Sometimes, Marcela and I need to get away from the Miami craziness. Gainesville was chosen for a weekend eating and antiquing escape.
Since there were a few spots in Gainesville that needed my burger attention, it was a no-brainer. When I say Gainesville, that includes cities on the drive up or surrounding areas.
Brester’s Coney Island (R.I.P.) in Ocala was one such spot on the drive-up, and Burger Barn was hit up after I dropped Marcela off at an Antique Mall. So, let’s get this road food trip recap going!
A Weekend in Gainesville
Gainesville
Dick Mondell’s Burgers & Fries
This is the Big Dick from Dick Mondell’s (412 SW 4th Ave, Gainesville). This Big Dick was thick & juicy.
I can’t get this Big Dick out of my mind. Ok, enough of those shenanigans…it was delicious.
Read the full post on Burger Beast about Dick Mondell’s
Halo Potato Donuts
I love potatoes and donuts, so Halo Potato Donuts is a no-brainer. We stopped here on our way out of town.
Since our visit, they’ve opened a second location (209 NW 75th Street, Gainesville), but the original is a cool little shack. The donuts are some of the best I’ve had on my road food trips, and that OG Donut is next-level stuff.
Halo Potato Donuts is PERMANENTLY CLOSED1323 S Main Street
Gainesville, FL
(352) 234-6884
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
We didn’t stop to get a donut fix at Krispy Kreme, but we did marvel at the beautiful sign outside.
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
306 NW 13th Street
Gainesville, FL
(352) 377-0052
The Hot Light is on every day from 7 AM – 9 AM and 5 PM – 7 PM
Sandwich Inn
My main reason for hitting Sandwich Inn (10 NE 16th Avenue, Gainesville) was that it was founded by the same fellow as Mac’s Drive-thru. And yes, the burgers were great old-school hamburgs.
Read the full post on Burger Beast about Sandwich Inn
SquareHouse Pizza
Oh man, oh man, this was our favorite stop on the trip. SquareHouse Pizza (405 SW 4th Ave, Gainesville) is across the street from Dick Mondell’s.
When Dick’s was closed, we spotted them across, and we’re like, what is this all about? We’re talking incredible Detroit-style pizza, waffles, and craft colas.
Read the full post on Burger Beast about SquareHouse Pizza
Sweet Dreams
It won’t take a lot of arm-twisting to get us to check out a homemade ice cream joint with 24 flavors daily. Sweet Dreams has phenomenal ice cream and a bunch of great fudge that we couldn’t resist taking with us for the drive home.
Sweet Dreams
1522 NW 13th Street
Gainesville, FL
(352) 709-3996
Hours are Sun-Thurs 12-10 PM and Fri-Sat from 12 until 11 PM
University of Florida Bat Houses
I thought she was kidding when Marcela suggested we visit the University of Florida Bat Houses (Museum Rd, Gainesville). But nope, they’re real.
We arrived just as the sun set, and within 20 minutes or so, hundreds, possibly thousands of them emerged. It was quite a sight and very relaxing.
This happens every night. Just a heads up, weather affects the number of bats that appear. There is a small lot adjacent to the houses for parking where I was taking pictures, but you can get way closer than I was.
Uppercrust
One of the peeps on my Facebook page suggested Uppercrust. While there were many parking spaces, many were filled, so I drove around while Marcela went in to choose a few things to sample.
My first thoughts were wow, these are beautiful. After that, we knew we were in for a treat.
Marcela picked out the Petit Croissant, Pain Au Chocolat, and Guava Chausson. I knew right off the bat that the Guava Chausson was for me, the Pain Au Chocolat was for her, and the Petit Croissant was for sharing.
As the knight said in the Last Crusade, she chose wisely.
Uppercrust
4118 NW 16th Boulevard
Gainesville, FL
(352) 376-7187
Uppercrust is open every day from 8 AM – 7 PM
Bronson
Shakers Drive-thru
Shakers Drive-thru is located in Bronson, about a 40-minute drive southwest of Gainesville. This was a burger destination visit.
Later, I realized that shakes are their specialty, so don’t make the same mistake that I did. Our burgers were cooked to order.
I put some ketchup and mayo (my favorite childhood burger condiment combination) on this fella and was transported back. I could go for another hamburg right now.
It’s a local spot, so expect longer lines at the drive-thru for lunch and dinner.
Shakers Drive-thru
750 E Hathaway Avenue
Bronson, FL
(352) 486-1070
Hours are 11 AM – 9 PM every day except Sunday when they close at 8 PM