This is NOT the same as the horrible Chop Stix chain on the West Coast! Chop Stix is an independent restaurant melding Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Vietnamese cuisine all on one menu. I'm usually wary of places with such extensive menus; I generally feel that restaurants should do a few things exceptionally, rather than trying to do a bit of everything adequately. However, I've been here on several occasions and enjoyed my meal each time. On my last visit, I had a dish with the following vague description: "Famous Vietnamese Noodle Dish". I went with it and got a plate of yummy, gingery, noodley goodness with lots of fresh veggies and big tasty gingered chunks of tofu. While the service could be improved, prices are very reasonable, portions are large, and as an added bonus - the restaurant is located right on Bivens Arm Lake, so even the view is fabulous! Try and spot a gator! read more

I ordered from here via a delivery place in gainesville. I ordered Thai food and that does not look like thai food. It looks like chinese mei fun. Greasy at that. Nausea lasted about 12 hours. I just don't like it. Won't eat from there again. read more

I used to enjoy coming to eat at Chopstix because of the great view but the service and the food have gotten progressively worse. The service is extremely nonchalant, slow and unforgiving. Also, the food has been below average during the last few visits. The prices are quite reasonable but the quality is just not up to par. I'm not impressed. read more

My favorite restaurant. This is the best Pan-Asian food outside of NYC, and the vegetarian menu is to die for. They have delicious noodle bowls bigger than your head. My top 3 faves are age dashi tofu(tofu in brown sauce with steamed veggies), honey garlic tofu and the Thai tom kha soup(spicy chili-coconut-kaffir lime-cilantro soup with mushrooms and veggies). Also, the avocado smoothie is kind of wonderful. I don't particularly recommend their sushi(it's just so-so), but everything else is stellar. Chopstix overlooks Biven's Arm, so if you're new to Florida, you may also enjoy watching alligators and other waterside wildlife through the large windows while you eat. read more

I stopped by on a saturday evening after being caught in a rainstorm walking across campus. This was totally what the doctor ordered! We started with the veggie summer rolls. They were the perfect consistency, the wrapper wasn't too chewy, which is often a problem. They were so good. I had the Pad Kee Mow. It was delicious. I ordered it spicy, and they did not disappoint! The peanuts were fresh, which is important. The spices were well blended and certainly not a Thai or Indian passed off as Malay. Service fabulous. A beautiful lake view, great atmosphere. A+ read more

This was my second time attending this horrible dining establishment. If I had a choice, I would not have went there, but our family was tired and needed to eat, and it was one of the few places open. The first time we went, I ordered sushi. When they brought my meal it had a dead fly in it. When I brought it up to the older Asian lady, who is presumably the owner along with her husband, she basically said because the restaurant is next to water, there is nothing they can do about it. She just walked away. I am sorry, since when does being next to a pond make up for finding insects in food? They did not apologize or remove the meal from the final cost. Fast forward to yesterday. They served us water, as restaurants usually do, except the water was warm and had no ice in it! They promised to have ice in a little bit, but we never got it. They charge $1 for a saucer of spicy mayo. What?!? It's two condiments mixed together. They did not ask if our party of six wanted separate checks. On top of all of that, they charged an automatic gratuity fee of 15%. Oh, and they yell and verbally abuse their staff, like the older gentleman who works at the front and their severs. I usually love to support local businesses, but Chop Stix is a disgrace to the Gainesville area. The staff are very nice, but the two owners are not cut out for the restaurant industry. read more

I went to Chop Stix for the first time with some med-school friends of mine who are regulars. I knew where it was when I lived in Gainesville (next to the porn shop, ha!) but never stopped in. The decor might seem out of date but it's actually kind-of appropriate in a retro-kitsch kind of way. There is a little patio outside but no outdoor seating. I think in the summer it might get bad with mosquitoes, but I don't see a reason not to have seating outside in the spring! We were seated immediately and had very prompt service. Again, my friends are regulars who said they eat there two-three times a week so that might have something to do with it. We had summer rolls for appetizers. The dipping sauce was amazing. I was tempted to ask for a straw to drink it straight from the bowl. I ordered Pad Thai. It was a great portion for the price. I could've used just a touch more spice, but overall, it was pleasing and hit the spot. If I could give three and a half stars, I would. If you live there or are passing through, it's worth the stop to try it out. I'm sad I never made the time when I lived in Gator Nation. read more

I use to be a frequent visitor of this place for around 6 years. I recently went back after a 3 year break and found the food to be just as good if not a little better than it use to be! Service was also markedly better than it use to be, and it use to be pretty bad. I always highly recommend the sushi, pad thai, and Thai Tom Kahn soup. Always yummy options! My boyfriend really liked the beef and broccoli. I will definitely go back soon! read more

Great location! Doesn't look like much from the outside but inside is comfortable and pleasent. There is an excellent view of a pond from inside this place. Especially lovely if its raining. The people who work here are nice and checked back on us a few times to ask us how our food was and to check our drinks. We both had Pad Thai. I got chicken and my friend got vegetable. You have the option to leave the egg out, and if you don't specify what spiceyness you want they default to medium. Which for me wasn't spicy at all. I think it was $8 or so dollars for a nice sized portion and the lime they give you is like 1/3 of a normal lime! Awesome! Best Pad Thai I've had in some time! read more

They have fabulous authentic Asian food. From Thailand, Singaporean, Vietnamese, Chinese to Japanese... all items that I've ordered have been superb! Their prices are super cheap, portions are ridiculously large and even though they are always slammed, they always have friendly service. JD and TiTi are great at their job and always have a smile on their face =D read more

This place isn't a place to really rave about....the only thing they got going IMHO is they have a large menu. I only come here because some of my friends seem to love this place. Personally, I think all the food I ordered there are only average. The most recent dishes I ordered were Pho and Pad Thai. The Pho could've been better and Pad Thai tasted just average. The service could be a lot better, it's a lot of ups and downs. 1st time I went in there, my party walked out because nobody came to even give us menus for like 15 minutes and we were the only people in there besides a table of 2-3 people. Other times I been in there, the waiter seem to kind of forget your table is there. Only really had 1 or 2 experiences of actual good service and what is weird was that it was during their busiest time. Overall, I would say to try it out so you can see that big menu and you just want to go somewhere different. read more

I have ordered several times and am mostly disappointed. Today the Pad Thai was bland and dry even though I ordered medium spicy. Calamari iwas greasy, soggy and not crispy..... My recommendation is look elsewhere...... read more

Chop Stix is one of those places that has been hit or miss for me. Today was one of those so so days. The place was packed when my friends and I went so the wait took a while, maybe like 20 minutes. Once we were seated, it became evident that they were understaffed. This meant that service was not exactly the most efficient and mistakes were made. For example we ordered 4 appetizers but only 3 came out. The 4th one only came out after asking our server twice and even then, the appetizer came out after our meal was done. It might as well have been dessert at that point! Additionally, one of my friends asked for a level 7 spice on his Pad Thai. But when all of our Pad Thai dishes came out, none of them were spiced, which was disappointing. However, despite those setbacks and miscommunication, the food was done pretty good. All of the appetizers were fried and cooked well. I was pleasantly surprised by how crispy my band bang lobster and calamari were while being extremely tender still. Overall, it was a very ok experience. The food was good but some work needs to be done in regards to service and communication. read more

Chop Stix Cafe - Fried Cheese Wontons, Bang Bang Lobster, Fried Dumplings - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Ive been a hard core lover of Chop Stix for the last 2 years, but for some reason it feels like something has changed there. Does it feel like to anyone else that maybe Chop Stix got sold and has new owners? The last time I was here was in November but the same old people weren't there ... like the old white guy with the big belly? or the really really nice waiter guy with the great smile and soothing voice? Now there's this big tall guy who looks like he's still in college who was talking to his friend (a customer) behind us while we ate saying "fuck yeah man." And talking about the clubs and bars they frequent in town. OMG, this is not the kind of atmosphere I want to dine in. Here are my complaints: Whats up with all the flies and why are they landing on my food? What happened to the nice staff? Why did the place look dirtier than usual with paper and rice scaps on the floor and tables? Why did no one refill my water glass unless I specifically asked? Dont order the eggs rolls, they are just stuffed with too much cabbage and taste like something that was previously frozen. Why did I get served on a plate that was broken? Things I liked: Hot and sour soup was good Rad Nar was good Sweet and sour pork was ok. Usually this item is really yummy but today it was just ok. I will probably stay away from Chopvstix for a while a just order to go if Im dying for some Rad Nar. read more

I had the General Tso's Chicken and I loved it. We sat outside and we saw a turtle and a baby gator. The view is Florida and the people were nice I would eat here everyday if I could afford it. The decor is prefect! I wouldn't change a thing. Plus it's clean. But I didn't use the restroom. Sorry ladies. I have a hard time checking it out when I love the place for fear it sucks. I can't wait to go back and if someone tells me they haven't been then I'm taking them. read more

A menu so huge I thought J.R.R. Tolkien might have written it. That server JD is kind of awesome. My friends are the reason they don't split checks anymore. Sorry. read more

I have lost track of the number of times I have been here. If you miss Indian style fried rice this is the place to be. The food here is just amazing. You will not be disappointed ! Pad Thai, fried rice, rad nar, Kung masamon are my favorites. read more

I lived in Gainesville for 7 years (2 grad degrees) and I always make sure to eat a meal at chop stix (the original one on Bivens arm) when I am in (or passing through) town. I moved to South Florida 7 years ago and I am still always pleased when I eat there (even when comparing it to the fancy pants places of S Florida). My favorite is the Chop chay (sweet potato noodles) give it a try, I have yet to meet someone that was disappointed by that advice. read more

I have to admit that I Love chopstix because of one dish. When I used to live in Gainesville, I would order chopstix at least once every other week. I always order the veggie fried rice, very hot, with fried tofu. You have to watch the spice level and make sure you pick one that is just right. They can even make stuff "Thai hot" using special peppers. The place is a lot bigger than it was 6 years ago so I'm not sure if that helps with the wait. It's located on the water and has a nice view. Every time I go back to Gainesville I make sure to bring home some take out of my favorite fried rice. read more

The service is here terrible unless you get seated in JDs section. Even then there's a chance he'll be overwhelmed. He's a long term server who typically does a great job. We've had very long waits for food, not brought silver ware, napkins, menus, or drinks sometimes even 10 minutes after being seated. This has happened many times, as recently as yesterday we had to wait 5 minutes after being seated before our table was approached. It has the best view of any restaurant in Gainesville overlooking a large lake, and has outdoor patio seating where you can watch gators swim up to you. The ambiance inside is a little tacky. You'll know for sure you're in a Chinese place. The food has always been great, hence why we keep going back even though the service sucks. read more

Stopped here for dinner after Gator Football game. They were busy, however the service was exemplary, food came quick, and check was handled fast. The hot and sour soup was thick with tofu and delicious, try the summer rolls, volcano sushi roll, teriyaki bento box... All tasted fresh and delicious. Definitely a must stop if in the Gainesville area. read more

Delicious grub and beautiful locale. This is actually where my wife and I saw our first gator in Gainesville. We were in search of two things that evening: gators and crab rangoon. Chop stix has a delicious curry crab rangoon, which for some reason isn't on the menu (it's usually printed on the specials board, but it's been a special for six months now). The sushi is tasty, though smallish in terms of portions. Then again, I'm a big dude and I'm used to Pittsburgh sushi restaurants, who make up for the fact that they're a landlocked city by giving you whale-size portions. And again, enjoying a meal on the deck overlooking Bivens Arm (a lake) while the sun dips behind the horizon: breathtaking. Oh yeah, GATORS! read more

Real authenticity. Every time I eat here, the food is mind-blowingly good. Had the ox-tail pho last night and it was the best pho I've ever had in my whole life. They put so much work into their dishes, and you can really tell how passionate they are about it. read more

Ended up eating here quite a lot since it's in walking distance of the Paramount. Have to admit it is one of the better Chinese restaurants I've tried. I've had dumplings to the soups and quite a bit of the chicken dishes. The breaded ones are crisp and moist, at least during my visits they were all well prepared. Fried dumplings seemed a tiny bit overly oily, but not a bother. They were crisp and very good, but by the end I wished I had paired it with something much lighter. Loved the spring rolls and udon soups though. I forgot which, but Chopstix's menu is abundant in choices. Don't be afraid to customize a dish either. We occasionally did so, and the staff was nice and helpful about it. I don't recommend the smoothies if you're looking for real fruit. They're standard artificial slushies. I guess, I should have known better, but they do taste nice, perhaps just too sweet for me. :) We only had the pleasure to dine in once and chose the patio. If you get the chance, take a sit out there. The late evening does stir up the Florida wild life... *cough* mosquitos, but it's nice to relax and enjoy a sunset by the water. read more

