This is my 5th time here at liquid ginger. I could testified that their service is a hit or a miss depending on the time of day. Their sushi I had was a bit expensive for what it's worth--that one time I went here with a friend and we ordered 40 dollars worth of sushi and we left unsatisfied by both the quality and service given) Other than that one experience, the other had been great. If you're here for the first timw, I recommend trying their "Spicy Cream Schrimp", it's delicious.
(4)
Kevin C.
Description: I came here a few weeks ago for lunch. A friend of mine said their food was pretty good and worth trying so I figured why not. From where it's located to its name, Liquid Ginger, sounds like a cool fusion hip restaurant if I had to take a wild guess. Although the interior is nice and somewhat ideal to bring a date, it wasn't what I was expecting. The place looked a tad worn out and generic. My guess is that the restaurant has looked the same for a long time. Again, nothing wrong just not what I expected when I heard the name. Food & Service: I will say their lunch menu is very affordable and quite reasonable. A lot of their lunch specials came with a soup and salad, not bad. It seems to be a solid place for people getting a bite to eat on their lunch break. Not sure about their dinner. Anyways, my experience turned a bit sour from there. After getting my water, my waiter didn't come back for awhile to take my order. Granted he was busy but it took longer than usual. I ordered the coconut curry with shrimp. Soup and salad were very basic. It's nice that they come with the meal but it's just filler food in my opinion. The curry was eh. Flavor wasn't bad but it was slightly watery and wasn't very hot. Rice portion was a tad stingy. The vegetables and shrimp weren't good though. Not well seasoned and tasted like packaged food. The shrimp was way too rubbery, definitely overcooked. I was in and out pretty quick because I had to work. The waiter was kind enough to bring me a box and my check swiftly so I could leave. Final Thoughts: Overall, I'll still give the place 3 stars because I didn't have a terrible experience but it definitely won't be memorable. There's a chance I'll come here again for lunch because of the prices though. I'll stick to something else next time. I've heard their dinner is not bad though? I'll do a possible updated review in the future. Oh! I heard they do have some good tea though, also something to check out maybe.
(3)
Avinash K.
This is a pretty good place for lunch, we had gone about 30 mins before closing time, but we were seated and got our food fairly quickly, we got the lunch combo which includes soup,salad, spring roll rice and entree. The weird thing is I ordered Pad Thai with Chicken and I still got a side of rice, those who ordered fried rice, ended up not getting a side of rice, I mean it makes sense to have with curry. Strange !! But the service was good and food was pretty good.
(3)
Andrew V.
The food was great. Worth the price (runs around 20 a person). With dinner comes 4 small side dishes, all of which were very good. Also includes ice cream for dessert - a few different flavors, all were great! Nice atmosphere as well.
(5)
Heather S.
A great place to bring out of town guests: The food is consistently delicious and the atmosphere is relaxing. The lunch specials are a great value. Dinner is a bit on the expensive side. The crispy lime tilapia is a favorite of mine but the eel appetizer keeps me coming back.
(4)
Christine W.
I came here with my family on Christmas Day after driving around Gainesville looking for a place that was open. Even though I have lived in Gainesville before (during my undergrad days), I had never been to Liquid Ginger. There were plenty of tables open, probably only two or three other small groups eating, when we came in. We were seated quickly and water was brought out right away. Our waitress was nice; she answered our questions and took our orders in a timely manner. The decorations were trendy and not tacky. Originally, I wanted to get sushi, but after looking at the quality of the fish, my mom didn't think it looked super fresh. I mean, we did show up the evening of Christmas, so maybe it's not usually like that. Anyway, I ordered the pad thai with beef and I enjoyed it. The pad thai was slightly spicier than most places, but I liked it like that, since most pad thai is extremely sweet. There was a lot of food on my plate. I did think it was strange, though, that it came with a tiny dish of rice, but everyone's dish did, so I guess that's just how they do things there. I think my brother ended up eating my rice because he didn't have enough, so it worked out anyway. Dishes my other family members ordered included thai red curry, coconut curry chicken, some dish with scallions and beef and ginger, and some beef and veggie stuff in a clay pot. The red curry was spicy and tasty, but the other dishes were unremarkable, especially the clay pot dish. My husband didn't finish the clay pot dish because it wasn't that great, so we took some of it home. When I decided to eat it the next day, I had to put a good amount of sriracha on it to give it some more flavor. I decided to give Liquid Ginger 3 stars because of the following reasons: - I enjoyed my pad thai - the prices were on the high side - fast service I probably wouldn't go back again unless I wanted to try their sushi, but I wouldn't discourage anyone to go try them out... just don't get the clay pot dish!
(3)
Brooke E.
The staff here is really nice and attentive. The restaurant is clean. The problem is, their sushi is really sloppy. It's definitely affordable, but the rice was falling off and the fish was just okay. It's a nice spot to go for tea but not a good sushi spot.
(2)
Alan W.
There is absolutely NOTHING objectionable about Liquid Ginger. I ate chicken curry, beef bulgogi, rib eye steak, salad w/ sesame dressing, miso soup, broccoli, pickles, potatoes, plum and lavender teas, and green tea ice cream. I can't say that anything was mind-blowing, but it was certainly a place I'd return to. Expect to pay $20/person and have a nice time, not the best time, but you run absolutely no risk of getting dumped here.
(4)
Jayme M.
The atmosphere is very beautiful and the view into the plaza is amazing. I enjoyed the food, can't complain on it too much. However, I can complain on the service. Our waiter wasn't that friendly and absent more than most of the time. We waited for what seemed 10 minutes to even see our waitor and when he arrived he had 2 waters for us, which we didn't order. He never checked on us and just didn't seem to care. I'd come back, but would just hope for a different server!
(3)
Luke G.
I have been coming to this restaurant for over a year now at least once or twice a month. The serving sizes have generously gone down and the service is not as great as it should be for a restaurant like that. 1. The tea has gone from amazing loose leaf to cheap tasteless tea bags (A brand I have never heard of). 2. Our waiter Alex was absolutely terrible. We arrived waited 15 minutes to get waters; waited another 15 for our drink orders and so we decided to order our food at the same time. It took forever to get refills and our food. After 50 minutes of waiting our food, it arrived so we went ahead and asked for the check. 3. Sauce spilled on the table and he handed me paper napkins to wipe it up myself. He then left and I had to ask him to wipe it up again! Update: it's been about 2 months since I've been back and I'm sad to say the service is worse. I've tried talking to the owner/manager and he had a hard time understanding me. If they got better service if be coming back again.
(2)
James O.
haha, wow. I had such a horrible experience at Bahn Thai that it is actually making me lower my standards (and appreciate) what little Gainesville has! Liquid Ginger isn't trying to be Thai at least, its more of an Asian Fusion place heavier on the Japanese. The salmon ginger on coconut rice is actually pretty delicious.
(3)
Kristen H.
My family has been eating at Liquid Ginger for years. I love the spicy cream shimp. I always add the soup and salad - my favorite is the spinach tofu (although the miso is excellent) and the sesame salad dressing (the ginger is good too!). I also like that this place is open on days other restaurants like Mark's Prime and Embers are closed. Oh yeah - and the Buddha rolls are a must!
(5)
Jaimie L.
We came here on a whim, service was a little slow but the portions were large for the price! Love it! I ordered the Beef Bulgogi and my bf ordered the steak, his steak was hugeeee and good for the price! I was impressed, downside is that they give you a tiny bowl of rice -_- .
(4)
Rania G.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in Gainesville! I always get the miso soup, which is by far my favorite miso soup ever. I also highly recommend the ginger dressing on the salad, which is unique to Liquid Ginger. Instead of being the usual orange-colored dressing served at most asian restaurants, this dressing is creamy, gingery, cool, crisp, and DELICIOUS. My favorite meal is the spicy cream shrimp, another unique dish that I've never seen anywhere. I love the variety of sides that come with the bento box. I also love the garlic eggplant from the appetizer menu. Recently they have added in a sushi bar. I will be honest, I go elsewhere if I'm looking for sushi in Gainesville, so I can not review that new addition to the restaurant. While it can be pricey, you can get many of the same dishes for lunch at a better price if you want to try it without the financial commitment. I will also admit that service has been spotty in the past, but overall Liquid Ginger does not disappoint.
(5)
Emily D.
Working in food service for years now, I am always very lenient on restaurants. I know what it is like when you are having a bad day or you are swamped and there are a lot of things going on that the customer does not see that can affect performance. That being said I have been very disappointed in Liquid Ginger, I have been here twice and I have not even eaten here yet. The first time I went with my boyfriend we were wandering around downtown and ran into it and thought we would check it out. We went in around dinner time and we were very confused because there was almost no one there, no one at the hostess station, no menus available and it looked like an old dentist office, so we left. The second and last time we went in, was a Saturday night. The neon highlighter menu sign outside led us to believe it would not be a "fancy"place, and we couldn't tell from our last visit because we hadn't really seen any customers inside. The hostess was outright rude to us because apparently it is supposed to be relatively fancy and we were not really dressed up. Then she gave us crap for not having a reservation on a Saturday night around 7... but half the restaurant was empty... So we left. Probably won't be trying for a third time because of all the other great Asian options downtown that put emphasis on customer service.
(1)
Gloria S.
5 stars FOR LUNCH, prices very reasonable, starting $7 for entree with appetizer, soup, salad. Compliments to the chef indeed! There is no cook here. Service was excellent, well informed, very patient and friendly. Location is easy to find in the Sun Center, there is free parking in back of the L shaped building. They are located on the lower level, corner of the L. Returning asap.
(5)
James S.
Been here several times, excellent selection of items. Service is horrendous, waited 10 minutes before a server acknowledged we were there. Ordered 2 cocktails, on a gin and tonic came with flat tonic, when brought to manager's attention, he said he would replace the tonic with a sparkling water, since when does sparkling water substitute for tonic? The sushi, salad, soup and entrees were quite good. With all the excellent restaurants in Gainesville, it's unlikely we will return
(2)
Lin Z.
Came here with my friend. My friend highly recommend it here for me. However, It was OK for me, and I got the Pad Thai. The lunch combo comes with soup and salad
(3)
Donna C.
The number one thing I look for in a server is when I have left overs you bring it to the kitchen to box it up. BAM ! My server did that 20% tip . Food is very good, a lot of options. Always go for the Bento box it's well worth the $4 . Also it's one of the few places in town that take a reservation. They renovated not too long ago and added a big bar and a sushi bar.
(4)
Sudhamshu R.
The ginger sauce is awesome. The desserts are pretty good too.
(5)
Mike W.
I had dinner with a couple friends here a few weeks ago and it was my first visit to Liquid Ginger in literally years. The interior had been renovated at some point and while I've always considered the space a bit awkward, it was nice enough and in fact inviting with this renovation. The lobby/waiting area however is far too small for how busy this restaurant gets--and on a Saturday night it was indeed busy. The food was pretty good but not outstanding: I had a tilapia in a soy reduction sauce and it was fine though the portion was meager, to put it nicely. And in saying that, I'm not someone who desires the oversized portions you find in American chain restaurants at all, but this--even in the bento box option which came with soup, salad, and some sides--wasn't enough for dinner, really. In addition, our waiter was brand new to the job and thus learning everything. That's fine, it was his first day he said, but he was not aware of what hardly anything on the menu was and seemed poorly-trained. Perhaps he normally would have had someone more senior to mentor him or for him to shadow and that wasn't possible given how busy the restaurant was, but he did a couple things--like bringing the ice cream that came with our bento-upgraded meals--before the meals were finished, rushing us and leaving us with melting ice cream. The concept of Asian fusion is one I have mixed feelings over, having lived in San Francisco where the genre probably started and where it has been refined to an art form. I don't like seeing this approach in Gainesville very much, however, because often things become something of a muddle. That's true of Bento, that's true of Chop Stix, and it's true I feel of Liquid Ginger, as well. The dishes are diverse and include some interesting concepts, but there was an overall feeling of trying to do too much, which was not made any better by the small portions.
(3)
Andrew V.
Was very nice. Ate here about two weeks ago. Food was good and service ok. I wouldn't say awesome but it was crowded though that's for sure. I'm going to go back.
(4)
Scott K.
This is a great local eatery. My wife and I have been quite a few times and it is a great atmosphere for a date. Quiet, great service, not right in the downtown hustle, and with parking not being a problem. The food is great and a really good deal and they offer a wide variety of cuisines that should meet most people needs. The sushi is great and I always get at least a roll with my meal as an appetizer. The tuna roll last night was spectacular! I had the Pad Thai which was very good and with the Bento box upgrade was a lot of food. The service was spectacular!
(4)
Nadia F.
I was just here with a very large group of people, and the food and service were great. I had their Miso soup (pretty good), a House Salad with ginger dressing (great), and I had Thai Lime and Coconut Chicken (okay). A bunch of people got Pad Thai Chicken, which definitely looked better and if I were to go back, I'd go and get that. The location, however, is awful. I went there late at night and it was in downtown. A lot of homeless people hovered around the building. Downtown Gainesville makes me a bit uncomfortable because on more than one occasion I've been harassed by homeless people there, so just watch out. Drive there, don't commute.
(4)
Channa P.
