Review Scott's Downtown - Gainesville

Went for our 20th anniversary dinner, and I thought this was a fabulous restaurant. The service was wonderful, the drinks were tasty, and the food was wonderful. My husband had the tenderloin meal and I had the scallop special. We also had the baked avocado appetizer which was really great. I highly recommend the dessert sampler. So yummy!

Booked a last minute eat after a long day at lake Lanier. Food didn’t really live up to my expectations especially for the price point. I got the PRIME Filet (med-rare) with 3 sides. The filet was very dry but also overcooked to medium plus. Would’ve also preferred a better crust on it rather then sprinkling the seasonings on top. With it being advertised as Prime should be at least somewhat juicy/flavorful but I definitely felt like it was choice grade. Sides were pretty basic as I got mushrooms in this soy sauce based sauce. Asparagus was up to par but I wasn’t really a fan of the shaved Brussels. They didn’t really have any taste. For appetizers we got the crab dip which was not hot at all, actually really cold sadly. There’s not much blue crab in there at all. The crackers that came with them were stale. Overall, food was alright but not for the price point.

Most importantly all of the food was too salty. I ordered the filet medium and it came out well done. No pink at all. Others at the table got surf and turf, salmon, and other meals. All too salty. And I happen to really like salt, so that’s saying a lot. Our server started out kind, then kept interrupting us and became increasingly rude throughout the meal. She overcharged me for a beverage then when I mentioned it to her she argued with me and told me she wouldn’t take the $2 charge off (even though I was spending over $75 per person). They added gratuity with only 7 adults present without informing us at all prior or when the check came. Ambiance amazing. We happened to get a rude server and over salted over done small portions. :/ won’t be returning or recommending.

This is my favorite restaurant Took my wife out on a date night 🍾🥂Scott took the time to make sure you’re enjoying yourself, genuinely concerned of your dining experience. The staff is the epitome of class & service. I recommend Scott’s to anyone looking to spend quality time with loved ones and enjoy a great meal definitely this restaurant is a game changer in the restaurant business

One easy word to describe Scott's Downtown. Fabulous. Have been contemplating dinner here for a while and decided to dine here last night. Had a reservation at 7 pm. Party of 4 arrived on time and we're promptly seated. Our sever was attentive and informative.We had appetizers and drinks. Both excellent. I had the ribeye, my wife the bourbon salmon, and our friends filets. All were cooked to perfection. The Italian lemon cake was delicious. Spent about 2.5 hours and about $400 dollars. Worth every penny. Will definitely be back.

Got the food wrong for the whole party, then when they brought the corrected food it was 100% the wrong item again. It was frustrating to wait multiple times so I left with out eating. From what we got the food was good the manager was nice about it and tried to correct the issue but the mess up was just too much to overlook. They explained the bartender has a lot on his mind but if I’m paying $40 per plate maybe they should have that person take the day if he can’t do his job. Do better… Response to owner: I chose not to eat because I had my one year old daughter with me and she can’t sit for 2 hours and wait because you can’t staff your restaurant properly, I appreciate the effort to make it right there was just no excuse for the amount of mishaps on your part. Sorry.

Fine dining in Gainesville. Very attentive service. Very good food. Atmosphere well done. Drinks a bit pricey though. Don't go there too thirsty unless you are feeling pretty rich.

We were visiting Gainesville for the evening and Scott’s was recommended! We left after our dinner very disappointed on several levels. I ordered bourbon/ coke/lime /bitters! 1) No bourbon was put in my drink-none! Bartender admitted that he was unaware that bourbon was ordered and he made it with just coke, lime and bitters. If my husband wouldn’t have mentioned it to the waitress we would have been charged for a cocktail. 2) filet mignon ordered cooked medium came to the table well done. It was replaced with a lengthy wait. No new hot sides to replace the cold ones initially served. No bread on the table??? Waitress was lovely and apologized but no concessions were offered for the faux pas of the evening of below standard customer service. It was not that the restaurant was very busy and had several empty tables. Very disappointed overall! Our mistake was not asking to talk to the manager!

