Two of us went to cedar River for a late lunch. We were seated quickly, there were not many people at that time. The waitress came and took our drink order, but it took awhile to come back. I ordered grilled shrimp, collards and coleslaw. The shrimp were warm, the collards were hot. There were 2 hush puppies as well. My sister ordered fish with mashed sweet potatoes and cheese grits. She ate the sides but not much of the fish . The service was not as good as you would expect when the restaurant was so slow. My sister comes here a lot and said it was not as good as usual. I would say a 3.5 and hesitation to return for me. read more

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I was seated and nobody waited on me for 10 minutes. They even had sat two other tables next to me within this time. They took their drink orders and these two tables arrived after I came in. The server finally came over and I placed my drink and food order, as I was ready because I've been sitting there so long. I actually knew right away what I wanted which was fried shrimp. It took another 10 minutes to get my water. She put three lemons in my water, and I never order lemons at restaurants because they are known not to be very clean. Meanwhile, they gave the other tables their drinks first. After the server brought my food, she never came back to check on me. I wanted some butter for my grits, but she didn't check on anything. She made sure she checked on the other tables next to me. Later, she brought the check, and I noticed it had a service fee on it (3.9%). Really?! Stop playin'. I inquired what that was and she said if you pay with a card they charge that fee. They assumed I was going to pay with a card and it had no cash option listed. I deducted the fee and provided cash for the meal and ended up still tipping 29% when she was in a terrible server. When she came back to get the check with my cash, she asked if I needed change back. I wish servers would stop asking this and just bring the change back and obviously if the customer is gone, the money is meant for them, or if they want to leave some cash, they will. The intention was to give all of the change to her, but it is in poor taste to ask people this. At this point I just wanted to get out of there because I did not feel very welcomed. I came in this restaurant once before, and nobody would seat me, and I walked out, but a coworker ordered food from here yesterday, and I figured I would give them another chance. Then the server took my receipt and crumbled it up and put it in her pocket. So now I have no record that I had even eaten there except for the plate of food that I ordered (see photo). I should've taken a picture of it. This seems a little shady to me. Additionally, I don't appreciate having a service fee without being advised of it before my check is brought to me, or actually before I even order. I won't go back here. I ordered fried shrimp, cheese, grits, and lima beans. The meal was $9.50 pre-tax. The service is terrible. There were other servers walking by my table when I was sitting there ignored when I was first seated. Who wants to sit in a restaurant with nothing to drink for 20 minutes? I really was thinking of getting up and walking out since nobody could even come and greet me and take a drink order. The food is subpar as well. I'll pass on this place, for the lack of customer service. read more

Cedar River Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Doing an updated review. This is our go to for seafood. Setvice is always consistent, our favorite server is Ashley. They always take great care of us. Food is always fresh and hot i have my favorite dishes -Salmon and blackened catfish. .the seaside vibe they have with photos and decor is always cool. Its never too loud either. read more

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My family and I decided to stop here as we were traveling back from a trip on a Sunday night.. What a great decision it was! The staff were kind. The restaurant was nice and clean. We started off with the seafood dip. It was amazing! The cream base with the chunks of seafood served with the side of crackers was a perfect starter. We even asked for more! We had the catfish dinner, catfish and fried shrimp, dinner, and fish with black and shrimp dinner. The hush puppies that are served with each meal are cooked to perfection and have the perfect crisp on the outside. The fish is also fresh and cooked very well. They give you a very full plate, so we all left with leftovers to have for lunch the next day. This was the best Cedar River location. I've been to thus far, and I hope to be able to go there again. read more

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I was so undecided for what I wanted and I decide to pick Cedar river I picked up the platter with the fish oysters, stuffed crab, baked potato coleslaw so it was enough for myself and my wife to sit and enjoy. The staff was very helpful and really took care of us while we was there. It's a laid-back atmosphere where you two will enjoy so stop by you will not be disappointed. read more

Cedar River is a local favorite and has been around for over 40 years! I did grow up eating here as a kid and since moving back this was my first time having it in a long time. Cedar River is known for its seafood dishes, in addition to some classic Southern staples like collard greens, cornbread, grits, and Catfish. I did an order for pick up over the phone which was pretty easy and simple. I ordered the Trio which comes with 2 sides and hush puppies. My picks were the fried gator tail, broiled Grouper, and deviled crab. For my sides, I went with the stewed okra and tomatoes and green beans. The portion sizes were pretty good for the price of the dinner as well. I'll start with the good - the fried gator tail bites were fried perfectly and the gator wasn't chewy or rubbery at all. The grouper was seasoned very well and did not have a fishy taste at all. I would've easily paired it with some cheesy grits and been satisfied. Their hush puppies are a favorite amongst locals and were so good. These fritters were very fresh and fluffy on the inside. The star of my plate was the stewed okra and tomatoes with yellow rice. The yellow rice was surprisingly cooked perfectly - no hard pieces at all. The stewed okra and tomatoes was seasoned so good and reminded me of my granny's cooking. Very Southern and comforting. Ok so for the bad - the green beans were bland....very bland and a bit oily. I had to pour out some of the juice and add some of the salt and pepper to even make it taste like anything. The very bad on the plate was the deviled crab. Throw it the whole recipe away. It was so mushy and not an ounce of crab in it at all. I even popped it in the airfryer to see if the filling would cook but nope. It was a disgusting inedible mess. If I want a deviled crab or have a craving for it - I'll take a trip to Tampa. Overall, there were some good and bad parts of my meal but the good did outshine the bad menu items during my experience. read more

