Great food, atmosphere, and service! I came for dinner and left very satisfied overall. The space itself has a "simple yet elegant" feel to it, and it seems like a great place to maybe take a dinner date. Our waiter was incredibly helpful, polite and attentive. They have a huge tea selection and food selection, but as a vegetarian I was grateful for my less extensive (but still sizable!) list of options. (There's a vegetarian menu, and it seems like most all of the options were vegan, although I didn't verify that.) We started with the plum tea, which was pleasantly sweet and just $3 for a pot that lasted through the meal. We both ordered entrees with the "bento upgrade"- $4 more to add soup, salad, sides, and ice cream to your order. My spinach and tofu soup was really flavorful, as was the ginger dressing I got on the salad. I got the stir fry vegetable udon as my entree, and it was really good and a pretty big potion size! I avoid dairy (which I assume the ice cream included), but I took a small bite of the green tea ice cream and that was quite good as well. read more

Liquid Ginger - Stir fry vegetable Udon, "bento upgrade" - Asian Fusion Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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I would give the food 4 stars and the service 2 stars. We were a party of 5. Two of us ordered sushi, 3 of us ordered cooked entrees. We waited forever for the food to come. When it finally arrived only the sushi came to the table. It was a full 20 mins later before the cooked food arrived. Very poor communication in the kitchen between the two chefs. The food itself was delicious but the poor service ruined our experience. read more

Liquid Ginger - Asian Fusion Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Really didn't like our food. The pad Thai was terrible , the chicken bulgogi and the beef bulgogi had very little meat and very little flavor. The sushi was decent. I would definitely not recommend this place. read more

Food was amazing, but our service was not. The waitstaff was nice and always made sure our waters were full, but the waitress was extremely rude to us. She snapped at us before ordering and rushed us while we ordered. Once we got our food, it was delicious and I would come back. It was very disappointing with the service and I hope they catch it! read more

I love the food and used to eat lunch here once a week. However, the male waiter that in the past has told me he is a manager tends to try to take way to many tables. Today I sat at a table for 10 minutes without even a hello I will be there in a minute. I finally walked out. There were three other servers that seemed available, but I'm guessing I had him again... At this point if he is working I'm going somewhere else. read more

The first time I went there was for my birthday, as I heard they were pricey. Liquid Ginger turned out to be a good deal though as you got several courses with your main dish- a soup/salad+ ice cream were extras. Since we have been back (with our groupons lol!) they actually dont do that anymore and you can just order a now cheaper main and choose to pay for all the other stuff if you want it. This is probably good if you eat there regularly and dont want ice cream all the time..The cocktails are not cheap but they are yummy!! read more

By all means the very worst dining experience of my entire life. I've eaten at restaurants all over the world and this was by far the worst service, cuisine and ambiance I've ever experienced. Bad service, we waited two hours for our food, and the food was bland and tasteless. Then the Hari Christna's came by and and screamed and drummed in our ears for 20 minutes. Worst night of my life. read more

remarkably mediocre food; atmosphere is forgettable. If you're in the mood for Asian food, there are certainly far better choices in town.

Probably deserves 3 stars but i have a soft spot for it since it was the first downtown restaurant i went to. Also, you get a fair amount of food for the money and it's a nice location downtown. Pan-asian food with a mixture of chinese, japanese, thai and asian fusion dishes you see at other similar places. For $14-18 you get your main entree on a tray with about 4 small side tastings which is nice, you get a soup, a salad, and a mini desert. So for the price you get the feeling of a big multi-course meal with some variety so it's a solid deal. However, you should probably just go for lunch as most of the menu is identical and it's all about $7-9 and you seem to get mostly the same portion just without desert and a few sides. Still get rice, soup, salad and entree which is a good deal for lunch. The atmosphere isn't really that asian but it's nice for a first date or group double date kinda thing. Food isn't amazing or anything but decent enough to go there if you're in the mood. read more

I finally got a chance to try this little downtown eatery. The decor is nice if a little worn around the edges. I ordered 3 appetizers to get a feel for the quality of food and only one of the two was worth eating. The food was brought out on a wooden tray and showed nice presentation. The scallops were bland and rubbery, the stir fried spinach was so flavorless that I sent my waitress to fetch me some salt and the egglant was a bright purple with onions and bell peppers and was good if a bit over salted. I showed up right at opening and was the only patron in the restaurant, but still had to wait for the waitress when I needed anything. I didn't try any of the entrees, so I don't know if they step it up for the big money dishes, but in my book, if you can't get your appetizers right, you probably won't do anything else right either. I have no plans to return. read more

Used to be amazing. Changed ownership too many times. Tends to be understaffed now, and food has gone down a notch but is still good and somewhat reasonably priced. read more

We used to love Liquid Ginger but will not be going back now. They changed the style of the meals. You used to to get your main protein with a side of veggies and noodles and rice in a bento style box. You also used to get soup and salad with it. Now, all you get Is your protein and rice. It is a pathetic change honestly. We were very disappointed. read more

Haven't been here in a couple years b/c it was so hit and miss with some dishes just being gross in conception. Everything was GREAT. 3 of us (vegetarian or pescatarian) ordered bento box versions of our meals --- crispy tilapia, crispy cream shrimp, pad thai. It was so much food and variety and everything was really tasty. Service was professional. Cocktail (Singapore Mule) was good, too --- not over sweet. Vegetarians, give this place another look. Seemed to have a range of decent vegan options but don't quote me on that. read more

Came here with my friend. My friend highly recommend it here for me. However, It was OK for me, and I got the Pad Thai. The lunch combo comes with soup and salad read more

Good food and decent portion sizes-enough to really fill you up or take some home for lunch. I love all of the teas and how they bring it out in an iron pot kept warm over a candle. Nice service and quiet relaxing atmosphere. Perfect for a date or bringing a friend. :) read more

Basically a poor man's Dragonfly. The service was very poor. The food tasted very poor. The restaurant, however, was beautiful. No one in my party seemed to like their food very much and the server had an attitude throughout my visit. Furthermore, the server seemed very unhappy that everyone in my party used a discount app. If they don't want these deals used, then why do they offer them? I'm giving them two stars because of how cool the inside looks. I, however, would recommend going to any other sushi/asian place in town over this one. read more

This place is pretty good, especially the lunch combination meals. Dinner may or may not seem a bit pricey depending on what you order. Since the service tends to be at a semi-slow pace sometimes, this should probably be a place you patronize when you aren't in too much of a hurry - otherwise just get take-out. The sushi is decent and not at all skimpy (though some of the rolls are 6 pieces per roll instead of the more-standard 8 pieces). I am a fan of the Udon Noodles with Beef. I like the slice of orange that comes with the lunch combinations, and they have some other nice touches . The dining room has an upscale ambiance, and it's never too hot or cold. They do a great job with presentation of food on plates and also with packaging of take-out orders. read more

This place is awesome food came in a timely manner.place was very clean had sushi and drinks and server Jeremy was excellent made sure we had everything! Plan to go back next week will definitely ask to be seated with him ! read more

The selection on the menu was extensive.the strip loin steak with it's dipping sauces was tender and very tasty. The mahi filet and it's sauce was wonderful.the liquid Ginger tofu was very tasty.desert and salad was included in price.I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Wonderful restaurant food and atmosphere. Their curry is great. Very reasonable lunch and dinner is not expensive either. Great place all around. read more

I attempted to send this review (which I write for others) to the restaurant via their website, but it 'bounced'. I mailed a printout of the review to the restaurant, kind of expecting a reply. I guess that they don't care. My party of 8 had the pleasure of dining at Liquid Ginger, Gainesville on the evening of Valentine's Day, February 14, 2012. As a regular restaurant diner I understand that this was one of the busier middle of the week evenings, but please read on. The greeting at the door was impressive. The wait service was impressive (Josh was our waiter). The food was fantastic! However****I found these items disturbing: 1) 2 dirty spoons wrapped in the clean napkins 2) Rough feeling dirt on the exterior of 2 of the soup bowls 3) Dirty feeling to the hand rail going down the steps to the lower rear dining room 4) My wife reported that the women's rest room was not clean 5) I can tell you from my own observation that there were paper towels strewn on the floor of the men's room I have been in town for 5 years. Liquid Ginger has become a favorite of mine over these years. However, there can be no excuse for dirty silverware and dishes (bowls). In addition, poor housekeeping should be second nature in an eatery. Are you going to correct these problems? Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope that you act on all of these issues. read more

Our son was visiting from Germany, so we thought we would take him to a local favorite of ours. Little was I aware that they hired a pencil neck low life, to represent there company as a customer greeter. This troglodyte was too busy on the phone to even acknowledge us, had he simply acknowledged us, it would have sufficed until he's was done with the caller. We seated ourselves and he came over with menus ten minutes later and summarily dropped the menus on the table without even an apology. I informed him at this point that we were no longer interested in anything this establishment had to offer. Apparently this restaurant is doing so well in a down economy they can lose customers, especially at dinner time on a Thursday. I wish you all the lost customers your bottom line can handle. Not even worth half a star, but this program will not rate below one. read more

Their service was VERY poor. We were seated after we stood up front for 15 min without any notice or welcome. The waiter was come to service for drinks and took orders 20 min after we seated, and the food was served 45 min after we ordered. More than 1 hour later we started to eat. Ridiculously just 20 min later our waiter checked us for TOGO box for foods while we were eating. We spent 2 hours for our dinner but we felt bad entire dinner time over there. read more

The number one thing I look for in a server is when I have left overs you bring it to the kitchen to box it up. BAM ! My server did that 20% tip . Food is very good, a lot of options. Always go for the Bento box it's well worth the $4 . Also it's one of the few places in town that take a reservation. They renovated not too long ago and added a big bar and a sushi bar. read more

I honestly have to say that my husband and I did not enjoy this meal at all. I had lobster, and it was the worst lobster I have ever had. It was rubbery and over cooked. My husband did not enjoy his meal either, and we both agreed we would never return. read more

Was very nice. Ate here about two weeks ago. Food was good and service ok. I wouldn't say awesome but it was crowded though that's for sure. I'm going to go back. read more

My family has been eating at Liquid Ginger for years. I love the spicy cream shimp. I always add the soup and salad - my favorite is the spinach tofu (although the miso is excellent) and the sesame salad dressing (the ginger is good too!). I also like that this place is open on days other restaurants like Mark's Prime and Embers are closed. Oh yeah - and the Buddha rolls are a must! read more

I've eaten here several times and have typically found the food okay, although the service wasn't great. My last visit was yesterday, service was amazingly slow, food tasted odd (like the oil was old) and the server gave my debit card to another customer, who walked out with it!! The manager assured me the meal was comped, which was not true, and, although, the customer was the thief (NO honest person would leave with another person's card), and the server was clearly overwhelmed and new, the manager should have handled the situation much more professionally. I am extremely disappointed and plan to warn others to be very careful if they choose to eat here. read more

I love this place. This is a regular spot we come to almost a couple times a month. We like the Thai and the sushi but if I had to pick one get the sushi. The Thai is good, but the sushi is the best in town. Forget the long lines at dragonfly and get great sushi here! read more

The food is actually good, but the service is quite poor. After being there many times, I am giving up on this restaurant because of the poor staffing, and on my last visit, their rudeness. It is unfortunate. read more

absolutely terrible. I sent back the Pad Thai because it resembled overcooked spaghetti drenched in Tabasco moreso than any Pad Thai I've enjoyed (and I've experienced many iterations of the dish). I ordered a safer salmon in ginger sauce to replace it and the sauce was nearly tastless-- hardly liquid ginger. The service went from mediocre to horrible after I sent the dish back (politely). I've never had service so bad and never been able to say that a server was rude to me until I went to Liquid Ginger. Save yourself the inevitable disappointment. read more

I was really excited to go back there after having had a couple good experiences there before. This time, however, the service was just about as bad as it gets. It took 20 minutes between being seated and seeing the server. It took another 30 minutes to receive any food. During that time, nobody came to tell us where the food was or even to refill our water glasses. When the food came out, it was generally at the same quality as it had been in the past, though they didn't bring it out in the bento-style boxes that they usually do, which was a disappointment. Also, the soup came out after we received our entrees. I'm not sure we would have ever gotten the soup if I didn't ask about its status myself. They may have been having an off night or just been understaffed, but that's no excuse for not keeping us updated on the status of the food or at least putting water in our water glasses. read more

Let me say this first, I like this restaurant. I like the food, the atmosphere, the tables and chairs, the tea. I will continue to go to Liquid Ginger regularly. But, I am frustrated. This review is about the SERVICE. I hope that the owners, managers, and staff read these reviews. It doesn't seem like they do, since almost all reviews focus primarily on service and very little has changed. If you are considering patronizing Liquid Ginger, go for it. If your server is named Dylan, request another server. Dylan is the worst. Seriously. If you are an owner or manager of Liquid Ginger, please, fire Dylan. He's the worst. Seriously. Either he doesn't care about his job, or he doesn't care about his life. Either way, it's obvious he doesn't give a f#%$ about his customers and your otherwise decent restaurant. Here's why I feel this way: My wife and I went there for lunch today. After a short wait to be seated, it took nearly fifteen minutes for my wife and I to even be acknowledged by Dylan. (BTW, this was our second time being served by him, the first time it was so bad I thought I was on a hidden camera "joke's on you" type of show. My wife hasn't eaten chicken in 20 years, ordered the crispy lime tilapia, and received the chicken version instead. When we asked for it to be replaced, Dylan said he was sure she ordered the chicken and was borderline rude when he reluctantly brought out the dish she had ordered.) Back to lunch, when Dylan arrived we immediately ordered and did not see him again until our soup arrived. Then again only when our food arrived. He advised us to flag him down if we needed anything, and then he disappeared. He never checked on us during that time, nor, seemingly, did he check on any of his other guests. (We heard the table behind us complaining about not getting their salads, he eventually brought them after being asked twice. they were nearly done eating their entrees by then) He did not ask us if we needed anything, or how the food was. With Dylan nowhere to be found, a hostess took care of our refills. Once we were finished the same hostess bused our table and asked if we were ready for the check. Then five minutes later Dylan stopped by to ask if we needed the check, we said yes, and he disappeared again. After another five minutes he brought the check and I immediately put my card in the check (we were in a hurry at this point to make it back to our jobs) and asked him to take it. He was not even a step away from the table and told me to hold on while he dropped off another check. The helpful hostess saw my distress and ran the card for us. Dylan then returned, and asked the waitress if she had run our card. He then walked past our table and without even making eye contact dismissively told us to have a good weekend. I left a tip, which I believe was more than appropriate for the service we received. This is not the first instance of poor service, as mentioned above. One day I had to go to the kitchen to find someone to seat us during a lunch service. Another time my wife and I were asked to wait to be seated for ten minutes when there were many open tables during an obviously slow lunch. After waiting the ten minutes and not being seated we walked out. We would have let the hostess know but she was nowhere to be found. So, after all this we still go to Liquid Ginger. Why? Spicy. Cream. Shrimp. Also, I am not one to be deterred by what seems to be primarily one really terrible server. I have been going to Liquid Ginger for years, and I would love to go more. I hope that the owners find this and are inspired to make service a priority again, it hasn't always been this way. Please, give Liquid Ginger a chance, just watch out for Dylan. That guy is the worst. Seriously. read more

We went here with a Groupon, so I didn't know about this place before that. It is in a quiet part of downtown and a small place. They have plenty of vegetarian options and the liquid ginger tofu I had was great. Prices are reasonable (all the vegetarian entrees were around $9) and I was full after my dinner. Service was quick and the waitress was nice. Will def be back here soon. read more

Love the food here and service has always been really really good and fast for me. Not sure what some people are talking about. The food portions are actually really big unless you want to be thrifty and split a meal, which then no the portions aren't big enough. Food comes out really fast, and is always good. Service is always great, with many servers that I have had. Environment is nice. read more

We ordered liquid ginger TOGO and were so disappointed! We got the pad tai and sushi, both of which were NOT as explained. The pad tai tasted nothing like pad tai and didn't have crushed peanuts on top as described. Honestly didn't even taste like it was in the usual pad tai peanut sauce. The noodles were the thick udon noodles not the kind usually served in pad tai. The sushi I got was a $14 roll and only was stuffed with yellow tail and cucumber, topped with crab. It didn't come topped with the toppings as described either and was far from a $14 roll! Very small and bland. I'm mostly disappointed because we've eaten in the restaurant and liked it. This TOGO food was terrible, even though it's supposed to be the same, just picked up. It really seemed as if we got food we didn't even order but was trying to be similar. The only thing that was good was the ginger salad. We probably won't be eating here again for a long time! read more

The dragon roll here is so good. Also the relax tea is just delicious with a perfect delicate taste of different herbs. The vegetarian roll is also very good with crispy carrots. We also had soup. It was salty but very good. I would recommend this restaurant for everyone at every moment. It also has really nice couches to sit on. Great place to eat and drink tea. read more

So I would have given them less than 1 star but it wouldn't let me. I went there last night for a birthday dinner and the SERVICE SUCKED! We were there for 2.5 hours, saw our waiter when we ordered and when he delivered part of our food (he never came to refill our drinks, luckily they put extra glasses of water on the table). My dish and another persons was never delivered, they said my dish wasn't cooked and it'd be 10 extra minutes because they had to thaw out the steak, this was after he had returned to our table after about 15-20 minutes later to say it'd be right up, by now the entire table was almost done with their food. The other person that didn't get their dish he kept saying "I'll be right back with your dish", he never came back with it. By the time he came back for the forth time saying it'd be right up we decided to just cancel our order, her dish he was "able to cancel" which said to us that it was never cook, but mine was "on the grill" I said forget it I don't want it give it to someone else. Then it took another 30-45 minutes for him to get us the bills. I can guarantee I won't be back to this place, you'd think in this economy they would make sure everyone that walked thru their doors had the best experience ever so they will return but nope and never once did the manager come over to apologize. Here's a tip about Liquid Ginger: SAVE YOUR MONEY AND PATRONIZE ANOTHER RESTAURANT THAT WILL APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS AND BE WORTH THE MONEY!!!!! read more

The food was so-so. The service was slow. And the restrooms are not very pleasant. I've been to better restaurants. I wish some restaurants would just stick to one type of cuisine and stop spreading themselves to thin. It just doesn't work when they try to make to many different types of things. read more

The food was great. Worth the price (runs around 20 a person). With dinner comes 4 small side dishes, all of which were very good. Also includes ice cream for dessert - a few different flavors, all were great! Nice atmosphere as well. read more