Stopped here in the way home from Jacksonville, it was my guys suggestion. They seem pretty cool, and their location is huge, great for larger groups. I had an amazing baked potato, that was nearly 8" long, stuffed with chili and cheese. It was immense. My guy had a bacon double cheese burger and said it was one of the best burgers he's eaten. Our waitress was super friendly and efficient. I know i would come back no questions asked. read more

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Great table service and the food was outstanding. Only downside was the cashier. She definitely had an attitude problem. Didn't appreciate her multiple eye rolls when I asked her to package the ice cream to go. Guess it was considered an annoyance when I asked her to do it. She's young. She'll learn. Maybe. Hopefully. read more

Went for lunch on a Thursday. It's in Alachua downtown but parking was not a problem. The staff were friendly and quick. We were able to eat and be back to work all within an hour. The food was ok, nothing really stood out when it came to flavor. The pricing was good for the size portion you receive. Good place to have a simple meal when you want to sit down and relax before going back to work. read more

Conestoga's Restaurant - Swai fried fish - Southern Near Me - Alachua, Florida

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Great place. Quiet and calm. Neighbors the candy shop. We had a party of 6 and all had very different food. The menu was fun and diverse. All of the food was very well done. Good proportions and value. Service was pleasant and attentive too. Would gladly go again read more

Well we hadn't eaten here in a long time.Server was ok, appetizer was kind of bland , my lunch chicken was the good point of our visit here, wife had her burger, which i said looked kind of messy, she said it had a lot of seasoning. but was ok.never got a water refill during lunch either, server did ask me if i wanted one to go.The old building the restaurant is in was really cool. The area it is situated in is like stepping into the past. Love the area. Thet have a cool area which you can get old candy,ice cream,etc. Now fast forward to later that evening, my wife got so violently sick, throwing up and on the toilet. All she could taste while doing so was the hamburger. So safe to say we won't be going back here. read more

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The first time we ate there, it was great! This time, it was awful! I ordered the meatloaf, it looked like it had been cooked last week. It was dried out, and tasted terrible. I took it home, and even my chihuahua won't eat it. The home fries were burned beyond recognition, They should have never been brought out to a patron. Our waitress was apologetic, but even she said she wouldn't eat them. She did take the fries off the bill, but I was expected to pay for the brick looking meatloaf. I told the cashier I will never be back, but she didn't care. I sure was sorry I took a guest there, it won't happen again. read more

We went there one time and I ordered steak, which was supposed to be good and I found it to be grossly undersized and cooked incorrectly. Won't go back. read more

It's always been in Alachua for as long as I remember. I used to joke it was their version of an Outback. On a crowded night, it can get loud. I love that they are happy and helpful with Togo orders. It's always nice when they don't treat you like a nuisance for asking for that. The country fried steak is delicious and can feed two people (not teenagers). I'll continue to visit when in town. read more

It's been over 20 years since we ate here. Kinda disappointed I must say. We had fried mushrooms as app, there were home made, pretty tasty but a little greasy. I order the chicken hoagie which was way overcooked and tough. Husband got the crispy bacon cheeseburger. It was decent but the beef patty was somewhat flavorless. Maybe the steak would have been better but we were there from Saturday lunch and wanted a lighter meal. Not sure I'll go back, very sad. read more

Definitely recommend their steak. Tender, juicy and the portions are generous. You will have two sides with it. Great deal! I also tried their burger, which comes with one side. I got garden salad, and it was fresh, but the burger itself needed some seasong. Again, good deal. The restaurant is big and has many tables. It gets busy on weekends but staff is doing a great job taking care of customers. read more

Love love this place!!! My favorites are The Chop, Wrangler (steak tips), Wrangler II (steak and chicken tips), grilled chicken salad. If you have never had the sweet potato fries you need to try them!!! Make sure to try the swamp sauce with the sweet potato fries - personally I like to dip the steak or chicken in it. read more

