to scorching hot curry recipes and other exotic fare. If you can't find anything on the menu that suits you, ask about Mi Kratee, Gang Kua, Panang, or Emerald Curry. Bonus: if you're really nice, they sometimes give free dessert.
Vietnamese
Saigon Cafe 1222 W. University Ave. 338-0023 Awkwardly nestled between a pawn shop and a store selling Gator hair scrunchies and other silly UF paraphernalia, Saigon Cafe is a wonderful little Vietnamese restaurant and one of the best dining bargains in town. It serves a wide variety of authentic Vietnamese dishes, including some fantastic soups. Some of the English translations on the menu may sound a bit unappetizing (rare beef tendon), but don't get scared off by the names; the food's all very good.
Saigon Palace 3500 SW 13th St. 377-4660 There's a better Vietnamese restaurant in town (see Saigon Cafe), but the scenery makes Saigon Palace worth the trip. Located at the edge of Lake Bivens, the view is spectacular if you dine at sunset. Choose from either authentic Vietnamese cuisine or Mongolian grill (a salad-bar-like set-up where you put raw ingredients into a bowl and watch them get stir-fried on/in a gigantic wok). Note for the neurotic: make sure you tell the wok-guy to put your cooked meats into a different bowl than the one you used to bring him the raw meats. Bonus: at sunset, you'll see more alligators here than you'll see at Florida Reptile Land. (Stay away from the dumpster.)
A Selection of Bars, Pubs, and Clubs Downtown Covered Dish 210 SW 2nd Ave. 377-3334 The best place for live music. If it gets loud, just step out on the patio. They give away free pizza at happy hour on Friday.
Durty Nelly's 208 W. University Ave. 374-9567 Gainesville's only Irish pub. Dark, dingy, nice 'n' surly. Happy Hour 111 S. Main St. 378-8961 OK, this is a pool hall, but you can get beer here, and it really has the smoky, grungy air you want when you shoot pool.
Market Street Pub 120 SW 1st Ave. 377-2927 Home-brewed beers for the Anglophile. Also featuring the kind of cuisine that made English cooking famous. Read into that comment whatever you wish.
Coffee Houses Place Area Atmosphere Selection of Sweets *Chesapeake campus fast food-like very poor *Common Grounds campus bohemian-ish not much choice *Emiliano's dwntn. lovely room/patio best desserts in town *Leo's campus junk-shop chic/patio cakes,scones,pies, cookies *Maude's dwntn. standard room/patio acceptable cakes and pies *Pura Vida dwntn. cozy room limited but homemade Special Mention: Krispy Kreme. The coffee here is just terrible, but the donuts are so fabulous (webmaster's note: I think the coffee's ok. Plain, but ok). If you go there when the "Hot Donuts Now" sign is on, that means they are running the donut machine which is a very cool Rube Goldberg-ish device that you can watch as it mass produces donuts. When you get the signature donut fresh, it melts in your mouth like cotton candy.
Sunday Brunch