Service was below standard for a place that is priced as high end. The hostess stand ignores guests as they leave. They should thank people for dining there. We certainly spend enough money. Our server only showed interest in our table when it was near tip time. Otherwise, she was no where near. Food was tasty but I am not sure fairly priced. (Shrimp and rice $26). The child menu steak was more hockey puck than steak. It is a loud place. Do not expect quiet ambiance for the price. Doubtful that we will return on our next visit. read more

Okay, so you know it's a great place if I post pics of clean/nearly clean plates and that happened here. But, let's start from the beginning, shall we? Sat immediately and moved quickly to please my mom; she did not like the first table. The staff was super accommodating -- thank you Everyone got fresh bread and butter almost immediately. Fabulous touch. Drinks came quickly. The red sangria was to die for! My party ordered a little of everything and I chose the crab cakes. Lemme tell ya, I'm a self proclaimed crab cake snob and these babies ROCKED my world! Seriously. They were delicious and I am already planning my next trip to St. Augustine just for another serving! I managed to steal a bite or seven of everyone else's food: stuffed salmon, paella, black bean soup and some other friggin mouthwatering dishes. It was all fabulous!! Let me add, our server, Dawn, kept up with us like a boss! Two teenagers were swigging soft drinks like no tomorrow and it didn't stump her in the least. Oooh, man!! The key lime pie! Just the right balance of sweet and tart! The bread pudding and churros looked scrumptious, but I was in my own little world with the pie. Everything, from start to finish, was amazing! read more

The Columbia - Crab cakes - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

So nice inside Fabulous service It's Cuban food at its finest Great scallops Great salad Wonderful service Awesome cocktails read more

The Columbia - Half eaten bread yummy Scallops yummy Salad yummy Cocktails great - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

I came here for New Year's Eve and it wasn't too crowded and the wait wasn't long. Beautiful interior and exterior designs of the building. Staff was super friendly and accommodating. Food and drink came out pretty fast. Now I rated it 3 stars because I ordered the Roast Pork "A La Cubana" and the rice and sauce and plantains was good but the pork was a bit too dry for my taste and not enough flavor. The garlic sauce that was on the rice is what made the pork taste good. I would go back to the restaurant in the near future but I'd order something else on their menu. read more

The Columbia - Roast Pork "A La Cubana" - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

MiL came to visit! She decided on The Columbia for her birthday dinner. We tried to make a reservation using their online link to another dining ap, but it said no availability for that day. I called and was able to make an reservation. Seated promptly upon arrival. Cute Mediterranean interior design. The metal chairs were a little wobbly on the rustic tile floors, but not uncomfortably so. MiL ordered the red sangria, and I ordered the white. The white tasted like citrus water. The red tasted like a watery red wine. We ordered the Picadillo empanadas for an appetizer, and I had a cup of the Spanish bean soup. The empanadas were flavorful and just as good as last time. The soup had good flavor, but the garbanzos were pretty firm (not hard, just not soft.) For our entrees we ordered Stuffed Grouper, Beef Tips, and Shrimp & Yellow Rice. The stuffed grouper was good. An elevated simple meal. The Beef Tips had a good taste, but not what was expected. The menu is not clear that the tips are served in a gravy. Also, there seemed to be more chorizo than beef tips in the serving we received. The shrimp in the shrimp & rice were cooked perfectly. The rice was a tad overcooked and mushy. Both the shrimp & rice and the beef tips had large strips of bell beeper and onion. They were cut easily enough with the side of the fork, but once cut into bite sized they took over the rest of the dish. The Cuban bread, as always, was practically perfect. Our waitress, Amber, was very attentive, professional, and friendly. read more

