Eat here often. Excellent chef. Best sweet potato fries ANYWHERE! Have yet to have a bad meal. Brazilian Chop salad, Chicken Bacon Brie sandwich, Black & Blue burger, & Fish & Chips are delicious. There's often live music in the evenings. Great neighborhood grill with a bar, & almost always very good service.
(4)
Chris M.
My girlfriend and I in Uptown Village and have been going here fairly regularly for a drink after work. The bar staff is awesome. They are very friendly and always accommodating. The drinks are stiff and they carry a pretty wide selection of draft beers including severa local brews (from First Magnitude and Swamphead). We've tried some of the entrees and they are good for the most part. They are a bit pricey for the quality, but if you're looking for a nice casual dinner spot, this fits the bill. Like I said, the service is great. We decided to try brunch and there are only three or four dishes on the brunch menu which was sort of a bummer. We ended up not getting anything from that menu, but I will update it once we do. We had a buffalo chicken sandwich that was spectacular and some fish tacos that were average with some sort of chipotle slaw on them. 3 dollar mimosas were a plus. Also they are very dog friendly and accommodated our sheltie with a bowl and cold water.
(4)
Alice C.
Red Onion, I want you to be so much better than you are. Location, concept, happy hour potential, green quiet sidewalk seating; you have it all. Poor customer service, mismanagement, and crazy food farts... you just keep letting me down. So we tied Red Onion again. This was the tenth time? Twentieth time? We have been here for happy hour, and we have come here to get lucky, and we have arraigned to meet friends here to decompress, and all these experiences were positive because of the location and the outdoor seating works for us, but none of these experiences were augmented by the poorly trained staff and the careless, haphazard effort to put out palatable food. Gainesville is double blessed by virtue of UF and SantaFe, to have young, fun, well educated service people everywhere in this town. A big part of why we moved back to Gainesville when we retired is because there are college kids waiting tables, college kids cashiering at the grocery, college kids working in the mall; we came back here because there is a never ending supply of fresh faced, bright, articulate, wholesome young men and women all over this town. The waiting staff at Red Onion is not an acceptation, great people working there. They just do not know what they are doing. It is not their fault. That is the Management's fault. Their intent is to give you good service, but they do not know how. So frustrating! So on this occasion the waiter brought the bill before the food, forgot my second wine until I reminded him, never brought my husbands second drink, had to amend the bill twice for add-ons, and made us come inside to find him when it was time for us to pay our bill. And he was a really good guy doing the best he could. I felt bad for him. The food farts and flowers: The bottom piece of bread on my turkey club was soaked in butter. The top piece had no butter at all. Last time both pieces were burnt to a crisp. Soaked in butter is better than burnt to a crisp, but much less desirable than no butter at all. The fries were limp, oily, undercooked, and seasoned to death. I could not eat them. My husband's fish taco was good: cilantro, avocado, the fish was identifiable, mahi, the flower tortilla was well cooked and had a good flavor. They were either out of chips or got his order wrong because the tacos were delivered with the same over-seasoned undercooked fries that adorned my plate. I hope that I never go back to Red Onion again, but I know that I will, and I will have a good time, and the service and the food will be disappointing. Sometimes it sucks knowing the future.
(3)
Willis K.
Had a great late Sunday evening dinner on the final leg of our week-long spring training/beach Florida adventure. After four hours of catching up and tons of riotous conversations, my cousin took my wife and me to this neighborhood grill in NY Gainesville. Excellent martinis, just the right craft beer selection--very delighted to actually have a dark English ale on draft. Put in a late order for the touted onion rings and they were hot, well-held together, and plentiful--great sauce, too. Entrees were all well-presented and flavorful. The Caesar salad enhanced with a well-seasoned grilled chicken was yummy. Filet tips perfectly grilled along with a decent skewer of grilled vegis was sensational over a side of yellow rice. Equally delicious was the salmon with a very well-flavored mango salsa, again perfectly cooked. Service from Samantha was cheerful and accommodating. Everything was fresh and presented without a hitch!
(4)
Ryan M.
Out of the couple times I've been here, I've enjoyed their food and have wanted to come back. My in-laws brought us here when we were in town because it's one of their favorite places. But I've recently been told their last visit wasn't too pleasant. When ordering, my brother had asked the waiter if the tacos would be a good choice for a big guy that my brother is. After being assured, he was very disappointed when he received his three bite size tacos. Such a small serving wouldn't have been enough for anyone. OTHER THAN THAT, our experiences have been great.
(4)
Sandra B.
Don't really know how the food was because we sat down and did not receive any service. Saw the waiter drop a napkin on the floor and pick it up and put it back on the table.
(1)
Brad K.
All my 2 yo wanted was a pb&j not the $5 kids meal Manager would not sell us just a pb&j with having to buy a kids meal with side and drink my child didn't want Poor customer service IMO We've dined here many times over the years. As you can see from my tip above this time was not as enjoyable. Something so simple is enough to put us off from going back anytime soon. Our waitress was very nice and provided great service. The food was very good. Prices are definitely on the high side.
(2)
Jenn H.
One of my favorite places to eat. The onion rings are to die for. No matter what I get to eat I am always pleased and the service is always great!
(5)
Scott T.
Great place just up the street for me. They do live music several nights a week and I can walk up there grab a beer and enjoy some good music. Their food is unforgettable that is not really on par but they do have happy hours late in the evening and it's about a half an mile from where I liveso it's worth the walk.
(3)
Connie H.
My daughter and I meet here at least once a week after work, for happy hour. (I highly recommend the margaritas!) We both like the ambiance of Red Onion, and usually end-up staying for dinner. If you're looking for "comfort" food, the macaroni & cheese is some of the best I've had, and with a side of fresh broccoli is one of my favorite meals. My daughter enjoys the salads. The staff are always pleasant and professional, but prices may be a little higher than some franchise restaurants. If you want that type of assembly line food, than you might be better off skipping this little neighborhood grill.
(3)
Izzat A.
Subpar. Ordered the buffalo chicken sandwich and you could tell it was frozen beforehand. Fries were the best part. Luckily, I had a client pay for lunch. Pass.
(2)
Peggy K.
On a busy Friday night, our server, Shane was excellent. The coconut shrimp and sweet potatoe fries were great. Blue Moon on tap was great!
(4)
Mike S.
This review is based on my experience with Togo order Service: Service was overall very good. The server promptly took my order by phone and the food was ready when I arrived. A bartender noticed me waiting after a few moments, and quickly took my payment and provided the food. My only service related complaint was that my order did not contain the salad dressing I had chosen (or any dressing). Food: I normally get the sirloin but it was removed from the menu and replaced with the prime rib so I got that. This was my biggest disappointment. The steak was undercooked and had an enormous amount of fat, even after cutting off the portion of fat that is common on prime rib. The flavor/seasoning was good but it couldn't overcome the experience of chewing through tough fat.
(3)
Alan W.
I've been to this place a couple of times. The Cobb salad is to die for. Brazilian salad is ok, but the filet tips (steak) add on is absolutely perfect. The Brie, Bacon & Chicken sandwich is sex on a bun and is highly recommended. Also, try the sweet potato fries which are incredible. Mostly, it was the waitress with the magenta-dyed hair that really made the experience. She was exactly what you want in a server. I told her I was a fan. Check out the Red Onion Grill and look for magenta, she's THE BEST!!!!!!
(5)
Doug M.
Had lunch here with sidecar Gus Very good food, I had the turkey club and Gus had chicken and broccoli Very dog friendly 7 dogs, 5 humans
(4)
Carolyn H.
I ordered the Chile Popper Burger. It was tasty but not spicy at all. It was a very sweet dish.
(3)
Margaret G.
Red Onion used to be better. Both drinks and food are very slow out of the kitchen. Food is ok, but the service is so slow! On a Friday night, at 6...during Happy Hour, there were seats available. It was never like that. I hope they turn it around!
(3)
Brooke S.
This place is nothing special in terms of food. I have yet to eat at the restaurant yet though. The take out I have gotten has been mediocre at best but the staff is always polite to me when I come in to pin up my food. I would not really recommend this place to anyone but it is not awful.
(3)
P D.
Not a huge fan. The hamburger was under seasoned. Duck breast taste good but there was not much of it. The food's not disgusting or anything just not very exciting or flavorful either.
(2)
L B.
Special several weeks ago special was not fit to serve. Penni pasta cooked to disintegration with what may have been broccoli. Shame on you.
(2)
Canova B.
The best fried shrimp in Gainesville! Along with sweet potato fries, too good to argue.
(5)
Brandon W.
Garbage! Didn't get half of what the special said it came with and they didn't replace the items either...asked about their beer and the server didn't know what they had lol it was a bad experience overal
(1)
Ilio G.
I love red onion, one of my favorite restaurant in Gainesville (I've lived here over 10 years). Food is always great, staff is very friendly, good prices, great atmosphere, and live jazz from time to time. I have maybe only had 1 bad experience in all the years, not bad enough not to give them 5 stars.
(5)
Hannah B.
Overrated. Service is great but the food lacks pizazz. It's unfortunate because the atmosphere is nice and the location is great with their being no other restaurants in that area. It has a lot potential but the menu needs help.
(3)
Kelly M.
Wow. From other reviews, seems like this place is going downhill...FAST. We were there last night for what was a miserable dining experience. Food took forever. We asked the waitress when it arrived: "can you please check the ticket time,because we feel like we've been waiting a while". Literally, trying to be nice. Her response was: "well, we're really busy. I don't make the food, I just bring it out". She kept being so completely rude, that I finally said she had yet to apologize. Manager came over, apologized, and said she's comp part of our bill. While she was speaking with my husband, the waitress (Kelly) was making faces at my husband behind her. Yes, this literally happened. Again, FOREVER later, she took off 10% of our bill ($3.90). And, charged us for kids drinks which are supposed to come with the meal! At $1.50 each. Food was pretty bad: my sandwich was mostly bread, only about half full of food. Kids burger was burnt and hard. They actually didn't mess up my son's pasta (whoo hoo). We eat out often, and this was incredibly horrible. Will NOT be returning anytime soon. There are so many other places around town with great service and far better food.
(1)
Mike D.
I won't go again which is sad to say because the place had potential. Saturday afternoon and not busy, appetizers should not take 30 minutes. Order of Red Onion onion rings... Skin still on the onions and impossible to chew. By the time a new batch came out we were done with our meals. My wife was done, my burger was raw. They brought me another that I didn't ask for. They should've taken it off my bill, but there was no one there empowered to think that way. Very polite staff even if the chef could get it right.
(2)
Kimmy B.
