Went to St. Augustine for a girls birthday trip and we made a reservation for dinner! Always such a great experience and this time didn't disappoint! We waited for seating about 10 minutes, the place was packed and we heard the hostess tell someone who walked in that they had no availability for the rest of the evening and this was 6:30! Also, we were late getting there because of waiting for an Uber and the traffic was a nightmare. It took us about an hour to go 7 miles! I called them and they were so nice and held my reservation! The waitress was super sweet and accommodating! Brought us bread that was on point. We ordered the 1905 salad, a classic! There were 3 of us so she doubled the order since this was a main item for us! It was delicious as I remembered. We ordered the white sangria which was also amazing! We ordered the Queso Fundido and Black Beans. All delicious!! Great experience and will always go here when I go to St. Augustine!! read more

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

Always delicious!!! Cuban bread is to die for and I always opt for the white sangria if your feeling frisky. Nice decor and atomosphere. Prices are fair for St auggy read more

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Amazing food! Highly recommend to anyone in the area. The sangria was the best I'd ever had. read more

The Columbia - Steak, plantains, yellow rice - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

I am wishing for a negative star rating...I have to give it one star or not be able to rate them at all. We were in St. Aggy for a birthday celebration for my dear friend. We visited a few places (the winery, the distillery) and were doing some shopping when we decided to try the Columbia. We've been in the pottery store a few times and always said we would "come back when we have more time." Apparently, tonight was the wrong night to choose. We waited for over an hour for a table--this is not a surprise on a Saturday night in this area. We expected to wait, and went for a drink at a place nearby while the hour passed by. When we were texted that our table was ready, we were seated almost immediately....but waited for a bit before a server arrived. When she finally came over, we ordered typical drinks (wine and sangria...kids got some non-alcoholic pina coladas). Drinks were great! We ordered tapas (empanadas, chicken croquettes and a shrimp dish). They were "okay"...shrimp was overcooked, empanadas were nothing to write home about (tasted like taco meat inside of a prepared dough crust) but the chicken croquettes were good. The bread was also great. For dinner, my friend and I decided on the paella valencia to share (we ordered it right away as the menu warned that it was 30 minutes for preparation), my husband ordered a roasted chicken dish and my daughter ordered a steak dish. While we waited, we had to ask another server to get ours for a refill on our drinks. She was not very attentive (perhaps had too many tables, I don't know--but we didn't see her unless she was bringing us something we had ordered earlier--she only checked on us twice after we arrived--once after the food arrived and finally, to see if we wanted dessert). Paella: rice was undercooked (to the point that it was still crunchy in the middle). The two mussels and two clams were shriveled up in their shells and overcooked. Tiny pieces of calamari. Two total scallops in both dishes. A small amount of shrimp and chicken (very small). This is the dish I had--so the one I can describe the best. Roasted chicken: moist, tasty, and enjoyable. Steak: my daughter loved it. Now--the story. About 4 minutes after our food arrived, there was a small accident with two servers. They crashed, a tray of food was dropped all over the floor (glass shards, food flying everywhere, drinks all over the place, etc.). This mess splattered on the floor as well as down my friend and my husband's backs. We had to get up and move our chairs for them to clean it up (pick it all up and then mop the floor). They were apologetic, cleaned it up while we waited (and our food got cold--in addition to being undercooked or overcooked, we now got to eat it lukewarm). The manager comped our drinks and our tapas. But wow--what a terrible, terrible experience. If the food had been worth what we paid for, the accident wouldn't have mattered (they happen)--but couple the subpar food with the lackluster service... Zero stars for me. I will never go back. read more

