The Yearling Restaurant
Hawthorne
Restaurant in Hawthorne, United States
Book with PearlThe Read
Price
$20–30per person
Dress
Casual
Why go
The Yearling Restaurant is the practical Hawthorne pick for a relaxed late-week or weekend meal, especially if staying local matters more than a polished city dining room. Lunch is the safer low-pressure choice; dinner works better for a casual outing. Skip it for takeout-first plans unless the current ordering setup is clear.
About The Yearling Restaurant
In Hawthorne, The Yearling Restaurant is best approached as a practical local option with a casual dress code and a limited weekly schedule. For a repeat visitor, the decision is simple: use it when the posted hours fit your plans, rather than building the night around a published award pedigree, a chef-driven format, a drinks program, or a specific price point.
The Yearling Restaurant is open Thursday through Sunday and closed Monday through Wednesday. That makes it a late-week or weekend choice rather than a flexible anytime fallback.
Use it for an easy local meal, not a destination splurge
The Yearling Restaurant suits diners already in or near Hawthorne. It is better judged as a convenient local restaurant with published hours and casual dress.
For takeout or delivery decisions, be conservative. There is no off-premise program, so The Yearling Restaurant is a weaker choice if the whole point is food that is proven to travel well. If eating away from the dining room is the priority, choose only if the current ordering setup is clear before committing.
Plan around the limited service week
The practical advantage is clarity on timing: The Yearling Restaurant is open Thursday 12–8 PM, Friday 12–9 PM, Saturday 12–9 PM, and Sunday 12–8 PM. Because Monday through Wednesday are closed, it is not a reliable backup for early-week plans.
Reservations: no booking method is listed. Dress: keep it casual unless the occasion requires otherwise. Budget: no price range, so avoid promising a fixed spend to a group. Groups: better for relaxed local dining than for a tightly managed event. Location: Hawthorne.
Planning details
- Location
- 14531 East, 14531 Co Rd 325, Hawthorne, FL 32640
- Website
- yearlingrestaurant.net
- Phone
- +13524663999
The take
The Take
The Vibe
The Yearling Restaurant presents a rural, scrub‑country character that deliberately roots itself in north‑central Florida’s landscape and literary history. It feels rustic and cozy: a classic regional outpost where live oaks, cypress swamps, and working cattle land frame the dining experience. The restaurant leans into the area’s sense of place, referencing Cross Creek and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, so the mood is as much about local memory and traditions as it is about food. Visitors encounter an unpolished, authentic style that reads as iconic in this particular corridor of Florida dining.
Best For
The Yearling suits gatherings that want a strong sense of region and hearty, distinctive fare. It works well for relaxed family meals and casual get‑togethers where diners expect game and freshwater specialties rather than coastal tourist fare. The setting and menu also lend themselves to special occasions for guests who value a literary and geographic backstory: celebrations that favor character and provenance over formality. Because the restaurant sits outside major dining circuits, it’s also a destination for visitors seeking an authentic local experience between nearby towns.
Ordering Tips
Order with the region in mind: the menu emphasizes freshwater species and game that reflect the St. Johns River system and scrub‑country traditions. Seek out frog legs, gator, venison, and regional freshwater fish such as catfish and bass; don’t miss staples tied to local recipes like fried green tomatoes and key lime pie for dessert. If you’re curious about historic preparations, look for items that reference Rawlings’s recipes (cooter/soft‑shell turtle appears in the regional pantry). Expect dishes that showcase local sourcing and rural flavors rather than coastal seafood conventions.
Venue details
Ambiance
Rustic, quirky Old Florida decor with antiques, taxidermy, and a cozy, charming atmosphere evoking rural history.
Tags
Vibe
Best For
Experience
At the Table
- Dress Code
- Casual
- Noise Level
- Conversational
- Service Style
- Upscale Casual
- Meal Pacing
- Standard
- Capacity
- Medium
- Kitchen
- Traditional
- Menu Format
- A la carte
- Dietary
- Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten-free options
- Private Dining
- Available
Signature Dishes
- frog legs
- gator
- venison
- fried green tomatoes
- key lime pie
Know before you go
Know Before You Go
- Getting there
- 14531 East, 14531 Co Rd 325, Hawthorne, FL 32640
Planning details
Location
Also consider
If this does not fit
Try Satchel's Pizza for a more clearly casual group meal, especially if pizza solves the table faster than a rural restaurant plan. For a city-leaning dinner, Amelia's is the cleaner cross-shop.
Restaurant context
How it compares
The Yearling Restaurant is the easier local choice if the goal is to stay in Hawthorne and avoid turning the meal into a Gainesville trip. Liquid Ginger and Amelia's are better fits when the group wants a more clearly city-oriented restaurant night, but they require a different planning mindset than a casual rural stop.
For value, The Yearling Restaurant is safest when convenience is part of the value calculation: less travel, simpler expectations, and a relaxed meal window Thursday through Sunday. Satchel's Pizza is the better cross-shop for a casual group that wants a more defined pizza plan, while Afternoon makes more sense for a daytime Gainesville choice.
Ambiance is the dividing line. Choose The Yearling Restaurant for a low-key North Florida setting and an easy local meal. Choose Capones GNV if the group wants a Gainesville night out instead of a Hawthorne-centered plan.
Explore Hawthorne
Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full The Yearling Restaurant guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare The Yearling Restaurant
| Venue | Location | Awards |
|---|---|---|
| The Yearling Restaurant | Hawthorne | No published awards |
| Liquid Ginger | Gainesville | No published awards |
| Amelia's | Gainesville | No published awards |
| Capones GNV | Gainesville | No published awards |
| Satchel's Pizza | Gainesville | No published awards |
| Afternoon | Gainesville | No published awards |
How The Yearling Restaurant Hawthorne: Hours & Planning compares with similar nearby venues.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I go to The Yearling Restaurant?
Plan around the posted hours rather than assuming all-day availability. The Yearling Restaurant is closed Monday through Wednesday, then open Thursday 12–8 PM, Friday 12–9 PM, Saturday 12–9 PM, and Sunday 12–8 PM. If your schedule is tight in Hawthorne, confirm the current hours before you go.
What are alternatives to The Yearling Restaurant?
Use The Yearling Restaurant when you want the Hawthorne option itself; other comparison venues can help if you want to choose by mood or setting. Liquid Ginger, Amelia's, Capones GNV, Satchel's Pizza, and Afternoon are options to compare before deciding. If you want variety over convenience, compare those first.
What should I wear to The Yearling Restaurant?
Keep it casual and clean. The dress code is casual, so regular day-to-evening clothing is enough unless your own plans call for something dressier.
What should a first-timer know about The Yearling Restaurant?
Plan around the hours: it is closed Monday through Wednesday, then open Thursday 12–8 PM, Friday 12–9 PM, Saturday 12–9 PM, and Sunday 12–8 PM. Its location is Hawthorne. That schedule is the main planning detail, because it makes The Yearling Restaurant a limited-service-week venue.
Does The Yearling Restaurant handle dietary restrictions?
Dietary accommodations are not listed, so the safe move is to check directly before you go. That matters more because the restaurant has a limited Thursday-to-Sunday schedule, which makes last-minute changes harder.