Older crowd. Tasty food if you like a LOT of spice. Full bar and several good beers on tap. Their guacamole was very fresh but not the best I've had. Good live jazz music. A little pricy
(3)
Kevin M.
Food: Burgers aren't bad. Definitely nothing to rave about. The fries were probably the best part of the meal. Drinks were reasonable in both price and content. Service: Absolutely stunk. Our server (Lydia) was snobbish when queried about the entrees and side dishes. "As you can clearly see on the menu (*points with finger in my face*), it CLEARLY states that...." What the heck is that? If a first-time customer asks a few questions about the menu and side-dishes, just answer. No need for condescension or attitude. The place is so damn dark, the customers should be praised for even managing to read section titles, let alone the tiny-print meal descriptions and prices. She also scrutinized my girlfriend's drivers license for nearly 5 minutes. Felt like we were going through immigration or an international airport or something. I guess we can also chock that up to the nearly pitch-black lighting scheme. Oh yeah, and it took a half-hour to cook 2 average burgers. And no, they weren't even remotely busy. Surely, the only reason they've stayed in business is because of their location, inside of an apartment complex. Young people with low standards keep this place afloat. All-in-all, the food was mediocre, but once again, we have another Gainesville restaurant with awful customer service. Man, I miss New York.
(2)
Amanda J.
Barf!! Really. Every time I've been here the food and service have been terrible. I believe I got food poisoning as well. Srsly, don't go.
(1)
Bill W.
I eat lunch here occasionally. Recently I had a waitress that really did a great job. The receipt had Brunson listed. my party all said the service was exemplary. The food is good, not great. The quality seems to fluctuate from good to mediocre. Lately the food has been more consistent. The price is to high when you consider the inconsistencies of the food. The atmosphere is very nice.
(4)
A L.
The food is not worth the price. Even the salads are bland. They do, however, tout quite the martini menu, so if you're going for that and the live jazz, you probably won't be disappointed. Parking is limited, so be wary during dinner rush.
(3)
Gator R.
I am happy with the food choices and daily specials. Staff are very accommodating and attentive to our needs. The bartenders make amazing cocktails although I notice them drinking shots from the shelf, not just one time but several times. The servers were also getting shots. I guess the owner allows that.
(4)
Ingrid E.
Beware of the bartender Kyle. He provides a sloppy pour and tons of ice. If you ask for a re-pour or less ice, he gets even and fills it up with mixer. Too bad because my Cobb Salad was pretty good and the service was fine. Order a beer or a glass of wine- avoid mixed drinks and a bartender with an attitude.
(1)
Coty S.
My family and I like coming to Red Onion mostly because they have something for everyone to eat. Many of their dishes are inspired by different cultures, not just classic American style food. For residents living on or near 39th street, this place is surely a welcome find. The atmosphere is friendly and the condo complex it is located in is a fabulous idea. Across the street, did I see a performance theater? The beer battered onion rings are actually their weakest item, covered in way too much batter. Also, using purple onion is not ideal because the flavor is not strong enough to hold up to the beer flavor. It all just gets lost in a heartburn inducing grease pile. The burger is not the best in town, but it sure has a ton of flavor. I really enjoyed the excess amount of black pepper used in the meat, but for some this might be a total turn-off. I subbed in macaroni and cheese instead of fries for an up-charge. It was definitely dressed up box mix because the noodles were the same size, shape, and even tooth feel. For some reason, it was still surprisingly satisfying. My family is obsessed with their flat breads because of the price and the type of preparation used. The cheese topping is plentiful, the produce fresh, and the bread is soft and fluffy. If you have not been here before, I definitely recommend giving them a try. Not only are they local, but they sell quality food and are putting in the effort to bring new American dishes to Gainesville for a decent price.
(4)
Shelley H.
I've been here a few times since they opened. My biggest complaint is the service. Of the handful of times I've been here, I've never had great service. And this is over a 3 year time span. I'm not sure why they "miss" on this mark consistently, but they do. Now for the drinks. Their drinks are good. Over-priced by Gainesville standards, but good. Their Martini menu has many options and something for every taste. The last visit was my sister-in-law's birthday party and the bar gave her (her only, not the other 3 of us) a "free" BJ shot. We did not get to choose the type of shot, nor did the waiter bring us all 4 a shot (even though we said, "We will have a round"... "a round" is more than 1 shot for 1 person, right?) Anywhoo... $8 per martini and we had to call for our waiter each time we wanted a drink. That's why I give low scores on service. We ordered the Goat Cheese appetizer, the Buffalo Chicken and the Hot Buffalo Shrimp. The goat cheese was soft and tasty. It came on a plate with soft french bread slices, green apple, almonds and cranberries. Nice, light, refreshing appetizer. (Especially with Lemon Drop martinis). The chicken was MEH... just frozen chicken strips and sauce... nothing special. The shrimp is really good (We actually ended up ordering another plate of these). The shrimp is fried crispy and then sauced with the hot buffalo sauce and a creamy chipotle-mayo type dressing & served with bleu cheese & celery. Very nice. I would give 2.5 stars, but I don't think this place is "A-OK", so I can't spare another star. IMO the service is really where the Red Onion suffers because I would be willing to pay the higher prices if I were receiving high-end service!
(2)
Alayna D.
I typically would have given this place a 4 star, but after very slow service, an inattentive server and an incorrect order brought out at Sunday brunch, I had to go with just 3 stars. Red Onion is a family favorite in my household. We've been several times even for occasions like birthdays & large groups, never once having an issue with service or long wait times for food or drinks. The food is plentiful with large enough portions to share and a unique assortment of menu options; something for everyone. Good drink menu to boot, especially martinis! My biggest gripe from Sunday brunch was our server seemed inattentive and inexperienced. She didn't check in much with our table and, only after we asked, did she tell us the kitchen was behind (apparently a cook didn't show up for work that morning). I ordered smoked salmon, goat cheese & spinach empanadas from the brunch menu (see, I told you unique menu!) and instead was brought out chocolate & banana empanadas (a dessert). I was incredibly surprised when I bit into it! The server did apologize and the correct dish came out a little speedier than the first given their known mistake. We waited nearly 30 minutes just for sweet potato fries - unacceptable in my mind - and even longer for drinks! The rest of the parties dishes were well prepared and good portions. I'll certainly give Red Onion another chance, as I said, my family loves it and we frequently take guests there when visiting Gainesville as it is local and unique, but really hope they'll step their game up next time. Maybe then I'll choose 4 stars.
(3)
Brian G.
My absolute favorite place in Gainesville...my friends and I go here often for happy hour and they have great food, great drinks, great atmosphere, great service, etc. etc. haven't had anything here that was not up to my expectations.
(5)
Lourdes C.
Had lunch with friends and family....service was excellent and everyone rated their food good :) will definitely come back!!!
(4)
Rissi C.
Cozy and, blessedly, relatively quiet. Vegetarian back bean soup and baked goat cheese were very good. I'd go again. What a pleasant surprise to be able to dine in near silence. No noisy TV, no lousy quasi-music, no banging of plates or yelling wait staff.
(4)
Stephanie S.
New fav place to eat!!! Food is great and so is the service.
(5)
Nina T.
I really love their sweet potato fries, but not much else has been very good in the last 6mos. On my last visit I had their Beer Battered shrimp and they were so greasy. I know fried food is greasy, but this was beyond normal for anything freshly fried. Previously, I've had undercooked beef, and soggy sandwiches. I would recommend going only for the happy hour specials. Those are a good deal!
(2)
Margaret S.
food was brought to the table cold
(2)
Customer Q.
I've been here probably five or six times in the last year, the most recent being last night. On the plus side: This is one of the better restaurants in Gainesville. Especially in NW Gainesville, which doesn't have many restaurants to speak of. They have interesting combinations and flavors. Their coconut shrimp is awesome. The burger is pretty darn good, and their fries are excellent. The wings (an appetizer) are very good, though the "mild" version pretty much lit my face on fire. I did not mind, because they were quite good. Their salads are also good. They have indoor or outdoor seating. Sometimes they have good music. On the minus side: On Saturday night, the blues music was so loud that it killed any conversation at our table. I could not shout loud enough to be heard by the person sitting next to me. Even the server had trouble hearing our order. She said the band had already been asked twice to turn it down by management, and hadn't complied. Really? Who's in charge? We will go back, but certainly not on a Saturday night. Get rid of the band if you want to keep your customers. The wings taste wonderful. Would it really kill you to sell them by the wing rather than by the pound? Because it seems that at the Red Onion, a pound is about seven wings. It just seems a little cheap to do it that way. Also, I would encourage them to sell wings as an entree -- they are that good. With a side of the excellent fries. Yum. Other reviewers have noted that it's a pretty dark restaurant, with a menu designed in such a way that it is difficult to read with the light provided. Fix one or the other. The service, while a little slow, was very polite, and has been on every occasion we've been there. Last night was the only time we've been there when they messed up ust a little by bringing out one dinner when other people at our table had basically finished eating. I had a problem with my coffee with dessert (how can you screw up coffee? They did.) and when I mentioned it, no effort was made to even get me a new cup or anything, so I left it undrunk. Seems like I shouldn't have had to pay for that, but I did. I really want to see them succeed, because they do some things VERY well, and there are so few choices in Gainesville. I'll be eager to see if some of these things get corrected, and I'll amend my review if they do!
(4)
Katie C.
Three words: Chocolate. Espresso. Martini! SO good! I'm usually not one for the super sweet drinks, but a little chocolatey creaminess was sounding way too good to pass up and, since martinis were on special for $5, I went ahead and had two. They were de-light-ful, with just the right amount of sweet and spirits. The bartender also did the funky little chocolate swirls all over the glass, which you know I loved! (I'm SO easily entertained.) For my dinner I had the Asian Chicken Salad, which was yummy and exactly what I expected it to be. It was always HUGE. I'm always a fan of these kinds of salads, with crisp veggies, crunchy wontons and nuts, and a light gingery dressing. Was this the best version I've ever tasted? No, probably not. But it was still satisfying and a very generous portion for the $9 price tag. I've had similar salads for $15 at other spots. We went on a Saturday night which happened to be jazz night during dinner. Three musicians were set up in the corner and kept the smooth serenades rolling for the duration of our visit. Our bartender was friendly and helpful with our orders and the whole meal went very smoothly. I'd gladly go back to Red Onion for a munch and a martini next time I'm in the ville.
(3)
Bryan M.
