Ever since Wahoo opened a few months ago, I have continued going back as a very happy customer. Even though I am unfortunately allergic to shellfish, which is in a large percentage of their food, I have been able to find other dishes that I just love. They've also been very accommodating with my allergy, making necessary substitutions when asked. I've regularly ordered the hazelnut pasta etouffee with fresh catch, blackened fish tacos, jambalaya without the scallops and shrimp, and occasionally the build your own salad if I want something lighter. Everything always turns out delicious! I'd say the only disappointing thing about the food is that they changed their original calamari appetizer, and the newer one isn't nearly as good as what they used to have (not horrible, but not any different than what you can find at any boring chain restaurant). Happy hour is definitely the time to go if you want to enjoy their alcoholic beverages. I actually LOVE the habanero margarita, but yes, it is spicy as its name suggests. I have tried several of their other specialty drinks and martinis and have never been disappointed. In addition to being yummy, they also always look pretty and are reasonably priced. The service is always friendly, although I have had one or two not so great experiences where the server neglected our table for lengthy periods of time. But the general manager who seems to always be there (I think his name is Rob or Ron) has always been incredibly attentive and not too hard on the eyes either ;-) Definitely would recommend to anyone who enjoys a casual environment with good seafood and live music on some nights. Wish I would have taken the time to review them sooner. 5 stars! read more

My favorite restaurant in Gainesville. Went last night for dinner and it was awesome. Sat at the bar and Cayla served us, she's great. Had gator tail and the tuna appetizer, both were perfect. read more

Wahoo Seafood Grill - Tuna appetizer!!! - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Close to I-75, awesome food and service. We stopped here as we were several hours away yet from our final vacation spot, and we wanted seafood. Everything was great. we sat in the sun on the patio to eat lunch; so relaxing and great ready-to-vacation vibe. All of our food was great! Quick, attentive service. Clean restrooms. Would definitely return! read more

It is right off of I75, very convenient. You can eat outside or inside. Lots of sea food but they do have land lover food. Our meal was very good, one person had one of the boils, other person had the Jambalaya, the portion was small, the other person had the steak. Everything was delicious and we would diffidently go back. read more

We had eaten at the Wahoo in Tallahassee on our way down. Good and clean. FG Tomatoes were pretty good and service was fine. We ate at the one in Gainesville on our way back. Seated promptly, busy manager and wait staff. Sat us in back room with dingy carpets. None of the Ketchups were filled. Our waiter was busy also, just not with us. Our food was brought out by another server and we had to get the manager for tea refills and our check. Had FG Tomatoes again and grilled fish tacos. Tomatoes were over breaded and tasted frozen. Crab topping just looked like white fiberous mush. Salsa for fish taco was old. Lemons had been cut a while ago and the tea was like water. We ate, we finally left and then had to stop at nearly every rest stop between G'ville and Talla. Rumbly tummies and ...you know the rest. Someone is not washing something and not putting our fresh condiments. Very last time. Will get the grilled catfish at Cracker Barrel before eating this frozen wanna be chain food. read more

The food was high priced but good. I give it a 3 due to atmosphere. I went in at an off time 4:00 PM and was enjoying the quiet isolation of the back room. I asked if the TV could be changed to news. ( I was alone in the room or I would have never requested a change) I was told that it could be changed but not to news because they have had problems in the past. I am an adult and I was insulted. If I am adult enough to pay a $41.00 bill for a single order I am adult enough to watch the news. When I questioned this they changed it to they are a "Sports" channel only. This is my last trip here. read more

If it were possible to give negative stars, I would do it for this establishment. We were at the Harley dealership getting a bike repaired and they recommended this place. Shame on you Harley Davidson of Gainesville. The food was horrible, plain and simple. I ordered the lobster roll and my wife had the blackened Cobia. Let's start with the lobster roll. Zero flavor, I mean nothing. I tried adding salt, then more salt, then some hot sauce. What I ended up with was a clump of mystery meat that only tasted like salty hot sauce. The three bites I tried to eat also had way too many shell pieces in it. The roll was hard and had no flavor whatsoever. Simply terrible! My wife's fish was no better, it was so bland. It was like eating nothing. The bed of rice the fish was on had a little flavor but that was it. No blackend flavor at all! The staff was super nice, they were really working hard and were very friendly. That was the only positive thing about this place. read more

The crab bisque is the BEST in town and the outside seating is great! Plenty of parking all around the restaurant and professional attentive staff. It is a little pricey but fun for a date night. (not quite or romantic type of setting) read more

We always stop here for lunch on our way back south. The very best seafood in Florida. They are a little short-staffed but the friendliness and great food more than make up for the slower service. We sometimes drive from Leesburg to Gainesville just to eat here. Try it, you won't be disappointed. read more

Wouldn't recommend to anyone. Shrimp was mushy and snow crab was falling apart. Food was cold, I'm use to fresh food and at $70 spent here this place should be ashamed. Got me this time never again. read more

Visited Wahoo the first time for lunch on a Sunday. We were initially sat on the hightops in the bar area, which it was nice to watch the afternoon sport events on the 4 TVs there. However, we were distracted by the multitude of flies that had buzzed around and set up home on the table next to us. It was quite disturbing, as they kept landing on our drinks, and wouldn't leave us alone, no matter how much shooing we performed. We ended up moving outside, because the other couple who had joined us had brought their dog. The staff were very accommodating with this, and had even brought the dog a bowl of water, since we were out in the hot Florida weather. Unfortunately, our move put us out of sight of the servers. Out of sight, out of mind, I suppose. It took awhile to bring our appetizer and lunch plates. I was still weary of the insect occupants that were seen inside, but since I was quite hungry, I dug in. I ended up getting the almond crusted salmon and my husband ordered the fried shrimp. They were both good, and worth the $8-12 per plate that we paid. Would I go back? This wouldn't be my first choice of restaurants in Gainesville. Sure, the food was good, accommodating staff was nice, but cleanliness and speed need a little touch up. Maybe after I have exhausted other restaurants, I would return, but I've had better seafood elsewhere. read more

Get the blackened cobia but ask for it to be served on the mango coconut rice and add mango salsa. You won't regret it. This is by far our go-to restaurant for seafood in Gainesville. Love the live music they have and also their willingness to carry local craft beers (would like to see more choices but it's a start!). Parking can be tricky & the music volume on the patio can be quite loud. These two things are the only reason my review is 4 star instead of 5. read more

Wahoo is fantastic! The decor is amazing and the staff is even better. Went for happy hour (3-7) with my friends. Great deals and even better service. Clayton was behind the bar and his drinks were phenomenal! I asked for something off the menu and he exceeded my expectations. Our server, Austin was always there when we needed him and made the experience a 10/10. Dale was the manager on the shift and he was very hands on. He checked in on us, delivered drinks and made sure the entire place was flowing properly. This crew will definitely seen us again. I think we found our new happy hour spot! read more

Very good food. Better than any Joe's Crab Shack or Red Lobster we've been to lately. The crab bisque is excellent. The salad choices are good. The snow crab and shrimp steam pot was Excellent. The service was a little slow but the food is worth it. We will make this a regular stop on our Florida-Georgia trips. read more

Wahoo Seafood Grill - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Nice place...seemed like they were courteous 0f patrons,food looked good, drinks were sorta spendy. Hard to come by toilet seat covers down South..so far Alabama "seats" patrons the best! Nice veranda/ service ( Cheryl). read more

Wahoo Seafood Grill - Empty! - Seafood Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

The most unique and tasty Mac 'n Cheese ever! Fish tacos were fresh and generous. Service was friendly. This was my second visit. Very good both times. Nice porch area if you want to eat outdoors. Inside bar is comfortable. Recommend Wahoo highly. read more

Wow! Great food, reasonable prices. Very hard to choose which yummy unique dish (or side) to order. And the creme de la creme is the wait staff!!! So knowledgeable, pleasant and accommodating. I didn't catch the little girl's name that waited on us 10 days ago, who was so helpful to my husband and I, but today Matt put up with a lot from my elderly parents and I...and was quite cheerful and friendly doing it. Too bad no locations in Indiana!!!! Keep up the good work- see you next year! read more

My wife and I stopped for lunch on a day off together and were very pleased with this establishment. A lot of outdoor seating, friendly wait staff, and the food was outstanding. The Parmesan Mahi was delicious and my wife loved crab bisque. read more

While convenient for us, Wahoo is a bit overpriced and leaves me feeling very much like I live in the least coastal part of Florida. We still go occasionally, but just wish it was a bit better. read more

Minus 5 stars. Tonight was the last time I will give Wahoo a chance at disappointing me. After sitting at the bar and placing my order I finally received my crab cake appetizer with my guest entrees. I ordered my entree and it was never put in by the overwhelmed young lady trying to man the bar. Every time I have been here they are slower than a snail championship. The food is hit or miss. I have never seen a manager and it shows in how over worked the staff is and the lack of service the customers get. There has to be 10 better places to eat, including Long John Silvers. It is a shame this could be a 5 star place if the management would give half a care and get the one bar tender some help. You have been warned. Good luck if you decided to stop. read more

This restaurant is the BEST in Gainesville. We dined there recently with our family and everyone loved their food! The drinks were perfect, the catfish was moist and tender, the salad crisp and fresh. The ahi tuna gently seared. Did I say how perfect the tuna was! This seems to be a challenge in most restaurants! The service was excellent! Did I mention the music on the patio? Now you can dine and hear great jazz/blues as you enjoy your meal. Love this place. read more

The service is awful very long waits. The food is not good and the overall environment is low quality. Very few options for the little children. Not child friendly. Wahoo? More like Wa-NO. DONT EAT HERE. VERY BAD. read more

So glad that my husband found this little tucked away gem! I do appreciate the vegetarian/vegan options, and my tacos were delicious! My husband had the seafood jambalaya, and he really enjoyed it. He wants to come back for the sea food boil when we don't have other dinner obligations. read more

We had the Mudbug Fries and they were amazing! My husband and I shared the Swamp boil. Definitely on our travel list to visit again.

Hubby loved his platter and I had the snow crabs and lobster all delish ...downfall we ordered appetizer and never came .......he offered to get it but we had our entrees already . read more

Worst restaurant in the city of Gainesville. Wahoo seafood Grill you have done a disservice to yourselves and to me as your customer. I ordered the half super boil and jambalaya for my family. The jambalaya was supposed to have shrimp scallops and fish. Look at the picture, Do you see any shrimp and fish, and you probably won't because they did not put any in it. They charged me 18.99 for this horrible dish. The $36 super boil had nothing to be desired. Everything in it was waterlogged, dry, and tasteless. The lobster was dried out and the consistency of it was like chewing and old T-shirt. It was just that tough. The 2 crab leg clusters were dry and tasteless, the crawfish the same. They gave me two pointed ends of corn and one red potato cut in half. The only saving grace was when I complained to the manager, he was willing to give us a 50% discount because that is all he could do. So he says. Overall this meal cost us over $55 and it was unacceptable and balls taste and presentation. Wahoo this is an epic fail and the food today was subpar. read more

Surprisingly good! We made a stop on our way back to Kansas City from Florida. Billboards pointed us to stop by here to get some seafood before heading home. We ordered Super boil, Boom boom shrimp, Calamari and Gator tail. The sauce dips were perfect! We had 5 adults that split this - some eat more than others in our party. The flavor and spice level was so good! I wasn't able to take pictures but food was awesome. We were there Saturday at 2:30-ish so lunch rush was over. Service was fast enough. read more

From the the moment we were greeted inside by the hostess, our experience here was nothing from exceptional. The atmosphere: relaxed and inviting. The service: attentive and cheerful. The food: absolutely delicious! Our server, Maddie, made sure none of my food had dairy in it (for my allergy) as she discussed with the chef. What an underappreciated gem! read more

Service a little slow for entree's to come out. Wife's drink initially served in a dirty glass but promptly fixed. Her fish was over cooked. Waitress who brought food was asked about sauce and never returned but passed by three times. Mashed potatoes we're very good and Jambalaya has a very good spice flavor. Odd smell inside so we ate outside. Overall OK not sure I'll be back read more

Friendly staff and good bar atmosphere. Don't expect a unique culinary experience but this is a great place to have drinks after work. Live music outside when there is warmer weather. read more

Pros: nice patio, good service, good happy hour drink specials. Cons: My steamed oysters I would have preferred more well done. I was not asked how well done I would like them to be, I didn't realize people ate them almost raw but warm... I guess I know for the next time I order steamed oysters. Everyone else enjoyed their food. Cheese grits were ok and kale salad was tasty but very over priced for four bites. My food experience was more like 2 stars. My boyfriends parents frequent this place, but I may avoid for a while if I come back at all. read more

This was awful almost 2 hours before we served. The manager did comp our meal but they were terribly unorganized. I will not be eating there again. read more

Great food and I love being able to use the curb side service to just pick up the food and take it home!

We stopped here for the 3rd time while driving through to Ft Myers. The gator is delicious. Ron, the manager and his staff is super attentive. The service was quick and food was great. I had the salmon and the mango rice was awesome. I'll be back again. read more

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I love everything about Wahoo. from the food to the friendly staff everything is awesome. Thanks for an awesome anniversary dinner.

This was my first time and it's now one of my favorite restaurants in Gainesville. Good Boom Boom shrimp and the Coconut Margarita was awesome ($3.50 duringb happy hour and there WAS also in it)! We both ordered Back Water boils. The crawfish were a bit dry and obviously frozen and was a little disappointed in that since it's crawfish season but shrimp, sausage, potatoes were all good. Corn was a bit tough however but overall still very good. Great cocktail sauce, plenty of lemons and they even put lemon in your water (water quality was very good by by the way). The best part was dessert. We ordered Afternoon Delight and it was unbelievable. Serves 4 though easily on full stomachs but both of us still finished it off. Service was excellent so the entire meal and a hefty tip was $100 but for date night a very good deal and we will be back! read more

After calling to confirm availability, once we arrived we were told the kitchen was out of most of the food and they were unable to seat my husband and I due to covid restrictions. I explained to the hostess I had actually called ahead of time to verify availability and was still told they would be unable to seat us. We were traveling North and made the stop during our travel just to eat at this establishment. I wouldn't recommend this place to no one. Is this how they treat all interracial couples? read more

Food is always good at Wahoo. Went for lunch on Easter with my 15 month old son and wife. Everything was great until you sat someone rolling in with a cigar right next to us. Can you either be more mindful of situations like that or have a designated smoking section on the patio? read more

Slow service to start, my top shelf margarita was lite on the patron silver, not worth the $9 I paid. Mild wings were good and crab, shrimp and crawfish boil was enough for two, well seasoned. Hubby wanted try this place, I've been one other time, it's ok an place. Food wasn't bad and we aren't overly stuffed. Neat atmosphere! read more

This is the perfect place to enjoy a delicious seafood dinner! The service is fast and friendly. The fried green tomatoes are so good. They've got crab meat on top. They have all you can eat crab legs on Monday nights and the crab comes out so quick. The outside patio is delightful and their happy hour specials are A+. The decorations add a unique flare. Definitely a local place you've got to try! read more