Before this review begins, we feel a duty to warn the readers. We started writing this piece after we went to The Florida Room for the first time. Since then, I have been three separate times. With this in mind, consider the implications of thinking about visiting this establishment multiple times a week. Consider that you might go back many more times than your bank account can handle. Finally, consider the fact that once you go here, breakfast anywhere else will feel like taking an Advil after you just tried heroin.
That might be a bit much, but you get the point. It's good. Now, let's get into why.
There are three core ingredients that either make or break a restaurant. An establishment would be nothing without all three: service, environment and food.
The Florida Room not only nails the three key ones but also offers a fourth secret ingredient: originality.
You don’t fully realize how important originality is in a restaurant until you visit one with it. That’s how I felt when I went to The Florida Room. The service, the environment and the food were all sprinkled with a little originality, and it tasted amazing.
When you first walk in, you immediately notice the architecture. The staff are situated in the middle of the restaurant behind bar-side counters. That’s where they make drinks, such as coffee and milkshakes. Right next to where you pay is an assortment of baked goods, including scones and cakes — my favorite being the blueberry lemon scone. With tables lining the windows, you’re transported to a 1970s milkshake bar no matter where you sit.
Let's talk about the food.
In my several visits there, I’ve tried six menu items: the breakfast fried rice, mushroom and spinach omelet, two-egg breakfast, strawberry milkshake, vanilla milkshake and the avocado toast. While all were fantastic, I want to highlight two dishes.
The breakfast fried rice
My biggest comfort food is fried rice, so I might be biased here.
I’ve never had a breakfast meal quite like this one. Tossed and coated in a sweet and spicy sauce, this dish stuck with me all day, just like a good breakfast should. I topped mine with fried eggs, which I mixed into the rice with no hesitation. Each bite had a holy combination of broccoli, bell peppers and onions. I chose this meal during my first visit because it was such a curveball. I can confirm that it didn’t strike out.
Avocado toast
I thought I ordered a classic. I got innovation.
The dish consisted of mashed avocado, marinated grape tomatoes, artichoke hearts, fried capers and chives stacked on a perfectly toasted slice of sourdough. Every bite was clean and rich — a buttery crunch from the toast, the sweetness from the tomatoes and salty hits from the fried capers. Nothing fought for attention. It was bright, balanced and way bigger in flavor than it looked. It looked gorgeous.
Closing remarks
There’s breakfast, and then there’s The Florida Room. This place doesn’t just serve food; it serves a feeling. A memory. A craving you didn’t know you’d had. It redefines what a breakfast spot can be: not just a place to eat, but a place to return to — again and again — with people you love, or alone with your thoughts and a good cup of coffee.
The Florida Room isn’t trying to copy anyone. It’s not trendy for the sake of being trendy. It’s unapologetically itself, and that’s what makes it unforgettable. Gainesville has a lot of breakfast joints, but only one that feels like this.
Aidan Ragan is a UF computer science senior.
Aidan Ragan is a UF computer science senior.
