service can be slow but everytime i've eaten there I have been beyond pleased with my food. read more

OAK - roasted squash salad with chicken - Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

We went to OAK yesterday in a bit of optimism for 2017. We were a party of 4 adults and 2 kids and thought, "Why the hell not?" the menu looked great, and the ambiance was chill and fairly easy-going for a Jan. 1st. We got seated fairly quickly, and it was all down hill from there. Our server - bless her heart - had zero answers to any of our questions and repeatedly had to go to back to her Manager for clarification. Our drinks (3 coffees) came at oddly staggered times and a request to get more turbinado sugar was met with bewilderment (...it was the only other sugar offered besides Splenda so we weren't sure what she wasn't getting). When we asked her basic questions about the specials of the day she didn't know them and laughed it off "I knew I should've written them down!" Dude, this wouldn't be such a big deal if the menu didn't ask the customer to ask their server for additional information. WTF? Of the 4 adults - 1 ordered a salad, 1 ordered an easy egg and potato dish, 1 ordered the pancake special and I ordered bananas foster french toast. Both of the children ordered grilled cheese sandwiches. ...LITERALLY 1.75 hours later our food still hadn't come out. The server came by once or twice saying that she "apologized for the wait" but it "was a madhouse".... Unless there was a party room in the back I was missing, at least 40% of the restaurant was empty. Since we had an engagement at 3:00, my brother went to the waitress and asked her if the food had been started so we could determine whether or not to go. She promised "IT'S ALMOST READY. WE'RE JUST COOKING THE GRILLED CHEESE." Such unbridled enthusiasm. So many hopes dashed. 35 minutes AFTER that - the food finally starts to come out. Everything is cold. The salad came out without grilled chicken and when we asked the waitress about the meat she said "Oh it doesn't come with meat, I asked my manager if that was it and he said 'YUP!' So I brought it out." I kept a copy of my menu so that my kids could draw on the back and showed her "It says right here, that it comes with grilled chicken." and you could've knocked homegirl over with a feather. "WOW I DIDN'T KNOW THAT!" ...seriously? The grilled cheese sandwiches, arguably the easiest dish, didn't have melted cheese and were more like toast with cheese slices inserted after the fact. The side of shrimp ordered seemed to just have been seasoned with garlic powder and was so cold it could've probably swum back out to sea. The pancake specials ordered seemed to have been cooked with or on the same griddle as a savory meal, which was a problem since the person was a vegetarian. The bananas foster french toast that I ordered was apparently made with banana baby food puree, and cooked on the same griddle as a fish dish because it was vaguely reminiscent of haddock, or tilapia. My poor brother kept on apologizing to us "I'm so sorry, we didn't know it would be this bad, this place has such good reviews." When we get the check, we find that a party of 4 adults and 2 kids is counted as a "large party" and had the 18% gratuity included - which as someone who's worked in a million service positions - is the stupidest thing ever. So we had to give an unfair gratuity to someone who had zero basic skills in getting us answers to the things we needed, or information about her restaurant, and had zero intrapersonal skills as a waitress. Was she just hungover from NYE celebrations? Was she a newbie who drew the short stick? All of these questions will remain unanswered because I will never go back to OAK again. Such a shitty experience to start the New Year's with and if they weren't willing to get their staff to give it their all, than they should've closed like all the other restaurants in Downtown. 10/10 would recommend this place as a restaurant to take your worst enemy to. 0/10 would recommend coming here for fun or actual good food. Tread lightly and take your money elsewhere. read more

A trendy place that has great food and really cool cocktails. A perfect place for happy hour.

honestly a pretty average brunch place. food was okay, nothing special. we went for bottomless brunch and the service was pretty great. we sat at the bar and had a blonde bartender who was super nice so definitely look out for her next time you go. read more

Very nice restaurant just a few steps away from the Hampton Inn. I love the concrete bar top and would recommend the portobello burger and waffle fries! Scrumptious! read more

Went to OAK for a dinner with friends and it was such a great choice! They have a short menu and their food can be a little on the pricey side, but it's worth it. Our table shared a plate of their Loaded Tot appetizer. Let me tell you...those were the best tots I have ever tasted. Crunchy, cheesy, seasoned, and tasty...all perfection. As an entree I chose the Blackened Burger. It's a regular burger with bleu cheese, caramelized onions, tomatoes, and more while all on a brioche bun. One word, no two: delicious and juicy! Honestly, one of the best burgers I've tasted in Gainesville. Might I add, they serve it with either waffle fries or sweet potato fries (you've got to try these!). The waiters are very sweet, the ambiance is very relaxing and friendly. It's in midtown right next to Harry's. Give it a try! read more

