At first I was worried for the future of an Asian restaurant that doesn't serve Chicken Chow Mein or General Tso's Chicken, but it seems like this Korean restaurant is going to do just fine. I've heard that the owner of Garlic & Ginger is also the owner of the Korean supermarket, which would explain the steady stream of Korean customers I see every time I eat here. Also, the Korean church down the street will probably add to the growing customer base. The food is authentic, good (big portions and an array of free appetizers). I've been three times. The first time my boyfriend and I visited before it's official opening. Each time the service has been great, but we've also noticed some changes (only for the better!), like an improved menu and the opening of the back deck, which I have yet to check out. Finally, a decent restaurant nearby! read more

Not sure really what to rate this.. the food was pretty good and the portions are huge even for a normal size vs the super size. Although my complaint with this place is me and my fiancé went here Thursday night, our total being 27$ and some change, we paid in cash with two 20$ bills making that 40$ but to my surprise when he handed us the cash back it was just 2$ and some change. I'm not sure if he thought we gave him a 20$ and a 10$ or if he felt the need to keep the 10$ as a tip for himself and then as we were walking out he checked the table for an additional tip which we did not leave because we felt scammed read more

My dad was in town visiting, so I took the opportunity to try out this new restaurant. It's a little far from the university area, where I live. I had only discovered it by complete accident when I happened to be in that part of town to go to the Bank of America (though I don't usually even go to that BoA location, but that's another story all together). Anyway, it's a little far. But I figured, what the heck? The food could be worth it. We ordered the kimchi & potato jeon appetizer and two jjajangmyeons (he got the large portion). I thoroughly enjoyed everything. I've been on the search to find really good, authentic jjajangmyeon ever since I came back from visiting Korea a few years ago. This place didn't have the jjajangmyeon Holy Grail or anything, but it was pretty good compared to a lot of Korean restaurants I've been to in America (granted, I haven't been to any in areas with large Korean populations, like NYC or L.A., but I've been to ones in New Orleans and Tampa). The potato jeon was really sweet for some reason. I liked it but my dad wasn't a huge fan. The kimchi jeon was okay but not amazing. The service was super attentive, though, so A+ for that. They did give me a menu in Korean just because I was with my dad, haha. I read Korean probably at the rate of a five-year-old, so I had to have my dad kind of do an overview of the menu for me. That's not really a big deal, though. Overall, I'd say that this is a place that I'd make the trip out to the almost-boonies for. At least every once in a while. read more

Was visiting Gainesville for a wedding, and ordered some food using Uber Eats. Very authentic Korean dishes! Enjoyed the kimchi jji-gae and korean pancakes, my mom and brother enjoyed their dishes. Definitely will eat here next time I'm in Gainesville. read more

