Best Restaurants Open for Newyears Eve this year in Gainesville – 2024

If I could rate this place with 10+stars I would. Food is amazing! So good that we’ve came back twice within a week. Chicken kabobs were beautifully done, super tender, and full of flavor. My second visit I had the chicken gyro and WOW!!! Flavor explosion! I highly recommend this place and I promise you will not be disappointed! 10 out of 10 on food and service!

Went here for lunch with my mother a few days ago. The atmosphere inside was simple, yet elegant. We both decided to get the gyro hot plate. Our server surprised us by giving us a sample plate of their hummus with pita. The hummus was quite delicious. The gyro plate was surprisingly big with a grilled vegetable kebab, greek salad, and several cuts gyro meat on a bed of rice with tzatziki sauce. The gyro meat tasted great alongside the tzatziki sauce and the dressing that was placed on the salad was amazing. My mother had to take some of meal to go, but we both agreed that the food, service and atmosphere here were great.

Wow, surprisingly good in every way. Greeted by a happy kind server who upon learning we were first-time diners brought a complimentary pita bread humus appetizer. The lamb Gyro sandwich was absolutely the best I've ever tasted and well worth $9.95. The fries were crispy crunchy outside and tender inside, perfect. The draft beer was served in a tall chilled pilsner glass. All this explains why this restaurant has a near perfect 4.8 star rating that is near possible to achieve. Everybody who dines here loves it as much as I do.

For my husbands birthday he requested our family go to outback steak house . Not only did the staff accommodate us when we were running late by pushing our reservation back, but we were greeted at the door and seated immediately. They set the table up beautifully , and we never went with out drinks or table bread. When we were all ordering drinks our grandmother couldn't lift the original glass she was given , and they immediately went and got her a lighter one. When it came time to order our server Jasper took his time and was not rushy or impatient but kind and helpful. Each staff member worked together. It was so refreshing to see that there is a place where people still work as a team.. There was a mix up at one point which Jasper caught , and they did not hesitate to fix it quickly. The manager came over Even offering the guest who the mix up happened to accommodation. They came out offering a dessert to my husband and sang a birthday song for him. He was so surprised. It was fun to have outback steakhouse I. Gainesville a part of the family last night . Because that's what it felt like . You all did an amazing job , outstanding service , outstanding management, amazing atmosphere. We Will definitely recommend you to all of Friends, Family and Clients . #1 pick for birthday celebration dinners We will be seeing alot more of you here soon.

GREAT RESTAURANT! Food is FANTASTIC! EXEMPLARY SERVICE! No complaints at all! We were pleasantly greeted by a very friendly staff and seated immediately. We started with the bloomin' shrimp as an appetizer. It was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! I'm not the biggest eaten of fried foods anymore but we tore into that dish! It was THAT GOOD! My wife had the 6oz steak and fries, she totally ENJOYED HER MEAL. I had the new Tasmanian Shrimp and Scallop Pasta. WOW! What an AMAZING DISH! Totally worth a try if you like pasta dishes. They claim it's spicy, not to me I eat alot of spicy dishes, but MAY BE SPICY TO SOME! Overall we always a FANTASTIC EXPERIENCE From greeting to feeding! We will definitely be going back!

Unbelievably good! We selected Outback because there aren't any in Maine. Absolutely lucked out. Amazing service, Ariel was among the best wait staff I've ever had. The Prime Rib, as always at Outback, is to die for. I'd include a photo, but it's already gone! Minor errors were quickly fixed and compensated for. This really was the best meal I've had in days. Thank you!

Enjoyed a great meal had excellent service and wonderful atmosphere. The staff was very helpful and nice. The food was great.ordered the build your own barbeque platter and the bacon wrapped meatloaf..

Hidden gem? Will have to pass on this place. Three out of four meals were not good at our meal. My chicken dish was good. I liked it (see Pic). Good unique flavor with chicken and mushrooms. You have to like mushrooms to like this dish. But the hamburger had no flavor. Chicken fried steak was tough. The shrimp meal looks like they came off the Sysco truck. And the fried pickles were a little over cooked. The hidden gem? The concert hall next door! Woohoo hey come on! Molly Hatchet come and I would have never known if I hadn't gone to that restaurant. I'm coming back for the concert but not eating at the restaurant.