I was skeptical to try this place because after reading reviews the food only sounded so-so. The place was suggested to me by a UF alum while I was on travel for a career fair. She raved about the place, but my fellow yelpers made it sound like it had lost it's luster. The food was not the best I've ever had, but it was certainly good. Then again I just love curry and shrimp. My favorite thing about this place was the long list of loose leaf teas. I'm kind of a snob about tea, and any place that serves it properly in a kettle has my heart. My Jasmine Oolong was what I needed after a long day of talking to super excited students. If you are new to the area or traveling, you will probably like this place. It's in a cute downtown center and you won't be disappointed by nostalgic memories that didn't live up to reality.
(4)
Coty S.
Great location in the Sun Center. It can be a parking nightmare if you come here during busy downtown hours. But, if you get here for an early dinner, the parking is free at the Sun Center and there are actually spaces. I love the decor and interior, even the lobby area is great with plenty of seating. If you dine here on a Friday or Saturday night, they will look at you crazy if you do not have a reservation. We did not, and it was quite humorous the attitude we received, especially after trying the food. They have a large drink menu and a bartender, many customers were ordering drinks. I believe that there is a happy hour that we were there for, but our server never told us about it or the specials. As other reviews fail to mention, the meals here are like an over sized Bento box. So, instead of a Bento Box, it is plates arranged on a large wooden tray (see photo). There are also many appetizers to choose from for a separate fee. All entrees include your choice of soup (choices were miso or tofu spinach), your choice of salad dressing (choices were ginger or sesame), then a large dinging tray divided into separate plates, and then finished with your choice of ice cream flavor (red bean, green tea, chocolate mint). All of this comes included in the entree price. The large dining tray divided into separate plates contains; a rice ball, four veggies of Chef's choice (mine was dry-fried string beans, steamed broccoli, cold sesame noodles, and sweet chopped cucumber pickles), the the actual entree dish in the center. I had the Lime Tilapia, which was fried fish (katsu style) with a side of lime sauce to dip it in. Their version of Bang Bang Shrimp was the same shrimp used in Sweet and Sour style shrimp covered in sweet chili mayo. The Spicy Chicken in Bean Sauce was all white meat chicken covered in bean sauce from a jar with bell peppers. This restaurant has so much potential, but the entrees are low quality. It is like if you took a serving tray and put a bunch of pretty ceramic dishes on it, then filled those dishes with Chinese take-out items. All of the food just had that fresh-off-the-buffet taste, glistening in cornstarch sauce. The price must be tripled because of all of the dishes they have to clean and the high rent. Prices range from $15 to $33 for a large amount of food, but a buffet tastes the same and has a large amount of food as well.
(3)
A C.
This place came with a lot of strong recommendations from friends, but it really fell short. Based on other reviews, it seems like Liquid Ginger was once a hopping, trendy, and tasteful spot to eat. That is definitely not the case anymore. I can't even get to the food without discussing how poorly this restaurant is managed. It is clearly understaffed, as evidenced by a Friday night, in which the hostess is forced to bus tables, stock the bar, make drinks, and seat guests. There were numerous tables that were left dirty (ie, plates, drinks on the tables) for the entire 90 minutes we were there. They seemed to only clean the tables as needed. Did I say that I was there for 90 minutes? Yup - because it took over 60 minutes to get our entrees. The waitstaff is friendly, and definitely doing their best, but they are just undermanned. It's not fair to blame them. The food itself is not redeeming. It's basically like a local version of P.F. Chang's, but I'd prefer P.F. Chang's. We had the fried oysters ($10), which were underwhelming. The recommendation was for the calimari, but that seemed such a generic choice. Korean-style rib eye ($16) was a sizable portion, but the sauce was only okay. The shrimp and scallop shitaake ($15) was drowning in the sauce. The red bean ice cream was not bad, but I'm sure a nice novelty for most people. Basically, go somewhere else in GNV to get your Asian eat on. I've been to Dragonfly, which is more expensive, but nice. The Bento Cafe is also another good option, although more lunch-oriented.
(2)
Passion P.
Haven't been here in a couple years b/c it was so hit and miss with some dishes just being gross in conception. Everything was GREAT. 3 of us (vegetarian or pescatarian) ordered bento box versions of our meals --- crispy tilapia, crispy cream shrimp, pad thai. It was so much food and variety and everything was really tasty. Service was professional. Cocktail (Singapore Mule) was good, too --- not over sweet. Vegetarians, give this place another look. Seemed to have a range of decent vegan options but don't quote me on that.
(4)
Sloppy J.
Maybe I should've tried something else but my tofu curry was weirdly sweet and bland all at once. Service was great, though.
(3)
K S.
Delicious, delicious, delicious! I absolutely LOVE Liquid Ginger! They have the best miso soup and their entrees are very flavorful. Even their ice creams are yummy. My favorite restaurant in Gainesville, hands down.
(5)
Bela T.
We used to love Liquid Ginger but will not be going back now. They changed the style of the meals. You used to to get your main protein with a side of veggies and noodles and rice in a bento style box. You also used to get soup and salad with it. Now, all you get Is your protein and rice. It is a pathetic change honestly. We were very disappointed.
(2)
Ian W.
Good stuff. Ate here for lunch. Ordered the red curry chicken. $7 included miso soup, salad with ginger dressing, veggie spring roll, rice and entree. Nice spice on chicken. Service was quick and very polite. 2 thumbs up!
(4)
Gator G.
I've been to LG several times before and enjoyed it. But as other have shared, things have changed. I went with a group of 7 with a reservation at 6:30 p.m. -- two hours before we were planning to see a show at the Hipp. Plenty of time, right? Not so much. Service was excruciatingly slow. Took forever just go get drinks. Finally the rest of my party got theirs but I waited another 10 minutes to get the tea I ordered. While our waiter was nice enough and trying, everything else went downhill from there. I ordered a filet mignon cooked medium. It comes with rice but I didn't want the rice and asked if I could just get some veggies on the side instead. He said no substitutions. I asked if I can just order a side of veggies and pay for it and just don't bring the rice. Okay, fine. Quite a while later, soups and salads arrived for others and then we continued to wait for our entrees. A while later, five us us received our food and we waited another 5 minutes for the last two to arrive. My filet was well done. The waiter did not disagree and asked if I wanted a new one. Of course! I'm paying $20 for an 8 oz. filet (with no sides). I don't think it's too much to ask for it cooked correctly. He came back and said they were preparing a new one right now. So I ate my tiny side of veggies. Twenty minutes later, after everyone had finished their dinners, my filet had still not arrived. I watched him walk out of the kitchen with a filet on a plate and thought for sure it was mine and he took it to another table! I called the hostess over and told her that I just wanted to cancel my order. A few minutes later the waiter came over and said my steak was ready if I wanted it or he could put it in a to-go box -- OR he could just take it off the bill. Everyone was done with their meals and ready to go. I didn't want to feel like I had to scarf down my $20 steak or take it home. I declined. He said the kitchen was short staffed the the restaurant was full. Guess what? We got here two hours ago. If you don't have the staff to cook for your patrons then you should stop seating people! Adding insult to injury, he brings me a bill for $2.00 for the side of veggies. Really? You couldn't make a kind gesture for the debacle by comping the veggies? Whatever. There was an obvious lack of management at the restaurant. Nobody ever came to the table and apologized. The only reason why I gave Liquid Ginger two stars is because my friends enjoyed their food. But their service, customer service and management need some serious work. After the show, I had dinner at The Top. A much better place to eat downtown. Never bad service or a bad meal.
(2)
Travis L.
Compared to all the other places downtown this place is second rate but not a bad spot to try once. They do offer a different style of dinner than other places in town. The biggest change they have made is the price does not include the bento box style. Make sure if you do not want the bento box to tell them as they will assume you want it which is shady. I've been here twice and have had poor service both times. The food this time wasn't too bad as I had the hot and spicy chicken. The sherbet at the end was pretty good. I'd try this place for a date night but not a group.
(2)
Brad K.
I like this place. It's good quality food. A little high priced I think for what you are getting. It's age is starting to show over the years, they need to do some touch up painting and remodeling I think. You can't charge top dollar for Asian food and not have a nice place, sorta looks like it's falling apart a little. Worn out cushions on seats, etc. But it's a good place to go for a nice out on the town in Gville.
(4)
Cori W.
This place just seems like it has really lazy management. It gives off the expectations of being a really nice place, except that the food is just not up to par. First the seared tuna smelled and tasted fishy and not-fresh, and then after getting another dish in the hopes of not getting sick, it was just bland and WAY overpriced. Not to mention the bathroom had stained toilets and was just disgusting in general. This place is really mediocre food for way too much money, and perhaps might not have been so bad if it weren't for raising expectations through atmosphere and pricing. I would never pay $15 for pad thai that is bright orange and most assuredly has ketchup in it. It's like they used an asian cookbook with mediocre recipes. I will definitely not be back.
(2)
Michael W.
I t has been two years since I have gone to this place. They have remodeled the place to make it bigger. They moved their entrance to the side and added a few more tables and redecorated. Overall, the theme of the place was very pan Asian but more towards the Chinese decoration. We started with the Asian Calamari and ordered two different type of Tea: Peppermint and Ginseng Oolong. Personally I thought the tea had weak flavor. I could taste the flavor but it was weak due to lack of tea leaves or rushed brewing. Anyhow, the calamari was good; I liked their sweet spicy sauce (Very Spicy). So after juggling between a few dishes, I ended up picking up the Shrimp and Scallop Sauteed with Shitashki mushroom with a Wine sauce on Bak Choy. The dinner came with rice, salad, soup and a dessert. The ginger salad had a nice homemade ginger sauce. The miso soup was a bit salty. But overall the main course meal was good. Presentation was good. Not great, hence why I gave them a 4 stars. I believe they can do better especially if they are trying to be a middle/high class seat down restaurant. The meal came with 4 sides: sour cucumber, cold lo mein, butter squash and a side that I cannot recognize. However, the meal was delicious and worth every penny I paid for. So I do recommend my dish that I ordered. Anyhow, one of my friends ended up ordering a few appetizers, looks like he enjoyed it. My other friend ordered the pasta with shrimp. He enjoyed it too. For dessert, we end up getting ice cream. I got the green tea, my friends ended up getting red bean ice cream and butterscotch. I recommend the red bean ice cream! But yea, when I go back again, I will try a different dish. A word of advice for those people that are going to Liquid Ginger: order the food that you do not see often in order Chinese restaurants! Do not order anything from the Grill, that type of food is too common. Order something you don't normally eat!
(4)
Patrick H.
Nice to order a bento box and get that 'complete meal experience', however the main entre left me regretting my menu choice. By far the worst chicken pad thai I've ever ordered, however all the sides were great and this made up for it. It is a good place to go for a large selection on the menu, however just be sure to steer clear of the pad thai
(2)
Ryan F.
Smells like an antique shop. Slow service -- a large group will practically shut down the kitchen. A table next us waited so long that they were about to leave. Redeeming quality? Good Food. The liquid ginger steak was chargrilled nicely and pad thai my gf had was quality.
(3)
Chelsea B.
Go here! I've been meaning to check out Liquid Ginger for several months, and tonight I finally had the chance. I mistakenly thought my friend had made reservations and thought we might have to wait. But although the place was full, the wait was short. The food was wonderful. I haven't had many bento box experiences, but this was definitely my favorite. My drink (a sake/martini combo) was decent but, according to my friend, had a weird aftertaste. He's crazy. The waiter was somewhat unmemorable. He wasn't bad, but he wasn't great. Just decent. Although, maybe that's a little unfair because I can't tolerate servers who are overly friendly. My main issue, though, was with the couple seated next to us. Whoever thought that skipping a babysitter and opting to bring their child to this restaurant was extremely mistaken. Strangely enough everyone, except the servers who kept almost tripping over him, thought the kid was cute roaming around touching everyone/everything. I'm glad my friends were equally disgusted as I. Leave the children at home! But all in all, I thought Liquid Ginger was fabulous and can't wait to return!
(5)
Richard W.
The food here is pretty good. If it was just about food, I'd come back again and again. However, what sucks here is the service. It's understaffed and the people they do have dont seem to want to work. It still took about 30 mins to get seated even though there were clearly plenty of seats open. After ordering we waited about an hour for any kind of food to arrive. When it did arrive it's was very good. Everything was well cooked. My water glass was never refilled and I couldn't seem to flag down a waiter for anything. If you want good food, have time to burn and dont really care about service, then this is the place to go.
(3)
Iffat B.
This place is unlike any other restaurant that I've been to. They have a variety of teas. I ordered the raspberry tea which was excellent! For my entree I ordered the Grilled Salmon with the ginger glaze and coconut rice which came in a bento box with a variety of other sides. That rice was amazing as was the salmon. They also served ice cream at the end of the meal. I was so looking forward to the strawberry cheesecake ice cream, but they ran out so I had the red bean. It was ok. Overall, I was very satisfied with my meal and would return in a heartbeat!
(4)
Rashna S.
I am giving this place 3 stars because the food was decent but wasn't as good as I expected. For a Thair restaurant, it didn't have many curries. I ordered the Tuna dish and I found it very dry. The waiter asked me how I would like it cooked and I told him rare, but my tuna was def not rare and seemed med rare to well done! The service is friendly, but slow.
(3)
Jana E.