Garlic & Ginger is my favorite place to eat in Gainesville at the moment, and it's going to take a lot for another restaurant to knock G&G off its pedestal for me. The food ranges from really good to great, the staff is very professional and friendly, and the restaurant is always clean. On top of that, I feel nourished and well after eating here. Like Chris K., my mood is great after visiting G&G. Before eating here, I'd had very limited exposure to Korean cuisine, but I'm a definite fan now. I am not Korean and I don't read or speak Korean, so it was a little intimidating to navigate the menu at first. All the dishes are named in Korean, but these all come with descriptions in English. I've learned to trust that anything I get from the menu will be good, so I don't worry so much about understanding exactly what I'm going to get anymore. The wait staff are more than happy to help you decide on a menu item if you're having trouble, so don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it. One of my favorite aspects of the G&G experience is the appetizer suite you get automatically before ordering any menu item. They're called "banchan," which means "side dish." These are small dishes of pickled radish (YUM), kimchi, fish cake (double YUM), pickled bean sprouts, and assorted other pickled/spicy/delicious veggies. I recommend trying them all even if they're new to you. Again, as a person who isn't Korean, I was at first confused and then delighted with banchan. You aren't charged for this; it is included as part of your meal. G&G's banchan make the whole experience seem a bit more elevated and special. I don't usually order appetizers when I go out, so it's really fun for me to get to have a bit of this-and-that with friends before a meal. (As long as I get my fish cake, that is.) My favorite menu item is the dolsot bibimbap. It's a rice dish served with a couple different mushrooms, lots of different veggies, your choice of protein, and an egg on top. It's served in a sizzling stone pot, and you pour bibimbap sauce (garlicy and spicy) over everything and stir it in. The stone pot kind of cooks the sauce into the rice, and heaven is born. I love getting it with kalbi as my protein, which is beef marinated in yet more sweet & garlicky goodness. It will run you about $14, but if your budget is a little tight (like mine sometimes is), get the regular bibimbap ($9). It's a very similar portion of everything, but it comes in a regular bowl. It's still delicious, you just don't get the whole hot stone pot experience. The interior of the restaurant is clean and not-quite-upscale. They have granite tabletops, but the chairs, floor, and walls are not anything unusually nice or decoratively stunning. I'm not complaining, though. Everything is always clean and organized. I do think it would be nice to have some decorations or a nicer interior to match the pricing of the food. The food is completely worth it because it's well prepared, unusual (for me), and uses good ingredients, but when my average bill including tip runs around $15-$17, I would kind of like the restaurant to dress up a little. The restaurant is nice enough, though, and this is kind of a personal preference thing, so take this with a grain of salt. Something I super love about G&G is the lunch menu. They have lunch-only combination meals that come with a protein, noodles, two kinds of fried things that are awesome, a small salad, a corn salsa/salad, a bit of rice, and a dumpling. These are about $9 and super delicious, and the variety on the plate is really fun. I wish they had a dinner version of these because they're so good! To recap, I'm totally in love with Garlic & Ginger. If I could, I'd eat there every day. Schedule restrictions (based on kind of out-of-the-way location) and budget restrictions (I can't afford to eat out every day) are the only things keeping me from doing just that. One final note: The clientele of G&G is usually pretty predominantly Asian, so if you are already familiar with Korean cuisine, I think it's a pretty good bet that G&G is doing it justice. I will admit one final time that I'm not Korean, but I take the presence of Asian diners a vote of confidence for the authenticity of the food there. read more

I'll start by saying that the wait service staff was excellent. Now, for the most important part, the food. This was our first jaunt into Korean food. My son and I, once again, went out looking to satisfy his 17 year old craving for beef. We both ordered the Bibimbap; beef and chicken, respectively. We were quickly unimpressed by the dishes. That's a lot coming from growing teen who will eat just about anything when hungry. It was just greasy food, not a lot of meat, the rice was overcooked-stuck to your teeth and the seasoning was just blah. For the third most important grade, value. I personally walked away thinking I had overpaid. We've heard good things about this place, but we both walked away with an unsatisfied funny feeling. My son in his belly, and me in my wallet. I am not a cheapskate, and like paying for good food. However, this was not it. Maybe is college town food standards, the power of social trends or peer pressure that numbs taste buds and subsequent ratings. At any rate, if you've never eaten at Garlic & Ginger, lower your expectations and you may do just fine. read more

I love this place! The food is authentic and because of that, it has to be one of the best Asian restaurants in Gainesville! The portions are huge in my opinion. I ordered a pork katsu and that thing could have served three people. I love the seafood pancake. =) Each time I go it just gets better. read more

Garlic & Ginger is one of the few places in town where after I eat, I notice an improvement in my mood for the rest of the day. They are located in the Publix plaza near Archer and Tower Road. Unless you live on this side of town, it can be a bit of a drive to get here. I wish they'd move to a more central location in Gainesville, which I think would expand their audience some. The atmosphere in the restaurant is neutral. Given the price of most of their dishes, you might expect it to feel a little more up-scale, but it doesn't. It's the quality and flavor of the food that really stands out and makes the experience well worth the price. From my visits, the service has always been fast and professional, and the kitchen seems on top of their game as the food comes out in a reasonable amount of time. Before you get your meal, you will be served some free appetizers of kimchi and other various items to wet your taste buds (banchan). My favorite dish here is their Kalbisal, which you can find under their BBQ section. It is served on both the dinner and lunch menus. I enjoy it so much that I find it hard to explore the rest of their menu, but I've been doing so regardless. I'm a big fan of beef bulgogi dishes, and Garlic & Ginger doesn't disappoint with their offering. I do think they could tone down the sweetness of the dish just a bit. The same goes for their Tang Su Yook, which was way too sweet for my preference. A couple other dish recommendations are their dolsot bibimbap (w/ various protein), and if you need to get warmed up, their spicy tofu soup which comes out bubbling hot. My only complaint about their dishes is that I feel they skimp a little on the protein, especially for the price that's being charged for the food. I don't go to this area of town hardly at all, so the other recommendation on Yelp helped me find this place. Garlic & Ginger is one of my favorite places to eat in town now. I think I'm going to head over their once I get this review published. read more

