This was our 1st time up to St. Augustine, normally we only go down to the Keys and never North Florida. The location and view are really nice at The Reef, believe it or not St. Aug. has very few direct beachfront places to eat, so the choices here are extremely limited, nothing compared to where I live that has hundreds of places to eat on the beach including dozens of hotels. I ended up with the Mahi-Mahi $23 and nothing to write home about, it was just ok, the person with me ordered the Salmon $22 and it was ok. The evening we went it was unusually cold outside, cold and raining, there were many open seats at the window with nice views of the water, yet our waitress sat us in the corner which was dark and no view, when eating at a nice restaurant the atmosphere means a lot, so maybe had we been seated with a view our outlook may have been brighter than what it ended up being! The service was fine, nothing wonderful or anything like that, just fine, after the meal was over we noticed on the way out that the evening we went they had dinner specials for less money that looked really good, but our waitress never said a word about specials? I would much rather turn this place into a bed & breakfast if it goes up for sale, I work in Medicine, but have always wanted to turn an old restaurant into something with more purpose, for what it costs to eat here I would never go back to eat here, the problem with St. Augustine are the lack of options. Compared to visiting Key West, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, St. Petersburg, Orlando, etc. St. Augustine restaurants cant compete, they don't have the demand or the crowds and seem to get away with murder compared to a popular city. BTW St. Augustine is really a ghost adventure city, everywhere we went at night you see groups hunting ghosts, they even walk around the graveyards at night with cameras and ghost buster equipment, its really a unique place to visit, not live LOL, but visit. read more

The location is good to great but when we went inside the chairs were stained and so old looking. The food was average to good. My husband had the shrimp cocktail, vegetable and beef soup and I had the prime rib French dip sandwich. The sandwich came with fries that had the extra batter coating which I don't care for (I'd rather have fresh cut french fries) and it was also served with a coleslaw that was the worst tasteless coleslaw I have ever had. My husband said the same thing. One of the managers was behind us and I "bothered" him and asked if he would mind if I told him about the coleslaw? I did and he said "I'd care but I'm not on duty right now." and walked away. I can say that our bartender/server was wonderful and they have a great Mai Tai! I think we would have to try other things here to really judge the food. Those chairs were disgusting. I wouldn't ask my hated in-laws to sit on those nasty chairs. I'd have to say that I would go back but I wouldn't want to sit on those nasty, old, stained chairs and I certainly wouldn't want that manager to come and ask me how my meal was. I'm sure he wouldn't anyway. Would I go back? Not sure. Maybe only for cocktails and an appetizer. read more

Have not eaten here since it was Comptons. Food and atmosphere was top notch. Laura was fantastic in her recommendations. Will definitely be back. read more

Great place for a family, or, a romantic getaway for two. Eat on the deck if not too windy. Fantastic view right on the ocean: you are literally looking straight down at the sand. My wife likes the fish tacos so much that's all she has ever had. I like it all, but, their homemade chicken liver pate with toast points is my favorite. Their Sunday buffet is also very good. read more

We were lucky to drive through St. Augustine last Sunday and stumbled on The Reef. All we were looking for was a place to eat with a view on the beach - and that is what we got. The view is gorgeous and we enjoyed it from the terrasse. The food selection for the brunch was excellent. Above all, we enjoyed their fresh crab and Champagne. Next time we're in the area we'll stop there as well. read more

The outside looks run down but don't let that fool you, the food is awesome. I was really impressed. Our service was horrible but one of the other servers noticed and helped us. There is free bread which is really good. The prices are high, but worth it. Definitely, stop in if your in town. read more

I've had both good and not so good experiences here, but overall it's a great experience with stunning views. Definitely go for the views. Their dinner menu doesn't have a ton of options but I've been happy with the fried shrimp every time. Nothing like the ocean as a backdrop to a great meal. Try the salt scrub in the bathroom, made my hands feel A-mazing, isle of luxe read more

Had a great time tonight with my luvs! Delicious food, wonderful service. Such a good choice. I can't wait to come back.

We took our grown children there as a treat on Nov. 15, 2015, as they had been before for Sunday brunch and really liked it. As a 7th generation Floridian, I must tell you, I have eaten in some shacks that have great food, this is defiantly not one of them. The food was fine but from the poorly maintained parking lot in it was a disappointment. The hostess was rude and the service was poor at best. The price of the buffet should have been more in the neighborhood of $15.00. The sad part was cheap plastic to go cups for melted butter. The 80's decor needs updating as well as toilet paper in the restrooms. Just thought you might want to be aware of my experience from a native. Lisa C. read more

Excellent lunch on the water. I had the tuna wrap which was cooked perfectly. My husband had the grilled fish sandwich and said it was delicious. Our waitress was very friendly. I would highly recommend The Reef! read more

We where on vacation and stumbled across this place. The food and service was absolutely outstanding. The food was so fresh and the tase was spectacular. I would recommend this place to anyone who loves good fresh seafood. read more

We called the restaurant the day before to check if their outdoor seating was available since we're going through a pandemic, the person who answered the phone was absolutely rude to my husband. Regardless, because it was so close and a member or our party wanted to go there, we decided to give it a chance. My husband went inside to ask for a table, and the hostess were not hospitable at all, rude, didn't make us feel welcomed. We asked for a table outside and they just stared at each other. They said they were getting a table ready for us. We were outside waiting 95*F weather for a good 10-15 minutes, so my husband went to check on the table situation and they had NOT even set it up. We had to wipe the tables. On the pro side, the ocean view was amazing and the food was good. Too bad the service left so much to be desired. Go to King Fish grill instead, or Aunt Kate's, or Harry's... friendly service and a smile can go a long way! read more

My significant other worked very hard to find a nice dinner for us on Valentine's Day weekend (our first Valentine's Day to actually be in the same city together), and thought he had found just the place, based on the overblown description on the web site. Through absolutely no fault of his own, he could not have been more wrong! The view is fabulous, but not enough to save the truly hideous experience otherwise. The decor screams 1980's beach condo. Seashell sconces, seashell-print fabric, and turquoise walls, anyone? I will stop to note that, if the food had been well thought out and/or, well, GOOD, I would have been commenting about the cute, ironic decor. Since the food is halfhearted and past its prime, I assume the decor is simply due to neglect over time, not any cute beach intentions at present. I can't even be kind enough to call the service sub-par. The waiter seemed truly irritated to have to... wait tables. He refused to have my drink made as I asked (bloody mary, extra horseradish) because apparently I'm not competent to make my own decisions about the amount of spice I want. He finally conceded to bringing it on the side. Appetizers: I was elated to find conch fritters on the menu. I haven't had those since I was in the Bahamas, and I was so excited. They were rubbery, and I don't mean that in a slightly-chewy-but-otherwise-tolerable sort of way. I mean,quite literally, that I could have been chewing on hushpuppies with cut-up rubber bands stirred in, and I would not have known the difference. Entrees: I had the Zarzuela, which, in a rare moment of humanity, the waiter said was a great choice. Gag. Rubbery, overcooked, off-tasting, and very obviously past its prime, floating in what I can only describe as a canned-tomatoes (still in the canning juices) plus bottled clam juice, minus any flavor whatsoever besides slightly tinny. My SO had the sundried tomato and datil pepper pasta, which was equally horrifying. Despite being literally within view of the ocean, the shrimp obviously came in frozen from some foreign country, because Mayport shrimp do not smell or taste, well, old and questionable in quality. I wouldn't feed it to my (imaginary) cat - and I don't like cats! (On a side note, we were both trying to be nice and it took us a while to admit our food was horrible. Thinking back, it's rather amusing how we each tried valiantly not to let the other know how truly bad it was. I can't remember who admitted it first, but we did have a good laugh at that point.) Needless to say, we opted out of dessert (to the obvious irritation of our waiter, who apparently wanted to inflate the check) and hightailed it out, after having paid a truly inappropriate price for truly disgusting food. The kindest comment that I can make is that we did not, despite our fears, get sick afterward, and we laugh about our first V-Day together. read more

Last night I went with a group of 12 to The Reef. We had 6:30 pm reservations. It took a while for our waitress to arrive and she seemed overwhelmed. She took drink orders and only 1/2 of the drinks arrived. She finally took our food order. We waited 1 hour for a loaf of bread to arrive and 1 1/2 for our food. We we largely ignored. Our food was very ordinary for an expensive price. My salmon was not cooked long enough. Another friends chicken was overcooked. It was not an enjoyable evening. read more

I wanted a quiet, reflective bday lunch overlooking the ocean. The Reef was the perfect choice. The staff was warm and welcoming without being too overboard. The seafood chowder was excellent. The grouper was fresh and very good. And the chef's choice of chocolate cake/chocolate mousse made a perfect end to the meal. It was a chocolate lover's dream. I will definitely return to this spot for ordinary as well as special occasions! read more