This is my favorite restaurant of all time!!! I pretty much ate here at least once a week since discovering it... all the way til my graduation. I had my graduation dinner here. I'm sad that I live so far away from this place! I had stumbled onto this place when Dragonfly's wait was ridiculous. My favorite dishes are spicy cream shrimp and pan seared tuna with hot chili sauce. Lunch specials are sooo cheap and dinner prices are reasonable because it comes with the best ginger salad, miso soup, sides and ice cream! Red bean is so good. Will is the best!!! :)
(5)
Steven G.
I recently purchased a groupon/livingsocial deal thinking I could use it for lunch. I missed the fine print and could only use it for dinner. Since I am a student, without any support, we have avoided coming here for dinner. It is not cheap for dinner. Since we had the certificate already, we decided to use it. Their meals are complete dinners, as others have mentioned. The Miso soup is excellent. The salad is fresh with choice of homemade oriental dressings. Each meal comes beautifully presented with numerous small accompaniments. Sushi style, sticky rice, steamed vegetables, cold spicy cucumber salad and cold sesame/ginger noodles. All of which were cooked perfectly, although the cold noodles were a surprise to my palate. Main Fare Hers, Liquid Ginger Beef. It looked great, beef with different mixed vegetables. She said it was excellent, but I never tried hers, as I couldn't put my fork down from my meal. She said she enjoyed hers as much as what I ordered. So it must have been really good. Mine, Liquid Ginger Rib Eye. It was truly excellent. Better quality than I have had at any steak chain. It was very flavorful and I was surprised by the portion size. They served it with three small sides of different sauces. A ginger soy glaze, a chili oil and a creamy mustard sauce. The creamy mustard sauce on top of the rice was amazing. I have eaten lunch here a few times with my wife. It is truly a different experience. She is a tea fan, and their choice of teas is excellent. Lunch is one of the best values in Gainesville, $8-9 for a full meal. Portion size is lunch correct, so don't expect to bust any buttons, but it is great quality. Dinner was expensive, mine was $19, not too expensive for what I had, but hers was $17. I think that is a bit expensive for what she had. This and the horrible Friday night parking is why it got 4 stars instead of 5.
(4)
Jessica F.
So I would have given them less than 1 star but it wouldn't let me. I went there last night for a birthday dinner and the SERVICE SUCKED! We were there for 2.5 hours, saw our waiter when we ordered and when he delivered part of our food (he never came to refill our drinks, luckily they put extra glasses of water on the table). My dish and another persons was never delivered, they said my dish wasn't cooked and it'd be 10 extra minutes because they had to thaw out the steak, this was after he had returned to our table after about 15-20 minutes later to say it'd be right up, by now the entire table was almost done with their food. The other person that didn't get their dish he kept saying "I'll be right back with your dish", he never came back with it. By the time he came back for the forth time saying it'd be right up we decided to just cancel our order, her dish he was "able to cancel" which said to us that it was never cook, but mine was "on the grill" I said forget it I don't want it give it to someone else. Then it took another 30-45 minutes for him to get us the bills. I can guarantee I won't be back to this place, you'd think in this economy they would make sure everyone that walked thru their doors had the best experience ever so they will return but nope and never once did the manager come over to apologize. Here's a tip about Liquid Ginger: SAVE YOUR MONEY AND PATRONIZE ANOTHER RESTAURANT THAT WILL APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS AND BE WORTH THE MONEY!!!!!
(1)
Chip B.
Pretty darned good beef bulgogi. Get the bento box if'n ya know what's good fer ya. Seems like a cool date place. The waitrons are mega hipster, but friendly.
(4)
Victoria P.
The decor is relaxed yet upscale. We were seated in a large booth and literally sank into the pillow-like cushions to order our meal. I like to order Edamame every chance I can, but I was slightly disappointed by this batch. The pods weren't cooked all the way through and I ended up adding tons of salt to make up for the lack of flavor and texture. Liquid Ginger's menu is extensive with vegetarian options, traditional entrees, pan-seared fish and even rib-eye. The one thing you won't find? Sushi. The restaurant wanted to differentiate itself from it's competitors by opting to serve heartier meals at more affordable prices. After slurping own a Miso Soup I wanted a dish with a little more kick. The Garlic Hot & Spicy Chicken sounded like it was up for the job, and boy was it ever! My lips started to tingle after the first bite and I had to stop and cool my palette with the cucumber and broccoli side dishes. The thick red and green peppers added a wonderful crunchy texture to the dish, while the rice sopped up all of the excess sauce. The hint of garlic at the end of every bite was subtle and I really enjoyed it. Thankfully, I didn't walk away from the table feeling like I had nasty garlic breath. The Pad Thai was a close second while I was picking my entree, so I definitely had to steal a few mouthfulls from Jake's plate. To my surprise, the peanut flavor was very subdued and really let a lot of the other flavors of the dish shine. The rice noodles were a bit messy but added to the overall playful nature of the dish.
(3)
Chad D.
The food at Liquid Ginger is very good. The first time we ate there, my wife had Udon noodles with Shrimp. She loved it. I thought it was great too. The serving was very generous (we even took some home) and the price was very reasonable. She didn't like the appetizer she had, Saigon Spring Rolls, but she is a picky eater. I thought they were OK. I had the pan Seared Escolar. It was fantastic! many places will give you a fish that resembles escolar but isn't. This is the real thing. And it was prepared excellently. My appetizer choice was the Soft-shell Crab. I really liked it. I will go back for both my dishes. Last weekend we went back with some friends and everything we had was very good too. For appetizers our table had a variety of starters. The Rib Eye Kew steak tips, were were unbelievably delicious. One of our friends had the Buddha (vegetable) Rolls, she loved the crispy rolls. Our other friend had the fried oysters, I tasted them too. He said they were the best he ever had. I thought they were light and delicious too. We also had Ginger Scallops, and they were very good too. Our dinners did not disappoint. My wife's Yellow Fin Tuna was amazing. She loved it. Our friends had the Coconut Curry Shrimp (she thought it was very good) and the Korean Spiced Rib Eye steak (he raved about how delicious it was.) I had the Mahi in spicy sesame sauce, which was a real treat, with a tasty melange of flavors and nuances. Our drinks were mostly good, though one of our friends asked for a dirty martini that she didn't like, so she asked for a pomegranate flavored mojito that she didn't like either (very strong syrupy flavors.) However, our other drinks were all very good. On our fisrt visit, my wife had a caipirinha, which really wasn't on the menu, but the bartender made it. It was very good. I had a Moscow Mule each time. I really liked it. The service can get a bit harried when they get full, but the staff is very professional and accomodating. The hostess is absolutely great. The prices are extremely reasonable for the great quality of the food and service. We will return often.
(5)
Jesus J.
Liquid Ginger serves their entrees in a bento box with delicious sides that vary when you visit. The bento box contains your choice of entree and can contain those tasty, cold noodles, sweet potato, and an assortment of vegetables. Each entree is part of a 3 course meal. First course is the soup and salad (I recommend the miso soup). Second course is your bento box, and the third is a small portion of ice cream. The ice cream flavors are interesting and are typically cinnamon, red bean, strawberry cheesecake, and one or two other flavors. All three courses only require about $15. I find this a great deal and each time I leave, I leave completely satisfied. The staff are friendly, but the food or alcoholic drinks can take a while. Their martinis are delicious, and they have a wide variety of house alcoholic beverages. The atmosphere is very cozy, with the booth seating being covered by soft pillows. The tables are large and have plenty of space for your courses.
(5)
Abhilash P.
Had a terrible experience. I went with my gf here, and both of us couldnt sleep that night because of our upset tummies. Food tasted ok, but its after effects were terrifying. Wont reccomend it at all.
(1)
A. N.
This is one of the best restaurants in Gainesville. The food is great and the price is very reasonable. They have a large selection of really good tea. The service is friendly and quick, the only downside to this place is that they close between 3 and 4 during weekdays.
(5)
lance s.
4 stars for the food as always and Chris our waiter was fantastic. but on a clean scale its a 2 star at best. green rug downstairs could use a good vacuuming, we sat outside near the fountain,the patio was covered with old cigarette butts,the windows and doors needed a good wash, and the globe lighting above the entrance to the patio were black on top from soot. guys, when your not busy send someone around to some regular cleaning. the food is always good and priced reasonably but the dust and dirt sends a message you don't care, and i know by the food you do.
(4)
Tom T.
Three words - Spicy Cream Shrimp!!!!! Okay, well more than three words - Liquid Ginger is amazing. The spicy cream shrimp are incredible. I've had other dishes there too that are always very good but the shrimp keeps me coming back. The teas are very good as is the red bean and green tea ice creams. Every time I'm back in Gainesville I make sure to go back. Yum-O!
the trendy, ostensibly upscale decor lured me in. the food liquid ginger serves warrants a ban, though. while this place looks tempting from the outside and is a relatively pleasant venue, the food is far from good. in fact, after my first visit, my friend and i decided to ban this restaurant (i.e. we will never return under any circumstances). when dragonfly is so close by, i would never ever return here. the food was overpriced. salty. the bento box thing was full of unappetizing food. i wish i could've paid less to just get the less-than-mediocre entree. $20 for a sub-par meal (had water, too).
(1)
Yelnatsa R.
I attempted to send this review (which I write for others) to the restaurant via their website, but it 'bounced'. I mailed a printout of the review to the restaurant, kind of expecting a reply. I guess that they don't care. My party of 8 had the pleasure of dining at Liquid Ginger, Gainesville on the evening of Valentine's Day, February 14, 2012. As a regular restaurant diner I understand that this was one of the busier middle of the week evenings, but please read on. The greeting at the door was impressive. The wait service was impressive (Josh was our waiter). The food was fantastic! However****I found these items disturbing: 1) 2 dirty spoons wrapped in the clean napkins 2) Rough feeling dirt on the exterior of 2 of the soup bowls 3) Dirty feeling to the hand rail going down the steps to the lower rear dining room 4) My wife reported that the women's rest room was not clean 5) I can tell you from my own observation that there were paper towels strewn on the floor of the men's room I have been in town for 5 years. Liquid Ginger has become a favorite of mine over these years. However, there can be no excuse for dirty silverware and dishes (bowls). In addition, poor housekeeping should be second nature in an eatery. Are you going to correct these problems? Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope that you act on all of these issues.
(2)
S W.
Used to be amazing. Changed ownership too many times. Tends to be understaffed now, and food has gone down a notch but is still good and somewhat reasonably priced.
(4)
Kylie S.
The first time I went there was for my birthday, as I heard they were pricey. Liquid Ginger turned out to be a good deal though as you got several courses with your main dish- a soup/salad+ ice cream were extras. Since we have been back (with our groupons lol!) they actually dont do that anymore and you can just order a now cheaper main and choose to pay for all the other stuff if you want it. This is probably good if you eat there regularly and dont want ice cream all the time..The cocktails are not cheap but they are yummy!!
(4)
Jacqueline B.
This is one of the better restaurants in Gainesville! They have great vegan and gluten-free options but I'm definitely partial to the red curry tofu. If you get an entree, a salad, soup, and dessert are also included. The tasting and tea menu are great as well!! Service is superb...never a bad experience. The owner, Larry is super professional and accommodating! I recently had my graduation dinner there and they allowed us to have a limited menu and we paid for a corking fee and brought our own champagne and wine.
(4)
Tu-van L.
Best Pan-Asian restaurant I've been to. The seared tuna is excellent (and actually seared and not near-completely cooked) with some nice seasonings on it. Their signature ribeye is excellent - very tender with plenty of flavor. Their appetizers are good and they have a great selection of wines and teas. And anything dipped in their sweet chili sauce makes the food even more delectable. Definitely a gem in the heart of downtown Gainesville. I know the manager there, and I know anything he makes will be awesome!!
(5)
Dani W.
I've never found Liquid Ginger to be all that great, to be honest. Friends would go here for birthdays, and I always just found it... meh. Decent. But not worth the price.
(3)
Anna S.
My friend took me here while I was visiting him, and though I should by all standards be a complete Oriental food snob since a) I am Asian and b) I come from the snobbiest of all Oriental food hotspots, San Francisco, I must say that I found this place to be very satisfying. The dinner entree comes in the style of a glamorized Japanese bento box dinner, complete with a cup of miso or spinach and tofu soup, while the small side dishes remind me of Korean banchan. The entree I chose was the Red Curry Chicken, which was nicely spiced and tasted as good as any Thai curry I eat here in California. So why, after clearly describing a hot mess of confused "fusion" cuisine would I still rave about this place? Because, it was delicious. Plain and simple. I wasn't looking for authentic when I ate here, although the curry tasted authentic enough to me. I was just looking for a nice, romantic dinner, and Liquid Ginger delivered. From the very kind young man who served us, to the sweet and aromatic Hibiscus tea we ordered, to the yummy Spring Rolls with lemon dipping sauce my companion insisted we order, it was all a very satisfying and tasty evening. I liked the ambiance and I especially enjoyed the side dishes. I left feeling full and content, and made a mental note that when and if I return to this charming little college town, I will definitely try to make it back here.
(4)
Jayna G.
