We stumbled across Back 40 A1A while we were down in St. Augustine Beach, and I'm so glad we decided to stop. It's tucked away in a strip mall, so it definitely wasn't what we expected, but don't let the location fool you, this place is a hidden gem. The inside has a fun, laid-back beach vibe, and the staff made us feel welcome from the moment we walked in. Our server was super friendly, attentive, and took great care of us. We ordered the redfish special, which was blackened Redfish, topped with crawfish étouffée, served over a grit cake. Everything on the plate worked together perfectly, and the fish was cooked just right. We also had the homemade chips with salsa and beer queso. The queso isn't your typical Mexican-style queso, so don't go in expecting that. It's a rich, flavorful beer queso, and I actually really enjoyed the different twist. It paired perfectly with the fresh, crispy chips. They also have a cute little bar that looked like a great place to grab a drink. We'll definitely be back to work our way through more of the menu. If you're in the St. Augustine Beach area, this spot is absolutely worth checking out! read more

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4 in our group (around 11 :45) other than my order, the other 3's orders were ok. We ate all of our meals, as we hadn't eaten breakfast. The burger I ordered "Medium"- came out pretty much well done. FF were barely warm. Appears they use frozen &/or old ground beef. As it was very dry & didn't taste fresh. There were a couple bites of hamburger left.I went to give my husband- it was literally so tough he couldn't even get it off the fork. Perhaps just an off day for the cook. we won't be back- too many other food choices in the area. read more

After a long day at the beach, The Back 40 was exactly the kind of laid-back spot we were looking for. The atmosphere was relaxed, the service was friendly, and it made for an easy family dinner. I ordered the Caribbean jerk chicken wrap with the pasta salad. The wrap was flavorful, and the roasted red peppers and pineapple paired nicely with the jerk chicken. The pasta salad has a mayonnaise-based dressing, which I enjoyed. My daughter ordered the kids' chicken and rice and loved it. The portion was generous enough that she had leftovers for lunch the next day. My son ordered the chips and queso. It wasn't what he expected because it's not a traditional Mexican white queso. It has a smokier, more Southwestern flavor. He wasn't a fan, but my daughter and I both liked it. Overall, it was a pleasant, casual dinner with good food and friendly service. We'd happily stop by again after another beach day. read more

My wife and I recently took a trip up to Matanzas. We searched for local restaurants and found Back 40 A1A. At first, we were a little surprised because it was a Friday night, and the crowd was light. It did not matter the food and the service was outstanding. We had the jerk chicken nachos. we also had the Aji tuna tacos, and shrimp bang bang tacos. phenomenal. Dessert was Off The Chain. They had a fried cheesecake. That was probably the best dessert I've had in at least five years. Pricing was reasonable and highly recommend I regret not taking any pictures at the restaurant, but I took some photos at a beautiful park just before we got there. It's called Washington Oak. read more

Back 40 A1A - We did not take any photos at the restaurant, but this was at the Washington Oak Park that was not far away. Amazing. - New American Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

Disappointed in the food. it was basic bar food in my mind. The jerk chicken wasn't anything close to real jerk. The queso seemed like they just poured it from an old El Paso jar. The Cuban was okay. read more

Beach like vibe, great service and awesome food at reasonable prices. Burger was really good and made to perfection. Chili soup was fantastic as well as the ruben sandwich. Will definitely return to try desert at a future visit. read more

Back 40 A1A - New American Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

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Yay! to Back 40 A1A. What a great dining experience. I took my college attending grandson for dinner here. I was able to give him an opportunity to experience delicious food (not chicken nuggets and fries) without breaking the bank. He chose the Teriyaki chicken bowl. It was a nice size portion for a growing young man. I had the Jamaican turkey. Super yummy! It sure brought on the heat. We were also pleasantly surprised to have a local musician playing while we ate. It just added the cherry on top to this cute Florida beachside restaurant. This was a fantastic gathering spot for friends and families! read more

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Good food portions and variety of selections. Came in for lunch on a Friday and they had live music which was really nice. Plenty of seating for if you have kids or a dog (I have both!). My Santa Fe salad was good and they let me swap chicken for shrimp. Good lunch place if you're in the area! read more

Back 40 A1A - Santa Fe salad with shrimp - New American Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

Wonderful go to lunch spot. Try the Island Reuben! Service is great and food is delicious! read more

Back 40 A1A - Island Reuben - New American Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

So, they were short staffed. It was off season and they were busy. Service was slow, but we sat outside with our dogs and had chips and salsa and cold beers. It was a nice night out, we then had the wet burrito,,, so good. Kids had shrimp tacos, yummy and my hubby had a steak tacos. So good! I would go again because it was right down the street from the house... fabulous. Bring your pups. read more

Great little place with excellent food and service. Best value around. We had Cajun red fish sandwich and the wet burrito. Both were great. read more

Olivia, our server, amazing! Food, delicious, times 10! So glad we dropped in today. Great place! Thank you! read more

What an amazing place! So many delectable items on their menu. Dog friendly place too! Super service and excellent food!

We stopped in after visiting Marineland for a late lunch which was great because the menu was light with sandwiches, wraps, and tacos. We ordered the Thai Wrap ( amazing!!!), Kids Pizza (kid loved it), Cheese Quesadilla, Cuban and Reuben. We all enjoyed our food and needed togo boxes. We also appreciated that they had Coke products because we are from Georgia and we are not Pepsi people. Our server was great!! I wish I remembered her name as she was attentive. We all commented on the beautiful art work on the walls and which ones were our favorite. If you are a Reuben purest don't get the Reuben, it's for the adventurous type. read more

Great food and employees. Always have great service here and relaxed atmosphere. Pricing is reasonable also

Everything is good food ,service .it's nice to bring dog and nice to sit outside. Cost is reasonable for this town

The quesadilla was very tasty, it was recommended by our server! The service was great too!

We just arrived in St Augustine and needed a quick, local spot for dinner and decided on Back 40. It is a very small, local place right on the A1A, very unassuming on the outside but we had a good experience here. It was a bit late, place was still busy, so we decided that was a good sign. We tried the soft pretzel with some dipping cheese. We ordered tacos: mahi mahi, minorcan shrimp, house mahi, and Cuban chicken, with a variety of sides. Everything was very tasty and fresh. Good sized portions and not too bad of a price for 4 with an appetizer, meals, and 2 drinks: $72 plus tax It was a good, last minute choice for dinner. If you are in the Crescent Beach area, stop in for some really good tacos. read more

Visiting my brother and he brought us here for dinner. All the tables were full so we only had to wait a few minutes for a table to be cleared but it took a while to get our orders in. I ordered the wet burrito minus the sauce and my cousin ordered the island bowl with chicken. The burrito was packed with ingredients and super tasty. The tortilla was soft and the rice, beans, and veggies were all cooked well. The island bowl was delicious and the chicken was moist and tender. We devoured every bite! Love the beach vibe and all the gallery art on the walls. Staff was friendly and helpful and we all enjoyed our meals. read more

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Holy cow! Don't let its humble exterior fool you, this is place is worth the visit! My friend and I were coming off the final leg of a road trip. We were starving but not in the mood to dress up for a night out. Yelp steered us to Back 40 and it sounded like exactly what we needed. The location itself is small but not cramped. There were several tables available but we opted to sit at the bar. The two girls working were so friendly and inviting! There were several locals also eating around the bar and they were very friendly as well. The walls are covered in art by local artists (available for purchase). The vibe in here was great to us and that was before we even ordered food. Happy hour is from 3-6 so we took advantage of that for a couple of drinks. On the enthusiastic recommendation of the staff I got the Thai shrimp salad which I am still dreaming about. The house made dressing is to die for! Needless to say, we were highly impressed. Great atmosphere, friendly staff, excellent food and super reasonable prices. Two people, two meals, two drinks, $42. read more

Back 40 A1A - Thai shrimp salad with the best dressing I've tasted in a while! - New American Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

Great food with lots of flavor! The staff is amazing and very friendly! It's definitely a locals spot! Thank you for your hospitality

At first I was thinking that this was going to be a run of the mill vacation town pub, but we gave it a try based on Yelp reviews. We were totally knocked out by the loaded datil fries (we added mojo pork). The "wet burrito" and mahi sandwich were also darn good. We will definitely be back! read more

The drunken burrito was the BEST! Service great and relaxing atmosphere Have returned once since I decided to write review read more

Food was ok. Service ok, but not fast. Datil fries were good, baked pretzel very good. Wet burrito was very so-so. Thai shrimp salad was OK. Probably never go back. read more

Small, looking cranny place on A1A, the service was great said at the bar shrimp tacos were excellent. Had a side order of fries also. Great place to sit in and grab a quick bite. read more

The service was great, dog friendly (outside seating). Portions are large. The tacos were fantastic. Small beer selection on tap.

This was a wonderful experience start to finish! We each had a selection of soft tacos, and I had a cup of the gumbo, which by any other restaurant's standard, would have been considered bowl size. All dishes were tremendously flavorful. The service was attentive and very helpful, especially in recommending dishes and relative portion sizes. We found out quite by accident that we were having dinner during happy hour, so many of our tacos were half-price! Back 40 is pleasant, features tremendous food, and is most affordable. We will be back often! read more

We dined here on 3/9/2021, and had a wonderful experience! Devyn was our server, and she was very friendly, personable, and attentive to our needs. Our drink order was brought out within seconds, and our appetizer and main dish order was taken shortly after. We started with a house salad, and it was HUGE. For $10, it could easily be split among 3-4 people. The side of chips and salsa was large as well, and was more than enough for the 3 people in our party. We ordered the BBQ chicken quesadilla, and the Chimichurri steak tacos. The quesadilla was STUFFED, and loaded with wonderfully tender chicken, bacon, cheese, and bbq sauce - it was amazing! The tacos were tender and flavorful. The side of beans and rice was very satisfying as well! Overall, a wonderful dining experience that was only accentuated by the great service provided by Devyn. read more

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An updated review from my previous comments. I returned to this cute restaurant this week and the air conditioning was working well and we had a very enjoyable dinner! Excellent chef and staff!! We're back to Back40!! Thank you!! read more

COVID Measures: staff wear masks, outdoor dining available, social distancing. Happy Hour Taco Deal $3 single tacos between 3-6pm. Loved the Dynamite Shrimp, Jerk Chicken, and Cajun Mahi. Wine Wednesday meant a $10 bottle of Moscato for two as well! Great outdoor seating, great service, would definitely come back! read more

Back 40 A1A - Wine Wednesday $10 bottle of wine - New American Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

One of these days I will order something other than the shrimp quesadilla, don't know when that will be because it is just so darn good. And the folks that work there are some of the Best. read more

Food was good, but service was horrible. Took over 45 minutes to get a burger and burrito. I'm local, and didn't appreciate the attitude of the waitress, just because they were training a new chef. I might give them another chance, but not just yet. The food was good though, so no complaints there. This review is based solely on my last experience there. read more

So we stopped in for a quick bite and kept it basic. We ordered some Jerk Chicken Nachos. While they are large and certainly enough to split, they are really rather lackluster. The chicken was just above room temperature and tasted "ok" but nothing special. It is priced right though and sometimes you get what you pay for: basic nacho chips with melted cheese, some sour cream, jalapeños, lettuce/tomato salsa and chicken. I'm not saying it was bad, I'm saying it was basic. Also ambiance is tough. I mean this could be a great little spot on the beach but instead you sit down at a table and there is no music playing or anything to drown out your conversation or other people's. I literally heard a lady say that she wasn't eavesdropping but then started talking to the lady that was at another table about her discussion. So be ready to keep your voice down. It would benefit greatly from music. read more

Very unassuming place with great food and service. Lovely local artwork on the walls. Would highly recommend this place for a nice, fresh lunch and welcoming atmosphere. read more

The 3 little pigs taco, amazing!! Ham, pork & bacon......Give it a try. Can't wait to return.

Mmmmmmm! Very tasty! Some have called it the hidden gem of restaurants kind of close to the beach and the highway road! I had a nice Cuban sandwich, which they affectionately named "a St. Augustine favorite", and boy were they right! As they say in Cuba, "that's a tasty sandwich"!! My girlfriend (flex) had the mahi tacos and said they were delicious with the cilantro lime sauce. Another one of my friends had the Wet Burrito and was dissatisfied, but everyone else was happy. Overall, I would recommend this restaurant, the service was very accommodating of a party of 11 (popular guy), and they were so nice to us, despite the fact we are out of towners. Lovely establishment! read more

Back 40 A1A - Me and my friend max eating a Cuban sandwich and a burrito - New American Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

First time here. Great experience. Very local place especially this time of year but being the location is near Crescent Beach, summertime mixes the crowd I'm told. Happy hour 3-6pm. People were so nice, attentive & informative. Chips & salsa. Both amazing. Homemade salsa was so good I scooped it and I don't eat peppers and/or onions. I had the Thai shrimp wrap. It was on spinach wrap. The Thai peanut sauce was so good I couldn't stop dipping everything in it! Had island slaw with it which was homemade Cole slaw that was very crisp and slight sweetness to it. My hunny had 2 Ala carte tacos which consisted of house version or speciality. Both versions were discounted for happy hour. Jerk chicken house & shrimp speciality both great I'm told. Also had a cup of Minorcan chowder which is a rotated special soup I'm told but I wish it wasn't because hands down it's the best minorcan chowder we've had & we went to the Clay County festival where area restaurants competed & we tried them all. It's a little spot on an end of a tiny strip of a few businesses off the road. There is a couple tables out front basically on the end of the parking lot and seating inside and a bar. Well done to the Chef, staff & owners! read more

We have been coming to Back 40 for quite some time. Always good food. We enjoy Tuesday date night special. Came tonight and when we were asking about the dessert that was included with date night was told the new policy was that we had to specify we were ordering the date night special and could not change the bill. Was very disappointed with this. read more

Great food fantastic prices cozy atmosphere. A win win win all the way around. Look no further great Cuban btw

Great place with really fresh seafood. Seafood tacos (shrimp and mahi mahi) were perfectly cooked, and the jerk chicken nachos my companion ordered were twice what one person could eat - and they were an appetizer! I'm looking forward to trying more of their menu items on our next trip! read more