I'm not too big of a fan of the healthy bowl-based options offered in town but Bolay is the exception. The food is legitimately good, and not just for a "healthy place" either. I've enjoyed all of the vegetable and base carb options that I've tried, such as the Asian sweet potato noodle (my favorite), forbidden black rice, ginger brocolli, and the herb roasted potatoes. They also offer some tasty sauces and surprisingly good beverage options with their specialty sodas, juices, and teas. I give Bolay 4 stars only off of the fact that their meat options aren't really good for me. I've tried pretty much all of them and they range from "Okay" to "Bad". The only one I really liked was the pork tenderloin and they stopped serving that. read more

I absolutely love food here. And I'm back here again after the movie around 3 and not busy here. Sadly seats & tables are not clean be careful before you sitting down. I sat on something :( love to see if staff keep there eyes on tables & seats. See you next time with my new review read more

Healthy "fast food" and very convenient! My fave is the sweet potato noodles with veggies and tofu!

Bolay was so fun and unique! I will definitely be back. The low down - this is a healthy restaurant that makes "bowls" of all different kinds, and it's really up to you which ingredients you want. Here's how it works - 1. Start with a base. They had things like quinoa, black rice, cilantro noodles, spicy noodles, kale salad mix, and spinach. 2. Add veggies - lots of options like broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, green beans, sweet potato etc. 3. Add a protein - VEGANS AND VEGETARIANS, there were several options for you like tofu of different types :) ... I personally chose the lemon chicken because it looked GOOD. There was spicy thai shrimp and there was steak. Good stuff. 4. Lastly - TOPPINGS! There were a few different cheese options (including goat cheese which is my personal heaven), avocado, herbs, a couple of sauces, seasoned tomatoes, and... Voila! You're done! They had some fun drink options as well - homemade soda and different flavors of tea. I can't wait to go back and try some different bowl combinations! read more

Bolay - Quinoa bowl with lemon chicken, tomatoes, cauliflower, and mushrooms with a side of spicy Thai sauce - New American Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! This place is awesome and if you have not tried it yet, it's a must! I had heard about this new healthy restaurant that was opening and thought to myself I had to check it out. I have heard my friends from South Florida talk about this joint because there are quite a few locations down there, so I was super excited that they decided to come to Gainesville! For my first visit, I decided to go with the Baja Bol - it's a small bowl that includes Cilantro Noodles, Moroccan Basmati Rice, Ginger Broccoli, Lemon Chicken, Avocado and Cilantro Pesto Sauce. Can you say YUM?!? Everything had so much flavor and it blended really well together. I would definitely recommend the cilantro noodles - I was not expecting them to house so much flavor! I also think that the size was just right for me - I even ended up taking some home as leftovers because it was so filling. I want to also add that the servers ask you if you are okay with what is going in the bowl and I believe you can sub for something that you would rather have. At the end, you can add tomatoes, an Asian herb mix and Parmesan cheese at no extra cost! If you want to build your own bowl, you can do that as well, but I just make it easy on myself and choose the Chef Crafted Bols. The inside of this restaurant is really nice. There are tables to eat at and you see everything that is being placed in your bowl as you order. When you walk in the door, there are employees who greet you and ask if it's your first time. If so, they explain everything to you and hand you a menu. Everything is supposed to be gluten-free, so if you're allergic or a super healthy nut then this place should be good for you! I will say that if you do a to-go or takeout order, it seems as though the amount you receive is smaller...(I guess that goes for a lot of places). When I ordered in, they gave me a bigger plastic bowl that they filled with more food than when I did a takeout order. All in all, I definitely will be back! read more

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Probably my favorite fast casual restaurant in town. It's a bit out of the way from my usual route but I am willing to go there because I love the flavors in the food here. I ordered a small bowl with cilantro noodles, roasted Brussel sprouts, ginger broccoli, pork tenderloin, spicy Thai sauce and carrot ginger sauce and I devoured it. read more

Bolay - New American Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Not my cap of tea at all! But different person different taste. Rice different, meat different, broccoli that taste was so strong that i couldnt finish it. Everything taste so sweet or so. It was so different all of that and my mouth is still lost :) ... its healthy but they played too much. They have this as American kitchen and i dont know about that. Its more like Indian with edge. We pay over 20$ for two and still hungry :) good try but it was last. read more

Bolay - Lemon chicken, broccoli, basmati rice - New American Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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I loved this place! employees were friendly and efficient and the food was just AWESOME. I hope they expand to Glenview IL. and Naples FL.

I was looking for a place that was similar to Sweetgreen. From looking at reviews and their menu, it looked promising! We went there for take-out after our usual TJ/Whole Foods run and we each got a large bowl. I got it with the kale salad, sweet potato noodles, broccoli, brussel sprouts, teriyaki chicken and lemon chicken. Everything tasted excellent! Each item was pretty well-seasoned so I didn't feel the need to add any sauces. read more

New restaurant open one month. Choose your size bol small or large, pick base of Rice's, noodles or kale. I liked basmati rice, bbq chicken, tomato's, mushrooms & fresh green beans. Had cilantro noodles that were ok. Other diner had sweet potatoe noodles, he enjoyed. Fresh food that you choose in line. Ordered shrimp that wasn't too spicy for $2 more. Choose sauces: spicy Thai, carrot ginger or cilantro pesto. Wish they had more sauce choices. Generous large bowl, will take home leftovers. Will return. Small bol is $7.99, large $10.99. read more

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Wow. So I USED to be a devout Grill Fresh patron... BUT this is my new favorite place (sorry GF). ‍ The food quality is amazing and so is the presentation! I ordered the Baja bowl, and Chris ordered the Thai bowl. I got a little nervous when he drizzled the cilantro pesto sauce all over my bowl because I was afraid I wouldn't like it on all the things, but it was actually really great! The chicken was tender and everything tasted unique but also meshed well with each other. Most significantly, everyone who worked there was very nice and checked up on us regularly. I liked how they had their own teas, juices, and cookies. All in all, I most definitely will frequent this place as the food is amazing, the prices are sufficient, and the people are friendly. read more

Bolay - Baja Bowl (front) and Thai Bowl (back) with Raspberry tea - New American Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Bolay is my new go-to restaurant when I haven't had time to prep any meals. It's all gluten free! And they are super forthcoming with other allergen information. The "bols" are a really good size - $8 for a base, two veggies, and a meat...on a normal day, I end up splitting it into two meals (or sometimes just one on hungrier days). The food seems really fresh - they have everything on a pan, still heated, and are constantly checking the temp (instead of everything in little metal bins that they scoop from). Their customer service is also great - each time I've been, the staff checks in multiple times to see if there's anything else you need. Would love it if they introduced even more veggies or seasonal items, but can't ask for much more! read more

Bolay - New American Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

excellent service, quality food at a decent price. we all want fast food, we all need to eat better. now you can with Bolay, fast and fresh. real quality ingredients made well. Delicious too!. I love the black rice and power beans. I do miss the mojo pork but the new citrus chicken is so good! read more

I love Bolay!! This place is so great with a ton of options. It's like a more upscale Grill Fresh which is a good switch up from my usual. I got sweet potato noodles, sweet potatoes, pork tenderloin, & tomatoes. Portion size was great--enough for 2 meals, 10/10 recommend! read more

Bolay - New American Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I had no expectations about Bolay. After my third meal, I realized that 1. Shrimp should not be spiral. 2. Chipotle's bowl is bigger and cheaper. 3. I expected high priced food to taste reasonable good. 4. I expected healthy-clean food at a fast food, wait in line restaurants to have lower prices than a real restaurant with waiter service. 5. The large takeout bowl that starts at 10.99 (drink not included) to be bigger than a standard dinner at Friday' that is the same price. 6. That staff to not talk about patrons to another staff while the patron is standing in front of them (third visit) 7. The staff not to roll their eyes while waiting on customers (first visit) 8. With the amount of chefs, the protein to taste decent. Bolay is your normal basic restaurant with basic food that should have at least 3-stars. But, based on items listed, I gave it 2-stars. read more

I went to Bolay for the soft opening friends and family dinner. When we arrived, the restaurant was packed and the staff was so friendly and inviting. They offered their recommendations, gave us menus and answered all of our questions. The restaurant is set up like Chipotle, but with much healthier options and all of their food was amazing! As we were picking what we wanted in our bowls, the staff allowed us to sample different meats and vegetables. I ordered a small bol with forbidden black rice, ginger broccoli, balsamic mushrooms, steak and minted tomatoes. It was all so good. I also got the cilantro pesto sauce, which was one of my favorite parts. I'm already thinking about going back. It was that good. read more

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I can't rave about this place enough! please come to Jacksonville lol I eat here every time i'm in gainesville! the large bol is enough for two ppl really. and it's so fresh and properly placed. The black rice is amazing with lemon chicken. i can't get enough! i'd eat here everyday if i could! read more

