St. Augustine one night dinner

[Brook1099]

We are staying one night in Dec. at Casa Monica..just wondering where you recommend we eat dinner. I would prefer Mexican but my DH likes his steak and potatoes and bbq food, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[JaxDad]

Hi Brook! I recommend the following: Columbia (Spanish/Cuban), Harry's (Seafood and more), A1A Alehouse (home brews, varied menu), and Mojos BBQ (incredibly awesome; our favorite BBQ in the area). All of these are within walking distance from the Casa Monica (great hotel). I know Harry's can get busy; the others probably do as well. When you're done, go to Kilwin's for ice cream (two locations within walking distance). There are probably many other places that are good. You can walk around and probably luck out or ask the concierge at Casa Monica. Have fun! Let me know if you want any tourist site recommendations.

 

[Brook1099]

jaxdad.. thank you for the recommendations..looking into the menus and will share with family. Ice cream is always on my must do's.

any touring plans would be awesome... we should be getting into area around 12 noon. It is my self DH and our two kiddos aged 13 and 15.. Want to take in some history with them. I love shops. And I want to explore the Night of lights ( I am hoping we can walk to everything since I will be in our car way to long to get here..lol. . I want to get as much in as I can as we only have that day to explore.. off to Disney the next day.and want to get up early to there. TIA

 

[JaxDad]

Just off the top of my head, I'd suggest walking straight out your hotel, across th commons, and down St. George's Street, the main pedestrian thoroughfare. There are LOTS of shops. At the other end of St. George's is Colonial Quarter. It's a recreation of St. Augustine's various historical periods with period actors and demos (like a smaller Colonial Williamsburg). Adjacent to that is the Pirate Museum, which is somewhat small but very well done. Across the street from that is the actual Castillo San Marco. It's a fort from the 1500s, in very good condition, run by the National Park Service. This is a must see. If you still have time, it is a relatively short walk to Ripleys Believe It or Not, which I'm sure your teen boys would enjoy. You can walk back from there and get dinner on the way or look into the hop-on/hop-off trolley tours. They usually have special tours for the Christmas lights. Make sure to look for coupuns and other discounts online.

 

[Brook1099]

Awesome!! Thanks Jaxdad

 

[Orlando Vic]

Here are my restaurant recommendations, based solely on my personal preferences... and 22+ years of enjoying their cuisine:

For Lunch

Café Alcazar (25 Granada St, Saint Augustine, FL 32084-4387) is a true hidden gem…and is definitely off the main tourist path. It is a small restaurant located in what was once the deep end of the world's largest indoor swimming pool, now the Lightener Museum building. The food is quite good (I love their curried chicken salad.) and the atmosphere is absolutely unique and very conducive to conversation. They don't take reservations and only serve lunch. If you have trouble finding them, you can phone them at 904-825-9948. Check out their Trip Advisor reviews: http://*******.com/5qlvrq

For Dinner

Old City House http://www.oldcityhouse.com/
Outstanding breakfasts and dinners. Located just steps away from the Casa Monica.

The Raintree http://www.raintreerestaurant.com/

The Reef http://www.thereefstaugustine.com/index.html?
The food is very good, and the ocean views are even better. Be sure to arrive before sunset (or for Sunday brunch) for best views. Request a window table when making your reservation.

Saltwater Cowboys
(My personal favorite for ambiance and value combined)
http://www.saltwatercowboys.com/

Gypsy Cab Co. http://www.gypsycab.com/

Creekside Dinery http://www.creeksidedinery.com/

Le Pavillion http://www.lepav.com/

Purple Olive http://www.purple-olive.com

Casa Maya
This tiny restaurant offers fresh, organic ingredients to make the most delicious Mayan dishes.

17 Hypolita St
St Augustine, FL 32084
(904) 217-3039

And, for a special treat...you should try Collage http://www.collagestaug.com/ It is strictly a special occasion restaurant, but if you like good service, warm & relaxing ambiance and a creative, eclectic menu, this restaurant is a wonderful experience. They do everything right!


Honorable mention

O'Steens
(Perhaps the best shrimp in town. ZERO ambiance, no reservations, reasonable prices)

http://*******.com/2qtxgd


You'll notice that I did not mention the Columbia restaurant. IMO, their food is good, but not as good as any of the other restaurants I have mentioned.

Also, it is somewhat of a tourist trap and one of about 6-8 other Columbia's around the state. This may qualify them as a chain restaurant. I know a lot of people eat there, but the other restaurants I have given you are all better.

 

[dizzwizz]

Here are my restaurant recommendations, based solely on my personal preferences... and 22+ years of enjoying their cuisine:

For Lunch

Café Alcazar (25 Granada St, Saint Augustine, FL 32084-4387) is a true hidden gem…and is definitely off the main tourist path. It is a small restaurant located in what was once the deep end of the world's largest indoor swimming pool, now the Lightener Museum building. The food is quite good (I love their curried chicken salad.) and the atmosphere is absolutely unique and very conducive to conversation. They don't take reservations and only serve lunch. If you have trouble finding them, you can phone them at 904-825-9948. Check out their Trip Advisor reviews: http://*******.com/5qlvrq

For Dinner

Old City House http://www.oldcityhouse.com/
Outstanding breakfasts and dinners. Located just steps away from the Casa Monica.

The Raintree http://www.raintreerestaurant.com/

The Reef http://www.thereefstaugustine.com/index.html?
The food is very good, and the ocean views are even better. Be sure to arrive before sunset (or for Sunday brunch) for best views. Request a window table when making your reservation.

Saltwater Cowboys
(My personal favorite for ambiance and value combined)
http://www.saltwatercowboys.com/

Gypsy Cab Co. http://www.gypsycab.com/

Creekside Dinery http://www.creeksidedinery.com/

Le Pavillion http://www.lepav.com/

Purple Olive http://www.purple-olive.com

Casa Maya
This tiny restaurant offers fresh, organic ingredients to make the most delicious Mayan dishes.

17 Hypolita St
St Augustine, FL 32084
(904) 217-3039

And, for a special treat...you should try Collage http://www.collagestaug.com/ It is strictly a special occasion restaurant, but if you like good service, warm & relaxing ambiance and a creative, eclectic menu, this restaurant is a wonderful experience. They do everything right!

Honorable mention

O'Steens
(Perhaps the best shrimp in town. ZERO ambiance, no reservations, reasonable prices)

http://*******.com/2qtxgd

You'll notice that I did not mention the Columbia restaurant. IMO, their food is good, but not as good as any of the other restaurants I have mentioned.

Also, it is somewhat of a tourist trap and one of about 6-8 other Columbia's around the state. This may qualify them as a chain restaurant. I know a lot of people eat there, but the other restaurants I have given you are all better.

I agree with everything said here, except the opinion regarding the Columbia restaurant no being in the same class as some of the other restaurants pointed out. We have eaten at the St. Augustine Columbia for over 30 years (probably at least 50 times by ourselves and with out-of-town company) and have only been disappointed once or twice (and this was not due to the food, but due to the screaming baby next to us.)

Our favorites we keep returning to include;

Columbia (get the 1907 Salad!)
Collage (get the Lobster Ravioli!)
RainTree (get the Mussels in garlic butter!)

In our opinion, you can't go wrong with any of these three.

 

[HeidiGW]

I think we need to start stopping here on the way down!!! Yummy!

 

[LovesTimone]

Harry's... Amazing food, Great Service, But just as a warning, weekend the wait can be long. But that is anywhere in St. Augustine on the weekend.

My DH loves the Filet, for me the scallops, DD loves the calamari.

 

[JaxDad]

I forgot about Old City House. Good call!

I've recently dined at only a few of the other restaurants Vic recommended (Gypsy Cab, Saltwater Cowboys, The Reef, and O'Steens). They are all good. They would require you drive (except maybe O'Steens), if that is okay.

I didn't even think about the fact that I recommended some regional "chains." I'm glad to hear someone else recommend Harry's. I had not dined there too recently. I always had good food at that location, as well as the one in Gainesville. We had one here in Jacksonville, but it was awful, and is now closed. I've dined at four of the 5-6 Mojos. The food and service was consistently great at all of them.

Good luck! You may find that once you start wandering around you will stumble on some other, awesome place. My kids and I ended up at some outside pub with little fire-pit tables once (on a cold evening) and had a blast. I don't even remember what the name of the place was.

 

[ChristineNic]

We go to St Augustine often, and make sure that we have time to eat the Columbia. It is really a beautiful restaurant and the food is great.

 

[MEK]

Ate lunch on the patio at Harry's and LOVED it! I especially loved the promo for a free dessert that I was able to get sitting right at my table by filling out the survey on my phone.

 

[Woodview]

Why not try " Oasis " a few miles down the Hwy A1A

 

[BeachPrincess]

Another vote here for Harry's. We live about 30 minutes away and go as often as we can. They have awesome gumbo! It's our favorite place and you can't beat the atmosphere on the patio.

 

[Bethnde1]

I second the columbia restaurant. It's my all time favorite place to eat & i've spent hundreds more on dinners all over the usa & nothing tastes like that place. For a special occasion i would drive 3 hours to eat there (the closest one to home.) I also just found a location in celebration, fl.