So yummy! I always have such a hard time deciding what I want, because everything is so good. I always end up getting the same thing, which is the spicy soy chicken. This is also the only place where I like the Miso soup. You do get a lot of food for the cost of your dinner. Every meal comes with soup, salad, sides with your main, and a dessert. Normally the wait staff is really good, but like at any place you do get one bad server, but the food is so good, it's easily over looked. *Their lunch is a great deal!
(5)
Karl K.
I finally tried this place after hearing about it for the past few years. I can easily say, that I will be back again! The menu is fantastic - they take the "asian fusion" preparation to the next level. i was easily able to find several selections that I was immediately drawn to...including the Spicy Garlic ribeye (not normally found in these type restaurants). Presentation amazing...service incredible...and the nice touches added to the experience (like the ice cream for dessert included in our meal) was fantastic. my dinner experience with a friend was as enjoyable as the very special "dad - daughter" night out before a show at the Hippadrome. In fact, she celebrated her BF 1 yr anniversary dinner there several weeks later. A true Gville trreasure
(4)
Belle C.
Liquid Ginger is a good value in the sense that you get a lot of food for the money. For ~$15-20, you get soup, salad, an entree, several small sides-of-the-day, and dessert. Still, after hearing so many people rave about it, I expected the food to be better. There was nothing spicy about the Spicy Buddha Rolls, the miso soup was flavorless, and the salad was soggy. My grilled salmon/coconut rice entree was good, but it wasn't hot. Actually, all the things that should have been served hot were only lukewarm, including the green tea. Very disappointing. I'd give it another try, with some hesitancy.
(3)
Karthik N.
Been here multiple times. Love the food and the service. Red curry with chicken is my favorite here.
(4)
April O.
One of my favorite restaurants downtown, but that just means that most of the food in the area is lousy for the price. (Red Dragon/Maude's/Ti Amo/Tapas 12, you can all take a flying leap off something really tall.) Liquid Ginger is good if you can tolerate their inconsistency. The drink that's "coming right up" is in fact coming right up ... after they hunt down the bartender who is never actually behind the bar. Actually, maybe you don't really want that drink after all. When I went on Saturday night, a manager was attempting to pacify the table next to us. I saw a dish of Rose's Lime Juice come out by itself for them to add to their drinks. Umm ... a bowl? You didn't have any glasses to pour that in? And shouldn't that be happening BEHIND the bar? ... but that's right, you don't really have a bartender. I shouldn't even be complaining, since the glass of plum wine I got due to the lack of bartender was a ginormous 5 oz. pour. But even getting 2 drinks in 1 isn't going to make me forget that we ordered dinner nearly 40 minutes ago and it's not here. Some of their food really is good--the roti canai was delish and played lots of mean, spicy tricks on my tastebuds--but alas, they were out of escolar, and their stir-fried duck and bok choy is too expensive to be as average as it turned out to be. If we weren't just being served our main courses at 11:30 pm, I would have returned it. But considering that the kitchen dumped all of the soup around 11 and the poor server actually had to make a cup of spinach/tofu soup from scratch for me after he mistakenly brought me miso, I decided to let it go. 3 stars because I would return with some reluctance. Most of my experiences here have been good, so Saturday was probably just an off night. I suppose I'd rather have spotty service/good food than excellent service/food poisoning.
(3)
Mary M.
I used to come here all the time since they had teas that I liked the no one else in Gainesville had. I mix the puerh and crysanthymum for something earthy and sweet. There are some items on the tasting menu that are really good such as the steak kew and soft shell crab. I am a fan of all the fish dishes and chicken dishes. I have not gone wrong with a fish or chicken dish. I havent tried the other ones since I always go tried and true. The sweet chili sauce is really good...and Love the garlic cold noodles. I am a HUGE lover of garlic. and by that I mean I love it roasted and eaten just like that, raw as the major ingredient in my salad dressing, or just plain stirfry with garlic and veggies. so those garlic cold noodles are gratifying. If you are on a date then I would stay clear of those. Get the coconut sauced steamed veggies as a side- those are yummy too. I've have a graduation dinner there and no complaints. A little pricey, but you are downtown and there are lots of food to go around. Each meal comes with a ginger salad, main course with side dishes, rice, and dessert. I recommend the red bean or green tea icecream. If you are having a larger party, there is a downstairs area that is semi-private. I personally like it down there since you can look outside and it feels more VIP-ish.
(5)
Danny D.
Really, where else are you gonna go for non-greasy Asian food and fancy decor? Oh, Merlion. Right.
(3)
Mike R.
I dont want to slam a place i only tried once but i cant waste my money to give it another shot.. Ill keep it simple. Bad service, Frozen food, and horrible drinks.
(2)
Miss. Foodgurl S.
Liquid Ginger is very delicious. I always request eating at this Oriental Restaurant. My favorite thing to get here is the Ginger Glazed Salmon. I get the Ginger Glazed Salmon in the bento box. It comes with garlic chilled lo mein noodles, pickled cucumbers, and white jasmine rice. It is probably the best deal that you can possibly get. Personally, I start off with the miso soup and then I enjoy a side salad with sesame dressing. Then I enjoy my bento box and then a complimentary scoop of ice cream. I was told to try the green tea, and don't get me wrong, it is not bad it is just sort of bland. I love the red bean ice cream, it tastes like watermelon, and also the strawberry cheesecake is amazing too! This is such a good place to sit down and enjoy. The atmosphere is very relaxing, especially if you are seated in a cushioned booth. *Knock On Wood* Every time that I have been their the service has been very good. But when you go plan to be their for an hour to an hour and a half. Also I get the Chamomile Tea. I went last night (8/17/2011) and the food was wonderful as always! I got the raspberry hot tea and it was simply delicious! For an appetizer, the satay chicken with a spicy thai peanut sauce was delicious, and the calamari was prepared perfectly. The sweet chili sauce that comes with the calamari, was very spicy but good at the same time. Be sure when you order your tea to ask for honey and they will bring you some in a small bowl. Each individual pot of tea is $3.00! Last night I had the red bean ice cream and it was impressive as always. For dinner, I ordered the Terriyaki-Ginger Salmon ($18.00) it was just divine and full of flavor!
(4)
Dharbigt M.
Sub-par, overpriced, and not particularly authentic. Atmosphere and service are good.
(2)
Marie O.
The food was good, the portions were decent, but the service left something to be desired. The server was friendly enough, but we were constantly kept waiting... to be seated, to have our orders taken, to get water refills, for our bill, etc. Granted, he did have an eight-person table he was also attending to, but it was just us and them. Nothing too unmanageable.
(3)
Susan C.
I finally got a chance to try this little downtown eatery. The decor is nice if a little worn around the edges. I ordered 3 appetizers to get a feel for the quality of food and only one of the two was worth eating. The food was brought out on a wooden tray and showed nice presentation. The scallops were bland and rubbery, the stir fried spinach was so flavorless that I sent my waitress to fetch me some salt and the egglant was a bright purple with onions and bell peppers and was good if a bit over salted. I showed up right at opening and was the only patron in the restaurant, but still had to wait for the waitress when I needed anything. I didn't try any of the entrees, so I don't know if they step it up for the big money dishes, but in my book, if you can't get your appetizers right, you probably won't do anything else right either. I have no plans to return.
(2)
Holly S.
The coconut curry chicken gets 5 stars, but the overall place gets 4. The atmosphere could be a bit more upscale, but the price is right and the free ice cream after the meal makes everything OK.
(4)
Robert S.
martini fucking thursdays.
(4)
James B.
Liquid Ginger has a wonderful array of Pan-Asian cuisine at affordable prices for meat eaters AND vegeterians to enjoy. They offer a huge menu with items ranging from typical Coconut Curry Chicken to my favorite, Pan Seared Escolar. I really love how they carry fresh fish that you probably cannot find in many restaurants in Gainesville. Their appetizer menu ("Tastings") are very small but delicious morsels. Their spinach and tofu soup is a delicate and light way to start your dinner alongside the salad. Everything is placed in attractive bento boxes and I always get an extra bowl of rice! To top it off, you are given a choice of dessert between cheesecake and ice cream. Green tea ice cream FTW! They also have very good bar selection and an extensive tea list. The teas are good but are slightly overpriced. The service is good and the decor inside is acceptable. The booth seating is comfortable and they can accommodate for large parties. They do not offer a children's menu but the crispy lime chicken/tilapia are safe items.
(4)
Kristen C.
Walked out before getting seated because the hostess was extremely rude. Last time I ate at Liquid Ginger, it was a'ight -- nothing special.
(2)
Kathryn C.
I love this place! I like the small servings you can get, they are filling but not too big. I recommend the Ginger Tea, it's awesome! Also, the crabcake was great, and there's something for everyone including vegetarians (my sister is vegetarian).
(4)
Alex E.
I always thoroughly enjoy myself when I stop by Liquid Ginger. All the meals I've had were tasy and presented well. Fish is always a safe bet here, I'm not sure if it's their supplier or just that they prepare fish really well or what, but I've never been dissapointed with a fish dish. The meals are a tad pricy, though you do get soup, salad, and sides with your entree. The tea and bar selections are both great.
(4)
Jennifer G.
The food at Liquid Ginger never disappoints me and even my very picky 12-year-old loved his meal and cleaned his plate. I had read other reviews that mentioned a large party can bring the kitchen to a stand still and that was the case the particular night that we went. However, this is certainly not the norm, I have never had a complaint with the service before.
(4)
M.K. O.
remarkably mediocre food; atmosphere is forgettable. If you're in the mood for Asian food, there are certainly far better choices in town.
(2)
Chelsea A.
A bunch of people told me how good this place was so I ordered take out one night and it was just ok. I wasn't impressed. The pad thai which I love and tend to judge thai restaurants by was just so-so. I probably wouldn't order from here again.
(3)
Colleen P.
My husband and I went to Liquid Ginger for my 30th Birthday. We were first time diners and went there on a recommendation of a friend. I have to say that my husband and I make it a point to try new restaurants when we go out for special occasions, and I have NEVER written on Yelp. I have been a sever, and with that I notice things others may not. Our server (who I know the name of, but out of respect will not say) had four to five tables by my count, which is not too stressful (by the way, it was a Tuesday). She had a table walk out on her, and we were there for almost two hours with simple orders. She came by our table with extreme delay, and when I say that, I have never experienced such delay. I over heard the staff saying that she was outside walking around smoking! I also had to pay our bill with the bartender because she did not come to the table for more than 20 mins after we finished eating. Outside of the EXTREMELY POOR service, the food was nothing to write about. I had the pan seared scallops and they were rubber. My husband had rare tuna that was cooked and would not cut without a knife. It was the worst restaurant experience that my husband or I have ever had!!!! I hope this was just a bad night for them, but to put it simply... it sucked!!!
(1)
Laura M.
Good job, Liquid Ginger! This place has a lovely atmosphere, dimly lit and well-decorated. The menu offers a two-page tea list, and tea is served in a small pot kept warm over a candle flame. I tried the ginger tea and found it lightly sweetened and flavorful. The dinner menu had lots of variety, including a fair number of vegetarian offerings as well as chicken, beef and seafood dishes. I was impressed with the offering of escolar, one of my favorite fishes. Crispy lime tilapia was also a hit, as was my hot and spicy tofu (not actually too hot and spicy, but enough to leave your mouth tingling). I love that every entree comes with soup, salad, and dessert, as well as a cute tray full of pickles, noodles, and other small plates. Prices were reasonable -- we paid $13-17 each for entrees. Service was attentive and helpful, while unobstrusive. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in town! EDIT: Apparently, Wednesday night is Martini Night. $4 house martinis! The entire drink menu was pretty impressive, I must say, but I was esp. thrilled that they'll make a Singapore Sling.
(5)
Apple C.
I give LJ 4 stars, for definitely above average. (I reserve 5 stars for the things that make me cry with happiness for having partaken!) I really love that everything is based on a pseudo-bento box ideal. Ok, it's not really a bento box... but you get little tastings of sides and dessert with a main dish, which - since I also love tapas - is a great style for me. This allows you to have many different favors without ridiculously blowing your budget (or calorie intake!). Overall, it's slightly pricier than I'd like, but not more so than I expect, if that makes any sense. Seems like average dinners are in the $18-22 range or so. Starters are relatively cheap, and I've made dinner out of a few starters with friends and some fruit tea. Overall, definitely a place to try. Usually nice and quiet too, so is a conveniently mellow atmosphere good for dates, business meetings, or low-key hanging out over food.
(4)
Mrs. H.
Liquid Ginger is a great little date spot. The restaurant is thoughtfully laid out to where you feel you have little intimate spaces to sit, eat and converse. The lighting is just the right amount of dark. The theme is Pan-Asian. Menu offerings include crispy tilapia, curries, rib-eyes and fillets marinated in what else? Liquid Ginger. The lunch specials (around $7pp) include a choice of miso or spinach tofu soup, a salad with sesame or ginger vinaigrette, a veggie spring roll, and your main entree accompanied by rice. Dinner ($12-20pp) includes all of the above minus the spring roll, with the addition of noodles, fresh pickled cucumber, an assortment of other vegetables, cheesecake and coffee. Pretty good deal. And I can't say I haven't tried anything yet that hasn't been darn good.
(5)
Logan f.
Overpriced overgingered food. Playing $18 for Chinese food that I can get at a Chinese take out place is outrageous. I mean come on. I am glad Divine Monkey opened up. What I do not get is why they mark up the same lunch portions for dinner. What a rip off.