Cedar River Seafood - broiled grouper - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Pretty good I will come back! No brown sugar for your sweet potato price was good!! Give it a try.. read more

Jennifer our server was awesome. Prices were fair. Quantities huge. Good was fresh. Restaurant was clean. Couldn't ask for more! read more

Cedar River Seafood - Seafood trio. Object in image is larger than it appears! - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Food arrived in a timely fashion. Food was just ok. Fried shrimp was pretty good but do not recommend the deviled crab as not even sure there was any crab present in the 'stuffing'. Did like the hush puppies! read more

Absolutely delicious grouper. The wait staff was great. The best hush puppies. We actually eat there 2 times in four days stay.

This place was amazing ! We tried their frog legs & they were delicious. The pricing wasn't too bad. The people were very kind. !

Just mediocre- slow service, slow to take orders! Expected better based on other reviews! Would have expected this on a Friday or Saturday, but not at 6 pm on a Wednesday. Will not return and do not recommend! read more

First time to Cedar River Seafood for lunch on a Saturday. Small place in a strip mall. Dining area was tables and booths. Atmosphere was a bit noisy but well lit. I had the catfish fingers and fries, which disappointedly only had 2 pieces of Catfish and a mound of steak fries. The catfish was good and crispy, but very little of it compared to the mound of fries. My friend had the flounder meal, which had 3 fillets of seasoned flounder plus 2 sides-cheesy grits and greens. The flounder was good and seasoned well, but was a little watery. Decent place, but I don't know that I'll go back. Service was fine, nothing exceptional. read more

ROACHES IN THE HUSHPUPPIES my child got hush puppies with his meal and when he got the food a ROACH came out of his food and scattered across the table and dropped onto floor and ran into a crack in the wall read more

I've heard a lot about this Gainesville favorite and finally made my way towards the NW side of town. From the recommendations I've received, this is the best seafood place in town. I must say, I can see why this is a local favorite. Once I walked it, I was greeted and shown to an available booth. Myself and another church friend chose to dine for lunch. Once we arrived it wasn't crowded, but then family groups came in. Our waiter was Ashley and she served us pretty well. I chose the Flounder lunch deal and she chose a shrimp platter and salad. Both entrees were cooked to perfection! We ordered corn nuggets for the appetizer and they were battered perfectly. I'd give this local delight a 10/10, I will visit again. read more

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I recently moved to a new location in Gainesville and and unfamiliar with the area or the restaurants near my new home. I had seen Cedar River when I was running some errands and decided to try it. I truly was amazed on how disgusting the food was. My friend and I ordered a variety of things including Coconut Shrimp, Shrimp cocktail, Chicken tenders and Shrimp scampi. The apps arrived and the Coconut shrimp were decent...not horrendous but I wasn't a big fan of the dipping sauce which consisted of a sour cream pineapple concoction. I was more familiar with the sauce offering from Bahama breeze was more of a sweeter tropical addition. My friends shrimp cocktail looked like someone had dropped them on the floor, gray and not at all appetizing...food sickening worthy. We returned it. Next the entrees, I order the shrimp scampi which were tasteless and I had always been told that when shrimp adheres to the shell, they are either old or they have been overcooked. My sides were the fries, which were good and cole slaw that was deplorable. Dryer then the desert. My friends chicken came out looking very promising. But alas, one bite confirmed that they were extremely highly breaded, overcooked to an inability to even chew them and someone in the kitchen dropped the salt shaker in the chicken batter. UGH...what more can I say. His sides were also fries and collard greens which were meh. But on the positive side...our waitress, sorry, I didn't catch her name...was charming, and the ultimate in service...Please leave that place to work somewhere where they appreciate you. If you want to maintain your health...don't go here. All I can say is...YUCK! The worst restaurant I have experienced in Gainesville in 9 years of living here. read more

We frequent Cedar River on 43rd Street across from Hunters Crossing shopping center. We enjoy the food, great efficient staff and reasonable pricing. Last night was no different except that our waiter, Jacob, really stood out. The table was promptly cleared after the last patron left and we were seated immediately. Jacob was attentive, smiled, and we felt that he was happy to be waiting on us. We felt appreciated. We almost always order the large shrimp dinner, with two sides. The hush puppies are delicious as is the entire meal. It's nice having a terrific seafood restaurant nearby. read more

I have eaten here for 8 years and always been excellent. But something has definitely happened in the past 6 months. The food was horrible. Literally had to send my shrimp cocktail back. They charged me 7.25 for a single piece of catfish. Charging me for a flounder because they did not know how much to charge for it. Manager came over that was sitting with her family next to me. Extremely unprofessional. I will not be returning. read more

Most excellent fried seafood I've ever had... when in Gainesville Florida, it's THE place to go! Everything was cooked perfectly and was delicious. I will be back read more

Cedar River Seafood - Fried fish, clams, shrimp and scallops, with greens and fries. - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I want this place to be good. I really do, but both times I've been I have been pretty disappointed. The last time I went, nearly half the tables weren't bussed and there was food and trash on the floor. That should have been a sign, but I powered forward anyway. The main problem for me was the lack of seasoning in the fried food. It was all sort of bland. They also gave me the wrong fish. I asked for flounder and got catfish. I did like the grits though. Now what I will say is that you get a good-sized portion of food. Also, I've found the staff to be so friendly, which to me helps the overall experience. read more

Cedar River Seafood - Catfish dinner with okra and cheese grits - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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I really like this place and been many times. The food is delicious and they serve a lot. If you like seafood, you must visit this place. read more

Cedar River Seafood - Cedar River - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Ordered a Trio and a Double platter for pickup. The food was full of grease, no seasoning and the fries were under cooked. I will never go back to this place and I am a resident of the area. Very unhappy read more

I just wanna say I love the Ms Mary! SHE WAS SO FAST AND SO QUICK and the service was so excellent there was a little problem with the food but she took care of it so fast that I didn't even get the chance to get upset I highly Recommend Ms Mary when your dining in! I only Come in just for that smile!!! read more

Wow! Visiting Gainesville from KY and friends brought us here for dinner! Food was excellent and Amanda was so kind and accommodating. I especially loved that seafood dip on crackers. The only thing less than perfect was the grits ( overcooked) but I am glad that I didn't eat them or I couldn't have finished that delectable seafood! read more

Excellent food and service at a reasonable price! Thank you Megan for a great meal, you're a top notch server! read more

Good service and a delightful meal. Nothing fancy but clean and comfortable I will dine here again read more

Was really delicious! I'm not a big reviewer but I had to come on here and give recognition. We were passing through town and wanted seafood. Everything tasted gourmet even down to the sauces and the hush puppies. Will definitely make it back here next time I'm in area if I have time. read more

Cedar River Seafood - Some Fried gator tail - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Good food, fast and friendly service - what's not to like? For me it was the woman singing hymns at her table who then took it upon herself while exiting to stop by nearly every booth and table to bless or sing to the occupants. I get that you love god, but this atheist just wants to enjoy her lighter than air hush puppies, fried clams, cheesy grits, collard greens and sweet tea and not be preached to in a restaurant. Hopefully it won't happen again, because I'm planning on coming back for fried oysters and corn nuggets. read more

Fantastic place love everything I have had the stewed tomatoes and okra and I am not a fan but theirs is great Lima beans are creamy the dust is fantastic the stuff crabs are tasty. The fritters are extremely good and crunchy only thing I would change is having an all you can eat day but they would go out of business just with me catfish is a southern good taste try it read more

Service was good. But this was the worst seafood I've had in years. The little kids liked their hamburgers. The clam chowder and scallops were not edible. Avoid, avoid, avoid. read more

My wife and i have eaten here dozens of times. Always excellent service and always excellent food. Probably our favorite restaurant in gainesville, never had a sub-par meal. Today we went, sunday and peak lunchtime, there was waiting but not long. Staff handled the crowd very efficiently, and we got our meal quickly, same wait as when we go off peak hours. read more

A hard review for sure, the bottom line is they give you half the food they used to. I know inflation,inflation but half! I was really wanting some good shrimp, and ordered half shrimp and half flounder, the shrimp were TINY, maybe a handful, the flounder was two tiny pieces and barely there. Makes me rethink going back there after being a customer for decades. I imagine with these hard times that is the best they can do but so disappointing. read more

It varies from time to time. My catfish fingers this time were a little bit soggy. I didn't enjoy them as much as I did before. I think it depends on what cook is on that day. read more

I came here for lunch and had low expectations. Years ago Cedar River struggled to put on a good lunch service. I was very satisfied with my meal and service on this visit. I had flounder and shrimp with the sides of cheese grits and greens. My order came out nicely prepared in 15 minutes. If I had a complaint then I'd say there was a smidge too much seasoning on my seafood. My waitress was quick, kind and observant. I didn't use the men's room so I don't have a report. Parking can be a bit of a pain here. It's located in a strip mall that maximizes storefront and wimps our on appropriate parking read more

Cedar River Seafood - Broiled flounder, shrimp, cheese grits, and greens. - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

This is the best fried seafood place in Gainsville I've had! My friend and I came in on a Friday night and ordered the Cedar River Platter for Two. It included large helpings of fish, stuffed crab, scallops, shrimp, hush puppies, and a choice of four sides. I personally love the fried okra side dish. Although I through the cheesy grits side dish was bland and the sweet potato casserole side dish was too sweet. The food came out pretty fast, which we were not expecting as it was pretty busy. The Platter for Two is more like a platter for 3 hungry people! It came with a large helping of seafood, and we ended up one-third of the meal home because we were so full. The quality of the seafood was great. It was perfectly fried and tasty. The only thing I would improve would be the sauce. The sauces are your typical cocktail sauce, tartar sauce, and hot sauce. There was nothing special about the sauce, but the seafood was good, so I didn't use sauce with every bite. The prices are very reasonable. At $40 for the huge seafood platter, I couldn't complain! Service was good. The waiter was attentive and personable. This place seems to be more of a local family spot, instead of a college-town restaurant. Overall, this place is a great spot to get your seafood fix! This is my second time ordering the Platter for Two, and I will definitely be coming back to try more things on the menu. read more

Cedar River Seafood - Platter Cedar River Feast for Two - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

We did have a bit of a wait, we hit the church crowd. However my understanding is there is usually a wait. And now I understand why. It's worth the wait. Everything I had was fried, to perfection. I'm not a huge fan of fried seafood, but this place does it right! I had a platter that included grouper, shrimp and clam strips with hush puppies and fries. Before the meal came out they sent us fish dip with crackers, some of the best fish dip I've had. I was a bit reluctant to order the clam strips, because when fried they are usually overcooked and very chewy. Theirs was perfection. Tinder and breaded to perfection which brings me to my next point: their breading tastes and looks perfect. Their hush puppies alone are worth the wait. Overall I was very pleased and I will definitely be back. I also need to mention I had leftovers that I took home so the portion size is very generous. read more

The place was dated and there was trash on the floor. Food quality was not good. The menu was dirty. First and last time.

A somewhat hidden and out of the way restaurant that's definitely worth stopping by! Come here for your seafood fix :) Atmosphere: Definitely has that "swampy" and southern feel. They have fake fish hanging on their wooden walls, with plenty of booths and tables. Service: 4/5 The service was pretty on point. We got asked what drinks we wanted as soon as we sat down and she checked on us to get us whatever we needed periodically. Price: 4/5 If you're able to come for lunch, definitely do! They have great specials (like flounder + shrimp + side all for $9.99!). For dinner, we shared the mate's platter for $19.99. It was filling and definitely plenty enough for two people. Food: 4/5 When they bring the waters out, they give you a bowl of crackers and this dip made of cream cheese, paprika, pollock, and shrimp. It was a great spread for the crackers and definitely gets you hungry for your meal. The mate's platter came with fish, scallop, clam strips, hush puppies, shrimp, deviled crab, and 2 sides (we got fries and fried okra). Everything is fried btw, and the batter is delicious. It was a heaping plate of food just layered on top of one another. The scallop pieces were huge and so tender and juicy. The shrimp was also big. The clam strips almost look like calamari with the way it's cooked. It's so crunchy and full of flavor. I definitely recommend sharing. The table next to us got lobster tail and clam chowder which looked great. I definitely need to be back! read more

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I honestly have no idea how the reviews for this place are so good. If you're looking for seafood with the same quality as McDonalds, then this is your place. Prices are good, food is mediocre at best. The food tasted like it was taken out of the freezer and popped into the microwave for a couple minutes (maybe not even because my pasta came to me cold). Everything was extremely bland and unpleasant. I had the shrimp pasta and it was awful. It was cheap, generic Alfredo sauce and small frozen shrimp. I'm no chef but I've made shrimp Alfredo much tastier than that. My boyfriend got the Big Matte's platter expecting it to be too much food to eat but in fact it was rather small. Everything on his plate was just mediocre. That guy eats EVERYTHING and he didn't even want to finish his plate. We ended up leaving hungry and unsatisfied. The atmosphere is also not what we were expecting. It's just one big room, kind of with a diner feel. I will not be returning. Still hoping to find an awesome seafood place in the area! For now, I'll just go get sushi at volcanic sushi and sake across the street. Much better food and service (just not an actual seafood place). read more

Amazing service they were very very accommodating to food preferences. The food was amazing, if something wasn't how you liked it there was no issue at all they got it done right. read more