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    The Dunbar

    4.7 (40 reviews)
    Open • 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM

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    Prosciutto, half cheese/half no cheese, Haitian pineapple jam on sourdough toast. WOW!
    Dave W.

    Wow! That dinner was spectacular, unique, tasty, comfortable and included great service! Add in the historical location and live music that didn't overpower, and we were absolutely blown away. I tried to get reservations and utterly failed. Booked. I subsequently found out there is a waitlist feature on OpenTable and behold, I got a message at 11pm on Tuesday that there was a sudden opening! I clicked within 5 seconds and bam, we had a table Saturday night at 5pm opening. Perfect! Our waitress was Shae. She did a very fine job serving us. While I parked the car in a nearby lot and walked over, my wonderful wife ordered me a fruity but not sweet mocktail since I'm on the wagon. Little did I know it what would happen... Dylan the bartender whipped up the best mocktail I'd ever had! Mock gin for botanicals, a little Haitian pineapple jam syrup, club soda and grated cinnamon. Incredible! We enjoyed every element of our meal but the appetizer was worth describing here...my expectations were low because I was thinking prosciutto on toast sounded safe. Instead, it was unique and incredible. Sourdough toast, Confiture d'Ananas jam made in house (recipe from Haiti including pineapple), prosciutto, and whipped goat cheese (which I skipped for dietary reasons but, my wife enjoyed). Zowie! Taste explosion! The octopus was well seasoned and prepared, the chicken dish was crispy yet succulent the miso garlic cabbage was uniquely incredible. I could go on and on! Come for the food but enjoy the service and the incredible history. This building was the only hotel that would accept black guests during segregation. BB King, Ela Fitzgerald and many more stayed here to perform in Gainesville, a town known for appreciating music. Life is good when a historic building is respectfully preserved and reopened for generations to both understand and appreciate.

    Oxtail ragu 3/5 tbh
    Tim J.

    I can't think of too many true fine-dining options in Gainesville beyond the usual steakhouses, but now I definitely have one to add to the list: The Dunbar. I was excited to try this place after reading so many strong reviews. The ambiance strikes a nice balance -- semi-fine dining with a touch of casual warmth. It feels elevated without being overly formal. We ordered the oxtail ragu, lamb, prawn, and Caesar salad -- more than enough food for two people. The oxtail ragu was a bit disappointing; it wasn't as rich or flavorful as I had expected. The lamb and prawn were both well-prepared and enjoyable. Surprisingly, the Caesar salad was the standout for me -- fresh, well-balanced, and probably my favorite dish of the night. Overall, a solid addition to Gainesville's dining scene with a polished atmosphere and thoughtful menu. Definitely worth trying, especially if you're looking for something beyond the standard steakhouse experience.

    NY Strip
    Olivia E.

    Finally got a chance to try The Dunbar and wasn't disappointed! I took my husband for his birthday, he's Haitian and loves food so I was excited to see what he thought! We gave the restaurant, food and service a 9/10! His NY strip had the most perfect sear, my oxtail gratin was perfectly seasoned and the Haitian Mac was literally on brand authentic. We also received the Kremas dessert for a birthday surprise not pictured and OMG! I'm also dreaming about the spritz mocktail, definitely a must try place! Ready for the next seasonal menu to come back and try.

    Miso Cabbage

    Ate at the bar and had cocktails and appetizers. (Could not get a reservation as they were fully booked for weeks) Then shared the oxtail gratin main- so amazing (forgot to take pics) Ambience is great. Food is great. Service was the best- Will def be back. Highly recommend this restaurant - can't wait to return

    Amazing cornbread bread pudding. My favorite thing we had!
    FoodGirl G.

    This is a wonderful place for a cozy dinner. The staff are friendly and welcoming. The atmosphere is relaxed and elegant. The food is absolutely delicious and although it's a small menu and we had a group of both vegetarians and carnivores, we all found things we loved.

    Short rib
    Emily W.

    This place deserves all the praise it receives and more! The staff is lovely and service was surprisingly quick. Lots of drink options: cocktails, mocktails, beer, wine, soda, etc. Absolutely need to return for the short rib and the berry cookie dessert. I promise you will get an elevated experience while having the comfortability of dining in a homey restaurant.

