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18 South, Ocala, FL

18 South

4.4
4.4
53 Reviews
$50 and over
Oyster Bar

Make a reservation

2 people
8:00 PM
Booked 5 times today
  • Charming
  • Romantic
  • Fancy
18 South is a dining experience with menu items from all over the world.

Taste oysters from cold Atlantic/Pacific regions, caviar from Russia, king crab from Norway, and A5 Waygu from Japan's finest cattle.

Our spirits and wine list is A+.

Our dining atmosphere is a modern look from an 1895 restored building that looks over Ocala's town square.

Sit and relax while our player Steinway piano plays for you; and enjoy.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Oyster Bar, Steakhouse, Seafood
  • Hours of operation
    Wed, Thu 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 11:00 am–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (352) 387-9600
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual

What 53 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4
4.4 based on recent ratings
  • 4.3Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Orlando / Central Florida East

    Romantic

  • Ocala / Gainesville

    Best Ambiance

  • Ocala / Gainesville

    Romantic

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
18 South impresses with "excellent food and ambience" and a "wonderful experience dining" atmosphere. Known for its "amazing food and atmosphere," it's perfect for special occasions with attentive staff and standout dishes like the "lobster roll" and "WAGU steak." While some suggest room for improvement, many praise the service and fine dining experience.

53 Reviews
  1. pierre VIP

    Louisville5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was very well prepared Will definitely go again

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  2. Gina

    Orlando20 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    What a treat to find someplace that provides excellent service where you feel welcome. The menu has many amazing options including game not normally found in most restaurants. The wine and cocktail selections are top notch. The owner was very friendly and we enjoyed learning about the history of the building and area. It is expensive; however, you get what you pay for. The food was high quality and good portion sizes. This was our first time visiting downtown Ocala and 18 South. We will be back.

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  3. khafra VIP

    New York City9 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on February 23, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food. Wonderful service in the restaurant. Very rude bar staff. I paid my bill via the QR code for the bar. Apparently this cannot be joined to your restaurant bill. After paying the bar staff rudely came and accused us of not paying the bill. I had to show my chase receipt. After this he never even came back to state that he resolved the issue of him not knowing how to use the system to find my payment. This honestly ruined my entire experience. People like this should not work for such an establishment

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  4. John VIP

    Orlando4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food and the ambience to go with it! It really is a gem

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  5. Stacie

    Miami3 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on February 22, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Didn't love it. Thought Charles, our waiter, had a bit of a "Meh" personality. Kind of looked down his nose at us. Not very engaging. I enjoyed the ambiance - especially the wall in the bar area upstairs (2nd floor). Absolutely beautifully done! Beverages: They were out of the espresso martini (they ran out of coffee beans), which was a real bummer as it's the only drink I really wanted. Appetizer: The oysters were tiny and so-so. Appetizer: Bread was average, at best. The goat cheese that came with it was very sour. Entree: Wild boar was good. Entree: Filet was good. Side dish: The lobster mac and cheese was extremely salty! Side dish: Potatoes were very burnt on top.

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  6. Skip

    New Orleans1 review

    4.0

    Dined on February 22, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    This place has great potential. Their ceaser salad was awesome. However their croutons were soggy and hard to even chew. I m serious as I have never had croutons like this. Their steak was good. The sea bass however as way too salty. I have never has seabass I couldn’t eat. This was a first. Potatoes were good and drinks were good. I really like this place. However it feels like they are still working out the kinks. I will give them another chance. But they are not as good as Marks Prime. Same price as Marks, but not near as good. Just saying.

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  7. Melanie

    Mississippi8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 20, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    18 South was a wonderful find! The service was excellent and the dishes were amazing! I had the Chilean Sea Bass, which was cooked perfectly, very light and tender. And my husband’s salmon was great. And the apple tartine was a really good choice for dessert! All in all, a great place to celebrate our 55th wedding anniversary!

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  8. Edye

    Orlando3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    As always, a wonderful experience!! Dinner was delicious 😊

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  9. Koryn

    E. Tennessee2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Good experience overall, but not amazing unfortunately. Slightly disappointing that many items listed online when I booked were not available for our visit. Both the salmon and the diver scallops we ordered were pretty good but extremely salty. We also didn’t receive small plates for our appetizer, which is relatively not a huge deal but still rightly expected from an establishment charging fine dining prices. A very expensive dinner for a very average experience.

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  10. Paul

    Orlando5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had reservations but, after sitting at the bar and engaging with Charles we decided we would rather him just be our server and bartender. Such a nice guy

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FAQs

18 South is rated 4.4 stars by 53 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
8:00 PM
Booked 5 times today
Google Map for 18 South

18 S Magnolia Ave, Ocala, FL 34471-1151

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Ocala
  • Hours of operation
    Wed, Thu 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 11:00 am–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Oyster Bar, Steakhouse, Seafood
  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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