Have heard many times how good this restaurant is. Finally tried it the other day and it was as good as everyone says. We were there for lunch and my wife and I had the same thing. I don't remember the name but was jumbo shrimp, wrapped in bacon and then fried. It was delicious. The Cuban bread they brought out before the meal was excellent. Nice atmosphere, good food, good service. read more

It was $30 for the two-course Christmas specials. I was hoping to get the turkey, but it wasn't on this year. The options were ham or lechon asado (pork). I got the ham; it and the sides it came with were weak (including the sweet-potato casserole, which has sometimes been outstanding here in the past). I preferred my companion's lechon asado: both the pork and the rice/beans tasted fatty and tasty to me, and she loved the plantains too (I didn't try them). To start, we had the Spanish bean soup, one of the included options with the Christmas specials. It was tasty, though served far too hot. Their bread and butter was pleasant, but I don't think it's a cut above any more, as I did years ago. I also had an El Viejo cocktain, $16. It was delicious and strong. I have a sweet tooth, and it's a chocolate, vanilla, and rum cocktail, so how could I not like it? The setting was nice, as we were in the far corner of the bar room, and it was pretty quiet and uncrowded there. There were a couple of service problems. Two soups were added to our bill, even though they were included with the two-course special, so I had to have them removed from the bill. My water glass got empty twice. They could get the details in their bathrooms better: one faucet with a proximity sensor didn't want to stay on, and both faucets in another bathroom were too hot, as if the cold water was turned off. I've had some good meals here over the years, but this wasn't one of them, and I'd recommend other restaurants instead. read more

I sat for over 5 minutes and then asked a server if I could get a glass of water and a server. She said that she could be my server. She was great. This restaurant came recommended by a local shop keeper. I wanted very good food and not a tourist type place. It's known for the house salad. It was very good. The Mahi sandwich was bad. The fish was haphazardly thrown on a sacristy bun twice as big as the fish. One pepper strip and several onion strips. I had to look closely for the Swiss. One mushroom. It was supposed to have "onions, peppers, mushrooms and Swiss with I thought an aioli or such. Plantain chips were probably the pieces broken from the bottom of the bag and no longer fresh. I only had a few bites and brought the rest with me. The fish was dry and texture so stiff that it must have been frozen. Silly me, I'm in Florida, next to the ocean, at a highly recommended restaurant, thinking the fish was going to be fresh. Ambience is excellent!! I'm angry that I paid $37 for dried mahi that I ended up throwing out and a nice, just nice, salad. My bad. read more

My friend says the mojitos here are da bomb... but we did not try them on this visit because *ahem* we may have had a bit too much fun the previous night. I got the roast pork cubana which is a platter, not a sandwich. The flavor was a lot lighter than I expected, I'm used to very bold flavors in a lot of the Latin American cuisine I've had. It was otherwise good though. We sat in sort of an inside courtyard by a fountain and skylight which was neat. read more

The Columbia - roast pork cubana - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

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This place was pretty bad. If there was a zero star option, I would pick it. The service was terrible. It took about a hour for our food to get here. I do not recommend this place. The only thing that was nice was our waitress and the chicken tenders which is NOT a good sign. read more

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I have been to the original location in Tampa and that was a lot better. I love their salads and was disappointed at the overly watery lettuce and lack of flavor. Fish was super fresh and everything came out in a timely fashion. The server was attentive with water but was constantly spilling it on the table or even on us a few times without apologizing. Walked up and was told to come back in about an hour, went on line and make a reservation for our party of 5 seating in 15 minutes so not sure how their table availability works. Love the ambience and decor of the restaurant. read more

Second visit here to The Columbia. Amazing food once again in an environment that seems to be fully saturated in both the family and the local Saint Augustine history. The waiter we had was very attentive and quick. Get your education from the menu and expect the wait team to try hard to turn the table. This place stays busy! We will be back again I am sure! read more

The Columbia - El Combo de Cuba with the Mojito and pitcher in the background. - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

A restaurant with an impressive history and reputation that ultimately doesn't live up to the hype. We've eaten here a few times (we didn't want to judge the place after 1-2 visits) and always walk away underwhelmed. read more

