Highest-rated Restaurants in Gainesville, Georgia by Diners

Photo Illustration by Stacker // Canva

Highest-rated restaurants in Gainesville, Georgia by diners

Humans are creatures of habit. We tend to stick to our morning routines, rewatch movies we've seen time and time again, and hit up the same tried-and-true restaurants when going out for a meal. In fact, 35% of Americans said they rarely, if ever, try a new restaurant they haven't been to before, and 5% say they never do, according to a survey of more than 2,600 diners from TouchBistro.

But those numbers look quite different when you focus on younger generations—56% of Gen Zers and 47% of millennials in the U.S. say they visit new restaurants once a month or more. When it comes to deciding which new restaurant to try, younger generations are also more likely to rely on online reviews, through sites like Yelp or Google or from social media. The TouchBistro survey found that 71% of Gen Zers and 72% of millennials have opted to try a new restaurant solely because of favorable reviews online.

Some of the best restaurants in your neck of the woods might be those established spots that customers have been visiting for decades, but some may be brand new. More than 10,000 new restaurants opened in 2023, up 5.7% from 2022, according to a report from BentoBox. The states that saw the most new restaurants open up in 2023 were Florida, Texas, California, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, but new locales are popping up all over the U.S.

To help you determine which spots—both new and long-standing—to try out, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in Gainesville, according to Yelp reviews from diners as of January 2024. Only restaurants with at least 20 reviews were considered. Read on to find some inspiration for the next time you dine out.

Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily reflect each restaurant listed.

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#30. Chicken Salad Chick

- Rating: 4.0/5 (54 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1122 Dawsonville Hwy Ste 500 Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Sandwiches, Chicken Shop, Southern
- Read more on Yelp

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#29. Taqueria El Mercadito

- Rating: 4.0/5 (70 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 275 Pearl Nix Pkwy Ste 2 Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

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#28. Cotto Modern Italian

- Rating: 4.0/5 (70 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 106 Spring St. Ste 100 Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#27. Atlas Pizza

- Rating: 4.0/5 (423 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 104 Washington St. Northwest Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Pizza, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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#26. Rabbittown Cafe

- Rating: 4.0/5 (118 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2415 Old Cornelia Hwy Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Southern, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

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#25. El Caldero Dominican Restaurant

- Rating: 4.5/5 (27 reviews)
- Address: 2550 Atlanta Hwy Ste 900 Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Dominican
- Read more on Yelp

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#24. Quillian's Grill

- Rating: 4.5/5 (40 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4930 Cleveland Hwy Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: American
- Read more on Yelp

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#23. YellowFin

- Rating: 4.5/5 (117 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 120 Bradford St. Northwest Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Seafood, Bars, Venues & Event Spaces
- Read more on Yelp

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#22. Bucket O' Shrimp

- Rating: 4.5/5 (133 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3170 Frontage Road Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Seafood, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

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#21. The Inked Pig

- Rating: 4.5/5 (132 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 893 Main St. Southwest Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Barbeque
- Read more on Yelp

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#20. Carniceria Tapatia

- Rating: 4.5/5 (23 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1500 Browns Bridge Road Ste 122 Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Grocery, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#19. Lorio's Wings-N-Things

- Rating: 4.5/5 (31 reviews)
- Address: 6820 Keith Bridge Road Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Chicken Wings, Seafood, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#18. Taqueria Tsunami

- Rating: 4.5/5 (97 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 106 Spring St. Southeast Ste 160 Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Tacos, Cocktail Bars, Asian Fusion
- Read more on Yelp

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#17. Sweet Magnolias Cafe & Bakery

- Rating: 4.5/5 (87 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 118 Main St. Southwest Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Cafes, Bakeries
- Read more on Yelp

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#16. Haydees Cafe

- Rating: 4.5/5 (94 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3204 Atlanta Hwy Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

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#15. Kelley's Tavern & Grill

- Rating: 4.5/5 (86 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 628 East E Butler Pkwy Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Burgers, Chicken Wings, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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#14. La Reyna Taqueria Y Pupuseria

- Rating: 4.5/5 (37 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 272 Dawsonville Hwy Ste A Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Mexican, Salvadoran
- Read more on Yelp

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#13. Zen Ramen & Sushi Burrito

- Rating: 4.5/5 (182 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 115 Washington St. Southeast Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Ramen, Asian Fusion, Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#12. La Mejor De Michoacan

- Rating: 4.5/5 (37 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 405 Atlanta Hwy Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

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#11. El Tepache Mexican Grill

- Rating: 4.5/5 (20 reviews)
- Address: 1210 Thompson Bridge Road Ste F Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

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#10. Diletto Bakery

- Rating: 4.5/5 (87 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 528 Bradford St. Southwest Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Desserts, Coffee & Tea, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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#9. Consuelo

- Rating: 4.5/5 (46 reviews)
- Address: 112 Bradford St. Southwest Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Mexican, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#8. Kairos Cafe

- Rating: 4.5/5 (26 reviews)
- Address: 1870 Atlanta Hwy Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

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#7. Atlanta Highway Seafood Market

- Rating: 4.5/5 (418 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 227 Atlanta Hwy Ste 900 Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Seafood, Seafood Markets
- Read more on Yelp

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#6. Vickys Tacos

- Rating: 4.5/5 (22 reviews)
- Address: 203b East E Butler Pkwy Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Mexican, Salad
- Read more on Yelp

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#5. Inn Between Deli

- Rating: 4.5/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 965 Riverside Drive Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Delis, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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#4. Hopscotch Restaurant

- Rating: 4.5/5 (31 reviews)
- Address: 107 Bradford St. Southeast Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: New American, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#3. Alpha Gyro Grill

- Rating: 4.5/5 (207 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 215 Jesse Jewell Pkwy Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Mediterranean, Greek
- Read more on Yelp

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#2. Danny's Donuts

- Rating: 4.5/5 (109 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 417 Main St. Southwest Gainesville, Georgia
- Categories: Donuts, Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp