You will return again and again! The view upstairs or down is stellar...the people are fun and the vibe is Cool

A new name for an old favorite. We stopped for lunch on a beautiful weekday. Parking lot was surprisingly empty even though Bike Week was going on over on the coast. A nicely prepared hamburger and a delightful bacon-stuffed BLT both hit the spot. We didn't get our requested medium rare, but it was tasty nonetheless. The BLT was served on toasted and buttered bread. Don't see butter much - seems to always be mayo. It was great. Having an abundance of bacon certainty sealed the deal. The cole slaw was creamy and looked and tasted freshly-made. The black beans and rice side was a pleasant surprise and delicious. Our service was prompt and efficient. This place can succeed if it keeps serving good food like we had. read more

I have dined at Blackwater Inn (now "Drifters) for at least 50 years. Up until the business changed ownership a few years ago, the food was excellent. The riverfront views are now its only draw. The food, though fairly good, is accompanied by an extremely limited menu. For example, this is a seafood restaurant that doesn't have a seafood platter or fried oysters, and their "fingerling" catfish are as big as my foot! The waitstaff is fine and attentive. I took friends there on 5-07-26, and spent the entire drive home apologizing for my choice of restaurants. McDonalds or Taco Bell would have been about as impressive. read more

That we had a special burger outstanding in the rice and beans are very good. I brought two dogs with us . dog friendly kid, friendly restaurant very clean. read more

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Something like a three with a five star view. Fried banana peppers were an enjoyable novelty but one of our orders came out wrong, the Florida Reuben, and we were foolish enough to keep whatever fish sandwich they brought us which was just too rubbery to be enjoyable. Even though we were polite enough to keep it, hospitality tanked after the mistake and was without any follow up and I had to chase the check. Chili was bland. Potato skins were okay. Fairly underwhelming for a $70 lunch. read more

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Says on the menu NO GLUTEN FREE ! We came to eat here on a boat from the water. Unfortunately it was a disappointing experience read more

Great restaurant on the water. If your party is over 18, head upstairs. Lots of tables with a water view. Options for deck seating as well. Service is excellent. Food was great as well. Ordered fried jalapeños as an appetizer. Didn't disappoint! For our meal I ordered the house salad with blacked mahi and my husband had the French dipped sandwich with sweet potato fries. We will be back for sure!! 5 stars read more

Drifters Riverfront Bar & Grill - Fried jalapeños - Bars Near Me - Astor, Florida

we were very disappointed Friday 2/6/26 at Drifters. The service was terrible and the food was very poorly cooked. between being ignord and forgotten and food having set on the warming shelf too long, we really have to think about going back. read more

My husband and I traveled to Barberville, Florida for an event today. On the way over we saw Drifters and thought that looked like an interesting place to eat, we checked out the menu on line and on the way back home we stopped their to eat and were very happy we did. It's is right off the St John's River, the staff is very helpful and friendly.. Our waitress was Denise and she did an excellent job getting what we wanted and answering any questions we had, we had their fried pickles, I had grouper fingers and fries with cheese on them. Everything was so delicious, Michelle brought out our food and talked with us for a while and suggested other things we might try if we go back there, which we definitely will!! You couldn't find a better place to eat in that area, the ambiance inside and out where we could see boats on the water. It was all excellent and a wonderful experience. Thank you Denise and Michelle!! read more

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Megan was a great server. There were 4 of us for a late lunch. The Florida rueben was delicious. Worth the trip from NJ just for that. I plan on eating here again before I have to return to the cold northeast. Great being right on the water too. All of our orders were great. read more

We pass this restaurant and decided on a whim to stop and have dinner. What a good idea, sitting right on the St John's river, they had huge windows looking onto to river, as well as outdoor seating. It looks like they're building an outdoor tiki bar which will be fun. The menu was pretty much a typical bar menu, lacking in the burger choices though, that being said our food was hot and came out quickly. We ordered a clam basket and a Cuban sandwich both of which were huge portions. Our waitress was fantastic. You couldn't hardly take a sip out of your drink before she was refilling and she checked on us constantly. All in all a nice clean restaurant with good food and a beautiful view we would definitely return. read more

Drifters Riverfront Bar & Grill - View of the St John's river. - Bars Near Me - Astor, Florida

Amazing spot on the SJR - great people/boat watching. Solid bartender too! Food was great - can't wait to get back. Blessings.

Great service. We drove passed it and promptly turned around. It was our first visit I will def go back!! The view was top notch. Jill was on top of it!! We started w the fried jalapeño coins. There ranch was homemade and on point. Their iced tea was made an iced tea drinker clearly. Soooo good. My husband had the seafood chowder. It was so good he didn't even offer me a nibble. I took a strolll to see peoples food. I landed on the shrimp and fry basket!! 12 giant shrimps!! The fries were good next time I'll try sweet potato fries. I split them w my husband. We still didn't finish it all. Don't sleep on this one's read more

Drifters Riverfront Bar & Grill - Our view. - Bars Near Me - Astor, Florida

Nice atmosphere. Crowded during what I thought would be an off time 2pm weekday, but business was booming. With the crowd, the noise level was not that bad. Nice view of boats passing by. Lili the bartender took my food order also. Very nice, very attentive. Had fried clams and sweet potato fries. Clams were sweet. Delicious tartar sauce. Sweet potato fries a bit over done, but still tasty. Came with cinnamon butter. read more

The food was great, the location was super cool, and we would gladly go again! Was actually just looking through my reviews trying to find this place since we are in the area. Thinking we need to stop by again! read more

The location offers a pleasant view over the water, which is a nice backdrop for a casual meal. However, the restaurant is right next to a bridge, and every time cars (especially trucks) pass overhead, it creates a loud, thunder-like rumble that disrupts the dining experience and makes conversation difficult. The food was the highlight for us. I ordered the grilled grouper sandwich, which tasted fresh and well-prepared--I'd consider ordering it again if we returned. My husband had the fish and chips, and he enjoyed it enough to say he'd get the same thing next time. My sandwich came with a side salad, but the dressing provided was a packet of canola oil mixed with olive oil and vinegar, which I found unappealing (I prefer not to use canola oil on salads, and some real dressing options would be better). Unfortunately, the service was below average. The staff seemed annoyed and uninterested, which made us feel like we were inconveniencing them just by being there. Overall, the fresh seafood entrees were solid, but the noise from the bridge, lackluster service, and odd salad dressing choice detracted from the visit. It has potential with the waterfront setting, but it fell short for us this time. read more

The food was delicious, nice atmosphere, pleasant location, and good service. I had a Cuban sandwich with fries and tried a bits of the fried fish. Both were tasty. read more

Great food, good service . The yelp site listed outdated information on Friday night specials which were not available on the Friday night we were there. We were disappointed but ordered other food. Please update site. read more

"Chillin on the River" is the perfect description of this restaurant, "inside & outside bar - yes much of the afternoon the crowd was here on this last weekend of "Bike Week 2023" and in the bars, we were lucky enough to grab a seat at the outside bar overlooking the river in what is better known as "Jen's Treehouse" and she was wound up and pouring shots by the dozen. We arrived before most of the crowd started rolling in so we were able to established a rapport with Jen early so we were set for the afternoon. Jen is such a sweetheart and a professional bartender there ain't nothing she can't deliver. The bar service was off the charts great pours and the draft beer is bone chillin cold even Bud Light tasted good at these temperatures. We decided to grab a bite to eat being this drinking opportunity was just a precursor to what was to come later at the campground and although the location is a little more than a stones throw from our site, even with that we definitely drank responsibly. We started off with an order of fried Jalapeños, these arrived hot from the fryer and they were spicy hot, hot, hot I must say they were perfect, especially when chased with a ice cold draft. As the mighty roar of the bikes arriving drowned out most of the conversations it was apparent the party was just starting. We decided to order a pound of the spicy peel n eat shrimp and again another excellent choice - jumbo shrimp perfectly boiled and covered in a spicy seasoning, not cheap at $30 a pound but so delicious and worth it. I admit I do like to have a good time and when the talent arrived he grabbed a seat next to us and provided us with a "play list" and I provide him with another whiskey and coke ensuring I got the honor of picking the 1st song - Gun n Rose nah it's too early for that so I went with some Harry Chapin. I used to come here when it was Blackwater Tavern which I liked but Drifter's has taken it to a new level and fits in well here at the foot of the Astor Drawbridge - definitely a place I'll return to in the future when in the area... read more

