Firebirds Gainesville Brunch: What We’d Order Again

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Firebirds Gainesville Brunch Review: What We’d Order Again

Brunch at Firebirds in Gainesville felt like the kind of meal that starts with one round of drinks and quickly turns into a full table of shared plates, strong opinions, and a few surprise favorites. We came in ready for a relaxed brunch, ordered across the menu, and ended up with a mix of hits, almosts, and a few dishes we would pass on next time.

chimichurri shrimp appetizer at Firebirds Gainesville

The chimichurri shrimp were one of the biggest hits on the table. Bright, herby, and cooked well.

What We Actually Did

We went wide on the menu because brunch is always better when the table can taste a little bit of everything. We started with cocktails and appetizers before moving into a mix of brunch comfort food, tacos, and pasta.

The classic espresso martini ended up being the better cocktail choice. The raspberry espresso martini looked great but did not quite land for us. The fruit pulled it away from the coffee balance we wanted.

raspberry espresso martini cocktail

The raspberry espresso martini looked great, but the classic espresso martini was the clear favorite.

lemon drop cocktail at Firebirds

The lemon drop added a brighter cocktail option for the table.

For appetizers we tried the chimichurri shrimp, deviled eggs, lobster queso with chips, and cheesesteak egg rolls. The shrimp stood out immediately. The deviled eggs were good, but we like a bit more vinegar bite in ours so they felt slightly flat.

deviled eggs appetizer at Firebirds Gainesville

The deviled eggs looked great but we would have liked a little more tang in the filling.

lobster queso dip with chips

The lobster queso and chips worked well as a shareable table snack.

The Plan

If we were ordering brunch at Firebirds Gainesville again, we would focus more on the savory side of the menu.

  • Start with the chimichurri shrimp
  • Add lobster queso or egg rolls for the table
  • Order the steak tacos
  • Get the pasta and add shrimp
  • Choose the classic espresso martini over the raspberry version
steak tacos brunch dish

The steak tacos were one of the best savory dishes we ordered.

creamy pasta with shrimp at Firebirds brunch

The pasta is always a solid choice and adding shrimp makes it even better.

The smothered biscuits had good flavor but needed a little more gravy to really live up to the name. The baked French toast leaned closer to bread pudding than traditional French toast, which just was not our preference.

biscuits and gravy brunch dish

The smothered biscuits were flavorful but could have used a little more gravy.

biscuit sandwich brunch plate

The biscuit sandwich leaned heavily into classic Southern comfort brunch.

baked french toast brunch plate

The baked French toast had a texture closer to bread pudding than traditional French toast.

Tips We’d Tell a Friend

  • Order the chimichurri shrimp
  • Get the steak tacos
  • Add shrimp to the pasta
  • Choose the classic espresso martini
  • Skip the raspberry espresso martini

Overall it was a relaxed brunch with a few standout dishes and a couple we would tweak next time. When the table fills with shared plates and cocktails, it is easy to see why Firebirds remains a popular brunch spot in Gainesville.

Question for readers: Are you ordering sweet brunch like French toast or going savory with tacos and pasta?

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