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Name: Great Outdoors Restaurant
Address: 65 N Main St, High Springs, FL, 32643
Telephone: (386) 454-1288
Price range: Under $11
Rating: 3.45

Great Outdoors Restaurant

65 N Main St, High Springs, FL, 32643

(386) 454-1288
Store is closed

Great Outdoors Restaurant Menu

Appetizers

Soup Du Jour

Boston Clam Chowder

Onion Soup Gratinee

Fried Green Tomatoes

Blue Cheese Chips

Tataki Tuna

Great Outdoors Nachos

Grilled Flatbread Pizza

Florida Cracker Calamari

Crispy Coconut Shrimp

Island Fever Conch Fritters

Fire Cracker Wings

Beer Battered Onion Rings

Fried Ravioli

Soup Du Jour

Boston Clam Chowder

Onion Soup Gratinee

Fried Green Tomatoes

Blue Cheese Chips

Tataki Tuna

Great Outdoors Nachos

Grilled Flatbread Pizza

Florida Cracker Calamari

Crispy Coconut Shrimp

Island Fever Conch Fritters

Fire Cracker Wings

Beer Battered Onion Rings

Fried Ravioli
Appetizers - Moule

Arrabiata

Formage

Arrabiata

Formage
Signature Salads

The Caesar

The Nut N Berry

Pecan Peach Salad

Farmers Market

The Chop Chop

The Caesar

The Nut N Berry

Pecan Peach Salad

Farmers Market

The Chop Chop
Burger

The Classic

The Suwannee

The Ginnie

The Big Bleu

1/2 price Burgers on Tuesdays

Bison Burger

The Big Kahuna

The Weeki Wachee

Veggie Burger

The Classic

The Suwannee

The Ginnie

The Big Bleu

1/2 price Burgers on Tuesdays

Bison Burger

The Big Kahuna

The Weeki Wachee

Veggie Burger
Signature Steaks

The Cowboy Steak

New York Strip

Filet Mignon

Boneless Rib Eye

The Cowboy Steak

New York Strip

Filet Mignon

Boneless Rib Eye
Pasta from the Pan

Pasta Primavera

Dukes Macaroni

Pasta Seafood

Clams Casino

Pasta Primavera

Dukes Macaroni

Pasta Seafood

Clams Casino
Great Big Platters

Southern Fried Chicken

The Captain's Platter

Beignet Fish Tacos

Southern Cajun Redfish

Southern Fried Chicken

The Captain's Platter

Beignet Fish Tacos

Southern Cajun Redfish
Go Favorites

Chicken Oscar

Root Beer Pork Chop

Key West Mahi Mahi

Shrimp N Grits

Tennessee Top Tenderloin

Rack of Ribs

Chicken Oscar

Root Beer Pork Chop

Key West Mahi Mahi

Shrimp N Grits

Tennessee Top Tenderloin

Rack of Ribs
Kids Menu

Kid Burger or Cheesy Burger

Griddled Hot Diggity Dog

Oooeey Gooeey Mac & Cheese

Captain Ahab's Chicken Wings & Fries

BBQ Ribs

Kid Burger or Cheesy Burger

Griddled Hot Diggity Dog

Oooeey Gooeey Mac & Cheese

Captain Ahab's Chicken Wings & Fries

BBQ Ribs

Healthy Meal suggestions for Great Outdoors Restaurant

Appetizers

Soup Du Jour [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Boston Clam Chowder [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Onion Soup Gratinee [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fried Green Tomatoes [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Blue Cheese Chips [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tataki Tuna [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Great Outdoors Nachos [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Flatbread Pizza [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Florida Cracker Calamari [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Crispy Coconut Shrimp [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Island Fever Conch Fritters [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fire Cracker Wings [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Beer Battered Onion Rings [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fried Ravioli [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Soup Du Jour [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Boston Clam Chowder [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Onion Soup Gratinee [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fried Green Tomatoes [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Blue Cheese Chips [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tataki Tuna [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Great Outdoors Nachos [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Flatbread Pizza [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Florida Cracker Calamari [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Crispy Coconut Shrimp [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Island Fever Conch Fritters [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fire Cracker Wings [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Beer Battered Onion Rings [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fried Ravioli [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Appetizers - Moule

Arrabiata [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Formage [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Arrabiata [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Formage [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Signature Salads

The Caesar [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

The Nut N Berry [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pecan Peach Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Farmers Market [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

The Chop Chop [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

The Caesar [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

The Nut N Berry [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pecan Peach Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Farmers Market [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

The Chop Chop [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Burger

The Classic [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

The Suwannee [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

The Ginnie [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

The Big Bleu [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

1/2 price Burgers on Tuesdays [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Bison Burger [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

The Big Kahuna [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

The Weeki Wachee [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Veggie Burger [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

The Classic [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

The Suwannee [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

The Ginnie [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

The Big Bleu [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

1/2 price Burgers on Tuesdays [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Bison Burger [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

The Big Kahuna [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

The Weeki Wachee [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Veggie Burger [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Signature Steaks

The Cowboy Steak [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

New York Strip [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Filet Mignon [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Boneless Rib Eye [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

The Cowboy Steak [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

New York Strip [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Filet Mignon [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Boneless Rib Eye [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Pasta from the Pan

Pasta Primavera [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Dukes Macaroni [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta Seafood [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Clams Casino [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta Primavera [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Dukes Macaroni [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta Seafood [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Clams Casino [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Great Big Platters

Southern Fried Chicken [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

The Captain's Platter [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Beignet Fish Tacos [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Southern Cajun Redfish [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Southern Fried Chicken [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

The Captain's Platter [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Beignet Fish Tacos [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Southern Cajun Redfish [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Go Favorites

Chicken Oscar [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Root Beer Pork Chop [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Key West Mahi Mahi [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Shrimp N Grits [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tennessee Top Tenderloin [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Rack of Ribs [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chicken Oscar [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Root Beer Pork Chop [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Key West Mahi Mahi [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Shrimp N Grits [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tennessee Top Tenderloin [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Rack of Ribs [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Kids Menu

Kid Burger or Cheesy Burger [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Griddled Hot Diggity Dog [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Oooeey Gooeey Mac & Cheese [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Captain Ahab's Chicken Wings & Fries [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

BBQ Ribs [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Kid Burger or Cheesy Burger [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Griddled Hot Diggity Dog [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Oooeey Gooeey Mac & Cheese [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Captain Ahab's Chicken Wings & Fries [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

BBQ Ribs [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Visit below restaurant in High Springs for healthy meals suggestion.

Subway ( 19975 NW 244 St,Unit 20 )

Visit below restaurant in High Springs for healthy meals suggestion.

Subway ( 19975 NW 244 St,Unit 20 )

Write An Anonymous Review

Michael D.

We live in High Springs and Great Outdoors is a decent restaurant. I have tried many items on the menu and they were generally good. I'm not sure what's happened over the last couple years, the food quality has significantly dropped. There is less care in preparation and the flavors are not as good.
(2)
Tessa M.

New, clean and has local art through out. We had the fried green tomatoes and they weren't the best. The turkey burger was good but I was pretty hungry after canoeing at ginnie springs. Our server refilled my drinks and severed our food while it was hot. What else could you ask for? We found two local places I would love to take all my visitors too. The Great outdoors and ginnie springs. It would be nice to go back and hear their bands play especially since Trombone Charlie's is gone.
(4)
Lila R.

Fabulous food. Good service. Comfortable atmosphere. We love this restaurant and travel about 45 minutes just to eat here.
(5)
john f.

great food, great atmosphere. I dined alone, which is always awkward, but my waiter made me feel very welcome. usually you get some attiutude for tying up a whole table with just one person, but he seemed delighted to have me there. The ginnie Burger was right on time. The dollar draughts on Sunday night, along with the live band, and that great patio, made for an excellent evening. I will definitely be back, next time I'm in town!
(5)
Bruce G.

My wife and I had dinner here last week on Friday and Saturday nights while we were in the area visiting relatives. The service both nights was good and efficient. We have been here before and have had a variety of items on their menu before. On Friday my wife had a chicken something that she liked. My Aunt & I had shrimp & grits which I had when we were there a couple of years ago. Neither of us liked it. It was different than a couple of years ago when I thought it was fabulous. Way too much tomato based sauce & the shrimp had little flavor. The grits...ehhh. And I like grits. This was the first meal that I had at Great Outdoors that I did not like. The Margaritas were very good and clearly were actually made by the bartender...not some nasty drink mix. We also had bread pudding and key lime pie for.dessert. The bread pudding was very good. The key lime pie was fabulous! Saturday night My wife & I split a Artisan Pizza. It was quite good. My cousins had prime rib & steak. Both liked their meals and they looked good too. I still like the place and recommend it. We will be back next time we are in that area.
(4)
Asa D.

Great Outdoors has a great patio, even on colder nights when they pass out blankets to guests. Their menu is pretty straight forward American style food like at Applebee's or Friday's, but it is certainly a step up from chain restaurants. Just don't expect anything spectacular. As a rule the grilled fish is overcooked -- that just seems to be the style in central Florida. The burgers are okay.
(3)
Rachael T.

Nice atmosphere both indoors and in the 'great out' where there is plenty of seating in either the sun or shade. We loved our servers on both visits, especially Kathy who provided excellent local tips. The menu is 'basic pub' with a few twists. My friend loved the Thai salad with coconut tofu and her veggie burger was fine too. I ordered Grouper Ruben which was neither grouper, (tilapia I think) nor Ruben due to the American cheese. The end result was a greasy mess I did not enjoy. I did like the tailgator lager quite a bit. Overall I recommend this place, ask the server for suggestions to better navigate the menu.
(3)
Shannon A.

I loved the food and the atmosphere. The building is historic and beautiful and the staff were very friendly! They have a large menu and I have never been disappointed. I get the fried chicken meal usually, it is really good, and a cocktail. The food is in very large portions and I never have room for dessert!! The soups and salads are delicious and come in decent portions. The mixed drinks are fairly priced and strong. The martinis are wonderful, I loved the lemon drop. We have had almost every appetizer on the menu and our favorites are the gator tail, fried green tomatoes, and calamari. We will definitely be coming back!
(4)
Dawn M.

Being local to the High Springs area, my husband and I frequent the Great Outdoors often, and we are never disappointed. They offer a wonderful selection of items at a variety of price points. All of which are delicious. The only negative I have is that some of the more exotic (and delicious) items they offered when they first opened have been removed from the menu. But there are still many wonderful choices available! We will continue to visit the Great Outdoors weekly, and bring everyone who visits us. The Great Outdoors is a real gem in High Springs.
(5)
Dennis P.

Service = Shit Took two hours to get food. One hour for the appetizers
(2)
Rusty T.

Wow. This place tastes amazing! We go every time we dive Ginnie Springs and can't get enough of their food. The atmosphere is wonderful too! The live music is always fun on the patio. Try the Mahi Mahi.
(5)
Joe G.

Summary: we will not return. Bad, bland, boring food. Poor, attention-to-detail-lacking, waitress. Entrance was cold, unwelcoming by the table arranger. Incredibly over priced food. Wow, just wow, so bad, this is my first web review - trying to save you! Day, time: Saturday, 6:30pm There was no wait for a high top near the bar. There was 4 of us for the evening. Drink order failures: One water was ordered no ice, failed. Bottled beer was brought with the bottle inside the glass. Obviously the place has got to have other sanitary issues if they think that is OK. Took 15 minutes to get our order in. Weren't told the specials until we started to place our orders. Had to ask for silverware, that after bread/butter and salad brought. Meals ordered: 1) Mahi Mahi, Cajun grilled, on bed of greens and couscous: Fish was dry and hard. Was served barely warm. Had a large dollop of something like mayo on top. Absolutely no flavor. I had to put on table pepper for any kick. The greens were exactly the same in the small salad served before the meal for one of us, dressing and all. No more that a tablespoon of couscous. Atrocious. 2) Chicken Asparagus over penne pasta: My friend had to keep pushing her food to the side once she saw the bath of grease at the bottom of the bowl. Asparagus? Ha. OK, they didn't lie, but deceived for sure. You would think for $14.50 you would get mostly tips; nope not one single asparagus tip, just sliced stalk. Atrocious. 3) Caesar salad with blackened chicken: Homemade dressing? Nope. Authentic Caesar dressing? Nope. Ordered blackened chicken would be blackened? Nope. Chicken looked like strips from a bag? Yep. Atrocious? Yep. 4) Spinach salad, entree size: Think it couldn't get worse? Yep? Wrong. The spinach was not fresh; wilted. Think about the last time to pulled salad out of a bag at home. Now don't grab anymore; yep, that was it. They use a trick of large, shallow, plates with wide rim. Total scam on quantity. Was listed to highlight Gorgonzola; couldn't have been a table spoon (was plated so the spinach hid what little cheese there was, and the pine nuts and tomatoes, really bad plating). On top of it? 3 basic rings of onion... only it was ordered without - at least they were able to keep the bacon and dressing the side as requested. Again, Atrocious. This place used to be a great little eatery. If you remember when they served popcorn with the addictive topping. Hold on to your memories and don't go back.
(1)
Charles K.

So we were traveling through the area and needed a meal, but out here in unfamiliar small-town in FL we weren't sure what was good. We chose this for the Yelp reviews, and we're really glad we did. I had the "lunch special" chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich, and the wife had the burger with gouda cheese. They were both excellent. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, and as the name implies focuses on the wonders of the Great Outdoors, with pictures of river scenes, fishing tackle, and a hardwood decor that makes you feel like you've just settled into a backwoods lodge. Service was fast and efficient, but all business. They have micro-brew beers made especially for the restaurant.... I had a "Naked Neds Pale Ale" and the wife had a Gator-Tail Lager. We wanted to bring a few home, but apparently they can't sell them for take-home. If you're traveling through High-Springs (or just live there and haven't gotten out to it yet) this would be an excellent place to experience "a little of the Outdoors"
(4)
Gigi A.

Tail Gator Bites are delicious! Faintly gamey, but mostly.. just like chicken, as cliched as that sounds. Try it! Their burgers are also delicious and the service was very good. Their sweet tea was spot on, not too sweet! Over all I'd give their food 4.5 stars! The indoor part has a very cozy setting with lovely lighting that reminds me of being inside on a cold snowy night. The outdoors is a little bit more relaxed with a bar, some booths and some tables under canopy. Its beautifully decorated with old kayaks and canoes and paddles and old hurricane lamps hanging on the ceiling. Service can be just a tiny bit slow sometimes, but it didn't bother us as we weren't really in a rush and food came out within minutes. I'd definitely go back if I'm in the high springs area again :-)
(4)
D W.

Service food atmosphere- WOW- loved it. FOOD waS GREAT - awesome cold local beer., If I were rich I'd eat here daily- extensive menu in this LOVELY little town of high Springs. Lots of healthy things to choose from!
(4)
Kurtis M.

Smells good. Been waiting an hour and half for our burgers. Should know the taste soon. I hope...
(1)
Lucie R.

We are so fortunate to have The Great Outdoors Restaurant in High Springs! We are proud to recommend it to our Grady House guests. We eat there, sometimes, two to three times a week. We love the hamburgers! The fish is fresh and delicious! The salads are perfect! The pastas - the best. Soups - to die for! Service and friendliness - unbeatable! Music on the patio - top notch and a lot of fun! Don't miss The Great Outdoors Restaurant.
(5)
Laura M.

I won't hold it against the Great Outdoors that we had to wait 20 minutes for a table, since we came on a Saturday night. But to wait another half hour for our food after ordering is less excusable, even on a busy night. The ordering process was made less pleasant when we were told that certain dishes that used to come with soup/salad no longer do, and that it's not possible to sub out any of the sides that come with other entrees (we asked to do fries or veggies instead of grits with the catfish... no go). For a restaurant with such a pricey menu, they acted awfully cheap about a few french fries. They were also out of the beer I wanted to try (Naked Ed's pale ale), so I had the pilsner instead, which was quite good. When the food finally came, it was "meh." I had a veggie burger, which was one of only three meatless dishes on the menu of this formerly hippie-dippie restaurant. (The other was an Asian stir-fry, which seemed really out of place given the rest of the menu and thus I was scared to order it for fear of it tasting like crap, and the third was pasta in a cream sauce which I thought would be too heavy on a warm night.) It was a frozen Gardenburger pattie, reheated and served with a red pepper mayo on it and a pickle that the menu specifically described as "large" which was in fact laughably miniscule. I wouldn't have cared about my pickle's size if they hadn't gotten my hopes up like that. Oh well. The other members of my party seemed to think that their food was okay but nothing to write home about, which is rather unfortunate when your entree costs $20 or more. Many seafood and exotic meat items (elk, buffalo) are on the menu but they seem not to follow through on the tastiness you imagine while reading about them. The atmosphere of this place is sort of a lavish hunting lodge, which makes it feel like a chain steakhouse even though it's an independent restaurant. I do like the patio with bar, tables, and an outdoor fireplace, though, and there's lots of room inside so you don't feel crammed up against the table next to you. All in all, probably not worth the schlep from Gainesville. I'd love to support a local business like this more often, but if it can't set itself above the chains on Archer Rd., I find it hard to justify the drive and the expense.
(2)
Brian O.

For the price, I thought this place was awesome, Then again, I was starving after spending ther morning diving. The food was excellent (lunch), especially the salad. Service was also great, the staff really took care of us, constant refills and they were very nice. Great!
(5)
lance s.

we went on tue night as they let your dog eat for free out on the patio, nice outdoor fireplace,relaxing and enjoyed the wine. i had the rigatoni with sweet sausage, red sauce overpowered all the other flavors i was hoping for. my wife had a chicken with pasta dish that was flavored nicely but nothing exceptional. i have had lunch there 3 different times and have loved it. dinner and wine set us back 70.00 with tip and i felt like i had been to applebees! i'll stick to lunch
(2)
Jay P.

I have been to this place a few times, even a couple after a poor experiences (everyone deserves a second chance), but I am DONE. I am in the customer service industry, and here is where this restaurant fails miserably. Let me tell you why.... I have had, now on two repeat occasions, issues with the staff and management not happily trying to meet the needs of my child with food allergies. After having explained very simply about the need to separate the bun from the burger (not very difficult), once I was charged $1 for the separation for "labor costs," and once it was not done at all. In addition to this, I have had the staff nickle and dime every aspect of an order. The price you see is not the price you pay. There will be ancillary $.50 and $1 charges (or more) placed on your bill without your prior knowledge. They even charge you extra to take things off an order! Having said all this, I have had some pretty tasty food here. So, I am truly disappointed that the short-sighted management and lack of customer-oriented service here will be preventing me from coming back. The management I have personally spoken with do not seem to have an interest in retaining customers, and therefore this customer is no longer. A real shame, considering I and about 20 family members in the area would love to frequent a great local restaurant and support local business. The decor and ambiance of the place are truly warm and inviting, but the staff is what needs the makeover (perhaps even the ownership). They would benefit greatly from some training ( giveemthepickle.com ). I am really disappointed that I cannot recommend Great Outdoors.
(2)
Melissa L.

Can I say zero? Very overpriced. Arrived 8:00 food arrived 9:10. Servings are very small for very expensive prices. $10 for a cup of pasta with marinara sauce. Nice placr but awful experience
(1)
Chris W.

The food was great. However, we went here because we heard that they brewed their own beer. Come to find out that the beer is brewed and BOTTLED (no draft) in Melbourne, then they slap a Great Outdoors label on it and call it their own. That's fine, as long as the beer is still good. The Naked Ed's Pale Ale was decent. The pilsner might have been Bud Light with a new label. We didn't try any of the entrees because they seemed overpriced ($20-$26 each) and the steak and salmon dinners that were ordered at the table next to us didn't look very appealing or like they were worth the price. That being said, we stuck with the appetizer menu and we were extremely impressed. We will go back based on the apps alone. The conch fritters were the best I've ever had and I've had them all over the Keys. They were awesome! The New England Clam Chowder also was extremely rich and delicious and the French onion soup was tasty and had nice big chunks of onion.
(3)
Scott K.

I love this place! I have eaten both lunch and dinner many times and it is incredible. Great menu with very nice dishes which are very well composed to bring out the flavor. Very good specials. I ordered redfish last time I went and it was superb. Good service from friendly staff. This is a wonderful addition which is helping to breathe some life back into High Springs! Eat local it is great! Also the restaurant has been beautifully renovated. Pecky cypress, outdoor fireplace, pavilion, etc.
(5)
Steven L.

My family and I had the worst experience at this establishment. First, when we arrived, the manager and hostess were not friendly. Our server did not have basic knowledge of the entrees. I took a bite of my grouper and it was obviously undercooked. It was pink and slimy. When I informed the server, she took my new order and did not apologize. We ordered calamari and cheesy grits and they were the smallest portions I have ever had at any restaurant. Also my husband's entree included couscous with greens, which was actually greens sprinkled with one tablespoon of couscous. We were told it was half off burger night and we ordered a turkey burger for the kids. When we received the check, we were charged full price for the burger and the charge for my grouper was never changed to my less expensive meal. We pointed out the errors to the server and she informed us that the turkey burger did not apply to the half off burger deal. We asked to speak to the manager and explained to her about the raw grouper and that we were told burgers were half off. She was rude to say the least. She informed us that the turkey burger was not included in the special and was not apologetic regarding the fish. In addition, all the corrections made led to long waiting periods. I would NOT recommend this restaurant to my worst enemy. There were issues in every facet of our dining experience. The food quality was mediocre, over priced and portion sizes were ridiculously small. We had high expectations based on reviews and left highly disappointed and disgusted.
(1)
marcie r.

We come to High Springs from Tampa and eat here one night of our weekend stay. The menu has changed every time we've been back. Food gets better each time. BUT the service has not gotten any better. Yes, it was a home FL/LSU game, but planning for extra help would have been great! Beautiful place. We had reservations, but still had to go ask for our table after 20 minutes wait past our rez. Then ordering took FOREVER.
(3)
Jennifer T.

Visited this place, once again, while camping at Ginnie Springs. It was fantastic, as always. Great food, great happy hour, everything you could ever want!
(5)
Stephanie S.

I did not eat at this restaurant, but did stop for a drink and that atmosphere was awesome. It's fast food basically, but it appears to be the nicer restaurant in town. Next time I'm up there I'll def. try to food out!
(4)
Linda R.

I love the decor of this restaurant with Old Florida feel, but rates a 3 star for me due to inconsistent experiences with the food. At lunch, got a sandwich on stale bread and service was very slow. At dinner, had a good experience with service and the meal was good -- pecan crusted catfish. I will go again. It is a great place to go for drinks and appetizers. Sit outside in the evening and listen to the live bands. Very fun. Food is just average, but again, worth stopping in and be sure to order Naked Ed Ale.
(3)
Jim S.

Beautifully renovated historic building in downtown. Food and service are very good and they have a full liquor license and a very nice enclosed patio area with weekend entertainment.
(4)
Hilary R.

I had high hopes for this place since it looked so cool but I was disappointed. I got the parmesan crusted grilled cheese with chips and my husband got the jerk burger with sweet potato fries. The grilled cheese was pretty bland which was surprising since parmesan is so flavorful. My husband said his burger tasted like a fast food burger except he had to pay $10. The best thing was the sp fries which were really crispy and salty. The service was ok. We sat in the bar area and the bartender was nice but never asked us how our food was and spent more time talking to her friend at the bar and another server. I might give this place one more try but I not anytime soon.
(2)
Sheila H.

We are regulars at the GO and can honestly say that sometimes when they are very busy, the service can get a little slow. But we've never had BAD service here, and the wait staff are all very pleasant and accommodating. Don't go here at dinner rush if you are pressed for time. Being in a hurry may also affect YOUR temperament and, as a result, your experience. I think high-maintenance people probably have a harder time here than some other places, but for the prices they ask, the food and the service are both satisfactory. If you are super picky and critical, you might have better luck at a chain place where the servers are robots and offer you turkey when you ask if they have vegetarian fare. :-p The GO is our "go-to" place for good food, friendly service, great ambiance, and live music on weekends. Never disappointed, even if our experience fluctuates a bit from time to time. As for menu items: for lunch, the Ultimate BLT is amazing. Will not disappoint. Dinner: the chicken oscar is one of the most underrated items on the menu, and it is SO good. I usually get the portobella mushroom ravioli, which is on the sweet side but still delicious. Also note: this is one of the last remaining bastions for "tv-less dining"! You'll see tv's in the bar or outside, but not out in the main dining area. We'd continue going to the GO for this reason alone. Every other place seem to be following the "put a tv within eyesight of every table" route which is irritating beyond measure. You can enjoy your company at the GO, without football or reality tv distracting you.
(4)
Adam G.

I've had 4 different items over the last couple years and have been underwhelmed each time. Having grown up in the general area and remember the original Great Outdoors store from when I was a kid, I want to like this place. It's a very comfortable atmosphere, inside or outside listening to music. The staff is friendly and attentive. I just can't give the food more than 3 stars. From past memory, the steak is average at best, the burger was just ok, and the ribs were awful. The ribs stand out the most, as they were very bland and boring, then just topped with a generic KC Masterpiece type bbq sauce. Since it had been awhile, I was waiting for one more trip before writing a review, so we stopped by yesterday (St. Patrick's Day) on our way through town. I was looking forward to trying something off the lunch menu and was a little annoyed that they decided to not serve the lunch menu that day, so they could push their awful Irish themed foods on you. I went with the Bison burger. Not the best Bison burger I've had, but was at least cooked perfectly medium. Previously, I'd had either normal fries or other sides. She told us we could also choose sweet potato fries or truffle fries and made no mention at all there was an upcharge for that. So that added an extra $5 for different fries for us. $5 is a little overpriced for a Swamphead brew. By the time we left, we definitely did not feel like we just ate a $50 lunch. In fact, I've never felt like I got my moneys worth there. I'm done with the place. On a side note (and this has absolutely nothing to do with the restaurant, but directed towards the City of High Springs. Drop the Bible thumping dictated liquor law. I don't care if you're religious or not, there's no logical or defendable reason I can't order liquor on a Sunday afternoon.
(3)
Meghan B.

Went here for my sister's graduation celebration with the family. Automatically I loved the decor and ambience. The restaurant has copper tiled ceilings (loooove it), canoes hanging, dragonfly sconces, and really old High Springs newspapers dating back to the early 20th century. I had the arrabiatta mussels and house salad that comes with blue cheese and candied pecans. The mussels were so yummy but could've been a little spicier for my taste. My sister had Cajun mahi mahi which came with a delicious cous cous & pea salad. Service was a little slow, but good quality. I'd go back because I loved the overall outdoorsy theme and the food was good. Plus High Springs is a really cute town to walk around in after dinner.
(4)
NORI R.

This is such a rare find in a small camping and rustic town !! The place is elegant and the service is A+++ very friendly and courteous staff and the food is wonderful - the desserts are to die for !!!!! The music is live and changes all the time, but its usually country rock or jazzy blues etc... very family like atmosphere yet cozy and romantic as well. I love taking the drive there its worth it.
(4)
Charlotte A.

Always a fun day at The Great Outdoors, thanks to the staff and my friends, that I have met there over the years!! Thank You guys!!
(5)
Liz M.

My husband and I ate dinner here recently. The interior of the restaurant is really nice, and the service was good. However, both the appetizer and the entree were completely disappointing and way too expensive. We had the fried green tomatoes to start. The portion was ridiculously small for the price. We got four slices of tomato for $7 and change. The crust was oily, the tomato was much too sour, and when you chewed, the two unpleasant tastes merged to become one flavorless mass. We're both native Floridians and know what good fried green tomatoes are, and were appalled by what we got here. I asked about their private label beers, and was told they came on tap. I ordered Naked Ed's Pale Ale, and was delivered a bottle, not a draft. The server apologized and took back the bottle and the charge; she said she'd misunderstood my question. I appreciated her promptness and amiability, especially because at this point I was dreading the bill for the terrible appetizer. We split the shrimp and grits entree from the dinner menu. We received three medium shrimp each, a small mound of grits, a tiny square of cornbread, and a large pool of watery sauce with the occasional onion or tomato morsel. It was another case of tiny portions for large price. Our entree was $18.00. The shrimp were fresh enough, but none of the elements of this dish were flavorful. When our server was clearing our plates, she noticed that we hadn't eaten our fried green tomatoes. After she asked us if we hadn't liked them, we told her that they were flavorless. She volunteered to talk to the manager about it, and had him/her remove that from our bill as well. Her service was great. It was the only thing that kept us from fuming all the way home that night.
(2)
S L.

Still 2 stars after visting this restaurant many many times. If you want to ensure your money is well spent on good food off of their menu, stick to their appetizers, drinks, beef burgers, and desserts and you will be happy. Stay clear of their overpriced entrees because you will be underwhelmed, and dont waste your money on any of the fish they serve.
(2)
Ophelia S.

It took me a little time to write this review, but the moment I remembered, I downloaded this app, that I would've never added to my phone, if it wasn't for my need to tell everyone about how OUTSTANDING my experience was at the Great Outdoors Restaurant. Let's begin with how beautiful the establishment is. Gorgeous paintings of the natural springs in the area and just the overall feeling of being in a comfy home. But a lot of places are beautiful right? However it didn't stop there. My friend and I had the distinct pleasure of being served by Misty and the fact that I remember her name and all of the suggestions of places to visit and the food to try, honestly only speaks to how absolutely amazing she was. I told her about how I go to restaurants often with friends and family, but I had never, ever received the level of service and an experience that she provided to my friend and I that afternoon. Now for the food... EVERYTHING Misty recommended was disturbingly delicious. Whoever is in the kitchen needs to be commended. I tried fried green tomatoes for the first time and now I dream of them because of how delicious they are. She also suggested the "fall off the bones" ribs, which everyone who sells ribs says. But my friends, they FELL off the daggone bones!!! Hands down the best ribs I've had in a sit down restaurant so far. The entire meal was amazing. The team is one of the best I've experienced so far and honestly, I would drive out of my way on my drive north to Georgia to eat at this restaurant again. Thank you so much for being one of my favorite memories of our trip.
(5)
Michael R.

I've eaten at the Great Outdoors about a half dozen times over the past year since returning to the area. Each time visiting, I've chosen the superb burgers. As already mentioned, Tuesdays are 1/2 priced burgers. The food has always been good, with hearty portions and very consistent. I have always had excellent service when dining either inside or outside. I have been there when there have been large crowds on a Friday night with live music and also with light crowds. Again, very good service, each and every time. Food is served hot and the beers are cold. The decor is excellent. Nice stage for live music (Jamie Davis plays there regularly). Bathrooms are clean. The art work is very nice. Great pictures of the local springs. The antiques they've collected from the area are nice as well. We took my wife's family there for lunch last week and had another good experience. We ordered several appetizers. The conch fritters were like hush puppies but had a great flavor. The dipping sauce was good too. The fried green tomatoes were good as was the clamor. Some of our group tried different dishes than the burgers I've always tried. We shared bites and I was impressed. My wife had the shrimp po boy....the serving of shrimp was generous and falling off the sandwich back onto the plate. They were well cooked and still hot from the kitchen. The salads looked fantastic too. In the future, I will branch out into he menu a bit more. I really like this place thus far.
(3)
Gary K.

As usual my reviews will be in real time while I eat so enjoy! Came in on a Thursday night at 7:15pm. The inside dining room was at capacity so we chose to eat outside. My wife and 13 month old are together so they greeted us and got our outside seat. Because there is a band tonight we chose to sit closest to the back so the music won't be too loud and they told us the server was triple sat so no big deal there. It's half priced wine night so our server suggested it'd be better to get the full bottle and my wife could take it home if she didn't finish. Good thing to know and great upsell. The band has started and the volume is perfect back here so good job there! Looking at the menu I'm surprised on the cost of most of these items. A 14 oz NY strip is $28.99 while a plain naked burger is $9.99. I'm from Orlando and these seem to be theme park prices. I ordered a regular cheeseburger med rare and fries and my wife ordered the tuna. The tuna looked great and she enjoyed it. My burger was cooked to temp and it was good as well. Have had better but was pretty tasty. The French fries I didn't even touch. They need to get some steak fries IMO. All in all I've been here 3 times. My first two visits left a sour taste in my mouth as they couldn't cook a med rare steak to save their lives. As we checked out we had a gift card ( result of 3 overlooked steaks at our last visit) and the server thought it was a rewards card and said that system was down......we didn't know there was a rewards system and outside of it being down that's the only thing we learned about it. I wouldn't tell someone they HAD to try it but I can see coming on a Tuesday (1/2 price burger) or Thursday for 1/2 off wine. Sit on the porch and enjoy a nice evening. *Update our total for dinner was over $50. Our daughter got a good portion of Mac & cheese for $5.00 and it came with a sundae
(3)
Scott R.

The food was great and the atmosphere and decor was very interesting. I ordered the ahi tuna salad for lunch and it was phenomenal. I would visit again if I am back in Northern Fla.
(4)
Sandi S.

We really like to come to this restaurant, it is one of our favorites. Every time we go here the food is consistently delicious! We go frequently on their 5.00 burger night. They are very good! I've been happy with every dish I've gotten here!
(5)
Shirley O.

Both times I have been here with a group and tasted many different entrees plus I had a great salad. Everything on the menu is great. However I have had better nachos elsewhere and the pork cop was just a tad bit tough. The shrimp and grits is fabulous and the cornbread is the best I have eaten anywhere. Wonderful fish tacos. Great desserts. Very, very nice staff.
(5)
Lucinda M.

Had scoped this out with Yelp but ultimately decided to try based on local recommendation; was told to sit on patio to enjoy experience, it was hot out & we had just finished canoe trip but fans were on & it felt good to sit... 20+ minutes later, none of the multiple servers had even looked our way & our table was certainly in the thick of things! Water at least would have been nice, host could have even brought us that if servers in the weeds... I have lot of patience for service industry but we ended up walking out~ prices were $10+ for burgers, $20+ for steaks, certainly not worth being ignored no matter how good food!
(1)
Amber D.

I really don't understand the reviews. Staff was friendly. Fried green tomatoes with grits were amazing. The portions were big, and the prices were accurate. They have an outdoor section, full bar. Really High Springs doesn't have a lot of choices. This place was clean and contemporary, I'm not sure you could say that about every restaurant in the area.
(4)
Rob I.

This place is great. Good food on the full menu and of course half off Tuesdays. The service can be a little hit and miss especially if it busy. Over all it's a great place to eat.
(4)
Jim W.

I was pleasantly surprised by our visit last night. The service was much better as well as a major improvement in the food. We had a party of nine which is always a challenge. Everything that came out of the kitchen was close to how it was ordered or was supposed to be in accordance with the menu. One of the kids changed their mind about their order and we changed it late. Regardless, it was handled promptly and came out of the kitchen with the original order. The food was definitely a level higher in quality and presentation than my last visit. It went from mediocre to above average. I have been told that the restaurant has been working hard to resolve its shortfalls. I noticed the managers' card can be found on every table. Thats a positive statement that says we want to improve. Even though we came late (8:00pm) the place was still busy. Tuesday night is 1/2 price burger night and obviously draws quite a crowd. Don't be too dissuaded because I only gave three stars. I'm a tough grader. If Great Outdoors can maintain some consistency at this level I'll do another review for four stars. I look forward to patronizing them more frequently in hopes that I can write that review.
(3)
Mark K.

Disappointing for a Florida Trend Golden Spoon. Certainly over rated. Visited in a Saturday, but had reservations. That went well. The rest - seating left us crammed next to a large party (set up after we first sat down) with less than two feet of space between our table the back if their chairs; no small plates available to accompany the appetizers because "none were clean". Ordered steak - undercooked, though graciously corrected and right the second time. A warm pink center does not equal rare in the middle. Want dessert? First two items we ordered were not really available. Overall a disappointing experience.
(2)
Nicole F.

The only reason I'm giving this restaurant 1 start instead of zero is the atmosphere. (And zero isn't an option). The inside is beautifully decorated with an appropriate outdoorsy theme. We made a reservation for Valentine's Day and were seated immediately. Our waitress suggested a popular Valentine's Day special- Pasta De Mare with Lobster Tail. The description read "Fresh Jumbo Diver Scallops, Jumbo Shrimp, Prince Edward Island Mussels, Roma Tomatoes, Garlic and Basil, Tossed with Linguini in a Champagne Butter, Topped with a Grilled Maine Lobster Tail and White Truffle Oil". My boyfriend decided on that, while I chose Duke's Mac and Cheese with blackened shrimp. The Pasta De Mare was presented decently, while my mac and cheese did not look appetizing. With my first bite I was immediately disappointed. There were onions mixed in, which was not in the description. What was supposed to be a yummy cheesy dish with smoked gouda and bacon was less than mediocre. It completely lacked flavor, cheese, and bacon. It was a very thin flavorless sauce with 4 shrimp that were not blackened. Now for the $28 Pasta De Mare. Also flavorless, although with an ample amount of seafood. The champagne butter sauce, garlic and basil were completely absent. In its place was simply juice from the seafood. I spotted one chunk of tomato. My boyfriend had to ask for a side of Parmesan cheese to give the pasta the slightest bit of flavor so that he could eat it. We also got two desserts which were nothing special. Over all our dinner was very disappointing and certainly over priced.
(1)
Maria S.

We came from Gainesville with family to have some good food. Ordered two 24oz prime ribs both to be rare. One came out rare and the other was more on the medium side. When we sent back the medium one "management" was alerted. Waitress told us that management would have to come talk to us. Lady manager told my brother-in-law that this is the best they could do. When we pointed out that the two steaks were identically ordered one was fine the other one was overcooked she just dismissed that. Told my brother-in-law to pick something else on the menu since they were not going to redo another prime rib just for him. That is not good customer service. Also the meat is subpar. Definitely had a ton of fat on what is supposed to be one of the leanest cuts of beef.
(2)
David D.

Great Florida local restaurant with emphasis on the local history, springs and Santa Fe river. Food is non-chain American with some local flair and portions are ample to generous. Food & drink prices are reasonable. There is also an attached Springhouse Tavern and adjoining patio which has live music playing on some evenings.
(4)
Steven L.

Great place to have dinner in High Springs. The "oscar chicken" and pan cooked redfish are amazing!
(4)
Mike G.

The great outdoors is truly a gem of high Springs. My wife and I have been there on many occasions. They have a great ambience- indoor and outdoor, good service and creative menu and drink options. They do it well consistently and on a large scale.
(5)
Sally G.

Traveling south on 75. Worth the extra time to drive into the sweet town for a nice relaxing lunch.
(5)
Mike W.

The most recent meal I had here with a couple friends was very good and overall, in the entire time I've been coming here (over five years now) I've been impressed. On occassion, the food has not been quite as good as I expected--especially in one instance with a dessert in the summer of 2011--but in general, the Great Outdoors has offered a diverse menu with a bevy of stand-out dishes, friendly service, and one of the most alluring restaurant interiors in the state. Their burgers are an especially good deal and their fish dishes also tend to be quite good. The Southern fried chicken is always a good bet, too. When they have a pecan pie, that's an awesome dessert and most of their desserts have been impressive. My advice? Try to avoid peak hours if possible. If the kitchen truly is skipping a beat here and there, it's probably swamped with orders. No excuse, that, but still sage advice I think. This restaurant can get very very very busy at times on weekends. I'm starting to feel a lot of the really bad reviews of Great Outdoors are efforts by rival restaurants. Most come from people who have not reviewed a single other establishment and just apparently signed up to post a bad, albeit very detailed, review of this one. Strange. In contrast, I've reviewed this establishment what, like four times now? And I have been on Yelp since 2007 and have 470 reviews to my credit. So . . . who are you gonna believe? The nameless complainers or people like myself and other reviewers like Sanjida S. who have given good reviews and are a constant presence on Yelp?
(5)
Amy B.

We came here on our way home from ginnie absolutely starving the service was pretty slow considering there wasn't a whole lot of people In there. Some different items on the menu but pretty basic items the BBQ pork nachos were good but there wasn't alot of toppings mostly just chips! Best part was the peanut brittle ice cream pie it was to die for! Make sure to get it!
(3)
Nina T.

It was hard to get more bread for our large party. They messed up the reservation and my seared tuna was not seared like it should be. I hadn't been here in a long time so I was looking forward to going! But, I was disappointed in the food, as were some of my family memebers.
(2)
M ..

Our salads and bread were nice but the steak at over $25 per was a total waste of time! I could have put an $8 ribeye from the local hitchcocks grocer on my grill and had something much better. Great Outdoors you do not rate the rep you seem to have most likely because you are all that is there.... Steak should have some flavor there is a trick to it, call Outback for a generic hint at a minimum.... Additional note: Please talk with the management that thought it was ok to have the dinning room temperature where it was... absolutely ridiculous when you charge those $$$ for a dinner you better make the customer love the table. One more thing, if you want people to make reservations then why do you not answer the phone number listed? If you are going to mom and pop the shop and hang up on your customers because you are busy then you should also expect this message telling you I did not appreciate it at all. Business model.
(2)
Avery C.

Ok personally I love this place! Its a must visit for me every time I visit High Springs. I almost always skip the tables and either grab a spot at the inside bar or a high top in the bar area. Major points to the bar staff here especially Mike! For me this is one of the spots I bring my students when I am teaching in the area because its one of the highlights for me in the area. I absolutely love the atmosphere! The food is also good but I will admit is a bit overpriced, $9.00 for a caesar salad is insane, but it is a good caesar salad. Some of the items on the menu are a bit so so but nothing is below average. But wait there is a reason they still get five stars from me. The kitchen will make you what ever you want! Don't see something you want on the menu then tell them what you want and you will get it. I'm not talking about small substitutions either; we are talking items completely off the menu. If you can think of it the guys in the kitchen can make it and do it well. I have never left here unhappy when I am in the bar area. But as some other reviews have noted the table service can leave a bit to be desired. So heres a simple solution don't sit at the tables!
(5)
Carolyn B.

Service: very good and efficient Food: good. Not amazing. I had the redfish that seemed like it was fish over a salad. Not exciting just blasÃ©. My friends got the fried chicken, country boil, and ginny burger. They enjoyed the food but nothing spectacular. Atmosphere: I really enjoyed that part. Extra star for that and liked the special beers.
(3)
L C.

Super nice decor, great wait staff, delicious food. I had the artichoke bisque and Reuben, will return!
(4)
Kent B.

Drove a group from Jacksonville, FL to kayak down the Ichetucknee Springs. We stopped here on the way home and I'm glad we did. There was 30 people in the group and Blake handled it as if it was a 4top with no trouble and everything went so smooth. The food is phenomenal and it is very unique with all the outdoor stuff on the walls and the huge fire pit outside. If you are ever this way this is a must stop for sure! The Boston clam chowder is truly award winning and to die for. I will be back with more groups.
(5)
Helena L.

Visited this establishment Friday evening around 6:00pm. My husband and I were excited to have a few drinks and an app. on our very rare 'date night', and chose to sit in the outdoor patio. The bar was full, so we ventured over to the side bar near the fence and fireplace and waited for a server to take our order. I counted 5 servers that were meandering around, some waiting on tables, others just conversing with one another. We sat there for 20 mins. with NO ONE coming over to see if we needed anything. My husband finally went up to the bar and tried to get the bartender's attention, but she was too busy conversing with another bartender and sucking on lemons. Finally after about 5 mins., she came over to my husband to take his drink order. What really ticked me off was when a couple sat next to us at the bar and were immediately waited on. I thought, what is going on here? Are we invisible? I then realized that the couple were regulars and known to the server, and as we weren't, apparently we were not worthy of being waited on. I don't know who owns this place, but you seriously need to step in and manage your wait staff. They are inattentive and spending way too much time conversing and having a good time. Unfortunately, High Springs is a small town with limited dining options, but after this experience, I have no problem driving the extra miles to Gainesville for a much better dining experience.
(1)
Denise H.

Went here today with a group of about 8 at 4 in the afternoon. Was very disappointed to hear they were out of the blue cheese chips AND nachos. Not a good thing on a Saturday night! Made a snap decision for wings to go with my french onion soup, wings were ok soup was good, bread and honey butter were delish! Service was not great, did not really need to know that our waitress preferred tequila over beer..straight up no less. We waited quite sometime for drink refills and our checks. Will go back, but will make sure to have plenty of time.
(3)
Terri S.

Ate there last Saturday both lunch and dinner. Food was incredible at lunch, good at dinner. They had a wonderful crab bisque during lunch but it was gone by dinner time. Oyster po boy was fabulous, better than some I've had in New Orleans. Service was a little slow at dinner but the place was packed. Will definitely go back next time I'm in the area.
(5)
Kelly C.

Wonderful place! Great fine/casual dining w/local flare. Steak kabobs on sugar cane skewers, sweet potato fries, and locally brewed beers named after local legends. A must try !
(5)
Kimberly L.

I can't recommend the Tuesday night Burger special highly enough. Where else can you get a giant burger, for half price....and still get the same burger from regular priced nights? Though I will warn you, burger night has become so popular, they stop taking reservations by 7 pm most times. I *highly* recommend reservations, if you plan to dine any later than 6pm. The wait staff is very attentive, and polite. The food is always cooked to perfection. The atmosphere is fun, and lots of local pictures and trivia. Also, don't forget to try the beer battered onion rings....but make sure to save room for that burger!
(5)
Robin B.

