Gator's Dockside Jonesville — Restaurant in Newberry

Let me paint a picture for you: overpriced & not very tasty, portion sizes fit for a toddler, and food quality that makes microwave dinners look gourmet. That’s what you can expect now at Gator’s Dockside in Jonesville.

I’ve been to this location four times and honestly, I don’t know why I kept giving it chances. Maybe it was nostalgia from the first visit (the only decent one), or maybe I just enjoy being disappointed. My most recent trip? A full-on culinary insult.

I ordered the fish and chips, which sounded like a safe bet. What arrived was laughable. Two tiny pieces of fish sat on the plate, and I use the word fish loosely. One was 90% breading—crunchy, hollow, and utterly void of any meaningful seafood content. It was like biting into fried air with a faint memory of fish. The second piece was slightly better, but by then my expectations were buried under layers of disappointment.

And let’s not forget the “chips.” Eight, ok maybe twelve fries that looked like they were dragged out of a fryer last cleaned during the Obama administration. So dry I needed a drink just to swallow it and carrying the unmistakable taste of old oil. I actually thought, “Did they just re-plate someone’s leftovers?”

The whole plate? Sixteen bucks. For what? A over priced sampler of sadness.

The restaurant was noticeably empty—and for good reason. I’m not the only one catching on. If this place doesn’t clean up its act, they might as well start renting out the space for garage sales.

In short: save your money, your stomach, and your standards. Jonesville has better places. Hell, a gas station hot dog would’ve been a...

Just got back from a really disappointing lunch at Dockside. This was 1pm on a weekday for reference so a typical weekday lunch. This was my first time at this location but have been to the other in Gainesville several times in the past.

Like most of the service industry, our waitress was stretched far too thin with too many tables. The low top tables are pretty close together just as a warning so I’d go with a booth or sit elsewhere next time.

I ordered a buffalo chicken wrap crispy with tomatoes and onions, and a side of blue cheese. What I got was a soggy plain And not warm flour wrap, with luke warm grilled (not crispy chicken like I ordered) with the blue cheese on the inside and it so wet, the few ingredients just fell out of it making it hard to eat as a wrap at all. Was it worth trying to track down the waitress to get a new one? I didn’t even bother because she was going from table to table and food not being as ordered wasn’t worth waiting for a new one.

My husband got the shrimp platter and his was as expected.

Additionally, we had to ask twice for a side of sauce and twice for a drink refill.

Not worth the $35 lunch by any stretch. I know they’re a chain and this spot is newer so still probably issues to work out but I have zero desire to go back. Definitely will recommend Stone House for a better experience...

Gator’s Dockside offers a medium selection of pub style foods including wings, burgers, sandwiches and some seafood items. This is the second location in the Gainesville area located just on the outskirts of town. It provides another restaurant option to the Jonesville population and the nearby town of Newberry.

The seating area seems cramped but it could just be do to how new and busy it is. On the plus side they have a large covered outdoor seating area with multiple TVs which many restaurants in this area lack of.

The staff was nice and friendly. Service was good despite how busy it was however some of the food was cold upon delivery and my wife’s sandwich order was incorrect. The waitress did offer to replace but we declined due to how busy it was and the amount of time it took to arrive (about 45 minutes).

Overall, the restaurant was very nice and it had a familiar selection of food to offer. One thing to note is if you have a Boy Scout Camp Card, this location does not accept them due to the restaurant being located outside of Gainesville. We look forward to coming back when it’s...