Love love LOVE this place!! Every time I go visit is a sweet older lady who takes our order and always hooks us up with hummus. I haven't tried too many different items because I'm a one trick pony, but every time I go and get the chicken kebab it's like I'm trying it for the first time all over again. It's my favorite! I DREAM about the gluten-free honey cake. It's a good thing I don't live in Gainesville anymore or I'd probably buy some everyday. read more

What a hidden gem! We were shopping for floors and showers tiles next door. Needed to eat lunch on a beautiful Sunday and google told us about a cute restaurant next door. Came to Yelp and the food looked great! Now we are inside and the small intimate seating is met by the authentic owner. What a doll! All the food is made to order. The wine and beer selections are exotic to us but authentic to our new favorite pirates. Get the Old Style Hummus! Just do it. It's made fresh. And the recipe is not what you get in any store. I was pleasantly surprised with a Red Wine from Moldova. Yes, they have local/Ca blends brands but who would pass up the opportunity for an old world wine. We are waiting on main courses but I'll add the pictures as they arrive. Because the food is prepared fresh and individually we had a few moments to start our review after the appetizer. read more

Pirates Grill - Old Style Hummus and Ekstra Lager Beer. - Mediterranean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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I visited Pirates Grill earlier this week for lunch and tried the Beef Shawarma. The dish was massive! A pressed crispy wrap was filled with tender juicy beef, crisp bell peppers and onions, juicy tomato, a tangy pickle spear and creamy Tzatziki sauce. Overall this was a quality, flavorful, filling lunch. read more

Pirates Grill - Beef Shawarma - Mediterranean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I did a takeout order from this place. We ordered perogies, beef shawarma, hummus, 2 kebabs and a honey cake. The hummus did not come with any pita or veggies or anything which was a bummer. Overall the place was busy when I placed the order but the gentleman who took my order was kind and was working quickly. He gave me a call about 40 min later that the food was ready to be picked up. Everything was tasty. read more

Decided to finally check this small restaurant across from TJMaxx after passing by several times. There are only 4 tables with small bar seats and 2 servers but service was bit slow. However, the servers were nice at least. We tried the chicken kabob and beef shawarma and hummus as appetizer, which all came with generous portion. Chicken was also very tender and savory. Recommend making reservation given limited seat availability for people who plan to check this place out. Will certainly come back when craving Mediterranean food read more

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Food was excellent; homemade from the salad to the dessert. Service was attentive and gave good suggestions as we were first-time customers. Ambiance perfect. A kids area is so great. There are 4 tables and a window bar stool area. There were multiple carryout meals picked up while we enjoying our kabobs ( with a side salad and rice). This place is a gem. read more

I finally got the chance to checkout Pirate's Grill and it was wonderful experience. The place is very small, so I wouldn't recommend coming with a party of more than 5. It seems like a great place for takeout and we saw many ppl coming in to pick up orders as we dined. My friend and I both ordered gyros with a side of fries, and my sister ordered the chicken shish kebab plate. We started with the hummus as an appetizer and it was very, very good! I don't think I've tried a hummus so special before, but it's absolutely delicious! The gyro tasted so fresh and it was pretty big. I really liked the fries as well. I am more than full and couldn't finish my gyro. I saved just enough room for the honey cake that we all shared. The slice is large, and it was just the right amount of sweet to end our day. I think the honey cake reminded me of honey flavored teddy grahams (or honey graham crackers) with fresh cream. Overall, I will absolutely dine here again! The waiter was very sweet and the woman who brought out our food was so kind! read more