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Visit occurred: 06/05/2014 In summation, the portions and quality do not add up to the price. What was ordered: 1. Bulgogi bibimbop 2. Tempura udon 3. Spicy seafood udon 1. The amount of meat on here was laughable. (I counted three to four "real" slices of meat; the others were small bits no larger than a nickel). Instead of the smokey flavor you would usually expect from bulgogi, the meat was leaning on the side of soggy/mushy. I also definitely agree with some of the other reviews in that the stone pot is really not that hot at all. From my experiences at Korean places (in Houston), the stone pot usually is so hot that it cooks the rice at the bottom to a crisp. Some, like my mom, love this part but I am not a fan. It's just a good indication that things are done right, and in this case, it was not. This entree also came with the traditional side dishes that were pretty good as well as miso soup. 2. My mom had the tempura udon. The bowl was a good size for appetite but was definitely not worth upwards of $10. (I think it was close to $13-15). The soup was bland but the udon noodles are the thick ones so at least that was right. She actually added some of my dad's spicy seafood udon soup to hers to make it more flavorful. 3. We ordered two bowls of the spicy seafood udon and it was undoubtedly everyone's favorite out of what we ordered. This bowl of udon was significantly larger than the tempura udon and we had enough for leftovers the next day. (YUM; I love good leftovers). The broth has a great earthy flavor that is reminiscent of shiitake mushrooms and the Chinese herbal soup my mom makes. The noodles are thinner than the ones in the tempura udon. I recall there being scallops, mussels, and squid. This dish was their redeeming quality for me and until I can find a place that serves a better udon, I will probably be returning despite the steep $ on it. read more

Went with a friend who knows korean food on a saturday during lunch time. The place has a homey, inviting feel to it. It was full of koreans and korean music was playing, and we were greeted by korean waiters and waitresses.. so the mood was nicely set. There was also korean tv playing in the background. The place is minimally decorated, sunny and has a comfortable vibe. The table across from us was a family of koreans, with a little baby, a grandma, so it was really sweet to watch them. Their food is quite good. We had a lot of questions about the menu, and the waitstaff really knew their menu inside and out. We tried their beef bulgogi hot pot, which was cooked on the table. We really liked watching our food being cooked right in front of us. They also have a korean bbq which they cook out in the patio, but it was quite chilly that day. I'll be sure to try that next time. The bulgogi was really yummy. They make the noodles themselves out of potatoes and veggies in the restaurant, which I really loved. They have steel chopsticks now, an upgrade from the wooden ones Mike W. wrote about in his review. They end with complimentary rice punch, which for some reason I thought was really really good. Being asian myself I tend to avoid things that have sweetened rice in them, but this rice punch was on the money. Slightly sweet, mostly savory and warm, it smelled of jasmine and other delicious spices. Definitely coming back here again. Wonderful new addition to gainesville! read more

I'm Korean but living in Jacksonville, FL doesn't afford me the liberty of getting authentic Korean food like they serve at GNG. We have a couple restaurants here but they don't have as many menu options as GNG. Plus the ambiance is more upbeat. I used to live in the DC area and this place is just as good as any of those. Huge bonus for me is that GNG serves ja jang myeon (black bean paste noodle dish) which you will only find at a handful of Korean-Chinese restaurants. Not only that, they offer a small and large portion; I ordered the large one. It tastes exactly they way my mom used to make it. YUM! Their ban chan (small dishes that come with every meal) were good, not the greatest and as many I've had but I was happy. In my opinion, their prices are comparably cheap, at least for what my husband and I ordered. If I lived in Gainesville, I'd be here at least once a week. And it's very popular too, which is great to see. We drove through Gainesville during President's Day weekend for lunch and it was so packed. But they were understaffed and tried their best to keep up with the constant flow of people. If you've never had Korean food, I highly recommend trying it. It might be a good idea to check out their menu online beforehand. They offer pictures of the dishes when you click on them; a great idea. read more

Despite what the Eeyores in town think, Gainesville actually has a very vibrant and culturally diverse foodie scene. Garlic and Ginger, which opened last year, is a reminder that Gainesville is home to multi-ethnic population which hails from all four corners of the globe. Garlic and Ginger is not fusion, American styled, or prepared by a Chinese chef - it's real Korean food. The owner also runs a Korean super-market on 34th Street, so he has access to some excellent and authentic ingredients. It certainly comes through in the menu. They don't have all the delicacies of Korea, but they stick to what can be made using Korean ingredients found in the U.S. No substitutions means no sacrificing on taste. Garlic and Ginger concentrates on what they do well, and succeeds. And for you Eeyores... Don't forget a bottle of Soju to accompany your meal! That'll be sure to cheer you up. As the old Korean saying that I just made up goes: If you kick a stone in anger, you'll hurt your own foot. read more

As the sole Korean restaurant in Gainesville, it behooves any real food enthusiast to take a drive over to GnG. Their complimentary sidedishes are decent. They usually give five; I guess that i respectable for a relatively small city like Gainesville, but I feel they should add more variety to the mix instead of serving the same ones. To get to the point, some dishes could be cheaper but they are again, reasonable. Flavor is usually there. I recommend their soondubu jigae, bibimbap (best in gville) and their new octupus special. Their outdoor BBQ option is OK, but the amount they give you will leave you wanting more. Overall, it is a good Korean restaurant. read more

God I love this place! Ive only had the bibimbap but it delicious! And I end up thinking about it and want it all the time! Quick Run Down: - restaurant is beautiful and clean - mostly korean people so you know it has to be good :) - great, delicous, tasty food - they give you the yummy appetizers and are happy to refill whatever you want - quick service, friendly, clean, and I feel like I can eat leisurely and really enjoy my meal CONS: - expensive! $9 for my bibimbap so I cant eat it as often as I would like. read more

Whatever happened here, is sad. I used to LOVE their nengmyun and now I hate it. I ordered a bowl and ended up taking like three bites and just left it as is. Their kkanpoonggi...... is also a sad story. It was never fantastic but definitely best you can find around the 50 mile radius and I went to it time to time. But this time around the chili peppers came out black. My friend and I took good 5 minutes debating whether the black thing was burnt chili pepper or some type of mushroom. They black cone looking things were all burnt chili peppers. The kkanpoonggi tasted like burnt pepper in general. No bueno especially because what I ordered that day summed up to almost $20 before tips. Just go to Momoyaki for the kkanpoonggi. They make it better now. Their banchans upgraded though! Their seeweed vinegar thing is so good! And the kimchi tastes a lot better too. But the entrees... THE ENTREES!!! it's rather sad... I probably won't be going back unless I hear from someone about a particular dish that actually tastes good. Most of the servers seem fairly young, so they're bright and nice and they try very hard to be helpful so I appreciated that. read more

I went back to Garlic & Ginger after more than a year post-graduation. I'm happy to say this place has exploded with popularity now!!! My family and I went here for dinner on a Saturday night. Every table (even the outside patio) was packed for the entirety of dinner time. Be sure to make a reservation if you're planning on bringing a larger party. I will say the the wait staff couldn't keep up with all of the hustle and bustle.. It seemed some parties had to wait a while for service. But no matter how busy, the food always comes out steaming hot and delicious! Some of my favorite dishes: -Kalbi Dolsot Bibimbap (be sure to stir your rice every once and a while! Or it may get a little burnt on with the stone pot) -Kimchi Spicy Tofu Soup -Yuksu Bulgogi -Grilled Spanish Mackerel (I'm not usually a fish person, but this is tasty!) -Kimchi Pancake Everything is flavorful and from what I can see pretty authentic. Seriously....Order anything. It's all good!! The prices are okay, but for a great meal.. I think it's well worth the price. GO! GO! GO! read more

The only Korean restaurant in town that I am aware of, so when I'm jonesing for Korean, I go here. The food is good, not great. I always get the dolsot (stone pot) bibimbop, but they don't seem to get the part about the raw egg on top. If you ask for an egg, they fry it. If you ask for it raw, the stone pot is really not as hot as it should be to fry it. Am I nitpicking? They have Hite and OB Korean beer and offer Soju also. Side dishes last time were just okay, not a lot. The ambiance is very nice, somewhat upscale but the prices are a bit high. Though they are pleasant, like in Korea they don't tend to come back after the food is served, so make sure you order that second beer when the food arrives. I'll go back, but if another Korean restaurant opens, I'll go there to try and find something better read more