    Simone M.

    My dad decided to treat my mom and I to an early Valentine's Day dinner, and I have had my eye on this spot because Yelp and social media. We made reservations about a week ago for Thursday night at 5:15. Be mindful that you will need to park across the street at Haven hospice attic as they are working on their parking lot area. We were greeted by the host and she was very friendly and nice. We were served by our waiter Christian, who gave us a rundown about the restaurant which has southern and Haitian flair which I love. I was very excited because I love Haitian food and there's not a lot of that here in the area. The inside of this restaurant has so much history as this was a historical black hotel. My dad loved it because he mentioned that back in the day this hotel hosted people like B.B. King here so it brought back memories to my parents who grew up in Gainesville. We immediately ordered our appetizer, which were the prawns and the lamb chops. Also, my parents ordered the hibiscus Agua Fresca and the Haitian lemonade while I ordered a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. The restaurant started to get packed and our food was brought out to us by one of the owners who came to check in to make sure everything was going well which I loved. The lamb chops were crusted and had this creole aïoli sauce that was very rich and flavorful. These lamb chops were so good. They're like something I've never had before. The meat was very tender and seasoned. I really enjoy the prawn appetizer the most, as it had a kick from the epis, which is a Haitian marinade. The prawns were huge and so flavorful, and I highly recommend these, especially dipping the crostini in the sauce. Because it was busy, it did take some time for our entrée to come out. However, once they did come out, we all got to sample each other's dishes. I had the oxtail Ragu, which was a great take on an Italian dish with large chunks of oxtail meat. It was very flavorful and filling. My dad had the short rib entrée which was very tender and seasoned. My mom got the branzino, which I only got to try her Haitian black rice or better known as Diri djondjon. It was so good perfectly cooked and I literally wanted a single side of it myself. The mac & cheese is very creamy. It's not like that typical soul food mac & cheese however it was really good. And to end the night, based on all of the recommendations and looking around in the restaurant, we went with the cremas cornbread pudding. When I say this was the star of the show. Pro tip: make room for this dessert. It was perfect with the cornflake brittle on top of the ice cream and the soft cornbread custard. I love this Haitian take on this southern staple, and the cremas drizzle was the cherry on top for me. The food was executed very well, and I do want to come back here to sit in their bar area for some appetizers and drinks with friends in the near future!

    Octopus
    Tanya A.

    Celebrated my husband's birthday tonight here at The Dunbar. This gem is set in a two story home with the first floor used for dining. I love the ambiance. The table tops look like scalloped flowers and they paired them with cool modern chairs. They also have a beautiful bar in a separate room. Definitely make reservations as seating is limited. Here's what we chose: Octopus: the flavors shine here with a total Caribbean vibe. For the price point though the octopus was small. The potatoes took over the dish and the octopus seemed like an afterthought. Plus these are the same potatoes that are offered as a side dish. Would like to see more than one tiny tentacle and the potatoes diced. Paradise Park: so much flavor look at the ingredients plus add cinnamon. Epic of Thyme: this is essentially a dirty martini. Read the preparation. Lady next to us sent hers back but my husband loved it. Farmer's Salad: piled high this is a gorgeous salad. With a shear of hummus on the bottom and the lettuce and trimmings pile high with a light dressing this is totally worth sharing. Pork Chop: nice thick cut served with a nice sauce and butter beans. So yummy! Short Rib: sitting on a serving of polenta the short rib was delicate and just came apart on the fork. With a beautiful reduction sauce this was perfectly prepared. Roasted potatoes: hindsight we didn't need to order these. Not a huge fan of them after the octopus. They are cooked through but really form. Not fork tender. They are beautifully seasoned. Overall we had a wonderful night. Price point is high as is expected because of the limited seating. Definitely worth the experience. Impressive they've only been opened since December.

    Chandra A.

