Gainesville: At Nite

A Night In…

If  you are looking for something fun to do, but aren’t up for hitting the bars/clubs…I always enjoy a movie and getting some ice cream. A new ice cream place just opened up in the Target Copy Center on University. It is called YogaBerry and is a healthy alternative to regular ice cream. I tried it out the other night. They only had six flavors, but had lots of toppings! I got the chocolate and put Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and M & M’s on top, since the ice cream was healthy. It was delicious. The ice cream was moderately priced but it is a healthy alternative and in a convenient location. Plus there are lots of great movies coming out this weekend…the Invention of Lying, Whip It, and Zombieland are all hitting theaters today!

A Mid-Town Kind of Night

This past Friday night I was ready for the weekend, so I headed out on the town with my boyfriend, his fraternity brothers,  and some of my friends for one of the guy’s birthday. We headed to “mid-town” – the area of bars, restaurants, and shops on University right across from the UF campus. Our first stop was Balls…a small, but popular bar. The atmosphere is kind of grungy but its fun, especially since a lot of people I know go there and the drinks are cheap…making it one of my favorite bars! The walls have writing all over them (from various guests throughout the years) and the place is loud with a jukebox constantly playing music. Bring single bills, so you can choose some songs you would like to hear! On Friday nights from 6-8 PM you can participate in all you can drink (liquor drinks). However, on this night we got there later than 8 PM…but the drinks were still a great price, as wells drinks can be purchased from anywhere between $2-4 for the most part. The bar is 21 and up however, so if you are underage you may have to wait…but it is definitely worth going to when you can. After hanging out at Balls for a couple hours, we headed a few doors down to Gator City/XS with some more friends that we ran into at Balls. It is “80′s night” at XS on Friday nights. The place is connected with Gator City so you pay a $5 cover and can go to both. At XS there is a bar and dance floor and the DJ plays all 80′s music on Fridays. Gator City is a bar and billiards hall where they also have a full restaurant menu and lots of tv’s to watch sports games on. I had a great time dancing at XS. The drinks are moderately priced. Gator City has some decent deals as well but is more on the moderate priced side as well. The food is your typical sports bar-type menu. It was a really fun night and a great way to start the weekend!

101 Cantina

I decided to check out the new hotspot, “101 Cantina” on the night of its official grand opening…and I am so glad that I did! It was a blast. The place is conveniently located in midtown right next to the Swamp Restaurant and Ben and Jerry’s. This is great because depending on where you live, you can take SNAP, walk, or drive your car. No need for a taxi…except maybe on the way home.  101 Cantina was opened up by the same people who run 101 Downtown. The front of “Cantina” as well as the inside, acts mainly as a restaurant, but does have a bar as well. They serve a full lunch and dinner menu, which you can check out on their website, or just by stopping by. The place is tastefully decorated with a Tex-Mex theme. In the back, (near Cafe Gardens) they constructed a huge open air patio area complete with a big tiki bar with chairs all around the bar, and tables and chairs throughout the patio.  The cover to get in was five dollars, which I felt was well worth it. The patio was absolutely packed with people, but it was a lot of fun since I knew many people there. From being there that night, I get the “Greek community” vibe…much like the scene at the Swamp Restaurant. Cantina’s specialty is tequila and margaritas. I’m not much of a tequila person, but I did try a margarita.  I tried the “Ultimate Margarita” because the server recommended it. It was good, but pretty strong. After that, I stuck to beer and liquor drinks. The margaritas ranged in price anywhere from $6-$11. Beers are anywhere from $2.50-$4 and this includes import beers! I also tried out the chips and guacamole which was good, but a tad bland. Maybe I just like guacamole to be spicier? The overall atmosphere was great- very social and fun! I can’t wait to go back again for dinner!

Welcome!

Welcome to “Gainesville: At Nite,” a blog that I am dedicating to sharing my adventures out and about in Gainesville, Florida. This blog will help you to find out about all of the fun nightlife here in Gainesville. I will share my personal experiences at the various bars, clubs, and restaurants and include what there is to do at each place. I will give tips about which establishments have great food or drink specials, no cover, etc. Also I will include information about each place: its location, menu, age to get in, specialities (live music), etc. I will give my opinion on what are the “hot spots” and “not so hot spots” to go to and also include a section on transportation information: taxis, SNAP, ZipCarts, parking, buses, etc. This should be fun!!!

It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere