We walked over for $5.00 happy hour. We each had 3 glasses of good chardonnay. We weren't super hungry, but we ordered the shrimp Rockefeller to share. It was delicious!!! It comes with some garlic toast. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The band started up on the patio stage. They were good. Old timers playing blues/rock[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. Our staff was super nice. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We chatted with some other patrons who were also dressed up for date night. It was fun[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. read more

Stopped in on a Friday night for dinner. My friend and I were seated immediately. That's where the positives ended. The place was pretty much empty, but it seemed like we were forgotten about until maybe 15 minutes after being seated, when a server happened to walk by and asked if anyone had taken our drink orders. I ordered an Old Fashioned, knowing I was taking a risk ordering that kind of drink in this kind of restaurant, but figured if it was advertised on their menu as a specialty cocktail, they'd be good at it. I figured wrong--it was not good. Started with a small Caesar salad, which was fine, if a bit overdressed. For an entree, I had the ribeye with mashed potatoes and broccoli as sides. The ribeye was underwhelming, not particularly well seasoned and not an especially good cut of meat. The potatoes were really unimpressive, having an odd taste and definitely not very garlicky. Hate to say it, but I can get a better quality steak and sides for less money at just about any Longhorn in the country, as much as I dislike national chains. Shout out to Taylor, who ended up being our server. She was fantastic, even if it seemed she was stuck covering half the tables in the place on her own. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I'd also add that the menus are on iPads. This is just silly, and barely a step above QR codes printed on the table. I don't want to tap through a bunch of screens to figure out what I'm going to eat. Give me a real menu to page through. It's much easier to flip back and forth to reference what I want when I'm ordering rather than trying to navigate through a digital menu[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. I wouldn't place this restaurant high on my list of places to revisit next time I'm in Gainesville. read more

Came here for a happy hour. The drinks were pretty good, but we were a little bit bummed to hear there was no food on the happy hour menu. The shrimp quesadilla and gator were good, enough to share between two people. Great service, and lots of options for drinks and food for different food preferences. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Love the atmosphere and you can sit inside or outside![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Went to Ballyhoo to celebrate my brother's birthday. Was expecting just average sports bar food. Wrong!! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ballyhoo not only has great quality food, it also has such a great environment with both indoor and outdoor seating, live music on the weekends, and such a large menu to choose whatever you'd like![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I got the Lobster and it was fantastic! I will say it's some of the best lobster I've ever had...and that's saying a lot because I'm from the north. Definitely going back soon! read more

Ballyhoo Grill - Live Maine Lobster - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

The server very kind and attentive. The food was good for price. [[HIGHLIGHT]]And the ambiance was laidback bar.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Nice place for a good drink and a good meal. Big portion, juicy scallops read more

Ballyhoo Grill - Steak and scallops - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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I have never been here before but came here with a local. Overall the food was good and so was the server. If I was in town, I would definitely return to this establishment. I do not know or understand why the rating is not higher. read more

Ballyhoo Grill - Grouper sandwich with steamed brocolli - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

[[HIGHLIGHT]]This restaurant is well known in the area. for its outside seating and ample inside seating.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We got sat down right away. Did not get waited on for about 10 minutes? Might have been longer. Had we not run into someone, We knew who worked there. Ordered our food on some very cool ipads that they give you to look at the menu. and drinks, Our poor waitress was running all over the place. Salmon was some of the best. I've had in a while, and my wife loved her crab legs. They seem very busy that even the manager was running food out. When it came time to pay the check. We realized that our dessert was still on the bill. But due to the fact that it takes a while for the banana fosters to be made as they do them at the table. We decided to cancel our dessert. We had already been here an hour and a half already. You definitely have to have some time set aside if you wanna eat here, As it is a very busy restaurant. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It's even busier during football season.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

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I'd been there in the past because they serve oysters. Yesterday we stopped for an early dinner , a dozen fried oysters and Mahi tacos. Really disappointing that the fried oysters were so far overcooked it was breading only. Oysters need to be taken care of and these were awful. My wife's tacos were cold, not cool but like they had been prepared ahead and the kitchen forgot to heat them. I don't like to do bad reviews and this isn't done in anger but with hope the owner will take notice and maybe my next time, if there is one, the oysters will be back to my prior experiences. read more