To start im from Texas which is known for brisket and they had some of the best brisket I’ve ever had, hands down. we had the jambalaya, brisket Philly and brisket plate, everything was 10/10. Caleb and Zack at the bar were awesome, great recommendations and better service

What a fun establishment! So colorful and happy. We went on a Friday afternoon and it was not crowded, got our food and drinks within 15 minutes. The service was excellent and friendly. Ended up staying for couple hours because the kids were playing. The food was good, too. They also have a drive through! :)

Everything here is amazing! The people are incredibly friendly, the food is incredible and the atmosphere and decor is beautiful. The fries to start are done of the best seasoned ever. You will not regret any meal you try. Hello Hilo it's great because it has a little of each of their main meal meats. Their pineapple sweet tea is delicious as well as their POG juice (pine orange guava). Ask for the sauces to try with your meal. Breakfast is great too! They have large connect 4 ands corn hole to play outside with their space heaters in winter. Lastly, do not miss their desserts. So good but not overly sweet.

The food was so good! Very cool tropical vibes. The employees are so nice , and the restaurant is very clean. The back patio/ back yard area is so chilled. We drove all the way from Grayson just to try it and would definitely make the drive again.

So this BBQ place is just down from the Blackstrap music hall. It's not too large, only six or so tables. Service was good. They did the place up for the Halloween season. We had the Korean BBQ pork sandwich and the triple threat. Both were delicious The fried okra was some of the best I have had in a long time. The pork rinds are a pleasant change from the usual fries side (not that I don't like :) ) With a drink you are looking at around $20 a person but I think it's well worth the price. This is GOOD BBQ, we will definitely be back. If your in Gainesville you owe it to yourself to check it out.

As soon as we walked in we were amazed! This place has a super great atmosphere. We were passing through and stopped and came on the perfect day! It’s grinch day! Grinch brunch! The food is soooo good! You need to make your way over and try this!

Stopped in to grab some lunch before stopping at Jaemor farms. Do not let the area fool you. This place is worth the stop. A lot of BBQ places have dry meats. This was excellent. I had the brisket sandwich and pork rinds. My wife had the turkey with Cole slaw and collard greens. We shared the loaded potato with brisket. Way too much food but everything was great. The NC mustard sauce was great on the brisket sandwich. It is a nice little place to stop in Gainesville and we will definitely stop again.

Such a perfect place to eat & drink outside! The sail canopies covered us from the sun, but allowed plenty of airflow. The views were very nice & the singer was talented, & it was nice to be able to hear him & still be able to carry on a conversation because he wasn't too loud. The waitress was very nice & attentive. Too bad the food was Meh... we will probably be back though, but we will definitely try other menu items.

The atmosphere is so chill and laid-back! Live music Thursday through Sunday! The food is always good quality and delicious! The service is wonderful! My favorite place on the lake to spend quality time with friends and have a great meal with a fun atmosphere!

Stopped in on Father's Day, to have the buffet, and listen to Dixie Duncan, Food was amazing, delicious. Deep fried Oreos were killer!! Service was excellent. Laid back, lake spot...highly recommended

Love this place! They have some Old South type things like Coca Cola in a glass bottle served with peanuts. I’ve had people older than me tell me that was their favors thing back in the 50s and 60s. Not only do that have a great bar upstairs and great food, but they have a Tap Room in the basement (see pics) that has tons of different types of beers to choose from! If you haven’t been here for a lunch or a night out with friends, you should make the trip!

So this place is just off the square, very close to the Boot Barn Hall. You can walk to it from the square. We have been several times now and both times it was very good. It has a relaxed, hip, atmosphere and good service. A nice selection of mixed drinks and beer. Both times I have had the burgers. I highly recommend the Southern burger and the El jefe. Both are yummy. The mac and cheese is awesome. We love the Bavarian pretzel.

I’ve been to Standard Service a few times over the years. The main draw of the place is the community tap room in the basement where you can sample/drink a variety of beers/wines that are charged by the ounce. To keep track, you are given an electronic wrist band by the staff which you scan in order to get your drink and it would be added up in the end. They offer a variety of seasonal cocktails and meals some of which are a hit or miss. The staff are helpful in service and recommendations. Being set inside a former 40’s gas station, this place is a sure fire recommendation if you are visiting out of town or wanting to drink and socialize.

I came here to have lunch with a friend after several hours at the botanical gardens near Gainesville. It was a perfect day to sit outside and there was live music playing in the park. I ordered the artisan salad with chicken strips. My friend ordered the Caesar salad, also with the chicken. The service and ambience were great. 1 star removed because the chicken was very dry.

First time coming here. We met some friends we haven’t seen in a while on a Friday night. There was a pretty good crowd but we made reservations ahead of time since we had a party of 7 so we didn’t have to wait. Started off with Calamari which was great. I took our servers suggestion and ordered the Basil Cream Chicken and Shrimp. I was not disappointed! It was fantastic! My wife got the Chicken and Mushroom Alfredo which was great too. Our friends ordered a couple appetizers, the guacamole and chips, and also the hummus and chips. Both awesome! Our server, Evan, did a great job handling our party’ and knew the menu very well. He kept our drinks full, empty plates off the table, and made sure we had everything we needed. We had a great experience and will definitely return! Oh, and the praline cheesecake was the bomb!!!

I took my staff here for a holiday Lunch. Each one of our meals was great. Our waitress was outstanding and the pricing was fair. I have come several times for Brunch on Sundays, but lunch was awesome too.

Great Food, Great Service, Great Value! I recently enjoyed a fantastic lunch with my son at Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen. The friendly host quickly seated us, and our server promptly arrived with warm, buttery croissants and took our drink order. We started with delicious cheese curds, and our main courses were equally impressive. My son's chicken and shrimp dish was a hit, while I indulged in the renowned country-fried steak with a generous side salad and creamy mashed potatoes. The portions were incredibly generous – the side salad could have easily been a meal on its own! The combination of excellent food, attentive service, and affordable prices made for a truly enjoyable dining experience. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a satisfying meal.

We had a completely satisfied experience. Great food and service. My family enjoyed the chips and salsa appetizers that arrived quickly. And we enjoyed every bit of our meals & drinks. Food and Service was excellent. Gabby was our waitress and she was prompt and friendly with our family, too.

Had this place in Cypress Tx and fell in love. Was exicted they had one closer to my side of town. Same service awesome food. Gotta try the Buffalo chicken wraps....great portions. Definitely 5 stars from me. Don't forget the Honey Butter Crossaints.....Yes Lord.

The service wasn't terrible, but we did run out of drinks multiple times without refills and the place wasn't exactly packed. I got shrimp fettuccine and it was extremely bland. The shrimp was very obviously just thawed and thrown on top with no seasoning. My Zuppa Toscana flavor was actually pretty good, but it was mainly broth and terrible cuts of cheap meat. I used to love this place, but I definitely won't rush back. I recommend the one in Buford over this location.

No complaints on service at all server was amazing we had 10 people and she handled it amazingly! Food on the other hand I found not one hair but three hairs all together in my food! For paying over $400 on food I expect kitchen staff to wear the correct hair netting for this not to happen I found one in my chicken Marsala and two stuck to the bottom of my cheesecake, I know it was none of ours because the hair in the cheesecake was bright red and the hair in the chicken was a beard hair and I certainly don’t have a beard neither do my two toddlers. Needless to say the hair in my food is enough to make me steer clear from this Olive Garden regardless of service.

Had a great experience at Olive Garden on Veterans Day. From the moment we walked in and were greeted by Bailey, who quickly seated us and informed us Joy would be taking care of us. Joy was great she made sure we understood the Veterans Day Menu and checked on us regularly during our meal. We enjoyed our meal and look forward to going back.

Went out with a friend for lunch. We ordered a 25 wing platter with 5 different flavors. All of the wings were delicious and cooked to perfection. Our server was very kind and was able to quickly get a to-go box for us when it was apparent that we couldn’t finish it all in one sitting. An overall good experience and a definite place to go to with family and friends.

How tf yall gonna charge $12 for your buffalo chicken dip when I only had to use 5 chips to finish my dip, proportion and price doesn’t match up. The chips I had left over sad I didn’t have any dip for them…

Great friendly service. Our server was knowledgeable about all the different wing flavors and gave the best recommendations. The wings were flavorful, and they even asked if you wanted them extra crispy or extra wet. They have plenty of tvs to watch the games and a friendly atmosphere. Definitely will be back.

Went here to order a large Holy Shiitake Pie to go. I was impressed with the interior of the restaurant. The employee at the front was cordial in taking my order and asked if I wanted any plates or napkins to go with my pizza which I acquiesced. The pizza turned out amazing in both looks and taste! An overall great time.

Love this place wish they had one in commerce. But took my bf there and didn't disappoint we didn't wait long to be seated and didn't wait long to receive our food so we order a large pizza and cheese bites and spinach and artichoke dip and it's was all delicious. Definitely worth the drive for me.

Fun location sat on porch of old mansion. We were there on Sunday and they had great Bloody Marys. Had a delicious mushroom pizza and a deluxe that we shared between the three of us. Staff was great!

I had the build a burger with a side of sweet potato fries. The burger was delicious. Probably the best burger I have had at any restaurant. Nice flavor and juicy. I have never had peach cornbread muffins that were brought out before the meal. I will neither confirm or deny that I ate more than one bowl often them. My lunch was absolutely delicious.

