We stopped at Ivy on the Square for lunch while passing through Ocala, and what a wonderful surprise! The ambiance and decor were absolutely elegant and beautiful, creating such a warm and upscale atmosphere. The prices were very reasonable, the service was impeccable, and every part of the experience exceeded our expectations. Overall, an outstanding dining experience and definitely a place we'll return to when we're back in town! read more

I went here the other night with some friends from Sarasota. They had suggested it and I was curious since I had never been. It was early evening and when I walked in I thought the decor was so adorable. Quaint and just really lovely. I was getting a good feeling and wondering why I never had stopped in here before since I love coming downtown and going to different places down here. The whole vibe to me is just very comfortable even though it can get busy there is something that makes you feel calm in this area. We were seated and I looked at the menu wanting steak and even though it was early they didn't have any ( rib eye ) Yes it was on the menu but that was ok, instead I chose a Wam burger and fries. To be honest I wasn't impressed. I asked for medium rare and my burger came out well done. It was a bit flavorless to me and the fries weren't even hot nor crispy. The service was just ok and when we had gone the restaurant hadn't even been very busy. I may give Ivy on the Square another try if I have a good reason. We will see. I wonder what you think. Phone: (352)622-5550 Address: 53 S Magnolia Avenue Ocala, Florida 34471 Hours: Sunday Closed Monday Closed Tuesday 11AM-9PM Wednesday 11AM-9PM Thursday 11AM-9PM Friday 11AM-9PM Saturday 11AM-9PM Wheelchair accessible read more

Very pleasant place with friendly service and a great overall ambiance. I met with a client here and we were both pleased with our lunches. I had the chicken and would recommend it. read more

Ivy on the Square - Southern Near Me - Ocala, Florida

Stopped by for lunch. Really cute inside - an upscale shabby chic or modern farmhouse feel with lots of natural light. Plenty of pay by app parking nearby with this restaurant on the back side of the square. Immediately greeted by the hostess. We sat at the dining tables, but there's a bar area available as well. Seating was a blend of upholstered couch and chairs and was quite comfortable. Only complaint was it was kind of gross with dried on food, crusty bits and stains so had to try and ignore that. Management needs to increase regularity of checking and cleaning. Our waiter was very helpful and attentive. Ordered a couple of the krispy chicken, which is gluten-free because they use a gf rice crispy cereal to coat it. It's a pretty generous meal consisting of 1 chicken breast, corn/bean succotash, cornbread and another side. We had potatoes and cheese grits. The chicken and cornbread were pretty good. Chicken was cooked well and it was nice to have something that resembled fried chicken but gf. All the rest of the accompaniments were meh. Also ordered the caprese salad. Caprese was as expected but with some pesto drizzled on top and this made for a nice addition. Not sure we would return, but enjoyed the overall ambiance and service. read more

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We went to specifically try the fried green tomato BLT and it did not disappoint. I appreciated that the tomato itself was sliced on the thicker side providing the perfect fried green tomato bite in the sandwich. Bread was toasted well, crisp bacon, all together creating a really great sandwich. Honorable mention to the pimento cheese fritters and the coconut cake, both were excellent. Service was spot on and attentive without being over the top. The space itself is very well done allowing the old building's character to show. read more

My wife and I have heard good things about Ivy on the Square so we were looking forward to having lunch there. Located on the square (duh), this place is oozing with charm. As you step inside seeking refuge from the heat and that bright sun, you are welcomed into a calming, almost serene, well appointed space. We were seated promptly and provided the menu. My wife planned on ordering their Boozy Burger but pivoted and chose the Fried Atlantic Cod with mac and cheese and I opted for the Baked Krispy Chicken with salad and potato wedges. My wife thought her cod was fresh and flaky BUT the breading needed more flavor. I felt the same about my chicken...not only was the chicken breast a bit undersized, I thought it needed more flavor and probably could've been better paired with garlic mashed potatoes with a savory gravy. The salad, with raspberry vinaigrette was good as were the hot rolls and the corny cornbread. My wife also liked the vegetables (some green beans with corn). We thought service was uneven. My salad was served with the entree instead of before and the hot rolls were served after our meals were served. Additionally, we had to flag down a server for drink refills and waited a bit for our server to get our bill. We both loved the ambiance but thought service was spotty and flavors lacking. Lunch for 2 with tip came out to just under $52. NOTE: We didn't see any free parking nearby. You can pay for street parking or in one of the parking lots nearby. read more

Ivy on the Square - Baked Krispy Chicken with corny cornbread and potato wedges - Southern Near Me - Ocala, Florida

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Arrived on a Friday night. Food was good overall. We asked to sit outside on their garden patio and were told no. We were quoted 15-20 minutes for a party of four and it ended up being 40. The wine glasses look cheap and stumpy. Service was good. Fried green tomatoes were a favorite at the table. This place is very cute inside. read more

Ivy on the Square - Southern Near Me - Ocala, Florida

A beautiful space in a restored 100+ year old building. Several dining areas, a gorgeous bar, and some seating in the corner of the bar. Ample sidewalk seating too, but you have to deal with the street 5 ft away and idiots in cars, on bikes and trucks benching fumes. Go for inside or the bar. A nice menu with something for everyone. Lots of flexibility in adjusting the dish. Our server, Jessica, was awesome- top notch all around with an uplifting attitude. A star for her alone! Food was good - bacon dates were tasty, my turkey wrap was probably meant to be on the croissant instead of the spinach wrap I substituted. Bacon for the mahi was undercooked and the fish a bit dry. Overall a thumbs up. read more

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Ambiance was nice, hutch service was chaotic and bad. They were indifferent to the guest at my table, and the water glass4s were served with a finger inside 4 glasses. When asked to replace them, it was a long wait. We ended up leaving. Food on menu looked ok, but like I said. We left disappointed/discouraged. Went across the street to Mellow Mushroom and had a great experience. read more

This place has so much potential. The bathrooms were dirty only one stall in use. The pictures they show you on their website look nothing like the food we got. The food was bland not plentiful. Example they showed slices of avocado there was barely one. Serves was slow and they weren't busy. Don't waste your money here. read more

Wow, just wow. We happened to be in town and were looking for a place to eat and I found this place. So glad we did. The place is so cute from the outside and inside. Extremely well decorated and just a super cool vibe. I had the signature dish which was the crispy baked chicken. My daughter got the grilled version. And my wife got the fried green tomato BLT. They were all excellent. The rolls that came with the chicken were great. Took me back to those buns they used to give you in school with lunch. So good! The Mac and cheese was mouth watering. Oh, and the raspberry lemonade was the bomb! We were all very happy with our choices. The meals were so good we couldn't pass up dessert. We got the chocolate cake, the peanut butter pie and the crème brûlée. If we thought our meals were good, we were about to be slapped in the face with these desserts. I struggle for words to describe how good they were. My wife said the crème brûlée was the best she'd ever had. When you go to this place, save room for dessert. Or even if you don't have room, order it anyway. One bite and you'll forget you're stuffed. It's that good. So if you find yourself in Ocala, be sure to check this place out. You won't regret it. If you like my reviews, follow me on TikTok at the_blind_foodie read more

Ivy on the Square - Crème Brûlée - Southern Near Me - Ocala, Florida

Waited for a seat with 70% of seats empty, had to take a high table and then we sat there..... 10 minutes, nobody came, as we got up the waiter finally came over... a bit late Not acceptable read more

We came for a date night at this weekend and had a wonderful time! The atmosphere is very cozy. The furniture and lighting make you feel at home, but also still feel upscale. We shared the pimento cheese fritters, and they were excellent. My husband had the creole shrimp and I had the chicken Marsala special, both were very good! Only critique would be that the chicken was a tad tough, but the flavor was great. Service was very kind, but a bit slow. We could see our server had quite a few tables and he wanted to give time to each one without rushing. We really enjoyed and we will be back! read more

Ivy on the Square - Southern Near Me - Ocala, Florida

Thursday night Prime rib special, $54 not worth it! Meat was tough, veggies were cold read more

We have been residing in Ocala for over a year and a half but it took that long for us to finally try this place. I have had it bookmarked since we moved here but I cannot give a reason why we haven't visited. We are downtown a lot so there should be no excuse. It was a Saturday, earlier in the evening, when we decided to dine here. We went to the movies earlier and were sitting in the car deciding on what to do. Since we were parked in front, hubs suggested here. The restaurant was definitely busy but it did not look packed upon entering. A host walked us to a table in the back. I must say, the set up of the tables and ambiance were definitely unique and I loved it. It was very dark in the restaurant so it was difficult to read the menu. I loved that it was darker than most places. Our server greeted us and took our order for drinks. He was not enthusiastic or personable but still did his job. We also ordered the Bacon wrapped dates as an appetizer and added a side of bleu cheese dressing. We had a very similar appetizer in St. Augustine with bacon wrapped dates that had a bleu cheese compote of some sort and the ingredients were incredible. I wanted to recreate that it was definitely close. I ordered the fried shrimp. There was a lot of food involved! I had a salad that came with it but I think recall it being too impressive. The fried shrimp came with Mac and cheese, green beans, cornbread, and a yeast roll. Of course I did not finish it and took some to go. It was okay. I did think the shrimp was cooked/fried fresh as opposed to the shrimp being fried then frozen. All in all, I did enjoy the ambiance and I would like to visit again. I would like to try other items on the menu and maybe sit at the bar. The lunch menu appears to have different items than the dinner menu so I definitely want to try lunch as well. read more

Ivy on the Square - Fried Shrimp. Comes with green beans, carrots, Mac n cheese, cornbread, and a yeast roll. - Southern Near Me - Ocala, Florida

Food was great. Just be aware that the bacon wrapped dates are small and a bit pricey for what you get Signature fried shrimp was delicious so wax the Mac and cheese Service was outstanding and the place is perfect for date night read more

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Don't get the filet mignon, was fatty, tough and terrible flavor! Go for the shrimp! Went for my birthday and our bill was very high for mediocre food. read more

I ordered the Spinach Salmon salad. It was very good and the Salmon cooked perfectly!! The ambiance is very nice but they really need to clean the cloth seats. I get the design but vinyl or leather seats would be better and the table tops are sticky which feels dirty they really just need a sanding and a couple coats of polyethylene. Don't let this keep you away because the food is very good. read more

Amazing vibe, rustic but elegant atmosphere, creative and clean ingredients, excellent server and very welcoming staff.... Would definitely recommend and consider revisiting when in the area. read more

Charming, but furniture is getting tired. Noticed stains on fabric. Floor was sticky in some areas too. First seated facing a catch-all corner with a broom, cleaning products, etc, which should have been behind a screen. Then moved to a round table that was angled and under a large TV attached to wall above it. That and the food dishes were not great. The Seafood Scampi only had 2 scallops the size of a quarter and were not jumbo at all. There was nothing "scampi" style about the shrimp either. Seafood was tasteless and overcooked. The substitution for pasta of quinoa with spinach was gross. Supper salad and the chicken piccata were just ok. Management and cook should be ashamed to serve such awfulness! Especially for the price. The onion rings were alright, but the batter needs some seasoning. The only item that is good was the sweet bread bun. The service was the only thing outstanding for $128 (including $20 tip). read more

Great ambiance, great service and delicious food. The fried green tomatoes were on point. The fried chicken was amazing and on my list for top fried chicken. For dessert we had the peanut butter pie which was good, but definitely super rich. Loved this location. read more

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Impromptu ladies trip to Ocala for my friend's birthday and we happened upon this very cute and quaint restaurant and decided to try it out! We were seated right away (we went early) and the furniture was very trendy and unique. The staff were all friendly and helpful, offering suggestions for food on favorites. They did not steer us wrong. We started with drink and I had the Bees Knees mojito which was AMAZING! I love mojito and this was top notch! I went outside my norm and got the Baked Krispy Chicken with a side salad and macaroni and cheese. In addition, it came with vegetables, a dinner roll and the most amazing cornbread! I do not typically eat cornbread but this was irresistible! They topped it off with a piece of birthday cake for my friend's birthday! If you're in Ocala, I highly recommend visiting this place! read more

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Don't waste your money! Onions rings sent back under cooked, no sour cream for the baked potato (ran out) , vegetables days old, forgot bread for the dinner, baked fish was fish pieces undercooked, terrible food. Now I know why the restaurant was vertually empty on a Saturday night at 7 PM!to serve read more

Very high class restaurant. Price is not cheap for small town like Ocala. Food 4 star, service 4, amenities 3 stars, value 3 stars. 3.4 stars overall. We have pecan salmon which is the best seller. The dish come with couscous bake salmon. It is a good dish. The next dish we have is the lump crab cake. I think they need to take out the word lump. The crab meat is mostly blue crab not the dungeon crab. Which I think the value is not there. We got the cafe mocha creme brûlée. I like the desert. For the dinner dining, this high class restaurant do not have table cloth or cloth napkins. The bathroom tower dispenser is menu with a pump level. I prefer motion dispenser. read more

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We came here while visiting Ocala for the day and were pleased with our visit. Upon arriving we noticed that there were some outside seating areas in addition to the indoor area. There was also bar seating available. The decor and theming of restaurant was very fun and antique like! We came around 1 on a Saturday and had a short wait before getting seated. All of the staff and servers we interacted with were kind and helpful. Our food came out in a timely manner as well! The food portions were fair considering the price. I do feel that food was okay. We thought the breading on the chicken was interesting, but nothing to write home about. Overall we enjoyed our meal though. We enjoyed our time here and if in the area we would consider coming back again! read more

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The food was excellent. Drinks were great. But the service provided by Justin was superb!!! read more

Good food, excellent service and a nice place. Was in Ocala for some training and this place was recommended to us. We were not disappointed by the food or service. Prices were reasonable, and the place was extremely clean and staff were attentive. Would recommend. read more

Ivy on the Square - Southern Near Me - Ocala, Florida

We had lunch at Ivy's today. The crispy chicken meal was very good. The service was good. However, the vegetables were a mushy mess. Not at all the way Southerners would serve them. I had to take them off my plate. read more

Food was great, atmosphere was great, service was great ! But the cash out service by Ayden was a little sketchy. We split the bill of two birthday girls amongst the other three of us. One lady order a rail Vodka and he brought Grey Goose! She refused it for the rail but we were charged for the Grey Goose! We asked For bread/corn bread and never informed there was an added $12! I asked for a call drink? Which they didn't have. Asked for a glass of Moscato $9? But it said the Jim Beam on my receipt. Were they the same price? When the bill came I handed him a $100 bill and said, take out $48. He returned with $50. When we split the birthday girls bill? He got less then the 20+ percent I normally tip. Plus you don't get a receipt Unless you ask, So we didn't see our bills until after the fact. Who knows what he charged the other ladies! A lesson learned..., ask to see your bill before you pay!!!! read more

Well this is a Thanksgiving tradition for us. We go there every year. They serve the same meal every meal and so there was no surprise. Turkey with all the fixings. It comes with desert, two choices. I did not care about the deserts. We ordered one of each. It was very good. read more

Excellent food & service! Love the atmosphere I ordered Prime Rib dinner that they serve only on Thursday night and it was the best Prime Rib in the area. My friend had lump crab cake and said it was excellent! The services were excellent and very friendly. read more

I've been to the one in Williston but they've been closed due to a fire so was looking forward to trying the ocala location..it has a different, fancier vibe with a large bar area. The fritters are just as good if not better and they have a more expansive menu. I got the Fried Green Tomato BLT but instead of the bacon got the avocado and it was delicious, I was also glad they were able to do an even swap since I didn't get meat. Other places will charge extra for avocado even though it's replacing the main ingredient so I was glad about that. Service was great, our waitress was very friendly and kept checking in on us. Will definitely be back to dry their dessert and cocktails. read more

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Food was ok, will probably not return anytime soon.. the macaroni and cheese was way too heavy and thick.. and cool not hot.. prices a little on higher side.. the server was good, we had a little longer than usual on wait time for food an not due to being overly busy.. we all were shocked at a Non- Cash Adj which was at 4.3% of our tickets.. and the fact that there was no mention that we found on our menu of the extra charge.... or we would have paid in cash.. just would like to have been made aware... if you are wanting to be cash only like some restaurants are in Ocala.. do like they have state it upfront.. but dont sneak it on the ticket.. read more

Love Ivy on the Square although the Ivy House in Williston was always my fave. Can't wait for it to reopen! Love the friend green tomatoes. Never had had a bad meal there. Service is adequate, not great but food makes up for it. read more

Love this restaurant. The food is wonderful southern cooking meeting metro dining. Wish I lived closer so I could dine there more often

I love this restaurant, and eat there quite frequently. Varied menu, great food, friendly staff and a wonderful ambience.

Great atmosphere and server was nice. Food was good not great. Really nice bar area as well. Cesar salad was not good. Dressing did not have any flavor and a weird aftertaste. Shrimps were tasty. We did creole and fried. Creole was better. Grits were yummy and cheesy. Portions were excellent! As were the prizes. Yeast rolls were chefs kiss Max n cheese needed salt French onion soup was yummy and cheeses. Fried lobsters were ok. Everything fried wasn't crispy enough. And most stuff needed salt (to me) Key lime pie- good. Nice crust and tart enough. Bread pudding was good but it was soggy rather than firm. Both whipped creams were really good. Drinks were good. Fun cocktail menu and some craft beers. read more

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Nice place for lunch! Old school charm, elegant setting in a historic building. I had the Thai chicken salad which was very good, and my husband had the Crispy Baked Chicken which was just ok. Meals served with crescent rolls (good) and cornbread (a little off flavor to it. Reheated maybe?) Service was great, staff was friendly, darling bar area. read more

What a great find! We were actually at the gardens and drove about 40 minutes to get here, but it was worth it. We went to the original one by the Woodland Gardens, but they were closed as they had a fire and they referred us to this other location. Wanting to scout the area we didn't mind the drive to get here. What a beautiful restaurant! And the service was fantastic! We were not dressed as nicely as I would like to have been dressed because we were basically in exercise attire from hiking, but they let us in and they were kind about it I would recommend nice casual wear or resort wear here. What a great menu of Southern foods with plenty of selection. They were all served so creatively and beautifully! Everything tasted fabulous. There were four of us in the group and we all were very pleased when we left with the portion size and the taste and quality of our lunch! And I cannot tell you how great that iced tea was after coming off a long hike! It was fabulous! Our waiter was soo friendly and welcoming. Explaining everything to my younger Littles. The restaurant is beautiful. It gives a Charleston vibe to me and I'm all for it! . Beautiful decor, comfortable and unique seating. The chandeliers were gorgeous, adding a nice touch to the design of the restaurant. I've included some pictures of our lunch for you. If you're in the Ocala area, this is in the trendy part of it. I will definitely go back when I'm over there. They do have some outdoor seating tables for a beautiful day. Don't miss this one! read more

Ivy on the Square - I love how most of their meals are served with cornbread. Their macaroni and cheese is to die for! The cheese strings out of the dish! - Southern Near Me - Ocala, Florida

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Place is a higher class restaurant for me. But the crispy chicken is the best thing on the menu. There are STRICT on the menu. I have eaten at both locations over the years and when they were location on 40 in the Ivy house. They are a little slow on service for a group of 12. I would never go there in a small group as they are not my type of place. I only like 1 item on the menu and I do not drink alcohol so there is no reason to go here unless it is for someone else. Wife does not care for it. read more