BJ's is an enjoyable place to go in Gainesville. Good food great beer and they even have gluten-free options. Their gluten-free pizza as actually decent and a comparable price to Pizza Vito
(4)
Kevin W.
Ok, so maybe I was a little premature in my original review. Came with friends for Cinco de Mayo. The place was relatively busy, but we got a table pretty fast. The worst part was the wait time for drinks. 10-15 minutes per order. I felt bad for the server who was actually really good and nice and attentive. She kept apologizing for the bar. I ventured away from their pizza and had the chili cheese burger. It was decent, but nothing incredible. The next time I go, I will sit at the bar again and order pizza. Stick with what works, I guess. I still think the place is decent and worth visiting again. I enjoy the atmosphere and decor.
(3)
Sadie W.
Love coming here during my lunch breaks! It's like a better version of Chili's. Dishes are much tastier and of wider variety. If you go and get dessert try the pizzcookies.
(4)
Darth C.
If Chili's and Applebee's and TGIFriday's all got together and had a love child, BJ's would be it. Went there to have a beer and snack on some appetizers. The craft beers overall were decent. The appetizers could've been better; the slider appetizer has four Krystal-sized little burgers with rather tasteless thin little patties of meat and alongside as toppings are precisely four pickle slices with a sprinkling of shredded lettuce and nothing else, some tomato would've been nice. The fried artichoke hearts weren't quite hot on arrival, some of them had disconcertingly cool centers. The calamari was overdone, you don't expect the tentacles to have the texture of toothpicks in your mouth. Overall to me it's a "big box" version of the aforementioned "fresh from the freezer" trendy restaurants. Would not recommend unless you like beer. A lot.
(2)
Sofia T.
The Santa Fe egg rolls are very puny, I don't recommend them. Although, I do recommend the brussel sprouts. I told the waitress exactly how I wanted my drink. Piña colada with Meyers made regularly. Add a shot of 151 on the bottom, and armaretto on the top. Everything was just mixed in. I ordered a medium rare cheeseburger, which the manager did take off, but they brought out 3 burgers, only two of which I tried and both were well done. Will I return? Doubtful. I can't imagine a decent restaurant like this having a cook wasting product and not being able to properly cook meat.
(2)
Leigh R.
3 stars was given only because the food was actually pretty good. The place is like an upscale tgi Fridays. It's a little over priced. Now the service; granted me and my husband walked in at about 9:30 pm. But they don't close until 1. We were not greeted at all, the host grabbed menus and just said "follow me". Took about 8 minutes to get a drink even though there were only about 5 other tables in the place. The waiter was nice but my husband asked for an extra side and when it wasn't given the waiter said he didn't hear him say that and it would be an up charge for the side. I'm not a cheap person by any means. But at that point the waiter should have told him not to worry about the up charge since he "didn't hear him". If he was writing the order down he might have remembered. (Im just saying) also we simply wanted lemons for our waters but there were none in our glasses but we didn't bother saying anything about that. We didn't want there to be another up charge......... If it wasn't for me the waiter wouldn't of gotten a tip at all. My husband was far from satisfied. (him and I both having been in the food service industry)
(3)
Jim W.
We happened into BJ's on Christmas Eve. The place was about half full. We were warmly greeted by a hostess and seated promptly. Our waitress was quick, timely, and didn't forget anything. She was also very personable. The menu at this place is massive. Pages and pages of selections. It goes against every bit of the theory "stick to what you're good at". It's obvious that most of the entrees and sides are frozen then steamed or nuked. No kitchen can keep that much fresh food on hand. It shows in the taste and presentation of most of the dinner items. They do a pretty good job of steam and nuking though. The beers are pretty good and it's fun to try the different creations that they have. Domestics are available if you have an aversion to microbrews. The best part of BJs menu are the lighter side entrees. This is one of the few restaurants I can go to and order something that doesn't have a full days worth of calories, salt, and cholesterol in a single meal. Some entrees are less than 600 calories. Very nice. I know some fast food salads that have over 1200! This isn't my first time at this restaurant. My previous experiences have been the same. It's middle of the road and solid. What more can you expect from a chain I guess? Good luck and thanks for reading my review.
(3)
Tracy G.
Went to Sunday lunch with my sister. We always enjoy the ambience and usually enjoy the food. I ordered the jumbalaya and I was disappointed. It wasn't even close to a proper jumbalaya. The chicken had a weird marinade that totally took away from the dish. Some of the rice was undercooked and some was overlooked.
(3)
Boon C.
Great American style food. I love to stop by here when I travel north I-75. This is one of my many visits in this restaurant. They are located just outside of the oaks mall. It is a mile off I-75. When I drive from Tampa, this is my 2 hours driving stop. The restaurant customers are the Mall goer, UF student and professional. Very little tourist. Today I have the Classic Rib-Eye for lunch. I have their New York Steak before. But the Rib-Eye is the go to dish if you have to chose between the two. The dish comes with two sides. They have great selection of the sides in the menu. Today, I have chosen the roasted asparagus and the soup of the day - clam chowder. I like the ways they have select the material, the asparagus should be young and thin stem - less than ¼" diameter. This is the best size that asparagus is not too fiber. The asparagus is grilled and season with spice. The clam chowder is actually comes in a bowl not a cup size. I have crust some black pepper on top. The clam is good chunk size. It is good for the hungry person. My rib-eye is come with good size also. I like it when it comes with a bit of fat that enhance the flavor of the steak. The gilled the steak to my order medium rare. I like the wood fire smell when they have the steak brought to me. This is typical American cuisine to near perfection. The meat material is good for the price that under $20. The restaurant has the handcrafted beer. It include the BJ's Light Switch Lager, Brewhouse Blonde, Piranha Pale Ale, Hop Storm IPA, Berry Burst Cedar and more..... Please try them if you are here.
(4)
Lanise A.
Decided to try the Deep Dish Lasagna from here, although they may as well just call it Ravioli since it's not really lasagna. Nevertheless, it was the lunch hour so the restaurant was pretty busy. I did manage to be seated and get a drink without waiting quite some time. I thought I would order an appetizer before the big meal, so I opted for Mac n Cheese. Big mistake. Although it looked good, the taste said otherwise. Soon after getting Mac n Cheese my lasagna arrived, and it tasted delicious, but I'm not too fond with all of the sauce. The ravioli was drowning in it! I also wanted to order my pizookie early to save some time, so while I was eating my 2-flavor pizookie (Chocolate Chunk & Cookies and Cream) was served. Overall, the food wasn't bad, but I know that I can save money by skipping the appetizer and ordering water instead of a soft drink and lemonade which is almost $3. This place is a favorite among my fellow students, so maybe I'll stop by again.
(4)
Ed W.
Dude, this place is always crowded, but tonight I finally got in. On entry, we were greeted with a funky foot smell ... i mean we nearly turned around and left, but thought what the heck. It's way way noisy, I mean rock concert noisy. Not a place to take a date unless you don't want to talk to your date. Ok, so I got the Pot Stickers as an app. They were soggy, and not crunchy as they are supposed to be around the edges. I also had the fish tacos, but the sauce was funky, and certainly not chipotle sauce as advertised. The fries were also cold. The one good thing was the Orange cream soda ... it really was good, but then the server did not bring me a straw until the main course arrived, so I couldn't even enjoy it with my app. I mean dude! All in all, it was an experience worthy of McDonalds, except it was like four or five times as expensive. I don't think we will be back.
(2)
Brandon C.
their OREO PIZOOKIE!! 1 of the best creations in the world..
(5)
Robert B.
We stopped in Gainesville on our way home heading north and needed to find a nice place to eat that was open late. BJ's was close to I-75 and had a great atmosphere. Everything we ordered was tasty and enjoyable. I plan to visit again next time I'm in the area.
(4)
Peter P.
I went to BJ's with some work colleagues because, well, it's Gainesville and there isn't much in the way of anything to eat that isn't corporate low-brow. So, I suppose it fits in. Picture a Ruby Fridays or a TGI Tuesdays with more beer selection and you pretty much got it. Service was spotty, forgetful, uninformed. The place smelled like rancid fry oil, which explains the food. The food offered is almost entirely fried, overly-salty redneck food. Our table sampled a good bit of the menu, I had a "pizza" with the hope of it not tasting like everything else that went in the fryer that week (the experience with the sampler appetizer gave us a heads-up on that). It was like the puffy, salty, greasy, flavorless pizzas from WaWa. Even the Pepperoni was junk, below Hormel. I hoped the beers would get me through. After realizing they pretty much only had high-volume mega-brewer pee pee (sorry folks Shock Top is junk and it's Coors anyway), I turned to the bottled beer list. Hooray! They listed several domestic and imported farmhouses, saisons, and some sours. The server was pretty confused and pronunciations were a giggle, but one after another, he returned to tell me they were "out of that one". After several tries, he came back with a printed list of what they were out of to make it easier on me: it was pretty much their entire decent bottle selection (see uploaded photo). I settled for a special they had on tap, a poor attempt at a pumpkin ale. Horrid. Two stars for being affordable.
(2)
Tracy D.
We ALWAYS sit at the bar. 90% of the time the bartenders are fantastic (there is/was one we don't care for). Food is usually solid and tasty. Drinks are good. Prices are a bit high, but they have a decent happy hour discount. (Not great, but helpful). We return here often due to convenience and service. The Rewards program also sends out good offers for mid-week dining. A buy one get one entree free coupon pulled us in on a Wednesday afternoon. Seriously, of all the BJ's I've been to, I think this is the best. If Cliff is working (bar or waiter) sit with him for superior service.
(4)
Mohannad M.
The first time I was there I had a realy nice dinner. The food was delicious and the dishes were big. unfortunately, the second time was very different. I had a small plates and the food wasn't that good. Maybe lunch differs from dinner.
(3)
Darshan P.
Large selections of beers and drink specials. A lot of food options. Gotta get the Pizookie which is a desert item they are known for.
(3)
Pirata D.
I ordered the Seared Ahi Salad, which I have now designated as the best Ahi Tuna dish in town (Gaineville, FL). I order this dish almost everywhere I go (see my other reviews), and this one beats any other Ahi Tuna in town. Generous portions of salad, and most importantly, the star attraction, the tuna! The dressing is perfection...light and bright. This is my go-to dish after the gym, when in a time crunch for something healthy to eat. Great atmosphere and staff. Had this dish twice so far, and will return for more. FAB!
(5)
Antonio R.
I've eaten here quite a bit of times because friends really like it, but it's consistently poor. I ordered the wings as an appetizer and they were cool and soggy. Reminded me of frozen hot wings cooked in a microwave. The shrimp was not much better, kind of rubbery. I've had other items on the menu and they were not much better. The menu is huge, it would probably be a good idea for them to cut it in half so they can focus on preparing a few things well.
(1)
Sai K.
Super professional guys at the bar and they sure know what they do! I am here on 12/22 & they do know to keep the holiday spirit alive. Surely recommend the place
(4)
Richard I.
I barely worked here when it first opened up. So if your a current employee and remember me. SUP! and I hope your making good money! ANYWAYS I tasted a majority of the food here and for the most part, its all good. What I like most about BJ's is the wide variety of DRINKS(alcoholic & soft) along with the food. Some of the appetizers are hits and miss. I'd recommend getting the Sampler. Pasta and Pizza are great. Hamburgers are a little above average. Always packed at nights and the weekends. Thats the only downside, so packed you can't even chill at the bar. Reserve ahead of time.
(4)
Mel B.
This is definitely a place you go to for an occasion or to have a good, "real people" (e.g. not pizza by the slice or greasy tacos) meal. The food is excellent all around! save, the calzones (but who likes those weird things besides Ben Wyatt from Parks and Rec) Stuffed Mushrooms and the Spicy Chicken Parm deserve shout outs They make alot of their own beer and have a very nice selection on draft and tap. I recommend the Florida Orange Blossom Pilsner myself. One thing that will really stand out is how awesome the service is. Seriously, they take it very seriously and they probably have the best waitstaff in town, if that kind of thing really matters to you.
(4)
Matthew B.
The service is great. The food is good. The environment is nice. One thing is,the internet connection is BAD. I ask one of the servers and they said people have complained for TWO YEARS. BJ's come on. DO you know how many people need a place to catch up on emails and grab lunch, drinks, or a snack while. I find this to be to be a lack of effort. Plus, attracting a crowd like myself who works in restaurants sometimes.
(3)
Steven H.
Love this restaurant. One of my favorites in Gainesville. They make a killer steak and they brew their own Root Beer & Cream Soda
I don't understand how BJ's continues to thrive in Gainesville. I don't know what I was thinking during my last review. Granted, it was three years ago. I guess their success is partially because the location is convenient to the mall, NFRMC, and I-75, but so is the building behind Red Lobster, and a business couldn't succeed there if they gave away free food with unlimited government funds. On the other hand, it seems that BJ's will never die, no matter how many things they get wrong. It's not that the food is that bad... the Pizookie is a tasty dessert, and I always enjoy what I'm eating, even if it's not overly thrilling. They also have a decent beer selection (their branded beers aren't great, but aren't terrible), and they have pretty good lunch specials. In fact, the lunch specials are the only reason worth coming anymore. The space is way too big for its own good. To their credit, they don't have unoccupied tables at peak times, leaving customers scratching their heads wondering why they can't sit in the section with fifteen open tables. But it also creates chaos, because they have too few inexperienced servers assigned to too many tables. A "quick" meal will invariably take at least an hour, no matter what you order or how much you try to hurry up the "check please" process. Also, the food is extremely overpriced. Aside from the aforementioned lunch specials, you will be hard pressed to get out of here for under $15 per person. So, so, so not worth it. I'm annoyed at myself for writing such a long review for a chain restaurant (an updated review, at that!), but one more thing: this is one of the few places I have ever been that will charge you for infant-sized portions of a side dish. I hate to sound so entitled, but if I ask for a thimble of black beans for a baby, at least tell me that you are going to charge me over $4 for it. Might as well just order her an entree and call it a day. $30 for two beers, a margarita, and a baby black beans. Have fun with that.
