I’ve been in Gainesville for about three years and never truly explored Downtown Gainesville. This quaint little area is filled with tons of restaurants, some cool shops, and a lot of history. We decided to celebrate Valentine’s Day a few days after the holiday by heading downtown!

The night started off a bit… rough. I was craving barbecue, so we decided we would eat at MOJO Hogtown Bar, a well-known barbecue place in Downtown Gainesville.

The place was pretty empty and we were seated immediately but after 27 minutes of sitting at the table (yes, I counted) not one person working at the establishment came up to us to ask if we wanted anything to drink, if we were ready to order, nothing. Multiple waiters passed by us, probably about a dozen times, tending to the needs of other customers and cleaning up after those who’ve finished. We ended up getting up and leaving.

Needless to say, I was pretty irritated and won’t be going back there again.

I was hangry and we both wanted to eat, so we ended up at Original American Kitchen, somewhere neither of us had tried before.

The food was so good! As an appetizer, we had buffalo cauliflower and for dinner, I had the quinoa bowl with pulled pork and Dom had the pulled pork quesadilla. We were both so hungry that I forgot to snap a photo of our food!

After eating, Dom and I went to The Gelato Company and Eatery. This local eatery specializes in gourmet sandwiches, crepes, panini’s, and of course gelato. Surrounded by brick walls, beautiful artwork, and a cool piano, this mildly artsy decor gives off a great authentic vibe. Plus, it’s pretty inexpensive!

The woman working told us that the gelato is handmade at the shop and they frequently change the flavors. We were allowed to taste whichever ones we wanted (so yummy!). Dom and I both ended up getting the red velvet gelato… That’s how good it was. This gelato here was absolutely delicious and I definitely intend on going back to try the food. 

After stuffing our bellies, we walked around downtown for a bit. It was after 10 PM, so a lot of the shops were closed, but the ambiance around the area was great. It was a Thursday night, so it wasn’t too crazy out, but there were tons of people in Boca Fiesta, Dragonfly Sushi and Sake Company and even Original American Kitchen when we got there.

Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grille

The Opera House

The Hippodrome Theater

Hear Again Records

Thinking about traveling to Gainesville? Let me know in the comments below!