Just had lunch with my family had we had three very disappointing meals. The oysters were very rubbery and chewy and everything was cold. The waitress offered to "re-heat" our food. This is not a offer you would want. If we wanted heated food we could have gotten a microwave dinner. From a restaurant with these prices you expect hot fresh cooked food. The waitress didn't to be all that concerned about our disappointment. The manger came through and ask about our experience and my husband since it was his birthday really didn't want to complain. But she did take 20 % off our bill, and apologized for the problem. This is the second time we have tried this restaurant and this will be our last. We w
(1)
Arlene Z.

One of my favorite places... It's true the food could be a hair better for the price, but the overall combination is hard to beat. Good food, good atmosphere, good music makes it really hard to leave. You just want to linger. It's the place you go with friends for great times.
(4)
Lacey Z.

Atmosphere: 5 Staff: 4 Food: 3 Food was good. Large selection of items on menu. The whole place is locally themed. Very fun atmosphere. We were driving through from the springs and thought we'd stop in as we by. Glad we did. Fun place to get a good local beer too.
(3)
Travis L.

This is a great place located a little bit outside of Gainesville. We've made the trip a couple times and loved each and every trip. They have great burgers and appetizers. Make sure to sit outside as it's a nice area and has a great atmosphere. They have a stage for live music and a fireplace outside for the colder nights. They run a decent specials so keep an eye out for those. They do a burger night which is a great deal and we took advantage of it last time. This place is worth the trip to check out at least once.
(4)
Jennifer S.

We loved the atmosphere, the outdoor patio, fireplace, and live music. The service was good, not great. The bread and honey butter were delicious, the calamari lacked seasoning and was tough and chewy. Our entrees, a burger and a pasta dish, we're enjoyable. We will return to try other menu items and enjoy the patio!
(4)
Kel B.

I had eaten here a few years back during a tubing weekend at Itchetucknee so when we planned our camping trip at Oleno state park I decided to make reservations for Thanksgiving dinner here. It was just as awesome as I remembered. It is cute and cozy and the food is wonderful. We loved it so much we ate there the next night also. My prime rib was so large that I made steak and egg sandwiches at the campsite the next morning for breakfast for two of us.
(5)
Dr Yolanda C Leon L.

Enjoyed dinner last week! Nice decor, great Mahi salad. The grilled mahi was absolutely delicious. We had conch fritters that made me think I was in Key Largo. The staff was friendly, the restaurant was nicely decorated, and everything was at its best! My brother loved the shrimp and grits. Will eat there again soon!
(5)
Roger P.

My chowder was lukewarm and the restaurant had just opened for dinner. Apparently they did not warm it sufficiently. My pork chop was a generous portion; unfortunately it had a foul taste and odor. The server and manager were attentive and polite. I gave up after a couple of attempts to order a small medium steak. The rest of my party did not have the same experience.
(2)
Ka N.

Cute place in downtown High Springs. Perfect for a meal after flowing down the rivers nearby.
(4)
Lauren W.

We go to Ichetucknee Springs every year. We saw this place and decided to try it. The big khuna burger was delicious and not your typical burger, the sweet potatoe fries served on the side were also banging. This chef has a very creative palate which always heightens the experience that much more. The overall ambiance of the restaurant was great! The name speaks for itself. We didn't have any alcoholic beverages but they have several full liquor bars with a fantastic selection. Definitely one to try off the beaten path!
(5)
Sabrina H.

I have had this place bookmarked for a really long time, but we FINALLY made it! Dang! I can't believe we waited so long to go. We went on a Friday night so we could enjoy the band. I decided to make reservations...kudos to me on that good call, the patio was packed. It was lovely weather, but they have plenty of fans to help fight off the heat in the warmer months. All of the appetizers and entrees we tried were great, but the ambiance is the real hooker here. We will definitely be back, this will also the location of our next girls night out.
(5)
Roger J.

I Ate here for the first time after my sales manager Tim here at Gainesville Nissan recommended it. I had my doubts , but was proved wrong. We were greeted right away, and were seated shortly thereafter. Our server (Brittany) was smiling and informative about the menu and quick with suggestions. I was delighted to run into Brittany because she had served myself, my wife, and children many times at her previous employer. Our meal was served promptly fresh and delicious. Great job...
(5)
Kyle S.

The server, who is also apparently a manager, was great. The food was pretty good. The atmosphere was pretty good. I'd definitely go back if ever in High Springs.
(3)
Brandon W.

Way overpriced! I have officially seen the smallest chicken leg in history lol I wish I would have taken a picture. I ordered the southern fried chicken. It taste ok but the chicken was the smallest part of my plate. Literally no bigger than my thumb. I will give them some credit on the mussels they were pretty good and the bread with honey butter was a hit overall prob won't go back
(2)
Steve P.

I love the great outdoors because it is downtown in historic High Springs, close to my home. The food is not always perfect but what restaurant is. Chris is a great waiter. The dining experience is always tops with Chris.
(5)
Erin B.

Absolutely fabulous food and wonderful atmosphere. Outdoor bar has a bit more relaxed atmosphere than the indoor dining area. Great place to have an excellent meal and sone locally brewed beer after a day on one of the nearby rivers. Highly recommend this place.
(5)
Mindy C.

The food here is really good but their service is extremely slow. We didn't get our appetizers for about an hour and when they finally came they were good but not incredible. Their ginnie burger is amazing and very juicy.
(3)
Norman P.

Beware of the "bait and switch" happy hour! Asked for the happy hour specials, and were handed a card which priced "well" and "call" brands. Ordered Crown and ginger. Ordered two appetizers and two more rounds. Only when we asked for the bill were we informed that Crown was neither well nor call and were on the hook for much more than expected. Bartender claimed I had asked for Crown "instead", which was never uttered. I find this practice deceptive and dishonest and will never be back. No one offered to make the adjustment to call pricing. The "manager" after much discussion offered to buy us a round "next time". I let him know that was not going to happen. Only the worst establishments allow customers to experience negative surprises. This is one of those.
(1)
Tracy G.

I live in Ocala, my sister lives in Gainesville so we were looking for a new place to eat. I had high hopes from reading their menu online. We were seated right in the sun and I was sweating before the appetizer got to our table. We ordered Bleu Cheese Chips. I didn't have any but everyone at the table said they liked them. I ordered the "special" which was grilled grouper on a bed of nutty orzo, grilled shrimp and grilled scallops. It sounded delicious and like a lot of food for $22. It was not the fish looked baked and was about 2 oz, 2 small shrimp and 2 scallops.... none of which was grilled. All of this was on top of a "bed of orzo" about 3 cups. I was very disappointed. And hungry....
(1)
Patrick ..

Stopped in at 8pm on Wednesday and was suprised that it would be a 40 minute wait w/out a reservation. That was surprising. Tried again on Thursday and seats were to be found. Overall, it kinda expensive for whats you get. We had an app and two burgers. They were fine but not great or remarkable. They also did not have some of their beers because of a 'licensing' issue? The draft selections were quite limited and uninspiring. The server was nice but he had too many tables so there was a fair amount of waiting for service. The experienced seemed forced. I felt like an upscale dining experience was being shoehorned into a casual restaurant, especially with name like great outdoors.
(3)
Sherry L.

Very good food (burgers, fried fish sampler and blue cheese fries). Great music out on the porch in a great space to eat outdoors! Sometimes service is slow.
(4)
jennifer g.

Went for dinner last night with a party of 12. Appetizers were great love the chips with blue cheese and bacon. The soups were also delicious. The meals were good large portions
(4)
Jessica L.

Came to High Springs for some spring diving en route to somewhere else. This spot was an unexpected find in a sleepy town. gREAT outdoor seating, live band, good service despite showing up 10 min before kitchen closed. We had the PEI moule (mussels), spicey version and they were good (I have had fab moule in France, so hard to beat that). The French onion soup surprised me. I am super picky about it because I make awesome French onion soup. Theirs was not too salty (usually my biggest complaint), and was heavy on cheese (can't go wrong there). Boyfriend had bison burger. Slightly over cooked but the horseradish mayo rocked it.
(4)
Kasey G.

The Great Outdoors has some amazing shrimp 'n grits. Love the atmosphere and the service. 4 out of 5 stars, for sure!
(4)
Steven K.

Restaurant has a great atmosphere and cool decor, and the outside patio is really nice. Great Outdoor Nachos are incredible and the wings were really good too! The server was really nice and fast and never let our drinks run out. Live music was a bonus too!
(5)
A P.

I always make a point to stop in when I'm traveling to South Florida. The Great Outdoors has consistently good food and excellent service. The restaurant is beautiful inside, with natural wood paneling, and beautiful, professional photographs of the local springs on the walls. There's something for everyone on the menu, from hamburgers and craft beer, to stuffed pork-chops and homemade desserts. I find it difficult to get past the appetizer menu. The Fried Ravioli is great, and even though it seems strange on a Southern Menu, the Boston Clam Chowder is a tasty way to warm up after a long day in the local springs. Even my Yankee friends like it! My favorite item on the menu is the Great Outdoors Nachos (honey BBQ pulled pork, jack and cheddar cheese, sour cream, grilled corn, and fresh jalapeno slices over organic corn chips). I usually order this as my meal, and end up sharing the leftovers with the rest of the table, which makes everyone happy, even the Yankees!
(4)
Clifton M.

Went on a Friday night and it started out great, was unbelievable, we were seated within 5 minutes but that's where it stopped ! The service was extremely slow ! It took over 10 minutes for the waitress to come take our drink and appetizer orders. Then another 10 minutes to bring our drinks and take our food order and then another 15 minutes after that before our appetizer arrived! Never once did our waitress ask us if we needed our drinks refilled! After another 20 minutes our food was delivered by another server, finally when we're half way through eating our waitress showed up and asked if we needed anything and we both advised a drink refill would be nice! As for the food it was cool to warm and the fish was extremely dry!! Don't think I will be going here for awhile !!
(2)
Michele W.

We were hungry after kayaking the Ichetucknee river and were passing through town. We were expecting typical bar food and were surprised by the quality of food. Tgey had unique and delicious items. My husband got the veggie burger which tasted homemade. I got the farmers salad which was abundant and delicious. I forgot to ask for dressing on the side so it was a little more than I usually put on. I tend to go light on dressing though. Great atmosphere!
(5)
Cynthia N.

Love this restaurant Good food, excellent service Great place to eat after tubing the river. Oh the seating outside is fabulous !
(3)
Nicholette M.

Ok, so I have to admit.. living in Alachua, I just always assumed that High Springs was this redneck type of town... I was wrong. This place has beautiful hardwood flooring, impressive wine selection and a beautiful outdoor terrace dining area ( which is beautiful btw.. complete with an outdoor fireplace). Anyway, it was Sunday and I wanted to try it out. Not a redneck in sight! Everyone was mostly rocking country chic clothing, designer shades, and riding boots. Very friendly staff and bartenders too. I sat outside, enjoyed a delicious bowl of clam chowder and a BLT made w/ fried green tomatoes instead of the traditional red one. Oh yea.. and they serve orange and pineapple mimosas starting at 1pm. The menu is very unique w/ a cool twist on all your country favorites. A must try!
(4)
R B.

Mediocre food at best, terrible service. It took an hour to get our food and another 30 min to get our check. I think the only reason they stay open is that they're pretty much the only show in town.
(1)
Josh S.

I knew I wanted to update my review here, and for some reason I thought I had initially given it 3 stars and felt bad that I was going to have to downgrade to 2 stars. Lo and behold, I had it right the first time around. We continue to have hit or miss experiences here. I've resorted to only coming here once every couple months, and only on Tuesday nights, which is half price burger night. Great Outdoors is really the only restaurant to sit and have a good beer in the area. If you are able to even find a drink elsewhere in town, you're pretty much subjecting yourself to either Bud Light or worse (e.g. lung cancer from Spindrifter). It isn't worth coming here for drinks alone, so how about atmosphere? I really dig the outdoor patio area. As I said in my previous review, I could see myself sitting out there before or after pretty much any activity... visit to the springs, golf outing, college football Saturday, happy hour, you name it. So hey, tasty half price burgers and a great outdoor atmosphere? What else could ruin it? Service... and not just the servers. I've been put off a few times by meh service here, be it inappropriate comments, training issues, etc. But even the management doesn't seem to care, and I haven't seen anyone here make an effort to retain customers or make things right when something goes wrong. I guess they have made enough of a name for themselves to not have to worry about a few unhappy campers, but it shouldn't be an excuse for indifference and making customers feel unwanted. It's not good enough to be getting by on the fact that there is nothing else like it in the Alachua/High Springs area... they should still be trying to improve. So disappointing that I live 5 minutes from here and rarely get the urge to go. Hopefully I can bump the star rating up someday.
(2)
Jim C.

One hundred years ago, the building was an opera house. Now it is a popular restaurant. High Springs is about 5 mile off of I-75 but is a great stop on your travels if you can take the time. The restaurant has 3 areas to dine, main room, the bar and a large outdoor area which is very popular. It is a brick building with the interior decorated with items from the area relating to scuba diving, the springs and even a wood canoe suspended from the ceiling.
(3)
Miguel G.

The atmosphere is very relaxing and sitting outside is the best option. The service and people were very nice. If I were to suggest anything on the menu it would be the great outdoors nachos. So much flavor in that dish and will leave you super full! Definitely a good place to stop by if you're in the area.
(4)
Kurt K.

Have this place a try YEARS ago and it was horrible. Took 6 of us the other night for 1/2 price hamburger Tuesday. Only four generic burgers half off. Burgers were by all accounts good. We had the calamari and fried green tomato appetizers and one in our party and onion soup. All delicious But I think the baskets they are arced I makes you think you are getting more than you are. Not really enough to share amongst 6 folks. I had the nut n berry salad with scallops. Wish there had been a few more scallops on the skewer. Overall the salad was delicious. Not too much but very good portion. I was not ready for dessert. But those others wanted chocolate mouse and bread pudding. Bread pudding won. It was good. I mean GOOD. ONLY KNOCK is you weren't allowed to get happy hour prices in the dining room. We solved that by walking into bar but we were chastised by the bartender but she served us anyways. Their lame excuse was it took away from the server. So let the server get our drinks at happy hour prices. Better tan the last time and most importantly my group enjoyed themselves. Maybe I will try wing night next time I am in town.
(4)
Laura L.

Being from High Springs, I have loved this place for a long time and have always recommended it. Unfortunately, the past few times have been a bust. Higher prices and smaller proportions. Today I got the ceasar salad thinking I couldn't go wrong. $11. Added chicken $4. The salad was served on a burger plate (no depth) and about the size of a normal side salad. Processed, cold chicken. NOT a $15 salad. I won't be going back sadly.
(2)
Lily L.

Stopped in after canoeing down Santa Fe river. Food was just ok. Nothing special. The bison burger was very dry even though I asked for medium. Seafood bisque was decent. Service is just ok too. Place looked cute and wanted to like it but it's just missing everything else like great food and memorable service. Perhaps it was an off day but I would be reluctant to try it again as it would not be worth the 40 min from gainesville.
(2)
Celeste R.

I'm a local and really want to love this place but they disappoint me more than make me happy. The outdoor seating area is wonderful but you can wait a long time for your food even if they're not crowded. And sometimes when you finally get your food, it's a disappointment. Last night for wing night my 10 mild wings took 40 minutes and were cold when I received them. And the "mild" wings were half covered with hot sauce and ranch dressing - made me wonder if they were somebody's leftovers! I had them take the wings back and left. My companions' hot wings were ok, but they too were delivered cold.
(2)
P S.

I used to eat at this restaraunt weekly on Tuesdays for their blue burger. I absolutely loved it. The blue cheese would drip down the sides of the burger and I couldn't wait to get it into my mouth. Until the day they cut back on the cheese because "they were losing money". You would thing that being a frequent diner would matter, but it didn't. When my burger arrived with half of the normal amount of blue cheese (which by the way is not just blue cheese...it's now like salad dressing!) I asked my waitress to have them put some more cheese on the burger like it normally is. To my surprise she came back and said they would have to charge me extra! I asked to see the manager, Carol, and she stuck to her guns saying that there would be an extra charge to put the amount of cheese on my burger that they did before because they were losing money because of the special. They didn't take into consideration that I did not get the pickle on the side (because sometimes they are soggy) , or the grilled onions! If this restaraunt is losing money because of the price, then raise it. Reducing the amount the customer expects to get is not the right way. The owner if this business should have a secret diner, and let them know what type of service they are getting. Management doesn't care to retain their loyal customers. I will not support an establishment that has such poor customer service It's been 6 months since I have been to this restaraunt, and they are no longer the only place in town, thank goodness!
(1)
Melissa M.

I came here absolutely famished. A friend and I had a very long day of kayaking, and with shot nerves (I had a run in with a snake!) and an empty stomach, we landed here. It was only about 5PM. My friend is 9 years older than me (me:43, him:52), so I was teasing him and telling him he qualified for the senior citizen special because just about every table at that hour was filled with senior citizens. it was like a stereotype out of a comedy movie with Bob Barker and Betty White. Anyway, the food. Pretty good. I had mahi mahi with some kind of salsa topping, garlic mashed potatoes and green beans that weren't really cooked enough. I know you don't want them mushy, but these could still make a loud snap when breaking them. Frozen margarita special was yummy. My friend had the seafood pasta which looked pretty good, so i was getting ordering envy, but I ate all of mine. So yes, I would recommend this place if you have not eaten all day, have tipped over your kayak because I snake landed in it, and stink like the sante fe river. They don't mind, and you will get full. Go for it!
(4)
David D.

I would not return to this restaurant. The service was alright but the food was not worth their high prices. I paid $25 for a 12oz prime rib, ordered medium, that really was not very flavorful or tender. I would expect this from a piece of meat priced much less. This restaurant is the classic case of being the only restaurant in town that survives with high prices and mediocre food.
(1)
Jimmy A.

I've been coming here for about 4 years and haven't had a bad meal yet. Tonight, just had a full rack of ribs and once again, had a great meal. Witnessed someone having problems with a steak (it was "boring") and the management did everything they could to take care of him. Great service and atmosphere.
(5)
Andrew A.

love their bogo burgers on Tuesday nights! Try The Ginnie!Its amazing!
(5)
Jennifer N.

A great local place with local beer. For my first dish I tried the Fish Reuben with chips. I did have to ask for a dip for the chips. The Fish Reuben is served on toasted white butter bread, with slaw instead is sauerkraut, and a creamy sauce. I enjoyed this tasty treat with a local beer... The Gator Tail Pilsner. The server Erin was awesome and friendly. The atmosphere was similar to a steak house. There is outdoor seating and ample indoor seating.
(4)
S H.

Nice atmosphere and outstanding service during a lunch visit on a Saturday. The nut and berry salad was delicious. We had blue cheese chips as an appetizer, which were also very tasty. The only drawback was an under seasoned soup.
(4)
Tracy M.

I'm giving this a 5 because of the customer service. Debbie our waitress was wonderful. Very friendly, attentive and made some great recommendations. The food was overall pretty good. My wife ordered the special of the day which wasn't very good. They replaced it with a much better burger. Overall a very good experience. We'll probably go back if we are in the area.
(5)
Liz M.

My husband and I ate dinner here recently. The interior of the restaurant is really nice, and the service was good. However, both the appetizer and the entree were completely disappointing and way too expensive. We had the fried green tomatoes to start. The portion was ridiculously small for the price. We got four slices of tomato for $7 and change. The crust was oily, the tomato was much too sour, and when you chewed, the two unpleasant tastes merged to become one flavorless mass. We're both native Floridians and know what good fried green tomatoes are, and were appalled by what we got here. I asked about their private label beers, and was told they came on tap. I ordered Naked Ed's Pale Ale, and was delivered a bottle, not a draft. The server apologized and took back the bottle and the charge; she said she'd misunderstood my question. I appreciated her promptness and amiability, especially because at this point I was dreading the bill for the terrible appetizer. We split the shrimp and grits entree from the dinner menu. We received three medium shrimp each, a small mound of grits, a tiny square of cornbread, and a large pool of watery sauce with the occasional onion or tomato morsel. It was another case of tiny portions for large price. Our entree was $18.00. The shrimp were fresh enough, but none of the elements of this dish were flavorful. When our server was clearing our plates, she noticed that we hadn't eaten our fried green tomatoes. After she asked us if we hadn't liked them, we told her that they were flavorless. She volunteered to talk to the manager about it, and had him/her remove that from our bill as well. Her service was great. It was the only thing that kept us from fuming all the way home that night.
(2)
Kent B.

Drove a group from Jacksonville, FL to kayak down the Ichetucknee Springs. We stopped here on the way home and I'm glad we did. There was 30 people in the group and Blake handled it as if it was a 4top with no trouble and everything went so smooth. The food is phenomenal and it is very unique with all the outdoor stuff on the walls and the huge fire pit outside. If you are ever this way this is a must stop for sure! The Boston clam chowder is truly award winning and to die for. I will be back with more groups.
(5)
S L.

Still 2 stars after visting this restaurant many many times. If you want to ensure your money is well spent on good food off of their menu, stick to their appetizers, drinks, beef burgers, and desserts and you will be happy. Stay clear of their overpriced entrees because you will be underwhelmed, and dont waste your money on any of the fish they serve.
(2)
Michael D.

We live in High Springs and Great Outdoors is a decent restaurant. I have tried many items on the menu and they were generally good. I'm not sure what's happened over the last couple years, the food quality has significantly dropped. There is less care in preparation and the flavors are not as good.
(2)
Tessa M.

New, clean and has local art through out. We had the fried green tomatoes and they weren't the best. The turkey burger was good but I was pretty hungry after canoeing at ginnie springs. Our server refilled my drinks and severed our food while it was hot. What else could you ask for? We found two local places I would love to take all my visitors too. The Great outdoors and ginnie springs. It would be nice to go back and hear their bands play especially since Trombone Charlie's is gone.
(4)
Lila R.

Fabulous food. Good service. Comfortable atmosphere. We love this restaurant and travel about 45 minutes just to eat here.
(5)
john f.

great food, great atmosphere. I dined alone, which is always awkward, but my waiter made me feel very welcome. usually you get some attiutude for tying up a whole table with just one person, but he seemed delighted to have me there. The ginnie Burger was right on time. The dollar draughts on Sunday night, along with the live band, and that great patio, made for an excellent evening. I will definitely be back, next time I'm in town!
(5)
Bruce G.

My wife and I had dinner here last week on Friday and Saturday nights while we were in the area visiting relatives. The service both nights was good and efficient. We have been here before and have had a variety of items on their menu before. On Friday my wife had a chicken something that she liked. My Aunt & I had shrimp & grits which I had when we were there a couple of years ago. Neither of us liked it. It was different than a couple of years ago when I thought it was fabulous. Way too much tomato based sauce & the shrimp had little flavor. The grits...ehhh. And I like grits. This was the first meal that I had at Great Outdoors that I did not like. The Margaritas were very good and clearly were actually made by the bartender...not some nasty drink mix. We also had bread pudding and key lime pie for.dessert. The bread pudding was very good. The key lime pie was fabulous! Saturday night My wife & I split a Artisan Pizza. It was quite good. My cousins had prime rib & steak. Both liked their meals and they looked good too. I still like the place and recommend it. We will be back next time we are in that area.
(4)
Asa D.

Great Outdoors has a great patio, even on colder nights when they pass out blankets to guests. Their menu is pretty straight forward American style food like at Applebee's or Friday's, but it is certainly a step up from chain restaurants. Just don't expect anything spectacular. As a rule the grilled fish is overcooked -- that just seems to be the style in central Florida. The burgers are okay.
(3)
Rachael T.

Nice atmosphere both indoors and in the 'great out' where there is plenty of seating in either the sun or shade. We loved our servers on both visits, especially Kathy who provided excellent local tips. The menu is 'basic pub' with a few twists. My friend loved the Thai salad with coconut tofu and her veggie burger was fine too. I ordered Grouper Ruben which was neither grouper, (tilapia I think) nor Ruben due to the American cheese. The end result was a greasy mess I did not enjoy. I did like the tailgator lager quite a bit. Overall I recommend this place, ask the server for suggestions to better navigate the menu.
(3)
Shannon A.

I loved the food and the atmosphere. The building is historic and beautiful and the staff were very friendly! They have a large menu and I have never been disappointed. I get the fried chicken meal usually, it is really good, and a cocktail. The food is in very large portions and I never have room for dessert!! The soups and salads are delicious and come in decent portions. The mixed drinks are fairly priced and strong. The martinis are wonderful, I loved the lemon drop. We have had almost every appetizer on the menu and our favorites are the gator tail, fried green tomatoes, and calamari. We will definitely be coming back!
(4)
Dawn M.

Being local to the High Springs area, my husband and I frequent the Great Outdoors often, and we are never disappointed. They offer a wonderful selection of items at a variety of price points. All of which are delicious. The only negative I have is that some of the more exotic (and delicious) items they offered when they first opened have been removed from the menu. But there are still many wonderful choices available! We will continue to visit the Great Outdoors weekly, and bring everyone who visits us. The Great Outdoors is a real gem in High Springs.
(5)
Dennis P.

Service = Shit Took two hours to get food. One hour for the appetizers
(2)
Rusty T.

Wow. This place tastes amazing! We go every time we dive Ginnie Springs and can't get enough of their food. The atmosphere is wonderful too! The live music is always fun on the patio. Try the Mahi Mahi.
(5)
Scott K.

I love this place! I have eaten both lunch and dinner many times and it is incredible. Great menu with very nice dishes which are very well composed to bring out the flavor. Very good specials. I ordered redfish last time I went and it was superb. Good service from friendly staff. This is a wonderful addition which is helping to breathe some life back into High Springs! Eat local it is great! Also the restaurant has been beautifully renovated. Pecky cypress, outdoor fireplace, pavilion, etc.
(5)
Joe G.

Summary: we will not return. Bad, bland, boring food. Poor, attention-to-detail-lacking, waitress. Entrance was cold, unwelcoming by the table arranger. Incredibly over priced food. Wow, just wow, so bad, this is my first web review - trying to save you! Day, time: Saturday, 6:30pm There was no wait for a high top near the bar. There was 4 of us for the evening. Drink order failures: One water was ordered no ice, failed. Bottled beer was brought with the bottle inside the glass. Obviously the place has got to have other sanitary issues if they think that is OK. Took 15 minutes to get our order in. Weren't told the specials until we started to place our orders. Had to ask for silverware, that after bread/butter and salad brought. Meals ordered: 1) Mahi Mahi, Cajun grilled, on bed of greens and couscous: Fish was dry and hard. Was served barely warm. Had a large dollop of something like mayo on top. Absolutely no flavor. I had to put on table pepper for any kick. The greens were exactly the same in the small salad served before the meal for one of us, dressing and all. No more that a tablespoon of couscous. Atrocious. 2) Chicken Asparagus over penne pasta: My friend had to keep pushing her food to the side once she saw the bath of grease at the bottom of the bowl. Asparagus? Ha. OK, they didn't lie, but deceived for sure. You would think for $14.50 you would get mostly tips; nope not one single asparagus tip, just sliced stalk. Atrocious. 3) Caesar salad with blackened chicken: Homemade dressing? Nope. Authentic Caesar dressing? Nope. Ordered blackened chicken would be blackened? Nope. Chicken looked like strips from a bag? Yep. Atrocious? Yep. 4) Spinach salad, entree size: Think it couldn't get worse? Yep? Wrong. The spinach was not fresh; wilted. Think about the last time to pulled salad out of a bag at home. Now don't grab anymore; yep, that was it. They use a trick of large, shallow, plates with wide rim. Total scam on quantity. Was listed to highlight Gorgonzola; couldn't have been a table spoon (was plated so the spinach hid what little cheese there was, and the pine nuts and tomatoes, really bad plating). On top of it? 3 basic rings of onion... only it was ordered without - at least they were able to keep the bacon and dressing the side as requested. Again, Atrocious. This place used to be a great little eatery. If you remember when they served popcorn with the addictive topping. Hold on to your memories and don't go back.
(1)
Charles K.

So we were traveling through the area and needed a meal, but out here in unfamiliar small-town in FL we weren't sure what was good. We chose this for the Yelp reviews, and we're really glad we did. I had the "lunch special" chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich, and the wife had the burger with gouda cheese. They were both excellent. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, and as the name implies focuses on the wonders of the Great Outdoors, with pictures of river scenes, fishing tackle, and a hardwood decor that makes you feel like you've just settled into a backwoods lodge. Service was fast and efficient, but all business. They have micro-brew beers made especially for the restaurant.... I had a "Naked Neds Pale Ale" and the wife had a Gator-Tail Lager. We wanted to bring a few home, but apparently they can't sell them for take-home. If you're traveling through High-Springs (or just live there and haven't gotten out to it yet) this would be an excellent place to experience "a little of the Outdoors"
(4)
Gigi A.

Tail Gator Bites are delicious! Faintly gamey, but mostly.. just like chicken, as cliched as that sounds. Try it! Their burgers are also delicious and the service was very good. Their sweet tea was spot on, not too sweet! Over all I'd give their food 4.5 stars! The indoor part has a very cozy setting with lovely lighting that reminds me of being inside on a cold snowy night. The outdoors is a little bit more relaxed with a bar, some booths and some tables under canopy. Its beautifully decorated with old kayaks and canoes and paddles and old hurricane lamps hanging on the ceiling. Service can be just a tiny bit slow sometimes, but it didn't bother us as we weren't really in a rush and food came out within minutes. I'd definitely go back if I'm in the high springs area again :-)
(4)
D W.

Service food atmosphere- WOW- loved it. FOOD waS GREAT - awesome cold local beer., If I were rich I'd eat here daily- extensive menu in this LOVELY little town of high Springs. Lots of healthy things to choose from!
(4)
Kurtis M.

Smells good. Been waiting an hour and half for our burgers. Should know the taste soon. I hope...
(1)
Lucie R.

We are so fortunate to have The Great Outdoors Restaurant in High Springs! We are proud to recommend it to our Grady House guests. We eat there, sometimes, two to three times a week. We love the hamburgers! The fish is fresh and delicious! The salads are perfect! The pastas - the best. Soups - to die for! Service and friendliness - unbeatable! Music on the patio - top notch and a lot of fun! Don't miss The Great Outdoors Restaurant.
(5)
Laura M.

I won't hold it against the Great Outdoors that we had to wait 20 minutes for a table, since we came on a Saturday night. But to wait another half hour for our food after ordering is less excusable, even on a busy night. The ordering process was made less pleasant when we were told that certain dishes that used to come with soup/salad no longer do, and that it's not possible to sub out any of the sides that come with other entrees (we asked to do fries or veggies instead of grits with the catfish... no go). For a restaurant with such a pricey menu, they acted awfully cheap about a few french fries. They were also out of the beer I wanted to try (Naked Ed's pale ale), so I had the pilsner instead, which was quite good. When the food finally came, it was "meh." I had a veggie burger, which was one of only three meatless dishes on the menu of this formerly hippie-dippie restaurant. (The other was an Asian stir-fry, which seemed really out of place given the rest of the menu and thus I was scared to order it for fear of it tasting like crap, and the third was pasta in a cream sauce which I thought would be too heavy on a warm night.) It was a frozen Gardenburger pattie, reheated and served with a red pepper mayo on it and a pickle that the menu specifically described as "large" which was in fact laughably miniscule. I wouldn't have cared about my pickle's size if they hadn't gotten my hopes up like that. Oh well. The other members of my party seemed to think that their food was okay but nothing to write home about, which is rather unfortunate when your entree costs $20 or more. Many seafood and exotic meat items (elk, buffalo) are on the menu but they seem not to follow through on the tastiness you imagine while reading about them. The atmosphere of this place is sort of a lavish hunting lodge, which makes it feel like a chain steakhouse even though it's an independent restaurant. I do like the patio with bar, tables, and an outdoor fireplace, though, and there's lots of room inside so you don't feel crammed up against the table next to you. All in all, probably not worth the schlep from Gainesville. I'd love to support a local business like this more often, but if it can't set itself above the chains on Archer Rd., I find it hard to justify the drive and the expense.
(2)
Brian O.

For the price, I thought this place was awesome, Then again, I was starving after spending ther morning diving. The food was excellent (lunch), especially the salad. Service was also great, the staff really took care of us, constant refills and they were very nice. Great!
(5)
lance s.

we went on tue night as they let your dog eat for free out on the patio, nice outdoor fireplace,relaxing and enjoyed the wine. i had the rigatoni with sweet sausage, red sauce overpowered all the other flavors i was hoping for. my wife had a chicken with pasta dish that was flavored nicely but nothing exceptional. i have had lunch there 3 different times and have loved it. dinner and wine set us back 70.00 with tip and i felt like i had been to applebees! i'll stick to lunch
(2)
Jay P.

I have been to this place a few times, even a couple after a poor experiences (everyone deserves a second chance), but I am DONE. I am in the customer service industry, and here is where this restaurant fails miserably. Let me tell you why.... I have had, now on two repeat occasions, issues with the staff and management not happily trying to meet the needs of my child with food allergies. After having explained very simply about the need to separate the bun from the burger (not very difficult), once I was charged $1 for the separation for "labor costs," and once it was not done at all. In addition to this, I have had the staff nickle and dime every aspect of an order. The price you see is not the price you pay. There will be ancillary $.50 and $1 charges (or more) placed on your bill without your prior knowledge. They even charge you extra to take things off an order! Having said all this, I have had some pretty tasty food here. So, I am truly disappointed that the short-sighted management and lack of customer-oriented service here will be preventing me from coming back. The management I have personally spoken with do not seem to have an interest in retaining customers, and therefore this customer is no longer. A real shame, considering I and about 20 family members in the area would love to frequent a great local restaurant and support local business. The decor and ambiance of the place are truly warm and inviting, but the staff is what needs the makeover (perhaps even the ownership). They would benefit greatly from some training ( giveemthepickle.com ). I am really disappointed that I cannot recommend Great Outdoors.
(2)
Melissa L.

Can I say zero? Very overpriced. Arrived 8:00 food arrived 9:10. Servings are very small for very expensive prices. $10 for a cup of pasta with marinara sauce. Nice placr but awful experience
(1)
Chris W.

The food was great. However, we went here because we heard that they brewed their own beer. Come to find out that the beer is brewed and BOTTLED (no draft) in Melbourne, then they slap a Great Outdoors label on it and call it their own. That's fine, as long as the beer is still good. The Naked Ed's Pale Ale was decent. The pilsner might have been Bud Light with a new label. We didn't try any of the entrees because they seemed overpriced ($20-$26 each) and the steak and salmon dinners that were ordered at the table next to us didn't look very appealing or like they were worth the price. That being said, we stuck with the appetizer menu and we were extremely impressed. We will go back based on the apps alone. The conch fritters were the best I've ever had and I've had them all over the Keys. They were awesome! The New England Clam Chowder also was extremely rich and delicious and the French onion soup was tasty and had nice big chunks of onion.
(3)
Lucinda M.

Had scoped this out with Yelp but ultimately decided to try based on local recommendation; was told to sit on patio to enjoy experience, it was hot out & we had just finished canoe trip but fans were on & it felt good to sit... 20+ minutes later, none of the multiple servers had even looked our way & our table was certainly in the thick of things! Water at least would have been nice, host could have even brought us that if servers in the weeds... I have lot of patience for service industry but we ended up walking out~ prices were $10+ for burgers, $20+ for steaks, certainly not worth being ignored no matter how good food!
(1)
Amber D.

I really don't understand the reviews. Staff was friendly. Fried green tomatoes with grits were amazing. The portions were big, and the prices were accurate. They have an outdoor section, full bar. Really High Springs doesn't have a lot of choices. This place was clean and contemporary, I'm not sure you could say that about every restaurant in the area.
(4)
Rob I.

This place is great. Good food on the full menu and of course half off Tuesdays. The service can be a little hit and miss especially if it busy. Over all it's a great place to eat.
(4)
Sandi S.

We really like to come to this restaurant, it is one of our favorites. Every time we go here the food is consistently delicious! We go frequently on their 5.00 burger night. They are very good! I've been happy with every dish I've gotten here!
(5)
Shirley O.

Both times I have been here with a group and tasted many different entrees plus I had a great salad. Everything on the menu is great. However I have had better nachos elsewhere and the pork cop was just a tad bit tough. The shrimp and grits is fabulous and the cornbread is the best I have eaten anywhere. Wonderful fish tacos. Great desserts. Very, very nice staff.
(5)
Ophelia S.

It took me a little time to write this review, but the moment I remembered, I downloaded this app, that I would've never added to my phone, if it wasn't for my need to tell everyone about how OUTSTANDING my experience was at the Great Outdoors Restaurant. Let's begin with how beautiful the establishment is. Gorgeous paintings of the natural springs in the area and just the overall feeling of being in a comfy home. But a lot of places are beautiful right? However it didn't stop there. My friend and I had the distinct pleasure of being served by Misty and the fact that I remember her name and all of the suggestions of places to visit and the food to try, honestly only speaks to how absolutely amazing she was. I told her about how I go to restaurants often with friends and family, but I had never, ever received the level of service and an experience that she provided to my friend and I that afternoon. Now for the food... EVERYTHING Misty recommended was disturbingly delicious. Whoever is in the kitchen needs to be commended. I tried fried green tomatoes for the first time and now I dream of them because of how delicious they are. She also suggested the "fall off the bones" ribs, which everyone who sells ribs says. But my friends, they FELL off the daggone bones!!! Hands down the best ribs I've had in a sit down restaurant so far. The entire meal was amazing. The team is one of the best I've experienced so far and honestly, I would drive out of my way on my drive north to Georgia to eat at this restaurant again. Thank you so much for being one of my favorite memories of our trip.
(5)
Michael R.

I've eaten at the Great Outdoors about a half dozen times over the past year since returning to the area. Each time visiting, I've chosen the superb burgers. As already mentioned, Tuesdays are 1/2 priced burgers. The food has always been good, with hearty portions and very consistent. I have always had excellent service when dining either inside or outside. I have been there when there have been large crowds on a Friday night with live music and also with light crowds. Again, very good service, each and every time. Food is served hot and the beers are cold. The decor is excellent. Nice stage for live music (Jamie Davis plays there regularly). Bathrooms are clean. The art work is very nice. Great pictures of the local springs. The antiques they've collected from the area are nice as well. We took my wife's family there for lunch last week and had another good experience. We ordered several appetizers. The conch fritters were like hush puppies but had a great flavor. The dipping sauce was good too. The fried green tomatoes were good as was the clamor. Some of our group tried different dishes than the burgers I've always tried. We shared bites and I was impressed. My wife had the shrimp po boy....the serving of shrimp was generous and falling off the sandwich back onto the plate. They were well cooked and still hot from the kitchen. The salads looked fantastic too. In the future, I will branch out into he menu a bit more. I really like this place thus far.
(3)
Gary K.

As usual my reviews will be in real time while I eat so enjoy! Came in on a Thursday night at 7:15pm. The inside dining room was at capacity so we chose to eat outside. My wife and 13 month old are together so they greeted us and got our outside seat. Because there is a band tonight we chose to sit closest to the back so the music won't be too loud and they told us the server was triple sat so no big deal there. It's half priced wine night so our server suggested it'd be better to get the full bottle and my wife could take it home if she didn't finish. Good thing to know and great upsell. The band has started and the volume is perfect back here so good job there! Looking at the menu I'm surprised on the cost of most of these items. A 14 oz NY strip is $28.99 while a plain naked burger is $9.99. I'm from Orlando and these seem to be theme park prices. I ordered a regular cheeseburger med rare and fries and my wife ordered the tuna. The tuna looked great and she enjoyed it. My burger was cooked to temp and it was good as well. Have had better but was pretty tasty. The French fries I didn't even touch. They need to get some steak fries IMO. All in all I've been here 3 times. My first two visits left a sour taste in my mouth as they couldn't cook a med rare steak to save their lives. As we checked out we had a gift card ( result of 3 overlooked steaks at our last visit) and the server thought it was a rewards card and said that system was down......we didn't know there was a rewards system and outside of it being down that's the only thing we learned about it. I wouldn't tell someone they HAD to try it but I can see coming on a Tuesday (1/2 price burger) or Thursday for 1/2 off wine. Sit on the porch and enjoy a nice evening. *Update our total for dinner was over $50. Our daughter got a good portion of Mac & cheese for $5.00 and it came with a sundae
(3)
Scott R.

The food was great and the atmosphere and decor was very interesting. I ordered the ahi tuna salad for lunch and it was phenomenal. I would visit again if I am back in Northern Fla.
(4)
Jim W.

I was pleasantly surprised by our visit last night. The service was much better as well as a major improvement in the food. We had a party of nine which is always a challenge. Everything that came out of the kitchen was close to how it was ordered or was supposed to be in accordance with the menu. One of the kids changed their mind about their order and we changed it late. Regardless, it was handled promptly and came out of the kitchen with the original order. The food was definitely a level higher in quality and presentation than my last visit. It went from mediocre to above average. I have been told that the restaurant has been working hard to resolve its shortfalls. I noticed the managers' card can be found on every table. Thats a positive statement that says we want to improve. Even though we came late (8:00pm) the place was still busy. Tuesday night is 1/2 price burger night and obviously draws quite a crowd. Don't be too dissuaded because I only gave three stars. I'm a tough grader. If Great Outdoors can maintain some consistency at this level I'll do another review for four stars. I look forward to patronizing them more frequently in hopes that I can write that review.
(3)
Dr Yolanda C Leon L.

Enjoyed dinner last week! Nice decor, great Mahi salad. The grilled mahi was absolutely delicious. We had conch fritters that made me think I was in Key Largo. The staff was friendly, the restaurant was nicely decorated, and everything was at its best! My brother loved the shrimp and grits. Will eat there again soon!
(5)
Roger P.

My chowder was lukewarm and the restaurant had just opened for dinner. Apparently they did not warm it sufficiently. My pork chop was a generous portion; unfortunately it had a foul taste and odor. The server and manager were attentive and polite. I gave up after a couple of attempts to order a small medium steak. The rest of my party did not have the same experience.
(2)
Ka N.

Cute place in downtown High Springs. Perfect for a meal after flowing down the rivers nearby.
(4)
Lauren W.

We go to Ichetucknee Springs every year. We saw this place and decided to try it. The big khuna burger was delicious and not your typical burger, the sweet potatoe fries served on the side were also banging. This chef has a very creative palate which always heightens the experience that much more. The overall ambiance of the restaurant was great! The name speaks for itself. We didn't have any alcoholic beverages but they have several full liquor bars with a fantastic selection. Definitely one to try off the beaten path!
(5)
Sabrina H.

I have had this place bookmarked for a really long time, but we FINALLY made it! Dang! I can't believe we waited so long to go. We went on a Friday night so we could enjoy the band. I decided to make reservations...kudos to me on that good call, the patio was packed. It was lovely weather, but they have plenty of fans to help fight off the heat in the warmer months. All of the appetizers and entrees we tried were great, but the ambiance is the real hooker here. We will definitely be back, this will also the location of our next girls night out.
(5)
Roger J.

I Ate here for the first time after my sales manager Tim here at Gainesville Nissan recommended it. I had my doubts , but was proved wrong. We were greeted right away, and were seated shortly thereafter. Our server (Brittany) was smiling and informative about the menu and quick with suggestions. I was delighted to run into Brittany because she had served myself, my wife, and children many times at her previous employer. Our meal was served promptly fresh and delicious. Great job...
(5)
Kyle S.

The server, who is also apparently a manager, was great. The food was pretty good. The atmosphere was pretty good. I'd definitely go back if ever in High Springs.
(3)
Brandon W.

Way overpriced! I have officially seen the smallest chicken leg in history lol I wish I would have taken a picture. I ordered the southern fried chicken. It taste ok but the chicken was the smallest part of my plate. Literally no bigger than my thumb. I will give them some credit on the mussels they were pretty good and the bread with honey butter was a hit overall prob won't go back
(2)
Steve P.

I love the great outdoors because it is downtown in historic High Springs, close to my home. The food is not always perfect but what restaurant is. Chris is a great waiter. The dining experience is always tops with Chris.
(5)
Erin B.

Absolutely fabulous food and wonderful atmosphere. Outdoor bar has a bit more relaxed atmosphere than the indoor dining area. Great place to have an excellent meal and sone locally brewed beer after a day on one of the nearby rivers. Highly recommend this place.
(5)
Mindy C.

The food here is really good but their service is extremely slow. We didn't get our appetizers for about an hour and when they finally came they were good but not incredible. Their ginnie burger is amazing and very juicy.
(3)
Norman P.

Beware of the "bait and switch" happy hour! Asked for the happy hour specials, and were handed a card which priced "well" and "call" brands. Ordered Crown and ginger. Ordered two appetizers and two more rounds. Only when we asked for the bill were we informed that Crown was neither well nor call and were on the hook for much more than expected. Bartender claimed I had asked for Crown "instead", which was never uttered. I find this practice deceptive and dishonest and will never be back. No one offered to make the adjustment to call pricing. The "manager" after much discussion offered to buy us a round "next time". I let him know that was not going to happen. Only the worst establishments allow customers to experience negative surprises. This is one of those.
(1)
Tracy G.