Magnificent! Absolutely Perfect. The food was Beautiful, and sooo delicious with portions large enough to share or take home. Our allergies were taken seriously and happily met with tasty alternatives. The staff were happy, and it was a joy to be there. I've included pictures because the food was so beautiful. That gorgeous, heaping salad is a SIDE salad!!

Excellent food, super friendly service, laid-back atmosphere. We enjoyed the Sunday brunch special of chicken thighs with hollandaise, asparagus, and potatoes - so much flavor! Chicken and waffles was the best we’ve ever had. We will definitely be back!

Had a great experience here. Food and service are 10 out of 10! Emanuel gave the best service! He recommended great dishes as well. We had the fried tomato sliders. The pimento cheese was full of flavor and delicious! The cheeseburger was cooked to perfection! We definitely will return!

Had a group of 6 Friday 10/4. Had to change the reservation twice due to group size changing and to start off with they were completely accommodating from the moment we walked in. It was service with a smile. The interior is what you would expect for a chophouse in town, but with extra fun hints of nature. The owner was extremely cordial and a true professional from the word go. Our server was extremely accommodating, went out of his way to make sure that he spoke to the kitchen about things that we may need or want to change because yes, we can be a real challenge at times and by we I mean I The food came out quickly. It was piping hot and extremely tasty. Wonderful touch at the end was the desserts! Probably one of the best Key lime pies I’ve had maybe with the exception of Joe Stone crab in Miami Beach, the crème brûlée was not overpowering with the sugar, and the chocolate cake, and I don’t really like chocolate that much, had a crunch which was unique and was delicious. The passion of Roland was obvious and the culture in the building was clearly something that has been thought through, discussed and curated over time. Bravo Team Stag, we will be back!!

All stars. Super attention to detail. A crispy, tall stack of onion rings came with my BL Fried green Tomato sandwich. My friend had a beautiful burger, stacked high with ingredients, one of which was a beef pattyground in-house. The staff was memorable in the best way and the restroom was bright and fresh .

Rob, the bartender, was very knowledgeable on the menu as well as amiable. We stopped on the way from Richmond, Va to Ocala, Fl to eat lunch. My son had the freshman 15 burger and said he’d marry the woman who could make him a burger this delicious. The fries were amazing, and every single ingredient was fresh and top tier. The brioche buns were exceptionally fresh, you could smell the freshness before each bite. All the servers were friendly, saying have a great day on my way out. Picking up random things from the floor that weren’t supposed to be there, keeping the place clean. You just don’t see that anymore. 1000% will come again. Thanks again team for the great lunch experience.

What a shame, I really wanted to like this place because it's dog friendly and has great service, but the food was just awful. I got a honey butter chicken biscuit...the chicken was like shoe leather...it was way overcooked. My husband had a burger and he said it was just ok. My daughter had chicken strips and said they were good so that's why I gave an extra star.

I wasn't impressed. It was just OK! I ordered an alcoholic drink that I didn't like (wasn't sweet enough). I asked them to replace the drink and they didn't have the other drink I chose. I was there with my work group and we ordered a lot of appetizers that were pretty good. The appetizers filled me up so I ordered the teriyaki bowl to go and there was more rice than anything else. I didn't eat very much and threw the remainder away. It just wasn't tasty. I asked for a to go cup for my coke and they didn't have any. I can now mark them off of my bucket list.

A must eat in place. This is a fine dining that once visited will be remembered for good. Kaylee took care of us for our especial and the chefs, Joe and Fisher did an awesome cooking for us. The decore, ambiance, food, and service were legendary which can be found in five star elegant restaurants.

Slightly upscale dinner place downtown Gainesville that also serves brunch, which is what we enjoyed there. The food was very good, service was slow but overall a nice option.

We went here for our anniversary dinner. Service was excellent and the food was on point. We had a corner seat with a view of the street outside. We both had haddock- the nightly special. Dessert and coffee was delicious as well.

The food was tasty but overly greasy and high in carbs. The beer selection was disappointing, with our server informing us that only two local beers were available. Additionally, the service was slow. Despite a mandatory 20% gratuity, we were charged $30 for bringing our own cake, which would have been acceptable had they provided clean utensils and napkins.

French Cuisine at Gainesville .Foremost it was fresh and tasty. Trick is to go in the happy hours between 5:00 and 7:00 PM as they also ran out the Pasta dish. We tried the Asparagus Soup which was nice and comforting. In the Entree we tried Croque Forestier and the Le Quiche Alpin. The Croque was my favorite out of the two .The cheese and the mushroom on the Croque was tasty but definitely on the cheesy side They have reasonable choice of wine. There is limited amount of seating inside but the patio seating was very nice . The staffs were friendly and we had a good time enjoying the April Florida weather. There is some free parking in the parking lot opposite to this restaurant . Definitely deserve a second visit .

Lovely little date night spot! Daisy our server was very sweet and helpful :) The happy hour small charcuterie was perfect for a pre-dinner appetizer. Even put the bread on the side for me because I’m gluten free. Would recommend!

This place was wonderful. It’s located conveniently in Midtown Gainesville. That always confuses me because I always think downtown is midtown but midtown is downtown. But I digress. The food was absolutely wonderful and the ambiance was amazing. The food was phenomenal and the steak was cooked to perfection. They had a wonderful selection of wines. And the sides were great too. We went for my fiancés birthday and made a great choice to celebrate tie occasion. We will certainly be back

Located downtown. I visited here on a Saturday night, I would recommend to have a reservation as it was quite busy. Upon arrival I was promptly seated at our table. Our waiter was great, paid attention to details and recommended a few options. Mark’s has a great selection of wines. For dinner, we order steak and some sides. Unfortunately they were sold out of their chef meat special this evening. I would recommend the Delmonico cut, twice baked potato, and the risotto. The risotto changes daily as it’s a chef special of the day. Lastly, we had to wait over an hour for our entrees to arrive, the manager did come over and apology for the wait time. Thankfully shortly after that, the food was brought to the table.

Drinks were made perfectly our waitress was the sweetest thing! I ordered a Delmonico and it was cooked to perfection. Best steak I've ever had. I can't remember the appetizer we had but it had lobster and cheese all in it and you dipped bread in it. (Lobesr escargot) and it was glorious. The grouper was also delicious.

TLDR: slow service, undercooked burger, and mushy rotting salad. I have been here many times, but my most recent visit prompted this review. We went for a Saturday lunch, and it was fairly empty when we sat. All was okay until we got our food. I got a salad and my husband got a burger. It came out fast - too fast, apparently. My husband's burger was undercooked and my salad had spoiled veg (pictured). Neither of us could finish our food because of this. We were on a time crunch to get to a wedding, and once we got our food the service slowed to a stop. Yes, there were more people sat my then, but we had to wait longer than the time we spent eating our food to request the check. We made it in time, but it was a tad stressed.

Tried the new garlic butter shrimp app with parmesan bread it was absolutely amazing, for the entree it was the prime rib special which came w/ the prime rib, two sides, a soup or salad and a pizookie for only $35. The prime rib was cooked to the perfect medium rare, the white cheddar mashed potatoes are smooth and well seasoned and I’ll always recommend the house salad the house ranch is the BEST! The only thing I won’t recommend is the cous cous mac and cheese bc it’s not very cheesy, the cous cous tastes like rice and it’s topped w the tiniest pieces of bacon but other than that my meal was worth every penny, I also enjoyed the Caribbean Mai Thai and the White Peach Boba-Rita both of which I think are fairly new the menu. Overall it was a 9/10 and I recommend!

Excellent clam chowder - very thick & creamy, with big chunks of clam. service was exceptional - Rebecca had a great attitude

Afternoon: A Hidden Gem for Elevated Comfort Food Afternoon is a delightful little spot that offers a unique blend of casual dining and gourmet flavors. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, with a modern yet cozy ambiance. The menu is a delightful surprise, featuring creative twists on classic comfort foods. I was particularly impressed by the pancake. The flavors were perfectly balanced, and the presentation was stunning. If you're looking for a place to enjoy a delicious meal in a relaxed setting, Afternoon is definitely worth a visit.

Sad to see this place struggling after years of thriving. I’ve been many times before and recently I’ve noticed a decline in their efforts in both the food and the service. Service was terrible, our host was not friendly and seemed annoyed we had chosen to eat there. The table right next to us got two rounds of drink in before she came and took our order. That was the first time I’ve gone and not ordered at the front, I think I prefer that style so I can at least get my drink before I sit and wait longer. For the food, I’ll have to post pics of the $5 Johnny cakes. They’re a good laugh. And I’ve had them before be plump and thick pancakes, but the ones I got now were so flat and small. The size of the small water cup. The lyonnaise salad was also not as good as it once was. Very disappointed.

LOVE this place! Kudos to chef Phil and sous chef Jose! The crispy potatoes are outstanding and unique. Dutch baby with oranges, thyme and real maple syrup is sublime. Mocha latte iced hits the spot. The servers are friendly and attentive. They have an outdoor area with fans where we sat with our dog. Don’t miss it and go early for breakfast.