In October, business review company Yelp released its 2024 Top Places to Eat in the Gainesville area list.
Local favorites such as Satchel’s and Germain’s made it in the roundup of 25 restaurants selected based on total volume and ratings of reviews written by the Gainesville Yelp Elite Squad.
“The Gainesville area’s vibrant food scene is a delightful reflection of its diverse community and rich cultural tapestry,” said Simone Mitchell, Gainesville’s Yelp community ambassador in an email to Mainstreet. “This list not only showcases a variety of cuisines but also highlights unexpected gems that resonate deeply with local tastes and preferences.”
The Yelp Elite Squad restaurant reviews factored into the rankings, is a group of community members who Mitchell said are known for their expertise in local businesses and passion for sharing them with others through well-written reviews.
Yelp created Elite Squads in 2005 in order to recognize reviewers positively influencing the platform to the benefit of local businesses and to help consumers find trusted review sources. Yelp Elites can nominate themselves or others for the role.
In order to be considered for the 2024 list for Gainesville, Yelp Elites ranked restaurants by Elite reviews given between August 2023 to 2024. The businesses had to be marked open on Yelp as of Sept. 25 this year, and when available, they had to have a passing health score since Sep. 25.
“This list provides a unique perspective that goes beyond what you would find by searching on the Yelp app, offering a trusted guide to standout local restaurants,” Mitchell said. “By using this list, diners can explore highly-rated spots and enjoy the culinary delights that make Gainesville special.”
The list can be found below as well as on Yelp’s website, and on yelpgainesville’s Instagram.
- Satchel’s Pizza
Location: 1800 NE 23 Ave.
Hours: Tuesday thru Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday and Monday closed - Germain’s Chicken Sandwiches
Location: 220 NW 8 Ave. #10
Hours: Monday thru Thursday 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday closed - District Bar & Chicken
Location: 110 SW Broadway St., Ocala
Hours: Sunday thru Thursday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-midnight - afternoon
Location: 231 NW 10 Ave.
Hours: Friday thru Tuesday 9 a.m.-3 p.m. - Momoyaki
Location: 1624 SW 13 St.
Hours: Monday thru Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday 4-9 p.m. - Sohao Cafe
Location: 3045 SW 34 St. #16
Hours: Wednesday thru Monday 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Tuesday closed - Sushi Hana
Location: 3147 SW 45 St. Ste. 10
Hours: Monday thru Thursday 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 4:30 p.m.-10 p.m., Friday 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 4:30 p.m.-11 p.m., Saturday noon-11 p.m., Sunday noon-10 p.m. - Covey Kitchen + Cocktails
Location: 1514 SW 14 St.
Hours: Sunday thru Thursday 7 a.m.-11 p.m., Friday and Saturday 7 a.m.-midnight - Flying Boat Tap Room
Location: 9672 SE 58 Ave., Belleview
Hours: Wednesday thru Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Monday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. - Dragonfly Sushi and Sake
Location: 201 SE 2 Ave. #104
Hours: Sunday thru Thursday 5-10 p.m., Friday thru Saturday 5-11 p.m. - Milano Italian Grille
Location: 5400 SW College Rd., Ocala
Hours: Sunday thru Thursday noon-9 p.m., Friday and Saturday noon-9:45 p.m. - Ninja Sushi & Thai
Location: 2575 SW 42 St. #109, Ocala
Hours: Thursday, Monday, Wednesday 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Tuesday closed - The Top
Location: 30 N Main St.
Hours: Tuesday thru Thursday 5 p.m.-2 a.m., Friday thru Sunday 4 p.m.-2 a.m., Monday closed - Haeorum Food
Location: 3045 SE 3 Ave., Ocala
Hours: Monday thru Friday 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday closed - Laki’s Greek Restaurant
Location: 3405 SW College Rd., Ocala
Hours: Sunday thru Thursday 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. - Fehrenbacher’s Meats & Eats
Location: 411 SW 4 Ave.
Hours: Tuesday thru Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday closed - Mesa de Notte
Location: 2436 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala
Hours: Tuesday thru Saturday 3-9 p.m., Sunday and Monday closed - Ocala’s Downtown Diner
Location: 816 S Magnolia Ave., Ocala
Hours: Monday thru Friday 6 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m.-3 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m.-2 p.m. - La Tienda Latina
Location: 2204 SW 13 St.
Hours: Monday thru Thursday 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. - Pearl Country Store & Barbecue
Location: 106 NE Hwy 441 A, Micanopy
Hours: Monday thru Thursday 6 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday thru Sunday 6 a.m.-8 p.m. - Arashi Yama Sushi & Hibachi
Location: 4780 NW 39 Ave Ste. 1
Hours: Tuesday thru Thursday 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 4:30-9:30 p.m., Friday 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 4:30-10 p.m., Saturday 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., 4:30-10 p.m., Sunday noon-3 p.m., 4:30-9 p.m., Monday closed - Goldie’s Burgers
Location: 201 SE Depot Ave.
Hours: Wednesday thru Friday noon-8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday and Tuesday closed - Ivy on the Square
Location: 53 S Magnolia Ave., Ocala
Hours: Tuesday thru Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday and Monday closed - Sun Sushi and Izakaya
Location: 2001 NW 13 St.
Hours: Tuesday thru Saturday 11 a.m.-2 p.m., 4:30-9 p.m., Sunday 4:30-9 p.m., Monday closed - Loosey’s
Location: 120 SW 1 Ave.
Hours: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-noon, Tuesday closed
This looks like every Gen Z in town voted. These are good but a few better ones are not mentioned
Right??
Like, where is Cedar River? El Indio? Sandy’s Place? Bagel Bakery? Mill Bakery? Mac’s Burgers?
Better ones are very pricey, maybe that is factored into the reviews.
Bangkok Square, Blue Highway, Volcanic Sushi, Linda Vista, Piesano’s are all good!
Haeorum Food #14 is in Ocala.
Definitely looking forward to trying some of these, but Momoyaki? That’s basically a dollar store Sawamura.
This just seems like an advertising blitz. Unpopular opinion: Satchels is too expensive for what it is. Good but not worth the price.