If you are anything like us, it’s the question on your mind for much of the day, and with good reason. Dinner is communal time, after-work time, or just that special meal before our next favorite time of day…bedtime. But if you are not a fan of cooking 4-course meals for you and yours on the daily, finding the perfect place to get some local grub in the Gainesville, GA area is of the utmost importance. 

We have found in real estate that when choosing an area in which to live, the availability of good food is at the top of many people’s lists. After all, great places to eat are what make communities…well, great. 

We took a look around the Gainesville area to give you an idea of what kind of food is on offer. From decadent nouveau to the good old classics, Gainesville brings you a literal taste of them all. Given Gainesville’s proximity to Braselton, Buford, Jefferson, and so many other communities, we felt a culinary review was in order! 

 

 

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You Are What You Eat

If we are what we eat, Gainesville has turned us into just about everything that is fabulous. And we are 100% ok with that!

While Trip Advisor is one of the most reliable websites for food in any given area, we want you to know that this advice comes from a source you can trust. So we checked out what Trip Advisor has listed as some of their top recommendations for good eats in the area and combined it with our personal experience of local dining, and the results are in. So, without further ado…it’s time to bring on the food!

Let’s Dish

Sea food? Sea food run!

We’ll start with the favorite, the pinnacle, the #1 on the list because, let’s face it, this is the South. Atlanta Highway Seafood is the number one eatery for its high-quality food and service. They don’t just serve seafood; it’s seafood with style, focusing their menu on Cajun and Creole-based recipes. But you can get just about any of your favorites from under the sea with hundreds of reviews that speak for themselves. What about cost, you ask? Yes, seafood prices may be on the rise, but there are few industries inflation has not touched. 

If you are a fan of seafood from the East, Zen Ramen and Sushi Burrito is a new take on traditional Japanese Sushi, Poke, and Bento Boxes that will leave you hankering for more. This chain that hails from California has taken Japanese seafood up a notch —or twelve— as they offer the best of the best in a clever marriage with the popular delivery methods of Mexican’s tried and true: tacos and burritos. Get your sushi in a burrito wrap or try it taco style as you enjoy all the bold flavor that fresh sushi is known for!

All American

If you enjoy indulging in American cuisine, particularly burgers, the Collegiate Grill and Avocados will knock your socks off. Both of these restaurants received rave reviews over their understanding and mastery of burgerology—the study of making the perfect burger. Both also have gluten-free, vegetarian, and even vegan options for you as well, ensuring that they have a well-rounded menu for the most diverse of palates.

And since we are in the South, we don’t want to overlook perhaps the most stapled of all Southern diet staples…BBQ. Sit down for a pull of pork at The Inked Pig, a veteran-owned and operated meatery that boasts the best BBQ in Gainesville (we could not argue). If you are vegetarian, best not to enter The Inked Pig, although they do have a couple of sides that are meat-free, along with some desserts. 

Za Za 

You are probably wondering about pizza places and why the pizza places weren’t just listed first. Let’s see if we can say pizza a few more times. Pizza. Pizza. Glorious pizza. To be fair, giving the other types of cuisine a chance to shine is something we like to do from time to time; however, the number two spot for dining in Gainesville is Atlas Pizza, and it’s number two for a reason…because their pizza is out of this world! 

Atlas Pizza is followed closely by the Mellow Mushroom, an eatery not afraid to flaunt its fabulously fearless and fantastic fungus (admittedly not for everyone, but we love mushrooms). Both pizzerias feature wide varieties of pizzas and toppings, along with other choices for those who want to attend pizza night but have something lighter, like a sub or salad. Both of these places proudly boast their pizza panache alongside gluten-free options, which means that the next dietary evolution of this round miracle of doughy goodness has, in fact, reached Gainesville, Georgia. 

And while pizza (we got it in there one more time…bet you didn’t think we could) is certainly at the top of our list of culinary delights, Italian cuisine, on the whole, deserves its due. That said, Cotto Italian serves modern Italian, paired with Rome’s favorite beverage, a wine list as long as our arms…both of them. So, if you are in the mood for a night of Italian indulgence that doesn’t exclusively include flat circular servings of baked dough covered in cheese and various toppings, Cotto has got you covered. Oh, what the heck. Pizza! 

Fine Dinery

If you’re hankering for a night of delectable fine dining, Gainesville doesn’t disappoint. With Scott’s Downtown, BlueFin Hibachi & Sushi, and Re-cess Southern Gastro Pub, your fine-dining needs are not only met but exceeded. And we weren’t going to overlook one of the trendiest of all new “fine dineries” in the Gainesville area, Taqueria Tsunami. This creative menu takes the best flavors from the Far East and South of the Border to dish up a variety of hand-crafted fusion tacos, salads, appetizers, and cocktails. Who could want more?

All of these restaurants offer a fine-dining experience, adding their own unique flair to the mix while varying cooking styles and ingredients. After all, when it comes to our food, variety is the spice of life. Having multiple high-brow eateries ensures that Gainesville’s more esteemed dining clientele won’t go overlooked. 

Choices Choices

You know that night when you just don’t know? You can’t decide. Nothing sounds good. Nothing sounds bad, though, either. We’ve been there too. Frustrating, isn’t it?  When you come upon these very circumstances, Gainesville has got you: bring on the restaurants that offer lots of options. Enter the Rabbit Town Cafe, Johnny’s Barbecue, Poor Richard’s, and 2 Dog, all local eateries that focus on a down-home feel with good Southern flair. You can saunter in the door, pull up a chair, and let the smells of the environment effortlessly inform your meal choices. When you follow your nose, you can’t go wrong. 

Baked Goods Baked Good

If it’s sweets, savories, and baked goods you seek—offering the possibility of a delectable dessert after your meal—Sweet Magnolia’s Cafe and Bakery and Quillian’s Bakery both provide desserts that are to…die…for! Both of these locations also bring breakfast and lunch options to the literal table.

The SkyMall of Meals

International and culturally diverse food also abound in Gainesville’s culinary wonderland. Whether it’s Mexican, Asian, Indian, Greek, or Italian, all the best the world has to offer is featured around these parts. Aren’t we fortunate that this is the case? So when the ordinary seems like it’s just too ordinary, you can venture into the extraordinary by exploring the world’s fantastic fare, all situated close to home! 

Speaking of international cuisine, we have to highlight the Greek Mediterranean stylings of the  Alpha Gyro Grill, whose menu boasts a mouthwatering array of traditional Greek dishes, gyro sandwiches, kebabs, falafels, and fresh salads, prepared with the finest ingredients and authentic spices. Every dish is a harmonious blend of savory meats, vibrant veggies, and zesty sauces, creating a symphony of flavors. Did we mention that they also serve Ratatouille? Oh yes, they do! Bet you thought it was exclusively a French dish. So did we…the movie is a tad misleading. 

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

We know this blog is primarily about locations to find the most delectable dinners, but we honestly don’t want to leave out the two other daily meals that are popular in American culture. After all, one of them is reputed to be “the most important meal of the day.” We won’t argue with whoever came up with that (whether it was someone’s grandma or an actual physician); we will just say that we are a fan of all meals, morning, noon, and night!

Gainesville has lots of places to catch a quick lunch, enjoy a Sunday morning meal, or bathe in a blissful brunch with your favorite flock of friends. You can also swing in and grab a biscuit to go or hit up any of the local drive-through places that offer breakfast and lunch on the go!

Fabulous Franchises 

While Gainesville is chock full of charming mom-and-pop-type restaurants that offer helping upon heaping helping of food made with commitment and love, it is also an area of expansion where franchises have come to stay. They punctuate the Gainesville dining experience with a corporate feel, which isn’t always a bad thing. You can be sure to get all of your dietary needs met at places like Hops Kitchen, Texas Roadhouse, Outback Steakhouse, Red Lobster, Chick-fil-A, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Olive Garden, and yes, even IHOP.

If you have a large group, a reason to celebrate, you want to be put on a call-ahead list, or you just want to go somewhere with dependable quality and service, one of Gainesville’s franchises might be the way to go. And there are many to choose from; in fact, many more than those listed here. 

We hope the underlying theme is starting to become clear: whether you are hankering for a small restaurant filled with charm or you seek big, branded portions with to-go boxes for days, you have lots of options.

Wet Nap? 

While we could go on and on about the hidden and not-so-hidden gems that Gainesville’s culinary scene has to offer, it’s time to wipe our fingers and faces with that warm wet nap of satisfaction. If you aren’t at least a little hungry and perhaps have a tad bit of drool on your chin, you might want to take it again from the top.

We have now completed our brief tour of some of Gainesville’s finest, and, as they say at Chick-fil-A, it has been a pleasure serving you. 

If you need more foodie information before you decide to make the move to this wonderful town in Georgia, we recommend checking out this link through Trip Advisor. It helped us chart our 12-course meal tour, and we are grateful to them for letting us have access to each restaurant’s reviews as well! 

But now it’s your turn to turn up and taste away! Let us know what you think, and maybe we will see you at your new favorite spot. We will be seated in the back corner, taking notes and enjoying each and every bite that goes into the production of blogs just like this one.

Bon appetit!