15 new restaurants to try in Hall County
Dec. 15—Self-proclaimed foodies and bon vivants, 2022 was your year.
A series of new eateries and cafes called Gainesville and Hall County "home" this year, serving everything from hot drinks and scrumptious desserts to the Cuban sandwich, Vietnamese noodles and hearty American classics.
Without further ado, here's our roundup of the area's newest restaurants, served on our finest black-and-white platter.
Bon appetit.
Cuban Cafe
Opened in June by chef Joel Ferrer and his wife, Yinet, Cuban Cafe brought a Miami-style revival to the old Checkers on Wallis Road with a little help from hallowed family recipes. Read the full story.
Where: 3640 Wallis Road, Flowery Branch
Hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday
More info: chefjoelcococabana.com
Kelley's Tavern
Replacing the historically pink Peppers Market, Kelley's Tavern sports a subtler paint job and eclectic menu ranging from fried pickles and shrimp po' boys to Beyond burgers and Guinness beer can chicken. Read the full story.
Where: 628 E.E. Butler Parkway, Gainesville
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday
More info: kelleystavernandgrill.com
D'Villa's Italian Pizzeria
D'Villa's New York-style pizzas are made with scratch-made dough and sauces, fresh toppings and one simple, not-so-secret ingredient: love.
"If you don't make it with passion, you're just making it to make it," owner Yojana Sanchez said. "You have to make it with love." Read the full story.
Where: 7378 Friendship Springs Blvd., Flowery Branch
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon to 9 p.m. Sunday
More info: dvillasitalianpizzeria.com
Pure Pho & Grill Vietnamese Restaurant
Located near Publix on Dawsonville Highway, Pure Pho & Grill covers all the bases when it comes to Vietnamese delicacies, including banh mi, traditional rice and noodle dishes and, of course, pho — a noodle soup made with broth, rice noodles, meat or tofu and a medley of scallions, onions, bean sprouts, fresh herbs and jalapeño. Read the full story.
Where: 833 Dawsonville Highway, Suite 210, Gainesville
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
More info: purephoandgrill.com
Acuna's Cake Shoppe
Just a couple of blocks from the Gainesville square, Acuna's Cake Shoppe houses ready-made cupcakes, cake pops and other decadent desserts, as well as custom orders for all occasions. Owner and baker Diane Acuna's flavor portfolio ranges from basic staples like classic white and buttery yellow to gourmet and seasonal, like key lime and pumpkin spice. Read the full story.
Where: 343 Northside Drive, Gainesville
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday
More info: facebook.com/AcunasCustomCakes and instagram.com/acunascakeshoppe
Standard Service
A service station turned gastropub, Standard Service boasts approachable lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch fare and "twists on classics" like pimento mac and cheese, steak frites and New Orleans BBQ shrimp shrimp, plus a self-serve taproom and full bar. Read the full story.
Where: 400 Jesse Jewell Parkway, Gainesville
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
More info: standardservicega.com
Diletto 2.0
Bookworms of South Hall can now curl up with a good book and a cup of coffee or tea thanks to Diletto Bakery, which opened a secondary location inside the Spout Springs Library in August to widen the shop's reach beyond its outpost in midtown Gainesville. Read the full story.
Where: 6488 Spout Springs Road, Flowery Branch
Hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday
More info: dilettobakery.com
Zuarepa
Zuarepa gets its name from the Venezuelan state of Zulia, and arepas — a pancake-like delicacy made from flour, corn and a dash of salt, filled with steak, chicken, pork or sausage marinated with a family seasoning recipe. The dish, garnished with pico de gallo, salsa verde and cheese, is the restaurant's most popular dish and coined the "queen of the house." Read the full story.
Where: 975 Dawsonville Highway, Suite 12, Gainesville
Hours: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Saturday
More info: zuarepatogo.com
Nothing Bundt Cakes
While the Nothing Bundt Cakes franchise has a nationwide footprint, the bakery in the City Mill Market at New Holland is owned and operated by Flowery Branch's own Kristi Janman. The menu features nine core flavors, including chocolate-chocolate chip, red velvet, white chocolate raspberry, lemon and strawberries and cream, all available in four different Bundt cake sizes. Read the full story.
Where: 1979 Jesse Jewell Parkway, Gainesville
Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday
More info: nothingbundtcakes.com
Taco Mac
The 28th link in an Atlanta-based chain, Nothing Bundt Cakes' neighbor Taco Mac features world-famous wings, juicy burgers, sandwiches, salads and, as the name suggests, tacos. Read the full story.
Where: 1979 Jesse Jewell Parkway, Gainesville
Hours: 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday-Wednesday; 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday-Saturday
More info: tacomac.com
Taqueria Tsunami
The first tenant of the Gainesville Renaissance now occupying the fourth side of the downtown square, Taqueria Tsunami is a Latin-Asian fusion concept boasting dishes like avocado cilantro egg rolls, shrimp tempura tacos and Asian nachos — fried wontons with queso, pico de gallo, roasted poblano, corn, lettuce, fresh jalapenos and diners' choice of seasoned ground beef or short ribs. Read the full story.
Where: 106 Spring St. SE, Gainesville
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday
More info: taqueriatsunami.com
Consuelo
Named for the late grandmother of owner Pepe Perez, who opened the restaurant earlier this year with his wife and business partner, Abigail Guzman, Consuelo houses curated cocktails and authentic Mexican cuisine crafted from family recipes.
Read the full story.
Where: 112 Bradford St., Gainesville
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday
More info: instagram.com/consuelogainesville
Meadowlark Coffee
Once a pop-up coffee cart, Meadowlark Coffee is more stationary these days, serving the public a daily dose of specialty coffee and tea from its brick-and-mortar shop, which opened this fall directly across from Consuelo. Read the full story.
Where: 109 Bradford St. NE, Gainesville
Hours: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday
More info: meadowlarkcoffee.shop
Easy B's Cafe and Market
Patrons may never guess chef Tim "Easy B" Broxton's skills in the kitchen are largely self-taught when they visit his cafe and market in Limestone Place. Opened this fall, the eatery is an extension of his catering service, Easy B's Kitchen, when he's operated since 2009. The common threads between his businesses and their dishes, he said, are threefold: freshness, simplicity and flavor. Read the full story.
Where: 2480 Limestone Parkway, Gainesville
Hours: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday-Friday
More info: easybkitchen.com
Peyton's Pie Company
A fixture of Flowery Branch's Main Street, Peyton's Pie Company migrated north in late November, bringing the flair of wood-fired, Neapolitan-style pizza to the Gainesville square. Read the full story.
Where: 118 Main St., Gainesville
Hours: 4-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 4-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, noon to 8 p.m. Sunday
More info: peytonspiecompany.com/gainesville
Honorable mentions:
We're still getting used to saying Liquid Nation Brewing when referring to the rebranded brewery on Atlanta Highway.
And we bid a solemn farewell to Harvest Kitchen, which returned to its catering roots after a chronic staffing shortage.
On the horizon, another sizable lineup is already filling the queue for 2023, including Cotto, NoFo Brew Co. and Distillery, Buzzed Bull Creamery/Roll On In and two more spots for a cup of joe: Farmhouse Coffee and Boarding Pass Coffee.
