Highest-rated Restaurants in Gainesville by Diners

Photo Illustration by Stacker // Canva

Highest-rated restaurants in Gainesville by diners

Humans are creatures of habit. We tend to stick to our morning routines, rewatch movies we've seen time and time again, and hit up the same tried-and-true restaurants when going out for a meal. In fact, 35% of Americans said they rarely, if ever, try a new restaurant they haven't been to before, and 5% say they never do, according to a survey of more than 2,600 diners from TouchBistro.

But those numbers look quite different when you focus on younger generations—56% of Gen Zers and 47% of millennials in the U.S. say they visit new restaurants once a month or more. When it comes to deciding which new restaurant to try, younger generations are also more likely to rely on online reviews, through sites like Yelp or Google or from social media. The TouchBistro survey found that 71% of Gen Zers and 72% of millennials have opted to try a new restaurant solely because of favorable reviews online.

Some of the best restaurants in your neck of the woods might be those established spots that customers have been visiting for decades, but some may be brand new. More than 10,000 new restaurants opened in 2023, up 5.7% from 2022, according to a report from BentoBox. The states that saw the most new restaurants open up in 2023 were Florida, Texas, California, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, but new locales are popping up all over the U.S.

To help you determine which spots—both new and long-standing—to try out, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in Gainesville, according to Yelp reviews from diners as of January 2024. Only restaurants with at least 20 reviews were considered. Read on to find some inspiration for the next time you dine out.

Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily reflect each restaurant listed.

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#30. Peppino's Pizza And Pasta

- Rating: 4.5/5 (29 reviews)
- Address: 3731 West University Ave. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Chicken Wings, Pizza, Pasta Shops
- Read more on Yelp

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#29. Blaze Pizza

- Rating: 4.5/5 (445 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3617 Archer Road Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Salad, Pizza, fast food
- Read more on Yelp

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#28. Pokébowl Station

- Rating: 4.5/5 (94 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1800 West University Ave. Ste 110 Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Poke, Bubble Tea, Waffles
- Read more on Yelp

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#27. Bolay

- Rating: 4.5/5 (318 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2905 Southwest 42nd St. Ste 70 Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: New American
- Read more on Yelp

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#26. Ice Cream & Crêpes Eatery

- Rating: 4.5/5 (35 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1025 West University Ave. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Creperies
- Read more on Yelp

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#25. Arashi Yama Sushi & Hibachi

- Rating: 4.5/5 (97 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4780 Northwest 39th Ave. Ste 1 Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Teppanyaki, Lounges, Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#24. Indian Street Food

- Rating: 4.5/5 (108 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3550 Southwest 34th St. Ste M Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Indian
- Read more on Yelp

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#23. Fehrenbacher's Artisan Sausage

- Rating: 4.5/5 (63 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 411 Southwest 4th Ave. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Meat Shops, Delis
- Read more on Yelp

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#22. Scuola Pizza

- Rating: 4.5/5 (71 reviews)
- Address: 5240 Northwest 34th Blvd. Ste A Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Pizza, Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp

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#21. La Maracucha Food Truck

- Rating: 4.5/5 (28 reviews)
- Address: 3727 West University Ave. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Venezuelan, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

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#20. The Spot

- Rating: 4.5/5 (176 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 16 Northwest 18th St. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Greek, Sandwiches, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#19. Las Americas Bakery

- Rating: 4.5/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 5015 Northwest 34th Blvd. Ste B Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Bakeries, Empanadas, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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#18. Plantology

- Rating: 4.5/5 (34 reviews)
- Address: 931 Southwest 2nd Ave. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Vegan, American
- Read more on Yelp

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#17. 16th Avenue Diner

- Rating: 4.5/5 (35 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 207 Northeast 16th Ave. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

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#16. Birdie Box

- Rating: 4.5/5 (93 reviews)
- Address: 2216 Southwest 13th St. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Sandwiches, Food Trucks, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#15. Krishna Lunch

- Rating: 4.5/5 (32 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 214 Northwest 14th St. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Vegetarian, Vegan, Buffets
- Read more on Yelp

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#14. Dolce Vita Bakery Cafe

- Rating: 4.5/5 (103 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4908 Northwest 34th Blvd. Ste 2 Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Cafes, Bakeries, Delis
- Read more on Yelp

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#13. Ivoire Delice & Market

- Rating: 4.5/5 (28 reviews)
- Address: 1116 North Main St. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: African, Desserts, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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#12. Taco's 352

- Rating: 4.5/5 (46 reviews)
- Address: 8181 Northwest 38th Lane Ste 30 Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

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#11. Square House Pizza

- Rating: 4.5/5 (139 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 405 Southwest 4th Ave. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Pizza, Waffles, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

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#10. Muñecas Taco Garden

- Rating: 4.5/5 (60 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 317 Southwest 4th Ave. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Street Vendors, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#9. Paris Banh Mi - Gainesville

- Rating: 4.5/5 (37 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 50 Northwest 13th St. Ste 30 Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Bakeries, Bubble Tea, Vietnamese
- Read more on Yelp

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#8. Vegan Gator

- Rating: 4.5/5 (26 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 220 Northwest 8th Ave. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Vegan, Food Trucks, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#7. La Cocina De Abuela

- Rating: 4.5/5 (171 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 125 Northwest 23rd Ave. Ste 9 Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Cuban, Colombian
- Read more on Yelp

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#6. Germain's

- Rating: 4.5/5 (89 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 220 Northwest 8th Ave. Ste 10 Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Chicken Shop, Food Trucks, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#5. DJ's Cast Iron Burgers

- Rating: 5.0/5 (26 reviews)
- Address: 1542 West University Ave. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Burgers, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

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#4. The Paper Bag

- Rating: 5.0/5 (71 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5750 Southwest 75th Court Ste 20 Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Sandwiches, Delis, Salad
- Read more on Yelp

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#3. Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodles

- Rating: 5.0/5 (41 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5248 Southwest 34th St. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Noodles, Chinese, Soup
- Read more on Yelp

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#2. Grill Express

- Rating: 5.0/5 (50 reviews)
- Address: 808 West University Ave. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Middle Eastern, Wraps, Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp