We dropped into the Reef for a late lunch and some cocktails and had a ball. The food was excellent, drinks were delicious and we made some new friends along the way. Shout out to Robert and Shannon! You made it special! read more

This was a nice place to listen to a little live music and have a bite to eat. Bar tender was great and drinks were delicious!

I'll do a review from the last time. Food a tad off both had flounder. A bit "mushy" my partner mentioned it when I thought of it. But not a bad taste so everyone gets a pass now and then. Service is great and can't beat the ambiance of the Atlantic outside then glass read more

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JC took AMAZING care of us in the bar area overlooking the beach! The food here is mediocre overall. You are paying for the ambience and the location. The service as I mentioned above is outstanding, but there's nothing that the servers can do to improve the quality and/or preparation of the food. My wife had the steak bowl, I had the crab Benedict. The presentation looks fantastic however that's where the fantastic ends. The flavors in the steak bowl were good, but the steak was tough and overcooked. The crab Benedict was good, the crab was a little little gamy, which can be expected with live animals. I think The Reef is a place to go one time just to experience it read more

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We visited with another couple for a date night. The view and coastal ambience was the perfect setting. The food and service was excellent as well. All of our choices were beautifully presented and tasted wonderful! read more

We have been coming to the Reef now for about 11 years, since we relocated here from The Annapolis MD area. It's always been a favorite and it is also convenient, as we live nearby. The atmosphere is a friendly blend of old oceanfront pub and fine dining. The menu has been updated and the food we've had in this past month, both for lunch and dinner has been exceptional! They have outstanding service and the General Manager; Jeremy Ticehurst has really brought this local favorite to a new level. It is beginning to be our "GO TO" for Date Night, again! The bar is extremely well stocked and again, excellent service, from a very talented & friendly group of mixologists. Finally, my wife is a fine wine connoisseur, and the wine selection is the best! read more

You can't miss the smoked salmon appetizer. This place is located on a locals beach, so very few tourists.

I've been looking for a low key oceanfront restaurant to enjoy and I found it. I made reservations on open table about a month ago for brunch at 12:00. We got there, was windy outside so we opted to do a window seat. It was still a perfect view as you can tell my picture. We got sausage gravy and biscuits (biscuits was soft and fluffy and so much sausage to enjoy), this came with a mimosa. I got chirizo empanadas and a mimosa, was perfect! Appetizer was spinach artichoke with garlic bread pieces.... So good and full of flavor. Our waiter was on time with everything and just made the whole experience even better. They had a live musician that just added to the whole experience. We spent the weekend in St Augustine and this was the last of our trip and like they say... saved the best for last.... It definitely sealed in one of best weekend trips. read more

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Great ambiance. Good food and good service. Our waitress was fabulous, funny and super friendly. The other young ladies bringing the food to the table or hosting up front had more of a sour face. Barely replies when we asked questions, neither do they smile at all. Decent selections for Happy hour. Food portions are perfect amounts and plated beautifully. If you do not mind spending good amount of money for definitely yumm fresh sea food or just quality food- this is the spot for you. Do not have a picture of the crab cake, it was too delish that we finished it before remembering to take pic. Their bread pudding is one of the best in town. read more

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Bring back the buffet, food is the same quality but now you just can't eat as much as you want. Greedy business decisions will lose you long time customers. Atleast I can look out into the ocean while I pay for a portion of what I would normally eat. Might as well go across the street to Cap's on the Water for decent quality seafood. read more

My husband took me for a drive to Vilano Beach to try and find shark teeth, but we couldn't find a spot to park so we opted to eat at The Reef and then explore the beach right after. We got sat by the bar and man was she so busy, there was only one bartender and so many guests throughout the restaurant so I felt for her. I ordered the North Beach Mule, but swapped the vodka for tequila, it was nice and refreshing. Bryan and I decided to have starters instead of a big meal since we had a family bbq later that day. We ordered calamari and the saffron mussels, these came out in such a quick manner and it was so good. That saffron mussels were my favorite, so many mussels and that sauce is delicious! The calamari was perfectly fried, light and crispy. Next time we're in St. Augustine I definitely want to come back, food was great and the location is just so picturesque and for it being so busy everything came out deliciously. read more

