Restaurants near Manatee Springs State Park

We went on Thanksgiving and we enjoyed it very much. We had reservations and we were seated immediately. The staff were friendly and attentive. The oysters were amazing, I had the fire roasted with garlic/butter and Parmesan while my partner and my sister had raw. We all had the Thanksgiving special. It was very good and we left completely stuffed. We are already making plans to go back.

Mark's is always a favorite. Whether it is for a special occasion or just for an evening out, it is one of our top three favorites in Gainesville. The restaurant itself is beautiful with a very nice ambience. The chef and his crew do a spectacular job on preparing food and in presentation. And they change things up, so there are always some wonderful specials.  Our server last evening was Jeremy very pleasant, engaging, efficient and professional. He was happy to explain things and make suggestions. His partner Ryan was great, very accommodating and pleasant. We often enjoy Mark's while sitting in the bar area which is delightful. 

Amazing food and desserts, great presentation, phenomenal service, and it was the perfect place to take my partner for his birthday! New favorite dinner place :)

Celebrated our anniversary here. They made it e tremely special. It was a slow paced meal, which we very much appreciated. I had the stone fruit salad, which was delicious, followed by the diver scallops. Again delicious. My husband had the heirloom tomato salad, which he very much enjoyed and also the diver scallops. The whole experience was wonderful. It was a Monday night and the restaurant wasn’t more than half full. Very quiet. Sarah, our waitress , was the most enjoyable person. We had a fabulous night.

This place is off the beaten path ,but so worth the drive !! This place is beautiful and the food is off the hook. Staff goes over and above to make you happy. We will be back !!