Oh the Red Onion... Just thinking about it as I write this review is making me hungry (doesn't help that it is almost lunch time). I first visited the Red Onion when my boss who is from the area told me I "had to go" to happy hour. First off, who in their right mind is opposed to Happy Hour?! So I went more happily to their happy hour, and their bar is stocked with anything you desired and very good bartenders. It also helped that my boss was a regular, so we got a couple extra drinks for free, always good! During this time, I was sitting and watching all the food around me and thinking damn that looks good, so I knew I had to come back to try the food. Came back a couple weeks later and tried their stuffed chicken which came in a creamy pesto sauce that was delcious especially paired with the garlic smashed potatoes (only available after 4pm, except on Sunday which is all day) and I felt like I was back in a restaurant on Lincoln Road in Miami it was that good. The best part was that it was relatively affordable at about $15 or so. From then on, I feel as though this place has become one my favorite restaurants here in Gainesville. I have been here over 7 more times and every time they never fail me. I have tried the lemon basil pasta, the gaucho skirt steak, rosemary chicken, the duck, and monterey chicken. Easily first recommendation to anyone visiting, and was my choice everytime my parents have come to town. Till this day my mom still mentions she wants to come up for more of that stuffed chicken, it is that good!!!!
(5)
Carey G.
Great place! Prime Rib sandwich is awesome! Great sweet potato fries! I have great steaks and not so great steaks here. Depends on the cook. I had great service and not so great service. Mac and Chicken, Fettuccine Alfredo, buffalo rolls, burgers, Quesadilla with chicken jerk, are great here! Fish and Chips are pretty good! Love to sit outside with my puppy! My puppy is cleaner than most people! She sits under my chair and will not bother anyone! Yes it is legal in Florida to have a dog with you outside!
(4)
Ginger C.
Stumbled upon this when we realized The Top was not open on Mondays. Excellent salsa, good fish tacos, mac and cheese and asparagus. Happy hour beer and wine....except we were charged for two beers (we only had one) and did not notice till after we left. Probably because it was so dark in there. Bring a flashlight to see your food and bill.
(3)
Jenna L.
I recently went to this restaurant with a large group of friends. We were celebrating one of my friends' birthday here. Considering that we went pretty late for a dinner time (around 9pm), I thought the service was too slow. I thought that the ambience is nice and casual however, the food did not suit the ambience of the restaurant. It was odd to see that they had a list of jazz bands playing here yet the ambience was a little too casual. Also, considering the price, the food was NOT impressive at all and was too little. Our group ordered variety of different food but not one of them impressed me at all. The way they presented the food was not very appealing. If you are going to go here for dinner, I suggest that you stick to sandwich menu.
(2)
John N.
Excellent mango salmon and great fish and chips. Excellent service. We have been at the restaurant more than 10 times. Food is great.
(5)
Tessa M.
This place was confusing. When you walk in your like wait this looks like its going to cost me a pretty penny but the prices are comparable to crispers. 1st the parking is crazy. I had to park in the apartment complex area. 2nd its clean and new. The food was maybe a little fancy and I couldn't finish it so you get a lot, the price was reasonable. The bar tender can mix a drink. I would go back for sure and I hope to go back when they have a band playing.
(4)
Vicki K.
I went here tonight with my husband. I had the rosemary chicken with steamed broccoli for a side. Both were good but nothing to go crazy over. They were also very garlicky, and I'm a garlic fan but this was too much for me. My husband had the short rib tacos which he thought were really good. Tortillas were fresh and the meat was good. We also shared the Irish egg rolls and both enjoyed them. The staff was friendly but not overly friendly. One bad thing about our visit was the odor in the restaurant. Nothing that made us leave and you got used to it after a couple minutes but I prefer a restaurant to smell like delicious food. We'll add this to the list of places we'll go again, just not at the top of the list.
(3)
Sasha P.
The Red Onion Grill is a nice place to go to for your typical burgers and sandwiches type food with a twist. What I mean to say is that they serve classic American style dishes but in a completely different style than most restaurants do in Gainesville. To start, the Red Onion is a small joint. It appears big from the outside but once we were inside, I was surprised to see that it was not big at all. It is definitely nice inside. They have a contemporary look with an emphasis on burgandy and red tones. As for seating, they have booths, bar seating, and an open floor with tables. For the appetizers, my friends and I ordered the Avocado Egg Rolls. However, they made a mistake and accidentally sent us the Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls. That was fine with us because they cooked up some Avocado Egg Rolls free of charge! Brownie points for treating the customer well!! Anywho, these egg rolls are some of the best I have had. What a way to be creative and serve buffalo chicken as an egg roll instead of your usual wings. Love it! Of the two egg rolls, I recommend the Buffalo Chicken because they were extremely delicious with the Blue Cheese dressing on the side. The Avocado Egg Rolls were good as well but (I can't believe I'm saying this) the avocado was a little bit too much after a couple bites. I ordered the Mahi Mahi Tacos and let me just say, these were pretty darn good! Unfortunately for them, I had the BEST mahi mahi quesadillas in Hawaii but the Red Onion did a pretty good job too. They gave me about 4 of these tacos and I could only finish two of them. I was more than happy to take them home in a doggy bag. ;-) No dessert for us. We were all too overloaded on food to even think about it. I don't know that I would go to the Red Onion for an entire meal again. Probably just for appetizers. The food is okay but it didn't stand out as anything special other than the execution of some of the appetizers.
(3)
S L.
I like this restaurant. They have a pretty good selection at a fair price. My only issues have been that 1.) The service is spotty. You can have a great waiter one night and then the next time you go the server will bring out your food and then ignore you. The batter on the onion rings is too thick and can be painfully crunchy to your mouth, but the flavor is good. 2.) The taste of the meal can be inconsistent depending on who is cooking that night, I guess. One night the dip is perfect and the next way too spicy, or the Mac and Cheese is thick one day and runny the next. That being said, either way they have the BEST Mac and Cheese I have ever had a restaurant, ever! Always creamy with extra cheese on top. It's probably my favorite dish there. Along with the pan fried red fish. Give it a try if you haven't yet.
(4)
John G.
I went for the Prime Rib Special. It was no special. The piece I was given must have been the butt end, it was all brown and tough, and varying in thickness. The thin parts were well done, and the thicker parts were medium rare. I asked if this was really medium rare and got a flat out "yes" nothing else from the server. In addition, as a side I ordered the asparagus and they were the worse I've ever tasted. Very small amount and the ends were not prepared correctly. Hint to the cook, because a chef would know this, "to prepare asparagus prior to cooking, bend the stalk and it will snap, keep the top and discard the rest." it was like eating twigs from a tree, yech!! To top it all off, the crappy asparagus were a dollar more, information not given to me when I ordered it. The only reason I give it two stars is because the wings I had for an appetizer were very good. Big, plump and juicy. I can get wings and beer from a lot of places, I came here for the prime rib, man what a disappointment.
(2)
Eve P.
It's been almost a year since my last Red Onion review. I just wanted to come back here and say I am still very satisfied with the quality of service and food that I get every time I go there. Everyone is always very nice. The food is always good. And the experience is pleasant and enjoyable. They have live music certain nights of the week and that is always an added bonus. Red onion will continue to be a "go-to" for me.
(4)
Thomas B.
Nice little find! Food's good, but nothing spectacular and special. Three stars for the food. The extra star is for the atmosphere and decor, really well done! Very relaxing and comfortable atmosphere. They also had a pretty good jazz band playing the night I visited. Most sandwhiches are under $10, most entrees are under $15.
(4)
Marcelo S.
I will probably give this place another chance because I like the idea of it and the staff were super nice and hospitable.. with this said, I never add extra salt to prepared food however in this case I had to because the food was quite bland.. also, both brunch orders were served over English muffins that seemed to have not been toasted at all.. so soft, cold and chewy English muffins now damp with hollandaise were not that great..
(3)
Damion W.
Only eaten here a couple times, but had a pleasant experience both times. You wouldn't expect to find a place this good at the entrance to an apartment complex. The food is really well done at an excellent price. I had a nice steak and baked potato for $11. Don't miss out on the onion rings. Not sure how often they do it, but they had live music inside last Friday evening.
(4)
Chelsea B.
I can see how the Red Onion would be appealing if you lived at Uptown, although the sustainable community atmosphere is kind of strange. Really, who needs a movie theater in their apartment complex? But there's nothing special about the food here. Tonight was my second visit. I was feeling boring and was also starving so I ordered the burger with sweet potato fries. Admittedly, the sweet potato fries are really, really good. I always appreciate the use of sea salt. The first time I ate here, though, I ordered a salad, which was completely unmemorable. I'd say tonight went better, but if you never make it here, don't worry, you're not missing anything.
(3)
Melanie A.
I was in the area for vacation and after checking Yelp and the online menu, we decided to give it a shot. The menu sounded really good, the avocado eggrolls were the trap because I love them at Cheesecake Factory. Anyway, we got the appetizer sampler that included the avocado eggrolls and I was so disappointed. They were so hot the filling burned my finger, avocado really shouldn't be cooked that much. The steak with chimichurri sauce was so spicy I couldn't really enjoy it, I don't know what the hell was in it, I never had a chimichurri sauce like that. Basically everything sounded really good but the execution was poor. The waiter was kinda flaky and the live music (guy singing and playing guitar) was too loud.
(2)
Adam G.
Update - The food still sucks.
(2)
Jamie P.
This was my first visit to the Red Onion and I really enjoyed it. The food was pretty good, I had the buffalo chicken egg rolls which I loved. My boyfriend had the skirt steak which was a little charred, but the onion rings were amazing. The atmosphere is really nice, and the service was great. Our server, Holly, was very attentive and helpful with great suggestions of some of her favorite things, and very knowledgeable of the whole menu. I am looking forward to returning and trying some more great things from their menu.
(4)
Michell F.
Thoroughly enjoyed my dinner there last night. From the Brazilian Chop Salad to the Redfish with Creole sauce served over cheese grit cake to the Stuffed Chiicken, all the food tasted fresh, flavors were amazing and presentation was nice. Service was good; attentive but not overbearing. Getting drinks from the bar took a little longer than typical, but it was $5 martini night.... Great selection of martinis. Took a former yelp review up on the Lemon Drop Martini and was not disappointed. And then for dessert.... the piece of Red Velvet Cake we were served was as awesome as the picture, the cake was moist and way too much for one person! I live in Winter Park, but am lookilng forward to my next visit to Gainesville to visit my daughter - and this restaurant!
(4)
Mystery C.
Overall, I think Red Onion is a okay little neighborhood restaurant. I went during December, and they have wonderful Christmas decorations inside the restaurant, which was actually unexpected and quite pleasant. However, the food was not much to get excited about. We ordered the Red Onion Rings, which were big rings, like big enough to be a bracelet size rings, and were deep fried and served with a sauce. It was good, but I felt the regret afterwards. For my appetizer, I had the Lemon Basil Pasta, which I thought was very subpar. It featured a fried piece of fish on top of some pasta with some grilled vegetables. The fish was made with a cheesy batter that was not good. The pasta was pretty watered down. And the grilled vegetables did not even seem grilled and definitely did not have the charred tasted I was hoping for. TLDR: Decorations were nice. Food is meh.
(3)
Jhimli S.
My review is ONLY based off Happy hour. Please check the times. I can verify that at least on Fridays it ends at 7 PM. Oh! Friday and Saturday they also do a late happy hour that starts at 9 or 9:30. Chips and salsa, onion rings, chicken wings, chicken fingers, sweet fries all half off!! Margaritas, well drinks and some other stuff (don't be mad - I took advantage of those drink specials!) are all half off. We got five orders of food, three (meaning six) drinks for a total of $35. What. The. What. Couple of things - the blackened chicken spice on the wings is really salty and as others have said the batter on the onion rings is indeed thick. But, they're like $3 at happy hour so I don't care. Nom, nom.
(5)
Jorge U.
But we did go back for some inexplicable reason. They've remodeled -- it certainly looks nicer than it did before. But the onion rings were heavily battered and extremely extremely extremely greasy. There were puddles of grease in the basket under the rings. Yuck. Then I ended up trying to scrape the chimichurri sauce off my skirt steak because it just tasted wrong. Yuck again. Meh. Bad food. Mediocre service. Really no reason to go back.
(1)
Bruce B.
I only gave three stars based on all of my visits here.We have had some terrible experiences here- one night they couldn't make a PB&J sandwich because there was no jelly! So we ordered a grilled cheese sandwich for my nephew & they even screwed that up! I think there's just those days that the stars align against you & nothing goes right. Everyone is entitled to a bad day, so I NEVER hold one bad experience against any place. If I based my review on my last visit I would've given them four stars. The food is usually pretty decent and one of the best places to get French Onion soup. Appetizers are good to excellent. Entrees have been spotty on quality. I honestly expected disaster on my last visit because they were so busy. We were pleasantly surprised with great food and excellent service from the bartender Alicia. She was clearly "in the weeds busy" but handled it superbly! Her tip reflected our appreciation. She is definitely going to be our preferred server. Who knows, they may move up a star or so in the future... 3-1/2 stars is where they sit with me now.
(3)
Miss. Foodgurl S.
Let me just begin with saying that I have a major obsession with Red Onion. One day when I went in, I had the Satay Chicken as an appetizer, and always get it as a meal whenever I go. Also their wings are to die for especially with some blue cheese dip and the celery and carrots. There steaks are very good too, along with their burgers. For dessert you can ask to see the dessert tray and I always get the xangos. Xangos is a fried banana cream crepe-type dessert served hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, sliced bananas, and a caramel drizzle. Can I get a delicioso? Also I have never had poor service here. The service is always wonderful and quick.
(4)
Brian A.
My third place has a great atmosphere amazing food ( try the Mac and cheese) live music Thursday-Saturday and great drink specials.
(5)
Katie A.
Red onion rings with horseradish dipping sauce are really good. Sandwiches are always delicious, especially the Reuben. Only once had an "off" meal here ...swordfish special. Stick to the sandwiches and spring for the onion rings and you'll be completely satisfied.
(4)
Rachel E.
my girl and i went here at 10pm on a friday night, completely starved and needing a drink after the week we had. thanks to yelp, we knew it was happy hour so we were excited. the music ended about 10 minutes after we sat down which was fine. it was so loud we had to shout at each other when he was playing and when he wasn't it was creepy quiet. we ordered half priced chicken tenders which were delicious. unfortunately they ran outta ranch (really?) but saved some for my girlfriends salad and offered us bleu cheese instead. the margaritas are really good, also half price at that time. i ordered the appetizer sampler because i didn't want a sandwich or a steak and all the appetizers that sounded the best were of course, not half price. the avocado egg rolls are really good. nice and smooth filling. the buffalo chicken egg rolls were meh, kind of dry. the onion rings seem to be hit or miss according to the reviews, but ours were great. and even better the next day after putting them in the broiler. and finally, the crab rangoon was GREAT. my girlfriends cobb salad was huge (all the portions are impressive, really) and delicious and apparently used local grown tomatoes. word! we will certainly go back. the menu was impressive, the service was good, the drinks were tasty, and the food was great.
(4)
Jennifer T.
This place has gotten a lot better from when they first opened. Their new menu (at least a year old by now) has more inexpensive options. For the past 6 months, I've been getting much better service, except for one time -- We came in a full hour before closing and they fought over who had to wait on us (close by so we could hear everything - incredibly unprofessional and made us feel awkward). That's one of the reasons I can only give this place 3 stars. I'll get great service, but one or two bad times it's particularly atrocious. The martinis are absolutely amazing, but we only get them when they're $5 (Friday and/or Saturday nights). The Brazilian chop salad is unique in Gainesville - copious amounts of vegetables for a reasonable price with the best chimichurri I've had. I think this place can continue to improve, especially if the managers get the service in line.
(3)
Carrie C.
I never write reviews but I think this restaurant warrants one. The food was good, I will admit that. But the service was HORRIBLE. After being seated, 20 or so minutes went by and no server had greeted us. I had to approach the hostess and ask for a server. A server arrived, took our drink and dinner order as we had been ready and took off and swore the rest of our experience would be speedy. The owner or manager came to our table to apologize again and said for the inconvenience, she would deduct a portion of our check. I was impressed that she took Customer Service so seriously. Back on track. Well, it still took forever for the food to arrive. After what seemed forever to get the bill, no deductions were made for the inconvenience. I didn't go back to the owner/manager to complain. I simply paid my bill as I was so ready to leave that restaurant. I had my three year old child with me and he had more patience than I did, and that's saying a lot. Sorry, Red Onion, for what you charge for food, I expect much, much better service. For now, you are just another nearby watering hole. If it weren't for the booze, I suspect there would be a FOR LEASE sign outside by now.
(1)
April O.
Several of these sprawling, overpriced apartment complexes they keep building in Gainesville promised to have a restaurant somewhere on the ground floor as an amenity, but so far, the only real restaurant that took the bait was The Red Onion Neighborhood Grill in Uptown Village. (That Domino's in Park Lane doesn't count, sorry.) I can't even describe the theme at Red Onion because there isn't one. They just seem to have grabbed a bunch of different dishes that the owner tried at some point and added them to the menu. As a result, although the food is good, the presentation is godawful. When you're spending $16 for lunch, you probably expect a little more than a "salad" comprised of iceberg lettuce and two tomato slices in a bowl served with a take-out ramekin of dressing, and your half of "plum duck" tossed carelessly over a heap of fries, which are incidentally sopping up all of that "plum sauce" whether you wanted to eat them that way or not. Annoying. The service on the dining room ranges from indifferent to practically nonexistent. The servers will literally stare at your table and not come over. This has happened more than once when I've gone there. The only reason they're getting more than one star from me is because: the bartender more than makes up for the lobotomized servers, and the food actually is good once it comes out. The staff as a whole seems to have issues with actually putting orders in--If you order the crab cake sandwich, don't be surprised if they bring you the crab cake appetizer, and vice versa.
(3)
Jason S.
Food fits the restaurants name, it is a great place to go for a burger, sandwich, and/or drinks. For me the best attraction is the sweet potato fries.... best I have ever had (even compared to higher end places where they cost $8 as a side) . I haven't tried too many things on the menu but I have been pleased with what I have gotten. Not necessarily the best place for heart healthy food but to unwind after a long work week with drinks and food (and occasional very nice live music). I don't know a better place north of 6th for a nice calm bar/grill for 25 plus years old (non students) in Gainesville.
(3)
Terri C.
My sister who lives close enough to walk to this restaurant had been once with no hurray. So we went again had the Blue Hamburger and the Swiss and mushroom burger with sweet potato fries. I have never tasted a better burger. It was as good on the first bite as the last. The fries were crisp and tasty. The Cabernet was very good and the selections of beer is unending. We have been back several times..had wings and some appetizers. The buffalo egg rolls were great the other were good but not like the burgers...Try the Burgers and sweet potato fries.
(5)
lisa c.
My husband and I go to the Red Onion frequently and have never gotten a bad meal nor had bad service. They are best known for their burgers and they do make great ones. My favorite meal is the black and blue salad. It comes with three pieces of delicious and tender steak on a skewer. The atmosphere is cozy, kind of like you would expect of a neighborhood bar, but we also see lots of families as well.
(5)
Ce G.
Had heard about this place from friends, decided to try it out. I also read the previous reviews posted by others and was a little worried about the service. I went for a late lunch on Friday and the place was fairly quiet. Good jazz in the background. Nice ambiance. I was greeted by the host and seated immediately. The waitress (Britney) was right there and took my drink order. She came back and told me about the lunch specials. I ended up ordering a burger and the sweet potato fries. I like my beef medium rare but very few places actually let you order it that way. It's either medium done or worse. When my burger arrived, it was cooked perfectly! The sweet potato fries were little bites of heaven. The only reason I didn't give this place 5 stars is that while the burger was great, there was a little too much grease going on and it soaked the bottom bun through. Made for a messy burger, but it was delicious. Will have to come back at cocktail hour. Seems like a real fun place. And NOT full of UF students!
(4)
Chet L.
Fair price, and I did get a great steak here once. Once. Having ordered it twice since I realize that I got lucky the first time. But getting the red onion rings with balls of batter the size of golf balls instead of actually getting rings of batter with onions in them? And no offer to fix any of this after complaining? Are you kidding me? A serious F minus on presentation & truth in advertising. I also agree with those that say the wait staff here is flightly at best.
(1)
E L.
This restaurant is walking distance from my house so I have visited for lunch, happy hour, and dinner dozens of times over the past several years. I've tried a wide range of menu items and been served by more than ten different people from the wait staff. Why do I keep going back? Although it's not my absolute favorite place in town, it's still very good. Some of my favorite menu items are the sweet potato fries, the avocado eggrolls, the black bean soup, and the black & blue salad. My experience with the service has also been very favorable. Finally, the remodeled dining room and the option to sit outside are also attractive features. I'm a big fan! (By the way, the map is wrong.)
(5)
Belle C.
If you've been to an Applebee's, Bennigan's, or Chili's, you've been to Red Onion and probably paid less money for mediocre food and indifferent service.
(1)
Krista C.
Really great experience. The atmosphere was good, food was great and the Mojito's were amazing! It did take a little longer to get our food than I had hoped, but we were having such a good time it was fine.
(4)
J M.
Not sure what the others are talking about -- i've been 4 or 5 times and always had a good, reasonably priced meal. Best sweet potato fries in town, great french dip.
(4)
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
Address :3885 NW 24th Blvd,Ste A
Gainesville, FL, 32605
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes 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
Nan T.
Eat here often. Excellent chef. Best sweet potato fries ANYWHERE! Have yet to have a bad meal. Brazilian Chop salad, Chicken Bacon Brie sandwich, Black & Blue burger, & Fish & Chips are delicious. There's often live music in the evenings. Great neighborhood grill with a bar, & almost always very good service.
(4)Chris M.
My girlfriend and I in Uptown Village and have been going here fairly regularly for a drink after work. The bar staff is awesome. They are very friendly and always accommodating. The drinks are stiff and they carry a pretty wide selection of draft beers including severa local brews (from First Magnitude and Swamphead). We've tried some of the entrees and they are good for the most part. They are a bit pricey for the quality, but if you're looking for a nice casual dinner spot, this fits the bill. Like I said, the service is great. We decided to try brunch and there are only three or four dishes on the brunch menu which was sort of a bummer. We ended up not getting anything from that menu, but I will update it once we do. We had a buffalo chicken sandwich that was spectacular and some fish tacos that were average with some sort of chipotle slaw on them. 3 dollar mimosas were a plus. Also they are very dog friendly and accommodated our sheltie with a bowl and cold water.
(4)Alice C.
Red Onion, I want you to be so much better than you are. Location, concept, happy hour potential, green quiet sidewalk seating; you have it all. Poor customer service, mismanagement, and crazy food farts... you just keep letting me down. So we tied Red Onion again. This was the tenth time? Twentieth time? We have been here for happy hour, and we have come here to get lucky, and we have arraigned to meet friends here to decompress, and all these experiences were positive because of the location and the outdoor seating works for us, but none of these experiences were augmented by the poorly trained staff and the careless, haphazard effort to put out palatable food. Gainesville is double blessed by virtue of UF and SantaFe, to have young, fun, well educated service people everywhere in this town. A big part of why we moved back to Gainesville when we retired is because there are college kids waiting tables, college kids cashiering at the grocery, college kids working in the mall; we came back here because there is a never ending supply of fresh faced, bright, articulate, wholesome young men and women all over this town. The waiting staff at Red Onion is not an acceptation, great people working there. They just do not know what they are doing. It is not their fault. That is the Management's fault. Their intent is to give you good service, but they do not know how. So frustrating! So on this occasion the waiter brought the bill before the food, forgot my second wine until I reminded him, never brought my husbands second drink, had to amend the bill twice for add-ons, and made us come inside to find him when it was time for us to pay our bill. And he was a really good guy doing the best he could. I felt bad for him. The food farts and flowers: The bottom piece of bread on my turkey club was soaked in butter. The top piece had no butter at all. Last time both pieces were burnt to a crisp. Soaked in butter is better than burnt to a crisp, but much less desirable than no butter at all. The fries were limp, oily, undercooked, and seasoned to death. I could not eat them. My husband's fish taco was good: cilantro, avocado, the fish was identifiable, mahi, the flower tortilla was well cooked and had a good flavor. They were either out of chips or got his order wrong because the tacos were delivered with the same over-seasoned undercooked fries that adorned my plate. I hope that I never go back to Red Onion again, but I know that I will, and I will have a good time, and the service and the food will be disappointing. Sometimes it sucks knowing the future.
(3)Willis K.
Had a great late Sunday evening dinner on the final leg of our week-long spring training/beach Florida adventure. After four hours of catching up and tons of riotous conversations, my cousin took my wife and me to this neighborhood grill in NY Gainesville. Excellent martinis, just the right craft beer selection--very delighted to actually have a dark English ale on draft. Put in a late order for the touted onion rings and they were hot, well-held together, and plentiful--great sauce, too. Entrees were all well-presented and flavorful. The Caesar salad enhanced with a well-seasoned grilled chicken was yummy. Filet tips perfectly grilled along with a decent skewer of grilled vegis was sensational over a side of yellow rice. Equally delicious was the salmon with a very well-flavored mango salsa, again perfectly cooked. Service from Samantha was cheerful and accommodating. Everything was fresh and presented without a hitch!
(4)Ryan M.
Out of the couple times I've been here, I've enjoyed their food and have wanted to come back. My in-laws brought us here when we were in town because it's one of their favorite places. But I've recently been told their last visit wasn't too pleasant. When ordering, my brother had asked the waiter if the tacos would be a good choice for a big guy that my brother is. After being assured, he was very disappointed when he received his three bite size tacos. Such a small serving wouldn't have been enough for anyone. OTHER THAN THAT, our experiences have been great.
(4)Sandra B.
Don't really know how the food was because we sat down and did not receive any service. Saw the waiter drop a napkin on the floor and pick it up and put it back on the table.
(1)Brad K.
All my 2 yo wanted was a pb&j not the $5 kids meal Manager would not sell us just a pb&j with having to buy a kids meal with side and drink my child didn't want Poor customer service IMO We've dined here many times over the years. As you can see from my tip above this time was not as enjoyable. Something so simple is enough to put us off from going back anytime soon. Our waitress was very nice and provided great service. The food was very good. Prices are definitely on the high side.
(2)Jenn H.
One of my favorite places to eat. The onion rings are to die for. No matter what I get to eat I am always pleased and the service is always great!
(5)Scott T.
Great place just up the street for me. They do live music several nights a week and I can walk up there grab a beer and enjoy some good music. Their food is unforgettable that is not really on par but they do have happy hours late in the evening and it's about a half an mile from where I liveso it's worth the walk.
(3)Connie H.
My daughter and I meet here at least once a week after work, for happy hour. (I highly recommend the margaritas!) We both like the ambiance of Red Onion, and usually end-up staying for dinner. If you're looking for "comfort" food, the macaroni & cheese is some of the best I've had, and with a side of fresh broccoli is one of my favorite meals. My daughter enjoys the salads. The staff are always pleasant and professional, but prices may be a little higher than some franchise restaurants. If you want that type of assembly line food, than you might be better off skipping this little neighborhood grill.
(3)Izzat A.
Subpar. Ordered the buffalo chicken sandwich and you could tell it was frozen beforehand. Fries were the best part. Luckily, I had a client pay for lunch. Pass.
(2)Peggy K.
On a busy Friday night, our server, Shane was excellent. The coconut shrimp and sweet potatoe fries were great. Blue Moon on tap was great!
(4)Mike S.
This review is based on my experience with Togo order Service: Service was overall very good. The server promptly took my order by phone and the food was ready when I arrived. A bartender noticed me waiting after a few moments, and quickly took my payment and provided the food. My only service related complaint was that my order did not contain the salad dressing I had chosen (or any dressing). Food: I normally get the sirloin but it was removed from the menu and replaced with the prime rib so I got that. This was my biggest disappointment. The steak was undercooked and had an enormous amount of fat, even after cutting off the portion of fat that is common on prime rib. The flavor/seasoning was good but it couldn't overcome the experience of chewing through tough fat.
(3)Alan W.
I've been to this place a couple of times. The Cobb salad is to die for. Brazilian salad is ok, but the filet tips (steak) add on is absolutely perfect. The Brie, Bacon & Chicken sandwich is sex on a bun and is highly recommended. Also, try the sweet potato fries which are incredible. Mostly, it was the waitress with the magenta-dyed hair that really made the experience. She was exactly what you want in a server. I told her I was a fan. Check out the Red Onion Grill and look for magenta, she's THE BEST!!!!!!
(5)Doug M.
Had lunch here with sidecar Gus Very good food, I had the turkey club and Gus had chicken and broccoli Very dog friendly 7 dogs, 5 humans
(4)Carolyn H.
I ordered the Chile Popper Burger. It was tasty but not spicy at all. It was a very sweet dish.
(3)Margaret G.
Red Onion used to be better. Both drinks and food are very slow out of the kitchen. Food is ok, but the service is so slow! On a Friday night, at 6...during Happy Hour, there were seats available. It was never like that. I hope they turn it around!
(3)Brooke S.
This place is nothing special in terms of food. I have yet to eat at the restaurant yet though. The take out I have gotten has been mediocre at best but the staff is always polite to me when I come in to pin up my food. I would not really recommend this place to anyone but it is not awful.
(3)P D.
Not a huge fan. The hamburger was under seasoned. Duck breast taste good but there was not much of it. The food's not disgusting or anything just not very exciting or flavorful either.
(2)L B.
Special several weeks ago special was not fit to serve. Penni pasta cooked to disintegration with what may have been broccoli. Shame on you.
(2)Canova B.
The best fried shrimp in Gainesville! Along with sweet potato fries, too good to argue.
(5)Brandon W.
Garbage! Didn't get half of what the special said it came with and they didn't replace the items either...asked about their beer and the server didn't know what they had lol it was a bad experience overal
(1)Ilio G.
I love red onion, one of my favorite restaurant in Gainesville (I've lived here over 10 years). Food is always great, staff is very friendly, good prices, great atmosphere, and live jazz from time to time. I have maybe only had 1 bad experience in all the years, not bad enough not to give them 5 stars.
(5)Hannah B.
Overrated. Service is great but the food lacks pizazz. It's unfortunate because the atmosphere is nice and the location is great with their being no other restaurants in that area. It has a lot potential but the menu needs help.
(3)Kelly M.
Wow. From other reviews, seems like this place is going downhill...FAST. We were there last night for what was a miserable dining experience. Food took forever. We asked the waitress when it arrived: "can you please check the ticket time,because we feel like we've been waiting a while". Literally, trying to be nice. Her response was: "well, we're really busy. I don't make the food, I just bring it out". She kept being so completely rude, that I finally said she had yet to apologize. Manager came over, apologized, and said she's comp part of our bill. While she was speaking with my husband, the waitress (Kelly) was making faces at my husband behind her. Yes, this literally happened. Again, FOREVER later, she took off 10% of our bill ($3.90). And, charged us for kids drinks which are supposed to come with the meal! At $1.50 each. Food was pretty bad: my sandwich was mostly bread, only about half full of food. Kids burger was burnt and hard. They actually didn't mess up my son's pasta (whoo hoo). We eat out often, and this was incredibly horrible. Will NOT be returning anytime soon. There are so many other places around town with great service and far better food.
(1)Mike D.
I won't go again which is sad to say because the place had potential. Saturday afternoon and not busy, appetizers should not take 30 minutes. Order of Red Onion onion rings... Skin still on the onions and impossible to chew. By the time a new batch came out we were done with our meals. My wife was done, my burger was raw. They brought me another that I didn't ask for. They should've taken it off my bill, but there was no one there empowered to think that way. Very polite staff even if the chef could get it right.
(2)Kimmy B.
Older crowd. Tasty food if you like a LOT of spice. Full bar and several good beers on tap. Their guacamole was very fresh but not the best I've had. Good live jazz music. A little pricy
(3)Kevin M.
Food: Burgers aren't bad. Definitely nothing to rave about. The fries were probably the best part of the meal. Drinks were reasonable in both price and content. Service: Absolutely stunk. Our server (Lydia) was snobbish when queried about the entrees and side dishes. "As you can clearly see on the menu (*points with finger in my face*), it CLEARLY states that...." What the heck is that? If a first-time customer asks a few questions about the menu and side-dishes, just answer. No need for condescension or attitude. The place is so damn dark, the customers should be praised for even managing to read section titles, let alone the tiny-print meal descriptions and prices. She also scrutinized my girlfriend's drivers license for nearly 5 minutes. Felt like we were going through immigration or an international airport or something. I guess we can also chock that up to the nearly pitch-black lighting scheme. Oh yeah, and it took a half-hour to cook 2 average burgers. And no, they weren't even remotely busy. Surely, the only reason they've stayed in business is because of their location, inside of an apartment complex. Young people with low standards keep this place afloat. All-in-all, the food was mediocre, but once again, we have another Gainesville restaurant with awful customer service. Man, I miss New York.
(2)Amanda J.
Barf!! Really. Every time I've been here the food and service have been terrible. I believe I got food poisoning as well. Srsly, don't go.
(1)Bill W.
I eat lunch here occasionally. Recently I had a waitress that really did a great job. The receipt had Brunson listed. my party all said the service was exemplary. The food is good, not great. The quality seems to fluctuate from good to mediocre. Lately the food has been more consistent. The price is to high when you consider the inconsistencies of the food. The atmosphere is very nice.
(4)A L.
The food is not worth the price. Even the salads are bland. They do, however, tout quite the martini menu, so if you're going for that and the live jazz, you probably won't be disappointed. Parking is limited, so be wary during dinner rush.
(3)Gator R.
I am happy with the food choices and daily specials. Staff are very accommodating and attentive to our needs. The bartenders make amazing cocktails although I notice them drinking shots from the shelf, not just one time but several times. The servers were also getting shots. I guess the owner allows that.
(4)Ingrid E.
Beware of the bartender Kyle. He provides a sloppy pour and tons of ice. If you ask for a re-pour or less ice, he gets even and fills it up with mixer. Too bad because my Cobb Salad was pretty good and the service was fine. Order a beer or a glass of wine- avoid mixed drinks and a bartender with an attitude.
(1)Coty S.
My family and I like coming to Red Onion mostly because they have something for everyone to eat. Many of their dishes are inspired by different cultures, not just classic American style food. For residents living on or near 39th street, this place is surely a welcome find. The atmosphere is friendly and the condo complex it is located in is a fabulous idea. Across the street, did I see a performance theater? The beer battered onion rings are actually their weakest item, covered in way too much batter. Also, using purple onion is not ideal because the flavor is not strong enough to hold up to the beer flavor. It all just gets lost in a heartburn inducing grease pile. The burger is not the best in town, but it sure has a ton of flavor. I really enjoyed the excess amount of black pepper used in the meat, but for some this might be a total turn-off. I subbed in macaroni and cheese instead of fries for an up-charge. It was definitely dressed up box mix because the noodles were the same size, shape, and even tooth feel. For some reason, it was still surprisingly satisfying. My family is obsessed with their flat breads because of the price and the type of preparation used. The cheese topping is plentiful, the produce fresh, and the bread is soft and fluffy. If you have not been here before, I definitely recommend giving them a try. Not only are they local, but they sell quality food and are putting in the effort to bring new American dishes to Gainesville for a decent price.
(4)Shelley H.
I've been here a few times since they opened. My biggest complaint is the service. Of the handful of times I've been here, I've never had great service. And this is over a 3 year time span. I'm not sure why they "miss" on this mark consistently, but they do. Now for the drinks. Their drinks are good. Over-priced by Gainesville standards, but good. Their Martini menu has many options and something for every taste. The last visit was my sister-in-law's birthday party and the bar gave her (her only, not the other 3 of us) a "free" BJ shot. We did not get to choose the type of shot, nor did the waiter bring us all 4 a shot (even though we said, "We will have a round"... "a round" is more than 1 shot for 1 person, right?) Anywhoo... $8 per martini and we had to call for our waiter each time we wanted a drink. That's why I give low scores on service. We ordered the Goat Cheese appetizer, the Buffalo Chicken and the Hot Buffalo Shrimp. The goat cheese was soft and tasty. It came on a plate with soft french bread slices, green apple, almonds and cranberries. Nice, light, refreshing appetizer. (Especially with Lemon Drop martinis). The chicken was MEH... just frozen chicken strips and sauce... nothing special. The shrimp is really good (We actually ended up ordering another plate of these). The shrimp is fried crispy and then sauced with the hot buffalo sauce and a creamy chipotle-mayo type dressing & served with bleu cheese & celery. Very nice. I would give 2.5 stars, but I don't think this place is "A-OK", so I can't spare another star. IMO the service is really where the Red Onion suffers because I would be willing to pay the higher prices if I were receiving high-end service!
(2)Alayna D.
I typically would have given this place a 4 star, but after very slow service, an inattentive server and an incorrect order brought out at Sunday brunch, I had to go with just 3 stars. Red Onion is a family favorite in my household. We've been several times even for occasions like birthdays & large groups, never once having an issue with service or long wait times for food or drinks. The food is plentiful with large enough portions to share and a unique assortment of menu options; something for everyone. Good drink menu to boot, especially martinis! My biggest gripe from Sunday brunch was our server seemed inattentive and inexperienced. She didn't check in much with our table and, only after we asked, did she tell us the kitchen was behind (apparently a cook didn't show up for work that morning). I ordered smoked salmon, goat cheese & spinach empanadas from the brunch menu (see, I told you unique menu!) and instead was brought out chocolate & banana empanadas (a dessert). I was incredibly surprised when I bit into it! The server did apologize and the correct dish came out a little speedier than the first given their known mistake. We waited nearly 30 minutes just for sweet potato fries - unacceptable in my mind - and even longer for drinks! The rest of the parties dishes were well prepared and good portions. I'll certainly give Red Onion another chance, as I said, my family loves it and we frequently take guests there when visiting Gainesville as it is local and unique, but really hope they'll step their game up next time. Maybe then I'll choose 4 stars.
(3)Brian G.
My absolute favorite place in Gainesville...my friends and I go here often for happy hour and they have great food, great drinks, great atmosphere, great service, etc. etc. haven't had anything here that was not up to my expectations.
(5)Lourdes C.
Had lunch with friends and family....service was excellent and everyone rated their food good :) will definitely come back!!!
(4)Rissi C.
Cozy and, blessedly, relatively quiet. Vegetarian back bean soup and baked goat cheese were very good. I'd go again. What a pleasant surprise to be able to dine in near silence. No noisy TV, no lousy quasi-music, no banging of plates or yelling wait staff.
(4)Stephanie S.
New fav place to eat!!! Food is great and so is the service.
(5)Nina T.
I really love their sweet potato fries, but not much else has been very good in the last 6mos. On my last visit I had their Beer Battered shrimp and they were so greasy. I know fried food is greasy, but this was beyond normal for anything freshly fried. Previously, I've had undercooked beef, and soggy sandwiches. I would recommend going only for the happy hour specials. Those are a good deal!
(2)Margaret S.
food was brought to the table cold
(2)Customer Q.
I've been here probably five or six times in the last year, the most recent being last night. On the plus side: This is one of the better restaurants in Gainesville. Especially in NW Gainesville, which doesn't have many restaurants to speak of. They have interesting combinations and flavors. Their coconut shrimp is awesome. The burger is pretty darn good, and their fries are excellent. The wings (an appetizer) are very good, though the "mild" version pretty much lit my face on fire. I did not mind, because they were quite good. Their salads are also good. They have indoor or outdoor seating. Sometimes they have good music. On the minus side: On Saturday night, the blues music was so loud that it killed any conversation at our table. I could not shout loud enough to be heard by the person sitting next to me. Even the server had trouble hearing our order. She said the band had already been asked twice to turn it down by management, and hadn't complied. Really? Who's in charge? We will go back, but certainly not on a Saturday night. Get rid of the band if you want to keep your customers. The wings taste wonderful. Would it really kill you to sell them by the wing rather than by the pound? Because it seems that at the Red Onion, a pound is about seven wings. It just seems a little cheap to do it that way. Also, I would encourage them to sell wings as an entree -- they are that good. With a side of the excellent fries. Yum. Other reviewers have noted that it's a pretty dark restaurant, with a menu designed in such a way that it is difficult to read with the light provided. Fix one or the other. The service, while a little slow, was very polite, and has been on every occasion we've been there. Last night was the only time we've been there when they messed up ust a little by bringing out one dinner when other people at our table had basically finished eating. I had a problem with my coffee with dessert (how can you screw up coffee? They did.) and when I mentioned it, no effort was made to even get me a new cup or anything, so I left it undrunk. Seems like I shouldn't have had to pay for that, but I did. I really want to see them succeed, because they do some things VERY well, and there are so few choices in Gainesville. I'll be eager to see if some of these things get corrected, and I'll amend my review if they do!
(4)Katie C.
Three words: Chocolate. Espresso. Martini! SO good! I'm usually not one for the super sweet drinks, but a little chocolatey creaminess was sounding way too good to pass up and, since martinis were on special for $5, I went ahead and had two. They were de-light-ful, with just the right amount of sweet and spirits. The bartender also did the funky little chocolate swirls all over the glass, which you know I loved! (I'm SO easily entertained.) For my dinner I had the Asian Chicken Salad, which was yummy and exactly what I expected it to be. It was always HUGE. I'm always a fan of these kinds of salads, with crisp veggies, crunchy wontons and nuts, and a light gingery dressing. Was this the best version I've ever tasted? No, probably not. But it was still satisfying and a very generous portion for the $9 price tag. I've had similar salads for $15 at other spots. We went on a Saturday night which happened to be jazz night during dinner. Three musicians were set up in the corner and kept the smooth serenades rolling for the duration of our visit. Our bartender was friendly and helpful with our orders and the whole meal went very smoothly. I'd gladly go back to Red Onion for a munch and a martini next time I'm in the ville.
(3)Bryan M.