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The Reef is without a doubt one of the best places between St Augustine & Jax Beach for a true outdoor experience ocean view. I had a lunch date with a friend who lives in Palm Coast so The Reef was a 1/2 way point for us to meet. When we made the reservation, we asked for outdoor seating. When I arrived on this beautiful day the hostess took about 7 minutes to appear & there was a line starting to form behind me. The reef has a very long skinny upper deck with I'd say 15 tables able to accommodate 4 persons each. Some are actually overlooking a railing with umbrella & some are tucked under the deck on the opposite side out of the sun. My friend & I chose to wait for a table on the railing rather than to sit squeezed into a corner table where you couldn't really get a view. The hostess was almost argumentative saying that an outdoor reservation doesn't necessarily procure you an outdoor table & basically if we didn't take this one who knows when another would be available. We decided to take our chances & wait at the bar while having a glass of wine. She had red. I had white. Both glasses were good. After about 15 minutes we were seated at one of their great tables overlooking the ocean. We started with the fried manchego cheese with raspberry sauce. 4 large squares of fried cheese enough to share. I know my cheeses and I can bet it wasn't manchego but it was very tasty. The sauce I could have done without as it was more like a syrup. Ask for it on the side. We then shared a spinach artichoke dip which was delicious. More wine & a tuna appetizer. The tuna was presented nicely however it didn't have much flavor itself. Our server was attentive & friendly. The views and company were great. I definitely would return for lunch again to take in the lovely view, have some appetizers & relax over a glass of wine. read more

The Reef - Looking out from the upper deck. - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

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I will be honest I was a little nervous coming to the reef with some of the recent reviews, but others rest assured we had an awesome dinner here!! I have been here quite a few times for happy hour (3-7PM) but it's been a couple years. I came this time for dinner with family and it was great!! They still have happy hour which is really just a couple dollars off wine, beer, and apps if you sit in the bar area. We had drinks and apps then we went to dinner in the dining room. We did have a reservation in the dining room. Our server (Jacob) was super sweet and attentive. All of our food was delicious. The fresh catch was redfish and it was sooooo yummy. My father got the lobster risotto and my father in law got the jambalaya and they both loved what they got. Everyone else got fish dishes and enjoyed every bite. My mom even liked the fried spinach which she was nervous about but it was kind of between kale chips ish and sautéed spinach. I had bites of both the jambalaya and risotto and it's hard to pick which was better, both were super amazing. We will absolutely come back. Food was truly great and you couldn't beat the picture perfect ocean view. read more

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It may be unfortunate but the best thing about the reef was the view. Service was good flavors were on par but just seemed to be missing something overall. Don't know what it is but we'll give it another shot in the future. read more

The Reef - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

This is the kind of place you look for dinner while near a beach. Unfortunately sunset is not on this side. That is why service and coziness have to shine, and they do. Our waitress Jennifer was so professional that we think she have an old soul, or tremendous training or both, it really was above and beyond attentive. We have a local really good craft beer, me a cocktail, delicious sweet but don't remember the name , kind of a cranberry appletini?... I asked for not too strong one and they nailed it. Tons of extra bread is what will make me comeback beside the non sunset that put pink and baby blue on the sky, take a look on my pictures, just for that is the place for happy hour on Sundays. read more

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My family and I came here for a special occasion dinner. We made reservations for a Saturday night at 6pm. I ordered the grilled Mahi, which came with rice and vegetables. The Mahi itself was plain, but not bad. I didn't touch the rice, but the vegetables were fine. About half of the people in my party were not satisfied with their meals for various reasons (meat being too tough, food not arriving hot, etc.). Our waitress was nice, but the restaurant must have been understaffed, because we rarely saw her and service was slow. Overall, not an amazing experience. read more

Gorgeous views from the outdoor tables. Our server Jennifer was super nice. We had Seafood Trio and Fried Chicken, and caramel cheesecake for dessert. All were very good. It was our favorite meal for the week, and the best location! read more

Parking is always accessible. Entry is easy. Seating is a breeze. The drinks are great! Drinks are wonderful & being local the staff is always warm and welcoming! Oh, did I mention the delicious food & desserts along with the outside venue overlooking the beautiful Atlantic Ocean?!? "5 Stars" all the way! read more

We've been here a couple times and it has been the nicest ocean front restaurant we have experienced in Saint Augustine thus far. Tonight was a little chilly, so we opted to dine inside, but had a magnificent view of the beach. The service was terrific. Our server was kind and very attentive to our needs. The food overall was good. I had the Grilled Seafood Trio with rock lobster, shrimps, and scallops. The shrimps and scallops were very good, but the lobster was a tad tough for my taste. Flavor was still good, but definitely required a little bit of work. Rest of the family had the Seafood Pasta and kid's cheese pizza, and both enjoyed their meals. We concluded our dining experience with their creme brûlée, which was very good. All in all, we had a very good experience and will be back again. read more

The Reef - The Reef Oceanfront Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

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What a wonderful meal! Rich was a fantastic server; he was consistently available, filling water glasses constantly, and had so many great suggestions! We started with drinks and mussels. The mussel sauce reminded me of a curry. I was literally drinking it. My husband got the seafood pasta and I ended up loving his so much more than mine! I got the prime rib sandwich. It was good but I was still eating the mussels and picking off of my husbands pasta so I got too full. We got a table with an ocean view with an amazing server and amazing food! I cannot wait to come back!!! read more

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Was there for my husband's birthday, beautiful view... the food nothing to brag about, service was ok, but I don't think we will be going back!!! read more

3.5 stars. Great service from the wait staffs. Food is ok not mind blowing. My prime rib wasn't tender at all and wad disappointing. I like the creme Brulee for $8 and the portion was reasonable. Overall, the Reef could be better. The interiors are dated and dusty. Needs sprucing. read more

The Reef - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

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Came here yesterday with some friends for the first time while visiting St. Augustine. The restaurant ambience overall was nice we sat indoors and it was nice and cool while still having a view of the ocean. Our server was attentive and checked on us just enough. Our appetizers took a bit to come out and were served maybe 2-3 minutes before our meals came. We had the green tomatoes and spicy chowder - tomatoes were cooked well but the chowder could have been hotter it was lukewarm but the flavor wasn't bad. We ordered 2 crab Benedict's, strawberry and crème waffles and a chicken and waffle. The waffles were like funnel cake and were delicious and my chicken was well cooked and breaded nicely. The Benedict's were enjoyed especially since it was lump crab vs a crab cake. The entrees stated they all came with potatoes, fruit, pastry and champagne. That proved not to be true for the waffles after we asked when they had not brought any of the things advertised. They manager came and apologized and stated there was a new menu so maybe they will be updated soon. She did bring the person who wanted the potatoes a side for the inconvenience. Overall a nice brunch but not sure if I would go out of my way to visit but if in the area I would stop by again. read more

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What a great first stop when you arrive in St. Augustine and need lunch. The restaurant was very pretty but the best part was our fantastic ocean view! Our appetizers of fried green tomatoes and manchego cheese were yummy. (I'd pick a different sauce for the tomatoes though). The balsamic reduction on my scallops was delicious! The green beans were perfectly cooked. Our waitress was very attentive and even went the extra mile to get me something not on the lunch menu. What great service! read more

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The reviews here are definitely all over the place but we stopped in to check it out as we are exploring using this spot for our rehearsal dinner. We had a great experience. We got service and drinks right away. Our food took a reasonable amount of time and I had a drink the whole time we waited. The brunch menu is a great deal with the inclusion of a pastry, fruit and glass of champagne. I went with the shrimp and grits and it was delicious and the price was very good. We started with the fried manchego and it was awesome. Drinks wise I went with the tropic like it's hot which was fantastic and mg brunch champagne and the pineapple whip drink and it was a great time. It's a very mellow vibe and the views are on point. My experience says it's worth going again. read more

Server was great. I attempted to order the black and bleu salad but after I ordered the sever came back and said they didn't have it today. I had a pretzel chicken salad and it was ok it didn't have much to it. We took my sister from out of town- she went to use the bathroom and said The toilet was clogged and it was too dirty to use. read more

The food is always very good. And the views are amazing! And top it off with being pooch friendly on the deck overlooking the ocean. Server was greatly attentive. Cocktails were yummy! Try the Hemingway Daiquiri! read more

This was fairly pricey stir what we got. Food was just ok. I had Mahi tacos which would have been much better in a traditional SOFT corn tortillas. They served the (only) two tacos in hard shells. Weird. The sever was rushed and really didn't seem to have much time for us. Save your dollars here. Go to Caps on the Water instead. read more

I seen many reviews about the bad service here and was expecting the same . I did NOT have any issues with service or food . Everything was great , so much we were planning our next trip down from SC with the help of our waiter Little pricey , nice decor and good food We sat in the bar area by the windows , had a great view of the beach Our waiter was very knowledgeable about the menu and I let him pick my meal . He did a great job picking my food , was very tentative with keeping glasses full . Over all a very nice place for any occasion (was for my birthday) Wish I remembered our waiters name ( young and had a lisp ) Thank you for the great experience , can't wait for the next time here read more

We came for our daughter's rehearsal dinner, so I"m sure it is much different than coming with a small group for dinner. We had around 75 people. Service was slow, but food was okay. Groom's parents didn't include drinks, so made our way downstairs to the bar. Great bartender and service. Dessert options were decent. The key lime pie was probably the best, but we had to go get our own coffee. I'd come back on my own to give it a shot. read more

The Reef - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

Beautiful ambiance. Great service. They take reservations. The food was delicious. We will be back.