(2)
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Address :101 SE 2nd Pl,Ste 118
Gainesville, FL, 32601
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street, Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Thinh L.
This is my 5th time here at liquid ginger. I could testified that their service is a hit or a miss depending on the time of day. Their sushi I had was a bit expensive for what it's worth--that one time I went here with a friend and we ordered 40 dollars worth of sushi and we left unsatisfied by both the quality and service given) Other than that one experience, the other had been great. If you're here for the first timw, I recommend trying their "Spicy Cream Schrimp", it's delicious.
(4)Kevin C.
Description: I came here a few weeks ago for lunch. A friend of mine said their food was pretty good and worth trying so I figured why not. From where it's located to its name, Liquid Ginger, sounds like a cool fusion hip restaurant if I had to take a wild guess. Although the interior is nice and somewhat ideal to bring a date, it wasn't what I was expecting. The place looked a tad worn out and generic. My guess is that the restaurant has looked the same for a long time. Again, nothing wrong just not what I expected when I heard the name. Food & Service: I will say their lunch menu is very affordable and quite reasonable. A lot of their lunch specials came with a soup and salad, not bad. It seems to be a solid place for people getting a bite to eat on their lunch break. Not sure about their dinner. Anyways, my experience turned a bit sour from there. After getting my water, my waiter didn't come back for awhile to take my order. Granted he was busy but it took longer than usual. I ordered the coconut curry with shrimp. Soup and salad were very basic. It's nice that they come with the meal but it's just filler food in my opinion. The curry was eh. Flavor wasn't bad but it was slightly watery and wasn't very hot. Rice portion was a tad stingy. The vegetables and shrimp weren't good though. Not well seasoned and tasted like packaged food. The shrimp was way too rubbery, definitely overcooked. I was in and out pretty quick because I had to work. The waiter was kind enough to bring me a box and my check swiftly so I could leave. Final Thoughts: Overall, I'll still give the place 3 stars because I didn't have a terrible experience but it definitely won't be memorable. There's a chance I'll come here again for lunch because of the prices though. I'll stick to something else next time. I've heard their dinner is not bad though? I'll do a possible updated review in the future. Oh! I heard they do have some good tea though, also something to check out maybe.
(3)Avinash K.
This is a pretty good place for lunch, we had gone about 30 mins before closing time, but we were seated and got our food fairly quickly, we got the lunch combo which includes soup,salad, spring roll rice and entree. The weird thing is I ordered Pad Thai with Chicken and I still got a side of rice, those who ordered fried rice, ended up not getting a side of rice, I mean it makes sense to have with curry. Strange !! But the service was good and food was pretty good.
(3)Andrew V.
The food was great. Worth the price (runs around 20 a person). With dinner comes 4 small side dishes, all of which were very good. Also includes ice cream for dessert - a few different flavors, all were great! Nice atmosphere as well.
(5)Heather S.
A great place to bring out of town guests: The food is consistently delicious and the atmosphere is relaxing. The lunch specials are a great value. Dinner is a bit on the expensive side. The crispy lime tilapia is a favorite of mine but the eel appetizer keeps me coming back.
(4)Christine W.
I came here with my family on Christmas Day after driving around Gainesville looking for a place that was open. Even though I have lived in Gainesville before (during my undergrad days), I had never been to Liquid Ginger. There were plenty of tables open, probably only two or three other small groups eating, when we came in. We were seated quickly and water was brought out right away. Our waitress was nice; she answered our questions and took our orders in a timely manner. The decorations were trendy and not tacky. Originally, I wanted to get sushi, but after looking at the quality of the fish, my mom didn't think it looked super fresh. I mean, we did show up the evening of Christmas, so maybe it's not usually like that. Anyway, I ordered the pad thai with beef and I enjoyed it. The pad thai was slightly spicier than most places, but I liked it like that, since most pad thai is extremely sweet. There was a lot of food on my plate. I did think it was strange, though, that it came with a tiny dish of rice, but everyone's dish did, so I guess that's just how they do things there. I think my brother ended up eating my rice because he didn't have enough, so it worked out anyway. Dishes my other family members ordered included thai red curry, coconut curry chicken, some dish with scallions and beef and ginger, and some beef and veggie stuff in a clay pot. The red curry was spicy and tasty, but the other dishes were unremarkable, especially the clay pot dish. My husband didn't finish the clay pot dish because it wasn't that great, so we took some of it home. When I decided to eat it the next day, I had to put a good amount of sriracha on it to give it some more flavor. I decided to give Liquid Ginger 3 stars because of the following reasons: - I enjoyed my pad thai - the prices were on the high side - fast service I probably wouldn't go back again unless I wanted to try their sushi, but I wouldn't discourage anyone to go try them out... just don't get the clay pot dish!
(3)Brooke E.
The staff here is really nice and attentive. The restaurant is clean. The problem is, their sushi is really sloppy. It's definitely affordable, but the rice was falling off and the fish was just okay. It's a nice spot to go for tea but not a good sushi spot.
(2)Alan W.
There is absolutely NOTHING objectionable about Liquid Ginger. I ate chicken curry, beef bulgogi, rib eye steak, salad w/ sesame dressing, miso soup, broccoli, pickles, potatoes, plum and lavender teas, and green tea ice cream. I can't say that anything was mind-blowing, but it was certainly a place I'd return to. Expect to pay $20/person and have a nice time, not the best time, but you run absolutely no risk of getting dumped here.
(4)Jayme M.
The atmosphere is very beautiful and the view into the plaza is amazing. I enjoyed the food, can't complain on it too much. However, I can complain on the service. Our waiter wasn't that friendly and absent more than most of the time. We waited for what seemed 10 minutes to even see our waitor and when he arrived he had 2 waters for us, which we didn't order. He never checked on us and just didn't seem to care. I'd come back, but would just hope for a different server!
(3)Luke G.
I have been coming to this restaurant for over a year now at least once or twice a month. The serving sizes have generously gone down and the service is not as great as it should be for a restaurant like that. 1. The tea has gone from amazing loose leaf to cheap tasteless tea bags (A brand I have never heard of). 2. Our waiter Alex was absolutely terrible. We arrived waited 15 minutes to get waters; waited another 15 for our drink orders and so we decided to order our food at the same time. It took forever to get refills and our food. After 50 minutes of waiting our food, it arrived so we went ahead and asked for the check. 3. Sauce spilled on the table and he handed me paper napkins to wipe it up myself. He then left and I had to ask him to wipe it up again! Update: it's been about 2 months since I've been back and I'm sad to say the service is worse. I've tried talking to the owner/manager and he had a hard time understanding me. If they got better service if be coming back again.
(2)James O.
haha, wow. I had such a horrible experience at Bahn Thai that it is actually making me lower my standards (and appreciate) what little Gainesville has! Liquid Ginger isn't trying to be Thai at least, its more of an Asian Fusion place heavier on the Japanese. The salmon ginger on coconut rice is actually pretty delicious.
(3)Kristen H.
My family has been eating at Liquid Ginger for years. I love the spicy cream shimp. I always add the soup and salad - my favorite is the spinach tofu (although the miso is excellent) and the sesame salad dressing (the ginger is good too!). I also like that this place is open on days other restaurants like Mark's Prime and Embers are closed. Oh yeah - and the Buddha rolls are a must!
(5)Jaimie L.
We came here on a whim, service was a little slow but the portions were large for the price! Love it! I ordered the Beef Bulgogi and my bf ordered the steak, his steak was hugeeee and good for the price! I was impressed, downside is that they give you a tiny bowl of rice -_- .
(4)Rania G.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in Gainesville! I always get the miso soup, which is by far my favorite miso soup ever. I also highly recommend the ginger dressing on the salad, which is unique to Liquid Ginger. Instead of being the usual orange-colored dressing served at most asian restaurants, this dressing is creamy, gingery, cool, crisp, and DELICIOUS. My favorite meal is the spicy cream shrimp, another unique dish that I've never seen anywhere. I love the variety of sides that come with the bento box. I also love the garlic eggplant from the appetizer menu. Recently they have added in a sushi bar. I will be honest, I go elsewhere if I'm looking for sushi in Gainesville, so I can not review that new addition to the restaurant. While it can be pricey, you can get many of the same dishes for lunch at a better price if you want to try it without the financial commitment. I will also admit that service has been spotty in the past, but overall Liquid Ginger does not disappoint.
(5)Emily D.
Working in food service for years now, I am always very lenient on restaurants. I know what it is like when you are having a bad day or you are swamped and there are a lot of things going on that the customer does not see that can affect performance. That being said I have been very disappointed in Liquid Ginger, I have been here twice and I have not even eaten here yet. The first time I went with my boyfriend we were wandering around downtown and ran into it and thought we would check it out. We went in around dinner time and we were very confused because there was almost no one there, no one at the hostess station, no menus available and it looked like an old dentist office, so we left. The second and last time we went in, was a Saturday night. The neon highlighter menu sign outside led us to believe it would not be a "fancy"place, and we couldn't tell from our last visit because we hadn't really seen any customers inside. The hostess was outright rude to us because apparently it is supposed to be relatively fancy and we were not really dressed up. Then she gave us crap for not having a reservation on a Saturday night around 7... but half the restaurant was empty... So we left. Probably won't be trying for a third time because of all the other great Asian options downtown that put emphasis on customer service.
(1)Gloria S.
5 stars FOR LUNCH, prices very reasonable, starting $7 for entree with appetizer, soup, salad. Compliments to the chef indeed! There is no cook here. Service was excellent, well informed, very patient and friendly. Location is easy to find in the Sun Center, there is free parking in back of the L shaped building. They are located on the lower level, corner of the L. Returning asap.
(5)James S.
Been here several times, excellent selection of items. Service is horrendous, waited 10 minutes before a server acknowledged we were there. Ordered 2 cocktails, on a gin and tonic came with flat tonic, when brought to manager's attention, he said he would replace the tonic with a sparkling water, since when does sparkling water substitute for tonic? The sushi, salad, soup and entrees were quite good. With all the excellent restaurants in Gainesville, it's unlikely we will return
(2)Lin Z.
Came here with my friend. My friend highly recommend it here for me. However, It was OK for me, and I got the Pad Thai. The lunch combo comes with soup and salad
(3)Donna C.
The number one thing I look for in a server is when I have left overs you bring it to the kitchen to box it up. BAM ! My server did that 20% tip . Food is very good, a lot of options. Always go for the Bento box it's well worth the $4 . Also it's one of the few places in town that take a reservation. They renovated not too long ago and added a big bar and a sushi bar.
(4)Sudhamshu R.
The ginger sauce is awesome. The desserts are pretty good too.
(5)Mike W.
I had dinner with a couple friends here a few weeks ago and it was my first visit to Liquid Ginger in literally years. The interior had been renovated at some point and while I've always considered the space a bit awkward, it was nice enough and in fact inviting with this renovation. The lobby/waiting area however is far too small for how busy this restaurant gets--and on a Saturday night it was indeed busy. The food was pretty good but not outstanding: I had a tilapia in a soy reduction sauce and it was fine though the portion was meager, to put it nicely. And in saying that, I'm not someone who desires the oversized portions you find in American chain restaurants at all, but this--even in the bento box option which came with soup, salad, and some sides--wasn't enough for dinner, really. In addition, our waiter was brand new to the job and thus learning everything. That's fine, it was his first day he said, but he was not aware of what hardly anything on the menu was and seemed poorly-trained. Perhaps he normally would have had someone more senior to mentor him or for him to shadow and that wasn't possible given how busy the restaurant was, but he did a couple things--like bringing the ice cream that came with our bento-upgraded meals--before the meals were finished, rushing us and leaving us with melting ice cream. The concept of Asian fusion is one I have mixed feelings over, having lived in San Francisco where the genre probably started and where it has been refined to an art form. I don't like seeing this approach in Gainesville very much, however, because often things become something of a muddle. That's true of Bento, that's true of Chop Stix, and it's true I feel of Liquid Ginger, as well. The dishes are diverse and include some interesting concepts, but there was an overall feeling of trying to do too much, which was not made any better by the small portions.
(3)Andrew V.
Was very nice. Ate here about two weeks ago. Food was good and service ok. I wouldn't say awesome but it was crowded though that's for sure. I'm going to go back.
(4)Scott K.
This is a great local eatery. My wife and I have been quite a few times and it is a great atmosphere for a date. Quiet, great service, not right in the downtown hustle, and with parking not being a problem. The food is great and a really good deal and they offer a wide variety of cuisines that should meet most people needs. The sushi is great and I always get at least a roll with my meal as an appetizer. The tuna roll last night was spectacular! I had the Pad Thai which was very good and with the Bento box upgrade was a lot of food. The service was spectacular!
(4)Nadia F.
I was just here with a very large group of people, and the food and service were great. I had their Miso soup (pretty good), a House Salad with ginger dressing (great), and I had Thai Lime and Coconut Chicken (okay). A bunch of people got Pad Thai Chicken, which definitely looked better and if I were to go back, I'd go and get that. The location, however, is awful. I went there late at night and it was in downtown. A lot of homeless people hovered around the building. Downtown Gainesville makes me a bit uncomfortable because on more than one occasion I've been harassed by homeless people there, so just watch out. Drive there, don't commute.
(4)Channa P.