The Columbia - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

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Our group, a party of six, decided we wanted to have a nice sit down dinner. Two in the group had previously been to this restaurant and had recommended it for the rest of us. As someone who is on whole food plant based lifestyle (vegan), I made sure to look online at the menu first. I saw they had a few options and was interested in trying the vegetarian paella since the ingredients fit my requirements. Positives - The restaurant takes reservations which is convenient. The staff all had face masks on and they were seating groups at a safe distance. The menus were disposable paper menus. There were good options on the menu for most of us and the server we had, Daniela R., was awesome. Negatives (not many)- The vegan options weren't many. My options were the starting appetizer of bread, the Black Bean Original 1905 and the Chopped Tomatoes. They did not have the veggie paella I had looked forward to. Daniela, our server, really saved the day for me. I was starving and had only had a protein bar and an apple all day because of the little options available to me and I go with what the majority of the group wants. She went to the kitchen and asked the cook what vegan options they could provide. She recommended a dish which I was hesitant about at first but I was hungry and so I went with it. She also made sure that when everyone got their bread dish with butter, I received an olive oil mix with balsamic vinegar so I could use for my bread. She said that she is also vegan and gave me recommendations of places I could try nearby since there aren't many here in St Augustine with vegan options. Everyone was happy with their choices and the food was good. My Black Beans 1905 dish was delicious. It was a large portion so others in the groups wanted to taste and loved it. read more

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The service was amazing and the food was great. I had the Pollo Monchego and thoroughly enjoyable. I also tried the Palomilla and it was fantastic. read more

Had a family reunion dinner here recently and the staff was very accommodating for our large group. Overall, the good was good, and we tried a number of items from their paella, to seafood, pork, and vegetarian based dishes, as well as desserts. I had one of their mahi-mahi dishes and it was pretty good, albeit a little dry. The accompanying rice and plantains were very tasty though. I sampled both their signature flan and key lime pie and both of those were outstanding! I know there are some negative reviews, but the only fault I can give them results in the loss of a star is that the Men's bathroom smelled atrocious. For a restaurant like this to allow their restroom to be this bad is unacceptable (this was at 7pm on a Wednesday evening). To Columbia Management; this gives many customers a feeling that cleanliness is not a top priority!!! read more

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It's hard to give a two to a restaraunt that actually has good food but at the prices charged you would expect exceptional service. The service at the Columbia was just not good it was incredibly bad. Appetizers never came. Our waitress never asked if we needed refills on our drinks and when we asked questions about the menu, specifically the entrees the restaurant is known for she had no clue. Four entrees took two hours. We talked to the manager who was apologetic but there didn't seem to be any support for the waitresses. Cant recommend until they get their act together read more

This place is poor across the board. Poor service. Poor cleanliness. Poor food. The table they sat us at was close to the kitchen and there were dirty dishes we had to actually ASK to have moved. Furthermore, upon arrival at our table there was a random glass of water with lipstick on it. The menu has a wide variety, and if you're anything like me, the prices will have u looking at soup and tapas if you're not that hungry. Don't get the paella nor the Cuban soup. Terrible. The one dish that might save this restaurant are the chicken empanadas --now those were super good. With so many wonderful places to pick in St. Augustine, save your wallet and your calories and skip Columbia read more

The Columbia - Soup and chicken empanadas - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

We stopped in here on a whim while walking around St. Augustine (we are from out of town). The hostess happened to have an opening to seat us as a previous party that booked a reservation was a no show (how serendipitous!). I'm not sure about the reservation policy so I cannot comment on that. We were seated and promptly greeted by our server, June (she has over 17 years in the industry). She brought each of us our own freshly baked bread out with sides of butter. This is most likely standard fare. We had mojitos (FRESH with a cane sugar stick to stir with) and they were very tasty. We had the half Cuban sandwich and soup deal and they were both very authentic and delicious. The ambiance is on point (if you are big on that sort of thing) and the service was the BEST we have had in a LONG time. I really cannot stress this enough. I highly recommend this restaurant and I would recommend calling ahead to see what their reservation policy is as I don't have that information to provide here. read more

Update June 2020 What a change from 2 yrs ago. Service has was terrible for my visit. Had to ask for bread, water was asked for on two trips of the waiter. The calamari was a pile of grease with the lemons again asked for cane after we were done. To the credit of the restaurant I complained to the manager and she personally waited on my table excellent attention to details! I drive all the way from Orlando to eat here, I know there's one nearby in Celebration....but I wanted the experience of the old town in St Augustine too. I love Paella Valenciana (Spanish rice and seafood dish). We also ordered the stuffed Grouper and the large bowl of salad. I have to say my Palle was stuffed with chicken. In Spain if you stuff the Paella with chicken your trying to fool your guests with filler. I was disappointed on this dish. Although it had seafood the dish was salty and half chicken! I ate some but left must if the chicken. But aside from that dish the place is excellent in service and environment. I would definitely come again but I won't order that paella until the change the chicken portions. The sangria is delicious too. Great place for the read more

The Columbia - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

The Columbia is always a top choice for me when visiting St. Augustine(I have been to the original in Ybor City once too). The atmosphere and food makes the restaurant very enjoyable. The menu tells a story of how The Columbia was born with all its tasty recipes and stories hidden in the menu. The first thing I do is order sangria! I suggest getting a pitcher which serves about four glasses. The red sangria is the best and they make it table side for you. Yum! They have many tapas options that you can choose from for an appetizer or make a meal out of it. I tried the empanadas for the first time tonight and they were delicious! They also bring everyone a nice warm piece of Cuban bread - it's hot and fresh. Now, for the entree - the 1905 salad is a must (also made table side)! It's one if the tastiest salads you'll ever have. I actually end up getting this as my entree because it's so good! If you're not feeling salad, I highly recommend the paella. This spot is one of my most favorite restaurants but I will mention that this past visit was not up to par :/ (not sure if the waitress was managing too many tables or what). There was a table behind us that coincidentally ordered pretty much the same things that we did. We ordered sangria and so did they and our waitress made it table side for the other party but made ours at the same time. I could see her making both pitchers of sangria but we didn't get to see it up close like the other party and my friend who was at dinner with me had her back that way so she could not see or enjoy it. We also ordered the 1905 salad as our entrees and the other party as well ordered one for their table - again the waitress made both our salads and the other parties table side for them. Part of the experience is the table side service and we didn't get to experience it. We were both upset since this is one of our favorite places for a meal and it didn't seem as special. I still highly recommend this restaurant and will be going back because it hopefully was just one bad experience! This is a great place for a romantic dinner, friends dinner and family. read more

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

This is our 3rd foray into this fine restaurant. The food was delicious and ample. We had Caesar salads that were well prepared and large. For my entree I had a Cannelloni Langosta which had shrimp and lobster in a cream and sherry sauce. I really liked that. I even dipped their tasty bread in the sauce it was so good. For dessert we split a Key Lime pie and I had an espresso. I'm so lucky to live in St Augustine where there are fine restaurants like this. read more

Check your to go order before you get on the road. Ordered a 1905 salad with Turkey no tomatoes, and a 1905 salad. Both arrived with tomato's and no 1905 dressing- which makes the whole salad. The Cuban bread is good, soft inside and flaky out. The bread pudding is amazing. read more

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We loved the food here, from the empanades, shrimp in garlic to start out Also we both had delicious mojitod! I ordered the fresh Grouper with crab on top and my husband had the Ropa Veijo with black bean rice and sweet plantains and we shared the tomatoes with onion and the 1902 dressing on it, all was so fresh and delicious Our server Brandon was amazing We totally enjoyed our early dinner/late lunch and we will definitely be back Thank you for a wonderful meal read more

Update: this time I tried the Paella and my fiancé for the chicken and rice (lunch menu). As usual, it was all good. Never have I been more excited to eat a salad as I watched our awesome waiter (Tom) prepare the 1905 salad. This is one of my favorite restaurants in St. Augustine. Last time we tried dinner, which was elaborate and delicious. We wanted to spend a little less this time around so we ate lunch instead. The "1905" salad was just as good as last time; my fiancé remarked at the freshness of the tomatoes (a rarity in FL in the winter). I had the Cuban sandwich. Being mostly of British and German heritage (white), I'm not sure what a real Cuban sandwich is supposed to be, but this is the best one I've ever tasted. We boxed up the leftovers and then splurged and ordered desert anyway. Tracy, our excellent waitress, recommended the Godiva chocolate cake - she even brought us whipped cream and strawberries. It was huge and delicious. $40 for lunch (but better than $90 for dinner). read more

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Basically cafeteria food served to your table in a nice atmosphere. Other than the house salad which was quite good an uneventful meal. The roasted pork had set and tasted reheated from the prior day or days. The gravy was starchy and Institutional. The spinach, crab and artichoke dip was laced with salt and other than chunks of marinated artichoke could have been anything mixed with cheese wiz. As I mentioned the house salad was fresh and a delicious mix of greens, cheese and ham. Wish I had that in an entree size. read more

As a Miami native, Cuban food is what I've always been around and grew up with. Decided to give this establishment a shot when I saw it offered Cuban food. It was also recommended because it had a lot of historical value. The inside is nice, a lot of tile art pieces and history. We started with the "Cuban Bread". Though it was great, it's not what comes to mind when you think of Cuban bread. If anything, it was like a nice French style bread. We then got the 1905 salad. It was fair, almost like an Italian salad, and made table side. I then ordered "El Combo de Cuba". It came with roasted pork, boliche, yellow rice, a picadillo empanada, black beans and yuca. Honestly, it wasn't the best. It lacked that Cuban flare that you get from any restaurant in Miami. The "mojo" you're supposed to get with the yuca is lackluster and flavorless. The meats were alright, once again a lack of flavor. The rice was good, and the beans were fair. I had one bite of the yuca and decided to put it down. Other than that, the service is great. It's doable, but not something to come back again for. read more

I am updating my previous review after giving it a second chance at the original location in Ybor City, Tampa and was blown away with the quality, flavor and service, I decided to try the one in St Augustine again. It was really good. It started out a little rough due to a miscommunication with the waitress we waited about 15 mins for service but once over that hump we were set for a fine dining experience. I had stuffed salmon and hubby had the stuff grouper with Spanish bean soup and we were delightfully pleased and consider this a place to visit in St Augustine. read more

On any normal occasion I would give The Columbia a 5 star rating with no hesitation. The food is always amazing and the environment is so invigorating. Normally, the staff is amazing, but this trip, our experience was horrible, which was very unexpected, especially here. We started by ordering a pitcher of sangria, which is supposed to be made table side. Apparently our waitress (Danica) had another table near ours who also ordered the sangria, so she decided to make both pitchers by the other table where we couldn't even see. But I figured, whatever, I have seen it made before. But then when the same thing happened for our salads, I was even more upset. We also asked our waitress to bring out our soup and appetizer first and then wait for our salads and an order of rice, but everything came out at once. And then when our waitress didn't bring us the rice we ordered and never once came and checked on us, that was the last straw. I have had enough good experiences at this place that I will probably go back, but I was super disappointed. read more

If you are visiting St Augustine you should make a point of eating at The Columbia. This iconic Spanish (not Mexican) restaurant has great cocktails, food and service. Tbe salad is to die for, the bread is delicious and the entrées are unique and tasty. Try it! read more

The Columbia - Stuffed shrimp - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

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Never go to this place!!!! So disappointed! Bad service, the glass has lipstick stain on it. We went there on 12/22/2018. Once we got seated, everything was awkwardly rush. The waitress ask for drinks and order immediately but wasn't there when we wanna ask for recommendations. After ask for more time, we finally order. The whole thing took only 5-7mins. After that, we got bread and butter and we waited for food for about 45 mins. While chatting with friends I realized my glass has red lip stick stain on it. I never wear lipstick at all (in my life). I don't wanna make a big deal and just asked for a new glass of water. We did the separate check and I paid by cash. She gave everyone their credit cards and receipt back except for me and ask if I need a change? WTH. read more

The Columbia - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

If the architecture of this building does entice you to check this place out, then the aromas wafting out of their kitchen might. Tucked into a beautiful building this restaurant is busy and for good reason. It can be hard to find really good and authentic Spanish cuisine, my fiancé and I would know, but this place was perfect. It is fitting that this place would be located in the heart of St. Augustine, given the city's history, and the food here helps strengthen the image of that history. Our meals started and we were each given a half loaf of fresh baked bread and fresh butter, seeing as we are carbohydrate lovers this was heaven. We then had their picadillo and the boliche for lunch. The flavors were all well executed. Well seasoned, not too oily or salty. The sweet plantains were well cooked, not charred and not dry, and their black beans and rice were a flavorful combination, which is tough to accomplish given how simple these sides seem from face value. We will definitely return again the next time we vacation here, it was a real treat! read more

