Highest-rated seafood restaurants in Gainesville by diners
Whether you've waited in line for soft-shell crabs in the Chesapeake Bay or savored sushi in New York City, you know there's something special about finding the right spot to enjoy seafood. From ceviche to grilled salmon and towers of shellfish, the top-rated seafood restaurants in the United States serve up mouthwatering dishes across diverse cuisines like Japanese, Latin American, and Mediterranean to suit every palate.
Of course, certain areas of the country are known for particular delicacies. California's proximity to the Pacific Ocean, for example, makes it one of the best states for seafood. The Los Angeles area serves up everything from caviar to Santa Barbara spot prawns while San Francisco is a mecca for fish tacos, ceviche, and sushi. Further north, Seattle is legendary for its shellfish, showcased at the famed fish counter at Pike Place Market.
While Chicago may be best known as a pizza capital, many flock to the city for its king crab dishes; a bit further south and east, you have Miami and its sought-after stone crab season. Southern locales like New Orleans boast fresh crawfish from the Gulf of Mexico and the two noncontiguous states have their own signature offerings, too: Alaska is known for its pollock and salmon, while Hawai'i is known for its poke.
Dining at a seafood restaurant can be one of the most memorable parts of your trip to a new city or offer comfort food in your own hometown. To celebrate the best options near you, Stacker used insights from Yelp to compile a list of the highest-rated seafood restaurants in Gainesville.
Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only restaurants with at least 10 reviews were considered. In an effort to highlight independent restaurants and local chains, those with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included. Data is as of June 14, 2024.
Keep reading to discover your highest-rated local seafood restaurants for your next special meal out!
Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily depict the specific restaurants listed or the dishes they serve.
#20. Ocean Buffet
- Rating: 3.1/5 (198 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6795 West Newberry Road Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: chinese, buffets, seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Ballyhoo Grill
- Rating: 3.3/5 (268 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3700 West University Ave. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: seafood, steakhouses, sushi bars
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Shula's
- Rating: 3.4/5 (76 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1714 Southwest 34th St. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: steakhouses, american, seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#17. The Cheesecake Factory
- Rating: 3.4/5 (252 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2851 Southwest 35th Drive Butler Town Center Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: desserts, new american, seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Gator's Dockside of Gainesville
- Rating: 3.4/5 (201 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3842 West Newberry Road Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: american, seafood, sports bars
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Seafood Dock
- Rating: 3.4/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 6791 West Newberry Road Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: seafood, beer bar, cocktail bars
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Wahoo Seafood Grill
- Rating: 3.5/5 (380 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3833 Northwest 97th Blvd. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: seafood, desserts, breakfast & brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Bahama Breeze
- Rating: 3.5/5 (228 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3989 Plz Blvd. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: bars, seafood, latin american
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Tunis Seafood - Wings - Subs
- Rating: 3.8/5 (10 reviews)
- Address: 1818 Northeast Waldo Road Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: chicken wings, seafood, sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Northwest Grille
- Rating: 3.8/5 (186 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5115 Northwest 39th Ave. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: seafood, bars, steakhouses
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Hook Fish & Chicken
- Rating: 3.8/5 (27 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1340 East University Ave. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: chicken wings, seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Mark's Prime Steakhouse - Gainesville
- Rating: 3.8/5 (210 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 201 Southeast 2nd Ave. Ste 102 Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: steakhouses, seafood, salad
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Pomodoro Cafe
- Rating: 3.9/5 (289 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 9200 Northwest 39th Ave. Ste 100 Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: italian, pizza, seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Mildred's Big City Food
- Rating: 3.9/5 (151 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 3445 West University Ave. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: american, seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Cedar River Seafood
- Rating: 3.9/5 (98 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5141 Northwest 43rd St. Ste 101 Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Blue Gill Quality Foods
- Rating: 4.1/5 (221 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1310 Southwest 13th St. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: seafood, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Harry's Seafood Bar and Grille
- Rating: 4.1/5 (506 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 110 Southeast 1st St. Ste A Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: american, seafood, bars
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Mr. & Mrs. Crab
- Rating: 4.1/5 (127 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3246 Southwest 35th Blvd. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: seafood, cajun/creole, chicken wings
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Embers Wood Grill
- Rating: 4.2/5 (443 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 3545 Southwest 34th St. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: steakhouses, seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Gville Seafood and Chicken
- Rating: 4.4/5 (24 reviews)
- Address: 2224 East University Ave. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: seafood, chicken shop
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Zeynep Guler Tuck, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 282 metros.
