The Ballyhoo Grill
3700 W University Ave, Gainesville, FL, 32607
The Ballyhoo Grill Menu
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Address :
3700 W University Ave
Gainesville, FL, 32607 - Phone (352) 373-0059
- Website https://www.ballyhoogrill.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
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 : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Claire N.
Don't understand why the average of all the reviews for this place is not four stars at least. It's dumb to give a place one star just because you had a bad server one time.... But I digress. Now to the actual review, this is one of my top five favorite Gainesville restaurants, coming from a Gainesville native. :) The atmosphere is really nice, I enjoy sitting outside on the patio, where they have live music most weekdays. The menu is comprehensive of all the major categories without being overwhelming. They have excellent appetizers, try the firecracker shrimp - it's excellent. Appetizers are priced to share (around 10 bucks) but accordingly are bigger portions than most standard apps. They have many options, all within a reasonable price range. You can get a rueben sandwich and beans and rice for 9 bucks, and other varieties, and they are all delicious! I went for fried grouper tacos, 12 dollars for two large grouper tacos and beans and rice. Yummy yummy yummy. They also have great tropical cocktails, as well as standard wine list and beers on tap. Excellent burgers, seafood, and steaks. Only thing they could improve, like most Gainesville restaurants, is adding a few more vegetarian options, but they do have a veggie pasta that is very yummy. They could also add a vegan option because few restaurants do so this could attract an unreached populus. Service was quick and fast. Another point of praise that really makes ballyhoo standout for me is that they took reservations for a group of 20 on a Friday night for me, seated in the patio. I called tons of restaurants in Gainesville trying to find a location for a birthday dinner, and this was the only non-chain place that would accommodate the large group. They said they ordinarily don't take reservations after five on Fridays but could tell I really needed somewhere and very super nice and set it up for me :) They also wrote happy birthday in the sauce of my appetizer without anyone asking them too. Very sweet. Local place that's really got it together and food is great. Love ballyhoo and will return time and time again.
(5)Mike N.
Great outdoor seating area. We came for cocktails and appetizers. We ordered gator tail, firecracker shrimp, and a dozen oysters. All three were pretty good but nothing spectacular. The oysters were huge but I didn't actually try any. My son and mother ate them all. My mom's only complaint was they were not salty enough (almost too clean). The shrimp were a little fishy but I think the culprit was dirty oil but it wasn't too bad. The gator tail was a little more chewy than we like but we did eat it all. As for drinks, it was happy hour so we started with Bloody Mary's and finished with Jack and Seven. The service was great, the drinks were pretty good. The appetizers were only so-so.
(3)Kea W.
Tried the firecracker shrimp, she-crab soup, and a couple sushi rolls. It was all pretty decent.
(4)Cameron W.
Ballyhoo Grill is average. Not bad, but not great. As far as seafood goes you'd probably be better off finding somewhere else.
(3)Sean O.
I'm from out-of-state and I tend to go with my family when we visit, so this isn't a UF Gainesville bar review. They deserve less than three stars, considering the service, but the APPETIZERS are solid. Not the food: the appetizers. We learned the first time to only order appetizers--the entrees always have some sort of issue and aren't nearly as tasty as the appetizers. Both types of wings are great, the sliders, soups (esp. black bean) are excellent. Salads, seafood are mediocre. Again, order appetizers as entrees. The wait service here is attentive enough, but the management and kitchen management really hurt Ballyhoo's reputation. We had a minor mix-up with a dish recently and a manager went out of his way to make us feel unwelcome where he could have easily made us evangelists for life. Zero sense of customer satisfaction (but maybe you don't care when you're more popular for your undergrad bar). There have been other situations, but this won't really effect your decision unless you make dinner decisions based on managerial ethics and customer service. The bananas foster are overrated. It's prepared next to you and it looks exciting, but they just put an unconscionable amount of butter and brown sugar in it, which makes anything "taste good" (if you're otherwise unable to envision what it does to your body). The decor is island tiki with a dash of old TGI Friday's. Pretty inoffensive stuff unless you hit your head while walking around. In sum: really wonderful appetizers, mediocre entrees and wait staff, terrible management.
(3)Carly R.
Overpriced, mediocre lunch with friendly but slow (and I mean SLOW) service. I've been here three times for lunch, and I'm never impressed. The best item on the lunch menu is their salmon Caesar salad---if you get it on a good day. Sometimes the lettuce is limp, sometimes it is drenched in dressing, sometimes it's a little bare for the $13 you're paying for the salad. I have also tried their pulled pork sandwich and one of their fish sandwiches, and everything is always drenched in rich sauces that leave you feeling overly full and disgusted with yourself for eating it. There are very few (if any) healthy items on the menu. In my opinion, there are much better, cheaper, healthier places to go for a meal in Gainesville. If my coworkers didn't always drag me here, I would never go. Not recommended.
(1)Kimberly R.
I came here for the first time last night and fell in love with the stuffed salmon dish and garlic mashed potatoes. It was so amazing, I had to come back today to see what else they had to offer. Even the Caesar salad was delicious (their dressings are homemade)
(5)Mark S.
This was my second time coming to Gainesville, and both times I visited this Gainesville institution. It's pretty well-known in town and the food is excellent. It has the typical chintzy marina-style decor that screams "Florida in the 80's", and it lends to a lot of charm. A band in front of the restaurant was singing covers to Dave Matthews' Band and they have a huge stuffed gator. Epic place. The food was plentiful and delicious. There are a lot of seafood options, but I recommend the grouper, which is pretty popular in Florida. Mine came blackened, and stuffed with crab meat. I had a side of creamed spinach and some au gratin potatoes. Amazing stuff. I also had some seafood chowder and some mussels which were to die for. 1 star off for slow service, but the size of the food platter and great taste definitely made up for it.
(4)Laura S.
Good neighborhood. Convenient Parking. The children love the ambiance, with all the fishnets, dive suits, boat pieces, with a Key West sort of theme. Sometimes when it gets crowded things get less than ideal. I try to eat there when it is not crowded, and I have more access to my waitress. It also doesn't hurt to take advantage of their gift coupons that can be purchased once or twice a year. I try to avoid the place when there is a major sporting event on TV, because of the loudness, but, other college students DO love the place, because they like the loudness, and team support. A little bit of something for everyone. I tend to like their appetizers more than the main dishes. Though I do like their custom sandwiches....
(4)C J.
One of my new favorite burger places. Unfortunately I only go to Gainesville for work so I haven't experienced the "after hours" specials. I will definitely come back and try the rest of the menu when I return next month...can't wait.
(4)Brooke S.
Don't order the prime rib... Horrible!! Everything else was just ok, won't be a place I'll ever pick to go again!
(1)Debi J.
One of my favorite casual dining places in Gainesville. The atmosphere is fun and inviting. It can get pretty crowded on weekend nights and game weekends. The crab soup is absolutely amazing! The sushi menu is very different with things like the gator and beef included. I also love the Kentucky Blue Steak salad. I enjoy the presentation of the bananas foster, but I think it might depend on who makes it as to how it tastes. Sometimes it's awesome... Other times just OK. Highly recommend!
(4)Sommer A.
Went here on a Tuesday night.. We were allowed to sit on the patio with our puppy. It was not too crowded. The food was great. Service was extremely fast and super friendly. Loved the outdoor patio with live music... It was entertaining but not so loud that you couldn't carry on a conversation. It added to the already fun atmosphere. It was a teeny bit overpriced, I think that would be my only negative. But for the service we got and the quality of the food, I didn't mind too much.
(4)Vicki S.
We have been to this restaurant many times in the past and have had good experiences. Last night was very much a disappointment. To begin with we ordered one of their signature appetizers, guacamole and were told they were out of avocados. This was at 5 in the afternoon. Our swordfish that was supposed to be piccata style was overlooked and not piccata at all. When dessert time came we were looking forward to the bananas foster which we had had many times. They had cut the servings in half from previous servings. We were quite disappointed in our experience and probably won't return. This used to be one of our favorite experiences.
(2)Brad K.
We had the Ahi Tuna plate listed in the sushi section (picture uploaded). It was good. Quality of the Ahi cut was excellent, no sinew or fatty areas. It was served with sauce poured all over it. I would have rather had a dipping cup on the side so I could put on the amount I wanted. But it was good. Service was good to. They have one of the best patios to sit outside in Gainesville. I like Ballyhoo's for an after work or weekend place to just have a beer and a good appetizer and just chilling with Friends. They do offer some pretty expensive specials, which I stay away from, I haven't had great high end food here. But for a simple meal and drinks with atmosphere in Gainesville it's perfect !
(3)Chelsea B.
Besides the fact that my friends and I were able to immediately get a table on a Friday evening, and our server was really nice, this place has few redeeming qualities. Don't order the blackened chicken flatbread unless you want a stale piece of cracker topped with melted Kraft cheese, bland chicken, and some sort of unappetizing sauce. I was the only one of my three friends to not get a side of mac-n-cheese, and I was starting to feel left out until it arrived. Bowtie pasta smothered with (surprise!) more Kraft cheese. Maybe it tasted good, but it didn't look very appetizing. Also, one of the dishes had a weird mold-colored piece of pasta, and another one had a piece of hair in it. Our server was nice enough to take that one back and bring my friend a new serving, but still....so gross. People must come here for the atmosphere because by the time we left the place was packed. I heard no complaints from my friends about the rest of their meals , so I haven't completely written this place off. But I'm definitely not in any hurry to go back.
(2)Byron W.
I was in Gainesville on a business trip. An acquaintance (that lives near Gainesville) recommended Ballyhoo, so we went along (don't argue with the locals). I must admit, that I wasn't too sure how it was going to be when I saw the large menu. (All too often, the food at a restaurant with a large menu is nothing to write home about). First, let me say that our server (wish I could remember his name) was great. Next, remember that their menu is quite large. This makes it rather difficult to decide what dish to try (especially when a bad experience might mean not visiting the restaurant again). I narrowed my choices down to two or three items and our server gave me "the good, the bad and the ugly" on each. I decided to try their blackened grouper. WOW! It was great! We had alligator tail as an appetizer and it was the best alligator I've ever eaten. We hit this place on a weekday evening, so it was pretty chill. I'm certain that on a weekend night this place is "kickin". They have a full bar and an outside eating area with a stage. All-in-all, this was a great experience and it's definitely on my list to return when in the area again. No place is worth five stars. There is always room for improvement...
(4)Christine G.
Outdoor seating, great fish tacos and margaritas plus awesome service. What more could you ask for?
(4)Yelnatsa R.
We are semi-regulars at Ballyhoo in Gainesville. We find that the "upscale bar-food" menu has improved over the past 12 months or so. We enjoy sitting outside in the "tiki-bar" when weather allows as it makes it feel that Gainesville is not landlocked :). We also enjoy the live music on various evenings. Food-wise, as I said it is upscale bar food. The burgers are great! Some of the salads and sandwiches are good, too. I have experienced "uneven" servings of lobster, pasta, and some of the fried food selections. Bar food----that's what it is. Of late, however, the management has begun a practice of rounding the check. When I lived in other cities I experienced rounding to the nickel, quarter and even the half dollar. BUT, if it was not in my favor I was always asked by the server if this would be acceptable. Ballyhoo Grill has been rounding, sometimes over $.50 and for the last 3 visits I was never asked. It was never in my favor either. When asked (all 3 recent times), the management explains it away in a manner that says: "this is our business practice. We can give you your change, but we are going to continue this practice"). Does it speed the service if the server does not have to make accurate (fair) change? Who is keeping that rounded coin? Is it the restaurant? Is it the server? Who deserves to keep it? If a business is going to "round up-or down", permission of the customer should be sought. OR, state on the menu that rounding takes place and state what the rules are. This is not a practice which I like and I will continue to call it to the restaurant's attention.
(3)Mike H.
2 stars for the food....and that's about it. 16 of us gathered for a friend's birthday party last night - his choice to eat here. My first time. Started with the nachos, calamari, guacamole, and chicken quesadilla. Muchos Nachos - slightly above convenience store quality. Heavy on the chips, light on the toppings. Was surprised to find the cheese sauce had come from a can - no mistaking that, and it wasn't a good thing. Very little pulled pork, chili, and pickled sliced jalapenos, which were also from a can. Calamari - Easily the worst I've ever had. Served on a 9" plate and piled high for visual effect, we were surprised to find there were actually more thinly sliced onion rings than squid - 70/30 ratio. Had to search for the squid, it was so well hidden. When we did find the occasional piece, it was very small, and very bland. Chicken Quesadilla - serviceable, despite the use of leg, not breast, meat. Portion was small for the cost - an 8" flour tortilla folded in half, with about 4oz of chicken, but at least it had some flavor to it. Tableside Guacamole - a huge molcajete of nearly flavorless guac, served with tri-color tortilla chips out of a bag, not fresh and not warmed. It was so unappealing that our party couldn't finish it. The lone bright, yet overpriced, spot for my girlfriend and I was the Blue Steak Salad. The greens were nothing more than one can find in the grocery store on any given day, and the blue cheese crumbles were few and far between, but the sirloin steak was cooked spot-on med rare, sliced thin, and had ample flavor and quality. This alone added one star to the review. The atmosphere was good, and the service was too, but we won't be back anytime soon. We'll continue to spend our money with the many other places in town that care more about the quality of food they serve.
(2)Joel C.
I've been to Ballyhoo several times, and each time I left satisfied. Two weeks ago I took my parents when they were in town. They are both foodies, and very picky, so I wasn't sure where to take them. Due to time constraints downtown wasn't an option. I wanted to bring them somewhere local - they can go to Bonefish any time - so I suggested Ballyhoo. They enjoyed their dinner so this weekend, when some friends were in from out of town, I once again suggested Ballyhoo. I ordered the Rebel Reuben. I've worked in a few delis and know a good reuben, and this is a good reuben. My girlfriend was in a hurry and had to leave early. She asked the server what could be prepared and brought quickly, and he suggested the seafood cobb. Sure enough, it arrived to our table within minutes and was delicious. I suggested the cedar plank salmon to another friend - I was confident because my mother ordered it before - and she loved it. Another friend got the prime rib and was very happy. The waiter did forget our gator bites, but he did the right thing and comp'ed the bites when they did arrive. I've tried their sushi and their ribeye, and it's been very good. I haven't noticed any problems with cleanliness or service. I'll be back again soon.
(4)Sara G.
We bought a groupon and I had never been here but have passed it way too many times. Everything was pretty pricy except happy hour with $5 martinis. We saw "table side guac" on the menu so we gave it a shot. As the server is making it, I ask how many avocados he is putting in. 3. 3 measly avocados for a $12 app?! So our table of 4 each got enough for 3 chips. Dinner arrived and it was nothing special. The server either was swamped or didn't give a crap because we had to ask the bartender for everything since someone other than our server dropped our food down and disappeared. At least my martini was good. Oh, and to top off the experience, as we walked out the front door into the parking lot, I almost stepped in puke. I won't be coming back anytime soon unless someone is treating me.
(2)Michelle M.
Awesome happy hour specials. Sat outside on the tiki deck; real neat atmosphere! There was a small stage for a live band... Will have to come back for some live entertainment! We got the spicy tuna rolls and were very pleased with the large portion of ahi tuna served with the sushi rolls. The seafood salads with Ceviche were huge and tasty and contained generous portions of crab, scallops and shrimp. My sister got the blackened tilapia sandwich with potato salad and a side Caesar. My only complaint was the Caesar dressing... It tasted like mayonaise... Yuck! Our waitress was super friendly and attentive. Never had to track her down for refills or the check. Will be back!
