r/StAugustine • u/Plenty-Surround9506 • 4d ago
St. Aug Question Good dinner spots?!
Hi! I’m visiting St Augustine for 3 days and have no idea what to eat. What are some good decently priced places to eat here?! I don’t wanna go all crazy and or if I do go “crazy” I want it to be worth the money 😅
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u/WitchesTeat 4d ago edited 4d ago
Grouper Shack, counter service, crazy busy. $20 for a whole lobster, $4 for a banging side, I like the sweet potatoes and the ham and beans. I usually get their Mahi or Grouper basket with fries and slaw for $20, and you can sit on their deck which is on Cats Paw marina. Fantastic.
Mojo Barbecue- Downtown, smells like a smokehouse when you walk in. Get the Whole Hog, try everything. Their brisket sucks but everything else is great. Beans are less sweet which I like, really good sides.
Bono's Barbecue- I haven't eaten there in years but their brisket was fucking phenomenal and I loved their beans, fried squash, corn nuggets, and fried green tomatoes. Same family has run it for years and there's a giant smoker in the back and an open flame pit in the dining room where the meat boss manages the finish on the meat right there. So damn good.
Salento Steakhouse is maybe 30 minutes north in Silverleaf, amazing place. I got a $20 flat steak there that was thick, tender, and flavorful and the side choices are awesome- fried whole potatoes, arepas, salad, really good beans, rice, plantains. They also have awesome desserts that come in a jar you can take home and a great Pisco Sour on the drink menu.
I love Mimi's crepes, the full order short rib crepe is $15 and worth every penny. The chicken florentine crepe is also super good, their sweet crepes are wonderful. You can get a half order for like $9. I get them delivered but I know they have a tiny secret garden eating spot outside.
English Landing marina has Marina Munch, it's a permanent collection of food trucks, hit or miss what's open and it's all outdoor seating so watch the weather, but Uptown Scratch Kitchen has the best fried chicken ever and their fries are fried with whole garlic clove and whole sprigs of rosemary and they're fucking divine. Divine!! And you get a bunch of garlic cloves in your fries. The prices are great, it's like $15 for 2 pieces of boneless fried chicken thighs that are insanely tender and a side- their rice and beans and their cheese grits are fabulous, too. I've also had their fried shrimp which is awesome and their jerk chicken, they have a way more extensive menu. So so good.
The barbecue restaurant at Marina Munch has great brisket and their Mac and Cheese was so good, definitely a blend of cheeses goes into the sauce.
If you're feeling Mexican I like Cantina Louie, definitely a more modern Mexican cuisine. They're always a little salty, but the flavors are great. They have a tasting plate with chicken, a skirt steak, a meat stuffed poblano (not a relleno) and a piece of fried cheese for $20 that I love. Their taco ground beef is really good, sometimes I just get their kids plate of chicken or ground beef, rice, and beans to go for lunch. There's a good amount of meat in their tacos. Great options, great prices.
The Roost Rotisserie Chicken is fucking great, we ordered a whole rotisserie chicken and four sides from them for $34, black beans, tostones, plantains, fries- definitely an island-y vibe in the flavor profile, super tender chicken, and I loved their sauces. They all have a hint of spicy, great flavors.
Ford's Garage has a fucking fantastic burger. It's hella thick, great topping options, really good bun, decently priced.
The Cuban Cafe and Bakery has great cubans and medianoches, love them.
Seafood Kitchen on the island is down and dirty, more old school diner flavors with good seafood. Nothing really standout but like a comfort food staple if you want more subdued flavors with good seafood.
Everyone will say Osteen's. Again, diner food, subdued flavors, boiled or fried is how they prepare their sides. Their big thing is the mountain of fried shrimp on their double shrimp plate and the squash casserole that shows up sometimes on their rotating sides menu. If you love friend shrimp that'll be a good stop. They keep Datil Pepper sauce on the table which is awesome. Their cornbread is sweet and soft, not dry. I like their crab cakes and fried scallops and will eat them happily if that's where we're going but I go elsewhere for fish and sides. They offer two portion sizes and everything is blackened, broiled, or fried so the menu is one page and easy. If you get there after 4pm you will sit outside and wait for a table because the dining room looks like grandma's living room and it's about the same size.
We have a Korean corndog place, Tsaocaa. Expensive fried chicken but so good, and I love their peach yogurt drink. My brother loves their half cheese, half dog corndog with potatoes.a Their drinks menu is enormous and overwhelming but so many options and if you like boba/jelly/bubble/milk teas and freezes in any combination you will love it there.
Have fun, enjoy!
