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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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

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

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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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

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

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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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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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

Great spot for lunch in Vilano Beach. We walked in at opening with no reservations and we got a table. It was getting busy as we left. The bloody Mary and Mai Tai were great. We started with the mussels and seared ahi. Both were very good. Then we had side salads and the chowder. All the food was great and so was our server. The hostesses were young and a little rude but I guess that's what you can expect from high schoolers LOL If you're in the area it's worth eating here but I wouldn't go out of my way. Reservations recommended and parking can be tricky. read more

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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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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

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

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

Service was good and the setting superb! Seated on a deck overlooking the beach- Atlantic Ocean. If you order the fish tacos, the wrap is either crispy corn or soft flour tortillas. No soft shell corn, unfortunately. Hubby had Caesar salad with a single Crab Cake on top. It hit the spot for both of us. $17 and $19 respectively. They also were serving a clam chowder that was a bit different. Very creamy a spicy red color and flavor, very tasty $7 each. Then, down the stairs for a beach walk. Lovely temperature close to 75 degrees. Now, onward to our B&B in St. Augustine. read more

Lunch with a view is hard to find these days. We took a scenic drive down. A1A to Vilano Beach for lunch with a view of the ocean. We sat outside and enjoyed the breeze. We shared fried green tomatoes since my companion is allergic to shellfish. Then had grouper (small piece) with parmesan crust. And opted for a side of cheese grits instead of rice. Little bit of veggies were also served with the meal. read more

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We've been for so many meals, it's hard to count. We've always had decent service and you cannot beat the view. We have usually gone for holiday lunches or dinners and I highly suggest to call a month and a half or two months in advance to snag a good time. Great for brunch. Nice mixed menu selection. read more

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Absolutely an amazing establishment on the oceanfront of North Beach in St. Augustine. They have a nice deck and also a step down to the beach. It looks like they are also under construction to extend or maybe repair the lower deck level. My friends and I came here for Sunday Brunch and the view was nice where you are very close to the beach and see the ocean waves. We were welcomed and seated across from the bar and our waiter, Rich, was absolutely amazing! He was friendly, kind and very attentive. He was easy to have conversations with and always on point on refills and checking on us. For Sunday Brunches, all dishes were served with a glass champagne, a fresh pastry (cornbread muffin) and fresh fruits. The muffin was very good! I had the Prime Rib Benedict and my friends had the Classic Eggs Benedict and Strawberry Cream Cheese Waffle Stack. The Benedicts were served on biscuits and hollandaise with seasoned home fries shaped like a waffle. My friends really liked their meal as well. My Prime Rib Benedict was very delicious, seasoned well and the home fries were phenomenal. I really enjoyed the food as it all came together so well. I would most definitely recommend this restaurant to everyone and would definitely would like to try our their lunch and dinner menus in the future. read more

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

Careful with taking pictures of the inside , YOU WILL GET YELLED AT! They need to handle their Karen Was a 4:30 reservation for moms bday, wanted to capture the lovely views as she walked inside , when suddenly from behind the bar, M'AM DONT TAKE PICTURES FOR THE PRIVACY OF OUR GUESTS!" I felt embarrassed as I'd done something wrong the woman behind the bar was loud and her tone was so aggressive. I quickly put my phone away. Wouldn't have minded but place was empty as hell at 4 o'clock. Was unnecessary and not a warm welcome for a party with kids and an elderly person, we thought about leaving but decided to let it go and enjoy the evening. Our server was very nice and the food was quite tasty. Felt uneasy about taking more pictures , but we still enjoyed our night. Spent over $500 so for 5 people, 2 kids.. did seem pricey considering the portions. Can't say I'd be back, St Augustine has lots of wonderful restaurants and don't appreciate the embarrassment experienced. read more

The Reef - Jambalaya , not a significant portion - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

Love The Reef. I have been here a couple of times. Location: right on the beach with awesome views. Dining: there both indoor and out with ample seating. They take reservations but no guarantees for outdoor seating ( FCFS) Customer service: The server was awesome. I believe she was the bar tender or manager because maybe understaffed?? Nevertheless took care of our drinks and meal, gave us some suggestions. It was my friend's birthday and they gave us a complimentary dessert . The hostess on the other hand was a bit snippy as we asked for outdoor seating( it was 2 pm, not busy). She showed us our table and asked us to wait and then another couple was seated there! So we asked to sit on the outdoor seating across from the bar area and she didnt want to seat is there for whatever reason; then sat us and face an attitude. But dont let that deter you from eating here.. its a must go! read more

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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

This place is for you if you want mediocre service and food you can make better at home. I just got done eating brunch here and I see why the brunch meals come with a glass of free champagne. Make it two and I wouldn't be writing this review. I ordered the prime rib Benedict and as you can see from the photo, they must have run out of hollandaise sauce. The prime rib was overcooked. Overall, brunch at The Reef was underwhelming and I won't be recommending or returning to this place. The one positive was the ocean view. read more

