I have been eating Falafel King since 1984 and it is still as good today as it was back then. I was…read moreintroduced to it by words that became a staple every time I walked in, "My friend. Come and enjoy a falafel!" It was 1984, I worked at the Florida Bookstore and was sitting out back in the courtyard behind Chaucer's during my lunch break. That's when I heard those words. It was a smiling man sticking his head out of a kitchen window behind Cafe Gardens, which shared the courtyard with Chaucer's. "...enjoy a falafel!" "A flawhatel?" I asked. The man was Ghassan Chehab, and after serving me my first ever falafel, I ate there nearly every day. He soon moved out of the small shared-kitchen window to the famous 13th and University location, next to Burrito Brothers and Goerings Book Center - which I eventually moved to myself - and a block from my house. Falafel sandwich, spinach pie, strawberry-banana smoothie, and complimentary baklava - that was my go-to meal, always accompanied by great conversation with Ghassan. I left Gainesville in 1992 and The King moved out to Butler Plaza. I returned there a number of years later and was not only delighted to see the place still existed, but it was as good as ever! Ghassan was no longer there in person, but he certainly was in spirit. I continue to eat there whenever I pass anywhere near Gainesville, and always take home a bundle full of the falafel and pies. In fact, I'm actually writing this review with the taste of that falafel and spinach pie in mouth right now because I recently made one such trip. My friends, go eat a falafel at Falafel King!

Delicious and freshly made Falafel. Good service and clean restaurant. I look forward to eating…read moreagain.

Having survived a horrible fire, Zeezenia re-opened some months ago better than ever, and just as…read moreof 4 August 2023, they have brought back their restaurant in the rear of the store as well! The grocery offers most everything you'd want from a pan-Middle Eastern grocer: dry goods, teas, frozen food, fragrant waters, syrups, canned goods, et cetera. They also have a good selection of baklava and other treats by the front counter worth checking out: they get different sweets in sometimes--always baklava but sometimes also namoura cake and other things. When they have sari burma it's normally excellent, so look for that as well. They also have a good spice selection and try to include a lot of Turkish and Persian speciality items as well (this include Turkish frozen goods and yes, the pudding mixes also). The restaurant portion is a buffet and they have a hot bar and cold bar. The hot bar has traditional Egyptian foods and was very good when I tried it while the cold bar has things that could also be taken away like hummus, salads, and babaganoush. You can get the hot bar to-go as well, but having things like hummus is a big deal because you can purchase enough to have on hand for the week. I hope the restaurant continues to work out for them: buffets only make money if they have a lot of customers, so I really hope the community supports this fine establish and wonderful people who own and run it.

This is a really cool market we wanted to get ingredients for Lebanese food they had an extensive…read morevariety. Great service and selection

My second time here and wow it was definitely even better than I remembered. I ordered dinner for…read moremy parents and I Tuesday night and had to falafel platter for me, lamb & beef gyro platter for my dad, and a falafel wrap for my mom. Based on the reviews, I knew this time to grab some baklava which was a difficult decision. Why, you may ask? They have so many choices! I did end up with the pistachio baklava. My dad raved about his lamb & beef gyro platter and literally left no crumbs. My mom loved her wrap and how large the portion was. For me, the falafel platter was all hits, no misses. From the creamy hummus to the fresh tabbouleh. I highly enjoyed the freshness of the meal. The baklava was the cherry on top - sweet and nutty with a flaky pastry crust. I wish I would've ordered more varieties of the delicious dessert. Gyro Plus is a great staple here in town for your Mediterranean favorites! I'll be back soon!

This was my very first time eating here I had Beef and lamb gyro platter with hummus and pita bread…read moreand salad the dessert was Pistachio baklava all I can say is the the lamb and rice was delicious and tender the hummus was fantastic smooth and fresh along with the salad the dessert was delicious fresh and incredibly good I'm so sorry for not having any pictures to share with you after my first bite I just couldn't stop eating it.take my word you will not be disappointed at all but you will thank me for being very honest about not missing out on getting a meal or anything from here

This is the best middle eastern food in Gainesville. I've tried the beef shawarma which you can't…read morefind anywhere in Gainesville, gyro meat and the falafel which is exceptionally phenomenal. Ehab the owner knows what he's doing! I grew up on Lebanese food and this is authentic

Grill Express was absolutely delicious! Everything is clearly made in house, including the…read moreincredibly amazing hummus. The beef in the Beef Shawarma Platter was well cooked and the rice was so flavorful. I would say definitely don't skip out on the hummus or adding the garlic sauce! The portions are also amazing. The owners are super nice and the service is great. The ambiance is definitely simple, not much going on, but I can't complain when the food is so good. One recommendation for them would be adding some more of the salad! It was great with the sauce and I wish I could have enjoyed it more.

We absolutely LOVE this place! Fast, Casual but REAL FOOD! So Delicious and has always exceeded…read more our expectations. The Mediterranean Salad, Salmon Kypelos Bowl, and Spicy Harissa Hummus are our favorites. Customer service is exceptional!! Goes above and beyond to make sure that you're happy and satisfied. Thank you Brianna! Can't wait to return.

I really wanted to like this place as the menu and calories seem like a great option for eating out…read moreand being healthy. calories are low because the portions leave you hungry and they are stingy on ingredients. like the Greek salad had no more then 3 olives. the rice was severely dry. could be the worst side of rice I've ever paid for. I'm really against a place that pushes a Tio for counter service. food was fine in taste (other than the rice) but pricey for what you get.

Joy runs a tight ship and Carson and Lauren were freaky fast at getting the bowl prepped!…read more Highly recommend!

This CAVA usually has pretty good service and the ambiance is always very clean and nice. I…read moretypically order a salad and I like to switch up what I get in it, as all of the options are very tasty! This time I went with the kids meal and it's a really great deal for the amount of food you get. I wanted some greens and they let me choose a green instead of a grain for my side. The ingredients here are always very fresh and nothing is too heavy. It's a great place for a light, healthy meal!

Super yummy coffee and cute interior, nice seating outdoor and overflow seating for when there's…read morenot enough room inside

After nearly four years I finally got a chance to check out Curia On The Drag. This place is hard…read moreto define: it's a bakery, an art space, a vendor marketplace, a podcast recording studio, a bar, a coffee shop, a food truck, a community event center. I came with a friend for dinner and we got food from the food truck, where all of the menu options are 100% plant-based. I got the mojo tacos and for my chosen protein I went with the fried fishless filet. The two tacos came on corn tortillas with pico de gallo, queso fresco, pickled red onion, mojo sauce, and lime. Each bite was so refreshing! The lime gave a citrus kick to the sweet pickled red onions. The fried fishless fish was tender and flaky like real white fish. I was thoroughly impressed with Curia and think it's one of the most unique places in Gainesville. Check it out!

Children playing with each other under the tall tables, parents sipping cocktails and listening to…read moreintimate folk music sung by a man/woman duo. Lilting harmonies and strings plucked grace the ears, as servers pair their hot dishes to tables donned with numbers. Faint kitchen noises, laughter and conversation fill the voids, as people lean in to conversations. The beers here are plenty and from all over the world! The wines are, as well. Great service, good people. They even have lots of outdoor seating! If you've never been, well, now'a your chance! Bu

Absolutely worth going off the beaten path for…read more We stumbled across Public & General while looking for somewhere in Gainesville with good vegetarian options, and the first thing that caught my attention was the fried green tomato sandwich. I saw that on the menu and immediately thought, "Yep. We're going there." And I'm so glad we did. The only thing I would change about the experience is the ordering process. You have to place your order at the bar first, take a number, and then seat yourself so they know where to bring your food. Personally, I would prefer traditional table service, but once we got past that, the food completely won me over. We ordered the fried green tomato sandwich, and it was delicious. Then there were the dill fries. Fresh dill on French fries sounded interesting enough that we had to try them, and they were AMAZING. Such a simple idea, but different from the usual fries you get everywhere else and executed really well. But the biggest surprise of the entire meal? THE COUSCOUS. My partner ordered the vegetable couscous with mushrooms, zucchini and squash, and when I tell you this was the best couscous I have ever had... I mean it. It was so good that before we left, we ordered another one to go. That alone should tell you everything. I love finding restaurants that take familiar ingredients and do something memorable with them. Nothing we had felt boring or like an afterthought, especially the vegetarian options. Public & General feels like one of those neighborhood places you could easily miss if you didn't know it was there, but now that we know about it, it has officially made our Gainesville rotation. We don't get to Gainesville often, but anytime we're back in town, we're stopping here. Fried green tomato sandwich: Dill fries: Vegetable couscous: Seriously... get the couscous. We literally took another order home.

This was my first time here after a friend trying to get me to go so many times. We went on a…read moreFriday for lunch so it was pretty busy. We didn't let it stop us though. What happens is everyone in your party orders then the cashier will split the check however it is to be split and you'll pay then you take a number to your table. There's also a separate area where you order and pay for dessert if you want that. Upon walking in I said I was going to get something but was so full that I ended up not but I am very curious to how their desserts taste, specifically the Oreo cheesecake. We ended up eating here on what was national cheeseburger day so naturally I went with the regular size (8oz) burger with American cheese and fries as my side and water to drink. Was a little pricey but not too terrible. My burger was pretty good. The best? No, but not the worst. It was juicy and satisfied me. The fries were pretty plain so I had to use ketchup. Overall it was a decent meal. I would go back and try other things. I do recommend.

Decided to check this place out with a group of friends and I can't believe I missed out on this…read moreplace. We were greeted and taken care by a very attentive server from start to finish and the 3 course meal was prepared and served in a perfect way. This hidden gem is a great restaurant to check out when you are nearby.

Hands down one of the best quality restaurants in Gainesville. I've eaten here a few times but this…read moretime I decided to splurge a little and get one of their steaks...WOW! Significantly better than the local steakhouses and half the price. Their sides are amazing as usual and the drinks were yummy and well balanced. Plus, I always love the ambience in here! It's so colorful and lively while still being chill and calm enough for a nice dinner. And the wait staff are very genuine and kind people with extensive knowledge about the menu. Well worth the money, I've NEVER been disappointed by this place!

Ambiance - Quirky, grandma- vintage thrift store galleria…read more Service- a hipster army. Food- a big variety, plan on a 30 minute line ahead of you, maybe even double line length on the weekend.