Gainesville, FL : A Foodie's Guide

BBQ

‌My favorite places for Southern American style BBQ when in Gainesville.

Top Hog BBQ

@yummycoty

✔️ My families favorite loaction ✔️ Locally owned ans operated ✔️ Outdoor seating ✔️ Live music ✔️ Brisket ✔️ Bacon Wrapped Jalapeños

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Adam's Rib Co

@yummycoty

✔️ Locally owned and operated ✔️ Heard you like ribs ✔️ Great loaction

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Sonny's BBQ

@yummycoty

✔️ The original Sonny's location before it became a chain ✔️ Raised in this stuff ✔️ Original sliced pork ✔️ Garlic Bread. It's the original, not the cornbread. ✔️ Sweet Iced Tea with extra lemon ✔️ Ask for packets of "mild" sauce because that's the actual original sauce. Idk why they keep it secret... ✔️ Best BBQ baked beans ✔️ Cole Slaw

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Taiwanese

The only Taiwanese in Gainesville.

Tea Moment

@yummycoty

✔️ Taiwanese rice rolls , called Fan Tuan ✔️ Difficult to park ✔️ Walkable from UF, across the street ✔️ Available rice roll with different fillings ✔️ Bubble Tea just ok, I come here for rice rolls ✔️ Tang Sui , sweet soup with tapioca is wonderful here. Only place in Gainesville that has it. ✔️ Cafe style seating in food hall ✔️ Cool unique businesses in this food hall location ✔️ Locally owned and operated

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Dessert

My favorite places to get dessert in Gainesville. When I'm not having bubble tea for dessert.

Sweet Dreams

@yummycoty

✔️ Classic Gainesville vibes ✔️ Locally owned and operated ✔️ Housemade ice cream ✔️ Unique flavors ✔️ Chocolate ice cream 🤌🤌🤌 ✔️ Not too sweet ✔️ Cafe atmosphere to spend time with friends ✔️ Outdoor seating ✔️ Great merch ✔️ Indoor music stage ✔️ Not expensive ✔️ Cute stainless steel dishes when dining in

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Seafood

‌Seafood restaurants that I recommend.

Ballyhoo Grill

@yummycoty

My families favorite American style, local seafood restaurant. 😋 🏖 Outdoor seating 🚗 Plenty of parking 🎶 Live music on the patio 🦐 I recommend all their shrimp dishes 🍲 All of their seafood soups are amazing; gumbo, chowder, she crab soup. 🥗 Their Cesar Salad is garlicky and delicious Their spinach side dish is my favorite.

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Sushi

My sushi recommendations in Gainesville.

Sushi Matsuri Japanese Restaurant

@yummycoty

Matsuri is the oldest surviving sushi restaurant in Gainesville for a reason. The sushi is prepared by a Japanese chef to Japanese standards.

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Korean

My Korean food recommendations in Gainesville.

Garlic & Ginger

@yummycoty

The first Korean restaurant in Gainesville that serves only Korean food for Korean families and all of the local community. No frills and no other cuisines.

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Momoyaki

@yummycoty

Korean-based fusion restaurant, that also serves sushi.

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Beque Holic

@yummycoty

All-you-can-eat or a la carte Korean style grilled meat restaurant. Great date night spot and a little pricey, so come hungry.

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Mini Momo

@yummycoty

Fancy Momoyaki location with outdoor seating inside of Thornbrook Village. $$$ pricey

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Chinese

‌My Cantonese, Szechuan, and dim sum recommendations in Gainesville.

Golden Buddha Restaurant

@yummycoty

This small shop has been around for an eternity and deserves credit where credit is due. The inside is dingy, carpet peelling off the floor, and smells like propane. All lf which adds even more to the charm. If you order the Cantonese dishes, then you can have a great meal here. I recommend their eggplant.

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Chili Spot 椒点

@yummycoty

This is a spicy malaguo restaurant in the food court of the Enson Market. Malaguo is spicy dry hotpot. It is very delicious here, and I recommend the beef malaguo for first-timers.

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Mr Han's Restaurant

@yummycoty

A Gainesville mainstay, that even has a VIP banquet room and white tablecloths. I recommend coming here for dim sum, Peking Duck, and their recently added Szechuan dishes. I'm not a vegetarian,but I crave their amazing vegetable dishes here. Especially their cabbage.

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Mr Hans Reel

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Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodles

@yummycoty

This chain restaurant from China is a unique style of soup from Yunan. The soup base is served boiling hot in a stoneware pot, and all soup additions are served on the side to be added quickly to cook in the broth. There is a story behind these noodles that you can search online. My favorite is the Peppercorn Broth with Beef. The cold cucumber salad appetizer is a great accompaniment to the hot brothy soup.

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SOHAO Cafe

@yummycoty

✔️ Locally female owned and operated ✔️ Szechuan food ✔️ Wontons in chili oil ✔️ Mochi dessert ✔️ A little expensive ✔️ Small servings to share ✔️ My Mom painted the murals inside ✔️ Fast casual vibes

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Bubble Tea

Bubb Tea is one of my favorite things, I take it very seriously. These are my favorite bubble tea shops in Gainesville.

Tea Bestea & The Loop Cake

@yummycoty

My favorite bubble tea and cakes in Gainesville. 🧋 Classic Milk Tea either warm or cold with black tapioca 50-70% sweet 🍍 Pinapple Tea that is so fresh and delicious that it tastes just like Miyahara in Taichung. 70% sweet or less. 🍰 Amazing cake flavors, even mochi wrapped cakes. My favorite is their pork floss and taro cake.

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Instagram reel for Tea Bestea

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Tan-Cha Gainesville

@yummycoty

✔️ Downtown ✔️ Difficult to park ✔️ Great teas ✔️ Employees are not helpful and will rush you ✔️ Read menu online first and know what you want to order ✔️ Order less sugar

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Parks

‌Not food related, but I've made a point to visit every park in Gainesville. These are my favorites.

Alfred A. Ring Park

@yummycoty

I've been to every park in Gainesville and this is my favorite. It is very Gainesville feels, in the center of town, and fully shaded by beautiful trees. The highs and lows, and running water, make a walk here very cool and relaxing.

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Shopping & Entertainment

Shopping and places that make Gainesville unique.

Artisans' Guild Gallery

@yummycoty

Almost every Gainesville local artist has joined the guild at aome time in their life. The guild is such a treasure and often features some of the best local artist's work for sale. All items are handmade and make great gifts.

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Harn Museum of Art

@yummycoty

This art museum is amazingly large, considering the size of Gainesville. You will feel like you are in a big city. Beautiful gardens, contemporary exibits, as well as informative cultural exibits. I'm a huge fan of the permanent East Asian wing and Japanese style garden. This museum is donation-based and free to enter.

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Haile Farmers Market

@yummycoty

This beautiful market has plenty of parking and is a food-lovers paradise. Shaded by elegant canopy oak trees, you can relax, walk, and shop.

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The Sun Center East

@yummycoty

Iconic location and the heart of Gainesville. This is where the old Gainesville Sun used to be, and it's surrounded by local shops and businesses.

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4th Ave Food Park

@yummycoty

✔️ Near UF ✔️ All the newest of local food and drink ✔️ Good music ✔️ Family friendly ✔️ Gainesville vibes ✔️ Cheugy Mural 👍 ✔️ Tons of outdoor eating ✔️ Wifi

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Stage 7 Karaoke Bar & Party Venue

@yummycoty

✔️ Only private room karaoke in Gainesville ✔️ KTV mostly Chinese songs ✔️ There are drinks, but you can just rent a room to sing. ✔️ Private rooms ✔️ Plenty of parking ✔️ Not downtown

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Hippodrome Theatre

@yummycoty

✔️ Heart of Gainesville ✔️ Great plays, local theater, and independent movies ✔️ Difficult to park ✔️ Beautiful architecture ✔️ Must-see

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Breakfast

‌My favorite breakfast and bakeries that I recommend.

Country Foodly

@yummycoty

This is a Korean restaurant that also serves a damn-good country style breakfast and biscuit. It's so amazing that it is slammed with customers, so arrive early. Order the 불고기 Bulgogi Omelet with Garlic Potatoes. They also have a 제육볶음 spicy pork omelet available.

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Petit Uppercrust

@yummycoty

This is the satellite location for the original Uppercrust at Millhopper. They do not bake here, so they often sell out of bread and pastires early. There is parking in the lot behind the building and also on street.

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Uppercrust

@yummycoty

🍞 The best bread 🥐 Best croissant dough, all their pastries are amazing 🥖 Early sellout, so get here early 🍪 Almond sugar cookie icing is everything

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Grocery Stores

Locally owned and operated grocery stores and markets that I recommend, in order.

Enson Market

@yummycoty

This is the largest and most organized Chinese based market in Gainesville. The food court also has some great stalls.

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India Bazaar

@yummycoty

Recommend visiting this grocery store to see what's new in Indian cuisine and snacks. They also have an amazing produce section, teas, and ice cream assortment.

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Eastern Market

@yummycoty

A decent Chinese-style market that has soke newer items. My 2nd favorite market.

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Chun Ching Market 重庆超市

@yummycoty

My 3rd favorite market in Gainesville. Owned by the same family as Mr Han's.

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Indian Food

My favorite Indian restaurants in Gainesville.

Indian Street Food - Veg & Non-Veg

@yummycoty

This is a "street food" casual cafe. Most dishes are under $12 and very filling. I'm not vegetarian, but I recommend all of their meatless dishes. I've tried almost everything on the menu, all have been so tasty. I come here for the Dosa and chaat items. Anything covered in their house cheese.

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Reel for Indian Street Food Gainesville

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Tacos

‌Places I recommend for tacos or Mexican food in Gainesville.

La Tienda

@yummycoty

This is the best and my only recommendation for tacos in Gainesville.

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Reel for Tienda

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Las Margaritas

@yummycoty

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Pizza

My favorite local pizza spots in Gainesville.

Leonardo's Pizza of Millhopper

@yummycoty

Classic Gainesville tradition. Please help keep them around forever. ✅️ Addictive fermented dough ✅️ Perfectly balanced sauce 🍅 ✅️ GARLIC KNOTS 🦄 🧄 ✅️ Deep Dish Bacon with Brocolli 🍕 ✅️ Local Gainesville artwork on the walls ✅️ Original 70s interior with faux stained glass panels 🕰 Such a vibe 🎶 Classic rock 😭 The last Leo's location in the world 🌎

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SquareHouse Pizza

@yummycoty

✔️ Total vibe ✔️ Cool tunes ✔️ Gluten free & vegan options ✔️ Local 💯 feels ✔️ Amazing outdoor seating ✔️ Family friendly ✔️ In 4th Ave Food Park ✔️ Every pizza has a crispy corner ✔️ Salad available as a side ✔️ Sharable

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‌Wings

My favorite places for chicken wings in Gainesville.

Bleubird Wings & Chicken Co.

@yummycoty

✔️ Non-battered Wings ✔️ Ultra-crispy ✔️ Hot Garlic Wings ✔️ Fried Okra

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Pan Asian

‌Unfortunately, in a small town like Gainesville, many restaurants are forced to carry sushi and other dishes, so they become more "pan-asian" or "fusion" to cater to all palettes.

Chopstix Cafe

@yummycoty

✔️ Vietnamese-American Cuisine ✔️ Locally owned and operated ✔️ Very friendly ✔️ Beautiful lakeside indoor and outdoor dining ✔️ Been in Gainesville for generations ✔️ Recommend Vietnamese dishes ✔️ Fried Grouper with Thai Sauce ✔️ Goi Cuon with tofu

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Instagram reel for Chopstix

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BENTO

@yummycoty

✔️ Original Bento location before they became a chain ✔️ Bento Boxes ✔️ Eel Rice Bowl ✔️ Indoor and outdoor seating

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