Downtown diners enjoy a Friday evening on the Gainesville Square.
You’ll need a new dance card to have time to indulge in all the restaurants in downtown Gainesville. In fact, the city has proclaimed the area around the Gainesville Square the “Downtown Dining District.”
“Downtown has become a locally owned dining destination,” said Robyn Lynch, tourism director, City of Gainesville. “In the past 18 months to two years, the Square and surrounding area offer a wide range of international cuisine, hand-crafted burgers and upscale dining.”
Here’s a list of restaurants in and around Gainesville that have opened in the past two to three years:
Baddies Burger House, 125 Washington Street NE, (678) 971-1200, eatbaddies.com. Smash burgers as singles, doubles and triples, hand-cut fries served classic or Cajun, and house-made pudding in two standard choices – banana and cookies-n-crème, plus pudding of the month. It has three other locations in North Georgia: Watkinsville, and two in Athens at Five Points and Normaltown.
CHRSTEAK Dry-Aged Prime Steakhouse, 126 Bradford St NE, (678) 696-5111, chrsteak.com. Fine dining steakhouse featuring dry-aged prime beef, wild game, small plates from sticky pork belly to tenderloin carpaccio, soups, salads, entrée choices from seared scallops to lamb chops, boutique wines, curated cocktails and a raw bar; check the website for the dress code.
Craft Burger by Shane, 118 Jesse Jewell Pkwy SE #200, (470) 760-9558, craftburgerbyshane.com. More than a dozen choices of hand-crafted burgers, sammies from chicken and steak to shrimp and Philly cheese, buffalo wings, fried chicken served several different ways, salads, homemade sides, including sweet potato fries, fried brussels sprouts and onion rings. The North Georgia franchise has seven other locations: Alpharetta, Suwanee, Jones Bridge, North Main in Alpharetta, Medlock Bridge in Johns Creek and Duluth.
Decoy, 123 Green St NE, (678) 943-1371, eatplaydecoy.com. Eatery, bar and gaming adventure featuring appetizers, salads, sandwiches and burgers, plus spiced rubbed pork chop, short ribs, fried chicken and fish tacos.
E-Gyu All You Can Eat Revolving Sushi & Korean BBQ, 635 Jesse Jewell Pkwy, egyugainesville.com. Korean BBQ, many choices of Wagyu Beef, pork, chicken, seafood, tempura, plus sides including edamame, kimchi and sauces including sriracha, spicy mayo, yum yum and Korean Soy Bean paste. A wide selection of sushi and sushi rolls is also served. Nearly a dozen American and traditional Korean desserts are available. The restaurant has a second location at 5979 Buford Hwy NE St A2.
Sanctuary on the Square, 107 Bradford St NW, 470-290-5559, sanctuaryots.com. Serving tapa-style small plates for lunch and dinner, the restaurant features a dinner menu that adds soups and salads from butternut squash soup to spinach salad with hot bacon dressing. Dinner entrees are an international mix of pork schnitzel to shrimp and grits and chicken marsala. Seasonal cobblers, espresso tres leches and chocolate peanut butter tart add a sweet to end the meal.
Top Sushi, 1925 Jesse Jewell Pkwy SE #100, (470) 290-8112, no website at time of publication. The menu is extensive – we checked it out on ubereats.com – and includes traditional appetizers like Magura Tataki, Crab Rangoon, mussel shooters and gyoza. Nearly 20 items from rice bowls to hibachi, sushi rolls, hand rolls, nigiri and sashimi.
The Stag Chophouse, 110 Main Street SW, (470) 252-5016, thestagchophouse.com. Serving lunch featuring crab cakes, specialty salads, burgers, ribs and sandwiches. The dinner menu offers seafood, chops and steaks, including seabass, prime filets and rack of lamb, plus hand-crafted sides ranging from lobster mac and cheese to bacon and hot honey brussels sprouts. Guests can choose from specialty cocktails and a wide selection of wines from Italy, France, Germans and California.
Other notables on or near the square: Cotto, Centro, Consuelo, Taqueria Tsunami, Recess Southern Gastro-pub, Sweet Magnolia, Collegiate Grille, Atlas Pizza, Avocados, and North Georgia BBQ & Oyster Shop. And that’s not to mention the restaurants located a block or two from the square.
“It’s really exciting to see how downtown has evolved into a vibrant destination for locals and visitors,” Lynch said. “You can probably eat here a couple of times a week and it would take at least two months to sample the amazing foods that our chefs and restaurateurs have to offer. With spring finally here and summer not far behind, we’ll have many events downtown. If you haven’t been downtown lately, or you’re seeking a fun place to gather with friends and eat out, check out our calendar at ExploreGainesville.org.”
Photos: by Vicki and Alan Hope