My wife and I had our first visit to Scott’s last night to celebrate her birthday. We had an early 6pm reservation. We were seated in a private room off the main dining area. My wife had the filet medallions with buttermilk potatoes and shaved Brussel sprouts with bacon. I had the clam chowder, rack of lamb with garlic mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. Everything was expertly prepared and had great flavor. The clam chowder was hardy and creamy. The creamed spinach was some of the best I’ve ever had. And my lamb was perfectly medium rare. The shaved Brussels sprouts was a very unique dish well worth trying. We had very attentive waiter who didn’t miss a beat. We were surprised with a desert on the house to celebrate my wife’s birthday. All in all we were very impressed with our dining experience at Scott’s and will certainly be back again.

Took 3 hours to get our meal from start to finish. Way understaffed! Had to ask to even order our food. After 2 hrs 45 minutes, we asked to cancel our order if it wasn't even close to being ready. The server informed us that our meal was being "comped" because they had gotten slammed and didn't have enough staff on hand. Our meal came out 6 minutes later and it was subpar, to say the least. Then the owner/chef came out and asked how the meal was and nobody said anything except okay. The owner was arrogant and I believe wanted/expected us to thank him for comping the subpar food that took three hours to receive. So, when we didn't, he became even more arrogant. Will never go back to this restaurant again. I'll stick with Recess or Yellow Fin!

Everything was absolutely fantastic. Food was prepared perfectly. Started with the Warm Blue Crap dip. Could taste the crab which is great, usually places put too much of the other stuff in it you don’t taste it. Bourbon Glazed Chicken for main course. Best chicken I’ve ever eaten. I’ve been to a lot places all over the world, and this was by far the best chicken I’ve had. And lastly, for dessert, Italian Lemon Cake. So moist and just the right amount of lemon. I wanted to buy a whole cake to take home. Our waitress Anna was awesome. She made the night even better. I highly recommend Scott’s Downtown. A+++

this May be our new favorite place! We ate in the dining room in an alcove (great place for a quiet dinner) but walked through the bistro on the way in - looked like a fun place to come on a regular basis. Dining service was great and the food delicious. Server gave good recommendations for wine and dinner. What a find!

3 friends and I came for a celebration upon a recommendation from a friend rather than going to downtown Atlanta. I was impressed from the atmosphere to the service to the food and wine. We had beef carpaccio as one of our apps. I had shrimp n grits, my friends had lamb, sea bass, and mixed seafood grill, all of which were perfect! I am in the restaurant business and have told everyone to go pay a visit. Scott, the owner/chef came to our table to check on us unprovoked, Peter, our server went above and beyond. Definitely my new go to place rather than heading downtown Atlanta.

It is a great restaurant for special occasions. The service and atmosphere was excellent. I had a seafood plate and the shrimp they brought was absolutely the best shrimp I've eaten. Whether you want to go out on a romantic date or celebrate an anniversary, this is a great place to do it.

Love this place! The food is fantastic! The service is top of the line! The staff is fantastic! Woooowwww!

We love Scott’s! I’ve loved everything I’ve tried there. My favorite is the mushroom risotto with steak. I also love the salmon, fried oysters, brussel sprouts, and the appetizer dips. Lunch is very reasonably priced. My sister had her reception here, and I’ve been to several charity and business events here. The food is always delicious and service is always wonderful.

The meal was amazing in both presentation and taste. (I will now get a side of grilled shrimp every time I go!) The desserts were just as wonderful as the meal - completely worth the price. The atmosphere...simply beautiful ❤️

I highly recommend Scott's ! I had the experience of an evening dining with friends and enjoying the delicious food that was prepared and served by the friendly staff, as well as the owner Scott ! The overall ambiance made for a relaxing and enjoyable dining !

Steak was full of gristle. Scott came to our table and informed me that I was uneducated and should have chosen something else. After all I wouldn't believe what he pays for his meat. Even walked away from me mid conversation. The owner is very arrogant and argumentative. Very poorly managed situation and business.

Went with some friends on Sat nite. Went to the lounge. Awsome place nice bar. Can order off the dining room menu or the lounge menu. Food and staff were great. Scott came to our table and said hi.

Everyone there was so polite and very welcoming from the time we walked in and check in for our reservations to the time it came for our check . It was a beautiful restaurant and elegant ! Would recommend it to everyone !

Great food, drinks, and staff. The owner came by to personally make sure everything was great. I will definitely be back!

Thank you for another wonderful Mother's Day Brunch. And thank you mostly for chatting with my daughter, "the chocolate connoisseur" and appeasing her with just the simple chocolate mousse! She did have another one with no raspberry followed by her prime rib! The food was delicious, the atmosphere cozy and your taking the time to speak to all guests was the perfect addition to our meal and celebration.

We got engaged right before we walked into Scott's. From the moment we entered, we were treated to the highest level of hospitality. The food and service were both amazing! Scott even came by our table to greet us and ask about our experience. We will definitely be back, and might have our wedding reception here!

We are New to Gainesville and our Realtor Jon Porter gave us a Gift Certificate to Scott’s... He Shot, He Scored!!! Great meal, great ambiance and Peter was a great Host!!! Will Definitely revisit on my own Dime!!!

Everything was on point! Appetizers we good, drinks were good, appetizer was good. Even the sampler dessert we shared was delicious.

The best Lemon drop martini, fresh salads, out of the world perfect risotto, quality cuisine offered at reasonable prices.

My wife and I went to Scott's for our anniversary. The food was great but we must have gone there on a night when the service couldn't have been worse. To order a drink and be served, then to order a salad and appetizer, and then to order and receive our entree was over 2 hours. When we asked to see the owner, Scott, he came out and said they had several large groups. Being in business as long as they have, they should be able to handle the volume. Scott's response was "it's your anniversary, what's your hurry". Not a very appropriate response.

Scott and Kay did an outstanding job in helping us plan for our wedding reception.  From our first visit Kay put us at ease and assured us that they would help us get it all together.  She even volunteered the night of the event to pick up cupcakes we had forgotten to take care of before the wedding.   They are a class act and I would suggest hiring them for any special events

We held a reception for my daughter's high school graduation in the Lounge and Chart Room. The setting was open for mingling with our 40-45 guests. We chose a simple menu with her favorite - Spinach Risotto along with Pork Tenderloin, Mixed Greens Salad, Haricot Verts, and rolls. The food was delicious, and the service staff was excellent. They attended to our every need and were very conscientious with our guests.

Always Great Service! Amazing Food. I Deginitely recommend the rissoto. Scott has said hello every time we go. The bar is a great atmosphere. Love the closet room dining for two when you want a little privacy. Will recommend anything on the menu to anyone looking for a great dinner.

All I can say is WOW!  Flawless service, beautiful atmosphere, the food was exceptional!  My dinner party of 19 was extremely complimentary and for a host that is important.  The steak was cooked to perfection and the salmon...FAB-U-LOUS!  If was important that my dinner party was successful.  Kay and Scott delivered!I would highly recommend this restaurant.Ahna StillAug 4 2015

A well enough designed menu. The beer selection is laughable to non-existent. Decent food. Horrible horrible service. They are overly proud of what is a common, almost trite presentation in both decor and culinary options.

Scott's Not A Hit. Nothing Special.. As I travel for a living and despise chain restaurants, I always look for small, locally owned restaurants to dine when I am on the road (and even at home when I'm not cooking). The majority of the places I pick are rather good and several I have dined at multiple times upon revisiting a city. However Scott's will not be one of those repeats if I return to Gainesville.<br/><br/>After searching on the interweb, I chose Scott's not based on the reviews (which at the time had a 56% like rating) but on their menu. The most recent reviews seemed fairly positive, so I thought I would give the place a chance. <br/><br/>Upon walking into Scott's, the decor was nice. The atmosphere was good and the music was not too loud (mostly jazz). The layout was roomy, and there were also smaller private tables that would be great for a date night. So far, not too bad. <br/><br/>Of the 30+ tables in the restaurant, maybe four (4) had patrons (considering it was a Wednesday, I did not put too much into this, though I would have rather seen it at least half full, not almost empty). However after entering, I waited awkwardly next to the hostess station for over 8 minutes (I timed it) before my presence was even acknowledged. I was about to walk out before a server (I assume) came over and seated me. <br/><br/>As I previously stated, I chose Scott's primarily on the menu: USDA Prime Beef, New Zealand rack of lamb, various seafood options, and shrimp and grits among others. After some deliberation, I chose the herb rubbed rack of lamb (medium rare) with parmesan risotto and green beans, which I paired with a California Zinfandel. Though I did not wait too long for my food, I would have gladly waited longer if it would have been better prepared.<br/><br/>First, the high points: the parmesan risotto was tasty. It had good flavor, it was well seasoned, and had the texture and consistency that one looks for in a good risotto (honestly I was surprised it was not runny). The food was also not cold. And the wine was good.<br/><br/>The not so high points: the green beans, though seasoned and cooked well, had stems which were tough and inedible. This is something even the home cook knows to do; it takes no time to remove these stems, and as "busy" as the restaurant was, this is inexcusable. <br/><br/>The low point: the rack of lamb. Let me preface this by saying that I love rack of lamb. If I see it on a menu at a upscale restaurant, I will order it 85% of the time, even if there is something else more tempting. Tonight, the rack of lamb was just not good. It tasted as if it was either previously frozen, had been vacuum-sealed for too long, or both. The menu description: "Premium 8 bone rack of New Zealand Lamb, seasoned with our house herb and seasoning blend, and roasted to perfection. Served with a sage red wine reduction." Sound good huh?? Reality: The lamb was prepared as four, two bone portions (eight total). The "house herb/seasoning blend" was lacking if not nonexistent; the reduction was spooned under the lamb and was poorly composed (the flavors were underdeveloped); and the meat was overcooked. Of the four portions (which appeared to be grilled or seared after "roasting"), one was maybe medium rare (read: medium), two were on the done side of medium (truly more medium-well), and the fourth was inedible. I actually had to salt the lamb for a little flavor and to make it palatable (which is a sin for a restaurant held in such regard as Scott's). Most upscale restaurants charging similar prices to Scott's will not even have salt and pepper shakers on the table. I understand that this is the South and people add salt & pepper to everything (I'm a proud Southerner and grew up passing both around the table), but good chef's know how to properly season their food (this isn't Applebee's). Needless to say, I was very disappointed.<br/><br/>Also, on the wall with what appeared to be various awards was a "2012 Sam's Club Member of the Year" award. I really hope that this restaurant is not purchasing their meat from Sam's Club. If so, that could explain it.<br/><br/>The service was okay. Nothing special. But then again, "nothing special" could be used to describe Scott's. Perhaps I was there on a bad night? Though I am assuming not. <br/><br/>I hope your dining experience was/will be better than mine, but I will not be dining at Scott's again.

Pleasant Experience. Dined there recently (first time) for an office luncheon; waitstaff very courteous and attentive, owner came out to inquire how everything was. Everyone, including myself, was very pleased with their food. Tomato Bisque is excellent. Will definitely visit again..

MOUTH WATERING LOBSTER. Upscale, but casual. Cozy atmosphere with very attentive staff. Owners are some of the nicest, welcoming people I know. I have dined here often and the food is worth my drive of 45 minutes from Atlanta. I love the fried lobster broiled to perfection. Whoever wrote a bad review must have a bone to pick or must be from another restaurant that isn't getting business. Who knows, all I know is they don't know good food at all.

What a find!!! So lovely inside and the food and service were great. They have a beautiful lounge that I will be back to visit. I too am glad I didn't consider some of the negative reviews as II would have missed out on this great place!

Absolutely Amazing!. My wife and I were worried about dinning at the new location after all the bad reviews, but I must say Scott has out done himself with the new space. It is absolutely fantastic! It still has the small private rooms that the old place had. The dining room has more space which is nice since you don't feel like you're on top of each other. The service is great! Our server filled my water glass before I knew it was even noticed it was empty. The food came out quickly and was cooked perfectly. My wife and I had a wonderful night and will definitely be coming back. If we had listened to the bad reviews we would have missed out on a wonderful night.

Service Too SLOW. We dined at Scotts Downtown the Saturday before Christmas -- our first time dining in their new location. We visited the Lounge a week before on a Friday night and the lounge was pretty boring place. I felt like I was in a warehouse. <br/><br/>For our dining experience before Christmas, there were six of us and the service was extremely slow through the entire dinner, and the restauant was maybe 1/2 full. Our waitress when there was attentive but too long between visits by her. We waited at last 20 minutes for the first bottle of wine to arrive. At first I thought I was the only one thinking it was too long, but the other diners agreed. Food was acceptable... nothing to tell my neighors about. I think Scotts is trying to much to be an Atlanta restaurant which it is not. The dining room is almost too spacious As far as ambience I preferred the more cozy intimate location on the Square. When you have a large space it needs to feel full and not emply.<br/><br/>The group wanted after dinner drinks and rather than go to Scotts Lounge we went across the street to Recess to where there was a much warmer upbeat atmosphere.

Looked great from the outside.... Big bummer! We were hoping this could be a nice new go-to place but then again... To tell you the truth I'd rather not remember what we had to eat, Under seasoned and over cooked fish something and then I thing a pork something or something... Absolutely hate when bread rolls are limited to one peice and then refills on water are controlled like some sort of a hot commodity. This place is raking it in on one time visitors like myself and could really afford to invest in some repeat business by stepping it up a little bit, or maybe a lot a bit.

Tastebud has NO Taste!. Scott's IS the Square!

First Time in....... I have lived in Gainesville for 15 years and have seen places come ang go. Being in the industry for almost 40 years I feel I have a good read on food and service. Have wanted to go to Scott's since the day he opened and last night we went ( for Valetines)....the good stuff....phone interaction very positive...front desk attentive....the place is really comfy...our server was outstanding and I had worked with her before so we were comfortable with her. Now the food...I'm torn here because I know the owner has great passion for his food and this is what surprised me. Apps were very good . The girls had Salmon which was preped rare...which I like...but if that is the standard then tell your guests...my buddy had Flounder which was really good. I picked the Rack of Lamb...at our servers suggestion...and gave it a B plus...Looking at the plate presentation....there was no WOW...almost Novelle cuisine....and Scott's is not cheap. There were a few sevrice issues which were minnimal but this was overcome by the entire staff seeming to really like being there...and I will take that all day! I say all this because Gainsville needs a place like this...they just need to really examine the operation because they are a couple of steps away to become a real 3-4 star experience...I wish them luck...BC PS...sorry for the spelling....CHEERS

Great food, service and ambiance. Kicking back with a nice vino (wide selection) and an appetizer or having a full course meal is always a great experience. Don't understand the negative reviews...

Scott's is my favorite place in Gainesville to drink, eat, and relax after a long day of work. The food is exceptional. The service is warm and friendly. Every time I've been there I've walked away with a smile!!! A MUST try!!

Great Food and Service!!. What is up with this "Tastebud"person? He or She obviously dines at Outback or Chilis much more often than fine dining restaurants. Scott's is great restaurant! The food is exceptional, the service is great and the atmosphere is perfect. If you look at "Tastebud" reviews he does like much but does like Loretta Country Kitchen. He or she should probably stay away from establishments with class and keep bringing his tray of Fried CHicken to his oen table and only have to tip $5. People with no taste should not dine at establishments of "Taste"!

Horrible Food and Service NEVER EAT THERE!!!!. I will state with surety that Scott's on the Square is by far one of the worst "fine dining" restaurants that I have been to in a very longtime!!! I have eaten all over the world and this was a disaster. The QUALITY of food is not consistent and outrageously overpriced for the slop that is served there!! Price vs. Slop is not worth the money. The SERVICE was even worst than the food. We had to get our own drinks, search for the server on 8 different occasions, send food back to have it cooked properly, and request the basics to the table such as a steak knife, rolls, butter, water etc.... I paid with a 10% tip (WHICH WAS GENEROUS) APPROXIMATELY $650 for 9 people. Than the owner/cook had the nerve to tell one of my invited guests and close friend behind my back that the 10% tip I rendered for the , OBTW third class level of service, was not enough. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? I will never eat at that nasty, two faced slop house even if I was paid to go there and eat!!!!!!!!!!!