    The Dunbar is the best place to eat in Gainesville. We decided to eat out tonight for Valentine's Day instead of attempting to find an available place on Valentine's Day. For a Thursday night the place was busy, we booked for 5:15pm, and so glad we did. There is a certain ambiance about the place in a good way. Everything ordered was so fresh and delicious. Appetizers, lamb chops and prawns kicked off the start of a great meal, I had the Branzino with black rice and spicy slaw(similar to pikliz) I would have been happy with just the rice. As a side the vegan Mac &cheese was good as well. The drinks Haitian lemonade and the Hibiscus with a cinnamon stick was absolutely refreshing. The finale was the Cremas cornbread pudding topped with ice cream and cinnamon sprinkle. You will not be disappointed so plan a visit soon.

    Cornbread dessert
    Melissa F.

    This was an excellent experience. At the moment it is reservation only. I had a 7pm reservation. We ordered the prawns appetizer to split. It was delicious and came with a bit of a spicy sauce. I had the pork chop which was also pretty good. He had the lamb chops. He loved them but I will say they were fried which I did not expect. We also tried the Mac and cheese and the potato sides. We tried both desserts which were both huge and excellent. I'm not a huge cornbread fan but it was soft and delicious. The dining area is a minimalist vibe but it is cozy. The bathrooms are all gender and were clean! I love seeing this. I would absolutely return.

    Lamb
    Terrena S.

    The Dunbar is one of my new favorite GNV spots. The food was amazing. I had the lamb, oxtail ragu, cornbread pudding, and berry doobie cookie. I had a taste of the half chicken and miso cabbage (getting this next time fr) from my friends and they were good too! The ambiance was nice with a musician playing and low lights. The service was also amazing, our server was very attentive and everyone was so nice. I keep telling everyone to go check The Dunbar out. I'll definitely be back in the future very soon!

    Navodhya

    We had an amazing time at the Dunbar for my birthday. It was a last minute switch from another plan, but it turned out to be the best decision. First, the history is really important: the restaurant used to be the only hotel in the city to serve Black travelers during the Jim Crow era. The elevated southern fare pays homage to the hotel's roots as well as Gainesville's. We started with the farmer's salad, which was incredibly flavorful. A nice balance of texture and sweetness. I'm not normally a salad at restaurant type of person, but it was delicious! For our mains, we got the miso cabbage and oxtail ragu (latter not picture but inhaled). Both were feets of food magic nearing gastronomy. The oxtail was so tender, closer to the texture of braised beef. I initially thought a giant hunk of cabbage odd but quickly realized there were multiple thoughtful components to the dish. The black garlic aioli and miso butter smothered on the cabbage made the dish so unique and delicious! Although their comparative advantage is the food, the primarily rum based cocktails were simply yet yummy. I got a rum twist on a White Russian and my boyfriend got a fruitier cocktail. Finally, we got the cornbread pudding with ice cream for dessert. It came out steaming warm so the contrast of the warm rich, buttery cornbread with the cool ice cream was phenomenal. Also, our waiter and the other staff were kind and super attentive. There was also live music that was not dominating but created a romantic, soft ambience.

    Lamb chops
    Myesha S.

    I went to The Dunbar with friends and had a great time! The ambiance was intimate and there was live music. For the appetizer we tried the lamb chop which was seasoned well and it was fried, never had lamb chop like that before but I was pleasantly surprised. For my entree I had the half chicken with tchaka succotash, pancetta, and smoked turkey. The chicken was juicy with a crisp skin and all the fixings underneath were very flavorful. It was a big portion, I definitely had leftovers. I tried their hibiscus aqua fresca which was great and reminded me of sorrel a Jamaican drink. For dessert we opted to get both the cremas cornbread pudding and berry doobie cookie. My goodness both were heavenly! If I had to choose one the pudding took first place by a slight margin! The service was great! I recommend making a reservation. This is not a spot for long dining, I would say 2 hours max due to the reservations and the space being small. I would definitely return to try other menu items and do more of a shareable option with friends.

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    26 days ago

    Best restaurant in Gainesville. Hands down not even close. The food quality was amazing and full of flavor.

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    2 months ago

    Incredible gem to have in town! Amazing food and drinks, great service and love the vibe of the place.

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    7 months ago

    Food is amazing.... Dinning experience alone is great. Service is very attentive. The ambiance elegant.

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    6 months ago

    The food is amazing, and the service is professional and personable. The ambiance is upscale and welcoming.

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    afternoon - Day burger

    afternoon

    4.1(384 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    •$$

    I have wanted to eat here for awhile after seeing all the excellent reviews so my husband and I…read morevisited this Saturday around 11am for brunch. We went during THE busiest time so we were lucky to find parking in the cramped but free parking lot. The hostess let us know there was a 35 min wait for indoor seating for 2. Outdoor seating was available, but we decided against it since it was a hot n sunny day in the 90s. We were ok with the wait and gave the hostess my name and phone number to get a text when the table was ready. While we waited, we walked to Serpentine plant shop across the parking lot and shopped a little. The text that our table was ready arrived 34 minutes so it was timed perfectly with the end of my shopping... we were seated soon after walking back into the restaurant. We had a corner table near the drink prep/coffee station so we had a front row seat to the preparing of many different teas and coffees while we decided what to order. A note about the table / seat size, we are skinny people and the seating fit us well but anyone somewhat wider would have trouble being comfortable. The high top tables might be a better option for those guests. The entire restaurant was packed when we came in and remained pretty full for our visit. There are 2 single-occupancy restrooms to the far left of the main entrance. They were clean enough and stocked appropriately. We were served by Jane and she answered all our menu questions. We ordered a cold matcha latte, chai latte, Mexican Coke, crispy potatoes, afternoon hash extra egg, 1/2 mushroom toast, and a turkey club no lettuce no bacon plus desserts (to go) chocolate chip cookie, puff pastry, and cinnamon roll. Jane brought out our to go desserts soon after the order. Our drinks arrived minutes after. However, our food took a bit longer (which we expected with a 100% full restaurant and Jane apologized for the wait, letting us know our food was on it's way about 20 minutes in) around 30 minutes. While we were waiting, there was punk rock / alt music in the background and a bunch of people's conversations going on so don't expect to have quiet dining if you go during a Saturday busy brunch. The Turkey Club was on thick Texas toast with dill in the mayo and tasted clean, fresh, like a delightful treat that grandma would make on a hot summer day. My husband's hash and crispy potatoes were the right amount of crunch and spice. The crispy potatoes had chunks of lime in it that were alarmingly sour but somehow complimented the dish. My mushroom toast had a delectable sauce topping with fresh scallions on french bread. We were very satisfied with our choices and had 1/2 my sandwich leftover plus our desserts to bring home. Many of the guests left empty plates when leaving so it seems their food is a hit! The only reason my "atmosphere" rating is missing a star is that our table was unfortunately near one of the restrooms so we would occasionally smell the disinfectant odor when someone opened the door. This was just a seating "feature" so of course it could not be helped. As far as other smells, we did notice that the kitchen, even if it was nearby, did not waft any fried food odors or smoke so their cooking area ventilation must be top-notch. All in all, a great foodie experience, cost about $100 with generous tip. Jane provided super customer service. We would come back for brunch or lunch here again, just not at the same table area

    I was very excited to visit Afternoon as I saw it was a Michelin recommended restaurant in…read moreGainesville. The service was impeccable from start to finish. I entered the restaurant at 9:15 am with my guest and were seated promptly. Our server proceeded with our drink order in which we requested a vanilla and brown sugar iced latte and lemonade. My vanilla and brown sugar latte was made well and was quite refreshing. The lemonade was a bit sweet but overall a good beverage. However, as our experience continued it became a bit of a let down. We ordered the Dutch baby with seasonal fruit, the big break, a cinnamon roll, and the afternoon hash. From time of placing the order to receiving our food was an overall total of 45 minutes. A bit of a long wait for breakfast/brunch style items. The cinnamon roll was not done well whatsoever, the roll itself was over kneaded which created a thick and heavy dough. Not the fluffy type of cinnamon roll you would expect. When our food did come out the Dutch baby was partly burnt, it did not taste as such but it was a bit flat in regard to taste. The potatoes in the hash and the big break were burnt. I wouldn't consider it crispy because they were so overcooked I could barely get my fork to go through. The taste of the hollandaise did redeem the dish a tad, however for $90 including tip it was not the dining experience I would come back to.