(4)Laura Z.
Wow!! Passing by decided to give it a try. Thankfully didn't just trust the three stars here in yelp. Service phenomenal (Mia is the best!), Calamari best we've had to date! Everything just perfect. And a great place to watch the Gators game too :) my new fav when in Gainesville!!!
(5)Coda B.
While visiting my girlfriend in Gainesville, Ballyhoo quickly became "our restaurant". It is nice to have a place that, in a college town, offers everything we look for during a night out. The first night we visited Ballyhoo (yes, we've gone twice in one week- so far), we were looking for sushi. We weren't extremely hungry so we only ordered two rolls (one with ahi and fruit, the other with a buffalo chicken). At first I was a little put off by the prices, but I was pleasantly surprised upon arrival. The portions were large and the quality was fantastic. We also enjoyed a pitcher of white sangria that was excellent. We finished with the Bananas Foster, prepared table-side on a mobile station, which was very entertaining. The second night we visited the restaurant was much busier. We passed on the table-side guacamole at the suggestion of our server (due to the portion, but I suspect she didn't want to put in the work), and instead opted for the chicken mudiga. Ironically, the mudiga was extremely small but still had great plate presentation and full flavors. I had the delicious Blackened Chicken flat bread, the significant other had the burger topped with pulled pork (which she did not like, but I enjoyed). The Ballyhoo brew (expect Yuengling) helped wash it all down. Our latter experience certainly was not as fantastic was the former, but both were positive and we'll definitely return. I feel that each experience had a lot to do with the energy and focus our server exuded, but I don't like to base a review on the service alone. The atmosphere at Ballyhoo is great. Most notable aspects of the building: the great back patio with live music, the college themed mural in the bathroom waiting area, and the "hot chicks fishing" theme in the men's room. Now, if I could only stop singing the name of the restaurant to the tune of "New Age Girl" by Deadeye Dick...
(4)Joanne C.
We've been frequent customers - table side guacamole is always good but pricey ($12.50), service is courteous but adequate at best - always too few servers for number of tables. They require frequent prompting/reminders. Food quality is variable - ranging from good to awful within same week: shrimp and grits great on WEDNESDAY, thrown together mess on Friday. Another is the grouper sandwich - excellent on Wednesday - on Friday - what appeared to be tilapia substituted for the grouper. When this was brought to the attention of the kitchen staff - they replied that it was a "thinner, smaller cut of grouper". I disagree - having grown up in Florida most of my life with abundant coastal seafood, what was served was certainly NOT grouper. Given time constraints, we did not have time to order another entree and settled for a side of mash potatoes and spinach. We were not charged for the grouper - just the sides. When the issue of grouper was brought to the attention of the manager, he seemed very indifferent and stated that earlier in the week, Ballyhoos had received a delivery of "unusually thin, smaller cuts of grouper that didn't look like regular grouper". That's probably because it's NOT Grouper but cheap trash fish tilapia! In addition to inconsistent, noisy and slow service - Ballyhoo's is at best ignorant about the fish they carry (not good) or at worst, dishonest - (very bad) - charging grouper prices for tilapia. I'm done with this place. It's +'s: location, location, location - not much else.
(1)A B.
Ballyhoo is easily the University of Florida's de facto rathskellar. Okay, so this one is above ground and adjacent to a strip mall, but Florida is essentially a fetid swamp where everything was built in the last 50 years: the high water table makes real cellars impossible to build and most commercial real estate is surrounded by an ocean of asphalt. The ambiance resembles a TGIF, but with a Florida theme: the wooden hull racing shell and tennis rackets are replaced by an aluminum row boat and football memorabilia. Like any good rathskellar, Ballyhoo is dimly lit, reeks of cheap beer ($2.50 for the house draft, albeit served in a "falsie" 14 oz glass), and has thin layer of grease on almost every surface. Perfect for wings and burgers when games are away. Entrees are obscenely large - easily enough food to feed two (or three sorority girls with eating disorders). Appetizers and desserts are more modestly sized, but are nonetheless ample meals by themselves. The food itself is flavorful, if not greasy, sweet and salty. But that's what you came here for, right? Let's not kid ourselves - this is bar food, and it's about as good as it comes anywhere. The staff, who are mostly students, are friendly and bright, and give great service. Health and hygiene, however, leave something to be desired. As noted above, there's a persistent layer of grease everywhere, which is entirely forgivable given its rathskellar nature, but remains incorrigibly dirty. A steak salad came with wadded up paper towel in it, the brown kind used for drying your hands in a restroom. We picked out the bits of towel and sent it back, only for its replacement to arrive with a deep fried shrimp tail in it. Chances are good that after a few pints we might not have noticed the paper towel and suspect most patrons visit Ballyhoo for exactly this type of experience: to drink a lot of beer and undiscriminatingly eat something to soak it all up. Ballyhoo meets that need brilliantly.
(3)Natalie W.
I soooo wanted to like this place. Cute tiki bar outside ... Kinda close to home ... But nope. Food was so bad !!! Like bad frozen banquet food. Stuffed fish was mushy and gooey. My margarita was decent but ill spend my food money elsewhere
(2)Craig C.
We had Sunday lunch with wife and kids, the good - Shrimp Scampi Linguine, Cedar Plank Salmon, Service was a little slow due it being after church, pretty crowded. Also had the table guacamole which was liked by everyone!
(4)Tess C.
Honestly, my favorite place to eat dinner. Their new menu is awesome (try the Blueberry Filet, it's amazing!), and the service is always great. My family and I go there all the time, and will continue to return.
(5)Felix C.
The food in Ballyhoo is fine, but not great. I have been to this restaurant multiple times and it has never been consistent or have given me a great impression. Most recently, the chicken breast that I ordered was dry and hard. The spinach side had a strange taste and was overly sweet. The service was good, the waiter was nice, fast, and efficient. They didn't let my drink go empty before giving me a refill!
(3)Bruce J.
Pretty good food, service 5 star. Our food server, Kathryn was timely, personal and a quick friendly smile, she pointed us in the right direction on the house specialties, she was a 5 star server. . The grilled shrimp was delicious and drinks very well made. We really enjoyed the place, the food and the staff. Recommended by the guy at the hilton hotel where we stayed....pretty good recommendation, thanks Brian!
(4)Ashley B.
This was the first time I had been here, and like others I was apprehensive because of the reviews. I sat at the bar and had the prime rib which came with the vegetable of the day and a side (I got fries). The prime rib was well seasoned and properly cooked and I was happy to see zucchini, squash, and mushrooms sauteed in a tomato sauce with a small side of greens with balsamic vinaigrette instead of the usual carrot, broccoli, cauliflower you usually get with the" veggie of the day" at most restaurants. The fries were fries...if I would make one comment to this restaurant, it would be to add some sweet potato fries to the menu. I think they would really go over well here. The menu was large, and had plenty of fish, chicken, steak options as well as some Florida "specialties" like alligator and grouper. Everything I saw coming out of the kitchen looked really tasty. They also have a separate sushi menu which has some interesting specialty rolls on it. Definitely worth a try if you are not a sushi "purist". The couple across from me had a sushi roll appetizer that looked DELICIOUS. The decor was fun...kinda waterfront south florida/keys look, and the service was good. Too bad I won't be in Gainesville much longer because I would definitely eat here again.
(4)Karl K.
Lessons learned - left my wallet at Ballyhoo and immediately discovered it missing. called the restuarant and got back there 30 minutes later. was told by the manager that the staff had turned it in, and they did their usual magnificant job...- inventoried my wallet, cash and all, and put it in the safe. Since I had told the employee I knew the owner...when he called they had told him i had left my wallet. He intentionally came back to the restaurant, took my wallet out of the safe against the manager's advice, and left the restaurant with it. when I finally got it back after chasing him to midtown Gville, the $225 cash (as documented by the restaurant manager as being there when he took the wallet) was missing. my fault for carelessness, and a lesson learned. the staff is awesome - ownership and ethics rotton that being said - great food was destroyed by the theft and ethics by a restaurant owner
(1)Senthil K.
Very good ambiance and not-so-bad food.
(3)Janette C.
I was a little hesitant about this place after seeing al of the bad reviews, however I'm glad I still went! I had the fish tacos (mahi mahi) and they were delicious. Everyone in my party also loved their food. We had the nachos as an appetizer, perfect for sharing. Service was great and the place has a nice atmosphere. Definitely coming back.
(5)Janelle F.
My family and I went here for our first time and it was a decent experience.... We ordered 3 appetizers for 4 adults and 3 kids and we were stuffed we didn't even have to order meals. our waiter was nice to us....although we wished it would have been live music because it was a friday but w.e it is what it is however it would have made the experience 10x better since live music should always be played on the weekend nights! great food! a little more expensive than i thought but good.
(4)Kimmy B.
So far it's an eh. Salads took way too long to come out and then the waitress asked if we wanted her to go ahead and put our food order in. Ah, yeah. Seriously? Still waiting for our food after 15 additional minutes. But they did put the FSU game on for us so that's good! So the food came out and it was good. I had the Coach Roll, hubby had the stuffed tilapia. He says it was really tasty. So I'm upping my rating to 4 because it was good food. It's not the service you'll get at Square One over on 34th, but they are pretty busy on this Friday night.
(4)Maureen K.
We've eaten here twice, both times outdoors. Service is uneven and doesn't seem to depend on how busy they are. Their 4-7 happy hour is great, when you can get drinks two-for-one, but the real reason we came was for food - I know, that may be dumb when you consider this is basically a sports bar. Spouse's favorite is the huge plate of nachos with pulled pork, which may be the prettiest plate of nachos we've ever seen. If you are young - as most of the patrons are - that's probably a good appetizer for two or maybe three. For people our age, it would feed the same number of people for dinner. That's not a complaint, just be sure when you're ordering that you know what you're going to get. Nachos do not make a good take-home item (yes, we tried). On another visit, Spouse tried and LOVED the she-crab soup - thick, spicy. For me the texture was too pureed, I like a little more variety in my soups, but I admit the flavor was good. My own favorite choice was the Margherita flatbread, though if I have it again I'll ask for extra basil - a large piece of flatbread with some kind of base melted cheese, a tomato slice, and little dab of fresh mozzarella. As I say, a bit lacking on the fresh basil, which was cut into weeny little pieces. But then I'm a basil kind of person. I ate half, brought half home, and it traveled well. I also tried the grilled tilapia sandwich which comes on a hoagie roll. Smallish piece of delicious tilapia on a reasonably fresh roll. A bit too much roll for the fish, but it worked well with knife and fork, leaving some of the bread behind. I'd try this one again. Music varies, but is generally pretty good. Seems to start about 6 pm. We're early diners so have no idea how late it goes. I think my main point here is that they treat old folks well, not just something to occupy the tables until the real crowd comes along.
(4)Elina L.
I don't live in Gainesville so it's really difficult for me to compare this restaurant to any other local competition, but in comparison to Tampa Bay offerings, it was just ok. Needless to say, it appears to be very popular among locals, both the parking lot and the restaurant were full. We got lucky and got sited right away as we were just a party of 2. The restaurant offers happy hours between 4 and 7 with specials on calls, wells, house wines and Margaritas. We opted for 2 for 1 margaritas, which was about average quality. I couldn't right away understand what this restaurant is trying to be: a sushi bar or a seafood venue. We tried tuna tartar - 5 stars for it! It was just right, coupled with fresh avocados and crispy chips. She-crab soup was below average in my opinion, way to grainy and bland. We also shared two rolls. Both were fried and very filling, but not amazing. All in all, a good place to hang out with friends in casual atmosphere without high expectations.
(3)Scott T.
Okay so I had the gumbo. Like I said this place is not my favorite place but due to the fact that they offer so many Groupon's and other sorts of deals I come here way too often. Normally it's not a good idea to make a soup with shrimp and scallops and leave it all day. I came in at around two and the soup is still mushy from being made earlier. I'm just surprised at the popularity of this place given the fact that the food is so incredibly poor. I guess people come here for the lack of ambience and the casual dress attire. I think their menu is way overpriced for what they're offering. But again that's why I would only come here if I had some sort of discount.
(2)Bruce B.
This was a difficult review to write due to the wildly varying experiences I've had here. The food seems to have finally "found itself" with better consistency and quality. There was a time when I'd never stray from appetizers after many entrée disappointments. They also created a new rule for me-NEVER order seafood on Monday and Tuesday! It seems like the seafood in places like this are at its best Thursday through Saturday. I don't know for sure how they cycle their orders, but the rule has worked thus far. The bar pours a very decent drink, I usually order a premium whiskey, either neat or over the rocks. The only thing that could screw that up is a short pour. My wife will enjoy a specialty martini or marguerite on occasion and I've never seen her unhappy with the drinks (as weird as some of them are). The service has really improved over the years which is the thing that kept me coming back. I had some absolute horrific experience with service here, but it's been several years since I've been ignored or had anything unpleasant happen. Obviously management has a lot to do with this. I recently asked to speak with the manager and I could read the "WTF now" on his face lol. I was there to tell him how markedly they had improved and especially how well our server took care of my guests and myself. Overall they are a 3.75 so I'm bumping them to 4 stars. They hovered at 1-2 for a long time and I'm happy they've rebounded so nicely!
(4)Mary R.
This place is dog friendly which was necessary since we were on a road trip with our dog. They have a nice covered patio in case it rains. We were able to watch the game on the TVs they had outside. The food was good but a little on the pricey side.
(4)Keri K.
Interesting place. Diverse menue. Prime rib, flat bread and sushi? But the sushi looked delicious. Had the cedar plank salmon...REALY good. Hubby had the prime rib. Also delicious. Nothing to complain about here. Just feels like they are trying too hard by preparing banana foster and guacamole table side. Not necessary. Food is delicious, service is good. Would come back in a hot minute.
(4)Brian A.
I'm not a huge seafood fan but let me tell you ballyhoo has some great steaks and my favorite sandwich in town is there prime rib sandwich with horseradish sauce. Your mouth will thank you.
(5)Raye R.
Thank you for making our Birthday for a best friend a sad ordeal. We had made a reservation for 20 and we're not told we would be joined by another 4 other parties in the same place. Not only was our meal a torturous wait for cocktails, food and services as simple as water, it was so loud that we could not even have simple conversations with our friends. As a long term patron of Ballyhoos of Gainesville, I have seen a great restaurant slowly lose its charm and service quality. I am sad that Ballyhoos management team made what could have been a great memorable moment into 3 long hours of uncaring and unprofessional disregard for your customers. I took to the opportunity to mention it to the manager on staff and he seemed genuinely apologetic (for that, I can appreciate). However, he was simply the manager on staff that seemed overwhelmed and overworked. Ballyhoos, get it together. Gainesville is bringing great competition to the table and your service and quality sucked. In the future, just learn to say "NO" to a reservation when you are overbooked. OR... WARNING TO ALL GROUP PARTIES. Good luck.
(2)Mich W.
I was happy that the wait to get seated was only 10/15 minutes, since it was a game weekend, I guess because the restaurant is so large. It was packed though. The decor was fitting for a casual seafood restaurant/sports bar: dark wood, nautical themed ( mounted tarpon, surfboards, life buoys etc.) We ordered she-crab soup, swordfish, snow crab legs and sushi. After a little while the waitress came to tell us they were out of the sushi roll my daughter ordered. About 8-10 minutes later the soup arrived. It wasn't bad but more like a standard chowder with crab added. Hard to tell it was crab soup from the flavor of the soup itself but it did have actual pieces of crab. I expected a bisque of sorts with a crab and sherry flavor. I could not detect any of the sherry as the menu described. Plus traditionally, "she-crab" usually means some crab roe included. Hence the "she" :) After the soup we waited soooo long for the entrees. It took a good hour or more. It's where everyone at your table has nothing more to say a and has just one thought: "where the heck is the food!??!" Not once did the waitress come by during that time to check on us or to explain the extensive wait. I guess it was because they were so busy, but even so, it was excessive. It would've been proper practice and just plain thoughtful to let us know what was happening. We waited and waited. When the food finally came, my husband's swordfish was cold but he was way too hungry to ask for it to be warmed. My snow crab was good, standard steamed with butter which is fine by me. It was lukewarm though, so must've been sitting before serving. For $21 it came with 3 clusters which was more than I expected. Daughter liked her California roll. The main problem was the long, looong wait and abandonment. Otherwise it wasn't bad. I would go back to give it another try, but it wouldn't be my first choice.
(3)Emily O.
It's known as a staple in Gainesville, but I think the only good thing here is their guacamole (it's hand made table side). Beware of the fish tacos! The last two times that I've been here they have messed up 3 fish tacos (was with friends who also ordered them) The meat was undercooked and/or old -- it smelled really bad. The managers were good to take it off, but I'm really distrustful after so many times. Their food tastes like it came out of a bag...not very fresh and everything in the restaurant is slimy/greasy feeling. It has a good atmosphere, but beware of the food quality!!!!
(1)Stephanie R.
I'm sorry, but the last straw for me in this "Florida" themed restaurant is when I found out that they serve shrimp from Indonesia. How can you not serve fresh LOCAL shrimp? In Florida??? Disgusting. The decline of this place has been really depressing. For the love of God, do not eat here if you're looking for good local seafood. I find myself wondering if I will one day see Ballyhoos on Kitchen Nightmares.
(1)Marc C.
I came here before and I loved it. However, today I felt different. The bartender (and I actually have to say she probably did not mean this at all), she kinda made me feel like I was annoying her, but the other customers at the bar she gave more attention. She seem nice, but made me feel like I did not belong here. Like I said, she probably had no clue, but her actions did make me feel bad. I'll try this place one more time and will write a review on nap-sack.org .
(1)Shelley H.
First let me say we went on a Friday night around 6:45. The place was slammed. We were seated right away and a friendly waiter came over for our drink orders. Margaritas. To our delight two showed up for each person... We didn't realize it was happy hour! And we ordered J/C, not bar wells. $8 = 2 margaritas a person... Happy indeed. We ordered appetizers: Firecracker Shrimp & Fried Green Tomatoes. The shrimp were fresh and perfectly cooked, not too much sauce, crispy & a good portion. I did not care for the tomatoes because they were very firm and the crust wasn't the type of breading I'm accustomed to in the South, but the other gals at the table enjoyed them. (To each her own). We then ordered and I can't remember everyone's dishes (by this time I was mid-2nd margarita). I ordered the Swamp Burger, not realizing what I had just read: A hamburger with lettuce, tomato, bacon and fried egg, sandwiched between two grilled cheeses... HUGE!!! (For 3 days as I deconstructed or as leftovers). The grilled cheese sandwich on the bottom became one with the egg and bacon because it was so melty & juicy. The burger was charred outside & warm pink inside (perfect). Delicious!!! The top grilled cheese came off and became a side to my soup meal at work later that week. What I'm getting at is that this is not a "1st date meal"... Too big!!! The picture doesn't do it justice. My only complaint was the noise level. It was so loud we couldn't hear each other. If you're looking for a quiet environment for chatting, Friday night here is not the choice to make. Food was great, prices averaged out to be around $20 per person, service was good and decor was fun. I'll definitely give it another go... On a weeknight!
(4)Danielle M.
Another example of how I should listen to Yelp reviewers. I was in Gainesville for a training and was looking for a local restaurant. I read the reviews but got tempted by the she-crab soup and stuffed tilapia on the menu so away I went. The service was great and the restaurant was cute with a great patio and live music and good happy hour. That is the the best I can say. The she-crab soup was tasteless. The stuffed tilapia tasted like sewer water was used. The mushrooms weren't cooked, the sauce was described as picatta, but was definitely not. The fish was terrible. I can usually eat anything, but could not eat this. The waiter was great and offered to get me something else, but I didn't want to try anything after this. He did the right thing and took it off my bill. Lesson learned ... Listen to Yelp reviewers
(2)Marcella D.
Recommended by hotel when asked for seafood restaurant. Apparently a locally owned and operated place. Will preface review by saying it was a Friday eve, and there was a college footbal game next day, so it was rather busy. Found seat at bar, and attempted to flag down a bartender (3 working). Took a solid 15 minutes to get service despite people next to me getting regular attention. Service person seemed to resent having "single" to serve, but apparently regulars get priority attention. Ordered a cup of the she-crab soup. It was the high point of the experience. Hot, creamy, lots of wonderful crab goodness unfortunately, the Linguine Pescatote, was barely room temperature, lacked flavor, was 85% pasta and only 15% fish. The bread was the best part of the dish. Would recommend trying elsewhwere, or at least not on a weekend
(2)Bianca M.
my miso-poached salmon was great, once I waded through all of the dressing on top of the soggy lettuce. After my salad was complete I noticed something a little odd in my salad...something that looked like a bug's wing. A wing is something pretty recognizable...my whole group agreed on what the object appeared to be...when I alerted the waitress she agreed and took the plate back to her manager. Upon returning the WAITRESS told me that her manager said it was a piece of red lettuce....wrong. Her manager didn't even have the decency to come out and talk to a customer himself and also argued. If you're going to tell a whole table they're wrong, at least come do it yourself, it's really not hard to give good service. So maybe it was just a little extra protein to go with the TINY piece of salmon. ALSOOOOOOO. we paid $48 for 3 pitchers, having lived in Miami this is something I would expect there....NOT in Gainesville. So Ballyhoo, this is the 3rd year in a row we've brought a group of over 30 here for dinner....I don't know if we'll be seeing your tacky beach decor next year.
(2)Leslie S.
Oysters are fabulous. Ask for Chris! Service was great. We sat outside and fans make the Florida weather bearable!
(5)Amanda J.
I have been here 3 times and tonight was the worst! Our server had a very bad attitude and also knew nothing when we asked questions. I specifically asked for my burger to be cooked well done and it was pink. After already waiting an hour for the food, I had to wait another 30 minutes for them to remake it. Just the whole experience was ridiculous. Also overpriced. Never again.
(1)Dotty R.
Me and my sweetie was in town to attend a wedding and came for lunch here with our family. We sat outside in the patio area and it was nice actually. Although it was a bit chilly for a Flordia day, I wasn't too cold at all. They had flatscreens around and the young man assisting us was great! We had shark bites, clamari, different types of beer, martini's, you name it. I ate the shrimp and grits and it was good. Others had some type of fish sandwich, and Vince's mom ate mahi mahi salad. Overall, it was a good place to come and eat. This is Florida Gator town, so you know when we were leaving, Vince had to stick his head in the large Gator mascot statute, LOL.
(4)Travis L.
Normally I'm very excited to visit this local favorite but i was very disapointed in this visit. Our visit was over 2 hours and tue food ticket time was around an hour. I ordered the buffalo chicken sandwich which was the only saving point of my visit. The sandwich was very tastey and was a large portion. The menu has a lot of variety but if you are looking to stay out of the higher price seafood section I recommend checking out the sandwich portion of the menu. The last part of my visit invloved having my Michelob Ultra come out in the Sams Adams Pilsner which just felt weird. Not sure if I will return.
(2)Jon V.
Excellent oysters. Fish tacos were perfect. Seafood cob salad was delicious. They used to not accept Discover Card but now they do. I think I found my new favorite local restaurant.
(5)Rick S.
Great fun and good food. Bette had the prime rib casedias and I had the ribs. Huge helping of ribs but I was expecting pork and they were beef. Good though and the casedias were excellent. Good service, great beer - we will be back.
(4)Sarah K.
So here's the deal: I love Ballyhoo in a big way. But that's mainly because I love bo-go happy hour in a big way. Two glasses of wine for $6? Yes, please. We've had our fair share of mediocre food here. The prime rib was pretty dreadful, the chicken sandwich was overdone and the majority of the sushi rolls taste pre-made and like the same quality I can get at Bento for half the price. I pretty much get one of three things when I'm there: The spicy tuna roll with a side of mac & cheese (I know...I know...), the firecracker shrimp appetizer as an entree with a side of mac & cheese or the philly cheese steak sandwich with...wait for it...a side of mac & cheese. I've been disappointed by the m&c ONCE, but normally it's pretty delicious. Oh and I get wine. Lots of it. The Ballyhoo Brew is pretty tasty too, and it's only $1.75 for a pint at happy hour. Ballyhoo has a fun atmosphere, a variety of menu items and best of all, is walking distance from my house (did I mention I get lots of wine?). It's definitely worth a try.
(3)Gary H.
I got the hog burger with pulled pork and BBQ sauce. Wife got crab and shrimp combo. I also had the texas chili. Everything was excellent and nice portions. Very attentive waiter who kept us well supplied with drinks. Price is inline with the food. Overall a great friday night spot.
(5)Amy F.
I never got a chance to judge the food because I never got it. The service was extremely slow. We were there almost an hour and I never got my hamburger or the chicken sandwich we ordered. We paid for our drinks and left. The one thing that really bothered me is a manager never came out to apologize or see is if we needed anything else.
(1)Eve A.
One of my favorite spots to take out of town guests for a casual supper. The seafood is good and fresh, the atmosphere is friendly and the wait staff always tries hard. They're young and one suspects for some it's a first job, but they're enthusiastic. We had the bananas foster for dessert, and splitting it between the four of us gave each diner just enough sweetness to end a great meal, without megatons of fat and calories being shoveled onto our plates. I'm also a fan of their fish tacos at lunchtime.
(4)Gigi A.
I have to say I was apprehensive about this place after reading the reviews on yelp. The cesar salad was perfect. I stuck to a simple shrimp scampi, which was done very well. The tartness of the artichoke definitely complemented the slight sweetness of the sauce. My date went for the salmon which he said was really really tasty. We were seated right away, and the crowd seemed happy. Just the right amount of people. I like the atmosphere quite a lot. Very laid back with the nautical theme of course. It's probably a perfect place to watch the game. The outdoor tiki bar has a real (or seemingly real) straw roof which I really liked. I didn't get to check out the treebow, but I'll have to do that next time. Go here. After reading April O's review, I'd suggest sticking to the simpler items on the menu. The food is good. The service is great :-) A
(4)Olga L.
I went there for the first time last night after buying a group coupon. My boyfriend and I went around 6 on a Wednesday night, so it wasn't too busy. Our server was sweet, knowledgeable of the menu, and impeccable. We sat in a booth near the bar, although I probably would've preferred the tiki deck outside. We had the calamari appetizer, which came out within 10 minutes. The pomodoro sauce and the flavor of the breading were delicious, but the calamari were much chewier than other places. Our food came out less than 10 minutes later. I ordered the garlic shrimp flatbread, which was huge. The pesto garlic sauce was savory, but the shrimp were on the small side. The My boyfriend got the shrimp scampi, which I tried a bite of. The white wine flavor really comes through, and the shrimp are large and fresh. My guess is the shrimp in our dishes came from different sources. My only disappointment were the drinks. We both ordered Captain and Coke, which were 2-for-1 doubles at $6 a piece. They definitely tasted like a single or less. Next time I'll get beer. It was a worthy dinner with the groupon savings, and I wouldn't have went otherwise, but I'll probably be back. It's a nice alternative to the Archer Road chains.
(4)Mike P.
We thought we would try Ballyhoo again and see if anything had changed. Nope. A "20-25 minute" wait turned into well over an hour. The service was slow. The food was average at best. However, to us, the worst part is that it's LOUD in the restaurant area. With the TVs and music going, everyone has to yell to be heard across the table. It's not a pleasant environment to dine.
(1)Stanley D.
We are from Atlanta and decided to stop by and see the UF campus (we are UGA fans and wanted to check out the Gator campus - pretty campus). While in town we stopped by Ballyhoos. The food was very good. We had the firecracker shrimp and the guacamole. Our two kids had the sliders. We enjoyed it all! However the best experience at he restaurant was our waiter Dustin - he was friendly and gave great service. Our two boys loved him. I would highly recommend the restaurant and would definitely stop by again if in the area.
(4)Yvette H.
Ordered the chicken wings and they were not cooked well. After eating the second wing I could not eat any more because of the redness near the bone and they were just chewy, I returned the wings and they still charged me for them! I asked the waitress why and she said 'they said they were cooked'. No one ever came back and told me what 'they' said or anything. I paid, but I will not be returning and I will be telling everyone in the very large party that was there that night.
(1)Coty S.
This place has a great atmosphere, and since it is located in the movie theater parking lot they get really crowded. I really do not understand why people like it so much, however. The food is not fresh, and I stopped going because of this. My favorite dish used to be the seared shrimp and scallops, which you can get fresher at Carrabba's BTW. This dish was super overpriced and came with a side salad. The side salad had tons of dead fruit flies in it and I never went back since. Sometimes we used to go just to get the Banana's Foster, that they would flambe at table side.
(1)Jennifer L.
Not a fan. We came here last week to watch a game at the bar. Thankfully it wasn't crowded at all (that should have been our first sign!). The menu at this place is too scattered. They serve everything- from sushi to hamburgers. The menu has no focus. We ordered oysters, flatbread and fried shrimp. The ingredients for each were sub-par. The flatbread was cold, the shrimp were tiny and flavorless. Drinks were fine. Nothing special. And to top it all off, we spent almost $75 on this unsatisfying meal. Would have been better served grabbing a $4 pizza down the street.
(1)Bryan O.
Meh. Went there based on the ESPN slug that eats in the towns of each of the Saturday night games. He loved it. He apparently has a very weak palate and poor choice in food. The service was fair, but not great. It was crowded, but still had empty tables. The food was mediocre and very typical of college town food. My wife had the grouper sandwich, which was poorly trimmed and the fatty tissue between the meat & skin was underdone and felt like underdone beef fat, but with no taste. Fortunately, it was only at the end of the sandwich that she experience it. I had the gumbo, which was run of the mill, and then the playing it safe shrimp quesadilla. The shrimp were small canned shrimp, ridiculous. The kids had the flatbread pizza, which was very tasty, by far the best thing we had, and the requisite chicken fingers, which were fine. Wasn't expensive but wasn't cheap. It's a fun place and would probably be great for slamming back some beers and eating the, presumably, safe apps, while watching football. For dinner, ehh.
(2)Victoria P.
Last night, I went to Ballyhoo Grill on West University and was not impressed. The service was actually great, but the food was definitely sub-par. Maybe I'm snooty, maybe I'm used to catching my own grouper, or just maybe this place really isn't that amazing. To start, we ordered the Firecracker Shrimp. I honestly probably should have read the description on the menu. I envisioned large, succulent shrimp tossed in cracked black pepper with a hint of chile powder. Nope. Instead, the shrimp were deep fried and then tossed in a spicy Thai sauce. The breading was far too thick and completely masked the taste of the actual shrimp, while the mayo based sauce left me feeling bloated and heavy. My Blackened Grouper w/ Zucchini and Squash was bland, bland, bland. I don't know about you, but when I order something blackened I expect it to have a nice kick. I ended up adding black pepper to the entire dish to make it have some type of flavor. The quality of the fish wasn't bad, however, I would have preferred the thrill of catching it myself. Out of the two entrees, the Shrimp & Scallion Skewers w/ Garlic Mashed Potatoes contained more flavor. The scallions were moist, buttery and delectable. The texture was the perfect consistency and not rubbery or slimey at all. The one thing we ordered that I could not stop eating? The garlic mashed potatoes! With flecks of potato skin and a hint of garlic, this robust dish almost made me lick my date's plate clean. (Okay, so I ended up ordering my own side of mashed potatoes, you caught me.) Despite being quite full when I left the restaurant, I don't think I will be returning anytime soon.
(2)Stephanie K.
I'm an atmosphere kind of person and I love their patio! The food, I haven't had anything yet that I didn't like :)
(4)Adam W.
i had the best surf-n-turf i've ever had here - ten years ago. we've been back 4-5 times since then and they've never managed to wow me since then. once, i had a good mahi-mahi po'boy. but everything else has been just ok and fairly expensive.
(3)Steve S.
What was right: The Food - everything was very good. We had the grouper and the sea bass entrees. Fresh and properly prepared. The Menu - interesting choices. Tough to make a selection. The Service - competent and pleasant. The Drinks - a good selection and reasonably priced. The Atmosphere - casual, comfortable, and fun Definitely a local spot with creative and unique menu items correctly prepared. I don't have any criticism.
(4)Misty H.
Service is still poor, and food is just average. The company was good, but we brought that.
(2)Chip B.
Good value, excellent wait staff and good atmosphere. Probably should have stayed home for valentines day, but it actually wasn't too busy. The firecracker shrimp, fried green tomatoes and bananas foster are great. It was funny watching guys try and try with some frowny faces on their pretty dates. I hope they got lucky, but I think they just got the check.
(4)Brandon D.
This place has gotten better over the years. A bit pricey, but the food is good. The tiki style patio is pretty comfortable.
(4)Brittany K.
Eh. Here's the thing... The patio was awesome, it was a beautiful day, I was with my very favorite people, the drinks were awesome (and 2 for 1s), the flatbread was tasty- the service was AWFUL. Just bad, bad service. And I'm telling you it had to be bad to put me in a mood that day! Our server took about 10 minutes just to get to our table, understandable they were busy, then another 15 minutes to get us our drinks, then another 10 minutes to take our order, then another 20 minutes to receive our order, then another 15 minutes to get our check. And she had an attitude the. whole. time. Don't think I'll ever be returning to the Ballyhoo's... but if I do it will be on a day they're not so busy- maybe that will improve the service.
(2)Christine V.
Delicious steak salad. Too much butter in the banana foster. Great Chilean Sea Bass.
(4)Rachel E.
I was really excited about going here because I heard the bananas foster was amazing. My girl and I went on a Saturday evening and it wasn't super busy but not empty either. We were taken care of right away. We had a great waitress who was very helpful and nice. We started with the tableside guac which was incredible, no complaints. Very tasty and plenty of it. We both ordered fried shrimp (she got tacos, i had the shrimp dinner) and it was also great. I asked for something in place of the vegetable of the day and ended up getting...the vegetable of the day! But the waitress fixed that right away. It happens everywhere I go, I think I'm cursed. By that time we were so full we couldn't even think about ordering the dessert we came for so we decided we would go back. The next weekend we went back around early afternoon on a Saturday and it was dead. We were seated and forgotten about for 10 minutes. My girlfriend had to get up and walk around to flag someone down just to get water. When we finally got a waiter, we got the stupidest one they had. He was not present whatsoever. We made it very clear that we were on a tight schedule and ordered an appetizer and the dessert at once, so that we could be in and out. He moseyed around and shuffled his feet and got the dessert cart ready. We ate our Thai shrimp (more shrimp! I dunno, it's pretty good there) and watched him make the bananas foster. He claims that he makes it all the time and how funny it is that everyone says he makes too much of it. Oh very funny. Our bananas were in this brown soupy mess. The alcohol and sugar and butter did not cook all together like they should have and it was barely edible. We inhaled the bananas, since we were 10 minutes late by then, and asked for the check before he left the table. He left and then walked past us and ignored us completely. Then another server following him brought us the check and said, "He said to tell you he's sorry he couldn't bring it, he's busy." OH........................... yeah. Okay. That makes sense. He's probably taking a nap in one of the 30 empty booths. We then STOOD next to our table waiting for someone to pick it up, 15 minutes late by now, and eventually had to grab someone else again. Meanwhile, we watched him stand outside in the other seating area laughing and high-fiving other waiters. That's really cool bro. That being said, I might go back. And hope it's his day off.
(3)Angel I.
Wish I could say better things about Ballyhoo since it's a local Gainesville joint. It's just that their food is never consistent (something will be good one time and horrible the next time you order it) and service is inconsistent...either it's you have to wait forever or get a good server. I also got a piece of shrimp in with my onion straws today-- what if I was allergic to shrimp--not good for them. It's worth checking out, but probably not returning without a good coupon.
(2)Jorge U.
I wasn't impressed. It was Ok, but I'd rather go to Northwest Grille. I don't think the fish was particularly fresh or necessarily even the species of fish they claimed it was. I don't mind paying for something special, but I do object to a large bill when all they have is a lot of average. We did get a good laugh from the waitress. She seemed to think bananas foster was something they invented. When we commented on the process, she was like "I thought you guys said you'd never been here before." lolz But at least the bananas foster was good.
(2)S L.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in Gainesville. They have a fantastic happy hour and I love to sit out on the covered patio and have drinks with friends on a Friday evening. They also have the best sushi in town...really! It's always fresh and the combinations are delicious. The Ahi Tuna roll is my favorite! It has crab, tuna, avocado, and cucumber on the inside with seared tuna on the outside. Fresh jalapenos and ginger are diced and sprinkled on top and it's drizzled with spicy mayo and eel sauce...so good! Also, the Reuben sandwich is one of the best I've had. All around, a great place. Be sure to get there before 6 on the weekends because it gets pretty packed and service can be spotty when they are busy.
(4)Damion W.
Ballyhoo is fantastic. It's my favorite happy hour spot in Gainesville. My fiance thinks they have the best sushi in town. I tend to just do appetizers there and the calamari and firecracker shrimp and both great. Reasonable draft beer specials. Best part about the place is the covered patio with live music. Get your picture taken with the giant Tim Tebow carving.
(5)Barbara V.
Will go Back.... My first time there. For some reason I thought it was going to be a nicer place decor wise however I did like the atmosphere's Key West laid back style. Very wide range of ages. I ordered the spicy tuna roll and it was a lot of food for the price and tasted delicious. My son got the coconut shrimp and caesar salad. He loved what he got. Good quality for the money for sure and a fun atmosphere. I will go back.
(4)Ben C.
Can I give 0 stars??? Terrible food and terrible experience. Mold on the crab legs... enough said.
(1)Amy M.
Terrible experience here. Crab legs had mold on them, and sushi was warm. Questionable food storage practices. Service was mediocre at best. I would not recommend to anyone... Serious health risk!!!
(1)abigail b.
aughslklshg;ske!!11 first, it's ballyhoo. the name is on yelp, the name is on the sign, and the name is on the menu. nothing belongs to ballyhoo. ballyhoo is a type of fish. for the love of god -- this place is not called ballyhoo's. let's take a moment to absorb the information. i've been going here for years. i was really impressed when i was in middle school. ahi tuna with wasabi mayo blew my mind about ten years ago, and i have been making it ever since. i would not touch this place with a stick now. it's expensive, and there's nothing on the menu that can't be done in the comfort of your own kitchen for half the price. this includes the bananas foster, which is a dish that most likely costs less than $4 a serving when done at home. i also don't want to watch some miserable kid awkwardly fumbling around with fire merely inches away from my body. the only reason i went last time is because my friends are those gainesville dwellers who think the only places to eat in this city are on archer or newberry. we waited over half an hour, and my heart grew colder. never again, friends. send me a postcard. i can imagine that being six margaritas deep can make frozen fish seem pretty impressive, but that's not why i go out. if i am going to get drunk and eat, i am going to do it at home and eat farm fresh's frozen mozzarella sticks in my pajamas while watching mtv's true life. there is no difference between this place and any other chain seafood restaurant except there are no slow motion, mid-butter dunk lobsterfest commercials for ballyhoo. BALLYHOO. not ballyhoo's.
(1)Belle C.
Disappointing - nothing seemed particularly fresh. Also, my fiance ordered a Chilean sea bass special and what he got definitely wasn't Chilean sea bass. When he brought that to the attention of the waitress, she denied it and said it must have been cut differently than we were used to. Um, no. Chilean sea bass has a very distinctive texture, and that wasn't it. The bananas foster was the high point of the meal. I won't be back.
(2)Brook W.
I went to ballyhoo for the first time the other day and I was very happy with my visit. My waiter was very nice and made my bfs bday special. I had a shrimp and crab legs and my bf had a lobster. They were both good and could tell was fresh the only thing i didnt like was the veggie of the day which was green beans they taasted like they came from the can. but I will be back also had a good happy hour with live music on the patio
(4)Trish D.
We LOVE Ballyhoo's! It's always full of football fans before and after a game. The food is great - the shrimp appetizer is our favorite, we get it every time we go. The burgers are good as are the pasta dishes and seafood. We've had bananas foster a couple of times - it's very filling but is fun to watch them make it. Love, love, love the mojitos - especially the mango and pineapple ones. It's very casual and is like a sports bar but with better food. You can eat at the bar and they take good care of you there.
(5)Doug R.
Everything was very good, the bananas foster was exciting.
(4)Josh S.
In a word: Okay In an acronym: LOL It can be a nice atmosphere depending on the occasion and where you sit. The patio/tiki area is cool for a group or for happy hour, and any seat near the kitchen or the bar makes you feel like part of the experience. However, if you get seated near the back you feel like a black sheep, even if other groups are around you. It's dimly lit and there isn't much natural light, so even if the service is good, I feel punished back there. Anyway, I've had a few good meals here but most are under par and overpriced. The tuna dishes are surprisingly good. On our most recent visit during lunch, my wife got the Tuna Chop Chop salad and it was nice to see both the quality of the fish as well as the abundance of it. The menu makes it sound a lot more exotic than it is though. It ends up being mostly lettuce, wonton strips, tuna, and a ginger dressing. I had the Philly Grouper which was just a poor decision. The grouper tasted okay, albeit a little greasy, but okay. But I found myself wishing the fish was replaced by beef, with the fillet of Grouper on the side. None of the condiments(onions, peppers, cheese, remoulade sauce) complemented the fish whatsoever. I had a Caesar salad with this meal as well. The Caesar dressing here tastes like mayonnaise which is just weird. I'm not too picky so I ate it, but won't order it again. My sister had the same salad and only ate a few bites because the mayo flavor put her off. She also had fish tacos but took out most of the fish because she said it didn't seem like cod or tilapia, but more of a "dark meat". It might have just suffered the same greasy demise that mine did. Our server was so awkward as she literally read the daily specials in monotone, but she was sincere so it was cute in a way. She also handled most of the tables back in the dungeon area and was pretty efficient. She seemed pretty indifferent to what we thought about our meals though, since she avoided any comments or questions about my sister not touching her salad and leaving almost all of her fish on her plate. Unfortunately this has become the norm at many restaurants not specializing in service. Avoid going above and beyond when a customer was obviously not happy with their meal. Oh well. Ballyhoo feels very in between "I've experienced better" and "Okay" so I'll call it a 2.5 and round up. I have to start being meaner sometimes.
(3)April O.
Do. Not. Like. At all. The first time I came here I had a gift certificate, which a friend persuaded me to blow on "crab-stuffed bimini." Interesting idea, aboslutely nauseating execution. It was tasteless wet fish stuffed inside of tasteless wet fish. To make matters worse, she continued to gush about how good it was and how much I must have enjoyed it without ever stopping to notice that I had hardly eaten it, and hadn't once complimented the food. I finally told her that I hated it to make her shut up. The next time I came, the menu offerings reminded me of Bonefish, only more badly done (but equally expensive). I ate something that was basically Bang Bang Shrimp with lots of spicy-yet-tasteless sauce. My husband got some generic fish dinner that I can barely remember. $40 for a meal that neither of us could recall even under torture. Greeeeeeat. There won't be a third time. 1.5 stars.
(2)Linda R.
Love the bimini grouper and the she-crab soup. Only complaint is they run out of the soup almost every day. Also, don't skip dessert -- go for the banannas foster and share it with the whole table.
(4)Daniel B.
This is probably my favorite restaurant in the entire country. (Actually it's one of several.) The service is always great, the prices are OK, and the food is excellent. Maybe the only downfall is trying to find a parking spot in that huge lot. That's not their fault though, it's because of that damn huge movie theater across the parking lot. I always make it a point to stop there when I'm in the area. It also has a great atmosphere. Theres gators and surf boards hanging from the ceiling which is kinda odd since the nearest beach might be 2 hours away. You won't be disappointed .
(5)eddie d.
Maybe they've gotten a new chef since the last time all these reviews were written. This was our first time eating here, and after checking out Ballyhoo on yelp, we almost didnt go, but now we are so glad that we did. You absolutely will get your money's worth, unlike many chains in the area. The specials were all made with fresh seafood. The swordfish and scallops were cooked perfectly. Our server was attentive and nice.It was a long dining experience, but everything was worth the wait. Not to mention the 2.00 beers. Overall, a great experience. We will surely be going back here the next time we feel like having a good dinner. It was really nice to finally go out to dinner in Gainesville and be completely satisfied.
(5)andy w.
Great place to meet people and watch the crowd. Low key and great happy hour but be careful if you stay after happy hour, the bar staff will keep pouring your doubles and bar bill will get out of sight.
(3)Miss. Foodgurl S.
Ballyhoo is a great little restaurant smack dab in the middle of Gainesville. The life-size wooden statue of Tim Tebow is the perfect photo-op. The caesar salad was very good, and they don't go light on the dressing or croutons. I love the grilled salmon and garlic mashed potatoes. They also have great raw ahi-tuna with a tataki sauce that is just like terriyaki (I always order it as a side sauce with my grilled salmon). Stone crab here is really good and so are the crab cakes as appetizers. And for dessert never ever miss out on the Bananas Foster that they make at your table. It is a dessert that you would want to enjoy the experience of it being produced. Let me just say there is some FIRE involved, yes I just said fire! I have loved Bananas Foster since I was a little kid(: They also had a carrot cake with butter pecan ice cream that was delicious. Be sure to sit outside, it is wonderful, but only if it is a cooler Florida day(;
(4)Tu-van L.
Unlike a Red Lobsters the atmosphere at this place is more condusive to get together with friends to enjoy seafood, beers and some good game-watching. Might be hard to find parking with the adjacent movie theater but definitely hit up this place for their smoked fish spread.
(3)Logan f.
Very disappointed. The food was okay. I had fish and it did not taste fresh at all. Overpriced. The atmosphere is great and a good place to take a first date but otherwise an expensive mistake. Is the only good seafood in Gainesville?
(2)Ron K.
Oh yeah... I love this place. The prices are pretty decent and the food is great. THe atmosphere is a very tropical/island feel. ALmost feel like i am on vacation on a nice beach and eating at the tiki bar. Do try the prime rib and the prime rib sandwich. Also try the jerk chicken sandwich. I have been told that the salmon on the plank is pretty good. Make sure you save room for desert. The bananas foster is to DIE for. You probably will die after eating this if you dont have 3 other people helping you. there is lots of butter and sugar in it but it is sooo darn good. try it.... unlike some of the things you did in college, you wont regret it.
(5)