(2)
Andrew H.
BJs brews their own beer and has a welcoming atmosphere but expect a wait for your table on a busy night and be sure to check in with the hostess regularly as they are likely to forget about you. Overall I enjoy their menu, it has a kind of "Cheesecake Factory" style where they serve everything. I have found the staff to always be friendly and when the forgot about us for an hour the manager apologized and gave us one meal for free.
(3)
Colt S.
Great food at a decent price dessert is to die for! There's always a tv in sight with the biggest games on. I would definitely take a date there it's not to noisy to talk and that's rare in a restaurant with a full bar and tvs.
(4)
Michael S.
I ordered a deep dish pizza with sauce. I did not get a deep dish pizza at all. I asked the bartender if there was sauce in it and he said yes. I got home and there was no sauce at all in the pizza. I paid $20 for awful cheesy bread.
(1)
Princess A.
It isn't that I didn't care for BJ's, in fact, I had the shrimp tacos and they were pretty delicious. But I found the whole thing completely overwhelming. We accidentally went on a Game Day, which meant we had a 90min wait. Not a big deal, but definitely should have picked up a menu while I was waiting to have time to really look over everything, instead of just thinking I could pick something when we were seated. There are SO many choices for drinks and for food, that I felt like once I had decided on everything I might like to try, I had a usual restaurant's menu in choices. I am sure this means that some of the items suffer because the kitchen can't possibly keep up a high standard on ALL the items on that menu. Consequently I tried to pick something that wouldn't've been sitting in a pot or under a broiler for a long time waiting for someone to order it. I think that has to be the key to ordering here. Pick something they might have to make to order. I had a pear cider, but that doesn't even begin to cover the drink options here. Basically I am going to declare BJ's impossible to accurately review in one trip. If I return here, I'll have to review again and pronounce a better judgement.
(3)
Kurt L.
We showed up at 430 and had fast service and delicious food. Absolutely no complaints. I checked into their wifi and got a coupon. The food is really good so they can get really busy during peak hours. I would strongly recommend this place. Pizza is great and pizzookies are decadent. California burger is incredible. You can't go wrong.
(5)
Gloria S.
Bring your coat! Gotta be like a freezer in there. Friendly staff, reminds me of Cheesecake Factory without the efficient, quick service. My daughter said the Gluten free pizza was better than the regular, but get ready to pay out at least $14 for a small one. Lots of choices in menu and drinks for everyone. Big place, lots of TVs to keep your date busy and ignoring you.
(3)
Christina S.
Food was not worth the price you pay at this location. Portions are good size, service was decent but no flavor for the grilled chicken pasta, Parmesan chicken was dry with zero flavor and the baby back ribs were dry and hard as if they were sitting under lamp lights way too long. I've eaten at BJs in other states and it been good, but here, terrible.
(2)
Cassie R.
A little overpriced and overrated, but I can't lie, I love BJ's. Usually seated in a timely manner and the service is always friendly. I love the strawberry lemonade and the flatbread pizzas most of all, but when I branch out and try new things here, they never disappoint! The appetizers are enough to satisfy me, but the pasta dishes I've had and the deep dish pizzas are wonderful. The pizookies...oh god, the pizookies...to die for! Ask about the rewards program and even if they're a bit pricey, you'll be able to rack up points for some kind of deal, especially if you go with a crowd. Sometimes it takes way too long for the food to get to the table, but when it does, it's bound to be tasty.
(3)
Robin W.
Thanks, BJ's, for your Gluten Free menu! I had the Gluten Free pizza. It could have been cooked a bit crisper, especially toward the middle of the pie, with a bit less sauce, but the flavor was good. My companions enjoyed the variety of appetizers and drinks. I did find it strange that one order of fries for our table was fine, but the other were as if the oil wasn't hot when the fries were cooked. Cooking in cold oil? Sounds icky to me, so I didn't taste them to find out. Our server was pretty good and kept our glasses full.
(3)
Bill B.
Barbecue bison burger very good. Ginger coleslaw was okay but I would not order it again.
(4)
Diane J.
Went for lunch at 11:30. Service was way too slow and not very responsive to requests. The cheese & broccoli soup was more like a sauce than a soup. Probably our last visit to BJs.
(1)
W M.
The food is truly delicious and the customer service is amazing! Michael was so attentive and even packed our desert on ice so that the ice cream would not melt. This place is excellent.
(5)
Landon E.
BJ's has a lot of food choices so is a great option for picky eaters and just in general for someone who wants to try different things. Their food is probably around the 3 star range but their convenience, waitstaff and ambience push it up to 4. Great option for casual, dates, etc.
(4)
Jessica B.
This was my 1st time at this resturant and it was a huge let down. Everything was done in a timely matter [I.e. seating, drinks, and taking our order], except getting our food to our table. The wait was so long that I lost my appetite. All we ordered was a deep dish pizza. The waitor didn't even attempt to keep us informed nor did he even acknowledge the issue. The pizza was meh. I wish I would have ordered the pull pork instead. But the thai style chicken wontons were good. I would have taken a picture of the pizza, but I was too unhappy to do so and all I wanted to do was eat and leave, which was exactly what we did.
(1)
Coty S.
DJ's reminds me of a cross between Hop's and a sports bar. The food is just a little bit better than at most sports bars, but the price is jacked up. They ask your name and how many are in your party, even if you do not have to wait for a table, which is not needed. Then, you are escorted to your table in a sea of seating dividers, then surrounded by televisions and handed a 20 page menu. Most of the menu consists of alcohol and you have to check every page to see all of the food they offer. Like most places, you are expected to order immediately. So you basically have to have it memorized. Like Hop's they have house made (company made) root beer, but at least it is free refill. My main attraction was their new small plates menu which ranged from $3.00-$4.00, which was on a photo menu on the table. We ordered the Mac and Cheese with bacon (bland and runny), the Caprese style salad (delish!) with balsamic reduction, and the Spinach Stuffed Mushroom caps (will pass next time, lacking in texture and flavor). My Mom loves their Grilled Salmon, which is like $17.99 for a small rib of salmon on a plate of mayo smear. You can get something much better and classier at Bonefish for a dollar less, if you are into these chain style places. I had the Chinese Chicken Salad with citrus dressing, omitted the fried wontons, it was very filling covered in grilled chicken and actually worth the $10.50 paid for it. We had to order a Pizooki, it is a mushy dessert cookie in a small pizza style pan with ice cream on top. It was squishy and expensive. Still debating if we should give them another try. I wanted to take more photos, but it seems pointless because there are so many pictures of the food on their website.
(3)
Brad K.
I have to chime in on BJ's We've been there about 6 times. Each time was always below average. We end up asking..why did we come here ? Yes it's a nice building. They do have a nice after work bar setup. But the service is always average. They seem to forget about you. A big issue for me is this..I love blue moon..I love an orange slice with my hefeweizen. When I order their hefeweizen style I always get lectured on putting the orange in their beer. I've gotten "we won't put it in, you'll have to do that, we'll put it on the side"..I've gotten lectured by the waiter that they don't offer that, and when I insist they do is begrudgingly. Food is the worst part of BJ's. They are either bland, greasy or saltly. Every time we've dined there we have to send something back to the kitchen. Wish they were better.
(2)
Erica B.
Been there several times in the past and food has always been great. Recently, it's been awhile since we had been there but we got a gift card and thought we'd use it for a nice weeknight meal. We ordered takeout and every component was wrong or had missing ingredients including being sent the wrong soup entirely. I thought it was just their takeout service since we had never had an issue before so we decided to try them again. The service was good but the food was of poor quality and just didn't taste that good. We even sent one dish back and got another sub par dish. The one exception I will say was my sons mini corn dogs were fantastic.
(3)
Abby M.
My boyfriend and I love beer so we decided to check out BJ's. We enjoyed a variety of great beer and a margarita pizza. It was a great time but our waitress was not attentive to us. We asked her to sit outside and she gave us a half smirk and said "I mean if you want to, but that's not in my section so I won't make it out there that often to check on you." First of all, I've worked in the restaurant industry for 5 years, I know she didn't want us to sit outside! Obviously if she would've been more understanding to what we wanted then we would've tipped her 50% of our bill. Instead she made us feel like we shouldn't sit outside because it would inconvenience her. This is why I'm rating 3 stars. I would recommend this place for good beer and food but not service, because even though we sat inside our service still wasn't great.
(3)
Damion W.
This place is hit or miss. Some days it deserves five stars, other days just one. Food is always pretty strong. I always order either the jambalaya or the fried chicken. Both are great. The service isn't nearly as consistent. The servers are generally very nice, but often very slow. Not necessarily their faults, but it can be very frustrating.
(3)
William C.
I stop here often on my way through Gville. Great atmosphere and the food is good (considering that it's a chain). I've had decent meals here and very good ones too. Never bad. It's a fun place to grab a bite and the menu offers a huge number of choices. The staff is ALWAYS friendly. While it's not Ruths Chris, it's very good for the price and the upbeat atmosphere. Think upscale sports bar. I will be back.
(4)
Elizabeth R.
If I were in a big city, there would be no reason for me to eat at BJ's, but since Gainesville has a limited amount of options we go on occasion. I like their simple grilled fish with Asian style rice. It tastes fresh and the sauce and rice are really good. The fish was also cooked well. My husband likes their burger a lot. For a chain restaurant it's pretty good.
(3)
Hannah M.
Growing up with real micro breweries I was excited to learn that BJ's was moving to town. Unfortunately, I cannot find one thing that this restaurant has in common with a micro. With outrageous beer prices, beer brought in (not made on site), mediocre food, and bad service BJ's has found a way to take all the great parts of a micro brew restaurant and turn it into a chain dining experience. Skip the chain and head downtown to taste local brews or beers from around the world with delicious food to accompany. I can think of a handful of places that will out do BJ's and save you money at the same time.
(2)
Matt H.
I've probably been here a dozen or so times and I love this place. Never a bad meal. Of course they can get a little busy on a Friday or Saturday night but the wait is always worth it. For the last few visits my fiance has been saying "try the deep dish pizza" and I've always said no thanks as I didn't see the point of going to BJ's and getting pizza. Well last week I finally tried her pizza and it was amazing...literally amazing. Sounds crazy but go to BJ's for the pizza!
(4)
Coleen T.
Came here for dinner with the whole family.... the service was good and the food was edible. There wasn't really anything spectacular about it all, and I'm not sure if we will be going back any time soon... but it's in a pretty convenient location and it seems like their menu has something for everybody.
(3)
Diana D.
My husband's parents came up for a brief visit so we all went to BJ's. Wouldn't have gone unless someone else suggested, but it was pretty good. My hubby swears it was the best restaurant burger he's ever had. The pizookie was pretty good but overpriced in my opinion. I had a plethora of the small plates (which I appreciate existing because I tend to prefer stuff like that as compared to entrees that I can rarely finish on my own) and shared them with the fam - the caprese salad (which was really good), bruchetta (which was okay), stuffed mushrooms (not the greatest), and fried artichoke hearts (the dip was good but they were just meh). Overall we had a good time despite the TVs cutting out constantly due to a huge storm that hit, but I doubt we will return.
(3)
Pam D.
My friend wanted a burger and a beer to celebrate, and this is where she picked. I was just along for the ride. We sat ourselves in the bar area and found out BJs was running a happy hour special: most appetizers, flat breads, and mini pizzas were 1/2 off. Draft beers were also $1 off. Thank goodness for that, because even though their beer list is very large and diverse, the prices were about $2 more than I see at most other places. Speaking of beer, none of their brewhouse beers intrigued me. With so many other unique beers on draft, why would I try one of the house beers? Anyways - if you're a beer lover you will definitely find something on the menu to sip on. I ordered a Bell's Oberon, which didn't really taste like a Bell's Oberon, but maybe I just haven't had it in a while. We started with mozzarella sticks (half off) and they tasted like they were straight out of the freezer. In fact, there is no way a restaurant can maintain this large of a menu without utilizing tons of processed and frozen foods, so this big menu was a huge turn-off for me. I had the sweet pig mini pizza (also half off). It was the perfect size for me for a normal entree- it's about the size of those pizza hut pizzas you can get in the airport. It was okay. The crust was so deep and doughy that it just felt like a big ball of dough instead of a pizza. My friend had a burger which she customized with added avocado. She loved it, but I thought it looked pretty gross. The patty was much thinner than most other places. Also on her huge burger, she only got one slice of avocado so we had to ask for more. Service was spotty. Our beers took about 20 minutes to get to our table; they arrived after our appetizer. I don't live here, but I think there are probably other places in the area to get a good burger and a great beer.
(2)
Dereck C.
This is my wife and my go-to restaurant. Always great food, great service, and great drinks. The Small Bites menu provides excellent value and generous servings. We love to get a few selections from there and a few rounds of drinks with friends. The only downside is that it's often very cold and loud.
(4)
Jeannette B.
I have visited BJ's for a number of years and love their Santa Fe salad, (romaine lettuce, red onions and fire-roasted red peppers tossed with Santa Fe dressing. Topped with jack and cheddar cheeses, sliced avocado, corn, diced tomatoes, crisp tortilla strips and blackened chicken breast) while I have enjoyed the sliders, pizza and other dishes I always find myself going back to the Santa Fe Salad! Their soaps are really good, but consistently cold! I have had several times to send them back. Disappointing. But on your next visit, do try the fab Santa Fe Salad!
(3)
Travis L.
BJ's struggles with the basic functions of running a restaurant. Last last two times I have come here they have brought my food out and I have then had to ask for silverware. Another issue I had was appetizer came out after my entree. Needless the say the service is never good here. That honestly takes away 2 and a half stars in my mind and the overpriced food is where they lose the other half star. In the food quality section they pick up the two stars here. The menus is way too big but most of the food is good. They do have a legit happy hour with half of appetizers and mini pizzas and drink discounts. The beer they make it overrated but they do allow you to taste some so it's worth trying at least one. Overall, good food and bad everything else.
(2)
Scott L.
Great craft beers. Good food, a lot of variety. Good place to watch sports in the bar area.
(4)
Kris T.
LOVE, LOVE this place! Awesome servers! Friendly, easy to engage and knowledgeable. Food runners, they pre bus, the food is reasonable, nice variety, inventive and delicious. We love going there.
(5)
Derek S.
We stopped by here to have a couple of beers and watch the UF basketball game. They had $5.95 lunch specials so I got the Mediterranean flat bread and salad special. Accompanied by a reserve brew that they had which was delicious. The beers are a little pricey but they do offer a good variety of their own beers and some domestic/imports on draft and bottles/cans. We sat at the bar and enjoyed the game on a TV that had to be over 100 inches. The food has always been good at BJs and I enjoy the atmosphere. I will definitely be going back sometime soon.
(4)
Morgan L.
I do really enjoy BJs. They have a good variety and work well with my family's high maintenance eating requirements (which really do throw some restaurants for a loop). I'm not a beer person, but they make a mean mojito too. And shockingly, the chicken fried steak is fabulous. The last two times I've been there my fries have been cold. Which sucks cause I love them. But I'm giving them another chance. So well see next time!
I really can't say why I keep going back to this place. They do have one of my favorite beers, Smithwicks, on tap. I love microbrews, but am really not a fan of any of their house beers. The Jeremiah Red is alright, though at around $6 a beer, overpriced. On to the more important part, the food. As best I can tell, BJ's is all about quantity, not quality. They give large portions, but almost every item I've tried has simply sucked. Their entrees seem to be the worst. Chicken Fried Steak, Parmesan Crusted Chicken, etc. Simply awful. As a big fry lover, theirs are awful. The only items I've had there that I don't completely feel I've wasted my money on are the burgers and pizza.
(2)
Robinskii G.
Been wanting BJs since being in CA. There isn't a BJs in the panhandle so when I saw it, i made sure we pulled over to dine in. our server, Michelle was super nice. She knew the menu and she def knew what sauce goes with the dishes. our chicken lettuce wrap came out with the wrong sauce, when i called her over to mention it, she caught it before I even got the chance to say anything. The food wasn't as I remembered it in CA. but it was still satisfying. Got: Chicken lettuce wraps, which is good, if served with the right sauces. Traditional Wings: normally its lightly drizzled with buffalo and ranch... i like it lightly sauced, so I really like it only drizzled. but it came out a little more wet than I prefer. Santa Fe rolls were a hit Artichoke pizza, hubs says it was okay, had chucks of some kind of cream cheese, which was overwhelming. Ahi poke..... ummm you should just pass on this... its fresh fish... but def not poke tasting.
(3)
Aidan A.
This is my favorite place to go for birthdays, promotions, and other celebratory occasions with friends. Incredible food (with great selection), and they brew their own (amazing) beer. Try the taster flight!
(5)
Coleen D.
Love coming here for lunch with friends. Their mojitos are tres yummy, and it's fun making a lunch out of shared appetizers. Favorite dishes: chicken potstickers, ahi poke, calamari - just to name a few. And their Chocolate Pazookie (sp?) is melted chocolate HEAVEN. No calories either from what I am told, though I am assuming that last part is a big fat lie. Fun atmosphere -- always crowded -- LOVE BJ's!
(4)
Christopher R.
Food was so so, nothing special that you can not find at any other pub or microbrewery. They are a dime a dozen these days. Service was horrendous. We sat around forever for drinks, then to order, then for our food to arrive. Once our food arrived due to the "kitchen being busy and backed up" it was cold. Mistake me if Im wrong but if your food takes that long to get to your table, it should least arrive hot. It wasnt even room tempature it was cold. Which means while our server was chit chatting with the other servers all standing around doing nothing, our food sat there getting cold. Definitely wont be back.
(3)
David N.
Diverse menu & consistent food. Love their deep dish pizzas and their draft beers.
(4)
Amanda E.
I think BJ's is great. The service is always enjoyable, there is a great atmosphere, and the food and drink selection is vast and delicious. They have great beers on tap- even a unique Berry Burst Cider of their own brand. I have always enjoyed my experiences and think BJ's is a solid regular in my book.
(5)
Margie T.
I've been here three times. Once for a happy hour where the wait for drinks was longer than need be, and twice for dinner/lunch. Vote times we either got the wrong meal or didn't get it at all. The me managers were very apologetic and offered to make things right, but the damage had been done and all we wanted was out. The facility is LOUD. Perhaps the noise level made it impossible for the wait staff to hear our orders.
(2)
Eladio D.
This is the best restaurant for miles. We drive about 45 miles one way to eat in this place . Its a great place from the staff to the manager . Lately I have noticed that the steaks are not like before , the meat is hard and tasteless. There is a very large selection of food . I would have given this place a 5 but because of the hard and tasteless steaks I give it a 3.
(3)
Johnny L.
BJ's isnt the best thing out there, but it certainly isn't the worst thing either. BJ's is a real nice place. The inside is aesthetically pleasing and the wait staff is friendly enough. (Although it seems they have so many waiters/waitresses that I didn't know who to turn to) The menu is HUGE and seems to have a bit of everything. Their menu reminded me of the Cheesecake Factory (but the food isnt as good). I've come here on several occasions and the service has always been pretty good to me. I've tried the open faced sandwiches (gotta use knife and fork) they have. The open-faced pot roast sandwich was good. The meat was very tender but it was drenched in sauce which I don't mind for the meat, but the bread underneath suffered. I've also had the fish n chips here. It is 4 fried cod fillets with fries. The cod fillets were nicely fried, but it was pretty bland. The fries were good, but it's not hard to mess up fries. The pizza looked good, but also looked pretty small. I never tried the pizza so I won't comment on it. But my friends did enjoy it. Overall, the place looks beautiful on the inside. They have large TVs everywhere and a nice looking bar. The staff is friendly and the food is decent enough. Prices are kinda high which, for the portions of food, should be better. There are other places you can go, but otherwise it's not so bad.
(3)
Delia P.
I'm almost at a loss for what to say. Our experience was pretty neutral. My meal was really good (Parmesan Chicken with mashed potatoes)... The husband-like-man had Fish N Chips, which he wasn't too impressed with. From the other two people in our party, two were happy with their meals, two were very unhappy. The wait staff was pleasant, our waitress was nice, helpful and attentive. We had the 4 beer sampler, with Blond, Hefeweizen, Red, and Brunette. Personally, I prefer dark beers, and the Red was my favorite. I was not impressed with any of the other beers we ordered. The husband-like-man prefers Hefeweizen's and didn't even finish his. Overall, it was enjoyable. I'm not in a hurry to get back there but wouldn't turn anyone down down inviting me.
(3)
Val T.
Don't understand the lack luster reviews. Lunched here for the first time and the food was pretty good. Started off with the Avocado rolls.. I LOVE Avocados so it was a win for me. Had the 1/2 salad 1/2 flat bread also yummy ! Split the Tortilla soup with my friend, which was also very flavorful..could have come out a little warmer, but the hand poured "presentation" of the soup was nice. Finished with a chocolate dessert that left me in a chocolate haze.... so decadent ! Had the Berry Ice tea.. was a little on the sweeter side for my taste buds. The house brewed beers didn't seem appealing enough to me to spend the 6.50+ a pop this time around. They do have a sampler though. They do have a MASSIVE menu ! The service was adequate. Our server seemed a little rushed and rushed us a bit with our ordering. Lacking some personality, but I guess what can you expect in a college town? Given the invite to dine here again.. I'd probably go.
(4)
Ken B.
The service on the floor is earnest, but you can tell the waiters and food-runners are stressed out, probably dealing with the heartless corporate system that makes this place so lousy. I've gone three times. Once with two friends for lunch, once just to the bar for a beer with my wife, and once with two business associates. I'll never go back, and, if invited, strongly argue to go elsewhere. As many other reviewers have said, the food is obviously the lowest quality restaurant-supply, microwave and deep-fryer ready stuff they can find. Apparently the owners do not care what is served, thinking that the nice atmosphere will make people believe the food must be good. If the beer was affordable enough to order more than one, people might get tipsy enough to not notice the grease, salt, and rubbery consistency of the appetizers. But even that one beer takes so long to get from the arrogant but incompetent bartenders to the table that there is no chance it can help mask the lousy flavor of the food--or wash it down. In a college town with many sharp, friendly students looking for a job, how did they find the classless dullards working behind the bar? Burgers are below average with stale buns. This is one of the worst examples of disinterested, formulaic restaurant management that has ever blighted Gainesville.
(2)
Nolan R.
It's not really anything to write home about. There is a HUGE wall of TV's for game watching and/or ignoring your significant other. I have been here two times. One time I ordered a burger and the other time I had a chicken sandwich. They weren't awful, but there weren't up to par for the area. I mean you could get a better meal across the parking lot at Ruby Tuesday's. Sure, it's not a marbly and woody inside, but you can't eat the marble or the wood, right? I'd go here again with a big group, but I don't plan on going back until I've tried other places around Gainesville first. If I do go back, I would like to try their Root Beer...I have heard it is pretty good.
(2)
Dennis C.
When it comes to dining, I'm usually hands off when it comes to chain restaurants. So... I have yet to actually eat a full on, sit-down, meal there; my review is strictly based on the bar. Beer. And lots of it. Their quantity of selection is impressive. Their quality of selection is pretty good. When I first went, prices seemed a touch high, but then I discovered happy hour on my subsequent visit - and that's where it got good. I think it was dollar of all drafts - which brought them down to a reasonable price. And half off all appetizers, including a few other things like flatbreads. All the appetizers I've had, have been great, and provide plenty of food to fill me up. I especially like the chicken dumplings and the ahi poke. The little mini tacos are great as well (love the chipotle flavored salsa). Oh, and another great thing about the bar, is that it's very big and there are also plenty of booths and high tops to sit at as well. All first come first serve. Don't let the big line out in front of the place scare you away!
(4)
Jim B.
After 3 separate visits to this place since it opened, I have yet to get what the big deal is. The food has been mostly greasy. One meal was so bad I complained, to no avail.... Service ranged from indifferent (yeah, when I say its greasy, that is a hint to ask about replacing it - yo) to average. I don't like beer, so this whole brewhouse thing is lost on me. I'm certain that someone likes the place, since it does tend to be busy at many times. I'm not gonna be back anytime soon. Its not really 'one star' but it only barely rates two.
(2)
Sean B.
This is a great place to grab a drink after work. The burgers are good, the steaks are okay. Don't look to go here on a very small budget but if you want a place for a nice dinner this isn't bad.
(4)
P B.
My daughter & I had lunch here after a medical appointment. She had never been to a BJ's. Our server, Ryan, was attentive. We both enjoyed our drinks & lunch. The menu selections are plentiful. Now that my daughter has experienced a BJ's, she will eat at one again.
(4)
Heather M.
Fast lunch! We had the Cobb salad & fish tacos. Very tasty & fresh. Great beer too.
(5)
Zach W.
When I go to restaurants I typically find a menu item I like and stick with it every time I am there. BJ's, however, is one of the few places I go where I get something different each time. They have great burgers, sandwiches, and pastas, but I think I can say that the category in which they truly excel is their specialty wood-fired pizzas. My favorite is the Buffalo Chicken Pizza that is better than any other similar pizza that I've had in town. I've been probably a dozen times in the last three years and for the most part the service has been good, but there's been a couple times that it seems like it has taken a lot longer than it should, both while waiting (when the restaurant looks empty) and while being served.
(4)
Pam F.
I've been here three times and the service was horrible every time. The restaurant was about 1/4 full and we waited over 35 minutes for our food to arrive after ordering. Plus, a beer costs $6.25. That's outrageous when there isn't much else to compensate. Atmosphere is just average for pub/sports bar. Food is the same as any other pub. I'll choose something else next time.
(1)
J B.
We have eaten here numerous times. The service has always been great, as is the food. Food prices everywhere are going up, and BJ's is no exception. I have never been there when there wasn't a lot of people. This is a good sign the food is good. I do recommend this restaurant and will continue to visit. Keep up the good job!
(4)
Brandon D.
BJ's has great beer and consistently good food.
(5)
April O.
I've been back enough times to form a more informed opinion about this place. And I've also gotten to eat a deep-dish pizza that didn't make me want to hurl, so that's gotta count for something! So far, I've had most of the appetizers--the best beginnings (spinach/artichoke dip, Santa Fe spring rolls, avocado egg rolls, mozz sticks), the Piranha Pale Ale nachos, the potato skins, the shrimp lettuce wraps, and the chicken wings. The only one that we've ordered more than once were the chicken wings. The other dishes don't stand out for better or worse. We've had all of the flatbread pizzas and enjoyed them thoroughly. Those actually taste good and come out hot and fresh, which is a problem with some places in town (yo, New Deal!). I would return for these. Entree-wise, I've stuck with the baked potatoes or the fish tacos. Both are enjoyable enough to keep me from being picky. I do observe what other people get when I come, but none of it looks like a must-try. As for the deep-dish pizza, very recently Brice and I tried a create-your-own pizza with ... meatballs, sausage, green peppers, and roasted garlic. Could it be? Is that ... an abruzzese pizza? It is! So that means we still don't like their signature pizzas. We're currently live right next to this place, but we're about to move, and I'm pretty sure that I won't be driving back over here to eat unless it's 11 p.m. and I happen to be awake and hungry. The late closing hour is pretty much the only thing that keeps me coming back, but heck, I can make baked potatoes and flatbreads at home. 2.5 stars for the consistently good waitstaff.
(2)
John O.
Went to BJ's because a friend told me they had an unusual beer that I like. The beer was on the menu and I ordered it, but after a long wait, I was told they were out, as was my next choice AND my third choice! I finally ordered one of their micro-brews and got a beer after I was in the place for at least 45 minutes. It was OK. The food was pretty sub-par. Greasy and bland, but large portions. Hmm, is a large portion of greasy, bland food a good thing or a bad thing? The waiter did not return to the table throughout the meal. I would have ordered another beer, but was not given the opportunity. I doubt I'll go back.
(2)
Michael M.
It was the run of the mill food spot nothing stood out nothing horrible. If I was in gainesville again would I come here again uh maybe.
(3)
John L.
I think they may be putting all their eggs in the "brewhouse" basket. In all honesty I have yet to develop a serious palate for beer; so I cannot in good conscience rate their beer selection on other than subjective terms. In short, I liked some and others...not so much. But what about the food? We picked at a sampler type app which consisted of avocado egg rolls, mozzarella sticks, chips and salsa, and a spinach and artichoke dip. In a nutshell: brought-in flash-frozen pre-fab cost-per-unit turn and burn. Verdict? Have a beer or two (liquor takes forever to arrive for some reason, even when it's just a shot of vodka or tequila), and head to Boston Market for dinner; this place is Gainesville's answer to Houston's.
(1)
Angel I.
Food was good but service was horrible- even management didn't respond appropriately. Went there with my staff to celebrate a bon voyage and did not have good service all the way around. It took forever for us to be greeted by our server, to get our drinks, we were never updated on the status of our food, and received an attitude by our server thinking someone in the group was lying that they were 26 (I understand questioning, but not with an attitude) and some in our party never got refills on their lemonade. When we were leaving I spoke with management and they were just focused on the server questioning about the drinking age and didn't even focus on the poor service overall, which was my main issue. I was not pleased and may never return because service is my biggest pet peeve.
(2)
Greg R.
Good food and service.
(4)
Tiffany A.
I go to BJ's a lot, more so when it first opened. It is where I take my friends out to eat if they've never been. The reason is, they have a variety of food options to meet everyone's needs. If you know someone who is picky, then I suggest you take them here. Prices are decent. The service is so so...sometimes you get great service, sometimes you don't. The reason why I think BJ's has gotten only okay reviews is you just have to know the right things to order. I've found out that although they take pride in their deep dish pizza's, they are mediocre at best. I've never had a great deep dish pizza there. I go to Satchel's for that. Now if you go outside of the pizza facade, appetizer wise...their avocado eggrolls are refreshingly amazing! Their brushetta is delicious. And their flatbread appetizers are mouthwatering. They have great seafood entrees. But the best part is dessert...the infamous Pizookie. No lie, the pizookie is the icing on the cake. Basically, a deep dish cookie/brownie served hot with ice cream scoops on top. This is one of those restaurants that I make sure I save room for dessert!
(4)
Brice O.
So after going to BJs a few times, with a few different people, at a few different times, I think I've figured something out: BJ's is a pleasant dining experience hidden in a field of land mines. I've had an overall pleasant experience dining there but I've noticed several things about the place that I knew I should immediately avoid. 1. DON'T GET THE BEER, IT'S A TRAP! I guess since it's a "Brewhouse" people feel obligated to at least try the beer. While I'm not a beer drinker, I've been there with casual beer drinkers and some pretty hard-core beer drinkers and the best reaction I've seen to one of their beers is "meh" with the more normal reaction being some kind of vague nasuea I will say that the first time I went they were nice enough to bring out samplers for me and my co-wokers (free of charge). 2. Just avoid the alcohol all together. I'm not a beer drinker but liquor is another story. I know that individual bartenders have as much to do with the drinks as anything, but drinks in restaurants are too expensive for me to get another one after getting a bad first drink. And the Manhattan I ordered was easily one of the worst drinks I've had this year. 3. It's worth eating but not necessarily worth the wait. This is a newer restaurant in Gainesville and in a high traffic area. So it's going to be crowded, especially during the times when the slightly older crowds would be eating. I've noticed that going there around 10pm or for lunch the wait is negligible, but during normal dinner time you're probably looking at a 40 minute wait (at least while this is the new place to go). The restaurant really doesn't help itself in this area because (outside of the bar or outdoors) there are no tables for small parties. Each table could easily seat between 2-6 people, which makes you feel a little put off when you've got 6 people and see 2 person parties taking all the tables. 4. The food is good, not outstanding. There's nothing on BJs menu that's going to make me go running back to them, but there's plenty there that I would gladly eat if the opportunity presents itself. I personally like their Fish and Chips (although it's admittedly a little on the bland side), Burger Melt, and the cookie desert. Also, I'm pretty sure my wife hates each one of those things with equal passion, but she's been able to find several things on their menu (like the baked potato) that she likes as well. So there's nothing wrong with the food, and some of it might offer a pleasant surprise, just don't go there expecting anything life changing. So overall, I do like this place, and I'll be going there again at some point, I just have to make sure I avoid the alcohol, don't go when I know it'll be busy, and keep my expectations at a moderate level. (hmm, I swear that was supposed to sound better than it came out)
(3)
Chet L.
Tried this place out the other night, somewhere new and trendy where we could all feel like we were cool. We were put outside right underneath the loudest speaker west of the stadium, which gets really annoying when Todd Party Of Seven doesn't respond the first eight times they are called. Won't mention our server's name here, but we had to ask for utensils. And napkins. I wanted a straw but that would have been another trip. If she had tables inside as well as outside, then this is partly the fault of whoever scattered her tables so she couldn't concentrate on one area. The food was okay. Waited ten minutes to try my chili after it arrived since the server forgot my Tabasco, but the rest of the food was arriving by then. Was told a 'Wedge Salad' was a quarter wedge of iceberg lettuce. It was more like a thin 1/8th of a quarter. So I guess it was actually as she said, a quarter of a wedge of undermined width, and I just assumed that meant a quarter of a head of lettuce. Anyway, it was okay, but goopy since their was much more dressing than lettuce. Since my friend's food was there by this time, I had only a bite of the chili before asking for a container. Having camped out that weekend, I am 92% sure it was Hormel's chili. If not, they did a great job at copying the essence of canned chili. Friends had the meat loaf and chicken parmesan dinners, both looked great with creamy mashed potatoes, but neither cared for theirs. The meat loaf was gelatinous and the chicken was sliced so thin there's no way it couldn't have been dry. Some chains have a policy that the manager is supposed to greet every table at one point during their visit. If BJ's has this policy then it wasn't followed or I would have mentioned this at the time. Wanted to see a pizza but no one near us had gotten one. I didn't have a beer, maybe if I'd just gone to the bar and not eaten it would have been a better experience for me. But I got to do the 'told ya so' routine and insured that the next outing with be my choice and will be far from the mall. Parking was fine. I am still wondering where Todd Party Of Seven ended up going though.
(2)
Shirley N.
The kitchen is very slow. My meal was not prepared as I wanted. Salads very good. Beer too expensive.
(3)
S L.
I like that this place is centrally located and their menu is so large that we can go and something different every time. The food is good as well, the santa Fe chicken salad and pot roast are my favorites.
(4)
Shawn D.
Love this place!! Awesome food and desserts.
(5)
Lois R.
Went to this with my son and his girlfriend, just for dessert. We shared a Pizookie Trio and it was awesome. Menu said fresh-baked cookie, and this was still warm from the oven with ice cream on top. They thought the chocolate was too rich, but it was my favorite of the three. TVs in all directions, which was good since we were monitoring multiple football games. The only negative was that after we were seated, it was quite a while before a server even came by to see she'd be with us shortly.
(4)
Kate F.
Delicious food! Definitely have to try the parmesan crusted chicken! Definitely will go back!
(5)
Belle C.
My fiance and I ended up here for lunch on Christmas Eve after finishing up some last-minute shopping at the mall. I'd been curious about this place, but also wary of it because it looks like a knockoff Hops, and I never liked Hops. Also because, although it's not actually in the mall, it's a mall outparcel and I never have good experiences with Mall Restaurants. But we were hungry, and were already parked right in front of it, so in we went. The spiral-bound menu opens with a list of their specialty beers, which we didn't try. The rest of the menu is a bit Cheesecake Factory - esque; they have a little bit of everything (soups, salads, sandwiches, pizza, dinner entrees). We had a hard time deciding, so ordered a few things to try: avocado egg rolls, barbecue chicken chopped salad, chicken club sandwich (typical chicken club with the addition of avocado), and California chicken sandwich (this one had peppers, cheese, and chipotle mayo). The avocado egg rolls were delicious, but you have to like avocado because that's about the only thing in there. I enjoyed the salad, too - it was huge, and had a good ratio of toppings to lettuce. The sanwiches, however, were completely bland. Sandwiches come with a choice of seasoned wedge fries or crispy thin fries; we got one of each and both liked the crispy ones better. Service was cheerful, enthusiastic, and quick. Overall, it was a pleasant lunch and I'd go back to try more of the salads and appetizers.
(3)
felicity b.
Tried this place twice. It seems quite overrated to me. Once I got a burger and the next time a pizza. You can't really walk out of there without spending quite a bit of money. Especially if you get a beverage. The atmosphere is very open. You are literally right on top of the table next to you unless you get a booth. Food is just like eating at an over glorified Chili's that serves pizza. I will probably only eat here again if someone else pays for the bill.
(2)
Joel G.
As an avid beer drinker, I loved the different types of beer that they had to choose from. I tried the Bitburger which was a pretty good pale beer. My next choice was called Celebrator. It's definitely not for everyone. It's a darker beer served in what amounts to a wine glass. It is very strong at around 10%alc/vol, but had a very nice taste. It did take a while for the bartender to get to me, but in his defense there were a lot of people their and he probably could have used some help. As for the food, I got the fish tacos, which I had no complaints about. Obviously everything is overpriced, but what do you expect from a trendy chain type of place. All in all, the place is a nice casual atmosphere that I am definitely going to visit again. The huge tv's above the bar are a plus as well.
(4)
Ky K.
The food is not that bad, just very pricey
(2)
Shi Anne B.
My son & I have eaten here several times & it has, for the most part been pretty good. However, last time, was the exception. I ordered the Veggie Loaded Potato, & what I got was a huge baked potato with about a tablespoon of veggies smothered in cheese. I just happen to love veggies, which, as my teenage son pointed out is not typical of many Americans~LOL. Also, when the potato is described as being "loaded," I have a certain expectation....So, the server took way too long for the initial check in after serving the food, such that I knew I would be ready to leave before they were capable of resolving my problem (teenage boys eat pretty fast & we just happened to be on a time limit that night). I found it interesting that the server & the manager were concerned about helping me but never asked me if they could actually bring me more veggies...I was offered the option of ordering another entree or getting a refund, but they never offered to fix what I ordered & a veggie loaded potato was what I had a taste for at that time! Sometimes a simple fix is all that is needed & if you're going to describe it as "loaded," then load it! I'm giving it 3 stars b/c we've had some great food here!
(3)
Josh R.
Go during happy hour all appetizers are half off and they are very good.
(4)
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Address :6611 W. Newberry Rd
Gainesville, FL, 32605
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
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Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
Gramley A.
BJ's is an enjoyable place to go in Gainesville. Good food great beer and they even have gluten-free options. Their gluten-free pizza as actually decent and a comparable price to Pizza Vito
(4)Kevin W.
Ok, so maybe I was a little premature in my original review. Came with friends for Cinco de Mayo. The place was relatively busy, but we got a table pretty fast. The worst part was the wait time for drinks. 10-15 minutes per order. I felt bad for the server who was actually really good and nice and attentive. She kept apologizing for the bar. I ventured away from their pizza and had the chili cheese burger. It was decent, but nothing incredible. The next time I go, I will sit at the bar again and order pizza. Stick with what works, I guess. I still think the place is decent and worth visiting again. I enjoy the atmosphere and decor.
(3)Sadie W.
Love coming here during my lunch breaks! It's like a better version of Chili's. Dishes are much tastier and of wider variety. If you go and get dessert try the pizzcookies.
(4)Darth C.
If Chili's and Applebee's and TGIFriday's all got together and had a love child, BJ's would be it. Went there to have a beer and snack on some appetizers. The craft beers overall were decent. The appetizers could've been better; the slider appetizer has four Krystal-sized little burgers with rather tasteless thin little patties of meat and alongside as toppings are precisely four pickle slices with a sprinkling of shredded lettuce and nothing else, some tomato would've been nice. The fried artichoke hearts weren't quite hot on arrival, some of them had disconcertingly cool centers. The calamari was overdone, you don't expect the tentacles to have the texture of toothpicks in your mouth. Overall to me it's a "big box" version of the aforementioned "fresh from the freezer" trendy restaurants. Would not recommend unless you like beer. A lot.
(2)Sofia T.
The Santa Fe egg rolls are very puny, I don't recommend them. Although, I do recommend the brussel sprouts. I told the waitress exactly how I wanted my drink. Piña colada with Meyers made regularly. Add a shot of 151 on the bottom, and armaretto on the top. Everything was just mixed in. I ordered a medium rare cheeseburger, which the manager did take off, but they brought out 3 burgers, only two of which I tried and both were well done. Will I return? Doubtful. I can't imagine a decent restaurant like this having a cook wasting product and not being able to properly cook meat.
(2)Leigh R.
3 stars was given only because the food was actually pretty good. The place is like an upscale tgi Fridays. It's a little over priced. Now the service; granted me and my husband walked in at about 9:30 pm. But they don't close until 1. We were not greeted at all, the host grabbed menus and just said "follow me". Took about 8 minutes to get a drink even though there were only about 5 other tables in the place. The waiter was nice but my husband asked for an extra side and when it wasn't given the waiter said he didn't hear him say that and it would be an up charge for the side. I'm not a cheap person by any means. But at that point the waiter should have told him not to worry about the up charge since he "didn't hear him". If he was writing the order down he might have remembered. (Im just saying) also we simply wanted lemons for our waters but there were none in our glasses but we didn't bother saying anything about that. We didn't want there to be another up charge......... If it wasn't for me the waiter wouldn't of gotten a tip at all. My husband was far from satisfied. (him and I both having been in the food service industry)
(3)Jim W.
We happened into BJ's on Christmas Eve. The place was about half full. We were warmly greeted by a hostess and seated promptly. Our waitress was quick, timely, and didn't forget anything. She was also very personable. The menu at this place is massive. Pages and pages of selections. It goes against every bit of the theory "stick to what you're good at". It's obvious that most of the entrees and sides are frozen then steamed or nuked. No kitchen can keep that much fresh food on hand. It shows in the taste and presentation of most of the dinner items. They do a pretty good job of steam and nuking though. The beers are pretty good and it's fun to try the different creations that they have. Domestics are available if you have an aversion to microbrews. The best part of BJs menu are the lighter side entrees. This is one of the few restaurants I can go to and order something that doesn't have a full days worth of calories, salt, and cholesterol in a single meal. Some entrees are less than 600 calories. Very nice. I know some fast food salads that have over 1200! This isn't my first time at this restaurant. My previous experiences have been the same. It's middle of the road and solid. What more can you expect from a chain I guess? Good luck and thanks for reading my review.
(3)Tracy G.
Went to Sunday lunch with my sister. We always enjoy the ambience and usually enjoy the food. I ordered the jumbalaya and I was disappointed. It wasn't even close to a proper jumbalaya. The chicken had a weird marinade that totally took away from the dish. Some of the rice was undercooked and some was overlooked.
(3)Boon C.
Great American style food. I love to stop by here when I travel north I-75. This is one of my many visits in this restaurant. They are located just outside of the oaks mall. It is a mile off I-75. When I drive from Tampa, this is my 2 hours driving stop. The restaurant customers are the Mall goer, UF student and professional. Very little tourist. Today I have the Classic Rib-Eye for lunch. I have their New York Steak before. But the Rib-Eye is the go to dish if you have to chose between the two. The dish comes with two sides. They have great selection of the sides in the menu. Today, I have chosen the roasted asparagus and the soup of the day - clam chowder. I like the ways they have select the material, the asparagus should be young and thin stem - less than ¼" diameter. This is the best size that asparagus is not too fiber. The asparagus is grilled and season with spice. The clam chowder is actually comes in a bowl not a cup size. I have crust some black pepper on top. The clam is good chunk size. It is good for the hungry person. My rib-eye is come with good size also. I like it when it comes with a bit of fat that enhance the flavor of the steak. The gilled the steak to my order medium rare. I like the wood fire smell when they have the steak brought to me. This is typical American cuisine to near perfection. The meat material is good for the price that under $20. The restaurant has the handcrafted beer. It include the BJ's Light Switch Lager, Brewhouse Blonde, Piranha Pale Ale, Hop Storm IPA, Berry Burst Cedar and more..... Please try them if you are here.
(4)Lanise A.
Decided to try the Deep Dish Lasagna from here, although they may as well just call it Ravioli since it's not really lasagna. Nevertheless, it was the lunch hour so the restaurant was pretty busy. I did manage to be seated and get a drink without waiting quite some time. I thought I would order an appetizer before the big meal, so I opted for Mac n Cheese. Big mistake. Although it looked good, the taste said otherwise. Soon after getting Mac n Cheese my lasagna arrived, and it tasted delicious, but I'm not too fond with all of the sauce. The ravioli was drowning in it! I also wanted to order my pizookie early to save some time, so while I was eating my 2-flavor pizookie (Chocolate Chunk & Cookies and Cream) was served. Overall, the food wasn't bad, but I know that I can save money by skipping the appetizer and ordering water instead of a soft drink and lemonade which is almost $3. This place is a favorite among my fellow students, so maybe I'll stop by again.
(4)Ed W.
Dude, this place is always crowded, but tonight I finally got in. On entry, we were greeted with a funky foot smell ... i mean we nearly turned around and left, but thought what the heck. It's way way noisy, I mean rock concert noisy. Not a place to take a date unless you don't want to talk to your date. Ok, so I got the Pot Stickers as an app. They were soggy, and not crunchy as they are supposed to be around the edges. I also had the fish tacos, but the sauce was funky, and certainly not chipotle sauce as advertised. The fries were also cold. The one good thing was the Orange cream soda ... it really was good, but then the server did not bring me a straw until the main course arrived, so I couldn't even enjoy it with my app. I mean dude! All in all, it was an experience worthy of McDonalds, except it was like four or five times as expensive. I don't think we will be back.
(2)Brandon C.
their OREO PIZOOKIE!! 1 of the best creations in the world..
(5)Robert B.
We stopped in Gainesville on our way home heading north and needed to find a nice place to eat that was open late. BJ's was close to I-75 and had a great atmosphere. Everything we ordered was tasty and enjoyable. I plan to visit again next time I'm in the area.
(4)Peter P.
I went to BJ's with some work colleagues because, well, it's Gainesville and there isn't much in the way of anything to eat that isn't corporate low-brow. So, I suppose it fits in. Picture a Ruby Fridays or a TGI Tuesdays with more beer selection and you pretty much got it. Service was spotty, forgetful, uninformed. The place smelled like rancid fry oil, which explains the food. The food offered is almost entirely fried, overly-salty redneck food. Our table sampled a good bit of the menu, I had a "pizza" with the hope of it not tasting like everything else that went in the fryer that week (the experience with the sampler appetizer gave us a heads-up on that). It was like the puffy, salty, greasy, flavorless pizzas from WaWa. Even the Pepperoni was junk, below Hormel. I hoped the beers would get me through. After realizing they pretty much only had high-volume mega-brewer pee pee (sorry folks Shock Top is junk and it's Coors anyway), I turned to the bottled beer list. Hooray! They listed several domestic and imported farmhouses, saisons, and some sours. The server was pretty confused and pronunciations were a giggle, but one after another, he returned to tell me they were "out of that one". After several tries, he came back with a printed list of what they were out of to make it easier on me: it was pretty much their entire decent bottle selection (see uploaded photo). I settled for a special they had on tap, a poor attempt at a pumpkin ale. Horrid. Two stars for being affordable.
(2)Tracy D.
We ALWAYS sit at the bar. 90% of the time the bartenders are fantastic (there is/was one we don't care for). Food is usually solid and tasty. Drinks are good. Prices are a bit high, but they have a decent happy hour discount. (Not great, but helpful). We return here often due to convenience and service. The Rewards program also sends out good offers for mid-week dining. A buy one get one entree free coupon pulled us in on a Wednesday afternoon. Seriously, of all the BJ's I've been to, I think this is the best. If Cliff is working (bar or waiter) sit with him for superior service.
(4)Mohannad M.
The first time I was there I had a realy nice dinner. The food was delicious and the dishes were big. unfortunately, the second time was very different. I had a small plates and the food wasn't that good. Maybe lunch differs from dinner.
(3)Darshan P.
Large selections of beers and drink specials. A lot of food options. Gotta get the Pizookie which is a desert item they are known for.
(3)Pirata D.
I ordered the Seared Ahi Salad, which I have now designated as the best Ahi Tuna dish in town (Gaineville, FL). I order this dish almost everywhere I go (see my other reviews), and this one beats any other Ahi Tuna in town. Generous portions of salad, and most importantly, the star attraction, the tuna! The dressing is perfection...light and bright. This is my go-to dish after the gym, when in a time crunch for something healthy to eat. Great atmosphere and staff. Had this dish twice so far, and will return for more. FAB!
(5)Antonio R.
I've eaten here quite a bit of times because friends really like it, but it's consistently poor. I ordered the wings as an appetizer and they were cool and soggy. Reminded me of frozen hot wings cooked in a microwave. The shrimp was not much better, kind of rubbery. I've had other items on the menu and they were not much better. The menu is huge, it would probably be a good idea for them to cut it in half so they can focus on preparing a few things well.
(1)Sai K.
Super professional guys at the bar and they sure know what they do! I am here on 12/22 & they do know to keep the holiday spirit alive. Surely recommend the place
(4)Richard I.
I barely worked here when it first opened up. So if your a current employee and remember me. SUP! and I hope your making good money! ANYWAYS I tasted a majority of the food here and for the most part, its all good. What I like most about BJ's is the wide variety of DRINKS(alcoholic & soft) along with the food. Some of the appetizers are hits and miss. I'd recommend getting the Sampler. Pasta and Pizza are great. Hamburgers are a little above average. Always packed at nights and the weekends. Thats the only downside, so packed you can't even chill at the bar. Reserve ahead of time.
(4)Mel B.
This is definitely a place you go to for an occasion or to have a good, "real people" (e.g. not pizza by the slice or greasy tacos) meal. The food is excellent all around! save, the calzones (but who likes those weird things besides Ben Wyatt from Parks and Rec) Stuffed Mushrooms and the Spicy Chicken Parm deserve shout outs They make alot of their own beer and have a very nice selection on draft and tap. I recommend the Florida Orange Blossom Pilsner myself. One thing that will really stand out is how awesome the service is. Seriously, they take it very seriously and they probably have the best waitstaff in town, if that kind of thing really matters to you.
(4)Matthew B.
The service is great. The food is good. The environment is nice. One thing is,the internet connection is BAD. I ask one of the servers and they said people have complained for TWO YEARS. BJ's come on. DO you know how many people need a place to catch up on emails and grab lunch, drinks, or a snack while. I find this to be to be a lack of effort. Plus, attracting a crowd like myself who works in restaurants sometimes.
(3)Steven H.
Love this restaurant. One of my favorites in Gainesville. They make a killer steak and they brew their own Root Beer & Cream Soda
(4)Scott T.
The place is very big and has an extensive menu with pizza sandwiches salads barbecue and it kind of goes on and on. It's nice that they have quite a variety of food but not all of it is great that was a group of 12 of us and we tried and shared each other's food it had some flavor it was nice presentation it was hot but it was really nothing outstanding. If I had a group of friends who really didn't know what they wanted to eat and had no real sense of what all the food was I would probably bring them here because it is a chain restaurant that does a fair job of making a lot of different products for a lot of tastes. I think if they trim the menu by 25% and focused on a couple of great things they would probably do a little better. The ambience is very loud a lot of music playing I'm busy nights you a lot of people hanging out at the front door or around the hostess station and it's very crowded. I took some photos but if you go to website they have plenty of photos they've already taken so this real no issue in showing you what we received. Prices are in the $12-$25 range for entrée.
(3)Josh S.
I don't understand how BJ's continues to thrive in Gainesville. I don't know what I was thinking during my last review. Granted, it was three years ago. I guess their success is partially because the location is convenient to the mall, NFRMC, and I-75, but so is the building behind Red Lobster, and a business couldn't succeed there if they gave away free food with unlimited government funds. On the other hand, it seems that BJ's will never die, no matter how many things they get wrong. It's not that the food is that bad... the Pizookie is a tasty dessert, and I always enjoy what I'm eating, even if it's not overly thrilling. They also have a decent beer selection (their branded beers aren't great, but aren't terrible), and they have pretty good lunch specials. In fact, the lunch specials are the only reason worth coming anymore. The space is way too big for its own good. To their credit, they don't have unoccupied tables at peak times, leaving customers scratching their heads wondering why they can't sit in the section with fifteen open tables. But it also creates chaos, because they have too few inexperienced servers assigned to too many tables. A "quick" meal will invariably take at least an hour, no matter what you order or how much you try to hurry up the "check please" process. Also, the food is extremely overpriced. Aside from the aforementioned lunch specials, you will be hard pressed to get out of here for under $15 per person. So, so, so not worth it. I'm annoyed at myself for writing such a long review for a chain restaurant (an updated review, at that!), but one more thing: this is one of the few places I have ever been that will charge you for infant-sized portions of a side dish. I hate to sound so entitled, but if I ask for a thimble of black beans for a baby, at least tell me that you are going to charge me over $4 for it. Might as well just order her an entree and call it a day. $30 for two beers, a margarita, and a baby black beans. Have fun with that.
(2)Andrew H.
BJs brews their own beer and has a welcoming atmosphere but expect a wait for your table on a busy night and be sure to check in with the hostess regularly as they are likely to forget about you. Overall I enjoy their menu, it has a kind of "Cheesecake Factory" style where they serve everything. I have found the staff to always be friendly and when the forgot about us for an hour the manager apologized and gave us one meal for free.
(3)Colt S.
Great food at a decent price dessert is to die for! There's always a tv in sight with the biggest games on. I would definitely take a date there it's not to noisy to talk and that's rare in a restaurant with a full bar and tvs.
(4)Michael S.
I ordered a deep dish pizza with sauce. I did not get a deep dish pizza at all. I asked the bartender if there was sauce in it and he said yes. I got home and there was no sauce at all in the pizza. I paid $20 for awful cheesy bread.
(1)Princess A.
It isn't that I didn't care for BJ's, in fact, I had the shrimp tacos and they were pretty delicious. But I found the whole thing completely overwhelming. We accidentally went on a Game Day, which meant we had a 90min wait. Not a big deal, but definitely should have picked up a menu while I was waiting to have time to really look over everything, instead of just thinking I could pick something when we were seated. There are SO many choices for drinks and for food, that I felt like once I had decided on everything I might like to try, I had a usual restaurant's menu in choices. I am sure this means that some of the items suffer because the kitchen can't possibly keep up a high standard on ALL the items on that menu. Consequently I tried to pick something that wouldn't've been sitting in a pot or under a broiler for a long time waiting for someone to order it. I think that has to be the key to ordering here. Pick something they might have to make to order. I had a pear cider, but that doesn't even begin to cover the drink options here. Basically I am going to declare BJ's impossible to accurately review in one trip. If I return here, I'll have to review again and pronounce a better judgement.
(3)Kurt L.
We showed up at 430 and had fast service and delicious food. Absolutely no complaints. I checked into their wifi and got a coupon. The food is really good so they can get really busy during peak hours. I would strongly recommend this place. Pizza is great and pizzookies are decadent. California burger is incredible. You can't go wrong.
(5)Gloria S.
Bring your coat! Gotta be like a freezer in there. Friendly staff, reminds me of Cheesecake Factory without the efficient, quick service. My daughter said the Gluten free pizza was better than the regular, but get ready to pay out at least $14 for a small one. Lots of choices in menu and drinks for everyone. Big place, lots of TVs to keep your date busy and ignoring you.
(3)Christina S.
Food was not worth the price you pay at this location. Portions are good size, service was decent but no flavor for the grilled chicken pasta, Parmesan chicken was dry with zero flavor and the baby back ribs were dry and hard as if they were sitting under lamp lights way too long. I've eaten at BJs in other states and it been good, but here, terrible.
(2)Cassie R.
A little overpriced and overrated, but I can't lie, I love BJ's. Usually seated in a timely manner and the service is always friendly. I love the strawberry lemonade and the flatbread pizzas most of all, but when I branch out and try new things here, they never disappoint! The appetizers are enough to satisfy me, but the pasta dishes I've had and the deep dish pizzas are wonderful. The pizookies...oh god, the pizookies...to die for! Ask about the rewards program and even if they're a bit pricey, you'll be able to rack up points for some kind of deal, especially if you go with a crowd. Sometimes it takes way too long for the food to get to the table, but when it does, it's bound to be tasty.
(3)Robin W.
Thanks, BJ's, for your Gluten Free menu! I had the Gluten Free pizza. It could have been cooked a bit crisper, especially toward the middle of the pie, with a bit less sauce, but the flavor was good. My companions enjoyed the variety of appetizers and drinks. I did find it strange that one order of fries for our table was fine, but the other were as if the oil wasn't hot when the fries were cooked. Cooking in cold oil? Sounds icky to me, so I didn't taste them to find out. Our server was pretty good and kept our glasses full.
(3)Bill B.
Barbecue bison burger very good. Ginger coleslaw was okay but I would not order it again.
(4)Diane J.
Went for lunch at 11:30. Service was way too slow and not very responsive to requests. The cheese & broccoli soup was more like a sauce than a soup. Probably our last visit to BJs.
(1)W M.
The food is truly delicious and the customer service is amazing! Michael was so attentive and even packed our desert on ice so that the ice cream would not melt. This place is excellent.
(5)Landon E.
BJ's has a lot of food choices so is a great option for picky eaters and just in general for someone who wants to try different things. Their food is probably around the 3 star range but their convenience, waitstaff and ambience push it up to 4. Great option for casual, dates, etc.
(4)Jessica B.
This was my 1st time at this resturant and it was a huge let down. Everything was done in a timely matter [I.e. seating, drinks, and taking our order], except getting our food to our table. The wait was so long that I lost my appetite. All we ordered was a deep dish pizza. The waitor didn't even attempt to keep us informed nor did he even acknowledge the issue. The pizza was meh. I wish I would have ordered the pull pork instead. But the thai style chicken wontons were good. I would have taken a picture of the pizza, but I was too unhappy to do so and all I wanted to do was eat and leave, which was exactly what we did.
(1)Coty S.
DJ's reminds me of a cross between Hop's and a sports bar. The food is just a little bit better than at most sports bars, but the price is jacked up. They ask your name and how many are in your party, even if you do not have to wait for a table, which is not needed. Then, you are escorted to your table in a sea of seating dividers, then surrounded by televisions and handed a 20 page menu. Most of the menu consists of alcohol and you have to check every page to see all of the food they offer. Like most places, you are expected to order immediately. So you basically have to have it memorized. Like Hop's they have house made (company made) root beer, but at least it is free refill. My main attraction was their new small plates menu which ranged from $3.00-$4.00, which was on a photo menu on the table. We ordered the Mac and Cheese with bacon (bland and runny), the Caprese style salad (delish!) with balsamic reduction, and the Spinach Stuffed Mushroom caps (will pass next time, lacking in texture and flavor). My Mom loves their Grilled Salmon, which is like $17.99 for a small rib of salmon on a plate of mayo smear. You can get something much better and classier at Bonefish for a dollar less, if you are into these chain style places. I had the Chinese Chicken Salad with citrus dressing, omitted the fried wontons, it was very filling covered in grilled chicken and actually worth the $10.50 paid for it. We had to order a Pizooki, it is a mushy dessert cookie in a small pizza style pan with ice cream on top. It was squishy and expensive. Still debating if we should give them another try. I wanted to take more photos, but it seems pointless because there are so many pictures of the food on their website.
(3)Brad K.
I have to chime in on BJ's We've been there about 6 times. Each time was always below average. We end up asking..why did we come here ? Yes it's a nice building. They do have a nice after work bar setup. But the service is always average. They seem to forget about you. A big issue for me is this..I love blue moon..I love an orange slice with my hefeweizen. When I order their hefeweizen style I always get lectured on putting the orange in their beer. I've gotten "we won't put it in, you'll have to do that, we'll put it on the side"..I've gotten lectured by the waiter that they don't offer that, and when I insist they do is begrudgingly. Food is the worst part of BJ's. They are either bland, greasy or saltly. Every time we've dined there we have to send something back to the kitchen. Wish they were better.
(2)Erica B.
Been there several times in the past and food has always been great. Recently, it's been awhile since we had been there but we got a gift card and thought we'd use it for a nice weeknight meal. We ordered takeout and every component was wrong or had missing ingredients including being sent the wrong soup entirely. I thought it was just their takeout service since we had never had an issue before so we decided to try them again. The service was good but the food was of poor quality and just didn't taste that good. We even sent one dish back and got another sub par dish. The one exception I will say was my sons mini corn dogs were fantastic.
(3)Abby M.
My boyfriend and I love beer so we decided to check out BJ's. We enjoyed a variety of great beer and a margarita pizza. It was a great time but our waitress was not attentive to us. We asked her to sit outside and she gave us a half smirk and said "I mean if you want to, but that's not in my section so I won't make it out there that often to check on you." First of all, I've worked in the restaurant industry for 5 years, I know she didn't want us to sit outside! Obviously if she would've been more understanding to what we wanted then we would've tipped her 50% of our bill. Instead she made us feel like we shouldn't sit outside because it would inconvenience her. This is why I'm rating 3 stars. I would recommend this place for good beer and food but not service, because even though we sat inside our service still wasn't great.
(3)Damion W.
This place is hit or miss. Some days it deserves five stars, other days just one. Food is always pretty strong. I always order either the jambalaya or the fried chicken. Both are great. The service isn't nearly as consistent. The servers are generally very nice, but often very slow. Not necessarily their faults, but it can be very frustrating.
(3)William C.
I stop here often on my way through Gville. Great atmosphere and the food is good (considering that it's a chain). I've had decent meals here and very good ones too. Never bad. It's a fun place to grab a bite and the menu offers a huge number of choices. The staff is ALWAYS friendly. While it's not Ruths Chris, it's very good for the price and the upbeat atmosphere. Think upscale sports bar. I will be back.
(4)Elizabeth R.
If I were in a big city, there would be no reason for me to eat at BJ's, but since Gainesville has a limited amount of options we go on occasion. I like their simple grilled fish with Asian style rice. It tastes fresh and the sauce and rice are really good. The fish was also cooked well. My husband likes their burger a lot. For a chain restaurant it's pretty good.
(3)Hannah M.
Growing up with real micro breweries I was excited to learn that BJ's was moving to town. Unfortunately, I cannot find one thing that this restaurant has in common with a micro. With outrageous beer prices, beer brought in (not made on site), mediocre food, and bad service BJ's has found a way to take all the great parts of a micro brew restaurant and turn it into a chain dining experience. Skip the chain and head downtown to taste local brews or beers from around the world with delicious food to accompany. I can think of a handful of places that will out do BJ's and save you money at the same time.
(2)Matt H.
I've probably been here a dozen or so times and I love this place. Never a bad meal. Of course they can get a little busy on a Friday or Saturday night but the wait is always worth it. For the last few visits my fiance has been saying "try the deep dish pizza" and I've always said no thanks as I didn't see the point of going to BJ's and getting pizza. Well last week I finally tried her pizza and it was amazing...literally amazing. Sounds crazy but go to BJ's for the pizza!
(4)Coleen T.
Came here for dinner with the whole family.... the service was good and the food was edible. There wasn't really anything spectacular about it all, and I'm not sure if we will be going back any time soon... but it's in a pretty convenient location and it seems like their menu has something for everybody.
(3)Diana D.
My husband's parents came up for a brief visit so we all went to BJ's. Wouldn't have gone unless someone else suggested, but it was pretty good. My hubby swears it was the best restaurant burger he's ever had. The pizookie was pretty good but overpriced in my opinion. I had a plethora of the small plates (which I appreciate existing because I tend to prefer stuff like that as compared to entrees that I can rarely finish on my own) and shared them with the fam - the caprese salad (which was really good), bruchetta (which was okay), stuffed mushrooms (not the greatest), and fried artichoke hearts (the dip was good but they were just meh). Overall we had a good time despite the TVs cutting out constantly due to a huge storm that hit, but I doubt we will return.
(3)Pam D.
My friend wanted a burger and a beer to celebrate, and this is where she picked. I was just along for the ride. We sat ourselves in the bar area and found out BJs was running a happy hour special: most appetizers, flat breads, and mini pizzas were 1/2 off. Draft beers were also $1 off. Thank goodness for that, because even though their beer list is very large and diverse, the prices were about $2 more than I see at most other places. Speaking of beer, none of their brewhouse beers intrigued me. With so many other unique beers on draft, why would I try one of the house beers? Anyways - if you're a beer lover you will definitely find something on the menu to sip on. I ordered a Bell's Oberon, which didn't really taste like a Bell's Oberon, but maybe I just haven't had it in a while. We started with mozzarella sticks (half off) and they tasted like they were straight out of the freezer. In fact, there is no way a restaurant can maintain this large of a menu without utilizing tons of processed and frozen foods, so this big menu was a huge turn-off for me. I had the sweet pig mini pizza (also half off). It was the perfect size for me for a normal entree- it's about the size of those pizza hut pizzas you can get in the airport. It was okay. The crust was so deep and doughy that it just felt like a big ball of dough instead of a pizza. My friend had a burger which she customized with added avocado. She loved it, but I thought it looked pretty gross. The patty was much thinner than most other places. Also on her huge burger, she only got one slice of avocado so we had to ask for more. Service was spotty. Our beers took about 20 minutes to get to our table; they arrived after our appetizer. I don't live here, but I think there are probably other places in the area to get a good burger and a great beer.
(2)Dereck C.
This is my wife and my go-to restaurant. Always great food, great service, and great drinks. The Small Bites menu provides excellent value and generous servings. We love to get a few selections from there and a few rounds of drinks with friends. The only downside is that it's often very cold and loud.
(4)Jeannette B.
I have visited BJ's for a number of years and love their Santa Fe salad, (romaine lettuce, red onions and fire-roasted red peppers tossed with Santa Fe dressing. Topped with jack and cheddar cheeses, sliced avocado, corn, diced tomatoes, crisp tortilla strips and blackened chicken breast) while I have enjoyed the sliders, pizza and other dishes I always find myself going back to the Santa Fe Salad! Their soaps are really good, but consistently cold! I have had several times to send them back. Disappointing. But on your next visit, do try the fab Santa Fe Salad!
(3)Travis L.
BJ's struggles with the basic functions of running a restaurant. Last last two times I have come here they have brought my food out and I have then had to ask for silverware. Another issue I had was appetizer came out after my entree. Needless the say the service is never good here. That honestly takes away 2 and a half stars in my mind and the overpriced food is where they lose the other half star. In the food quality section they pick up the two stars here. The menus is way too big but most of the food is good. They do have a legit happy hour with half of appetizers and mini pizzas and drink discounts. The beer they make it overrated but they do allow you to taste some so it's worth trying at least one. Overall, good food and bad everything else.
(2)Scott L.
Great craft beers. Good food, a lot of variety. Good place to watch sports in the bar area.
(4)Kris T.
LOVE, LOVE this place! Awesome servers! Friendly, easy to engage and knowledgeable. Food runners, they pre bus, the food is reasonable, nice variety, inventive and delicious. We love going there.
(5)Derek S.
We stopped by here to have a couple of beers and watch the UF basketball game. They had $5.95 lunch specials so I got the Mediterranean flat bread and salad special. Accompanied by a reserve brew that they had which was delicious. The beers are a little pricey but they do offer a good variety of their own beers and some domestic/imports on draft and bottles/cans. We sat at the bar and enjoyed the game on a TV that had to be over 100 inches. The food has always been good at BJs and I enjoy the atmosphere. I will definitely be going back sometime soon.
(4)Morgan L.
I do really enjoy BJs. They have a good variety and work well with my family's high maintenance eating requirements (which really do throw some restaurants for a loop). I'm not a beer person, but they make a mean mojito too. And shockingly, the chicken fried steak is fabulous. The last two times I've been there my fries have been cold. Which sucks cause I love them. But I'm giving them another chance. So well see next time!
(3)Nicole B.
I had never heard of BJ's before coming here a few months ago and was pleasantly surprised with the menu. However, I was here with 3 other friends and they messed up 2 of our orders, after making us wait for about an hour for food. First, they served my pizza with onions, which I had requested be taken off. Now, if there were just a few here and there I would have made do. But the pie was literally overflowing with sautéed onions, which I just am not a fan of. So I politely asked if I could get one without onions and the waitress was very gracious and apologized. My friends and I had already been waiting for SO long for our food at this point (which the waitress kept coming over and apologizing for, so I assume it was the kitchen's fault) that she said "do you want to just keep that anyway while I have them make you another one?" and I said "yes, that's fine, thank you." I guess she thought my "that's fine" meant "don't make another pizza, this one is fine" because I never got the 2nd pizza. My friends, also thinking I was about to get a new one, happily enjoyed this free addition to their meal and ate all but one slice of this already small personal pizza. So in total, I had one piece of pizza, stripped of most of the toppings. It was my fault for not saying anything when she came back, but at this point it was nearly 10pm and my friends had eaten their food, so it just wasn't worth it. The second order mess up came when my friend just never got her food. They served 2 of my friends and me (with the onion pizza), but my 3rd friend never got her food--they hadn't put the order in and she had to wait for them to make hers. The manager gave us a free cookie dessert as an apology, though, which was considerate. Sadly, the dessert (a "half baked" red velvet chocolate chip cookie called a Pizookie) was insanely sweet and rich and I did not enjoy it, though my friends did, so a personal preference. The bit of pizza that I did have was good, though I thought it was overpriced for the portion size. That, combined with the wait time for the food (over an hour, and the place wasn't crowded!) were enough for me to give this 2 stars in good conscience, despite the mishap with the pizza that I would usually brush off as a miscommunication and misunderstanding.
(2)Adam G.
I really can't say why I keep going back to this place. They do have one of my favorite beers, Smithwicks, on tap. I love microbrews, but am really not a fan of any of their house beers. The Jeremiah Red is alright, though at around $6 a beer, overpriced. On to the more important part, the food. As best I can tell, BJ's is all about quantity, not quality. They give large portions, but almost every item I've tried has simply sucked. Their entrees seem to be the worst. Chicken Fried Steak, Parmesan Crusted Chicken, etc. Simply awful. As a big fry lover, theirs are awful. The only items I've had there that I don't completely feel I've wasted my money on are the burgers and pizza.
(2)Robinskii G.
Been wanting BJs since being in CA. There isn't a BJs in the panhandle so when I saw it, i made sure we pulled over to dine in. our server, Michelle was super nice. She knew the menu and she def knew what sauce goes with the dishes. our chicken lettuce wrap came out with the wrong sauce, when i called her over to mention it, she caught it before I even got the chance to say anything. The food wasn't as I remembered it in CA. but it was still satisfying. Got: Chicken lettuce wraps, which is good, if served with the right sauces. Traditional Wings: normally its lightly drizzled with buffalo and ranch... i like it lightly sauced, so I really like it only drizzled. but it came out a little more wet than I prefer. Santa Fe rolls were a hit Artichoke pizza, hubs says it was okay, had chucks of some kind of cream cheese, which was overwhelming. Ahi poke..... ummm you should just pass on this... its fresh fish... but def not poke tasting.
(3)Aidan A.
This is my favorite place to go for birthdays, promotions, and other celebratory occasions with friends. Incredible food (with great selection), and they brew their own (amazing) beer. Try the taster flight!
(5)Coleen D.
Love coming here for lunch with friends. Their mojitos are tres yummy, and it's fun making a lunch out of shared appetizers. Favorite dishes: chicken potstickers, ahi poke, calamari - just to name a few. And their Chocolate Pazookie (sp?) is melted chocolate HEAVEN. No calories either from what I am told, though I am assuming that last part is a big fat lie. Fun atmosphere -- always crowded -- LOVE BJ's!
(4)Christopher R.
Food was so so, nothing special that you can not find at any other pub or microbrewery. They are a dime a dozen these days. Service was horrendous. We sat around forever for drinks, then to order, then for our food to arrive. Once our food arrived due to the "kitchen being busy and backed up" it was cold. Mistake me if Im wrong but if your food takes that long to get to your table, it should least arrive hot. It wasnt even room tempature it was cold. Which means while our server was chit chatting with the other servers all standing around doing nothing, our food sat there getting cold. Definitely wont be back.
(3)David N.
Diverse menu & consistent food. Love their deep dish pizzas and their draft beers.
(4)Amanda E.
I think BJ's is great. The service is always enjoyable, there is a great atmosphere, and the food and drink selection is vast and delicious. They have great beers on tap- even a unique Berry Burst Cider of their own brand. I have always enjoyed my experiences and think BJ's is a solid regular in my book.
(5)Margie T.
I've been here three times. Once for a happy hour where the wait for drinks was longer than need be, and twice for dinner/lunch. Vote times we either got the wrong meal or didn't get it at all. The me managers were very apologetic and offered to make things right, but the damage had been done and all we wanted was out. The facility is LOUD. Perhaps the noise level made it impossible for the wait staff to hear our orders.
(2)Eladio D.
This is the best restaurant for miles. We drive about 45 miles one way to eat in this place . Its a great place from the staff to the manager . Lately I have noticed that the steaks are not like before , the meat is hard and tasteless. There is a very large selection of food . I would have given this place a 5 but because of the hard and tasteless steaks I give it a 3.
(3)Johnny L.
BJ's isnt the best thing out there, but it certainly isn't the worst thing either. BJ's is a real nice place. The inside is aesthetically pleasing and the wait staff is friendly enough. (Although it seems they have so many waiters/waitresses that I didn't know who to turn to) The menu is HUGE and seems to have a bit of everything. Their menu reminded me of the Cheesecake Factory (but the food isnt as good). I've come here on several occasions and the service has always been pretty good to me. I've tried the open faced sandwiches (gotta use knife and fork) they have. The open-faced pot roast sandwich was good. The meat was very tender but it was drenched in sauce which I don't mind for the meat, but the bread underneath suffered. I've also had the fish n chips here. It is 4 fried cod fillets with fries. The cod fillets were nicely fried, but it was pretty bland. The fries were good, but it's not hard to mess up fries. The pizza looked good, but also looked pretty small. I never tried the pizza so I won't comment on it. But my friends did enjoy it. Overall, the place looks beautiful on the inside. They have large TVs everywhere and a nice looking bar. The staff is friendly and the food is decent enough. Prices are kinda high which, for the portions of food, should be better. There are other places you can go, but otherwise it's not so bad.
(3)Delia P.
I'm almost at a loss for what to say. Our experience was pretty neutral. My meal was really good (Parmesan Chicken with mashed potatoes)... The husband-like-man had Fish N Chips, which he wasn't too impressed with. From the other two people in our party, two were happy with their meals, two were very unhappy. The wait staff was pleasant, our waitress was nice, helpful and attentive. We had the 4 beer sampler, with Blond, Hefeweizen, Red, and Brunette. Personally, I prefer dark beers, and the Red was my favorite. I was not impressed with any of the other beers we ordered. The husband-like-man prefers Hefeweizen's and didn't even finish his. Overall, it was enjoyable. I'm not in a hurry to get back there but wouldn't turn anyone down down inviting me.
(3)Val T.
Don't understand the lack luster reviews. Lunched here for the first time and the food was pretty good. Started off with the Avocado rolls.. I LOVE Avocados so it was a win for me. Had the 1/2 salad 1/2 flat bread also yummy ! Split the Tortilla soup with my friend, which was also very flavorful..could have come out a little warmer, but the hand poured "presentation" of the soup was nice. Finished with a chocolate dessert that left me in a chocolate haze.... so decadent ! Had the Berry Ice tea.. was a little on the sweeter side for my taste buds. The house brewed beers didn't seem appealing enough to me to spend the 6.50+ a pop this time around. They do have a sampler though. They do have a MASSIVE menu ! The service was adequate. Our server seemed a little rushed and rushed us a bit with our ordering. Lacking some personality, but I guess what can you expect in a college town? Given the invite to dine here again.. I'd probably go.
(4)Ken B.
The service on the floor is earnest, but you can tell the waiters and food-runners are stressed out, probably dealing with the heartless corporate system that makes this place so lousy. I've gone three times. Once with two friends for lunch, once just to the bar for a beer with my wife, and once with two business associates. I'll never go back, and, if invited, strongly argue to go elsewhere. As many other reviewers have said, the food is obviously the lowest quality restaurant-supply, microwave and deep-fryer ready stuff they can find. Apparently the owners do not care what is served, thinking that the nice atmosphere will make people believe the food must be good. If the beer was affordable enough to order more than one, people might get tipsy enough to not notice the grease, salt, and rubbery consistency of the appetizers. But even that one beer takes so long to get from the arrogant but incompetent bartenders to the table that there is no chance it can help mask the lousy flavor of the food--or wash it down. In a college town with many sharp, friendly students looking for a job, how did they find the classless dullards working behind the bar? Burgers are below average with stale buns. This is one of the worst examples of disinterested, formulaic restaurant management that has ever blighted Gainesville.
(2)Nolan R.
It's not really anything to write home about. There is a HUGE wall of TV's for game watching and/or ignoring your significant other. I have been here two times. One time I ordered a burger and the other time I had a chicken sandwich. They weren't awful, but there weren't up to par for the area. I mean you could get a better meal across the parking lot at Ruby Tuesday's. Sure, it's not a marbly and woody inside, but you can't eat the marble or the wood, right? I'd go here again with a big group, but I don't plan on going back until I've tried other places around Gainesville first. If I do go back, I would like to try their Root Beer...I have heard it is pretty good.
(2)Dennis C.
When it comes to dining, I'm usually hands off when it comes to chain restaurants. So... I have yet to actually eat a full on, sit-down, meal there; my review is strictly based on the bar. Beer. And lots of it. Their quantity of selection is impressive. Their quality of selection is pretty good. When I first went, prices seemed a touch high, but then I discovered happy hour on my subsequent visit - and that's where it got good. I think it was dollar of all drafts - which brought them down to a reasonable price. And half off all appetizers, including a few other things like flatbreads. All the appetizers I've had, have been great, and provide plenty of food to fill me up. I especially like the chicken dumplings and the ahi poke. The little mini tacos are great as well (love the chipotle flavored salsa). Oh, and another great thing about the bar, is that it's very big and there are also plenty of booths and high tops to sit at as well. All first come first serve. Don't let the big line out in front of the place scare you away!
(4)Jim B.
After 3 separate visits to this place since it opened, I have yet to get what the big deal is. The food has been mostly greasy. One meal was so bad I complained, to no avail.... Service ranged from indifferent (yeah, when I say its greasy, that is a hint to ask about replacing it - yo) to average. I don't like beer, so this whole brewhouse thing is lost on me. I'm certain that someone likes the place, since it does tend to be busy at many times. I'm not gonna be back anytime soon. Its not really 'one star' but it only barely rates two.
(2)Sean B.
This is a great place to grab a drink after work. The burgers are good, the steaks are okay. Don't look to go here on a very small budget but if you want a place for a nice dinner this isn't bad.
(4)P B.
My daughter & I had lunch here after a medical appointment. She had never been to a BJ's. Our server, Ryan, was attentive. We both enjoyed our drinks & lunch. The menu selections are plentiful. Now that my daughter has experienced a BJ's, she will eat at one again.
(4)Heather M.
Fast lunch! We had the Cobb salad & fish tacos. Very tasty & fresh. Great beer too.
(5)Zach W.
When I go to restaurants I typically find a menu item I like and stick with it every time I am there. BJ's, however, is one of the few places I go where I get something different each time. They have great burgers, sandwiches, and pastas, but I think I can say that the category in which they truly excel is their specialty wood-fired pizzas. My favorite is the Buffalo Chicken Pizza that is better than any other similar pizza that I've had in town. I've been probably a dozen times in the last three years and for the most part the service has been good, but there's been a couple times that it seems like it has taken a lot longer than it should, both while waiting (when the restaurant looks empty) and while being served.
(4)Pam F.
I've been here three times and the service was horrible every time. The restaurant was about 1/4 full and we waited over 35 minutes for our food to arrive after ordering. Plus, a beer costs $6.25. That's outrageous when there isn't much else to compensate. Atmosphere is just average for pub/sports bar. Food is the same as any other pub. I'll choose something else next time.
(1)J B.
We have eaten here numerous times. The service has always been great, as is the food. Food prices everywhere are going up, and BJ's is no exception. I have never been there when there wasn't a lot of people. This is a good sign the food is good. I do recommend this restaurant and will continue to visit. Keep up the good job!
(4)Brandon D.
BJ's has great beer and consistently good food.
(5)April O.
I've been back enough times to form a more informed opinion about this place. And I've also gotten to eat a deep-dish pizza that didn't make me want to hurl, so that's gotta count for something! So far, I've had most of the appetizers--the best beginnings (spinach/artichoke dip, Santa Fe spring rolls, avocado egg rolls, mozz sticks), the Piranha Pale Ale nachos, the potato skins, the shrimp lettuce wraps, and the chicken wings. The only one that we've ordered more than once were the chicken wings. The other dishes don't stand out for better or worse. We've had all of the flatbread pizzas and enjoyed them thoroughly. Those actually taste good and come out hot and fresh, which is a problem with some places in town (yo, New Deal!). I would return for these. Entree-wise, I've stuck with the baked potatoes or the fish tacos. Both are enjoyable enough to keep me from being picky. I do observe what other people get when I come, but none of it looks like a must-try. As for the deep-dish pizza, very recently Brice and I tried a create-your-own pizza with ... meatballs, sausage, green peppers, and roasted garlic. Could it be? Is that ... an abruzzese pizza? It is! So that means we still don't like their signature pizzas. We're currently live right next to this place, but we're about to move, and I'm pretty sure that I won't be driving back over here to eat unless it's 11 p.m. and I happen to be awake and hungry. The late closing hour is pretty much the only thing that keeps me coming back, but heck, I can make baked potatoes and flatbreads at home. 2.5 stars for the consistently good waitstaff.
(2)John O.
Went to BJ's because a friend told me they had an unusual beer that I like. The beer was on the menu and I ordered it, but after a long wait, I was told they were out, as was my next choice AND my third choice! I finally ordered one of their micro-brews and got a beer after I was in the place for at least 45 minutes. It was OK. The food was pretty sub-par. Greasy and bland, but large portions. Hmm, is a large portion of greasy, bland food a good thing or a bad thing? The waiter did not return to the table throughout the meal. I would have ordered another beer, but was not given the opportunity. I doubt I'll go back.
(2)Michael M.
It was the run of the mill food spot nothing stood out nothing horrible. If I was in gainesville again would I come here again uh maybe.
(3)John L.
I think they may be putting all their eggs in the "brewhouse" basket. In all honesty I have yet to develop a serious palate for beer; so I cannot in good conscience rate their beer selection on other than subjective terms. In short, I liked some and others...not so much. But what about the food? We picked at a sampler type app which consisted of avocado egg rolls, mozzarella sticks, chips and salsa, and a spinach and artichoke dip. In a nutshell: brought-in flash-frozen pre-fab cost-per-unit turn and burn. Verdict? Have a beer or two (liquor takes forever to arrive for some reason, even when it's just a shot of vodka or tequila), and head to Boston Market for dinner; this place is Gainesville's answer to Houston's.
(1)Angel I.
Food was good but service was horrible- even management didn't respond appropriately. Went there with my staff to celebrate a bon voyage and did not have good service all the way around. It took forever for us to be greeted by our server, to get our drinks, we were never updated on the status of our food, and received an attitude by our server thinking someone in the group was lying that they were 26 (I understand questioning, but not with an attitude) and some in our party never got refills on their lemonade. When we were leaving I spoke with management and they were just focused on the server questioning about the drinking age and didn't even focus on the poor service overall, which was my main issue. I was not pleased and may never return because service is my biggest pet peeve.
(2)Greg R.
Good food and service.
(4)Tiffany A.
I go to BJ's a lot, more so when it first opened. It is where I take my friends out to eat if they've never been. The reason is, they have a variety of food options to meet everyone's needs. If you know someone who is picky, then I suggest you take them here. Prices are decent. The service is so so...sometimes you get great service, sometimes you don't. The reason why I think BJ's has gotten only okay reviews is you just have to know the right things to order. I've found out that although they take pride in their deep dish pizza's, they are mediocre at best. I've never had a great deep dish pizza there. I go to Satchel's for that. Now if you go outside of the pizza facade, appetizer wise...their avocado eggrolls are refreshingly amazing! Their brushetta is delicious. And their flatbread appetizers are mouthwatering. They have great seafood entrees. But the best part is dessert...the infamous Pizookie. No lie, the pizookie is the icing on the cake. Basically, a deep dish cookie/brownie served hot with ice cream scoops on top. This is one of those restaurants that I make sure I save room for dessert!
(4)Brice O.
So after going to BJs a few times, with a few different people, at a few different times, I think I've figured something out: BJ's is a pleasant dining experience hidden in a field of land mines. I've had an overall pleasant experience dining there but I've noticed several things about the place that I knew I should immediately avoid. 1. DON'T GET THE BEER, IT'S A TRAP! I guess since it's a "Brewhouse" people feel obligated to at least try the beer. While I'm not a beer drinker, I've been there with casual beer drinkers and some pretty hard-core beer drinkers and the best reaction I've seen to one of their beers is "meh" with the more normal reaction being some kind of vague nasuea I will say that the first time I went they were nice enough to bring out samplers for me and my co-wokers (free of charge). 2. Just avoid the alcohol all together. I'm not a beer drinker but liquor is another story. I know that individual bartenders have as much to do with the drinks as anything, but drinks in restaurants are too expensive for me to get another one after getting a bad first drink. And the Manhattan I ordered was easily one of the worst drinks I've had this year. 3. It's worth eating but not necessarily worth the wait. This is a newer restaurant in Gainesville and in a high traffic area. So it's going to be crowded, especially during the times when the slightly older crowds would be eating. I've noticed that going there around 10pm or for lunch the wait is negligible, but during normal dinner time you're probably looking at a 40 minute wait (at least while this is the new place to go). The restaurant really doesn't help itself in this area because (outside of the bar or outdoors) there are no tables for small parties. Each table could easily seat between 2-6 people, which makes you feel a little put off when you've got 6 people and see 2 person parties taking all the tables. 4. The food is good, not outstanding. There's nothing on BJs menu that's going to make me go running back to them, but there's plenty there that I would gladly eat if the opportunity presents itself. I personally like their Fish and Chips (although it's admittedly a little on the bland side), Burger Melt, and the cookie desert. Also, I'm pretty sure my wife hates each one of those things with equal passion, but she's been able to find several things on their menu (like the baked potato) that she likes as well. So there's nothing wrong with the food, and some of it might offer a pleasant surprise, just don't go there expecting anything life changing. So overall, I do like this place, and I'll be going there again at some point, I just have to make sure I avoid the alcohol, don't go when I know it'll be busy, and keep my expectations at a moderate level. (hmm, I swear that was supposed to sound better than it came out)
(3)Chet L.
Tried this place out the other night, somewhere new and trendy where we could all feel like we were cool. We were put outside right underneath the loudest speaker west of the stadium, which gets really annoying when Todd Party Of Seven doesn't respond the first eight times they are called. Won't mention our server's name here, but we had to ask for utensils. And napkins. I wanted a straw but that would have been another trip. If she had tables inside as well as outside, then this is partly the fault of whoever scattered her tables so she couldn't concentrate on one area. The food was okay. Waited ten minutes to try my chili after it arrived since the server forgot my Tabasco, but the rest of the food was arriving by then. Was told a 'Wedge Salad' was a quarter wedge of iceberg lettuce. It was more like a thin 1/8th of a quarter. So I guess it was actually as she said, a quarter of a wedge of undermined width, and I just assumed that meant a quarter of a head of lettuce. Anyway, it was okay, but goopy since their was much more dressing than lettuce. Since my friend's food was there by this time, I had only a bite of the chili before asking for a container. Having camped out that weekend, I am 92% sure it was Hormel's chili. If not, they did a great job at copying the essence of canned chili. Friends had the meat loaf and chicken parmesan dinners, both looked great with creamy mashed potatoes, but neither cared for theirs. The meat loaf was gelatinous and the chicken was sliced so thin there's no way it couldn't have been dry. Some chains have a policy that the manager is supposed to greet every table at one point during their visit. If BJ's has this policy then it wasn't followed or I would have mentioned this at the time. Wanted to see a pizza but no one near us had gotten one. I didn't have a beer, maybe if I'd just gone to the bar and not eaten it would have been a better experience for me. But I got to do the 'told ya so' routine and insured that the next outing with be my choice and will be far from the mall. Parking was fine. I am still wondering where Todd Party Of Seven ended up going though.
(2)Shirley N.
The kitchen is very slow. My meal was not prepared as I wanted. Salads very good. Beer too expensive.
(3)S L.
I like that this place is centrally located and their menu is so large that we can go and something different every time. The food is good as well, the santa Fe chicken salad and pot roast are my favorites.
(4)Shawn D.
Love this place!! Awesome food and desserts.
(5)Lois R.
Went to this with my son and his girlfriend, just for dessert. We shared a Pizookie Trio and it was awesome. Menu said fresh-baked cookie, and this was still warm from the oven with ice cream on top. They thought the chocolate was too rich, but it was my favorite of the three. TVs in all directions, which was good since we were monitoring multiple football games. The only negative was that after we were seated, it was quite a while before a server even came by to see she'd be with us shortly.
(4)Kate F.
Delicious food! Definitely have to try the parmesan crusted chicken! Definitely will go back!
(5)Belle C.
My fiance and I ended up here for lunch on Christmas Eve after finishing up some last-minute shopping at the mall. I'd been curious about this place, but also wary of it because it looks like a knockoff Hops, and I never liked Hops. Also because, although it's not actually in the mall, it's a mall outparcel and I never have good experiences with Mall Restaurants. But we were hungry, and were already parked right in front of it, so in we went. The spiral-bound menu opens with a list of their specialty beers, which we didn't try. The rest of the menu is a bit Cheesecake Factory - esque; they have a little bit of everything (soups, salads, sandwiches, pizza, dinner entrees). We had a hard time deciding, so ordered a few things to try: avocado egg rolls, barbecue chicken chopped salad, chicken club sandwich (typical chicken club with the addition of avocado), and California chicken sandwich (this one had peppers, cheese, and chipotle mayo). The avocado egg rolls were delicious, but you have to like avocado because that's about the only thing in there. I enjoyed the salad, too - it was huge, and had a good ratio of toppings to lettuce. The sanwiches, however, were completely bland. Sandwiches come with a choice of seasoned wedge fries or crispy thin fries; we got one of each and both liked the crispy ones better. Service was cheerful, enthusiastic, and quick. Overall, it was a pleasant lunch and I'd go back to try more of the salads and appetizers.
(3)felicity b.
Tried this place twice. It seems quite overrated to me. Once I got a burger and the next time a pizza. You can't really walk out of there without spending quite a bit of money. Especially if you get a beverage. The atmosphere is very open. You are literally right on top of the table next to you unless you get a booth. Food is just like eating at an over glorified Chili's that serves pizza. I will probably only eat here again if someone else pays for the bill.
(2)Joel G.
As an avid beer drinker, I loved the different types of beer that they had to choose from. I tried the Bitburger which was a pretty good pale beer. My next choice was called Celebrator. It's definitely not for everyone. It's a darker beer served in what amounts to a wine glass. It is very strong at around 10%alc/vol, but had a very nice taste. It did take a while for the bartender to get to me, but in his defense there were a lot of people their and he probably could have used some help. As for the food, I got the fish tacos, which I had no complaints about. Obviously everything is overpriced, but what do you expect from a trendy chain type of place. All in all, the place is a nice casual atmosphere that I am definitely going to visit again. The huge tv's above the bar are a plus as well.
(4)Ky K.
The food is not that bad, just very pricey
(2)Shi Anne B.
My son & I have eaten here several times & it has, for the most part been pretty good. However, last time, was the exception. I ordered the Veggie Loaded Potato, & what I got was a huge baked potato with about a tablespoon of veggies smothered in cheese. I just happen to love veggies, which, as my teenage son pointed out is not typical of many Americans~LOL. Also, when the potato is described as being "loaded," I have a certain expectation....So, the server took way too long for the initial check in after serving the food, such that I knew I would be ready to leave before they were capable of resolving my problem (teenage boys eat pretty fast & we just happened to be on a time limit that night). I found it interesting that the server & the manager were concerned about helping me but never asked me if they could actually bring me more veggies...I was offered the option of ordering another entree or getting a refund, but they never offered to fix what I ordered & a veggie loaded potato was what I had a taste for at that time! Sometimes a simple fix is all that is needed & if you're going to describe it as "loaded," then load it! I'm giving it 3 stars b/c we've had some great food here!
(3)Josh R.
Go during happy hour all appetizers are half off and they are very good.
(4)