The Reef - 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

Great lunch spot. The restaurant was white table cloth nice. Our server was on point. Had great recommendations and asked questions before making them. The empanadas were great. The fried green tomatoes were also good. I had the jambalaya which was unique but full of flavor. I would definitely do that dish again. The fish tacos were tender and full of flavor as well. read more

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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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During covid it's always worrisome to go to a restaurant and eat. But I can tell you that they do an excellent job with social distancing, wearing face masks, as well as separating the tables. The staff is very artentive and stops by the table a couple times to make sure you're okay. The brunch tasted amazing! The service was top notch! The viewis gorgeous!. I would come again. Thank you for making it an enjoyable day out. read more

The Reef - OMELET, HOME POTATOES, ENGLISH MUFFIN AND BACON....BEST PART...TROPICAL SANGRIA. - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

Everything was good! I got the chicken and waffles and the chicken was so juicy and crispy. Kate, our server was so sweet and made great recommendations. We ate out on the patio and we were right on the beach. So beautiful and peaceful! Will be making The Reef a regular spot! read more

The Reef - The view - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

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YUMMY! Everything was delicious!! We had a party of 7 and were sat with in 25 minutes on a busy Friday night. Great service, great ambiance! read more

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Delicious spicy seafood chowder. It's worthy of its awards! Seasoned, toasted bread slices served with chowder were fantastic too. Crab cake was very meaty but I could go without the key lime mustard sauce. Just my preference. Key Lime pie was DELICIOUS! So creamy and tart! Service was great. Super friendly for this solo diner. Views of beach are amazing. Well worth the drive from Amelia Island. read more

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We dined at this restaurant after receiving a recommendation from a server at another restaurant. I'm glad we did. The ambiance is great because it overlooks the beach and ocean. Service was quick, friendly, and helpful. We had the spinach artichoke dip, scallops, jambalaya, and short rib. Everything was great. read more

Honestly I expected a lot more to come out of this experience. We decided to come here for our first time for my wife's birthday and that will probably be our last time as well. Our waitress's name was Jenn. The first 30 minutes were fine. After that it was completely down hill. The service was basic level at best for how the pricing and location are. Specifically, as we were sitting waiting for our appetizer, which took forever. We were a party of 4 adults and two kids. A party of nine sat down right behind us 25 minutes after we had been seated. They had gotten all of their meals AND CASHED OUT before us. After waiting almost an hour and a half I asked where our food was then magically 5 minutes later it comes out to us. I had also told our waitress that we had come there to celebrate my wife's birthday and nothing. It was a complete waste of a birthday dinner and evening. Save yourself the trouble and go to a Joe's Crab Shack or another local seafood restaurant. At least the food was tasty but not for the price of the service that came with it. read more

The prices are way too high for food that is average at best. There was live music, but it was so extremely loud I started getting a headache. One of the staff had an air pod in the entire time we were there. Overall very disappointing experience and wish my family and I picked a different restaurant. read more

I can not say enough about this place. Our daughter did a vow renewal at the Otis Castle (I do NOT recommend). A no month prior we called Kates on the river if we could reserve a place for 32 (17 being 17 down to newborn). The manager called back and said no. We emailed and called for the manager of the Reef several times and no return calls. A week prior my son in law called and asked for reservations for the 32 of us. No issues whatsoever. We even showed up 30 min early and they seated us and did a fantastic job tending to us and with 5 checks. We are forever Reef customers and thank you for allowing us to share this time and break bread together. God Bless Y'all and May your business prosper! read more

The Reef - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

My wife and I have been going to this restaurant for years, and have always had a positive experience. But something has changed (and it's not just this restaurant's prices). How do you have a successful dish (Grouper Vilano) and change the presentation of the dish (not in a positive way), and still call the dish by the same name? Definitely not a $40 dish anymore. Our dinner included one appetizer, one small Cesar salad (which was overloaded with dressing), one soup (which was served tepid and had to be returned to be heated up), two main courses (one served hot, the other served tepid), and water only. After about an hour and a half, our bill came which totaled $111 (w/o tax and tip). I guess you're paying for the view (which was awesome). Unfortunately, we will not be back anytime soon, if at all. read more

It was quite disappointing to not have great seafood at a seafood restaurant on the beach. I expected more. The calamari and mussels seemed overdone and my crab stuffed shrimp was just okay. They do have a wide variety of entrees on the dinner menu so you should be able to find something you like. The night was redeemed somewhat with my dessert. I enjoyed the flavorful bread pudding per the suggestion of our waiter. He was friendly, helpful and attentive to our large party so that was a plus. read more

The Reef - Shrimp Imperial - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

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