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

See all

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

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

See all

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

See all

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

See all

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

I was there today 7/12/26 around 1:30 in the afternoon and all 4 tables were seated with diners at various stages of their meal from ordering to finished. I invited my life long friend to lunch and thought it an interesting place for it. I'm of Russian descent and love Russian and Mediterranean food. We were seated as soon as the folks who were finished paid their tab and vacated. We ordered our meals, I ordered Borscht w/ Rye bread and sour cream as add ons, my friend ordered a Kebob platter of beef kebob, rice w/ kasha and salad. Food was most excellent! Environment comfortable, pleasant and interesting with its many assorted eclectic items on the walls, and ceiling. Air vents to the dining area were clean, free of dust or grime. A lot of pride is taken by the owners and small staff of this tiny place with most excellent food and service. I used to work in a 4 star private dining club. This place has my respect and has gained my business from hear on out. read more

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

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

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

Outstanding restaurant, outstanding staff, outstanding food a must visit!! Soup, kabobs, desserts all delicious!! We now wish we lived IN Gainesville area!! read more

Food was amazing! Lady from Moscow( owner?) believe in helping community by cooking with fresh ingredients. Chicken Shwarma and gyros were good, I hear the borst is also good. Ambiance is pirate themed. read more

See all

First time here and due to an electrical issue the A/C temporarily off. But, the eat in area & front counter are easily cooled to near comfort by fans. On to service, food and decor. In reverse order the decor is "catchy", fits the theme and gives the tiny spot a funky, fun feel. Food: the menu is almost too larfe but some of it like soups in summertime are easily skipped. Decided to try pilaf with pork medalions. Pilaf was light, fresh, flavorful and filling. Not overdone in quanity or preparation. Nice vegetables carefully minced. Pork was lean and just enough. My spouse/partner of 56 years went outside her comfort zone with German hotdogs (ate partly by fork and knife to reduce the volume in the bun so photo shows 1 of 2). Took home a tiramisu and it disappeared before the the camera could catch it. Service was excellent. Attentive, engaging and just enough. We will be back to dive deeper in to the menu. read more

See all

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

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

Delicious fresh food! Be prepared to wait a little bc everything is made fresh to order but worth the wait. Will definitely be back read more

Pirates Grill - Mediterranean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

The food is good-got the gyro and fries. The pirate theme atmosphere is a little over done and cheesy. The service was not bad but it wasn't especially good...expect to pay about $25 per person for sandwiches which seems high to me. read more

The food was amazing! Homemade soup- Borsch! Pierogies! and Homemade desserts. if you are looking for a local restaurant with all homemade food - this is it! all the family served us and made us feel like we had been going there for years. Worth a visit! Super read more

Great Mediterranean food, friendly service, this is well worth visiting in my opinion. Small intimate setting. Highly recommended.

Very delicious food. Would return. Good customer service. Fast food. Fast ordering. Easy to understand.

Their eggplant burger was really good and their fries are amazing! The staff is super friendly too.

Everything was incredible! It's such a cute place and would be perfect for a lunch or nice dinner. The food is so good! We had a chicken shawarma, pierogis, and hummus. Definitely recommend all 3. The staff were also lovely and gave excellent service. Can't wait to go back! read more

This is a restaurant that you come to for the food. And in that regard, the food is superb, truly delicious, and has a homecooked feel. The prices are fair- you walk out full without gasping at the check. The waitstaff and chef are incredibly warm and welcoming. Its a new restaurant, and an instant favorite in GNV Ignore Nencie's review. She has one review under her belt and decided to put this place on blast (yet still complements the food and says she will come back?!). I feel I need to speak out against it because it is incredibly disrespectful towards the hard work of the staff of this restaurant! read more

Hidden gem in Gainesville! The lentil soup is life-giving, and the salad and wine were also delicious. read more

See all

The most flavorful food I've had. They love onions and garlic but it's worth it. You can taste the love they put into cooking super fresh food! read more