Looking for some Asian comfort food in Gville, I am glad my boyfriend introduced me to this spot. The owner came to welcome us and asked us for any drinks. I was a little under the weather so I asked him what would he recommend between the Bun Bo Hue or Pho....he recommended the Bun Bo Hue and I was happy I ordered that. Despite the dishes costing a little more bucks than I am used to (compared to Orlando, ATL, & L.A.), I would definitely come back and try more of the Asian fusion dishes! read more

I've been eating here for a few years now and I'm extremely satisfied with everything I've gotten. My boyfriend hasn't been so lucky though. I wouldn't say that this place is a great place for a date because it isn't very romantic. I find it kind of old...the tables and chairs...even though they do seem to do a lot of renovation. The bathroom is nicely renovated! It's a place for a casual dinner and is usually pretty busy on the weekends (think they're closed on Sundays). The view of the lake is okay, but I'm not too much of an outdoorsy person. I like the food though! It is definitely the most satisfying place you can find for Thai food. There's also vietnamese, chinese, and japanese food, but I don't really try those dishes here. I've eaten at lots of traditional Thai places and Chopstix's pad thai is satisfactory. It's a pretty good portion for $9 and pretty yummy. Sometimes I also get the Poh tak which is a spicy noodle soup. Their thai curry dishes are pretty good too. I went there last week and my boyfriend got some Penang curry noodle (which we thought would resemble a Malaysian curry noodle dish- lak sa). It was okay, but not enough taste. He's gotten the duck before too and wasn't impressed or anything. Thai iced tea is also yummy (a lot of places in Gainesville don't make it right) and only $2! Great place. never been to the other one though. read more

What a bummer. It looked promising. Again, a little bit of a disclaimer: I live in California. We have great Asian food. That's a fact. So perhaps I'm being a snob. However... I'm pretty sure most people would agree that making something completely wrong - that is, saying on your menu it's one thing but not even coming close to it when serving it - has nothing to do with location. If it's wrong, it's wrong. I came here with my parents and brother as our last lunch before leaving Florida. My brother recommended this place, so I thought it would be pretty good. I either ordered the wrong thing or hit them on a bad day - actually, probably neither. The spring rolls we ordered were OK. Nothing to write home about. My pad seew was not, at all, pad seew (or pad si yew, or pad see yew, the spelling varies). Pad seew is made with wide, flat noodles. This was made with thick, spaghetti-like rice noodles. Entirely wrong. And it was completely tasteless. I also ordered an almond milk tea with boba. The boba was hard and chewy as if it was really old. It was almost inedible. Really disappointing. My brother's pad thai was so-so. There was a lot more taste to it than my pad seew. My parents ordered some kind of chicken and some kind of pork. I think the chicken was lemongrass chicken, but my mother didn't anticipate it to be spicy (it wasn't spicy, but she seems to think everything is spicy), so they swapped dishes and were relatively happy with the switch. Oh, and all the fried stuff was pretty good. But I think you would really have an issue if you couldn't fry pretty simple dishes that were probably bought frozen in the first place. My guess is this, and maybe I'm completely wrong: the people here know how to make the American variety of Chinese food, but all this Thai and Vietnamese food is just on the menu for the pan-Asian designation. Perhaps the owners are Caucasian Americans. I don't know. But they could cut down on their menu, focus on making decent dishes, and not serve the entirely wrong thing than listed on the menu. As for the service, it wasn't the worst, but it was not great. If it had been worse, this definitely would've been a 1-star rating. The view out the back onto the lake is nice, though, and I enjoyed that. read more

i've been coming here for years, the food is great and they've improved on customer service, but i can't say the service is great every time. the portions are big and there's a beautiful lake view, they have tons of variety and a huge menu! it's my go to place for asian food, the food will not disappoint. read more

Went here Sunday for dinner and food was great. I got the spicy duck middle soup and my husband got the chicken and shrimp pad Thai. both our food was great. Price was good...we got 2 dishes, a beer, a sprite, 2 appetizers, and a bubble tea (which was my first time trying one...always have wanted to. I got the Tacro root (?spelling) and our total with a 18% tip was $57.88. Staff was nice and knew about the food. There was one young guy, I think he is a waiter/hostess, I think there were too many people there for him to handle but a guy I think is the manager was the one who helped us the most. 4 stars bc I had to go get a bigger soup to go container myself. I asked for a to go container and he brought the smallest size which the rest of my soup would not fit in and I had to ask for a bag on the way out. read more

Chop stix Café has a beautiful waterfront that is perfect for dining before the sun sets. The waterfront location makes it a perfect place for small quirky dates or family dinner gatherings. The food comes in a large portion for the price, however, I would not say the flavors are completely there. I think taste is slightly compromised for atmosphere, but nonetheless very promising place to have dinner. Service is slightly slow is dining in groups, however, if you have time there's plenty of options for everyone to choose from in terms of food. read more

The food here is top tier. No one in Gainesville--north central Florida--can make as good as food as Chop Stix. Their oxtail soup is to die for and I mean it it's so good. This paired with the Thai style fried rice; I could honestly eat this everyday for the rest of my life. read more

This was my first time at this place since I just moved to town a few months prior. And let me just say. The food was incredible. The waitstaff were incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. This place is wonderful, I have since recommended this place to my friends. Can't wait to go back. read more

We ordered a vegetarian entree that had a piece of fried meat in it. When we discovered it, our friends told us it has happened to them before too when they order vegetarian meals. They clearly do not separate they vegetarian food from the meat. read more

Chop Stix is my absolutely favorite place to eat in Gainesville. I no longer live there but every time I go to Gainesville I go here. And every time I have a friend visit from Gainesville, I have them bring me food from Chop Stix. They have a huge amount of vegetarian options. My personal favorite is the Indian Curry Fried Tofu. They also recently did a major overhaul of the restaurant and while I'm getting used to it (I generally don't like change), it does look much better. Also, you can't beat the view from the restaurant. It's beautiful and serene overlooking the water. read more

The sushi and boba was amazing! 10/10 the bento boxes were also very delicious! Workers were also very welcoming

This is a great place for vegetarians, carnivores, and adventure seekers! General Tso's Tofu is like a deep fried donut with orange/red sauce, AMAZING. The Swamp Roll aka tempura alligator roll was fun AND delicious. Tempura banana and ice cream split is a WINNER. Indoor is spacious and outdoor is peaceful with a view of the lake. Thanks Chop Stix * . You're the best! read more

Chopsticks has a great spot right on the lake that creates for a perfectly relaxing meal. We went on Sunday afternoon right after church and it was pretty empty and quiet. Our waiter was very helpful and we tried new dishes we had never had before and loved them! I would recommend one of the clay pot dishes which is what we really enjoyed. We are saving our next visit for a romantic dinner date to sit outside and stare out at the lake. read more

Ordered takeout and this is probably some of the best Asian food that I've had in Gainesville. 10/10 would recommend!

Chop stix cafe has a wonderful view of a lake that is perfect for the hot summer weather. They give you large portions of food and from what I've ordered I wasn't disappointed. While that is pleasurable it does make up for the lack of customer service and disregards of common courtesy. We waited an hour and 30 minutes before we received appetizers, and we were some of the first people to arrive. When I asked for the manager, the guy told me he wasn't the owner just someone who takes complaints. I let him know that a second large party received their food right after they order and we were still yet to receive ours. He told me he wasn't paying attention to other tables. When we finally received our food it was cold and they forgot about one person. They brought out her food out after everyone was finished and attempted to make us pay for it. The "manager- guy who just take complaints " told us to take our checks up front to pay for our food, then the waiter came and started asking us for our forms of payments. When I let him know the manager told us to pay up front, he informed that the manger told him to make sure we paid for everything (just because we're black and disliked your service it doesn't mean we were going to run off without paying). The waiter proceeded to follow me as I went to pay for my individual portion. When I asked for the manager again he told me the manager was to busy to deal with me. When the manager came it was the guy who told me he just takes complaints. He didn't take me seriously and proceeded to mock everything I said. The man who sits people also told my brother he didn't like the "things coming out of his head and he should cut them off." This wasn't my first encounter with chop stix, the first time everyone was pleasant besides the man seating the tables. Overall this encounter makes me never want to spend my money here again. read more

The food was so freaking good. I highly recommend this place. The view is incredible because the restaurant is right next to a big lake. Sunsets are so pretty there. The service was efficient and servers were very nice. Definitely coming back there. read more