An Insider's Guide to St. Augustine: The Dining Scene
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From EU Jacksonville: Jon Bosworth points to locally loved dining spots.
Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2015-aug-an-insiders-guide-to-st-augustine-the-dining-scene
The Back 40 is really, really good! Beachcomber on the other hand is on the beach and, uh, that's it. The food is 100% unremarkable. Never been to the rest of the places but I am excited to check some of them out.
All that and they are missing The Floridian?
Maybe Borillo's isn't sophisticated enough for you, but its pizza is worth the drive from Jax any day.
Before I crossed to the vegan-dark-side, I ate at the Back 40 and it was delicious! I now love Present Moment Cafe. I have tried Manatee twice and was extremely disappointed/disgusted with the food and I don't think the service could be any worse. The Conch House made me some vegan tacos which were really good and like the article states, the tikki huts are a cool experience.
I liked Aunt Kate's when I first visited years ago, but the last year or two it has really not been remarkable at all.
Just for the record, these pirate shops and other assorted...bullstuff...has happened in basically the last 15 or so years. Before that we were just O'Steens, Barnacle Bill's, Pappy's Seafood and a fish sandwich at Seven Seas. Of course Cap's was always expensive though...
Present Moment Café, you will not regret even their dessert options - the blueberry parfait concoction, cold soup, algae or ginger shot, any entrée, and always super reasonably priced specials. Amazing how fresh and flavorful their selections have remained, and their hospitable, welcoming, friendly and informative service is always a huge plus. If you bring someone who has never experienced raw or vegan, the staff makes sure no one feels alienated or out of their comfort zone. Wonderful place to enjoy something different everytime
Another great lunch spot is Culinary Outfitters. They are located at 9 S. Dixie Hwy. Great food, Friendly service. It is a small place with an open kitchen. On Wednesday they have great ribs. I recommend the blackened Mahi sandwich & they have a great burger. Only open M-F for lunch.
Downtown Jacksonville supporters that wonder why their area gets relatively little traction in the NE Florida entertainment scene, I present to you one of the bigger elephants in the room: a magical part of the region offering over a hundred diverse and unique lunch, snacking, drinking, musical, and fine dining options in such a quaint, scenic, historical, artistic, romantic setting with the right amount of tourist tackiness to remind you you're not in East Arlington anymore. By the way, this is no area that sits on its ass with its culinary offerings - nice dining and drinking options have been opening in the Lincolnville, West King, and West Augustine parts of town that used to be given second shrift to the core historical districts.
Yes DT Jacksonville had to deal with so much more like city/county consolidation, business merger/acquisition consolidation, corporate expansion of DT operations to the suburbs, overzealous city officials razing so many historical properties, First Baptist Church meddling with entertainment venues, lack of residents, retail abandonment, poor planning, and general apathy about the core; but you can't overlook the fact that the constantly evolving entertainment centers of St. Augustine, the Jax Beaches, and Amelia Island play a role in limiting Downtown Jacksonville's potential.
Nice write-up.
Except for the first paragraph which prevents me from sharing this information with my guests. (I own a B&B in downtown St. A)
There's a few more eateries that should have been mentioned, IMHO:
Catch 27- Low on decor High on fresh seafood. Hypolita St. across from Casa Maya.
Barley Republic - Irish Pub and Oyster Bar on Spanish St. Excellent Irish pub food, fresh oysters and 70 beers in stock. Live Irish folk music on Thursday nights.
the Floridian- Farm to Table, eclectic menu, vegan friendly. Cordova St.
Old City Cafe- Small, intimate, exquisite couisine beautifully presented. Cordova St.
btw...St. Augustine does NOT smell like horse piss. That was a crappy thing to say.