Nice simple meal, I had the hummus and avocado sandwich.
(3)
Corey L.
My usual go-to brunch spots were packed this morning as I was driving around (which I was very sad about at first), while driving I stumbled upon Ivey's. Not a long wait. Cute place, nice atmosphere. Great music selection playing inside! The coffee was DELICIOUS (and I drink coffee like my life depends on it so the fact that it was that good says something)! They put cinnamon and chocolate chips in the grinds...YUM!!! Our waiter was awesome, super attentive even though they had a packed house and very funny (he had an old Cracker Barrel apron with the name Dick embroidered with 2 stars, hahaha). The food...omg the food...SOOOOOO GOOD!!! I got the Burro (which comes with their homemade salsa) it was AMAZING and a huge portion! Our table also got eggs, pancakes, bacon (mmmm...bacon), etc. Everything we had was cooked to perfection and all the plates were large portions. Mimosas...perfection! I saw a few reviews that were complaining about price...with the amount of food you get I don't know how you could complain. Not to mention, still cheaper if not the same as any other brunch place in town. It's also FRESH not frozen crap, the chef goes to the market every morning for fresh ingredients, I'll take that any day over frozen food or crap from a can. Super impressed is all I can say...I think this will be my new go-to spot! It's a hidden gem in gainesville...oh...and it's LOCAL! SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES!!! Seriously, check them out, it's a great place for breakfast, brunch, or lunch!
(5)
James J.
Hidden within the West Gate Shopping Center, Ivey's Grill seemed like a positive choice for a quality breakfast/brunch and, importantly, quite a close one for where I live currently. When I see "local" or "organic" anywhere, I instantly perk up because that usually indicates the ingredient quality will be enough in itself to save a place. I found this did not redeem my dining experience at Ivey's Grill. The Space: West Gate has no signage to indicate to those driving on 34th that Ivey's Grill even exists, or at least not one that is very noticeable. Still, they manage to get a fair amount of business within their tiny quarters. There are a few outdoor tables, several booths and tables as well as a bar area for those who might only order a baked good and coffee/espresso. To access the bathroom, you have to enter the kitchen area briefly, which I dislike in every restaurant (admittedly there is nothing the owners can really do about this). Along with me were two friends, one of whom nonchalantly pointed out that there were cobwebs in the corners of the ceiling. Great. The Food: We arrived around noon. Looking at the menu, the prices ($10+ for most anything) were in-line with what I expect from local, organic restaurants. I decided to straddle the brunch flavor with a BLT sandwich, topped with an egg over well and accompanied by a orzo pesto salad. Of my two friends, one ordered the potato pancake with their creamy garlic sauce, as well as two eggs over well (more on this in the service section) and my other companion got a medium burger with the noodle salad. To be completely honest, I was really apathetic to the food I received. The bread was only the slightest bit toasted, so between the mayonnaise and the tomato there was zero chance this item was not going to end up falling apart while in hand. The bacon had almost no crunch or crisp at all, and in fact, was chewy to the point that it resembled jerky. Nothing is more annoying in a sandwich than having to either gnaw the meat or pull it out of the sandwich entirely to eat it. The pesto salad was fair; almost more enjoyable than the sandwich itself I also sampled the pancake my friend got. Tasted pretty good, though maybe a touch too much onion flavor for some (not me, as I take kindly to powerful seasoning). The creamy garlic sauce had a very unappealing aftertaste that stuck with your mouth for too long. Not pleasant. My other company received his burger to discover it was halfway cooked to correct level and halfway cooked well done, though he did state the flavor was actually quite good. Tried the peanut noodle salad he received on the side and found it did not quite work, as the flavors did not mesh (all 3 of us agreed on this). Oh, and they give you watermelon with your food (the infamous afterthought sides) The Service: If you think a friendly smile might redeem this place, think again. First of all, they appear understaffed. We came when they appeared not quite as busy (reviews suggest they are primarily a breakfast place) and found frequent delays in refills on beverages. Sometimes I ask for my food to be made as take out, simply to save myself time when I anticipate not finishing my meal (and I rarely do finish so this is justified). My sandwich was made to-go, but for some reason arrived to the table 5 minutes later than the two dishes that required legitimate cooking. I wish I had known watermelon came with meals, because having the juice leak around the container into my pesto and seep into the bread made things even less appealing. My more vocal friend, who ordered the potato cake, tasted the garlic and promptly suspected it might be spoiled (I tried it as well and, though not thinking 'spoiled' per say, found it unappealing). He flagged the waiter and asked to have apple sauce instead because of this. I the watched as the server went back to tell another staff member about this, they discussed it with mannerisms that indicated they did not appreciate the comment, and the waiter returned with apple sauce. He decided to state that the sauce has a yogurt base and that "not everybody likes it." These types of comments are useless, save for making things worse. In addition to this, he only received one egg instead of two (the waiter had only written one, though, so no hassle with changing the bill). The one nice aspect of the service was for the burger: when my friend asked for it, the waiter was aware enough of their food to mention that this order would be for the last burger they had in-house. This was definitely more ideal than the waiter coming 10 minutes into our wait and telling us to reorder, though why a place runs out of ground beef in the first place is beyond me. Final Thoughts: Ivey's Grill was overpriced, understaffed, and lacked any real appeal to encourage my return ever, both in quality and service. The statement "Meh. I've experienced better" is resoundingly appropriate.
(2)
Dawn M.
I LOVE this place and so glad it's survived all these years. The food is fantastic, but the place is small so you'll have to be willing to wait, esp during football season, but it's so worth is and Stephanie is so sweet. I wish I could come here more often. It's 4 out of 5 only because I reserve 5 for my hands down favorite spots.
(4)
Mayra S.
Found them on yelp! And am so glad we came... Originally wanted to find a spot to eat closer to the university but after reading food and dog friendly restaurant reviews we figured we'd give it a shot... This place was great!!! VERY DOG FRIENDLY!! Ordered the crab cakes Benedict with holland aide sauce and cheese grits... Which was all nothing but fantastic and mouth watering... Enjoyed the service from the staff... Recommend it to everyone!!!
(5)
Katie S.
Very cute/hipster cafe in the heart of an otherwise chain-place dominated area. Great breakfast.
(4)
Rashonna T.
Small and quaint little restaurant, you can tell it's a local's favorite. I took my kids for breakfast this morning everything is excellent the reason for four stars is that service took a little too long.
(4)
Megan R.
The homemade banana nut bread French toast is absolutely phenomenal & so is their house blend coffee. Both must-orders. Not at all impressed with the nachos. Bland and plain with sort of gross, waxy cheese. Edible, but would never order again. Chicken salad sandwich was really good, but pretty standard for chicken salad. One thing I liked: how frequently my water glass and coffee was refilled. Literally every time someone passed the table. Two things I didn't like: felt as if there was no AC in the small restaurant. Made the meal somewhat uncomfortable. Also felt very rushed to order, eat and pay the bill, even though no one was waiting for our table. Overall: great food, decent service, cute but stuffy venue. Would recommend...but mostly for the French toast :)
(3)
Craig C.
The food is very good and the place has the potential of being a good restaurant but they have fix to their personnel issues. The waiter sucked. Never once refilled my glass. His fake sincerity was obvious (re: flight attendant). Place was only half full and it still took over 45 minutes for breakfast food to come to the table. The waiter could not have cared less. It's a hipster place with zero hustle. Smug factor is about a 7 out of 10. They even have their rules to be a patron posted on the chalkboard. Ironically, rule #2 is: be nice or leave. Another one was they don't take American Express. Another one is that there a 20% mandatory gratuity for parties over five. Which is understandable given their crappy level of service they have to mandate the tip. Bottom line: if you want to be made to feel like it's a privilege to be served really good food in exchange for money, this is your place.
(3)
Vincent V.
Ivey's has always been my top bestbreakfast location in Gainesville. Having come here for many years during my college days and even post college, I think their attention to detail and quality ingredients make it the best in the area. The owner Stephanie and her husband have always been focused on using the finest of items to prepare the dishes. Starting with their coffee they make a unique version that has a subtle combo of cinnamon and chocolate. The iced coffee is served with fresh coffee ice cubes and is totally the goto in my book! To eat the cinnamon French toast is great, but my personal favorite is the crab or traditional egg Benedict. They use a special recipe for their hollandaise sauce that has a unique flavor to it that allows you to really appreciate the combination of poached eggs, meat and muffin. Overall this is my goto and be warned that the crab option runs out quick. While the grits are a good option here the potatoes with fresh sage are the goto for me. While these are my favorites you really cannot go wrong with anything! My biggest complaints are that there almost always seems to be a wait (which should mean it is a great place right!?) oh, and that many of the items run out or they don't have first thing in the morning (happens a little often) or that you get 2 out of 3 good servers and 1 out of 10 orders might have a problem. (Remember in a college town your staff is like the first day of class and my week two they might decide to change degree or go back home, so turn over is just a given in any college town) and lastly because of the size of the place it sometimes is not as comfortable as I would like. The loud child (which has sometimes been my own :) or table on top of another... All this to the side, this is by far the top breakfast spot and if you want something home grown and with menu items that are filled with flavor then this is where you will find it!
(5)
Margaret G.
Great food! I had the tempeh barbeque sandwich with basil orzo....it was amazing! My guest had the same thing and we think it might be our favorite sandwich ever! The service is a little slower than other restaurant, but I think that's because they are making YOUR food WHEN you order it, not at 8 a.m. and then reheating. This place is wonderful and worth a try! Also, unsweetened ice tea is very, very good!
(5)
Priscilla S.
I have been here a couple of time for breakfast and it never let's me down. I must say, the scones are out of this world amazing, especially the orange chocolate chip ones. I don't live in Gainesville any more but every time I visit I call just to see if they have those scones. This week, they especially made a batch for me because I told them I was only here for a couple of days. I took 6 to go. I love neighborhood places like this.
(5)
Kelly A.
It was Saturday morning, 11:00 to be exact. We slept in because we were out pretty late at a show the night before. Gainesville is a college town, so we figured we'd have myriad breakfast joints to choose from. How wrong we were! The whole city was D-E-A-D! We drove around, looking for a place, to no avail. We yelped it, and saw that Emiliano's Cafe had breakfast. We went there. They had no breakfast. They recommended Ivey's Grill, so we trekked on over there. It was noon by this point. We got there and they had a line out the door and people everywhere waiting for a table. Is this the ONLY breakfast place around, save IHOP? I don't get it. There clearly is some degree of demand for a Saturday breakfast, and yet no one else seems to offer it. Very strange! Anyways, we put our names in and waited the 20-or-so minutes to get a table. We were psyched when we looked at the menu and saw so many cool vegetarian options, and we also quite enjoyed the art on the walls. I went with the pumpkin french toast, and the boy got some sort of veggie eggs benedict. It took 45 minutes for us to get our food, no lie. The food was pretty good, but the service was just abominable. I asked for a refill on my drink when the food came, but never got it. Also when paying for the bill, I asked for change, and was given the change in one large bill. Obviously that isn't going to help you with your tip, lady! So the food is pretty good, the menu is diverse, the atmosphere is decent, but the service, UGH!
(3)
Elexa B.
Was recommended to go to this place for breakfast while out of town in gainesville and was thoroughly disappointed. the whole place gave my boyfriend and i bad vibes because of the service. it took a while longer than anywhere else ive been to to get greeted and get our name on the waitlist. other guests were piling in behind us asking if we had been helped yet and we shrugged and said how we hadn't even seen a single employee in that front room yet. i dont even want to take the time to type everything that went wrong there. it seemed to me like there was one waitress and five or so hungover local college guys wandering around with water pitchers ignoring tables. the kid that seemed to be the host, the one with mohawk was pissed to be at work that early it seemed. i remember when we were done with our meal the guys kept looking at our table but they never actually took any dishes off our table and continued to go back to the kitchen empty handed. oh but our ten tiny creamers did get ten more at one time by the young guys with fist fulls of creamer, restocking at noon on a Sunday during brunch time when we were fine with our ten other creamers on the table? i wanted to say something to whoever the manager was about how unfriendly and bizarre the service was from these hungover kids but my boyfriend pleaded with my that it wasn't worth it because we weren't from there and would never have to go there again.
(1)
Stephanie R.
This place is way overpriced for the food you get; New Deal is a much better restaraunt in a similar vein. Service was extremely slow and the place was not crowded. Menu isn't that great and too expensive. Not impressed don't waste your time when this town has a number of much better choices.
(2)
Ping N.
Great breakfast/brunch/lunch place! The servers are always friendly and competent and we never had to wait for a table. The price is a bit high but the ingredients are all locally sourced and sustainable so there's a premium for that. The pancake is a single pancake, which we thought was strange but when it arrived, it was a single giant pancake. The pancake was fluffy and even though it was just one pancake, I couldn't finish it. And for $4, that really was all the food I need for breakfast. For dog owners, you can sit outside with your dog when the weather is nice and the server will bring your dog a bowl of water. I'm still researching places where dining with your dogs is allowed because it's such a normal thing to do in Europe. Will definitely be coming back here a lot.
(5)
Coty S.
This is my Dad's favorite breakfast place, so whenever I come into town to see him we usually go here. I remember the prices being high for breakfast food, but now they are INSANE for what you get. The Fruit is $14.99! What?!? So, I ordered the Yogurt with Granola ($6.50), which was the cheapest thing on the menu. Yes folks, this is a small bowl of yogurt with some granola sprinkled on top for a very hefty price. I almost panicked because the waitress brought it out because it had some sliced fruit on top, so I asked her to make sure that it was not $14.99. Sorry if I seem cheap, but I have never paid that much for so little that I can make at home with a spoon and no prep. Before the prices went up, I used to always order The Hoss, which was scrambled eggs with cheese, ham, and bacon with a side of potatoes. This is homemade breakfast quality, nothing too fancy. Maybe that is why people like the place. If I am going to pay $7.00 for breakfast food(which I am not that fond of to begin with), then IHOP would be my first choice. They make all that crazy pancake covered in circus that you cannot make at home. But, you are looking for some snooty treatment in a snooty atmosphere with snooty prices, then this is definitely your place.
(2)
Luis C.
Somewhat condescending service, waiter was charitable enough to offer to give us our "drinks for free." We ordered two waters and one coffee, gee thanks. Waited more than an hour and was getting ready to pass out before I just said "let's just go to Publix, and I will make us brunch." A bit overpriced, and the coffee is terrible, but that's all I can comment on from this trip. Last time I went the food was good except for the grits which had texture like they were cooked in a microwave. There are better places for brunch around town this one just happens to be closest to the University. Be prepared to wait.
(1)
Michael A.
Sloooow! Lousy service - forgot to make a kids pancake then offered a biscuit while waiting, then forgot biscuit and 1 pancake took 20 minutes to make. My eggs were cold, grits cold with a 1/4 inch layer of congealed grits on top when brought to table. Fried potatoes overly herbed. Over priced. This was my third and final attempt to give this local and very close to my house joint a chance. Go elsewhere and save yourself time and money.
(1)
John S.
Garbage service. Food was mediocre. Brought me a corona with no lime and when I asked for a lime was given an attitude by the server. Came back and said they were out of limes. Told the server I didn't want the beer and he snatched it off the table. I then heard him complaining about us in the kitchen. The owner was standing nearby explaining to the other server about how sweaty her feet and neck were and proceeded to take her shoes off in the restaurant. When we complained to her we were not taken seriously and she blew us off. This was supposed to be a nice Sunday brunch with my girlfriend and the crappy meal still cost 50 bucks!!! I will NEVER eat there again.
(1)
Cassandra N.
Great breakfast/lunch joint. Funky, local, veg friendly. Good for kids. Tasty food.
(4)
Mercy G.
Food is incredible, service is terrible! I would give this place 5 stars if I hadn't receive terrible service. The waiter had long curly hair and was extremely rude. He forgot a lot of things we asked for. I asked if I could have a straw and he said "I suppose." I was placing my order and he said "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to anything you said." It was our first time there and we didn't know that you can't split checks and he didn't want to do it so we had to ask for a manager. They should be more flexible to first-timers. Otherwise, the food was fantastic.
(3)
Mandy D.
I love Ivey's. The food is FANTASTIC 95% of the time. Once we went and the potatoes were underdone, and once I got the salmon scramble and the eggs were a little brown, and I have a problem with that. But in general, the food is very, very good. I usually get the Hoss, the potato pancake benedict, or the chicken salad salad with honey curry dressing. My BF always, always gets Spuds ala Grande. Cheese grits are very good. Once I had a mimosa, which was mostly champagne with just a splash of OJ- I like your style, Ivey's. We come here often enough that the owner remembers us, which I appreciate. You can't go wrong with the coffee either- Ivey's blend by Sweetwater, and if you get it iced, they will give you coffee ice cubes and a little pot of coffee to pour over. The negative: service can be slowwwwwww. Especially on busy weekend mornings. As long as I keep getting refills on my coffee, I will be happy while I wait, Ivey's.
(4)
Ricky A.
Ivey's has been my favorite place to eat for 20 years now. I guess you'd call it my "comfort food" when I want good food made by good people. Like a previous reviewer, the Potato Pancake is my fave breakfast food. Yes, knowing that the meal was made by hand for me then (rather than from a factory or a can) I wait a few minutes longer (and I do mean "a few"). My lunch fave are the salmon patties.
(5)
Hina S.
So I used to live in Gainesville before and recently in last 6 months moved to Mississippi. This place had always been my best breakfast place and I never had issues about anything food, service and timings was really nice. Although I am upset today cause when I asked the waitress to get the grits in a bowl instead of a plate she responded if we have time we will do it. So from that I m thinking we are ordering stuff almost for 60 dollars for 3 people and I am getting attitude from you. Not to mention on the door you keep a sign be nice or leave which is primarily for the customers but what about the wait staff. Apparently it is a crime and too much work to put grits in a bowl instead of my plate where all the food will be stuffed in and I am expecting too much. So for refill she never asked us but to my husband who is white. Previously my servers have been a tall guy who works here but this lady really has some issues of her own. I felt like a dog the way she got the food and both me and our friend that we were taking out grits were on that plate soaking the eggs. Of course we were hungry so we ate but my appetite was gone. So to that white lady who has no humanity and loads of attitude you had customers today but I know for a fact with your attitude it won't last for long. I am never going back to that place again. I think the food is good but if you are ready to be treated in a rude mean way go there. So far me and my family are never going there.
(2)
Steve P.
This is one of those places where the food can outweigh how bad the service is. You get frustrated waiting 30 minutes for an omelette, then you get it and its really good so you look the other way on the front of house's incompetence. It's sad. If they were better on service, this would be an unbelievably great restaurant.
(2)
Laura M.
I've come to Ivey's a couple of times on my last few trips to Gainesville, once with my mother-in-law and once with MIL and my own mom -- a meeting of the moms, if you will. It's a cute little lunch spot with lots of mom-pleasing salads on the menu (and unique house made dressings). I like that they have lots of vegetarian options (BBQ Tempe sandwich!) and interesting side dishes. I also have to disagree with some of the other comments about small portions for the price -- I ordered a Quesalada, which is like a quesadilla with a salad on top (get the creamy chipotle dressing!), and was absolutely astounded by how big it was. Using the bathroom here is weird because you have to walk through the cramped little kitchen area. And, sometimes the service is slow (the better to catch up with your mom while you wait!). But I'd surely go back the next time I need lunch in that part of town.
(4)
Jeff A.
This place is the best breakfast in Gainesville. I have been here about 50 times- no exaggeration. I have a family full of gators so we have been stoping by this place all my life. Their iced coffee is pretty amazing! Banana Nut French toast is also a must try. It's a small mom and pops restaurant so sometimes the service is a little slow. BUT they more than make up for it with their care, attention, friendliness, and quality of food
(5)
Amanda R.
Awesome place! I have been here a few times before and have always had a great experience! I take care of an elderly woman with Alzheimer's, I brought her here and there was a wait. I asked if we could sit inside because she was cold and then the woman that owns Ivey's sat us right away when she over heard me, she then brought us a nice warm coffee and was very accommodating! She is so sweet!! Our food was great, this place has a great family atmosphere! I am so great full for her hospitality, it is sometimes difficult to take the woman I take care of to different places because of her condition but this made our day and was a great experience!
(5)
Nicole N.
Ivey's is hands down the best breakfast/brunch establishment in Gainesville Florida, and possibly the world. The dishes are creative and so tasty. Their Ivey's blend coffee is amazing. Black bean burro with tofu is outstanding every time. Cheese grits, potato, really anything you order you can't go wrong. Ivey's is a real gem.
(5)
Scott G.
Either my palate has improved since I was in college or this place has gone downhill. Perhaps both. Ordered potato pancake Benedict. Poached eggs were overdone and not running all over the potato pancakes. As for the potato pancakes, they were soggy, not crispy. If they were supposed to be soggy (I doubt it), then poorly thought out, as crispiness would've provided a nice contrast in textures with warm, runny eggs. If supposed to be crispy, then poorly executed. Service wasn't that great either. Took 10 mins for anyone to come back and find out the eggs were over poached. And, while they made new eggs, it took another 10 mins to get them. By then, it was too late and I simply turned off. New eggs would've only improved situation a little, as the soggy pancakes weren't going anywhere (should've replaced them too). Also took 10 mins more for anyone to come by for my payment. This place has rules posted at the door for their customers. Funny thing, it obviously don't have any rules for itself. For the future, not going back. Take heed.
(1)
Tom R.
Terrible. absolutely terrible. Service was horrible, waiter was rude. Will not return ever again. This place seems very dirty.
(1)
Shana H.
I went to school in Gainesville 2004-2008 and used to love coming to this breakfast spot all the time. After today, my opinion of this place changed completely. We had thee most incredibly rude and discourteous server that made our experience absolutely unpleasant. Our food took over and hour to get (for over medium fried eggs) and the cooks literally took a sunny side up egg and just flipped it over on the plate. When we mentioned it to our server who never willingly came by to check how our food was, she replied "oh, that's how it's supposed to come...what do you want me to do about it?" She did nothing to make any part of our experience pleasant and then proceeded to take another 20min before taking our check. I can honestly say that I would never return to this place, nor would I recommend the food, service, or environment to anyone looking for a decent breakfast spot.
(1)
Patsy M.
Beyond the worst costumer service I have ever received, I think I have had better customer service at Walmart.
(1)
Adam L.
Worst service ever! I came into town for the football weekend with 4 of my friends and waited 50 minutes from the time we ordered until the time we were served. Horrible waiter never came by to refill coffee or water. The food was still delicious but I could not believe how poor the staff is trained. There is no accountability right to the management level and the excuse given to the terribly slow service was that it was a football weekend. Terrible customer service from the blonde female manager.
(1)
Bryan F.
Great food, the service is slow, Gordon Ramsey needs to come and help. No reservations, slow table turn over (we were here for 2.5 hrs), but the potato pancakes are amazing!
(3)
Downtown G.
When I go to Ivey's (always under duress), I usually get something simple like homefries with cheddar. If I am feeling particulary adventurous, I will get some canadian bacon to go with those home fries. Sometimes the potatoes are good. Some times the potatoes are burned. Complaining will get you a sneer and another 30 minutes wait for a replacement (that will also likely be burned or the potatoes that you sent back, with some fresh cheese on top to trick you.) The wait is always long. The service always sucks. A couple of the waitresses are fond of coming to the table and not greeting anyone. They just stand there and look at you. If you don't start ordering, they will walk off. How the heck would Stevie Wonder get a meal there????!!! Getting a refill of water is almost impossible. They will ignore your frantic gestures and gasping sounds. I have been eating at Ivey's for over 20 years. The prices seem to have gotten out of hand. $15 for a fruit, yogurt and granola bowl?! It's not like it has lychees from The Forbidden City in it, or apples from The Garden of the Hesperides. It has some yogurt (that I strongly suspect is Publix brand vanilla), some cheap fruit and some boring granola. I am all sorts of het up just writing about it. One thing I always like at Ivey's is the art on the walls. I wish they would just turn themselves into an art gallery.
(2)
Marcelo D.
I've been here quite a few times and every time it under performs. Dirty tables every where, last time there was lipstick on the water glasses, slow service, never get the coffee that you ordered, but the food is usually good. They don't have enough servers, but the owner/manager is inside talking to tables and not doing any work. I would recommend not going here until they learn how to run the front half of the restaurant. There are better breakfast restaurants.
(2)
Megan B.
I ate at Ivey's upon a recommendation from a friend and once Gainesville resident. She mentioned that her group had eaten here the day before, that they didn't have to wait long for a table and the food was pretty good. She said the service, however, was very slow. My boyfriend and I gave it a shot this morning. Turns out, it was incredibly slow. They were understaffed and disorganized. We placed an order as quickly as we could once was the server finally came to our table (which was 15 minutes from when we were seated). We were seated for over an hour by the time our food got to the table. While we were waiting, we had a roach crawl from underneath the table and the server rarely came by to fill our drinks. In fact, she left us with coffee and no spoons or utensils. We had to ask another server for utensils who forgot. We finally asked a third person who ultimately got us a silverware roll. The restaurant is really dirty, cobwebs in the corners and sticky tables. However, the food was fairly good. We investigated it thoroughly especially after seeing the roach. Despite the tasty food, I would not recommend this restaurant to others.
(2)
Brad K.
Inside decor is nice. But the place really echo's and gets loud real quick. Went in for breakfast, and the only, I mean ONLY thing to order that wouldn't cost $10 or more per dish was the pancakes or french toast. Everything, and I mean everything else like the frittata and other breakfast food started at $10 and went up from there. (see my menu pics) I'm sorry I'm not paying $40 for three of us to have breakfast. So thus the two stars, based on price, menu selection, and the quality of the food we ordered (nothing special). There are many other places to go for a better breakfast menu. We felt that it's the location that keeps people coming, as it's withing walking distance from many homes on University ave. We say lots of people (families) walking over (not driving in) and coming to Ivey's.
(2)
Jaclyn N.
The first clue that this place will take forever: they have a book at every table. Breakfast took almost two hours all-told. The food was pretty good but I wouldn't go here unless you want to kill some serious time.
(2)
April O.
Today is opposite day--I'm going to go against the grain of the last few reviews. The meal I ate was good, but fairly unremarkable. The coffee is also unmemorable. The service, however, was attentive and punctual. I went in the middle of the week, though, not for brunch on the weekend--maybe that makes a difference?
(3)
Alisha B.
A bit long for the table.... But best breakfast burrito. Food was fresh, delicious and hot. So glad I found this place. Friendly and hard working staff...
(4)
Jen V.
Fantastic brunch! The staff is so welcoming... Amazing fresh fruit! Can't wait to go back!
(5)
Pelicanbone E.
Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes and so much more are waiting for you at 3303 W University it has only been there since 1984. erythang is made fresh, I know i worked there for 8 years and never once minded going to work. Organic Coffee and espresso freshly ground daily, numerous benedicts to chose from, the best pancakes and latkisses in the north central florida. The breakfast list goes on and on till 3pm. Lunch starts at 11pm and not at all on sunday, bringing you badass flatbread pizzas and salads to die for. Every dietary need can be met here. They were dabbling with raw specials, not long ago. The fruit has its own cooler. Its the only place I know where a culinary gaucho cuts up 15 different fruits and makes a gorgeous fruit bowl for you. mmmmmmmmmmm Im hungry all a sudden. Yea you might have to wait a little while, yea you actually pay for the farmers gas that delivers to the back door. Yea c u there!!
(5)
J J.
Ivey's Grill is amazing! Their breakfast is delicious and their chocolate scones are straight from heaven! A must try! They also have excellant customer service!
(5)
Daniel M.
Slow, slow, slow. I get dragged in that place by a family member and consistently get just plain crappy service. There are some good items on the menu but it's just not worth the aggravation there. Good restaurants will have a supervisor watching the floor. Nothing resembling that at Ivey's. Just hapless wait staff stumbling through shifts. I'll pass.
(2)
Natalie W.
All y'all Gainesville Yelpers are CRAZY !!! This is hands down the best breakfast place in Gainesville !! Yes it's more expensive but seriously peeps you get what you pay for !! And maybe cuz my age is way above the Gainesville average -- we arrived there at like 930 am and had no wait at all (although I would happily wait if needed). I had the most divine potato pancake Benedict - yummy potato pancake with lots of onion and then the hollandaise ........ Perfect !!!! I got the traditional vs the spinach version and it was soooooo delicious that I could have eaten a whole bowl of it. Nice and lemony (just the way I like it) and perfect with the eggs and potatoes. Service was friendly and prompt. Coffee was not the best but it was perfectly acceptable. For anyone not worried about paying more than you would at IHOP -- get to Iveys - maybe a little earlier than normal if you want to avoid the lines :-). And for sure get something with hollandaise on it !!!
(5)
M G.
We all understand the service isn't good. It's slow, somewhat condescending and sometimes just flat out rude. Once we move past that (if we can)... the breakfast is so tasty. Those herb potatoes, the banana bread french toast, the scones and the Ivey's Blend coffee. I moved away from the Ville nearly 3 years ago, but I always come back to Ivey's during football season. Perhaps I'm way too sentimental... but waking up super early in the Fall on a Saturday or Sunday to beat the crowd and having that coffee and french toast takes me back to the "good years".
(4)
Lisa O.
The food is pretty awesome. Just expect to pay about $40...for brunch. I almost always get the veggie benedict. Or the fruit and granola and yogurt. Or the veggie saute with nutritional yeast dressing. Don't waste $2 on the coffee. Weak and only served with cream packets on table. Espresso isn't very good either. The service isn't amazing. Nice, just not very organized. Once "the chef" refused to add onions to my friend's order. I thought that was lame.
(4)
Kevin W.
It's kind of hard to rate Ivey's low because the food there is so good. Some of the best breakfast food I've ever had. The french toast is amazing and so are the salmon cakes. However, the service is really really bad. I'm sure they're really cool people I would love to hang out with and I'm not sure if they're just continually understaffed or just hungover, but it's bad. I can't go to Ivey's anymore because the last time I went, I became so frustrated after waiting for an hour for a table (several just needed to be bussed) and then an hour for food that I didn't enjoy my breakfast. It's sad that there really isn't anywhere else to go in town other than chains.
(2)
S Z.
Wow- there was only one couple ahead of us here for Saturday brunch and we still waited 20 minutes for a table. Then literally an hour, AN HOUR to get our food- which was just a frittata and french toast- nothing difficult at all. Minimal wait staff. Mediocre food. Ended up with a $30 blil for breakfast for two people (a $15 ham and cheese frittata? seriously?). We will NOT be going back.
(2)
A P.
Had a great morning meal here with family, would definitely come back again and recommend to others.
(4)
Laura W.
Ivey's has the best breakfast in town. Service may run a little slow, but it is worth the wait. The house blend coffee is wonderful and the daily bakery goods (scones and muffins) are always delicious and fresh. The prices are higher than IHOP and Perkins, but the food is fresh, local, and worth coming back for. They happily make half portions for those with smaller appetites. The eggs Benedict and spuds are fantastic and the pumpkin chocolate chip French toast is a one of a kind. The fruit bowl, while pricey, is the largest plate of fresh fruit you have ever seen- think half a grapefruit, orange, apples, strawberries, blueberries, pomagrante seeds, persimmons, cantaloupe, etc...
(5)
Jennifer C.
Long wait, average service, below average food. Would not return here.
(2)
Amy M.
I found out about Ivey's Grill prior to moving here to Gainesville, through online reviews and word of mouth. I recently moved here from Durham, NC and had only found a delicious brunch place (here's looking at you, Piedmont) a few months prior to my departure. I was ready and rearing for this place to fill the newly minted brunch void. It may be that I've not yet adjusted the price-gouging of Gainesville, but I felt like Ivey's was more than a wee bit overpriced. I ordered the tomato, Havarti and spinach frittata, which came with a biscuit and herb-roasted potatoes. On the plus side, the potatoes were well-seasoned, and they weren't too oily. But the fritatta itself was somewhat burnt and the biscuit was very crumbly. I say this realizing that there may be a market for crumbly biscuits and that crumbliness may be a sought-after quality for some diners. However, I am more of a soft fluffy biscuit kind of gal and therefore did not appreciate the meal as a whole. It's true about the veg selections though - there are plenty of options. However, I think that Gainesville has better vegetarian-friendly options for breakfast, such as Emiliano's. Anyway, this is my first Yelp post. Hope it helps some hungry Gators!
(2)
Dani W.
Best breakfast ever! The Ivey's blend coffee, the banana nut bread french toast, the cheese grits. I love it all. Ivey's is always worth the wait. Always. I wonder what their normal food is like...
(5)
Jorge U.
Go for breakfast. Service is iffy but the food is good.
(4)
Belle C.
Fantastic breakfast; pretty extensive menu. Incredibly slow service. Go early if you don't want to wait for a table.
(4)
Ashley B.
Made it to Ivey's for the first time this morning. We got there shortly after 10 and waited at least 20 minutes... the weird thing is, when we were seated, we saw at least 3 other empty tables. We were kind of put off by that and wondered why we had to wait so long. Anyway, we were impressed by the exciting, different breakfasts on the menu. It is pricier than you expect breakfast to be. Three of us were able to fill up for $30 plus tip (we drank only water). You pay a premium for the fresh ingredients and unique meal options. It's definitely not fast food, but we did entertain ourselves while waiting for our food by reading the joke book on the table lol. I ordered the Spuds a la Grande... their herbed potatoes topped with an egg in the style of your choice, and further topped with gooey cheese and an assortment of veggies, served with a biscuit. It truly was one of the best breakfasts I've ever had. And the portion was huge, I couldn't finish my plate. My boyfriend ordered the honey ham and cheddar frittata with potatoes, and I forget what the third member of our party ordered, but it was something like scrambled eggs with salmon. All of us were more than satisfied with our food, and I'm definitely planning on going back to try more things- including the pumpkin chocolate chip french toast, potato pancakes, crab cakes, and scones, just to name a few. The minus star is for slow service and price, but we felt the food and the experience was worth it. It's not an everyday breakfast place, but a great establishment nonetheless.
(4)
John L.
Out cooked by iHop; could not execute an eggs benedict.Their banana bread french toast only works in theory (density of the banana bread hinders custard absorption and is therefore more of an omelet encrusted banana bread than french toast). Pancakes were poorly executed (burnt on one side).
(1)
Y Y.
I have been there twice. Some of the things on their menu are delicious (mainly the things they bake fresh) but items like bacon were not hot. They are very popular so we had to wait 30 - 40 minutes each time and they do not take reservations. Service is average. We found coins in some of our water glasses and apparently this has happpened to some other people too. The explanation we were given by the servers was that apparently they keep their loose change above the empty water drinking glasses so sometimes they drop in. We did not get an apology for being served drinking water with coins in the glasses which is why I am giving them a low rating.
(1)
Francesca M.
I was disappointed this time 'round. The food took wayyyyy too long to come out of the kitchen and it tasted reheated. $70 for brunch? not worth it this time for reheated food..... ;(
(2)
Alexandros P.
I've been hitting up a lot of the local spots because I'm moving pretty soon, and was fairly disappointed with this place. The food was sub-par and much more expensive than necessary, the service was terrible, and the overall atmosphere of the place was lacking. I was surprised that it was so dismal a place for being so close to the school. I was also struck as being a little out of place. Might of just been me, but I felt like I was one of the few in the place who weren't regulars. I guess if people generally have experiences like mine, "regulars" is all this place will have at any given time.
(2)
Mark G.
Well worth the 30 minute wait for a Sunday brunch with your mates.The Ivey's blend coffee is good,but a little weak for my distinguished,discriminating palate.A good place to see goofy UF profs in their Panama Jack hats and Teva sandals.LOL!
(4)
Rob M.
Went there before the Celebration of Wine at UF and had great service and great food. Loved the potato pancakes and the eggs benedict.
(4)
Christina L.
their potato cakes and french toast are A-MAZING but the service was so incredibly slow i can't rate it any higher than 2 stars. it is a bit expensive for pretty basic breakfast food, as well.
(2)
Lydia L.
Don't waste your time. There are too many great independent spots in town where you can enjoy a great brunch and be spared from rude, slow, and inattentive service, lukewarm coffee from questionably clean and small mugs, overpriced hard-boiled eggs benedict (enough said!) and "house rules" that demand you pay in cash, no exceptions. Indeed, we went there for a Sunday brunch but a busy day in the restaurant industry is no excuse to compromise on food quality and service, especially not at such exorbitant prices. Kudos to their support of local artists and the nice girl who seated us, but that's about it.
(1)
Heather S.
Nice Place for Brunch: Great food and worth the drive to the NW part of town. Very vegetarian friendly. Superb muffins - order them while you wait for your breakfast - it takes a while because they make it fresh to order. The wildly nutritional yeast dressing is addictive.
(3)
Vincent V.
Ivey's has always been my top bestbreakfast location in Gainesville. Having come here for many years during my college days and even post college, I think their attention to detail and quality ingredients make it the best in the area. The owner Stephanie and her husband have always been focused on using the finest of items to prepare the dishes. Starting with their coffee they make a unique version that has a subtle combo of cinnamon and chocolate. The iced coffee is served with fresh coffee ice cubes and is totally the goto in my book! To eat the cinnamon French toast is great, but my personal favorite is the crab or traditional egg Benedict. They use a special recipe for their hollandaise sauce that has a unique flavor to it that allows you to really appreciate the combination of poached eggs, meat and muffin. Overall this is my goto and be warned that the crab option runs out quick. While the grits are a good option here the potatoes with fresh sage are the goto for me. While these are my favorites you really cannot go wrong with anything! My biggest complaints are that there almost always seems to be a wait (which should mean it is a great place right!?) oh, and that many of the items run out or they don't have first thing in the morning (happens a little often) or that you get 2 out of 3 good servers and 1 out of 10 orders might have a problem. (Remember in a college town your staff is like the first day of class and my week two they might decide to change degree or go back home, so turn over is just a given in any college town) and lastly because of the size of the place it sometimes is not as comfortable as I would like. The loud child (which has sometimes been my own :) or table on top of another... All this to the side, this is by far the top breakfast spot and if you want something home grown and with menu items that are filled with flavor then this is where you will find it!
(5)
Corey L.
My usual go-to brunch spots were packed this morning as I was driving around (which I was very sad about at first), while driving I stumbled upon Ivey's. Not a long wait. Cute place, nice atmosphere. Great music selection playing inside! The coffee was DELICIOUS (and I drink coffee like my life depends on it so the fact that it was that good says something)! They put cinnamon and chocolate chips in the grinds...YUM!!! Our waiter was awesome, super attentive even though they had a packed house and very funny (he had an old Cracker Barrel apron with the name Dick embroidered with 2 stars, hahaha). The food...omg the food...SOOOOOO GOOD!!! I got the Burro (which comes with their homemade salsa) it was AMAZING and a huge portion! Our table also got eggs, pancakes, bacon (mmmm...bacon), etc. Everything we had was cooked to perfection and all the plates were large portions. Mimosas...perfection! I saw a few reviews that were complaining about price...with the amount of food you get I don't know how you could complain. Not to mention, still cheaper if not the same as any other brunch place in town. It's also FRESH not frozen crap, the chef goes to the market every morning for fresh ingredients, I'll take that any day over frozen food or crap from a can. Super impressed is all I can say...I think this will be my new go-to spot! It's a hidden gem in gainesville...oh...and it's LOCAL! SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES!!! Seriously, check them out, it's a great place for breakfast, brunch, or lunch!
(5)
James J.
Hidden within the West Gate Shopping Center, Ivey's Grill seemed like a positive choice for a quality breakfast/brunch and, importantly, quite a close one for where I live currently. When I see "local" or "organic" anywhere, I instantly perk up because that usually indicates the ingredient quality will be enough in itself to save a place. I found this did not redeem my dining experience at Ivey's Grill. The Space: West Gate has no signage to indicate to those driving on 34th that Ivey's Grill even exists, or at least not one that is very noticeable. Still, they manage to get a fair amount of business within their tiny quarters. There are a few outdoor tables, several booths and tables as well as a bar area for those who might only order a baked good and coffee/espresso. To access the bathroom, you have to enter the kitchen area briefly, which I dislike in every restaurant (admittedly there is nothing the owners can really do about this). Along with me were two friends, one of whom nonchalantly pointed out that there were cobwebs in the corners of the ceiling. Great. The Food: We arrived around noon. Looking at the menu, the prices ($10+ for most anything) were in-line with what I expect from local, organic restaurants. I decided to straddle the brunch flavor with a BLT sandwich, topped with an egg over well and accompanied by a orzo pesto salad. Of my two friends, one ordered the potato pancake with their creamy garlic sauce, as well as two eggs over well (more on this in the service section) and my other companion got a medium burger with the noodle salad. To be completely honest, I was really apathetic to the food I received. The bread was only the slightest bit toasted, so between the mayonnaise and the tomato there was zero chance this item was not going to end up falling apart while in hand. The bacon had almost no crunch or crisp at all, and in fact, was chewy to the point that it resembled jerky. Nothing is more annoying in a sandwich than having to either gnaw the meat or pull it out of the sandwich entirely to eat it. The pesto salad was fair; almost more enjoyable than the sandwich itself I also sampled the pancake my friend got. Tasted pretty good, though maybe a touch too much onion flavor for some (not me, as I take kindly to powerful seasoning). The creamy garlic sauce had a very unappealing aftertaste that stuck with your mouth for too long. Not pleasant. My other company received his burger to discover it was halfway cooked to correct level and halfway cooked well done, though he did state the flavor was actually quite good. Tried the peanut noodle salad he received on the side and found it did not quite work, as the flavors did not mesh (all 3 of us agreed on this). Oh, and they give you watermelon with your food (the infamous afterthought sides) The Service: If you think a friendly smile might redeem this place, think again. First of all, they appear understaffed. We came when they appeared not quite as busy (reviews suggest they are primarily a breakfast place) and found frequent delays in refills on beverages. Sometimes I ask for my food to be made as take out, simply to save myself time when I anticipate not finishing my meal (and I rarely do finish so this is justified). My sandwich was made to-go, but for some reason arrived to the table 5 minutes later than the two dishes that required legitimate cooking. I wish I had known watermelon came with meals, because having the juice leak around the container into my pesto and seep into the bread made things even less appealing. My more vocal friend, who ordered the potato cake, tasted the garlic and promptly suspected it might be spoiled (I tried it as well and, though not thinking 'spoiled' per say, found it unappealing). He flagged the waiter and asked to have apple sauce instead because of this. I the watched as the server went back to tell another staff member about this, they discussed it with mannerisms that indicated they did not appreciate the comment, and the waiter returned with apple sauce. He decided to state that the sauce has a yogurt base and that "not everybody likes it." These types of comments are useless, save for making things worse. In addition to this, he only received one egg instead of two (the waiter had only written one, though, so no hassle with changing the bill). The one nice aspect of the service was for the burger: when my friend asked for it, the waiter was aware enough of their food to mention that this order would be for the last burger they had in-house. This was definitely more ideal than the waiter coming 10 minutes into our wait and telling us to reorder, though why a place runs out of ground beef in the first place is beyond me. Final Thoughts: Ivey's Grill was overpriced, understaffed, and lacked any real appeal to encourage my return ever, both in quality and service. The statement "Meh. I've experienced better" is resoundingly appropriate.
(2)
Margaret G.
Great food! I had the tempeh barbeque sandwich with basil orzo....it was amazing! My guest had the same thing and we think it might be our favorite sandwich ever! The service is a little slower than other restaurant, but I think that's because they are making YOUR food WHEN you order it, not at 8 a.m. and then reheating. This place is wonderful and worth a try! Also, unsweetened ice tea is very, very good!
(5)
Mercy G.
Food is incredible, service is terrible! I would give this place 5 stars if I hadn't receive terrible service. The waiter had long curly hair and was extremely rude. He forgot a lot of things we asked for. I asked if I could have a straw and he said "I suppose." I was placing my order and he said "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to anything you said." It was our first time there and we didn't know that you can't split checks and he didn't want to do it so we had to ask for a manager. They should be more flexible to first-timers. Otherwise, the food was fantastic.
(3)
Dawn M.
I LOVE this place and so glad it's survived all these years. The food is fantastic, but the place is small so you'll have to be willing to wait, esp during football season, but it's so worth is and Stephanie is so sweet. I wish I could come here more often. It's 4 out of 5 only because I reserve 5 for my hands down favorite spots.
(4)
Mayra S.
Found them on yelp! And am so glad we came... Originally wanted to find a spot to eat closer to the university but after reading food and dog friendly restaurant reviews we figured we'd give it a shot... This place was great!!! VERY DOG FRIENDLY!! Ordered the crab cakes Benedict with holland aide sauce and cheese grits... Which was all nothing but fantastic and mouth watering... Enjoyed the service from the staff... Recommend it to everyone!!!
(5)
Katie S.
Very cute/hipster cafe in the heart of an otherwise chain-place dominated area. Great breakfast.
(4)
Amanda R.
Awesome place! I have been here a few times before and have always had a great experience! I take care of an elderly woman with Alzheimer's, I brought her here and there was a wait. I asked if we could sit inside because she was cold and then the woman that owns Ivey's sat us right away when she over heard me, she then brought us a nice warm coffee and was very accommodating! She is so sweet!! Our food was great, this place has a great family atmosphere! I am so great full for her hospitality, it is sometimes difficult to take the woman I take care of to different places because of her condition but this made our day and was a great experience!
(5)
Nicole N.
Ivey's is hands down the best breakfast/brunch establishment in Gainesville Florida, and possibly the world. The dishes are creative and so tasty. Their Ivey's blend coffee is amazing. Black bean burro with tofu is outstanding every time. Cheese grits, potato, really anything you order you can't go wrong. Ivey's is a real gem.
(5)
Rashonna T.
Small and quaint little restaurant, you can tell it's a local's favorite. I took my kids for breakfast this morning everything is excellent the reason for four stars is that service took a little too long.
(4)
Megan R.
The homemade banana nut bread French toast is absolutely phenomenal & so is their house blend coffee. Both must-orders. Not at all impressed with the nachos. Bland and plain with sort of gross, waxy cheese. Edible, but would never order again. Chicken salad sandwich was really good, but pretty standard for chicken salad. One thing I liked: how frequently my water glass and coffee was refilled. Literally every time someone passed the table. Two things I didn't like: felt as if there was no AC in the small restaurant. Made the meal somewhat uncomfortable. Also felt very rushed to order, eat and pay the bill, even though no one was waiting for our table. Overall: great food, decent service, cute but stuffy venue. Would recommend...but mostly for the French toast :)
(3)
Craig C.
The food is very good and the place has the potential of being a good restaurant but they have fix to their personnel issues. The waiter sucked. Never once refilled my glass. His fake sincerity was obvious (re: flight attendant). Place was only half full and it still took over 45 minutes for breakfast food to come to the table. The waiter could not have cared less. It's a hipster place with zero hustle. Smug factor is about a 7 out of 10. They even have their rules to be a patron posted on the chalkboard. Ironically, rule #2 is: be nice or leave. Another one was they don't take American Express. Another one is that there a 20% mandatory gratuity for parties over five. Which is understandable given their crappy level of service they have to mandate the tip. Bottom line: if you want to be made to feel like it's a privilege to be served really good food in exchange for money, this is your place.
(3)
Jeff A.
This place is the best breakfast in Gainesville. I have been here about 50 times- no exaggeration. I have a family full of gators so we have been stoping by this place all my life. Their iced coffee is pretty amazing! Banana Nut French toast is also a must try. It's a small mom and pops restaurant so sometimes the service is a little slow. BUT they more than make up for it with their care, attention, friendliness, and quality of food
(5)
Ashley B.
Made it to Ivey's for the first time this morning. We got there shortly after 10 and waited at least 20 minutes... the weird thing is, when we were seated, we saw at least 3 other empty tables. We were kind of put off by that and wondered why we had to wait so long. Anyway, we were impressed by the exciting, different breakfasts on the menu. It is pricier than you expect breakfast to be. Three of us were able to fill up for $30 plus tip (we drank only water). You pay a premium for the fresh ingredients and unique meal options. It's definitely not fast food, but we did entertain ourselves while waiting for our food by reading the joke book on the table lol. I ordered the Spuds a la Grande... their herbed potatoes topped with an egg in the style of your choice, and further topped with gooey cheese and an assortment of veggies, served with a biscuit. It truly was one of the best breakfasts I've ever had. And the portion was huge, I couldn't finish my plate. My boyfriend ordered the honey ham and cheddar frittata with potatoes, and I forget what the third member of our party ordered, but it was something like scrambled eggs with salmon. All of us were more than satisfied with our food, and I'm definitely planning on going back to try more things- including the pumpkin chocolate chip french toast, potato pancakes, crab cakes, and scones, just to name a few. The minus star is for slow service and price, but we felt the food and the experience was worth it. It's not an everyday breakfast place, but a great establishment nonetheless.
(4)
Y Y.
I have been there twice. Some of the things on their menu are delicious (mainly the things they bake fresh) but items like bacon were not hot. They are very popular so we had to wait 30 - 40 minutes each time and they do not take reservations. Service is average. We found coins in some of our water glasses and apparently this has happpened to some other people too. The explanation we were given by the servers was that apparently they keep their loose change above the empty water drinking glasses so sometimes they drop in. We did not get an apology for being served drinking water with coins in the glasses which is why I am giving them a low rating.
(1)
Francesca M.
I was disappointed this time 'round. The food took wayyyyy too long to come out of the kitchen and it tasted reheated. $70 for brunch? not worth it this time for reheated food..... ;(
(2)
Alexandros P.
I've been hitting up a lot of the local spots because I'm moving pretty soon, and was fairly disappointed with this place. The food was sub-par and much more expensive than necessary, the service was terrible, and the overall atmosphere of the place was lacking. I was surprised that it was so dismal a place for being so close to the school. I was also struck as being a little out of place. Might of just been me, but I felt like I was one of the few in the place who weren't regulars. I guess if people generally have experiences like mine, "regulars" is all this place will have at any given time.
(2)
Dani W.
Best breakfast ever! The Ivey's blend coffee, the banana nut bread french toast, the cheese grits. I love it all. Ivey's is always worth the wait. Always. I wonder what their normal food is like...
(5)
Jorge U.
Go for breakfast. Service is iffy but the food is good.
(4)
Lydia L.
Don't waste your time. There are too many great independent spots in town where you can enjoy a great brunch and be spared from rude, slow, and inattentive service, lukewarm coffee from questionably clean and small mugs, overpriced hard-boiled eggs benedict (enough said!) and "house rules" that demand you pay in cash, no exceptions. Indeed, we went there for a Sunday brunch but a busy day in the restaurant industry is no excuse to compromise on food quality and service, especially not at such exorbitant prices. Kudos to their support of local artists and the nice girl who seated us, but that's about it.
(1)
Heather S.
Nice Place for Brunch: Great food and worth the drive to the NW part of town. Very vegetarian friendly. Superb muffins - order them while you wait for your breakfast - it takes a while because they make it fresh to order. The wildly nutritional yeast dressing is addictive.
(3)
Hina S.
So I used to live in Gainesville before and recently in last 6 months moved to Mississippi. This place had always been my best breakfast place and I never had issues about anything food, service and timings was really nice. Although I am upset today cause when I asked the waitress to get the grits in a bowl instead of a plate she responded if we have time we will do it. So from that I m thinking we are ordering stuff almost for 60 dollars for 3 people and I am getting attitude from you. Not to mention on the door you keep a sign be nice or leave which is primarily for the customers but what about the wait staff. Apparently it is a crime and too much work to put grits in a bowl instead of my plate where all the food will be stuffed in and I am expecting too much. So for refill she never asked us but to my husband who is white. Previously my servers have been a tall guy who works here but this lady really has some issues of her own. I felt like a dog the way she got the food and both me and our friend that we were taking out grits were on that plate soaking the eggs. Of course we were hungry so we ate but my appetite was gone. So to that white lady who has no humanity and loads of attitude you had customers today but I know for a fact with your attitude it won't last for long. I am never going back to that place again. I think the food is good but if you are ready to be treated in a rude mean way go there. So far me and my family are never going there.
(2)
Steve P.
This is one of those places where the food can outweigh how bad the service is. You get frustrated waiting 30 minutes for an omelette, then you get it and its really good so you look the other way on the front of house's incompetence. It's sad. If they were better on service, this would be an unbelievably great restaurant.
(2)
Ping N.
Great breakfast/brunch/lunch place! The servers are always friendly and competent and we never had to wait for a table. The price is a bit high but the ingredients are all locally sourced and sustainable so there's a premium for that. The pancake is a single pancake, which we thought was strange but when it arrived, it was a single giant pancake. The pancake was fluffy and even though it was just one pancake, I couldn't finish it. And for $4, that really was all the food I need for breakfast. For dog owners, you can sit outside with your dog when the weather is nice and the server will bring your dog a bowl of water. I'm still researching places where dining with your dogs is allowed because it's such a normal thing to do in Europe. Will definitely be coming back here a lot.
(5)
Scott G.
Either my palate has improved since I was in college or this place has gone downhill. Perhaps both. Ordered potato pancake Benedict. Poached eggs were overdone and not running all over the potato pancakes. As for the potato pancakes, they were soggy, not crispy. If they were supposed to be soggy (I doubt it), then poorly thought out, as crispiness would've provided a nice contrast in textures with warm, runny eggs. If supposed to be crispy, then poorly executed. Service wasn't that great either. Took 10 mins for anyone to come back and find out the eggs were over poached. And, while they made new eggs, it took another 10 mins to get them. By then, it was too late and I simply turned off. New eggs would've only improved situation a little, as the soggy pancakes weren't going anywhere (should've replaced them too). Also took 10 mins more for anyone to come by for my payment. This place has rules posted at the door for their customers. Funny thing, it obviously don't have any rules for itself. For the future, not going back. Take heed.
(1)
Tom R.
Terrible. absolutely terrible. Service was horrible, waiter was rude. Will not return ever again. This place seems very dirty.
(1)
Stephanie R.
This place is way overpriced for the food you get; New Deal is a much better restaraunt in a similar vein. Service was extremely slow and the place was not crowded. Menu isn't that great and too expensive. Not impressed don't waste your time when this town has a number of much better choices.
(2)
Priscilla S.
I have been here a couple of time for breakfast and it never let's me down. I must say, the scones are out of this world amazing, especially the orange chocolate chip ones. I don't live in Gainesville any more but every time I visit I call just to see if they have those scones. This week, they especially made a batch for me because I told them I was only here for a couple of days. I took 6 to go. I love neighborhood places like this.
(5)
Kelly A.
It was Saturday morning, 11:00 to be exact. We slept in because we were out pretty late at a show the night before. Gainesville is a college town, so we figured we'd have myriad breakfast joints to choose from. How wrong we were! The whole city was D-E-A-D! We drove around, looking for a place, to no avail. We yelped it, and saw that Emiliano's Cafe had breakfast. We went there. They had no breakfast. They recommended Ivey's Grill, so we trekked on over there. It was noon by this point. We got there and they had a line out the door and people everywhere waiting for a table. Is this the ONLY breakfast place around, save IHOP? I don't get it. There clearly is some degree of demand for a Saturday breakfast, and yet no one else seems to offer it. Very strange! Anyways, we put our names in and waited the 20-or-so minutes to get a table. We were psyched when we looked at the menu and saw so many cool vegetarian options, and we also quite enjoyed the art on the walls. I went with the pumpkin french toast, and the boy got some sort of veggie eggs benedict. It took 45 minutes for us to get our food, no lie. The food was pretty good, but the service was just abominable. I asked for a refill on my drink when the food came, but never got it. Also when paying for the bill, I asked for change, and was given the change in one large bill. Obviously that isn't going to help you with your tip, lady! So the food is pretty good, the menu is diverse, the atmosphere is decent, but the service, UGH!
(3)
Shana H.
I went to school in Gainesville 2004-2008 and used to love coming to this breakfast spot all the time. After today, my opinion of this place changed completely. We had thee most incredibly rude and discourteous server that made our experience absolutely unpleasant. Our food took over and hour to get (for over medium fried eggs) and the cooks literally took a sunny side up egg and just flipped it over on the plate. When we mentioned it to our server who never willingly came by to check how our food was, she replied "oh, that's how it's supposed to come...what do you want me to do about it?" She did nothing to make any part of our experience pleasant and then proceeded to take another 20min before taking our check. I can honestly say that I would never return to this place, nor would I recommend the food, service, or environment to anyone looking for a decent breakfast spot.
(1)
Patsy M.
Beyond the worst costumer service I have ever received, I think I have had better customer service at Walmart.
(1)
Adam L.
Worst service ever! I came into town for the football weekend with 4 of my friends and waited 50 minutes from the time we ordered until the time we were served. Horrible waiter never came by to refill coffee or water. The food was still delicious but I could not believe how poor the staff is trained. There is no accountability right to the management level and the excuse given to the terribly slow service was that it was a football weekend. Terrible customer service from the blonde female manager.
(1)
Bryan F.
Great food, the service is slow, Gordon Ramsey needs to come and help. No reservations, slow table turn over (we were here for 2.5 hrs), but the potato pancakes are amazing!
(3)
Marcelo D.
I've been here quite a few times and every time it under performs. Dirty tables every where, last time there was lipstick on the water glasses, slow service, never get the coffee that you ordered, but the food is usually good. They don't have enough servers, but the owner/manager is inside talking to tables and not doing any work. I would recommend not going here until they learn how to run the front half of the restaurant. There are better breakfast restaurants.
(2)
Megan B.
I ate at Ivey's upon a recommendation from a friend and once Gainesville resident. She mentioned that her group had eaten here the day before, that they didn't have to wait long for a table and the food was pretty good. She said the service, however, was very slow. My boyfriend and I gave it a shot this morning. Turns out, it was incredibly slow. They were understaffed and disorganized. We placed an order as quickly as we could once was the server finally came to our table (which was 15 minutes from when we were seated). We were seated for over an hour by the time our food got to the table. While we were waiting, we had a roach crawl from underneath the table and the server rarely came by to fill our drinks. In fact, she left us with coffee and no spoons or utensils. We had to ask another server for utensils who forgot. We finally asked a third person who ultimately got us a silverware roll. The restaurant is really dirty, cobwebs in the corners and sticky tables. However, the food was fairly good. We investigated it thoroughly especially after seeing the roach. Despite the tasty food, I would not recommend this restaurant to others.
(2)
Brad K.
Inside decor is nice. But the place really echo's and gets loud real quick. Went in for breakfast, and the only, I mean ONLY thing to order that wouldn't cost $10 or more per dish was the pancakes or french toast. Everything, and I mean everything else like the frittata and other breakfast food started at $10 and went up from there. (see my menu pics) I'm sorry I'm not paying $40 for three of us to have breakfast. So thus the two stars, based on price, menu selection, and the quality of the food we ordered (nothing special). There are many other places to go for a better breakfast menu. We felt that it's the location that keeps people coming, as it's withing walking distance from many homes on University ave. We say lots of people (families) walking over (not driving in) and coming to Ivey's.
(2)
Elexa B.
Was recommended to go to this place for breakfast while out of town in gainesville and was thoroughly disappointed. the whole place gave my boyfriend and i bad vibes because of the service. it took a while longer than anywhere else ive been to to get greeted and get our name on the waitlist. other guests were piling in behind us asking if we had been helped yet and we shrugged and said how we hadn't even seen a single employee in that front room yet. i dont even want to take the time to type everything that went wrong there. it seemed to me like there was one waitress and five or so hungover local college guys wandering around with water pitchers ignoring tables. the kid that seemed to be the host, the one with mohawk was pissed to be at work that early it seemed. i remember when we were done with our meal the guys kept looking at our table but they never actually took any dishes off our table and continued to go back to the kitchen empty handed. oh but our ten tiny creamers did get ten more at one time by the young guys with fist fulls of creamer, restocking at noon on a Sunday during brunch time when we were fine with our ten other creamers on the table? i wanted to say something to whoever the manager was about how unfriendly and bizarre the service was from these hungover kids but my boyfriend pleaded with my that it wasn't worth it because we weren't from there and would never have to go there again.
(1)
Mandy D.
I love Ivey's. The food is FANTASTIC 95% of the time. Once we went and the potatoes were underdone, and once I got the salmon scramble and the eggs were a little brown, and I have a problem with that. But in general, the food is very, very good. I usually get the Hoss, the potato pancake benedict, or the chicken salad salad with honey curry dressing. My BF always, always gets Spuds ala Grande. Cheese grits are very good. Once I had a mimosa, which was mostly champagne with just a splash of OJ- I like your style, Ivey's. We come here often enough that the owner remembers us, which I appreciate. You can't go wrong with the coffee either- Ivey's blend by Sweetwater, and if you get it iced, they will give you coffee ice cubes and a little pot of coffee to pour over. The negative: service can be slowwwwwww. Especially on busy weekend mornings. As long as I keep getting refills on my coffee, I will be happy while I wait, Ivey's.
(4)
Laura M.
I've come to Ivey's a couple of times on my last few trips to Gainesville, once with my mother-in-law and once with MIL and my own mom -- a meeting of the moms, if you will. It's a cute little lunch spot with lots of mom-pleasing salads on the menu (and unique house made dressings). I like that they have lots of vegetarian options (BBQ Tempe sandwich!) and interesting side dishes. I also have to disagree with some of the other comments about small portions for the price -- I ordered a Quesalada, which is like a quesadilla with a salad on top (get the creamy chipotle dressing!), and was absolutely astounded by how big it was. Using the bathroom here is weird because you have to walk through the cramped little kitchen area. And, sometimes the service is slow (the better to catch up with your mom while you wait!). But I'd surely go back the next time I need lunch in that part of town.
(4)
Downtown G.
When I go to Ivey's (always under duress), I usually get something simple like homefries with cheddar. If I am feeling particulary adventurous, I will get some canadian bacon to go with those home fries. Sometimes the potatoes are good. Some times the potatoes are burned. Complaining will get you a sneer and another 30 minutes wait for a replacement (that will also likely be burned or the potatoes that you sent back, with some fresh cheese on top to trick you.) The wait is always long. The service always sucks. A couple of the waitresses are fond of coming to the table and not greeting anyone. They just stand there and look at you. If you don't start ordering, they will walk off. How the heck would Stevie Wonder get a meal there????!!! Getting a refill of water is almost impossible. They will ignore your frantic gestures and gasping sounds. I have been eating at Ivey's for over 20 years. The prices seem to have gotten out of hand. $15 for a fruit, yogurt and granola bowl?! It's not like it has lychees from The Forbidden City in it, or apples from The Garden of the Hesperides. It has some yogurt (that I strongly suspect is Publix brand vanilla), some cheap fruit and some boring granola. I am all sorts of het up just writing about it. One thing I always like at Ivey's is the art on the walls. I wish they would just turn themselves into an art gallery.
(2)
Michael A.
Sloooow! Lousy service - forgot to make a kids pancake then offered a biscuit while waiting, then forgot biscuit and 1 pancake took 20 minutes to make. My eggs were cold, grits cold with a 1/4 inch layer of congealed grits on top when brought to table. Fried potatoes overly herbed. Over priced. This was my third and final attempt to give this local and very close to my house joint a chance. Go elsewhere and save yourself time and money.
(1)
John S.
Garbage service. Food was mediocre. Brought me a corona with no lime and when I asked for a lime was given an attitude by the server. Came back and said they were out of limes. Told the server I didn't want the beer and he snatched it off the table. I then heard him complaining about us in the kitchen. The owner was standing nearby explaining to the other server about how sweaty her feet and neck were and proceeded to take her shoes off in the restaurant. When we complained to her we were not taken seriously and she blew us off. This was supposed to be a nice Sunday brunch with my girlfriend and the crappy meal still cost 50 bucks!!! I will NEVER eat there again.
(1)
Cassandra N.
Great breakfast/lunch joint. Funky, local, veg friendly. Good for kids. Tasty food.
(4)
Ricky A.
Ivey's has been my favorite place to eat for 20 years now. I guess you'd call it my "comfort food" when I want good food made by good people. Like a previous reviewer, the Potato Pancake is my fave breakfast food. Yes, knowing that the meal was made by hand for me then (rather than from a factory or a can) I wait a few minutes longer (and I do mean "a few"). My lunch fave are the salmon patties.
(5)
Samuel S.
Nice simple meal, I had the hummus and avocado sandwich.
(3)
Coty S.
This is my Dad's favorite breakfast place, so whenever I come into town to see him we usually go here. I remember the prices being high for breakfast food, but now they are INSANE for what you get. The Fruit is $14.99! What?!? So, I ordered the Yogurt with Granola ($6.50), which was the cheapest thing on the menu. Yes folks, this is a small bowl of yogurt with some granola sprinkled on top for a very hefty price. I almost panicked because the waitress brought it out because it had some sliced fruit on top, so I asked her to make sure that it was not $14.99. Sorry if I seem cheap, but I have never paid that much for so little that I can make at home with a spoon and no prep. Before the prices went up, I used to always order The Hoss, which was scrambled eggs with cheese, ham, and bacon with a side of potatoes. This is homemade breakfast quality, nothing too fancy. Maybe that is why people like the place. If I am going to pay $7.00 for breakfast food(which I am not that fond of to begin with), then IHOP would be my first choice. They make all that crazy pancake covered in circus that you cannot make at home. But, you are looking for some snooty treatment in a snooty atmosphere with snooty prices, then this is definitely your place.
(2)
Luis C.
Somewhat condescending service, waiter was charitable enough to offer to give us our "drinks for free." We ordered two waters and one coffee, gee thanks. Waited more than an hour and was getting ready to pass out before I just said "let's just go to Publix, and I will make us brunch." A bit overpriced, and the coffee is terrible, but that's all I can comment on from this trip. Last time I went the food was good except for the grits which had texture like they were cooked in a microwave. There are better places for brunch around town this one just happens to be closest to the University. Be prepared to wait.
(1)
Jaclyn N.
The first clue that this place will take forever: they have a book at every table. Breakfast took almost two hours all-told. The food was pretty good but I wouldn't go here unless you want to kill some serious time.
(2)
April O.
Today is opposite day--I'm going to go against the grain of the last few reviews. The meal I ate was good, but fairly unremarkable. The coffee is also unmemorable. The service, however, was attentive and punctual. I went in the middle of the week, though, not for brunch on the weekend--maybe that makes a difference?
(3)
Alisha B.
A bit long for the table.... But best breakfast burrito. Food was fresh, delicious and hot. So glad I found this place. Friendly and hard working staff...
(4)
Jen V.
Fantastic brunch! The staff is so welcoming... Amazing fresh fruit! Can't wait to go back!
(5)
Pelicanbone E.
Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes and so much more are waiting for you at 3303 W University it has only been there since 1984. erythang is made fresh, I know i worked there for 8 years and never once minded going to work. Organic Coffee and espresso freshly ground daily, numerous benedicts to chose from, the best pancakes and latkisses in the north central florida. The breakfast list goes on and on till 3pm. Lunch starts at 11pm and not at all on sunday, bringing you badass flatbread pizzas and salads to die for. Every dietary need can be met here. They were dabbling with raw specials, not long ago. The fruit has its own cooler. Its the only place I know where a culinary gaucho cuts up 15 different fruits and makes a gorgeous fruit bowl for you. mmmmmmmmmmm Im hungry all a sudden. Yea you might have to wait a little while, yea you actually pay for the farmers gas that delivers to the back door. Yea c u there!!
(5)
J J.
Ivey's Grill is amazing! Their breakfast is delicious and their chocolate scones are straight from heaven! A must try! They also have excellant customer service!
(5)
Daniel M.
Slow, slow, slow. I get dragged in that place by a family member and consistently get just plain crappy service. There are some good items on the menu but it's just not worth the aggravation there. Good restaurants will have a supervisor watching the floor. Nothing resembling that at Ivey's. Just hapless wait staff stumbling through shifts. I'll pass.
(2)
John L.
Out cooked by iHop; could not execute an eggs benedict.Their banana bread french toast only works in theory (density of the banana bread hinders custard absorption and is therefore more of an omelet encrusted banana bread than french toast). Pancakes were poorly executed (burnt on one side).
(1)
Natalie W.
All y'all Gainesville Yelpers are CRAZY !!! This is hands down the best breakfast place in Gainesville !! Yes it's more expensive but seriously peeps you get what you pay for !! And maybe cuz my age is way above the Gainesville average -- we arrived there at like 930 am and had no wait at all (although I would happily wait if needed). I had the most divine potato pancake Benedict - yummy potato pancake with lots of onion and then the hollandaise ........ Perfect !!!! I got the traditional vs the spinach version and it was soooooo delicious that I could have eaten a whole bowl of it. Nice and lemony (just the way I like it) and perfect with the eggs and potatoes. Service was friendly and prompt. Coffee was not the best but it was perfectly acceptable. For anyone not worried about paying more than you would at IHOP -- get to Iveys - maybe a little earlier than normal if you want to avoid the lines :-). And for sure get something with hollandaise on it !!!
(5)
M G.
We all understand the service isn't good. It's slow, somewhat condescending and sometimes just flat out rude. Once we move past that (if we can)... the breakfast is so tasty. Those herb potatoes, the banana bread french toast, the scones and the Ivey's Blend coffee. I moved away from the Ville nearly 3 years ago, but I always come back to Ivey's during football season. Perhaps I'm way too sentimental... but waking up super early in the Fall on a Saturday or Sunday to beat the crowd and having that coffee and french toast takes me back to the "good years".
(4)
Lisa O.
The food is pretty awesome. Just expect to pay about $40...for brunch. I almost always get the veggie benedict. Or the fruit and granola and yogurt. Or the veggie saute with nutritional yeast dressing. Don't waste $2 on the coffee. Weak and only served with cream packets on table. Espresso isn't very good either. The service isn't amazing. Nice, just not very organized. Once "the chef" refused to add onions to my friend's order. I thought that was lame.
(4)
Kevin W.
It's kind of hard to rate Ivey's low because the food there is so good. Some of the best breakfast food I've ever had. The french toast is amazing and so are the salmon cakes. However, the service is really really bad. I'm sure they're really cool people I would love to hang out with and I'm not sure if they're just continually understaffed or just hungover, but it's bad. I can't go to Ivey's anymore because the last time I went, I became so frustrated after waiting for an hour for a table (several just needed to be bussed) and then an hour for food that I didn't enjoy my breakfast. It's sad that there really isn't anywhere else to go in town other than chains.
(2)
S Z.
Wow- there was only one couple ahead of us here for Saturday brunch and we still waited 20 minutes for a table. Then literally an hour, AN HOUR to get our food- which was just a frittata and french toast- nothing difficult at all. Minimal wait staff. Mediocre food. Ended up with a $30 blil for breakfast for two people (a $15 ham and cheese frittata? seriously?). We will NOT be going back.
(2)
A P.
Had a great morning meal here with family, would definitely come back again and recommend to others.
(4)
Laura W.
Ivey's has the best breakfast in town. Service may run a little slow, but it is worth the wait. The house blend coffee is wonderful and the daily bakery goods (scones and muffins) are always delicious and fresh. The prices are higher than IHOP and Perkins, but the food is fresh, local, and worth coming back for. They happily make half portions for those with smaller appetites. The eggs Benedict and spuds are fantastic and the pumpkin chocolate chip French toast is a one of a kind. The fruit bowl, while pricey, is the largest plate of fresh fruit you have ever seen- think half a grapefruit, orange, apples, strawberries, blueberries, pomagrante seeds, persimmons, cantaloupe, etc...
(5)
Jennifer C.
Long wait, average service, below average food. Would not return here.
(2)
Amy M.
I found out about Ivey's Grill prior to moving here to Gainesville, through online reviews and word of mouth. I recently moved here from Durham, NC and had only found a delicious brunch place (here's looking at you, Piedmont) a few months prior to my departure. I was ready and rearing for this place to fill the newly minted brunch void. It may be that I've not yet adjusted the price-gouging of Gainesville, but I felt like Ivey's was more than a wee bit overpriced. I ordered the tomato, Havarti and spinach frittata, which came with a biscuit and herb-roasted potatoes. On the plus side, the potatoes were well-seasoned, and they weren't too oily. But the fritatta itself was somewhat burnt and the biscuit was very crumbly. I say this realizing that there may be a market for crumbly biscuits and that crumbliness may be a sought-after quality for some diners. However, I am more of a soft fluffy biscuit kind of gal and therefore did not appreciate the meal as a whole. It's true about the veg selections though - there are plenty of options. However, I think that Gainesville has better vegetarian-friendly options for breakfast, such as Emiliano's. Anyway, this is my first Yelp post. Hope it helps some hungry Gators!
(2)
Belle C.
Fantastic breakfast; pretty extensive menu. Incredibly slow service. Go early if you don't want to wait for a table.
(4)
Mark G.
Well worth the 30 minute wait for a Sunday brunch with your mates.The Ivey's blend coffee is good,but a little weak for my distinguished,discriminating palate.A good place to see goofy UF profs in their Panama Jack hats and Teva sandals.LOL!
(4)
Rob M.
Went there before the Celebration of Wine at UF and had great service and great food. Loved the potato pancakes and the eggs benedict.
(4)
Christina L.
their potato cakes and french toast are A-MAZING but the service was so incredibly slow i can't rate it any higher than 2 stars. it is a bit expensive for pretty basic breakfast food, as well.
(2)
Ashley B.
Made it to Ivey's for the first time this morning. We got there shortly after 10 and waited at least 20 minutes... the weird thing is, when we were seated, we saw at least 3 other empty tables. We were kind of put off by that and wondered why we had to wait so long. Anyway, we were impressed by the exciting, different breakfasts on the menu. It is pricier than you expect breakfast to be. Three of us were able to fill up for $30 plus tip (we drank only water). You pay a premium for the fresh ingredients and unique meal options. It's definitely not fast food, but we did entertain ourselves while waiting for our food by reading the joke book on the table lol. I ordered the Spuds a la Grande... their herbed potatoes topped with an egg in the style of your choice, and further topped with gooey cheese and an assortment of veggies, served with a biscuit. It truly was one of the best breakfasts I've ever had. And the portion was huge, I couldn't finish my plate. My boyfriend ordered the honey ham and cheddar frittata with potatoes, and I forget what the third member of our party ordered, but it was something like scrambled eggs with salmon. All of us were more than satisfied with our food, and I'm definitely planning on going back to try more things- including the pumpkin chocolate chip french toast, potato pancakes, crab cakes, and scones, just to name a few. The minus star is for slow service and price, but we felt the food and the experience was worth it. It's not an everyday breakfast place, but a great establishment nonetheless.
(4)
John L.
Out cooked by iHop; could not execute an eggs benedict.Their banana bread french toast only works in theory (density of the banana bread hinders custard absorption and is therefore more of an omelet encrusted banana bread than french toast). Pancakes were poorly executed (burnt on one side).
(1)
Y Y.
I have been there twice. Some of the things on their menu are delicious (mainly the things they bake fresh) but items like bacon were not hot. They are very popular so we had to wait 30 - 40 minutes each time and they do not take reservations. Service is average. We found coins in some of our water glasses and apparently this has happpened to some other people too. The explanation we were given by the servers was that apparently they keep their loose change above the empty water drinking glasses so sometimes they drop in. We did not get an apology for being served drinking water with coins in the glasses which is why I am giving them a low rating.
(1)
Francesca M.
I was disappointed this time 'round. The food took wayyyyy too long to come out of the kitchen and it tasted reheated. $70 for brunch? not worth it this time for reheated food..... ;(
(2)
Alexandros P.
I've been hitting up a lot of the local spots because I'm moving pretty soon, and was fairly disappointed with this place. The food was sub-par and much more expensive than necessary, the service was terrible, and the overall atmosphere of the place was lacking. I was surprised that it was so dismal a place for being so close to the school. I was also struck as being a little out of place. Might of just been me, but I felt like I was one of the few in the place who weren't regulars. I guess if people generally have experiences like mine, "regulars" is all this place will have at any given time.
(2)
Mercy G.
Food is incredible, service is terrible! I would give this place 5 stars if I hadn't receive terrible service. The waiter had long curly hair and was extremely rude. He forgot a lot of things we asked for. I asked if I could have a straw and he said "I suppose." I was placing my order and he said "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to anything you said." It was our first time there and we didn't know that you can't split checks and he didn't want to do it so we had to ask for a manager. They should be more flexible to first-timers. Otherwise, the food was fantastic.
(3)
Margaret G.
Great food! I had the tempeh barbeque sandwich with basil orzo....it was amazing! My guest had the same thing and we think it might be our favorite sandwich ever! The service is a little slower than other restaurant, but I think that's because they are making YOUR food WHEN you order it, not at 8 a.m. and then reheating. This place is wonderful and worth a try! Also, unsweetened ice tea is very, very good!
(5)
Mayra S.
Found them on yelp! And am so glad we came... Originally wanted to find a spot to eat closer to the university but after reading food and dog friendly restaurant reviews we figured we'd give it a shot... This place was great!!! VERY DOG FRIENDLY!! Ordered the crab cakes Benedict with holland aide sauce and cheese grits... Which was all nothing but fantastic and mouth watering... Enjoyed the service from the staff... Recommend it to everyone!!!
(5)
Katie S.
Very cute/hipster cafe in the heart of an otherwise chain-place dominated area. Great breakfast.
(4)
Dawn M.
I LOVE this place and so glad it's survived all these years. The food is fantastic, but the place is small so you'll have to be willing to wait, esp during football season, but it's so worth is and Stephanie is so sweet. I wish I could come here more often. It's 4 out of 5 only because I reserve 5 for my hands down favorite spots.
(4)
Downtown G.
When I go to Ivey's (always under duress), I usually get something simple like homefries with cheddar. If I am feeling particulary adventurous, I will get some canadian bacon to go with those home fries. Sometimes the potatoes are good. Some times the potatoes are burned. Complaining will get you a sneer and another 30 minutes wait for a replacement (that will also likely be burned or the potatoes that you sent back, with some fresh cheese on top to trick you.) The wait is always long. The service always sucks. A couple of the waitresses are fond of coming to the table and not greeting anyone. They just stand there and look at you. If you don't start ordering, they will walk off. How the heck would Stevie Wonder get a meal there????!!! Getting a refill of water is almost impossible. They will ignore your frantic gestures and gasping sounds. I have been eating at Ivey's for over 20 years. The prices seem to have gotten out of hand. $15 for a fruit, yogurt and granola bowl?! It's not like it has lychees from The Forbidden City in it, or apples from The Garden of the Hesperides. It has some yogurt (that I strongly suspect is Publix brand vanilla), some cheap fruit and some boring granola. I am all sorts of het up just writing about it. One thing I always like at Ivey's is the art on the walls. I wish they would just turn themselves into an art gallery.
(2)
Michael A.
Sloooow! Lousy service - forgot to make a kids pancake then offered a biscuit while waiting, then forgot biscuit and 1 pancake took 20 minutes to make. My eggs were cold, grits cold with a 1/4 inch layer of congealed grits on top when brought to table. Fried potatoes overly herbed. Over priced. This was my third and final attempt to give this local and very close to my house joint a chance. Go elsewhere and save yourself time and money.
(1)
John S.
Garbage service. Food was mediocre. Brought me a corona with no lime and when I asked for a lime was given an attitude by the server. Came back and said they were out of limes. Told the server I didn't want the beer and he snatched it off the table. I then heard him complaining about us in the kitchen. The owner was standing nearby explaining to the other server about how sweaty her feet and neck were and proceeded to take her shoes off in the restaurant. When we complained to her we were not taken seriously and she blew us off. This was supposed to be a nice Sunday brunch with my girlfriend and the crappy meal still cost 50 bucks!!! I will NEVER eat there again.
(1)
Cassandra N.
Great breakfast/lunch joint. Funky, local, veg friendly. Good for kids. Tasty food.
(4)
Rashonna T.
Small and quaint little restaurant, you can tell it's a local's favorite. I took my kids for breakfast this morning everything is excellent the reason for four stars is that service took a little too long.
(4)
Megan R.
The homemade banana nut bread French toast is absolutely phenomenal & so is their house blend coffee. Both must-orders. Not at all impressed with the nachos. Bland and plain with sort of gross, waxy cheese. Edible, but would never order again. Chicken salad sandwich was really good, but pretty standard for chicken salad. One thing I liked: how frequently my water glass and coffee was refilled. Literally every time someone passed the table. Two things I didn't like: felt as if there was no AC in the small restaurant. Made the meal somewhat uncomfortable. Also felt very rushed to order, eat and pay the bill, even though no one was waiting for our table. Overall: great food, decent service, cute but stuffy venue. Would recommend...but mostly for the French toast :)
(3)
Craig C.
The food is very good and the place has the potential of being a good restaurant but they have fix to their personnel issues. The waiter sucked. Never once refilled my glass. His fake sincerity was obvious (re: flight attendant). Place was only half full and it still took over 45 minutes for breakfast food to come to the table. The waiter could not have cared less. It's a hipster place with zero hustle. Smug factor is about a 7 out of 10. They even have their rules to be a patron posted on the chalkboard. Ironically, rule #2 is: be nice or leave. Another one was they don't take American Express. Another one is that there a 20% mandatory gratuity for parties over five. Which is understandable given their crappy level of service they have to mandate the tip. Bottom line: if you want to be made to feel like it's a privilege to be served really good food in exchange for money, this is your place.
(3)
Vincent V.
Ivey's has always been my top bestbreakfast location in Gainesville. Having come here for many years during my college days and even post college, I think their attention to detail and quality ingredients make it the best in the area. The owner Stephanie and her husband have always been focused on using the finest of items to prepare the dishes. Starting with their coffee they make a unique version that has a subtle combo of cinnamon and chocolate. The iced coffee is served with fresh coffee ice cubes and is totally the goto in my book! To eat the cinnamon French toast is great, but my personal favorite is the crab or traditional egg Benedict. They use a special recipe for their hollandaise sauce that has a unique flavor to it that allows you to really appreciate the combination of poached eggs, meat and muffin. Overall this is my goto and be warned that the crab option runs out quick. While the grits are a good option here the potatoes with fresh sage are the goto for me. While these are my favorites you really cannot go wrong with anything! My biggest complaints are that there almost always seems to be a wait (which should mean it is a great place right!?) oh, and that many of the items run out or they don't have first thing in the morning (happens a little often) or that you get 2 out of 3 good servers and 1 out of 10 orders might have a problem. (Remember in a college town your staff is like the first day of class and my week two they might decide to change degree or go back home, so turn over is just a given in any college town) and lastly because of the size of the place it sometimes is not as comfortable as I would like. The loud child (which has sometimes been my own :) or table on top of another... All this to the side, this is by far the top breakfast spot and if you want something home grown and with menu items that are filled with flavor then this is where you will find it!
(5)
Corey L.
My usual go-to brunch spots were packed this morning as I was driving around (which I was very sad about at first), while driving I stumbled upon Ivey's. Not a long wait. Cute place, nice atmosphere. Great music selection playing inside! The coffee was DELICIOUS (and I drink coffee like my life depends on it so the fact that it was that good says something)! They put cinnamon and chocolate chips in the grinds...YUM!!! Our waiter was awesome, super attentive even though they had a packed house and very funny (he had an old Cracker Barrel apron with the name Dick embroidered with 2 stars, hahaha). The food...omg the food...SOOOOOO GOOD!!! I got the Burro (which comes with their homemade salsa) it was AMAZING and a huge portion! Our table also got eggs, pancakes, bacon (mmmm...bacon), etc. Everything we had was cooked to perfection and all the plates were large portions. Mimosas...perfection! I saw a few reviews that were complaining about price...with the amount of food you get I don't know how you could complain. Not to mention, still cheaper if not the same as any other brunch place in town. It's also FRESH not frozen crap, the chef goes to the market every morning for fresh ingredients, I'll take that any day over frozen food or crap from a can. Super impressed is all I can say...I think this will be my new go-to spot! It's a hidden gem in gainesville...oh...and it's LOCAL! SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES!!! Seriously, check them out, it's a great place for breakfast, brunch, or lunch!
(5)
James J.
Hidden within the West Gate Shopping Center, Ivey's Grill seemed like a positive choice for a quality breakfast/brunch and, importantly, quite a close one for where I live currently. When I see "local" or "organic" anywhere, I instantly perk up because that usually indicates the ingredient quality will be enough in itself to save a place. I found this did not redeem my dining experience at Ivey's Grill. The Space: West Gate has no signage to indicate to those driving on 34th that Ivey's Grill even exists, or at least not one that is very noticeable. Still, they manage to get a fair amount of business within their tiny quarters. There are a few outdoor tables, several booths and tables as well as a bar area for those who might only order a baked good and coffee/espresso. To access the bathroom, you have to enter the kitchen area briefly, which I dislike in every restaurant (admittedly there is nothing the owners can really do about this). Along with me were two friends, one of whom nonchalantly pointed out that there were cobwebs in the corners of the ceiling. Great. The Food: We arrived around noon. Looking at the menu, the prices ($10+ for most anything) were in-line with what I expect from local, organic restaurants. I decided to straddle the brunch flavor with a BLT sandwich, topped with an egg over well and accompanied by a orzo pesto salad. Of my two friends, one ordered the potato pancake with their creamy garlic sauce, as well as two eggs over well (more on this in the service section) and my other companion got a medium burger with the noodle salad. To be completely honest, I was really apathetic to the food I received. The bread was only the slightest bit toasted, so between the mayonnaise and the tomato there was zero chance this item was not going to end up falling apart while in hand. The bacon had almost no crunch or crisp at all, and in fact, was chewy to the point that it resembled jerky. Nothing is more annoying in a sandwich than having to either gnaw the meat or pull it out of the sandwich entirely to eat it. The pesto salad was fair; almost more enjoyable than the sandwich itself I also sampled the pancake my friend got. Tasted pretty good, though maybe a touch too much onion flavor for some (not me, as I take kindly to powerful seasoning). The creamy garlic sauce had a very unappealing aftertaste that stuck with your mouth for too long. Not pleasant. My other company received his burger to discover it was halfway cooked to correct level and halfway cooked well done, though he did state the flavor was actually quite good. Tried the peanut noodle salad he received on the side and found it did not quite work, as the flavors did not mesh (all 3 of us agreed on this). Oh, and they give you watermelon with your food (the infamous afterthought sides) The Service: If you think a friendly smile might redeem this place, think again. First of all, they appear understaffed. We came when they appeared not quite as busy (reviews suggest they are primarily a breakfast place) and found frequent delays in refills on beverages. Sometimes I ask for my food to be made as take out, simply to save myself time when I anticipate not finishing my meal (and I rarely do finish so this is justified). My sandwich was made to-go, but for some reason arrived to the table 5 minutes later than the two dishes that required legitimate cooking. I wish I had known watermelon came with meals, because having the juice leak around the container into my pesto and seep into the bread made things even less appealing. My more vocal friend, who ordered the potato cake, tasted the garlic and promptly suspected it might be spoiled (I tried it as well and, though not thinking 'spoiled' per say, found it unappealing). He flagged the waiter and asked to have apple sauce instead because of this. I the watched as the server went back to tell another staff member about this, they discussed it with mannerisms that indicated they did not appreciate the comment, and the waiter returned with apple sauce. He decided to state that the sauce has a yogurt base and that "not everybody likes it." These types of comments are useless, save for making things worse. In addition to this, he only received one egg instead of two (the waiter had only written one, though, so no hassle with changing the bill). The one nice aspect of the service was for the burger: when my friend asked for it, the waiter was aware enough of their food to mention that this order would be for the last burger they had in-house. This was definitely more ideal than the waiter coming 10 minutes into our wait and telling us to reorder, though why a place runs out of ground beef in the first place is beyond me. Final Thoughts: Ivey's Grill was overpriced, understaffed, and lacked any real appeal to encourage my return ever, both in quality and service. The statement "Meh. I've experienced better" is resoundingly appropriate.
(2)
Jeff A.
This place is the best breakfast in Gainesville. I have been here about 50 times- no exaggeration. I have a family full of gators so we have been stoping by this place all my life. Their iced coffee is pretty amazing! Banana Nut French toast is also a must try. It's a small mom and pops restaurant so sometimes the service is a little slow. BUT they more than make up for it with their care, attention, friendliness, and quality of food
(5)
Amanda R.
Awesome place! I have been here a few times before and have always had a great experience! I take care of an elderly woman with Alzheimer's, I brought her here and there was a wait. I asked if we could sit inside because she was cold and then the woman that owns Ivey's sat us right away when she over heard me, she then brought us a nice warm coffee and was very accommodating! She is so sweet!! Our food was great, this place has a great family atmosphere! I am so great full for her hospitality, it is sometimes difficult to take the woman I take care of to different places because of her condition but this made our day and was a great experience!
(5)
Marcelo D.
I've been here quite a few times and every time it under performs. Dirty tables every where, last time there was lipstick on the water glasses, slow service, never get the coffee that you ordered, but the food is usually good. They don't have enough servers, but the owner/manager is inside talking to tables and not doing any work. I would recommend not going here until they learn how to run the front half of the restaurant. There are better breakfast restaurants.
(2)
Scott G.
Either my palate has improved since I was in college or this place has gone downhill. Perhaps both. Ordered potato pancake Benedict. Poached eggs were overdone and not running all over the potato pancakes. As for the potato pancakes, they were soggy, not crispy. If they were supposed to be soggy (I doubt it), then poorly thought out, as crispiness would've provided a nice contrast in textures with warm, runny eggs. If supposed to be crispy, then poorly executed. Service wasn't that great either. Took 10 mins for anyone to come back and find out the eggs were over poached. And, while they made new eggs, it took another 10 mins to get them. By then, it was too late and I simply turned off. New eggs would've only improved situation a little, as the soggy pancakes weren't going anywhere (should've replaced them too). Also took 10 mins more for anyone to come by for my payment. This place has rules posted at the door for their customers. Funny thing, it obviously don't have any rules for itself. For the future, not going back. Take heed.
(1)
Tom R.
Terrible. absolutely terrible. Service was horrible, waiter was rude. Will not return ever again. This place seems very dirty.
(1)
Shana H.
I went to school in Gainesville 2004-2008 and used to love coming to this breakfast spot all the time. After today, my opinion of this place changed completely. We had thee most incredibly rude and discourteous server that made our experience absolutely unpleasant. Our food took over and hour to get (for over medium fried eggs) and the cooks literally took a sunny side up egg and just flipped it over on the plate. When we mentioned it to our server who never willingly came by to check how our food was, she replied "oh, that's how it's supposed to come...what do you want me to do about it?" She did nothing to make any part of our experience pleasant and then proceeded to take another 20min before taking our check. I can honestly say that I would never return to this place, nor would I recommend the food, service, or environment to anyone looking for a decent breakfast spot.
(1)
Patsy M.
Beyond the worst costumer service I have ever received, I think I have had better customer service at Walmart.
(1)
Adam L.
Worst service ever! I came into town for the football weekend with 4 of my friends and waited 50 minutes from the time we ordered until the time we were served. Horrible waiter never came by to refill coffee or water. The food was still delicious but I could not believe how poor the staff is trained. There is no accountability right to the management level and the excuse given to the terribly slow service was that it was a football weekend. Terrible customer service from the blonde female manager.
(1)
Bryan F.
Great food, the service is slow, Gordon Ramsey needs to come and help. No reservations, slow table turn over (we were here for 2.5 hrs), but the potato pancakes are amazing!
(3)
Nicole N.
Ivey's is hands down the best breakfast/brunch establishment in Gainesville Florida, and possibly the world. The dishes are creative and so tasty. Their Ivey's blend coffee is amazing. Black bean burro with tofu is outstanding every time. Cheese grits, potato, really anything you order you can't go wrong. Ivey's is a real gem.
(5)
Megan B.
I ate at Ivey's upon a recommendation from a friend and once Gainesville resident. She mentioned that her group had eaten here the day before, that they didn't have to wait long for a table and the food was pretty good. She said the service, however, was very slow. My boyfriend and I gave it a shot this morning. Turns out, it was incredibly slow. They were understaffed and disorganized. We placed an order as quickly as we could once was the server finally came to our table (which was 15 minutes from when we were seated). We were seated for over an hour by the time our food got to the table. While we were waiting, we had a roach crawl from underneath the table and the server rarely came by to fill our drinks. In fact, she left us with coffee and no spoons or utensils. We had to ask another server for utensils who forgot. We finally asked a third person who ultimately got us a silverware roll. The restaurant is really dirty, cobwebs in the corners and sticky tables. However, the food was fairly good. We investigated it thoroughly especially after seeing the roach. Despite the tasty food, I would not recommend this restaurant to others.
(2)
Brad K.
Inside decor is nice. But the place really echo's and gets loud real quick. Went in for breakfast, and the only, I mean ONLY thing to order that wouldn't cost $10 or more per dish was the pancakes or french toast. Everything, and I mean everything else like the frittata and other breakfast food started at $10 and went up from there. (see my menu pics) I'm sorry I'm not paying $40 for three of us to have breakfast. So thus the two stars, based on price, menu selection, and the quality of the food we ordered (nothing special). There are many other places to go for a better breakfast menu. We felt that it's the location that keeps people coming, as it's withing walking distance from many homes on University ave. We say lots of people (families) walking over (not driving in) and coming to Ivey's.
(2)
Kelly A.
It was Saturday morning, 11:00 to be exact. We slept in because we were out pretty late at a show the night before. Gainesville is a college town, so we figured we'd have myriad breakfast joints to choose from. How wrong we were! The whole city was D-E-A-D! We drove around, looking for a place, to no avail. We yelped it, and saw that Emiliano's Cafe had breakfast. We went there. They had no breakfast. They recommended Ivey's Grill, so we trekked on over there. It was noon by this point. We got there and they had a line out the door and people everywhere waiting for a table. Is this the ONLY breakfast place around, save IHOP? I don't get it. There clearly is some degree of demand for a Saturday breakfast, and yet no one else seems to offer it. Very strange! Anyways, we put our names in and waited the 20-or-so minutes to get a table. We were psyched when we looked at the menu and saw so many cool vegetarian options, and we also quite enjoyed the art on the walls. I went with the pumpkin french toast, and the boy got some sort of veggie eggs benedict. It took 45 minutes for us to get our food, no lie. The food was pretty good, but the service was just abominable. I asked for a refill on my drink when the food came, but never got it. Also when paying for the bill, I asked for change, and was given the change in one large bill. Obviously that isn't going to help you with your tip, lady! So the food is pretty good, the menu is diverse, the atmosphere is decent, but the service, UGH!
(3)
Elexa B.
Was recommended to go to this place for breakfast while out of town in gainesville and was thoroughly disappointed. the whole place gave my boyfriend and i bad vibes because of the service. it took a while longer than anywhere else ive been to to get greeted and get our name on the waitlist. other guests were piling in behind us asking if we had been helped yet and we shrugged and said how we hadn't even seen a single employee in that front room yet. i dont even want to take the time to type everything that went wrong there. it seemed to me like there was one waitress and five or so hungover local college guys wandering around with water pitchers ignoring tables. the kid that seemed to be the host, the one with mohawk was pissed to be at work that early it seemed. i remember when we were done with our meal the guys kept looking at our table but they never actually took any dishes off our table and continued to go back to the kitchen empty handed. oh but our ten tiny creamers did get ten more at one time by the young guys with fist fulls of creamer, restocking at noon on a Sunday during brunch time when we were fine with our ten other creamers on the table? i wanted to say something to whoever the manager was about how unfriendly and bizarre the service was from these hungover kids but my boyfriend pleaded with my that it wasn't worth it because we weren't from there and would never have to go there again.
(1)
Mandy D.
I love Ivey's. The food is FANTASTIC 95% of the time. Once we went and the potatoes were underdone, and once I got the salmon scramble and the eggs were a little brown, and I have a problem with that. But in general, the food is very, very good. I usually get the Hoss, the potato pancake benedict, or the chicken salad salad with honey curry dressing. My BF always, always gets Spuds ala Grande. Cheese grits are very good. Once I had a mimosa, which was mostly champagne with just a splash of OJ- I like your style, Ivey's. We come here often enough that the owner remembers us, which I appreciate. You can't go wrong with the coffee either- Ivey's blend by Sweetwater, and if you get it iced, they will give you coffee ice cubes and a little pot of coffee to pour over. The negative: service can be slowwwwwww. Especially on busy weekend mornings. As long as I keep getting refills on my coffee, I will be happy while I wait, Ivey's.
(4)
Ricky A.
Ivey's has been my favorite place to eat for 20 years now. I guess you'd call it my "comfort food" when I want good food made by good people. Like a previous reviewer, the Potato Pancake is my fave breakfast food. Yes, knowing that the meal was made by hand for me then (rather than from a factory or a can) I wait a few minutes longer (and I do mean "a few"). My lunch fave are the salmon patties.
(5)
Samuel S.
Nice simple meal, I had the hummus and avocado sandwich.
(3)
Hina S.
So I used to live in Gainesville before and recently in last 6 months moved to Mississippi. This place had always been my best breakfast place and I never had issues about anything food, service and timings was really nice. Although I am upset today cause when I asked the waitress to get the grits in a bowl instead of a plate she responded if we have time we will do it. So from that I m thinking we are ordering stuff almost for 60 dollars for 3 people and I am getting attitude from you. Not to mention on the door you keep a sign be nice or leave which is primarily for the customers but what about the wait staff. Apparently it is a crime and too much work to put grits in a bowl instead of my plate where all the food will be stuffed in and I am expecting too much. So for refill she never asked us but to my husband who is white. Previously my servers have been a tall guy who works here but this lady really has some issues of her own. I felt like a dog the way she got the food and both me and our friend that we were taking out grits were on that plate soaking the eggs. Of course we were hungry so we ate but my appetite was gone. So to that white lady who has no humanity and loads of attitude you had customers today but I know for a fact with your attitude it won't last for long. I am never going back to that place again. I think the food is good but if you are ready to be treated in a rude mean way go there. So far me and my family are never going there.
(2)
Steve P.
This is one of those places where the food can outweigh how bad the service is. You get frustrated waiting 30 minutes for an omelette, then you get it and its really good so you look the other way on the front of house's incompetence. It's sad. If they were better on service, this would be an unbelievably great restaurant.
(2)
Stephanie R.
This place is way overpriced for the food you get; New Deal is a much better restaraunt in a similar vein. Service was extremely slow and the place was not crowded. Menu isn't that great and too expensive. Not impressed don't waste your time when this town has a number of much better choices.
(2)
Priscilla S.
I have been here a couple of time for breakfast and it never let's me down. I must say, the scones are out of this world amazing, especially the orange chocolate chip ones. I don't live in Gainesville any more but every time I visit I call just to see if they have those scones. This week, they especially made a batch for me because I told them I was only here for a couple of days. I took 6 to go. I love neighborhood places like this.
(5)
Ping N.
Great breakfast/brunch/lunch place! The servers are always friendly and competent and we never had to wait for a table. The price is a bit high but the ingredients are all locally sourced and sustainable so there's a premium for that. The pancake is a single pancake, which we thought was strange but when it arrived, it was a single giant pancake. The pancake was fluffy and even though it was just one pancake, I couldn't finish it. And for $4, that really was all the food I need for breakfast. For dog owners, you can sit outside with your dog when the weather is nice and the server will bring your dog a bowl of water. I'm still researching places where dining with your dogs is allowed because it's such a normal thing to do in Europe. Will definitely be coming back here a lot.
(5)
Coty S.
This is my Dad's favorite breakfast place, so whenever I come into town to see him we usually go here. I remember the prices being high for breakfast food, but now they are INSANE for what you get. The Fruit is $14.99! What?!? So, I ordered the Yogurt with Granola ($6.50), which was the cheapest thing on the menu. Yes folks, this is a small bowl of yogurt with some granola sprinkled on top for a very hefty price. I almost panicked because the waitress brought it out because it had some sliced fruit on top, so I asked her to make sure that it was not $14.99. Sorry if I seem cheap, but I have never paid that much for so little that I can make at home with a spoon and no prep. Before the prices went up, I used to always order The Hoss, which was scrambled eggs with cheese, ham, and bacon with a side of potatoes. This is homemade breakfast quality, nothing too fancy. Maybe that is why people like the place. If I am going to pay $7.00 for breakfast food(which I am not that fond of to begin with), then IHOP would be my first choice. They make all that crazy pancake covered in circus that you cannot make at home. But, you are looking for some snooty treatment in a snooty atmosphere with snooty prices, then this is definitely your place.
(2)
Luis C.
Somewhat condescending service, waiter was charitable enough to offer to give us our "drinks for free." We ordered two waters and one coffee, gee thanks. Waited more than an hour and was getting ready to pass out before I just said "let's just go to Publix, and I will make us brunch." A bit overpriced, and the coffee is terrible, but that's all I can comment on from this trip. Last time I went the food was good except for the grits which had texture like they were cooked in a microwave. There are better places for brunch around town this one just happens to be closest to the University. Be prepared to wait.
(1)
Laura M.
I've come to Ivey's a couple of times on my last few trips to Gainesville, once with my mother-in-law and once with MIL and my own mom -- a meeting of the moms, if you will. It's a cute little lunch spot with lots of mom-pleasing salads on the menu (and unique house made dressings). I like that they have lots of vegetarian options (BBQ Tempe sandwich!) and interesting side dishes. I also have to disagree with some of the other comments about small portions for the price -- I ordered a Quesalada, which is like a quesadilla with a salad on top (get the creamy chipotle dressing!), and was absolutely astounded by how big it was. Using the bathroom here is weird because you have to walk through the cramped little kitchen area. And, sometimes the service is slow (the better to catch up with your mom while you wait!). But I'd surely go back the next time I need lunch in that part of town.
(4)
Jennifer C.
Long wait, average service, below average food. Would not return here.
(2)
Jaclyn N.
The first clue that this place will take forever: they have a book at every table. Breakfast took almost two hours all-told. The food was pretty good but I wouldn't go here unless you want to kill some serious time.
(2)
April O.
Today is opposite day--I'm going to go against the grain of the last few reviews. The meal I ate was good, but fairly unremarkable. The coffee is also unmemorable. The service, however, was attentive and punctual. I went in the middle of the week, though, not for brunch on the weekend--maybe that makes a difference?
(3)
Alisha B.
A bit long for the table.... But best breakfast burrito. Food was fresh, delicious and hot. So glad I found this place. Friendly and hard working staff...
(4)
Jen V.
Fantastic brunch! The staff is so welcoming... Amazing fresh fruit! Can't wait to go back!
(5)
Pelicanbone E.
Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes and so much more are waiting for you at 3303 W University it has only been there since 1984. erythang is made fresh, I know i worked there for 8 years and never once minded going to work. Organic Coffee and espresso freshly ground daily, numerous benedicts to chose from, the best pancakes and latkisses in the north central florida. The breakfast list goes on and on till 3pm. Lunch starts at 11pm and not at all on sunday, bringing you badass flatbread pizzas and salads to die for. Every dietary need can be met here. They were dabbling with raw specials, not long ago. The fruit has its own cooler. Its the only place I know where a culinary gaucho cuts up 15 different fruits and makes a gorgeous fruit bowl for you. mmmmmmmmmmm Im hungry all a sudden. Yea you might have to wait a little while, yea you actually pay for the farmers gas that delivers to the back door. Yea c u there!!
(5)
J J.
Ivey's Grill is amazing! Their breakfast is delicious and their chocolate scones are straight from heaven! A must try! They also have excellant customer service!
(5)
Daniel M.
Slow, slow, slow. I get dragged in that place by a family member and consistently get just plain crappy service. There are some good items on the menu but it's just not worth the aggravation there. Good restaurants will have a supervisor watching the floor. Nothing resembling that at Ivey's. Just hapless wait staff stumbling through shifts. I'll pass.
(2)
Laura W.
Ivey's has the best breakfast in town. Service may run a little slow, but it is worth the wait. The house blend coffee is wonderful and the daily bakery goods (scones and muffins) are always delicious and fresh. The prices are higher than IHOP and Perkins, but the food is fresh, local, and worth coming back for. They happily make half portions for those with smaller appetites. The eggs Benedict and spuds are fantastic and the pumpkin chocolate chip French toast is a one of a kind. The fruit bowl, while pricey, is the largest plate of fresh fruit you have ever seen- think half a grapefruit, orange, apples, strawberries, blueberries, pomagrante seeds, persimmons, cantaloupe, etc...
(5)
Dani W.
Best breakfast ever! The Ivey's blend coffee, the banana nut bread french toast, the cheese grits. I love it all. Ivey's is always worth the wait. Always. I wonder what their normal food is like...
(5)
Jorge U.
Go for breakfast. Service is iffy but the food is good.
(4)
Belle C.
Fantastic breakfast; pretty extensive menu. Incredibly slow service. Go early if you don't want to wait for a table.
(4)
Mark G.
Well worth the 30 minute wait for a Sunday brunch with your mates.The Ivey's blend coffee is good,but a little weak for my distinguished,discriminating palate.A good place to see goofy UF profs in their Panama Jack hats and Teva sandals.LOL!
(4)
Rob M.
Went there before the Celebration of Wine at UF and had great service and great food. Loved the potato pancakes and the eggs benedict.
(4)
Christina L.
their potato cakes and french toast are A-MAZING but the service was so incredibly slow i can't rate it any higher than 2 stars. it is a bit expensive for pretty basic breakfast food, as well.
(2)
Lydia L.
Don't waste your time. There are too many great independent spots in town where you can enjoy a great brunch and be spared from rude, slow, and inattentive service, lukewarm coffee from questionably clean and small mugs, overpriced hard-boiled eggs benedict (enough said!) and "house rules" that demand you pay in cash, no exceptions. Indeed, we went there for a Sunday brunch but a busy day in the restaurant industry is no excuse to compromise on food quality and service, especially not at such exorbitant prices. Kudos to their support of local artists and the nice girl who seated us, but that's about it.
(1)
Heather S.
Nice Place for Brunch: Great food and worth the drive to the NW part of town. Very vegetarian friendly. Superb muffins - order them while you wait for your breakfast - it takes a while because they make it fresh to order. The wildly nutritional yeast dressing is addictive.
(3)
M G.
We all understand the service isn't good. It's slow, somewhat condescending and sometimes just flat out rude. Once we move past that (if we can)... the breakfast is so tasty. Those herb potatoes, the banana bread french toast, the scones and the Ivey's Blend coffee. I moved away from the Ville nearly 3 years ago, but I always come back to Ivey's during football season. Perhaps I'm way too sentimental... but waking up super early in the Fall on a Saturday or Sunday to beat the crowd and having that coffee and french toast takes me back to the "good years".
(4)
Amy M.
I found out about Ivey's Grill prior to moving here to Gainesville, through online reviews and word of mouth. I recently moved here from Durham, NC and had only found a delicious brunch place (here's looking at you, Piedmont) a few months prior to my departure. I was ready and rearing for this place to fill the newly minted brunch void. It may be that I've not yet adjusted the price-gouging of Gainesville, but I felt like Ivey's was more than a wee bit overpriced. I ordered the tomato, Havarti and spinach frittata, which came with a biscuit and herb-roasted potatoes. On the plus side, the potatoes were well-seasoned, and they weren't too oily. But the fritatta itself was somewhat burnt and the biscuit was very crumbly. I say this realizing that there may be a market for crumbly biscuits and that crumbliness may be a sought-after quality for some diners. However, I am more of a soft fluffy biscuit kind of gal and therefore did not appreciate the meal as a whole. It's true about the veg selections though - there are plenty of options. However, I think that Gainesville has better vegetarian-friendly options for breakfast, such as Emiliano's. Anyway, this is my first Yelp post. Hope it helps some hungry Gators!
(2)
S Z.
Wow- there was only one couple ahead of us here for Saturday brunch and we still waited 20 minutes for a table. Then literally an hour, AN HOUR to get our food- which was just a frittata and french toast- nothing difficult at all. Minimal wait staff. Mediocre food. Ended up with a $30 blil for breakfast for two people (a $15 ham and cheese frittata? seriously?). We will NOT be going back.
(2)
A P.
Had a great morning meal here with family, would definitely come back again and recommend to others.
(4)
Natalie W.
All y'all Gainesville Yelpers are CRAZY !!! This is hands down the best breakfast place in Gainesville !! Yes it's more expensive but seriously peeps you get what you pay for !! And maybe cuz my age is way above the Gainesville average -- we arrived there at like 930 am and had no wait at all (although I would happily wait if needed). I had the most divine potato pancake Benedict - yummy potato pancake with lots of onion and then the hollandaise ........ Perfect !!!! I got the traditional vs the spinach version and it was soooooo delicious that I could have eaten a whole bowl of it. Nice and lemony (just the way I like it) and perfect with the eggs and potatoes. Service was friendly and prompt. Coffee was not the best but it was perfectly acceptable. For anyone not worried about paying more than you would at IHOP -- get to Iveys - maybe a little earlier than normal if you want to avoid the lines :-). And for sure get something with hollandaise on it !!!
(5)
Lisa O.
The food is pretty awesome. Just expect to pay about $40...for brunch. I almost always get the veggie benedict. Or the fruit and granola and yogurt. Or the veggie saute with nutritional yeast dressing. Don't waste $2 on the coffee. Weak and only served with cream packets on table. Espresso isn't very good either. The service isn't amazing. Nice, just not very organized. Once "the chef" refused to add onions to my friend's order. I thought that was lame.
(4)
Kevin W.
It's kind of hard to rate Ivey's low because the food there is so good. Some of the best breakfast food I've ever had. The french toast is amazing and so are the salmon cakes. However, the service is really really bad. I'm sure they're really cool people I would love to hang out with and I'm not sure if they're just continually understaffed or just hungover, but it's bad. I can't go to Ivey's anymore because the last time I went, I became so frustrated after waiting for an hour for a table (several just needed to be bussed) and then an hour for food that I didn't enjoy my breakfast. It's sad that there really isn't anywhere else to go in town other than chains.
(2)
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Address :3303 W University Ave
Gainesville, FL, 32607
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Breakfast, Brunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : No Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Samuel S.
Nice simple meal, I had the hummus and avocado sandwich.
(3)Corey L.
My usual go-to brunch spots were packed this morning as I was driving around (which I was very sad about at first), while driving I stumbled upon Ivey's. Not a long wait. Cute place, nice atmosphere. Great music selection playing inside! The coffee was DELICIOUS (and I drink coffee like my life depends on it so the fact that it was that good says something)! They put cinnamon and chocolate chips in the grinds...YUM!!! Our waiter was awesome, super attentive even though they had a packed house and very funny (he had an old Cracker Barrel apron with the name Dick embroidered with 2 stars, hahaha). The food...omg the food...SOOOOOO GOOD!!! I got the Burro (which comes with their homemade salsa) it was AMAZING and a huge portion! Our table also got eggs, pancakes, bacon (mmmm...bacon), etc. Everything we had was cooked to perfection and all the plates were large portions. Mimosas...perfection! I saw a few reviews that were complaining about price...with the amount of food you get I don't know how you could complain. Not to mention, still cheaper if not the same as any other brunch place in town. It's also FRESH not frozen crap, the chef goes to the market every morning for fresh ingredients, I'll take that any day over frozen food or crap from a can. Super impressed is all I can say...I think this will be my new go-to spot! It's a hidden gem in gainesville...oh...and it's LOCAL! SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES!!! Seriously, check them out, it's a great place for breakfast, brunch, or lunch!
(5)James J.
Hidden within the West Gate Shopping Center, Ivey's Grill seemed like a positive choice for a quality breakfast/brunch and, importantly, quite a close one for where I live currently. When I see "local" or "organic" anywhere, I instantly perk up because that usually indicates the ingredient quality will be enough in itself to save a place. I found this did not redeem my dining experience at Ivey's Grill. The Space: West Gate has no signage to indicate to those driving on 34th that Ivey's Grill even exists, or at least not one that is very noticeable. Still, they manage to get a fair amount of business within their tiny quarters. There are a few outdoor tables, several booths and tables as well as a bar area for those who might only order a baked good and coffee/espresso. To access the bathroom, you have to enter the kitchen area briefly, which I dislike in every restaurant (admittedly there is nothing the owners can really do about this). Along with me were two friends, one of whom nonchalantly pointed out that there were cobwebs in the corners of the ceiling. Great. The Food: We arrived around noon. Looking at the menu, the prices ($10+ for most anything) were in-line with what I expect from local, organic restaurants. I decided to straddle the brunch flavor with a BLT sandwich, topped with an egg over well and accompanied by a orzo pesto salad. Of my two friends, one ordered the potato pancake with their creamy garlic sauce, as well as two eggs over well (more on this in the service section) and my other companion got a medium burger with the noodle salad. To be completely honest, I was really apathetic to the food I received. The bread was only the slightest bit toasted, so between the mayonnaise and the tomato there was zero chance this item was not going to end up falling apart while in hand. The bacon had almost no crunch or crisp at all, and in fact, was chewy to the point that it resembled jerky. Nothing is more annoying in a sandwich than having to either gnaw the meat or pull it out of the sandwich entirely to eat it. The pesto salad was fair; almost more enjoyable than the sandwich itself I also sampled the pancake my friend got. Tasted pretty good, though maybe a touch too much onion flavor for some (not me, as I take kindly to powerful seasoning). The creamy garlic sauce had a very unappealing aftertaste that stuck with your mouth for too long. Not pleasant. My other company received his burger to discover it was halfway cooked to correct level and halfway cooked well done, though he did state the flavor was actually quite good. Tried the peanut noodle salad he received on the side and found it did not quite work, as the flavors did not mesh (all 3 of us agreed on this). Oh, and they give you watermelon with your food (the infamous afterthought sides) The Service: If you think a friendly smile might redeem this place, think again. First of all, they appear understaffed. We came when they appeared not quite as busy (reviews suggest they are primarily a breakfast place) and found frequent delays in refills on beverages. Sometimes I ask for my food to be made as take out, simply to save myself time when I anticipate not finishing my meal (and I rarely do finish so this is justified). My sandwich was made to-go, but for some reason arrived to the table 5 minutes later than the two dishes that required legitimate cooking. I wish I had known watermelon came with meals, because having the juice leak around the container into my pesto and seep into the bread made things even less appealing. My more vocal friend, who ordered the potato cake, tasted the garlic and promptly suspected it might be spoiled (I tried it as well and, though not thinking 'spoiled' per say, found it unappealing). He flagged the waiter and asked to have apple sauce instead because of this. I the watched as the server went back to tell another staff member about this, they discussed it with mannerisms that indicated they did not appreciate the comment, and the waiter returned with apple sauce. He decided to state that the sauce has a yogurt base and that "not everybody likes it." These types of comments are useless, save for making things worse. In addition to this, he only received one egg instead of two (the waiter had only written one, though, so no hassle with changing the bill). The one nice aspect of the service was for the burger: when my friend asked for it, the waiter was aware enough of their food to mention that this order would be for the last burger they had in-house. This was definitely more ideal than the waiter coming 10 minutes into our wait and telling us to reorder, though why a place runs out of ground beef in the first place is beyond me. Final Thoughts: Ivey's Grill was overpriced, understaffed, and lacked any real appeal to encourage my return ever, both in quality and service. The statement "Meh. I've experienced better" is resoundingly appropriate.
(2)Dawn M.
I LOVE this place and so glad it's survived all these years. The food is fantastic, but the place is small so you'll have to be willing to wait, esp during football season, but it's so worth is and Stephanie is so sweet. I wish I could come here more often. It's 4 out of 5 only because I reserve 5 for my hands down favorite spots.
(4)Mayra S.
Found them on yelp! And am so glad we came... Originally wanted to find a spot to eat closer to the university but after reading food and dog friendly restaurant reviews we figured we'd give it a shot... This place was great!!! VERY DOG FRIENDLY!! Ordered the crab cakes Benedict with holland aide sauce and cheese grits... Which was all nothing but fantastic and mouth watering... Enjoyed the service from the staff... Recommend it to everyone!!!
(5)Katie S.
Very cute/hipster cafe in the heart of an otherwise chain-place dominated area. Great breakfast.
(4)Rashonna T.
Small and quaint little restaurant, you can tell it's a local's favorite. I took my kids for breakfast this morning everything is excellent the reason for four stars is that service took a little too long.
(4)Megan R.
The homemade banana nut bread French toast is absolutely phenomenal & so is their house blend coffee. Both must-orders. Not at all impressed with the nachos. Bland and plain with sort of gross, waxy cheese. Edible, but would never order again. Chicken salad sandwich was really good, but pretty standard for chicken salad. One thing I liked: how frequently my water glass and coffee was refilled. Literally every time someone passed the table. Two things I didn't like: felt as if there was no AC in the small restaurant. Made the meal somewhat uncomfortable. Also felt very rushed to order, eat and pay the bill, even though no one was waiting for our table. Overall: great food, decent service, cute but stuffy venue. Would recommend...but mostly for the French toast :)
(3)Craig C.
The food is very good and the place has the potential of being a good restaurant but they have fix to their personnel issues. The waiter sucked. Never once refilled my glass. His fake sincerity was obvious (re: flight attendant). Place was only half full and it still took over 45 minutes for breakfast food to come to the table. The waiter could not have cared less. It's a hipster place with zero hustle. Smug factor is about a 7 out of 10. They even have their rules to be a patron posted on the chalkboard. Ironically, rule #2 is: be nice or leave. Another one was they don't take American Express. Another one is that there a 20% mandatory gratuity for parties over five. Which is understandable given their crappy level of service they have to mandate the tip. Bottom line: if you want to be made to feel like it's a privilege to be served really good food in exchange for money, this is your place.
(3)Vincent V.
Ivey's has always been my top bestbreakfast location in Gainesville. Having come here for many years during my college days and even post college, I think their attention to detail and quality ingredients make it the best in the area. The owner Stephanie and her husband have always been focused on using the finest of items to prepare the dishes. Starting with their coffee they make a unique version that has a subtle combo of cinnamon and chocolate. The iced coffee is served with fresh coffee ice cubes and is totally the goto in my book! To eat the cinnamon French toast is great, but my personal favorite is the crab or traditional egg Benedict. They use a special recipe for their hollandaise sauce that has a unique flavor to it that allows you to really appreciate the combination of poached eggs, meat and muffin. Overall this is my goto and be warned that the crab option runs out quick. While the grits are a good option here the potatoes with fresh sage are the goto for me. While these are my favorites you really cannot go wrong with anything! My biggest complaints are that there almost always seems to be a wait (which should mean it is a great place right!?) oh, and that many of the items run out or they don't have first thing in the morning (happens a little often) or that you get 2 out of 3 good servers and 1 out of 10 orders might have a problem. (Remember in a college town your staff is like the first day of class and my week two they might decide to change degree or go back home, so turn over is just a given in any college town) and lastly because of the size of the place it sometimes is not as comfortable as I would like. The loud child (which has sometimes been my own :) or table on top of another... All this to the side, this is by far the top breakfast spot and if you want something home grown and with menu items that are filled with flavor then this is where you will find it!
(5)Margaret G.
Great food! I had the tempeh barbeque sandwich with basil orzo....it was amazing! My guest had the same thing and we think it might be our favorite sandwich ever! The service is a little slower than other restaurant, but I think that's because they are making YOUR food WHEN you order it, not at 8 a.m. and then reheating. This place is wonderful and worth a try! Also, unsweetened ice tea is very, very good!
(5)Priscilla S.
I have been here a couple of time for breakfast and it never let's me down. I must say, the scones are out of this world amazing, especially the orange chocolate chip ones. I don't live in Gainesville any more but every time I visit I call just to see if they have those scones. This week, they especially made a batch for me because I told them I was only here for a couple of days. I took 6 to go. I love neighborhood places like this.
(5)Kelly A.
It was Saturday morning, 11:00 to be exact. We slept in because we were out pretty late at a show the night before. Gainesville is a college town, so we figured we'd have myriad breakfast joints to choose from. How wrong we were! The whole city was D-E-A-D! We drove around, looking for a place, to no avail. We yelped it, and saw that Emiliano's Cafe had breakfast. We went there. They had no breakfast. They recommended Ivey's Grill, so we trekked on over there. It was noon by this point. We got there and they had a line out the door and people everywhere waiting for a table. Is this the ONLY breakfast place around, save IHOP? I don't get it. There clearly is some degree of demand for a Saturday breakfast, and yet no one else seems to offer it. Very strange! Anyways, we put our names in and waited the 20-or-so minutes to get a table. We were psyched when we looked at the menu and saw so many cool vegetarian options, and we also quite enjoyed the art on the walls. I went with the pumpkin french toast, and the boy got some sort of veggie eggs benedict. It took 45 minutes for us to get our food, no lie. The food was pretty good, but the service was just abominable. I asked for a refill on my drink when the food came, but never got it. Also when paying for the bill, I asked for change, and was given the change in one large bill. Obviously that isn't going to help you with your tip, lady! So the food is pretty good, the menu is diverse, the atmosphere is decent, but the service, UGH!
(3)Elexa B.
Was recommended to go to this place for breakfast while out of town in gainesville and was thoroughly disappointed. the whole place gave my boyfriend and i bad vibes because of the service. it took a while longer than anywhere else ive been to to get greeted and get our name on the waitlist. other guests were piling in behind us asking if we had been helped yet and we shrugged and said how we hadn't even seen a single employee in that front room yet. i dont even want to take the time to type everything that went wrong there. it seemed to me like there was one waitress and five or so hungover local college guys wandering around with water pitchers ignoring tables. the kid that seemed to be the host, the one with mohawk was pissed to be at work that early it seemed. i remember when we were done with our meal the guys kept looking at our table but they never actually took any dishes off our table and continued to go back to the kitchen empty handed. oh but our ten tiny creamers did get ten more at one time by the young guys with fist fulls of creamer, restocking at noon on a Sunday during brunch time when we were fine with our ten other creamers on the table? i wanted to say something to whoever the manager was about how unfriendly and bizarre the service was from these hungover kids but my boyfriend pleaded with my that it wasn't worth it because we weren't from there and would never have to go there again.
(1)Stephanie R.
This place is way overpriced for the food you get; New Deal is a much better restaraunt in a similar vein. Service was extremely slow and the place was not crowded. Menu isn't that great and too expensive. Not impressed don't waste your time when this town has a number of much better choices.
(2)Ping N.
Great breakfast/brunch/lunch place! The servers are always friendly and competent and we never had to wait for a table. The price is a bit high but the ingredients are all locally sourced and sustainable so there's a premium for that. The pancake is a single pancake, which we thought was strange but when it arrived, it was a single giant pancake. The pancake was fluffy and even though it was just one pancake, I couldn't finish it. And for $4, that really was all the food I need for breakfast. For dog owners, you can sit outside with your dog when the weather is nice and the server will bring your dog a bowl of water. I'm still researching places where dining with your dogs is allowed because it's such a normal thing to do in Europe. Will definitely be coming back here a lot.
(5)Coty S.
This is my Dad's favorite breakfast place, so whenever I come into town to see him we usually go here. I remember the prices being high for breakfast food, but now they are INSANE for what you get. The Fruit is $14.99! What?!? So, I ordered the Yogurt with Granola ($6.50), which was the cheapest thing on the menu. Yes folks, this is a small bowl of yogurt with some granola sprinkled on top for a very hefty price. I almost panicked because the waitress brought it out because it had some sliced fruit on top, so I asked her to make sure that it was not $14.99. Sorry if I seem cheap, but I have never paid that much for so little that I can make at home with a spoon and no prep. Before the prices went up, I used to always order The Hoss, which was scrambled eggs with cheese, ham, and bacon with a side of potatoes. This is homemade breakfast quality, nothing too fancy. Maybe that is why people like the place. If I am going to pay $7.00 for breakfast food(which I am not that fond of to begin with), then IHOP would be my first choice. They make all that crazy pancake covered in circus that you cannot make at home. But, you are looking for some snooty treatment in a snooty atmosphere with snooty prices, then this is definitely your place.
(2)Luis C.
Somewhat condescending service, waiter was charitable enough to offer to give us our "drinks for free." We ordered two waters and one coffee, gee thanks. Waited more than an hour and was getting ready to pass out before I just said "let's just go to Publix, and I will make us brunch." A bit overpriced, and the coffee is terrible, but that's all I can comment on from this trip. Last time I went the food was good except for the grits which had texture like they were cooked in a microwave. There are better places for brunch around town this one just happens to be closest to the University. Be prepared to wait.
(1)Michael A.
Sloooow! Lousy service - forgot to make a kids pancake then offered a biscuit while waiting, then forgot biscuit and 1 pancake took 20 minutes to make. My eggs were cold, grits cold with a 1/4 inch layer of congealed grits on top when brought to table. Fried potatoes overly herbed. Over priced. This was my third and final attempt to give this local and very close to my house joint a chance. Go elsewhere and save yourself time and money.
(1)John S.
Garbage service. Food was mediocre. Brought me a corona with no lime and when I asked for a lime was given an attitude by the server. Came back and said they were out of limes. Told the server I didn't want the beer and he snatched it off the table. I then heard him complaining about us in the kitchen. The owner was standing nearby explaining to the other server about how sweaty her feet and neck were and proceeded to take her shoes off in the restaurant. When we complained to her we were not taken seriously and she blew us off. This was supposed to be a nice Sunday brunch with my girlfriend and the crappy meal still cost 50 bucks!!! I will NEVER eat there again.
(1)Cassandra N.
Great breakfast/lunch joint. Funky, local, veg friendly. Good for kids. Tasty food.
(4)Mercy G.
Food is incredible, service is terrible! I would give this place 5 stars if I hadn't receive terrible service. The waiter had long curly hair and was extremely rude. He forgot a lot of things we asked for. I asked if I could have a straw and he said "I suppose." I was placing my order and he said "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to anything you said." It was our first time there and we didn't know that you can't split checks and he didn't want to do it so we had to ask for a manager. They should be more flexible to first-timers. Otherwise, the food was fantastic.
(3)Mandy D.
I love Ivey's. The food is FANTASTIC 95% of the time. Once we went and the potatoes were underdone, and once I got the salmon scramble and the eggs were a little brown, and I have a problem with that. But in general, the food is very, very good. I usually get the Hoss, the potato pancake benedict, or the chicken salad salad with honey curry dressing. My BF always, always gets Spuds ala Grande. Cheese grits are very good. Once I had a mimosa, which was mostly champagne with just a splash of OJ- I like your style, Ivey's. We come here often enough that the owner remembers us, which I appreciate. You can't go wrong with the coffee either- Ivey's blend by Sweetwater, and if you get it iced, they will give you coffee ice cubes and a little pot of coffee to pour over. The negative: service can be slowwwwwww. Especially on busy weekend mornings. As long as I keep getting refills on my coffee, I will be happy while I wait, Ivey's.
(4)Ricky A.
Ivey's has been my favorite place to eat for 20 years now. I guess you'd call it my "comfort food" when I want good food made by good people. Like a previous reviewer, the Potato Pancake is my fave breakfast food. Yes, knowing that the meal was made by hand for me then (rather than from a factory or a can) I wait a few minutes longer (and I do mean "a few"). My lunch fave are the salmon patties.
(5)Hina S.
So I used to live in Gainesville before and recently in last 6 months moved to Mississippi. This place had always been my best breakfast place and I never had issues about anything food, service and timings was really nice. Although I am upset today cause when I asked the waitress to get the grits in a bowl instead of a plate she responded if we have time we will do it. So from that I m thinking we are ordering stuff almost for 60 dollars for 3 people and I am getting attitude from you. Not to mention on the door you keep a sign be nice or leave which is primarily for the customers but what about the wait staff. Apparently it is a crime and too much work to put grits in a bowl instead of my plate where all the food will be stuffed in and I am expecting too much. So for refill she never asked us but to my husband who is white. Previously my servers have been a tall guy who works here but this lady really has some issues of her own. I felt like a dog the way she got the food and both me and our friend that we were taking out grits were on that plate soaking the eggs. Of course we were hungry so we ate but my appetite was gone. So to that white lady who has no humanity and loads of attitude you had customers today but I know for a fact with your attitude it won't last for long. I am never going back to that place again. I think the food is good but if you are ready to be treated in a rude mean way go there. So far me and my family are never going there.
(2)Steve P.
This is one of those places where the food can outweigh how bad the service is. You get frustrated waiting 30 minutes for an omelette, then you get it and its really good so you look the other way on the front of house's incompetence. It's sad. If they were better on service, this would be an unbelievably great restaurant.
(2)Laura M.
I've come to Ivey's a couple of times on my last few trips to Gainesville, once with my mother-in-law and once with MIL and my own mom -- a meeting of the moms, if you will. It's a cute little lunch spot with lots of mom-pleasing salads on the menu (and unique house made dressings). I like that they have lots of vegetarian options (BBQ Tempe sandwich!) and interesting side dishes. I also have to disagree with some of the other comments about small portions for the price -- I ordered a Quesalada, which is like a quesadilla with a salad on top (get the creamy chipotle dressing!), and was absolutely astounded by how big it was. Using the bathroom here is weird because you have to walk through the cramped little kitchen area. And, sometimes the service is slow (the better to catch up with your mom while you wait!). But I'd surely go back the next time I need lunch in that part of town.
(4)Jeff A.
This place is the best breakfast in Gainesville. I have been here about 50 times- no exaggeration. I have a family full of gators so we have been stoping by this place all my life. Their iced coffee is pretty amazing! Banana Nut French toast is also a must try. It's a small mom and pops restaurant so sometimes the service is a little slow. BUT they more than make up for it with their care, attention, friendliness, and quality of food
(5)Amanda R.
Awesome place! I have been here a few times before and have always had a great experience! I take care of an elderly woman with Alzheimer's, I brought her here and there was a wait. I asked if we could sit inside because she was cold and then the woman that owns Ivey's sat us right away when she over heard me, she then brought us a nice warm coffee and was very accommodating! She is so sweet!! Our food was great, this place has a great family atmosphere! I am so great full for her hospitality, it is sometimes difficult to take the woman I take care of to different places because of her condition but this made our day and was a great experience!
(5)Nicole N.
Ivey's is hands down the best breakfast/brunch establishment in Gainesville Florida, and possibly the world. The dishes are creative and so tasty. Their Ivey's blend coffee is amazing. Black bean burro with tofu is outstanding every time. Cheese grits, potato, really anything you order you can't go wrong. Ivey's is a real gem.
(5)Scott G.
Either my palate has improved since I was in college or this place has gone downhill. Perhaps both. Ordered potato pancake Benedict. Poached eggs were overdone and not running all over the potato pancakes. As for the potato pancakes, they were soggy, not crispy. If they were supposed to be soggy (I doubt it), then poorly thought out, as crispiness would've provided a nice contrast in textures with warm, runny eggs. If supposed to be crispy, then poorly executed. Service wasn't that great either. Took 10 mins for anyone to come back and find out the eggs were over poached. And, while they made new eggs, it took another 10 mins to get them. By then, it was too late and I simply turned off. New eggs would've only improved situation a little, as the soggy pancakes weren't going anywhere (should've replaced them too). Also took 10 mins more for anyone to come by for my payment. This place has rules posted at the door for their customers. Funny thing, it obviously don't have any rules for itself. For the future, not going back. Take heed.
(1)Tom R.
Terrible. absolutely terrible. Service was horrible, waiter was rude. Will not return ever again. This place seems very dirty.
(1)Shana H.
I went to school in Gainesville 2004-2008 and used to love coming to this breakfast spot all the time. After today, my opinion of this place changed completely. We had thee most incredibly rude and discourteous server that made our experience absolutely unpleasant. Our food took over and hour to get (for over medium fried eggs) and the cooks literally took a sunny side up egg and just flipped it over on the plate. When we mentioned it to our server who never willingly came by to check how our food was, she replied "oh, that's how it's supposed to come...what do you want me to do about it?" She did nothing to make any part of our experience pleasant and then proceeded to take another 20min before taking our check. I can honestly say that I would never return to this place, nor would I recommend the food, service, or environment to anyone looking for a decent breakfast spot.
(1)Patsy M.
Beyond the worst costumer service I have ever received, I think I have had better customer service at Walmart.
(1)Adam L.
Worst service ever! I came into town for the football weekend with 4 of my friends and waited 50 minutes from the time we ordered until the time we were served. Horrible waiter never came by to refill coffee or water. The food was still delicious but I could not believe how poor the staff is trained. There is no accountability right to the management level and the excuse given to the terribly slow service was that it was a football weekend. Terrible customer service from the blonde female manager.
(1)Bryan F.
Great food, the service is slow, Gordon Ramsey needs to come and help. No reservations, slow table turn over (we were here for 2.5 hrs), but the potato pancakes are amazing!
(3)Downtown G.
When I go to Ivey's (always under duress), I usually get something simple like homefries with cheddar. If I am feeling particulary adventurous, I will get some canadian bacon to go with those home fries. Sometimes the potatoes are good. Some times the potatoes are burned. Complaining will get you a sneer and another 30 minutes wait for a replacement (that will also likely be burned or the potatoes that you sent back, with some fresh cheese on top to trick you.) The wait is always long. The service always sucks. A couple of the waitresses are fond of coming to the table and not greeting anyone. They just stand there and look at you. If you don't start ordering, they will walk off. How the heck would Stevie Wonder get a meal there????!!! Getting a refill of water is almost impossible. They will ignore your frantic gestures and gasping sounds. I have been eating at Ivey's for over 20 years. The prices seem to have gotten out of hand. $15 for a fruit, yogurt and granola bowl?! It's not like it has lychees from The Forbidden City in it, or apples from The Garden of the Hesperides. It has some yogurt (that I strongly suspect is Publix brand vanilla), some cheap fruit and some boring granola. I am all sorts of het up just writing about it. One thing I always like at Ivey's is the art on the walls. I wish they would just turn themselves into an art gallery.
(2)Marcelo D.
I've been here quite a few times and every time it under performs. Dirty tables every where, last time there was lipstick on the water glasses, slow service, never get the coffee that you ordered, but the food is usually good. They don't have enough servers, but the owner/manager is inside talking to tables and not doing any work. I would recommend not going here until they learn how to run the front half of the restaurant. There are better breakfast restaurants.
(2)Megan B.
I ate at Ivey's upon a recommendation from a friend and once Gainesville resident. She mentioned that her group had eaten here the day before, that they didn't have to wait long for a table and the food was pretty good. She said the service, however, was very slow. My boyfriend and I gave it a shot this morning. Turns out, it was incredibly slow. They were understaffed and disorganized. We placed an order as quickly as we could once was the server finally came to our table (which was 15 minutes from when we were seated). We were seated for over an hour by the time our food got to the table. While we were waiting, we had a roach crawl from underneath the table and the server rarely came by to fill our drinks. In fact, she left us with coffee and no spoons or utensils. We had to ask another server for utensils who forgot. We finally asked a third person who ultimately got us a silverware roll. The restaurant is really dirty, cobwebs in the corners and sticky tables. However, the food was fairly good. We investigated it thoroughly especially after seeing the roach. Despite the tasty food, I would not recommend this restaurant to others.
(2)Brad K.
Inside decor is nice. But the place really echo's and gets loud real quick. Went in for breakfast, and the only, I mean ONLY thing to order that wouldn't cost $10 or more per dish was the pancakes or french toast. Everything, and I mean everything else like the frittata and other breakfast food started at $10 and went up from there. (see my menu pics) I'm sorry I'm not paying $40 for three of us to have breakfast. So thus the two stars, based on price, menu selection, and the quality of the food we ordered (nothing special). There are many other places to go for a better breakfast menu. We felt that it's the location that keeps people coming, as it's withing walking distance from many homes on University ave. We say lots of people (families) walking over (not driving in) and coming to Ivey's.
(2)Jaclyn N.
The first clue that this place will take forever: they have a book at every table. Breakfast took almost two hours all-told. The food was pretty good but I wouldn't go here unless you want to kill some serious time.
(2)April O.
Today is opposite day--I'm going to go against the grain of the last few reviews. The meal I ate was good, but fairly unremarkable. The coffee is also unmemorable. The service, however, was attentive and punctual. I went in the middle of the week, though, not for brunch on the weekend--maybe that makes a difference?
(3)Alisha B.
A bit long for the table.... But best breakfast burrito. Food was fresh, delicious and hot. So glad I found this place. Friendly and hard working staff...
(4)Jen V.
Fantastic brunch! The staff is so welcoming... Amazing fresh fruit! Can't wait to go back!
(5)Pelicanbone E.
Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes and so much more are waiting for you at 3303 W University it has only been there since 1984. erythang is made fresh, I know i worked there for 8 years and never once minded going to work. Organic Coffee and espresso freshly ground daily, numerous benedicts to chose from, the best pancakes and latkisses in the north central florida. The breakfast list goes on and on till 3pm. Lunch starts at 11pm and not at all on sunday, bringing you badass flatbread pizzas and salads to die for. Every dietary need can be met here. They were dabbling with raw specials, not long ago. The fruit has its own cooler. Its the only place I know where a culinary gaucho cuts up 15 different fruits and makes a gorgeous fruit bowl for you. mmmmmmmmmmm Im hungry all a sudden. Yea you might have to wait a little while, yea you actually pay for the farmers gas that delivers to the back door. Yea c u there!!
(5)J J.
Ivey's Grill is amazing! Their breakfast is delicious and their chocolate scones are straight from heaven! A must try! They also have excellant customer service!
(5)Daniel M.
Slow, slow, slow. I get dragged in that place by a family member and consistently get just plain crappy service. There are some good items on the menu but it's just not worth the aggravation there. Good restaurants will have a supervisor watching the floor. Nothing resembling that at Ivey's. Just hapless wait staff stumbling through shifts. I'll pass.
(2)Natalie W.
All y'all Gainesville Yelpers are CRAZY !!! This is hands down the best breakfast place in Gainesville !! Yes it's more expensive but seriously peeps you get what you pay for !! And maybe cuz my age is way above the Gainesville average -- we arrived there at like 930 am and had no wait at all (although I would happily wait if needed). I had the most divine potato pancake Benedict - yummy potato pancake with lots of onion and then the hollandaise ........ Perfect !!!! I got the traditional vs the spinach version and it was soooooo delicious that I could have eaten a whole bowl of it. Nice and lemony (just the way I like it) and perfect with the eggs and potatoes. Service was friendly and prompt. Coffee was not the best but it was perfectly acceptable. For anyone not worried about paying more than you would at IHOP -- get to Iveys - maybe a little earlier than normal if you want to avoid the lines :-). And for sure get something with hollandaise on it !!!
(5)M G.
We all understand the service isn't good. It's slow, somewhat condescending and sometimes just flat out rude. Once we move past that (if we can)... the breakfast is so tasty. Those herb potatoes, the banana bread french toast, the scones and the Ivey's Blend coffee. I moved away from the Ville nearly 3 years ago, but I always come back to Ivey's during football season. Perhaps I'm way too sentimental... but waking up super early in the Fall on a Saturday or Sunday to beat the crowd and having that coffee and french toast takes me back to the "good years".
(4)Lisa O.
The food is pretty awesome. Just expect to pay about $40...for brunch. I almost always get the veggie benedict. Or the fruit and granola and yogurt. Or the veggie saute with nutritional yeast dressing. Don't waste $2 on the coffee. Weak and only served with cream packets on table. Espresso isn't very good either. The service isn't amazing. Nice, just not very organized. Once "the chef" refused to add onions to my friend's order. I thought that was lame.
(4)Kevin W.
It's kind of hard to rate Ivey's low because the food there is so good. Some of the best breakfast food I've ever had. The french toast is amazing and so are the salmon cakes. However, the service is really really bad. I'm sure they're really cool people I would love to hang out with and I'm not sure if they're just continually understaffed or just hungover, but it's bad. I can't go to Ivey's anymore because the last time I went, I became so frustrated after waiting for an hour for a table (several just needed to be bussed) and then an hour for food that I didn't enjoy my breakfast. It's sad that there really isn't anywhere else to go in town other than chains.
(2)S Z.
Wow- there was only one couple ahead of us here for Saturday brunch and we still waited 20 minutes for a table. Then literally an hour, AN HOUR to get our food- which was just a frittata and french toast- nothing difficult at all. Minimal wait staff. Mediocre food. Ended up with a $30 blil for breakfast for two people (a $15 ham and cheese frittata? seriously?). We will NOT be going back.
(2)A P.
Had a great morning meal here with family, would definitely come back again and recommend to others.
(4)Laura W.
Ivey's has the best breakfast in town. Service may run a little slow, but it is worth the wait. The house blend coffee is wonderful and the daily bakery goods (scones and muffins) are always delicious and fresh. The prices are higher than IHOP and Perkins, but the food is fresh, local, and worth coming back for. They happily make half portions for those with smaller appetites. The eggs Benedict and spuds are fantastic and the pumpkin chocolate chip French toast is a one of a kind. The fruit bowl, while pricey, is the largest plate of fresh fruit you have ever seen- think half a grapefruit, orange, apples, strawberries, blueberries, pomagrante seeds, persimmons, cantaloupe, etc...
(5)Jennifer C.
Long wait, average service, below average food. Would not return here.
(2)Amy M.
I found out about Ivey's Grill prior to moving here to Gainesville, through online reviews and word of mouth. I recently moved here from Durham, NC and had only found a delicious brunch place (here's looking at you, Piedmont) a few months prior to my departure. I was ready and rearing for this place to fill the newly minted brunch void. It may be that I've not yet adjusted the price-gouging of Gainesville, but I felt like Ivey's was more than a wee bit overpriced. I ordered the tomato, Havarti and spinach frittata, which came with a biscuit and herb-roasted potatoes. On the plus side, the potatoes were well-seasoned, and they weren't too oily. But the fritatta itself was somewhat burnt and the biscuit was very crumbly. I say this realizing that there may be a market for crumbly biscuits and that crumbliness may be a sought-after quality for some diners. However, I am more of a soft fluffy biscuit kind of gal and therefore did not appreciate the meal as a whole. It's true about the veg selections though - there are plenty of options. However, I think that Gainesville has better vegetarian-friendly options for breakfast, such as Emiliano's. Anyway, this is my first Yelp post. Hope it helps some hungry Gators!
(2)Dani W.
Best breakfast ever! The Ivey's blend coffee, the banana nut bread french toast, the cheese grits. I love it all. Ivey's is always worth the wait. Always. I wonder what their normal food is like...
(5)Jorge U.
Go for breakfast. Service is iffy but the food is good.
(4)Belle C.
Fantastic breakfast; pretty extensive menu. Incredibly slow service. Go early if you don't want to wait for a table.
(4)Ashley B.
Made it to Ivey's for the first time this morning. We got there shortly after 10 and waited at least 20 minutes... the weird thing is, when we were seated, we saw at least 3 other empty tables. We were kind of put off by that and wondered why we had to wait so long. Anyway, we were impressed by the exciting, different breakfasts on the menu. It is pricier than you expect breakfast to be. Three of us were able to fill up for $30 plus tip (we drank only water). You pay a premium for the fresh ingredients and unique meal options. It's definitely not fast food, but we did entertain ourselves while waiting for our food by reading the joke book on the table lol. I ordered the Spuds a la Grande... their herbed potatoes topped with an egg in the style of your choice, and further topped with gooey cheese and an assortment of veggies, served with a biscuit. It truly was one of the best breakfasts I've ever had. And the portion was huge, I couldn't finish my plate. My boyfriend ordered the honey ham and cheddar frittata with potatoes, and I forget what the third member of our party ordered, but it was something like scrambled eggs with salmon. All of us were more than satisfied with our food, and I'm definitely planning on going back to try more things- including the pumpkin chocolate chip french toast, potato pancakes, crab cakes, and scones, just to name a few. The minus star is for slow service and price, but we felt the food and the experience was worth it. It's not an everyday breakfast place, but a great establishment nonetheless.
(4)John L.
Out cooked by iHop; could not execute an eggs benedict.Their banana bread french toast only works in theory (density of the banana bread hinders custard absorption and is therefore more of an omelet encrusted banana bread than french toast). Pancakes were poorly executed (burnt on one side).
(1)Y Y.
I have been there twice. Some of the things on their menu are delicious (mainly the things they bake fresh) but items like bacon were not hot. They are very popular so we had to wait 30 - 40 minutes each time and they do not take reservations. Service is average. We found coins in some of our water glasses and apparently this has happpened to some other people too. The explanation we were given by the servers was that apparently they keep their loose change above the empty water drinking glasses so sometimes they drop in. We did not get an apology for being served drinking water with coins in the glasses which is why I am giving them a low rating.
(1)Francesca M.
I was disappointed this time 'round. The food took wayyyyy too long to come out of the kitchen and it tasted reheated. $70 for brunch? not worth it this time for reheated food..... ;(
(2)Alexandros P.
I've been hitting up a lot of the local spots because I'm moving pretty soon, and was fairly disappointed with this place. The food was sub-par and much more expensive than necessary, the service was terrible, and the overall atmosphere of the place was lacking. I was surprised that it was so dismal a place for being so close to the school. I was also struck as being a little out of place. Might of just been me, but I felt like I was one of the few in the place who weren't regulars. I guess if people generally have experiences like mine, "regulars" is all this place will have at any given time.
(2)Mark G.
Well worth the 30 minute wait for a Sunday brunch with your mates.The Ivey's blend coffee is good,but a little weak for my distinguished,discriminating palate.A good place to see goofy UF profs in their Panama Jack hats and Teva sandals.LOL!
(4)Rob M.
Went there before the Celebration of Wine at UF and had great service and great food. Loved the potato pancakes and the eggs benedict.
(4)Christina L.
their potato cakes and french toast are A-MAZING but the service was so incredibly slow i can't rate it any higher than 2 stars. it is a bit expensive for pretty basic breakfast food, as well.
(2)Lydia L.
Don't waste your time. There are too many great independent spots in town where you can enjoy a great brunch and be spared from rude, slow, and inattentive service, lukewarm coffee from questionably clean and small mugs, overpriced hard-boiled eggs benedict (enough said!) and "house rules" that demand you pay in cash, no exceptions. Indeed, we went there for a Sunday brunch but a busy day in the restaurant industry is no excuse to compromise on food quality and service, especially not at such exorbitant prices. Kudos to their support of local artists and the nice girl who seated us, but that's about it.
(1)Heather S.
Nice Place for Brunch: Great food and worth the drive to the NW part of town. Very vegetarian friendly. Superb muffins - order them while you wait for your breakfast - it takes a while because they make it fresh to order. The wildly nutritional yeast dressing is addictive.
(3)Vincent V.
Ivey's has always been my top bestbreakfast location in Gainesville. Having come here for many years during my college days and even post college, I think their attention to detail and quality ingredients make it the best in the area. The owner Stephanie and her husband have always been focused on using the finest of items to prepare the dishes. Starting with their coffee they make a unique version that has a subtle combo of cinnamon and chocolate. The iced coffee is served with fresh coffee ice cubes and is totally the goto in my book! To eat the cinnamon French toast is great, but my personal favorite is the crab or traditional egg Benedict. They use a special recipe for their hollandaise sauce that has a unique flavor to it that allows you to really appreciate the combination of poached eggs, meat and muffin. Overall this is my goto and be warned that the crab option runs out quick. While the grits are a good option here the potatoes with fresh sage are the goto for me. While these are my favorites you really cannot go wrong with anything! My biggest complaints are that there almost always seems to be a wait (which should mean it is a great place right!?) oh, and that many of the items run out or they don't have first thing in the morning (happens a little often) or that you get 2 out of 3 good servers and 1 out of 10 orders might have a problem. (Remember in a college town your staff is like the first day of class and my week two they might decide to change degree or go back home, so turn over is just a given in any college town) and lastly because of the size of the place it sometimes is not as comfortable as I would like. The loud child (which has sometimes been my own :) or table on top of another... All this to the side, this is by far the top breakfast spot and if you want something home grown and with menu items that are filled with flavor then this is where you will find it!
(5)Corey L.
My usual go-to brunch spots were packed this morning as I was driving around (which I was very sad about at first), while driving I stumbled upon Ivey's. Not a long wait. Cute place, nice atmosphere. Great music selection playing inside! The coffee was DELICIOUS (and I drink coffee like my life depends on it so the fact that it was that good says something)! They put cinnamon and chocolate chips in the grinds...YUM!!! Our waiter was awesome, super attentive even though they had a packed house and very funny (he had an old Cracker Barrel apron with the name Dick embroidered with 2 stars, hahaha). The food...omg the food...SOOOOOO GOOD!!! I got the Burro (which comes with their homemade salsa) it was AMAZING and a huge portion! Our table also got eggs, pancakes, bacon (mmmm...bacon), etc. Everything we had was cooked to perfection and all the plates were large portions. Mimosas...perfection! I saw a few reviews that were complaining about price...with the amount of food you get I don't know how you could complain. Not to mention, still cheaper if not the same as any other brunch place in town. It's also FRESH not frozen crap, the chef goes to the market every morning for fresh ingredients, I'll take that any day over frozen food or crap from a can. Super impressed is all I can say...I think this will be my new go-to spot! It's a hidden gem in gainesville...oh...and it's LOCAL! SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES!!! Seriously, check them out, it's a great place for breakfast, brunch, or lunch!
(5)James J.
Hidden within the West Gate Shopping Center, Ivey's Grill seemed like a positive choice for a quality breakfast/brunch and, importantly, quite a close one for where I live currently. When I see "local" or "organic" anywhere, I instantly perk up because that usually indicates the ingredient quality will be enough in itself to save a place. I found this did not redeem my dining experience at Ivey's Grill. The Space: West Gate has no signage to indicate to those driving on 34th that Ivey's Grill even exists, or at least not one that is very noticeable. Still, they manage to get a fair amount of business within their tiny quarters. There are a few outdoor tables, several booths and tables as well as a bar area for those who might only order a baked good and coffee/espresso. To access the bathroom, you have to enter the kitchen area briefly, which I dislike in every restaurant (admittedly there is nothing the owners can really do about this). Along with me were two friends, one of whom nonchalantly pointed out that there were cobwebs in the corners of the ceiling. Great. The Food: We arrived around noon. Looking at the menu, the prices ($10+ for most anything) were in-line with what I expect from local, organic restaurants. I decided to straddle the brunch flavor with a BLT sandwich, topped with an egg over well and accompanied by a orzo pesto salad. Of my two friends, one ordered the potato pancake with their creamy garlic sauce, as well as two eggs over well (more on this in the service section) and my other companion got a medium burger with the noodle salad. To be completely honest, I was really apathetic to the food I received. The bread was only the slightest bit toasted, so between the mayonnaise and the tomato there was zero chance this item was not going to end up falling apart while in hand. The bacon had almost no crunch or crisp at all, and in fact, was chewy to the point that it resembled jerky. Nothing is more annoying in a sandwich than having to either gnaw the meat or pull it out of the sandwich entirely to eat it. The pesto salad was fair; almost more enjoyable than the sandwich itself I also sampled the pancake my friend got. Tasted pretty good, though maybe a touch too much onion flavor for some (not me, as I take kindly to powerful seasoning). The creamy garlic sauce had a very unappealing aftertaste that stuck with your mouth for too long. Not pleasant. My other company received his burger to discover it was halfway cooked to correct level and halfway cooked well done, though he did state the flavor was actually quite good. Tried the peanut noodle salad he received on the side and found it did not quite work, as the flavors did not mesh (all 3 of us agreed on this). Oh, and they give you watermelon with your food (the infamous afterthought sides) The Service: If you think a friendly smile might redeem this place, think again. First of all, they appear understaffed. We came when they appeared not quite as busy (reviews suggest they are primarily a breakfast place) and found frequent delays in refills on beverages. Sometimes I ask for my food to be made as take out, simply to save myself time when I anticipate not finishing my meal (and I rarely do finish so this is justified). My sandwich was made to-go, but for some reason arrived to the table 5 minutes later than the two dishes that required legitimate cooking. I wish I had known watermelon came with meals, because having the juice leak around the container into my pesto and seep into the bread made things even less appealing. My more vocal friend, who ordered the potato cake, tasted the garlic and promptly suspected it might be spoiled (I tried it as well and, though not thinking 'spoiled' per say, found it unappealing). He flagged the waiter and asked to have apple sauce instead because of this. I the watched as the server went back to tell another staff member about this, they discussed it with mannerisms that indicated they did not appreciate the comment, and the waiter returned with apple sauce. He decided to state that the sauce has a yogurt base and that "not everybody likes it." These types of comments are useless, save for making things worse. In addition to this, he only received one egg instead of two (the waiter had only written one, though, so no hassle with changing the bill). The one nice aspect of the service was for the burger: when my friend asked for it, the waiter was aware enough of their food to mention that this order would be for the last burger they had in-house. This was definitely more ideal than the waiter coming 10 minutes into our wait and telling us to reorder, though why a place runs out of ground beef in the first place is beyond me. Final Thoughts: Ivey's Grill was overpriced, understaffed, and lacked any real appeal to encourage my return ever, both in quality and service. The statement "Meh. I've experienced better" is resoundingly appropriate.
(2)Margaret G.
Great food! I had the tempeh barbeque sandwich with basil orzo....it was amazing! My guest had the same thing and we think it might be our favorite sandwich ever! The service is a little slower than other restaurant, but I think that's because they are making YOUR food WHEN you order it, not at 8 a.m. and then reheating. This place is wonderful and worth a try! Also, unsweetened ice tea is very, very good!
(5)Mercy G.
Food is incredible, service is terrible! I would give this place 5 stars if I hadn't receive terrible service. The waiter had long curly hair and was extremely rude. He forgot a lot of things we asked for. I asked if I could have a straw and he said "I suppose." I was placing my order and he said "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to anything you said." It was our first time there and we didn't know that you can't split checks and he didn't want to do it so we had to ask for a manager. They should be more flexible to first-timers. Otherwise, the food was fantastic.
(3)Dawn M.
I LOVE this place and so glad it's survived all these years. The food is fantastic, but the place is small so you'll have to be willing to wait, esp during football season, but it's so worth is and Stephanie is so sweet. I wish I could come here more often. It's 4 out of 5 only because I reserve 5 for my hands down favorite spots.
(4)Mayra S.
Found them on yelp! And am so glad we came... Originally wanted to find a spot to eat closer to the university but after reading food and dog friendly restaurant reviews we figured we'd give it a shot... This place was great!!! VERY DOG FRIENDLY!! Ordered the crab cakes Benedict with holland aide sauce and cheese grits... Which was all nothing but fantastic and mouth watering... Enjoyed the service from the staff... Recommend it to everyone!!!
(5)Katie S.
Very cute/hipster cafe in the heart of an otherwise chain-place dominated area. Great breakfast.
(4)Amanda R.
Awesome place! I have been here a few times before and have always had a great experience! I take care of an elderly woman with Alzheimer's, I brought her here and there was a wait. I asked if we could sit inside because she was cold and then the woman that owns Ivey's sat us right away when she over heard me, she then brought us a nice warm coffee and was very accommodating! She is so sweet!! Our food was great, this place has a great family atmosphere! I am so great full for her hospitality, it is sometimes difficult to take the woman I take care of to different places because of her condition but this made our day and was a great experience!
(5)Nicole N.
Ivey's is hands down the best breakfast/brunch establishment in Gainesville Florida, and possibly the world. The dishes are creative and so tasty. Their Ivey's blend coffee is amazing. Black bean burro with tofu is outstanding every time. Cheese grits, potato, really anything you order you can't go wrong. Ivey's is a real gem.
(5)Rashonna T.
Small and quaint little restaurant, you can tell it's a local's favorite. I took my kids for breakfast this morning everything is excellent the reason for four stars is that service took a little too long.
(4)Megan R.
The homemade banana nut bread French toast is absolutely phenomenal & so is their house blend coffee. Both must-orders. Not at all impressed with the nachos. Bland and plain with sort of gross, waxy cheese. Edible, but would never order again. Chicken salad sandwich was really good, but pretty standard for chicken salad. One thing I liked: how frequently my water glass and coffee was refilled. Literally every time someone passed the table. Two things I didn't like: felt as if there was no AC in the small restaurant. Made the meal somewhat uncomfortable. Also felt very rushed to order, eat and pay the bill, even though no one was waiting for our table. Overall: great food, decent service, cute but stuffy venue. Would recommend...but mostly for the French toast :)
(3)Craig C.
The food is very good and the place has the potential of being a good restaurant but they have fix to their personnel issues. The waiter sucked. Never once refilled my glass. His fake sincerity was obvious (re: flight attendant). Place was only half full and it still took over 45 minutes for breakfast food to come to the table. The waiter could not have cared less. It's a hipster place with zero hustle. Smug factor is about a 7 out of 10. They even have their rules to be a patron posted on the chalkboard. Ironically, rule #2 is: be nice or leave. Another one was they don't take American Express. Another one is that there a 20% mandatory gratuity for parties over five. Which is understandable given their crappy level of service they have to mandate the tip. Bottom line: if you want to be made to feel like it's a privilege to be served really good food in exchange for money, this is your place.
(3)Jeff A.
This place is the best breakfast in Gainesville. I have been here about 50 times- no exaggeration. I have a family full of gators so we have been stoping by this place all my life. Their iced coffee is pretty amazing! Banana Nut French toast is also a must try. It's a small mom and pops restaurant so sometimes the service is a little slow. BUT they more than make up for it with their care, attention, friendliness, and quality of food
(5)Ashley B.
Made it to Ivey's for the first time this morning. We got there shortly after 10 and waited at least 20 minutes... the weird thing is, when we were seated, we saw at least 3 other empty tables. We were kind of put off by that and wondered why we had to wait so long. Anyway, we were impressed by the exciting, different breakfasts on the menu. It is pricier than you expect breakfast to be. Three of us were able to fill up for $30 plus tip (we drank only water). You pay a premium for the fresh ingredients and unique meal options. It's definitely not fast food, but we did entertain ourselves while waiting for our food by reading the joke book on the table lol. I ordered the Spuds a la Grande... their herbed potatoes topped with an egg in the style of your choice, and further topped with gooey cheese and an assortment of veggies, served with a biscuit. It truly was one of the best breakfasts I've ever had. And the portion was huge, I couldn't finish my plate. My boyfriend ordered the honey ham and cheddar frittata with potatoes, and I forget what the third member of our party ordered, but it was something like scrambled eggs with salmon. All of us were more than satisfied with our food, and I'm definitely planning on going back to try more things- including the pumpkin chocolate chip french toast, potato pancakes, crab cakes, and scones, just to name a few. The minus star is for slow service and price, but we felt the food and the experience was worth it. It's not an everyday breakfast place, but a great establishment nonetheless.
(4)Y Y.
I have been there twice. Some of the things on their menu are delicious (mainly the things they bake fresh) but items like bacon were not hot. They are very popular so we had to wait 30 - 40 minutes each time and they do not take reservations. Service is average. We found coins in some of our water glasses and apparently this has happpened to some other people too. The explanation we were given by the servers was that apparently they keep their loose change above the empty water drinking glasses so sometimes they drop in. We did not get an apology for being served drinking water with coins in the glasses which is why I am giving them a low rating.
(1)Francesca M.
I was disappointed this time 'round. The food took wayyyyy too long to come out of the kitchen and it tasted reheated. $70 for brunch? not worth it this time for reheated food..... ;(
(2)Alexandros P.
I've been hitting up a lot of the local spots because I'm moving pretty soon, and was fairly disappointed with this place. The food was sub-par and much more expensive than necessary, the service was terrible, and the overall atmosphere of the place was lacking. I was surprised that it was so dismal a place for being so close to the school. I was also struck as being a little out of place. Might of just been me, but I felt like I was one of the few in the place who weren't regulars. I guess if people generally have experiences like mine, "regulars" is all this place will have at any given time.
(2)Dani W.
Best breakfast ever! The Ivey's blend coffee, the banana nut bread french toast, the cheese grits. I love it all. Ivey's is always worth the wait. Always. I wonder what their normal food is like...
(5)Jorge U.
Go for breakfast. Service is iffy but the food is good.
(4)Lydia L.
Don't waste your time. There are too many great independent spots in town where you can enjoy a great brunch and be spared from rude, slow, and inattentive service, lukewarm coffee from questionably clean and small mugs, overpriced hard-boiled eggs benedict (enough said!) and "house rules" that demand you pay in cash, no exceptions. Indeed, we went there for a Sunday brunch but a busy day in the restaurant industry is no excuse to compromise on food quality and service, especially not at such exorbitant prices. Kudos to their support of local artists and the nice girl who seated us, but that's about it.
(1)Heather S.
Nice Place for Brunch: Great food and worth the drive to the NW part of town. Very vegetarian friendly. Superb muffins - order them while you wait for your breakfast - it takes a while because they make it fresh to order. The wildly nutritional yeast dressing is addictive.
(3)Hina S.
So I used to live in Gainesville before and recently in last 6 months moved to Mississippi. This place had always been my best breakfast place and I never had issues about anything food, service and timings was really nice. Although I am upset today cause when I asked the waitress to get the grits in a bowl instead of a plate she responded if we have time we will do it. So from that I m thinking we are ordering stuff almost for 60 dollars for 3 people and I am getting attitude from you. Not to mention on the door you keep a sign be nice or leave which is primarily for the customers but what about the wait staff. Apparently it is a crime and too much work to put grits in a bowl instead of my plate where all the food will be stuffed in and I am expecting too much. So for refill she never asked us but to my husband who is white. Previously my servers have been a tall guy who works here but this lady really has some issues of her own. I felt like a dog the way she got the food and both me and our friend that we were taking out grits were on that plate soaking the eggs. Of course we were hungry so we ate but my appetite was gone. So to that white lady who has no humanity and loads of attitude you had customers today but I know for a fact with your attitude it won't last for long. I am never going back to that place again. I think the food is good but if you are ready to be treated in a rude mean way go there. So far me and my family are never going there.
(2)Steve P.
This is one of those places where the food can outweigh how bad the service is. You get frustrated waiting 30 minutes for an omelette, then you get it and its really good so you look the other way on the front of house's incompetence. It's sad. If they were better on service, this would be an unbelievably great restaurant.
(2)Ping N.
Great breakfast/brunch/lunch place! The servers are always friendly and competent and we never had to wait for a table. The price is a bit high but the ingredients are all locally sourced and sustainable so there's a premium for that. The pancake is a single pancake, which we thought was strange but when it arrived, it was a single giant pancake. The pancake was fluffy and even though it was just one pancake, I couldn't finish it. And for $4, that really was all the food I need for breakfast. For dog owners, you can sit outside with your dog when the weather is nice and the server will bring your dog a bowl of water. I'm still researching places where dining with your dogs is allowed because it's such a normal thing to do in Europe. Will definitely be coming back here a lot.
(5)Scott G.
Either my palate has improved since I was in college or this place has gone downhill. Perhaps both. Ordered potato pancake Benedict. Poached eggs were overdone and not running all over the potato pancakes. As for the potato pancakes, they were soggy, not crispy. If they were supposed to be soggy (I doubt it), then poorly thought out, as crispiness would've provided a nice contrast in textures with warm, runny eggs. If supposed to be crispy, then poorly executed. Service wasn't that great either. Took 10 mins for anyone to come back and find out the eggs were over poached. And, while they made new eggs, it took another 10 mins to get them. By then, it was too late and I simply turned off. New eggs would've only improved situation a little, as the soggy pancakes weren't going anywhere (should've replaced them too). Also took 10 mins more for anyone to come by for my payment. This place has rules posted at the door for their customers. Funny thing, it obviously don't have any rules for itself. For the future, not going back. Take heed.
(1)Tom R.
Terrible. absolutely terrible. Service was horrible, waiter was rude. Will not return ever again. This place seems very dirty.
(1)Stephanie R.
This place is way overpriced for the food you get; New Deal is a much better restaraunt in a similar vein. Service was extremely slow and the place was not crowded. Menu isn't that great and too expensive. Not impressed don't waste your time when this town has a number of much better choices.
(2)Priscilla S.
I have been here a couple of time for breakfast and it never let's me down. I must say, the scones are out of this world amazing, especially the orange chocolate chip ones. I don't live in Gainesville any more but every time I visit I call just to see if they have those scones. This week, they especially made a batch for me because I told them I was only here for a couple of days. I took 6 to go. I love neighborhood places like this.
(5)Kelly A.
It was Saturday morning, 11:00 to be exact. We slept in because we were out pretty late at a show the night before. Gainesville is a college town, so we figured we'd have myriad breakfast joints to choose from. How wrong we were! The whole city was D-E-A-D! We drove around, looking for a place, to no avail. We yelped it, and saw that Emiliano's Cafe had breakfast. We went there. They had no breakfast. They recommended Ivey's Grill, so we trekked on over there. It was noon by this point. We got there and they had a line out the door and people everywhere waiting for a table. Is this the ONLY breakfast place around, save IHOP? I don't get it. There clearly is some degree of demand for a Saturday breakfast, and yet no one else seems to offer it. Very strange! Anyways, we put our names in and waited the 20-or-so minutes to get a table. We were psyched when we looked at the menu and saw so many cool vegetarian options, and we also quite enjoyed the art on the walls. I went with the pumpkin french toast, and the boy got some sort of veggie eggs benedict. It took 45 minutes for us to get our food, no lie. The food was pretty good, but the service was just abominable. I asked for a refill on my drink when the food came, but never got it. Also when paying for the bill, I asked for change, and was given the change in one large bill. Obviously that isn't going to help you with your tip, lady! So the food is pretty good, the menu is diverse, the atmosphere is decent, but the service, UGH!
(3)Shana H.
I went to school in Gainesville 2004-2008 and used to love coming to this breakfast spot all the time. After today, my opinion of this place changed completely. We had thee most incredibly rude and discourteous server that made our experience absolutely unpleasant. Our food took over and hour to get (for over medium fried eggs) and the cooks literally took a sunny side up egg and just flipped it over on the plate. When we mentioned it to our server who never willingly came by to check how our food was, she replied "oh, that's how it's supposed to come...what do you want me to do about it?" She did nothing to make any part of our experience pleasant and then proceeded to take another 20min before taking our check. I can honestly say that I would never return to this place, nor would I recommend the food, service, or environment to anyone looking for a decent breakfast spot.
(1)Patsy M.
Beyond the worst costumer service I have ever received, I think I have had better customer service at Walmart.
(1)Adam L.
Worst service ever! I came into town for the football weekend with 4 of my friends and waited 50 minutes from the time we ordered until the time we were served. Horrible waiter never came by to refill coffee or water. The food was still delicious but I could not believe how poor the staff is trained. There is no accountability right to the management level and the excuse given to the terribly slow service was that it was a football weekend. Terrible customer service from the blonde female manager.
(1)Bryan F.
Great food, the service is slow, Gordon Ramsey needs to come and help. No reservations, slow table turn over (we were here for 2.5 hrs), but the potato pancakes are amazing!
(3)Marcelo D.
I've been here quite a few times and every time it under performs. Dirty tables every where, last time there was lipstick on the water glasses, slow service, never get the coffee that you ordered, but the food is usually good. They don't have enough servers, but the owner/manager is inside talking to tables and not doing any work. I would recommend not going here until they learn how to run the front half of the restaurant. There are better breakfast restaurants.
(2)Megan B.
I ate at Ivey's upon a recommendation from a friend and once Gainesville resident. She mentioned that her group had eaten here the day before, that they didn't have to wait long for a table and the food was pretty good. She said the service, however, was very slow. My boyfriend and I gave it a shot this morning. Turns out, it was incredibly slow. They were understaffed and disorganized. We placed an order as quickly as we could once was the server finally came to our table (which was 15 minutes from when we were seated). We were seated for over an hour by the time our food got to the table. While we were waiting, we had a roach crawl from underneath the table and the server rarely came by to fill our drinks. In fact, she left us with coffee and no spoons or utensils. We had to ask another server for utensils who forgot. We finally asked a third person who ultimately got us a silverware roll. The restaurant is really dirty, cobwebs in the corners and sticky tables. However, the food was fairly good. We investigated it thoroughly especially after seeing the roach. Despite the tasty food, I would not recommend this restaurant to others.
(2)Brad K.
Inside decor is nice. But the place really echo's and gets loud real quick. Went in for breakfast, and the only, I mean ONLY thing to order that wouldn't cost $10 or more per dish was the pancakes or french toast. Everything, and I mean everything else like the frittata and other breakfast food started at $10 and went up from there. (see my menu pics) I'm sorry I'm not paying $40 for three of us to have breakfast. So thus the two stars, based on price, menu selection, and the quality of the food we ordered (nothing special). There are many other places to go for a better breakfast menu. We felt that it's the location that keeps people coming, as it's withing walking distance from many homes on University ave. We say lots of people (families) walking over (not driving in) and coming to Ivey's.
(2)Elexa B.
Was recommended to go to this place for breakfast while out of town in gainesville and was thoroughly disappointed. the whole place gave my boyfriend and i bad vibes because of the service. it took a while longer than anywhere else ive been to to get greeted and get our name on the waitlist. other guests were piling in behind us asking if we had been helped yet and we shrugged and said how we hadn't even seen a single employee in that front room yet. i dont even want to take the time to type everything that went wrong there. it seemed to me like there was one waitress and five or so hungover local college guys wandering around with water pitchers ignoring tables. the kid that seemed to be the host, the one with mohawk was pissed to be at work that early it seemed. i remember when we were done with our meal the guys kept looking at our table but they never actually took any dishes off our table and continued to go back to the kitchen empty handed. oh but our ten tiny creamers did get ten more at one time by the young guys with fist fulls of creamer, restocking at noon on a Sunday during brunch time when we were fine with our ten other creamers on the table? i wanted to say something to whoever the manager was about how unfriendly and bizarre the service was from these hungover kids but my boyfriend pleaded with my that it wasn't worth it because we weren't from there and would never have to go there again.
(1)Mandy D.
I love Ivey's. The food is FANTASTIC 95% of the time. Once we went and the potatoes were underdone, and once I got the salmon scramble and the eggs were a little brown, and I have a problem with that. But in general, the food is very, very good. I usually get the Hoss, the potato pancake benedict, or the chicken salad salad with honey curry dressing. My BF always, always gets Spuds ala Grande. Cheese grits are very good. Once I had a mimosa, which was mostly champagne with just a splash of OJ- I like your style, Ivey's. We come here often enough that the owner remembers us, which I appreciate. You can't go wrong with the coffee either- Ivey's blend by Sweetwater, and if you get it iced, they will give you coffee ice cubes and a little pot of coffee to pour over. The negative: service can be slowwwwwww. Especially on busy weekend mornings. As long as I keep getting refills on my coffee, I will be happy while I wait, Ivey's.
(4)Laura M.
I've come to Ivey's a couple of times on my last few trips to Gainesville, once with my mother-in-law and once with MIL and my own mom -- a meeting of the moms, if you will. It's a cute little lunch spot with lots of mom-pleasing salads on the menu (and unique house made dressings). I like that they have lots of vegetarian options (BBQ Tempe sandwich!) and interesting side dishes. I also have to disagree with some of the other comments about small portions for the price -- I ordered a Quesalada, which is like a quesadilla with a salad on top (get the creamy chipotle dressing!), and was absolutely astounded by how big it was. Using the bathroom here is weird because you have to walk through the cramped little kitchen area. And, sometimes the service is slow (the better to catch up with your mom while you wait!). But I'd surely go back the next time I need lunch in that part of town.
(4)Downtown G.
When I go to Ivey's (always under duress), I usually get something simple like homefries with cheddar. If I am feeling particulary adventurous, I will get some canadian bacon to go with those home fries. Sometimes the potatoes are good. Some times the potatoes are burned. Complaining will get you a sneer and another 30 minutes wait for a replacement (that will also likely be burned or the potatoes that you sent back, with some fresh cheese on top to trick you.) The wait is always long. The service always sucks. A couple of the waitresses are fond of coming to the table and not greeting anyone. They just stand there and look at you. If you don't start ordering, they will walk off. How the heck would Stevie Wonder get a meal there????!!! Getting a refill of water is almost impossible. They will ignore your frantic gestures and gasping sounds. I have been eating at Ivey's for over 20 years. The prices seem to have gotten out of hand. $15 for a fruit, yogurt and granola bowl?! It's not like it has lychees from The Forbidden City in it, or apples from The Garden of the Hesperides. It has some yogurt (that I strongly suspect is Publix brand vanilla), some cheap fruit and some boring granola. I am all sorts of het up just writing about it. One thing I always like at Ivey's is the art on the walls. I wish they would just turn themselves into an art gallery.
(2)Michael A.
Sloooow! Lousy service - forgot to make a kids pancake then offered a biscuit while waiting, then forgot biscuit and 1 pancake took 20 minutes to make. My eggs were cold, grits cold with a 1/4 inch layer of congealed grits on top when brought to table. Fried potatoes overly herbed. Over priced. This was my third and final attempt to give this local and very close to my house joint a chance. Go elsewhere and save yourself time and money.
(1)John S.
Garbage service. Food was mediocre. Brought me a corona with no lime and when I asked for a lime was given an attitude by the server. Came back and said they were out of limes. Told the server I didn't want the beer and he snatched it off the table. I then heard him complaining about us in the kitchen. The owner was standing nearby explaining to the other server about how sweaty her feet and neck were and proceeded to take her shoes off in the restaurant. When we complained to her we were not taken seriously and she blew us off. This was supposed to be a nice Sunday brunch with my girlfriend and the crappy meal still cost 50 bucks!!! I will NEVER eat there again.
(1)Cassandra N.
Great breakfast/lunch joint. Funky, local, veg friendly. Good for kids. Tasty food.
(4)Ricky A.
Ivey's has been my favorite place to eat for 20 years now. I guess you'd call it my "comfort food" when I want good food made by good people. Like a previous reviewer, the Potato Pancake is my fave breakfast food. Yes, knowing that the meal was made by hand for me then (rather than from a factory or a can) I wait a few minutes longer (and I do mean "a few"). My lunch fave are the salmon patties.
(5)Samuel S.
Nice simple meal, I had the hummus and avocado sandwich.
(3)Coty S.
This is my Dad's favorite breakfast place, so whenever I come into town to see him we usually go here. I remember the prices being high for breakfast food, but now they are INSANE for what you get. The Fruit is $14.99! What?!? So, I ordered the Yogurt with Granola ($6.50), which was the cheapest thing on the menu. Yes folks, this is a small bowl of yogurt with some granola sprinkled on top for a very hefty price. I almost panicked because the waitress brought it out because it had some sliced fruit on top, so I asked her to make sure that it was not $14.99. Sorry if I seem cheap, but I have never paid that much for so little that I can make at home with a spoon and no prep. Before the prices went up, I used to always order The Hoss, which was scrambled eggs with cheese, ham, and bacon with a side of potatoes. This is homemade breakfast quality, nothing too fancy. Maybe that is why people like the place. If I am going to pay $7.00 for breakfast food(which I am not that fond of to begin with), then IHOP would be my first choice. They make all that crazy pancake covered in circus that you cannot make at home. But, you are looking for some snooty treatment in a snooty atmosphere with snooty prices, then this is definitely your place.
(2)Luis C.
Somewhat condescending service, waiter was charitable enough to offer to give us our "drinks for free." We ordered two waters and one coffee, gee thanks. Waited more than an hour and was getting ready to pass out before I just said "let's just go to Publix, and I will make us brunch." A bit overpriced, and the coffee is terrible, but that's all I can comment on from this trip. Last time I went the food was good except for the grits which had texture like they were cooked in a microwave. There are better places for brunch around town this one just happens to be closest to the University. Be prepared to wait.
(1)Jaclyn N.
The first clue that this place will take forever: they have a book at every table. Breakfast took almost two hours all-told. The food was pretty good but I wouldn't go here unless you want to kill some serious time.
(2)April O.
Today is opposite day--I'm going to go against the grain of the last few reviews. The meal I ate was good, but fairly unremarkable. The coffee is also unmemorable. The service, however, was attentive and punctual. I went in the middle of the week, though, not for brunch on the weekend--maybe that makes a difference?
(3)Alisha B.
A bit long for the table.... But best breakfast burrito. Food was fresh, delicious and hot. So glad I found this place. Friendly and hard working staff...
(4)Jen V.
Fantastic brunch! The staff is so welcoming... Amazing fresh fruit! Can't wait to go back!
(5)Pelicanbone E.
Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes and so much more are waiting for you at 3303 W University it has only been there since 1984. erythang is made fresh, I know i worked there for 8 years and never once minded going to work. Organic Coffee and espresso freshly ground daily, numerous benedicts to chose from, the best pancakes and latkisses in the north central florida. The breakfast list goes on and on till 3pm. Lunch starts at 11pm and not at all on sunday, bringing you badass flatbread pizzas and salads to die for. Every dietary need can be met here. They were dabbling with raw specials, not long ago. The fruit has its own cooler. Its the only place I know where a culinary gaucho cuts up 15 different fruits and makes a gorgeous fruit bowl for you. mmmmmmmmmmm Im hungry all a sudden. Yea you might have to wait a little while, yea you actually pay for the farmers gas that delivers to the back door. Yea c u there!!
(5)J J.
Ivey's Grill is amazing! Their breakfast is delicious and their chocolate scones are straight from heaven! A must try! They also have excellant customer service!
(5)Daniel M.
Slow, slow, slow. I get dragged in that place by a family member and consistently get just plain crappy service. There are some good items on the menu but it's just not worth the aggravation there. Good restaurants will have a supervisor watching the floor. Nothing resembling that at Ivey's. Just hapless wait staff stumbling through shifts. I'll pass.
(2)John L.
Out cooked by iHop; could not execute an eggs benedict.Their banana bread french toast only works in theory (density of the banana bread hinders custard absorption and is therefore more of an omelet encrusted banana bread than french toast). Pancakes were poorly executed (burnt on one side).
(1)Natalie W.
All y'all Gainesville Yelpers are CRAZY !!! This is hands down the best breakfast place in Gainesville !! Yes it's more expensive but seriously peeps you get what you pay for !! And maybe cuz my age is way above the Gainesville average -- we arrived there at like 930 am and had no wait at all (although I would happily wait if needed). I had the most divine potato pancake Benedict - yummy potato pancake with lots of onion and then the hollandaise ........ Perfect !!!! I got the traditional vs the spinach version and it was soooooo delicious that I could have eaten a whole bowl of it. Nice and lemony (just the way I like it) and perfect with the eggs and potatoes. Service was friendly and prompt. Coffee was not the best but it was perfectly acceptable. For anyone not worried about paying more than you would at IHOP -- get to Iveys - maybe a little earlier than normal if you want to avoid the lines :-). And for sure get something with hollandaise on it !!!
(5)M G.
We all understand the service isn't good. It's slow, somewhat condescending and sometimes just flat out rude. Once we move past that (if we can)... the breakfast is so tasty. Those herb potatoes, the banana bread french toast, the scones and the Ivey's Blend coffee. I moved away from the Ville nearly 3 years ago, but I always come back to Ivey's during football season. Perhaps I'm way too sentimental... but waking up super early in the Fall on a Saturday or Sunday to beat the crowd and having that coffee and french toast takes me back to the "good years".
(4)Lisa O.
The food is pretty awesome. Just expect to pay about $40...for brunch. I almost always get the veggie benedict. Or the fruit and granola and yogurt. Or the veggie saute with nutritional yeast dressing. Don't waste $2 on the coffee. Weak and only served with cream packets on table. Espresso isn't very good either. The service isn't amazing. Nice, just not very organized. Once "the chef" refused to add onions to my friend's order. I thought that was lame.
(4)Kevin W.
It's kind of hard to rate Ivey's low because the food there is so good. Some of the best breakfast food I've ever had. The french toast is amazing and so are the salmon cakes. However, the service is really really bad. I'm sure they're really cool people I would love to hang out with and I'm not sure if they're just continually understaffed or just hungover, but it's bad. I can't go to Ivey's anymore because the last time I went, I became so frustrated after waiting for an hour for a table (several just needed to be bussed) and then an hour for food that I didn't enjoy my breakfast. It's sad that there really isn't anywhere else to go in town other than chains.
(2)S Z.
Wow- there was only one couple ahead of us here for Saturday brunch and we still waited 20 minutes for a table. Then literally an hour, AN HOUR to get our food- which was just a frittata and french toast- nothing difficult at all. Minimal wait staff. Mediocre food. Ended up with a $30 blil for breakfast for two people (a $15 ham and cheese frittata? seriously?). We will NOT be going back.
(2)A P.
Had a great morning meal here with family, would definitely come back again and recommend to others.
(4)Laura W.
Ivey's has the best breakfast in town. Service may run a little slow, but it is worth the wait. The house blend coffee is wonderful and the daily bakery goods (scones and muffins) are always delicious and fresh. The prices are higher than IHOP and Perkins, but the food is fresh, local, and worth coming back for. They happily make half portions for those with smaller appetites. The eggs Benedict and spuds are fantastic and the pumpkin chocolate chip French toast is a one of a kind. The fruit bowl, while pricey, is the largest plate of fresh fruit you have ever seen- think half a grapefruit, orange, apples, strawberries, blueberries, pomagrante seeds, persimmons, cantaloupe, etc...
(5)Jennifer C.
Long wait, average service, below average food. Would not return here.
(2)Amy M.
I found out about Ivey's Grill prior to moving here to Gainesville, through online reviews and word of mouth. I recently moved here from Durham, NC and had only found a delicious brunch place (here's looking at you, Piedmont) a few months prior to my departure. I was ready and rearing for this place to fill the newly minted brunch void. It may be that I've not yet adjusted the price-gouging of Gainesville, but I felt like Ivey's was more than a wee bit overpriced. I ordered the tomato, Havarti and spinach frittata, which came with a biscuit and herb-roasted potatoes. On the plus side, the potatoes were well-seasoned, and they weren't too oily. But the fritatta itself was somewhat burnt and the biscuit was very crumbly. I say this realizing that there may be a market for crumbly biscuits and that crumbliness may be a sought-after quality for some diners. However, I am more of a soft fluffy biscuit kind of gal and therefore did not appreciate the meal as a whole. It's true about the veg selections though - there are plenty of options. However, I think that Gainesville has better vegetarian-friendly options for breakfast, such as Emiliano's. Anyway, this is my first Yelp post. Hope it helps some hungry Gators!
(2)Belle C.
Fantastic breakfast; pretty extensive menu. Incredibly slow service. Go early if you don't want to wait for a table.
(4)Mark G.
Well worth the 30 minute wait for a Sunday brunch with your mates.The Ivey's blend coffee is good,but a little weak for my distinguished,discriminating palate.A good place to see goofy UF profs in their Panama Jack hats and Teva sandals.LOL!
(4)Rob M.
Went there before the Celebration of Wine at UF and had great service and great food. Loved the potato pancakes and the eggs benedict.
(4)Christina L.
their potato cakes and french toast are A-MAZING but the service was so incredibly slow i can't rate it any higher than 2 stars. it is a bit expensive for pretty basic breakfast food, as well.
(2)Ashley B.
Made it to Ivey's for the first time this morning. We got there shortly after 10 and waited at least 20 minutes... the weird thing is, when we were seated, we saw at least 3 other empty tables. We were kind of put off by that and wondered why we had to wait so long. Anyway, we were impressed by the exciting, different breakfasts on the menu. It is pricier than you expect breakfast to be. Three of us were able to fill up for $30 plus tip (we drank only water). You pay a premium for the fresh ingredients and unique meal options. It's definitely not fast food, but we did entertain ourselves while waiting for our food by reading the joke book on the table lol. I ordered the Spuds a la Grande... their herbed potatoes topped with an egg in the style of your choice, and further topped with gooey cheese and an assortment of veggies, served with a biscuit. It truly was one of the best breakfasts I've ever had. And the portion was huge, I couldn't finish my plate. My boyfriend ordered the honey ham and cheddar frittata with potatoes, and I forget what the third member of our party ordered, but it was something like scrambled eggs with salmon. All of us were more than satisfied with our food, and I'm definitely planning on going back to try more things- including the pumpkin chocolate chip french toast, potato pancakes, crab cakes, and scones, just to name a few. The minus star is for slow service and price, but we felt the food and the experience was worth it. It's not an everyday breakfast place, but a great establishment nonetheless.
(4)John L.
Out cooked by iHop; could not execute an eggs benedict.Their banana bread french toast only works in theory (density of the banana bread hinders custard absorption and is therefore more of an omelet encrusted banana bread than french toast). Pancakes were poorly executed (burnt on one side).
(1)Y Y.
I have been there twice. Some of the things on their menu are delicious (mainly the things they bake fresh) but items like bacon were not hot. They are very popular so we had to wait 30 - 40 minutes each time and they do not take reservations. Service is average. We found coins in some of our water glasses and apparently this has happpened to some other people too. The explanation we were given by the servers was that apparently they keep their loose change above the empty water drinking glasses so sometimes they drop in. We did not get an apology for being served drinking water with coins in the glasses which is why I am giving them a low rating.
(1)Francesca M.
I was disappointed this time 'round. The food took wayyyyy too long to come out of the kitchen and it tasted reheated. $70 for brunch? not worth it this time for reheated food..... ;(
(2)Alexandros P.
I've been hitting up a lot of the local spots because I'm moving pretty soon, and was fairly disappointed with this place. The food was sub-par and much more expensive than necessary, the service was terrible, and the overall atmosphere of the place was lacking. I was surprised that it was so dismal a place for being so close to the school. I was also struck as being a little out of place. Might of just been me, but I felt like I was one of the few in the place who weren't regulars. I guess if people generally have experiences like mine, "regulars" is all this place will have at any given time.
(2)Mercy G.
Food is incredible, service is terrible! I would give this place 5 stars if I hadn't receive terrible service. The waiter had long curly hair and was extremely rude. He forgot a lot of things we asked for. I asked if I could have a straw and he said "I suppose." I was placing my order and he said "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to anything you said." It was our first time there and we didn't know that you can't split checks and he didn't want to do it so we had to ask for a manager. They should be more flexible to first-timers. Otherwise, the food was fantastic.
(3)Margaret G.
Great food! I had the tempeh barbeque sandwich with basil orzo....it was amazing! My guest had the same thing and we think it might be our favorite sandwich ever! The service is a little slower than other restaurant, but I think that's because they are making YOUR food WHEN you order it, not at 8 a.m. and then reheating. This place is wonderful and worth a try! Also, unsweetened ice tea is very, very good!
(5)Mayra S.
Found them on yelp! And am so glad we came... Originally wanted to find a spot to eat closer to the university but after reading food and dog friendly restaurant reviews we figured we'd give it a shot... This place was great!!! VERY DOG FRIENDLY!! Ordered the crab cakes Benedict with holland aide sauce and cheese grits... Which was all nothing but fantastic and mouth watering... Enjoyed the service from the staff... Recommend it to everyone!!!
(5)Katie S.
Very cute/hipster cafe in the heart of an otherwise chain-place dominated area. Great breakfast.
(4)Dawn M.
I LOVE this place and so glad it's survived all these years. The food is fantastic, but the place is small so you'll have to be willing to wait, esp during football season, but it's so worth is and Stephanie is so sweet. I wish I could come here more often. It's 4 out of 5 only because I reserve 5 for my hands down favorite spots.
(4)Downtown G.
When I go to Ivey's (always under duress), I usually get something simple like homefries with cheddar. If I am feeling particulary adventurous, I will get some canadian bacon to go with those home fries. Sometimes the potatoes are good. Some times the potatoes are burned. Complaining will get you a sneer and another 30 minutes wait for a replacement (that will also likely be burned or the potatoes that you sent back, with some fresh cheese on top to trick you.) The wait is always long. The service always sucks. A couple of the waitresses are fond of coming to the table and not greeting anyone. They just stand there and look at you. If you don't start ordering, they will walk off. How the heck would Stevie Wonder get a meal there????!!! Getting a refill of water is almost impossible. They will ignore your frantic gestures and gasping sounds. I have been eating at Ivey's for over 20 years. The prices seem to have gotten out of hand. $15 for a fruit, yogurt and granola bowl?! It's not like it has lychees from The Forbidden City in it, or apples from The Garden of the Hesperides. It has some yogurt (that I strongly suspect is Publix brand vanilla), some cheap fruit and some boring granola. I am all sorts of het up just writing about it. One thing I always like at Ivey's is the art on the walls. I wish they would just turn themselves into an art gallery.
(2)Michael A.
Sloooow! Lousy service - forgot to make a kids pancake then offered a biscuit while waiting, then forgot biscuit and 1 pancake took 20 minutes to make. My eggs were cold, grits cold with a 1/4 inch layer of congealed grits on top when brought to table. Fried potatoes overly herbed. Over priced. This was my third and final attempt to give this local and very close to my house joint a chance. Go elsewhere and save yourself time and money.
(1)John S.
Garbage service. Food was mediocre. Brought me a corona with no lime and when I asked for a lime was given an attitude by the server. Came back and said they were out of limes. Told the server I didn't want the beer and he snatched it off the table. I then heard him complaining about us in the kitchen. The owner was standing nearby explaining to the other server about how sweaty her feet and neck were and proceeded to take her shoes off in the restaurant. When we complained to her we were not taken seriously and she blew us off. This was supposed to be a nice Sunday brunch with my girlfriend and the crappy meal still cost 50 bucks!!! I will NEVER eat there again.
(1)Cassandra N.
Great breakfast/lunch joint. Funky, local, veg friendly. Good for kids. Tasty food.
(4)Rashonna T.
Small and quaint little restaurant, you can tell it's a local's favorite. I took my kids for breakfast this morning everything is excellent the reason for four stars is that service took a little too long.
(4)Megan R.
The homemade banana nut bread French toast is absolutely phenomenal & so is their house blend coffee. Both must-orders. Not at all impressed with the nachos. Bland and plain with sort of gross, waxy cheese. Edible, but would never order again. Chicken salad sandwich was really good, but pretty standard for chicken salad. One thing I liked: how frequently my water glass and coffee was refilled. Literally every time someone passed the table. Two things I didn't like: felt as if there was no AC in the small restaurant. Made the meal somewhat uncomfortable. Also felt very rushed to order, eat and pay the bill, even though no one was waiting for our table. Overall: great food, decent service, cute but stuffy venue. Would recommend...but mostly for the French toast :)
(3)Craig C.
The food is very good and the place has the potential of being a good restaurant but they have fix to their personnel issues. The waiter sucked. Never once refilled my glass. His fake sincerity was obvious (re: flight attendant). Place was only half full and it still took over 45 minutes for breakfast food to come to the table. The waiter could not have cared less. It's a hipster place with zero hustle. Smug factor is about a 7 out of 10. They even have their rules to be a patron posted on the chalkboard. Ironically, rule #2 is: be nice or leave. Another one was they don't take American Express. Another one is that there a 20% mandatory gratuity for parties over five. Which is understandable given their crappy level of service they have to mandate the tip. Bottom line: if you want to be made to feel like it's a privilege to be served really good food in exchange for money, this is your place.
(3)Vincent V.
Ivey's has always been my top bestbreakfast location in Gainesville. Having come here for many years during my college days and even post college, I think their attention to detail and quality ingredients make it the best in the area. The owner Stephanie and her husband have always been focused on using the finest of items to prepare the dishes. Starting with their coffee they make a unique version that has a subtle combo of cinnamon and chocolate. The iced coffee is served with fresh coffee ice cubes and is totally the goto in my book! To eat the cinnamon French toast is great, but my personal favorite is the crab or traditional egg Benedict. They use a special recipe for their hollandaise sauce that has a unique flavor to it that allows you to really appreciate the combination of poached eggs, meat and muffin. Overall this is my goto and be warned that the crab option runs out quick. While the grits are a good option here the potatoes with fresh sage are the goto for me. While these are my favorites you really cannot go wrong with anything! My biggest complaints are that there almost always seems to be a wait (which should mean it is a great place right!?) oh, and that many of the items run out or they don't have first thing in the morning (happens a little often) or that you get 2 out of 3 good servers and 1 out of 10 orders might have a problem. (Remember in a college town your staff is like the first day of class and my week two they might decide to change degree or go back home, so turn over is just a given in any college town) and lastly because of the size of the place it sometimes is not as comfortable as I would like. The loud child (which has sometimes been my own :) or table on top of another... All this to the side, this is by far the top breakfast spot and if you want something home grown and with menu items that are filled with flavor then this is where you will find it!
(5)Corey L.
My usual go-to brunch spots were packed this morning as I was driving around (which I was very sad about at first), while driving I stumbled upon Ivey's. Not a long wait. Cute place, nice atmosphere. Great music selection playing inside! The coffee was DELICIOUS (and I drink coffee like my life depends on it so the fact that it was that good says something)! They put cinnamon and chocolate chips in the grinds...YUM!!! Our waiter was awesome, super attentive even though they had a packed house and very funny (he had an old Cracker Barrel apron with the name Dick embroidered with 2 stars, hahaha). The food...omg the food...SOOOOOO GOOD!!! I got the Burro (which comes with their homemade salsa) it was AMAZING and a huge portion! Our table also got eggs, pancakes, bacon (mmmm...bacon), etc. Everything we had was cooked to perfection and all the plates were large portions. Mimosas...perfection! I saw a few reviews that were complaining about price...with the amount of food you get I don't know how you could complain. Not to mention, still cheaper if not the same as any other brunch place in town. It's also FRESH not frozen crap, the chef goes to the market every morning for fresh ingredients, I'll take that any day over frozen food or crap from a can. Super impressed is all I can say...I think this will be my new go-to spot! It's a hidden gem in gainesville...oh...and it's LOCAL! SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES!!! Seriously, check them out, it's a great place for breakfast, brunch, or lunch!
(5)James J.
Hidden within the West Gate Shopping Center, Ivey's Grill seemed like a positive choice for a quality breakfast/brunch and, importantly, quite a close one for where I live currently. When I see "local" or "organic" anywhere, I instantly perk up because that usually indicates the ingredient quality will be enough in itself to save a place. I found this did not redeem my dining experience at Ivey's Grill. The Space: West Gate has no signage to indicate to those driving on 34th that Ivey's Grill even exists, or at least not one that is very noticeable. Still, they manage to get a fair amount of business within their tiny quarters. There are a few outdoor tables, several booths and tables as well as a bar area for those who might only order a baked good and coffee/espresso. To access the bathroom, you have to enter the kitchen area briefly, which I dislike in every restaurant (admittedly there is nothing the owners can really do about this). Along with me were two friends, one of whom nonchalantly pointed out that there were cobwebs in the corners of the ceiling. Great. The Food: We arrived around noon. Looking at the menu, the prices ($10+ for most anything) were in-line with what I expect from local, organic restaurants. I decided to straddle the brunch flavor with a BLT sandwich, topped with an egg over well and accompanied by a orzo pesto salad. Of my two friends, one ordered the potato pancake with their creamy garlic sauce, as well as two eggs over well (more on this in the service section) and my other companion got a medium burger with the noodle salad. To be completely honest, I was really apathetic to the food I received. The bread was only the slightest bit toasted, so between the mayonnaise and the tomato there was zero chance this item was not going to end up falling apart while in hand. The bacon had almost no crunch or crisp at all, and in fact, was chewy to the point that it resembled jerky. Nothing is more annoying in a sandwich than having to either gnaw the meat or pull it out of the sandwich entirely to eat it. The pesto salad was fair; almost more enjoyable than the sandwich itself I also sampled the pancake my friend got. Tasted pretty good, though maybe a touch too much onion flavor for some (not me, as I take kindly to powerful seasoning). The creamy garlic sauce had a very unappealing aftertaste that stuck with your mouth for too long. Not pleasant. My other company received his burger to discover it was halfway cooked to correct level and halfway cooked well done, though he did state the flavor was actually quite good. Tried the peanut noodle salad he received on the side and found it did not quite work, as the flavors did not mesh (all 3 of us agreed on this). Oh, and they give you watermelon with your food (the infamous afterthought sides) The Service: If you think a friendly smile might redeem this place, think again. First of all, they appear understaffed. We came when they appeared not quite as busy (reviews suggest they are primarily a breakfast place) and found frequent delays in refills on beverages. Sometimes I ask for my food to be made as take out, simply to save myself time when I anticipate not finishing my meal (and I rarely do finish so this is justified). My sandwich was made to-go, but for some reason arrived to the table 5 minutes later than the two dishes that required legitimate cooking. I wish I had known watermelon came with meals, because having the juice leak around the container into my pesto and seep into the bread made things even less appealing. My more vocal friend, who ordered the potato cake, tasted the garlic and promptly suspected it might be spoiled (I tried it as well and, though not thinking 'spoiled' per say, found it unappealing). He flagged the waiter and asked to have apple sauce instead because of this. I the watched as the server went back to tell another staff member about this, they discussed it with mannerisms that indicated they did not appreciate the comment, and the waiter returned with apple sauce. He decided to state that the sauce has a yogurt base and that "not everybody likes it." These types of comments are useless, save for making things worse. In addition to this, he only received one egg instead of two (the waiter had only written one, though, so no hassle with changing the bill). The one nice aspect of the service was for the burger: when my friend asked for it, the waiter was aware enough of their food to mention that this order would be for the last burger they had in-house. This was definitely more ideal than the waiter coming 10 minutes into our wait and telling us to reorder, though why a place runs out of ground beef in the first place is beyond me. Final Thoughts: Ivey's Grill was overpriced, understaffed, and lacked any real appeal to encourage my return ever, both in quality and service. The statement "Meh. I've experienced better" is resoundingly appropriate.
(2)Jeff A.
This place is the best breakfast in Gainesville. I have been here about 50 times- no exaggeration. I have a family full of gators so we have been stoping by this place all my life. Their iced coffee is pretty amazing! Banana Nut French toast is also a must try. It's a small mom and pops restaurant so sometimes the service is a little slow. BUT they more than make up for it with their care, attention, friendliness, and quality of food
(5)Amanda R.
Awesome place! I have been here a few times before and have always had a great experience! I take care of an elderly woman with Alzheimer's, I brought her here and there was a wait. I asked if we could sit inside because she was cold and then the woman that owns Ivey's sat us right away when she over heard me, she then brought us a nice warm coffee and was very accommodating! She is so sweet!! Our food was great, this place has a great family atmosphere! I am so great full for her hospitality, it is sometimes difficult to take the woman I take care of to different places because of her condition but this made our day and was a great experience!
(5)Marcelo D.
I've been here quite a few times and every time it under performs. Dirty tables every where, last time there was lipstick on the water glasses, slow service, never get the coffee that you ordered, but the food is usually good. They don't have enough servers, but the owner/manager is inside talking to tables and not doing any work. I would recommend not going here until they learn how to run the front half of the restaurant. There are better breakfast restaurants.
(2)Scott G.
Either my palate has improved since I was in college or this place has gone downhill. Perhaps both. Ordered potato pancake Benedict. Poached eggs were overdone and not running all over the potato pancakes. As for the potato pancakes, they were soggy, not crispy. If they were supposed to be soggy (I doubt it), then poorly thought out, as crispiness would've provided a nice contrast in textures with warm, runny eggs. If supposed to be crispy, then poorly executed. Service wasn't that great either. Took 10 mins for anyone to come back and find out the eggs were over poached. And, while they made new eggs, it took another 10 mins to get them. By then, it was too late and I simply turned off. New eggs would've only improved situation a little, as the soggy pancakes weren't going anywhere (should've replaced them too). Also took 10 mins more for anyone to come by for my payment. This place has rules posted at the door for their customers. Funny thing, it obviously don't have any rules for itself. For the future, not going back. Take heed.
(1)Tom R.
Terrible. absolutely terrible. Service was horrible, waiter was rude. Will not return ever again. This place seems very dirty.
(1)Shana H.
I went to school in Gainesville 2004-2008 and used to love coming to this breakfast spot all the time. After today, my opinion of this place changed completely. We had thee most incredibly rude and discourteous server that made our experience absolutely unpleasant. Our food took over and hour to get (for over medium fried eggs) and the cooks literally took a sunny side up egg and just flipped it over on the plate. When we mentioned it to our server who never willingly came by to check how our food was, she replied "oh, that's how it's supposed to come...what do you want me to do about it?" She did nothing to make any part of our experience pleasant and then proceeded to take another 20min before taking our check. I can honestly say that I would never return to this place, nor would I recommend the food, service, or environment to anyone looking for a decent breakfast spot.
(1)Patsy M.
Beyond the worst costumer service I have ever received, I think I have had better customer service at Walmart.
(1)Adam L.
Worst service ever! I came into town for the football weekend with 4 of my friends and waited 50 minutes from the time we ordered until the time we were served. Horrible waiter never came by to refill coffee or water. The food was still delicious but I could not believe how poor the staff is trained. There is no accountability right to the management level and the excuse given to the terribly slow service was that it was a football weekend. Terrible customer service from the blonde female manager.
(1)Bryan F.
Great food, the service is slow, Gordon Ramsey needs to come and help. No reservations, slow table turn over (we were here for 2.5 hrs), but the potato pancakes are amazing!
(3)Nicole N.
Ivey's is hands down the best breakfast/brunch establishment in Gainesville Florida, and possibly the world. The dishes are creative and so tasty. Their Ivey's blend coffee is amazing. Black bean burro with tofu is outstanding every time. Cheese grits, potato, really anything you order you can't go wrong. Ivey's is a real gem.
(5)Megan B.
I ate at Ivey's upon a recommendation from a friend and once Gainesville resident. She mentioned that her group had eaten here the day before, that they didn't have to wait long for a table and the food was pretty good. She said the service, however, was very slow. My boyfriend and I gave it a shot this morning. Turns out, it was incredibly slow. They were understaffed and disorganized. We placed an order as quickly as we could once was the server finally came to our table (which was 15 minutes from when we were seated). We were seated for over an hour by the time our food got to the table. While we were waiting, we had a roach crawl from underneath the table and the server rarely came by to fill our drinks. In fact, she left us with coffee and no spoons or utensils. We had to ask another server for utensils who forgot. We finally asked a third person who ultimately got us a silverware roll. The restaurant is really dirty, cobwebs in the corners and sticky tables. However, the food was fairly good. We investigated it thoroughly especially after seeing the roach. Despite the tasty food, I would not recommend this restaurant to others.
(2)Brad K.
Inside decor is nice. But the place really echo's and gets loud real quick. Went in for breakfast, and the only, I mean ONLY thing to order that wouldn't cost $10 or more per dish was the pancakes or french toast. Everything, and I mean everything else like the frittata and other breakfast food started at $10 and went up from there. (see my menu pics) I'm sorry I'm not paying $40 for three of us to have breakfast. So thus the two stars, based on price, menu selection, and the quality of the food we ordered (nothing special). There are many other places to go for a better breakfast menu. We felt that it's the location that keeps people coming, as it's withing walking distance from many homes on University ave. We say lots of people (families) walking over (not driving in) and coming to Ivey's.
(2)Kelly A.
It was Saturday morning, 11:00 to be exact. We slept in because we were out pretty late at a show the night before. Gainesville is a college town, so we figured we'd have myriad breakfast joints to choose from. How wrong we were! The whole city was D-E-A-D! We drove around, looking for a place, to no avail. We yelped it, and saw that Emiliano's Cafe had breakfast. We went there. They had no breakfast. They recommended Ivey's Grill, so we trekked on over there. It was noon by this point. We got there and they had a line out the door and people everywhere waiting for a table. Is this the ONLY breakfast place around, save IHOP? I don't get it. There clearly is some degree of demand for a Saturday breakfast, and yet no one else seems to offer it. Very strange! Anyways, we put our names in and waited the 20-or-so minutes to get a table. We were psyched when we looked at the menu and saw so many cool vegetarian options, and we also quite enjoyed the art on the walls. I went with the pumpkin french toast, and the boy got some sort of veggie eggs benedict. It took 45 minutes for us to get our food, no lie. The food was pretty good, but the service was just abominable. I asked for a refill on my drink when the food came, but never got it. Also when paying for the bill, I asked for change, and was given the change in one large bill. Obviously that isn't going to help you with your tip, lady! So the food is pretty good, the menu is diverse, the atmosphere is decent, but the service, UGH!
(3)Elexa B.
Was recommended to go to this place for breakfast while out of town in gainesville and was thoroughly disappointed. the whole place gave my boyfriend and i bad vibes because of the service. it took a while longer than anywhere else ive been to to get greeted and get our name on the waitlist. other guests were piling in behind us asking if we had been helped yet and we shrugged and said how we hadn't even seen a single employee in that front room yet. i dont even want to take the time to type everything that went wrong there. it seemed to me like there was one waitress and five or so hungover local college guys wandering around with water pitchers ignoring tables. the kid that seemed to be the host, the one with mohawk was pissed to be at work that early it seemed. i remember when we were done with our meal the guys kept looking at our table but they never actually took any dishes off our table and continued to go back to the kitchen empty handed. oh but our ten tiny creamers did get ten more at one time by the young guys with fist fulls of creamer, restocking at noon on a Sunday during brunch time when we were fine with our ten other creamers on the table? i wanted to say something to whoever the manager was about how unfriendly and bizarre the service was from these hungover kids but my boyfriend pleaded with my that it wasn't worth it because we weren't from there and would never have to go there again.
(1)Mandy D.
I love Ivey's. The food is FANTASTIC 95% of the time. Once we went and the potatoes were underdone, and once I got the salmon scramble and the eggs were a little brown, and I have a problem with that. But in general, the food is very, very good. I usually get the Hoss, the potato pancake benedict, or the chicken salad salad with honey curry dressing. My BF always, always gets Spuds ala Grande. Cheese grits are very good. Once I had a mimosa, which was mostly champagne with just a splash of OJ- I like your style, Ivey's. We come here often enough that the owner remembers us, which I appreciate. You can't go wrong with the coffee either- Ivey's blend by Sweetwater, and if you get it iced, they will give you coffee ice cubes and a little pot of coffee to pour over. The negative: service can be slowwwwwww. Especially on busy weekend mornings. As long as I keep getting refills on my coffee, I will be happy while I wait, Ivey's.
(4)Ricky A.
Ivey's has been my favorite place to eat for 20 years now. I guess you'd call it my "comfort food" when I want good food made by good people. Like a previous reviewer, the Potato Pancake is my fave breakfast food. Yes, knowing that the meal was made by hand for me then (rather than from a factory or a can) I wait a few minutes longer (and I do mean "a few"). My lunch fave are the salmon patties.
(5)Samuel S.
Nice simple meal, I had the hummus and avocado sandwich.
(3)Hina S.
So I used to live in Gainesville before and recently in last 6 months moved to Mississippi. This place had always been my best breakfast place and I never had issues about anything food, service and timings was really nice. Although I am upset today cause when I asked the waitress to get the grits in a bowl instead of a plate she responded if we have time we will do it. So from that I m thinking we are ordering stuff almost for 60 dollars for 3 people and I am getting attitude from you. Not to mention on the door you keep a sign be nice or leave which is primarily for the customers but what about the wait staff. Apparently it is a crime and too much work to put grits in a bowl instead of my plate where all the food will be stuffed in and I am expecting too much. So for refill she never asked us but to my husband who is white. Previously my servers have been a tall guy who works here but this lady really has some issues of her own. I felt like a dog the way she got the food and both me and our friend that we were taking out grits were on that plate soaking the eggs. Of course we were hungry so we ate but my appetite was gone. So to that white lady who has no humanity and loads of attitude you had customers today but I know for a fact with your attitude it won't last for long. I am never going back to that place again. I think the food is good but if you are ready to be treated in a rude mean way go there. So far me and my family are never going there.
(2)Steve P.
This is one of those places where the food can outweigh how bad the service is. You get frustrated waiting 30 minutes for an omelette, then you get it and its really good so you look the other way on the front of house's incompetence. It's sad. If they were better on service, this would be an unbelievably great restaurant.
(2)Stephanie R.
This place is way overpriced for the food you get; New Deal is a much better restaraunt in a similar vein. Service was extremely slow and the place was not crowded. Menu isn't that great and too expensive. Not impressed don't waste your time when this town has a number of much better choices.
(2)Priscilla S.
I have been here a couple of time for breakfast and it never let's me down. I must say, the scones are out of this world amazing, especially the orange chocolate chip ones. I don't live in Gainesville any more but every time I visit I call just to see if they have those scones. This week, they especially made a batch for me because I told them I was only here for a couple of days. I took 6 to go. I love neighborhood places like this.
(5)Ping N.
Great breakfast/brunch/lunch place! The servers are always friendly and competent and we never had to wait for a table. The price is a bit high but the ingredients are all locally sourced and sustainable so there's a premium for that. The pancake is a single pancake, which we thought was strange but when it arrived, it was a single giant pancake. The pancake was fluffy and even though it was just one pancake, I couldn't finish it. And for $4, that really was all the food I need for breakfast. For dog owners, you can sit outside with your dog when the weather is nice and the server will bring your dog a bowl of water. I'm still researching places where dining with your dogs is allowed because it's such a normal thing to do in Europe. Will definitely be coming back here a lot.
(5)Coty S.
This is my Dad's favorite breakfast place, so whenever I come into town to see him we usually go here. I remember the prices being high for breakfast food, but now they are INSANE for what you get. The Fruit is $14.99! What?!? So, I ordered the Yogurt with Granola ($6.50), which was the cheapest thing on the menu. Yes folks, this is a small bowl of yogurt with some granola sprinkled on top for a very hefty price. I almost panicked because the waitress brought it out because it had some sliced fruit on top, so I asked her to make sure that it was not $14.99. Sorry if I seem cheap, but I have never paid that much for so little that I can make at home with a spoon and no prep. Before the prices went up, I used to always order The Hoss, which was scrambled eggs with cheese, ham, and bacon with a side of potatoes. This is homemade breakfast quality, nothing too fancy. Maybe that is why people like the place. If I am going to pay $7.00 for breakfast food(which I am not that fond of to begin with), then IHOP would be my first choice. They make all that crazy pancake covered in circus that you cannot make at home. But, you are looking for some snooty treatment in a snooty atmosphere with snooty prices, then this is definitely your place.
(2)Luis C.
Somewhat condescending service, waiter was charitable enough to offer to give us our "drinks for free." We ordered two waters and one coffee, gee thanks. Waited more than an hour and was getting ready to pass out before I just said "let's just go to Publix, and I will make us brunch." A bit overpriced, and the coffee is terrible, but that's all I can comment on from this trip. Last time I went the food was good except for the grits which had texture like they were cooked in a microwave. There are better places for brunch around town this one just happens to be closest to the University. Be prepared to wait.
(1)Laura M.
I've come to Ivey's a couple of times on my last few trips to Gainesville, once with my mother-in-law and once with MIL and my own mom -- a meeting of the moms, if you will. It's a cute little lunch spot with lots of mom-pleasing salads on the menu (and unique house made dressings). I like that they have lots of vegetarian options (BBQ Tempe sandwich!) and interesting side dishes. I also have to disagree with some of the other comments about small portions for the price -- I ordered a Quesalada, which is like a quesadilla with a salad on top (get the creamy chipotle dressing!), and was absolutely astounded by how big it was. Using the bathroom here is weird because you have to walk through the cramped little kitchen area. And, sometimes the service is slow (the better to catch up with your mom while you wait!). But I'd surely go back the next time I need lunch in that part of town.
(4)Jennifer C.
Long wait, average service, below average food. Would not return here.
(2)Jaclyn N.
The first clue that this place will take forever: they have a book at every table. Breakfast took almost two hours all-told. The food was pretty good but I wouldn't go here unless you want to kill some serious time.
(2)April O.
Today is opposite day--I'm going to go against the grain of the last few reviews. The meal I ate was good, but fairly unremarkable. The coffee is also unmemorable. The service, however, was attentive and punctual. I went in the middle of the week, though, not for brunch on the weekend--maybe that makes a difference?
(3)Alisha B.
A bit long for the table.... But best breakfast burrito. Food was fresh, delicious and hot. So glad I found this place. Friendly and hard working staff...
(4)Jen V.
Fantastic brunch! The staff is so welcoming... Amazing fresh fruit! Can't wait to go back!
(5)Pelicanbone E.
Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes and so much more are waiting for you at 3303 W University it has only been there since 1984. erythang is made fresh, I know i worked there for 8 years and never once minded going to work. Organic Coffee and espresso freshly ground daily, numerous benedicts to chose from, the best pancakes and latkisses in the north central florida. The breakfast list goes on and on till 3pm. Lunch starts at 11pm and not at all on sunday, bringing you badass flatbread pizzas and salads to die for. Every dietary need can be met here. They were dabbling with raw specials, not long ago. The fruit has its own cooler. Its the only place I know where a culinary gaucho cuts up 15 different fruits and makes a gorgeous fruit bowl for you. mmmmmmmmmmm Im hungry all a sudden. Yea you might have to wait a little while, yea you actually pay for the farmers gas that delivers to the back door. Yea c u there!!
(5)J J.
Ivey's Grill is amazing! Their breakfast is delicious and their chocolate scones are straight from heaven! A must try! They also have excellant customer service!
(5)Daniel M.
Slow, slow, slow. I get dragged in that place by a family member and consistently get just plain crappy service. There are some good items on the menu but it's just not worth the aggravation there. Good restaurants will have a supervisor watching the floor. Nothing resembling that at Ivey's. Just hapless wait staff stumbling through shifts. I'll pass.
(2)Laura W.
Ivey's has the best breakfast in town. Service may run a little slow, but it is worth the wait. The house blend coffee is wonderful and the daily bakery goods (scones and muffins) are always delicious and fresh. The prices are higher than IHOP and Perkins, but the food is fresh, local, and worth coming back for. They happily make half portions for those with smaller appetites. The eggs Benedict and spuds are fantastic and the pumpkin chocolate chip French toast is a one of a kind. The fruit bowl, while pricey, is the largest plate of fresh fruit you have ever seen- think half a grapefruit, orange, apples, strawberries, blueberries, pomagrante seeds, persimmons, cantaloupe, etc...
(5)Dani W.
Best breakfast ever! The Ivey's blend coffee, the banana nut bread french toast, the cheese grits. I love it all. Ivey's is always worth the wait. Always. I wonder what their normal food is like...
(5)Jorge U.
Go for breakfast. Service is iffy but the food is good.
(4)Belle C.
Fantastic breakfast; pretty extensive menu. Incredibly slow service. Go early if you don't want to wait for a table.
(4)Mark G.
Well worth the 30 minute wait for a Sunday brunch with your mates.The Ivey's blend coffee is good,but a little weak for my distinguished,discriminating palate.A good place to see goofy UF profs in their Panama Jack hats and Teva sandals.LOL!
(4)Rob M.
Went there before the Celebration of Wine at UF and had great service and great food. Loved the potato pancakes and the eggs benedict.
(4)Christina L.
their potato cakes and french toast are A-MAZING but the service was so incredibly slow i can't rate it any higher than 2 stars. it is a bit expensive for pretty basic breakfast food, as well.
(2)Lydia L.
Don't waste your time. There are too many great independent spots in town where you can enjoy a great brunch and be spared from rude, slow, and inattentive service, lukewarm coffee from questionably clean and small mugs, overpriced hard-boiled eggs benedict (enough said!) and "house rules" that demand you pay in cash, no exceptions. Indeed, we went there for a Sunday brunch but a busy day in the restaurant industry is no excuse to compromise on food quality and service, especially not at such exorbitant prices. Kudos to their support of local artists and the nice girl who seated us, but that's about it.
(1)Heather S.
Nice Place for Brunch: Great food and worth the drive to the NW part of town. Very vegetarian friendly. Superb muffins - order them while you wait for your breakfast - it takes a while because they make it fresh to order. The wildly nutritional yeast dressing is addictive.
(3)M G.
We all understand the service isn't good. It's slow, somewhat condescending and sometimes just flat out rude. Once we move past that (if we can)... the breakfast is so tasty. Those herb potatoes, the banana bread french toast, the scones and the Ivey's Blend coffee. I moved away from the Ville nearly 3 years ago, but I always come back to Ivey's during football season. Perhaps I'm way too sentimental... but waking up super early in the Fall on a Saturday or Sunday to beat the crowd and having that coffee and french toast takes me back to the "good years".
(4)Amy M.
I found out about Ivey's Grill prior to moving here to Gainesville, through online reviews and word of mouth. I recently moved here from Durham, NC and had only found a delicious brunch place (here's looking at you, Piedmont) a few months prior to my departure. I was ready and rearing for this place to fill the newly minted brunch void. It may be that I've not yet adjusted the price-gouging of Gainesville, but I felt like Ivey's was more than a wee bit overpriced. I ordered the tomato, Havarti and spinach frittata, which came with a biscuit and herb-roasted potatoes. On the plus side, the potatoes were well-seasoned, and they weren't too oily. But the fritatta itself was somewhat burnt and the biscuit was very crumbly. I say this realizing that there may be a market for crumbly biscuits and that crumbliness may be a sought-after quality for some diners. However, I am more of a soft fluffy biscuit kind of gal and therefore did not appreciate the meal as a whole. It's true about the veg selections though - there are plenty of options. However, I think that Gainesville has better vegetarian-friendly options for breakfast, such as Emiliano's. Anyway, this is my first Yelp post. Hope it helps some hungry Gators!
(2)S Z.
Wow- there was only one couple ahead of us here for Saturday brunch and we still waited 20 minutes for a table. Then literally an hour, AN HOUR to get our food- which was just a frittata and french toast- nothing difficult at all. Minimal wait staff. Mediocre food. Ended up with a $30 blil for breakfast for two people (a $15 ham and cheese frittata? seriously?). We will NOT be going back.
(2)A P.
Had a great morning meal here with family, would definitely come back again and recommend to others.
(4)Natalie W.
All y'all Gainesville Yelpers are CRAZY !!! This is hands down the best breakfast place in Gainesville !! Yes it's more expensive but seriously peeps you get what you pay for !! And maybe cuz my age is way above the Gainesville average -- we arrived there at like 930 am and had no wait at all (although I would happily wait if needed). I had the most divine potato pancake Benedict - yummy potato pancake with lots of onion and then the hollandaise ........ Perfect !!!! I got the traditional vs the spinach version and it was soooooo delicious that I could have eaten a whole bowl of it. Nice and lemony (just the way I like it) and perfect with the eggs and potatoes. Service was friendly and prompt. Coffee was not the best but it was perfectly acceptable. For anyone not worried about paying more than you would at IHOP -- get to Iveys - maybe a little earlier than normal if you want to avoid the lines :-). And for sure get something with hollandaise on it !!!
(5)Lisa O.
The food is pretty awesome. Just expect to pay about $40...for brunch. I almost always get the veggie benedict. Or the fruit and granola and yogurt. Or the veggie saute with nutritional yeast dressing. Don't waste $2 on the coffee. Weak and only served with cream packets on table. Espresso isn't very good either. The service isn't amazing. Nice, just not very organized. Once "the chef" refused to add onions to my friend's order. I thought that was lame.
(4)Kevin W.
It's kind of hard to rate Ivey's low because the food there is so good. Some of the best breakfast food I've ever had. The french toast is amazing and so are the salmon cakes. However, the service is really really bad. I'm sure they're really cool people I would love to hang out with and I'm not sure if they're just continually understaffed or just hungover, but it's bad. I can't go to Ivey's anymore because the last time I went, I became so frustrated after waiting for an hour for a table (several just needed to be bussed) and then an hour for food that I didn't enjoy my breakfast. It's sad that there really isn't anywhere else to go in town other than chains.
(2)