Pirates' Grill — Restaurant in Gainesville

Pirates grill in Gainesville is a fun place. The venue to small with just a hand full of tables. The service was superb. They do a lot of take out service as I noticed a number of folks coming in as I looked up between breaths and mouth fulls! I'll save you the trouble of reading my whole rant: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. The food is a mix of US, Lebanese, and traditional Georgian foods. I had the shawarma chicken and it was perfectly prepared and lightly seasoned enough to still taste the chicken. All the produce was VERY fresh, and the parsley used had an almost mint like after flavor. . . so I asked the chef. He imports his parsley from the Mediterranean and you can tell the flavor difference. It is subtle but definitely there. He also admitted that he worked in his fathers Butcher shop for nine years which would explain why that Chicken was so perfectly prepared; done to perfection and still moist and tasty! I noted that he used Extra virgin olive oil on the Hummus appetizer that we had, tahini, fresh lemon, and garlic!, sprinkled with that parsley and dusted in paprika. You could feel the difference in the oil and I found that he carries multiple oils types for different uses in his kitchen. I must have fanboy-ed to him as he brought his wife out to meet us as well. She's a delight and native to Georgia which explained the traditional 'pirate Grandma's Omelette' that he prepared. It was like nothing I had tasted before; four eggs (lightly whipped at a guess,) Probably cream due to it's smooth texture and richness, then potatoes, cheese, bell pepper, tomato, onion, green peas, and dusted lightly with black pepper. I completely missed the peas in it as it was lost in the various other flavors. Oh yeah, it is completely covered the plate! We were unable to finish it. Even being REALLY picky on this dish, I would only like to have had an option of Course ground black peppercorns as I personally like that extra pop of flavor you get that way. (Due note that the wife says it's too much for her and liked the fine ground stuff.) Which now brings me to the House made Tzatziki sauce; It was not the Tradition Greek that I was expecting. The chef showed a strong acquaintance with Lebanese cooking and that spice palate; -his had no cucumber

ARE YOU Not sure what you want to eat, but want to make sure your NEXT meal is 100% going to taste good? WELL then EAT HERE. Seriously, I cannot emphasize how much I recommend this restaurant to any couple looking to go on a date night, OR families eating out together (high chair available for toddlers/infant), OR friends eating together OR if you are eating solo! This restaurant is for anyone —who is looking for good authentic fresh healthy food at a good price!

After an hour of debating with my husband on where to go, 1) try a new restaurant OR 2) re-visit our favorite restaurants ….Im glad we were open to trying PIRATES GRILL! Pirate’s Grill is now part of our favorites list of restaurants in Gainesville.

So here’s my experience on why it’s one of our faves now: Upon entering this hidden gem, I was amazed at the collection of pirates decorations and was immediately welcomed by a warm smile from a woman who was our hostess. She was very friendly and helpful. There was also another gentleman with her at the front working and he looked like a cool pirate! The place has got perhaps 5-6 tables , very quaint.

The hummus appetizer WITH vegetables (veggies are additional cost but veggies are a MUST and made a tasty pairing with their homemade hummus) was so yummy!

I recommend this place to anyone looking to try REALLY delicious Lebanese Kafka Kebabs/Kebobs(I got 2 skewers for $14) platter!! You can also order the Kafta Kebab (1 skewer) for $9.99, but 2 skewers is way worth it. Grilled and seasoned to perfection. My husband got a Pork Shish Kebab, which was so juicy!! I’ve been to many Lebanese restaurants in Orlando and Philadelphia , so to find one in Gainesville to this caliber made me so very pleased. My husband and I will return for sure! Most likely to try their different kebabs!

For dessert, the HONEY CAKE (menu said it’s a secret recipe) caught my interest. Let me tell you when I say I am a girl who loves cakes but is also VERY picky because cakes have to have a certain level of sweetness and be moist….well this Honey cake (secret recipe—- I can see why this is a secret family recipe now) checked off all the boxes for me ! The honey cake was so good that every crumb was eaten and I had to fight my husband for the last bite!

I hope you give this restaurant a chance after reading my review. You won’t regret...

Tonight was my first and last time at this little restaurant. It's a small, quiet, unassuming place obviously run by a small family (from what I've seen - possibly mother and daughter, plus someone else at the back I couldn't see), with only 4 tables that can seat a total of 16 guests. I loved it right off the bat when I walked in, because it was such a contrast from large, noisy eateries. Service of drinks was very swift. I tried to order tabouleh, but it was unavailable. No big deal. I ordered a pork kebab. My partner ordered a side of fries as appetizer and beef shawarma as his entree. So far so good. I am going to split my assessment in pros and cons. Pros: -The quiet, intimate feel of the restaurant. A quite eclectic mix of wall decorations with their own charm. Cozy atmosphere. Fries were cooked to perfection. Pita bread was amazing. Food presentation was outstanding (photo attached). Cons: Entrees were brought so far apart, my partner almost finished eating his by the time mine arrived. That's a big no no in a restaurant, where people go together to eat together. I noticed the same thing happened at another table. -The pork on my kebab was so severely overcooked, it tasted like cardboard, in spite of being slathered with a boatload of spices. It was also extremely salty, as if it had spent an eternity at the bottom of the Dead Sea prior to being cooked. -My partner's beef shawarma had no salt whatsoever in the filling. He was also clear he didn't want any onions in it, but they still added a lot of finely chopped onion in the mixture. The fries were also extremely salty. We only ate them because they were cooked to a perfect crisp. Another point that I wish to clarify: This restaurants shows on Google as being a cheap place to eat at, with prices between $10-$20. Yes, that is cheap for a restaurant, but looking at my own meal I couldn't help but notice that I paid $16.50 plus taxes and tip for a single stick of inedible kebab with 7 bites of meat on it, while the rest of the plate was filled with lettuce to give the impression that it was a generously portioned meal. I walked in hungry, I walked out hungry AND disappointed. While I admire the collective work of a small family to make a living out of this place, I am determined not to set foot...