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I have known about this restaurant for a while now, but only recently had a chance to go there and try some of the food. I have been back since, the second time bringing my mother along so that she could try it out as well. The first time I went, the air conditioning was out and they had fans setup to keep things from getting impossibly hot. Florida in the summer is brutal. The second time the AC had been fixed and it was pleasant inside. Both times I have been, I was seated immediately and a drink order was taken. The crew there is small, just the owners and one help staff, but they are pleasant and good people. The first time I went for the Kefta kebab. I wanted the shawarma, but they were out of pita bread (it was a Sunday... I get it) so I had to take a different tack. It was excellent, and realistically I think I would go for it again over the shawarma next time. The second time with my mother, I was finally able to get the shawarma, while she went for a gyro. The shawarma was good, don't get me wrong, but it is not really my thing, and in the future I will be more inclined to go for the kebab. I did try my mom's gyro as well, and while it was decent, I know that there is better in Gainesville. For dessert with mom, I insisted on us getting a slice of the honey cake, which I know is made locally and the maker has been developing the recipe for it over the past fifteen years or so. It is quite excellent, and I highly recommend it! One thing to note is that this is NOT a place that is aimed at kids. Yes, it has "pirate" in the name, but it is not really a kid themed restaurant. There were two families with kids when I was there with my mom, and while they were both very well behaved (one had a big book with her to keep herself entertained, while the other family of six (four kids, ages 6 months to about 12 years) were probably the most behaved "large family" I have seen in a long time... no electronic devices out (mom pulled her phone out once, to take a picture), just a family enjoying an evening out like it was 1983). But I feel that these families were exceptions compared to what I normally see with kids at restaurants these days. The wait time is long for the food. The kitchen is small, and everything is made to order, so expect to be sitting for a while for the food to be prepared. So long as you go in knowing this to be the case, the wait is no big deal. The key is to be prepared! While I would normally rate this restaurant a four, I have to give them five stars because of that honey cake! read more

Pirates Grill - I once had a cat named Segovia, so this just had to be included! - Mediterranean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Very eclectic atmosphere. Good food and awesome coffee. It's a small place and relaxed service, so if you are rushed, wait until you are not

This place has such cute pirate decorations and really sticks to the theme well! My friend and I each ordered different pirate pockets and swapped halves, and both were so good! We got the mushroom one and the cabbage one, and they were actually quite different. The outside of them was so crispy and it was a very unique dish! The hibiscus rose tea was also really tasty and I love that they serve it with some shortbread cookies. The service was very slow, as they seemed to only have two people working and a large party came in at the same time as I did. The food took a long time to come out and we didn't get our tea until the end of the meal, even though we ordered it first. However, this place is very small with only a few tables and a few workers, and the slow service didn't impact my experience. The servers were very helpful and friendly. I would just advise to come early if you want to get a table, or opt for takeout if you want your food a bit quicker. read more

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I really wanted to like this place. I've been missing a good Mediterranean lunch spot since Cairo Grill closed oh so many years ago. This place needs a true lunch special menu. Too expensive for what you get at lunch. Might need to give this a try for a diner and give it a second chance. Otherwise, average for me. read more

Overpriced and poorly cooked. Served us gelatinous bloody pork and refused to take it off the bill. Then they had the nerve to try to argue after I already paid. Oh, and my shawarma was the driest thing I've ever eaten. Spend your money elsewhere read more

Really neat small eclectic place! The wall decorations are awesome. Pirate, middle eastern, scrimshaw, Indian, and dragons. The menu is equally eclectic. It all works well together! Love this place. The service was great - and a real grandma brought our food one dish at a time out from the kitchen. Like she just made each bowl of soup to order! The soups were great and definitely made to order. The bratwurst sandwich was great, albeit messsy, lol. I would suggest ordering one meal stage at a time. Order appetizers, when they arrive, order your mains - and just relax and enjoy the place and your dining companion(s). read more

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Lunch was very good. It's a small place but it has excellent Mediterranean dishes. I will definitely add this to my stops since it is located close to the interstate. read more

Pirates Grill is a small restaurant located not far off of Interstate 75 in Gainesville, Florida. It is in a shopping plaza, so parking is not really an issue. The service here was friendly and overall, added to my experience. The food was pretty good and if you are craving some pretty solid Mediterranean food, I would definitely recommend Pirates Grill. read more

Pirates Grill - Mediterranean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

This is a cool place with incredible food! The hummus was the best we've ever had, and their chicken schwarma was big enough to split. This is also a true local family restaurant, but it's worth the wait. We even got a free treat while they made everything for us, and it was a quiet place to relax and linger over dinner. read more

Pirates Grill - Chicken Schwarma - Mediterranean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Such a cute place! Owners are so sweet, they were slammed today (valentines day) and it was a bit of a wait for the food, but the owner gave us free dessert as an apology for the inconvenience. There was only one cook, to feed about 20 people in there. Food was amazing, and I will definitely come back/recommend it to others! read more

