I've dined at Ember's twice now within the past year, and it's been a wonderful dinner experience every time. It's a great restaurant for intimate dining and quality food. The servers are all well knowledgeable with detailed with their attention and service. So far some of my favorite appetizers have been the blackened shrimp & spicy prosciutto grits, as well as the braised beef short rib toast. Now because I'm a steak girl, I have only ordered the cowboy cut ribeye and the prime porterhouse. I think my favorite was the ribeye, but they both were fantastic tasting steaks. I did get a chance to try a bit of my mother's salmon, and that was delicious as well. You should also have the blue crab bisque if you decide to dine there. I'm already looking forward to my next dinner visit for sure! read more

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The food is better than average, to be sure. Portions not indicated by weight, like steaks, are small. My husband ordered the red snapper and it was half the portion size he expected, especially for the price. I had the 6 oz. filet and it was tasty but tough; of all things to be tough, this should not have been. The service is good; again, better than average, but not extraordinary. I'm willing to pay a high price for an outstanding meal. This was not it. read more

Celebrated our son's 30th birthday here. We had our own room, which was nice for our party of 8. The restaurant was very busy, especially since it was homecoming weekend at UF. I had a grilled Cesar salad, bronzed mahi & asparagus. Mahi was very flavorful and well cooked. The asparagus also was cooked exactly right, crisp-tender. Salad had an unusual smoky flavor which worked well with the Parmesan cheese & dressing. Everyone else had steak, filet mignon and scallops. They said the steak was perfectly cooked. This is a nice celebration restaurant, but it is pricey, as most steak restaurants are. It was a great meal & we will return! read more

Embers/Spark was packed, and I was flying solo so able to claim the one empty barstool. Good vibes from the bearded bartender and server team! I planned on eating "healthy" and quickly diverted to the Prime Tenderloin Burger, based on suggestion from my bar neighbors. A Smoked Old Fashioned rounded out my bar dining experience. read more

Embers Wood Grill - Tenderloin Steak Burger - Steakhouses Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Had a great dinner at Embers Wood Grill. The atmosphere is exactly what you want from a nice steakhouse dim lighting, candlelit tables, and a relaxed upscale vibe that makes it perfect for a date night or a laid-back evening out. I ordered the salmon with what looked like a creamy potato side, and it was excellent. The salmon had a beautiful sear on it and was cooked just right crispy on the outside, tender and flavorful on the inside. The potatoes were rich and comforting, the kind of side dish that actually complements the main plate instead of just sitting there. Service was attentive without being overbearing, and the overall presentation of the food and table setup felt polished. You can tell they care about the experience, not just the meal. If you're looking for a spot that feels classy but still comfortable, this is a solid choice. Definitely a place I'd come back to for another dinner. read more

Embers Wood Grill - Salmon and Mashed Potatoes - Steakhouses Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE! By far the worst experience I had from Embers and this is coming from someone who gave them 5 stars more than 5 years ago and has been a frequent goer since then. To make a reservation, you now have to make a reservation online (resy) and add a credit card. No problem with that... but I do know after tonight's issue they better not have charged our card or I will be calling them or call my bank to dispute the charge. Today my husband and I had a 7:30p reservation-we got there on time where the hostess showed us to the area on where we would be seated. We sit down and we are between 2 white couples along with the room; I also noticed we were the only POC in the room. The couples that were each beside us were being helped by the waitstaff; they were being very communicative, wine and drinks were poured and orders were being taken, meanwhile we had been sitting and not 1 staff member greeted us, said we will be right there shortly, no water and/or bread provided to us. Also, another couple sat down after us and was being helped by waitstaff. Unbelievable! After 23 minutes and after looking at the same menu options-my husband and I were pissed and while he was going to wait until 8:00p before leaving I said no, this is unacceptable and ridiculous and never had we experienced this with Embers before so I'm not waiting but will definitely be asking to speak to a manager. Mind you, we just were at Embers 3 weeks ago to celebrate a friend's 60th birthday and the staff was the total opposite of tonight. We left the table and headed back to the hostess and asked to speak to a manager; the manager was a POC-he actually said it to me when I brought up the fact where we were sitting (not sure his correct name but I believe he said he was one of the house managers) but again this goes to show you that if he was a good manager/leader and valued customers he would have issued a business card or something and/or took care of us tonight but that goes to show you how much he lacked in his ability to show us how he truly is apologetic on the way his waitstaff treated us. He mentioned that some of the waitstaff is new which that has nothing to do with me or my husband; when you are in a customer service and doing business with the public it costs nothing to say, hello, be polite and/or say we will be right with you. He basically had an excuse for why the staff was not attentive to us. As a manager, you should value your customers and I would have never let them leave without giving them something or maybe even you getting the customer contact info to follow-up. I mean a certificate for next time a complimentary meal, dessert, something especially because my husband and I frequent here. I have been here numerous times I know my meal and can tell you what's good and etc; I always rave that it's the best fine dining in Gainesville imo but after this experience it definitely left a bad taste in my mouth. The manager also says, can I offer to change your mind to stay; umm no! Like we literally had to get up out our seats to voice our concerns on not being seen, heard, given or said anything to anyone from your waitstaff after almost 25 minutes and you would still like us to be as happy and excited to eat at your establishment tonight?! Um no thank you.... It will probably be a while until I go back to Embers, totally unacceptable behavior on all parts. read more

Embers Wood Grill - Grilled Chilean Seabass with zucchini, squash and mushrooms!!! - Steakhouses Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Pretty solid. Ambiance was nice. Dimly lit, candlelight dining. Could be a romantic place to take a date. Service from Victor was excellent. You can tell he is a master of his craft. The food was pretty ok. The prime NY strip was cooked perfectly but it was under seasoned, even with the pepper crust. Mac n cheese also good but lacking salt. Asparagus also good but lacking salt. Felt like everything just needed a little more salt to kick it up a notch. There wasn't salt or pepper on the table so I just went without. Really good but not great. read more

Embers is literally the best restaurant in Gainesville. The ambiance is good (not too rowdy/loud), the service is always top notch, and the food is delicious. I usually get the filet mignon (they have the best one in Gainesville) but the day my group went, they were offering American Wagyu. It was completely different from Filet Mignon. The taste, the feel in the mouth -- everything. It was surreal. We also got the flatbread, crab bisque soup, and the escargot, which are staple dishes whenever I go here and they still taste pretty good. Got the Crème Brûlée which is pretty good too (controversial take but, I think Fresh Market in Gainesville has the best Crème Brûlée). I also got the cookies to go. The cookies, are the best dessert in this restaurant. They're basically a cookie in a cookie, and it is worth every penny. Overall, I love Embers! read more

Embers Wood Grill - Crème brûlée - Steakhouses Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Amazing meal. Great steak and sides. Steak was cooked well and flavored well. Appreciate nice steakhouse that was not à la carte.

Fantastic food, service & ambiance. I do not know about tipping, because I have not seen the tab and I am not responsible for the payment. The individual entrees do not seem terribly expensive for this type of restaurant experience. read more

Excellent service, amazing food and beautiful ambiance. Prices are on point for the quality of the food and service. We had a wonderful time and will be going again. read more

My husband and I recently celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary at Embers Wood Grill. I had the filet mignon and my husband had the porterhouse both were perfectly cooked to our specifications. My filet was delicious and you could cut it with a fork. We both had the lobster mashed potatoes and asparagus really good sides. The service by our waiter was exceptional, he was able to make recommendations and was attentive to our dining needs. I had the banana foster cheesecake for dessert really food too. Cocktails: Gin Basil Smash and Maple Rye Old Fashioned you need to try these... read more

Embers Wood Grill - Steakhouses Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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I've been here quite a few times and have been pleasantly surprised each time. I will say, though, that I've only been for meetings so haven't seen or had a chance to know what the rest of the menu is like. They tend to have the same menu almost each time so I'm familiar with what I like by now. Appetizers such as shrimp cocktail, margherita pizza, gator tail, calamari, and salad are typically served and oh so good! For my personal appetizer I like to get the crab bisque. I've had it a couple of times with the last time being the best. It also comes with a crostini which is a nice touch. Entree wise I get the filet mignon EVERY time, cooked medium. Why? Because it comes with lobster mashed potatoes. I dream about those things sometimes they are delicious. Dessert has been different but I do like any sort of cheesecake offered. There has to be one of the best I've had outside of Cheesecake Factory. It had a special touch to it that I can't figure out what, but I'm glad it's there. Needless to say I highly recommend and I definitely plan to be back outside of meetings. It's a cute special event, date night, or just because spot. read more

Embers Wood Grill - Crab bisque - Steakhouses Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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We celebrated our 25 wedding anniversary with a great dinner at Embers Wood Grill. The food and service were superb. We enjoyed a filet mignon and a porterhouse Steak . Both steaks were absolutely excellent including the side dishes . Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable. Living in the northern western part of Florida this is one of our favorite places. read more

Embers Wood Grill - Porterhouse - Steakhouses Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Melvin was our server, ironically, Victor took our reservation and made it a point to come over and introduce himself. I didn't think the food was overpriced and I did think everything was absolutely delicious!!! I had the cowboy cut ribeye and my wife had the 10 oz wagyu filet mignon with diver scallops. We will definitely be back to this place ... A hidden gem of excellence !! read more

Embers Wood Grill - Cowboy ribeye - Steakhouses Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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My wife treated me to steak dinner for my birthday. The reservation set-up was a little different. However, we were traveling from Saint Augustine, so did not want to leave to chance. Reviewed on-line comments; wondered why one would order sea-food (chicken/lamb) at a steak restaurant? From one who appreciates a good steak (Ruth Christs/Chicago Chop House), Embers is right up there with one of the finest steaks I've ever eaten! Service was superb! Ambiance was nice. However, curb appeal made me wonder; turned out to just be part of the charm! Highly recommend! read more

I use to eat there very often but after tonight don't think I will anymore. i spent $115.00 dollars on a togo order and they just dumped my steak & fries in a box ....very disappointed grrrrr read more

Every thing we tried was fantastic! Definitely a go to spot if you want to have a fine dining experience! The service was excellent! The decors and ambiance is spot on! read more

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We were pleasantly surprised by this trip to Embers after several disappointing experiences over the last couple of years. The service was excellent and the food quality was great. Because of the high cost we dine here only for special occasions. Embers is a very fine restaurant for Gainesville. read more

So we had a gift card to blow through laying around for about a year before using it up on take away. It also happened to be a very busy Gator weekend and honestly, I wasn't really wanting to deal with all that. Everything was excellent and I don't like take away. Blue Crab Bisque, Goddammed, Goddamed; nice chunky bits. Escargot, woo hoo! Deliciously rivals all I've ever had before. Lobsta' mashed was fantastic. Chedda' grits nom nom nom yum yum. lol. Went for both desserts, that famous lemon layer cake and banana foster cheescake because why not, @!#?@! it. Both were delicious. And those berries though?! And damn, ask for the bread. I turned those into croutons. Everyone we interacted wth was posh and professional, friendly, helpful, and nice. Kids but on spot. They did forget something but immediately realized it and it all worked out. Sharp. My final thoughts are, and I wouldn't have thunk this, is I guess you can do deliciously wonderful expense account steak house at the house. We did have to time a few things when rewarming stuffs and I broke the bernaise but it all worked out famously despite itself; something I never would have thought or expected would. read more

Steak was cooked perfect, shrimp was fire, and the cheesecake... yeah, I'm still thinking about it!!! But let's be real.. the real highlight was Devante and Nick. Hands down the best duo. The vibes, the service, everything on point. They made the whole experience 10x better. Good food is one thing, but when you've got a team like that, it hits different read more

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Great ambience, dimly lit. Our server Melvin was very attentive and informative. All the food was great. read more

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Excellent service, friendly staff. Dinner was best steak that I have had in years I used to live in Dallas and have had some great steaks, Embers is a pleasant surprise and was superior to Dallas. read more

This place was great: the inside was beautiful and our food was amazing. My boyfriend had one of the steaks and, even though he can be picky when it comes to steak, he loved it. I had the salmon, which was very good. Our server, Jesse, was very nice and helpful. Definitely would come back! read more

No better fine dining experience in Gainesville, and it's been that way for years. Filet continues to be my go to, with a plentiful wine selection to choose from. Lobster mashed potatoes are always fabulous. Staff is top notch. read more

We just had the most lovely, elevated 5-week late Valentine's Day dinner. We were able to get a day-of reservation and our server Melvin was top notch. We've had Michelin starred meals and he made this experience even better. Perfect recommendations, descriptions of things, and wine pairings. Our lobster bisque, steaks, sides and crème brûlée were all excellent. We'll be back and we'll ask for Melvin. read more

Almost $500 for an "okay" meal. We came for a Valentine's Day prix-fixe and left shocked by the value. The menu was presented as a 5-course experience, but it had very limited options and the food was basic overall. The Caesar salad was fine, nothing memorable. For the mains, we had the filet mignon and the salmon. The filet tasted like it had no seasoning at all, and the mashed potatoes were just eh. The salmon was a good portion, but also lacked flavor, and the rice it came with was soggy. The prix-fixe was $150 per person and drinks were not included, plus an automatic 20% gratuity. For nearly $500 total, this experience was nowhere near worth the price. I would not recommend going. read more

ordered to go, was very disappointed. The food barely filled up any of the boxes. It almost looks as if they didn't care about the food because it was to go. Oxtail has no flavor just pasta thrown together with some meat. Short rib looks like it was boiled and just thrown in the box. very little food and very poor execution for the price I paid. I'm assuming they didn't cook it the same way if we were dinning in unfortunately. read more

One of the better places to eat in Gainesville. Always satisfied when you leave here. Check it out

It was a quiet night and yet, we were seated among a bunch of other two-tops - so close it was easy to figure out the couple next to us was on a first date. We have hoped that for her sake that it was their last date, but that's another story. Well, OK, he wore flip flops and ordered the gator tail appetizer after --after-- she said she didn't care for it. (Run girl!) Other than that, the service was seriously snooty and the food was just OK. , The whole experience left us wondering why this place is such a big deal. read more

Really one of Gainesville's hidden gems! I hesitate to mention this one because I love it so much! I fly from across the country at least once a year to eat here. The service is always good. They are a safe space and so chilled. If you want high quality food with a classic vibe (inclusive energy though). Warning: I don't eat sweets but every single item on their dessert menu is delicious. I have to order something sweet every time I visit. The bread pudding is amazing! read more

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Food was wonderful as was the service. Very nice table & setting. We were able to sit & talk without being disturbed- really enjoyed Embers & will definitely go again. read more

This was my first time to Embers! I was celebrating my husband's birthday. Our server Xavier was phenomenal! He explained the menu and gave recommendations and had a sense of humor as well. The ambiance was nice and for perfect for date night! For starters we had the ceviche with was atop of tostones. The ceviche was fresh and delicious and the tostones were good but a bit too done for my taste. For entrees I had the duck with sweet potato mash and asparagus. Everything tasted great, I was looking for a bit more duck though. My husband had the steak with lobster mashed potatoes and mushrooms. He said everything was delicious and described the steak as melt in your mouth! For drinks I had a gin martini and my husband had an old fashion which were both good and they gave us complimentary champagne and a desert for celebrating my husband's birthday! Definitely recommend! read more

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Came here on a Thursday evening. Definitely make a reservation. We had one and needed to add another chair so we needed to wait, which was fine. When you first walk in to the right of you is a dining room that can be reserved that easily sits twenty people it appeared. Would be great for holiday parties! Our waiter Davante was amazing with the different personalities of our table. He had great suggestions, was friendly and efficient. I had the tuna with a side of mushrooms. The seared tuna was fresh, and the entree was a great portion with the two sides. The bring around different breads to choose from, and offer however many you would like to try. The restrooms were maintained, there was a lighted parking lot as well. The dining area is large enough for someone with a wheelchair which is so beneficial and helpful. When I am back in the area, I wouldn't hesitate to come here again. Enjoy! read more

Embers Wood Grill - Steakhouses Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

The Service was OUTSTANDING! Server was knowledgeable on Food and Wines. Our meals exceeded our expectations! Will definitely return.

Guess I've got a lot more discerning in my old age. Where to start? Bread for the table was very slow to appear as were the drinks which showed up some time later. I ordered a Caesar Salad but what I received required a new definition. How about a salad wedge covered in creamy dressing with a large parmigiano chip on top. Really? While I no longer expect the salad to be prepared at the table given today's low standards I still expect a Caesar Salad when I order one. I wonder what would have happened if I asked for Anchovies? Moving on - We were seated in a dinning room with upholstered seating the length of one wall with tables and chairs for couples; plenty of space between to enter your seat. This however was an invitation for the wait staff to stand between the tables when taking an order. What I didn't need was the wait staffs ass overhanging my dining table while I dined. The temptation to stick a fork in them was over whelming. Now the stake (a prime NY Strip). Not really. No better grade than Choice. My dad owned a butcher shop in Brooklyn when I was a kid and I know what I am talking about. Of course I guess it did compliment the Mac and Cheese side that is served in all the top-shelf steakhouses these days. Let's top it off with a flourless chocolate cake with port for two. The cake although prepared well had the presentation of a 24 hour diner pie. And just to be consistent the port was of low quality which did not complement the Death-by-chocolate. read more

If you are looking for the best meal of your life, make a reservation today! The crab bisque is incredible! Full of flavor and the perfect texture! The filet was cooked perfectly as requested (rare plus) and presented beautifully. The lemon cake for dessert was moist, dense and not too sweet. Service is wonderful and you get two choices of ambiance. Date night romantic vibes on the Embers side and casual upscale vibes on the Sparks side. I went with the Sparks side and it was impeccable! read more

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This was at least my tenth time there. Amazing every time. Very courteous and professional staff. read more

Embers Wood Grill - Ribeye and scallop special. Out of this world - Steakhouses Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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The food was good and tasty. The ribeye, grits, and Mac and cheese were great. For the area the prices are high but the ingredients were a good quality so I guess that's ok. I docked it star because of the price and it being a challenge to get a reservation. There was also confusion over reservations when I arrived. read more

We enjoyed an exceptional dinner at Embers the other night - everything was beautifully presented and completely delicious! The excellent meal we shared was accompanied by the perfect wine pairing, which was recommend by our helpful and friendly server.   Tip: One of the best things they serve here (a total surprise to us) was freshly baked focaccia bread.  It's made with asiago and garlic - I could have dined on that alone, but in conjunction with our meal it was a total feast :-) There was literally nothing that Embers could have done to make our dining experience better - highly recommended!! read more

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