Passing through and stopped for lunch. The Nawlin's peeled shrimp was amazing! My husband enjoyed the Cuban sandwich. I had the gumbo and it was good. Our server was polite and service was great! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance was beachy and seemed like it would be a great place to watch a game.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We would stop again if we're passing through again. read more

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Strange visit. Showed up at 1:15pm. Seated promptly as the restaurant was fairly empty. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The menus now are IPads . Very high tech[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. But no humans acknowledged our existence. Not even basic eye contact. Sat there ready to order. And sat. And sat. Finally left. Your mileage may vary read more

Hold on to your hats, but Ballyhoo's has added a delicious Sunday brunch!! They have a wide variety of various flavors of brunch drinks along with flights and " pour your own " options. I had the waffle and eggs that came with a choice of bacon or sausage, and grits or home style potatoes. The waffle was light and airy and I found it to have just the right amount of crispy on outside and yet still moist on the inside. I love that it automatically comes with fresh blueberries and strawberries without the customary up charge. You can also have powdered sugar and whip cream as well. My husband had the chicken and waffle. Best chicken tenders ever! Lightly breaded and cooked with a juicy moist bite in every forkful. The food tasted and looked as good as it does in the electronic menu provided. You will not be disappointed. The service was excellent. Waitress was very attentive and made sure we were satisfied with our meal both before and after finishing our meal. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance was nice as it always is. Inside/outside covered seating as well as full service offered in the bar area.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Low chatter so you can enjoy your meal and hear your table guest as well with ease.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]TVs are available in all corners of the restaurant with volume never considered intrusive.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We go there for lunch or dinner on a regular basis, but this additional delicious brunch, well that's a game changer now!! Definitely will make this a regular addition. read more

Ballyhoo Grill - Food ordered - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Get the sweet potato fries; they are amazing! A very friendly local restaurant that has a varied menu! The bartenders are efficient, funny, and thoughful. They have a large sushi menu, that is varied and delicious. The atmosphere is unique, with statues, decorations, and rare items attached to the walls and ceiling. They have tables, booths, outside seating, plenty of space at the bar, and plenty of TVs to watch sports The owner is here most of the time, and he brings the food out to you himself sometimes. It is a unique place, and can grow on you quickly! read more

Ballyhoo Grill - This is their key lime pie!! - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

First time coming here and really enjoyed the food and service. Ordered the Firecracker shrimp tacos and they were delicious. The only con is the house salad is a bit bland. Waitress was attentive and helpful. read more

Loved this place - had. Had a great Cuban sandwich and the inside is perfect for lunch. Great bar area and friendly staff.

Stumbled on to this place when I saw they had a raw bar split a 6 oysters (3each) and added the Nowlins Shrimp and brussel sprouts all were awesome I currently have a third degree black belt in seafood especially oysters The big surprise was the brussel sprouts I'm used to having them cooked until the entire sprout is soft however thier recipe didn't sacrifice the meat in the large bulb to soften the stem that I used as a Handel to get to the perfectly seasoned sprout Jamie was very attentive kept an eye on our drinks so we never had to ask for a refill I bet this place would really be fun to watch some games/matches needed a nice relaxing break in the day and they really delivered! read more

Ballyhoo Grill - Great murals - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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I went on a girls trip for the weekend to Orlando. As we were headed back to Georgia, we stopped in Gainesville because we wanted more Seafood lol. We decided to stop here after this place caught our eye. Even though the place is right off of the highway, it felt like we were sitting on a beach. I decided to order the oysters char-grill, the grouper sandwich, as well as a bowl of their gumbo. And out of all three, the gumbo was by far the best! The oysters were okay and I was not a big fan of the grouper sandwich. It was definitely dry! I really don't even think it was grouper to be honest. The Host and waitress was friendly and made sure our waters were refilled. There was ample parking and after we got stuffed, we got back on the road and headed home. read more

Ballyhoo Grill - Chargrilled Rockefeller Oysters - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

The food was nominal; the bar tender lacking. We are from out to town and this locations was highly recommended. We asked if they would honor the birthday gift and Justin said "no". I asked can you please ask management. I had to remind him for the response. He said they would honor it but they were out of lobster. A substitution? Forget that!!!! Furthermore, after repeating the food orders several times, EVERYTHING was amazing, Justin said, but he still took the order wrong. And nothing was amazing. The oyster were ok, the shrimp arrived late and warm. The steamed shrimp was extremely salty. When mentioned, Justin just shrugged his shoulders as if nothing could be done. So why ask, I wonder??? Justin also seemed put out. I'm sorry but I won't lie about an experience and I will write an honest review. I give 5 stars when it's warranted per MY experience. I have that history. I tipped him well regardless of the bad service since not all of it was his fault; which is when I noticed his demeanor change. GO FIGURE! read more

Ballyhoo Grill - Top shelf Long Island iced tea - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I love Ballyhoo! We visited on a slower day and I'm so glad they had the outside seating open! We used to go here all the time we went to the University. They have fantastic drinks at a great price, good food and certain nights have live music. It gives such a tropical feel! I had their grouper sandwich at market price ($14.99) with a side of she-crab soup. My god that soup is delicious!!! We also had the Firecracker shrimp as the appetizer, which was delightful and large! Normally I will get their sushi but they only serve their sushi menu at dinner. Please note: with COVID happening, the waiter said they haven't had the sushi bar open since they reopened. 5 stars because I love the atmosphere and it brings back great memories. We used to go here on our birthdays because if you sign up for their email, you get a FREE lobster on your birthday! It was fantastic. Love this place! read more

Ballyhoo Grill - Grouper Sandwich with She - Crab Soup - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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*DISCLAIMER LENGTHY POST ABOUT CREDIT CARD FRAUD AND THEFT* I came to this restaurant on 3-23 with my friend and son because we saw good reviews online and we were in town for a kayaking trip. The server (I'm not sure of her name because I did not receive a receipt, but she had long, straight, brown hair, and was petite in build) greeted our table approximately 10 minutes later (we barely we able to order happy hour due to her taking a while to come to the table, she came at 6:59pm). She seemed nice but she forgot a lot of things we requested so we kept having to reiterate our order to her. She would go missing a lot and for long periods of time so we had to look for her for simple things like butter, or a new drink, or even a straw. We initially gave up requesting our missing items because they just never came. We ended up ordering a apple pie to go due to my son getting restless. When she brought the bill to us, we split the payment in half which is $54.53 on the iPad she provided us. Neither one of us tipped on the IPAD because we were leaving cash. My friend took my son outside because the desert was taking forever until about 20 minutes later I stood at the front of the restaurant getting another server. Once she saw me talking to the other server she said she forgot my desert but she will go get it now. We did not leave the restaurant until roughly 9 pm (which is crazy because it was solely on her going MIA). I Checked my account on Tuesday 3-27 and noticed my bill was almost $12 more then what it was initially. My Friend stated the same thing and now I found out that the server added AN ADDITIONAL $11 tip to both of our credit cards without our approval. I have called management staff and reported this and I'm unsure of what will happen because I have not yet received my check that I have requested. They stated they will refund me the $22 in total to both my friend and I, however THIS LOOKS HORRIBLE ON YOUR COMPANY!! Please check your cameras and look at this particular employee from that night and ask if she is worth having a bad reputation for your company. If she did this twice this time she probably has done this in the past or will continue to do this in the future. THIS IS A CHARACTER FLAW, not to mention theft and credit card fraud. As a single mom it is a treat to be able to take my child out to eat with the way the economy is now days and we chose your establishment and now it has left a bad taste in our mouths because of this employee. Please do what's right for your company and for your customers and handle this accordingly. I have been in the shoes of a server and I understand how POS systems work due to me being in Hospitality Management. Once we clicked no tip and signed off on that bill it should of been on her list of sales at the end of the night as $0 in the tip portion. They're should of been no reason she should have reopened those two checks and changed that amount manually, when the customers authorized their amount and closed tabs. She got a $40 tip off of a $120 (not sure of exact amount because I have not received my receipt I requested) for doing a really poor job as a server. read more

Don't be fooled by the years long broken neon sign out front, the food and service is consistently good at Ballyhoo. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It's indoor or outdoor seating options feature a rustic decor.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The bar is a good place to watch a game and they have a daily happy hour that starts at 2.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Our favorite dishes are Filet Spiedini, burger or grouper. Calamari appetizer is also very good. read more

Justin was an amazing server and bartender! I sat at the bar and even though it was crowded he was very attentive to all customers!! The food was great. I started with the Oyster Rockefeller's. They are market price and come with a dozen. I topped it off with firecracker shrimp tacos! This comes with two tacos and your choice of select sides. They definitely pile the shrimp on so it is very filing!! DONT forget to ask about happy hour specials!! Draft beer are discounted to $4.50! I will definitely be back to try other items on the menu!! read more

Came for dinner around 7. It was so busy, but the wait was a little less than 20 min for two. I thought the amount of people might indicate how good the food was. I must say I was unimpressed. The she-crab soup was quite bland and was so creamy it was nearly congealed. I had the fried shrimp and oyster poboy. The bread was so thick that it overpowered the dish so I ended up just eating the few shrimp and two oysters you actually received. The red fish was light and good. Quite flavorful. Pro-tip: ask for roumelade sauce with any dish because it is THE BOMB! And surprisingly the French fries are actually nicely flavored and fresh, not overly greasy. It's a great place for groups or picky eaters and is an alternative to Harrys downtown. read more

Ballyhoo Grill - Red fish - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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I recommend the calamari and the Shrimp Rockefeller which was cheesy and delicious. I enjoyed the shrimp scampi which had a nice white wine flavor and came with plenty of mushrooms and artichoke hearts. Overall and delicious meal with very friendly service and cozy outdoor seating. There was also a guitarist and singer who was awesome. We had a great night. read more

Sides came out ice cool, server drop one of the side apologized but never brought the replacement side. Food was okay, not great. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Atmosphere was good.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Ballyhoo grill offers a great live music scene without door seating under a exclusive tiki bar.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]They're live music artists are some of the best local cover bands around[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] and the service staff always has a smile on their face and is happy to help you. The food could be better, but it is not bad by any means. I think the problem is the owner treats his staff poorly so they're constantly leaving and having to train new staff. It's definitely not the stats fault and they do the best with what they got and actually do a wonderful job providing a joyful casual dining experience with a full service bar and great live music! [[HIGHLIGHT]]If you're looking to have fun and hang out ballyhoo is definitely a great option.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Great food, atmosphere, service.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Easy to get to, relaxed vibe, really tasty grouper sandwich.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Tonight was my second bad experience. The first was several months ago when I ordered a fried grouper sandwich. When I received it and took my first bite, I t was almost uneatable. It seemed like it was old and had been under a heat lamp for hours. I made the waitress aware and it seemed like the issue would be addressed but after roughly 10 minutes, it was apparent I wasn't a priority. I kindly asked for the bill and paid for my dates food and the meal I couldn't eat. [[HIGHLIGHT]]With some reluctance, we decided to try them again since they have a nice outdoor area the weather was great.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We received our first round of drinks and things seemed good. Well, after about 30 minutes and a waitress that we never saw again, I began to realize I may be in for another poor experience. We made another waitress aware that we hadn't seen our waitress for some time and we would like to know what was happening. Let's just say I wasn't impressed with the response or lack there of. They have lost my business and anyone who will listen to my opinion. read more

She Crab soup is delish as is the firecracker shrimp! excellent service & so good,I higly recommend this place, It's my friends & me our favorite place to eat, we go there at lot & have never been disappointed, read more

A little pricey for what you get but the food is consistently good. They have gluten free options. Tasty burgers. Full bar.

Excellent meal! Great service and table side banana fosters was worth the drive. We will visit anytime we are in town

Came here last night with my mom. Our server, Justin, was super attentive and nice! My mom's dish that I tried was pretty good. She got the Cajun red fish and the fish was nice and moist, her sides of spinach and sweet potato fries tasted fresh. Loved how the potato fries weren't overly oily. I had ordered the Hawaiian sunrise roll and was disappointed with the rice in the roll. It was hard and some bits tasted stale and old. The ginger they put on the plate also looked way too pink to not be super artificially colored. The tuna in my roll was fresh but the avocado has lil dots on it like it was going to go bad soon. Wouldn't recommend the sushi here despite their large sushi menu. read more

Ballyhoo Grill - Hawaiian Sunrise - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Server started out fine, took our order and brought our drinks, but then disappeared. Others who arrived after us and had a different sever received their food well before ours was delivered. Food was terrible and we had to go to the bar to get our drinks refilled even after asking the receptionist to get our server. When I asked to speak with a manager I was kept waiting almost 10 minutes and then it was clear she just didn't care and was going to be argumentative. This used to be a nice place with decent food and service, but when the management doesn't care, neither will the cooks or servers. read more

Quesadilla was full and cheesy. The she crab soup was recommended and was suppose to be award winning. It was very average, watered down, and little crab. It kinda of stopped us from exploring the menu future. The restaurant was very average. Nothing was bad but nothing was amazing. But the service was very good, great location and a great place to watch the game while watching the game read more

Ballyhoo Grill - She crab soup ( supposed award winning) - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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The food was delicious. The service was decent. But I really really dislike it when restaurants don't put prices on their items like on a drink menu. Is it unreasonable to want to know how much your fancy pants drink costs? I mean isn't it mostly standard to put the prices on a menu?. Here's an efficiency tip: when seating your guests ask them if they are want to order a drink so you can give them your extensive drink menu instead of having your patrons have to ask the waitress when she gets around to you for one. I know y'all are wiping keeping things clean which is great. Next Our food was delicious & I would definitely return bc everything they served was delicious. From the seasonal veggie to the Cesar salad that can easily be just meh. Somebody clearly knows how to cook well here. See you again. read more

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We visited Ballyhoo because I insisted on going since I loved all my previous experiences. Today was not at all what I was hoping to get while going here. We ordered the crab bisque, Rockefeller oysters and the special of the day, which were tuna tacos. The crab bisque was too thick, resembling a puree more than a soup. This was very disappointing since last time it was great, reason why I ordered it again. Same with the oysters, they were lacking flavor, were almost room temperature and had spinach but not parsley which is usually what is on these. The biggest fail was the tuna tacos. We ordered them seared and what came on the taco was a block of tuna, which lacked flavor, didn't feel fresh and was also very tough to eat. Needless to say we didn't eat much of anything. Service was great as usual. I just hope today was just one bad day and this is not how things are going usually. read more

Great food;great service, [[HIGHLIGHT]]love the decor and the ambience ,[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]nice outdoor patio.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Love this place and will be a regular from now on! read more

Really good! We left a competitor to come here, so glad we did! Live music on Sunday night, excellent service and great atmosphere out on the tiki hut. We had the redfish and the seafood pasta, both were perfectly prepared and served hot. Great flavors, very impressed with everything. Our waiter was spot on, will definitely be back. read more

This restaurant has phenomenal, food, service, and atmosphere! Our server was a young blonde woman with blue eyes and she had amazing customer service skills and a wonderful demeanor!! read more

It's been awhile and now I remember why I haven't been here in a while. $30 dollars later for me and $36 dollars later for my friend and I clearly remember why. The food nor experience was worth $66. The small cedar plank salmon was smoky, moist and tasty. My buddy said her grouper sandwich was pretty good too, but rendered only a few pieces of grouper and was not worth $16. My sweet potato fries were very good just like Erich C. said they would be. The brussel spouts were good. My friend's garlic mashed potatoes missed the mark with no garlic to speak of. Happy hour was a bunch of smoke and mirrors also. The basic cocktails we requested were not on the happy hour list which was annoying. On top of that I had to send my Long Island Ice Tea back to the bar to be reconstructed. A 2.5 stars experience is what we walked away with today. read more

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Every time I'm back in Gainesville and want seafood and rum runners, this is the place to go!! My last time, I had to eat healthy, so I had them create my meal so as to eliminate extra fats. The product: delicious!! My dad especially loves the bartenders. I've never had a bad experience. read more

Ballyhoo Grill - Diet approved Tilapia "sandwich" - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida