I still love the food here, but the rating's coming down due to the horribly bad service we received about two weeks back. The last time I ate here, we didn't have a waitress, we had a food runner, literally. She showed up to take orders and drop off plates, but otherwise she was nowhere in sight, ever. No drink refills. No table clearing. When you're eating with two other people and there are appetizer plates and salad dishes all around, that becomes an issue. The sad part was that the host struck up a conversation with me as I waited for my husband after dinner, and HE had more to say in two minutes than our server had said to us the entire meal. Granted, maybe he's just naturally chatty. But when the host is talking to you about the dinner specials and the new sodas available and the dessert and you could barely get the server to give you the check so you can pay ... well, you get my point. Not cool. I figure it was just that particular server. Hopefully we won't see her again. read more

So this has got be one of the worst eating establishments I've been to for a very long time. I strongly advise not coming here even if there was a McDonald's/Wendy's right next door. My buddy and I came in here to grab dinner before the Gator's Sweet 16 basketball game in hopes to get some good seafood dinner. Well that went downhill quick. After we got seated, it took 10 minutes to get our drinks and another 20 minutes to get our order. It would have taken a whole lot longer if I hadn't waved off another waitress nearby bussing a table. The decor is old and boring. It is outdated and needs a serious facelift. The whole shipwreck theme fits this restaurant as it is sinking deep, deep in the ocean trenches. The booths looked sad. There was nothing upbeat about this place. I thought the food will be the savior of this dining experience. WRONG! The food was tragic. I had the Bay Scallops entrée and my buddy the Stuffed Shrimp entree. My blackened scallops were really chewy despite their size. They were overcooked and some of them were even burnt. My buddy's entrée was a bit better. The fried shrimp although good was too heavy on the batter. Sorry to say but we both had much better seafood in Gainesville. The prices are comparable to other local seafood restaurants. I will not be going back to this place. read more

Northwest Grille used to be close to a 5 star place, but not with the recent menu changes , smaller portions, and higher prices. It's still a good place but lacks the value it once had. Lu is our favorite server there, she always takes great care of us! *****UPDATE (to my update)******* Northwest Grille is back on top of its game! The food is back to the regular portions and back to the quality it's always been known for. Katherine at the bar is also a huge asset for Northwest Grille There's also another server, Charlotte, who gets stuck with a group of us once a month who is also a treat for us as customers! Another plus I'd Byron is cooking things to perfection! Ok updated update to my updated review. Katherine moved to Jax so we lost her. But Charlotte is still here and they are still 5 stars for value, variety, and quality! If I'm entertaining someone & need to make a good impression this is where I go. Consistency is a given here ! read more

This was only our second time at Northwest but went for brunch. Drinks were really good. Def recommend the Bloody Mary is comes with so many veggies & a crab leg! Everyone's meals were great. Our waitress was very easy going and we had great service. Lots of choices and will accompany you to make your meal perfect! read more

Let's see: Very little atmosphere. They tossed in a few of the stereotypical "seaside" decor. Darkly lit room with awkwardly short tables were the main problem. Service was slow and forgettable but not awful. However, even though the place was not very busy our server seemed to be gone for long periods of time. Now the food: I ordered crab cakes, fries, and a Caesar salad. The salad had zero taste and was overly watery. The lettuce seemed pretty fresh though. The crab cakes were rather small and definitely had a less than fresh taste. Most of that was covered by the ridiculous amount of sauce they were smothered in which was overbearing. The fries were undercooked and soggy. Was supposed to come with bread and coleslaw but they never came. The cocktail and tartar sauces were quite good. Should have asked if it was store bought or fresh. The price was a little steep for what I got but it wasn't outrageous. Just seems a little low quality for seafood. Their specials had no seafood which seemed strange. With a little improvement it could be a pretty nice place. read more

A lot of my friends and even family member like this place but I don't. To me this place has remained opens because people love to support locally owned businesses. I would love to suport it too; however, I wish the owners would invest some time and money remodeling this place. The pace looks old and supper outdated. The menus is massive and there is not one thing I can recommend. This is one of them restaurants that needs Ramsey from Hell kitchen to help them update to the new millennium. read more

I just can't get excited about Northwest Grille. We go every once and awhile to give it another shot (the most recent visit was the first week of September) and every time we confirm our belief: this restaurant just isn't exciting. The staff is usually attentive and it is always clean, but the menu is uninspired. We love food--are obsessed with it, really, and it saddens us when good ingredients are poorly treated. It isn't that the seafood isn't fresh because it is. I think the chef needs to travel a little--to Charleston, perhaps--and inspire his imagination. What isn't fresh is the salad greens. For that there is no excuse. Were I chef, I'd fire my purveyor and work with one of the many local farms for fresh greens. read more

Fresh seafood. Served promptly by nice attentive staff.... Excellent portion, great flavor. A new favorite place I had the salmon served on a bed of arugula topped with goat cheese and crab meat crab meat my wife had the broiled sea scallops with a baked potato coleslaw and a crab cake on the side read more

Northwest Grille - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

See all

This place is great. Clean dining area, take out, bar to sit at, friendly and knowledgeable staff. You can have fish ordered any way you choose. I haven't had anything from here that I didn't like. The prices are reasonable for the portion sizes that you get, the deserts are delicious and beautifully crafted. read more

The food here is pretty good, although inconsistent. Every time I place an order for delivery, something is wrong with the order. Last night I ordered and paid for crab cakes and they were not included in my order. Their lack of attention to detail is disappointin. read more

Living on the NW side of town the choices are limited, I have to say I have never had a bad meal at NW Grille. We eat there with and without coupons, and find the Restaurant.com deal to be a good one. Went this week with a friend and he had a large steak with broccoli and a sweet potato. The steak and broccoli took up a large oval plate and the sweet potato had no room and needed it own plate, I had a $12.99 special of an 8 oz. sirloin with coleslaw and home fries. I asked for the gorganzola topping which was offered on the larger steak my friend got and it was provided at no additional cost. Both of our steaks were cooked a little less than the medium rare and medium we had ordered, but that happens everywhere from time to time. We ordered the stuffed shrimp appetizer and it was good although could have been a little more stuffed or a little less breaded, but it was still tasty. read more

Was visiting family and went out to lunch with them, decided on this place. Wasn't impressed. The tuna on the tuna melt was cold, and the food took a while. There was way too much seasoning on the home fries. A good atmosphere in the restaurant though, with a nice theme. It was good, but I probably wouldn't go back. read more

I was in town for a family get together and this restaurant was within walking distance of my aunts house. We came in with a party of six and was seated immediately. Very cute decor and comfortable atmosphere. The food was decent, though I wish they had more options for crab (my absolute favorite). I settled on the crab cake sandwich and also got the spinach artichoke dip with crabmeat as an appetizer. The server was pretty slow and not as attentive as she should have been. At first, we were pretty forgiving because our section was pretty full, but it turned out there were 3 other servers in the section as well. We weren't offered refills until after we had almost cleared our plates. Everything else just seemed to take way too long. Not the best experience, but not the worst. It was also taken in consideration the time of day and, quite honestly the short staffing of most restaurants these days, but I feel like the service could have been more pleasant had she communicated with our table a little more. If I'm in the area again, I would definitely give it a second try. read more

9/14/12 is 16 months since my last experience at NW Grille. I came because I had a Groupon and felt it deserves another chance, given Chef Fennel now owns it alone. It was okay, but not extremely impressive. There were four of us, we ordered 1) st. Augustine Style Shrimp 2) Fried Alaskan Pollack (I thought it was "pollock"?) 3) Surf & Turf 4) Mushroom Ravioli Florentine and a side Caesar Salad. My hubby was 3) & I am 4), so this review is based on those two dishes + the salad. The steak was well cooked and the seasoning was savory. As my husband said, "It was like the blackening on the shrimp", which he indicated made them go together well. The portion of shrimp seemed quite small & it was a little unappealing to have the mashed potatoes formed like they'd been served from an ice cream scoop. For $18 a plate, I expect at least above-average, visually appealing food. That being said: 4) The mushroom dish came in a nice portion, but was gray looking under the dim lighting. I can forgive that because I understand that some mushrooms will turn a sauce gray. Shouldn't the chef account for that in the preparation of the dish? read more

Let me just say: wow. My friend and I came here after a long day on the river. We were really craving some good fish and Northwest Grill delivered. I got the Salmon Caprini which was a filet of soft and flaky salmon on a bed of arugula, and topped with delightful shrimp and scallop goat cheese mousse. My friend got crab, and she said it was the best crab she ever had. We left completely full! The waitress was very nice and the owner stopped by to ask us how our meal was! Would highly recommend this place! read more

I went with two friends on a Wednesday evening. We've heard great things about Northwest Grille and love seafood. When we got there, they ran out of their special, so we had to select from the menu. Other reviews are absolutely spot on; portions are fair but a little lacking. The flavor coasts down median lane with nothing to prompt me to "crave" it in the future. We did say that if we ever wanted seafood, this would be a great place to get a good variety (based off their platters). Other than that, the seafood chain restaurant in town in Butler Plaza wins in "flavor town" as the overrated Guy Fieri would say. Service was a little slow but they were busy. I do wish we had the attention of the servers as much as the other tables in our section did. I tend to visit restaurants multiple times before a review but, I'm not sure if I will return. read more

After all the years Ive lived in Gainesville, I finally made my first trop to NW Grille. Being that is was a Sunday morning we had a little of a wait because they were quite busy. We were seated pretty easily. The decor of the restaurant was a bit cheesy but fun. I actually really loved some of the pictures we saw hanging on the walls. But fine dining this is not. We both ordered the Caeser salad with grilled shrimp and chicken. Although it was just a salad it was without a doubt the best Caeser salad Ive ever had. Our server was attentive, funny and just all around great. Wish I could recall his name. On my second glass of wine he actually gave me a double pour but only charged me for one glass of wine. Score 10 points for him! Next time I'm back home I will definitely pop in here again and give some of the other entrees and seafood a try. read more

Best restaurant in Gainesville. Food always good and fresh. Specials superior. Menu has wonderful variety. Staff exceptional.

I have eaten here for years. I have had the crab cakes many times in the past; usually they are loaded with crab and wonderful seasonings. I spread my crab cakes out on my plate looking for the crab. It was very sparsely placed in a sea of bread goo. I can't believe that the place I have enjoyed for years with a chef that is normally spot on would allow his standards fall so much. read more

Drove all the way from Ocala to have fresh crab cakes and grouper with home fries. It was fresh and fixed perfectly. The waitress was awesome. The restaurant was busy and yet the service was incredible. I also had a yummy chocolate goddess martini. This is the only restaurant that has fresh seafood that I have found in central n. Florida. Growing up in S. FL fresh fish was everywhere. I have not found a better seafood restaurant anywhere. It has vintage decor and the restaurant was clean. What a hidden gem!! We will be back soon. read more

What a pleasant surprise! We were referred to this tidy restaurant and were so glad! The calamari appetizer was delicious, with a lemon, caper and fresh tomato sauce that was a nice twist. The NY strip sandwich really opened our eyes! It was a cooked-to-order 6 oz. steak that was so tender you could bite each mouthful- no knife or fork required. The steak was smothered in mushrooms and onions on a hoagie bun. The fries were just like we prefer: crisp but tender. What a great experience! Ask for Julia. She'll take care of you! read more

I eat here quiet regularly for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. My a daughter is obsess with their smashed potatoes. Sometimes, I stop in just to pick up an order for her . Try the French toast on brunch days! It's heavenly . read more

I am crying. I LOVE scallops. I will say that the breading was perfect, not very thick and not too hard, which is happened other places. the mashed potatoes were yummy. the issues with the scallops, or I'm not sure what they were, scallops have a very unique flavor and it just makes my mouth happy, but these didn't taste like anything. I'm not exaggerating, they actually had no flavor whatsoever. Maybe they just got a batch that was tasteless I don't know. read more

Our first visit and it WON'T be our last! The food was tasty and expertly prepared; the service was attentive without hovering and the atmosphere nautical and jovial. We had Salmon "bronzed" with the Northwest Grill salad. The salad was fresh and crispy and the Salmon was perfectly spiced and topped with toasted pecans. Our friends had the rainbow trout and steamed broccoli. All was heartily enjoyed! The drive down from Lake City is well worth it! read more

Ok my friends, I don't eat a lot of seafood so I can't help you. But husband always wants to come here and I like their chicken and new york steak. Their hush puppies alone or worth the stop. I've been to the old location and now the new location. I'm so happy they moved somehow the food is better after the moved. The service has been pretty rough. One night after we were done eating we spent 20 minutes waiting for the check. They do that a lot somehow they forget to check on you. All you can eat shrimp try ordering it before your done. If they can bother themselves to check on you. Clean for the most part they could wipe things down a little better. They have cool seafood decor and it seems like the price is right. But then again I'm not a seafood lover. read more

Four of us went to Northwest Grille, 5115 NW 39th Ave. and it is GREAT. It was my first visit so I read the menu thoroughly and got the impression they brought in only fresh, quality food to serve. Everything we ordered was delicious, well prepared and came out quickly. The staff is very friendly, professional and checked on us regularly. The manager was a very visible presence in the dining room and checked on all the tables as well. To sum it up, I really enjoyed myself and I will return....soon. read more

A great locally owned restaurant with really fresh ingredients!! They have done a great job of take out during the quarantine. I think their lemon vinaigrette is the best dressing ever!!! Try the home fries so yummy!! And the best shrimp...st. Augustine shrimp lightly battered and fresh!!! Yummy!!! read more

I love Northwest Grille. The second time I went I ordered the blue cheese herb grouper which was so good I don't want to order anything else in case I don't like it as much. Crab cake appetizer is tasty. They bring us plenty of bread and I always leave full. My husband has to eat a little more than me to be full, so he orders more substantial sides and a salad to start and that is plenty for him. He usually gets a steak and has had no complaints. We took my mom once when she was visiting and she enjoyed her meal as well. I've had the Sunset Martini which is very tasty and easy to drink... maybe too easy:) I think it is expensive (for us at least), which is why it's 4 stars and we've only been a few times in the last year. But when we go I know I can expect a great meal. I drive by the restaurant nearly every day and the parking lot is always crowded so I think a lot of other people agree with me on the food. I have not had any problems with the service. read more

This is one of my go-to restaurants in Gainesville. Their Atlantic Salmon has always been perfectly cooked and their Fish and Chips are awesome! The atmosphere is casual and inviting with friendly service. I stop by here for a sit-down lunch and for dinner on occasion. Their Salted Caramel Cheesecake is also quite delicious. Enjoy it! read more

Did a lookup of seafood restaurants in the area and this popped. We've driven by it several times but never stopped. This time we went for a brunch and it was so worth it. The fish was light, flakey and perfectly cooked with lots of flavor. Between the grilled grouper sandwich, the fried pollock and the service, there wasn't anything bad we could say. read more

Excellent food and service. Waiter was extremely patient with my 79 yr old mum last week. The lemon drop martini is wonderful and the grouper is delicious!! Highly recommend. read more

Able to accommodate large groups of 15-20 and willingly processed separate checks which is fantastic. Ample free parking. We went for lunch yesterday on a Saturday and every table in the restaurant and barstool was full. Being a large group they had a number of servers assisting with our table and all were extremely kind and accommodating. I think I would prefer the dinner menu but everything served looked good. The shrimp and grits was too buttery and I've had much better but the skillet breakfast dishes and clam chowder both looked really appetizing. I I plan to come back and try it for dinner. The crab stuffed grouper is my next order. read more

This place is really great. It's often very busy which is a good indicator or its popularity. I typically sit at the bar for a lunchtime meal and drinks. They have fantastic drink prices and their happy hour makes it even better. I've had probably three dishes here, and they've all been very good. Their fried catfish plate is insanely huge. I ate like three meals off of it. Nice bar staff also, though I do wish the bar had more and more comfortable seating. Will be back here again and again. read more

Great food and service! I've truly appreciated counting on this restaurant through Covid 19. They have been exceptional with food allergy care. Thank you Northwest Grill! read more

One of my favorite restaurant's in Gainesville. Always good food, friendly service and a fair price. One of my favorites is the Saint Augustine Shrimp, and the dressing for the Caesar Salad is excellent. They have a great Bloody Mary bar set up during Sunday Brunch, but the bar staff certainly know what they are doing in the cocktail area. I am a frequent guest because 5 Stars are well deserved. read more

I, like other reviewers am surprised that there are so many detractors. The calamari is the best I've had in Gainesville, I get the Diavalo sauce ($1 up charge) on the side and eat it like a soup. Other favored menu items are the grass-fed DeepRoots® burger and the roast duck. read more

Not up to par tonight. My wife and I went out for what we thought would be a nice night out. I ordered the special, Ribeye with fries and when it came out it looked delicious. The stake juicy and the fries hot. I asked for some catchup and steak sauce. The server said no problem, and then proceeded to take a large party's order, key their order into the computer, come back and discuss with them some problem with their order and then go back and rekey their order. 10 minutes must have elapsed with no catchup and steak sauce. When the condiments came the fries were cold and the steak room temperature. What a disappointment. Half way through the meal the manager came over and offered to send out a new steak, but what was the point. What a disappointment. The manager did take off $5.00 which was about 10% of the bill. The discount was of little consolation- the evening was ruined. read more

Outstanding hamburger and home fries. Best breakfast in Gainesville. Locals love this place. Great prices. read more

Northwest Grille - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

This restaurant needs a deep cleaning. It use to be the seafood restaurant to beat. Now it's just like the rest of them.

A great place to eat lunch or dinner. Fresh food well-prepared consistent and great service. Prices are not inexpensive but you really get good value for your money. read more