Ambiance and a nice scenery of the beach is all this restaurant is known for but we will be back. We came here on my wife's birthday 2 years ago and was captivated by the beach restaurant fill. Today I was a little disappointed. We went tohe bar and the bartender looked to be in a rush. Do not come to a restaurant when it changes from lunch to dinner. Not the best time to come. I order a jambalaya omelet very disappointing. All of the other ingredients were right on the top of the omelet instead of in the middle. The brunch omelet was supposed to come with fruit and all pastry which I never received or asked for. We were asked for dessert but our whole time here at the bar and at our table was under 30 minutes. I'm not impressed but like I said I want to bring the family back for dinner. nice view, nice atmosphere but the food is off and on. Today, it was off! read more

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What a relaxing oceanside dinner! Thankfully we had a reservation so we were able to sit outside and enjoy the view and sound of the waves. The fried calamari was tender and the warm bread with butter were a great way to start off our meal. My entree was the fresh catch fried grouper and I chose the blood orange beurre blanc sauce ( there was a choice of 3 sauces). The fish had a light coating and was very tender and the sauce was a good match. It was very filling as it also came with a side of rice and vegetables. We ended our dinner with warm bread pudding and vanilla ice cream. Needless to say, we will definitely be back! read more

The Reef - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

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I just had the most amazing dinner at this location on the ocean. They have the cutest bar. Great bartender and I ordered the prime rib. It was the best I have ever had. Plus the mashed potatoes were out of this world. The were mashed with the skins on and so flavorful. Served with some perfectly cooked buttered green beans. AMAZINGLY delicious and LOVED the ambiance. New favorite place!! read more

The Reef - Rare Prime Rib - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

I would not recommend this restaurant solely based on my experience with staff/service. I'm not a complainer and hardly ever leave reviews, but we were treated so poorly I felt giving others a warning was fair. We were visiting from out of town/Tampa FL last night and found this place online. I arrived a few minutes ahead of my party and requested a table for 10 with the hostess (I knew there was a high probability they would be unable to accommodate us without a reservation, but that would have been understandable/was not the issue here). When I first approached the stand, the hostess hardly looked up at me and ignored my greeting asking how she was doing. She replied curtly asking how many, and then dismissively told me they "can't do that", without any explanation or an expressed regret/standard courtesy apology. When I asked if she could let me know whether it was due to capacity or why, she advised they didn't service parties our size. I then told her that wasn't a problem, that we wouldn't mind sitting at two different tables, and separately if need be. She again just repeated they "couldn't do that". When I asked her for an explanation, another staff member standing next to her pretended to try and help me, and offered me a table for ten in an hour and 45 minutes, and the two girls smirked at each other. I had no idea what was going on, felt absolutely baffled by the treatment, and considered calling for a manager, but then decided it wasn't even worth it based on how unpleasant the experience had already been - and simply left. Sadly, none of us will be returning nor recommending this place to any family or friends. Part 2 of that would not be nice to experience. *If anyone would like a recommendation - we ended up calling a restaurant about 5 minutes away called Lynda's at the Ocean Club. The woman on the line was very friendly and inviting. The view at the restaurant was incredible, the food was delicious (try the bang bang shrimp), and the service was absolutely top notch, such charming and fun people to have spent the evening with. The manager makes his rounds to each table after dinner and what a charismatic guy. Things happen for a reason as the night turned out better than we could have hoped for, and we got some great birthday pictures. Five stars for Lynda's, would 100% recommend and will be returning. read more

We had a wonderful anniversary dinner here tonight. We showed up early for our reservation & they were able to seat us right away at an ocean view window table. For an added bonus there was a wedding going on at the beach which was very entertaining. We started with a house wine which was so-so & I had a draft beer which was fine. They do have a decent wine list which we had a glass of a cab that was much better. I had their famous seafood chowder & it was delicious, just the right amt of spice for me. They Also bring out a nice warm bread & butter which was complimentary. We each had a blackened fish for dinner with broccoli & saffron rice & it was delicious. Being it was our anniversary they gave us our choice of dessert on the house, very nice touch. The pricing is reasonable & of course the ocean view is awesome. Our server was good but not very personable. We will definitely return. read more

Food was delicious and the service was wonderful. We had reservations and got in a few mins early. They were very accommodating. We will return. read more

The Reef - Grilled Seafood Trio - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

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Always good food and if you are lucky enough to get Taylor as your waitress you are in for a treat! The French dip, the "award winning" chowder and tuna appetizer never disappoint. Tried the Caesar salad this time around and the dressing is superb. G Now that we live here, it is our weekly date lunch place. read more

The Reef - Great house Cabernet! - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

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Great food and great service! Sat on the patio overlooking the ocean. Cocktails were wonderful. Fish and chips 4 out of 5 stars and the beet salad hit a home run! Keylime pie is to die for. Try it! read more

The Reef - Keylime pie - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

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Visited as part of a group so I did not have the usual experience - the food choices were pre- selected and limited to 3. As a group visit I can say they were very well organized, the server was outstanding, the view amazing, and the parking easy and available, a pleasant surprise at a beach front restaurant. We had the "black and blue" steak salad and it was excellent. The whole experience was very nice and I look forward to visiting again in the future. Bonus: dogs seem to be allowed on the beach and watching them frolic in the surf was very enjoyable. Five stars. read more

The Reef - Steak salad - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

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