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This tiny "home-in-the-wall" is the best kept secret in Gainesville! However, it should not be! Charming service m, delicious food and fun decor that keeps everyone - young and old - exploring every inch of this place. Get the Shawarma. Get the Gyro. Have dessert. read more

All the food is homemade and fresh! This restaurant is a delightful small business that will reward you for supporting it. The ambiance is charming and a little eclectic- the walls are decorated with a loose pirate and port town theme. The menu is geographically a mixture of Mediterranean favorites and some Eastern European dishes for adventurous eaters. All the produce and herbs were fresh and bright. The service from this family team is charming, but be prepared for a wait as the dishes are made fresh to order and some meals take significantly longer to come out than others. I would say that the treasure they deliver is worth the wait- but if you urgently need to eat quickly consider ordering a soup like the borscht, the kafta skewers or the hummus to get served quickest. read more

Pirates Grill - Mushroom skewers - Mediterranean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

This is a small restaurant with 4 - 4 tops. There is a row of stools facing the street. What we ate: Tabbouleh- this was nice. I thought it was a tad salty but my husband disagreed. Nice combo of parsley, tomatoes and bulgar. Lentil soup: nicely seasoned. A thicker soup as the lentils are puréed. Pork Kabob: pork was very tender just wish that it was seasoned. About 5 chunks with a shredded lettuce salad topped with tahini sauce and sliced tomatoes. Pita on the side. Gyro: tasty, the meat doesn't look like it came off the spit but it was still good. Overall we had a nice experience. Thought to see people walk out that didn't want to wait for a table. read more

Cute, locally owned restaurant with unique ambience and lots of healthy options and vegetarian menu items. If you generally like the items they have on their menu, you will like it. Just make sure you have time to eat and aren't in a hurry. Specifics: Food: Excellent, high quality ingredients made to order. Many vegetarian options, large portions for the gyros and pita sandwiches. It is definitely not fast food in both quality and the actual time to be prepared. The hummus and tzatziki are incredibly good. Service: Very quaint, mom and pop vibe. Attentive, but the food is a bit slow (see above "made to order"). We felt taken care of and enjoyed our time there, despite the food being a bit slow. Ambiance: It is a cute little spot in a strip mall, with only 4(!) tables. There are some bar type seats facing out the front for overflow seating. We will definitely be back! read more

Pirates Grill - Sparkling wine - Mediterranean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

A must try! The food is fresh, authentic, and everything is made to order. The best hummus I've ever had and I'm still thinking about it. I got the KAFTA KEBAB (50/50 beef and lamb and my husband for the beef shawarma - both were so good. The dining area is small so tables can fill up quickly. Plates come out as they're ready and can take awhile, but it's worth the wait (order the hummus for the wait!) read more

Pirates Grill - KAFTA KEBAB 50/50 beef and lamb - Mediterranean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Very cute little place. The woman running it was so kind and definitely made us feel welcome. The decor is fun and unique. The French fries were crispy and flavorful. Loved the gyro - but if you're not a super saucy person maybe ask for easy on the tahini. This plaza has seen a few places turn over in this spot, but I hope this one stays! read more

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Went for lunch with my mom. The food was wonderful, the tea list is enormous, and the service was fantastic. Nika (apologies if im spelling it wrong) was sweet and attentive. On the way out, she told me they would be open on Christmas and when I expressed sympathy, she explained it was because there are so many people who may be alone or unable to cook and she wants them to have someplace comforting to go. We will definitely be back! read more

Pirates Grill - Cardamom tea - Mediterranean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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The French fries are really good. It's quite small inside with only 4 tables. The service is extra slow and the shawarmas,chicken and beef, were tasteless. They need to add seasoning to their food. I was taken back with the appetizer hummus not coming with pita or veggies. The food did not have any flavor and the price was quite high. $21 for a chicken pita WITHOUT French fries just the pita. A lot too pricey for what we received. Unfortunately, we won't be back! read more