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Soooo bad! From the time that we were seated on a week night, our service was pathetic to say the least! Our waitress was no where to be found and when she did show, made sure that the MEN got their glasses filled! Never got water! OK, so THAT started what was a disappointing evening. When she finally returned, I ordered the 1905 salad to share and the shrimp supreme. The salad, although the ingredients seemed good, was literally swimming in oily dressing. The shrimp was supposed to be wrapped in bacon. Sounded good until it arrived. It was heavily breaded and deep fried ! Was there even bacon??? Couldn't tell or taste! I cannot speak for the other SEVEN people at our table, but there were few empty plates if that was telling. I will NEVER return. read more

Decor definitely matches the town. Food is genuine Spanish and tasty. I tried their 3 appetizers sampler and it was excellent. Crab cakes, scallops and stuffed mushrooms. Plenty of food for 2. Their 1905 salad is always a hit but if you can't handle garlic - I don't mean a little - don't order it. read more

A great family friendly restaurant in the heart of Americas Oldest City! Wonderful atmosphere and great food. Enjoyable on so many levels. They have hospitality down to a science. Drinks were tasty, entrees fantastic and the waitstaff, our waitress Anna, was awesome. We definitely recommend this restaurant when in St. Augustine! We had the stuffed shrimp, a steak dish, a chicken & rice dish and I enjoyed the stuffed shrimp. So much food could not finish any of it. Our waitress was Anna and she was super nice, very knowledgeable. Come hungry and enjoy the Spanish decor and history of Columbia! read more

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We sat at the bar. 2 women traveling:1 from Chicago & the other from Isle of Palms, SC Caroline was our terrific bartender behind the bar and she and her colleagues were fun, and top notch. We're going back to enjoy this gorgeous restaurant & bar! read more

Good food in a beautiful environment! My wife absolutely loves this restaurant! We often take out of town visitors and have always had great dining experience. The servers always seem to have great recommendations and provide quick service. It's a bit on the pricier side but great for special occasions. I have always enjoyed dining here! read more

Wow! Amazing food, atmosphere, and service! Could not have picked a better place to go for lunch. I got the Pollo Manchego, and my husband ordered the Cuban Sandwich. The Polo Manchego was fantastic! If you're stopping in Saint Augustine, this restaurant is a must! read more

The Columbia - Cuban Sandwich - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

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Good customer service and good. i am so big backed that i ate all the bread. it was so good. the overall atmosphere was nice. read more

Food, atmosphere and history was amazing. Desserts were really delicious. 5 stars in our book! read more

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Went to the Columbia for dinner before going to the 1st Friday Art Walk. We started with ordering sangrias which were as good as always. Unfortunately it should how the night was to go. It took over 30 minutes to get the pitcher and longer to get the bread. We finally got to order dinner and tried to get refills on water after another long wait. He had to check on the special 3 times because he forgot. Dinner arrived hot and very good. We had several tapas of shrimp, crabmeat dip, blackened shrimp, calamari and the 1905 salad. We enjoyed it all. When it was time to pay our bill, it took about 40 minutes. We could have been out in less than 5 minutes but our waiter took our bill, then instead of processing ours he went a few minutes later and talked with another table. He then split their bill up several different ways, at different times and took care of then. They left and the we get ours processed after 40 minutes. Great food but bad service. Sorry this had been one of my favorites. read more

The Columbia - Sangria - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

So over rated. It was not busy, service was friendly, but VERY slow. My husband asked about his drink about 15 minutes after I received my wine and our server said she just it in. We cancelled that order. The 1905 salad was very good. I ordered the cannelloni, the filling was mush, seriously mush. The lobster on top was over cooked, no scallops or shrimp. My husbands group Jimmy dish was over cooked. After we paid the bill ( not looking for money off) I went to hostess stand and asked for manager, no shocker that I waited more than 5 minutes to speak to Deanna , the manager. They clearly have enough uneducated tourist business, like me, to not worry about repeat business, cuz we won't be back. I rarely write a negative review, you can check that. My review, don't go, too pricey for what you get. read more