Starting with the positive, the food tastes wonderful. Unfortunately we had the worst service I have ever experienced from a waitperson. Very slow service. We didn't get our drinks delivered until the salad. Waited over an hour for that to arrive. Salad was delivered on one plate and we were charged $32 for what should have been a $20 salad (see attached photos). When we questioned our waiter about it upon receiving our bill, his response was "I don't make the prices" and walked away. I ended up recouping my loss from the tip, but felt bad because tips are shared and only our waiter was terrible. Food is 4 stars, waitperson is minus 5... Never going back there again. read more

The Columbia - Bill for $32 1905 salad wit shrimp (2x 1/2 orders) - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

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What a superb evening. We brought an out-of-town best friend of my husband with us, and he was most impressed with not only the ambience and food, but our service as well. Danica was our server and was wonderful. She not only was impeccable in her service, but offered both wine and food, which did not disappoint. Our guest ordered the parchment wrapped salmon, I had a Grouper and my husband shrimp with crab. RG Gran Reserva wine recommended by Danica was fabulous. It was a lovely evening. read more

Quality of food, ambiance and decor were very pleasing, temperature was just a bit warm on third floor near skylight but it is summer. Best of all our waiter Michael was literally one of the best if not the very best server we have ever had in any restaurant. Also, the gift shop is a great stop afterwards. All pros except for one con, the bathrooms while clean are undersized for such a large restaurant. Will return and can't wait. Thank you Columbia Restaurant - St. Augustine! read more

First we didn't get what ordered. What they gave us wasn't great .Management took off the crab cakes off, but the worst thing was our grandson is turning 8 and we were expecting dessert for him and sing happy birthday. Well no that didn't happen. Paid a big bill and couldn't even get a happy birthday for him. I heard singing around the restaurant though! BIG FAIL !!!! read more

Had lunch - good was very good and Sarah our server was excellent and very helpful. The Cuban was very tasty- the fried bread superb and they had a gluten free menu for my wife read more

This place was amazing!!! Enjoyed a dinner with Kyle and Caroline, the two bartenders. Started with the Spanish bean soup and empanadas....OMGGGG Sooooo good!! Followed up with the Paella Marinara...EVEN BETTER!!! Packed with Seafood!!! I'll be back to try Kyle's espresso martini with the Churros. read more

Most of St. Augustine's eateries are closing early during the week due to lower than normal tourist flow due to covid, but the Columbia is staying open until 10 pm. I was grateful for that, because my love and I decided to go to a different eatery and they weren't open on Tuesday, but the Columbia was. They are maintaining good social distance in the restaurant, tables spaced apart, all the staff wearing masks. The menus are paper and the staff is keeping back from the tables. We were seated near the fountain, beneath the skylight and it was lovely. Our waitress was efficient and friendly, our cuban bread was hot and the butter melted delightfully. We placed our orders for Ropa Vieja and empanadas along with the Sausage soup. There were left overs because I had what seemed like a double helping of the Ropa Vieja! Everything was amazing. I've never had a bad meal at the Columbia. read more

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

This is a great dinner spot for later evening St Augustine dining. I recommend a reservation, which can be booked on Open Table. First the bread....it comes individually wrapped, on a plate to each person (so your husband can't take all of the bread out of the basket before you get to it!) I normally get a bowl of soup - all are great and of course the Original 1905 salad. The garlic dressing with Worcestershire sauce and Romano cheese all blended together are to die for. The salad is huge and I promise you will leave stuffed! Great atmosphere, great service, free parking in the heart of St Augustine - what's not to love? read more

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The food was good and the waiter was great. Sean helped us out a bunch and was very good. My tapas were the best! Sit in the fountain room when you go! read more

My boyfriend and I visited during Night of Lights and were shocked that we were able to get a table within 20-30 mins. Everyone was warning us that it would be an impossible task. We ordered the infamous 1905 salad, which was quite a little fun show to watch the waiter prepare The dressing on the salad was spectacular, it wasn't too tangy it was just the right amount of Worcestershire sauce. We also ordered the Mahi Mahi and one of the chicken dishes and they were deliiicious and very well cooked. The restaurant was so beautifully decorated with the touches of Christmas, it was an amazing dinner. read more

The Columbia - 1905 Salad - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

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We went for my husband's birthday. The waiter was very cordial & attended to our every need. The food was absolutely delicious. There were 6 of us. We had the black bean cakes, chicken & crab croquettes, 1905 salad, Cuban sandwich & the Palomilla steak, yellow rice & black bean soup. Everything was absolutely delicious! The restaurant atmosphere is beautiful! This is one of our favorite restaurants! read more

The service was very slow. The food was lukewarm. I have eaten at The Columbia in Tampa & Celebration and was extremely impressed. I was glad to see this restaurant in St. Augustine. However, I was very disappointed since the food was cold. The asparagus was woody, so I left that on my plate too. This restaurant needs to improve! read more

We love the St Augustine Columbia Restaurant. We visit this location every time we visit St Augustine. The restaurant is stunning inside and out. It is recommended to obtain a reservation. We usually get a fish dish of grouper or redfish. The house salad is unique and delicious. Location is in downtown amongst the other great shops to check out. read more

The food was excellent! Situated in a beautiful old building, the place is very busy. Their staff is phenomenal. Emily was our server and she was wonderful and very knowledgeable. read more

Great value and beautiful dining room. Managed to get seated right away at 5pm for an early Saturday night dinner. An hour later, the wait was 2hours. Bowl of bean soup and a small salad was sufficient. Everyone gets a free loaf of warm white bread with butter. 1905 salads good,nothing crazy. Friends had the cuban mixed plate and said the empanada was delicious. read more

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We had a fantastic time here, our best meal was at The Columbia. Our server was Michael, and I have to say that it was the BEST service we received all weekend. So kind, helpful, and overall a joyful energy! We ordered Gambas al ajillo (DELICIOUS), the empanadas (very tasty), the chicken with goat cheese (OMG), and the boliche. The food was so good and tasty and don't get me started on that bread...WOW. Thank you Michael for a great time here. Definitely will be favorite and return. read more

Our 4th Columbia location has been checked off! We knew when visiting St. Augustine that we would be having dinner here at least 1 night. I made reservations ahead of time and were looking forward to that amazing food. We arrived to The Columbia around 6:45pm. Our reservation was at 7pm. We checked in and waited around a little. Walked through the gift shop and at about 6:55 we were seated. This location is cozy and definitely has The Columbia feel. Different than the Ybor location but reminiscent. We were seated at a table in the bar area. The only bad part of our experience was the our initial wait once we were seated. It was nearly 10 minutes before our waiter got to us. In his defense, he was the only waiter in the area with a 2-table, 12-person Party. Once he got around to us, we ordered drinks and our starter 1905 salad since we didn't know how quick he would be back. I wanted the Estrella light beer but the waiter just came back with the amber and said the light beer was all out. Our 1905 salads were out quick. They were on point as they always are. Since it's the days of corona virus, they were not made table side but came out already plated. We ate our delicious salads with a side of warm Cuban bread. For dinner, I ordered the Cuban sandwich and my fiancé ordered our other favorite dish, the Ropa Vieja. We wanted the best of both worlds so we split each dish. The Cuban was perfect, with the crunchy bread, tangy mustard layers of meat and pickles. Amazing. The Ropa Vieja was flavorful and rich with the shredded beef and red sauce with peppers and onions. It was an excellent meal and we are glad to check another location off our list. On our way out we stopped by the gift shop. I don't think we've ever been in one before at any of the other locations. We picked up some sangria mix and a bottle of the 1905 salad dressing. Our advice is that if you ever have a chance to eat at the The Columbia, do so. It's an experience and the food is like no other. read more

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We ordered a variety of tapas dishes and an entrée to share. Everything was delicious! We even ordered 3 different deserts to go. They were all yummy. My favorite was the flan that we shared at the restaurant. The service was wonderful and the atmosphere was lovely. The tile mosaics on the walls and floors were gorgeous! I highly recommend a visit to one of the Columbia's Florida locations. read more

My husband Jack and I went to the Columbia for the first time today. Our server Sabina was kind and knowledgeable and everything was delicious. We will definitely be coming back the next time we are in town. read more

I've eaten at The Columbia several times over many years, so taking friends there on their first trip to St. a seemed like a great idea. I made our reservation three weeks in advance. But it was a chaotic night for the servers who were upset and distracted. They bumped into the chair of my friend several times without an apology, brought her drink late, did not refill our water. The table next to us had small children, shooting race cars under our table and loudly running around. No one intervened. This was the first time I had sat on the third floor, and it will also be the last time. It was noisy, hot, and had very bright lighting. It did not have the same ambience or service that I had had on the other two floors. read more

The food was excellent. We ordered a number of tapas and three different entrees, all delicious. The ambiance is lovely. We were seated on the ground level of the courtyard and it felt like we were outside on a beautiful day. Service was top notch. read more

Love this place! Yes they have had server issues with some turnover but who cares! The food is ridiculous! It is amazing and the setting feels authentic and relaxing but with great energy. I have no problem spending a couple hours here and if you're inpatient or whatever, just breathe and soak in the place because it is always busy! Why? Because it's THAT good! read more

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It was nice to get into this beautiful space covered in detailed tile and enjoy the AC! We had a party of 8 and ordered both the white and the red sangria for the table. (I preferred the white). Our waiter was great with keeping our water glasses full but when it came time to order it was like the females at the table no longer existed. I literally had to tell my brother what I wanted to have him place the order. I don't know if this is a Columbian thing or just this particular waiter being sexist. The chicken dish I had was delicious and I would definitely order again. Several of my table mates ordered the paella and were pleased with the choice. All in all I would definitely recommend this restaurant and it's cute on site store. read more

The Columbia - Chicken Monchango - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

Great service. Great ambiance. Delicious reasonably priced food for the quality, taste and location. Wide variety of food. Highly recommend a visit. read more

Based on the reviews, I was really looking forward to eating at Columbia Restaurant. After not being able to get a table at lunch, I made a reservation for dinner. Our group of five ordered a variety of dishes, including; the Columbia 1905 salad, an Original, Cuban sandwich, two fish dishes, and the La Completa Cubana. Nothing we ate was terrible, it just wasn't memorable or particularly delicious. The high points of our meal was the beautiful space and ambience, the delicious crusty bread, our pitcher of sangria, and our attentive waitress. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34599-d390355-r757195101-Columbia_Restaurant-St_Augustine_Florida.html# read more

I came here with a large party. They servers were very friendly and helped serve everything quick and efficiently. I ordered the Mahi mahi, which was cooked to perfection. The yellow rice and plantains were tasty and I was full after the meal. I also got a salad with sliced ham and Swiss cheese, that was chopped nicely and had a favorable amount of dressing on it. The inside was beautiful and looked culturally significant and beautiful. You can tell that a lot of thought went into the internal decor of the restaurant and the 3 floors inside. read more

If you're looking for a touristy trap with very sub par Spanish/cuban food come here... Otherwise look for some of the other great offerings in town. This is my 4th time here and my final...1st 2 times were when I was young, then COVID, so excused then but this place is rough. I had a cold cuban when I complained they replaced it immediately with another one the was hot but dry. The 1905 salad drowns in dressing and it fine and the black bean soup has enough onions to cover the bland flavor... I'm done with this place. read more

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

I first visited this restaurant back in 2018 and then once again in 2021. This last trip I made in June 2022 was so horrific that it will be the last time I ever return. We arrived and were promptly seated at the restaurant. The atmosphere and architecture of the restaurant is gorgeous so I will give it that. It took approximately 20 minutes for our server to come back to drop off water. Another 20 minutes for her to take our drinks. I ordered a glass of Red Sangria and my partner ordered a pitcher of White Sangria. We took advantage of having our server actually here with us and ordered appetizers. I ordered the Scallops and my partner ordered a soup. I apologize for not having the names of the food, we left in such anger and disappointment that we forgot to even take pictures of the menu. When we recieved the appetizers, it was like something straight out of an episode of Kitchen Nightmares. Ill let you judge the presentation yourself from the pictures and you tell me if it looks appetizing. Once I tasted it, it tasting mediocre and borderline appalling. Unfortunately we were so hungry from waiting an hour for our appetizer that we decided to just deal with it. Now this is when things take a turn for the worst. Following the appetizers, we clocked in at an hour and 15 minutes at this point. We ordered our main Entrees and watched as two families who were seated 45 minutes after us, have a server competent enough to promptly take their orders and recieved their entrees before us. During this time period, the server did not make a single attempt to stop at our table to check in on us, ask us how we were doing or anything. She made eye contact with my partner several times during this period and ignored us. When my partner witnessed this, she was livid with anger. We were nearing 2 hours and we had no entrees. We watched everyone else around us get served and leave. Including other tables being managed by our server. Me and my partner were one of the last parties in the restaurant. Nearing 2 hours and 15 minutes, my partner got up and marched to the front desk to request a manager. She described the interaction as "the hostess knowing that we were recieving bad service, but didnt want to speak up" the poor hostess was apparently shaken up by my partner requesting a manager. My partner tried to make the situation better by complimenting her glasses to see if she would relax. A manager swung by our table and my partner did not hold back to describe the severe lack of professionalism being displayed here. We were clocking in at 2.15 hours and no entrees, and we were one of three parties remaining at 11:00pm on Friday night. The manager went to go check on the kitchen/server, to which she came out about 10 minutes later with our food. This was the first time she apologized for anything tonight and blamed it on the kitchen being backed up, which was an obviously blatant LIE considering all the other tables who came before us and got their entrees before we did. When we recieved our food, it was absolutely disgusting and deplorable. I want everyone reading this review to see the pictures attached and tell me if you would even feed your dog this. I ordered the Salmon that was presented to me as a burger with veggies in the middle and a gross smelling sauce, and my partners order was burnt and dry. The rice we recieved was harder than a rock At this point, we made the decision to cut our losses and get the heck out of here. It was 11:30pm, we were extremely tired from the drive to St. Augustine and were incredibly upset with our service. Once we recieved the check, we were billed $112. The server informed us that the scallops and second round of drinks were on the house but that honestly didnt feel like enough to justify this experience. I trult hope management reads this review and provides additional training to their staff and ensures they are better equiped to run their restaurant here in the heart of the St. Augustine tourist district. read more

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Man, I hate to do this. But I don't really understand the hype behind this place. It's good, but it's not THAT good. Service was great. Our server was timely, and gave us recommendations. The place was pretty. Beautiful actually. We got the Sangria which is what everyone seems to rave about-it tasted like Kool-aid. If you want real sangria you need to go to Espania in Fernandina beach. This was very "appeal to the masses" by being sweet and palatable to all. The food was nothing outstanding. I did get the 1905 salad and I'll admit, THAT was good. Definitely the most memorable thing about our meal. The empanadas were good too. But our entrees left us both leaving the place like "meh, we would be ok to not come back". I'm sure we are a very small minority that wasn't impressed. Via the obvious great reviews on here. Sad because the service and ambiance are both truly great, the food just didn't wow us enough to warrant a future repeat visit. read more

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Enjoyed our pitcher of sangria. Did not eat although the dishes served to other tables looked and smelled amazing. Will eat there our next trip read more

So we did not make reservations they open at 5 pm we arrived at 515 pm on Sunday was told there would be a 15 min wait , they were having a staff meeting, ummm ok , food was excellent our server was great , a bit thrown off on a meeting that was occurring during service hours , would go back food was delicious read more

Just getting an early dinner before heading to South Carolina to visit family. Ambiance was all that. The food was ok but disheartening. I have paella several times but never like this. Portion size was small and the rice was clunky. However, the mojito pitcher was made right in front of us. Also, the tower of empanadas, crab cake and chicken croquettes were a treat. The waitress was apologetic about our paella order. We were comped our paella order and given a dessert on the house. If you are looking for something quaint is St Augustine with parking, go or run to Columbia restaurant. The sitting is sublime upstairs and downstairs and I Sam a small patio for the overflow when it gets busy. I know it gets busy. read more