Cedar River is a local favorite and has been around for over 40 years! I did grow up eating here as a kid and since moving back this was my first time having it in a long time. Cedar River is known for its seafood dishes, in addition to some classic Southern staples like collard greens, cornbread, grits, and Catfish. I did an order for pick up over the phone which was pretty easy and simple. I ordered the Trio which comes with 2 sides and hush puppies. My picks were the fried gator tail, broiled Grouper, and deviled crab. For my sides, I went with the stewed okra and tomatoes and green beans. The portion sizes were pretty good for the price of the dinner as well. I'll start with the good - the fried gator tail bites were fried perfectly and the gator wasn't chewy or rubbery at all. The grouper was seasoned very well and did not have a fishy taste at all. I would've easily paired it with some cheesy grits and been satisfied. Their hush puppies are a favorite amongst locals and were so good. These fritters were very fresh and fluffy on the inside. The star of my plate was the stewed okra and tomatoes with yellow rice. The yellow rice was surprisingly cooked perfectly - no hard pieces at all. The stewed okra and tomatoes was seasoned so good and reminded me of my granny's cooking. Very Southern and comforting. Ok so for the bad - the green beans were bland....very bland and a bit oily. I had to pour out some of the juice and add some of the salt and pepper to even make it taste like anything. The very bad on the plate was the deviled crab. Throw it the whole recipe away. It was so mushy and not an ounce of crab in it at all. I even popped it in the airfryer to see if the filling would cook but nope. It was a disgusting inedible mess. If I want a deviled crab or have a craving for it - I'll take a trip to Tampa. Overall, there were some good and bad parts of my meal but the good did outshine the bad menu items during my experience.

We frequent Cedar River on 43rd Street across from Hunters Crossing shopping center. We enjoy the food, great efficient staff and reasonable pricing. Last night was no different except that our waiter, Jacob, really stood out. The table was promptly cleared after the last patron left and we were seated immediately. Jacob was attentive, smiled, and we felt that he was happy to be waiting on us. We felt appreciated. We almost always order the large shrimp dinner, with two sides. The hush puppies are delicious as is the entire meal. It's nice having a terrific seafood restaurant nearby.

Excellent food and service at a reasonable price! Thank you Megan for a great meal, you're a top notch server!

I've heard a lot about this Gainesville favorite and finally made my way towards the NW side of town. From the recommendations I've received, this is the best seafood place in town. I must say, I can see why this is a local favorite. Once I walked it, I was greeted and shown to an available booth. Myself and another church friend chose to dine for lunch. Once we arrived it wasn't crowded, but then family groups came in. Our waiter was Ashley and she served us pretty well. I chose the Flounder lunch deal and she chose a shrimp platter and salad. Both entrees were cooked to perfection! We ordered corn nuggets for the appetizer and they were battered perfectly. I'd give this local delight a 10/10, I will visit again.

I'll start by saying everything I had there was perfect but I absolutely would make the trip to this little town just to have the grits and catfish it's one of my favorite meals and they really perfected it I've been to many places for this combination and this place takes the trophy the grits had this smoky cheddar taste the fis was fresh the people were very nice I had a great experience

We love the service we get at Cedar River.The Food is amazing. Our server Ashley is always on top of things. Recommend you ask for her. Their daily specials are soo good ,so make sure to check their board .