Christopher Cristancho isn’t a professional food reviewer, but he is on his way. The 22-year-old is a senior at Florida State University and spends a lot of his time trying and reviewing restaurants in Tallahassee for his Instagram account @GoldGrubs. Originally from Orlando, he began making videos when he was 14 years old, but has had a camera in his hands since the age of eight.
In December, he started publishing food reviews of local spots in Tallahassee. As a food-lover, Cristancho’s friends always asked him for his recommendations in town. He also saw a lack of food reviews in Tallahassee, so he created his own.
“I saw FSU Barstool make a post asking what are the top three spots to eat in Tallahassee and tagged @SpoonFSU,” he said. “I had done content creation for some places in town and I had a little lightbulb moment. I thought, ‘Wait a minute. I can just make these videos myself and do food reviews.” Cristancho’s food reviews have now been surrounding student’s feeds on campus. At Spoon, we never stop chatting about food, so we had to get the must-try places in Tallahassee from Cristancho.
Guthrie’s, 1818 W. Tennessee St. or 2550 N. Monroe St.
According to Cristancho, Guthrie’s is a go-to spot for late night food or the morning after if you’re not feeling too well. “The Guthrie’s brand sauce is amazing, and it’s the best fried chicken in Tallahassee so far,” he said. The only requirement, he added, is that it’ll taste best after a few drinks — for those who are over 21.
Bagel Bagel, 2401 W Pensacola St. J
Cristancho claims Bagel Bagel is the best breakfast spot in Tally and a perfect recovery spot after a night out. He recommends the Breakfast Power Wrap, which is his usual order, and the Bacon Melt. The absolute must-order for this restaurant is their Jalapeño Ranch sauce.
Dp Dough, 444 W College Ave.
Cristancho reviewed this restaurant chain after a themed party with his frat, Kappa Sigma, and definitely thinks students in Tallahassee will enjoy it after a night out. He recommends always asking for extra marinara sauce to accompany any meal order. His usual order is either the Chicken Parm or Buffalo Zone Calzone. “Those two can’t go wrong,” he said.
Rice Kingdom, 4727 Crawfordville Rd.
This restaurant recently opened and sells Middle Eastern food. The great thing about it is that they have deals all the time, so you can get a little food while saving a little money. Cristancho recommends the Chicken Brianna or Chicken Shawarma Bowl.
Hot Birdie’s Chicken, 1898 Thomasville Rd.
Cristancho says that this is the chicken sandwich place and the best one he has had in Tallahassee college town. He recommends the classic hot birdies chicken sandwich with a ton of their own sauce.
Nelsons BurgerBar, 805 S Macomb St.
This restaurant opened up last November and replaced the Voodoo Dog. “They’re trying to be a sports bar as time goes, and the best burger there hands down, no question, the bulldog burger,” Cristancho said. Of course, he loves sauce and recommends their ranch.
Bruster’s Ice Cream, 1709 W Tharpe St.
As a must-try ice cream store, Cristancho prefers Bruster’s over the classic Coldstone. The ice cream itself tastes amazing, and it doesn’t hurt that it is pretty enough to make the IG feed. Not to mention the size of each order. What else could you ask for?
Empire Chinese, 1700 N Monroe St., Ste 12
For late night studying in a college town, we need to have a staple Chinese takeout place. Cristancho recommends Empire as the best Chinese takeout in the simulation of Tallahassee. His favorite thing to order is their General Tso’s Chicken.
Sweet Shop, 701 W Jefferson St.
Although Cristancho doesn’t think Sweet Shop is the best meal you’ll have in Tallahassee, he does think it is a staple restaurant in the college town. You need to go at least one time before graduating. Not necessarily because it’s good, but it has almost become a part of the Tally culture. He orders the turkey mayo pesto sandwich and recommends asking for more pesto. He also said a classic bagel with cream cheese would be great for a meal on the run to your morning class.
El Ricon, 2010 W Tennessee St.
Connecting to his Columbian routes, Cristancho recommends El Ricon in Tallahassee for their empanadas. “They just make them exactly how they’re supposed to taste like,” he said. He also advises visitors to try a typical Colombian dish, La Bandeja Paisa consisting of rice, beans, plantains, avocado, a fried egg, and an arepa.
Follow Cristancho’s socials on Instagram and TikTok for more of his recommendations.