Northwest Grille

This is clearly a "where the locals go" place. It was busy throughout our dinner but we never felt rushed. Staff members are friendly and accommodating. Portions are generous. Dessert was not too sweet. We were encouraged to share dessert - the server brought two spoons without being asked (we ended up each having a separate dessert).

Greeted Warmly and seated right away. Menu had a wonderful selection and specials. Our Server Mickey was Friendly and Fast and our appetizer and lunch was Delicious! The Best Fresh Fish hands down. I had the Cod which was Incredible and Hubby had the blackened grouper. Both Amazing! HIGHLY RECOMMEND this great family owned restaurant

We had my mom's 100th birthday party in the private room and it was wonderful. Jessica provided excellent service; the space was perfect; everyone helped me decorate; all our guests had a wonderful time. Highly recommend this for a fun event.

Phenomenal meal. My wife had the drunken grouper and I had St. Augustine shrimp with grilled grouper. Fantastic. Service was top notch. Seated and served quickly. Shout out to Jay our server for being awesome. Just what we needed to polish off 9 hours in the car. If you’re in Gainesville for any reason, this place should be top of the list!

Wanted to visit Gainesville and walk the Main Streets and see the stores but it was raining so we just drove around and wanted a late lunch. I asked by cell phone, Seri, to find us a cozy, good restaurant for lunch nearby. Siri suggested Northwest Grill 2 miles away. It was perfect with great people, good food and cozy, homey atmosphere. How did we ever exist before cell phones?

Delicious, made to order food. We did have to wait quite a bit for our food, but it was worth it. So fine dining, but not necessarily fast. The mashed potatoes were incredible!

Everything was awesome! Food, drinks, company, service, etc! Such a homely feeling. Always have a great experience! Sean and Vanessa are awesome! Very attentive and welcoming everything we visit Northwest Grille!

Family atmosphere. Service was good and didn't take too long. Food was delicious and portions were good.. just didnt care for the collards. Had the grouper stuffed with crab and the blackened grouper. The fish was good, not over cooked. First time here and will certainly come back.

Fresh seafood in a cozy, warm atmosphere. They offer daily specials and a rotating soup of the day. The staple soup is a New England seafood chowder that is thick and creamy. I decided on the Steak and Shrimp to try the best of land and sea. The seasonings on both the shrimp and steak were very flavorful and cooked well. I asked for a side of drawn butter to dunk my shrimp in. So Good! You are offered bread with the purchase of an entree, which is a nice touch that so many restaurants have done away with. And save some of that bread for sopping up steak juices and finishing off your drawn butter! Will definitely return when I am in the Gainsville area again!

Hidden away in the northwest corner of Gainesville is one of the hidden gems of this city. Does Northwest Grill get the attention that some of the downtown restaurants receive? No. Is it as flashy as Spurrier's and the restaurants in Celebration Pointe? No. That being said, Northwest Grill has been a standout in Gainesville since 1996, a place that has been voted "best seafood" for numerous years. I finally got a chance to try it out only a few months before I moved from Gainesville, which was a major mistake on my part: I should have been dining there for years. In my two visits I tried the seafood combo with fried Alaskan pollack and fried bay scallops with collard greens and garlic smashed potatoes. The pollack and scallops were perfectly crispy, the mashed potatoes (even with the skin on) were light and pillowy, and the collard greens will make even the vegetable-less a believer. At other visit, I tried the fried cod with (again) the smashed potatoes and Northwest Grill's homemade coleslaw. One of the things that makes Northwest Grill a standout in Gainesville is their spectacular daily specials: I tried the shrimp, scallop, and bacon carbonara, which was a massive portion of warm, creamy pasta and a generous portion of seafood. The stuffed mushrooms with their goat cheese stuffing were creamy and delectable. Overall, with its massive menu and fresh seafood, Northwest Grill deserves its title as not only the best seafood in Gainesville but one the best restaurants in Gainesville. Period.