This is a quick healthy alternative to fast food. For those of you from Tampa it is identical to Fresh Kitchen. The set up is similar to chipotle, however with American cuisine. You choose your bowl size then base, i.e kale salad, pesto noodles, then choose protein followed by sides of mostly roasted veggies. Top Off with a sauce(Sriracha, Ginger etc) It is all very flavorful and even their small bowl is a hardy size. They also have wine and beer. It is definitely worth a try. read more

Bolay blew me away for my first visit! The staff was helpful and friendly, allowing me to try samples of the many options behind the counter. I love the customizable bowls you can fill with delicious and healthy ingredients. Everything I tried was cooked and seasoned to perfection. You can choose from their lineup of "Chef Crafted" bowls or you can build your own. The small bowl starts at $8 and $11 for the large. With the large you get an extra base and an extra protein. I order the small and my fiancé got the large. They allowed me to split the bases with my small. I chose the sweet potato noodles and kale, which were both fantastic! It didn't seem like there was that much more food in the large. Although we both had more than enough to fill us up! So I would say, get the small unless you can't live without the second protein. Like I said, everything we tried was delicious but my top recommendations are the miso glazed tofu, lemon chicken, ginger broccoli and the sweet potato noodles. If you suffer from food choice indecisiveness like I do, the staff will help you along with recommendations and samples so you can craft your perfect bowl! Check this place out! read more

Bolay - Large Bowl - New American Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Yummy bowls. It's been a little inconsistent on available items but food is very tasty.

I love Bolay. Everything always tastes fresh. You walk down the line and build a bowl (similar concept to Chipotle, Subway, Moes..). Being vegan I always get the miso glazed tofu (soooo good) for my protein and then mix it up with the bases and veggies. Everything I've had has been so good, and I always top it off with the sauces they have. Allergens are clearly marked for every ingredient on the line too! Oh and everything is gluten free- not something I usually think about but it's good to note that!! I would definitely recommend Bolay for a quick, casual, healthy meal. I think the pricing is pretty fair for the portions and quality too. They also have a bunch of interesting drinks I haven't tried! read more

Bolay - Tasty, fresh bowl with miso glazed tofu - New American Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Went to Bolay for the soft opening dinner today, and they were offering complimentary bols with a FB check-in. The small bowl includes the option of choosing 1 base, 2 veggies, 1 protein, 1 add-on, and 1 sauce. We were also given a complimentary regular drink. I chose the basmati rice with Brussels sprouts, green beans, lemon chicken, minted tomatoes, and cilantro pesto. The chicken was very good in taste and quality. It wasn't too salty and it was very tender. The rest of the other options were also very fresh and I enjoyed the cilantro pesto a lot. I would recommend for fresh food. It is their first week so I don't know if they'll be consistent, but based on today's experience (including service experience) I would give a 5/5 ! read more

Bolay - New American Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

This place is SPOTLESS, everyone working seems so happy and genuinely seems to enjoy being here. The food was phenomenal but honestly this is the cleanest establishment I've been in, maybe ever read more

I am so impressed. Working in food service myself, I was in awe of the cleanliness, efficiency of the workers, and overall upbeat vibe of this location. 12/10 would recommend! read more

I love love love bola y. The service is top tier and the food is absolutely delicious. If you're looking for something nutritious and quick , this is your spot. read more

For the record, I love the taste of the food at Bolay, love the vibe, think the service is super friendly, and I do think that many of the food choices are in the healthier side. But, I do want to point out that for a company that calls itself "bold and healthier" there really should be some available nutrition information. I do ask every time I visit, and the answer continues to be "no, that's not available". Maybe not deceptive, but not very transparent either. FDA does require nutrition information for stores that have 20 or more outlets, and based on the number of operations Bolay has in Florida, it looks like there could eventually be more information. That would be great and frankly, more in line with their stated philosophy. read more

Vale has some strong competition! This place is "healthy" fresh food that comes expectedly in a bowl. You build your bowl based off the selections a Small was more than enough for 1 person and the Large could most likely be shared by 2. The sweet potato noodles and the bbq chicken are my personal stand outs. I've been twice and the broccoli while delicious was quite stiff the second time around. All that said this place is delicious and a nice change of pace if you're looking for something that isn't the typical greasy or fried food. read more

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I've always like the idea of this kind of restaurants (Bolay, Vale, etc.), where I can get a quick bite but full of nutrition and healthy ingredients. I usually order to go but this time I actually dined in and the experience was yelp worthy. I really like that they would give you reusable bowl and utensils if you dine in. I went with a friend at around noon and it wasn't too busy. The customer service for a restaurant like this was pretty good. They were friendly and gave us samples when we got indecisive. They checked on us later when we were eating too so it was a very welcoming feeling. The dining area was spacious and bright. My go-to is the small bowl with cilantro noodles base. Then literally just pick whatever you feel the calling. They are usually good with sampling so just try it before you order. The small bowl is just about $8 and comes with one base two veggIes and one protein. It usually lasts me two meals. Overall, it's a budget friendly place to get a healthy and fast meal. Especially recommend if you are hangry and don't want to cook after work. read more

Bolay - Small bowel with cilantro noodles, mushroom, Brussel sprouts, and teriyaki chicken. Topped with cilantro and garlic sauce. - New American Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

The staff was very friendly. The place was very clean The food was very fresh. The price is very reasonable.

OMG Bolay is healthy yummy goodness point black period. Dare I say it's my favorite place in Gainesville- since I order delivery or pickup at least one lunch a week and a dinner every now and again. I seriously can't say one bad thing about Bolay- ALL the meats & bases, and Thai Sauce (which I'm obsessed with so I have not been able to give any of the other sauces a chance) are so freaking good! My top meats are lemon chicken, steak and shrimp but you can't go wrong with any of the rest of their meats either. I also do half and half greens and noodles for my base because they are perfect and I just can't pick lol. It must be a requirement to hire the nicest people, as I always have such friendly interactions with the staff; in-fact that's how I tried their tofu (the girl was raving about it, so I made a comment saying- I don't eat tofu but it actually looked good; so she offered me a sample which led me to order it on my next order). I can't say enough about my experience and the amount of joy this place brings to me and my belly! Also, my husband who is not a healthy/ salad person by any means loves it too! read more

Delicious, healthy food, served in generous but reasonable portions by a welcoming team.

Really enjoyed this place. Great options and friendly staff. Liked the fountain drink choices also.

I was 15 mins late, but food still came out hot and quickly. The only complaint would be the under filling of my diet Pepsi :/

Wow what an amazing little Gem. Today I visited this restaurant and we ate super delicious. the staff is super attentive and friendly. Toni is. Sweetheart, she's very sweet and was very friendly with my son. Kayla was absolutely amazing she was asking how was the food and service. She recommended the best bowl and show us how the restaurant worked. Honestly I will be back tomorrow for more. read more

Bolay - New American Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

We stumbled upon this place by searching for lunch places on yelp. I didn't read the reviews, only looked at the menu and instantly wanted to try the Vegan Miso Tofu Bowl. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint! The flavors were delicious and the fresh cilantro on top was *chef's kiss* The girls working the counter were so sweet and gave their recommendations on sauces and ended up sending us away with nearly all of the sauces. The cilantro pesto is not vegan, but it is delicious. The seasonal ginger vinaigrette was so bright and tasty; but the overwhelming favorite was the Creamy Garlic and Herb (which is vegan)! It was delicious! All of the food was so fresh and tasty we were very pleased! read more

Create your own healthy bowl. Good choices. Great taste. I enjoy the variety of bases, veggies and sauces. Highly recommend.

Bolay is Grill Fresh on steroids! I really like the concept of designing healthy food built on the - Base, Protein, and Veggie components. The Good: The food is very good and it tastes like high quality ingredients. I ordered the kale and sweet potato noodles for a base, green beans and Brussels sprouts for the veggies, with steak and shrimp as my protein. Everything was cooked exceptionally well! I liked that they didn't use plastic utensils or containers in the restaurant. Everything looked reusable and sustainable. The Bad: The only bad thing I found was they didn't provide nutritional information for their meals. Being heart and health conscious I like to know what I am putting in my body. When I asked about it they said the menu is constantly changing and the information wasn't available yet. I still ate here and it was delicious, but I would like to know what is in the food. Someone told me they add sugar to the kale. I'm not sure about that but it was more delicious than kale is normally. The Ugly: Not really anything ugly here. Food and service were good. All in all I will be back. I do expect (hope) they will publish the nutritional information for the food. Unless you're hiding something it's not difficult. Tasty food see you again soon! read more

Fan-freaking-tastic! I'm not sure I have a detailed review. Someone told me this was a like a healthier Chipotle. Kinda in that you stand in line and walk the line while your food is prepped in front of you, but holy cow the flavors and available combinations are simply divine in this quick serve space. read more

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Traveling through Gainesville stopped for lunch. Everything is gluten free. Made the wife very happy. I had a Thai shrimp and noodles, so did she. Shrimp was cooked perfectly, ingredients were very fresh and the food was well seasoned. I loved it. read more

Every time we go there the food is on point; full of flavor and hearty servings. The cookies are delish as well! Love the variety of healthy drinks that are super tasty and the service is always prompt and friendly. We love going here. read more