Good, but expensive for what you get. The food was pretty great actually, everything I would've wanted out of a restaurant bibimbap. My only problem? The prices are pretty high, and at least in my meal I didn't get enough beef to justify the cost. Don't get me wrong, it was still really good. I'll definitely come back and pay the slightly high price. It's just this place would earn a 5/5 in my book if the prices were a hair cheaper, or the portions a hair bigger. But hey, at least they have free refills on soda. read more

On our drive back from Orlando we got hungry at Gainesville. I did a quick search for Korean or Vietnamese food in town and found Garlic and Ginger. We decided to give it a try, and boy, were we happily surprised. The restaurant is very nice, clean and inviting. There are several TV's around the room playing K-Dramas, which we found was a lot of fun. We ordered the seafood and beef stew, they bring a burner to your table so the food simmers next to you. The broth was flavorful, not as spicy as I thought it would be, the ingredients were very fresh and tasted delicious. The side dishes were plentiful and you could have as many refills of them as you wanted. The wait staff was very nice and explained all the side dishes, ingredients and took good care of us through the meal. We will make a point to come back whenever we drive through town. read more

We love Korean food. The kalbi beef ribs are delicious. The dolsot be bim bop is also very good although I don't care for the straw mushrooms they use (reminds me of bug legs), and the bulgogi is also very good. We LOVE the deep fried yachae mandu (dumplings). I like the Banchan especially the kimchi, but one of the times we went the kimchi had gone bad. I'm also not a big fan of the acorn squish (my name, not theirs) that is a sort of light aubergine color--just texturally objectionable. Wish they did the lovely cold hard black beans I've had elsewhere. Love the dichon raddish and the sesame veggies. They have always been very happy to provide additional servings of any of the side dishes we wanted. The restaurant is not fancy but it is clean and almost every time we have been there, a pretty steady crowd, including many customers who look to be of Korean decent--for me, I worry when in an ethnic restaurant but no one in the restaurant is from that ethnic background. The price is reasonable and the wait staff is always very polite and attentive. We go here at least once a month and have taken friends. We recommend it if you are ready for something that isn't mainstream or cookie cutter. read more

This place was not up to our expectations. Not even a Korean person serving in the dining room. Wife is Korean and knows Korean food. We were the only people in the restaurant, not a good indicator but figured it would get busy, no other customers came in while we were there. Below are our major complaints. Have to pay Extra for lettuce for wrapping usually comes with meat. Pancakes are small and not traditional size. Asked for extra napkin, and all I got was a cocktail napkin. Over all, would not return. 1 Star is probably too high a rating. read more

Went twice. First time is very good. Second time is not =.= kimchi pancake is good. bbq pork or beef are too sweet. seafood in its soup are not that fresh. The waitresses there are cute and friendly. read more

Don't know what happened to this place. The service and food were both disappointing, nothing compared to what it used to be. The server did not wear a mask and sneezed couple times while serving us. The small plates were dirty too. We ordered several dishes and all came very bland. Seafood pancake had just a few tiny bits of seafood, mostly flour and very dense and not fluffy and crunchy as it used to be. The seafood pancake didn't come in a big plate but were piled on top of each other like leftovers. The rice came without covers, again looked like leftovers. We came close to 5pm, so I'm sure it's not lunch portion. We ordered Gyaoza and again served in a tiny plate with the servers hand touching the food. The grilled fish was not very fresh. The tofu soup was extremely salty and spicy. This used to be a great Korean restaurant we frequent when we are in town, but would avoid in the future! The server should really wash his hands after coughing/sneezing before serving or wear a glove while carrying food and NOT touching the food or dishes with his hands. Glad we didn't get diarrhea! read more

The two stars is for the food. Very tasty. The lack of a four star rating is for the quality and class of presentation of KOREAN dining. I was introduced to KOREAN dining culture in the NE by two very close KOREAN friends and their families. The beautiful thing about KOREAN dining is their way of making the meal family style away from home. This is lacking at Garlic and Ginger. You're merely a customer. The draw for good Korean dining is the side salads and appetizers that accompanies the meal. Garlic and ginger is seriously lacking in this area. Their sides are basic and less creative than good KOREAN restaurants. They portend a presentation but not a rich experience. The sides are cheaply made and seasoned with a lot of salt to cover up for the lack of flavor. All in all, if you just want some food and no ambience, garlic and ginger will work for you. If you are seeking a classy Korean dining experience you will have to go somewhere else to find it. read more

Really love this place. Has been one of my fav in these two years. Seafood pancake is a must-order. Always enjoy the tofu soup and dolsot bibimbap. Love the budae jungo we got today too! read more

Garlic & Ginger - Korean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I wish I could give them more stars, but... I had the Jap-chae, and it was really amazing. The mushrooms upstaged the rest of the plate. Loved that they bring out 5 different appetizer trays as well. I had read that the walnut cookies and rice punch were good, but I never got to try them. I finished my food and waited to order - no one came. I pushed all of my plates to the edge of the table - no one came. I made eye contact and asked a waiter (not mine) for the cookies. After 15 more minutes a different waiter tried to bring me my check. I told him I wanted the cookies and the punch that was supposed to come at the end of my meal. 15 more minutes, no sign of my original waitress or the other 2 waiters. I'm an hour in, and I finally give up. I love Asian food, but am getting totally sick of shitty service when I don't bring an Asian friend along. I was ignored while at least 4 groups of Asian patrons, who came in after me, were served several courses, paid, and left. Sorry, but I can find other places to eat without being insulted. It's a shame, because I loved the food. read more

Just moved to Gainesville and was craving some Korean food, found out there's only one place in town! =( I guess it'll have to do. The BBQ is a bit pricey compared to the west coast. I was spoiled with all you can eat Korean BBQ for only $15!!! I got the Kalbi which was pretty decent. I've had better, but it will suffice if I ever crave it again during my time here. The one thing I really enjoyed was the ja-jang-myeon. It was really tasty. The noodles are made by hand at the restaurant so you can see how amazingly fresh this dish is. I definitely recommend this noodle dish! This dish will probably be the dish that keeps me coming back. read more

The best korean food that I've had. Very good and very authentic. The Kalbi beef, fried rice, and pork bulgogi are fantastic.

Love this place for the authentic food like hot Doksot Bib imbap,my fav:) Service is quick and always with a smile.I can't wait to explore their extensive menu for more treasures. read more

I have no way of knowing what is authentic and not authentic Korean food. However, given that all of the Korean's I've met in Gainesville seem to keep this place at the top of their list, I'd have to say that it's pretty legit. The servers are quite friendly and helpful, and the environment is clean and comfortable. I've only eaten on the deck once, but I get the sense that they try and keep it cool. Where G&G lacks is with the timeliness of the food. If they are even close to capacity, do not go hungry, your food will take forever. Also, despite being friendly, I've often got the feeling that our server has just forgotten about us. read more

We were full of expectations when reading the good reviews here before going to this restaurant. Unfortunately our experience only proved that the food was very pricey for their authenticity and taste. I am keeping the score this level because the interior was neat and well kept. As to the service, waiters and waitresses were not particularly nice or attending. read more

Garlic & Ginger - Soondae Soup and Hwenaengmyun - Korean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Delicious Korean. I had a hot pot, kimchi with pork for lunch. It comes with several little dishes. Very good lunch. If you want to venture into ethnic food this is a good place to start. read more

If you're into eating goat meat, try the Goat Jun-gol hot pot stew. It comes with tasty broth and the goat meat is tender, albeit, on the fatty side. read more

Garlic & Ginger - Goat Stew - Korean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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very authentic food and menu! the food is very good and definitely at a reasonable price. I ordered a 2 person dish for $25 and it was huge, probably plenty for 4 people. The owner is very friendly and definitely worth the visit. Adding some new favorite dishes to my review because GnG is still one of my favorite restaurants in Gainesville. It's been a year and the consistency is still very well maintained. Since everything is good, I often try different dishes, here are some suggestions: -Tofu soup (soon dubu jigae)- always yummy (make sure to order it mild if you can't eat too spicy like me) -Grilled fish (croaker and spanish mackerel are good)- kind of pricey for a small fish, but it's delicious and very sweet on the grill- comes with a side soup -Ja jang myeon- feel like it's an acquired taste since it's kind of bean-pastey, but I like! -Flaming pig special for two- huge and delicious -Korean short rib soup- very light in taste- good for something more on the bland side when you're sick -Korean pho- not bad if you want soup and noodles -Kalbi, Bibimbap, and bulgogi are all pretty decent Not sure if I'm just used to Tatu's Chaampoong (spicy seafood soup), but I'm not a fan of it from GnGs. Don't forget to ask for the rice dessert because they don't always give it automatically! Overall, definitely good quality food for reasonable prices being that Korean food is usually very expensive. Love it! read more