Had a girl's night at OAK last Sunday. The drinks were fantastic. We ordered a plethora to try and were extremely happy with each one. Our waitress was knowledgeable about the menu and helped me decide which meal to get. I ended up with the prime rib sandwich. The meat was juicy and the ciabatta was toasted to perfection. As for COVID guidelines, the restaurant was very clean and the tables were very distanced. I felt very safe in OAK and would recommend it to anyone. read more

Always accommodating even when they are packed!!! Great atmosphere and great food! If you're looking for a trendy place to go in downtown Gainesville then Oak is your spot! read more

This review is hard one to write. We enjoy coming here for drinks because the ambiance is top notch and the outside bar area is great. Downtown location is also a plus. Drinks are a little on the pricey side, but it caters to a slightly older crowd (not young college age), so we don't mind paying. Bartenders are friendly and attentive. We were going to grab food here for dinner one night since we both love southern cooking and OAK is supposedly a southern kitchen. The menu did not strike either one of us as southern however and some of the dishes that could possibly be considered southern dishes seemed had some fancy, pointless ingredients thrown in for what seemed solely a modern twist and it just didn't sound appealing to either one of us. So I can't speak to the food. It could be delicious. I just know for the two of us who like true southern cooking, this menu wasn't doing it. We come here to drink though and we always have a great time. We also have a fairly large bill as well, so keep that in mind; but it's a fun, attractive, upscale place in Downtown. read more

Super disappointed. As a frequent customer I can't believe they turned away my party of 8 this Saturday. I understand that there are no tables available at some times as they are busy, however the attitude I was presented with at the host stand was not acceptable. Clearly tables were available and for whatever reason they refused to seat my large party (even at separate tables). Caution as they do not appreciate large parties. Not a place to enjoy yourself. read more

I'm so disappointed about this place. It's not busy at all on Mondays and we went there as we usually do. When we were walking in the hostess sat us immediately, but after 26 mins of waiting we hadn't even gotten our water. The only thing we got was glimpses by the three servers that seemed to be very busy just socializing by the computers read more

shelby was fantastic! super sweet and nice and amazing at keeping our drinks full for bottomless. highly recommend coming here and making sure you request shelby as your server, your experience will be amazing read more

OAK had great service and food. I had the Black and Bleu burger and it was delicious. The burger is served with sweet potato fries and a special sauce. OAK has a great beer selection, including local Florida beers. The aesthetic is woodsy and rustic. Rock and roll playing over the radio. And the service was very quick and friendly. Great time. read more

Came here after looking for the Patriots game all over downtown and finally giving up. Every time I see shrimp and grits on a menu I feel obligated to try it. Of course, that is what I ordered when I saw they served it. it was absolutely fantastic. We sat at the bar and our bartender/waitress was very friendly and super attentive. She checked on us periodically, maybe because they were not too busy, but either way her demeanor was much appreciated. I think this could be a cool spot to go to for sports games and nights out on the weekends. read more

Great atmosphere for grabbing a drink and hanging out with friends! Also love the food, they have a great selection and all is very good!

I really enjoy coming here. The staff is always very friendly. They have "pour your own" tap style beer, but they will be happy to do it for you. For happy hour they give you varying assortments of specialty bacon with your cocktail which is something you do not often see. The food is always very good as well. The only downside is they have an odd, if not limited, menu. read more

I am not sure what was better the food or the service. It was all amazing!! I grew up in Gainesville but have been out of the area since after high school, about 10 years. I recently got married back in Gainesville and my husband and I were searching for somewhere to do a rehearsal brunch. The only problem it was weekend of UF Graduation, so none of the brunch spots I rembered going to and enjoying when I visited family would take reservations. We found OAK online. The menu sounded good and we we were able to make a reservation on a busy weekend for our rehearsal brunch of about 25 people. All of our requirements were met. Day of the rehearsal brunch they surpassed any expectations that we could have. The food was amazing. Since it was a larger group we had a set menu with a couple choices on it. Everybody was allotted 3 drinks (screwdriver or mimosa). Biscuits with jam and bagels with lox kept everyone busy while they talked and relaxed. The main course was an option of 3 meals all of which were better than the last (chicken and waffles, fried green tomato Eggs Benedict, or good-morning burger). The only complaint anyone had was it was a lot of food. But we just relaxed there for a couple hours eating, drinking, and socializing. The 2 waiters that were serving our tables were extremely attentive and personable. The three drinks I mentioned (choice of mimosas or screwdriver for our brunch). None of the drinks skimped on the alcohol, they all had very generous serving of alcohol in both. The atmosphere and decoration of the restaurant were beautiful in a relaxed sort of way. I loved it all, from the mirrors on the wall in different shapes to the flowers in mason jars. I could not have for a better rehearsal brunch for my wedding. Whenever my husband and I are visiting family in Gainesville, we will definitely be going back to OAK. And it won't be just for memories sake, we will be going back because it really was that good. read more

This place was incredible. We highly recommend. We found it as a drive by and decided to check it out. It was not only a great atmosphere , but it was DELICIOUS! We had a fabulous apple chutney pork chop with a side of an amazing Brussels sprouts. Now, we normally wouldn't order and don't like Brussels sprouts but these were delicious. We also ordered a burger and some perfectly cooked sweet potato fries. The price tag of the entrees startled us at first. However, when we first saw our plate- we knew they are not shy on food. You get a large quantity of food. And it exceeded our expectations in taste by a long shot. I would also recommend serve Taylor m. She was so sweet and accommodating with customized plates, kept our drinks full, friendly to talked to and filled us in on chefs secret to the delicious Brussels sprouts. read more

My go-to-place for celebrations! On your birthday they offer a free birthday drink (alcoholic) or fried oreos :) great space to take friends and I love the vibe here. Try the Spinach dip and the short rib- you won't be disappointed read more

Held off my Yelp review until after multiple visits. Now I can confirm. it's terrible. The food, for the most part, is just slop. The service has been anywhere from awful to average, but never good. It's a great idea, and I wish it was good, but it is not. Do not recommend. read more

Excellent drinks and buffalo cauliflower was amazing !! We will be having a Christmas party with the Oak and can't wait!

Extremely, extremely disappointing food, to be completely honest. I went with a large party and we tried a good bit of the menu, and literally everything was a miss. The lamb sliders had a laughably small amount of meat on them. Two slivers the size of your finger, it was all bun. Charge more if you have to, but those things shouldn't leave the kitchen like that. It's insulting. The pork belly burger was not what I pictured at all. I thought I'd be getting a burger with pork belly on it...but no. It was a patty made out of pork belly. And yes, its just as disgusting as it sounds. It was so bland, the whole 'burger' just tasted like greasy, salty jellied fat. With bland fried provolone on top, dripping in oil. There was one small piece of lettuce and a small piece of tomato which wilted as they were soaked in fat. No sauces, no onions or any other toppings came with it. Salty minced fat jelly between two buns. Delicious. This place seems to have hopped on the whole southern, whiskey, bacon, serve-your-drinks-in-mason-jars restaurant trend and thought the idea was good enough. But the execution of that idea matters too. It just...isn't good. Like at all. Our server was personable and friendly, the food came out quickly, and the drinks were pretty good, if a little overpriced. But the food was bad. Really, honestly just bad. Stay away. There's way better places downtown read more

It was so bad it was laughable.... We felt like we were on the show " What Would You Do?" We were greeted promptly for our 8pm reservations and seated. It took quite awhile to get our drink order along with glasses of water. We were there for a birthday celebration, so we were busy talking and laughing and didn't mind about that. However, two girls ordered sangria, which was so bad it tasted spoiled. We placed our orders and waited- I kid you not- an hour. In this time we had clear view of the kitchen, where we witnessed a worker drop a chicken breast on the floor, pick it up, and place it back in the container of chicken. We witnessed a worker eat off a plate before it came out the door!!! We witnessed workers wiping down plates with their shirts!!! We asked to speak to the manager and his first reaction was- that doesn't happen in my kitchen... He said he would go and review the tape- he came back and said he didn't even get to the chicken dropping incident but that it was bad- he ended up comping our entire table. He questioned his worker who admitted to dropping the chicken and putting it back. On a positive note- it is very cute and a great concept. They played good music and I suggest if you go.... Maybe only get a drink......... The manager did the right thing- but when you have workers that do not care about their jobs or ethics for that matter- the management suffers. read more

*sigh* this place has so much potential. Unfortunately, they spent way too many payroll hours decorating this place instead of training the staff. The bartenders is what's brining this place down. Service can be improved as well. Also....the manager never once visited tables to greet the patrons as we were dining. No...its not required....but it would have been nice...especially considering the poor service. The food was "OK" at best. The decor can get 5 stars. Very upscale in appearance for a college town though. Perhaps that's the problem? read more

I had the OAK chicken sandwich for lunch and it was incredible! Chicken was SO juicy and tender, and the tomato jam and tobacco onions add so much flavor. Drinks are delicious and their lively vibe is perfect for happy hour! read more

Why does a restaurant need to promote like a club? Ladies night, really? Because we need more of those places in this town. And if that's the direction you're going to go, fine. But at least have attentive bartenders who care about the people patronizing your restaurant/bar. Apparently, I couldn't even ask why our appetizer didn't come out before our entrees--as the first bartender had said it would--without pissing off the second bartender, who proceeded to ignore us the rest of the night. If after 20 minutes without any help, we have to lay our beer cans on their side just to indicate we're out of beer and need another round, you are doing something wrong. read more

I have been to oak a few times, and on this occasion I was bringing my dad and boyfriend to dinner (both of whom were new to the restaurant). I called at about 4 to see if there was a table open since Thursday's are often busy downtown and was told there was a rush of people at 7:30 and asked if I would mind waiting until 8:15 for a table. I said that was fine and if when we got there it was still too early we didn't mind waiting for a few minutes at the bar. She said later was better. We arrived at 8:30, slightly late, and were sat almost right away although they had to hunt down the hostess. After that we sat at the table for 40 minutes without a server even taking our drink order. I called over the bus boy 3 times asking for them to send someone, each time he seemed confused no one had helped us yet. Four tables were sat and served drinks and appetizers before a young woman asked if we had been helped. We were actually collecting our things to head to another restaurant, because frankly there was no excuse to sit that long with no server, but she was very pleasant and took our orders immediately so we stayed (it was past 9 and we weren't even sure which restaurants would take a new table so late). Her service was adequate but not exceptional. It seemed anyone who was not in a large party was neglected. After having great experiences there on special occasions with friends I was very disappointed with how our dinner went. Their food is good, but not good enough to tolerate that kind of disorganization and neglect. read more

Decent and far from impressive. Their menu is basic and unimaginative, it's a dressed up chili's with nice feature walls and trendy industrial decor. Their burger was lacking flavor and the only redeeming factor was the size of the cut fries... Because I love fries. Probably will go back for drinks since the bartender was friendly, but even the cocktails left me wanting more... Probably from somewhere else. read more

One of the most boring meals I have had in a long time. The chicken was tough and dry. I was barely able to taste the sauce on the sandwich and the waffles fries with it were just that. Waffles fries with ketchup to dip them in. No unique spice or dipping sauce. The service was very slow as well even though there was hardly anyone in the place for lunch. Guess I know why. Think I would have been better at burger king. read more

While I was not impressed with the food at all, the drinks are delicious! I wouldn't come back to eat again but love the bar atmosphere. The southern belle cocktail is one of my favorites in Gainesville. Compared to most of the standard cocktail menus at other downtown Gainesville bars this one definitely sticks out and is a great place to go for a drink or two with friends! read more

Been here twice. 1st time was just a group of friends for drinks and we had a great bartender hailey. This week some of us (grad students) came back for drinks and a late dinner. Dinner was delicious but our waitress was a little less than attentive (I finished my entree salad and drink and she hadn't checked back in). I got the managers attention and he immediately fixed it and bought us a round of drinks. I was very impressed for this area with the level of customer service and attention to detail when a waitress was less than impressive. My group will be back. read more

I discovered this place while traveling through Gainesville for business. I normally stay out on the interstate side, but decided to stay downtown this time...I'm so glad I did because downtown has a lot more (non chained) food places to choose from, and this new placed called Oak is pretty solid. The decor is simple, but hip and the food menu is classic southern food and burgers with a twist. I came in for a late lunch, and the place was pretty empty, but the staff was super nice and apologetic about the food...even though an apology wasn't necessary...I had to wait a little longer than normal, but no big deal. I had the brisket burger, and it was pretty tasty...not the best, but not the worst either. Over all, I would give the place 4 stars. Fyi...I consider this good for a new business. read more

The atmosphere, service, and food make OAK a win! The server went above & beyond for a birthday dinner. The Oreo dessert is a must! Delish! Great Gainesville addition!! read more

If you go to Oak, it is simply for the atmosphere, not the food. They have great cocktails (although they are very over priced) and the restaurant itself has a really nice design and the mood is very chill, which attracts a lot of college kids. The food is sub-par considering what you pay for it and they have very limited healthy options. Great for birthday dinners because of the free cocktail they give you with a firework attached, but otherwise, don't waste your money. read more

This restaurant is INCREDIBLE. My server Rob was not only a great server, but also incredibly friendly. Will absolutely come back to see him again! read more

a great restaurant with amazing food and staff! a special shoutout to nick, cat, louis, shea and eric!!

The service was great, it had a nice ambiance, and the food was delicious! My only complaint was that there were flies everywhere!! I tried to fan them away the best I could, but I still ended up not finishing my food after a couple of flies landed in my dish . I noticed that the two entry doors remained opened throughout the night which it what caused many of the flies to enter the inside of the restaurant. I think they need to the change that ASAP. read more

One of the best places I've ever been in Gainesville! Most friendly wait staff, it truly felt like I was around family!

Some of my favorite cocktails downtown not to mention free drink on birthday! Happy hour with good deals on food and drinks until 7. Beet salad has an awesome homemade dressing. Roasted tomato bisque is great as well. Service is hit or miss depending on the day. Very busy Friday/Saturday nights! read more

Rob was the best server I've ever had for brunch! So attentive and had so much knowledge about the menu. Love the bloody marys & the cafe con leche. I'm definitely coming back, but only if I can sit with rob again! read more