I live in Ocala, my sister lives in Gainesville so we were looking for a new place to eat. I had high hopes from reading their menu online. We were seated right in the sun and I was sweating before the appetizer got to our table. We ordered Bleu Cheese Chips. I didn't have any but everyone at the table said they liked them. I ordered the "special" which was grilled grouper on a bed of nutty orzo, grilled shrimp and grilled scallops. It sounded delicious and like a lot of food for $22. It was not the fish looked baked and was about 2 oz, 2 small shrimp and 2 scallops.... none of which was grilled. All of this was on top of a "bed of orzo" about 3 cups. I was very disappointed. And hungry....
(1)
Patrick ..

Stopped in at 8pm on Wednesday and was suprised that it would be a 40 minute wait w/out a reservation. That was surprising. Tried again on Thursday and seats were to be found. Overall, it kinda expensive for whats you get. We had an app and two burgers. They were fine but not great or remarkable. They also did not have some of their beers because of a 'licensing' issue? The draft selections were quite limited and uninspiring. The server was nice but he had too many tables so there was a fair amount of waiting for service. The experienced seemed forced. I felt like an upscale dining experience was being shoehorned into a casual restaurant, especially with name like great outdoors.
(3)
Sherry L.

Very good food (burgers, fried fish sampler and blue cheese fries). Great music out on the porch in a great space to eat outdoors! Sometimes service is slow.
(4)
jennifer g.

Went for dinner last night with a party of 12. Appetizers were great love the chips with blue cheese and bacon. The soups were also delicious. The meals were good large portions
(4)
Jessica L.

Came to High Springs for some spring diving en route to somewhere else. This spot was an unexpected find in a sleepy town. gREAT outdoor seating, live band, good service despite showing up 10 min before kitchen closed. We had the PEI moule (mussels), spicey version and they were good (I have had fab moule in France, so hard to beat that). The French onion soup surprised me. I am super picky about it because I make awesome French onion soup. Theirs was not too salty (usually my biggest complaint), and was heavy on cheese (can't go wrong there). Boyfriend had bison burger. Slightly over cooked but the horseradish mayo rocked it.
(4)
Kasey G.

The Great Outdoors has some amazing shrimp 'n grits. Love the atmosphere and the service. 4 out of 5 stars, for sure!
(4)
Steven K.

Restaurant has a great atmosphere and cool decor, and the outside patio is really nice. Great Outdoor Nachos are incredible and the wings were really good too! The server was really nice and fast and never let our drinks run out. Live music was a bonus too!
(5)
A P.

I always make a point to stop in when I'm traveling to South Florida. The Great Outdoors has consistently good food and excellent service. The restaurant is beautiful inside, with natural wood paneling, and beautiful, professional photographs of the local springs on the walls. There's something for everyone on the menu, from hamburgers and craft beer, to stuffed pork-chops and homemade desserts. I find it difficult to get past the appetizer menu. The Fried Ravioli is great, and even though it seems strange on a Southern Menu, the Boston Clam Chowder is a tasty way to warm up after a long day in the local springs. Even my Yankee friends like it! My favorite item on the menu is the Great Outdoors Nachos (honey BBQ pulled pork, jack and cheddar cheese, sour cream, grilled corn, and fresh jalapeno slices over organic corn chips). I usually order this as my meal, and end up sharing the leftovers with the rest of the table, which makes everyone happy, even the Yankees!
(4)
Clifton M.

Went on a Friday night and it started out great, was unbelievable, we were seated within 5 minutes but that's where it stopped ! The service was extremely slow ! It took over 10 minutes for the waitress to come take our drink and appetizer orders. Then another 10 minutes to bring our drinks and take our food order and then another 15 minutes after that before our appetizer arrived! Never once did our waitress ask us if we needed our drinks refilled! After another 20 minutes our food was delivered by another server, finally when we're half way through eating our waitress showed up and asked if we needed anything and we both advised a drink refill would be nice! As for the food it was cool to warm and the fish was extremely dry!! Don't think I will be going here for awhile !!
(2)
Michele W.

We were hungry after kayaking the Ichetucknee river and were passing through town. We were expecting typical bar food and were surprised by the quality of food. Tgey had unique and delicious items. My husband got the veggie burger which tasted homemade. I got the farmers salad which was abundant and delicious. I forgot to ask for dressing on the side so it was a little more than I usually put on. I tend to go light on dressing though. Great atmosphere!
(5)
Cynthia N.

Love this restaurant Good food, excellent service Great place to eat after tubing the river. Oh the seating outside is fabulous !
(3)
Nicholette M.

Ok, so I have to admit.. living in Alachua, I just always assumed that High Springs was this redneck type of town... I was wrong. This place has beautiful hardwood flooring, impressive wine selection and a beautiful outdoor terrace dining area ( which is beautiful btw.. complete with an outdoor fireplace). Anyway, it was Sunday and I wanted to try it out. Not a redneck in sight! Everyone was mostly rocking country chic clothing, designer shades, and riding boots. Very friendly staff and bartenders too. I sat outside, enjoyed a delicious bowl of clam chowder and a BLT made w/ fried green tomatoes instead of the traditional red one. Oh yea.. and they serve orange and pineapple mimosas starting at 1pm. The menu is very unique w/ a cool twist on all your country favorites. A must try!
(4)
R B.

Mediocre food at best, terrible service. It took an hour to get our food and another 30 min to get our check. I think the only reason they stay open is that they're pretty much the only show in town.
(1)
Josh S.

I knew I wanted to update my review here, and for some reason I thought I had initially given it 3 stars and felt bad that I was going to have to downgrade to 2 stars. Lo and behold, I had it right the first time around. We continue to have hit or miss experiences here. I've resorted to only coming here once every couple months, and only on Tuesday nights, which is half price burger night. Great Outdoors is really the only restaurant to sit and have a good beer in the area. If you are able to even find a drink elsewhere in town, you're pretty much subjecting yourself to either Bud Light or worse (e.g. lung cancer from Spindrifter). It isn't worth coming here for drinks alone, so how about atmosphere? I really dig the outdoor patio area. As I said in my previous review, I could see myself sitting out there before or after pretty much any activity... visit to the springs, golf outing, college football Saturday, happy hour, you name it. So hey, tasty half price burgers and a great outdoor atmosphere? What else could ruin it? Service... and not just the servers. I've been put off a few times by meh service here, be it inappropriate comments, training issues, etc. But even the management doesn't seem to care, and I haven't seen anyone here make an effort to retain customers or make things right when something goes wrong. I guess they have made enough of a name for themselves to not have to worry about a few unhappy campers, but it shouldn't be an excuse for indifference and making customers feel unwanted. It's not good enough to be getting by on the fact that there is nothing else like it in the Alachua/High Springs area... they should still be trying to improve. So disappointing that I live 5 minutes from here and rarely get the urge to go. Hopefully I can bump the star rating up someday.
(2)
Jim C.

One hundred years ago, the building was an opera house. Now it is a popular restaurant. High Springs is about 5 mile off of I-75 but is a great stop on your travels if you can take the time. The restaurant has 3 areas to dine, main room, the bar and a large outdoor area which is very popular. It is a brick building with the interior decorated with items from the area relating to scuba diving, the springs and even a wood canoe suspended from the ceiling.
(3)
Miguel G.

The atmosphere is very relaxing and sitting outside is the best option. The service and people were very nice. If I were to suggest anything on the menu it would be the great outdoors nachos. So much flavor in that dish and will leave you super full! Definitely a good place to stop by if you're in the area.
(4)
Kurt K.

Have this place a try YEARS ago and it was horrible. Took 6 of us the other night for 1/2 price hamburger Tuesday. Only four generic burgers half off. Burgers were by all accounts good. We had the calamari and fried green tomato appetizers and one in our party and onion soup. All delicious But I think the baskets they are arced I makes you think you are getting more than you are. Not really enough to share amongst 6 folks. I had the nut n berry salad with scallops. Wish there had been a few more scallops on the skewer. Overall the salad was delicious. Not too much but very good portion. I was not ready for dessert. But those others wanted chocolate mouse and bread pudding. Bread pudding won. It was good. I mean GOOD. ONLY KNOCK is you weren't allowed to get happy hour prices in the dining room. We solved that by walking into bar but we were chastised by the bartender but she served us anyways. Their lame excuse was it took away from the server. So let the server get our drinks at happy hour prices. Better tan the last time and most importantly my group enjoyed themselves. Maybe I will try wing night next time I am in town.
(4)
Laura L.

Being from High Springs, I have loved this place for a long time and have always recommended it. Unfortunately, the past few times have been a bust. Higher prices and smaller proportions. Today I got the ceasar salad thinking I couldn't go wrong. $11. Added chicken $4. The salad was served on a burger plate (no depth) and about the size of a normal side salad. Processed, cold chicken. NOT a $15 salad. I won't be going back sadly.
(2)
Lily L.

Stopped in after canoeing down Santa Fe river. Food was just ok. Nothing special. The bison burger was very dry even though I asked for medium. Seafood bisque was decent. Service is just ok too. Place looked cute and wanted to like it but it's just missing everything else like great food and memorable service. Perhaps it was an off day but I would be reluctant to try it again as it would not be worth the 40 min from gainesville.
(2)
Celeste R.

I'm a local and really want to love this place but they disappoint me more than make me happy. The outdoor seating area is wonderful but you can wait a long time for your food even if they're not crowded. And sometimes when you finally get your food, it's a disappointment. Last night for wing night my 10 mild wings took 40 minutes and were cold when I received them. And the "mild" wings were half covered with hot sauce and ranch dressing - made me wonder if they were somebody's leftovers! I had them take the wings back and left. My companions' hot wings were ok, but they too were delivered cold.
(2)
Steven L.

My family and I had the worst experience at this establishment. First, when we arrived, the manager and hostess were not friendly. Our server did not have basic knowledge of the entrees. I took a bite of my grouper and it was obviously undercooked. It was pink and slimy. When I informed the server, she took my new order and did not apologize. We ordered calamari and cheesy grits and they were the smallest portions I have ever had at any restaurant. Also my husband's entree included couscous with greens, which was actually greens sprinkled with one tablespoon of couscous. We were told it was half off burger night and we ordered a turkey burger for the kids. When we received the check, we were charged full price for the burger and the charge for my grouper was never changed to my less expensive meal. We pointed out the errors to the server and she informed us that the turkey burger did not apply to the half off burger deal. We asked to speak to the manager and explained to her about the raw grouper and that we were told burgers were half off. She was rude to say the least. She informed us that the turkey burger was not included in the special and was not apologetic regarding the fish. In addition, all the corrections made led to long waiting periods. I would NOT recommend this restaurant to my worst enemy. There were issues in every facet of our dining experience. The food quality was mediocre, over priced and portion sizes were ridiculously small. We had high expectations based on reviews and left highly disappointed and disgusted.
(1)
marcie r.

We come to High Springs from Tampa and eat here one night of our weekend stay. The menu has changed every time we've been back. Food gets better each time. BUT the service has not gotten any better. Yes, it was a home FL/LSU game, but planning for extra help would have been great! Beautiful place. We had reservations, but still had to go ask for our table after 20 minutes wait past our rez. Then ordering took FOREVER.
(3)
Stephanie S.

I did not eat at this restaurant, but did stop for a drink and that atmosphere was awesome. It's fast food basically, but it appears to be the nicer restaurant in town. Next time I'm up there I'll def. try to food out!
(4)
Jennifer T.

Visited this place, once again, while camping at Ginnie Springs. It was fantastic, as always. Great food, great happy hour, everything you could ever want!
(5)
Linda R.

I love the decor of this restaurant with Old Florida feel, but rates a 3 star for me due to inconsistent experiences with the food. At lunch, got a sandwich on stale bread and service was very slow. At dinner, had a good experience with service and the meal was good -- pecan crusted catfish. I will go again. It is a great place to go for drinks and appetizers. Sit outside in the evening and listen to the live bands. Very fun. Food is just average, but again, worth stopping in and be sure to order Naked Ed Ale.
(3)
Jim S.

Beautifully renovated historic building in downtown. Food and service are very good and they have a full liquor license and a very nice enclosed patio area with weekend entertainment.
(4)
Hilary R.

I had high hopes for this place since it looked so cool but I was disappointed. I got the parmesan crusted grilled cheese with chips and my husband got the jerk burger with sweet potato fries. The grilled cheese was pretty bland which was surprising since parmesan is so flavorful. My husband said his burger tasted like a fast food burger except he had to pay $10. The best thing was the sp fries which were really crispy and salty. The service was ok. We sat in the bar area and the bartender was nice but never asked us how our food was and spent more time talking to her friend at the bar and another server. I might give this place one more try but I not anytime soon.
(2)
P S.

I used to eat at this restaraunt weekly on Tuesdays for their blue burger. I absolutely loved it. The blue cheese would drip down the sides of the burger and I couldn't wait to get it into my mouth. Until the day they cut back on the cheese because "they were losing money". You would thing that being a frequent diner would matter, but it didn't. When my burger arrived with half of the normal amount of blue cheese (which by the way is not just blue cheese...it's now like salad dressing!) I asked my waitress to have them put some more cheese on the burger like it normally is. To my surprise she came back and said they would have to charge me extra! I asked to see the manager, Carol, and she stuck to her guns saying that there would be an extra charge to put the amount of cheese on my burger that they did before because they were losing money because of the special. They didn't take into consideration that I did not get the pickle on the side (because sometimes they are soggy) , or the grilled onions! If this restaraunt is losing money because of the price, then raise it. Reducing the amount the customer expects to get is not the right way. The owner if this business should have a secret diner, and let them know what type of service they are getting. Management doesn't care to retain their loyal customers. I will not support an establishment that has such poor customer service It's been 6 months since I have been to this restaraunt, and they are no longer the only place in town, thank goodness!
(1)
Melissa M.

I came here absolutely famished. A friend and I had a very long day of kayaking, and with shot nerves (I had a run in with a snake!) and an empty stomach, we landed here. It was only about 5PM. My friend is 9 years older than me (me:43, him:52), so I was teasing him and telling him he qualified for the senior citizen special because just about every table at that hour was filled with senior citizens. it was like a stereotype out of a comedy movie with Bob Barker and Betty White. Anyway, the food. Pretty good. I had mahi mahi with some kind of salsa topping, garlic mashed potatoes and green beans that weren't really cooked enough. I know you don't want them mushy, but these could still make a loud snap when breaking them. Frozen margarita special was yummy. My friend had the seafood pasta which looked pretty good, so i was getting ordering envy, but I ate all of mine. So yes, I would recommend this place if you have not eaten all day, have tipped over your kayak because I snake landed in it, and stink like the sante fe river. They don't mind, and you will get full. Go for it!
(4)
David D.

I would not return to this restaurant. The service was alright but the food was not worth their high prices. I paid $25 for a 12oz prime rib, ordered medium, that really was not very flavorful or tender. I would expect this from a piece of meat priced much less. This restaurant is the classic case of being the only restaurant in town that survives with high prices and mediocre food.
(1)
Jimmy A.

I've been coming here for about 4 years and haven't had a bad meal yet. Tonight, just had a full rack of ribs and once again, had a great meal. Witnessed someone having problems with a steak (it was "boring") and the management did everything they could to take care of him. Great service and atmosphere.
(5)
Andrew A.

love their bogo burgers on Tuesday nights! Try The Ginnie!Its amazing!
(5)
Jennifer N.

A great local place with local beer. For my first dish I tried the Fish Reuben with chips. I did have to ask for a dip for the chips. The Fish Reuben is served on toasted white butter bread, with slaw instead is sauerkraut, and a creamy sauce. I enjoyed this tasty treat with a local beer... The Gator Tail Pilsner. The server Erin was awesome and friendly. The atmosphere was similar to a steak house. There is outdoor seating and ample indoor seating.
(4)
S H.

Nice atmosphere and outstanding service during a lunch visit on a Saturday. The nut and berry salad was delicious. We had blue cheese chips as an appetizer, which were also very tasty. The only drawback was an under seasoned soup.
(4)
Tracy M.

I'm giving this a 5 because of the customer service. Debbie our waitress was wonderful. Very friendly, attentive and made some great recommendations. The food was overall pretty good. My wife ordered the special of the day which wasn't very good. They replaced it with a much better burger. Overall a very good experience. We'll probably go back if we are in the area.
(5)
Mark K.

Disappointing for a Florida Trend Golden Spoon. Certainly over rated. Visited in a Saturday, but had reservations. That went well. The rest - seating left us crammed next to a large party (set up after we first sat down) with less than two feet of space between our table the back if their chairs; no small plates available to accompany the appetizers because "none were clean". Ordered steak - undercooked, though graciously corrected and right the second time. A warm pink center does not equal rare in the middle. Want dessert? First two items we ordered were not really available. Overall a disappointing experience.
(2)
Denise H.

Went here today with a group of about 8 at 4 in the afternoon. Was very disappointed to hear they were out of the blue cheese chips AND nachos. Not a good thing on a Saturday night! Made a snap decision for wings to go with my french onion soup, wings were ok soup was good, bread and honey butter were delish! Service was not great, did not really need to know that our waitress preferred tequila over beer..straight up no less. We waited quite sometime for drink refills and our checks. Will go back, but will make sure to have plenty of time.
(3)
Terri S.

Ate there last Saturday both lunch and dinner. Food was incredible at lunch, good at dinner. They had a wonderful crab bisque during lunch but it was gone by dinner time. Oyster po boy was fabulous, better than some I've had in New Orleans. Service was a little slow at dinner but the place was packed. Will definitely go back next time I'm in the area.
(5)
Kelly C.

Wonderful place! Great fine/casual dining w/local flare. Steak kabobs on sugar cane skewers, sweet potato fries, and locally brewed beers named after local legends. A must try !
(5)
Nicole F.

The only reason I'm giving this restaurant 1 start instead of zero is the atmosphere. (And zero isn't an option). The inside is beautifully decorated with an appropriate outdoorsy theme. We made a reservation for Valentine's Day and were seated immediately. Our waitress suggested a popular Valentine's Day special- Pasta De Mare with Lobster Tail. The description read "Fresh Jumbo Diver Scallops, Jumbo Shrimp, Prince Edward Island Mussels, Roma Tomatoes, Garlic and Basil, Tossed with Linguini in a Champagne Butter, Topped with a Grilled Maine Lobster Tail and White Truffle Oil". My boyfriend decided on that, while I chose Duke's Mac and Cheese with blackened shrimp. The Pasta De Mare was presented decently, while my mac and cheese did not look appetizing. With my first bite I was immediately disappointed. There were onions mixed in, which was not in the description. What was supposed to be a yummy cheesy dish with smoked gouda and bacon was less than mediocre. It completely lacked flavor, cheese, and bacon. It was a very thin flavorless sauce with 4 shrimp that were not blackened. Now for the $28 Pasta De Mare. Also flavorless, although with an ample amount of seafood. The champagne butter sauce, garlic and basil were completely absent. In its place was simply juice from the seafood. I spotted one chunk of tomato. My boyfriend had to ask for a side of Parmesan cheese to give the pasta the slightest bit of flavor so that he could eat it. We also got two desserts which were nothing special. Over all our dinner was very disappointing and certainly over priced.
(1)
Maria S.

We came from Gainesville with family to have some good food. Ordered two 24oz prime ribs both to be rare. One came out rare and the other was more on the medium side. When we sent back the medium one "management" was alerted. Waitress told us that management would have to come talk to us. Lady manager told my brother-in-law that this is the best they could do. When we pointed out that the two steaks were identically ordered one was fine the other one was overcooked she just dismissed that. Told my brother-in-law to pick something else on the menu since they were not going to redo another prime rib just for him. That is not good customer service. Also the meat is subpar. Definitely had a ton of fat on what is supposed to be one of the leanest cuts of beef.
(2)
David D.

Great Florida local restaurant with emphasis on the local history, springs and Santa Fe river. Food is non-chain American with some local flair and portions are ample to generous. Food & drink prices are reasonable. There is also an attached Springhouse Tavern and adjoining patio which has live music playing on some evenings.
(4)
Steven L.

Great place to have dinner in High Springs. The "oscar chicken" and pan cooked redfish are amazing!
(4)
Mike G.

The great outdoors is truly a gem of high Springs. My wife and I have been there on many occasions. They have a great ambience- indoor and outdoor, good service and creative menu and drink options. They do it well consistently and on a large scale.
(5)
Sally G.

Traveling south on 75. Worth the extra time to drive into the sweet town for a nice relaxing lunch.
(5)
Mike W.

The most recent meal I had here with a couple friends was very good and overall, in the entire time I've been coming here (over five years now) I've been impressed. On occassion, the food has not been quite as good as I expected--especially in one instance with a dessert in the summer of 2011--but in general, the Great Outdoors has offered a diverse menu with a bevy of stand-out dishes, friendly service, and one of the most alluring restaurant interiors in the state. Their burgers are an especially good deal and their fish dishes also tend to be quite good. The Southern fried chicken is always a good bet, too. When they have a pecan pie, that's an awesome dessert and most of their desserts have been impressive. My advice? Try to avoid peak hours if possible. If the kitchen truly is skipping a beat here and there, it's probably swamped with orders. No excuse, that, but still sage advice I think. This restaurant can get very very very busy at times on weekends. I'm starting to feel a lot of the really bad reviews of Great Outdoors are efforts by rival restaurants. Most come from people who have not reviewed a single other establishment and just apparently signed up to post a bad, albeit very detailed, review of this one. Strange. In contrast, I've reviewed this establishment what, like four times now? And I have been on Yelp since 2007 and have 470 reviews to my credit. So . . . who are you gonna believe? The nameless complainers or people like myself and other reviewers like Sanjida S. who have given good reviews and are a constant presence on Yelp?
(5)
Amy B.

We came here on our way home from ginnie absolutely starving the service was pretty slow considering there wasn't a whole lot of people In there. Some different items on the menu but pretty basic items the BBQ pork nachos were good but there wasn't alot of toppings mostly just chips! Best part was the peanut brittle ice cream pie it was to die for! Make sure to get it!
(3)
Nina T.

It was hard to get more bread for our large party. They messed up the reservation and my seared tuna was not seared like it should be. I hadn't been here in a long time so I was looking forward to going! But, I was disappointed in the food, as were some of my family memebers.
(2)
M ..

Our salads and bread were nice but the steak at over $25 per was a total waste of time! I could have put an $8 ribeye from the local hitchcocks grocer on my grill and had something much better. Great Outdoors you do not rate the rep you seem to have most likely because you are all that is there.... Steak should have some flavor there is a trick to it, call Outback for a generic hint at a minimum.... Additional note: Please talk with the management that thought it was ok to have the dinning room temperature where it was... absolutely ridiculous when you charge those $$$ for a dinner you better make the customer love the table. One more thing, if you want people to make reservations then why do you not answer the phone number listed? If you are going to mom and pop the shop and hang up on your customers because you are busy then you should also expect this message telling you I did not appreciate it at all. Business model.
(2)
Avery C.

Ok personally I love this place! Its a must visit for me every time I visit High Springs. I almost always skip the tables and either grab a spot at the inside bar or a high top in the bar area. Major points to the bar staff here especially Mike! For me this is one of the spots I bring my students when I am teaching in the area because its one of the highlights for me in the area. I absolutely love the atmosphere! The food is also good but I will admit is a bit overpriced, $9.00 for a caesar salad is insane, but it is a good caesar salad. Some of the items on the menu are a bit so so but nothing is below average. But wait there is a reason they still get five stars from me. The kitchen will make you what ever you want! Don't see something you want on the menu then tell them what you want and you will get it. I'm not talking about small substitutions either; we are talking items completely off the menu. If you can think of it the guys in the kitchen can make it and do it well. I have never left here unhappy when I am in the bar area. But as some other reviews have noted the table service can leave a bit to be desired. So heres a simple solution don't sit at the tables!
(5)
Carolyn B.

Service: very good and efficient Food: good. Not amazing. I had the redfish that seemed like it was fish over a salad. Not exciting just blasÃ©. My friends got the fried chicken, country boil, and ginny burger. They enjoyed the food but nothing spectacular. Atmosphere: I really enjoyed that part. Extra star for that and liked the special beers.
(3)
L C.

Super nice decor, great wait staff, delicious food. I had the artichoke bisque and Reuben, will return!
(4)
Helena L.

Visited this establishment Friday evening around 6:00pm. My husband and I were excited to have a few drinks and an app. on our very rare 'date night', and chose to sit in the outdoor patio. The bar was full, so we ventured over to the side bar near the fence and fireplace and waited for a server to take our order. I counted 5 servers that were meandering around, some waiting on tables, others just conversing with one another. We sat there for 20 mins. with NO ONE coming over to see if we needed anything. My husband finally went up to the bar and tried to get the bartender's attention, but she was too busy conversing with another bartender and sucking on lemons. Finally after about 5 mins., she came over to my husband to take his drink order. What really ticked me off was when a couple sat next to us at the bar and were immediately waited on. I thought, what is going on here? Are we invisible? I then realized that the couple were regulars and known to the server, and as we weren't, apparently we were not worthy of being waited on. I don't know who owns this place, but you seriously need to step in and manage your wait staff. They are inattentive and spending way too much time conversing and having a good time. Unfortunately, High Springs is a small town with limited dining options, but after this experience, I have no problem driving the extra miles to Gainesville for a much better dining experience.
(1)
Kimberly L.

I can't recommend the Tuesday night Burger special highly enough. Where else can you get a giant burger, for half price....and still get the same burger from regular priced nights? Though I will warn you, burger night has become so popular, they stop taking reservations by 7 pm most times. I *highly* recommend reservations, if you plan to dine any later than 6pm. The wait staff is very attentive, and polite. The food is always cooked to perfection. The atmosphere is fun, and lots of local pictures and trivia. Also, don't forget to try the beer battered onion rings....but make sure to save room for that burger!
(5)
Robin B.

Just had lunch with my family had we had three very disappointing meals. The oysters were very rubbery and chewy and everything was cold. The waitress offered to "re-heat" our food. This is not a offer you would want. If we wanted heated food we could have gotten a microwave dinner. From a restaurant with these prices you expect hot fresh cooked food. The waitress didn't to be all that concerned about our disappointment. The manger came through and ask about our experience and my husband since it was his birthday really didn't want to complain. But she did take 20 % off our bill, and apologized for the problem. This is the second time we have tried this restaurant and this will be our last. We w
(1)
Arlene Z.

One of my favorite places... It's true the food could be a hair better for the price, but the overall combination is hard to beat. Good food, good atmosphere, good music makes it really hard to leave. You just want to linger. It's the place you go with friends for great times.
(4)
Lacey Z.

Atmosphere: 5 Staff: 4 Food: 3 Food was good. Large selection of items on menu. The whole place is locally themed. Very fun atmosphere. We were driving through from the springs and thought we'd stop in as we by. Glad we did. Fun place to get a good local beer too.
(3)
Travis L.

This is a great place located a little bit outside of Gainesville. We've made the trip a couple times and loved each and every trip. They have great burgers and appetizers. Make sure to sit outside as it's a nice area and has a great atmosphere. They have a stage for live music and a fireplace outside for the colder nights. They run a decent specials so keep an eye out for those. They do a burger night which is a great deal and we took advantage of it last time. This place is worth the trip to check out at least once.
(4)
Jennifer S.

We loved the atmosphere, the outdoor patio, fireplace, and live music. The service was good, not great. The bread and honey butter were delicious, the calamari lacked seasoning and was tough and chewy. Our entrees, a burger and a pasta dish, we're enjoyable. We will return to try other menu items and enjoy the patio!
(4)
Kel B.

I had eaten here a few years back during a tubing weekend at Itchetucknee so when we planned our camping trip at Oleno state park I decided to make reservations for Thanksgiving dinner here. It was just as awesome as I remembered. It is cute and cozy and the food is wonderful. We loved it so much we ate there the next night also. My prime rib was so large that I made steak and egg sandwiches at the campsite the next morning for breakfast for two of us.
(5)
Sheila H.

We are regulars at the GO and can honestly say that sometimes when they are very busy, the service can get a little slow. But we've never had BAD service here, and the wait staff are all very pleasant and accommodating. Don't go here at dinner rush if you are pressed for time. Being in a hurry may also affect YOUR temperament and, as a result, your experience. I think high-maintenance people probably have a harder time here than some other places, but for the prices they ask, the food and the service are both satisfactory. If you are super picky and critical, you might have better luck at a chain place where the servers are robots and offer you turkey when you ask if they have vegetarian fare. :-p The GO is our "go-to" place for good food, friendly service, great ambiance, and live music on weekends. Never disappointed, even if our experience fluctuates a bit from time to time. As for menu items: for lunch, the Ultimate BLT is amazing. Will not disappoint. Dinner: the chicken oscar is one of the most underrated items on the menu, and it is SO good. I usually get the portobella mushroom ravioli, which is on the sweet side but still delicious. Also note: this is one of the last remaining bastions for "tv-less dining"! You'll see tv's in the bar or outside, but not out in the main dining area. We'd continue going to the GO for this reason alone. Every other place seem to be following the "put a tv within eyesight of every table" route which is irritating beyond measure. You can enjoy your company at the GO, without football or reality tv distracting you.
(4)
Adam G.

I've had 4 different items over the last couple years and have been underwhelmed each time. Having grown up in the general area and remember the original Great Outdoors store from when I was a kid, I want to like this place. It's a very comfortable atmosphere, inside or outside listening to music. The staff is friendly and attentive. I just can't give the food more than 3 stars. From past memory, the steak is average at best, the burger was just ok, and the ribs were awful. The ribs stand out the most, as they were very bland and boring, then just topped with a generic KC Masterpiece type bbq sauce. Since it had been awhile, I was waiting for one more trip before writing a review, so we stopped by yesterday (St. Patrick's Day) on our way through town. I was looking forward to trying something off the lunch menu and was a little annoyed that they decided to not serve the lunch menu that day, so they could push their awful Irish themed foods on you. I went with the Bison burger. Not the best Bison burger I've had, but was at least cooked perfectly medium. Previously, I'd had either normal fries or other sides. She told us we could also choose sweet potato fries or truffle fries and made no mention at all there was an upcharge for that. So that added an extra $5 for different fries for us. $5 is a little overpriced for a Swamphead brew. By the time we left, we definitely did not feel like we just ate a $50 lunch. In fact, I've never felt like I got my moneys worth there. I'm done with the place. On a side note (and this has absolutely nothing to do with the restaurant, but directed towards the City of High Springs. Drop the Bible thumping dictated liquor law. I don't care if you're religious or not, there's no logical or defendable reason I can't order liquor on a Sunday afternoon.
(3)
Meghan B.

Went here for my sister's graduation celebration with the family. Automatically I loved the decor and ambience. The restaurant has copper tiled ceilings (loooove it), canoes hanging, dragonfly sconces, and really old High Springs newspapers dating back to the early 20th century. I had the arrabiatta mussels and house salad that comes with blue cheese and candied pecans. The mussels were so yummy but could've been a little spicier for my taste. My sister had Cajun mahi mahi which came with a delicious cous cous & pea salad. Service was a little slow, but good quality. I'd go back because I loved the overall outdoorsy theme and the food was good. Plus High Springs is a really cute town to walk around in after dinner.
(4)
NORI R.

This is such a rare find in a small camping and rustic town !! The place is elegant and the service is A+++ very friendly and courteous staff and the food is wonderful - the desserts are to die for !!!!! The music is live and changes all the time, but its usually country rock or jazzy blues etc... very family like atmosphere yet cozy and romantic as well. I love taking the drive there its worth it.
(4)
Charlotte A.

Always a fun day at The Great Outdoors, thanks to the staff and my friends, that I have met there over the years!! Thank You guys!!
(5)
Sandi S.

We really like to come to this restaurant, it is one of our favorites. Every time we go here the food is consistently delicious! We go frequently on their 5.00 burger night. They are very good! I've been happy with every dish I've gotten here!
(5)
Shirley O.

Both times I have been here with a group and tasted many different entrees plus I had a great salad. Everything on the menu is great. However I have had better nachos elsewhere and the pork cop was just a tad bit tough. The shrimp and grits is fabulous and the cornbread is the best I have eaten anywhere. Wonderful fish tacos. Great desserts. Very, very nice staff.
(5)
Ophelia S.

It took me a little time to write this review, but the moment I remembered, I downloaded this app, that I would've never added to my phone, if it wasn't for my need to tell everyone about how OUTSTANDING my experience was at the Great Outdoors Restaurant. Let's begin with how beautiful the establishment is. Gorgeous paintings of the natural springs in the area and just the overall feeling of being in a comfy home. But a lot of places are beautiful right? However it didn't stop there. My friend and I had the distinct pleasure of being served by Misty and the fact that I remember her name and all of the suggestions of places to visit and the food to try, honestly only speaks to how absolutely amazing she was. I told her about how I go to restaurants often with friends and family, but I had never, ever received the level of service and an experience that she provided to my friend and I that afternoon. Now for the food... EVERYTHING Misty recommended was disturbingly delicious. Whoever is in the kitchen needs to be commended. I tried fried green tomatoes for the first time and now I dream of them because of how delicious they are. She also suggested the "fall off the bones" ribs, which everyone who sells ribs says. But my friends, they FELL off the daggone bones!!! Hands down the best ribs I've had in a sit down restaurant so far. The entire meal was amazing. The team is one of the best I've experienced so far and honestly, I would drive out of my way on my drive north to Georgia to eat at this restaurant again. Thank you so much for being one of my favorite memories of our trip.
(5)
Michael R.

I've eaten at the Great Outdoors about a half dozen times over the past year since returning to the area. Each time visiting, I've chosen the superb burgers. As already mentioned, Tuesdays are 1/2 priced burgers. The food has always been good, with hearty portions and very consistent. I have always had excellent service when dining either inside or outside. I have been there when there have been large crowds on a Friday night with live music and also with light crowds. Again, very good service, each and every time. Food is served hot and the beers are cold. The decor is excellent. Nice stage for live music (Jamie Davis plays there regularly). Bathrooms are clean. The art work is very nice. Great pictures of the local springs. The antiques they've collected from the area are nice as well. We took my wife's family there for lunch last week and had another good experience. We ordered several appetizers. The conch fritters were like hush puppies but had a great flavor. The dipping sauce was good too. The fried green tomatoes were good as was the clamor. Some of our group tried different dishes than the burgers I've always tried. We shared bites and I was impressed. My wife had the shrimp po boy....the serving of shrimp was generous and falling off the sandwich back onto the plate. They were well cooked and still hot from the kitchen. The salads looked fantastic too. In the future, I will branch out into he menu a bit more. I really like this place thus far.
(3)
Gary K.

As usual my reviews will be in real time while I eat so enjoy! Came in on a Thursday night at 7:15pm. The inside dining room was at capacity so we chose to eat outside. My wife and 13 month old are together so they greeted us and got our outside seat. Because there is a band tonight we chose to sit closest to the back so the music won't be too loud and they told us the server was triple sat so no big deal there. It's half priced wine night so our server suggested it'd be better to get the full bottle and my wife could take it home if she didn't finish. Good thing to know and great upsell. The band has started and the volume is perfect back here so good job there! Looking at the menu I'm surprised on the cost of most of these items. A 14 oz NY strip is $28.99 while a plain naked burger is $9.99. I'm from Orlando and these seem to be theme park prices. I ordered a regular cheeseburger med rare and fries and my wife ordered the tuna. The tuna looked great and she enjoyed it. My burger was cooked to temp and it was good as well. Have had better but was pretty tasty. The French fries I didn't even touch. They need to get some steak fries IMO. All in all I've been here 3 times. My first two visits left a sour taste in my mouth as they couldn't cook a med rare steak to save their lives. As we checked out we had a gift card ( result of 3 overlooked steaks at our last visit) and the server thought it was a rewards card and said that system was down......we didn't know there was a rewards system and outside of it being down that's the only thing we learned about it. I wouldn't tell someone they HAD to try it but I can see coming on a Tuesday (1/2 price burger) or Thursday for 1/2 off wine. Sit on the porch and enjoy a nice evening. *Update our total for dinner was over $50. Our daughter got a good portion of Mac & cheese for $5.00 and it came with a sundae
(3)
Scott R.

The food was great and the atmosphere and decor was very interesting. I ordered the ahi tuna salad for lunch and it was phenomenal. I would visit again if I am back in Northern Fla.
(4)
Lucinda M.

Had scoped this out with Yelp but ultimately decided to try based on local recommendation; was told to sit on patio to enjoy experience, it was hot out & we had just finished canoe trip but fans were on & it felt good to sit... 20+ minutes later, none of the multiple servers had even looked our way & our table was certainly in the thick of things! Water at least would have been nice, host could have even brought us that if servers in the weeds... I have lot of patience for service industry but we ended up walking out~ prices were $10+ for burgers, $20+ for steaks, certainly not worth being ignored no matter how good food!
(1)
Amber D.

I really don't understand the reviews. Staff was friendly. Fried green tomatoes with grits were amazing. The portions were big, and the prices were accurate. They have an outdoor section, full bar. Really High Springs doesn't have a lot of choices. This place was clean and contemporary, I'm not sure you could say that about every restaurant in the area.
(4)
Rob I.

This place is great. Good food on the full menu and of course half off Tuesdays. The service can be a little hit and miss especially if it busy. Over all it's a great place to eat.
(4)
Jim W.

I was pleasantly surprised by our visit last night. The service was much better as well as a major improvement in the food. We had a party of nine which is always a challenge. Everything that came out of the kitchen was close to how it was ordered or was supposed to be in accordance with the menu. One of the kids changed their mind about their order and we changed it late. Regardless, it was handled promptly and came out of the kitchen with the original order. The food was definitely a level higher in quality and presentation than my last visit. It went from mediocre to above average. I have been told that the restaurant has been working hard to resolve its shortfalls. I noticed the managers' card can be found on every table. Thats a positive statement that says we want to improve. Even though we came late (8:00pm) the place was still busy. Tuesday night is 1/2 price burger night and obviously draws quite a crowd. Don't be too dissuaded because I only gave three stars. I'm a tough grader. If Great Outdoors can maintain some consistency at this level I'll do another review for four stars. I look forward to patronizing them more frequently in hopes that I can write that review.
(3)
Dr Yolanda C Leon L.

Enjoyed dinner last week! Nice decor, great Mahi salad. The grilled mahi was absolutely delicious. We had conch fritters that made me think I was in Key Largo. The staff was friendly, the restaurant was nicely decorated, and everything was at its best! My brother loved the shrimp and grits. Will eat there again soon!
(5)
Roger P.

My chowder was lukewarm and the restaurant had just opened for dinner. Apparently they did not warm it sufficiently. My pork chop was a generous portion; unfortunately it had a foul taste and odor. The server and manager were attentive and polite. I gave up after a couple of attempts to order a small medium steak. The rest of my party did not have the same experience.
(2)
Ka N.

Cute place in downtown High Springs. Perfect for a meal after flowing down the rivers nearby.
(4)
Lauren W.

We go to Ichetucknee Springs every year. We saw this place and decided to try it. The big khuna burger was delicious and not your typical burger, the sweet potatoe fries served on the side were also banging. This chef has a very creative palate which always heightens the experience that much more. The overall ambiance of the restaurant was great! The name speaks for itself. We didn't have any alcoholic beverages but they have several full liquor bars with a fantastic selection. Definitely one to try off the beaten path!
(5)
Sabrina H.

I have had this place bookmarked for a really long time, but we FINALLY made it! Dang! I can't believe we waited so long to go. We went on a Friday night so we could enjoy the band. I decided to make reservations...kudos to me on that good call, the patio was packed. It was lovely weather, but they have plenty of fans to help fight off the heat in the warmer months. All of the appetizers and entrees we tried were great, but the ambiance is the real hooker here. We will definitely be back, this will also the location of our next girls night out.
(5)
P S.

I used to eat at this restaraunt weekly on Tuesdays for their blue burger. I absolutely loved it. The blue cheese would drip down the sides of the burger and I couldn't wait to get it into my mouth. Until the day they cut back on the cheese because "they were losing money". You would thing that being a frequent diner would matter, but it didn't. When my burger arrived with half of the normal amount of blue cheese (which by the way is not just blue cheese...it's now like salad dressing!) I asked my waitress to have them put some more cheese on the burger like it normally is. To my surprise she came back and said they would have to charge me extra! I asked to see the manager, Carol, and she stuck to her guns saying that there would be an extra charge to put the amount of cheese on my burger that they did before because they were losing money because of the special. They didn't take into consideration that I did not get the pickle on the side (because sometimes they are soggy) , or the grilled onions! If this restaraunt is losing money because of the price, then raise it. Reducing the amount the customer expects to get is not the right way. The owner if this business should have a secret diner, and let them know what type of service they are getting. Management doesn't care to retain their loyal customers. I will not support an establishment that has such poor customer service It's been 6 months since I have been to this restaraunt, and they are no longer the only place in town, thank goodness!
(1)
Mark K.

Disappointing for a Florida Trend Golden Spoon. Certainly over rated. Visited in a Saturday, but had reservations. That went well. The rest - seating left us crammed next to a large party (set up after we first sat down) with less than two feet of space between our table the back if their chairs; no small plates available to accompany the appetizers because "none were clean". Ordered steak - undercooked, though graciously corrected and right the second time. A warm pink center does not equal rare in the middle. Want dessert? First two items we ordered were not really available. Overall a disappointing experience.
(2)
Melissa M.

I came here absolutely famished. A friend and I had a very long day of kayaking, and with shot nerves (I had a run in with a snake!) and an empty stomach, we landed here. It was only about 5PM. My friend is 9 years older than me (me:43, him:52), so I was teasing him and telling him he qualified for the senior citizen special because just about every table at that hour was filled with senior citizens. it was like a stereotype out of a comedy movie with Bob Barker and Betty White. Anyway, the food. Pretty good. I had mahi mahi with some kind of salsa topping, garlic mashed potatoes and green beans that weren't really cooked enough. I know you don't want them mushy, but these could still make a loud snap when breaking them. Frozen margarita special was yummy. My friend had the seafood pasta which looked pretty good, so i was getting ordering envy, but I ate all of mine. So yes, I would recommend this place if you have not eaten all day, have tipped over your kayak because I snake landed in it, and stink like the sante fe river. They don't mind, and you will get full. Go for it!
(4)
Jim S.

Beautifully renovated historic building in downtown. Food and service are very good and they have a full liquor license and a very nice enclosed patio area with weekend entertainment.
(4)
Hilary R.

I had high hopes for this place since it looked so cool but I was disappointed. I got the parmesan crusted grilled cheese with chips and my husband got the jerk burger with sweet potato fries. The grilled cheese was pretty bland which was surprising since parmesan is so flavorful. My husband said his burger tasted like a fast food burger except he had to pay $10. The best thing was the sp fries which were really crispy and salty. The service was ok. We sat in the bar area and the bartender was nice but never asked us how our food was and spent more time talking to her friend at the bar and another server. I might give this place one more try but I not anytime soon.
(2)
Robin B.

Just had lunch with my family had we had three very disappointing meals. The oysters were very rubbery and chewy and everything was cold. The waitress offered to "re-heat" our food. This is not a offer you would want. If we wanted heated food we could have gotten a microwave dinner. From a restaurant with these prices you expect hot fresh cooked food. The waitress didn't to be all that concerned about our disappointment. The manger came through and ask about our experience and my husband since it was his birthday really didn't want to complain. But she did take 20 % off our bill, and apologized for the problem. This is the second time we have tried this restaurant and this will be our last. We w
(1)
Arlene Z.

One of my favorite places... It's true the food could be a hair better for the price, but the overall combination is hard to beat. Good food, good atmosphere, good music makes it really hard to leave. You just want to linger. It's the place you go with friends for great times.
(4)
Lacey Z.

Atmosphere: 5 Staff: 4 Food: 3 Food was good. Large selection of items on menu. The whole place is locally themed. Very fun atmosphere. We were driving through from the springs and thought we'd stop in as we by. Glad we did. Fun place to get a good local beer too.
(3)
Travis L.

This is a great place located a little bit outside of Gainesville. We've made the trip a couple times and loved each and every trip. They have great burgers and appetizers. Make sure to sit outside as it's a nice area and has a great atmosphere. They have a stage for live music and a fireplace outside for the colder nights. They run a decent specials so keep an eye out for those. They do a burger night which is a great deal and we took advantage of it last time. This place is worth the trip to check out at least once.
(4)
Jimmy A.

I've been coming here for about 4 years and haven't had a bad meal yet. Tonight, just had a full rack of ribs and once again, had a great meal. Witnessed someone having problems with a steak (it was "boring") and the management did everything they could to take care of him. Great service and atmosphere.
(5)
Andrew A.

love their bogo burgers on Tuesday nights! Try The Ginnie!Its amazing!
(5)
Jennifer N.

A great local place with local beer. For my first dish I tried the Fish Reuben with chips. I did have to ask for a dip for the chips. The Fish Reuben is served on toasted white butter bread, with slaw instead is sauerkraut, and a creamy sauce. I enjoyed this tasty treat with a local beer... The Gator Tail Pilsner. The server Erin was awesome and friendly. The atmosphere was similar to a steak house. There is outdoor seating and ample indoor seating.
(4)
Lily L.

Stopped in after canoeing down Santa Fe river. Food was just ok. Nothing special. The bison burger was very dry even though I asked for medium. Seafood bisque was decent. Service is just ok too. Place looked cute and wanted to like it but it's just missing everything else like great food and memorable service. Perhaps it was an off day but I would be reluctant to try it again as it would not be worth the 40 min from gainesville.
(2)
Celeste R.

I'm a local and really want to love this place but they disappoint me more than make me happy. The outdoor seating area is wonderful but you can wait a long time for your food even if they're not crowded. And sometimes when you finally get your food, it's a disappointment. Last night for wing night my 10 mild wings took 40 minutes and were cold when I received them. And the "mild" wings were half covered with hot sauce and ranch dressing - made me wonder if they were somebody's leftovers! I had them take the wings back and left. My companions' hot wings were ok, but they too were delivered cold.
(2)
David D.

I would not return to this restaurant. The service was alright but the food was not worth their high prices. I paid $25 for a 12oz prime rib, ordered medium, that really was not very flavorful or tender. I would expect this from a piece of meat priced much less. This restaurant is the classic case of being the only restaurant in town that survives with high prices and mediocre food.
(1)
S H.

Nice atmosphere and outstanding service during a lunch visit on a Saturday. The nut and berry salad was delicious. We had blue cheese chips as an appetizer, which were also very tasty. The only drawback was an under seasoned soup.
(4)
Tracy M.

I'm giving this a 5 because of the customer service. Debbie our waitress was wonderful. Very friendly, attentive and made some great recommendations. The food was overall pretty good. My wife ordered the special of the day which wasn't very good. They replaced it with a much better burger. Overall a very good experience. We'll probably go back if we are in the area.
(5)
Denise H.

Went here today with a group of about 8 at 4 in the afternoon. Was very disappointed to hear they were out of the blue cheese chips AND nachos. Not a good thing on a Saturday night! Made a snap decision for wings to go with my french onion soup, wings were ok soup was good, bread and honey butter were delish! Service was not great, did not really need to know that our waitress preferred tequila over beer..straight up no less. We waited quite sometime for drink refills and our checks. Will go back, but will make sure to have plenty of time.
(3)
Terri S.

Ate there last Saturday both lunch and dinner. Food was incredible at lunch, good at dinner. They had a wonderful crab bisque during lunch but it was gone by dinner time. Oyster po boy was fabulous, better than some I've had in New Orleans. Service was a little slow at dinner but the place was packed. Will definitely go back next time I'm in the area.
(5)
Nicole F.

The only reason I'm giving this restaurant 1 start instead of zero is the atmosphere. (And zero isn't an option). The inside is beautifully decorated with an appropriate outdoorsy theme. We made a reservation for Valentine's Day and were seated immediately. Our waitress suggested a popular Valentine's Day special- Pasta De Mare with Lobster Tail. The description read "Fresh Jumbo Diver Scallops, Jumbo Shrimp, Prince Edward Island Mussels, Roma Tomatoes, Garlic and Basil, Tossed with Linguini in a Champagne Butter, Topped with a Grilled Maine Lobster Tail and White Truffle Oil". My boyfriend decided on that, while I chose Duke's Mac and Cheese with blackened shrimp. The Pasta De Mare was presented decently, while my mac and cheese did not look appetizing. With my first bite I was immediately disappointed. There were onions mixed in, which was not in the description. What was supposed to be a yummy cheesy dish with smoked gouda and bacon was less than mediocre. It completely lacked flavor, cheese, and bacon. It was a very thin flavorless sauce with 4 shrimp that were not blackened. Now for the $28 Pasta De Mare. Also flavorless, although with an ample amount of seafood. The champagne butter sauce, garlic and basil were completely absent. In its place was simply juice from the seafood. I spotted one chunk of tomato. My boyfriend had to ask for a side of Parmesan cheese to give the pasta the slightest bit of flavor so that he could eat it. We also got two desserts which were nothing special. Over all our dinner was very disappointing and certainly over priced.
(1)
Maria S.

We came from Gainesville with family to have some good food. Ordered two 24oz prime ribs both to be rare. One came out rare and the other was more on the medium side. When we sent back the medium one "management" was alerted. Waitress told us that management would have to come talk to us. Lady manager told my brother-in-law that this is the best they could do. When we pointed out that the two steaks were identically ordered one was fine the other one was overcooked she just dismissed that. Told my brother-in-law to pick something else on the menu since they were not going to redo another prime rib just for him. That is not good customer service. Also the meat is subpar. Definitely had a ton of fat on what is supposed to be one of the leanest cuts of beef.
(2)
David D.

Great Florida local restaurant with emphasis on the local history, springs and Santa Fe river. Food is non-chain American with some local flair and portions are ample to generous. Food & drink prices are reasonable. There is also an attached Springhouse Tavern and adjoining patio which has live music playing on some evenings.
(4)
Steven L.

Great place to have dinner in High Springs. The "oscar chicken" and pan cooked redfish are amazing!
(4)
Mike G.

The great outdoors is truly a gem of high Springs. My wife and I have been there on many occasions. They have a great ambience- indoor and outdoor, good service and creative menu and drink options. They do it well consistently and on a large scale.
(5)
Sally G.

Traveling south on 75. Worth the extra time to drive into the sweet town for a nice relaxing lunch.
(5)
Mike W.

The most recent meal I had here with a couple friends was very good and overall, in the entire time I've been coming here (over five years now) I've been impressed. On occassion, the food has not been quite as good as I expected--especially in one instance with a dessert in the summer of 2011--but in general, the Great Outdoors has offered a diverse menu with a bevy of stand-out dishes, friendly service, and one of the most alluring restaurant interiors in the state. Their burgers are an especially good deal and their fish dishes also tend to be quite good. The Southern fried chicken is always a good bet, too. When they have a pecan pie, that's an awesome dessert and most of their desserts have been impressive. My advice? Try to avoid peak hours if possible. If the kitchen truly is skipping a beat here and there, it's probably swamped with orders. No excuse, that, but still sage advice I think. This restaurant can get very very very busy at times on weekends. I'm starting to feel a lot of the really bad reviews of Great Outdoors are efforts by rival restaurants. Most come from people who have not reviewed a single other establishment and just apparently signed up to post a bad, albeit very detailed, review of this one. Strange. In contrast, I've reviewed this establishment what, like four times now? And I have been on Yelp since 2007 and have 470 reviews to my credit. So . . . who are you gonna believe? The nameless complainers or people like myself and other reviewers like Sanjida S. who have given good reviews and are a constant presence on Yelp?
(5)
Amy B.

We came here on our way home from ginnie absolutely starving the service was pretty slow considering there wasn't a whole lot of people In there. Some different items on the menu but pretty basic items the BBQ pork nachos were good but there wasn't alot of toppings mostly just chips! Best part was the peanut brittle ice cream pie it was to die for! Make sure to get it!
(3)
Nina T.

It was hard to get more bread for our large party. They messed up the reservation and my seared tuna was not seared like it should be. I hadn't been here in a long time so I was looking forward to going! But, I was disappointed in the food, as were some of my family memebers.
(2)
M ..

Our salads and bread were nice but the steak at over $25 per was a total waste of time! I could have put an $8 ribeye from the local hitchcocks grocer on my grill and had something much better. Great Outdoors you do not rate the rep you seem to have most likely because you are all that is there.... Steak should have some flavor there is a trick to it, call Outback for a generic hint at a minimum.... Additional note: Please talk with the management that thought it was ok to have the dinning room temperature where it was... absolutely ridiculous when you charge those $$$ for a dinner you better make the customer love the table. One more thing, if you want people to make reservations then why do you not answer the phone number listed? If you are going to mom and pop the shop and hang up on your customers because you are busy then you should also expect this message telling you I did not appreciate it at all. Business model.
(2)
Avery C.

Ok personally I love this place! Its a must visit for me every time I visit High Springs. I almost always skip the tables and either grab a spot at the inside bar or a high top in the bar area. Major points to the bar staff here especially Mike! For me this is one of the spots I bring my students when I am teaching in the area because its one of the highlights for me in the area. I absolutely love the atmosphere! The food is also good but I will admit is a bit overpriced, $9.00 for a caesar salad is insane, but it is a good caesar salad. Some of the items on the menu are a bit so so but nothing is below average. But wait there is a reason they still get five stars from me. The kitchen will make you what ever you want! Don't see something you want on the menu then tell them what you want and you will get it. I'm not talking about small substitutions either; we are talking items completely off the menu. If you can think of it the guys in the kitchen can make it and do it well. I have never left here unhappy when I am in the bar area. But as some other reviews have noted the table service can leave a bit to be desired. So heres a simple solution don't sit at the tables!
(5)
Carolyn B.

Service: very good and efficient Food: good. Not amazing. I had the redfish that seemed like it was fish over a salad. Not exciting just blasÃ©. My friends got the fried chicken, country boil, and ginny burger. They enjoyed the food but nothing spectacular. Atmosphere: I really enjoyed that part. Extra star for that and liked the special beers.
(3)
L C.

Super nice decor, great wait staff, delicious food. I had the artichoke bisque and Reuben, will return!
(4)
Helena L.

Visited this establishment Friday evening around 6:00pm. My husband and I were excited to have a few drinks and an app. on our very rare 'date night', and chose to sit in the outdoor patio. The bar was full, so we ventured over to the side bar near the fence and fireplace and waited for a server to take our order. I counted 5 servers that were meandering around, some waiting on tables, others just conversing with one another. We sat there for 20 mins. with NO ONE coming over to see if we needed anything. My husband finally went up to the bar and tried to get the bartender's attention, but she was too busy conversing with another bartender and sucking on lemons. Finally after about 5 mins., she came over to my husband to take his drink order. What really ticked me off was when a couple sat next to us at the bar and were immediately waited on. I thought, what is going on here? Are we invisible? I then realized that the couple were regulars and known to the server, and as we weren't, apparently we were not worthy of being waited on. I don't know who owns this place, but you seriously need to step in and manage your wait staff. They are inattentive and spending way too much time conversing and having a good time. Unfortunately, High Springs is a small town with limited dining options, but after this experience, I have no problem driving the extra miles to Gainesville for a much better dining experience.
(1)
Kelly C.

Wonderful place! Great fine/casual dining w/local flare. Steak kabobs on sugar cane skewers, sweet potato fries, and locally brewed beers named after local legends. A must try !
(5)
Kimberly L.

I can't recommend the Tuesday night Burger special highly enough. Where else can you get a giant burger, for half price....and still get the same burger from regular priced nights? Though I will warn you, burger night has become so popular, they stop taking reservations by 7 pm most times. I *highly* recommend reservations, if you plan to dine any later than 6pm. The wait staff is very attentive, and polite. The food is always cooked to perfection. The atmosphere is fun, and lots of local pictures and trivia. Also, don't forget to try the beer battered onion rings....but make sure to save room for that burger!
(5)
Stephanie S.

I did not eat at this restaurant, but did stop for a drink and that atmosphere was awesome. It's fast food basically, but it appears to be the nicer restaurant in town. Next time I'm up there I'll def. try to food out!
(4)
Jennifer T.

Visited this place, once again, while camping at Ginnie Springs. It was fantastic, as always. Great food, great happy hour, everything you could ever want!
(5)
Linda R.

I love the decor of this restaurant with Old Florida feel, but rates a 3 star for me due to inconsistent experiences with the food. At lunch, got a sandwich on stale bread and service was very slow. At dinner, had a good experience with service and the meal was good -- pecan crusted catfish. I will go again. It is a great place to go for drinks and appetizers. Sit outside in the evening and listen to the live bands. Very fun. Food is just average, but again, worth stopping in and be sure to order Naked Ed Ale.
(3)
Jennifer S.

We loved the atmosphere, the outdoor patio, fireplace, and live music. The service was good, not great. The bread and honey butter were delicious, the calamari lacked seasoning and was tough and chewy. Our entrees, a burger and a pasta dish, we're enjoyable. We will return to try other menu items and enjoy the patio!
(4)
Kel B.

I had eaten here a few years back during a tubing weekend at Itchetucknee so when we planned our camping trip at Oleno state park I decided to make reservations for Thanksgiving dinner here. It was just as awesome as I remembered. It is cute and cozy and the food is wonderful. We loved it so much we ate there the next night also. My prime rib was so large that I made steak and egg sandwiches at the campsite the next morning for breakfast for two of us.
(5)
Sheila H.

We are regulars at the GO and can honestly say that sometimes when they are very busy, the service can get a little slow. But we've never had BAD service here, and the wait staff are all very pleasant and accommodating. Don't go here at dinner rush if you are pressed for time. Being in a hurry may also affect YOUR temperament and, as a result, your experience. I think high-maintenance people probably have a harder time here than some other places, but for the prices they ask, the food and the service are both satisfactory. If you are super picky and critical, you might have better luck at a chain place where the servers are robots and offer you turkey when you ask if they have vegetarian fare. :-p The GO is our "go-to" place for good food, friendly service, great ambiance, and live music on weekends. Never disappointed, even if our experience fluctuates a bit from time to time. As for menu items: for lunch, the Ultimate BLT is amazing. Will not disappoint. Dinner: the chicken oscar is one of the most underrated items on the menu, and it is SO good. I usually get the portobella mushroom ravioli, which is on the sweet side but still delicious. Also note: this is one of the last remaining bastions for "tv-less dining"! You'll see tv's in the bar or outside, but not out in the main dining area. We'd continue going to the GO for this reason alone. Every other place seem to be following the "put a tv within eyesight of every table" route which is irritating beyond measure. You can enjoy your company at the GO, without football or reality tv distracting you.
(4)
Adam G.

I've had 4 different items over the last couple years and have been underwhelmed each time. Having grown up in the general area and remember the original Great Outdoors store from when I was a kid, I want to like this place. It's a very comfortable atmosphere, inside or outside listening to music. The staff is friendly and attentive. I just can't give the food more than 3 stars. From past memory, the steak is average at best, the burger was just ok, and the ribs were awful. The ribs stand out the most, as they were very bland and boring, then just topped with a generic KC Masterpiece type bbq sauce. Since it had been awhile, I was waiting for one more trip before writing a review, so we stopped by yesterday (St. Patrick's Day) on our way through town. I was looking forward to trying something off the lunch menu and was a little annoyed that they decided to not serve the lunch menu that day, so they could push their awful Irish themed foods on you. I went with the Bison burger. Not the best Bison burger I've had, but was at least cooked perfectly medium. Previously, I'd had either normal fries or other sides. She told us we could also choose sweet potato fries or truffle fries and made no mention at all there was an upcharge for that. So that added an extra $5 for different fries for us. $5 is a little overpriced for a Swamphead brew. By the time we left, we definitely did not feel like we just ate a $50 lunch. In fact, I've never felt like I got my moneys worth there. I'm done with the place. On a side note (and this has absolutely nothing to do with the restaurant, but directed towards the City of High Springs. Drop the Bible thumping dictated liquor law. I don't care if you're religious or not, there's no logical or defendable reason I can't order liquor on a Sunday afternoon.
(3)
Meghan B.

Went here for my sister's graduation celebration with the family. Automatically I loved the decor and ambience. The restaurant has copper tiled ceilings (loooove it), canoes hanging, dragonfly sconces, and really old High Springs newspapers dating back to the early 20th century. I had the arrabiatta mussels and house salad that comes with blue cheese and candied pecans. The mussels were so yummy but could've been a little spicier for my taste. My sister had Cajun mahi mahi which came with a delicious cous cous & pea salad. Service was a little slow, but good quality. I'd go back because I loved the overall outdoorsy theme and the food was good. Plus High Springs is a really cute town to walk around in after dinner.
(4)
NORI R.

This is such a rare find in a small camping and rustic town !! The place is elegant and the service is A+++ very friendly and courteous staff and the food is wonderful - the desserts are to die for !!!!! The music is live and changes all the time, but its usually country rock or jazzy blues etc... very family like atmosphere yet cozy and romantic as well. I love taking the drive there its worth it.
(4)
Charlotte A.

Always a fun day at The Great Outdoors, thanks to the staff and my friends, that I have met there over the years!! Thank You guys!!
(5)
Laura M.

I won't hold it against the Great Outdoors that we had to wait 20 minutes for a table, since we came on a Saturday night. But to wait another half hour for our food after ordering is less excusable, even on a busy night. The ordering process was made less pleasant when we were told that certain dishes that used to come with soup/salad no longer do, and that it's not possible to sub out any of the sides that come with other entrees (we asked to do fries or veggies instead of grits with the catfish... no go). For a restaurant with such a pricey menu, they acted awfully cheap about a few french fries. They were also out of the beer I wanted to try (Naked Ed's pale ale), so I had the pilsner instead, which was quite good. When the food finally came, it was "meh." I had a veggie burger, which was one of only three meatless dishes on the menu of this formerly hippie-dippie restaurant. (The other was an Asian stir-fry, which seemed really out of place given the rest of the menu and thus I was scared to order it for fear of it tasting like crap, and the third was pasta in a cream sauce which I thought would be too heavy on a warm night.) It was a frozen Gardenburger pattie, reheated and served with a red pepper mayo on it and a pickle that the menu specifically described as "large" which was in fact laughably miniscule. I wouldn't have cared about my pickle's size if they hadn't gotten my hopes up like that. Oh well. The other members of my party seemed to think that their food was okay but nothing to write home about, which is rather unfortunate when your entree costs $20 or more. Many seafood and exotic meat items (elk, buffalo) are on the menu but they seem not to follow through on the tastiness you imagine while reading about them. The atmosphere of this place is sort of a lavish hunting lodge, which makes it feel like a chain steakhouse even though it's an independent restaurant. I do like the patio with bar, tables, and an outdoor fireplace, though, and there's lots of room inside so you don't feel crammed up against the table next to you. All in all, probably not worth the schlep from Gainesville. I'd love to support a local business like this more often, but if it can't set itself above the chains on Archer Rd., I find it hard to justify the drive and the expense.
(2)
lance s.

we went on tue night as they let your dog eat for free out on the patio, nice outdoor fireplace,relaxing and enjoyed the wine. i had the rigatoni with sweet sausage, red sauce overpowered all the other flavors i was hoping for. my wife had a chicken with pasta dish that was flavored nicely but nothing exceptional. i have had lunch there 3 different times and have loved it. dinner and wine set us back 70.00 with tip and i felt like i had been to applebees! i'll stick to lunch
(2)
Scott K.

I love this place! I have eaten both lunch and dinner many times and it is incredible. Great menu with very nice dishes which are very well composed to bring out the flavor. Very good specials. I ordered redfish last time I went and it was superb. Good service from friendly staff. This is a wonderful addition which is helping to breathe some life back into High Springs! Eat local it is great! Also the restaurant has been beautifully renovated. Pecky cypress, outdoor fireplace, pavilion, etc.
(5)
Tessa M.

New, clean and has local art through out. We had the fried green tomatoes and they weren't the best. The turkey burger was good but I was pretty hungry after canoeing at ginnie springs. Our server refilled my drinks and severed our food while it was hot. What else could you ask for? We found two local places I would love to take all my visitors too. The Great outdoors and ginnie springs. It would be nice to go back and hear their bands play especially since Trombone Charlie's is gone.
(4)
Lila R.

Fabulous food. Good service. Comfortable atmosphere. We love this restaurant and travel about 45 minutes just to eat here.
(5)
john f.

great food, great atmosphere. I dined alone, which is always awkward, but my waiter made me feel very welcome. usually you get some attiutude for tying up a whole table with just one person, but he seemed delighted to have me there. The ginnie Burger was right on time. The dollar draughts on Sunday night, along with the live band, and that great patio, made for an excellent evening. I will definitely be back, next time I'm in town!
(5)
Dawn M.

Being local to the High Springs area, my husband and I frequent the Great Outdoors often, and we are never disappointed. They offer a wonderful selection of items at a variety of price points. All of which are delicious. The only negative I have is that some of the more exotic (and delicious) items they offered when they first opened have been removed from the menu. But there are still many wonderful choices available! We will continue to visit the Great Outdoors weekly, and bring everyone who visits us. The Great Outdoors is a real gem in High Springs.
(5)
Liz M.

My husband and I ate dinner here recently. The interior of the restaurant is really nice, and the service was good. However, both the appetizer and the entree were completely disappointing and way too expensive. We had the fried green tomatoes to start. The portion was ridiculously small for the price. We got four slices of tomato for $7 and change. The crust was oily, the tomato was much too sour, and when you chewed, the two unpleasant tastes merged to become one flavorless mass. We're both native Floridians and know what good fried green tomatoes are, and were appalled by what we got here. I asked about their private label beers, and was told they came on tap. I ordered Naked Ed's Pale Ale, and was delivered a bottle, not a draft. The server apologized and took back the bottle and the charge; she said she'd misunderstood my question. I appreciated her promptness and amiability, especially because at this point I was dreading the bill for the terrible appetizer. We split the shrimp and grits entree from the dinner menu. We received three medium shrimp each, a small mound of grits, a tiny square of cornbread, and a large pool of watery sauce with the occasional onion or tomato morsel. It was another case of tiny portions for large price. Our entree was $18.00. The shrimp were fresh enough, but none of the elements of this dish were flavorful. When our server was clearing our plates, she noticed that we hadn't eaten our fried green tomatoes. After she asked us if we hadn't liked them, we told her that they were flavorless. She volunteered to talk to the manager about it, and had him/her remove that from our bill as well. Her service was great. It was the only thing that kept us from fuming all the way home that night.
(2)
Kent B.

Drove a group from Jacksonville, FL to kayak down the Ichetucknee Springs. We stopped here on the way home and I'm glad we did. There was 30 people in the group and Blake handled it as if it was a 4top with no trouble and everything went so smooth. The food is phenomenal and it is very unique with all the outdoor stuff on the walls and the huge fire pit outside. If you are ever this way this is a must stop for sure! The Boston clam chowder is truly award winning and to die for. I will be back with more groups.
(5)
S L.

Still 2 stars after visting this restaurant many many times. If you want to ensure your money is well spent on good food off of their menu, stick to their appetizers, drinks, beef burgers, and desserts and you will be happy. Stay clear of their overpriced entrees because you will be underwhelmed, and dont waste your money on any of the fish they serve.
(2)
Michael D.

We live in High Springs and Great Outdoors is a decent restaurant. I have tried many items on the menu and they were generally good. I'm not sure what's happened over the last couple years, the food quality has significantly dropped. There is less care in preparation and the flavors are not as good.
(2)
Bruce G.

My wife and I had dinner here last week on Friday and Saturday nights while we were in the area visiting relatives. The service both nights was good and efficient. We have been here before and have had a variety of items on their menu before. On Friday my wife had a chicken something that she liked. My Aunt & I had shrimp & grits which I had when we were there a couple of years ago. Neither of us liked it. It was different than a couple of years ago when I thought it was fabulous. Way too much tomato based sauce & the shrimp had little flavor. The grits...ehhh. And I like grits. This was the first meal that I had at Great Outdoors that I did not like. The Margaritas were very good and clearly were actually made by the bartender...not some nasty drink mix. We also had bread pudding and key lime pie for.dessert. The bread pudding was very good. The key lime pie was fabulous! Saturday night My wife & I split a Artisan Pizza. It was quite good. My cousins had prime rib & steak. Both liked their meals and they looked good too. I still like the place and recommend it. We will be back next time we are in that area.
(4)
Asa D.

Great Outdoors has a great patio, even on colder nights when they pass out blankets to guests. Their menu is pretty straight forward American style food like at Applebee's or Friday's, but it is certainly a step up from chain restaurants. Just don't expect anything spectacular. As a rule the grilled fish is overcooked -- that just seems to be the style in central Florida. The burgers are okay.
(3)
Rachael T.

Nice atmosphere both indoors and in the 'great out' where there is plenty of seating in either the sun or shade. We loved our servers on both visits, especially Kathy who provided excellent local tips. The menu is 'basic pub' with a few twists. My friend loved the Thai salad with coconut tofu and her veggie burger was fine too. I ordered Grouper Ruben which was neither grouper, (tilapia I think) nor Ruben due to the American cheese. The end result was a greasy mess I did not enjoy. I did like the tailgator lager quite a bit. Overall I recommend this place, ask the server for suggestions to better navigate the menu.
(3)
Shannon A.

I loved the food and the atmosphere. The building is historic and beautiful and the staff were very friendly! They have a large menu and I have never been disappointed. I get the fried chicken meal usually, it is really good, and a cocktail. The food is in very large portions and I never have room for dessert!! The soups and salads are delicious and come in decent portions. The mixed drinks are fairly priced and strong. The martinis are wonderful, I loved the lemon drop. We have had almost every appetizer on the menu and our favorites are the gator tail, fried green tomatoes, and calamari. We will definitely be coming back!
(4)
Dennis P.

Service = Shit Took two hours to get food. One hour for the appetizers
(2)
Rusty T.

Wow. This place tastes amazing! We go every time we dive Ginnie Springs and can't get enough of their food. The atmosphere is wonderful too! The live music is always fun on the patio. Try the Mahi Mahi.
(5)
Joe G.

Summary: we will not return. Bad, bland, boring food. Poor, attention-to-detail-lacking, waitress. Entrance was cold, unwelcoming by the table arranger. Incredibly over priced food. Wow, just wow, so bad, this is my first web review - trying to save you! Day, time: Saturday, 6:30pm There was no wait for a high top near the bar. There was 4 of us for the evening. Drink order failures: One water was ordered no ice, failed. Bottled beer was brought with the bottle inside the glass. Obviously the place has got to have other sanitary issues if they think that is OK. Took 15 minutes to get our order in. Weren't told the specials until we started to place our orders. Had to ask for silverware, that after bread/butter and salad brought. Meals ordered: 1) Mahi Mahi, Cajun grilled, on bed of greens and couscous: Fish was dry and hard. Was served barely warm. Had a large dollop of something like mayo on top. Absolutely no flavor. I had to put on table pepper for any kick. The greens were exactly the same in the small salad served before the meal for one of us, dressing and all. No more that a tablespoon of couscous. Atrocious. 2) Chicken Asparagus over penne pasta: My friend had to keep pushing her food to the side once she saw the bath of grease at the bottom of the bowl. Asparagus? Ha. OK, they didn't lie, but deceived for sure. You would think for $14.50 you would get mostly tips; nope not one single asparagus tip, just sliced stalk. Atrocious. 3) Caesar salad with blackened chicken: Homemade dressing? Nope. Authentic Caesar dressing? Nope. Ordered blackened chicken would be blackened? Nope. Chicken looked like strips from a bag? Yep. Atrocious? Yep. 4) Spinach salad, entree size: Think it couldn't get worse? Yep? Wrong. The spinach was not fresh; wilted. Think about the last time to pulled salad out of a bag at home. Now don't grab anymore; yep, that was it. They use a trick of large, shallow, plates with wide rim. Total scam on quantity. Was listed to highlight Gorgonzola; couldn't have been a table spoon (was plated so the spinach hid what little cheese there was, and the pine nuts and tomatoes, really bad plating). On top of it? 3 basic rings of onion... only it was ordered without - at least they were able to keep the bacon and dressing the side as requested. Again, Atrocious. This place used to be a great little eatery. If you remember when they served popcorn with the addictive topping. Hold on to your memories and don't go back.
(1)
Charles K.

So we were traveling through the area and needed a meal, but out here in unfamiliar small-town in FL we weren't sure what was good. We chose this for the Yelp reviews, and we're really glad we did. I had the "lunch special" chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich, and the wife had the burger with gouda cheese. They were both excellent. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, and as the name implies focuses on the wonders of the Great Outdoors, with pictures of river scenes, fishing tackle, and a hardwood decor that makes you feel like you've just settled into a backwoods lodge. Service was fast and efficient, but all business. They have micro-brew beers made especially for the restaurant.... I had a "Naked Neds Pale Ale" and the wife had a Gator-Tail Lager. We wanted to bring a few home, but apparently they can't sell them for take-home. If you're traveling through High-Springs (or just live there and haven't gotten out to it yet) this would be an excellent place to experience "a little of the Outdoors"
(4)
Gigi A.

Tail Gator Bites are delicious! Faintly gamey, but mostly.. just like chicken, as cliched as that sounds. Try it! Their burgers are also delicious and the service was very good. Their sweet tea was spot on, not too sweet! Over all I'd give their food 4.5 stars! The indoor part has a very cozy setting with lovely lighting that reminds me of being inside on a cold snowy night. The outdoors is a little bit more relaxed with a bar, some booths and some tables under canopy. Its beautifully decorated with old kayaks and canoes and paddles and old hurricane lamps hanging on the ceiling. Service can be just a tiny bit slow sometimes, but it didn't bother us as we weren't really in a rush and food came out within minutes. I'd definitely go back if I'm in the high springs area again :-)
(4)
D W.

Service food atmosphere- WOW- loved it. FOOD waS GREAT - awesome cold local beer., If I were rich I'd eat here daily- extensive menu in this LOVELY little town of high Springs. Lots of healthy things to choose from!
(4)
Kurtis M.

Smells good. Been waiting an hour and half for our burgers. Should know the taste soon. I hope...
(1)
Lucie R.

We are so fortunate to have The Great Outdoors Restaurant in High Springs! We are proud to recommend it to our Grady House guests. We eat there, sometimes, two to three times a week. We love the hamburgers! The fish is fresh and delicious! The salads are perfect! The pastas - the best. Soups - to die for! Service and friendliness - unbeatable! Music on the patio - top notch and a lot of fun! Don't miss The Great Outdoors Restaurant.
(5)
Jay P.

I have been to this place a few times, even a couple after a poor experiences (everyone deserves a second chance), but I am DONE. I am in the customer service industry, and here is where this restaurant fails miserably. Let me tell you why.... I have had, now on two repeat occasions, issues with the staff and management not happily trying to meet the needs of my child with food allergies. After having explained very simply about the need to separate the bun from the burger (not very difficult), once I was charged $1 for the separation for "labor costs," and once it was not done at all. In addition to this, I have had the staff nickle and dime every aspect of an order. The price you see is not the price you pay. There will be ancillary $.50 and $1 charges (or more) placed on your bill without your prior knowledge. They even charge you extra to take things off an order! Having said all this, I have had some pretty tasty food here. So, I am truly disappointed that the short-sighted management and lack of customer-oriented service here will be preventing me from coming back. The management I have personally spoken with do not seem to have an interest in retaining customers, and therefore this customer is no longer. A real shame, considering I and about 20 family members in the area would love to frequent a great local restaurant and support local business. The decor and ambiance of the place are truly warm and inviting, but the staff is what needs the makeover (perhaps even the ownership). They would benefit greatly from some training ( giveemthepickle.com ). I am really disappointed that I cannot recommend Great Outdoors.
(2)
Melissa L.

Can I say zero? Very overpriced. Arrived 8:00 food arrived 9:10. Servings are very small for very expensive prices. $10 for a cup of pasta with marinara sauce. Nice placr but awful experience
(1)
Chris W.

The food was great. However, we went here because we heard that they brewed their own beer. Come to find out that the beer is brewed and BOTTLED (no draft) in Melbourne, then they slap a Great Outdoors label on it and call it their own. That's fine, as long as the beer is still good. The Naked Ed's Pale Ale was decent. The pilsner might have been Bud Light with a new label. We didn't try any of the entrees because they seemed overpriced ($20-$26 each) and the steak and salmon dinners that were ordered at the table next to us didn't look very appealing or like they were worth the price. That being said, we stuck with the appetizer menu and we were extremely impressed. We will go back based on the apps alone. The conch fritters were the best I've ever had and I've had them all over the Keys. They were awesome! The New England Clam Chowder also was extremely rich and delicious and the French onion soup was tasty and had nice big chunks of onion.
(3)
Brian O.

For the price, I thought this place was awesome, Then again, I was starving after spending ther morning diving. The food was excellent (lunch), especially the salad. Service was also great, the staff really took care of us, constant refills and they were very nice. Great!
(5)
Steven L.

My family and I had the worst experience at this establishment. First, when we arrived, the manager and hostess were not friendly. Our server did not have basic knowledge of the entrees. I took a bite of my grouper and it was obviously undercooked. It was pink and slimy. When I informed the server, she took my new order and did not apologize. We ordered calamari and cheesy grits and they were the smallest portions I have ever had at any restaurant. Also my husband's entree included couscous with greens, which was actually greens sprinkled with one tablespoon of couscous. We were told it was half off burger night and we ordered a turkey burger for the kids. When we received the check, we were charged full price for the burger and the charge for my grouper was never changed to my less expensive meal. We pointed out the errors to the server and she informed us that the turkey burger did not apply to the half off burger deal. We asked to speak to the manager and explained to her about the raw grouper and that we were told burgers were half off. She was rude to say the least. She informed us that the turkey burger was not included in the special and was not apologetic regarding the fish. In addition, all the corrections made led to long waiting periods. I would NOT recommend this restaurant to my worst enemy. There were issues in every facet of our dining experience. The food quality was mediocre, over priced and portion sizes were ridiculously small. We had high expectations based on reviews and left highly disappointed and disgusted.
(1)
marcie r.

We come to High Springs from Tampa and eat here one night of our weekend stay. The menu has changed every time we've been back. Food gets better each time. BUT the service has not gotten any better. Yes, it was a home FL/LSU game, but planning for extra help would have been great! Beautiful place. We had reservations, but still had to go ask for our table after 20 minutes wait past our rez. Then ordering took FOREVER.
(3)
Roger J.

I Ate here for the first time after my sales manager Tim here at Gainesville Nissan recommended it. I had my doubts , but was proved wrong. We were greeted right away, and were seated shortly thereafter. Our server (Brittany) was smiling and informative about the menu and quick with suggestions. I was delighted to run into Brittany because she had served myself, my wife, and children many times at her previous employer. Our meal was served promptly fresh and delicious. Great job...
(5)
Kyle S.

The server, who is also apparently a manager, was great. The food was pretty good. The atmosphere was pretty good. I'd definitely go back if ever in High Springs.
(3)
Brandon W.

Way overpriced! I have officially seen the smallest chicken leg in history lol I wish I would have taken a picture. I ordered the southern fried chicken. It taste ok but the chicken was the smallest part of my plate. Literally no bigger than my thumb. I will give them some credit on the mussels they were pretty good and the bread with honey butter was a hit overall prob won't go back
(2)
Steve P.

I love the great outdoors because it is downtown in historic High Springs, close to my home. The food is not always perfect but what restaurant is. Chris is a great waiter. The dining experience is always tops with Chris.
(5)
Erin B.

Absolutely fabulous food and wonderful atmosphere. Outdoor bar has a bit more relaxed atmosphere than the indoor dining area. Great place to have an excellent meal and sone locally brewed beer after a day on one of the nearby rivers. Highly recommend this place.
(5)
Mindy C.

The food here is really good but their service is extremely slow. We didn't get our appetizers for about an hour and when they finally came they were good but not incredible. Their ginnie burger is amazing and very juicy.
(3)
Norman P.

Beware of the "bait and switch" happy hour! Asked for the happy hour specials, and were handed a card which priced "well" and "call" brands. Ordered Crown and ginger. Ordered two appetizers and two more rounds. Only when we asked for the bill were we informed that Crown was neither well nor call and were on the hook for much more than expected. Bartender claimed I had asked for Crown "instead", which was never uttered. I find this practice deceptive and dishonest and will never be back. No one offered to make the adjustment to call pricing. The "manager" after much discussion offered to buy us a round "next time". I let him know that was not going to happen. Only the worst establishments allow customers to experience negative surprises. This is one of those.
(1)
Tracy G.

I live in Ocala, my sister lives in Gainesville so we were looking for a new place to eat. I had high hopes from reading their menu online. We were seated right in the sun and I was sweating before the appetizer got to our table. We ordered Bleu Cheese Chips. I didn't have any but everyone at the table said they liked them. I ordered the "special" which was grilled grouper on a bed of nutty orzo, grilled shrimp and grilled scallops. It sounded delicious and like a lot of food for $22. It was not the fish looked baked and was about 2 oz, 2 small shrimp and 2 scallops.... none of which was grilled. All of this was on top of a "bed of orzo" about 3 cups. I was very disappointed. And hungry....
(1)
Patrick ..

Stopped in at 8pm on Wednesday and was suprised that it would be a 40 minute wait w/out a reservation. That was surprising. Tried again on Thursday and seats were to be found. Overall, it kinda expensive for whats you get. We had an app and two burgers. They were fine but not great or remarkable. They also did not have some of their beers because of a 'licensing' issue? The draft selections were quite limited and uninspiring. The server was nice but he had too many tables so there was a fair amount of waiting for service. The experienced seemed forced. I felt like an upscale dining experience was being shoehorned into a casual restaurant, especially with name like great outdoors.
(3)
Sherry L.

Very good food (burgers, fried fish sampler and blue cheese fries). Great music out on the porch in a great space to eat outdoors! Sometimes service is slow.
(4)
jennifer g.

Went for dinner last night with a party of 12. Appetizers were great love the chips with blue cheese and bacon. The soups were also delicious. The meals were good large portions
(4)
Jessica L.

Came to High Springs for some spring diving en route to somewhere else. This spot was an unexpected find in a sleepy town. gREAT outdoor seating, live band, good service despite showing up 10 min before kitchen closed. We had the PEI moule (mussels), spicey version and they were good (I have had fab moule in France, so hard to beat that). The French onion soup surprised me. I am super picky about it because I make awesome French onion soup. Theirs was not too salty (usually my biggest complaint), and was heavy on cheese (can't go wrong there). Boyfriend had bison burger. Slightly over cooked but the horseradish mayo rocked it.
(4)
Kasey G.

The Great Outdoors has some amazing shrimp 'n grits. Love the atmosphere and the service. 4 out of 5 stars, for sure!
(4)
Steven K.

Restaurant has a great atmosphere and cool decor, and the outside patio is really nice. Great Outdoor Nachos are incredible and the wings were really good too! The server was really nice and fast and never let our drinks run out. Live music was a bonus too!
(5)
A P.

I always make a point to stop in when I'm traveling to South Florida. The Great Outdoors has consistently good food and excellent service. The restaurant is beautiful inside, with natural wood paneling, and beautiful, professional photographs of the local springs on the walls. There's something for everyone on the menu, from hamburgers and craft beer, to stuffed pork-chops and homemade desserts. I find it difficult to get past the appetizer menu. The Fried Ravioli is great, and even though it seems strange on a Southern Menu, the Boston Clam Chowder is a tasty way to warm up after a long day in the local springs. Even my Yankee friends like it! My favorite item on the menu is the Great Outdoors Nachos (honey BBQ pulled pork, jack and cheddar cheese, sour cream, grilled corn, and fresh jalapeno slices over organic corn chips). I usually order this as my meal, and end up sharing the leftovers with the rest of the table, which makes everyone happy, even the Yankees!
(4)
Clifton M.

Went on a Friday night and it started out great, was unbelievable, we were seated within 5 minutes but that's where it stopped ! The service was extremely slow ! It took over 10 minutes for the waitress to come take our drink and appetizer orders. Then another 10 minutes to bring our drinks and take our food order and then another 15 minutes after that before our appetizer arrived! Never once did our waitress ask us if we needed our drinks refilled! After another 20 minutes our food was delivered by another server, finally when we're half way through eating our waitress showed up and asked if we needed anything and we both advised a drink refill would be nice! As for the food it was cool to warm and the fish was extremely dry!! Don't think I will be going here for awhile !!
(2)
Michele W.

We were hungry after kayaking the Ichetucknee river and were passing through town. We were expecting typical bar food and were surprised by the quality of food. Tgey had unique and delicious items. My husband got the veggie burger which tasted homemade. I got the farmers salad which was abundant and delicious. I forgot to ask for dressing on the side so it was a little more than I usually put on. I tend to go light on dressing though. Great atmosphere!
(5)
Cynthia N.

Love this restaurant Good food, excellent service Great place to eat after tubing the river. Oh the seating outside is fabulous !
(3)
Nicholette M.

Ok, so I have to admit.. living in Alachua, I just always assumed that High Springs was this redneck type of town... I was wrong. This place has beautiful hardwood flooring, impressive wine selection and a beautiful outdoor terrace dining area ( which is beautiful btw.. complete with an outdoor fireplace). Anyway, it was Sunday and I wanted to try it out. Not a redneck in sight! Everyone was mostly rocking country chic clothing, designer shades, and riding boots. Very friendly staff and bartenders too. I sat outside, enjoyed a delicious bowl of clam chowder and a BLT made w/ fried green tomatoes instead of the traditional red one. Oh yea.. and they serve orange and pineapple mimosas starting at 1pm. The menu is very unique w/ a cool twist on all your country favorites. A must try!
(4)
R B.

Mediocre food at best, terrible service. It took an hour to get our food and another 30 min to get our check. I think the only reason they stay open is that they're pretty much the only show in town.
(1)
Josh S.

I knew I wanted to update my review here, and for some reason I thought I had initially given it 3 stars and felt bad that I was going to have to downgrade to 2 stars. Lo and behold, I had it right the first time around. We continue to have hit or miss experiences here. I've resorted to only coming here once every couple months, and only on Tuesday nights, which is half price burger night. Great Outdoors is really the only restaurant to sit and have a good beer in the area. If you are able to even find a drink elsewhere in town, you're pretty much subjecting yourself to either Bud Light or worse (e.g. lung cancer from Spindrifter). It isn't worth coming here for drinks alone, so how about atmosphere? I really dig the outdoor patio area. As I said in my previous review, I could see myself sitting out there before or after pretty much any activity... visit to the springs, golf outing, college football Saturday, happy hour, you name it. So hey, tasty half price burgers and a great outdoor atmosphere? What else could ruin it? Service... and not just the servers. I've been put off a few times by meh service here, be it inappropriate comments, training issues, etc. But even the management doesn't seem to care, and I haven't seen anyone here make an effort to retain customers or make things right when something goes wrong. I guess they have made enough of a name for themselves to not have to worry about a few unhappy campers, but it shouldn't be an excuse for indifference and making customers feel unwanted. It's not good enough to be getting by on the fact that there is nothing else like it in the Alachua/High Springs area... they should still be trying to improve. So disappointing that I live 5 minutes from here and rarely get the urge to go. Hopefully I can bump the star rating up someday.
(2)
Jim C.

One hundred years ago, the building was an opera house. Now it is a popular restaurant. High Springs is about 5 mile off of I-75 but is a great stop on your travels if you can take the time. The restaurant has 3 areas to dine, main room, the bar and a large outdoor area which is very popular. It is a brick building with the interior decorated with items from the area relating to scuba diving, the springs and even a wood canoe suspended from the ceiling.
(3)
Miguel G.

The atmosphere is very relaxing and sitting outside is the best option. The service and people were very nice. If I were to suggest anything on the menu it would be the great outdoors nachos. So much flavor in that dish and will leave you super full! Definitely a good place to stop by if you're in the area.
(4)
Kurt K.

Have this place a try YEARS ago and it was horrible. Took 6 of us the other night for 1/2 price hamburger Tuesday. Only four generic burgers half off. Burgers were by all accounts good. We had the calamari and fried green tomato appetizers and one in our party and onion soup. All delicious But I think the baskets they are arced I makes you think you are getting more than you are. Not really enough to share amongst 6 folks. I had the nut n berry salad with scallops. Wish there had been a few more scallops on the skewer. Overall the salad was delicious. Not too much but very good portion. I was not ready for dessert. But those others wanted chocolate mouse and bread pudding. Bread pudding won. It was good. I mean GOOD. ONLY KNOCK is you weren't allowed to get happy hour prices in the dining room. We solved that by walking into bar but we were chastised by the bartender but she served us anyways. Their lame excuse was it took away from the server. So let the server get our drinks at happy hour prices. Better tan the last time and most importantly my group enjoyed themselves. Maybe I will try wing night next time I am in town.
(4)
Laura L.

Being from High Springs, I have loved this place for a long time and have always recommended it. Unfortunately, the past few times have been a bust. Higher prices and smaller proportions. Today I got the ceasar salad thinking I couldn't go wrong. $11. Added chicken $4. The salad was served on a burger plate (no depth) and about the size of a normal side salad. Processed, cold chicken. NOT a $15 salad. I won't be going back sadly.
(2)

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Address : 65 N Main St
High Springs, FL, 32643
Phone (386) 454-1288
Website https://www.greatoutdoorsdining.com
Click To Get Directions

Opening Hours

Specialities

Takes Reservations : Yes
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

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Great Outdoors Restaurant

65 N Main St, High Springs, FL, 32643

Great Outdoors Restaurant Menu

Appetizers

Appetizers - Moule

Signature Salads

Burger

Signature Steaks

Pasta from the Pan

Great Big Platters

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Kids Menu

Healthy Meal suggestions for Great Outdoors Restaurant

Appetizers

Appetizers - Moule

Signature Salads

Burger

Signature Steaks

Pasta from the Pan

Great Big Platters

Go Favorites

Kids Menu

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