We were looking for a good place to eat after spending the day with the kids at Hogwaller not far away. I saw a faded sign for the restaurant, checked the reviews and photos and said well let's try it! On arrival my dining mates (husband and another couple) looked at me like I'd lost my mind - it's eclectic for sure! But they had good drinks and the food was absolutely amazing. Our waitress was a trip and it's everything I want from small town, old school Florida. Great option to check out after you go to Island Grove Winery! I also wanted to address some of the other reviews insinuating poor service based on race. As a table of ghost white people sat in the back dining room when the whole place seemed pretty empty....the service was not at the pace of a chain that's trying to flip tables as fast as possible. Even with three exhausted kiddos with us close to bed time we just ordered another round, let the kids explore the taxidermy and the books. read more

We went to this restaurant on recommendation from our airboat driver, and they did not disappoint. We were seated right away and the hostess and the waitress were fabulous. They really took care of us. My husband got a Caesar salad with blackened chicken and I got the combo plate with gator, frog legs and catfish and it was so amazing. I have to say probably one of my first favorite things were the collard greens with bits of ham in it superduper delicious. They make a great drink. My husband liked their sweet tea, and I had a gin and tonic, which was really full of gin! We had no room for dessert, but the ones that walked past the table looked amazing. I really recommend this restaurant. read more

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Went on a Friday around 2pm. No wait. Sat to the right side when you come through the door, near the fireplace. Decent amount of people inside, although the left side is where they have live performances (none at this time though). Left side also seemed a little too quiet. Right side (fireplace side) had a little country music playing from the speakers. Great service from our server, Katie, who recommended a few different things. I got the fried alligator, collards & green beans. Wife got the fried catfish, collars & coleslaw. Also had the free range venison. Everything was very good and not greasy at all. The venison was cooked perfectly and some of the best I've ever had. Sour orange pie was a perfect balance of tart and sweet. The only thing I would change on that is the generic Hershey chocolate drizzle. Seemed to cheapen it a little. People next to had it come out with whipped cream... Had no complaints and would back for sure. read more

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Walking in was like stepping back in time. What an eclectic restaurant. It's broken out in 3 sections. The far left is where all the taxidermy and books are but it's also quiet with no music playing during the day. We sat on the right side when you enter and there was music and felt more homey. I do think that made a difference in our experience. We did not have any cell service or WiFi when in the restaurant so look up pics of what you want before you get there. We ordered venison app, catfish dinner, and Gator dinner and shared all the things. I've have plenty of Gator bites in my life and this was by far the best. The venison was surprisingly not as gamey as I was expecting and their dipping sauce for it is fantastic. The catfish was fried and the batter was so light and crunchy. You get 2 huge pieces! The collards were very good! Sometimes they are too bitter or too sweet but theirs are perfectly balanced similar to how I make them. Two times a year they get in Sour Orange Pie from a local and they had it they day we visited. It's similar to key lime pie. It was so unique and delicious. Definitely get it if it's on the menu. We will definitely be back when passing through. It's definitely worth the short drive off of 75. Be sure to visit Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings historical house and pick oranges off the trees. read more

The Yearling Restaurant - Menu 1/2/26 - Southern Near Me - Hawthorne, Florida

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If you are able to visit Cross Creek and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings state park, make this restaurant your lunch or dinner stop. Old Florida food and charm, with pleasant efficient service! I only wish we had saved room for desert! Appetizers fried Gator, mushrooms and green tomatoes. Entrees Shrimp and grits, burgers, and blackened catfish. Sides were salads, cheese grits and stewed okra. Everything was devoured! Delicious! The hush puppies should be sold by the dozen!! Thank you for the hospitality read more

We had a really great experience here. We've been wanting to try this place for years, and finally made it. We went the same weekend as the Micanopy Fall Festival, so it was packed and there was a long wait for a table and a bit slot on food service, but the staff were super friendly and attentive all the while. The food tasted fresh and there were really unique dishes. We tried the venison and the frog legs. The frog legs were big and juicy, but could have used a slightly heavier hand with seasoning. The venison was delicious, but I was expecting a chonky piece and was a bit surprised that it's like shaved slices and not a big ole venison steak. I will say, surprisingly the NE clam chowder was some of the best I've had!!! Definitely recommend. Also, the decor in the whole place is riddled with history! Super cool. read more

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I'm stuffed. Food was amazing! Waitress was a bitch. Bad attitude. Ambiance was the same as as nothing has changed since 1977 except the prices and I'm ok with that. read more

Haven't been here in 30 years. Same unique , cozy atmosphere. Enjoyed the house salad with Lots of interesting add ins, cranberries, mandarine oranges, pecans. I Had the pork shank which was outstanding and orange pie for dessert. Very tasty and full of true orange flavor. I won't wait that long to return . A must try! read more

Came here all the time growing up out there. Willie played the best of the blues, rest in paradise! Since this was my first time returning in a very long time, I must review.. it's still just as good, if not better. Definitely worth the drive even if you're out of town! Didn't catch our servers name, but she was very sweet. Bring back the duck!! It was sooooo good! read more

The Yearling Restaurant - Fried catfish, blackened reds fish & gator. - Southern Near Me - Hawthorne, Florida

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Off the beaten path and worth the extra trip ...fresh food with southern menu includes burgers, seafood, salads, steaks etc in an atmosphere that takes you back in time. Service was friendly and prompt. read more

The atmosphere was wonderful!! There are several rooms to eat at. The back room had a big huge alligator in the center of the room and there was live music playing. My boyfriend ate a burger which he loved. I had blackened shrimp which was very good. I especially loved all the history in this place. The one down side was there was no WiFi and our phones didn't have any signal but that could be a hidden blessing too as it allowed us to really enjoy the place more with no distractions. In addition to that, to the right of the entrance there are a few cabins that are rented out nightly so if you want to stay in the area this might be an option. read more

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I've been waiting to go to this place for some time and saw their post of fb about the braised pork over risotto and thought going Saturday and this is what I'm ordering. My husband and I arrived right at 12 (they're only open Thursday-Sunday 12-8/9). Apparently the braised pork was a big success they sold out so I ordered the Prime Pork Ribeye with cranberry-raspberry sauce and my sides were a delicious house salad with their homemade raspberry vinaigrette and cheese grits. My husband ordered the Combination Platter of fried catfish and clam strips, tater tots, very hot sweet potato and hush puppies. We both were very pleased with our entrees and Annie was our server who was absolutely wonderful. Explained everything to us and was just so helpful for our first time there. Annie told us of some of the history and the back section is the original part of the restaurant from 1952. Lots of history and all kinds of decor for you to check out. So glad we finally decided to go try this delicious place. read more

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Great food. Old Florida atmosphere. Don't drink the water-they need to run their drinking water and ice cube water thru some type of filter.

Wow! The food is sooooo good. Toe curling great! The atmosphere is comfortable, music good and a great place to walk around and see the history of it. So happy we stumbled upon this and will return. read more

Staff /Bartender are great. Ice cold beer in lounge. I had the cheese burger made in house never frozen from steak. Also stayed at the cabin. Perfect for an over night. Rustic and Authentic old Florida. Struck up a conversation with locals while at lunch. Very nice people from the area. The restaurant is cool with all sorts of books and whatnot. Lots of art from locals that was pretty interesting. Had an issue getting on cabin internet ( no cell service in the area) a gal came and took care of it right away. Give them a try! read more

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Food was good the service was slow bout soon after they were very nice! A little out of the way and they are only open Thursday-Sunday go check it out!! read more

We stopped by for a late lunch after visiting the Marjorie Rawlings State Park & tour of her homestead. The restaurant was a hidden gem of old Florida charm. We sat by the cozy fireplace. The fried green tomatoes were delicious as well as The Creek Boy sandwich ( fried shrimp). We didn't have room for dessert but all of the choices were tempting. All of the wait staff were friendly & attentive. There is a 3% surcharge for using a credit card but this is printed on the menu. I would recommend checking it out! read more

Was some good Florida fun exploring this old-timey country restaurant with its pioneer fare set in what sort of feels like some kind of swamp house fish camp just off the lakes in times gone by. Friendly hospitality and good food. Sure, they've got all the usual Southern suspects like fried green tomatoes, collard greens, shrimp and grits, and catfish but there's more. Like gator, duck, and venison. Even frog legs for the adventurous! Almost surprised they didn't have squirrel, rabbit, or sandhill crane on the menu! Just kidding. Overall, food was pretty good. Gator wasn't rubbery, which is how you get it usually elsewhere. Nice thick fried green tomatoes, I liked that. My Bloody Mary was excellent and I'm picky. Man alive, you should have seen the hunk of meat in the collard greens. Whoa. Shrimps were good. Everything was good, good, good. lol It's a curiosity of a place; part museum, taxidermy on display, live music, a library nodding to its namesake and the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park up the street, and even cabins to rent, Jyeah, you could actually stay here if you wanted to and you know what, it kind of sort of looks like a pretty cool thing to do. read more

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The unique food is amazing - options like duck, venison, frog legs, etc. The feel of old traditional Florida is unlike anywhere else.

The food is AMAZING love the clam strips make to put lemon on she forgot my fries but I told and she gave me them she was soooo nice love her make sure to read the book LOVE THE BOOK yeah so that's my review read more

I don't like going here the food is mid and it's meh disappointed will never come back

This place is a whole experience! The outside of the restaurant is rustic and the decor inside has an old hunting cabin vibe. Eclectic menu offerings like frog legs and gator tail. We stuck with a grilled redfish sandwich and chicken nuggets for the kiddo. Our waitress was friendly and came by several times to check on us. We were stuffed after dinner but will be back to try the onion rings appetizer and key lime pie! read more

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Beautiful ride to and from this area Unique establishment This place has been around a long time Tried to order a variety plate special - no gator (but they will substitute shrimp) Tried to order the red snapper sandwich - no (again) Ordered the pork ribeye - it was quite decent The sweet tea was great ...for me... this place was a nice check box - but will most likely not return to read more

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Super yummy food I recommend everyone to come dine in it's the best for the price of the food it's amazing read more

The Yearling Restaurant - It's so good hear the food is amazing - Southern Near Me - Hawthorne, Florida

This is off the beaten path, but was a beautiful ride to get there. The building has been around for a long time but is eclectic with a section of taxidermy Florida wildlife and lots of book cases with books. They had a singer with a guitar who was not overly loud so you could still have a conversation. I had a grilled chicken sandwich with tater tots and sweet tea. Service was average and food was good. There is a little gift shop. They also rent cabins. read more

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Menu is old Florida, with items such as Cat fish, frog legs, gator tail, and Venison steak. I had the Venison, grilled medium rare, and it was perfect. The service a little slow, but that was because of the friendly conversation with the patrons. The back dining room, was like a library, with bookshelves lining 3 walls, books on every subject, and nature, all for sale, against one wall, ( where a solo guitarist was playing, was a stuffed zoo, containing one of every animal in the area. In the middle of the room was the centerpiece, on a 4 ft platform, a 13 ft stuffed alligator. This is a worthwhile day trip, for the food, the decor, and the friendly waitstaff! read more

I wasn't sure what to expect- but I was hoping for a lake view seeing all the water on the GPS map. This Florida Cracker style cabin restaurant is more than meets the eye. We stood near the front for a few minutes before a couple of women joined us in line and I saw the "bell" to ring for service- a large bell mounted to the wall. Ok- the ring seemed to penetrate every wall. A voice hollered from the kitchen that they would be right there. We were swept into the dining room to the right, near the windows with a view of the parking lot and path leading to cabins you can rent. What we didn't know at the time was the room down the hall on the left- was a taxidermy museum of local critters! John discovered it before leaving when he went in search of the restrooms- and rushed back to me to inform me "You HAVE to see this!" So tip- ask to sit to the left- unless you will be freaked out. Anyway- the food. I was hungry but not starving and they had Fried Green Tomatoes on the menu- and you just know a good ole country kitchen is going to serve them up right. John went with the grilled chicken plate and it came with this little cup of preserves made of cranberries and blue berries and was flipping amazing- he was even dipping his chicken in it!!! My tomatoes were indeed perfection. Food was spot on. We actually managed to buy some of that preserves! Amber (our wonderful server) put some in a cup for us- hot, just made!!! It was still liquid- having just left the stove and I sipped at the hot, sweet goodness as John laughed at me. I flatly told them they should jar it and sell it- wow it was good. This was a spot John had wanted to stop at for more than a decade and we were both happy we made the side trip a few miles into back-country to treat ourselves. Enjoy!!! read more

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Have not been since 1980, the ambience the service and the food was wonderful at that time.

This WAS my alltime favorite spot when we snowbird (Jan-Apr), so I wanted to start early 2026, today! We been eating all day but I still wanted a bowl of their famous ckam chowder fir dinner. We ordered water, frog leg appetizer and 2 bowls of chowder for dinner. The waitess appeared 15 mins later with 2 bowls of chowder, when I questioned souo before appetizer, she very nastily stated, I can take it back! We were stunned but said, we eat chowder first and then eat appetizer. She returned in 90 seconds with frog legs, WOW! What must I eat cold, so I returned the chowder. She had attitude . About 20 min later she returned with soup asked are you ready for soup now, attitude. I had already resigned I didn't want it. We paid $40 for 2 bowls of soup and a frog leg appetizer. No longer my spot. We usually go at least 3-4 in the 4 months with bills around $100 each, guess our business not need or wanted. read more

Went for the first time yesterday. It will not be the last! I had blackened cat fish and slaw. Delicious! I tried a bite of everyone else's food and it was all delicious! Servers were on point, friendly and attentive. Five stars! read more

Very disappointed in the food first of all we went and the front door and already was grossed out by how dirty it was in the smell, but we stayed anyway, because it took us a long time to get there we started off with the onion rings and fried tomatoes that were disgusting. There were no onions in the onion rings, and the tomatoes were so soggy and cold. Then we ordered the salad my partner had the Caesar salad and I had the signature salad for the price of it. There was hardly had any lettuce or a lot of fixings in the salad plus almost 7 dollars extra charge for the chicken. I got fried chicken that was disgustingly taste like fish and I probably only got four small little fried pieces.and My partners chicken had a few more pieces on it His was blackened Just disappointed that we spent that much money on garbage. We will definitely never be back and let people know what we thought of it. I know it's been around for years, but I don't understand why our bill came to over $80 for two salads and an appetizer iced tea and a diet Pepsi. Totally ridiculous.and gross Our waitress was awesome. read more

A true hidden gem with history. This place is truly off the beaten path and down the road from Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' historical farmhouse. Some dishes were hit or miss. Most of ours were hit, though. The Conch Fritters were a little too wet for my personal liking. This was my first time trying gator, and they were pretty tasty! The Fried Green Tomatoes could have used a bit more seasoning, but the homemade sauces served with it helped that. The Pork Ribeye might have been one of the best pork dishes I have ever had (and I've eaten quite a bit of pork around the world, and this is up there!). It was SO flavorful and tender and a very generous portion. The Blackened Red Fish was also incredible - fresh and full of flavor. It is an absolutely beautiful drive that transports you to a simpler time. I would absolutely recommend you add this place to your list. Don't forget to save time to look around! So much memorabilia revolving around The Yearling! read more

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We came out of our way to visit the park and The Yearling for my wife's birthday. After a slow stroll by the boat ramp up to the shores of Orange Lake, we drove back around the corner to the restaurant. We were an hour early for our reservation, but they seated us immediately. When the hostess asked us which room we would like to be seated in we said we had no clue and would yield to her recommendation. She brought us to the room with the giant alligator in the middle. Lined with books and a live music stage in the corner. The meal moved slowly and we never felt rushed, which was great because there was so much to explore around the room. My wife and I took turns picking a random old book off of one of the shelves and bringing it back to the table to peruse. We ordered the Venison and the Cross Creek special (fired gator, fried frog legs, and fried catfish.) We asked the waitress which sides she suggested and ended up with the house salad, a baked potato, cheese grits, and okra with tomatoes. Everything was absolutely amazing, and we took so much food home that we shared our leftovers with my parents for lunch the next day and 4 of us had a second meal! The service was down home, friendly, and unrushed - just like it should be in an Old Florida gem like this. read more

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A very unique and fun dining experience. Restaurant is located in the middle of a quiet, more residential road with cabins for rent in the back. Interior is filled with old books and taxonomy. They do have a small bar area to get drinks if you're there early. We got the following: grouper, gator tail, frog legs, fried pickles, smoked fish dip. The frog legs tasted like chicken and the gator tail like a chewy pork chop. Everything was excellent, service was also attentive and rapid. Will be back again to try more specialties! read more

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This is a must see simply for the decor and live music. It added up to a unique experience with excellent service and great food. I didn't know I like venison and gator but now I know. We had the venison dinner and the cross creek platter that included gator bites, frog legs and catfish. The portions were great and everything was delicious! Definitely stop in for some good southern cooking and take in the ambiance as a bonus! read more

The Yearling Restaurant - Didn't remember to take the photo until we had started to dig in! - Southern Near Me - Hawthorne, Florida

The burgers are out of this world, fresh not Frozen! We had a great ride over and the scenery in the area is amazing. The location is just right and the restaurant is full of history.. definitely a must do! read more

What an incredible experience!! We stumbled upon this place online and decided to bring our Texas group in. We called ahead and let them know there were 8 of us and they had a table ready the second we walked in. The owner and all of the staff were so kind. The food was so so so good. Our group had conch fritters and gator to start, then a variety of grouper, redfish, shrimp, catfish and various sides. The blackened redfish was delicious! This place is a bookstore vibe with taxidermy decor and live music. I promise you'll never find another like this. If you're anywhere near this place, stop by. You won't regret it! read more

The Yearling Restaurant - Gator Appetizer - Southern Near Me - Hawthorne, Florida

Stopped in for lunch after visiting the Rawling house down the street. It's a nifty restaurant with decor throughout that keeps you gazing while you wait. The left side of the place where the bathrooms were had an awful stench so we opted to sit on the opposite end. I had a salad with fruit, bacon with a vinaigrette. It was ok but didn't entirely jive together. The best was the desert where we tried the sour orange piE and a pecan pie. The sour orange pie was differently and scrumptious but better if shared. There were some stages so I'm sure they have a some live music at night. read more

The Yearling Restaurant - My salad - Southern Near Me - Hawthorne, Florida

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We've driven up and down US-301 for years seeing the signs for The Yearling Restaurant so we finally stopped for lunch. The restaurant is about 4 miles off of US-301. The Yearlings is named after tge famous book by author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings who lived nearby. The restaurant has been in business for nearly 70 years. This place is definitely old school roadside attraction kind of place. Lots of dark wood, low ceilings, country decorations, and more. There is a large back room with many large and small taxidermied animals. There is a full service bar as well. There are 7 small cabins available to rent for short or long term rentals. We stopped for lunch on our way to the Tampa area so no drinks this time. Crystal wasn't super hungry so she had the appetizer of fried green tomatoes. She thought it was very good. I had grilled chicken breasts with a caesar salad and green beans. The salad dressings are all made in-house and it was awesome. I ordered a side of 5 grilled shrimp but gladly donated them to Crystal. The shrimp was pretty good but the grilled chicken breasts were very flavorful and moist. It was served with a homemade sauce of cranberries, blueberries, melba sauce, and sugar. It was amazing and pairs with nearly any meat. It was so good we bought a large container to take home for Thanksgiving. They sell their salad dressings too. We really enjoyed The Yearling. We will stop here again! read more

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Would have been better had they seated me in the main dining room rather than the little room up front. I was dining myself and noticing the room look nothing like I had seen in their website. I was kinda bummed. I stayed at their cabins and couldn't wait to go to the restaurant.the food was good, no complaints. The service was sketchy. I had 3 different waitresses ask if anyone had helped me yet. They seemed a bit mixed up. When dinner was over, I stopped in the gift shop. Then I noticed a cute bar area. Then, I hear music and see book shelves of books, and a whole other room with entertainment and all the wildlife statues in the room. I was really taken aback. I asked the waitress, Why didn't they sit me in the main room? She said, Oh we had to even out the seating. Um, ok, so, I'm a party of one, and I get the shaft? Pissed me off. Drove 6 hours to go to the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlins house tour, stay at the cabins, and eat at this special place. The cabin was great and the people nice, but the restaurant left a bad taste in my mouth. If you go, make sure to ask ti sit in the main dining room. I even had a reservation and still got the crummy room. The place wasn't even full by any stretch of the imagination. read more

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