Oh the Red Onion... Just thinking about it as I write this review is making me hungry (doesn't help that it is almost lunch time). I first visited the Red Onion when my boss who is from the area told me I "had to go" to happy hour. First off, who in their right mind is opposed to Happy Hour?! So I went more happily to their happy hour, and their bar is stocked with anything you desired and very good bartenders. It also helped that my boss was a regular, so we got a couple extra drinks for free, always good! During this time, I was sitting and watching all the food around me and thinking damn that looks good, so I knew I had to come back to try the food. Came back a couple weeks later and tried their stuffed chicken which came in a creamy pesto sauce that was delcious especially paired with the garlic smashed potatoes (only available after 4pm, except on Sunday which is all day) and I felt like I was back in a restaurant on Lincoln Road in Miami it was that good. The best part was that it was relatively affordable at about $15 or so. From then on, I feel as though this place has become one my favorite restaurants here in Gainesville. I have been here over 7 more times and every time they never fail me. I have tried the lemon basil pasta, the gaucho skirt steak, rosemary chicken, the duck, and monterey chicken. Easily first recommendation to anyone visiting, and was my choice everytime my parents have come to town. Till this day my mom still mentions she wants to come up for more of that stuffed chicken, it is that good!!!!
(5)Carey G.
Great place! Prime Rib sandwich is awesome! Great sweet potato fries! I have great steaks and not so great steaks here. Depends on the cook. I had great service and not so great service. Mac and Chicken, Fettuccine Alfredo, buffalo rolls, burgers, Quesadilla with chicken jerk, are great here! Fish and Chips are pretty good! Love to sit outside with my puppy! My puppy is cleaner than most people! She sits under my chair and will not bother anyone! Yes it is legal in Florida to have a dog with you outside!
(4)Ginger C.
Stumbled upon this when we realized The Top was not open on Mondays. Excellent salsa, good fish tacos, mac and cheese and asparagus. Happy hour beer and wine....except we were charged for two beers (we only had one) and did not notice till after we left. Probably because it was so dark in there. Bring a flashlight to see your food and bill.
(3)Jenna L.
I recently went to this restaurant with a large group of friends. We were celebrating one of my friends' birthday here. Considering that we went pretty late for a dinner time (around 9pm), I thought the service was too slow. I thought that the ambience is nice and casual however, the food did not suit the ambience of the restaurant. It was odd to see that they had a list of jazz bands playing here yet the ambience was a little too casual. Also, considering the price, the food was NOT impressive at all and was too little. Our group ordered variety of different food but not one of them impressed me at all. The way they presented the food was not very appealing. If you are going to go here for dinner, I suggest that you stick to sandwich menu.
(2)John N.
Excellent mango salmon and great fish and chips. Excellent service. We have been at the restaurant more than 10 times. Food is great.
(5)Tessa M.
This place was confusing. When you walk in your like wait this looks like its going to cost me a pretty penny but the prices are comparable to crispers. 1st the parking is crazy. I had to park in the apartment complex area. 2nd its clean and new. The food was maybe a little fancy and I couldn't finish it so you get a lot, the price was reasonable. The bar tender can mix a drink. I would go back for sure and I hope to go back when they have a band playing.
(4)Vicki K.
I went here tonight with my husband. I had the rosemary chicken with steamed broccoli for a side. Both were good but nothing to go crazy over. They were also very garlicky, and I'm a garlic fan but this was too much for me. My husband had the short rib tacos which he thought were really good. Tortillas were fresh and the meat was good. We also shared the Irish egg rolls and both enjoyed them. The staff was friendly but not overly friendly. One bad thing about our visit was the odor in the restaurant. Nothing that made us leave and you got used to it after a couple minutes but I prefer a restaurant to smell like delicious food. We'll add this to the list of places we'll go again, just not at the top of the list.
(3)Sasha P.
The Red Onion Grill is a nice place to go to for your typical burgers and sandwiches type food with a twist. What I mean to say is that they serve classic American style dishes but in a completely different style than most restaurants do in Gainesville. To start, the Red Onion is a small joint. It appears big from the outside but once we were inside, I was surprised to see that it was not big at all. It is definitely nice inside. They have a contemporary look with an emphasis on burgandy and red tones. As for seating, they have booths, bar seating, and an open floor with tables. For the appetizers, my friends and I ordered the Avocado Egg Rolls. However, they made a mistake and accidentally sent us the Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls. That was fine with us because they cooked up some Avocado Egg Rolls free of charge! Brownie points for treating the customer well!! Anywho, these egg rolls are some of the best I have had. What a way to be creative and serve buffalo chicken as an egg roll instead of your usual wings. Love it! Of the two egg rolls, I recommend the Buffalo Chicken because they were extremely delicious with the Blue Cheese dressing on the side. The Avocado Egg Rolls were good as well but (I can't believe I'm saying this) the avocado was a little bit too much after a couple bites. I ordered the Mahi Mahi Tacos and let me just say, these were pretty darn good! Unfortunately for them, I had the BEST mahi mahi quesadillas in Hawaii but the Red Onion did a pretty good job too. They gave me about 4 of these tacos and I could only finish two of them. I was more than happy to take them home in a doggy bag. ;-) No dessert for us. We were all too overloaded on food to even think about it. I don't know that I would go to the Red Onion for an entire meal again. Probably just for appetizers. The food is okay but it didn't stand out as anything special other than the execution of some of the appetizers.
(3)S L.
I like this restaurant. They have a pretty good selection at a fair price. My only issues have been that 1.) The service is spotty. You can have a great waiter one night and then the next time you go the server will bring out your food and then ignore you. The batter on the onion rings is too thick and can be painfully crunchy to your mouth, but the flavor is good. 2.) The taste of the meal can be inconsistent depending on who is cooking that night, I guess. One night the dip is perfect and the next way too spicy, or the Mac and Cheese is thick one day and runny the next. That being said, either way they have the BEST Mac and Cheese I have ever had a restaurant, ever! Always creamy with extra cheese on top. It's probably my favorite dish there. Along with the pan fried red fish. Give it a try if you haven't yet.
(4)John G.
I went for the Prime Rib Special. It was no special. The piece I was given must have been the butt end, it was all brown and tough, and varying in thickness. The thin parts were well done, and the thicker parts were medium rare. I asked if this was really medium rare and got a flat out "yes" nothing else from the server. In addition, as a side I ordered the asparagus and they were the worse I've ever tasted. Very small amount and the ends were not prepared correctly. Hint to the cook, because a chef would know this, "to prepare asparagus prior to cooking, bend the stalk and it will snap, keep the top and discard the rest." it was like eating twigs from a tree, yech!! To top it all off, the crappy asparagus were a dollar more, information not given to me when I ordered it. The only reason I give it two stars is because the wings I had for an appetizer were very good. Big, plump and juicy. I can get wings and beer from a lot of places, I came here for the prime rib, man what a disappointment.
(2)Eve P.
It's been almost a year since my last Red Onion review. I just wanted to come back here and say I am still very satisfied with the quality of service and food that I get every time I go there. Everyone is always very nice. The food is always good. And the experience is pleasant and enjoyable. They have live music certain nights of the week and that is always an added bonus. Red onion will continue to be a "go-to" for me.
(4)Thomas B.
Nice little find! Food's good, but nothing spectacular and special. Three stars for the food. The extra star is for the atmosphere and decor, really well done! Very relaxing and comfortable atmosphere. They also had a pretty good jazz band playing the night I visited. Most sandwhiches are under $10, most entrees are under $15.
(4)Marcelo S.
I will probably give this place another chance because I like the idea of it and the staff were super nice and hospitable.. with this said, I never add extra salt to prepared food however in this case I had to because the food was quite bland.. also, both brunch orders were served over English muffins that seemed to have not been toasted at all.. so soft, cold and chewy English muffins now damp with hollandaise were not that great..
(3)Damion W.
Only eaten here a couple times, but had a pleasant experience both times. You wouldn't expect to find a place this good at the entrance to an apartment complex. The food is really well done at an excellent price. I had a nice steak and baked potato for $11. Don't miss out on the onion rings. Not sure how often they do it, but they had live music inside last Friday evening.
(4)Chelsea B.
I can see how the Red Onion would be appealing if you lived at Uptown, although the sustainable community atmosphere is kind of strange. Really, who needs a movie theater in their apartment complex? But there's nothing special about the food here. Tonight was my second visit. I was feeling boring and was also starving so I ordered the burger with sweet potato fries. Admittedly, the sweet potato fries are really, really good. I always appreciate the use of sea salt. The first time I ate here, though, I ordered a salad, which was completely unmemorable. I'd say tonight went better, but if you never make it here, don't worry, you're not missing anything.
(3)Melanie A.
I was in the area for vacation and after checking Yelp and the online menu, we decided to give it a shot. The menu sounded really good, the avocado eggrolls were the trap because I love them at Cheesecake Factory. Anyway, we got the appetizer sampler that included the avocado eggrolls and I was so disappointed. They were so hot the filling burned my finger, avocado really shouldn't be cooked that much. The steak with chimichurri sauce was so spicy I couldn't really enjoy it, I don't know what the hell was in it, I never had a chimichurri sauce like that. Basically everything sounded really good but the execution was poor. The waiter was kinda flaky and the live music (guy singing and playing guitar) was too loud.
(2)Adam G.
Update - The food still sucks.
(2)Jamie P.
This was my first visit to the Red Onion and I really enjoyed it. The food was pretty good, I had the buffalo chicken egg rolls which I loved. My boyfriend had the skirt steak which was a little charred, but the onion rings were amazing. The atmosphere is really nice, and the service was great. Our server, Holly, was very attentive and helpful with great suggestions of some of her favorite things, and very knowledgeable of the whole menu. I am looking forward to returning and trying some more great things from their menu.
(4)Michell F.
Thoroughly enjoyed my dinner there last night. From the Brazilian Chop Salad to the Redfish with Creole sauce served over cheese grit cake to the Stuffed Chiicken, all the food tasted fresh, flavors were amazing and presentation was nice. Service was good; attentive but not overbearing. Getting drinks from the bar took a little longer than typical, but it was $5 martini night.... Great selection of martinis. Took a former yelp review up on the Lemon Drop Martini and was not disappointed. And then for dessert.... the piece of Red Velvet Cake we were served was as awesome as the picture, the cake was moist and way too much for one person! I live in Winter Park, but am lookilng forward to my next visit to Gainesville to visit my daughter - and this restaurant!
(4)Mystery C.
Overall, I think Red Onion is a okay little neighborhood restaurant. I went during December, and they have wonderful Christmas decorations inside the restaurant, which was actually unexpected and quite pleasant. However, the food was not much to get excited about. We ordered the Red Onion Rings, which were big rings, like big enough to be a bracelet size rings, and were deep fried and served with a sauce. It was good, but I felt the regret afterwards. For my appetizer, I had the Lemon Basil Pasta, which I thought was very subpar. It featured a fried piece of fish on top of some pasta with some grilled vegetables. The fish was made with a cheesy batter that was not good. The pasta was pretty watered down. And the grilled vegetables did not even seem grilled and definitely did not have the charred tasted I was hoping for. TLDR: Decorations were nice. Food is meh.
(3)Jhimli S.
My review is ONLY based off Happy hour. Please check the times. I can verify that at least on Fridays it ends at 7 PM. Oh! Friday and Saturday they also do a late happy hour that starts at 9 or 9:30. Chips and salsa, onion rings, chicken wings, chicken fingers, sweet fries all half off!! Margaritas, well drinks and some other stuff (don't be mad - I took advantage of those drink specials!) are all half off. We got five orders of food, three (meaning six) drinks for a total of $35. What. The. What. Couple of things - the blackened chicken spice on the wings is really salty and as others have said the batter on the onion rings is indeed thick. But, they're like $3 at happy hour so I don't care. Nom, nom.
(5)Jorge U.
But we did go back for some inexplicable reason. They've remodeled -- it certainly looks nicer than it did before. But the onion rings were heavily battered and extremely extremely extremely greasy. There were puddles of grease in the basket under the rings. Yuck. Then I ended up trying to scrape the chimichurri sauce off my skirt steak because it just tasted wrong. Yuck again. Meh. Bad food. Mediocre service. Really no reason to go back.
(1)Bruce B.
I only gave three stars based on all of my visits here.We have had some terrible experiences here- one night they couldn't make a PB&J sandwich because there was no jelly! So we ordered a grilled cheese sandwich for my nephew & they even screwed that up! I think there's just those days that the stars align against you & nothing goes right. Everyone is entitled to a bad day, so I NEVER hold one bad experience against any place. If I based my review on my last visit I would've given them four stars. The food is usually pretty decent and one of the best places to get French Onion soup. Appetizers are good to excellent. Entrees have been spotty on quality. I honestly expected disaster on my last visit because they were so busy. We were pleasantly surprised with great food and excellent service from the bartender Alicia. She was clearly "in the weeds busy" but handled it superbly! Her tip reflected our appreciation. She is definitely going to be our preferred server. Who knows, they may move up a star or so in the future... 3-1/2 stars is where they sit with me now.
(3)Miss. Foodgurl S.
Let me just begin with saying that I have a major obsession with Red Onion. One day when I went in, I had the Satay Chicken as an appetizer, and always get it as a meal whenever I go. Also their wings are to die for especially with some blue cheese dip and the celery and carrots. There steaks are very good too, along with their burgers. For dessert you can ask to see the dessert tray and I always get the xangos. Xangos is a fried banana cream crepe-type dessert served hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, sliced bananas, and a caramel drizzle. Can I get a delicioso? Also I have never had poor service here. The service is always wonderful and quick.
(4)Brian A.
My third place has a great atmosphere amazing food ( try the Mac and cheese) live music Thursday-Saturday and great drink specials.
(5)Katie A.
Red onion rings with horseradish dipping sauce are really good. Sandwiches are always delicious, especially the Reuben. Only once had an "off" meal here ...swordfish special. Stick to the sandwiches and spring for the onion rings and you'll be completely satisfied.
(4)Rachel E.
my girl and i went here at 10pm on a friday night, completely starved and needing a drink after the week we had. thanks to yelp, we knew it was happy hour so we were excited. the music ended about 10 minutes after we sat down which was fine. it was so loud we had to shout at each other when he was playing and when he wasn't it was creepy quiet. we ordered half priced chicken tenders which were delicious. unfortunately they ran outta ranch (really?) but saved some for my girlfriends salad and offered us bleu cheese instead. the margaritas are really good, also half price at that time. i ordered the appetizer sampler because i didn't want a sandwich or a steak and all the appetizers that sounded the best were of course, not half price. the avocado egg rolls are really good. nice and smooth filling. the buffalo chicken egg rolls were meh, kind of dry. the onion rings seem to be hit or miss according to the reviews, but ours were great. and even better the next day after putting them in the broiler. and finally, the crab rangoon was GREAT. my girlfriends cobb salad was huge (all the portions are impressive, really) and delicious and apparently used local grown tomatoes. word! we will certainly go back. the menu was impressive, the service was good, the drinks were tasty, and the food was great.
(4)Jennifer T.
This place has gotten a lot better from when they first opened. Their new menu (at least a year old by now) has more inexpensive options. For the past 6 months, I've been getting much better service, except for one time -- We came in a full hour before closing and they fought over who had to wait on us (close by so we could hear everything - incredibly unprofessional and made us feel awkward). That's one of the reasons I can only give this place 3 stars. I'll get great service, but one or two bad times it's particularly atrocious. The martinis are absolutely amazing, but we only get them when they're $5 (Friday and/or Saturday nights). The Brazilian chop salad is unique in Gainesville - copious amounts of vegetables for a reasonable price with the best chimichurri I've had. I think this place can continue to improve, especially if the managers get the service in line.
(3)Carrie C.
I never write reviews but I think this restaurant warrants one. The food was good, I will admit that. But the service was HORRIBLE. After being seated, 20 or so minutes went by and no server had greeted us. I had to approach the hostess and ask for a server. A server arrived, took our drink and dinner order as we had been ready and took off and swore the rest of our experience would be speedy. The owner or manager came to our table to apologize again and said for the inconvenience, she would deduct a portion of our check. I was impressed that she took Customer Service so seriously. Back on track. Well, it still took forever for the food to arrive. After what seemed forever to get the bill, no deductions were made for the inconvenience. I didn't go back to the owner/manager to complain. I simply paid my bill as I was so ready to leave that restaurant. I had my three year old child with me and he had more patience than I did, and that's saying a lot. Sorry, Red Onion, for what you charge for food, I expect much, much better service. For now, you are just another nearby watering hole. If it weren't for the booze, I suspect there would be a FOR LEASE sign outside by now.
(1)April O.
Several of these sprawling, overpriced apartment complexes they keep building in Gainesville promised to have a restaurant somewhere on the ground floor as an amenity, but so far, the only real restaurant that took the bait was The Red Onion Neighborhood Grill in Uptown Village. (That Domino's in Park Lane doesn't count, sorry.) I can't even describe the theme at Red Onion because there isn't one. They just seem to have grabbed a bunch of different dishes that the owner tried at some point and added them to the menu. As a result, although the food is good, the presentation is godawful. When you're spending $16 for lunch, you probably expect a little more than a "salad" comprised of iceberg lettuce and two tomato slices in a bowl served with a take-out ramekin of dressing, and your half of "plum duck" tossed carelessly over a heap of fries, which are incidentally sopping up all of that "plum sauce" whether you wanted to eat them that way or not. Annoying. The service on the dining room ranges from indifferent to practically nonexistent. The servers will literally stare at your table and not come over. This has happened more than once when I've gone there. The only reason they're getting more than one star from me is because: the bartender more than makes up for the lobotomized servers, and the food actually is good once it comes out. The staff as a whole seems to have issues with actually putting orders in--If you order the crab cake sandwich, don't be surprised if they bring you the crab cake appetizer, and vice versa.
(3)Jason S.
Food fits the restaurants name, it is a great place to go for a burger, sandwich, and/or drinks. For me the best attraction is the sweet potato fries.... best I have ever had (even compared to higher end places where they cost $8 as a side) . I haven't tried too many things on the menu but I have been pleased with what I have gotten. Not necessarily the best place for heart healthy food but to unwind after a long work week with drinks and food (and occasional very nice live music). I don't know a better place north of 6th for a nice calm bar/grill for 25 plus years old (non students) in Gainesville.
(3)Terri C.
My sister who lives close enough to walk to this restaurant had been once with no hurray. So we went again had the Blue Hamburger and the Swiss and mushroom burger with sweet potato fries. I have never tasted a better burger. It was as good on the first bite as the last. The fries were crisp and tasty. The Cabernet was very good and the selections of beer is unending. We have been back several times..had wings and some appetizers. The buffalo egg rolls were great the other were good but not like the burgers...Try the Burgers and sweet potato fries.
(5)lisa c.
My husband and I go to the Red Onion frequently and have never gotten a bad meal nor had bad service. They are best known for their burgers and they do make great ones. My favorite meal is the black and blue salad. It comes with three pieces of delicious and tender steak on a skewer. The atmosphere is cozy, kind of like you would expect of a neighborhood bar, but we also see lots of families as well.
(5)Ce G.
Had heard about this place from friends, decided to try it out. I also read the previous reviews posted by others and was a little worried about the service. I went for a late lunch on Friday and the place was fairly quiet. Good jazz in the background. Nice ambiance. I was greeted by the host and seated immediately. The waitress (Britney) was right there and took my drink order. She came back and told me about the lunch specials. I ended up ordering a burger and the sweet potato fries. I like my beef medium rare but very few places actually let you order it that way. It's either medium done or worse. When my burger arrived, it was cooked perfectly! The sweet potato fries were little bites of heaven. The only reason I didn't give this place 5 stars is that while the burger was great, there was a little too much grease going on and it soaked the bottom bun through. Made for a messy burger, but it was delicious. Will have to come back at cocktail hour. Seems like a real fun place. And NOT full of UF students!
(4)Chet L.
Fair price, and I did get a great steak here once. Once. Having ordered it twice since I realize that I got lucky the first time. But getting the red onion rings with balls of batter the size of golf balls instead of actually getting rings of batter with onions in them? And no offer to fix any of this after complaining? Are you kidding me? A serious F minus on presentation & truth in advertising. I also agree with those that say the wait staff here is flightly at best.
(1)E L.
This restaurant is walking distance from my house so I have visited for lunch, happy hour, and dinner dozens of times over the past several years. I've tried a wide range of menu items and been served by more than ten different people from the wait staff. Why do I keep going back? Although it's not my absolute favorite place in town, it's still very good. Some of my favorite menu items are the sweet potato fries, the avocado eggrolls, the black bean soup, and the black & blue salad. My experience with the service has also been very favorable. Finally, the remodeled dining room and the option to sit outside are also attractive features. I'm a big fan! (By the way, the map is wrong.)
(5)Belle C.
If you've been to an Applebee's, Bennigan's, or Chili's, you've been to Red Onion and probably paid less money for mediocre food and indifferent service.
(1)Krista C.
Really great experience. The atmosphere was good, food was great and the Mojito's were amazing! It did take a little longer to get our food than I had hoped, but we were having such a good time it was fine.
(4)J M.
Not sure what the others are talking about -- i've been 4 or 5 times and always had a good, reasonably priced meal. Best sweet potato fries in town, great french dip.
(4)