So surprisingly nice to have a great Korean restaurant in Gainesville! In 11 years in this town, I've seen Korean food attempted and not succeeded, Garlic & Ginger has won! What we got: 1. Bulgogi Dolsot Bibimbap $13 - brought me back to K-town 32nd street, crispy, flavorful, delicious! 2. Ja jang myeon $9 - thin homemade noodles with black bean sauce and pork. On first glance looked overwhelmingly dark and salty, but tasted fantastic. 3. Kalbi $15 - unfortunately not cooked at the table, but tasty nonetheless. Portions were good for the price and we were given five small dishes as well. Looking forward to my next visit and a delicious hot pot. read more

Well, I've certainly been back to this place a couple more times since my last post. These last few times were more dine-in. First, a reminder that this is authentic korean, the only place in town that people think about for authentic korean. A nice update to this store is the addition of a picture menu for the people such as myself who like to see what the food looks like instead of trying to place a plate to a name like japjae or bulgogi. The pricing is still the same, thats not going to change. Neither is the plethora of little cold appetizer dishes the staff serve up to you, which consist mostly of pickled vegetable medleys such as radishes and cabbages, etc. This time, I tried out the bean paste noodle bowl, which is also called ( pardon my butchering of the word) Ja Jeong Meong. I had this in Seoul on a connecting flight from Asia, and I was impressed by the simplicity of noodles and meat in a black bean sauce, with a quail egg. Sadly, this place did not have a little quail egg to garnish my bowl, but overall it was delicious and sizable for the same typical inflated price you would get from a culinary niche restaurant, although I guess I can't fault the store, and I may be biased as I've always known Asian food to be inexpensive and yet you go to a downtown restaurant and not blink at $30 duck... But I digress. This update gets one additional star. If the service speeds up, i'll look into updating my review again. read more

Great place for a different atmosphere. I appreciate the fact that they tell you the tradition, they believe in sharing and they ask that you be patient while waiting for your food. The prices are reasonable, 2 people can have a nice dinner for under 40 bucks. I give it 5 stars. Check it out! read more

Garlic & Ginger - Jjam - bbong spicy noodle bowl. Very filling for only $12.30 and filled with seafood. - Korean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Yesterday I went to my first yelp event with two of my friends. it was unofficial but still fun. I got to meet a group of cool and quirky foodies. the atmosphere was nice and food was delicious. the only problem we had was that one of our friends didn't get their food until very late. overall it was a very pleasant experience and I look forward to eating there again. BTW this is my first yelp review ever lol read more

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Driving into Gainesville, my little sister insisted she wanted to go back to Garlic and Ginger. We had a large group and they accommodated us right away. There was only one other table. Our favorites have always been the seafood pancake and dolsot bimbimbap. This visit was a little disappointing with the bimbimbap only because the rice was not as crispy on the sides of the stone bowl. Other than that, the portions are always satisfying, the taste on point. Favorite side items this time were the first cakes and sweet, tangy potatoes. I started my sister on her G&G obsessions early on... Perhaps she will be a future Gator and be a frequent customer. :P read more

Came here a few weeks ago when I was waiting for our furniture to be delivered. Wanted some Korean soup and was excited when I found this place close to our place. I ordered jjampong. I asked for it extra spicy, which they attempted by added some jalapeños. The flavor was good, not a lot of noodles but tons of veggies compared to seafood. Gave 3 stars because it doesn't come close to the best jjampong (which technically would be my moms but when speaking from a restaurant...) that I've had. The service was great though. Had a good convo with the waiter. Also, the banchan () is not appetizers. It's like the salad to ur steak, the potato salad and green beans to your bbq or ribs. It's dishes you eat along with your main dish of food. For example, when you order bulgogi and eat it with the rice, it tastes ten times better with some kimchi or sprouts (if it's made right). If you order jajamyeon, the pickled radish (yellow or white...I think white is sweeter) makes it that much better. read more