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    Grill Express

    4.7 (73 reviews)
    Open 1:00 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated 3 months ago

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    David J.

    Probably the last of our dining adventures during our mid-week "get away" from home (40 minutes) is the Grill Express on University in Gainesville. If Mediterranean cuisine turns your crank, this place will more than deliver. It looks like a complete hole-in-the-wall place (and it is), but they serve up some of the best Mediterranean food we've had in Florida. We shared an order of feta fries and ordered two platters: falafel (falafel, Jasmine rice, salad, hummus & pita bread) and mixed (chicken shawarma, shish tawook, sliced gyro meat, rice, salad, white sauce &pita). Amazing! The flavors were so good! Truly a hidden gem in Gainesville! There is a limited amount of parking, so if you can pick a weeknight rather than a weekend you will probably be fine. The guy behind the counter was very nice and brought our food out as soon as it was ready.

    Not a busy night, but a nice clean restaurant, and I know I have good food coming...oh yeah!!
    Erich C.

    As I walked in, I saw a woman in a hijab with a boy, that I assumed was her son. I ordered the chicken shish platter with a side of hummus!! (a winner dinner) He came out to give them their food, and he was speaking to the boy in his native language. I didn't understand a word, but you could hear the love and nurturing support in his voice. I let him see my smile, as I could not hide it. I come in here a lot, and he knows I did not understand, but it was a universal thing that transcends spoken words. My food was SO good, that I had to share it! I could smell it, as I drove to my best friend's art store to share with him! I told him the story, and we both enjoyed a little international humanity. It was peaceful, a very peaceful restaurant! Highly recommended!!

    Kofta Kebob burger and soggy baklava
    Patricia M.

    I've ordered food from this place twice. Once for take out and once from DD. I won't be back. Ordered the Kofta Kebob platter and Baklava. The Baklava was beautiful. Sadly... it was put on top of my hot Kebob platter which sat in transport for more that 25 minutes in a plastic bag. It was so soggy and soft. My Kofta Kebob platter was beef and "little bits' of lamb smashed into a burger patty and cut up into pieces on top of rice. Set next to warm wilted salad with two small pieces of quartered cucumber, a sprinkle of feta and two tomatoes.. Yum Frankly, what made this dish tolerable was the sauce and the seasonings I used, mixed into the fragrant rice that came with the dish. The rice was perfect. The meat was overly cooked and not a Kofta Kebob

    Gyro Platter
    Robert V.

    Absolute fire, love this spot. Got takeout here many times back when I went to school at UF and it never disappointed. Had to come back to it when I visited gainesville and it's as good as ever. Staff is friendly (shoutout AJ not sure if he still works there) and usually pretty quick. Sometimes they run out of rice but the fries can substitute and are also amazing. Will always love Grill Express!

    Chicken Shawarma and Mixed Platter
    Emily L.

    This place has amazing flavor but I was underwhelmed with the portion size for a $20 meal. For $20 I expect a super filling dinner. This was not it. I had to have a second dinner after it. The salad did not even fill up half of the small box it came it and it had stale lettuce, a couple tomatoes and a few cucumbers. The chicken and rice and sauces were amazing though. Great flavors. The pita bread was good but nothing too special and there was not enough of it. Worker was super nice and the order was timely so I wish it was worth all $20 :/

    Chicken Shawarma
    Jahmeel S.

    Chicken shawarma wrap and feta fries were delicious. I could eat the Greek feta fries everyday.

    Gryo platter $14.99
    Daniel C.

    An unforgettable experience. The vibes were just there and the food was delicious. I ate din-in at the small cozy place after a nearby appointment, and the food came out in 15 minutes, looking very pretty as well, check the photo. As of this review, the gyro platter was $14.99 before tip. But the part that made this unforgettable were the other people that day. There were plenty of Arab women with their husbands while I waited in line, and they spoke in Arabic to the owner who was the only employee that day. It's always a good-sign when the locals are all there. After placing our orders we sat around in the restaurant and turned our chairs to each other, so we could discuss. Before I got the food, first I asked if anyone had been here before, and a woman told this restaurant is probably the best halal in the entire country! She said she was born and raised Saudi Arabia, and the food here rivals if not exceeds most of the places in Saudi! Her husband who is a war veteran told us the same. So I was licking my lips already. The discussion varied from there. I remember one of them claiming that Middle-Eastern cuisine tastes the best because is is the cuisine of the "Creoles" or the first humans. Another said that Arabia is becoming green again, lush with springs and palm trees like a millennia ago and the Euphrates drying out--a sign of the end-times. We closed with anti-war sentiment, especially in the Middle-Eastern regions. Some of the husbands were veterans so they had a lot to speak about, the PTSD, innocent casualties, destruction of culture on a vulnerable populace. An informative and intusing discussion to say the least. Oh yeah the food. Delicious, that is all.

    June 2024 Menu

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Really delicious foo. I had the falafel platter. This was some of the best faafels I've ever had, the rice was also very good.

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    4 years ago

    The food is very good! Do wish the portions were bigger, but overall the the service and food were great :)

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    5 years ago

    Wow this food is amazing! Chicken schwarma is excellent. I will for sure come back here

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    I had their beef shawarma combo with seasoned fries and a drink. So good ! Everything was amazing and easy parking in the back

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    5 years ago

    Probably the best shawarma I had in a good while! I can judge shawarma places harshly but I'm pretty happy with this one!

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    5 years ago

    AJ is the man. Worth the money. Get extra sauce and get a shish tawook platter. HYPE.

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    3 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Always good to eat here, great middle eastern food experience. Great customer service and fair prices. Definitely a place to try

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    5 years ago

    Got the chicken shawarma. Amazing service, friendly staff and amazing food. Nothing more to say

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    5 years ago

    Best halal spot in Gainesville, staff is awesome. Give you tons of food for the price

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    The Paper Bag - #14 Meatball Sub

    The Paper Bag

    4.4(69 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    Visiting UF and needed a place to grab a bite. Small location but friendly staff and OMG good…read moresandwiches! We sat outside and crowds were light but I can see how parking might be a challenge when classes are in session. Added perk/surprised to see the location was featured on Food Network!

    I distinctly remember this downtown restaurant closing at 3:00pm or so, but now, they are open til…read more8:00pm! Good! This sandwich place is really one of a kind! My friend and I met after we parked our bikes. She was sitting outside, and as I was locking my bike, less than a block away, she texted me. I just walked to her without responding, and with a smile and a hug, we walked in to look at the menu. The sandwiches have some very creative names that go along with their creative construction. I got a #10, which was a fusion of French dip and Philly cheese!! I wanna buy the person a beer, whoever thought of that one! Even though it was busy, we didn't wait long to order. Every sandwich comes in a paper bag, so you can take it out or stay and munch. We got a combo with chips and a drink, because how else do you eat a big sandwich like this?! There are board games to play, decor that is not typical and a big display of Guy Fieri, from the Food Network, that lets you know this place is on America's culinary map. After the sandwiches were done, I brought them out to my friend Kimberly, who was saving our table. We both were hungry, so out of the wrap and in with the teeth. Mine was full of flavor and the fact that all the sandwiches are heat-pressed, made the texture very satisfying. The au jus was thick and delicious and made me think someone took great time and effort to make it. It is a casual restaurant, great for a date or a group of friends, or a solo quick lunch, that can also be a dinner as well. The food is somewhat pricey, but it delivers as a good meal with a creative touch. They could have emptied the garbage can more quickly, as it was more than overflowing, when I went to throw the garbage away. Memorable food, and makes me want to come back to try at least two other sandwiches that I read about.

    Photos
    The Paper Bag
    The Paper Bag - 25. Island of Capri

    25. Island of Capri

    The Paper Bag - Outside patio

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    Outside patio

    The Spot - The Gyro Platter

    The Spot

    4.5(187 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $

    Visit after visit, year after year, this place is still the best Greek spot in town. Also up there…read morefor best lunch spot, period. I got my usual gyro platter; about $15. Sounds pricey but my wife and I spit it and still had some leftovers. Also, this might seem a bit off topic but this place has some of the best fries. Great seasoning. My platter came with a generous portion of gyro meat, and the side salad was nicely prepared. If you haven't tried this place and you like a good gyro, drop by, you won't be disappointed.