We went here to eat and also to scope the location out for our engagement dinner. The situation that presented itself to us once we got inside had me convinced we were on MTV's breaking point TV show. From sitting at a table for 20 minutes before having to ask if we had a waiter to eventually being told we couldn't be served because the dishwasher was broken. The icing on the cake was when the acting manager lady came out and asked me 'sir, do you understand the mechanics of a dishwasher?'. I don't know if she was being a smart azz of if she wanted me to do dishes. This whole process of learning we couldn't eat there and paying $22 for two drinks lasted 1:25min. Anytime someone brings up a bad story at a restaurant they went to I can't help but to tell them about that Reef place in Villano Beach, can't believe they are still open. read more

Like some of the other reviews have said, you definitely pay for the view. I'm glad we weren't stuck in the hallway and still have to pay the their high prices, at least we had the corner spot window table with the great view. Decor was straight out of the 80s. We waited for an hour and a half before we got our meals and there might have been only 4 or 5 tables other than ours in there at the same time.. The portions were small and they definitely went overboard on the spices (and prices!).There were 6 of us and all of us said we wouldn't be back. Don't waste your time or money unless you want a few drinks with a great view and if you do, grab a case and go find a spot on the beach! read more

Can't beat The Reef for location. We went for a birthdate celebration sat in the bar at a high top by a window. Service was great. We decided on sharing appetizers for a start. Each was delicious. Spinach/artichoke dip was warm and yummy. Tuna was awesome and stuffed mushrooms really good Ordered Caesar salad and grouper entree. Grouper portion was ridiculously small for the price. Cocktails,wine and dessert were perfect. Additionally the light show from the storm outside was incredible. All and all a fun evening read more

I don't understand the bad reviews. We went there for our anniversary and everything was delicious. I had the center cut pork chop with onion jam and my husband had the grouper Oscar. We both enjoyed our choices. The view of the ocean is beautiful and relaxing. The staff was very attentive. read more

I feel i am being generous with the 2 stars. But, the server was attentive and our reservation request was meet. I had the lobster and shrimp with risotto. The lobster was horribly over cooked and the shrimp was sparse. My wife ordered some champagne, when the server came with the bottle the glass was dripping wet. Probably just pulled from the dishwasher or rinsed in the back room. Very tacky for a $25 plate meal and restaurant. My wife ordered a steak medium and was served medium well. Ok, maybe the cooks had an off night. Will not come back. read more

Amazing service, food and waterfront view. Our server went above and beyond and made sure we were pleased at all times. The food was very tasty from appetizers to drinks and the main entree; no complaints. It's a bit pricey but you're paying for the location and view. Definitely worth the visit. read more

Didn't get to dine. They told us they only have a breakfast buffet. It's 1:30pm?! Why would they only have breakfast? Have dined before and average food, but on the water. Cheap dining with average food. But this experience was ridiculous. read more

My husband, daughter and son in law, parents and two brothers ate dinner there for my one brother for his birthday. Out of the eight of us, only one had a good meal. The rest of us could only say, "That was terrible!" My husband and I had eaten there two times before, and didn't have a good meal. But, my birthday brother wanted to eat on the water, so I thought I would give The Reef another chance. Never ever again will we go there. $300.00 for eight people, and only one dinner was good?? read more

Food is OK but there is much less of it than before. I ordered the Seafood Trio. What came out was 1 scallop, 2 shrimp and one piece of Maui. Not bad if it was $12 but this was $24.95! I think we made our last trip. Unfortunate since we live so close. I'll spend my money at Caps! read more

Restaurant was very nice. Food and drinks were good. We were seated in their large dining room and there was a large group. This is why the room was so loud we asked if we could change tables which was not an issue. Waitress had many tables the night we were there but still was attentive. I would recommend this restaurant but would ask to sit outside. read more

My bf and I stopped in for a late lunch and a drink...service was neutral to unfriendly and the sandwiches were terrible...both, his "burger" was some kind of meatloaf mixture and my chix cordon blue sandwich made me wonder if the busboy made it. We'd never recommend it unless you just want the view and a drink, unfortunately. read more

Had the fried green tomatoes which where good. Lobster tail and shrimp trio. The food was all ok I could of made the same at home and had better flavor. The shrimp trio you get 1 scallop 4 small shrimp and about 3 oz of Mahi Mahi very disappointed with shrimp and scallops. Prices where expensive. Would I go back? For sure not for dinner possible lunch for the ambience read more

Staff is great, but GM needs some customer service training, seems it would be better to walk the restaurant and make sure things were running well rather than sipping wine at the bar. read more

Me and my mother had fish it was burnt really bad, then we order razoto which was good but we were up charged when we had sent the fish back. The service is very bad good is ok read more

Went to the Reef for valentines dinner and found the food and service to be excellent. Even though the restaurant was at capacity we were not rushed through our meal. The grouper cheeks were fantastic. read more