There's a BIG reason for the 3 Stars at the end and quite frankly I think I am being generous as it is definitely a violation. St. Augustine tourist trap, but it's what the kids wanted this time so we went. We put our names down at 4pm for a party of 5 and had an hour wait. We expected as much and were able to walk around since they text you once your table is ready which is a plus. Inside: Seated on the third floor- across from the bathrooms, which wasn't ideal as we were super close. Wasn't as much of an issue right at 5, but by 5:30 there was a steady flow passing the table in a tight space. Service: Good server, nice, but she was triple sat right after us. Our food took over an hour to come about (to be fair, our small salad came out 30 minutes in and the bread came out right away). Not sure if it was the server or cooks, but tables sat after us/next to us had their food before us (even those ordering a salad as well). And they were parties of 4 with the same main meal my husband and I split (and I doubt the delay was kids chicken fingers). Food: Ok. Kids Cuban, good, but the place nearby that's more casual is just as good. Kids chicken tenders and fruit (pretty fresh), 1905 Salad...always good. Black Bean cakes- simple but flavorful. Pollo Manchengo, good but a bit dry on the ends. Drinks: Soda and one Red Sangria which was well, Sangria. Good, not overly sweet, but basic. So our main problem issue outside of the hour long wait on simple food, was cleanliness. Upon arrival my daughter used the bathroom and alerted me there was no soap. I checked, then gave her a hand wipe and she ran down to let the hostess know. We waited, ate, waited, used the restroom again, and still no hand soap...not even a bottle for it. She told another server...nothing by the time we left almost two hours in total. The main issue, not one, but two waitresses used these restrooms during our meal. To me, that is a cleanliness issue, even if they happened to have hand sanitizer in their aprons. I planned to mention something when leaving, but there was no manager in sight and a super long line at the hostess stand..and quite frankly, decided I already did my part alerting two staff members and in turn came to Yelp. That is definitely a violation and with their crowds, could get a lot of people sick. So this is my final attempt to alert management. read more

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Food were excellent!! Service were great!! It gets packed during lunch on the weekends. Recommend to make reservations ahead of time. Will go back and try other dishes. read more

The Columbia - Calamari patas. - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

It was a wonderful experience! Enjoyed the food tremendously and the service was excellent!

The place to go in St Augustine. Reservations mandatory on a Saturday night. We were quickly seated and watched a throng of people waiting forever for a table. Shout out to our wonderful waitress Spenser. Pitcher of sangria, mixed table side. Chopped tomatoes, wonderful Cuban entries. Pork & Chicken. Plantains melted in my mouth. read more

Five star food and service all around. You cannot duplicate the ambience of old Saint Augustine.

The jewel in the crown of the Columbia franchise. Go for the gorgeous mosaic-covered walls, stay for the delicious Spanish food and sangria and the chocolate bread pudding desert with crème Anglaise. This is one of the many reasons to love Saint Augustine. Along with the gorgeous Flagler college campus almost across the street from it. The waitstaff doesn't speak Spanish, which was clear to me when I asked a host if this was Columbia, pronouncing it in the Spanish manner, and he said yes but pronouncing it in an American Anglo manner. The restaurant is hidden away behind a walled garden in a truly Spanish style. We go to this place routinely when we drive through north Florida on our way to Palm Beach in the south of the state. read more

The Columbia - Interior courtyard - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

Kristine was an awesome waitress. We both had a side 1905 salad. This is one of our favorites. We ordered the pitcher of Mojitos and they were the best. My wife had the scallops appetizer that she loves and I had the red snapper Adelita which was great. We always come here when we visit St Augustine! read more

The good part here was the service (Kaley was our server) and the bread. The rest was ok and not too special. Now the restaurant is pretty cool and feels super Spanish/Cuban. The dishes itself are not too special or good. In fact my plate was pretty cold when served. Luckily I was so hungry that I only wanted to eat. read more

