Collegiate Grill — Restaurant in Gainesville

Lunch at the Collegiate Grill in Downtown Gainesville today was positively delicious.

I don't usually rave about a hamburger, but the bacon cheeseburger was "great," as USA Today opined! A juicy, yummy concoction where the bun didn't disintegrate through the entirer experience is something worthy of worship! I give the burger 5 stars.

On a Saturday, the wait for a table was about 15 minutes, a lot to do with the spacing of tables to deal with the pandemic. Service was good and tables socially distanced.

The housemade fries were fresh, hot and tasty! We shared a large order and it was quite enough for two. 4 stars!

I ordered the orange milkshake and, to be honest, my dining companion's strawberry shake tasted better. His gets 5 stars and mine gets 3. ☺️

The sports-related bulletin boards were interesting, if you're into that sort of thing ... which I'm not.

That burger, though, is definitely worth going back for, so all is forgiven!

*Get the cheeseburger with everything. *And make it a five-hat event: Get the fries and the STRAWBERRY shake! And heads up: Don't expect a plate. They...

Since the new owners are gone and they are new ones now, the food is not the same. Last time I went I got a hamburger with slaw and onions ketchup mustard pickles, or that is what I ordered My hamburger didn't have any slaw on it but it had pickles and onions. The fries were crispy not normal homemade fries. My husband's hamburger was okay. I have ordered again this is my second time since the new changeover and once again the french fries are definitely not the same they are overcooked and very crispy. My hamburger which was supposed to have slaw onions ketchup mustard pickles has a lot of onions like a half a teaspoon of slaw and ketchup mustard pickles. I'm not sure who is ever cooking understands that here in the south we love our slaw and if we're going to pay for it we should at least get enough on it to taste. Not eager to go back. We've always loved going to collegiate grill but it has changed. It also seems the price is have...

This was my favorite place in town for years, through multiple ownership changes. Unfortunately, the quality of the food after the most recent ownership change has gone down too much.

The burgers went from the best in town to pretty average and a little dry. The hot dogs used to be really unique and something you couldn't get anywhere else, but they got rid of those and went to something that pretty bland and like what you could buy at the grocery store. Along with this, the prices have gone up, which I would understand if the food quality had been maintained. The service used to be really warm and friendly, but has gotten a bit cold and detached.

Overall, I'm just sad that my favorite Gainesville restaurant lost its way. I hope it can find it again, whether through this owner or someone who will take a bit more pride in what The Collegiate was and...