If you looking for a restaurant with an unconventional aesthetic but with great Mediterranean/Middle Eastern bites - definitely stop into Pirates Grill. I experienced this place Monday post Tropical Storm Debby, and was very happy to know they were open. I did call in my order and was told it would be ready in 15 - 20 minutes which was great as I was about 20 - 25 minutes away. Once I parked and walked in, you are hit with a lot of pirate decor from parrots to a movie poster of Pirates of the Caribbean. The name definitely fits the interior. There was no one inside, as again it was the day of the storm. I ordered the hummus with veggies and pita and the kafta kebabs. My order came out to $33. I was told they were still working on and waited for an additional 10 minutes. Once I arrived home, I was excited to try out the food as I have read great reviews. The hummus was some of the best that I've ever had. Hands down, super flavorful, fresh, and the texture was perfectly creamy. I honestly preferred eating the veggies with hummus over the pita. The veggies were some celery, bell peppers, cucumbers, and carrots. Now onto the main dish - the kafta kebabs. I've had kafta before at a Lebanese restaurant but not in kebab form as they are typically shaped like a meatball. It's made of seasoned ground meat with different spices and herbs. The dish included romaine lettuce, tomatoes, marinated onion, tzatziki sauce, and topped with parsley. It's also served with pita bread. The kebabs were so tasty and juicy. The meat was not over cooked at all. The tzatziki was very tangy, but in a good way as it compliments the kebab. Their tzatziki is lighter and thinner than the typical tzatziki. Being able to scoop up the veggies, sauce, and top it with the kafta - chef's kiss. I would say as pricey as I thought it was for 2 menu items, I did have enough leftover to eat for lunch the next day. I did have to take off a star because of the service. Although it was an empty restaurant and I called my order in ahead of time - it just seems like the food comes out slow. I do have high hope for Pirates Grill as the food is fresh and they are serving a different type of cuisine in the Gainesville area. I really can't wait to go back for that hummus! read more

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Made a reservation for 6. They have 4 tables, I helped move 2 together. No silverware on the tables, so when we asked for them, waiter had to reach over people to put them on the table. It took over an hour for the entire meal to be served, including appetizer (cheese, crackers, jam and olives) and salad that did not need to be cooked. They may be able to seat 6, but they can't serve a six-top together. Not ready for prime time. And they charge for water, giving us bottles....what are they washing dishes with? read more

Well after seeing Simone's review , just had to try it!! We walked in and there was one table left, but it had a cup of water on it, so I did ask about the table, i was told it was reserved. I was like we will just get take out. They took our order and then the sweet lady came out explaining it will take some time to cook it, i said no problem, The girl who took our order already had mentioned it would we about 30 mins. Well went to pay cash, and they didn't have change, it was only like $14.00 change, so we had to sit there and wait while someone went somewhere to get change. about 20 mins later got my change , then went and drove around looking at stores,etc. About another 15 mins or so got a call from them stating my order was ready. Picked it up, they thanked me for my business, and i was off, my car smelled amazing all the way home. Got home and as you can see we got a nice spread, and it tasted amazing!! 5 stars for food!! The taste of everything was a burst of flavor on my tongue! The tzatziki sauce was best i have had. Shish Kebab was loved by the wife, and she loved her Gyro. But unfortunately the take aways for improvement are like the others, service! The table that was reserved was never full of people by the time i got there for our food all the tables were now vacant, so we could of easily sat at the table and there would have been a table available for the supposed reservation. And to make sure you have cash available for change for cash paying customers. Poor lady had to go out and get change, i would of sent the younger employee to run out in this heat to get change. All in all, i hope this nice restaurant improves, they are new so, but they definitely have some amazing food!! I recommend calling in for takeout if you choose to order out versus hoping to get a table. As a couple people did walk out rather than sit along the wall on high stools. It has some cool mediterranean vibes to the atmosphere, walls are all covered with pirate decor. Very quiet in there for having a full house(3 full tables) read more

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what a little hidden gem. we were pleasantly surprised. Very unusual dishes with wonderful flavor. You gotta just check it out for yourself.