I was skeptical to try this place because after reading reviews the food only sounded so-so. The place was suggested to me by a UF alum while I was on travel for a career fair. She raved about the place, but my fellow yelpers made it sound like it had lost it's luster. The food was not the best I've ever had, but it was certainly good. Then again I just love curry and shrimp. My favorite thing about this place was the long list of loose leaf teas. I'm kind of a snob about tea, and any place that serves it properly in a kettle has my heart. My Jasmine Oolong was what I needed after a long day of talking to super excited students. If you are new to the area or traveling, you will probably like this place. It's in a cute downtown center and you won't be disappointed by nostalgic memories that didn't live up to reality.
(4)Coty S.
Great location in the Sun Center. It can be a parking nightmare if you come here during busy downtown hours. But, if you get here for an early dinner, the parking is free at the Sun Center and there are actually spaces. I love the decor and interior, even the lobby area is great with plenty of seating. If you dine here on a Friday or Saturday night, they will look at you crazy if you do not have a reservation. We did not, and it was quite humorous the attitude we received, especially after trying the food. They have a large drink menu and a bartender, many customers were ordering drinks. I believe that there is a happy hour that we were there for, but our server never told us about it or the specials. As other reviews fail to mention, the meals here are like an over sized Bento box. So, instead of a Bento Box, it is plates arranged on a large wooden tray (see photo). There are also many appetizers to choose from for a separate fee. All entrees include your choice of soup (choices were miso or tofu spinach), your choice of salad dressing (choices were ginger or sesame), then a large dinging tray divided into separate plates, and then finished with your choice of ice cream flavor (red bean, green tea, chocolate mint). All of this comes included in the entree price. The large dining tray divided into separate plates contains; a rice ball, four veggies of Chef's choice (mine was dry-fried string beans, steamed broccoli, cold sesame noodles, and sweet chopped cucumber pickles), the the actual entree dish in the center. I had the Lime Tilapia, which was fried fish (katsu style) with a side of lime sauce to dip it in. Their version of Bang Bang Shrimp was the same shrimp used in Sweet and Sour style shrimp covered in sweet chili mayo. The Spicy Chicken in Bean Sauce was all white meat chicken covered in bean sauce from a jar with bell peppers. This restaurant has so much potential, but the entrees are low quality. It is like if you took a serving tray and put a bunch of pretty ceramic dishes on it, then filled those dishes with Chinese take-out items. All of the food just had that fresh-off-the-buffet taste, glistening in cornstarch sauce. The price must be tripled because of all of the dishes they have to clean and the high rent. Prices range from $15 to $33 for a large amount of food, but a buffet tastes the same and has a large amount of food as well.
(3)A C.
This place came with a lot of strong recommendations from friends, but it really fell short. Based on other reviews, it seems like Liquid Ginger was once a hopping, trendy, and tasteful spot to eat. That is definitely not the case anymore. I can't even get to the food without discussing how poorly this restaurant is managed. It is clearly understaffed, as evidenced by a Friday night, in which the hostess is forced to bus tables, stock the bar, make drinks, and seat guests. There were numerous tables that were left dirty (ie, plates, drinks on the tables) for the entire 90 minutes we were there. They seemed to only clean the tables as needed. Did I say that I was there for 90 minutes? Yup - because it took over 60 minutes to get our entrees. The waitstaff is friendly, and definitely doing their best, but they are just undermanned. It's not fair to blame them. The food itself is not redeeming. It's basically like a local version of P.F. Chang's, but I'd prefer P.F. Chang's. We had the fried oysters ($10), which were underwhelming. The recommendation was for the calimari, but that seemed such a generic choice. Korean-style rib eye ($16) was a sizable portion, but the sauce was only okay. The shrimp and scallop shitaake ($15) was drowning in the sauce. The red bean ice cream was not bad, but I'm sure a nice novelty for most people. Basically, go somewhere else in GNV to get your Asian eat on. I've been to Dragonfly, which is more expensive, but nice. The Bento Cafe is also another good option, although more lunch-oriented.
(2)Passion P.
Haven't been here in a couple years b/c it was so hit and miss with some dishes just being gross in conception. Everything was GREAT. 3 of us (vegetarian or pescatarian) ordered bento box versions of our meals --- crispy tilapia, crispy cream shrimp, pad thai. It was so much food and variety and everything was really tasty. Service was professional. Cocktail (Singapore Mule) was good, too --- not over sweet. Vegetarians, give this place another look. Seemed to have a range of decent vegan options but don't quote me on that.
(4)Sloppy J.
Maybe I should've tried something else but my tofu curry was weirdly sweet and bland all at once. Service was great, though.
(3)K S.
Delicious, delicious, delicious! I absolutely LOVE Liquid Ginger! They have the best miso soup and their entrees are very flavorful. Even their ice creams are yummy. My favorite restaurant in Gainesville, hands down.
(5)Bela T.
We used to love Liquid Ginger but will not be going back now. They changed the style of the meals. You used to to get your main protein with a side of veggies and noodles and rice in a bento style box. You also used to get soup and salad with it. Now, all you get Is your protein and rice. It is a pathetic change honestly. We were very disappointed.
(2)Ian W.
Good stuff. Ate here for lunch. Ordered the red curry chicken. $7 included miso soup, salad with ginger dressing, veggie spring roll, rice and entree. Nice spice on chicken. Service was quick and very polite. 2 thumbs up!
(4)Gator G.
I've been to LG several times before and enjoyed it. But as other have shared, things have changed. I went with a group of 7 with a reservation at 6:30 p.m. -- two hours before we were planning to see a show at the Hipp. Plenty of time, right? Not so much. Service was excruciatingly slow. Took forever just go get drinks. Finally the rest of my party got theirs but I waited another 10 minutes to get the tea I ordered. While our waiter was nice enough and trying, everything else went downhill from there. I ordered a filet mignon cooked medium. It comes with rice but I didn't want the rice and asked if I could just get some veggies on the side instead. He said no substitutions. I asked if I can just order a side of veggies and pay for it and just don't bring the rice. Okay, fine. Quite a while later, soups and salads arrived for others and then we continued to wait for our entrees. A while later, five us us received our food and we waited another 5 minutes for the last two to arrive. My filet was well done. The waiter did not disagree and asked if I wanted a new one. Of course! I'm paying $20 for an 8 oz. filet (with no sides). I don't think it's too much to ask for it cooked correctly. He came back and said they were preparing a new one right now. So I ate my tiny side of veggies. Twenty minutes later, after everyone had finished their dinners, my filet had still not arrived. I watched him walk out of the kitchen with a filet on a plate and thought for sure it was mine and he took it to another table! I called the hostess over and told her that I just wanted to cancel my order. A few minutes later the waiter came over and said my steak was ready if I wanted it or he could put it in a to-go box -- OR he could just take it off the bill. Everyone was done with their meals and ready to go. I didn't want to feel like I had to scarf down my $20 steak or take it home. I declined. He said the kitchen was short staffed the the restaurant was full. Guess what? We got here two hours ago. If you don't have the staff to cook for your patrons then you should stop seating people! Adding insult to injury, he brings me a bill for $2.00 for the side of veggies. Really? You couldn't make a kind gesture for the debacle by comping the veggies? Whatever. There was an obvious lack of management at the restaurant. Nobody ever came to the table and apologized. The only reason why I gave Liquid Ginger two stars is because my friends enjoyed their food. But their service, customer service and management need some serious work. After the show, I had dinner at The Top. A much better place to eat downtown. Never bad service or a bad meal.
(2)Travis L.
Compared to all the other places downtown this place is second rate but not a bad spot to try once. They do offer a different style of dinner than other places in town. The biggest change they have made is the price does not include the bento box style. Make sure if you do not want the bento box to tell them as they will assume you want it which is shady. I've been here twice and have had poor service both times. The food this time wasn't too bad as I had the hot and spicy chicken. The sherbet at the end was pretty good. I'd try this place for a date night but not a group.
(2)Brad K.
I like this place. It's good quality food. A little high priced I think for what you are getting. It's age is starting to show over the years, they need to do some touch up painting and remodeling I think. You can't charge top dollar for Asian food and not have a nice place, sorta looks like it's falling apart a little. Worn out cushions on seats, etc. But it's a good place to go for a nice out on the town in Gville.
(4)Cori W.
This place just seems like it has really lazy management. It gives off the expectations of being a really nice place, except that the food is just not up to par. First the seared tuna smelled and tasted fishy and not-fresh, and then after getting another dish in the hopes of not getting sick, it was just bland and WAY overpriced. Not to mention the bathroom had stained toilets and was just disgusting in general. This place is really mediocre food for way too much money, and perhaps might not have been so bad if it weren't for raising expectations through atmosphere and pricing. I would never pay $15 for pad thai that is bright orange and most assuredly has ketchup in it. It's like they used an asian cookbook with mediocre recipes. I will definitely not be back.
(2)Michael W.
I t has been two years since I have gone to this place. They have remodeled the place to make it bigger. They moved their entrance to the side and added a few more tables and redecorated. Overall, the theme of the place was very pan Asian but more towards the Chinese decoration. We started with the Asian Calamari and ordered two different type of Tea: Peppermint and Ginseng Oolong. Personally I thought the tea had weak flavor. I could taste the flavor but it was weak due to lack of tea leaves or rushed brewing. Anyhow, the calamari was good; I liked their sweet spicy sauce (Very Spicy). So after juggling between a few dishes, I ended up picking up the Shrimp and Scallop Sauteed with Shitashki mushroom with a Wine sauce on Bak Choy. The dinner came with rice, salad, soup and a dessert. The ginger salad had a nice homemade ginger sauce. The miso soup was a bit salty. But overall the main course meal was good. Presentation was good. Not great, hence why I gave them a 4 stars. I believe they can do better especially if they are trying to be a middle/high class seat down restaurant. The meal came with 4 sides: sour cucumber, cold lo mein, butter squash and a side that I cannot recognize. However, the meal was delicious and worth every penny I paid for. So I do recommend my dish that I ordered. Anyhow, one of my friends ended up ordering a few appetizers, looks like he enjoyed it. My other friend ordered the pasta with shrimp. He enjoyed it too. For dessert, we end up getting ice cream. I got the green tea, my friends ended up getting red bean ice cream and butterscotch. I recommend the red bean ice cream! But yea, when I go back again, I will try a different dish. A word of advice for those people that are going to Liquid Ginger: order the food that you do not see often in order Chinese restaurants! Do not order anything from the Grill, that type of food is too common. Order something you don't normally eat!
(4)Patrick H.
Nice to order a bento box and get that 'complete meal experience', however the main entre left me regretting my menu choice. By far the worst chicken pad thai I've ever ordered, however all the sides were great and this made up for it. It is a good place to go for a large selection on the menu, however just be sure to steer clear of the pad thai
(2)Ryan F.
Smells like an antique shop. Slow service -- a large group will practically shut down the kitchen. A table next us waited so long that they were about to leave. Redeeming quality? Good Food. The liquid ginger steak was chargrilled nicely and pad thai my gf had was quality.
(3)Chelsea B.
Go here! I've been meaning to check out Liquid Ginger for several months, and tonight I finally had the chance. I mistakenly thought my friend had made reservations and thought we might have to wait. But although the place was full, the wait was short. The food was wonderful. I haven't had many bento box experiences, but this was definitely my favorite. My drink (a sake/martini combo) was decent but, according to my friend, had a weird aftertaste. He's crazy. The waiter was somewhat unmemorable. He wasn't bad, but he wasn't great. Just decent. Although, maybe that's a little unfair because I can't tolerate servers who are overly friendly. My main issue, though, was with the couple seated next to us. Whoever thought that skipping a babysitter and opting to bring their child to this restaurant was extremely mistaken. Strangely enough everyone, except the servers who kept almost tripping over him, thought the kid was cute roaming around touching everyone/everything. I'm glad my friends were equally disgusted as I. Leave the children at home! But all in all, I thought Liquid Ginger was fabulous and can't wait to return!
(5)Richard W.
The food here is pretty good. If it was just about food, I'd come back again and again. However, what sucks here is the service. It's understaffed and the people they do have dont seem to want to work. It still took about 30 mins to get seated even though there were clearly plenty of seats open. After ordering we waited about an hour for any kind of food to arrive. When it did arrive it's was very good. Everything was well cooked. My water glass was never refilled and I couldn't seem to flag down a waiter for anything. If you want good food, have time to burn and dont really care about service, then this is the place to go.
(3)Iffat B.
This place is unlike any other restaurant that I've been to. They have a variety of teas. I ordered the raspberry tea which was excellent! For my entree I ordered the Grilled Salmon with the ginger glaze and coconut rice which came in a bento box with a variety of other sides. That rice was amazing as was the salmon. They also served ice cream at the end of the meal. I was so looking forward to the strawberry cheesecake ice cream, but they ran out so I had the red bean. It was ok. Overall, I was very satisfied with my meal and would return in a heartbeat!
(4)Rashna S.
I am giving this place 3 stars because the food was decent but wasn't as good as I expected. For a Thair restaurant, it didn't have many curries. I ordered the Tuna dish and I found it very dry. The waiter asked me how I would like it cooked and I told him rare, but my tuna was def not rare and seemed med rare to well done! The service is friendly, but slow.
(3)Jana E.
This is my favorite restaurant of all time!!! I pretty much ate here at least once a week since discovering it... all the way til my graduation. I had my graduation dinner here. I'm sad that I live so far away from this place! I had stumbled onto this place when Dragonfly's wait was ridiculous. My favorite dishes are spicy cream shrimp and pan seared tuna with hot chili sauce. Lunch specials are sooo cheap and dinner prices are reasonable because it comes with the best ginger salad, miso soup, sides and ice cream! Red bean is so good. Will is the best!!! :)
(5)Steven G.
I recently purchased a groupon/livingsocial deal thinking I could use it for lunch. I missed the fine print and could only use it for dinner. Since I am a student, without any support, we have avoided coming here for dinner. It is not cheap for dinner. Since we had the certificate already, we decided to use it. Their meals are complete dinners, as others have mentioned. The Miso soup is excellent. The salad is fresh with choice of homemade oriental dressings. Each meal comes beautifully presented with numerous small accompaniments. Sushi style, sticky rice, steamed vegetables, cold spicy cucumber salad and cold sesame/ginger noodles. All of which were cooked perfectly, although the cold noodles were a surprise to my palate. Main Fare Hers, Liquid Ginger Beef. It looked great, beef with different mixed vegetables. She said it was excellent, but I never tried hers, as I couldn't put my fork down from my meal. She said she enjoyed hers as much as what I ordered. So it must have been really good. Mine, Liquid Ginger Rib Eye. It was truly excellent. Better quality than I have had at any steak chain. It was very flavorful and I was surprised by the portion size. They served it with three small sides of different sauces. A ginger soy glaze, a chili oil and a creamy mustard sauce. The creamy mustard sauce on top of the rice was amazing. I have eaten lunch here a few times with my wife. It is truly a different experience. She is a tea fan, and their choice of teas is excellent. Lunch is one of the best values in Gainesville, $8-9 for a full meal. Portion size is lunch correct, so don't expect to bust any buttons, but it is great quality. Dinner was expensive, mine was $19, not too expensive for what I had, but hers was $17. I think that is a bit expensive for what she had. This and the horrible Friday night parking is why it got 4 stars instead of 5.
(4)Jessica F.
So I would have given them less than 1 star but it wouldn't let me. I went there last night for a birthday dinner and the SERVICE SUCKED! We were there for 2.5 hours, saw our waiter when we ordered and when he delivered part of our food (he never came to refill our drinks, luckily they put extra glasses of water on the table). My dish and another persons was never delivered, they said my dish wasn't cooked and it'd be 10 extra minutes because they had to thaw out the steak, this was after he had returned to our table after about 15-20 minutes later to say it'd be right up, by now the entire table was almost done with their food. The other person that didn't get their dish he kept saying "I'll be right back with your dish", he never came back with it. By the time he came back for the forth time saying it'd be right up we decided to just cancel our order, her dish he was "able to cancel" which said to us that it was never cook, but mine was "on the grill" I said forget it I don't want it give it to someone else. Then it took another 30-45 minutes for him to get us the bills. I can guarantee I won't be back to this place, you'd think in this economy they would make sure everyone that walked thru their doors had the best experience ever so they will return but nope and never once did the manager come over to apologize. Here's a tip about Liquid Ginger: SAVE YOUR MONEY AND PATRONIZE ANOTHER RESTAURANT THAT WILL APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS AND BE WORTH THE MONEY!!!!!
(1)Chip B.
Pretty darned good beef bulgogi. Get the bento box if'n ya know what's good fer ya. Seems like a cool date place. The waitrons are mega hipster, but friendly.
(4)Victoria P.
The decor is relaxed yet upscale. We were seated in a large booth and literally sank into the pillow-like cushions to order our meal. I like to order Edamame every chance I can, but I was slightly disappointed by this batch. The pods weren't cooked all the way through and I ended up adding tons of salt to make up for the lack of flavor and texture. Liquid Ginger's menu is extensive with vegetarian options, traditional entrees, pan-seared fish and even rib-eye. The one thing you won't find? Sushi. The restaurant wanted to differentiate itself from it's competitors by opting to serve heartier meals at more affordable prices. After slurping own a Miso Soup I wanted a dish with a little more kick. The Garlic Hot & Spicy Chicken sounded like it was up for the job, and boy was it ever! My lips started to tingle after the first bite and I had to stop and cool my palette with the cucumber and broccoli side dishes. The thick red and green peppers added a wonderful crunchy texture to the dish, while the rice sopped up all of the excess sauce. The hint of garlic at the end of every bite was subtle and I really enjoyed it. Thankfully, I didn't walk away from the table feeling like I had nasty garlic breath. The Pad Thai was a close second while I was picking my entree, so I definitely had to steal a few mouthfulls from Jake's plate. To my surprise, the peanut flavor was very subdued and really let a lot of the other flavors of the dish shine. The rice noodles were a bit messy but added to the overall playful nature of the dish.
(3)Chad D.
The food at Liquid Ginger is very good. The first time we ate there, my wife had Udon noodles with Shrimp. She loved it. I thought it was great too. The serving was very generous (we even took some home) and the price was very reasonable. She didn't like the appetizer she had, Saigon Spring Rolls, but she is a picky eater. I thought they were OK. I had the pan Seared Escolar. It was fantastic! many places will give you a fish that resembles escolar but isn't. This is the real thing. And it was prepared excellently. My appetizer choice was the Soft-shell Crab. I really liked it. I will go back for both my dishes. Last weekend we went back with some friends and everything we had was very good too. For appetizers our table had a variety of starters. The Rib Eye Kew steak tips, were were unbelievably delicious. One of our friends had the Buddha (vegetable) Rolls, she loved the crispy rolls. Our other friend had the fried oysters, I tasted them too. He said they were the best he ever had. I thought they were light and delicious too. We also had Ginger Scallops, and they were very good too. Our dinners did not disappoint. My wife's Yellow Fin Tuna was amazing. She loved it. Our friends had the Coconut Curry Shrimp (she thought it was very good) and the Korean Spiced Rib Eye steak (he raved about how delicious it was.) I had the Mahi in spicy sesame sauce, which was a real treat, with a tasty melange of flavors and nuances. Our drinks were mostly good, though one of our friends asked for a dirty martini that she didn't like, so she asked for a pomegranate flavored mojito that she didn't like either (very strong syrupy flavors.) However, our other drinks were all very good. On our fisrt visit, my wife had a caipirinha, which really wasn't on the menu, but the bartender made it. It was very good. I had a Moscow Mule each time. I really liked it. The service can get a bit harried when they get full, but the staff is very professional and accomodating. The hostess is absolutely great. The prices are extremely reasonable for the great quality of the food and service. We will return often.
(5)Jesus J.
Liquid Ginger serves their entrees in a bento box with delicious sides that vary when you visit. The bento box contains your choice of entree and can contain those tasty, cold noodles, sweet potato, and an assortment of vegetables. Each entree is part of a 3 course meal. First course is the soup and salad (I recommend the miso soup). Second course is your bento box, and the third is a small portion of ice cream. The ice cream flavors are interesting and are typically cinnamon, red bean, strawberry cheesecake, and one or two other flavors. All three courses only require about $15. I find this a great deal and each time I leave, I leave completely satisfied. The staff are friendly, but the food or alcoholic drinks can take a while. Their martinis are delicious, and they have a wide variety of house alcoholic beverages. The atmosphere is very cozy, with the booth seating being covered by soft pillows. The tables are large and have plenty of space for your courses.
(5)Abhilash P.
Had a terrible experience. I went with my gf here, and both of us couldnt sleep that night because of our upset tummies. Food tasted ok, but its after effects were terrifying. Wont reccomend it at all.
(1)A. N.
This is one of the best restaurants in Gainesville. The food is great and the price is very reasonable. They have a large selection of really good tea. The service is friendly and quick, the only downside to this place is that they close between 3 and 4 during weekdays.
(5)lance s.
4 stars for the food as always and Chris our waiter was fantastic. but on a clean scale its a 2 star at best. green rug downstairs could use a good vacuuming, we sat outside near the fountain,the patio was covered with old cigarette butts,the windows and doors needed a good wash, and the globe lighting above the entrance to the patio were black on top from soot. guys, when your not busy send someone around to some regular cleaning. the food is always good and priced reasonably but the dust and dirt sends a message you don't care, and i know by the food you do.
(4)Tom T.
Three words - Spicy Cream Shrimp!!!!! Okay, well more than three words - Liquid Ginger is amazing. The spicy cream shrimp are incredible. I've had other dishes there too that are always very good but the shrimp keeps me coming back. The teas are very good as is the red bean and green tea ice creams. Every time I'm back in Gainesville I make sure to go back. Yum-O!
(5)Chloé R.
the trendy, ostensibly upscale decor lured me in. the food liquid ginger serves warrants a ban, though. while this place looks tempting from the outside and is a relatively pleasant venue, the food is far from good. in fact, after my first visit, my friend and i decided to ban this restaurant (i.e. we will never return under any circumstances). when dragonfly is so close by, i would never ever return here. the food was overpriced. salty. the bento box thing was full of unappetizing food. i wish i could've paid less to just get the less-than-mediocre entree. $20 for a sub-par meal (had water, too).
(1)Yelnatsa R.
I attempted to send this review (which I write for others) to the restaurant via their website, but it 'bounced'. I mailed a printout of the review to the restaurant, kind of expecting a reply. I guess that they don't care. My party of 8 had the pleasure of dining at Liquid Ginger, Gainesville on the evening of Valentine's Day, February 14, 2012. As a regular restaurant diner I understand that this was one of the busier middle of the week evenings, but please read on. The greeting at the door was impressive. The wait service was impressive (Josh was our waiter). The food was fantastic! However****I found these items disturbing: 1) 2 dirty spoons wrapped in the clean napkins 2) Rough feeling dirt on the exterior of 2 of the soup bowls 3) Dirty feeling to the hand rail going down the steps to the lower rear dining room 4) My wife reported that the women's rest room was not clean 5) I can tell you from my own observation that there were paper towels strewn on the floor of the men's room I have been in town for 5 years. Liquid Ginger has become a favorite of mine over these years. However, there can be no excuse for dirty silverware and dishes (bowls). In addition, poor housekeeping should be second nature in an eatery. Are you going to correct these problems? Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope that you act on all of these issues.
(2)S W.
Used to be amazing. Changed ownership too many times. Tends to be understaffed now, and food has gone down a notch but is still good and somewhat reasonably priced.
(4)Kylie S.
The first time I went there was for my birthday, as I heard they were pricey. Liquid Ginger turned out to be a good deal though as you got several courses with your main dish- a soup/salad+ ice cream were extras. Since we have been back (with our groupons lol!) they actually dont do that anymore and you can just order a now cheaper main and choose to pay for all the other stuff if you want it. This is probably good if you eat there regularly and dont want ice cream all the time..The cocktails are not cheap but they are yummy!!
(4)Jacqueline B.
This is one of the better restaurants in Gainesville! They have great vegan and gluten-free options but I'm definitely partial to the red curry tofu. If you get an entree, a salad, soup, and dessert are also included. The tasting and tea menu are great as well!! Service is superb...never a bad experience. The owner, Larry is super professional and accommodating! I recently had my graduation dinner there and they allowed us to have a limited menu and we paid for a corking fee and brought our own champagne and wine.
(4)Tu-van L.
Best Pan-Asian restaurant I've been to. The seared tuna is excellent (and actually seared and not near-completely cooked) with some nice seasonings on it. Their signature ribeye is excellent - very tender with plenty of flavor. Their appetizers are good and they have a great selection of wines and teas. And anything dipped in their sweet chili sauce makes the food even more delectable. Definitely a gem in the heart of downtown Gainesville. I know the manager there, and I know anything he makes will be awesome!!
(5)Dani W.
I've never found Liquid Ginger to be all that great, to be honest. Friends would go here for birthdays, and I always just found it... meh. Decent. But not worth the price.
(3)Anna S.
My friend took me here while I was visiting him, and though I should by all standards be a complete Oriental food snob since a) I am Asian and b) I come from the snobbiest of all Oriental food hotspots, San Francisco, I must say that I found this place to be very satisfying. The dinner entree comes in the style of a glamorized Japanese bento box dinner, complete with a cup of miso or spinach and tofu soup, while the small side dishes remind me of Korean banchan. The entree I chose was the Red Curry Chicken, which was nicely spiced and tasted as good as any Thai curry I eat here in California. So why, after clearly describing a hot mess of confused "fusion" cuisine would I still rave about this place? Because, it was delicious. Plain and simple. I wasn't looking for authentic when I ate here, although the curry tasted authentic enough to me. I was just looking for a nice, romantic dinner, and Liquid Ginger delivered. From the very kind young man who served us, to the sweet and aromatic Hibiscus tea we ordered, to the yummy Spring Rolls with lemon dipping sauce my companion insisted we order, it was all a very satisfying and tasty evening. I liked the ambiance and I especially enjoyed the side dishes. I left feeling full and content, and made a mental note that when and if I return to this charming little college town, I will definitely try to make it back here.
(4)Jayna G.
So yummy! I always have such a hard time deciding what I want, because everything is so good. I always end up getting the same thing, which is the spicy soy chicken. This is also the only place where I like the Miso soup. You do get a lot of food for the cost of your dinner. Every meal comes with soup, salad, sides with your main, and a dessert. Normally the wait staff is really good, but like at any place you do get one bad server, but the food is so good, it's easily over looked. *Their lunch is a great deal!
(5)Karl K.
I finally tried this place after hearing about it for the past few years. I can easily say, that I will be back again! The menu is fantastic - they take the "asian fusion" preparation to the next level. i was easily able to find several selections that I was immediately drawn to...including the Spicy Garlic ribeye (not normally found in these type restaurants). Presentation amazing...service incredible...and the nice touches added to the experience (like the ice cream for dessert included in our meal) was fantastic. my dinner experience with a friend was as enjoyable as the very special "dad - daughter" night out before a show at the Hippadrome. In fact, she celebrated her BF 1 yr anniversary dinner there several weeks later. A true Gville trreasure
(4)Belle C.
Liquid Ginger is a good value in the sense that you get a lot of food for the money. For ~$15-20, you get soup, salad, an entree, several small sides-of-the-day, and dessert. Still, after hearing so many people rave about it, I expected the food to be better. There was nothing spicy about the Spicy Buddha Rolls, the miso soup was flavorless, and the salad was soggy. My grilled salmon/coconut rice entree was good, but it wasn't hot. Actually, all the things that should have been served hot were only lukewarm, including the green tea. Very disappointing. I'd give it another try, with some hesitancy.
(3)Karthik N.
Been here multiple times. Love the food and the service. Red curry with chicken is my favorite here.
(4)April O.
One of my favorite restaurants downtown, but that just means that most of the food in the area is lousy for the price. (Red Dragon/Maude's/Ti Amo/Tapas 12, you can all take a flying leap off something really tall.) Liquid Ginger is good if you can tolerate their inconsistency. The drink that's "coming right up" is in fact coming right up ... after they hunt down the bartender who is never actually behind the bar. Actually, maybe you don't really want that drink after all. When I went on Saturday night, a manager was attempting to pacify the table next to us. I saw a dish of Rose's Lime Juice come out by itself for them to add to their drinks. Umm ... a bowl? You didn't have any glasses to pour that in? And shouldn't that be happening BEHIND the bar? ... but that's right, you don't really have a bartender. I shouldn't even be complaining, since the glass of plum wine I got due to the lack of bartender was a ginormous 5 oz. pour. But even getting 2 drinks in 1 isn't going to make me forget that we ordered dinner nearly 40 minutes ago and it's not here. Some of their food really is good--the roti canai was delish and played lots of mean, spicy tricks on my tastebuds--but alas, they were out of escolar, and their stir-fried duck and bok choy is too expensive to be as average as it turned out to be. If we weren't just being served our main courses at 11:30 pm, I would have returned it. But considering that the kitchen dumped all of the soup around 11 and the poor server actually had to make a cup of spinach/tofu soup from scratch for me after he mistakenly brought me miso, I decided to let it go. 3 stars because I would return with some reluctance. Most of my experiences here have been good, so Saturday was probably just an off night. I suppose I'd rather have spotty service/good food than excellent service/food poisoning.
(3)Mary M.
I used to come here all the time since they had teas that I liked the no one else in Gainesville had. I mix the puerh and crysanthymum for something earthy and sweet. There are some items on the tasting menu that are really good such as the steak kew and soft shell crab. I am a fan of all the fish dishes and chicken dishes. I have not gone wrong with a fish or chicken dish. I havent tried the other ones since I always go tried and true. The sweet chili sauce is really good...and Love the garlic cold noodles. I am a HUGE lover of garlic. and by that I mean I love it roasted and eaten just like that, raw as the major ingredient in my salad dressing, or just plain stirfry with garlic and veggies. so those garlic cold noodles are gratifying. If you are on a date then I would stay clear of those. Get the coconut sauced steamed veggies as a side- those are yummy too. I've have a graduation dinner there and no complaints. A little pricey, but you are downtown and there are lots of food to go around. Each meal comes with a ginger salad, main course with side dishes, rice, and dessert. I recommend the red bean or green tea icecream. If you are having a larger party, there is a downstairs area that is semi-private. I personally like it down there since you can look outside and it feels more VIP-ish.
(5)Danny D.
Really, where else are you gonna go for non-greasy Asian food and fancy decor? Oh, Merlion. Right.
(3)Mike R.
I dont want to slam a place i only tried once but i cant waste my money to give it another shot.. Ill keep it simple. Bad service, Frozen food, and horrible drinks.
(2)Miss. Foodgurl S.
Liquid Ginger is very delicious. I always request eating at this Oriental Restaurant. My favorite thing to get here is the Ginger Glazed Salmon. I get the Ginger Glazed Salmon in the bento box. It comes with garlic chilled lo mein noodles, pickled cucumbers, and white jasmine rice. It is probably the best deal that you can possibly get. Personally, I start off with the miso soup and then I enjoy a side salad with sesame dressing. Then I enjoy my bento box and then a complimentary scoop of ice cream. I was told to try the green tea, and don't get me wrong, it is not bad it is just sort of bland. I love the red bean ice cream, it tastes like watermelon, and also the strawberry cheesecake is amazing too! This is such a good place to sit down and enjoy. The atmosphere is very relaxing, especially if you are seated in a cushioned booth. *Knock On Wood* Every time that I have been their the service has been very good. But when you go plan to be their for an hour to an hour and a half. Also I get the Chamomile Tea. I went last night (8/17/2011) and the food was wonderful as always! I got the raspberry hot tea and it was simply delicious! For an appetizer, the satay chicken with a spicy thai peanut sauce was delicious, and the calamari was prepared perfectly. The sweet chili sauce that comes with the calamari, was very spicy but good at the same time. Be sure when you order your tea to ask for honey and they will bring you some in a small bowl. Each individual pot of tea is $3.00! Last night I had the red bean ice cream and it was impressive as always. For dinner, I ordered the Terriyaki-Ginger Salmon ($18.00) it was just divine and full of flavor!
(4)Dharbigt M.
Sub-par, overpriced, and not particularly authentic. Atmosphere and service are good.
(2)Marie O.
The food was good, the portions were decent, but the service left something to be desired. The server was friendly enough, but we were constantly kept waiting... to be seated, to have our orders taken, to get water refills, for our bill, etc. Granted, he did have an eight-person table he was also attending to, but it was just us and them. Nothing too unmanageable.
(3)Susan C.
I finally got a chance to try this little downtown eatery. The decor is nice if a little worn around the edges. I ordered 3 appetizers to get a feel for the quality of food and only one of the two was worth eating. The food was brought out on a wooden tray and showed nice presentation. The scallops were bland and rubbery, the stir fried spinach was so flavorless that I sent my waitress to fetch me some salt and the egglant was a bright purple with onions and bell peppers and was good if a bit over salted. I showed up right at opening and was the only patron in the restaurant, but still had to wait for the waitress when I needed anything. I didn't try any of the entrees, so I don't know if they step it up for the big money dishes, but in my book, if you can't get your appetizers right, you probably won't do anything else right either. I have no plans to return.
(2)Holly S.
The coconut curry chicken gets 5 stars, but the overall place gets 4. The atmosphere could be a bit more upscale, but the price is right and the free ice cream after the meal makes everything OK.
(4)Robert S.
martini fucking thursdays.
(4)James B.
Liquid Ginger has a wonderful array of Pan-Asian cuisine at affordable prices for meat eaters AND vegeterians to enjoy. They offer a huge menu with items ranging from typical Coconut Curry Chicken to my favorite, Pan Seared Escolar. I really love how they carry fresh fish that you probably cannot find in many restaurants in Gainesville. Their appetizer menu ("Tastings") are very small but delicious morsels. Their spinach and tofu soup is a delicate and light way to start your dinner alongside the salad. Everything is placed in attractive bento boxes and I always get an extra bowl of rice! To top it off, you are given a choice of dessert between cheesecake and ice cream. Green tea ice cream FTW! They also have very good bar selection and an extensive tea list. The teas are good but are slightly overpriced. The service is good and the decor inside is acceptable. The booth seating is comfortable and they can accommodate for large parties. They do not offer a children's menu but the crispy lime chicken/tilapia are safe items.
(4)Kristen C.
Walked out before getting seated because the hostess was extremely rude. Last time I ate at Liquid Ginger, it was a'ight -- nothing special.
(2)Kathryn C.
I love this place! I like the small servings you can get, they are filling but not too big. I recommend the Ginger Tea, it's awesome! Also, the crabcake was great, and there's something for everyone including vegetarians (my sister is vegetarian).
(4)Alex E.
I always thoroughly enjoy myself when I stop by Liquid Ginger. All the meals I've had were tasy and presented well. Fish is always a safe bet here, I'm not sure if it's their supplier or just that they prepare fish really well or what, but I've never been dissapointed with a fish dish. The meals are a tad pricy, though you do get soup, salad, and sides with your entree. The tea and bar selections are both great.
(4)Jennifer G.
The food at Liquid Ginger never disappoints me and even my very picky 12-year-old loved his meal and cleaned his plate. I had read other reviews that mentioned a large party can bring the kitchen to a stand still and that was the case the particular night that we went. However, this is certainly not the norm, I have never had a complaint with the service before.
(4)M.K. O.
remarkably mediocre food; atmosphere is forgettable. If you're in the mood for Asian food, there are certainly far better choices in town.
(2)Chelsea A.
A bunch of people told me how good this place was so I ordered take out one night and it was just ok. I wasn't impressed. The pad thai which I love and tend to judge thai restaurants by was just so-so. I probably wouldn't order from here again.
(3)Colleen P.
My husband and I went to Liquid Ginger for my 30th Birthday. We were first time diners and went there on a recommendation of a friend. I have to say that my husband and I make it a point to try new restaurants when we go out for special occasions, and I have NEVER written on Yelp. I have been a sever, and with that I notice things others may not. Our server (who I know the name of, but out of respect will not say) had four to five tables by my count, which is not too stressful (by the way, it was a Tuesday). She had a table walk out on her, and we were there for almost two hours with simple orders. She came by our table with extreme delay, and when I say that, I have never experienced such delay. I over heard the staff saying that she was outside walking around smoking! I also had to pay our bill with the bartender because she did not come to the table for more than 20 mins after we finished eating. Outside of the EXTREMELY POOR service, the food was nothing to write about. I had the pan seared scallops and they were rubber. My husband had rare tuna that was cooked and would not cut without a knife. It was the worst restaurant experience that my husband or I have ever had!!!! I hope this was just a bad night for them, but to put it simply... it sucked!!!
(1)Laura M.
Good job, Liquid Ginger! This place has a lovely atmosphere, dimly lit and well-decorated. The menu offers a two-page tea list, and tea is served in a small pot kept warm over a candle flame. I tried the ginger tea and found it lightly sweetened and flavorful. The dinner menu had lots of variety, including a fair number of vegetarian offerings as well as chicken, beef and seafood dishes. I was impressed with the offering of escolar, one of my favorite fishes. Crispy lime tilapia was also a hit, as was my hot and spicy tofu (not actually too hot and spicy, but enough to leave your mouth tingling). I love that every entree comes with soup, salad, and dessert, as well as a cute tray full of pickles, noodles, and other small plates. Prices were reasonable -- we paid $13-17 each for entrees. Service was attentive and helpful, while unobstrusive. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in town! EDIT: Apparently, Wednesday night is Martini Night. $4 house martinis! The entire drink menu was pretty impressive, I must say, but I was esp. thrilled that they'll make a Singapore Sling.
(5)Apple C.
I give LJ 4 stars, for definitely above average. (I reserve 5 stars for the things that make me cry with happiness for having partaken!) I really love that everything is based on a pseudo-bento box ideal. Ok, it's not really a bento box... but you get little tastings of sides and dessert with a main dish, which - since I also love tapas - is a great style for me. This allows you to have many different favors without ridiculously blowing your budget (or calorie intake!). Overall, it's slightly pricier than I'd like, but not more so than I expect, if that makes any sense. Seems like average dinners are in the $18-22 range or so. Starters are relatively cheap, and I've made dinner out of a few starters with friends and some fruit tea. Overall, definitely a place to try. Usually nice and quiet too, so is a conveniently mellow atmosphere good for dates, business meetings, or low-key hanging out over food.
(4)Mrs. H.
Liquid Ginger is a great little date spot. The restaurant is thoughtfully laid out to where you feel you have little intimate spaces to sit, eat and converse. The lighting is just the right amount of dark. The theme is Pan-Asian. Menu offerings include crispy tilapia, curries, rib-eyes and fillets marinated in what else? Liquid Ginger. The lunch specials (around $7pp) include a choice of miso or spinach tofu soup, a salad with sesame or ginger vinaigrette, a veggie spring roll, and your main entree accompanied by rice. Dinner ($12-20pp) includes all of the above minus the spring roll, with the addition of noodles, fresh pickled cucumber, an assortment of other vegetables, cheesecake and coffee. Pretty good deal. And I can't say I haven't tried anything yet that hasn't been darn good.
(5)Logan f.
Overpriced overgingered food. Playing $18 for Chinese food that I can get at a Chinese take out place is outrageous. I mean come on. I am glad Divine Monkey opened up. What I do not get is why they mark up the same lunch portions for dinner. What a rip off.
(2)