The Columbia - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

The restaurant's appearance is beautiful. Our server was very attentive. But the food was incredibly bland. Which shocked me. We're from STL and here on vacation. There are a couple Colombian restaurants in stl we enjoy. We love fried plantains. I thought that we would get fried plantains in our dishes. What we got resembles a tostone/patacone. But it was cold and rubbery. I was just expecting so much better. I even bought a plantain for dinner. Especially for the price point. Really. Out of the whole trip this was a place that I knew I wanted to eat at. I LOVE salads. So I was very excited to try their 1905 salad. It was ok but it's something I can do myself at home. I think it's a bit overdressed and a bit too acidic to be honest. What also made it weird was overhearing the manager chew out a server for helping a busser. Plus we were there earlier in the day. It was awkward the owner kept staring at us. For the price point- I'd pass on this one. read more

The Columbia - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

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Came here while visiting st Augustine. The place was nice but felt a bit like a tourist oriented restaurant. I had the yellow rice with shrimp which was good but not anything I would call great or awesome. They did have gluten free option and their yuca con mojo was quite good. For this reason I would actually give it a 3.5 star review if I could. They have several other restaurants through Florida, so if you are nearby and want to eat some Spanish/Cuban food this is a reasonable option. But I would not go out of my way for it. read more

The Columbia - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

We often enjoy the original Columbia in Tampa. We have also been to Clearwater and Sarasota. All of these restaurants have been excellent in both food and service. Unfortunately, our food at the St. Augustine venue was a disappointment. My grouper was dry and tough. Living full time in Florida, I know a good grouper dish. I ate about 3bites. I told the server this as she picked it up. Her response was "sorry." No offer to make it right. No manager brought to the table to get more information. The entree was almost $40. My husband's combination plate was so-so. The salad's dressing seemed out of balance to me. The mushroom appetizer and bread was good. The glass of Sangria was more ice than beverage. The server was friendly, the room was understaffed (like most places) and the ambiance is nice. My two stars related to the food quality vs the price. The total bill prior to tip was $117. I should have looked at the recent reviews before booking here. Unfortunately for people who have not experienced the Tampa location prior to coming to St. Augustine, it may sour them on the Columbia group. read more

The food and the service are beyond exceptional... The location and ambiance are classic old-world elegance! read more

The Columbia - Good friends good food - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

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For more than 117 years, the Columbia Restaurant has served Spanish-Cuban cuisine to the state of Florida, using family recipes and tradition. Surely it didn't disappoint. Had the chicken salteado (sautéed chicken with peppers, onion, potatoes and mushrooms) with yellow rice and flan for dessert. Not pictured is the croquetas we scarfed down before the meal with Mayo ketchup we made ourselves after asking for Mayo and ketchup for our table. Our server was MIA for most of the evening but we understand since it was New Year's Eve. We made reservations and I highly recommend this for any evening but especially during holidays. read more

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I came here on a Sunday night for dinner with a group of friends. We called around 4 pm to make a reservation for dinner and the earliest time was 8:30 pm. We arrived at our reservations about 10 min early and were seated promptly at 8:30. I ordered a Cuban sandwich. The sandwich itself was very mediocre. It was a big portion that came with plantain chips, pickle, and a plain, small salad. The sandwich itself was extremely salty. I expected it to be salty as it's pork, but it was not enjoyable. The bread was amazing. It was very soft and fluffy. It was easily the best part of the meal. My friend ordered the famous salad which was pretty good. The contents of the salad itself is very average with iceberg lettuce and other toppings, but the secret is the dressing. The dressing is what elevated the salad from mediocre to good. Our service was average. Our waiter was nice. Refilled our waters when needed. Brought out our food promptly. Although we felt as if we were bothering him by asking him for things and forgot a couple things from our order. Price wise, I think it's pretty fair considering the vibe and location of the restaurant. Expect to pay approx $20-$30 for a dinner entree. Overall, I wouldn't come back here on my own volition. My dish was average and I'd rather try other restaurants in the area. read more

The Columbia - Cuban sandwich - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

Ambience of the restaurant was great brings us to closer to Barcelona. Place was warm to celebrate Mother's Day. Customer service was great since we made reservations (highly recommend) from the parking attendant to front the front desk and our food server. She was great and friendly. Chorizo tapas for appetizers then I had the Ribeye Sarapico and my wife had Snapper Alicante both were great and delicious. Key lime and coffee to top it off. read more

This is the worst service I have had and I have eaten here multiple times. We were early for our reservation and instead of asking us to come back she said she could get us in about 30 min but we still waited an hour and a half!! Many other places to eat. Will not be back here. read more

They handled our large group in private room very professionally.(25 people!). Terrific food as always. Friendly & efficient servers. Fun spot. read more

Disappointed and bummed that we wasted a dinner here on our short trip. I came with a party of 5 and none of us loved our plates. I think the best dish was their famous salad. I ordered the garbanzo soup and had to return it since it came cold. My husband got the shrimp platter and returned it since it was straight up raw. He replaced it with fried calamari's and they came extremely greasy. You could see the oil drop- pretty bad. My brother got a medium done steak and it came rare. It was a complete disaster. The environment is just whatever, more of an older crowd. Service was simply whatever. Would we come back? Each and every one of us agreed we wouldn't. read more

Went there for lunch and I had the Boliche Criollo.....it was the saltiest meal I've had in a restaurant. I could not believe something of that poor quality would be allowed to come out of a restaurant kitchen. I could not eat half of it....I had to stop eating....it was just not edible.... I have been to Columbia restaurants in the past and I can see fewer people going now....maybe it's because the quality of the food is going downhill. The setting of the restaurant is pretty, but the food is not....I probably would had enjoyed better food at the Cuban cafe a few block away. Stay away from this tourist trap. read more

The Columbia - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

Went to Columbia with hubby on our recent St. Augustine vacation. We decided to try this place on one of our numerous eating adventures there. Pretty good! We walked in one day with no reservations but they were able to seat us pretty promptly. The place is beautiful and elegant (just the way I like it!) :) with impeccable decor. There is also a beautiful area outside of the restaurant. Great menu with many good options. I picked the fried chicken with rice which was excellent. Hubby got the meat dish. Both plentiful and fresh - I was so stuffed, and hubby couldn't finish his meal it was so plentiful. We also got complimentary free bread which was great. I also ordered an appetizer of chicken croquettes which were very good. Our server was pleasant and efficient. Located in St. George street which is a beautiful and picturesque street that runs what seems forever. Highly recommend! read more

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Just an awful experience at a chain we've dined at several times over the years, including our honeymoon in Sarasota. The service was terrible, with the server band our table for up to 20 minutes at a time. My $38 snapper was a gelatinous goo. So sorry to leave such a bad review st a restaurant that's given us fond memories. (Update: Regarding the reply from this restaurant...I sent the review to their email box as requested but have yet to hear from them.) read more

The Columbia is more of a "touristy" spot with okay food. The restaurant was packed, perhaps trying to escape the hot summer heat. Our service was slow but they do sing for your birthday and give you a complimentary dessert! read more

The Columbia - Paella - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

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The service was amazing, the waiter's were very kind. The food was delicious I could tell that it was all freshly made, And the ambiance was perfect it really felt like I was in Spain the architecture was beautiful. Make sure to ask for amber she is amazing and Will get you your food in a good matter of time read more

Definitely make a reservation in advance for this spot. The food is delicious, but had we not had a res, we wouldn't have gotten in! Arrive early and grab a drink at the awesome wooden carved bar. Food and service were both great. Try a few appetizers to share. Scallops were delicious, croquetas too. Highly recommend! read more

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Not great if you know what real Latin food is. They were out of plantains and the kid steak came raw. Couldn't find the waitress for a while until thank god Bush another waiter came for the save and going the extra mile. Pros: bread & Bush Cons: shift change waitress neglect read more