We ordered the seafood pajun, an octopus entree, and the bulgogi. The octopus in the pajun was cooked well, probably the best dish of that night. We were really looking forward to trying the octopus entree as octopus is one of our favorite things to eat but this octopus was very VERY chewy, ergo still raw. When we brought this up to the management, they appeared not to believe us but eventually took it off the bill. The bulgogi was also very very dry. We cannot recommend this restaurant based on this visit and probably won't be coming back. read more

This restaurant located 10 minutes S W of UF in Gainesville. I ordered chicken bulgogi. It came with a bowl of white rice, 5 sides dishes, tasty chicken with vegetable on a sizziling hot plate. At the end of the meal, the waiter brought us a bowl of cold sweet ginger soup as dessert. It tasted refreshing and it's free. The service was fast. The ambiance was excellent. I will come back to try other dishes next time. read more

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Very good food! Good portions and prices! We have liked going here since they first came to Gainesville!

Went back to see that not only has the popularity of this place exploded, but their menu has quintupled in size! No longer the measly one page menu, it is now an open book of Korean tastiness and it is AWESOME! This time I tried to pork belly from Jeju, which was cooked outside. I was sort of upset that when I tried to order it, they told me it only came as an order for 2 and that I couldn't order it just for myself (didn't say that on the menu at all!). Ended up paying $26 for bits of meat that were unseasoned and small in size. I would never get that dish again. However, I tried what everyone else had at the table and as usual, Garlic and Ginger did not disappoint. For those of you who are scared to try foreign foods, the short ribs and bulgogi dishes are a safe bet.... read more

Had dinner at Garlic and Ginger for the second time tonight. Was really good - again. I ordered the sweet potato noodles with beef and vegetables. Had three kinds of mushrooms, bell pepper, onion, a green squash, tasty beef, and was delicious. Husband ordered short rib bibimbap like he did on the first visit. I had green tea (from a tea bag) to drink and he had barley tea (which was pleasant and tasted a bit like creamed corn to me). For dessert, we got an order of "walnut cookies" which were really cool. Small, light cakes shaped like a walnut with mung bean paste inside and a quarter of a walnut. A fun dessert I had never seen before. We will be coming here for dinner again. Good stuff. read more

Garlic & Ginger - sweet potato noodles with beef and vegetables - Korean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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The food is always excellent! They have hot pots and Korean BBQ, as well as other dishes. Service is always on par, never have to wait. Love eating here at least once a week. read more

I come here frequently with my boyfriend. We usually order the Kalbi soup and Kalbi bbq! I would say this restaurant has the best Korean food in Gainesville. Highly recommended! read more

One of my favorite restaurants in Gainesville! I've gone here for multiple occasions: birthdays, date nights, graduation dinners, reunions, casual lunches with friends, and a spontaneous dinner with a friend after a long and tiring work day. I also love bringing my family here or introducing out-of-town friends to this place. I always come for the same dish, the spicy rice cake platter, because it's my favorite Korean dish and the one at Garlic & Ginger feeds at least two people. It comes with rice cakes, 4-5 fried dumplings, fish cakes, ramen noodles, and veggies, and is so yummy! I usually share it with one other person and we always end up with leftovers. The platter also comes with side dishes, like bean sprouts, pickled cucumbers, fish cakes and potato, kimchi, and broccoli, which are all really good, too. Another menu item I love is the seafood pancake appetizer, but I rarely order it because it's expensive. Overall, Garlic & Ginger is a great Korean restaurant with lots to offer, but is on the more expensive side in terms of dining options. I come here mostly for special occasions or if I'm having a really strong craving for spicy rice cakes! I always come back! read more

Started with Korean steamed gyoza and apple soju. The soju is a rice wine that is a good for conversation over appetizers. The gyoza rolls were a tasty treat. We also tried the Kimshi pancake and beef short ribs. The Kimshi pancake was excellent. The side bibimbap side sauce was a treat. For the main course we went with the Pork Bulgolgi and it was excellent (as testified to by others). The best news is the service was great; we'd definitely recommend this restaurant to others. read more

Garlic & Ginger - Apple Soju. - Korean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

If you are trying to find your Korean fix, this is the place to go! Their spicy tofu soup is the best for when you are craving something spicy, and if you are sick, it will clear out your nose! If you can handle the spice, get the extra spicy! Their dolsot bibimbap is very good too. They have pretty reasonable lunch specials, and are not too overpriced! Great to go with family, friends or even get some takeout if you are in a rush! read more

The appetizers were ok but the food was such a disappointed. I've had Korean food plenty of times in NYC this place was just so distasteful. We complained of one of our dishes and received a cheap bean nut dessert that was just as disgusting as the rest of our experience here. I give this place 2 stars and it's only because the service provided by the front desk and beer was good. read more

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Love this authentic Korean place. Reasonably priced for lunch. Sometimes may be busy. Attentive service. Tried bibimbap , bulgogi and spicy tofu soup. There are other Korean dishes on the menu. Definitely a must if craving for Korean dishes. Lots of parking outside and near PUBLIX. read more

This was an excellent stop. The servers were very friendly, the restaurant was clean, even the restrooms were very clean, and the food was excellent. Highly recommend this place. We had the beef bogulgi, kalbi, Cjap-Che, Bibimbab, and spicy tofu. All were excellent. We'll definitely stop by again if we're in the area. read more

Garlic & Ginger - The chicken wings were delicious. Must try. - Korean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Went for the lunch special! Ends at 2:30pm M-F.. We got the japchae rice bowl and the pork bulgogi platter from the lunch special menu. Very good service and food came out quickly. I enjoyed my dish!! Thank you! read more

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My favorite Korean... and that's saying something because I live near Buford in Atlanta (Asian food Mecca of the south). G&G has generally flavorful ban chan (particularly the potato one and the kimchi), and the best jabchae (clear glassy sweet potato noodles with veggies, and Kalbi (sweetly seasoned Korean BBQ short ribs on top of onions). Their Bulgogi is nice but I wouldn't necessarily say it's as stand out as the other two items above. I was so obsessed in law school that I dragged a big crew here for my birthday. It's worth trying more of the menu- I hadn't eaten there in 5 years on my most recent stop through Gainesville. It's DEFINITELY a spot to try right off of the interstate 75 on your next road trip. read more

Garlic & Ginger is my favorite restaurant. Gourmet food and really nice service! If you want authentic Korean food, this is your best choice! read more

Garlic & Ginger - Spicy tofu soup with beaf - Korean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I would drive a hundred miles to have a plate of their beef fried rice, and have several times since I moved to Lake City. The quality of food here is outstanding. I really wish other restaurants would follow suit. It only cost about 10 bucks a plate for the beef fried rice which is piled high and always kept hot and ready for pickup. read more

The food hit the spot. Not sure why we waited so long to try this place. Amazing. It's crazy that they don't have many patrons in here for lunch. Friendly service. read more

I love Austin. Great waiter. Was patient with me and very attentive. If you visit ask for Austin. The food was great too. Especially the Combination Tofu. It was spicy and the flavor had a lot of depth. Would recommend this too. Staff were nice and the place was clean. The atmosphere was nice with Korean music in the back ground. Loved it! Make sure you come in and try the food! Also ask for Austin! read more

Garlic & Ginger - Korean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

If you are looking for authentic Korean food this is the place to be. The service here is impeccable, very kind and polite. I haven't eaten this authentic and homey kind of Korean food in ages and even with the combo dish I got I was very satisfied and it fed me and my boyfriend ! I will definitely be coming back once a week ! read more

Garlic & Ginger - Dish S.18 - Korean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Garlic & Ginger is my go-to, especially when I'm craving Korean Food! I usually like to bring a friend or two and share their specialty dishes. My favorite are the Seafood Paradise Special and the Flaming Pig Special. Both are pretty spicy (I have a low tolerance to spice) in my opinion, but they come in a huge soup pot/sizzling stone and can definitely be shared up to 4 people. It is a bit pricey but if you're sharing, it's definitely worth! I usually almost always have leftovers to take home. They also have a great lunch special! For about $8-14 they have bento box like lunch specials with Korean meats. Definitely worth a try for lunch, and you get a decent portion of the meat and of course, you get the side dishes along with it! Overall, I have always had a positive experience here and has all the essentials for a Korean restaurant. I usually like to come if I'm REALLY hungry as the portions are pretty big for me and you get endless side dishes as well! They are able to seat huge parties as they have a lot of tables and seating and even a backdoor patio area for Korean bbq. Faulting it a star for some inconsistencies in dishes here and there, but definitely would return! read more

What an amazing find during the weekend stay in Gainesville. The food was unpretentious as far as the whole restaurant. I felt like I was eating in a Korean diner and glad to be there. Fantastic seafood pancake and soft tofu stew and more reasonably priced them many other Korean restaurants we've been to by about two or three dollars per dish read more

Garlic n Ginger is the best Korean cuisine you can have! You have to try the Bo Ssan! Simple, yet very delicious and with very deep flavors. Their Kimchi is the best too! You must eat here! Try Korean and you will never go back. read more

I will start by admitting I know nothing about genuine Korean cuisine. Nevertheless, this seemed authentic and it was delicious!! That's all that matters to me! My hubby and I fought over the left overs... I literally chased him down later that night to try to get one last taste! I am making in my goal in life to find someone that understands the huge menu and Korean cuisine in general that can order for a group and share a little of everything with us! We ordered the Shumai appetizer, Veggie tempura, and the S1 seafood special. The waiter was very nice and brought out a collection of small pickled veggies and rice, I was told these were side dishes (that's all he said). The Shumai were fantastic little dumplings I believe with ground shrimp inside! The tempura batter itself was very tasty, the veggies inside were perfectly cooked and tasty, but the batter was too thick for my liking. The star of the meal was our S1! Wow, what an impressive dish! There's clams, octopus, shrimp, calamari, and veggies in an amazing sauce/broth. I'm salivating thinking about it! read more

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Pretty darn good. The food was good and prompt. The restaurant was clean and the servers were very attentive. They share tables, so they came often before we ordered and then we didn't see them much (they got busier). One server took the time explaining what many of the dishes were in detail and pointed out the most popular in each section. The only issue I had was that I ordered the spicy beef noodles and the bill said "extra spicy" which must be why my mouth was on fire. I would definitely recommend this place if you like Korean food. I like it, but don't know much about it, so it was an adventure. read more

The food was delicious and the staff were friendly. The ambient temperature in the restaurant was very warm and very uncomfortable. It was almost cooler outside than inside. I would have give me 4 stars if it wasn't so hot in there. We got more help from the waitress for the other tables than my own waiter which was disappointing. read more

One of my family's FAVORITE restaurants!!! The servers are so nice and the food never disappoints! My 6 yr old son loves the pork gyosa (pot stickers), my husband loves the pork bulgolgi because it's a bit spicy, and my 8 yr old daughter and I love the Yuksu Bolgolgi!! It cooks right there at the table and it has sweet potato noodles that we can eat even though we have celiac disease! Sooooo good!! read more

Ever noticed that the best restaurants in Gainesville are all, not only ethnic, but also region specific (no "pan-" hyphen places... Asia's BIG. How good can you possibly be at all of the cuisines?)? La Tienda (Mexican) South Garden (Chinese) Pho Hanoi (Vietnamese) and now add Garlic and Ginger (Korean) to that prestigious list. This place, like the aforementioned, just GETS IT. The proteins are always fresh, the components immaculately prepared and the dishes humbly but cleanly presented. I've had several dishes from their menu; a spicy pork belly dish (the name eludes me now), the Pork/Beef Bulgogi, Beef Fried Rice, Galbi, and I know I'm missing some. Call me pedestrian but I gravitate more toward their Bulgogi than anything else. Also I don't understand why the Pork Bulgogi and the Beef Bulgogi are different preparations-- not that I'm complaining (though if I had to pick a favorite it would be the beef incarnation). The Fried Rice has my vote for "Best in Gainesville" and the ban chan is dependably fresh. Perhaps the missing ingredient to lesser places is Pride? Maybe what separates restaurants of this caliber from lesser ones is that almighty, serendipitous, combination of Pride and Skill? I dunno'. But I DO know that there is room in this town for restaurants with a more fine-tuned focus than a schizophrenic one. How about a Filipino restaurant instead of that next Pan-Asian start up? I could sure go for some Pork Adobo, Ox Tail kare-kare or Dinuguan from time to time. Also that way when I'd really want pan-Asian (done expertly) I could pick up a dish from each place and eat it all at home. WTF..I'd even include a stop by La Tienda. read more

Amazing and authentic! Service is excellent. Check the peak times before you go cause they can get pretty busy. My favorites are the bulgogi beef, beef short ribs. It's really great to know that Gainesville isn't lacking in authentic cultural food and this awesome Korean spot is no exception. I don't live in Gainesville anymore, but this is definitely a go-to when in town. I highly recommend! read more

Garlic and Ginger used to be one of my favorite restaurants here in Gainesville, but the chef or owner has definitely changed because the quality is just not what it used to be. The last couple of times I've gone, they haven't had the fish cakes like they usually do for one of those side dishes. Every time I've asked they say they "ran out". Did you really run out, or do you just not carry them anymore? They also gyp you on the meat with some of the noodle dishes. For example, this last time I ordered their ja-jang noodles and there was barely any pork in it. It was mostly just noodles and veggies. They don't even use the tiny mushrooms anymore in their beef Bulgogi dish (one of my favorite dishes from here). Yet, they've increased their prices over the years. What's the deal? I will say the service is still top-notch and the staff is friendly, but overall the quality of the food has gone downhill. read more

Traveling thru and happened to stop in Gainesville to rest for the evening. Looked around yelp for some good Asian restaurants nearby and decided to go with Garlic & Ginger Korean Restaurant. My wife and I absolutely loved this place! She got teriyaki chicken and I got the pork bulgogi. Both excellent dishes with great portion sizes. It is expensive, but you definitely get what you pay for! read more

Nice little place in the Publix shopping center. Came in to have dinner and ordered the Korean BBQ Short Rib and Seafood Pancake. I am a big fan of Korean Short Ribs. How can you go wrong with ribs? Flavor is excellent and most of the rib meat were tender and few was not. That didn't ruin my experience. The Seafood Pancake was enormous and was tasty. It was slightly on a toasted side. Couldn't finished the pancake appetizer. I came in around 6pm on a Friday and it was not pack. Service was quick and the staff was attentive. I am sure that won't be the case when they hit prime time for dinner. There were a lot of Asian people eating here which is always a good sign that they are doing something right. Since I am not from Gainesville I would surely come back again. read more

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At first I was worried for the future of an Asian restaurant that doesn't serve Chicken Chow Mein or General Tso's Chicken, but it seems like this Korean restaurant is going to do just fine. I've heard that the owner of Garlic & Ginger is also the owner of the Korean supermarket, which would explain the steady stream of Korean customers I see every time I eat here. Also, the Korean church down the street will probably add to the growing customer base. The food is authentic, good (big portions and an array of free appetizers). I've been three times. The first time my boyfriend and I visited before it's official opening. Each time the service has been great, but we've also noticed some changes (only for the better!), like an improved menu and the opening of the back deck, which I have yet to check out. Finally, a decent restaurant nearby! read more

My dad was in town visiting, so I took the opportunity to try out this new restaurant. It's a little far from the university area, where I live. I had only discovered it by complete accident when I happened to be in that part of town to go to the Bank of America (though I don't usually even go to that BoA location, but that's another story all together). Anyway, it's a little far. But I figured, what the heck? The food could be worth it. We ordered the kimchi & potato jeon appetizer and two jjajangmyeons (he got the large portion). I thoroughly enjoyed everything. I've been on the search to find really good, authentic jjajangmyeon ever since I came back from visiting Korea a few years ago. This place didn't have the jjajangmyeon Holy Grail or anything, but it was pretty good compared to a lot of Korean restaurants I've been to in America (granted, I haven't been to any in areas with large Korean populations, like NYC or L.A., but I've been to ones in New Orleans and Tampa). The potato jeon was really sweet for some reason. I liked it but my dad wasn't a huge fan. The kimchi jeon was okay but not amazing. The service was super attentive, though, so A+ for that. They did give me a menu in Korean just because I was with my dad, haha. I read Korean probably at the rate of a five-year-old, so I had to have my dad kind of do an overview of the menu for me. That's not really a big deal, though. Overall, I'd say that this is a place that I'd make the trip out to the almost-boonies for. At least every once in a while. read more

Fantastic Korean food. I still drive into Gainesville just for the bulgogi and sides. Would recommend the outdoor bbq section for small parties or groups. It's always fun to have a little DIY. Friendly service and they didn't judge my husband for not being able to use chop sticks haha. Definitely worth the drive. read more

Garlic & Ginger is my favorite place to eat in Gainesville at the moment, and it's going to take a lot for another restaurant to knock G&G off its pedestal for me. The food ranges from really good to great, the staff is very professional and friendly, and the restaurant is always clean. On top of that, I feel nourished and well after eating here. Like Chris K., my mood is great after visiting G&G. Before eating here, I'd had very limited exposure to Korean cuisine, but I'm a definite fan now. I am not Korean and I don't read or speak Korean, so it was a little intimidating to navigate the menu at first. All the dishes are named in Korean, but these all come with descriptions in English. I've learned to trust that anything I get from the menu will be good, so I don't worry so much about understanding exactly what I'm going to get anymore. The wait staff are more than happy to help you decide on a menu item if you're having trouble, so don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it. One of my favorite aspects of the G&G experience is the appetizer suite you get automatically before ordering any menu item. They're called "banchan," which means "side dish." These are small dishes of pickled radish (YUM), kimchi, fish cake (double YUM), pickled bean sprouts, and assorted other pickled/spicy/delicious veggies. I recommend trying them all even if they're new to you. Again, as a person who isn't Korean, I was at first confused and then delighted with banchan. You aren't charged for this; it is included as part of your meal. G&G's banchan make the whole experience seem a bit more elevated and special. I don't usually order appetizers when I go out, so it's really fun for me to get to have a bit of this-and-that with friends before a meal. (As long as I get my fish cake, that is.) My favorite menu item is the dolsot bibimbap. It's a rice dish served with a couple different mushrooms, lots of different veggies, your choice of protein, and an egg on top. It's served in a sizzling stone pot, and you pour bibimbap sauce (garlicy and spicy) over everything and stir it in. The stone pot kind of cooks the sauce into the rice, and heaven is born. I love getting it with kalbi as my protein, which is beef marinated in yet more sweet & garlicky goodness. It will run you about $14, but if your budget is a little tight (like mine sometimes is), get the regular bibimbap ($9). It's a very similar portion of everything, but it comes in a regular bowl. It's still delicious, you just don't get the whole hot stone pot experience. The interior of the restaurant is clean and not-quite-upscale. They have granite tabletops, but the chairs, floor, and walls are not anything unusually nice or decoratively stunning. I'm not complaining, though. Everything is always clean and organized. I do think it would be nice to have some decorations or a nicer interior to match the pricing of the food. The food is completely worth it because it's well prepared, unusual (for me), and uses good ingredients, but when my average bill including tip runs around $15-$17, I would kind of like the restaurant to dress up a little. The restaurant is nice enough, though, and this is kind of a personal preference thing, so take this with a grain of salt. Something I super love about G&G is the lunch menu. They have lunch-only combination meals that come with a protein, noodles, two kinds of fried things that are awesome, a small salad, a corn salsa/salad, a bit of rice, and a dumpling. These are about $9 and super delicious, and the variety on the plate is really fun. I wish they had a dinner version of these because they're so good! To recap, I'm totally in love with Garlic & Ginger. If I could, I'd eat there every day. Schedule restrictions (based on kind of out-of-the-way location) and budget restrictions (I can't afford to eat out every day) are the only things keeping me from doing just that. One final note: The clientele of G&G is usually pretty predominantly Asian, so if you are already familiar with Korean cuisine, I think it's a pretty good bet that G&G is doing it justice. I will admit one final time that I'm not Korean, but I take the presence of Asian diners a vote of confidence for the authenticity of the food there. read more

This was among the BEST Korean food I've had outside of the Korean Peninsula. We had the Pork Kalbi and Jumbo Shumai appetizers followed by Seasoned Fried Chicken and Beef Bulgogi entrees, and all of it was OUTSTANDING. This place is a gem tucked away at the sleepy Tower Square center and would make a killing if it were downtown and maintained the quality with what would undoubtedly be a significant volume, though that would make it a further drive for me. I had to see why this place wasn't rated at a solid 4.8+, and it looks like they needed some time to get their kimchi together since the lowest reviews are all older than a year. Whatever they did, I hope they keep it up. Highly recommend, and much like The Terminator, I'll be back... read more

As a native Korean, I used to eat there whenever I visited Gainesville. Last month when I was there, I ordered "Neng Meon" (Cold noodle). I couldn't find the pickled radish on top, which used to be served before. So I talked the owner (he was right next to us at that time) whether the cook helper forgot, but surprisingly his response was "Lots of American don't like its smell, so we decided not to serve it on the cold noodle." What??? The pickled radish is the very key ingredient for any cold noodle. The picture on their website even shows it. It is like the miso soup without seaweed. I was truly disappointed and felt betrayed by his attitude and way of his thinking. If they modify the way the true Korean foods were supposed to be served / prepared, that restaurant isn't for Korean customers at all, unless they invented the new recipes for the new menus. So I decided not to go there anymore. A couple of weeks ago, I went Gainesville and met my nephew who goes to UF. When I asked him where to eat dinner, I said "except Garlic and Ginger". read more

I'll start by saying that the wait service staff was excellent. Now, for the most important part, the food. This was our first jaunt into Korean food. My son and I, once again, went out looking to satisfy his 17 year old craving for beef. We both ordered the Bibimbap; beef and chicken, respectively. We were quickly unimpressed by the dishes. That's a lot coming from growing teen who will eat just about anything when hungry. It was just greasy food, not a lot of meat, the rice was overcooked-stuck to your teeth and the seasoning was just blah. For the third most important grade, value. I personally walked away thinking I had overpaid. We've heard good things about this place, but we both walked away with an unsatisfied funny feeling. My son in his belly, and me in my wallet. I am not a cheapskate, and like paying for good food. However, this was not it. Maybe is college town food standards, the power of social trends or peer pressure that numbs taste buds and subsequent ratings. At any rate, if you've never eaten at Garlic & Ginger, lower your expectations and you may do just fine. read more

The food is excellent. Love the spicy tofu soup With intestine! I always ask for the a side of sweet potato noodle and extra fish cake and the waitress always does! Very friendly servers. I only dock one star because the prices are pretty high BUT The side dishes are refillable so that makes it much better. read more