Cedar River Seafood of Gainesville — Restaurant in Gainesville

Cedar River gets right what so many local and especially chain restaurants get terribly wrong in these trying times. In the face of inflation, yes, they raise their prices, but they do NOT pare down portion sizes!

Ordered a couple of Sea Rover's Combos consisting of fried shrimp, fried grouper, two sides each (one with New England clam chowder and slaw, the other with mac and cheese and fries), hushpuppies, and requests fulfilled for plenty of tartar and cocktail sauce and ketchup.

Unlike too many fast food so-called "lunch" specials, these filled my wife and I up deliciously with the same quality today as we've experienced with Cedar River in literally decades of dining with them, most often dine-in but thanks mainly to Florida's COVIDIOTS most recently take-out.

Totally worth the around 30 minute drive across town to pick up, and thanks to my lead foot we got home soon enough to enjoy our fried deliciousness still reasonably crisp. Plenty of shrimp and bona fide grouper which is among their other fish choices including cod, flounder, catfish (meh), pollock (MEH), and others. Mullet would be a nice addition to the roster!

Cashier made sure we were hooked up with sauces, utensils, sides, napkins, and I happily tipped them a bit over 20% as I often do with restaurants in town that are doing their best to excel despite today's variously deplorable circumstances.

Until other spots less enlightened do better, they simply won't get our business. Dickey's BBQ, Bojangles, Hot Birdie, and so many other short-lived franchises, you rightly suffered for going on the cheap and with low quality in a town where there are so many superior options. Y'all want to gain a foothold in Gator town, you'd best...

My family, five of us, and I visited this, very crowded, place last night. After a 30 minute wait we were seated. We ordered our food and everyone got their food with the exception of myself. Both my Cousin and his wife ordered the Catfish, which they found was undercooked. I ordered the “Big Man’s Platter”, with Grouper as my fish choice. When the plate arrived, I couldn’t believe what they brought to the table. The piece of fish, supposed to be Grouper, was actually tilapia, and the rest of the food looked just as unappetizing, then the waitress said the Oder wasn’t mine, and took it back. After waiting another half hour, I requested the Manager. The Manager apologized, attempted to make good on my Cousin and his wife’s meal, and told me he would work on my. Food. When what was supposed to be my food arrived, again I couldn’t believe what they brought out. Again they actually tried to pass off Tilapia as Grouper. I told the Manager, who actually tried to convince me that a fresh water fish, 1/8 of an inch thick filet, was Grouper. I finally told the Manager, you may be the Manager here, but that’s not Grouper, it’s Tilapia. I’ve been catching Grouper, cleaning Grouper, spearfishing for Grouper for 35 years. Unless you like being lied to, or you don’t care what you’re being served, by all means go get your fried Tilapia, while they tell you it’s Snapper. The Manager finally took it off my bill, but I was already insulated by this Manager whom thought I was so Ignorant as to not know my fish. I was happy to hear my Son, whom resides in Gainesville also wrote a review. HORRIBLE,...

UPDATE!! I am so sorry again Leonard the manager for the Karen I did. Today we had another try you gave us and yep IT WAS CEDAR RIVER AWESOME!! To Owner I left a review on YELP and also want to say the food is CEDAR River quality A+++++ I’m so glad we had a chance to eat again here because it was our first time here instead of Starke and I am happy to say YEP YEP THE FOOD IS AWESOME !! I learned a lesson to not get all bent out of shape and just try to fix it Leonard needs a raise lol He did a great job to prove Cedar River is a great Fish place and made sure I knew it Blessings. belly is full and happy

The 5 stars is JUST FOR THE MANAGER LEONARD We did a Take Out. I can’t say the food was bad if you ate inside but calling it in to pick up don’t do it Go there and wait WHAT THIS REVIEW IS FOR is the MANAGER! Very very professional. I became a Karen over my order and Leonard the manager never once yelled back or lost his temper with me. Please Cedar River give this manager a raise ! He is a vital tool for this store . Leonard thank you so much. My brother is very sick with cancer and wanted fish and we always love going to Starkes cedar river Today we tried yours for him and I was very hurt and upset. He paid almost 100.00 for the dinner he was excited to get and none of us could eat it Leonard your compensation was very appreciative. I’m sorry for the Karen attitude but I was just happy to see him get the cedar River fish he has missed for so long KUDOS on the Gainesville Cedar...