Pirates Grill is one of my favorite restaurants in Gainesville. The food is delicious and there's a lot of unique dishes on the menu. In fact, they just added several new dishes and desserts to the menu that I haven't tried, but I look forward to it.. I've enjoyed several of their kebab dishes and salads, and they're all amazing. The people that work there are very kind and provide great service. It is a cute cozy location. read more

The tiny restaurant with the big flavor. Delicious hummus and soups are so tasty. The beef and pork was tender and delicious. The service was quick and on time. The owner and waitress were very attentive. We will be back. read more

Omg the food is amazing!!! We got the chicken and beef shawarmas and it was SO flavorful. My vegetable hating husband ate the entire thing, every onion, cilantro and tomato. I've never seen him do that before!!! That alone is the highest compliment he can give to a restaurant The workers were so nice and polite. It's a little mom and pop store that's nestled in a shopping plaza. I love the pirate themed decorations!! Overall, we will definitely be coming back for more. read more

Great place with really fresh food!! Borsch, Beef Shawarma, Cabbage Pirate Pockets and Kafka Kebab were amazing!! Tabouli salad is the best I ever had!!! read more

Beet/bean salad was tasty and unique. The gyro was very good. Services is great and the place has fun decorations. I love the food of different countries. Definitely will come back read more

For food alone, this place would get 5 stars, HANDS DOWN. The food is unbelievably good. True fresh Mediterranean homemade food. The dishes have so much flavor and truly like something you would get in Europe. The only thing holding this place back is the service. It is a small restaurant, maybe four tables. The food is very slow to come out and we were the only table occupied. The food comes out as it is ready, not all at once. I understand everything is to order but it was way too slow especially for being the only ones eating there. read more

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The menu was unique and authentic. Everything tastes Amazing! We had teas, sandwiches, pilav and honey cake. We I'll be back!

So, first of all, a friend told me it was "not seafood like you'd expect for pirates but kind of Levantine with some American dishes". Ok, interesting. That did not at all prepare me for what's really going on here. Turns out, the lady who owns it is Georgian. Her husband is from Lebanon. She is also interested in other cuisines but it's really a menu of various Lebanese and Georgian/Caucasus dishes ranging from kafta kebobs to hummus to vinegret salat (as in the Russian kind) to borscht to Georgian honey cake for dessert. It would really be best to call it a Caucasian restaurant but then people wouldn't probably understand that: it's mostly foods of the Caucasus which is a real treat. Part of my own career has focused on Russia and especially Chechnya so I cook many of these things at home. And boy, they do know how to cook them here. My kebobs and "treasure chest salad" (vinegret salat) were superb--the salad so much I asked for a second, larger, order to take home with me. The restaurant is small, but busy. The staff are very friendly and helpful but the time to get my order out of the kitchen was a bit long. Yes, they had nearly every table full but still all in all took about an hour start to finish for dinner and it doesn't present itself as the sort of restaurant where such is going to be the case. The atmosphere is very pirate-inspired but again, no seafood it seems. I think they just took the pirate name and ran with it or else had the bric-a-brac they have charmingly used to decorate at home and decided a pirate theme could be inspired by such. The food is great but everything else just seems a bit higgledy-piggledy but that much being said, they are new and have time to fine-tune their operations. In the meantime, the food's quality and unique origins should be enough to carry them and retain their customers. read more

Pirates Grill - Treasure chest salad, or, the old Russian vinegret salat. - Mediterranean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Once again! This place didn't disappoint. This time I took my neighbor we had lunch and beers. I loved how the owner came out to talk to us and is so proud of her cooking. read more

Pirates Grill - Mediterranean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I fell in love with this place! Gainesville needed a place like this!! We ordered Chiken shish kebab ($9), Beef shish Kebab ($12.85), Lebanese Hummus and pita bread with veggies ($6.85) and the amazing honey cake ($8.50). I really enjoyed every single item and it just hit the notes. The shish kebobs were cooked perfectly. Juicy and well seasoned. Nothing was missing. The platter comes with lettuce, olives, onions, pita and tomato slices. It is very filling. I also had a German beer which was a good choice with the kebobs. The honey cake is made with real honey and it's a bit pricy but woth it. The owners are so sweet and really care about their customers. Can't beat the prices! The service was great and we felt like we were guests not the customers. Can't wait to come back read more

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This little hole in the wall restaurant has great food, lovingly prepared by hand, homemade hummus, great gyros. The waitress was very nice also. I will definitely be going again in the future. There are for tables and four stools at the counter at the window. When I was there last all of the tables were filled at lunch time. They also do takeout. Support some hardworking, local and have a great meal. read more

Pirates Grill - The outside of the restaurant - Mediterranean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida