50 Best American Restaurants in Gainesville

“Delicious healthy option! We loved it for lunch so much that we ordered it again for dinner!“

“Ford's garage fries, crispy yet soft on the inside. Flaky and peppery with a perfect balance of salt to compliment it. Hard to get on point fries, however these people accomplished it. The burger is larger than you would expect from a visual standpoint. It has fresh ingredients. I had the bison instead of the standard beef. It's freshly ground instead of ground beef. So as opposed to the patties being frozen coming in it's slabs of meat that they grind and then cook. The medium well option that I went with I recommend highly. They seared it on the outside and cooked at medium on the inside. The char has good flavor to it and the barbecue sauce has a very nice marriage with the cheddar cheese and the applewood smoked bacon. The romaine lettuce adds a nice touch on the bottom of the burger instead of the top. It's overall a very hard Burger to beat by any other restaurant. I very strongly recommend Ford's garage to any nostalgic burger lover.“

“What a great diner! The food was delicious, the staff was friendly, and the coffee just kept coming. My friends and I have found our new breakfast spot!“

“atmosphere was great. my pasta was great. drinks were amazing. only complaint was my husband's shrimp and grits was overcooked“

“Delicious healthy option! We loved it for lunch so much that we ordered it again for dinner!“

“I had a very good experience going here and they have very good food! Thank you!“

“I love the hamburgers and the atmosphere works.“

“Went so far above and beyond helping me get a gift certificate for a dear friend - 1000% dedicated to community, care, and top notch YUM! Thank you Fehrenbacher's Artisan Sausages“

“We had a great dinner tonight and our server, Drew, was very friendly. She took the time to chat and talk about the food. 5/5!“

“Nice little spot. I'd recommend going for brunch, the food is good without being too expensive. Overall I think they're dinner menu is a little pricey for what you're getting, but it's a nice option in a part of town that doesn't have too much.“

“Had the largest bowl, amazing variety, so many excellent flavors“

“This place is fantastic and I absolutely recommend it to everyone who has a chance to stop by the Newberry Square plaza. The decor inside is so charming and lovely, with tons of pirate-themed trinkets decorating every wall. If you have kids, they will love the little shelf in the corner with picture books and toys!

The food is INCREDIBLE! The menu features lots of dishes that you can’t get anywhere else in Gainesville, like Kazakh borsch, Ukrainian pirogies, Siberian pelmeni, Polish and German sausages, Turkish pakhlava, Baltic sardines sandwiches, as well as shawarma and an AMAZING honey cake! The hummus is phenomenal and both tastes great and is also plated beautifully.

The service is also great; small family-owned business and everyone is so friendly, warm and welcoming. We were a group of 4 and one of the owners told us that she was impressed with our appetites!

We went around lunchtime (1PM) on a Sunday and did not have to wait to get seated and the wait time for the food was also not bad at all.

Can confirm that the Kazakh borsch, beef/chicken shawarma, hummus and honey cake are all delicious. We also tried their blackberry lemonade and mango aloe vera drinks!“

“The food portions we're very large had food left over to take home for two more meals. They also had the football games playing. We called ahead to get our place in line. Went on a Saturday afternoon around 4:00 p.m. food was delicious I got the shrimp scampi and my granddaughter got the chicken parmesan. Also recommend the shoe string fried onions rings.“

“Always reliable and good, even when you are not on the road.“

“food was good...........“

“Everything is delicious, custard is the bomb 💣“

“Food was delicious and fresh. I would recommend the salmon croquettes and catfish.“

“In January 2026 we had a baby shower for my daughter at the cafe. Sarah and the staff were great!! We had a big party, and they did everything they could to make it special. The food, atmosphere, music and price were great. I couldn't ask for anything more. If you ever have a special event this is the place to have it.“

“This is a great little place for takeout food between classes. It’s like a pod market but also has a boars head, starbucks express, kfc express, and a smoothie place (think smoothie king).I got a takeout sub from boars head with spinach, tomato, banana peppers, onion, roast beef, and wheat bread and a whole sub was only $8. I found the price amazing for being on campus food. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone if you’re tired of subway!“

“we had a appointment at Shands and decided to have an early dinner. we started with the grouper fingers which were excellent. For my dinner I had the fried green tomatoes and she crab soup. They were both delicious 😋 Hubby had chicken sandwich and fries which were both good but he wishes he would have gotten something else like the shrimp etouffee. We will definitely be back. Our waitress was an absolute sweetheart sorry I forgot her name. But highly recommend!!“

“Love it!!“

“Charles is amazing“

“Howdy yo I love you guys or my name is Shaggy Rogers dude!“

“East End Eatery is my favorite breakfast place in Gainesville! The best breakfast burrito in town! Always fresh veggies, gouda cheese grits that always satisfy, even a Florida native like me. Treat yourself to the best waffle in town. Crisp outside with light fluffy center. Not heavy at all. Real shrimp and grits worth the wait for cooked to order meal. The service is always friendly with a smile. The owner works all areas. She loves to meet customers. Hope you enjoy the experience as much as I do.“

“❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️Love the Brussels. Steaks are tasty. Favorite place.“

“Delicious food. The chaat tots were amaaazing!“

“College drop off weekend and we were looking for a place to take the family. Found Brick Road Bar & Grill and it was great, apps and burgers were delicious. Had a full bar and the old fashions were spot on! Try the BLT or the Chicken Parm! cool location away from the college kids in Haile Plantation..“

“great food, great service at very reasonable prices. a must go to when entertaining out of town guests or family.“

“Staff and food are always excellent...“

“Great environment. Fast service. Very friendly customer service“

“Very good service. The seasoned potatoes are very salty to the extent u can't eat them. The biscuits and turkey gravy is very good. We asked the waitress about the salty potatoes before we ordered them and she was aware of other customers concerns. Made no difference in the kitchen. Just won't order the salty potatoes again but the place is great other wise.“

“Anytime I meet my son for brunch in Gainesville this is where I want to eat! Love the Flying Biscuit! Food is so yummy!!“

“Great food and wonderful service!“

“Best breakfast and lunch. Worth going to. Cheaper than any other diner. Clean“

“My daughter and I agreed that the pastrami sandwiches we had pre-flight were among the BEST we've ever had, anywhere. And the onion rings definitely were the best - perfectly crispy until the last one was consumed. Great service, too!“

“First time eating here today and it won't be our last! Amazing food and super nice people! I highly recommend you give them a try.“

“Food good drinks are better!!“

“The food is always fresh and absolutely delicious! The Dutch baby is one of my favorite things ever, I dream of it. The espresso drinks and baked goods are also phenomenal. One of my favorite joints in town!“

“Venus was our bartender at Baby J’s and she was absolutely amazing! She was super friendly, attentive, and made sure we were taken care of the entire time. Her energy and service made our experience even better. Definitely ask for Venus when you go we’ll be back! 💕🍸“

“Been a patron for years. Like the food, the prices and the vibe. Last night I ordered takeout. Online menu prices were not included. Upon arrival I discovered my Philly Cheese sandwich was $19.50. What is this, Ruth Chris? Good sandwich for ten. Not 20. Taking a break from Crafty.“

“CLEAN & actually made the food correct ✅ Food & service was on point 10/10! We will be back! Glad we stopped in since the one near where we live is not good! 💯 Finally I can start eating Millers again! 😮‍💨🤤🇺🇸🫶❤️‍🔥👏🙋‍♀️“

“I have been to Sandy’s place twice now, each time a a different but absolutely amazing experience. The food is great and staff is very friendly and welcoming. The new owner and chef is amazing too! I highly recommend.“

“The food was excellent and none of it took long at all. I ordered The Longhorn, which never lets me down. The spinach dip appetizer and wings were also very good. Additionally, our server Mariaclara did an excellent job. I cannot wait to return.“

“Delicious every time, healthy and yum!“

“Awesome place must go while there“

“Great food, fast, friendly service.“

“Victoria was absolutely amazing! From the moment we sat down, she was friendly, welcoming, and made sure we had everything we needed. She was attentive throughout the entire meal without ever making us feel rushed, kept our drinks filled, checked on our food, and made sure everything came out exactly how we wanted it.

What really stood out was her attitude. Victoria was genuinely kind, upbeat, and easy to talk to. You can tell she actually cares about giving her customers a great experience rather than just going through the motions. Even while she was busy, she still made time to check on us and never made us feel forgotten.

The food was great, but Victoria’s service is what made the experience a 5-star visit. Applebee’s is lucky to have her. We’ll definitely be coming back and asking for Victoria again!“

“We went late on Sunday night to enjoy happy hour and half priced games and had a great experience. We were quickly seated and our server had great energy that really helped set the tone for a fun night. We started with a chicken quesadilla which was delicious and packed with huge chicken chunks. For my meal I ordered the eat and play combo wings and they were terrific. They were crispy underneath and the sauce was sweet and very flavorful. We also enjoyed happy hour beer, although I did not realize it was domestic beer only so my Modelo did not qualify, which was a small surprise. We did an hour of free game play and there was a really good variety of games, especially for a group of three. The game room had a large selection and everything felt well maintained. All of the staff we interacted with were pleasant and friendly. Overall we were really impressed with how much they offer, including catering and large event options. We will definitely be back again.“

“Good food and service. What more do you want?“

“Great service. We came in on a Sunday morning when they were short staffed in the kitchen (as are a lot of restaurants these days). Was told the wait for food before we were even seated. Our waitress, Michelle, was wonderful. We got our food, which was delicious, faster than we expected. Cute outdoor seating where you can bring your dog. We will be back.“