Mediterranean Breeze Bar And Grill — Restaurant in Gainesville

Hot, fresh pita bread is the best!

Thrilled this Mediterranean restaurant is here in Gainesville. Central location, plenty of space and great food! Smells great when you go in.

Inside there are both regular and tall tables where you can sit as well as couches to eat or have a hookah. You can just eat or enjoy dinner and hookah in a variety of flavors from mint to blueberry.

But how is the food, you ask? DELICIOUS. We started with baba ghanoush, a cool, creamy treat served with pillowy soft, warm pita slices. I like hummus but the smoky flavor of baba ghanoush is just better.

I had the sampler platter as my entree to sample several meats - chicken, beef and salmon. The chicken was seasoned well with just the right amount of Mediterranean spices and was delicious in the yogurt sauce - not too dilly! The salmon was tasty but I suggest asking for their garlic sauce to dip this in because that made it next level delicious. The beef kabob was my very favorite. Tender and juicy chunks of steak perfect on their own or with a sauce.

This trio plate also came with a cold salad in a light vinaigrette dressing and a some hot grilled vegetables that were SPICY!! I didn’t expect the spice and wow, it made my nose run, lol. There were hot peppers in those grilled veggies - I might ask next time if they could leave those out because I am a wimp.

If someone in your house isn’t an adventurous eater, there are things on the menu for them too, like the chicken burger, which is a tender fried chicken sandwich and french fries.

If you are looking for adult beverages, they have beer and cider on tap and a full bar. I had a rum punch and strawberry margarita and both were tasty and well mixed.

The owner came to talk with us and he was just the nicest man. He was saying they’ve had an incredibly successful soft opening this weekend so they hadn’t planned for so much business, which is great!

There’s a sign on the door that APC bar poker will be starting here soon. If you haven’t played before, it’s really fun. It’s free poker where you just play with chips.

When I go back, I can’t wait to try the lamb burger, and the baklava! I’m also looking forward to having gyros for lunch now…and definitely more...

Looking for something different, my wife and I thought we would give this place a go. We started with the hummus and pita. It was very fresh and tasty and they didn't skimp on the pita triangles. They also brought out a small amount of a green "relish" type stuff they said they sometimes serve with the hummus, and indicated it might be "a little spicy," but I found it to be very reasonable. I do really like spicy food, so I might not be a good judge .. regardless I didn't find it spicy, but I did think it was really good. I enjoyed it a lot.

While we didn't order the Baba Ganoush, they brought out a small sample of it. I had no idea I liked Baba Ganoush so much .. it was REALLY good, and I'd definitely order that next time.

I had the chicken kabobs. It came with a small salad and the kabobs were served on top of yellow rice. Chicken was cooked properly, not over done, not undercooked, and was spiced well. My wife had the lamb / gyro meat plate. Same deal - served on a bed of yellow rice. Had a great flavor and was a reasonable portion.

My only complaint was there was no one else there. The food was good, the service was good. Enjoyed a cold beer with my meal. I was just disappointed there wasn't anyone else there. I hope they make it. They deserve to. We'll definitely be back.

OH - I do actually have a suggestion for the owners. I'd probably turn off the lasers / light show. We requested to sit in the corner around the wall to avoid the lights - We loved everything about the place, but would probably recommend turning the "night club" laser lights off .. or save them for later in the evening. Regardless,...

Nice people, late hours, great food!

The service was great. The server was kind and a smiled often. There was a man who would periodically come and check on us, who may have been the owner—if not, a manager.

The place was well lit, so it was hard to believe it was a “bar.” It’s definitely more of a restaurant/bar hybrid. If the lights were a tad dimmer and the music was more upbeat, it would be more a late night vibe. However, the place was very clean and had tables, high tables and little couches to sit on.

The food tasted great and very home-made! I loveeeeeed the hummus and salmon. They even accommodated me, and made the salmon kabob into a salmon salad! As a pescatarian, I’m so excited to have a nice place to eat—that is open late! I would love to see a falafel or veggie burger on the menu (there’s a photo of one on the menu, but it’s not there!) My husband said his lamb burger was absolutely delicious! Although, his fries weren’t very crispy. They were the fries that are soft and almost mushy. We prefer crispier fries that are cut more thinly. We will be back again, though!

The prices were slightly high, but nothing too crazy based on our current economy. You can see photos of the menu, but we spent $43 on food—not including the tip. This includes 1 drink, 2 meals, and 1 appetizer.

I’m sure this place will be a hit, considering that it’s spacious, has more food options than most bars, and is in Gainesville. My only regret is that I didn’t find it sooner. It must be new, because I didn’t see it...