    I hate to leave bad reviews, but I think want to be honest. I came to The Spot recently for lunch…read moreand was not happy with my experience. Located in midtown, this appears to a fast casual place that caters towards college students. They serve "Greek" street food, salads, quesadillas, burgers, and more. The food is relatively inexpensive. Service is fine, actually the people working there are friendly. Food is made to order and comes out quickly. There is some seating available inside (it's limited) but there are plenty of tables in the hall. I ordered the Street Chicken Souvlaki which included grilled chicken with tomato, onion, fries inside a pita, topped with ketchup and mustard. This was a very large portion. The pita was good, but pretty much fell apart the second I picked it up. While I liked the chicken, it was over seasoned and I didn't care for the "sauced" quality of it. I'm not sure if they marinated it or tossed it in some sauce, but it was too much. The fries were decent, but not super crispy. I felt that they were not necessarily and a little over-the-top. The tomato was fresh and but the red onion slices were very thick. The mustard and ketchup didn't work with the seasonings on the chicken. The dish was just all over the place and I couldn't even finish half of it before I started feeling sick. I ordered a side of onion rings as well. This was a large order and the size was great. But these onion rings were over-battered and were fresh, but not crispy at all. I bit into one and ended up pulling out the whole onion rings. Not good. Overall, I was very disappointed with my experience. The food was so heavy and overly salted I couldn't even eat half of it. I ended up giving it to a homeless person on the way out. The food left my stomach in shambles the rest of the day. Service is fine. But the food is not desirable. It is safe to say I will not be returning, which is unfortunate.

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    The Spot
    The Spot - Gyro Sandwich

    Gyro Sandwich

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    The Spot!

    Just Salad - Tokyo Supergreens: Supergreens Blend, Grilled Chicken, Carrot Edamame Slaw, Avocado, Broccoli, Roasted Almonds, Furikake Shake

    Just Salad

    3.6(107 reviews)
    0.4 mi

    Stopped in while helping my daughter move back in for her sophomore year at UF. I wasn't super…read morefamiliar with how the ordering process worked, so I ended up with a Build Your Own bowl--lettuce, chickpeas, cucumbers, and tomatoes--and added chicken, even though I didn't really want to. It wasn't exactly what I was going for, but that's more on me than the place. We also got a Pick Two combo: a strawberry banana smoothie (with oat milk, banana, strawberries, flax seeds, and agave) and the Thai Chicken Crunch salad (romaine, red cabbage, roasted chicken, carrots, celery, and wontons). Everything was decent and fresh, just nothing that really stood out flavor-wise. We took everything to go since we were busy getting her room set up, and it worked for what we needed--a quick, fairly healthy option. One thing I wish they offered was a smaller portion size; everything felt a bit too much for a light lunch.

    I ordered the salad for delivery, but it came highly rated. I ordered the buffalo chicken salad and…read morea smoothie. All of the ingredients were fresh and very crisp. I did add I. The egg as well. The dressing was amazing and you can tell it was made in house. Delivery was easy and they made everything to order. I was only missing my straw so I had to open the cup, but appreciate that I the cup was sealed for transport. I would recommend and can't wait to try again while I'm int the area.

    Photos
    Just Salad
    Just Salad - Modern Greek Crunch: Romaine, Feta, Pita Chips, Chickpeas, Grape Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Pickled Red Onions

    Modern Greek Crunch: Romaine, Feta, Pita Chips, Chickpeas, Grape Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Pickled Red Onions

    Just Salad - Avo Blast Toast: Spicy Avocado Mash, Charred Corn, Pickled Red Onions, Smoky Poblano Ranch

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    Avo Blast Toast: Spicy Avocado Mash, Charred Corn, Pickled Red Onions, Smoky Poblano Ranch

    Zeezenia International Market - Cold food, delicious rich, vegetarian in the "dairy " sense.

    Zeezenia International Market

    4.5(129 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $

    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.

    Very pretty place and environment .Very quiet and friendly. Not too expensive either.read more

    Photos
    Zeezenia International Market - Samplings from the buffet

    Samplings from the buffet

    Zeezenia International Market - Buffet Items

    Buffet Items

    Zeezenia International Market

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    Grill Express - mideastern - Updated May 2026

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