Reaching its 20th year in business, Satchel’s Pizza is a hippie’s paradise locals flock to for more than just the food. Its loud mosaic-tile paintings and stained-glass windows are a unique addition to founder Satchel Raye, who designed much of the pieces in his backyard, including a booth made out of his bright-blue 1965 Ford Falcon van after driving it for a decade. The restaurant is known for its over 30 pizza toppings, including four types of tempeh for vegans, and its deep-dish pie, the “Satch-Pan Pizza,” for $35. Guests can order individual slices for $4 or $6.50 for four toppings. Guests can expect live music and entertainment, a personal gift shop, and a children’s playground. The restaurant’s popularity led to Raye opening a sister location, Satch Squared, in 2021, specializing in Detroit-style pizza and waffles.  

Despite being just a newcomer to the Gainesville dining scene, Germain’s Chicken Sandwich Shop has quickly risen to near the top of it with locals. The restaurant began in Gainesville as a small food truck in February 2022, and it became so popular it quickly turned into a brick-and-mortar location featuring bright white and pink to give the restaurant a vintage feel and inviting atmosphere. Sandwiches are priced from $12 to $15, with creative names like the Honey Bird, topped by hot honey, and the Good Feather with garlic parmesan. The restaurant offers a Chic’N Little sandwich made with tofu for vegans and vegetarians and a Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich topped with kimchi.  

No matter the meal being craved, this Latin American staple does not discriminate. Open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily at both locations, El Indio offers breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert inspired by traditional Mexican cuisine. Located entirely outside, the restaurant reflects the warm climate of Central America. With a walk to the kiosk, guests can order El Indio’s breakfast-style quesadillas or Huevos Rancheros for $8, while taco salads loaded with beans, cheese, sour cream, salsa fresca, and guacamole in a crispy, golden-brown flour tortilla makes for a top lunch option. Finish the meal with a warm, fried cherry and apple burrito along with jamocha (combination of coffee, ice cream, and mocha syrup) malts, and milkshakes, which can be found on the menu for less than $4.  

Flaco’s Cuban Bakery caters to classic Cuban cuisine, both savory and sweet. With just a few sit-down tables and counters, this small shop is known for being the life of the after-party in Gainesville.

Up front, cooks serve warm plates of nachos with various toppings alongside soft corn arepas, stuffed sandwiches on flaky Cuban bread, burritos, and bowls for less than $11. In the back is a small taco bar for building your taco, burrito, or boat, with prices ranging from $2.50 to $7. For a quick pick-me-up, sweet guava pastries or savory meat empanadas can be paired with a drink for $2.75.  

Cry Baby’s tight quarters always promise crowded nights as people flock for cocktails and dinner deals week after week. Entering its doors, guests are illuminated by blaring bops, bright bulbs hanging from the ceiling, and green walls contrasting the brick tile below. Its happy hour marks peak business for Cry Baby’s. The restaurant’s food and drinks are priced proportionately to its hours, with items ranging from $4 to $7 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. with items like Yucca fries and chorizo-topped nachos for $7. On Wednesday nights, Cry Baby’s attempts to crowd in couples all over town with a bucket of fried chicken, thin-cut fries, slaw, and a bottle of red or white wine to share for $25.  

The Swamp Restaurant made a highly anticipated return to Gainesville in 2022 after being shut down and destroyed for a new property two years earlier. Since 1994, the Swamp has been the pit stop for game days of all kinds, with original jerseys and posters hanging from walls in every corner, plasma-screen TVs indoors and out, and an upstairs venue and balcony for parties and events. The restaurant offers lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch menus, with items ranging from $7 to $15. Jumbo wings tossed in sauces of your choice and fried alligator tails make for popular appetizers, as are pitchers of beer and cocktails for drinking. A smaller game-day menu offers specialty items and prices, including a best-seller barbecue pulled pork and cocktails.  

Another vision brought to life by Gator graduates, Dragonfly Sushi and Sake Co. has popularized Japanese cuisine in Gainesville for over two decades. Owners Hiro Leung and Song Kim aimed to expand access to Japanese food in a town they felt lacked it. The shareable menu items consistently bring in a large crowd, becoming a popular restaurant for date nights and celebrations. Begin the meal with buttered edamame and fried, peach-glazed krab wontons, followed by a specialty roll loaded with toppings not found in sushi bars nearby for $10 to $17, such as the Doralzuela roll with chimichurri steak and the Cobra Kai roll with garlic pesto and berry balsamic.  

In the heart of downtown Gainesville lies this small Italian-style restaurant with more veal dishes than any other in town: Amelia’s. A tiny gate opens to just a few tables and string-light decor, while inside diners find warm-colored walls and small round tables making this restaurant the go-to for dates and family gatherings. To kick off the meal, start with he Crostini NY topped with spinach and artichoke cream sauce, and the fried calamari for just $10. For less than $30, the restaurant serves a chicken, veal, or vegetarian entree along with a house salad, a choice of any marinara-garnished pasta, and bread. And the restaurant’s pasta dishes and eggplant parmesan don’t price over $20.  

The irony of food from a lavish city coming to a small college town in the South is not lost on locals. That is why Luke’s New York Bagels has maintained growing popularity since its opening in 2020.  Before the bagels, eyes are caught by the shop’s bright red color. Compared to typical bagel shops, Luke’s operates a grab-and-go style, with just a window to place an order. The shop prepares 15 bagels that average mostly within $3, all made with the New York Water Maker that produces the same water native to New York City.  In addition, Luke’s prepares eight flavors and nearly 400 pounds worth of shmear weekly. Although slightly more expensive, its tofu-based options are inclusive of vegan and vegetarian customers. But what most guests truly come for are the breakfast sandwiches starting at $4. Fried eggs are paired with anything from bacon and sausage to Taylor ham for $7.50 plus the price of the bagel.