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

See all

I wanted to write this review because our meals were beautifully prepared, served with fresh home-made breads and meats to deliver exceptional flavor and a truly fun restaurant experience. The menu is diverse, offering a wide variety of choices and you can rest assured, the food you order will be prepared only for you at that time. Prices are fair and consistent with the large serving size and the restaurant was absolutely spotless. My Wife and I ordered a hummus appetizer with fresh vegetables with olives we both ordered a Shawarma (one beef and one chicken). The Shawarmas was crammed full of meat, spices, and assorted trimmings that made every bite a wonderful sensation. The Shawarma's were huge and we could not come close to eating more than half. So we took the uneaten half home and popped it in our air fryer and voila, a special dinner at home. We learned the Husband-and-Wife team are from Lebanon and Georgia (former Soviet republic), respectfully. They were absolutely wonderful hosts and helped us to appreciate the food and how it was served. Our waitress, Lisa, was fabulous as well and made us feel welcome. The size of the seating area is smaller than most restaurants but felt cozy and the decorations made it interesting. Seating was comfortable and the smell of the food in preparation made our mouths water. They make their food fresh to order and as mentioned, the serving size is quite large. Do not miss, the opportunity to enjoy one of their incredible desserts. No matter how full you may feel, try at least one because you won't forget the experience. We would encourage you to get a slice of the Russian Honey Cake. The recipe for this cake reads like it must take hours to prepare, maybe it does, but the end result is just outstanding. This restaurant is an awesome "experience to enjoy" and offers a variety of dishes for any palette. The people are wonderful, the food is fresh, and the flavors are extraordinary. Thank you, brent russell read more

Such a welcoming and homely environment it felt like being invited to a neighbor's home and being made a fresh home cooked meal. You could taste the freshness of the ingredients and the expertise combining them everything was delicious with the only caveat being food this good deserves a much larger restaurant for more people to enjoy it. read more

The food was delicious and the service was excellent and very patient! We were packed and we were given snacks to eat while we were waiting and asked if we wanted water, very thoughtful! The store is also decorated with extra style!!! As soon as we walked in the door, we were attracted by the decorations on the wall! Will come back next time! read more

See all

If you want to feel like going to dinner at a friend's home, go to Pirates Grill!! The service is truly personal and everything on the menu is prepared fresh and flavorful. Everything on the menu is absolutely delicious, make sure you save room for the Tiramisu!! read more

Pirates Grill - Kafta Kebab - Mediterranean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

See all

Great find in Gainesville on Memorial Day with so many places closed. Mom and I enjoyed a great lunch.

Kind of misleading in that it's really a Greek place. Good news was that the food served was very good. Bad news is that it took about an hour, no kidding, to finally get the meal. Kind of surprised as we ordered kabobs which shouldn't have taken that long? That said they were very good. Ambiance, very small place decorated with numerous items of water themes. But only 4 tables as I recall. read more

One of the best new restaurants in town. Best hummus we have ever experienced. The place is small, so it can get full pretty quickly. But if you make it to a table, it is worth the wait. read more

We were passing through on our drive home from vacation. My husband and I had two toddlers with us. The owners were so nice and patient with our kids running around the restaurant, even gave them a toy gun and hat to play with along with a few other toys. Our food was absolutely delicious and if I'd lived in Gainesville I would definitely be a regular customer!! Love love love the food. 10/10 recommend! Great little hole in the wall that deserves to stay in business. Go check them out! read more

Everything was great! The people were very friendly, the food was delicious, and the beer was very cheap. What's not to love?

Can't go wrong with either of the schwarma options (pork, beef, chicken)! Others have complained about how long it takes to get the food, but you can tell that it's made fresh! This is not a fast food restaurant, after all. Everything is thoughtfully made and delicious. Strongly recommend! read more

Read all the Reviews and know why we gave them One Star. This cafe is not going to remain open....will not make it...SO HURRY! They do not know how to operate a restaurant. They do not order in enough raw food so that they can make all the entrees on the their menu. They run out food! It is never enlightening when you hear the server say to another customer at their table...here is your He He and then in 10 minutes later after you already ordered your food...you get the server back with her rude awakening...we are out of He He. They do not keep enough money in the register for change. They reserve tables.....Here??!! And they do not have many tables anyway?? This place is so small...kind of uncomfortable seating. We got up and walked out to NEVER RETURN HERE! We Prefer food such as a Gyro where they are ready and done in 20 minutes from the time we enter the cafe and pay and tasty!! We found that restaurant after we left Pirate's Grill!! Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe. We Will Return to Taziki's....AGAIN! read more

Terrific food, good service and fair prices. Excellent. The restaurant needs to take over next door for more space so be prepared to wait for a table. read more

I haven't even left the restaurant yet and I have to write this review. This was so delicious, we had hummus (best I've ever had) rice pilaf, and a gyro and everything was to die for. 1000% recommend! read more