The Paper Bag in Gainesville made the cut on the Yelp database's Top 25 places to Eat for 2025.
Courtesy of Richard SterckKey Points
After a year of scouring Gainesville-area restaurants for the freshest ingredients, juiciest bites and sweetest desserts, Yelp Elites compiled and released the online review database’s Top 25 places to Eat for 2025 this week.
The list is Yelp’s second time ranking the culinary scene in and around Gainesville. Some local favorites like Satchel’s Pizza, Sohao Cafe and The Top that rounded out last year’s list stayed on for another year but in different positions, as new contenders such as Amrit Palace, The Paper Bag and DJ’s Cast Iron Burgers made the cut.
According to Yelp’s website, the list crafted by the locally based Yelp Elites ranked the restaurants based on total volume and ratings of reviews given by the Elites between Aug. 2024 and Aug. 2025. Each business on the list has a passing health score as of Sept. 10, 2025.
- Dragonfly Sushi and Sake
Location: 201 SE 2nd Ave. #104, Gainesville
Hours: 5-10 p.m. Sunday through Saturday
- Amrit Palace
Location: 3415 SW College Rd., Ocala
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, noon-10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
- Satchel’s Pizza
Location: 1800 NE 23rd Ave., Gainesville
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
- Edo Japanese Steakhouse
Location: 6419 W Newberry Rd. Ste. A3, Gainesville
Hours: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon-9:30 p.m. Sunday
- Kasai Sushi Bar & Kitchen
Location: 4401 NW 25th Pl. Ste. C, Gainesville
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday
- G’s BBQ
Location: 915 N Temple Ave., Starke
Hours: 6:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday through Saturday
- The Paper Bag
Location: 209 NW 75th St., Ste. 30, Gainesville
Hours: 6 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday
- Sohao Street Fare Cafe
Location: 3045 SW 34 St. #16, Gainesville
Hours: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Wednesday through Monday
- District Bar & Kitchen
Location: 110 SW Broadway St., Ocala
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday
- DJ’s Cast Iron Burgers
Location: 5310 NW 8th Ave., Gainesville
Hours: 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday through Saturday
- Flying Boat Tap Room
Location: 672 SE 58 Ave., Ocala
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday
- The Top
Location: 30 N Main St., Gainesville
Hours: 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 4 p.m.-2 a.m. Friday through Sunday
- Resident Coffee Roasters
Location: 4401 NW 25th Pl. Ste. J, Gainesville
Hours: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday
- Milano Italian Grille
Location: 5400 SW College Rd., Unit 104, Ocala
Hours: Noon-9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, noon-9:45 p.m. Friday and Saturday
- Indian Aroma
Location: 1310 SW 13th St. Ste. A, Gainesville
Hours: 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 5-9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 5-10 p.m. Friday through Saturday, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 5-9 p.m. Sunday
- Beque Holic
Location: 3812 Newberry Rd., Gainesville
Hours: 4-10:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday
- Pho House
Location: 6 S Main St., Gainesville
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday
- Superette
Location: 1511 NW 2nd St., Gainesville
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday
- La Hacienda
Location: 4185 W Hwy 40, Ocala
Hours: 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday
- Haeorum Foods
Location: 3045 SE 3rd Ave., Ocala
Hours: 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday
- Spurrier’s Gridiron Grille
Location: 4860 Steve Spurrier Way, Gainesville
Hours: 4-10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 4 p.m.-midnight Friday, 11 a.m.-midnight Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday
- SquareHouse Pizza
Location: 405 SW 4th Ave., Gainesville
Hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday
- Alpin Bistro
Location: 15 SW 2nd St., Gainesville
Hours: 5-10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 5-11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 5-11 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sunday
- Mini Momo
Location: 2441 NW 43rd St., Gainesville
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday
- Mesa de Notte
Location: 2436 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala
Hours: 3-9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
Tags: Alpin Bistro Amrit Palace Beque-Holic District Bar & Kitchen DJ's Cast Iron Burgers Dragonfly Sushi & Sake Company Edo Japanese Steakhouse Flying Boat Tap Room G's BBQ Gainesville Haeorum Foods Indian Aroma La Hacienda Mesa de Notte Milano Italian Grille Mini Momo North Central Florida Ocala Pho House Resident Coffee Roasters Restaurants Satchel's Pizza Sohao Street Fare Cafe Spurrier’s Gridiron Grille SquareHouse Pizza Starke Superette Wine + Provisions The Paper Bag The Top Restaurant Yelp Yelp Elite Squad
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The fact that Pearl’s isn’t on this list completely invalidates itself. Also Ocala is not the Gainesville area. Complete trash journalism.
Main Street Daily News is reporting what Yelp said. It’s Yelp that created the list, not MSDN. Your beef about Ocala being on the list should be with Yelp.
You shouldn’t repeat a report that isn’t true. Ocala and Starke are not Gainesville.
Q: For those restaurants in Gainesville, how many comply with the city’s food waste collection ordinance?
A: Only maybe 2.
why are Ocala and Starke restaurants on a Gainesville list? What about East End Bakery, The Clock, and The Bagel Bakery… there are several other IN GAINESVILLE that could be listed.
I wonder what the criteria is in rating the restaurants. I’m guessing they they compile people’s ratings on Yelp. For Gainesville a restaurant’s popularity is mostly about how trendy and cool a place is rather than quality of the food.