Sometimes, your life needs a little more than what Taco Tuesdays can offer you.
If you look around, you can discover some hidden gems when it comes to Gainesville eateries, and when you do, you won’t be sorry.
In general, restaurants design dishes by using common ingredients in each dish. This allows the restaurant to buy ingredients for a lower price and create dishes that are easier to make.
This is not the concept for Five Bar. Five Bar has a small menu of just five options in each category, with the exception of dessert, so that it can focus on each individual plate and do it well.
Personally, I opt for quality over quantity, so I appreciate Five Bar’s careful attention to just a few dishes. And because I only have five dishes to choose from, I actually get a chance to take in the ambiance, which at Five Bar is top-notch.
Via: Facebook
Decorated with chandeliers, candles, string lights, low red lighting, paintings of head football coaches and stained-glass windows, Five Bar has a distinct vintage vibe.
During my last visit, soft music was playing in the background — audible but not loud enough to interrupt conversation. It’s a great place to talk and catch up with friends.
Its ambiance may be trendy, but the service makes is traditional: warm and inviting.
Last time I went there, the hostess greeted my friend and me kindly. I was seated right away. Within 10 minutes of putting in orders, our food was served. It was great.
And the food. Oh, the food. The first time I came to Five Bar, my dad and I both ordered the Gulf Catch and treated ourselves with the white chocolate bread pudding afterward. Both fish orders (we ordered two separate options) were phenomenal, but pricy (around $20 each). The white chocolate bread pudding ($8) was also good, but I wouldn’t order it again for the price.
Via: Facebook
This time, I ordered the panéed chicken ($16) and my friend ordered the pork tacos ($13). The pork tacos, truth be told, weren’t anything to write home about. The corn flour shell was oily, the Spanish rice (though bold red because of the tomato sauce) needed salt and the meat (though tender), needed more flavor.
However, my chicken dish was fabulous. The outside of the chicken was perfectly crispy while the inside meat was juicy and tender. The flavors were also flawless. The shallot caper cream sauce perfectly complemented the chicken. The sauce was lemony without being too sour, and just when the lemon zest wasn’t enough, there would be a caper to keep your palette guessing. The accompanying salad and mashed potatoes were also quite good, though not that unique.
All in all, I’d definitely go again. Portions were reasonable. Food was good. Staff was friendly. I have no complaints.
If you escape Midtown and Archer Road eateries once and a while, you’d be amazed what this quiet little town of Gainesville has to offer in the way of interesting dining experiences.
Featured photo courtesy of: Five Bar