Best view! Walking distance from the beach house we stated in. Food was great. Service was a little slow at times, but overall pretty good. Nice happy hour specials. Be sure to sit outside. read more

This was a great choice for sitting right on the beach. I had the grouper cheeks and the seafood pasta and both were delicious! Husband had the pate and the lamb and said they were really tasty too. The food didn't look too great but don't let that turn you off. The only thing I would skip is the cocktail as I got a mojito that was basically a mint plant and mojito mix. read more

What a disappointment for a seaside seafood restaurant in Florida. The quality of the food was poor at best nothing seemed fresh. The lamb stew had that tin can flavor you get from can soup come on how hard is it to make soup from scratch. Fried shrimp looked and tasted like they were purchased form Sysco which are pre battered and have that cardboard taste. Do they not know or care that they can get the best fresh shrimp and make a better quality product from scratch. The cutting station was horrid. Who was in charge of that fiasco. Meat was way overcooked not appetizing at all. The deserts obviously were purchased from outside venders no love shown here. there is no pride in the quality of the food that is served. I will say that they do have a great view of the beach, but if This restaurant doesn't raise their standards they will not make it. As for me I will not be returning ever again. read more

This is the second time I've been to the Reef. The first time was for lunch with a party of 3. Everything was excellent from the service to the wait staff. Today was an entirely different case - in short, the server was inattentive and the order wasn't processed correctly in a timely manner. We ordered a bottle of wine, which when brought to us was a different type then we ordered, but it was explained why and asked if it would be acceptable which we said yes. Appetizers and salads were exactly as requested. We were told 2x that we were being brought bread, when we asked the next time we saw our waitress she went and got it - while we waited we watched her deliver it to other tables that arrived after us. The diet coke one of us requested came after we asked for it a second time. Then our entrees arrived. The waitress brought out 5 entrees and was surprised that there were 6 of us. She told us she'd be right back. It was between 5 and 10 minutes before she came back with the missing entree. No apology or explanation was given. The other entrees were cold for those that had waited for the missing one to arrive. By the time we were done with our entrees our waitress came back to say she'd be back in a second to start clearing some dishes. Again 5 minutes until a gentleman came and asked if he could clear some dishes which he did. At that time, he asked if everything was okay which our waitress had not done. As he had nothing to do with our issues, we told him all was fine. Our waitress came back then and we asked for our check. Again, 5 minutes until it arrived and when part of the party left and the remainder was getting ready to, she arrived to process the payment. When she was asked if the Manager was available, she simply told us to ask at the hostess station. We asked and after 5 minutes of waiting for him we left after telling the hostess that we wouldn't be back. read more

I live in Denver and I chose the Reef for my wedding rehearsal dinner after hearing good things. My husband and I were so stressed and the only thing our wedding planner didn't handle was the rehearsal dinner. we foolishly gave the wrong headcount to the hostess when we made the reservation. It was on a weekend and they were busy and our party number doubled :/ I was so worried but the staff at the reef, through their confusion, found a way to accommodate our entire party. The food was good. The view was lovely even despite the ugly weather and the staff went above and beyond to accommodate us. Thanks Reef for contributing to our wedding night success!! read more

Took my parents here last week when they were in town. Hadn't been here in several years and was really quite nervous. We called and got reservations but arrived early and were treated with a window seat. The view is amazing but the service and food made the experience what it was. Laura P was our waitress and she was professional and personable. We never felt rushed and had ordered appetizers, diner and dessert. We were there for over 2 1/2 hours. The manchego cheese app is wonderful, but their Zarzuela was amazing. As was the duck and scallops. The blueberry creme brulee, well the perfect ending to a perfect dinner... read more

Walked there from our beach rental - perfect location. Laura, our waitress, is awesome - really made us feel welcome. Great margaritas!

Good food but the charge for refills on tea and soda and I have never ever been charged for tea refills. It's not mentioned on the menu and the waitress didn't bring it up until after the bill came. read more

The Reef was a very big disappointment. The selection on the Sunday Brunch was not commensurate with the $37.50 per person price. The roast beef was full of fat and very chewy. Pastries were very small and dry. Selection of deserts was very limited. Looked like frozen deserts, nothing fresh. If your looking for a really good brunch.....stay away from this place! Oh, by the way, for $37.50 we also got to sit outside in the blazing sun, under umbrellas that were too small to give shape to 70% of the table. read more

Great view of the ocean. Poor service in bar area and mediocre but expensive food. Do yourself a favor. Pack a lunch or dinner w/beer or wine and sit on the beach just outside the restaurant. You'll have a better meal at less cost with the same great view. read more