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Busy place. Good food and very decent prices. Three bar areas (upstairs has a limited menu but 21 and above only). This could be a 5 star place if... well, Coke Zero would be nice, but truly what this place (on the river) needs is outdoor seating. Delicious Reuben and would have this again, but there are many other tempting items to try. read more

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We've been by here a few times and finally decided to check it out. The upstairs is more like a bar atmosphere, and has a limited menu. There were no open seats up there, so we ate downstairs. We had s as windows seat which gave us lots to watch with all the boats and jet skiers on the river. There are two bars downstairs as well as the one upstairs. The server was apologetic for the slight wait before she came by, and after that she was very attentive. I ordered the mahi tacos which were delicious and so were the beans and rice. Coke products but no Coke Zero. I would give this 5 stars except for it was freezing in there and there was no outdoor seating. read more

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Great view of the St John's water Good little slow, food was frozen then fried not good little priceie

A group of us went here on our weekend motorcycle ride and unfortunately had terrible service and had to leave prior to receiving our meal. When we entered the restaurant wasn't too busy for a Saturday afternoon and we were seated fairly quickly. We ordered our drinks and after receiving them our waitress took our order. After seeing several persons around us that had entered after us we got our waitresses attention and ask about our ordered. It looks as if she had forgotten to put it in. Giving her the benefit of doubt we waited until she returned before leaving the restaurant. Anyway after a few minutes our waitress returned apologizing about the mix up but told us our meals would be out shortly, but couldn't explain the reason why it had taken so long. We paid for our drinks and told her we had a to leave and couldn't wait any longer. Unfortunately she never explain the reason why we didn't get our meal, but we all agreed we made the right decision to leave only paying for our drinks and not eating. Maybe we will return in the future but not anytime soon. read more

Drifters Riverfront Bar & Grill - Bars Near Me - Astor, Florida

My wife and I went to Drifter's Riverfront Bar and Grill the other day. Drifter's is located on the St. Johns River with plenty of dock space for boaters, a tiki bar and a nice dining area with large windows going most a river view. We were fortunate enough to be seated on a table by the window. Great to watch the boaters. Drifter's was busy. The large parking lot was almost full. The hostess was very welcoming. We only had to wait 10 minutes for that table by the window. Our Server was named Cat. She was extremely friendly and was a great waitress. She really made our dining experience great. My wife ordered the Boom Boom shrimp. She loved them, not too spicy and well prepared. She had a side salad that was pretty mediocre. The greens were not fresh. I had a Rueben Sandwich which was good accompanied by my choice of sides. I had the rice and beans which were good. All in all a good experience. We will be back to try different menu items. read more

Drifters Riverfront Bar & Grill - Boat Dock outside Drifter's - Bars Near Me - Astor, Florida

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We visited and unfortunately, it was a very disappointing experience. My partner has food allergies and made that clear when ordering. Despite this, no one informed us that their margaritas contain milk. He ended up having an allergic reaction and had to rush home before he got his food. When the rest of the group went back to pick up the food it contained the allergen, even after he had clearly communicated his dietary restrictions. At that point, he couldn't eat at all. Needless to say, if you have any kind of food allergy or dietary sensitivity, I would strongly advise against eating here. Their staff either lacks awareness or proper training when it comes to handling food allergies, and that can be a serious health risk read more

The fried mushrooms were the best I've ever had! This is saying something bc I consider myself a foodie and I love mushrooms. The breading was light enough that you taste mushroom with each bite. It was also remained crispy longer than other restaurants' fried mushrooms AND these fried mushrooms were so flavorful that I wanted to eat them WITHOUT sauce! With fried food, I typically find the breading bland and have to dip the food in some sauce. DON'T let the low-key decor fool you! read more

Fried okra , nachos supreme and peel and eat shrimp were on point... wanted to try grouper fingers because of the reviews but will save something for next visit.. Bar tender was awesome We will be back! read more

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Very nice inside! Great water views Pleasant surprise Great service Blackened Grouper sandwich delicious as well as the mahi sandwich French fries delicious read more

We've been here quite a few times. Our favorite is the jerk chicken wings. One evening we went up to the third floor and enjoy live entertainment. There are so many options for seating and enjoy the view of the St. John's River. read more

Absolutely disgusting Experience! I have been eating oysters for 30 years and have never seen this A live worm slinking around in my oyster. there were also live crabs in the oysters disgusting! After telling and showing our waitress the video she got the manager. The manager proceeded to say I ate some of the oysters which I did eat two and spit out because of the shell fragments. for all know I ate worms too! She was arguing with me about removing them from the bill! Horrible customer service and the place was dirty. I do not trust this restaurant and clearly the health department has not been in. read more

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Great Burger, best collard greens I had anywhere. Sat down stairs with my son. We have been here many times and the food is always good. Right on the river. read more

The restaurant is situated on the St Johns River providing you with an excellent view for your dining experience. We had this shrimp tacos and the fish and chips which were was very good even though the shrimp tacos were skimpy on the shrimp. the service was very quick we will be back to visit this restaurant when we are in the area again read more

Just wow. My boyfriend and I stopped in for a quick bite and man, did they surprise us! Well done to the cooks, fish and chips, and the Reuben are a MUST. read more

Drifters Riverfront Bar & Grill - Rueben with sweet fries - Bars Near Me - Astor, Florida

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I was pleasantly surprised by the by the food. The grouper fingers where lightly battered flaky fish and yummy! The Cuban had real pork on it which is hard to find and it was so good (next time will ask to add butter and garlic when the toast it). The soup was good needed some salt but still good flavors! I normal do not get peanut butter pies because usually so sweet this one was a perfect balance! I cannot forget the view it was awesome being right on the St. John's river! It is a bit pricey, but it is worth to pay extra for good food! read more

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Very bad service. They apparently do not serve foreigners, refused my foreign ID and stated I must have an American passport to order a drink. The manager came to try and smoothe things over, but by then the hostess had been rude, and the server acted illiterate. I guess if you're a hillbilly, good to go. read more

Stopped by last weekend, went to the upstairs bar. Everything so clean and bright. Everyone was welcoming. Love the view upstairs and downstairs at the river. Had the black n' blue cheese shrimp with garlic bread, very good. Drinks were on point. Our bartender Bobby was the best. Def be back to try more food and drink. Hoping to sit at the outside bar next time. read more

Drifters Riverfront Bar & Grill - Bars Near Me - Astor, Florida

We stopped at Drifter Riverside Bar & Grill - what a fantastic place! We were greeted a the door, shown to a river view table and immediately Victoria our waitress cam over and started our order. My husband had the Grouper sandwich and I had the Reuben. Both were generously sized and were done to perfection. A great place with great staff and wonderful food. read more

Delicious, friendly, & beautiful. I had the grouper salad and it was great. The weight staff was very friendly and helpful. My family and I enjoyed every minute. read more

Great place and good food. Came in on a Sunday and it's def. A local waterfront hole and right on the water. Clean place, service was polite and timely. read more

Passed this place on our way to Hard Rock off road park and decided to stop on our way back. We read some other Yelp reviews and decided to give it a try. A waterfront restaurant always attracts us. We love a restaurant with a view. We sat right by the big windows and enjoyed the view of the river while we dined. We ordered the boom boom shrimp as an appetizer. The shrimp came out with the boom boom sauce on the side which is different than the usual. The shrimp was fried perfectly and tasted pretty good alone. The boom boom sauce was good and our four year old really enjoyed it. He kept the sauce for his kids shrimp. Can't wait to return! read more