When we got there wasn't too busy.It had been a long time since we've eaten here. First thing that went wrong was after ordering our mahi dip she came back to say they were out. Our waitress was really friendly and probably the only reason I didn't give them a 2. My salmon came blackened, but I'd say overly blackened. Had a burnt crust to it, making the actual meat of the salmon dry. My collard greens, we're cold or lukewarm underneath. Best part of my meal was the baked sweet potato. With cinnamon butter, that was actually regular hard butter with cinnamon sprinkled on it.. My wife's scallops were over seasoned with lemon butter. By the time we got home, we both were on the toilet. Tonight was wine, Wednesday and Was a little louder than I expected it to be, the atmosphere of the restaurant is cozy.Just was a little too loud tonight.

The food was fantastic! The service was great with very attentive servers. The ambiance was what I would call "relaxed upscale" :-) My wife liked the fact that they had a "value" menu that had lower priced options in addition to the regular menu. We will definitely return to try other items on the menu the next time we are in Gainesville. I definitely recommend this restaurant!

Thoroughly lackluster. I say this with sadness as it's been an institution for such a long time. But it has the air anymore of a place on the skids, doing its best to imitate the best of its past. The alligator appetizer was good, a little oversalted but tenderized well and had a nice texture. The kids meal chicken and fries were fine, and a good portion size. I tried the blackened grouper. It was seasoned, but the kitchen apparently forgot to sear it. The fish was tepid and just had a damp undercooked texture. The collard greens were just a bowl of stems, and the garlic mashed potatoes were somehow completely tasteless. The "sushi grade" tuna was similarly weird, it visually had seasoning on it but was just... there. No defining taste or character, just checking the box of "piece of tuna on a plate." The 'bronzed' cod definitely had a taste, though its odd sweet sauce topped with spicy pecans was a swing and a miss by whoever thought that up. Capped with the food taking an absolute eternity to come out, arriving tepid, and almost devoid of taste, literally the only thing I'm giving a star for is the alligator and the generous wine portions. Very sad experience at a place I used to love eating at.

1-Parking and surroundings. No problem finding parking in front or side of the restaurant, plenty of parking. 2. Seating, ambiance and decor. Some ocean decor makes it feel salty, like the booths, tables and lamps. Nice cozy place to share dinner with a loved one. 3. Service is above and beyond type. They care about the customer being happy. 4. Food. I ordered the Drunken Grouper and it's surprisigly pleasing to the taste. It's full of flavor, delicious, and tasty, beer battered and you can taste the garlic, the green peppers, red peppers sitting on a delicious sauce. Cole slaw was fresh and crunchy and accompanied by a generous portion of crunchy French fries. Top that with the peanut butter pie, very good, feels like you are eating a cheesecake. "I will definitely be back" I will give it an 8 in my style of rating. In Yelp they get the five stars. I really liked it. Amazing!

Poor service. Unable to get through to anyone for over an hour to place an order for takeout/pickup. This was around 5p, not peak hours. Online ordering had upwards of $10 of extra fees to order for pickup. Poor business model.

Great fresh seafood and welcoming service. The rainbow trout and oysters were particularly tasty and so delicious. Plenty of parking and a warm ambiance in the dining room. The tartar sauce was good too. For dessert we had the carrot cake which was totally scrumptious. A satisfying dinner all around.

Update: 3/5: they were just inspected again by the county and had a total of 16 violations. Clean this place up! https://data.gainesville.com/restaurant-inspections/alachua/northwest-grille/sea1102301/4326298/?next=/restaurant-inspections/alachua/

I was delighted to try NW Grill this evening for Dinner, but after sitting an hour and a half my sugar got so low i had to leave and find a place to eat... Never Again

When I picked up a take-out order last week I saw their "OctoberFest Special: Beer Cheese Burger served on a pretzel roll, topped with fried onions, bacon and beer cheese - served with 1 side. Went in for lunch Friday just for that. It did not disappoint. Maybe the most unique burger I've had -- and I've had lots of them!

Way over priced for quality quantity n as well as food preparation. Everyone should check the Health Department's website for their health information n concerns. Would be surprised, shocked, mortified, disappointed at some of the information provided for popular restaurants as well as " food trucks."

Wonderful attentive staff. Varied menu with wide price range. Interesting menu options. We loved it!!!

Great food, great service and reasonable prices. Family owned restaurant that serves a great seafood chowder and a generous grouper filet.

Great crab and fries, broccoli was mid tho. Good waiter too. Cool lighting. I like this place

My husband and I just left this restaurant. I felt I needed to post a review. Our service was exemplary. Our server recommend the wild caught alligator tail as an appetizer and they were phenomenal. He kept an eye (unobtrusive) on us as it appeared the kitchen jumped the gun, and our entrees were ready before we had finished our apps.As northerners (Upstate NY) we don't have alligator anywhere! My husband and I both ordered the ahi tuna special (they were quite accommodating as I requested no peppers) it was wonderfully prepared as we ordered (rare). I personally found the noodles a little salty, but overall, great dish. Oh, don't go in expecting a fancy pants atmosphere. This place is not pretentious, and the SERVICE and food were outstanding.

eos Maps Flights Finance Search Results Translation Result Spanish English It's not my first time at this restaurant, and we've always had a good experience. But this time it was not like that. The food took a long time, more than an hour to be exact. My husband ordered fish and chips and they were very greasy, we sent them back twice but still the same. However the baked potato was delicious. Plus they make the best clam chowder soup.

We had dinner here last night. A very nice experience with Sean as our server. He was a very friendly, polite, very fast, mature young man. He will do well in business. Our food was excellent as well as it always is! We went about 3:30 and it was perfect. There was hardly anyone there at that hour. Ask for Sean on your next visit. Thank you, Sean , for such a nice experience!

What a great find! We have been talking about coming here for ages. So glad we finally went. It is definitely a local's spot. There was about a 10 min wait and the service for our food was a little slow but the food was so good. The fish was fresh, love the variety on the menu, and love that they have gluten free options. We enjoyed shrimp, cod piccata, and sesame tuna. Everyone loved their meals.

Had dinner with my wife on 30 May 2025. Ordered the apple martinis with tito's vodka as our beverage. After dinner and when the bill arrived, I was dismayed that I was charged an additional $2.50 per drink for them adding tito's vodka. I asked the waiter why and he told me because I asked for tito's vodka. So, what vodka would I have drunk without a $2.50 upcharge. The nickel and dimeing has got to stop. After 21 years as a customer, I think I need to find another place to spend my hard earned cash!

When we first walked in we were hit with the most off putting smell that we could not put our finger on. Once seated we asked our waitress about the cocktails featured on the chalk board sign but I'm not sure if we weren't clear or if she wasn't told about them as she didn't know. I started with the Bloody Mary bar, it hit the spot. It featured a crab leg, celery, couple of olives, green bean and pickled okra with bacon. It was the perfect app. For my meal I got the brunch salmon, it was delicious and light. It was a good portion and perfectly cooked. My boyfriend got the grouper and the filet was on the smaller size but was cooked nicely and the blackening seasoning was well balanced. Overall it was a good spot with good food. I'm glad the smell didn't send us back out the door. We did seemingly wait a bit longer than the tables around us who ordered after but sometimes that's just the luck of the draw.

Seated and waited for what seemed like forever before our server showed up. Place was busy with large groups so gave her some Grace but was disappointed I actually had to stop someone and ask to be waited on. I ordered the alligator appetizer and thought the first couple of bites were good...next piece I tried was absolutely horrible. Gristle and tough to chew is the best description I can give and it completely turned me off from ever trying gator again. Couldn't even make myself try another bite after that and my companion was glad he didn't try any of it after seeing my reaction. Meals were fried shrimp dinner for me and the fish and chips for my significant other. His fish was great. The shrimp were just okay. Once our food was brought we didn't see our server again as she had entirely disappeared. We sat for at least 20 minutes waiting for her to return so we could get our check and bounce. No drink refills, guess she was too busy in other parts of the restaurant for us. Disappointing. Wouldn't recommend.

The food was really good. I was worried the potatoes would taste burnt, but they weren't. The edges were crunch and the potatos were salty and good. Better than french fries, and those are good too. Yhe oyster breading was a little soggy, but the ousters were big and fresh. I got the shrimp and grouper grilled. Both were cooked perfect I could have eaten 2 mushroom Napolean, it was that good. The service was good too. Our waitress did a great job and never missed a beat. If I'm in Gainesville again, it will be hard to tey something else

We were visiting Florida and wanted to try gator and conch - Northwest Grille had both, so we were excited to try. We ordered: - Wild Caught Florida Alligator Tail ($15) - texture/flavor was a bit boring, glad I tried it but wouldn't order it again - Conch Fritters ($13) - the cornmeal batter was tasty, but the bits of conch were so tiny it was hard to taste anything but the batter - All-Natural Grass Fed Burger ($15) - Love the idea of this burger (100% all natural, corn, antibiotic and hormone free grass fed ground beef from Painted Hills Ranch) but unfortunately the large ciabatta bun was hard and it made it very difficult to eat the burger. Would have preferred a softer bun like a kaiser or brioche - Scallops Provencal Pasta ($16) - scallops were plentiful and sweet, but would have preferred a more flavorful sauce - Peppercorn Steak Salad ($15) - Really enjoyed this - We also got a special strawberry mojito-like drink without alcohol but it wasn't that good - tasted like strawberry seltzer water Service was soooo slow - it took more than 35 minutes for our food to come out, thank goodness we had complimentary bread to eat (it was fresh but bland). Disappointing experience considering all of the great reviews

Our friends that have gone to this restaurant several times in the past indicated it had been awhile since eating there. The 4 of us were greeted by the host and since it was early (4:45pm) we were seated right away. We ordered non-alcoholic drinks and had a couple questions regarding the menu which our server answered. I ordered the Steak and Shrimp. I was told the meal came with smashed potatoes. I also ordered a salad, our salads came out and while eating my salad has a quarter size piece of plastic. When we got our server's attention and showed him the plastic. He did offer to remake the salad but our meals were coming out. Our wives order the Flounder special and both entrees were warm at best. My friend and I both ordered the steak and shrimp. My shrimp was supposed to have the teriyaki sauce on the side. The Steak I ordered medium rare, the steak when placed at the table was rare very rare and cold. I ordered the smashed potatoes and received broccoli. I would have sent the food back but we were pressed for time. Our server came and checked on us once and by then the entire experience was just bad, very

We ordered the worst breakfast ever from them today. I ordered the Cheddar Scramble, the eggs were ok, but there was no bacon and no toast. The so called home fries were large, thick, badly burned potatoes slices that disgusted me. For $15 it was a disgusting rip off. We live 2 blocks away but they won't get much business again. Do not waste your time and money here.

We enjoy going by for brunch. The open-faced egg sandwich is spectacular. The staff are always nice and friendly. The atmosphere is a little busy but I think that's just the vibe. I definitely recommend going for brunch.

Best dinner I've had here in Gainsville Florida. Wow such a cute restaurant with friendly staff. Our waitress was a delight I wish I remembered her name she was so friendly, sweet and kind, she was a petite brunette lady and She made my birthday a day to remember it's been a lot of years since I've had such a happy friendly bubbly server that you could tell really loved her job. The food was to die for, we had the crab fondue with cheese and spinach for appetizer and the Salmon florentine the sauce was amazing I wanted to lick my plate. I'll be back next time we come to Gainsville for sure. Don't miss you on this restaurant the atmosphere is adorable too.

This is our go-to place for good dinner. You can eat in or take out . Never a bad meal . Service is wonderful , waitstaff remembers you and your favorite drink !

Eat local! The most consistently delicious, affordable restaurants in town. Do yourself a favor and come for brunch. I'm always skeptical of ordering grits, because they are often bland, but they have the BEST grits in Alachua county. (Admittedly, I even came to get some grits for take out one day instead of making my own.) Also, the pancakes. PANCAKES. They always have different flavors--red velvet, pumpkin, carrot cake--and they are always perfect, with a little crispiness on the outside. They have quite a variety of items not only during brunch on the weekend but also lunch and dinner. The staff are so friendly and don't be surprised if your server knows several of the customers. I love to see the neighborly interactions. The only thing you might want to consider, they can be heavy handed with the cheese, so just be aware (or be happy if you're a cheese fan!). The locally sourced fish is always fresh. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu--at least I haven't!

I moved to Florida a little over a year ago. I lived in New Orleans and I KNOW my cuisine. I've been here 5 times and ironically I am always seated in booth 5 and Tammy has been my server 5 times. All crazy aside! I ordered their Shrimp Skillet this morning. Holy WOW! their food has never disappointed me but today was overwhelmingly wonderful. Thanks Tammy for the recommendation and you have consistently recommended their best. YUM!!!!

Started with hot fresh bread, followed by some amazing alligator bites no after taste one of the best ones yet and I order them a lot. They kept my soda full. And the entrees where fresh and the sides as well. The staff is always friendly. Was full but still ordered some to go for later and the kids.

Food is fantastic! Not terribly expensive. Seafood chowder is to die for! Service is excellent.

My companions and I tried Northwest Grille for dinner this evening. We were greeted and seated immediately. Our server promptly took our drink order and asked if we had any questions about the menu. We were also provided with warm bread and butter. I ordered the Swordfish dinner special, my companions ordered Chicken Salad and Fried Shrimp. We all enjoyed our meals very much. What set this place apart was the excellent service. Our server Brienne was friendly, knowledgeable, attentive and helpful. We all were impressed with her. Oh, and the Salted Caramel Cheesecake was to die for!!

Our party, 3 adults and 2 toddlers, were sat down right away. They had high chairs and kids menus with crayons for the littles. Food was great and not too expensive! The waiter was very nice and kept our waters full.

We went to brunch here today after hearing from a number of people that they have brunch and a great Bloody Mary bar. I will stick to the Good, Bad, & Ugly review process for this one. The Good: the mimosas, peach bellinis, and champagne were large and great! The Bad: when asking the waiter about the specials and sides he described the food in pretty unappetizing ways. Apparently the potatoes are the ones left over from previous days that didn't sell. Reportedly they round those up and fry them for brunch on Sunday. The omelet I ordered seemed like it was made much earlier and reheated. I don't normally complain about food , but this wasn't good. The food in general was not up to par. The ugly: I really like reviews where this area can be skipped.... not so today. We arrived early for brunch and placed our order pretty quickly. We then waited for an hour and twenty five minutes to get our food. We asked the waiter a couple times about our order and were told they had a bunch of takeout orders placed right after ours and that delayed our order. Not sure why a takeout order placed after our order would supersede ours, but apparently it does here. The last reason we were told our order took so long was that 3 people in the kitchen quit a couple weeks ago and the waiter stated "they even have me back there cooking" that did not instill confidence in our order :( It was an experience for sure. All in all, the drinks were good. The food was not good, and the wait time for our food was really bad. The location is close to where I live and I was hoping for a great experience, but doubt we will go back.

After many years of passing by this place we stopped in--food was bland, seasoning lacking and prices are well above similar restaurants in the area. Waitstaff was kind, however, food lackluster--prices inflated for quality of food.

The Food was Delish! Very friendly staff and also very Kind. I left my Credit card on the bar and the manager went out of his way to mail it to me as we live 3 hours away. Top Notch food and HONEST people. Very Refreshing in these days and times. Dory

I eat here frequently since it's in my hood. The weird thing is though that I don't like seafood! I recommend the fried Northwest Grille pork chops, the cheeseburger, and the fried chicken salad. They do monthly drink specials - currently there's a wild berry martini and a whiskey summer smash, and they were both good. Zari is a very good bartender, and Wendy is the best server here. The decor is quite pleasing. It reminds me a lot of the seafood restaurant my mom worked at in Cedar Key when I was a kid. Also, they have a dessert tray!, which is a fun touch.

I sent my salmon back twice and both times it came back undercooked. Then they asked if I wanted some thing else and I switch to a medium cooked steak. That came in a big puddle of bloody juice and was completely rare. At that point I gave up. We also did not enjoy dining with multiple flies on the wall literally. This was a Gainesville favorite for me. I live close by so for this neighborhood favorite to go downhill is such a disappointment. We were celebrating a birthday and the kitchen staff kind of killed the vibe. Our waitress was nice and for that I gave two stars.

Very nice of the restaurant. Food is good and give you plenty to eat. I like the atmosphere too! Highly recommend!

4.5 stars for this chef-owned restaurant. I have eaten here 5x since it opened in 1996-- my first visit was in 2002. I was never impressed w/ the food quality, especially for the price...UNTIL NOW! With a little arm twisting, I agreed to try it again after hearing how this restaurant has gotten consistently better. AND IT HAS! Open seven days a week, Northwest Grille offers a full bar, EXTENSIVE menus, reservations, catering, & a private room that can be reserved. Our three entrees were EXCELLENT. The $15.99 daily Value Menu is IMPRESSIVE. Just L*00*K @ my Catfish dinner w/ Coleslaw & one side (Cheese Grits). Everything was AMAZING in taste & quantity! The Shrimp w/ NY Steak was also DELICIOUS (large, lightly breaded succulent shrimp), as was the lightly breaded Oysters--- SEE PICS! Even the Slaw was SUPERB-- fresh, not dry, but not drowning in dressing. My companion loved the Collards, but they were a "no" for me (only because I'm not a fan of a smokey flavor). The restaurant was clean & service was spot on. Our 25-min wait out front on one of the two long benches had been comfortable; w/ no beeper, a staffer had walked outside to tell us our table was ready. The Dinner Menu offers a wide variety of seafood-- absent Whole Bellied Clams (which I'd sell my soul for:) There are 17 APPETIZERS on the menu, including stuffed mushrooms, smoked fish dip, conch fritters, crabmeat fondue, ahi, mussels, & gator tail; 8 SALADS which include shrimp Ceasar, chicken walnut, & peppercorn steak. SOUPS are offered-- there's New England Clam Chowder & a Soup of the Day. There are 12 VALUE MEALS @ $15.99 each. Some standouts are trout, catfish, pork chops, steak & shrimp, bay scallops, farm burger, & butterfly shrimp-- each is accompanied by coleslaw & one other side. Approximately 41 Dinner ENTREES are offered, which include full meals as well as pastas & sandwiches. The following caught my hungry eyes: vegan pasta, garlic shrimp pasta, seafood linguine, vegan & grass-fed burgers, grouper, chicken caprini, filet mignon, lobster tail, snow crab, Alaskan king crab (when available), yellowfin tuna, crab cakes, & salmon. (The fish are available baked, blackened, & fried.) Grits, brocolli, garlic smashed potatoes, ceasar salad, collard greens & sweet potato are just six of the 11 SIDES. The dessert menu is not posted online, but dessert is available! There's also a BRUNCH MENU on Saturday & Sunday (10 AM to 3 PM)-- 15 entrees (including vegan & vegetarian). Additionally, there's a LUNCH MENU Monday thru Friday (11 AM till 4 PM) that offers 51 foods that run the gamut. There's also a SPECIALS MENU, which includes a DAILY DRINK SPECIAL: Bloody Mary, margaritas, martinis, wines, & craft beers. W*0*W--- HUGE menus, HUGE servings, FULL bar, FAIR pricing, & GREAT service. What's not to like??? I won't hesitate to stop in on another trip to my old stomping ground.

Northwest grill has some of the best seafood and steaks at affordable prices in the city of Gainesville. Their bar staff and waiters and waitresses are absolutely amazing at their jobs and quick with their service. The experience is a fine dining experience with the price of a casual dining service. Their chefs are very creative and come up with amazing specials! I would suggest Northwest grill anytime.

Northwest grille is fantastic ! I really did not think it possible to get fish this fresh tasting in Gainesville. I have eaten in their restaurant but because of the current pandemic I recently had their takeout. The service was great in both occasions. They were friendly and speedy which normally is expected but considering everything going on nowadays it really feels like they are going above and beyond for the customers. I would definitely recommend northwest. Support your locals! Especially when they are this delicious!

Great seafood and the service was even better. Graduation weekend and had a party of 15 and everything was perfect!!!!!

Good food and good service. The wait can be quite lengthy on the weekends or holidays. I would recommend calling ahead to prevent this from being an issues. Other than that this place has pretty good classic food. Nothing stood out as exceptional, but nothing was terrible. It was average.

Only place to go for authentic seafood. Never ever disappointed; always assured meals and service is consistent and guaranteed. Be sure to call ahead if you really want to enjoy a delicious meal and outstanding service.

Picked up lunch today. The food was ready on time, hot and tasted great! Sometimes you forget about the local places.

The seafood in the freshest in North Central Florida. I know seafood and I can recognize what's fresh. Hands down, this is the best y'all.