The Columbia - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

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Took a chance for lunch, despite the recent poor reviews. It was okay. Ofcourse the atmosphere is fantastic, very beautiful and fun. The red sangria was delicious. Service wasn't the greatest, took quite a long time to be acknowledged and then to receive our drinks. Food was okay with the exception of the fruit bowl served with my son's meal, most of the fruit was rotten, we were shocked to have been served that, but the waitress did replace it, I would have expected them to comp that kids meal after that, but no such offer. The kids chicken tenders were pretty terrible, 3 tiny dried out "tenders" not much bigger than a shoelace in width (and rotten fruit on the side). Everyone else's meals were ok, appetizers were okay. I would go out of my way to eat here again. read more

Danica was our server. This gal was on point the entire evening. We were there on a Friday night and the place was jammed. We started with red wine sangria. Which by the way was handmade table side. Crab cake was excellent, some of the best crabcakes I've had. 1905 salad. Dressing with garlic in it. It was excellent I really enjoyed the salad. Paella marinera was full of seafood, and that authentic Cuban flavor. White chocolate bread pudding for dessert was awesome. This restaurant is a landmark in Saint Augustine. It gets very crowded so I recommend reservations. They are known for their Cuban cooking, and they do it very very well. Next time I'm in Saint Augustine, I will definitely stop by and try some other dishes. A little pricey, but definitely well worth it. If you want, they can split the entrées into two , so you can try a bunch of things. read more

Everything was so amazing here!! The Sangria was delicious and made table side. We even bought their sangria mix to go at the gift shop. Their famous salad was made table side and amazing as well. I was also so happy to see plenty of vegetarian options on the menu and they even made me a special vegetarian version of one of their regular menu options. I can't remember if they were listed on the menu but the waitress recommended their tostones and they were the best ones I've ever had. Highly recommend this spot! read more

Had the paella, not worth it. Only thing worthwhile were the drinks and salad. Avoid at all costs, and it costs a lot. It truly deserves zero stars for robbery. Service was adequate at best. Didn't even ask shy I only ate like three bites or so. I tried to like it. The calamari was okay. Just bad for $100+ tab read more

I was SO disappointed by The Columbia. We were in St. Augustine for the day and the Columbia caught our eye. Literally, because from the street it looks awesome. It was later in the day, around 8ish, and a Monday night. We were seated right away in the area behind the hostess at a table for two by the fountain. We sat and scanned the menu for a good 10-15 minutes before our server stopped by our table. We ordered the pitcher of Sangria. We were ready to order and placed the rest of our order right away. Long story short, everything took FOREVER. I mean, we were in no rush whatsoever, but at some point you just get bored with being in a restaurant. We read the menu, we read the sangria box on the table, I started drafting this review... When our entrees finally came out (over an hour after we'd been seated, BTW) my entrée, the Palomilla steak was ICE COLD. I mean, shockingly cold. I have literally, never, ever had anything like this happen in a restaurant. And of course, our server had once again vanished. So, while my husband started on his meal I sat somewhat patiently and waited for help. Finally we flagged down another server who went to find our missing server. Our server took my steak and said they would put it on the grill to reheat it. When it came back out it was actually hot and delicious, so I guess reheating works OK on a thin steak. Our server was apologetic and gave us a complimentary flan, which was yummy, but just added more time onto our meal, when we were already anxious to get out of there. It felt like restaurant purgatory. Anyway, my verdict is I would NEVER, EVER go back here. And I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I really goofed up going here. A good reminder to always heed the warnings in Yelp reviews! read more

The Columbia - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

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Beautiful place, but the food is just not worth the price. Stopped in for lunch before leaving St. Augustine and we were very disappointed. Our waiter was borderline rude, dropping the bread on the floor and then almost throwing the plates on the table when the food arrived. Then, the roasted pork was just bad - seemed like a microwave dish as it was dry and bland. Asked for the palomilla steak instead and it came out within a few minutes which just shows they probably cook ahead and not to order. The steak was also dry and bland and I had to bury it in hot sauce to give it some taste. The manager was certainly polite and apologized for the food not being up to par, but there's a Cuban restaurant around corner which I will try next time I'm in the area instead. read more

We had a wonderful time at the Columbia on our visit to St. Augustine. Our server, Meagan, was friendly and helped break down the menu for us. This restaurant serves tapas, or small plates meant to be shared among the table. They also have entrees, but we opted to go tapas style. We started off with a pitcher of sangria - no mix here, all ingredients were fresh and the fruits were muddled at our table. It was one of the best sangrias I've had! They have a deal for $32 where you get 3 tapas - 2 meat or vegetable and 1 seafood. We went for the calamari, beef tenderloin tips, and chorizo. All were delicious, but the chorizo was my favorite - it was Smokey and full of flavor. We also had the white chocolate bread pudding and churros for dessert, which were both sweet and filling. We all enjoyed our meal and would return upon our next visit :) read more

Came on a recommedation but were sadly disappointed. Reservations for 8:30...not seated until 9 with lots of emoty tables and staff wandering not doing much. A very bland white sangria and wine at the bar took forever and the bar area was crowded with glass crates, towels...a general mess. When we were seated, the restaurant had lots of bus trays around filled with dishes. Sea bass was served in a too small plate over vegetables and bland yellow rice. My shrimp and yellow rice were tasteless...cold peas had been thrown over the yellow rice. A restaurant on a main thoroughfare in a resort, off season, no less, should have been 100% better and cleaner! So disappointed and will not recommend or come back. read more

Had a lovely evening at the Columbia in Saint Augustine. Alexandria helped me over the phone to squeeze in an anniversary dinner. My food was great,I would definitely recommend the Polo manchego! The bathrooms however...stinky!!!! read more

Great spot with Cuban/Spanish cuisine. It is in the heart of st Augustine so be prepared to pay/search for parking. We went during lunch on a Monday, we had a reservation and were seated immediately. The service was prompt and the food was delicious. Also make sure you try their Sangria, it was a great choice on a hot summer day! Overall a nice traditional restaurant. read more

The Columbia - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

Let me recommend the Columbia restaurants as a whole. Columbia restaurants are always beautiful. Servers are usually attentive. The menu has many items you won't find anywhere else. If we are in a city with a Columbia, typically we'll go. Some locations are consistently spectacular, others are consistently so so. This location has been on St. George street for 20 or more years. That speaks for itself. It's certainly a touristy location, but not a tourist trap. We stopped by for a quick bite. We split their famous Cuban sandwich and salad. Both were delicious. The Crianza wine offered at the Colombia is a perfect wine pairing with nearly every dish. We had to skip the flan this time. We needed to leave. Don't make our mistake. It's caramelly deliciousness. Heads up, it can be a pricey meal. Especially for lunch. There really isn't a lunch menu. But you won't find this kind of food everywhere. read more

I am on the fence about this place. We went for a family reunion of sorts? We had a reservation made, but we were not able to be seated until 40ish mins after the reservation time. We were eventually seated upstairs with not another soul in sight. Food wasn't bad but it wasn't great? We were a party of 7 with a baby, and most of the food came out cold. We ordered pitchers of sangria, and it was straight up water with a touch of wine and fruit pieces. I love the building itself, but the food was not a success. I recommend trying the location in Celebration, FL if you're around that side of town. read more

Great food, awesome service but parking was a night mare. Had to walk well over a mile after parking

Food is good but the overwhelming smell of urine and amount of mold on the ceiling makes me never want to visit again.

20 years ago I had the opportunity to dine at the Columbia on business. I always wanted to take my family there. This week I had the opportunity to take my wife and family to The Columbia on our 53rd anniversary. It was a true pleasure. The food was wonderful. Thanks Columbia. read more

Disappointing tourist trap. Food is mediocre, service average, and drinks basic. The espresso machine "not working" topped off the McDonalds feel to this place. read more

Food was awesome. I had the salteado with chicken and a cup of garbanzo bean soup. Absolutely delish! My husband had mahi and it was delicious too. read more

The Columbia - Salteado within chicken. - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida