Original American Kitchen (OAK) — Restaurant in Gainesville

Worse experience ever! My water cup literally had a strand of hair in it. Disgusting! I informed the waiter and apologized and replaced it. My first cup of orange juice was dirty on the outside; it was spotted all across the rim; it too was replaced and an apology was given. My next cup of orange juice was rather warm.

We placed our order within 10 minutes of arriving and patiently waited for it as we noticed the restaurant was pretty full. After 45 minutes of waiting on the flank meal and the duck Benny and seeing 4+ plus other patrons eating before us who had been seated after us, we decided to leave. I even asked the waiter for an update and she mentioned the kitchen being backed up. That was quite obvious after waiting so long a little PR would have appropriate instead of what felt like subtle ignoring.

After the waiter informed us that our ticket was next, the couple next to us who came in 20 minutes after us were then served their food. I asked the waiter how did they get their food along with others when we’ve been here before them and ordered before them (as both are necessary) and you just us we were next according to the ticketing system. She had no real answer, looked frazzled, begin to blabber all awhile trying to get us to stay as we advised we’d just leave.

We asked to pay for the orange juice and she declined. The waiter also mentioned having the manager come out and talk to us but mentioned she had just talked to her manager so I was confused about what could actually change after waiting so long and watching others constantly be prioritized over us. The initial signs should have told us to leave but we attempted to wait it out and extend grace as things do happen.

Today was such an unpleasant experience and we will never ever be back!!!!

The OAK literally wasted my husband and I’s extremely limited time after church today. We could have gone elsewhere with better customer service, better time management and where our business would have been appreciated and respected.

Edit: Called and spoke with a “manager” he was the most nonchalant, uncaring, manager I have EVER spoken with. Terrible management and I really hope this place does better because they are lacking in...

This was one of the worst dining experiences I’ve ever had. Nearly every item we wanted was unavailable, and our waitress didn’t bother to suggest what was available, which made ordering unnecessarily difficult. Dessert was oddly brought out before the meal, and when questioned, the waitress said, “I literally don’t know why that other person would bring it out.” The pretzel was awful and way too salty, the dip was mid, and our utensils didn’t arrive until after the food — only after we asked.

Food was hit-or-miss: the salmon was good, but the broccolini was bland. The tomato soup and Gouda sandwich were so flavorless my wife didn’t eat them. We also waited nearly 30 minutes for the dessert that had already been served once too early. On top of that, I ordered a mocktail that was disgusting — and worse, I was actually served an alcoholic cocktail instead. We don’t drink alcohol for religious reasons, and my wife is also pregnant. When we raised this, the waitress was indifferent until my wife mentioned her pregnancy, and only then did she acknowledge the mistake.

Throughout the night, our server was disengaged, uninterested in helping, and disappeared for long stretches. Between the poor service, multiple serious mistakes, and disappointing food, this was an awful experience. Definitely not worth the time or money.

AMEX should seriously consider removing this restaurant from Resy — it’s well below the caliber of other Resy...

On a recent visit to Gainesville to visit friends, I had the good fortune of dining at OAK on a Thursday evening. Firstly, let me cut right to the chase, the Carolina Trout was utterly delicious! It was perfectly cut, cooked and seasoned! The service, seating and atmosphere made for a high-end experience at a delightful budget-friendly price! We were so pleased that our conversations the next day continued about how much we enjoyed every aspect of that dining experience. So, on Saturday my friend and I attended the bottomless mimosa brunch. My husband and I amuse ourselves with being self-proclaimed egg Benedict connoisseurs after eating countless Benedict's all over the world. The Southern Smoked Salmon Benedict at OAK surpassed every expectation and proudly stood against The Egg Benedict in New York City where it originated at the Waldorf Hotel. Now on to the the Mimosa's, the beautiful, hardworking, dedicated servers deliver mouth watering champagne and orange juice served in stunning crystal to your table the moment you finish the one before. Hence bottomless. How do I know they are hard-working and dedicated you may ask...because the orange juice is squeezed fresh for each and every flute. While I could go on and on and I don't usually write these reviews let me just end with saying without a doubt we will definitely be back and look forward to my return...