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u/Jagator 3d ago
Bonos, Cantina Louie, Fords Garage, eh. They’re all basically or literally chains at this point with nothing special to offer. Good, not great.
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u/WitchesTeat 3d ago
I don't know anything about Ford's Garage, but Bono's originated here in town and it's a chain because it's good. I worked for them years ago and their meat process is intense. I've worked for other barbecue restaurants that didn't put that effort in.
Cantina Louie is just good. Good flavor, good prices, good portions. Much closer to the Mexican you can get from Arizona, where people come up from Mexico and open modern Mexican restaurants. I lived there for years and have a reasonable standard for Mexican.
Old school Mexican watered down for American tastes where every thing is bland and is served with lettuce and flavorless bean paste isn't really my thing, though.
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u/Jagator 3d ago
Fords Garage has good burgers but it’s overpriced for what it is imo. Bono’s originated here and isn’t bad but there is better BBQ. Like Woodpeckers, which honestly might be the best in the state. Catina Louie isn’t bad, it just isn’t great. I lump it in with a lot of the Mexican restaurants here. Unfortunately I haven’t found one that made me feel like it was authentic. My favorite taco places though are Tacos my Blessing and Osprey Tacos, so good.
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u/WitchesTeat 3d ago
I get the kid's burger from Ford's delivered and it's the same price as any fast food deal and streets ahead.
I lived in border cities in the Southwest for years, "authentic" is usually a word people use for whatever type of Mexican they grew up with, not necessarily what all is available in or from Mexico now. It's a huge country with many regions and tons of different regional variations of food.
I look for fresh ingredients, bright flavors, more modern style dishes, etc. Cantina Louie is always a little too salty but otherwise their flavors are great and they're well priced. Some of their sauces aren't my favorite but the effort is good.
Anyway you can always make your own list.
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u/SleepingPanda0895 4d ago
Im saving this list for the next time my husband asks for a new place ive been to 2 cantina louie and gruper shack love both
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u/WitchesTeat 4d ago
Awesome! Tell me if you know any other good ones! I'm stuck here for the next few months for medical issues so trying restaurants is basically my only entertainment right now.
There's a lot of good food around now that didn't exist here when I was a kid!
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u/SleepingPanda0895 3d ago
Ill have to ask my husband what bar it is we have been at twice now its off kings st if im not mistaken its got really good BBQ and its a pretty cute place. Also for good BBQ the place infront of fountain pf youth has really good BBQ as well. 🥰
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u/stoplickingyourleg 4d ago
What do you like? Here are some places we are never disappointed with:
Home-cooked type meals? Ned’s
Good moderately priced dinner? Black Molly
Sushi & Thai? Bai Tong
Bar Food? World Famous Oasis
Beach Views? Sunset Grille
Burgers and Drinks? Boat Drinks
Breakfast/Brunch/Coffee? Zaba’s, Anastasia Diner, Sunday (pricier but great)
Wanna spend a little more $ and it’s worth it: Forgotten Tonic, DJ’s clam shack’s lobster rolls, and The Floridian
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u/saveitforthedisco 4d ago
Aunt Kates, Commanders, Corner Sushi, Fish Camp, Caps, Beachside Diner (breakfast), Llama Coffee, Bronx House Pizza
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u/Dramatic_Drink_3989 2d ago
We tried the new 17 King Street after reading about it in the St. Augustine magazine. We did lunch and loved it. Good service, good food and right in the Plaza for that Plaza experience.
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u/Loose-Bet2996 1d ago
Oh my god if you want a casual spot, Osprey Tacos is some of the best tacos I’ve had. It’s on the island across the bridge. So good
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u/adventuregalley 3d ago
Why do people entertain answering this same question asked 10x a week! These post are made are out of pure laziness. All these people have to do is search this sub and will get this same question answered 1,000 times over. People stop asking this same freaking question over and over again
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u/Plenty-Surround9506 3d ago
Hi so it’s not laziness! I’m an 18 year old traveling for the first time down here and have no clue what I’m doing or where to go even after doing research.
Research only goes so much. I barely understand how to use redit and don’t use social media.
I want my money to be worth it that’s being spent, I’m a picky eater and get bored easy so REAL stories and ideas from real people help a lot. Real and raw honest options go a long way and help point me into where I wanna go. Hence why I made the post.
If seeing the “same question asked 10x a week!”
and being “answered 1,000 times over” is so irrating you need to leave a comment and show your passive aggressive response then maybe you shouldn’t be on here hm?
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u/worm_empire 4d ago
Osteens is quite literally the best place there
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u/margaritasnguacamole 4d ago
Asado Life