Eating with the omnomnomicon crew has returned, and with it a long-awaited return to Conestogas in Alachua! Now, I know that I have eaten here before... a couple of times at least, but it appears that I have never given it a review, so now is the time! Situated in downtown Alachua, this restaurant has been here for a very long time, to the point where it is kind of a mainstay restaurant for Alachua. If you walk up to someone from the area and ask them "What restaurants are in Alachua?" the first one on the list is going to be Conestogas (OK, there is one other restaurant that could be at the top, but only if you are asking about burgers). The restaurant is decorated as a country restaurant, some might even say Old West, and while that is the approach (just look at the menu... all of the items are Western themed) there is some Florida vibe to it as well, which makes it a feeling all its own. The menu is about what you would expect, heavy on the meat and potatoes, though they do have a bloomin' onion dish (the "Cactus Flower") and liver and onions. I am not a fan of either... the Cactus Flower dish tends to be a bit slimy towards the end, and I have never liked liver (though I admit, it has been a long time since I have had it... perhaps I would like it now?) Anyway, we got in there mid-evening, which means that the senior citizens were starting to check out and the hipster young folks hadn't arrived yet. We had a table waiting for us, so we were seated immediately. Drink orders were taken... if you are into Arnold Palmers (our group is for some strange reason) be aware that their lemonade is pink lemonade, which makes an Arnold Palmer a bit strange. Our orders were taken as well. I went for the Wrangler II, which is a mix of beef and chicken tips along with onions and peppers, with a side of (in my case) fries and a salad. The salad was good, the fries were decent, but I got a taste of someone else's mashed potatoes and they were excellent... real potatoes are used, not a package deal. The baked potatoes also looked good. My recommendation in terms of sides is to go for one of those, and not the steak fries (they are good, just not as good as the other ones!) The food was good. If you are vegetarian, well... pickings are kind of slim, but there are a couple of options. read more

I went here during a weekend with a bunch of friends. It was my first time. *Ambience* It's definitely country/southern theme, but you could tell this place has been in existence for a while. The place is huge though! *COVID-19 Precautions* They seemed to spread customers apart, but to be honest there weren't many people there when we went. And since it's a big restaurant you can sit more people inside and still follow precautions. I can't remember if they had hand sanitizer on the table, but the staff definitely wore masks. *Food* Most of my friends ordered the sirloin. They all loved it. I don't eat meat so I decided to try their Friend Shrimp Dinner. You get the choice of two sides. I chose mashed potatoes and steam broccoli. I wish the mashed potatoes came with vegetarian gravy, but the server only offered brown and white. She didn't know if those were vegetarian friendly so I opted out in getting gravy. I got the steamed broccoli from a recommendation of the server. It comes with butter. I didn't use the butter, but just added some pepper. The shrimp was great! They give a lot and it's perfectly cooked and seasoned! I also tried their Fancy Fried Mushrooms. They were okay. I wouldn't order them again. The batter didn't stay on the mushrooms, which were whole mushroom. *Service* Pretty decent. They wore masks, sat us quickly, gave us advice, and checked on us an appropriate amount. I would say the main reason I'm giving them 4 instead of 5 stars is that I think some of the items are a tad overpriced. read more

We ate here over the weekend while visiting the area. The food was really good. My husband and I had steaks and they were extremely tender and you could have cut them with your fork and no knife. The biggest baked potatoes ever and great Caesar salad, just the right size. We both had desert - he had the blueberry cheesecake and I had the sea salt caramel cheesecake and we were not disappointed. Only issue we had was on Friday night we arrived at 7:25 p.m. and were turned away as we were told the wait was over 45 minutes and they closed at 8:00 p.m. That was disappointing as we arrived before closing but we gave it another shot the next night and made sure to arrive before 6:00 p.m. to be on the safe side. If not for being turned away on Friday night I would have give this 5 stars. read more

Great local place to grab a bite and a beverage.... The exact opposite of a chain restaurant, and that's a very good thing. Pleasant server, very attentive. If you're in the area I highly recommend stopping in. Ice cream next door for dessert was nice too ! read more

Excellent food and service. We eat here regularly. The baked potato is our favorite so far!

Day old bread: hard on the outside and cold on the inside. baked chicken dry and funky. They feel like it's perfectly fine to vacuum right under your nose no pressure to finish your meal and get out. I have never liked this restaurant but I thought I'd give it a try tonight. Still on my no go list. honestly though... I am mostly infuriated because the owner of this business has let's go Brandon written on their daily specials board. I am not happy with what is going on in this country right now but I absolutely refuse to be disrespectful to the President of the United States. As a leader in our community this business owner is setting a poor example for our young people. This is not how we should be teaching our children to behave. The President of the United States should be respected whether you agree with or like the person or not. I didn't agree with all the things Trump did when he was in office but I never bashed him on social media or in public in anyway. He was the President of the United States at the time and that is a secret office in this country. Show some respect Rick. read more

Went with a very big group (about 24 people) and we had very good service. The waitress was really on top of everything, got our orders taken and out to us quickly and correctly. She was friendly and really did a great job. The food itself was fine. Nothing to make you say "wow", but perfectly fine. I had a chicken hoagie with grilled peppers, onions, and mushrooms, and a side order of steamed broccoli. They gave me a container of melted butter for the broccoli, so I could use it or not, my choice. The sandwich was tasty and filling. The chicken pieces were a little dry, but with the peppers, onions and mushrooms, it was good. Other people had salads which were large and had a lot of veggies and grilled chicken, some people had grilled chicken breast, which they said was very tasty, several people had steak, and almost everyone thought it was good. The baked potato is massive, and the mashed potatoes were really good and creamy. The green beans were probably the only thing that gets a real thumbs down. Seemed like they just opened a can and threw in a few extra seasonings. But overall, decent food at a reasonable price. To pay the check, you have to exit through their candy shop/ice cream store. It's a very cute, old fashioned store with lots of candy from days gone by. Definitely worth a try. read more

Never disappointed when we eat here. Husband loves their liver & onions. I have tried their daily specials, shrimp, hamburger steak & more & all were great. Side salad is great, as is the huge baked potato. Would recommend to anyone who likes good down home favor!! Service is great too. read more

Always consistent good food. Best burgers around town great friendly staff. Always a great place to stop in and eat. Hmmm good! read more

Sitting in the town of Alachua, Conestoga's is filled with charm! I went with a party of 5 and the first thing I noticed was how much ample seating there was! We got seated immediately! I ordered a burger (a junior sized and heck it was still so big)! The bun was toasted, fresh and protected my burger! I had it with a side of Cesar salad but the lettuce made it feel very watered down. Service was great and the food was delicious! In order to pay, you have to walk to the next room and walk by blue bell ice cream! Which is a great tactic because I can't say no to ice cream! Overall, it was a pleasant experience! read more

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The burger are huge and have good flavor really enjoyed the fried mushrooms! Service was good waitress was nice and pleasant

My wife and I had lunch here yesterday. Our server was Kelly. Not only was out food delicious, hot and fresh but our server met our every need and took great care of us! My chicken was moist and juicy and steaming hot when it was served. My wife got sidetracked by the biggest baked potato you have ever seen. This was a meal in itself! They call it a Gator Choker for a reason. I opted for the home fries and they didn't disappoint. You can have them smothered in peppers and onions if you would like. We love supporting the mom and pop restaurants and we love conestogas. read more

I don't know why this place has any bad reviews. We have been eating here for over 7 years and they never disappoint. Service is always on point and food is always very good. Not to mention they have the best burgers in Alachua by far. Do not listen to any of these reviews about the food because it is excellent for a home cooked meal, which is what Conestogas is. read more

Great food and large quantities only place in alachua that has liver and onions excellent had the chicken sandwich and the fish sandwich both were great make sure you have ice cream or fudge what the heck have them both fast friendly service thanks for your service read more

Food was delish. Service was amazing. Great vibes. Fancy Fried Mushrooms and roadrunner chicken with sweet potato fries and green beans are my suggestion. read more

The portions are huge and delicious . The price is reasonable. The ranch dressing, that is made from scratch, is wonderfully creamy. The fish filet I had was cooked perfect with the biggest baked potato I have ever seen. The ice cream shop that is attached to the shop is not a disappointment either. read more

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Nice place on Main Street Alachua. On the way there from Gainesville got to enjoy the country scenery and cattle herds. Told my 6 year old daughter we were about to go and eat some of them (cows) to which she replied "woohoo!" Really enjoyed our time there. Our waitress: Mel B. Was great, very polite and really on top of things; she made sure we lacked nothing. There are roasted peanuts at the table to start you off and some loaves of honey wheat bread and honey butter spread soon followed. Adult and child Portions were generous, veggies were fresh, they said their meat is never frozen. Good stuff. On the way out you pay next door at the ice cream parlor where they serve blue bell brand ice cream. read more

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The food is nothing special and merits more stars than I am giving this "restaurant." The big problem here is the cleanliness--or lack thereof, in this case--and the staff's refusal to abide by Covid regulations. None of the staff wears masks, and there was one employee who was openly coughing without covering her mouth. When I used the bathroom, it felt like I had been transported to a truck stop: strong smell of urine as soon as you enter, the floor makes that sticky noise every time you lift your foot, and there was a roach crawling around in the middle of the day! If that's how they keep areas where customers can see, I can just imagine what the kitchen area is like without our prying eyes. I'm honestly not sure how this place hasn't been shut down by the Health Department. read more

Amazing portions of real food! You could tell immediately that all the food was made fresh and from scratch!! Very clean, with hand sanitizer available. I will stop every time I travel on I-75... it is one of "those places" the ones where you drop a pin on your maps so you know exactly where to tell your friends/family to go!! Did I mention BIG portions? You will really want to have some hand dipped ice cream or homemade goodies they offer in the candy shop but you'll be so satisfied with the meal you may have to pass ... I did! Our server Reagan was a doll! It is a delight to see happy smiling faces! A true SUPPORT AMERICA restaurant! read more

This down-home spot serves a variety of classic American cuisine. My husband and I always go to get the burgers. The burgers are prepared for someone who really enjoy having a homemade hamburger. It is not that pink pressed stuff that you have to wonder about. Staff is always accommodating and is respectful to their customers. This restaurant was able to satisfy my craving to go out for a burger, not have to sit in a restaurant, but have that good burger taste and feel of quality engagement. I recommend this establishment if you really like having good food. The prices are also comparable to the quality of the food that you receive. Not like those places will charge you an exorbitant amount of money and then the burger appears to be a knock off of a McDonald's or Hardee's burger. It's worth your money. read more

I've been a long time customer here. I usually get takeout but their sweet potato fries are always excellent and their burgers are always on point. They are very careful to make sure you get everything you're suppose to. Overall I highly recommend them. read more

This is your standard for hometown lunch and dinner. I have yet to be disappointed. Always pleasant and predictable.

I recommend this restaurant. There were plenty of servers and they hustled. Food was hot and tasty. Steak was perfectly cooked and tender. Swai was also good and piping hot. We also enjoyed sides of green beans, Mac and cheese, salad, and baked potato. Nice small-town vibe read more

The restaurant Is a bit nostalgic, with a down home, country feel. Uniquely, you are given a large playing card when put on the wait list, and they call you by playing card number over the loud speaker. We have found that there Is usually a wait list on the weekends, but not so much during the week. I have had the sirloin which is very tasty. I love their sweet potato wedges with the dipping sauce, and the fresh broccoli with butter is very good as well. The service has always been great and the wait staff is very friendly. As an added treat, they do offer amazing desserts served at your table, or an ice cream shop, where you go to pay your tab. read more

Again, another I've lived in Gainesville for a long time and have never tried Conestoga's until now. We see them get advertised on TV all the time. We were in the area and decided to try them. Pleasantly surprised. Service was very good, the atmosphere is old florida style, the food menu selection was surprisingly large, prices were OK not inexpensive or expensive, and the food quality was very very good. This is one local place that lives up to it's reputation. We had a great dining experience and will definitely be back. read more

I had the fish special. (Fried fish, fries, and coleslaw) The fish was terrible. It looked and tasted like Mrs. Paul's, heavily fried in bad grease. I've never had bad fried fish. The coleslaw and fries were fine. My husband's hamburger was undercooked. Don't ask for medium. The waitress was good. read more

Great service, homey atmosphere and the food is good every time! Of course I recommend getting steak. Burger and Veggie loaded potato is very good as well! read more

Great experience here. I got the 49er and it was cooked to perfection. My wife had a spicy chicken sandwich that was hard for her to finish. Serve was great, atmosphere was nice, and they had a little ice cream selection to finish off the meal. read more

They have good food. The service can be slow, but there are peanuts on the table to fill you up until the waitress comes back. I've eaten here many times over the years and find it to be hit or miss (depending on the cook on duty, I suppose). The liver and onions is always a hit with me and has always been cooked properly. The salads are huge, but you can order a half-salad (ha ha, this makes me laugh... a "half-salad") anyway... their salads are based on iceberg lettuce with an array of differing items (depending on the type you choose). It's a good place to eat while in that neck of the woods, but I wouldn't make a special trip to Alachua for it. Still, it's worth the stop if you're in the area. read more

Conestoga's Restaurant - very rustic rear entrance - Southern Near Me - Alachua, Florida