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    afternoon - Merchandise and wifi info

    Merchandise and wifi info

    afternoon - Breakfast Burrito

    Breakfast Burrito

    afternoon - Crispy potatoes

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    Crispy potatoes

    Bolay

    Bolay

    4.6(11 reviews)
    0.8 mi

    I haven't been to Bolay in so long! Bolay is easily one of my favorite places to grab a healthy…read moremeal in Gainesville. The food is super fresh, made with great ingredients, and is full of flavor. I also really appreciate that are seed-oil free! This particular location is in Midtown located right by UF's campus. With that being said, it can get busy. But I have found that they always do a great job managing this and keep the line moving. The inside is kept very clean--which is always appreciated. The service is also really pleasant as the workers are all super nice, patient, and accommodating. While Bolay may be considered "pricier", I really think the prices are fair. Especially when you consider how much food you get and the quality of the food. I always opt for a Large Bol which includes up to 4 grains, green, or veggies, 2 proteins, 3 toppings, and a sauce of your choosing. I consistently opt for their kale salad, sweet potatoes, garlic broccoli, and steak in my bowls. I like to switch up the bases sometimes and get their noodles or their Forbidden Rice (which I've really enjoyed lately). I've also been enjoying their chicken thighs, but I can attest that all of their proteins are delicious! I really just love how fresh and flavorful everything is. I don't know how they cook their sweet potatoes and broccoli specifically, but whatever they do--it's magical. Overall, I know I can rely on Bolay for a great, satiating, healthy meal through and through! I have never had a bad experience here and always look forward to placing order. I will definitely be back plenty of times throughout this upcoming school year!

    Flavorful and ample options. Never seems to be super crowded which is good if you're in a rush and…read moreneed a healthy meal.

    Photos
    Bolay
    Bolay
    Bolay

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    Covey Kitchen + Cocktails - That Scottish salmon with French mushroom sauce is very popular!!

    Covey Kitchen + Cocktails

    4.1(122 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    •$$

    Came here for brunch. Free valet if you're visiting the restaurant. Score…read more Our server, Benjamin was beyond amazing. Super friendly, fun, adorable. We tried Canella Negra, pumpkin espresso martini, and a cucumber alcohol alcoholic drink. All were delicious. For breakfast, we started with the brussels sprout salad, which is fire. My daughter and I both had the American breakfast which was cooked perfectly, bacon and sausage were on point, breakfast potatoes were delicious My girlfriend and my daughter's boyfriend had biscuits and gravy. I could've eaten that too. It was so good. For dessert we had Keylime pie, which was outstanding. I highly recommend Covey kitchen and cocktails and would definitely come back again.

    We were visiting Gainesville and wanted to have brunch, we were so excited when we found this…read moreplace. Based on the photos, there seemed to be so many good options. However, our excitement disappeared pretty quickly when we realized they only have brunch on Saturday and Sunday and we visited on Friday. We were pretty hungry so we deci to stay anyway. I ordered the turkey club panini with fries and my husband got the brussel sprouts salad and salmon. Everything was pretty tasty and the service was pretty good. The restaurant is overlooking the fountain so it was a pretty view and the free valet parking made it a breeze to go right in. Although we were disappointed we couldn't order what we originally went for, we still had a pretty good experience. Would highly recommend the brussel sprouts salad. It was amazing!!!

    Photos
    Covey Kitchen + Cocktails - Pano view.

    Pano view.

    Covey Kitchen + Cocktails - Coconut French Toast at Covey Kitchen + Cocktails

    Coconut French Toast at Covey Kitchen + Cocktails

    Covey Kitchen + Cocktails - The Burger ($18) a double patty, lettuce, tomato, American cheese and house spread with shoestring fries

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    The Burger ($18) a double patty, lettuce, tomato, American cheese and house spread with shoestring fries

    Public & General - Chocolate peanut butter cake slice

    Public & General

    4.2(278 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    •$$

    Children playing with each other under the tall tables, parents sipping cocktails and listening to…read moreintimate folk music sung by a man/woman duo. Lilting harmonies and strings plucked grace the ears, as servers pair their hot dishes to tables donned with numbers. Faint kitchen noises, laughter and conversation fill the voids, as people lean in to conversations. The beers here are plenty and from all over the world! The wines are, as well. Great service, good people. They even have lots of outdoor seating! If you've never been, well, now'a your chance! Bu

    Absolutely worth going off the beaten path for…read more We stumbled across Public & General while looking for somewhere in Gainesville with good vegetarian options, and the first thing that caught my attention was the fried green tomato sandwich. I saw that on the menu and immediately thought, "Yep. We're going there." And I'm so glad we did. The only thing I would change about the experience is the ordering process. You have to place your order at the bar first, take a number, and then seat yourself so they know where to bring your food. Personally, I would prefer traditional table service, but once we got past that, the food completely won me over. We ordered the fried green tomato sandwich, and it was delicious. Then there were the dill fries. Fresh dill on French fries sounded interesting enough that we had to try them, and they were AMAZING. Such a simple idea, but different from the usual fries you get everywhere else and executed really well. But the biggest surprise of the entire meal? THE COUSCOUS. My partner ordered the vegetable couscous with mushrooms, zucchini and squash, and when I tell you this was the best couscous I have ever had... I mean it. It was so good that before we left, we ordered another one to go. That alone should tell you everything. I love finding restaurants that take familiar ingredients and do something memorable with them. Nothing we had felt boring or like an afterthought, especially the vegetarian options. Public & General feels like one of those neighborhood places you could easily miss if you didn't know it was there, but now that we know about it, it has officially made our Gainesville rotation. We don't get to Gainesville often, but anytime we're back in town, we're stopping here. Fried green tomato sandwich: Dill fries: Vegetable couscous: Seriously... get the couscous. We literally took another order home.

    Photos
    Public & General - Miles Davis photo

    Miles Davis photo

    Public & General
    Public & General

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    OAK - Waffles heaven

    OAK

    3.7(441 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    •$$

    Came for brunch, food was all excellent, coffee good quality, and service excellent, Lauren was…read morevery attentive. All said great experience with great atmosphere. One one correction should be the come up with different name for the beneighs, they were tasty but not at all like traditional beneighs

    Well we were in town for a football game. Looking for some good brunch options before the game and…read morewe found OAK. The menu looked great, reviews were good, so I made a reservation for 1:45. We got lucky and found a good parking spot next door. We got to the host stand, two young ladies were there taking care of business. They were talking to a couple, I figured they were looking for a table.. after standing there and waiting for a few minutes, we realized they were just talking about their plans for the weekend. Finally after a few minutes of standing there, one of the two hostess realized that we were there to get food and she apologized and asked for our reservation info. Meanwhile, the other person just stood there. There was a bit of attitude happening, I won't type it all now, but after about 14 minutes after our reservation the helpful lady took us to our booth. On our way to our booth, we noticed there was water everywhere. I'm surprised nobody had slipped, the condensation from the A/C was pouring over everything.the tables were wet, the floors were dangerously wet. There were no fans, for being in Gainesville in August it was more humid than outside. After we got our table dried off, and didn't slip on our way to the booth, we were greeted. I'm sorry,I didn't catch her name,but our server was very fri, she was new b/c she had a trainer with her. They were both great. We started with the pancake sliders, meh, they really tasted like they were frozen and just microwaved, the 4 sauces with it, weren't amazing and they were all old,as were the pancakes. Anyway, we ordered our lunch. The pear Gorgonzola salad was really good.i had the brunch tacos. It was a little spicier than I expected. That's fine,but it looked like it has spent time under the heat lamp. The cheese wasn't even melted. Honestly, we probably won't be back, the server and her trainer were very friendly, and helpful. They did a great job. The hostess, well,one of them was dismissive and acted like we were a bother.

    Photos
    OAK
    OAK - Fried Oreos

    Fried Oreos

    OAK - Guinness

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    Guinness

    Prime & Pearl - 8oz Filet

    Prime & Pearl

    4.0(130 reviews)
    4.6 mi

    We made reservations at Prime & Pearl in Gainesville to celebrate our anniversary, and we had a…read morereally nice evening! We started with the Tuscan Bruschetta with vine-ripened tomatoes, basil, red onion, and balsamic glaze. My husband had the Gold Star Old Fashioned, and I had the Strawberry Sunrise mocktail, which was really good. For dinner, we tried the cold-water twin lobster tails with mac and cheese. The presentation was beautiful, and everything looked so good when it came out. We also tried the bourbon mushrooms, which unfortunately weren't my favorite. They were a little bland and seemed slightly burnt to me. The 14 oz. New York strip, though, was absolutely delicious! It was 20-day wet-aged beef and definitely the highlight of my meal. So much flavor and cooked perfectly. For dessert, we had the crème brûlée, and they surprised us by decorating the plate with "Happy Anniversary." Such a sweet and thoughtful touch! We finished the evening with a double espresso. The service was exceptional from start to finish, which really made the evening feel special. Overall, we really enjoyed our anniversary dinner at Prime & Pearl. The beautiful presentation, excellent service, delicious steak, and thoughtful anniversary touches made it a memorable evening. We would definitely come back for another special occasion!

    I came with a party of 4 on a Sunday night at 7pm. I attempted to make a reservation however none…read morewere available so we chose to walk in and were seated at a high top. We were informed by the waitress at the greet that they were out of burgers and au gratin potatoes. No problem. We ordered 12 oysters. 9 came to the table and the server didn't know which ones were which. They brought an additional 3 upon request. Then after a round of cocktails with the appetizer, we attempted to order a bottle of Rioja and were quickly informed they did not have the bottle. We attempted to order 2 other Spanish wines and the server said they were out of both of them. Pretty disappointing that a steakhouse is sold out of all 3 Spanish red wine options. We ordered a Malbec which was nice but a little over priced. Our steaks were very good and cooked to order. However the sides were disappointing. The lobster Mac and cheese had about 6 tiny pieces of lobster in it! No flavor! The truffle Brussel sprouts did not taste like truffle at all and everyone at the table agreed that it was suspect. Someone at the table mentioned the lack of truffle flavor to the server and she did offer to bring truffle oil but we declined because they were already soggy. The dessert and specials menu came out wrinkled with stains on a piece of paper trifold! For an expensive steakhouse a trashy takeout menu?! That was bizarre. Only upon ordering dessert were we told they did not have carrot cake. Again, another menu item that is 86'd. I asked who does their BWL order and the server said the manager. Hopefully they plan to do a better job with the wine inventory. I'm not sure I will be back anytime soon. It's just not worth the price point.

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    Prime & Pearl
    Prime & Pearl - Stuffed Carrot Cake

    Stuffed Carrot Cake

    Prime & Pearl - Oscar Style

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    Oscar Style

    East End Eatery

    East End Eatery

    4.1(223 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    •$$

    What a very nice place! I ordered the French toast and grits, and they make it with French bread!!…read moreWow! I have to say, up front, that they don't take credit cards as payment, but they do take Venmo or Zelle, so be prepared, or bring cash! The food is very down-home. It tastes just like it does when you are eating in your pajamas on Saturday morning! The decor is very eclectic and interesting. There are books, art and nick-nacks throughout the restaurant and even in the courtyard. The courtyard is special (see pictures) It would be perfect for you and your out-of-town guests to come and eat and hang out in peace, enjoying a lovely place to eat! Friendly staff, chill vibes!

    Stopped in on a Thursday morning around 10-11am with my mom, and honestly... what a gem. It wasn't…read moretoo busy, which made the whole vibe even better .. it was calm, cozy, and a little artsy inside with such a unique charm that makes you want to linger. We both ordered waffles for breakfast, and I went for the blueberry ones with eggs and potatoes on the side. Everything was spot on. The potatoes were perfect, soft on the inside, crispy on the outside, seasoned so well they were borderline addictive. And the eggs? Fluffy, light, and cooked the way eggs should be. I'm so used to getting overcooked eggs at other places, so having them done right felt like a treat. The waffles were the star though. Crunchy exterior, soft warm center, and real blueberries in every bite. Absolutely delicious. Service was just as impressive. Our server was kind, attentive, and made the whole experience even better without ever hovering. Overall, East End Eatery easily earned this five-star rating. I had this on my must visit list of places in Gainesville and it did not disappoint. A must-visit breakfast spot in Gainesville,I'll definitely be back.

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    East End Eatery - Inside

    Inside

    East End Eatery - Breakfast Huevos Rancheros

    Breakfast Huevos Rancheros

    East End Eatery

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    The Dunbar - newamerican - Updated October 2026

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