Really enjoyed my time here with friends the other week. They were very accommodating to my friend's dog and gave us a beautiful patio table overlooking the water (or what you can see of it). Staff was very prompt and polite as well. The food seemed a bit over priced for what it is...though it tasted excellent. We enjoyed the fried green tomatoes as an appetizer and really enjoyed them. I ordered the crab cakes and was not disappointed. Probably would not get grits as my side again, they were not bad but I dont care much for plain grits so thats on me. Great atmosphere and plan to go back!
(4)
Leah I.
Perhaps it's all a matter of circumstance, but my mom and I stopped in here on the way home from a day in downtown St. Aug, and both of us found this place to be perfection. I admit the initial approach of the service was questionable, but the server quickly warmed up and ended up being super friendly and perfectly attentive. I had crab legs, which weren't on the menu, but it wasn't a problem to order and my mom chose the surf and turf. Everything we ordered tasted fresh and delicious. We had absolutely no complaints about The Reef at all!
(4)
Lonna G.
Really hated this place... My bf & I decided to stop here for drinks & appies...we were mainly lured by the ocean view.. Anyhow, ended up ordering the Prime Rib Stuffed Mushrooms & Crab cakes... The Prime Rib Stuffed Mushrooms consisted of 2 small mushroom caps with a small amount of what looked to be ground beef inside and a herb cream cheese topping...this dish was weird because I was expecting the typical juicy, oozing, piping hot mushrooms and a savory sorta taste...these were served cold with some weird gravy like brown sauce which tasted like gravy mix from the local grocer..horrible! I thought it was interesting a previous reviewer said their mushroom soup tasted like Campbell's...it may just be that this restaurant is not preparing from scratch and these are quick store-bought concoctions priced entirely too high for the blatant lack of quality. As for the Crab cakes, they were edible, but nothing special. Make sure you don't order appies here intended to share because the portions are sooo small it's barely enough for one person.\ The service was average I suppose but I got weird vibes from all the wait staff which I won't go into details about here, needless to say I absolutely will NOT be back.
(1)
Bernini Z.
Me and the girl stopped alongside the beach in the middle of nowhere and found The Reef. We had drinks and apps before jumping in the ocean. It was Happy Hour during the week. It was great. Great drinks, a good basic wine-by-the-glass and seared crusted tuna that was perfect. the mussels disgustingly rich and delicious and a scallop tostado that rocked too. All local fare here which shined. Loved it. It's on the sand. Will come back but sure it won't live up to it for a full meal, but we're fans. The dude that took care of the bar and waited on us looked like he was one of the Beach Boys and was very cool. Girls there were cute and polite. My girl loved it.
(3)
Laura H.
I've been to The Reef twice, both times for their fabulous brunch buffet. I can't decide if I like the food, the service or the view best, as they are all exceptional!
(4)
Stephen K.
Outside on the patio, overlooking the ocean, sea breeze on your face, you know it's going to be a great lunch even before you look at the menu. You are coming here for the location (that's view plus seaside sounds, smells, and wind) so make the most of it: sit outside under the umbrellas. Regarding the food, it was simple and forgettable, but not unpleasant. I ate it, it filled me up, and it didn't interfere with the view. I count that as a success.
(4)
Nanda P.
Excellent service, food and view! - Our waiter, James, recommended the mussels appetizer, and it was AMAZING! After eating the mussels, we saved the bowl of sauce to dip our fries in... heavenly! - All of the staff seemed very friendly and happy to serve. - We had fish sandwiches which were very fresh and tasty. - Can't beat lunch with a view of the ocean and dolphins playing on the horizon.
(4)
Chris F.
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!
(2)
Marley G.
Excellent Sunday buffet. Lots of food choices and I do believe they lost money on us from the amount of snow crab legs we ate. We had a great table on the balcony, but our server seemed to lose interest in us. We had plates of crab shells on the table and eventually the manager came out and said, "this isn't right" and took them away. It's pricey, but if you're there for a special occasion (we went for Father's Day), the view is worth it and the relaxing environment is very nice.
(3)
Connie W.
I used to go to The Reef before I moved to NC and loved it. The food wasn't always perfection but close enough and consistent. They had a good brunch too! Now that I am back, tried them again and have to say that I am still impressed and happy to know they have survived the years. The decor is laid back, upscale beachy and the atmosphere matches it. They do have outdoor seating but with the floor to ceiling windows overlooking the ocean, why brave the elements? All the beauty, none of the bugs! On my last visit I had a wonderful merlot (can't remember the vineyard) and a Seared Tuna appetizer that was very good and enough to fill me. I got to meet the manager and had great conversations with the bartenders. I will definitely go back when I am down that way!
(5)
Amber Leila E.
Great view...average food...lettuce in my salad was slightly crowned on the edges which is a pet peeve for me. Fresh bread is delicious and wait staff is vey nice
(3)
Ashley H.
My husband and I went here for dinner on 3/27. We had a late lunch and so we decided on a late dinner, around 8 PM. We knew we wouldn't get a view since the sun went down, but I was looking forward to the food. When we arrived, we were a little concerned about the lack of cars in the parking lot, hoping it didn't mean bad food or something. We walked inside and the hostess sat us right away. But I was really confused because she took us all the way through the restaurant to a room that had people in it that were finishing up a meal. Everywhere else in the place was empty. By now I am really wondering what is going on. It never even crossed my mind that this place closed at 9 until we looked it up on the iPhone. I guess the hostess took us to this spot because she didn't want the other rooms to get messed up. Our waiter was a very nice man with a possible Dutch accent, and we ordered our drinks and meals. I loved my Dutch apple martini. While we waited on our food, the other customers wrapped up and left. We were very quickly the only customers left in the whole place. My husband got a Seafood trio and I ordered the risotto. The risotto was huge! Both tasted very good, although not as good as we were expecting. Not that it was bad, it just seemed to be lacking something. I can't quite put my finger on it. The thing that really put me off of this place was the attitudes of everyone except our server. Our server really seemed happy that we were there. While not very attentive, he did make an effort to be friendly. Everyone else that came through the room slanted looks and frowned at us which made us feel like we were messing up closing time and needed to rush. After about 5 minutes of just us in the room, staff came into the room and started to dress it for the next day. They moved tables and chairs around, set all the place settings, and generally made a racket. All the while, they kept looking over at us as if to judge how much longer we would be in their way. In addition, we could clearly here the kitchen closing down and the staff laughing and joking around, pots and pans sounding extra loud in the empty restaurant. There was no way I was going to order another drink (which I actually wanted because it tasted so good) or a dessert. Who knows if the staff would spit in it or something because they were mad at us for delaying closing. I felt unwelcome and a little bit like a goldfish in a bowl. Unfortunately I do not think I will return here, even for a good view. There are plenty of places with a good view, and better food and staff.
(2)
Ann R.
The view, location on the beach, the food, and service was great. We had a dedicated server who did his job so well, had delicious food, and enjoyed it all. Keep up the good work. I will come back again when I go back to visit there in Florida.
(5)
beth S.
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.
(2)
Richard P.
Service was marginal and meals were about the same.
(3)
Dave L.
Awesome atmosphere and spectacular view of the Atlantic. Unfortunately thats where the tale ends...food was ok, but forgettable. I don't remember what I had...see, as I said forgettable. Beer was cold so along with the view...it was all good.
(3)
Tyler T.
Food was decent but terrible service. No paper coasters so if seated outside be prepared for water from condensation to be all over table. Also waitress spilled glass of water on phone and never apologized. Waited a good 45 minutes for food to come and then order was not correct.
(2)
Kathleen S.
I firmly believe that if this place didn't have such a magnificent location, no one would come. This was my second visit, which served only to reinforce my opinions from the first. We walked in at 4.20 for our 4.30 reservation (so we could still get in some golf) and were told that we couldn't be seated until exactly 4.30 and to wait at the bar. Then we were told that was a mistake. Okay. My mom ordered a drink with Absolut Pepar (sp) and was brought one and told "We ran out so there's only a couple drops" and that they used a substitute for the rest. Where I come from, you ask if the person still wants the drink before you do that. No cappucinos. I"m sorry, but that just says you dont care in my opinion. Had the shrimp/lobster risotto. Way too heavy on the cream but pretty good. I dont know, there's a just a whole apathetic, borderline annoyed vibe here.
(2)
Sabine M.
Stopped mid afternoon and had a few drinks and appetizers. The food was excellent. The Service was good. Met the Manager, Really nice gentleman. Wanted to go back for a proper dinner, but never got around to it! The view is amazing.
(4)
Sue D.
This was my second visit to The Reef. It is such a wonderful view of the ocean. It's like, ocean, sand, restaurant. Lots of windows, even in the bar area. We arrived around 5 pm with my 80+ year old parents for their anniversary dinner. My mom loves the beach so this was a great choice. We had a table by window, it was so pretty. We started with appetizers, coconut shrimp and stuffed mushrooms. Both got rave reviews from the gang. For my entree, I got the small order of crab cakes, and there was plenty of crab meat, not much filler. The side veggies were fresh and crisp. I think we all enjoyed our meals, scallops over pasta, fried shrimp. No one left hungry. But the bonus was that since it was so early in the evening, the appetizers were half price (happy hour) and most of the drinks were discounted, except for the 7 & 7. Is that the new cosmo? Anyway, we had a great time. And we are planning to return for more happiness.
(4)
Bart A.
Had Dinner at the Reef for a special occasion and it didnt dissapoint. The view was spectacular. The service was very good. I had a prime rib which was great. My dad had Mussels and My Mom had a piece of Broiled Fish all good choices. The Bar drinks were good. cannot comment on desert.
(4)
Aubrey M.
Great place for happy hour: fabulous appetizers and cheap drinks (I recommend their house IPA). The reviewer below said she didn't like the stuffed mushrooms, but I gotta say, I thought they were delicious! Friendly staff, quick service and decent prices -- what more could you ask for?
(4)
Caity W.
Having been recently, forcefully transplanted from California's Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast of northern Florida, we have been anxious to start exploring the local restaurants, looking forward to finding new favorites. Our first endeavor was not a success. We have been driving past this restaurant at least twice a day for the past week . It is perched right on the water, but, conveniently also right on the coastal highway, and less than a two mile drive from our new, beautiful abode. (There is nothing else that is zoned commercial that close. But we are so surrounded by gorgeous nature, waterways, ocean and wildlife...we don't mind the drive(s).) Our first opportunity arose last night and we headed out in the direction of the town of St. Augustine but The Reef on the water looked so enticing as we drove by, and the parking lot had just a few cars (generally not a good sign) that we decided to swing in. First impressions, warm, nautical, festively decorated for Christmas. I loved the wreaths with the sea shells and made a mental note to make a copy this week. Hostess asked if we had reservations, although there was only one table seated with a few people at the bar. (It WAS early - about 6:00). Since we had no res., we got a table away from the window and view, but overlooking those empty tables. Our server seemed just a bit annoyed that our presence had interrupted whatever it was that he had better to do...maybe they have video games in the kitchen? But he did do his job in a timely manner and seemed to warm up to us after a while. My 13 year old son was excited to see "fried crisp"calamari on the appetizer menu. He needn't have been. It was not - it was rubbery. Husband ordered the beef mushroom soup. It was too salty to eat - it may have been Campbells with added salt. House salad was "meh". Both husband and son ordered the prime rib and I ordered "Salmon Maria, a Parmesan and dill dusted salmon steak served with zesty cucumber dill sauce". It was not dusted, it was encrusted, and more crust flavored than salmon. Prime rib was described as - "okay - not bad". We all got the same over boiled, tasteless broccoli and cauliflower (no choice here). I did not detect any garlic in the garlic mashed potatoes. However, I know they were at least not "instant" as there were lumps of real potato in there. All in all, not horrible. But we will not rush back. I think this is a place that may be good in the warmer weather for happy hour on the outdoor deck - to enjoy the great view and a glass of wine. Not a place to savor an excellent meal.
(2)
Leigh Anne R.
My husband and I were in St. Augustine for a wedding and wanted to find a restaurant on the beach. If you are looking for a view, they have it but not much else was enjoyable. My "fresh fish" of the day was definitely frozen before it was overcooked and served with rubbery green beans. My husband had to spend 15 minutes cutting all of the excessive fat from his steak sandwich before he could eat it. Would definitely not recommend to a friend.
(1)
James R.
I really like the idea of this restaurant. Right on the water, with a giant patio outside, and plenty of big windows if you don't want to risk sand blowing in your hair. The food was A-OK, but nothing special. I particularly enjoyed this restaurant. Good for a group, or a nice date location. Give it a shot, it's not too far south of Ponte Vedra.
(3)
Barbara S.
Great view. The appetizers were spotty in quality. Our fresh catch was perfectly cooked! But the steak ordered medium rare arrived cooked medium. Good service considering we ordered dinner in the bar.
(3)
Bree D.
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.
(1)
Mike S.
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.
(1)
Jon M.
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.
(4)
Trish P.
aug 18 2013 My hubby and I found this plae by just riding by. On the ocean we gotta try it. Glad we did the view was terrific and the food was good too. I had the fried shrimp green beans and rice. My hubby had the Jambalia. he loved his full of flavor and plenty to fill a hungry guy. Mine was pretty good shrimp were juicy and lightly fried nothing overdone. simple flavors and lightly breaded too. staff was friendly and service was great. now i must say we got there just as the kitchen opened for dinner so it was not crowded. we would recommend this place. They had some pricey items on the menu but all in all app dinner and drinks under 60.00.
(4)
Larry D.
Our party of three dined at The Reef on New Year's Eve (12/31/12) and were disappointed with the quality, treatment and temperature of the food. Although we enjoyed the view and our food server's attentiveness, the kitchen appeared to be "off its game" in serving cold and dry grilled fish, cold and overcooked vegetables, and "pedestrian" salad that seemed to come out of a grocery store bag.
(1)
M. P.
Once again, Yelp comes through for this fat guy. Never been to this area of Florida before and needed some chow. Look up Seafood on Yelp and boom! Up pops Reef. Beautiful location. Oddly enough, with the place half full, we had to wait to "allow the servers to catch up" before being seated. A little strange...perhaps they got swamped and were understaffed earlier in the day. I'll give them a pass for that as the large fish tank in the lobby and talking to some real nice folks that were also waiting kept my interest up for the 10 minutes or so I had to wait. Food wise - Oh Boy! This was OUTSTANDING! The Grouper was well cooked and the sauce was to die for. Green beans seemed a bit overcooked but I dipped them in more of that tomato cream based sauce on the fish and I was good to go. Rice Pilaf was also served. All outstanding. Fried green tomatoes started off the meal and were well done. Nice sauce on them as well. I'll be back before returning home and if I ever find myself here again.
(5)
Dave M.
We had a good meal at the Sunday brunch. Pricey, but they don't stop the champagne and/or mimosas and fill your glass pretty quick!
(3)
Annika A.
Came here for brunch and all I have to say is wow! This place is amazing! The food and service all of it!!! Oh and never ending mimosas and crab legs at brunch?? Yes please!!
(5)
Greg C.
Excellent location and terrific food
(4)
Andrew L.
Over priced, not fresh, overcooked fish, all in all a bad experience. Wouldn't go back if you paid me. I could go on but I'm trying to forget that I just wasted over 100 bucks on the worst meal I've had in recent memory.
(1)
Fran E.
Dinner for eight guests was wonderful. I had the best crab cake as an appetizer! It was perfectly prepared and the crab had little filler and huge pieces of lump crab. Everyone raved about their dinner and the service was outstanding. The ocean view is wonderful, the staff welcoming, friendly and very efficient. I asked for a wine suggestion for my meal and they were spot-on. We gave the experience a 10.
(4)
Betty J.
I think this place is great! I have been here twice while visiting local friends. I do not remember what I had the first time besides the conch fritters and wine....but the view was awesome and so was the service! This last time we had Fried Green Tomatoes & I had the crab cake sandwich for lunch, my friend had grilled salmon sandwich and her husband had a chicken wrap. We all enjoyed our lunch and with the view had no complaints!
(5)
Ray C.
We were driving along A1A on the way to St Augustine FL. Looking for a nice lunch stop we found the Reef. It is directly on the Atlantic and views from our table speculation. My wife had a lobster roll which she said was terrific while I had a fried Grouper sandwich and it was also great. We tried the orange cheesecake for dessert and it was just like eating a dream sickle. Prices were appropriate for the area and location. Service was excellent. Would go back in a heartbeat.
(4)
Danielle F.
As a St. Augustine local, I would typically avoid touristy places such as the Reef, but my dad and several of his guests were in town and we needed a nice place to bring them. I tried the calamari and was confused as to why it was served with a Franks RedHot-esque sauce. Why would you not serve marinara?...the calamari was decent. For my meal I ordered shrimp imperial and the shrimp were a tad overcooked. The crabmeat was flavorful and the mashed potatoes were pretty delicious. The view was of course a huge draw, as the restaurant is right on the beach. Our server was very attentive and nice as well. I would probably go back if we had guests in town again.
(3)
Sarah S.
I ordered the seafood trio and the flavor was good, it was a tad spicy, but otherwise good. But, for a $26 meal, I expect an actual meal. Not a tiny piece of Mahi, 2 medium shrimp, and one medium scallop. My yellow rice was flavorless and over cooked, the green beans were overcooked and everyone else in my party of 8 said their meal was either too small, overcooked or just plain gross. The view was fantastic and the decor was adorable. The lighting and acoustics, however, were terrible. It was very dark and very very loud inside. Overall, I think this place was very overpriced and I will not be returning.
(2)
Ernie D.
Ended up stopping here during a downpour because I didn't want to drive any further from the place I was staying. My wife and I were seated quickly and our waitress was quick to bring our drinks and our appetizer. She even humored me as I asked her questions about the beers that they had on tap. I had the special for the night with was a rainbow trout with dill and my wife had the shrimp and grits. Large portions and the food itself was fantastic! The trout was flaky and the dill sauce was very buttery and tangy. The rice was also incredibly savory for a simple cup of rice. The total bill was a bit pricey, but we did have a lot of food. I'd certainly come back if I was looking for a special meal and didn't mind paying a bit more than I would otherwise.
(4)
Jim D.
This is the best restaurant in north Florida in my opinion. Food, service, view all top notch.
(5)
Mpocjt O.
Great brunch. Unlimited mimosas. Prime rib, crab legs, omelets. Great views. One of the best brunches around. Have been multiple times and will return. If you are in the area Sundays, check it out.
(4)
Lisa Y.
Decided to try this restaurant because it was close to where I was staying for a fun "girl's weekend." What a mistake! The service was awful; our food arrived lukewarm and took forever. When we finally got our waiter's attention and let him know we were unhappy, he said he would send the manager over. That took so long that I finally got the manager' s attention on my own. The manager seemed annoyed that we were complaining and told us he would see what he could do. Never saw the waiter or manager again. We had to go find him AND the bill. By then our whole experience had taken about 2.5 hours and all we had really ordered was...appetizers! They did discount the bill but we were all annoyed and still kind of hungry so I don't even know what the discount was, and the manager was UGLY about it. Stay away....poor service and not great food for what they want to change.
(1)
Shannon G.
Been there twice one for lunch and once for diner and both times were just ok. Lunch menu was better than the dinner but the staff was rude and always forgot to come to our table to check on us even when it wasn't busy. Great view though if you can get a table outside.
(2)
Fred B.
Good drinks. Solid food. Friendly service. GREAT ocean views from their outdoor deck and dining room windows.
(4)
Bryan K.
Visited here with a local couple- Great choice !! Loved Laura, our server- What a gem- Great personality, attentive and full of tips. Had the fish dip, conch fritters and ahi tuna- Awesome !! Grouper Oscar, Fried Shrimp and Chilean Sea Bass later and all fell into place. What a great view of the ocean, too. 5 stars- We loved it !!
(5)
Jaime R.
Great Food And Service. The ambiance is perfect with a great water front view. Great wine selection. The white clams with Spanish chorizos are a must
(4)
Chelsey S.
People, people, people. Do not let the 3.5 star fool you. The Reef is THE place to go for brunch. They provide exceptional service, unlimited mimosas, crab legs, and they're literally on the ocean. The price is a little steep, but I assure you once you go, you'll see why. If you have family visiting from out of town, make sure you check this out. They'll leave convinced you live in paradise.
(5)
Ian M.
I've only been here a couple of times for the Sunday brunch. One of the best buffets. The price is not bad and the view is even better.
(5)
Scooby J.
This is our second visit here and before we dont go back we always give a second chance. We wont be back, to say it nicely. We have been to so many nicer restaurants that dont charge the prices this place does. Got a scallop appetizer, cost $14.95, with only two scallops a comment was made to the waitress. She said "well we are kind of a high end restaurant" ssssooooo, that means you can charge crazy prices for mediocre food? They also charged us for bread. Joke of a restaurant.
(1)
Mike V.
If location and setting are what you are looking for, this spot can't be beat. Beautiful view of the ocean. The food on the other hand is just OK with not much value.
(3)
Robert R.
What a view, service and food was excellent. Sunday brunch will satisfy anyone's appetite. .
(4)
Johnny M.
The grilled Mahi sandwich with lemon dill sauce was amazing! My wife doesn't usually order fish, but she loved her Haddock and chips, English style (we know - we lived there). Get a deck table with amazing ocean view. Great food. Great view. Easy on the wallet. You won't go wrong stopping here!!
(5)
Spirit B.
Fabulous oceanfront view great food. Wonderful Sunday Brunch unlimited mimosas , everything is great on the brunch except for their desserts which definitely could use a over haul. Service is always good and happy hours all appetizers are 1/2 price.
(4)
Andrea H.
I went here for Father's Day brunch this morning. It wasn't the best brunch I've had but it was far from the worst. One thing that it was amazing was the view---right on the ocean--absolutely gorgeous! The buffet area was really small so it was crowded. People kept bumping into each other and the lines were getting mixed up. My dad was looking forward to the Eggs Benedict since it said they had it on the website, but once there, they said they don't make it on holidays. Boooo! They had a huge hunk of meat (I think it was roast beef). I didn't get any but my other family members did and there were mixed reviews. Some liked it, my dad's slice was purely fat, and my aunt's was way too rare. Other than that, the mimosas were nice as well as the hot food (there was an omelet station, super crispy bacon (the best way!), sausage, fried fish, mashed potatoes, green beans, grits, and others). The soup was avocado which I found weird. The crab legs that I had were super salty but none of the others in my group had that problem. There was also biscuits and gravy, chilled shrimp, and cheese. For dessert there were a couple of slices to choose from in this revolving refrigerator thing but nothing to rave about. Overall, it's the view that makes this place. If you're looking for great food, I might choose elsewhere. But if you're looking for a view, then this is perfect.
(3)
Joy H.
I can't even begin to explain how much we enjoyed this place. The medallions, spinach artichoke dip, Mahi Mahi tacos and green beans were all favorites at our table. All staff that we encountered were friendly, helpful and prompt. The food was delicious! Truly one of the best dining experiences I've ever had.
(5)
Kelly S.
Excellent food and service! An amazing view of the ocean and beach. Sit outside or inside. Amazing drinks and appetizers! Crab cake was delicious and flavorful, the spinach and artichoke dip was cheesy and thick and came with excellent cheesy bread. The scallop tostata is excellent as well. Worth going to and experiencing! Top notch food and service. The staff is polite and accommodating.
(5)
Kevin P.
Incredible food. And the environment is priceless. Great service. Clean bathrooms. Can you ask for more? Nope
(5)
Cortnie R.
I'm gonna start by saying that the staff and service was great, everything else was awful! I decided to have my wedding reception at this place per recommendation of a distant friend, if I could travel back in time I would stay far, far away. I had been coordinating my event with the wedding coordinator for about a year, signed contracts, verbally agreed on things then suddenly 3 weeks before my wedding, she takes another position with a different company. I was kind of frustrated because I figured something would go wrong. But I talked to the new event coordinator and she assured me everything was fine. I had already paid for the room rental and food in full months prior and made sure that I wouldn't have to pay anything else on my wedding night. The entrees I chose were from the $36 per plate options, Caribbean jerk chicken and bronzed mahi mahi. It was to my understanding that the reason these plates were $36 is because 6% sales tax and the 20% gratuity was already added in so everything and everyone would be taken care of. I was once a server so I don't ever complain about tipping 20%. Night of the wedding, everything was going smoothly, everyone was mingling and I was getting everyone sat down so the servers could take their orders. I had paid for 50 people's entrees, only 45 showed up, no big deal, I was going to let the waiters keep it as an extra tip. When our plates got served, I had ordered the mahi and my husband ordered the chicken. My piece of mahi was about 4oz, I had about 7 squash and 4 little potatoes on my plate. The fish was so dry, I couldn't even eat it! I wasn't going to complain because I didn't want to let anything ruin my perfect day! I was letting it go. But don't forget that I'm paying $36 for a 4 oz piece of fish. The bartender comes up to my mom and asks if we were ready to pay, and my mom told them it was already taken care of and the bartender looked at her funny and said no ma'am, so my mom comes to get me and I talk to her and I tell her no, that I had already paid for everything. She goes to get her manager and she tells me that the $400 extra dollars was for sales tax and gratuity, which was supposed to already be added into each of the plates when I paid. I had made sure when I made the final deposit that I wouldn't have to pay anything else on my wedding day. I had to argue with them for an hour before they finally said I was right. I was so upset because my guests were offering to pay that money. I missed my sparkler exit, I have no pictures of my husband and I with sparklers over us because everyone had already left. If I would have known that the 6% sales tax and 20% gratuity wasn't included in the plate price then I would have paid that when I put the deposit down. I wasn't trying to get out of paying gratuity , the servers were excellent. I wanted everything to be paid for the night of the wedding so I wouldn't have to worry about money that night. So if you want to pay a lot of money for really crappy food then go right ahead. But please consider somewhere else, I wish I would have.
(1)
Sofia L.
Awful. Expensive. Tasteless. It seems everthing is frozen or out of the box. I gave them one star just because they have a beautiful view.
(1)
Denise P.
Please DO NOT eat here...at least not the Sunday brunch. Just went there today with dear friends and we were all looking forward to it. The view is stunning and if the food and service matched it, I would have given the place 4 stars. The plates were so dirty that after passing over two with food stuck to them, I picked up a plate that was coated with sticky syrup on the bottom. I had to find a waiter and ask him to take the plate so I would not put it down for some other unsuspecting diner to find. After washing my hands, I returned to the buffet area and could not believe how picked over the tables of food looked. I felt as if I had arrived at the end of a party, when all the food was nearly gone and the tables were trashed. The crab legs were okay, but the shrimp was DIRTY and undercooked. The fruit and cheese platters were destroyed. The potatoes were stale, dry, and flavorless. The waffles were cut in quarters and thrown into a bowl as if they were a pile of scraps. The mimosas and other champagne cocktails were watered down and flat. The fact that the waiter barely acknowledged our presence was dwarfed by the truly lousy food. The omelettes were the only protein that was decent enough to be part of a $35.00 a person brunch. I wish I had gone anywhere else. Even IHOP would have served me a better meal.
(1)
Landon W.
When we pulled up to the Reef, I wasn't sure what to expect. The building is very unassuming and looks like it could be one of those all-you-can-eat buffet type joints. Well, it's not! We walked in and found ourselves inside a nice restaurant looking out over the Atlantic Ocean. There is both indoor and outdoor seating, and whether you are inside or out you still have an excellent view. The menu had some pretty good options on it, pretty standard seafood stuff. One thing that always annoys me is when a restaurant right on the ocean has seafood that is flown in from somewhere else, thereby no fresher than I can get at my home which is no where near the coast. This place had a few such items, but it also had some fresh fish. Opting for a flown-in dish, I got the scallops - from New England - and there were really good. They were large, perfectly tender, and tasty. They came with something green and a bowl of delicious grits. My wife got the salmon which was also really good, and another person in our party got the grouper which was fresh and tasy. I can't go with 5 stars, this place was not on that level. But a good solid 4 based on my experience at the Reef.
(4)
Blueridge G.
Food is good. Service is excellent. Price is a little too much. View is what you are paying extra for.
(3)
Janelle L.
2 and 1/2 hours before food gets here. This restaurant couldn't be worse. I'm not sure if it's this town or this restaurant but they were short staffed and low on accommodations. Beautiful scenery but terrible wait time and accommodations. Management need to get act together....it's a Tuesday for crying out loud and it shouldn't be this difficult to get a meal without going into town or chain. Got here at 6:30 and we're still waiting on food at 8:30. Stupid us coming here with kids thinking we could get decent meal and service. Seafood trio...one scallop, 2 shrimp and a small piece of Mahi...hardly a trio.
(2)
Reg P.
Great food and atmosphere. The Datil shrimp on Datil cheese grits were fantastic! Sat in the bar at a high top with a great view.
(5)
Esther K.
The food was pretty good, and the view from the outside patio was pretty. They also let our dog sit with us on the deck outside while we ate, so that was nice as well. Overall I had a pretty good experience here.
(4)
Lisa O.
Dreadful, awful food, bad service and very cheap wine list.
(1)
James C.
Brunch is great. Beach view is one of the best you will find!! Service is above average.
(4)
Bob M.
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!
(2)
Amanda D.
I was disappointed. The location is stunning. We came without a reservation on a Saturday, party of 6, including kids. We were initially told we'd have to wait an hour but were seated within 5 minutes, which was a pleasant surprise. We had to wait more than 10 minutes to see the waitress, and then longer afterwards for our beverages. This trend continued throughout the meal. The menu had all of the stuffy traditional seafood favorites you would expect to see. From a menu in the 80s. Still, we were hungry and the pace had a decent crowd, so we persevered. The calamari appetizer was bland at best, nothing different or interesting about it. It didn't get better. The Filet had no searing. The shrimp were small and overcooked. It was all pricey. We won't be back, at least nor for the food.
(2)
Jonathan S.
Only writing a negative review because this is the second time they served me rotten lobster tail. We LOVE the lobster and shrimp risotto, or used to i should say. The view is awesome, service is good, guess the kitchen staff and management can't distinguish between fresh and foul. The last bad ones were so foul we could smell it as soon as it was placed on the table. At least they are happy to bring a truly fresh and tasty one when you reject the first one.
(1)
Paul L.
We ordered soup and starters tonight with a fine glass of Oregon Pinot Noir. The service was up to my expectations and the variety of food was fantastic. The menu favors sea food with their own special touched
(5)
Morgan H.
The views for brunch at The Reef were gorgeous and the food was delicious, but the reason I' m not giving them more stars is simply because of their service. The server for my party of 5, came to the table and asked to see all of our Id's before we'd even began ordering cocktails, some of us weren't even drinking so it was extremely presumptuous and he was rather rude in his general demeanor overall. I would return for brunch again but for the price you pay I would expect nicer service next time.
(3)
Ann L.
We came here for lunch today after a referral from a friend, The food was just ok. The location was outstanding, I think this restaurant is overpriced and over rated, save your money. BigvinnieNJ
(2)
Isaac W.
This restaurant is simply amazing. When I arrived the hostess was chill and she let me choose an outside table where I wanted the view of the beach. The decor is modern and sleek with a perfect beach breeze. The selection of food is great and not that expensive, well I was eating by myself. The coconut shrimp is the best I ever had with an awesome mango sauce vinaigrette. All the servers were on time and seemed really sincere. I felt like I was at a resort and one of the servers even had a British accent which made me feel like a spoiled little brat I'm coming back. :D
(5)
Jacqueline S.
This restaurant has good food, friendly staff and great ocean views and seating. The scallops are cooked to perfection with loads of flavor. A great find!!
(5)
Bill E.
Recommended by hotel. Nice location on the beach. When you walk in there are numerous awards on the wall. Very disappointed with the experience. Had to ask waitress for a clean glass. Bread plates where also dirty. Windows looking out at ocean were filthy with bird droppings all over them. Appears that they haven't been cleaned in some time. The food wasn't very good for the prices we paid. My tuna was over cooked and the vegetables were also over cooked and mushy. Same for the saffron rice. The only positive was that the wait staff was very good. For all the hipe and prices you would have expected gormet food and clean dining room. I won't be going back anytime soon. The reef has a lot of potential if someone gave it the attention it needs,
(1)
Cornel F.
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.
(3)
Erin G.
I was very unhappy with this place overall. We arrived at the end of happy hour, and told them we wanted dinner. The bar tender was a jerk and gave terrible portions for how expensive the drink were. We sat outside, and you can't beat on the ocean seating, so pretty. But we waited and waited for someone to wait on us. Yes we were chillin with our drinks, but no one even cared to check on us for 45 mins. The food was ok. But WAY OVER PRICED! I got a half a pasta dish, and it's 15$. If you're gonna charged that much I except the service to compensate, and it was poor at best. Gorgeous views, overall no thank you, I will not go back.
(2)
Sadi H.
I will give one star due to their location. Beautiful views. For the cost of the meals it is not worth it. Terrible taste & everything over cooked. My husband had the risotto & I had the steak/lobster. Very disappointed.
(1)
Leigh T.
This was our backup choice as our first choice was rained out. Hadn't been here in years. We were in a hurry so got a high top in the bar. View was spectacular! Saw pod of porpoises swim by while enjoying a lightning show offshore. Service was phenomenal! Kudos to the wait staff. Food was good. Happy hour excellent! Thank you for a nice evening.
(4)
Jed H.
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.
(2)
Boris C.
Food was average... location is great, right next to the ocean. Service was good. All in all I didn't hate it, but would not come here again.
(3)
Kay B.
Beautiful Oceanside location! Waiter was amazing...there were 8 of us...all crazy women! I had the shrimp and lobster risotto and it was to die for delicious!
(5)
Jamie T.
I recently attended Sunday brunch in a large group of eleven. We had reservations and our table was ready as soon as we arrived. As we were led through the dining hall, I giggled with friends about the terrible eighties decor. We sat outside on the patio (thank god), facing the ocean, on a pleasantly mild and foggy afternoon. Everything I tried from the brunch buffet was delicious. The restaurant was busy and the buffet kept emptying out quickly. The staff responsible for refilling the buffet wasn't very attentive, but it's a buffet; grab another poinsettia and something else to munch on while you wait. Our server was very attentive, but not terribly friendly. She would offer a drink top-off and then say, "No, you'll have this" (whatever she was carrying) which I thought was pretty weird. I was a little tipsy, so I just went with it. Don't forget, it's St. Augustine. You can't have that bloody mary until after 1pm, so plan accordingly. I'm looking forward to returning, whereupon I will surely have too many drinks and a belly full of crab legs.
(4)
Karen A.
Our visit was midday and we were really looking forward to this restaurant. We were very disappointed in the appearance of the hostess. She was very unprofessionally dressed and never broke a smile as she welcomed us. A poor first impression turned into a pleasant lunch and excellent service. It's unfortunate that all we can really remember is an unsightly hostess.
(3)
Jen G.
I've been here during my stays in St. Augustine on two occasions. The restaurant is located on the beach, offering an amazing view...IF you are in the right spot and at the right time. The first time, we were in the room that's off to the right, sitting against the large glass windows, at sunset, which offered a beautiful view. The other time, we waited a bit and therefore it was dark, and we were in a dining room to the left, which almost felt like a walkway? Can't speak much for a view, since it was dark and we weren't close to a window. However, the possible beautiful view is what takes this from 3 stars to 4. Service was excellent on both visits, food was satisfactory, but nothing memorable. Kids had clam chowder, macaroni and cheese, and some sort of unmemorable fish. I enjoyed my steak and the lobster was okay, but again it isn't like there's a specialty dish I'm dying to go back for. I'm actually not quite convinced it was worth the price paid for it. But I guess you pay for location and the view. Decor needs to be updated, but again, the location got me. We made our own memories. Right in front of the parking lot lays the beach, so we took the kids out under the moonlight after dinner and ran around in the waves. Check out the local tourist coupon books, as they often have a coupon for 10% off your dinner at The Reef. And maybe lunch might be a better choice for enjoying the view with less people to contend with. I would go back, but probably for lunch, and share an appetizer and an entree.
(4)
Amber A.
I have only been here for Sunday brunch but we keep coming back for it year after year. Everything they do is excellent. Included in the price is champagne! They have creamy seasoned grits, perfectly cooked snow crab with clarified butter, blintzes with berry sauce and the right balance of lemon, and free flowing champagne. The view is relaxing and you can often spot dolphins while guessing the song being adapted by a live acoustic guitarist and sipping your champagne. Champagne.
(5)
Leslie C.
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...
(5)
Kevin G.
I've been here once on the day after thanksgiven on my trip to St. Augustine and i have to say this is a lovely relaxing spot. looks old fashion from the outside but its spacious and high end on the inside. Great view of the beach and they have outside deck seating with is gorgeous. The Service was petty okay. The food was amazing. I've had the shrimp and lobster risotto and it was a small portion but was amazing and stomach filling. They had some kind of molasses bread, which was the best bread in the world!!!!!! i had ordered a few to take home. the family were all pleased and left happy with their meal and would definitely go back there to eat! lovely place to go, price is a little more than average but it's one of a kind of experience.
(5)
Jerry D.
No one can doubt the location and view are worth the trip. The issue is that we went to dinner on a Saturday night in dead of winter so it was pitch black...no view so it was the meal that was center stage. I had the Datil Peppers with Scallops...nothing to write home about but acceptable; my wife had the soup de jour an enjoyed It. Where it went south for me is I had the Jambalaya which I should have read closer...when it says finished with cheddar cheese I did not know it meant covered with cheddar cheese and baked unit it formed a crust (Italian casserole style)....not traditional Jambalaya or what I was expecting. This cooking style left a pool of water in the botom of the dish and the shrimp, sausage, and chicken tasted the same. My wife's Duck was acceptable but un-impressive. So if you go, it is the view that is center stage and pick your menu items with care.
(2)
Susan T.
AMAZING!!! Great service! Great food! Great view!! From the calimari to the keylime pie and everything in between, the Reef was a great choice for an ocean front dining experience with wonderful seafood!
(5)
Kay O.
Tried for the first time on Memorial Day. Called ahead for table and they said the only seating was inside which was fine. We got there and it was empty but they still sat us at a high table in the bar. No big Deal but it's oceanfront so it Would have been nice to be at one of the Many empty Tables on the deck. Wine selection is good and view is awesome. We ordered the coconut shrimp after asking what the waitress felt Was the best appetizer. Tasted like packaged/frozen shrimp and was a tad overcooked. Sauce served With it Is not Good. After that we decided to have an appetizer there and eat dinner somewhere else. I think I would give it another try someday. Service was good.
(3)
Philip R.
We had a great experience for brunch here last month. Staff and food were excellent. The view is nice too. Worth the drive.
(5)
Kathleen F.
Love The Reef. GREAT food, Thanks Bob, Great drinks, thanks Erin, Great view, Thank God. Wonderful Taste of the NFL...participating restaurants for HUNGER relief donate price of one meal for every bottle of wine sold.
(5)
Michael W.
A nice bottle of cab, tasty swordfish and an obstructed view of the water. The etched pour lines on the wine glasses no doubt were intended to ensure I received every drop of pleasure to which I was entitled. Or perhaps not.
(2)
Leah O.
Food was pretty good, the view was AMAZING, but the service for lunch was extremely slow.
(3)
C M.
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
(4)
Elizabeth G.
Just okay. Went there kind of late for dinner (~8:15), but service was still inattentive. The menu was pretty limited, sadly. They seem to rely more on their view of the ocean than the quality of food. Lobster and Shrimp Risotto wasn't much, nor the blackened grouper. The roasted duck and the filet were pretty good, though. Nice location, but I don't need to return.
(3)
Kimberly T.
Fantastic restaurant! Plenty of seafood options, but I had Mediterranean pasta which was fabulous. My husband had seafood trio and loved it. The key lime pie was absolutely delectable. The vinegar eye salad dressings was great too. Live music on Friday and Saturday night. The ocean view can't be beat.
(5)
Agnes A.
First stop when we got to town and we did not know we had found a gem. Food was very good. View was great. Service was friendly and helpful. Loved the creamed cauliflower. Great place!
(4)
Nakida R.
Food was just not up to par for a high scale beach restaurant. I ordered the Shrimp and lobster risotto....ummm eeeerr yeah no :/ The shrimp and lobster was all I ate. The risotto was covered in some type of tomato based sauce that wasn't that good. My biggest gripe was that it was loaded with mushrooms which was not listed on the menu...I don't like or eat mushrooms. Also, my friend ordered her steak medium well...but it was clearly rare----gross. I definitely won't be going back.
(1)
Morgan A.
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
(3)
Dan K.
We had reservations and didn't have to wait around for our table to be cleared and the table was in the back of corner of the restaurant with windows on both of the walls we were backed up to, which would have provided a great view of the beach if it wasn't so dark out. (Lefty) Laura was our waitress and she was awesome and completed the night. I would highly recommend requesting her as she was willing to do exactly what we requested and knew exactly what we were looking for on this night out. She was perfect, 100/100 stars. We started with appetizers, 2 crab cakes (you only get one cake, and our party of 7 did well with the two - they are decently sized), fried green tomatoes, and spinach and artichoke dip. I loved the crab cakes, everyone enjoyed them; the popular favorite was the green tomatoes. The spinach and artichoke dip was tasty and came with darkened bread in unusual slices. None of us were expecting the bread to look the way it did, but it still paired well. I almost forgot, most of us had a round of drinks and the online menu does not list them online; I'll do my best to recite them. I had the Pirate's Float or something like that and it was the favorite of most. I can't exactly remember what it was, but I remember it had some kind of rootbeer liquor, a splash of coke, and some kind of rum. This was awesome. It lasted me throughout the night as it was strong, but it didn't taste it at all. Another drink was the Bourbon Apple Manhattan, which was good. The last drink that wasn't wine, that I can recall was the Southern Hospitality, which was really fruity and girly, but exactly what she wanted. For dinner, a couple people ordered the fried shrimp (you pick a side) which looked amazing and from what I was told, tasted amazing. 14 massive shrimps! They looked great. Grilled Jumbo Sea Scallops or Diver Scallops (salad) were ordered and they were indeed jumbo. Another dish with a happy customer. Mahi (with a side) was ordered and that plate was licked clean before anyone else was offered a bite, so I will take a venture and say that this was another dish well enjoyed. I had the Coconut Curry Chicken (also available with shrimp) (with a salad) and this was goooood! I enjoy spicy food and was afraid that this was going to let me down and be another dish at another restaurant where they're afraid to spice the food. Wrong! This was awesome! The taste was wonderful and everyone that tasted it, really enjoyed it. I will caution, that if you do not enjoy spicy food, eating more than a forkful may be challenging. Crab cakes were also enjoyed by someone for dinner (aforementioned appetizer) and they were pleased with those (comes with a side). The last meal was the Shrimp and Lobster Risotto (salad) and everything here was cooked to perfection and the risotto was very tasty. Most people that received sides took fries and they were tasty with a nice golden brown color. Rice pilaf was ordered and that received no complaints and my only complaint was that I didn't even get offered any! Safe to say that was good... Spicy cheese grits were ordered and I heard they were spicy, but after a couple bites of ,y coconut curry chicken, I wasn't going to taste a little spice in the grits (which are just gross anyways... grits?? eww...) For salads you had a choice of house, caesar, or greek. The caesar was good, but a little heavy on dressing for my taste. A request was made for anchovies (not by me, again, gross!) and they were delivered promptly by Lefty Laura! One greek salad was ordered and it was "delish". 1 small dessert was provided for a birthday boy at no charge - a brownie with vanilla ice cream. The ice cream was good, but the brownie was a tad bit burned. My only complaint would be that there was live music, which is something I can do without at pretty much every restaurant, and I try to run away and hide in an area where I don't have to shout at the person across from me. This was on a Friday night and the people at the bar were all turned to hear the musicians. I paid absolutely zero attention to the performers throughout dinner, but noticed that the volume level in the restaurant elevated in our room as everyone tried to be heard. Obviously, based on my review, this is not something that should turn you away from the restaurant, but something I felt that should be noted. Overall, all of the food was amazing, our drinks were great, and the service Lefty Laura (she's a lefty if you couldn't figure that one out - we had a few lefties at the table) provided us made for a perfect night.
(5)
E B.
Step back to the 80s for really bad decor and even worse food. This place can only be open due to it's ocean front setting; which by the way has very little actual ocean front dining. If you are driving up A1A and think "what a great location to grab a bite to eat " ; I highly recomend you keep driving .
(1)
Robert A.
Stopped at The Reef on our way back from St. Augustine to Jacksonville Beach. The restaurant offers nice ocean views. The service was excellent. Iced tea and soda refills are on the house. The crab cake entree was delicious, accompanied by rice pilaf and a fresh vegetable. Their desserts are homemade and very good. Had the key lime pie, served with a dallop of whip cream. Yum. Definitely recommend.
(4)
Brian D.
So I took the family to The Reef for Easter Brunch. I've heard a lot about The Reef and thought it would be a great place to share a holiday. I made the reservation about a month in advance with no issues. They called a few days before to confirm. So far no issues. We arrived on Easter around 1:30 and found the parking lot packed but we were able to get a spot. Walked in and found a short line waiting for their tables. I met with the hostess and she told me that our table would be ready in a couple of minutes. She said that our table would be upstairs. Since this was Easter Brunch, I saw the food display on the main floor. I asked her if there was a similar station upstairs. Short answer is no. No tables available downstairs. She tried to reassure me that the views from upstairs more than made up for it. In a couple of minutes we were escorted to our table. We did have a great view... of a wall. I asked our waitress if we could move and she worked it out. Still not a great view, but we weren't looking at a blank wall. The place overlooks the Atlantic. We could see it from upstairs, but barely. So here we are upstairs with a lot of other people and we all need to navigate the stairs. Not that big of an issue - just wish they would have mentioned it when I made reservations. My wife wouldn't have worn heels! I would have also told my daughters to wear flats too. Regarding the food. It was OK for a brunch. I wouldn't rank the food that high compared to many other brunches that I've been to. Mostly typical fare... Crab legs, peel & eat shrimp, prime rib, salads, etc.. Not a lot of diversity. Most of it was decent. For the downside... - Plates were hard to come by. They had a hard time keeping up. - The waitress seemed preoccupied. Trying to get refills of sodas was difficult. - The bus staff didn't seem to want to clear plates. Maybe that's the mystery of the lack of plates. Crab legs were a bit too salty for my taste. - The people that worked the stations often disappeared for a while. Normally I wouldn't post a bad review on a single trip to a restaurant. But I also reached out the general manager of the restaurant later that night. A week later and I still haven't heard from him. I wouldn't go back for a holiday, but may consider it for a different trip. I would need to be reassured that I would be sitting downstairs.
(2)
Danny N.
Never ending Mimosas and beautiful view. Wow!! Amazing place.
(5)
Jeff B.
The restaurant is located on ocean and has a great view. The food was very good. Our party of four each had a different seafood-based meal. My wife and I are from central Texas, so we don't know much about fresh seafood, but our dinner guests were from Florida, and they were impressed with their meals. My wife and I were quite pleased with ours as well. And for dessert, we had an orange cheesecake, which had a taste reminiscent of an orange creamcicle (a good thing!).
We were driving along A1A on the way to St Augustine FL. Looking for a nice lunch stop we found the Reef. It is directly on the Atlantic and views from our table speculation. My wife had a lobster roll which she said was terrific while I had a fried Grouper sandwich and it was also great. We tried the orange cheesecake for dessert and it was just like eating a dream sickle. Prices were appropriate for the area and location. Service was excellent. Would go back in a heartbeat.
(4)
Danielle F.
As a St. Augustine local, I would typically avoid touristy places such as the Reef, but my dad and several of his guests were in town and we needed a nice place to bring them. I tried the calamari and was confused as to why it was served with a Franks RedHot-esque sauce. Why would you not serve marinara?...the calamari was decent. For my meal I ordered shrimp imperial and the shrimp were a tad overcooked. The crabmeat was flavorful and the mashed potatoes were pretty delicious. The view was of course a huge draw, as the restaurant is right on the beach. Our server was very attentive and nice as well. I would probably go back if we had guests in town again.
(3)
Sarah S.
I ordered the seafood trio and the flavor was good, it was a tad spicy, but otherwise good. But, for a $26 meal, I expect an actual meal. Not a tiny piece of Mahi, 2 medium shrimp, and one medium scallop. My yellow rice was flavorless and over cooked, the green beans were overcooked and everyone else in my party of 8 said their meal was either too small, overcooked or just plain gross. The view was fantastic and the decor was adorable. The lighting and acoustics, however, were terrible. It was very dark and very very loud inside. Overall, I think this place was very overpriced and I will not be returning.
(2)
Ernie D.
Ended up stopping here during a downpour because I didn't want to drive any further from the place I was staying. My wife and I were seated quickly and our waitress was quick to bring our drinks and our appetizer. She even humored me as I asked her questions about the beers that they had on tap. I had the special for the night with was a rainbow trout with dill and my wife had the shrimp and grits. Large portions and the food itself was fantastic! The trout was flaky and the dill sauce was very buttery and tangy. The rice was also incredibly savory for a simple cup of rice. The total bill was a bit pricey, but we did have a lot of food. I'd certainly come back if I was looking for a special meal and didn't mind paying a bit more than I would otherwise.
(4)
Jim D.
This is the best restaurant in north Florida in my opinion. Food, service, view all top notch.
(5)
Mpocjt O.
Great brunch. Unlimited mimosas. Prime rib, crab legs, omelets. Great views. One of the best brunches around. Have been multiple times and will return. If you are in the area Sundays, check it out.
(4)
Lisa Y.
Decided to try this restaurant because it was close to where I was staying for a fun "girl's weekend." What a mistake! The service was awful; our food arrived lukewarm and took forever. When we finally got our waiter's attention and let him know we were unhappy, he said he would send the manager over. That took so long that I finally got the manager' s attention on my own. The manager seemed annoyed that we were complaining and told us he would see what he could do. Never saw the waiter or manager again. We had to go find him AND the bill. By then our whole experience had taken about 2.5 hours and all we had really ordered was...appetizers! They did discount the bill but we were all annoyed and still kind of hungry so I don't even know what the discount was, and the manager was UGLY about it. Stay away....poor service and not great food for what they want to change.
(1)
Shannon G.
Been there twice one for lunch and once for diner and both times were just ok. Lunch menu was better than the dinner but the staff was rude and always forgot to come to our table to check on us even when it wasn't busy. Great view though if you can get a table outside.
(2)
Fred B.
Good drinks. Solid food. Friendly service. GREAT ocean views from their outdoor deck and dining room windows.
(4)
Bryan K.
Visited here with a local couple- Great choice !! Loved Laura, our server- What a gem- Great personality, attentive and full of tips. Had the fish dip, conch fritters and ahi tuna- Awesome !! Grouper Oscar, Fried Shrimp and Chilean Sea Bass later and all fell into place. What a great view of the ocean, too. 5 stars- We loved it !!
(5)
Jaime R.
Great Food And Service. The ambiance is perfect with a great water front view. Great wine selection. The white clams with Spanish chorizos are a must
(4)
Chelsey S.
People, people, people. Do not let the 3.5 star fool you. The Reef is THE place to go for brunch. They provide exceptional service, unlimited mimosas, crab legs, and they're literally on the ocean. The price is a little steep, but I assure you once you go, you'll see why. If you have family visiting from out of town, make sure you check this out. They'll leave convinced you live in paradise.
(5)
Ian M.
I've only been here a couple of times for the Sunday brunch. One of the best buffets. The price is not bad and the view is even better.
(5)
Scooby J.
This is our second visit here and before we dont go back we always give a second chance. We wont be back, to say it nicely. We have been to so many nicer restaurants that dont charge the prices this place does. Got a scallop appetizer, cost $14.95, with only two scallops a comment was made to the waitress. She said "well we are kind of a high end restaurant" ssssooooo, that means you can charge crazy prices for mediocre food? They also charged us for bread. Joke of a restaurant.
(1)
Mike V.
If location and setting are what you are looking for, this spot can't be beat. Beautiful view of the ocean. The food on the other hand is just OK with not much value.
(3)
Robert R.
What a view, service and food was excellent. Sunday brunch will satisfy anyone's appetite. .
(4)
Johnny M.
The grilled Mahi sandwich with lemon dill sauce was amazing! My wife doesn't usually order fish, but she loved her Haddock and chips, English style (we know - we lived there). Get a deck table with amazing ocean view. Great food. Great view. Easy on the wallet. You won't go wrong stopping here!!
(5)
Spirit B.
Fabulous oceanfront view great food. Wonderful Sunday Brunch unlimited mimosas , everything is great on the brunch except for their desserts which definitely could use a over haul. Service is always good and happy hours all appetizers are 1/2 price.
(4)
Andrea H.
I went here for Father's Day brunch this morning. It wasn't the best brunch I've had but it was far from the worst. One thing that it was amazing was the view---right on the ocean--absolutely gorgeous! The buffet area was really small so it was crowded. People kept bumping into each other and the lines were getting mixed up. My dad was looking forward to the Eggs Benedict since it said they had it on the website, but once there, they said they don't make it on holidays. Boooo! They had a huge hunk of meat (I think it was roast beef). I didn't get any but my other family members did and there were mixed reviews. Some liked it, my dad's slice was purely fat, and my aunt's was way too rare. Other than that, the mimosas were nice as well as the hot food (there was an omelet station, super crispy bacon (the best way!), sausage, fried fish, mashed potatoes, green beans, grits, and others). The soup was avocado which I found weird. The crab legs that I had were super salty but none of the others in my group had that problem. There was also biscuits and gravy, chilled shrimp, and cheese. For dessert there were a couple of slices to choose from in this revolving refrigerator thing but nothing to rave about. Overall, it's the view that makes this place. If you're looking for great food, I might choose elsewhere. But if you're looking for a view, then this is perfect.
(3)
Joy H.
I can't even begin to explain how much we enjoyed this place. The medallions, spinach artichoke dip, Mahi Mahi tacos and green beans were all favorites at our table. All staff that we encountered were friendly, helpful and prompt. The food was delicious! Truly one of the best dining experiences I've ever had.
(5)
Kelly S.
Excellent food and service! An amazing view of the ocean and beach. Sit outside or inside. Amazing drinks and appetizers! Crab cake was delicious and flavorful, the spinach and artichoke dip was cheesy and thick and came with excellent cheesy bread. The scallop tostata is excellent as well. Worth going to and experiencing! Top notch food and service. The staff is polite and accommodating.
(5)
Kevin P.
Incredible food. And the environment is priceless. Great service. Clean bathrooms. Can you ask for more? Nope
(5)
Cortnie R.
I'm gonna start by saying that the staff and service was great, everything else was awful! I decided to have my wedding reception at this place per recommendation of a distant friend, if I could travel back in time I would stay far, far away. I had been coordinating my event with the wedding coordinator for about a year, signed contracts, verbally agreed on things then suddenly 3 weeks before my wedding, she takes another position with a different company. I was kind of frustrated because I figured something would go wrong. But I talked to the new event coordinator and she assured me everything was fine. I had already paid for the room rental and food in full months prior and made sure that I wouldn't have to pay anything else on my wedding night. The entrees I chose were from the $36 per plate options, Caribbean jerk chicken and bronzed mahi mahi. It was to my understanding that the reason these plates were $36 is because 6% sales tax and the 20% gratuity was already added in so everything and everyone would be taken care of. I was once a server so I don't ever complain about tipping 20%. Night of the wedding, everything was going smoothly, everyone was mingling and I was getting everyone sat down so the servers could take their orders. I had paid for 50 people's entrees, only 45 showed up, no big deal, I was going to let the waiters keep it as an extra tip. When our plates got served, I had ordered the mahi and my husband ordered the chicken. My piece of mahi was about 4oz, I had about 7 squash and 4 little potatoes on my plate. The fish was so dry, I couldn't even eat it! I wasn't going to complain because I didn't want to let anything ruin my perfect day! I was letting it go. But don't forget that I'm paying $36 for a 4 oz piece of fish. The bartender comes up to my mom and asks if we were ready to pay, and my mom told them it was already taken care of and the bartender looked at her funny and said no ma'am, so my mom comes to get me and I talk to her and I tell her no, that I had already paid for everything. She goes to get her manager and she tells me that the $400 extra dollars was for sales tax and gratuity, which was supposed to already be added into each of the plates when I paid. I had made sure when I made the final deposit that I wouldn't have to pay anything else on my wedding day. I had to argue with them for an hour before they finally said I was right. I was so upset because my guests were offering to pay that money. I missed my sparkler exit, I have no pictures of my husband and I with sparklers over us because everyone had already left. If I would have known that the 6% sales tax and 20% gratuity wasn't included in the plate price then I would have paid that when I put the deposit down. I wasn't trying to get out of paying gratuity , the servers were excellent. I wanted everything to be paid for the night of the wedding so I wouldn't have to worry about money that night. So if you want to pay a lot of money for really crappy food then go right ahead. But please consider somewhere else, I wish I would have.
(1)
Sofia L.
Awful. Expensive. Tasteless. It seems everthing is frozen or out of the box. I gave them one star just because they have a beautiful view.
(1)
Denise P.
Please DO NOT eat here...at least not the Sunday brunch. Just went there today with dear friends and we were all looking forward to it. The view is stunning and if the food and service matched it, I would have given the place 4 stars. The plates were so dirty that after passing over two with food stuck to them, I picked up a plate that was coated with sticky syrup on the bottom. I had to find a waiter and ask him to take the plate so I would not put it down for some other unsuspecting diner to find. After washing my hands, I returned to the buffet area and could not believe how picked over the tables of food looked. I felt as if I had arrived at the end of a party, when all the food was nearly gone and the tables were trashed. The crab legs were okay, but the shrimp was DIRTY and undercooked. The fruit and cheese platters were destroyed. The potatoes were stale, dry, and flavorless. The waffles were cut in quarters and thrown into a bowl as if they were a pile of scraps. The mimosas and other champagne cocktails were watered down and flat. The fact that the waiter barely acknowledged our presence was dwarfed by the truly lousy food. The omelettes were the only protein that was decent enough to be part of a $35.00 a person brunch. I wish I had gone anywhere else. Even IHOP would have served me a better meal.
(1)
Landon W.
When we pulled up to the Reef, I wasn't sure what to expect. The building is very unassuming and looks like it could be one of those all-you-can-eat buffet type joints. Well, it's not! We walked in and found ourselves inside a nice restaurant looking out over the Atlantic Ocean. There is both indoor and outdoor seating, and whether you are inside or out you still have an excellent view. The menu had some pretty good options on it, pretty standard seafood stuff. One thing that always annoys me is when a restaurant right on the ocean has seafood that is flown in from somewhere else, thereby no fresher than I can get at my home which is no where near the coast. This place had a few such items, but it also had some fresh fish. Opting for a flown-in dish, I got the scallops - from New England - and there were really good. They were large, perfectly tender, and tasty. They came with something green and a bowl of delicious grits. My wife got the salmon which was also really good, and another person in our party got the grouper which was fresh and tasy. I can't go with 5 stars, this place was not on that level. But a good solid 4 based on my experience at the Reef.
(4)
Blueridge G.
Food is good. Service is excellent. Price is a little too much. View is what you are paying extra for.
(3)
Janelle L.
2 and 1/2 hours before food gets here. This restaurant couldn't be worse. I'm not sure if it's this town or this restaurant but they were short staffed and low on accommodations. Beautiful scenery but terrible wait time and accommodations. Management need to get act together....it's a Tuesday for crying out loud and it shouldn't be this difficult to get a meal without going into town or chain. Got here at 6:30 and we're still waiting on food at 8:30. Stupid us coming here with kids thinking we could get decent meal and service. Seafood trio...one scallop, 2 shrimp and a small piece of Mahi...hardly a trio.
(2)
Reg P.
Great food and atmosphere. The Datil shrimp on Datil cheese grits were fantastic! Sat in the bar at a high top with a great view.
(5)
Esther K.
The food was pretty good, and the view from the outside patio was pretty. They also let our dog sit with us on the deck outside while we ate, so that was nice as well. Overall I had a pretty good experience here.
(4)
Lisa O.
Dreadful, awful food, bad service and very cheap wine list.
(1)
James C.
Brunch is great. Beach view is one of the best you will find!! Service is above average.
(4)
Bob M.
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!
(2)
Amanda D.
I was disappointed. The location is stunning. We came without a reservation on a Saturday, party of 6, including kids. We were initially told we'd have to wait an hour but were seated within 5 minutes, which was a pleasant surprise. We had to wait more than 10 minutes to see the waitress, and then longer afterwards for our beverages. This trend continued throughout the meal. The menu had all of the stuffy traditional seafood favorites you would expect to see. From a menu in the 80s. Still, we were hungry and the pace had a decent crowd, so we persevered. The calamari appetizer was bland at best, nothing different or interesting about it. It didn't get better. The Filet had no searing. The shrimp were small and overcooked. It was all pricey. We won't be back, at least nor for the food.
(2)
Jonathan S.
Only writing a negative review because this is the second time they served me rotten lobster tail. We LOVE the lobster and shrimp risotto, or used to i should say. The view is awesome, service is good, guess the kitchen staff and management can't distinguish between fresh and foul. The last bad ones were so foul we could smell it as soon as it was placed on the table. At least they are happy to bring a truly fresh and tasty one when you reject the first one.
(1)
Paul L.
We ordered soup and starters tonight with a fine glass of Oregon Pinot Noir. The service was up to my expectations and the variety of food was fantastic. The menu favors sea food with their own special touched
(5)
Morgan H.
The views for brunch at The Reef were gorgeous and the food was delicious, but the reason I' m not giving them more stars is simply because of their service. The server for my party of 5, came to the table and asked to see all of our Id's before we'd even began ordering cocktails, some of us weren't even drinking so it was extremely presumptuous and he was rather rude in his general demeanor overall. I would return for brunch again but for the price you pay I would expect nicer service next time.
(3)
Ann L.
We came here for lunch today after a referral from a friend, The food was just ok. The location was outstanding, I think this restaurant is overpriced and over rated, save your money. BigvinnieNJ
(2)
Isaac W.
This restaurant is simply amazing. When I arrived the hostess was chill and she let me choose an outside table where I wanted the view of the beach. The decor is modern and sleek with a perfect beach breeze. The selection of food is great and not that expensive, well I was eating by myself. The coconut shrimp is the best I ever had with an awesome mango sauce vinaigrette. All the servers were on time and seemed really sincere. I felt like I was at a resort and one of the servers even had a British accent which made me feel like a spoiled little brat I'm coming back. :D
(5)
Jacqueline S.
This restaurant has good food, friendly staff and great ocean views and seating. The scallops are cooked to perfection with loads of flavor. A great find!!
(5)
Bill E.
Recommended by hotel. Nice location on the beach. When you walk in there are numerous awards on the wall. Very disappointed with the experience. Had to ask waitress for a clean glass. Bread plates where also dirty. Windows looking out at ocean were filthy with bird droppings all over them. Appears that they haven't been cleaned in some time. The food wasn't very good for the prices we paid. My tuna was over cooked and the vegetables were also over cooked and mushy. Same for the saffron rice. The only positive was that the wait staff was very good. For all the hipe and prices you would have expected gormet food and clean dining room. I won't be going back anytime soon. The reef has a lot of potential if someone gave it the attention it needs,
(1)
Cornel F.
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.
(3)
Erin G.
I was very unhappy with this place overall. We arrived at the end of happy hour, and told them we wanted dinner. The bar tender was a jerk and gave terrible portions for how expensive the drink were. We sat outside, and you can't beat on the ocean seating, so pretty. But we waited and waited for someone to wait on us. Yes we were chillin with our drinks, but no one even cared to check on us for 45 mins. The food was ok. But WAY OVER PRICED! I got a half a pasta dish, and it's 15$. If you're gonna charged that much I except the service to compensate, and it was poor at best. Gorgeous views, overall no thank you, I will not go back.
(2)
Sadi H.
I will give one star due to their location. Beautiful views. For the cost of the meals it is not worth it. Terrible taste & everything over cooked. My husband had the risotto & I had the steak/lobster. Very disappointed.
(1)
Leigh T.
This was our backup choice as our first choice was rained out. Hadn't been here in years. We were in a hurry so got a high top in the bar. View was spectacular! Saw pod of porpoises swim by while enjoying a lightning show offshore. Service was phenomenal! Kudos to the wait staff. Food was good. Happy hour excellent! Thank you for a nice evening.
(4)
Jed H.
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.
(2)
Boris C.
Food was average... location is great, right next to the ocean. Service was good. All in all I didn't hate it, but would not come here again.
(3)
Kay B.
Beautiful Oceanside location! Waiter was amazing...there were 8 of us...all crazy women! I had the shrimp and lobster risotto and it was to die for delicious!
(5)
Jamie T.
I recently attended Sunday brunch in a large group of eleven. We had reservations and our table was ready as soon as we arrived. As we were led through the dining hall, I giggled with friends about the terrible eighties decor. We sat outside on the patio (thank god), facing the ocean, on a pleasantly mild and foggy afternoon. Everything I tried from the brunch buffet was delicious. The restaurant was busy and the buffet kept emptying out quickly. The staff responsible for refilling the buffet wasn't very attentive, but it's a buffet; grab another poinsettia and something else to munch on while you wait. Our server was very attentive, but not terribly friendly. She would offer a drink top-off and then say, "No, you'll have this" (whatever she was carrying) which I thought was pretty weird. I was a little tipsy, so I just went with it. Don't forget, it's St. Augustine. You can't have that bloody mary until after 1pm, so plan accordingly. I'm looking forward to returning, whereupon I will surely have too many drinks and a belly full of crab legs.
(4)
Karen A.
Our visit was midday and we were really looking forward to this restaurant. We were very disappointed in the appearance of the hostess. She was very unprofessionally dressed and never broke a smile as she welcomed us. A poor first impression turned into a pleasant lunch and excellent service. It's unfortunate that all we can really remember is an unsightly hostess.
(3)
Jen G.
I've been here during my stays in St. Augustine on two occasions. The restaurant is located on the beach, offering an amazing view...IF you are in the right spot and at the right time. The first time, we were in the room that's off to the right, sitting against the large glass windows, at sunset, which offered a beautiful view. The other time, we waited a bit and therefore it was dark, and we were in a dining room to the left, which almost felt like a walkway? Can't speak much for a view, since it was dark and we weren't close to a window. However, the possible beautiful view is what takes this from 3 stars to 4. Service was excellent on both visits, food was satisfactory, but nothing memorable. Kids had clam chowder, macaroni and cheese, and some sort of unmemorable fish. I enjoyed my steak and the lobster was okay, but again it isn't like there's a specialty dish I'm dying to go back for. I'm actually not quite convinced it was worth the price paid for it. But I guess you pay for location and the view. Decor needs to be updated, but again, the location got me. We made our own memories. Right in front of the parking lot lays the beach, so we took the kids out under the moonlight after dinner and ran around in the waves. Check out the local tourist coupon books, as they often have a coupon for 10% off your dinner at The Reef. And maybe lunch might be a better choice for enjoying the view with less people to contend with. I would go back, but probably for lunch, and share an appetizer and an entree.
(4)
Amber A.
I have only been here for Sunday brunch but we keep coming back for it year after year. Everything they do is excellent. Included in the price is champagne! They have creamy seasoned grits, perfectly cooked snow crab with clarified butter, blintzes with berry sauce and the right balance of lemon, and free flowing champagne. The view is relaxing and you can often spot dolphins while guessing the song being adapted by a live acoustic guitarist and sipping your champagne. Champagne.
(5)
Leslie C.
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...
(5)
Kevin G.
I've been here once on the day after thanksgiven on my trip to St. Augustine and i have to say this is a lovely relaxing spot. looks old fashion from the outside but its spacious and high end on the inside. Great view of the beach and they have outside deck seating with is gorgeous. The Service was petty okay. The food was amazing. I've had the shrimp and lobster risotto and it was a small portion but was amazing and stomach filling. They had some kind of molasses bread, which was the best bread in the world!!!!!! i had ordered a few to take home. the family were all pleased and left happy with their meal and would definitely go back there to eat! lovely place to go, price is a little more than average but it's one of a kind of experience.
(5)
Jerry D.
No one can doubt the location and view are worth the trip. The issue is that we went to dinner on a Saturday night in dead of winter so it was pitch black...no view so it was the meal that was center stage. I had the Datil Peppers with Scallops...nothing to write home about but acceptable; my wife had the soup de jour an enjoyed It. Where it went south for me is I had the Jambalaya which I should have read closer...when it says finished with cheddar cheese I did not know it meant covered with cheddar cheese and baked unit it formed a crust (Italian casserole style)....not traditional Jambalaya or what I was expecting. This cooking style left a pool of water in the botom of the dish and the shrimp, sausage, and chicken tasted the same. My wife's Duck was acceptable but un-impressive. So if you go, it is the view that is center stage and pick your menu items with care.
(2)
Susan T.
AMAZING!!! Great service! Great food! Great view!! From the calimari to the keylime pie and everything in between, the Reef was a great choice for an ocean front dining experience with wonderful seafood!
(5)
Kay O.
Tried for the first time on Memorial Day. Called ahead for table and they said the only seating was inside which was fine. We got there and it was empty but they still sat us at a high table in the bar. No big Deal but it's oceanfront so it Would have been nice to be at one of the Many empty Tables on the deck. Wine selection is good and view is awesome. We ordered the coconut shrimp after asking what the waitress felt Was the best appetizer. Tasted like packaged/frozen shrimp and was a tad overcooked. Sauce served With it Is not Good. After that we decided to have an appetizer there and eat dinner somewhere else. I think I would give it another try someday. Service was good.
(3)
Philip R.
We had a great experience for brunch here last month. Staff and food were excellent. The view is nice too. Worth the drive.
(5)
Kathleen F.
Love The Reef. GREAT food, Thanks Bob, Great drinks, thanks Erin, Great view, Thank God. Wonderful Taste of the NFL...participating restaurants for HUNGER relief donate price of one meal for every bottle of wine sold.
(5)
Michael W.
A nice bottle of cab, tasty swordfish and an obstructed view of the water. The etched pour lines on the wine glasses no doubt were intended to ensure I received every drop of pleasure to which I was entitled. Or perhaps not.
(2)
Leah O.
Food was pretty good, the view was AMAZING, but the service for lunch was extremely slow.
(3)
C M.
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
(4)
Elizabeth G.
Just okay. Went there kind of late for dinner (~8:15), but service was still inattentive. The menu was pretty limited, sadly. They seem to rely more on their view of the ocean than the quality of food. Lobster and Shrimp Risotto wasn't much, nor the blackened grouper. The roasted duck and the filet were pretty good, though. Nice location, but I don't need to return.
(3)
Kimberly T.
Fantastic restaurant! Plenty of seafood options, but I had Mediterranean pasta which was fabulous. My husband had seafood trio and loved it. The key lime pie was absolutely delectable. The vinegar eye salad dressings was great too. Live music on Friday and Saturday night. The ocean view can't be beat.
(5)
Agnes A.
First stop when we got to town and we did not know we had found a gem. Food was very good. View was great. Service was friendly and helpful. Loved the creamed cauliflower. Great place!
(4)
Nakida R.
Food was just not up to par for a high scale beach restaurant. I ordered the Shrimp and lobster risotto....ummm eeeerr yeah no :/ The shrimp and lobster was all I ate. The risotto was covered in some type of tomato based sauce that wasn't that good. My biggest gripe was that it was loaded with mushrooms which was not listed on the menu...I don't like or eat mushrooms. Also, my friend ordered her steak medium well...but it was clearly rare----gross. I definitely won't be going back.
(1)
Morgan A.
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
(3)
Dan K.
We had reservations and didn't have to wait around for our table to be cleared and the table was in the back of corner of the restaurant with windows on both of the walls we were backed up to, which would have provided a great view of the beach if it wasn't so dark out. (Lefty) Laura was our waitress and she was awesome and completed the night. I would highly recommend requesting her as she was willing to do exactly what we requested and knew exactly what we were looking for on this night out. She was perfect, 100/100 stars. We started with appetizers, 2 crab cakes (you only get one cake, and our party of 7 did well with the two - they are decently sized), fried green tomatoes, and spinach and artichoke dip. I loved the crab cakes, everyone enjoyed them; the popular favorite was the green tomatoes. The spinach and artichoke dip was tasty and came with darkened bread in unusual slices. None of us were expecting the bread to look the way it did, but it still paired well. I almost forgot, most of us had a round of drinks and the online menu does not list them online; I'll do my best to recite them. I had the Pirate's Float or something like that and it was the favorite of most. I can't exactly remember what it was, but I remember it had some kind of rootbeer liquor, a splash of coke, and some kind of rum. This was awesome. It lasted me throughout the night as it was strong, but it didn't taste it at all. Another drink was the Bourbon Apple Manhattan, which was good. The last drink that wasn't wine, that I can recall was the Southern Hospitality, which was really fruity and girly, but exactly what she wanted. For dinner, a couple people ordered the fried shrimp (you pick a side) which looked amazing and from what I was told, tasted amazing. 14 massive shrimps! They looked great. Grilled Jumbo Sea Scallops or Diver Scallops (salad) were ordered and they were indeed jumbo. Another dish with a happy customer. Mahi (with a side) was ordered and that plate was licked clean before anyone else was offered a bite, so I will take a venture and say that this was another dish well enjoyed. I had the Coconut Curry Chicken (also available with shrimp) (with a salad) and this was goooood! I enjoy spicy food and was afraid that this was going to let me down and be another dish at another restaurant where they're afraid to spice the food. Wrong! This was awesome! The taste was wonderful and everyone that tasted it, really enjoyed it. I will caution, that if you do not enjoy spicy food, eating more than a forkful may be challenging. Crab cakes were also enjoyed by someone for dinner (aforementioned appetizer) and they were pleased with those (comes with a side). The last meal was the Shrimp and Lobster Risotto (salad) and everything here was cooked to perfection and the risotto was very tasty. Most people that received sides took fries and they were tasty with a nice golden brown color. Rice pilaf was ordered and that received no complaints and my only complaint was that I didn't even get offered any! Safe to say that was good... Spicy cheese grits were ordered and I heard they were spicy, but after a couple bites of ,y coconut curry chicken, I wasn't going to taste a little spice in the grits (which are just gross anyways... grits?? eww...) For salads you had a choice of house, caesar, or greek. The caesar was good, but a little heavy on dressing for my taste. A request was made for anchovies (not by me, again, gross!) and they were delivered promptly by Lefty Laura! One greek salad was ordered and it was "delish". 1 small dessert was provided for a birthday boy at no charge - a brownie with vanilla ice cream. The ice cream was good, but the brownie was a tad bit burned. My only complaint would be that there was live music, which is something I can do without at pretty much every restaurant, and I try to run away and hide in an area where I don't have to shout at the person across from me. This was on a Friday night and the people at the bar were all turned to hear the musicians. I paid absolutely zero attention to the performers throughout dinner, but noticed that the volume level in the restaurant elevated in our room as everyone tried to be heard. Obviously, based on my review, this is not something that should turn you away from the restaurant, but something I felt that should be noted. Overall, all of the food was amazing, our drinks were great, and the service Lefty Laura (she's a lefty if you couldn't figure that one out - we had a few lefties at the table) provided us made for a perfect night.
(5)
E B.
Step back to the 80s for really bad decor and even worse food. This place can only be open due to it's ocean front setting; which by the way has very little actual ocean front dining. If you are driving up A1A and think "what a great location to grab a bite to eat " ; I highly recomend you keep driving .
(1)
Robert A.
Stopped at The Reef on our way back from St. Augustine to Jacksonville Beach. The restaurant offers nice ocean views. The service was excellent. Iced tea and soda refills are on the house. The crab cake entree was delicious, accompanied by rice pilaf and a fresh vegetable. Their desserts are homemade and very good. Had the key lime pie, served with a dallop of whip cream. Yum. Definitely recommend.
(4)
Brian D.
So I took the family to The Reef for Easter Brunch. I've heard a lot about The Reef and thought it would be a great place to share a holiday. I made the reservation about a month in advance with no issues. They called a few days before to confirm. So far no issues. We arrived on Easter around 1:30 and found the parking lot packed but we were able to get a spot. Walked in and found a short line waiting for their tables. I met with the hostess and she told me that our table would be ready in a couple of minutes. She said that our table would be upstairs. Since this was Easter Brunch, I saw the food display on the main floor. I asked her if there was a similar station upstairs. Short answer is no. No tables available downstairs. She tried to reassure me that the views from upstairs more than made up for it. In a couple of minutes we were escorted to our table. We did have a great view... of a wall. I asked our waitress if we could move and she worked it out. Still not a great view, but we weren't looking at a blank wall. The place overlooks the Atlantic. We could see it from upstairs, but barely. So here we are upstairs with a lot of other people and we all need to navigate the stairs. Not that big of an issue - just wish they would have mentioned it when I made reservations. My wife wouldn't have worn heels! I would have also told my daughters to wear flats too. Regarding the food. It was OK for a brunch. I wouldn't rank the food that high compared to many other brunches that I've been to. Mostly typical fare... Crab legs, peel & eat shrimp, prime rib, salads, etc.. Not a lot of diversity. Most of it was decent. For the downside... - Plates were hard to come by. They had a hard time keeping up. - The waitress seemed preoccupied. Trying to get refills of sodas was difficult. - The bus staff didn't seem to want to clear plates. Maybe that's the mystery of the lack of plates. Crab legs were a bit too salty for my taste. - The people that worked the stations often disappeared for a while. Normally I wouldn't post a bad review on a single trip to a restaurant. But I also reached out the general manager of the restaurant later that night. A week later and I still haven't heard from him. I wouldn't go back for a holiday, but may consider it for a different trip. I would need to be reassured that I would be sitting downstairs.
(2)
Danny N.
Never ending Mimosas and beautiful view. Wow!! Amazing place.
(5)
Jeff B.
The restaurant is located on ocean and has a great view. The food was very good. Our party of four each had a different seafood-based meal. My wife and I are from central Texas, so we don't know much about fresh seafood, but our dinner guests were from Florida, and they were impressed with their meals. My wife and I were quite pleased with ours as well. And for dessert, we had an orange cheesecake, which had a taste reminiscent of an orange creamcicle (a good thing!).
aug 18 2013 My hubby and I found this plae by just riding by. On the ocean we gotta try it. Glad we did the view was terrific and the food was good too. I had the fried shrimp green beans and rice. My hubby had the Jambalia. he loved his full of flavor and plenty to fill a hungry guy. Mine was pretty good shrimp were juicy and lightly fried nothing overdone. simple flavors and lightly breaded too. staff was friendly and service was great. now i must say we got there just as the kitchen opened for dinner so it was not crowded. we would recommend this place. They had some pricey items on the menu but all in all app dinner and drinks under 60.00.
(4)
Larry D.
Our party of three dined at The Reef on New Year's Eve (12/31/12) and were disappointed with the quality, treatment and temperature of the food. Although we enjoyed the view and our food server's attentiveness, the kitchen appeared to be "off its game" in serving cold and dry grilled fish, cold and overcooked vegetables, and "pedestrian" salad that seemed to come out of a grocery store bag.
(1)
M. P.
Once again, Yelp comes through for this fat guy. Never been to this area of Florida before and needed some chow. Look up Seafood on Yelp and boom! Up pops Reef. Beautiful location. Oddly enough, with the place half full, we had to wait to "allow the servers to catch up" before being seated. A little strange...perhaps they got swamped and were understaffed earlier in the day. I'll give them a pass for that as the large fish tank in the lobby and talking to some real nice folks that were also waiting kept my interest up for the 10 minutes or so I had to wait. Food wise - Oh Boy! This was OUTSTANDING! The Grouper was well cooked and the sauce was to die for. Green beans seemed a bit overcooked but I dipped them in more of that tomato cream based sauce on the fish and I was good to go. Rice Pilaf was also served. All outstanding. Fried green tomatoes started off the meal and were well done. Nice sauce on them as well. I'll be back before returning home and if I ever find myself here again.
(5)
Dave M.
We had a good meal at the Sunday brunch. Pricey, but they don't stop the champagne and/or mimosas and fill your glass pretty quick!
(3)
Annika A.
Came here for brunch and all I have to say is wow! This place is amazing! The food and service all of it!!! Oh and never ending mimosas and crab legs at brunch?? Yes please!!
(5)
Greg C.
Excellent location and terrific food
(4)
Andrew L.
Over priced, not fresh, overcooked fish, all in all a bad experience. Wouldn't go back if you paid me. I could go on but I'm trying to forget that I just wasted over 100 bucks on the worst meal I've had in recent memory.
(1)
Fran E.
Dinner for eight guests was wonderful. I had the best crab cake as an appetizer! It was perfectly prepared and the crab had little filler and huge pieces of lump crab. Everyone raved about their dinner and the service was outstanding. The ocean view is wonderful, the staff welcoming, friendly and very efficient. I asked for a wine suggestion for my meal and they were spot-on. We gave the experience a 10.
(4)
Betty J.
I think this place is great! I have been here twice while visiting local friends. I do not remember what I had the first time besides the conch fritters and wine....but the view was awesome and so was the service! This last time we had Fried Green Tomatoes & I had the crab cake sandwich for lunch, my friend had grilled salmon sandwich and her husband had a chicken wrap. We all enjoyed our lunch and with the view had no complaints!
(5)
Megan T.
Really enjoyed my time here with friends the other week. They were very accommodating to my friend's dog and gave us a beautiful patio table overlooking the water (or what you can see of it). Staff was very prompt and polite as well. The food seemed a bit over priced for what it is...though it tasted excellent. We enjoyed the fried green tomatoes as an appetizer and really enjoyed them. I ordered the crab cakes and was not disappointed. Probably would not get grits as my side again, they were not bad but I dont care much for plain grits so thats on me. Great atmosphere and plan to go back!
(4)
Leah I.
Perhaps it's all a matter of circumstance, but my mom and I stopped in here on the way home from a day in downtown St. Aug, and both of us found this place to be perfection. I admit the initial approach of the service was questionable, but the server quickly warmed up and ended up being super friendly and perfectly attentive. I had crab legs, which weren't on the menu, but it wasn't a problem to order and my mom chose the surf and turf. Everything we ordered tasted fresh and delicious. We had absolutely no complaints about The Reef at all!
(4)
Lonna G.
Really hated this place... My bf & I decided to stop here for drinks & appies...we were mainly lured by the ocean view.. Anyhow, ended up ordering the Prime Rib Stuffed Mushrooms & Crab cakes... The Prime Rib Stuffed Mushrooms consisted of 2 small mushroom caps with a small amount of what looked to be ground beef inside and a herb cream cheese topping...this dish was weird because I was expecting the typical juicy, oozing, piping hot mushrooms and a savory sorta taste...these were served cold with some weird gravy like brown sauce which tasted like gravy mix from the local grocer..horrible! I thought it was interesting a previous reviewer said their mushroom soup tasted like Campbell's...it may just be that this restaurant is not preparing from scratch and these are quick store-bought concoctions priced entirely too high for the blatant lack of quality. As for the Crab cakes, they were edible, but nothing special. Make sure you don't order appies here intended to share because the portions are sooo small it's barely enough for one person.\ The service was average I suppose but I got weird vibes from all the wait staff which I won't go into details about here, needless to say I absolutely will NOT be back.
(1)
Bernini Z.
Me and the girl stopped alongside the beach in the middle of nowhere and found The Reef. We had drinks and apps before jumping in the ocean. It was Happy Hour during the week. It was great. Great drinks, a good basic wine-by-the-glass and seared crusted tuna that was perfect. the mussels disgustingly rich and delicious and a scallop tostado that rocked too. All local fare here which shined. Loved it. It's on the sand. Will come back but sure it won't live up to it for a full meal, but we're fans. The dude that took care of the bar and waited on us looked like he was one of the Beach Boys and was very cool. Girls there were cute and polite. My girl loved it.
(3)
Laura H.
I've been to The Reef twice, both times for their fabulous brunch buffet. I can't decide if I like the food, the service or the view best, as they are all exceptional!
(4)
Stephen K.
Outside on the patio, overlooking the ocean, sea breeze on your face, you know it's going to be a great lunch even before you look at the menu. You are coming here for the location (that's view plus seaside sounds, smells, and wind) so make the most of it: sit outside under the umbrellas. Regarding the food, it was simple and forgettable, but not unpleasant. I ate it, it filled me up, and it didn't interfere with the view. I count that as a success.
(4)
Nanda P.
Excellent service, food and view! - Our waiter, James, recommended the mussels appetizer, and it was AMAZING! After eating the mussels, we saved the bowl of sauce to dip our fries in... heavenly! - All of the staff seemed very friendly and happy to serve. - We had fish sandwiches which were very fresh and tasty. - Can't beat lunch with a view of the ocean and dolphins playing on the horizon.
(4)
Chris F.
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!
(2)
Marley G.
Excellent Sunday buffet. Lots of food choices and I do believe they lost money on us from the amount of snow crab legs we ate. We had a great table on the balcony, but our server seemed to lose interest in us. We had plates of crab shells on the table and eventually the manager came out and said, "this isn't right" and took them away. It's pricey, but if you're there for a special occasion (we went for Father's Day), the view is worth it and the relaxing environment is very nice.
(3)
Connie W.
I used to go to The Reef before I moved to NC and loved it. The food wasn't always perfection but close enough and consistent. They had a good brunch too! Now that I am back, tried them again and have to say that I am still impressed and happy to know they have survived the years. The decor is laid back, upscale beachy and the atmosphere matches it. They do have outdoor seating but with the floor to ceiling windows overlooking the ocean, why brave the elements? All the beauty, none of the bugs! On my last visit I had a wonderful merlot (can't remember the vineyard) and a Seared Tuna appetizer that was very good and enough to fill me. I got to meet the manager and had great conversations with the bartenders. I will definitely go back when I am down that way!
(5)
Amber Leila E.
Great view...average food...lettuce in my salad was slightly crowned on the edges which is a pet peeve for me. Fresh bread is delicious and wait staff is vey nice
(3)
Ashley H.
My husband and I went here for dinner on 3/27. We had a late lunch and so we decided on a late dinner, around 8 PM. We knew we wouldn't get a view since the sun went down, but I was looking forward to the food. When we arrived, we were a little concerned about the lack of cars in the parking lot, hoping it didn't mean bad food or something. We walked inside and the hostess sat us right away. But I was really confused because she took us all the way through the restaurant to a room that had people in it that were finishing up a meal. Everywhere else in the place was empty. By now I am really wondering what is going on. It never even crossed my mind that this place closed at 9 until we looked it up on the iPhone. I guess the hostess took us to this spot because she didn't want the other rooms to get messed up. Our waiter was a very nice man with a possible Dutch accent, and we ordered our drinks and meals. I loved my Dutch apple martini. While we waited on our food, the other customers wrapped up and left. We were very quickly the only customers left in the whole place. My husband got a Seafood trio and I ordered the risotto. The risotto was huge! Both tasted very good, although not as good as we were expecting. Not that it was bad, it just seemed to be lacking something. I can't quite put my finger on it. The thing that really put me off of this place was the attitudes of everyone except our server. Our server really seemed happy that we were there. While not very attentive, he did make an effort to be friendly. Everyone else that came through the room slanted looks and frowned at us which made us feel like we were messing up closing time and needed to rush. After about 5 minutes of just us in the room, staff came into the room and started to dress it for the next day. They moved tables and chairs around, set all the place settings, and generally made a racket. All the while, they kept looking over at us as if to judge how much longer we would be in their way. In addition, we could clearly here the kitchen closing down and the staff laughing and joking around, pots and pans sounding extra loud in the empty restaurant. There was no way I was going to order another drink (which I actually wanted because it tasted so good) or a dessert. Who knows if the staff would spit in it or something because they were mad at us for delaying closing. I felt unwelcome and a little bit like a goldfish in a bowl. Unfortunately I do not think I will return here, even for a good view. There are plenty of places with a good view, and better food and staff.
(2)
Ann R.
The view, location on the beach, the food, and service was great. We had a dedicated server who did his job so well, had delicious food, and enjoyed it all. Keep up the good work. I will come back again when I go back to visit there in Florida.
(5)
beth S.
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.
(2)
Richard P.
Service was marginal and meals were about the same.
(3)
Dave L.
Awesome atmosphere and spectacular view of the Atlantic. Unfortunately thats where the tale ends...food was ok, but forgettable. I don't remember what I had...see, as I said forgettable. Beer was cold so along with the view...it was all good.
(3)
Tyler T.
Food was decent but terrible service. No paper coasters so if seated outside be prepared for water from condensation to be all over table. Also waitress spilled glass of water on phone and never apologized. Waited a good 45 minutes for food to come and then order was not correct.
(2)
Kathleen S.
I firmly believe that if this place didn't have such a magnificent location, no one would come. This was my second visit, which served only to reinforce my opinions from the first. We walked in at 4.20 for our 4.30 reservation (so we could still get in some golf) and were told that we couldn't be seated until exactly 4.30 and to wait at the bar. Then we were told that was a mistake. Okay. My mom ordered a drink with Absolut Pepar (sp) and was brought one and told "We ran out so there's only a couple drops" and that they used a substitute for the rest. Where I come from, you ask if the person still wants the drink before you do that. No cappucinos. I"m sorry, but that just says you dont care in my opinion. Had the shrimp/lobster risotto. Way too heavy on the cream but pretty good. I dont know, there's a just a whole apathetic, borderline annoyed vibe here.
(2)
Sabine M.
Stopped mid afternoon and had a few drinks and appetizers. The food was excellent. The Service was good. Met the Manager, Really nice gentleman. Wanted to go back for a proper dinner, but never got around to it! The view is amazing.
(4)
Sue D.
This was my second visit to The Reef. It is such a wonderful view of the ocean. It's like, ocean, sand, restaurant. Lots of windows, even in the bar area. We arrived around 5 pm with my 80+ year old parents for their anniversary dinner. My mom loves the beach so this was a great choice. We had a table by window, it was so pretty. We started with appetizers, coconut shrimp and stuffed mushrooms. Both got rave reviews from the gang. For my entree, I got the small order of crab cakes, and there was plenty of crab meat, not much filler. The side veggies were fresh and crisp. I think we all enjoyed our meals, scallops over pasta, fried shrimp. No one left hungry. But the bonus was that since it was so early in the evening, the appetizers were half price (happy hour) and most of the drinks were discounted, except for the 7 & 7. Is that the new cosmo? Anyway, we had a great time. And we are planning to return for more happiness.
(4)
Bart A.
Had Dinner at the Reef for a special occasion and it didnt dissapoint. The view was spectacular. The service was very good. I had a prime rib which was great. My dad had Mussels and My Mom had a piece of Broiled Fish all good choices. The Bar drinks were good. cannot comment on desert.
(4)
Aubrey M.
Great place for happy hour: fabulous appetizers and cheap drinks (I recommend their house IPA). The reviewer below said she didn't like the stuffed mushrooms, but I gotta say, I thought they were delicious! Friendly staff, quick service and decent prices -- what more could you ask for?
(4)
Caity W.
Having been recently, forcefully transplanted from California's Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast of northern Florida, we have been anxious to start exploring the local restaurants, looking forward to finding new favorites. Our first endeavor was not a success. We have been driving past this restaurant at least twice a day for the past week . It is perched right on the water, but, conveniently also right on the coastal highway, and less than a two mile drive from our new, beautiful abode. (There is nothing else that is zoned commercial that close. But we are so surrounded by gorgeous nature, waterways, ocean and wildlife...we don't mind the drive(s).) Our first opportunity arose last night and we headed out in the direction of the town of St. Augustine but The Reef on the water looked so enticing as we drove by, and the parking lot had just a few cars (generally not a good sign) that we decided to swing in. First impressions, warm, nautical, festively decorated for Christmas. I loved the wreaths with the sea shells and made a mental note to make a copy this week. Hostess asked if we had reservations, although there was only one table seated with a few people at the bar. (It WAS early - about 6:00). Since we had no res., we got a table away from the window and view, but overlooking those empty tables. Our server seemed just a bit annoyed that our presence had interrupted whatever it was that he had better to do...maybe they have video games in the kitchen? But he did do his job in a timely manner and seemed to warm up to us after a while. My 13 year old son was excited to see "fried crisp"calamari on the appetizer menu. He needn't have been. It was not - it was rubbery. Husband ordered the beef mushroom soup. It was too salty to eat - it may have been Campbells with added salt. House salad was "meh". Both husband and son ordered the prime rib and I ordered "Salmon Maria, a Parmesan and dill dusted salmon steak served with zesty cucumber dill sauce". It was not dusted, it was encrusted, and more crust flavored than salmon. Prime rib was described as - "okay - not bad". We all got the same over boiled, tasteless broccoli and cauliflower (no choice here). I did not detect any garlic in the garlic mashed potatoes. However, I know they were at least not "instant" as there were lumps of real potato in there. All in all, not horrible. But we will not rush back. I think this is a place that may be good in the warmer weather for happy hour on the outdoor deck - to enjoy the great view and a glass of wine. Not a place to savor an excellent meal.
(2)
Leigh Anne R.
My husband and I were in St. Augustine for a wedding and wanted to find a restaurant on the beach. If you are looking for a view, they have it but not much else was enjoyable. My "fresh fish" of the day was definitely frozen before it was overcooked and served with rubbery green beans. My husband had to spend 15 minutes cutting all of the excessive fat from his steak sandwich before he could eat it. Would definitely not recommend to a friend.
(1)
James R.
I really like the idea of this restaurant. Right on the water, with a giant patio outside, and plenty of big windows if you don't want to risk sand blowing in your hair. The food was A-OK, but nothing special. I particularly enjoyed this restaurant. Good for a group, or a nice date location. Give it a shot, it's not too far south of Ponte Vedra.
(3)
Barbara S.
Great view. The appetizers were spotty in quality. Our fresh catch was perfectly cooked! But the steak ordered medium rare arrived cooked medium. Good service considering we ordered dinner in the bar.
(3)
Bree D.
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.
(1)
Mike S.
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.
(1)
Jon M.
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.
(4)
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Address :4100 Coastal Hwy
Saint Augustine, FL, 32084
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : No Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Brunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Touristy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Megan T.
Really enjoyed my time here with friends the other week. They were very accommodating to my friend's dog and gave us a beautiful patio table overlooking the water (or what you can see of it). Staff was very prompt and polite as well. The food seemed a bit over priced for what it is...though it tasted excellent. We enjoyed the fried green tomatoes as an appetizer and really enjoyed them. I ordered the crab cakes and was not disappointed. Probably would not get grits as my side again, they were not bad but I dont care much for plain grits so thats on me. Great atmosphere and plan to go back!
(4)Leah I.
Perhaps it's all a matter of circumstance, but my mom and I stopped in here on the way home from a day in downtown St. Aug, and both of us found this place to be perfection. I admit the initial approach of the service was questionable, but the server quickly warmed up and ended up being super friendly and perfectly attentive. I had crab legs, which weren't on the menu, but it wasn't a problem to order and my mom chose the surf and turf. Everything we ordered tasted fresh and delicious. We had absolutely no complaints about The Reef at all!
(4)Lonna G.
Really hated this place... My bf & I decided to stop here for drinks & appies...we were mainly lured by the ocean view.. Anyhow, ended up ordering the Prime Rib Stuffed Mushrooms & Crab cakes... The Prime Rib Stuffed Mushrooms consisted of 2 small mushroom caps with a small amount of what looked to be ground beef inside and a herb cream cheese topping...this dish was weird because I was expecting the typical juicy, oozing, piping hot mushrooms and a savory sorta taste...these were served cold with some weird gravy like brown sauce which tasted like gravy mix from the local grocer..horrible! I thought it was interesting a previous reviewer said their mushroom soup tasted like Campbell's...it may just be that this restaurant is not preparing from scratch and these are quick store-bought concoctions priced entirely too high for the blatant lack of quality. As for the Crab cakes, they were edible, but nothing special. Make sure you don't order appies here intended to share because the portions are sooo small it's barely enough for one person.\ The service was average I suppose but I got weird vibes from all the wait staff which I won't go into details about here, needless to say I absolutely will NOT be back.
(1)Bernini Z.
Me and the girl stopped alongside the beach in the middle of nowhere and found The Reef. We had drinks and apps before jumping in the ocean. It was Happy Hour during the week. It was great. Great drinks, a good basic wine-by-the-glass and seared crusted tuna that was perfect. the mussels disgustingly rich and delicious and a scallop tostado that rocked too. All local fare here which shined. Loved it. It's on the sand. Will come back but sure it won't live up to it for a full meal, but we're fans. The dude that took care of the bar and waited on us looked like he was one of the Beach Boys and was very cool. Girls there were cute and polite. My girl loved it.
(3)Laura H.
I've been to The Reef twice, both times for their fabulous brunch buffet. I can't decide if I like the food, the service or the view best, as they are all exceptional!
(4)Stephen K.
Outside on the patio, overlooking the ocean, sea breeze on your face, you know it's going to be a great lunch even before you look at the menu. You are coming here for the location (that's view plus seaside sounds, smells, and wind) so make the most of it: sit outside under the umbrellas. Regarding the food, it was simple and forgettable, but not unpleasant. I ate it, it filled me up, and it didn't interfere with the view. I count that as a success.
(4)Nanda P.
Excellent service, food and view! - Our waiter, James, recommended the mussels appetizer, and it was AMAZING! After eating the mussels, we saved the bowl of sauce to dip our fries in... heavenly! - All of the staff seemed very friendly and happy to serve. - We had fish sandwiches which were very fresh and tasty. - Can't beat lunch with a view of the ocean and dolphins playing on the horizon.
(4)Chris F.
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!
(2)Marley G.
Excellent Sunday buffet. Lots of food choices and I do believe they lost money on us from the amount of snow crab legs we ate. We had a great table on the balcony, but our server seemed to lose interest in us. We had plates of crab shells on the table and eventually the manager came out and said, "this isn't right" and took them away. It's pricey, but if you're there for a special occasion (we went for Father's Day), the view is worth it and the relaxing environment is very nice.
(3)Connie W.
I used to go to The Reef before I moved to NC and loved it. The food wasn't always perfection but close enough and consistent. They had a good brunch too! Now that I am back, tried them again and have to say that I am still impressed and happy to know they have survived the years. The decor is laid back, upscale beachy and the atmosphere matches it. They do have outdoor seating but with the floor to ceiling windows overlooking the ocean, why brave the elements? All the beauty, none of the bugs! On my last visit I had a wonderful merlot (can't remember the vineyard) and a Seared Tuna appetizer that was very good and enough to fill me. I got to meet the manager and had great conversations with the bartenders. I will definitely go back when I am down that way!
(5)Amber Leila E.
Great view...average food...lettuce in my salad was slightly crowned on the edges which is a pet peeve for me. Fresh bread is delicious and wait staff is vey nice
(3)Ashley H.
My husband and I went here for dinner on 3/27. We had a late lunch and so we decided on a late dinner, around 8 PM. We knew we wouldn't get a view since the sun went down, but I was looking forward to the food. When we arrived, we were a little concerned about the lack of cars in the parking lot, hoping it didn't mean bad food or something. We walked inside and the hostess sat us right away. But I was really confused because she took us all the way through the restaurant to a room that had people in it that were finishing up a meal. Everywhere else in the place was empty. By now I am really wondering what is going on. It never even crossed my mind that this place closed at 9 until we looked it up on the iPhone. I guess the hostess took us to this spot because she didn't want the other rooms to get messed up. Our waiter was a very nice man with a possible Dutch accent, and we ordered our drinks and meals. I loved my Dutch apple martini. While we waited on our food, the other customers wrapped up and left. We were very quickly the only customers left in the whole place. My husband got a Seafood trio and I ordered the risotto. The risotto was huge! Both tasted very good, although not as good as we were expecting. Not that it was bad, it just seemed to be lacking something. I can't quite put my finger on it. The thing that really put me off of this place was the attitudes of everyone except our server. Our server really seemed happy that we were there. While not very attentive, he did make an effort to be friendly. Everyone else that came through the room slanted looks and frowned at us which made us feel like we were messing up closing time and needed to rush. After about 5 minutes of just us in the room, staff came into the room and started to dress it for the next day. They moved tables and chairs around, set all the place settings, and generally made a racket. All the while, they kept looking over at us as if to judge how much longer we would be in their way. In addition, we could clearly here the kitchen closing down and the staff laughing and joking around, pots and pans sounding extra loud in the empty restaurant. There was no way I was going to order another drink (which I actually wanted because it tasted so good) or a dessert. Who knows if the staff would spit in it or something because they were mad at us for delaying closing. I felt unwelcome and a little bit like a goldfish in a bowl. Unfortunately I do not think I will return here, even for a good view. There are plenty of places with a good view, and better food and staff.
(2)Ann R.
The view, location on the beach, the food, and service was great. We had a dedicated server who did his job so well, had delicious food, and enjoyed it all. Keep up the good work. I will come back again when I go back to visit there in Florida.
(5)beth S.
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.
(2)Richard P.
Service was marginal and meals were about the same.
(3)Dave L.
Awesome atmosphere and spectacular view of the Atlantic. Unfortunately thats where the tale ends...food was ok, but forgettable. I don't remember what I had...see, as I said forgettable. Beer was cold so along with the view...it was all good.
(3)Tyler T.
Food was decent but terrible service. No paper coasters so if seated outside be prepared for water from condensation to be all over table. Also waitress spilled glass of water on phone and never apologized. Waited a good 45 minutes for food to come and then order was not correct.
(2)Kathleen S.
I firmly believe that if this place didn't have such a magnificent location, no one would come. This was my second visit, which served only to reinforce my opinions from the first. We walked in at 4.20 for our 4.30 reservation (so we could still get in some golf) and were told that we couldn't be seated until exactly 4.30 and to wait at the bar. Then we were told that was a mistake. Okay. My mom ordered a drink with Absolut Pepar (sp) and was brought one and told "We ran out so there's only a couple drops" and that they used a substitute for the rest. Where I come from, you ask if the person still wants the drink before you do that. No cappucinos. I"m sorry, but that just says you dont care in my opinion. Had the shrimp/lobster risotto. Way too heavy on the cream but pretty good. I dont know, there's a just a whole apathetic, borderline annoyed vibe here.
(2)Sabine M.
Stopped mid afternoon and had a few drinks and appetizers. The food was excellent. The Service was good. Met the Manager, Really nice gentleman. Wanted to go back for a proper dinner, but never got around to it! The view is amazing.
(4)Sue D.
This was my second visit to The Reef. It is such a wonderful view of the ocean. It's like, ocean, sand, restaurant. Lots of windows, even in the bar area. We arrived around 5 pm with my 80+ year old parents for their anniversary dinner. My mom loves the beach so this was a great choice. We had a table by window, it was so pretty. We started with appetizers, coconut shrimp and stuffed mushrooms. Both got rave reviews from the gang. For my entree, I got the small order of crab cakes, and there was plenty of crab meat, not much filler. The side veggies were fresh and crisp. I think we all enjoyed our meals, scallops over pasta, fried shrimp. No one left hungry. But the bonus was that since it was so early in the evening, the appetizers were half price (happy hour) and most of the drinks were discounted, except for the 7 & 7. Is that the new cosmo? Anyway, we had a great time. And we are planning to return for more happiness.
(4)Bart A.
Had Dinner at the Reef for a special occasion and it didnt dissapoint. The view was spectacular. The service was very good. I had a prime rib which was great. My dad had Mussels and My Mom had a piece of Broiled Fish all good choices. The Bar drinks were good. cannot comment on desert.
(4)Aubrey M.
Great place for happy hour: fabulous appetizers and cheap drinks (I recommend their house IPA). The reviewer below said she didn't like the stuffed mushrooms, but I gotta say, I thought they were delicious! Friendly staff, quick service and decent prices -- what more could you ask for?
(4)Caity W.
Having been recently, forcefully transplanted from California's Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast of northern Florida, we have been anxious to start exploring the local restaurants, looking forward to finding new favorites. Our first endeavor was not a success. We have been driving past this restaurant at least twice a day for the past week . It is perched right on the water, but, conveniently also right on the coastal highway, and less than a two mile drive from our new, beautiful abode. (There is nothing else that is zoned commercial that close. But we are so surrounded by gorgeous nature, waterways, ocean and wildlife...we don't mind the drive(s).) Our first opportunity arose last night and we headed out in the direction of the town of St. Augustine but The Reef on the water looked so enticing as we drove by, and the parking lot had just a few cars (generally not a good sign) that we decided to swing in. First impressions, warm, nautical, festively decorated for Christmas. I loved the wreaths with the sea shells and made a mental note to make a copy this week. Hostess asked if we had reservations, although there was only one table seated with a few people at the bar. (It WAS early - about 6:00). Since we had no res., we got a table away from the window and view, but overlooking those empty tables. Our server seemed just a bit annoyed that our presence had interrupted whatever it was that he had better to do...maybe they have video games in the kitchen? But he did do his job in a timely manner and seemed to warm up to us after a while. My 13 year old son was excited to see "fried crisp"calamari on the appetizer menu. He needn't have been. It was not - it was rubbery. Husband ordered the beef mushroom soup. It was too salty to eat - it may have been Campbells with added salt. House salad was "meh". Both husband and son ordered the prime rib and I ordered "Salmon Maria, a Parmesan and dill dusted salmon steak served with zesty cucumber dill sauce". It was not dusted, it was encrusted, and more crust flavored than salmon. Prime rib was described as - "okay - not bad". We all got the same over boiled, tasteless broccoli and cauliflower (no choice here). I did not detect any garlic in the garlic mashed potatoes. However, I know they were at least not "instant" as there were lumps of real potato in there. All in all, not horrible. But we will not rush back. I think this is a place that may be good in the warmer weather for happy hour on the outdoor deck - to enjoy the great view and a glass of wine. Not a place to savor an excellent meal.
(2)Leigh Anne R.
My husband and I were in St. Augustine for a wedding and wanted to find a restaurant on the beach. If you are looking for a view, they have it but not much else was enjoyable. My "fresh fish" of the day was definitely frozen before it was overcooked and served with rubbery green beans. My husband had to spend 15 minutes cutting all of the excessive fat from his steak sandwich before he could eat it. Would definitely not recommend to a friend.
(1)James R.
I really like the idea of this restaurant. Right on the water, with a giant patio outside, and plenty of big windows if you don't want to risk sand blowing in your hair. The food was A-OK, but nothing special. I particularly enjoyed this restaurant. Good for a group, or a nice date location. Give it a shot, it's not too far south of Ponte Vedra.
(3)Barbara S.
Great view. The appetizers were spotty in quality. Our fresh catch was perfectly cooked! But the steak ordered medium rare arrived cooked medium. Good service considering we ordered dinner in the bar.
(3)Bree D.
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.
(1)Mike S.
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.
(1)Jon M.
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.
(4)Trish P.
aug 18 2013 My hubby and I found this plae by just riding by. On the ocean we gotta try it. Glad we did the view was terrific and the food was good too. I had the fried shrimp green beans and rice. My hubby had the Jambalia. he loved his full of flavor and plenty to fill a hungry guy. Mine was pretty good shrimp were juicy and lightly fried nothing overdone. simple flavors and lightly breaded too. staff was friendly and service was great. now i must say we got there just as the kitchen opened for dinner so it was not crowded. we would recommend this place. They had some pricey items on the menu but all in all app dinner and drinks under 60.00.
(4)Larry D.
Our party of three dined at The Reef on New Year's Eve (12/31/12) and were disappointed with the quality, treatment and temperature of the food. Although we enjoyed the view and our food server's attentiveness, the kitchen appeared to be "off its game" in serving cold and dry grilled fish, cold and overcooked vegetables, and "pedestrian" salad that seemed to come out of a grocery store bag.
(1)M. P.
Once again, Yelp comes through for this fat guy. Never been to this area of Florida before and needed some chow. Look up Seafood on Yelp and boom! Up pops Reef. Beautiful location. Oddly enough, with the place half full, we had to wait to "allow the servers to catch up" before being seated. A little strange...perhaps they got swamped and were understaffed earlier in the day. I'll give them a pass for that as the large fish tank in the lobby and talking to some real nice folks that were also waiting kept my interest up for the 10 minutes or so I had to wait. Food wise - Oh Boy! This was OUTSTANDING! The Grouper was well cooked and the sauce was to die for. Green beans seemed a bit overcooked but I dipped them in more of that tomato cream based sauce on the fish and I was good to go. Rice Pilaf was also served. All outstanding. Fried green tomatoes started off the meal and were well done. Nice sauce on them as well. I'll be back before returning home and if I ever find myself here again.
(5)Dave M.
We had a good meal at the Sunday brunch. Pricey, but they don't stop the champagne and/or mimosas and fill your glass pretty quick!
(3)Annika A.
Came here for brunch and all I have to say is wow! This place is amazing! The food and service all of it!!! Oh and never ending mimosas and crab legs at brunch?? Yes please!!
(5)Greg C.
Excellent location and terrific food
(4)Andrew L.
Over priced, not fresh, overcooked fish, all in all a bad experience. Wouldn't go back if you paid me. I could go on but I'm trying to forget that I just wasted over 100 bucks on the worst meal I've had in recent memory.
(1)Fran E.
Dinner for eight guests was wonderful. I had the best crab cake as an appetizer! It was perfectly prepared and the crab had little filler and huge pieces of lump crab. Everyone raved about their dinner and the service was outstanding. The ocean view is wonderful, the staff welcoming, friendly and very efficient. I asked for a wine suggestion for my meal and they were spot-on. We gave the experience a 10.
(4)Betty J.
I think this place is great! I have been here twice while visiting local friends. I do not remember what I had the first time besides the conch fritters and wine....but the view was awesome and so was the service! This last time we had Fried Green Tomatoes & I had the crab cake sandwich for lunch, my friend had grilled salmon sandwich and her husband had a chicken wrap. We all enjoyed our lunch and with the view had no complaints!
(5)Ray C.
We were driving along A1A on the way to St Augustine FL. Looking for a nice lunch stop we found the Reef. It is directly on the Atlantic and views from our table speculation. My wife had a lobster roll which she said was terrific while I had a fried Grouper sandwich and it was also great. We tried the orange cheesecake for dessert and it was just like eating a dream sickle. Prices were appropriate for the area and location. Service was excellent. Would go back in a heartbeat.
(4)Danielle F.
As a St. Augustine local, I would typically avoid touristy places such as the Reef, but my dad and several of his guests were in town and we needed a nice place to bring them. I tried the calamari and was confused as to why it was served with a Franks RedHot-esque sauce. Why would you not serve marinara?...the calamari was decent. For my meal I ordered shrimp imperial and the shrimp were a tad overcooked. The crabmeat was flavorful and the mashed potatoes were pretty delicious. The view was of course a huge draw, as the restaurant is right on the beach. Our server was very attentive and nice as well. I would probably go back if we had guests in town again.
(3)Sarah S.
I ordered the seafood trio and the flavor was good, it was a tad spicy, but otherwise good. But, for a $26 meal, I expect an actual meal. Not a tiny piece of Mahi, 2 medium shrimp, and one medium scallop. My yellow rice was flavorless and over cooked, the green beans were overcooked and everyone else in my party of 8 said their meal was either too small, overcooked or just plain gross. The view was fantastic and the decor was adorable. The lighting and acoustics, however, were terrible. It was very dark and very very loud inside. Overall, I think this place was very overpriced and I will not be returning.
(2)Ernie D.
Ended up stopping here during a downpour because I didn't want to drive any further from the place I was staying. My wife and I were seated quickly and our waitress was quick to bring our drinks and our appetizer. She even humored me as I asked her questions about the beers that they had on tap. I had the special for the night with was a rainbow trout with dill and my wife had the shrimp and grits. Large portions and the food itself was fantastic! The trout was flaky and the dill sauce was very buttery and tangy. The rice was also incredibly savory for a simple cup of rice. The total bill was a bit pricey, but we did have a lot of food. I'd certainly come back if I was looking for a special meal and didn't mind paying a bit more than I would otherwise.
(4)Jim D.
This is the best restaurant in north Florida in my opinion. Food, service, view all top notch.
(5)Mpocjt O.
Great brunch. Unlimited mimosas. Prime rib, crab legs, omelets. Great views. One of the best brunches around. Have been multiple times and will return. If you are in the area Sundays, check it out.
(4)Lisa Y.
Decided to try this restaurant because it was close to where I was staying for a fun "girl's weekend." What a mistake! The service was awful; our food arrived lukewarm and took forever. When we finally got our waiter's attention and let him know we were unhappy, he said he would send the manager over. That took so long that I finally got the manager' s attention on my own. The manager seemed annoyed that we were complaining and told us he would see what he could do. Never saw the waiter or manager again. We had to go find him AND the bill. By then our whole experience had taken about 2.5 hours and all we had really ordered was...appetizers! They did discount the bill but we were all annoyed and still kind of hungry so I don't even know what the discount was, and the manager was UGLY about it. Stay away....poor service and not great food for what they want to change.
(1)Shannon G.
Been there twice one for lunch and once for diner and both times were just ok. Lunch menu was better than the dinner but the staff was rude and always forgot to come to our table to check on us even when it wasn't busy. Great view though if you can get a table outside.
(2)Fred B.
Good drinks. Solid food. Friendly service. GREAT ocean views from their outdoor deck and dining room windows.
(4)Bryan K.
Visited here with a local couple- Great choice !! Loved Laura, our server- What a gem- Great personality, attentive and full of tips. Had the fish dip, conch fritters and ahi tuna- Awesome !! Grouper Oscar, Fried Shrimp and Chilean Sea Bass later and all fell into place. What a great view of the ocean, too. 5 stars- We loved it !!
(5)Jaime R.
Great Food And Service. The ambiance is perfect with a great water front view. Great wine selection. The white clams with Spanish chorizos are a must
(4)Chelsey S.
People, people, people. Do not let the 3.5 star fool you. The Reef is THE place to go for brunch. They provide exceptional service, unlimited mimosas, crab legs, and they're literally on the ocean. The price is a little steep, but I assure you once you go, you'll see why. If you have family visiting from out of town, make sure you check this out. They'll leave convinced you live in paradise.
(5)Ian M.
I've only been here a couple of times for the Sunday brunch. One of the best buffets. The price is not bad and the view is even better.
(5)Scooby J.
This is our second visit here and before we dont go back we always give a second chance. We wont be back, to say it nicely. We have been to so many nicer restaurants that dont charge the prices this place does. Got a scallop appetizer, cost $14.95, with only two scallops a comment was made to the waitress. She said "well we are kind of a high end restaurant" ssssooooo, that means you can charge crazy prices for mediocre food? They also charged us for bread. Joke of a restaurant.
(1)Mike V.
If location and setting are what you are looking for, this spot can't be beat. Beautiful view of the ocean. The food on the other hand is just OK with not much value.
(3)Robert R.
What a view, service and food was excellent. Sunday brunch will satisfy anyone's appetite. .
(4)Johnny M.
The grilled Mahi sandwich with lemon dill sauce was amazing! My wife doesn't usually order fish, but she loved her Haddock and chips, English style (we know - we lived there). Get a deck table with amazing ocean view. Great food. Great view. Easy on the wallet. You won't go wrong stopping here!!
(5)Spirit B.
Fabulous oceanfront view great food. Wonderful Sunday Brunch unlimited mimosas , everything is great on the brunch except for their desserts which definitely could use a over haul. Service is always good and happy hours all appetizers are 1/2 price.
(4)Andrea H.
I went here for Father's Day brunch this morning. It wasn't the best brunch I've had but it was far from the worst. One thing that it was amazing was the view---right on the ocean--absolutely gorgeous! The buffet area was really small so it was crowded. People kept bumping into each other and the lines were getting mixed up. My dad was looking forward to the Eggs Benedict since it said they had it on the website, but once there, they said they don't make it on holidays. Boooo! They had a huge hunk of meat (I think it was roast beef). I didn't get any but my other family members did and there were mixed reviews. Some liked it, my dad's slice was purely fat, and my aunt's was way too rare. Other than that, the mimosas were nice as well as the hot food (there was an omelet station, super crispy bacon (the best way!), sausage, fried fish, mashed potatoes, green beans, grits, and others). The soup was avocado which I found weird. The crab legs that I had were super salty but none of the others in my group had that problem. There was also biscuits and gravy, chilled shrimp, and cheese. For dessert there were a couple of slices to choose from in this revolving refrigerator thing but nothing to rave about. Overall, it's the view that makes this place. If you're looking for great food, I might choose elsewhere. But if you're looking for a view, then this is perfect.
(3)Joy H.
I can't even begin to explain how much we enjoyed this place. The medallions, spinach artichoke dip, Mahi Mahi tacos and green beans were all favorites at our table. All staff that we encountered were friendly, helpful and prompt. The food was delicious! Truly one of the best dining experiences I've ever had.
(5)Kelly S.
Excellent food and service! An amazing view of the ocean and beach. Sit outside or inside. Amazing drinks and appetizers! Crab cake was delicious and flavorful, the spinach and artichoke dip was cheesy and thick and came with excellent cheesy bread. The scallop tostata is excellent as well. Worth going to and experiencing! Top notch food and service. The staff is polite and accommodating.
(5)Kevin P.
Incredible food. And the environment is priceless. Great service. Clean bathrooms. Can you ask for more? Nope
(5)Cortnie R.
I'm gonna start by saying that the staff and service was great, everything else was awful! I decided to have my wedding reception at this place per recommendation of a distant friend, if I could travel back in time I would stay far, far away. I had been coordinating my event with the wedding coordinator for about a year, signed contracts, verbally agreed on things then suddenly 3 weeks before my wedding, she takes another position with a different company. I was kind of frustrated because I figured something would go wrong. But I talked to the new event coordinator and she assured me everything was fine. I had already paid for the room rental and food in full months prior and made sure that I wouldn't have to pay anything else on my wedding night. The entrees I chose were from the $36 per plate options, Caribbean jerk chicken and bronzed mahi mahi. It was to my understanding that the reason these plates were $36 is because 6% sales tax and the 20% gratuity was already added in so everything and everyone would be taken care of. I was once a server so I don't ever complain about tipping 20%. Night of the wedding, everything was going smoothly, everyone was mingling and I was getting everyone sat down so the servers could take their orders. I had paid for 50 people's entrees, only 45 showed up, no big deal, I was going to let the waiters keep it as an extra tip. When our plates got served, I had ordered the mahi and my husband ordered the chicken. My piece of mahi was about 4oz, I had about 7 squash and 4 little potatoes on my plate. The fish was so dry, I couldn't even eat it! I wasn't going to complain because I didn't want to let anything ruin my perfect day! I was letting it go. But don't forget that I'm paying $36 for a 4 oz piece of fish. The bartender comes up to my mom and asks if we were ready to pay, and my mom told them it was already taken care of and the bartender looked at her funny and said no ma'am, so my mom comes to get me and I talk to her and I tell her no, that I had already paid for everything. She goes to get her manager and she tells me that the $400 extra dollars was for sales tax and gratuity, which was supposed to already be added into each of the plates when I paid. I had made sure when I made the final deposit that I wouldn't have to pay anything else on my wedding day. I had to argue with them for an hour before they finally said I was right. I was so upset because my guests were offering to pay that money. I missed my sparkler exit, I have no pictures of my husband and I with sparklers over us because everyone had already left. If I would have known that the 6% sales tax and 20% gratuity wasn't included in the plate price then I would have paid that when I put the deposit down. I wasn't trying to get out of paying gratuity , the servers were excellent. I wanted everything to be paid for the night of the wedding so I wouldn't have to worry about money that night. So if you want to pay a lot of money for really crappy food then go right ahead. But please consider somewhere else, I wish I would have.
(1)Sofia L.
Awful. Expensive. Tasteless. It seems everthing is frozen or out of the box. I gave them one star just because they have a beautiful view.
(1)Denise P.
Please DO NOT eat here...at least not the Sunday brunch. Just went there today with dear friends and we were all looking forward to it. The view is stunning and if the food and service matched it, I would have given the place 4 stars. The plates were so dirty that after passing over two with food stuck to them, I picked up a plate that was coated with sticky syrup on the bottom. I had to find a waiter and ask him to take the plate so I would not put it down for some other unsuspecting diner to find. After washing my hands, I returned to the buffet area and could not believe how picked over the tables of food looked. I felt as if I had arrived at the end of a party, when all the food was nearly gone and the tables were trashed. The crab legs were okay, but the shrimp was DIRTY and undercooked. The fruit and cheese platters were destroyed. The potatoes were stale, dry, and flavorless. The waffles were cut in quarters and thrown into a bowl as if they were a pile of scraps. The mimosas and other champagne cocktails were watered down and flat. The fact that the waiter barely acknowledged our presence was dwarfed by the truly lousy food. The omelettes were the only protein that was decent enough to be part of a $35.00 a person brunch. I wish I had gone anywhere else. Even IHOP would have served me a better meal.
(1)Landon W.
When we pulled up to the Reef, I wasn't sure what to expect. The building is very unassuming and looks like it could be one of those all-you-can-eat buffet type joints. Well, it's not! We walked in and found ourselves inside a nice restaurant looking out over the Atlantic Ocean. There is both indoor and outdoor seating, and whether you are inside or out you still have an excellent view. The menu had some pretty good options on it, pretty standard seafood stuff. One thing that always annoys me is when a restaurant right on the ocean has seafood that is flown in from somewhere else, thereby no fresher than I can get at my home which is no where near the coast. This place had a few such items, but it also had some fresh fish. Opting for a flown-in dish, I got the scallops - from New England - and there were really good. They were large, perfectly tender, and tasty. They came with something green and a bowl of delicious grits. My wife got the salmon which was also really good, and another person in our party got the grouper which was fresh and tasy. I can't go with 5 stars, this place was not on that level. But a good solid 4 based on my experience at the Reef.
(4)Blueridge G.
Food is good. Service is excellent. Price is a little too much. View is what you are paying extra for.
(3)Janelle L.
2 and 1/2 hours before food gets here. This restaurant couldn't be worse. I'm not sure if it's this town or this restaurant but they were short staffed and low on accommodations. Beautiful scenery but terrible wait time and accommodations. Management need to get act together....it's a Tuesday for crying out loud and it shouldn't be this difficult to get a meal without going into town or chain. Got here at 6:30 and we're still waiting on food at 8:30. Stupid us coming here with kids thinking we could get decent meal and service. Seafood trio...one scallop, 2 shrimp and a small piece of Mahi...hardly a trio.
(2)Reg P.
Great food and atmosphere. The Datil shrimp on Datil cheese grits were fantastic! Sat in the bar at a high top with a great view.
(5)Esther K.
The food was pretty good, and the view from the outside patio was pretty. They also let our dog sit with us on the deck outside while we ate, so that was nice as well. Overall I had a pretty good experience here.
(4)Lisa O.
Dreadful, awful food, bad service and very cheap wine list.
(1)James C.
Brunch is great. Beach view is one of the best you will find!! Service is above average.
(4)Bob M.
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!
(2)Amanda D.
I was disappointed. The location is stunning. We came without a reservation on a Saturday, party of 6, including kids. We were initially told we'd have to wait an hour but were seated within 5 minutes, which was a pleasant surprise. We had to wait more than 10 minutes to see the waitress, and then longer afterwards for our beverages. This trend continued throughout the meal. The menu had all of the stuffy traditional seafood favorites you would expect to see. From a menu in the 80s. Still, we were hungry and the pace had a decent crowd, so we persevered. The calamari appetizer was bland at best, nothing different or interesting about it. It didn't get better. The Filet had no searing. The shrimp were small and overcooked. It was all pricey. We won't be back, at least nor for the food.
(2)Jonathan S.
Only writing a negative review because this is the second time they served me rotten lobster tail. We LOVE the lobster and shrimp risotto, or used to i should say. The view is awesome, service is good, guess the kitchen staff and management can't distinguish between fresh and foul. The last bad ones were so foul we could smell it as soon as it was placed on the table. At least they are happy to bring a truly fresh and tasty one when you reject the first one.
(1)Paul L.
We ordered soup and starters tonight with a fine glass of Oregon Pinot Noir. The service was up to my expectations and the variety of food was fantastic. The menu favors sea food with their own special touched
(5)Morgan H.
The views for brunch at The Reef were gorgeous and the food was delicious, but the reason I' m not giving them more stars is simply because of their service. The server for my party of 5, came to the table and asked to see all of our Id's before we'd even began ordering cocktails, some of us weren't even drinking so it was extremely presumptuous and he was rather rude in his general demeanor overall. I would return for brunch again but for the price you pay I would expect nicer service next time.
(3)Ann L.
We came here for lunch today after a referral from a friend, The food was just ok. The location was outstanding, I think this restaurant is overpriced and over rated, save your money. BigvinnieNJ
(2)Isaac W.
This restaurant is simply amazing. When I arrived the hostess was chill and she let me choose an outside table where I wanted the view of the beach. The decor is modern and sleek with a perfect beach breeze. The selection of food is great and not that expensive, well I was eating by myself. The coconut shrimp is the best I ever had with an awesome mango sauce vinaigrette. All the servers were on time and seemed really sincere. I felt like I was at a resort and one of the servers even had a British accent which made me feel like a spoiled little brat I'm coming back. :D
(5)Jacqueline S.
This restaurant has good food, friendly staff and great ocean views and seating. The scallops are cooked to perfection with loads of flavor. A great find!!
(5)Bill E.
Recommended by hotel. Nice location on the beach. When you walk in there are numerous awards on the wall. Very disappointed with the experience. Had to ask waitress for a clean glass. Bread plates where also dirty. Windows looking out at ocean were filthy with bird droppings all over them. Appears that they haven't been cleaned in some time. The food wasn't very good for the prices we paid. My tuna was over cooked and the vegetables were also over cooked and mushy. Same for the saffron rice. The only positive was that the wait staff was very good. For all the hipe and prices you would have expected gormet food and clean dining room. I won't be going back anytime soon. The reef has a lot of potential if someone gave it the attention it needs,
(1)Cornel F.
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.
(3)Erin G.
I was very unhappy with this place overall. We arrived at the end of happy hour, and told them we wanted dinner. The bar tender was a jerk and gave terrible portions for how expensive the drink were. We sat outside, and you can't beat on the ocean seating, so pretty. But we waited and waited for someone to wait on us. Yes we were chillin with our drinks, but no one even cared to check on us for 45 mins. The food was ok. But WAY OVER PRICED! I got a half a pasta dish, and it's 15$. If you're gonna charged that much I except the service to compensate, and it was poor at best. Gorgeous views, overall no thank you, I will not go back.
(2)Sadi H.
I will give one star due to their location. Beautiful views. For the cost of the meals it is not worth it. Terrible taste & everything over cooked. My husband had the risotto & I had the steak/lobster. Very disappointed.
(1)Leigh T.
This was our backup choice as our first choice was rained out. Hadn't been here in years. We were in a hurry so got a high top in the bar. View was spectacular! Saw pod of porpoises swim by while enjoying a lightning show offshore. Service was phenomenal! Kudos to the wait staff. Food was good. Happy hour excellent! Thank you for a nice evening.
(4)Jed H.
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.
(2)Boris C.
Food was average... location is great, right next to the ocean. Service was good. All in all I didn't hate it, but would not come here again.
(3)Kay B.
Beautiful Oceanside location! Waiter was amazing...there were 8 of us...all crazy women! I had the shrimp and lobster risotto and it was to die for delicious!
(5)Jamie T.
I recently attended Sunday brunch in a large group of eleven. We had reservations and our table was ready as soon as we arrived. As we were led through the dining hall, I giggled with friends about the terrible eighties decor. We sat outside on the patio (thank god), facing the ocean, on a pleasantly mild and foggy afternoon. Everything I tried from the brunch buffet was delicious. The restaurant was busy and the buffet kept emptying out quickly. The staff responsible for refilling the buffet wasn't very attentive, but it's a buffet; grab another poinsettia and something else to munch on while you wait. Our server was very attentive, but not terribly friendly. She would offer a drink top-off and then say, "No, you'll have this" (whatever she was carrying) which I thought was pretty weird. I was a little tipsy, so I just went with it. Don't forget, it's St. Augustine. You can't have that bloody mary until after 1pm, so plan accordingly. I'm looking forward to returning, whereupon I will surely have too many drinks and a belly full of crab legs.
(4)Karen A.
Our visit was midday and we were really looking forward to this restaurant. We were very disappointed in the appearance of the hostess. She was very unprofessionally dressed and never broke a smile as she welcomed us. A poor first impression turned into a pleasant lunch and excellent service. It's unfortunate that all we can really remember is an unsightly hostess.
(3)Jen G.
I've been here during my stays in St. Augustine on two occasions. The restaurant is located on the beach, offering an amazing view...IF you are in the right spot and at the right time. The first time, we were in the room that's off to the right, sitting against the large glass windows, at sunset, which offered a beautiful view. The other time, we waited a bit and therefore it was dark, and we were in a dining room to the left, which almost felt like a walkway? Can't speak much for a view, since it was dark and we weren't close to a window. However, the possible beautiful view is what takes this from 3 stars to 4. Service was excellent on both visits, food was satisfactory, but nothing memorable. Kids had clam chowder, macaroni and cheese, and some sort of unmemorable fish. I enjoyed my steak and the lobster was okay, but again it isn't like there's a specialty dish I'm dying to go back for. I'm actually not quite convinced it was worth the price paid for it. But I guess you pay for location and the view. Decor needs to be updated, but again, the location got me. We made our own memories. Right in front of the parking lot lays the beach, so we took the kids out under the moonlight after dinner and ran around in the waves. Check out the local tourist coupon books, as they often have a coupon for 10% off your dinner at The Reef. And maybe lunch might be a better choice for enjoying the view with less people to contend with. I would go back, but probably for lunch, and share an appetizer and an entree.
(4)Amber A.
I have only been here for Sunday brunch but we keep coming back for it year after year. Everything they do is excellent. Included in the price is champagne! They have creamy seasoned grits, perfectly cooked snow crab with clarified butter, blintzes with berry sauce and the right balance of lemon, and free flowing champagne. The view is relaxing and you can often spot dolphins while guessing the song being adapted by a live acoustic guitarist and sipping your champagne. Champagne.
(5)Leslie C.
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...
(5)Kevin G.
I've been here once on the day after thanksgiven on my trip to St. Augustine and i have to say this is a lovely relaxing spot. looks old fashion from the outside but its spacious and high end on the inside. Great view of the beach and they have outside deck seating with is gorgeous. The Service was petty okay. The food was amazing. I've had the shrimp and lobster risotto and it was a small portion but was amazing and stomach filling. They had some kind of molasses bread, which was the best bread in the world!!!!!! i had ordered a few to take home. the family were all pleased and left happy with their meal and would definitely go back there to eat! lovely place to go, price is a little more than average but it's one of a kind of experience.
(5)Jerry D.
No one can doubt the location and view are worth the trip. The issue is that we went to dinner on a Saturday night in dead of winter so it was pitch black...no view so it was the meal that was center stage. I had the Datil Peppers with Scallops...nothing to write home about but acceptable; my wife had the soup de jour an enjoyed It. Where it went south for me is I had the Jambalaya which I should have read closer...when it says finished with cheddar cheese I did not know it meant covered with cheddar cheese and baked unit it formed a crust (Italian casserole style)....not traditional Jambalaya or what I was expecting. This cooking style left a pool of water in the botom of the dish and the shrimp, sausage, and chicken tasted the same. My wife's Duck was acceptable but un-impressive. So if you go, it is the view that is center stage and pick your menu items with care.
(2)Susan T.
AMAZING!!! Great service! Great food! Great view!! From the calimari to the keylime pie and everything in between, the Reef was a great choice for an ocean front dining experience with wonderful seafood!
(5)Kay O.
Tried for the first time on Memorial Day. Called ahead for table and they said the only seating was inside which was fine. We got there and it was empty but they still sat us at a high table in the bar. No big Deal but it's oceanfront so it Would have been nice to be at one of the Many empty Tables on the deck. Wine selection is good and view is awesome. We ordered the coconut shrimp after asking what the waitress felt Was the best appetizer. Tasted like packaged/frozen shrimp and was a tad overcooked. Sauce served With it Is not Good. After that we decided to have an appetizer there and eat dinner somewhere else. I think I would give it another try someday. Service was good.
(3)Philip R.
We had a great experience for brunch here last month. Staff and food were excellent. The view is nice too. Worth the drive.
(5)Kathleen F.
Love The Reef. GREAT food, Thanks Bob, Great drinks, thanks Erin, Great view, Thank God. Wonderful Taste of the NFL...participating restaurants for HUNGER relief donate price of one meal for every bottle of wine sold.
(5)Michael W.
A nice bottle of cab, tasty swordfish and an obstructed view of the water. The etched pour lines on the wine glasses no doubt were intended to ensure I received every drop of pleasure to which I was entitled. Or perhaps not.
(2)Leah O.
Food was pretty good, the view was AMAZING, but the service for lunch was extremely slow.
(3)C M.
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
(4)Elizabeth G.
Just okay. Went there kind of late for dinner (~8:15), but service was still inattentive. The menu was pretty limited, sadly. They seem to rely more on their view of the ocean than the quality of food. Lobster and Shrimp Risotto wasn't much, nor the blackened grouper. The roasted duck and the filet were pretty good, though. Nice location, but I don't need to return.
(3)Kimberly T.
Fantastic restaurant! Plenty of seafood options, but I had Mediterranean pasta which was fabulous. My husband had seafood trio and loved it. The key lime pie was absolutely delectable. The vinegar eye salad dressings was great too. Live music on Friday and Saturday night. The ocean view can't be beat.
(5)Agnes A.
First stop when we got to town and we did not know we had found a gem. Food was very good. View was great. Service was friendly and helpful. Loved the creamed cauliflower. Great place!
(4)Nakida R.
Food was just not up to par for a high scale beach restaurant. I ordered the Shrimp and lobster risotto....ummm eeeerr yeah no :/ The shrimp and lobster was all I ate. The risotto was covered in some type of tomato based sauce that wasn't that good. My biggest gripe was that it was loaded with mushrooms which was not listed on the menu...I don't like or eat mushrooms. Also, my friend ordered her steak medium well...but it was clearly rare----gross. I definitely won't be going back.
(1)Morgan A.
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
(3)Dan K.
We had reservations and didn't have to wait around for our table to be cleared and the table was in the back of corner of the restaurant with windows on both of the walls we were backed up to, which would have provided a great view of the beach if it wasn't so dark out. (Lefty) Laura was our waitress and she was awesome and completed the night. I would highly recommend requesting her as she was willing to do exactly what we requested and knew exactly what we were looking for on this night out. She was perfect, 100/100 stars. We started with appetizers, 2 crab cakes (you only get one cake, and our party of 7 did well with the two - they are decently sized), fried green tomatoes, and spinach and artichoke dip. I loved the crab cakes, everyone enjoyed them; the popular favorite was the green tomatoes. The spinach and artichoke dip was tasty and came with darkened bread in unusual slices. None of us were expecting the bread to look the way it did, but it still paired well. I almost forgot, most of us had a round of drinks and the online menu does not list them online; I'll do my best to recite them. I had the Pirate's Float or something like that and it was the favorite of most. I can't exactly remember what it was, but I remember it had some kind of rootbeer liquor, a splash of coke, and some kind of rum. This was awesome. It lasted me throughout the night as it was strong, but it didn't taste it at all. Another drink was the Bourbon Apple Manhattan, which was good. The last drink that wasn't wine, that I can recall was the Southern Hospitality, which was really fruity and girly, but exactly what she wanted. For dinner, a couple people ordered the fried shrimp (you pick a side) which looked amazing and from what I was told, tasted amazing. 14 massive shrimps! They looked great. Grilled Jumbo Sea Scallops or Diver Scallops (salad) were ordered and they were indeed jumbo. Another dish with a happy customer. Mahi (with a side) was ordered and that plate was licked clean before anyone else was offered a bite, so I will take a venture and say that this was another dish well enjoyed. I had the Coconut Curry Chicken (also available with shrimp) (with a salad) and this was goooood! I enjoy spicy food and was afraid that this was going to let me down and be another dish at another restaurant where they're afraid to spice the food. Wrong! This was awesome! The taste was wonderful and everyone that tasted it, really enjoyed it. I will caution, that if you do not enjoy spicy food, eating more than a forkful may be challenging. Crab cakes were also enjoyed by someone for dinner (aforementioned appetizer) and they were pleased with those (comes with a side). The last meal was the Shrimp and Lobster Risotto (salad) and everything here was cooked to perfection and the risotto was very tasty. Most people that received sides took fries and they were tasty with a nice golden brown color. Rice pilaf was ordered and that received no complaints and my only complaint was that I didn't even get offered any! Safe to say that was good... Spicy cheese grits were ordered and I heard they were spicy, but after a couple bites of ,y coconut curry chicken, I wasn't going to taste a little spice in the grits (which are just gross anyways... grits?? eww...) For salads you had a choice of house, caesar, or greek. The caesar was good, but a little heavy on dressing for my taste. A request was made for anchovies (not by me, again, gross!) and they were delivered promptly by Lefty Laura! One greek salad was ordered and it was "delish". 1 small dessert was provided for a birthday boy at no charge - a brownie with vanilla ice cream. The ice cream was good, but the brownie was a tad bit burned. My only complaint would be that there was live music, which is something I can do without at pretty much every restaurant, and I try to run away and hide in an area where I don't have to shout at the person across from me. This was on a Friday night and the people at the bar were all turned to hear the musicians. I paid absolutely zero attention to the performers throughout dinner, but noticed that the volume level in the restaurant elevated in our room as everyone tried to be heard. Obviously, based on my review, this is not something that should turn you away from the restaurant, but something I felt that should be noted. Overall, all of the food was amazing, our drinks were great, and the service Lefty Laura (she's a lefty if you couldn't figure that one out - we had a few lefties at the table) provided us made for a perfect night.
(5)E B.
Step back to the 80s for really bad decor and even worse food. This place can only be open due to it's ocean front setting; which by the way has very little actual ocean front dining. If you are driving up A1A and think "what a great location to grab a bite to eat " ; I highly recomend you keep driving .
(1)Robert A.
Stopped at The Reef on our way back from St. Augustine to Jacksonville Beach. The restaurant offers nice ocean views. The service was excellent. Iced tea and soda refills are on the house. The crab cake entree was delicious, accompanied by rice pilaf and a fresh vegetable. Their desserts are homemade and very good. Had the key lime pie, served with a dallop of whip cream. Yum. Definitely recommend.
(4)Brian D.
So I took the family to The Reef for Easter Brunch. I've heard a lot about The Reef and thought it would be a great place to share a holiday. I made the reservation about a month in advance with no issues. They called a few days before to confirm. So far no issues. We arrived on Easter around 1:30 and found the parking lot packed but we were able to get a spot. Walked in and found a short line waiting for their tables. I met with the hostess and she told me that our table would be ready in a couple of minutes. She said that our table would be upstairs. Since this was Easter Brunch, I saw the food display on the main floor. I asked her if there was a similar station upstairs. Short answer is no. No tables available downstairs. She tried to reassure me that the views from upstairs more than made up for it. In a couple of minutes we were escorted to our table. We did have a great view... of a wall. I asked our waitress if we could move and she worked it out. Still not a great view, but we weren't looking at a blank wall. The place overlooks the Atlantic. We could see it from upstairs, but barely. So here we are upstairs with a lot of other people and we all need to navigate the stairs. Not that big of an issue - just wish they would have mentioned it when I made reservations. My wife wouldn't have worn heels! I would have also told my daughters to wear flats too. Regarding the food. It was OK for a brunch. I wouldn't rank the food that high compared to many other brunches that I've been to. Mostly typical fare... Crab legs, peel & eat shrimp, prime rib, salads, etc.. Not a lot of diversity. Most of it was decent. For the downside... - Plates were hard to come by. They had a hard time keeping up. - The waitress seemed preoccupied. Trying to get refills of sodas was difficult. - The bus staff didn't seem to want to clear plates. Maybe that's the mystery of the lack of plates. Crab legs were a bit too salty for my taste. - The people that worked the stations often disappeared for a while. Normally I wouldn't post a bad review on a single trip to a restaurant. But I also reached out the general manager of the restaurant later that night. A week later and I still haven't heard from him. I wouldn't go back for a holiday, but may consider it for a different trip. I would need to be reassured that I would be sitting downstairs.
(2)Danny N.
Never ending Mimosas and beautiful view. Wow!! Amazing place.
(5)Jeff B.
The restaurant is located on ocean and has a great view. The food was very good. Our party of four each had a different seafood-based meal. My wife and I are from central Texas, so we don't know much about fresh seafood, but our dinner guests were from Florida, and they were impressed with their meals. My wife and I were quite pleased with ours as well. And for dessert, we had an orange cheesecake, which had a taste reminiscent of an orange creamcicle (a good thing!).
(4)Vale f.
great view! However, they don't seem to be able to use their frier. the calamari were soggy, the french fries were almost all stuck together and my friend's fried wasabi flounder was soggy also. I had the grilled fish of the day (grouper) and it was very good. as for the desserts, we had blueberry creme brûlée and flourless chocolate cake ... both very good.
(3)Ray C.
We were driving along A1A on the way to St Augustine FL. Looking for a nice lunch stop we found the Reef. It is directly on the Atlantic and views from our table speculation. My wife had a lobster roll which she said was terrific while I had a fried Grouper sandwich and it was also great. We tried the orange cheesecake for dessert and it was just like eating a dream sickle. Prices were appropriate for the area and location. Service was excellent. Would go back in a heartbeat.
(4)Danielle F.
As a St. Augustine local, I would typically avoid touristy places such as the Reef, but my dad and several of his guests were in town and we needed a nice place to bring them. I tried the calamari and was confused as to why it was served with a Franks RedHot-esque sauce. Why would you not serve marinara?...the calamari was decent. For my meal I ordered shrimp imperial and the shrimp were a tad overcooked. The crabmeat was flavorful and the mashed potatoes were pretty delicious. The view was of course a huge draw, as the restaurant is right on the beach. Our server was very attentive and nice as well. I would probably go back if we had guests in town again.
(3)Sarah S.
I ordered the seafood trio and the flavor was good, it was a tad spicy, but otherwise good. But, for a $26 meal, I expect an actual meal. Not a tiny piece of Mahi, 2 medium shrimp, and one medium scallop. My yellow rice was flavorless and over cooked, the green beans were overcooked and everyone else in my party of 8 said their meal was either too small, overcooked or just plain gross. The view was fantastic and the decor was adorable. The lighting and acoustics, however, were terrible. It was very dark and very very loud inside. Overall, I think this place was very overpriced and I will not be returning.
(2)Ernie D.
Ended up stopping here during a downpour because I didn't want to drive any further from the place I was staying. My wife and I were seated quickly and our waitress was quick to bring our drinks and our appetizer. She even humored me as I asked her questions about the beers that they had on tap. I had the special for the night with was a rainbow trout with dill and my wife had the shrimp and grits. Large portions and the food itself was fantastic! The trout was flaky and the dill sauce was very buttery and tangy. The rice was also incredibly savory for a simple cup of rice. The total bill was a bit pricey, but we did have a lot of food. I'd certainly come back if I was looking for a special meal and didn't mind paying a bit more than I would otherwise.
(4)Jim D.
This is the best restaurant in north Florida in my opinion. Food, service, view all top notch.
(5)Mpocjt O.
Great brunch. Unlimited mimosas. Prime rib, crab legs, omelets. Great views. One of the best brunches around. Have been multiple times and will return. If you are in the area Sundays, check it out.
(4)Lisa Y.
Decided to try this restaurant because it was close to where I was staying for a fun "girl's weekend." What a mistake! The service was awful; our food arrived lukewarm and took forever. When we finally got our waiter's attention and let him know we were unhappy, he said he would send the manager over. That took so long that I finally got the manager' s attention on my own. The manager seemed annoyed that we were complaining and told us he would see what he could do. Never saw the waiter or manager again. We had to go find him AND the bill. By then our whole experience had taken about 2.5 hours and all we had really ordered was...appetizers! They did discount the bill but we were all annoyed and still kind of hungry so I don't even know what the discount was, and the manager was UGLY about it. Stay away....poor service and not great food for what they want to change.
(1)Shannon G.
Been there twice one for lunch and once for diner and both times were just ok. Lunch menu was better than the dinner but the staff was rude and always forgot to come to our table to check on us even when it wasn't busy. Great view though if you can get a table outside.
(2)Fred B.
Good drinks. Solid food. Friendly service. GREAT ocean views from their outdoor deck and dining room windows.
(4)Bryan K.
Visited here with a local couple- Great choice !! Loved Laura, our server- What a gem- Great personality, attentive and full of tips. Had the fish dip, conch fritters and ahi tuna- Awesome !! Grouper Oscar, Fried Shrimp and Chilean Sea Bass later and all fell into place. What a great view of the ocean, too. 5 stars- We loved it !!
(5)Jaime R.
Great Food And Service. The ambiance is perfect with a great water front view. Great wine selection. The white clams with Spanish chorizos are a must
(4)Chelsey S.
People, people, people. Do not let the 3.5 star fool you. The Reef is THE place to go for brunch. They provide exceptional service, unlimited mimosas, crab legs, and they're literally on the ocean. The price is a little steep, but I assure you once you go, you'll see why. If you have family visiting from out of town, make sure you check this out. They'll leave convinced you live in paradise.
(5)Ian M.
I've only been here a couple of times for the Sunday brunch. One of the best buffets. The price is not bad and the view is even better.
(5)Scooby J.
This is our second visit here and before we dont go back we always give a second chance. We wont be back, to say it nicely. We have been to so many nicer restaurants that dont charge the prices this place does. Got a scallop appetizer, cost $14.95, with only two scallops a comment was made to the waitress. She said "well we are kind of a high end restaurant" ssssooooo, that means you can charge crazy prices for mediocre food? They also charged us for bread. Joke of a restaurant.
(1)Mike V.
If location and setting are what you are looking for, this spot can't be beat. Beautiful view of the ocean. The food on the other hand is just OK with not much value.
(3)Robert R.
What a view, service and food was excellent. Sunday brunch will satisfy anyone's appetite. .
(4)Johnny M.
The grilled Mahi sandwich with lemon dill sauce was amazing! My wife doesn't usually order fish, but she loved her Haddock and chips, English style (we know - we lived there). Get a deck table with amazing ocean view. Great food. Great view. Easy on the wallet. You won't go wrong stopping here!!
(5)Spirit B.
Fabulous oceanfront view great food. Wonderful Sunday Brunch unlimited mimosas , everything is great on the brunch except for their desserts which definitely could use a over haul. Service is always good and happy hours all appetizers are 1/2 price.
(4)Andrea H.
I went here for Father's Day brunch this morning. It wasn't the best brunch I've had but it was far from the worst. One thing that it was amazing was the view---right on the ocean--absolutely gorgeous! The buffet area was really small so it was crowded. People kept bumping into each other and the lines were getting mixed up. My dad was looking forward to the Eggs Benedict since it said they had it on the website, but once there, they said they don't make it on holidays. Boooo! They had a huge hunk of meat (I think it was roast beef). I didn't get any but my other family members did and there were mixed reviews. Some liked it, my dad's slice was purely fat, and my aunt's was way too rare. Other than that, the mimosas were nice as well as the hot food (there was an omelet station, super crispy bacon (the best way!), sausage, fried fish, mashed potatoes, green beans, grits, and others). The soup was avocado which I found weird. The crab legs that I had were super salty but none of the others in my group had that problem. There was also biscuits and gravy, chilled shrimp, and cheese. For dessert there were a couple of slices to choose from in this revolving refrigerator thing but nothing to rave about. Overall, it's the view that makes this place. If you're looking for great food, I might choose elsewhere. But if you're looking for a view, then this is perfect.
(3)Joy H.
I can't even begin to explain how much we enjoyed this place. The medallions, spinach artichoke dip, Mahi Mahi tacos and green beans were all favorites at our table. All staff that we encountered were friendly, helpful and prompt. The food was delicious! Truly one of the best dining experiences I've ever had.
(5)Kelly S.
Excellent food and service! An amazing view of the ocean and beach. Sit outside or inside. Amazing drinks and appetizers! Crab cake was delicious and flavorful, the spinach and artichoke dip was cheesy and thick and came with excellent cheesy bread. The scallop tostata is excellent as well. Worth going to and experiencing! Top notch food and service. The staff is polite and accommodating.
(5)Kevin P.
Incredible food. And the environment is priceless. Great service. Clean bathrooms. Can you ask for more? Nope
(5)Cortnie R.
I'm gonna start by saying that the staff and service was great, everything else was awful! I decided to have my wedding reception at this place per recommendation of a distant friend, if I could travel back in time I would stay far, far away. I had been coordinating my event with the wedding coordinator for about a year, signed contracts, verbally agreed on things then suddenly 3 weeks before my wedding, she takes another position with a different company. I was kind of frustrated because I figured something would go wrong. But I talked to the new event coordinator and she assured me everything was fine. I had already paid for the room rental and food in full months prior and made sure that I wouldn't have to pay anything else on my wedding night. The entrees I chose were from the $36 per plate options, Caribbean jerk chicken and bronzed mahi mahi. It was to my understanding that the reason these plates were $36 is because 6% sales tax and the 20% gratuity was already added in so everything and everyone would be taken care of. I was once a server so I don't ever complain about tipping 20%. Night of the wedding, everything was going smoothly, everyone was mingling and I was getting everyone sat down so the servers could take their orders. I had paid for 50 people's entrees, only 45 showed up, no big deal, I was going to let the waiters keep it as an extra tip. When our plates got served, I had ordered the mahi and my husband ordered the chicken. My piece of mahi was about 4oz, I had about 7 squash and 4 little potatoes on my plate. The fish was so dry, I couldn't even eat it! I wasn't going to complain because I didn't want to let anything ruin my perfect day! I was letting it go. But don't forget that I'm paying $36 for a 4 oz piece of fish. The bartender comes up to my mom and asks if we were ready to pay, and my mom told them it was already taken care of and the bartender looked at her funny and said no ma'am, so my mom comes to get me and I talk to her and I tell her no, that I had already paid for everything. She goes to get her manager and she tells me that the $400 extra dollars was for sales tax and gratuity, which was supposed to already be added into each of the plates when I paid. I had made sure when I made the final deposit that I wouldn't have to pay anything else on my wedding day. I had to argue with them for an hour before they finally said I was right. I was so upset because my guests were offering to pay that money. I missed my sparkler exit, I have no pictures of my husband and I with sparklers over us because everyone had already left. If I would have known that the 6% sales tax and 20% gratuity wasn't included in the plate price then I would have paid that when I put the deposit down. I wasn't trying to get out of paying gratuity , the servers were excellent. I wanted everything to be paid for the night of the wedding so I wouldn't have to worry about money that night. So if you want to pay a lot of money for really crappy food then go right ahead. But please consider somewhere else, I wish I would have.
(1)Sofia L.
Awful. Expensive. Tasteless. It seems everthing is frozen or out of the box. I gave them one star just because they have a beautiful view.
(1)Denise P.
Please DO NOT eat here...at least not the Sunday brunch. Just went there today with dear friends and we were all looking forward to it. The view is stunning and if the food and service matched it, I would have given the place 4 stars. The plates were so dirty that after passing over two with food stuck to them, I picked up a plate that was coated with sticky syrup on the bottom. I had to find a waiter and ask him to take the plate so I would not put it down for some other unsuspecting diner to find. After washing my hands, I returned to the buffet area and could not believe how picked over the tables of food looked. I felt as if I had arrived at the end of a party, when all the food was nearly gone and the tables were trashed. The crab legs were okay, but the shrimp was DIRTY and undercooked. The fruit and cheese platters were destroyed. The potatoes were stale, dry, and flavorless. The waffles were cut in quarters and thrown into a bowl as if they were a pile of scraps. The mimosas and other champagne cocktails were watered down and flat. The fact that the waiter barely acknowledged our presence was dwarfed by the truly lousy food. The omelettes were the only protein that was decent enough to be part of a $35.00 a person brunch. I wish I had gone anywhere else. Even IHOP would have served me a better meal.
(1)Landon W.
When we pulled up to the Reef, I wasn't sure what to expect. The building is very unassuming and looks like it could be one of those all-you-can-eat buffet type joints. Well, it's not! We walked in and found ourselves inside a nice restaurant looking out over the Atlantic Ocean. There is both indoor and outdoor seating, and whether you are inside or out you still have an excellent view. The menu had some pretty good options on it, pretty standard seafood stuff. One thing that always annoys me is when a restaurant right on the ocean has seafood that is flown in from somewhere else, thereby no fresher than I can get at my home which is no where near the coast. This place had a few such items, but it also had some fresh fish. Opting for a flown-in dish, I got the scallops - from New England - and there were really good. They were large, perfectly tender, and tasty. They came with something green and a bowl of delicious grits. My wife got the salmon which was also really good, and another person in our party got the grouper which was fresh and tasy. I can't go with 5 stars, this place was not on that level. But a good solid 4 based on my experience at the Reef.
(4)Blueridge G.
Food is good. Service is excellent. Price is a little too much. View is what you are paying extra for.
(3)Janelle L.
2 and 1/2 hours before food gets here. This restaurant couldn't be worse. I'm not sure if it's this town or this restaurant but they were short staffed and low on accommodations. Beautiful scenery but terrible wait time and accommodations. Management need to get act together....it's a Tuesday for crying out loud and it shouldn't be this difficult to get a meal without going into town or chain. Got here at 6:30 and we're still waiting on food at 8:30. Stupid us coming here with kids thinking we could get decent meal and service. Seafood trio...one scallop, 2 shrimp and a small piece of Mahi...hardly a trio.
(2)Reg P.
Great food and atmosphere. The Datil shrimp on Datil cheese grits were fantastic! Sat in the bar at a high top with a great view.
(5)Esther K.
The food was pretty good, and the view from the outside patio was pretty. They also let our dog sit with us on the deck outside while we ate, so that was nice as well. Overall I had a pretty good experience here.
(4)Lisa O.
Dreadful, awful food, bad service and very cheap wine list.
(1)James C.
Brunch is great. Beach view is one of the best you will find!! Service is above average.
(4)Bob M.
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!
(2)Amanda D.
I was disappointed. The location is stunning. We came without a reservation on a Saturday, party of 6, including kids. We were initially told we'd have to wait an hour but were seated within 5 minutes, which was a pleasant surprise. We had to wait more than 10 minutes to see the waitress, and then longer afterwards for our beverages. This trend continued throughout the meal. The menu had all of the stuffy traditional seafood favorites you would expect to see. From a menu in the 80s. Still, we were hungry and the pace had a decent crowd, so we persevered. The calamari appetizer was bland at best, nothing different or interesting about it. It didn't get better. The Filet had no searing. The shrimp were small and overcooked. It was all pricey. We won't be back, at least nor for the food.
(2)Jonathan S.
Only writing a negative review because this is the second time they served me rotten lobster tail. We LOVE the lobster and shrimp risotto, or used to i should say. The view is awesome, service is good, guess the kitchen staff and management can't distinguish between fresh and foul. The last bad ones were so foul we could smell it as soon as it was placed on the table. At least they are happy to bring a truly fresh and tasty one when you reject the first one.
(1)Paul L.
We ordered soup and starters tonight with a fine glass of Oregon Pinot Noir. The service was up to my expectations and the variety of food was fantastic. The menu favors sea food with their own special touched
(5)Morgan H.
The views for brunch at The Reef were gorgeous and the food was delicious, but the reason I' m not giving them more stars is simply because of their service. The server for my party of 5, came to the table and asked to see all of our Id's before we'd even began ordering cocktails, some of us weren't even drinking so it was extremely presumptuous and he was rather rude in his general demeanor overall. I would return for brunch again but for the price you pay I would expect nicer service next time.
(3)Ann L.
We came here for lunch today after a referral from a friend, The food was just ok. The location was outstanding, I think this restaurant is overpriced and over rated, save your money. BigvinnieNJ
(2)Isaac W.
This restaurant is simply amazing. When I arrived the hostess was chill and she let me choose an outside table where I wanted the view of the beach. The decor is modern and sleek with a perfect beach breeze. The selection of food is great and not that expensive, well I was eating by myself. The coconut shrimp is the best I ever had with an awesome mango sauce vinaigrette. All the servers were on time and seemed really sincere. I felt like I was at a resort and one of the servers even had a British accent which made me feel like a spoiled little brat I'm coming back. :D
(5)Jacqueline S.
This restaurant has good food, friendly staff and great ocean views and seating. The scallops are cooked to perfection with loads of flavor. A great find!!
(5)Bill E.
Recommended by hotel. Nice location on the beach. When you walk in there are numerous awards on the wall. Very disappointed with the experience. Had to ask waitress for a clean glass. Bread plates where also dirty. Windows looking out at ocean were filthy with bird droppings all over them. Appears that they haven't been cleaned in some time. The food wasn't very good for the prices we paid. My tuna was over cooked and the vegetables were also over cooked and mushy. Same for the saffron rice. The only positive was that the wait staff was very good. For all the hipe and prices you would have expected gormet food and clean dining room. I won't be going back anytime soon. The reef has a lot of potential if someone gave it the attention it needs,
(1)Cornel F.
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.
(3)Erin G.
I was very unhappy with this place overall. We arrived at the end of happy hour, and told them we wanted dinner. The bar tender was a jerk and gave terrible portions for how expensive the drink were. We sat outside, and you can't beat on the ocean seating, so pretty. But we waited and waited for someone to wait on us. Yes we were chillin with our drinks, but no one even cared to check on us for 45 mins. The food was ok. But WAY OVER PRICED! I got a half a pasta dish, and it's 15$. If you're gonna charged that much I except the service to compensate, and it was poor at best. Gorgeous views, overall no thank you, I will not go back.
(2)Sadi H.
I will give one star due to their location. Beautiful views. For the cost of the meals it is not worth it. Terrible taste & everything over cooked. My husband had the risotto & I had the steak/lobster. Very disappointed.
(1)Leigh T.
This was our backup choice as our first choice was rained out. Hadn't been here in years. We were in a hurry so got a high top in the bar. View was spectacular! Saw pod of porpoises swim by while enjoying a lightning show offshore. Service was phenomenal! Kudos to the wait staff. Food was good. Happy hour excellent! Thank you for a nice evening.
(4)Jed H.
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.
(2)Boris C.
Food was average... location is great, right next to the ocean. Service was good. All in all I didn't hate it, but would not come here again.
(3)Kay B.
Beautiful Oceanside location! Waiter was amazing...there were 8 of us...all crazy women! I had the shrimp and lobster risotto and it was to die for delicious!
(5)Jamie T.
I recently attended Sunday brunch in a large group of eleven. We had reservations and our table was ready as soon as we arrived. As we were led through the dining hall, I giggled with friends about the terrible eighties decor. We sat outside on the patio (thank god), facing the ocean, on a pleasantly mild and foggy afternoon. Everything I tried from the brunch buffet was delicious. The restaurant was busy and the buffet kept emptying out quickly. The staff responsible for refilling the buffet wasn't very attentive, but it's a buffet; grab another poinsettia and something else to munch on while you wait. Our server was very attentive, but not terribly friendly. She would offer a drink top-off and then say, "No, you'll have this" (whatever she was carrying) which I thought was pretty weird. I was a little tipsy, so I just went with it. Don't forget, it's St. Augustine. You can't have that bloody mary until after 1pm, so plan accordingly. I'm looking forward to returning, whereupon I will surely have too many drinks and a belly full of crab legs.
(4)Karen A.
Our visit was midday and we were really looking forward to this restaurant. We were very disappointed in the appearance of the hostess. She was very unprofessionally dressed and never broke a smile as she welcomed us. A poor first impression turned into a pleasant lunch and excellent service. It's unfortunate that all we can really remember is an unsightly hostess.
(3)Jen G.
I've been here during my stays in St. Augustine on two occasions. The restaurant is located on the beach, offering an amazing view...IF you are in the right spot and at the right time. The first time, we were in the room that's off to the right, sitting against the large glass windows, at sunset, which offered a beautiful view. The other time, we waited a bit and therefore it was dark, and we were in a dining room to the left, which almost felt like a walkway? Can't speak much for a view, since it was dark and we weren't close to a window. However, the possible beautiful view is what takes this from 3 stars to 4. Service was excellent on both visits, food was satisfactory, but nothing memorable. Kids had clam chowder, macaroni and cheese, and some sort of unmemorable fish. I enjoyed my steak and the lobster was okay, but again it isn't like there's a specialty dish I'm dying to go back for. I'm actually not quite convinced it was worth the price paid for it. But I guess you pay for location and the view. Decor needs to be updated, but again, the location got me. We made our own memories. Right in front of the parking lot lays the beach, so we took the kids out under the moonlight after dinner and ran around in the waves. Check out the local tourist coupon books, as they often have a coupon for 10% off your dinner at The Reef. And maybe lunch might be a better choice for enjoying the view with less people to contend with. I would go back, but probably for lunch, and share an appetizer and an entree.
(4)Amber A.
I have only been here for Sunday brunch but we keep coming back for it year after year. Everything they do is excellent. Included in the price is champagne! They have creamy seasoned grits, perfectly cooked snow crab with clarified butter, blintzes with berry sauce and the right balance of lemon, and free flowing champagne. The view is relaxing and you can often spot dolphins while guessing the song being adapted by a live acoustic guitarist and sipping your champagne. Champagne.
(5)Leslie C.
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...
(5)Kevin G.
I've been here once on the day after thanksgiven on my trip to St. Augustine and i have to say this is a lovely relaxing spot. looks old fashion from the outside but its spacious and high end on the inside. Great view of the beach and they have outside deck seating with is gorgeous. The Service was petty okay. The food was amazing. I've had the shrimp and lobster risotto and it was a small portion but was amazing and stomach filling. They had some kind of molasses bread, which was the best bread in the world!!!!!! i had ordered a few to take home. the family were all pleased and left happy with their meal and would definitely go back there to eat! lovely place to go, price is a little more than average but it's one of a kind of experience.
(5)Jerry D.
No one can doubt the location and view are worth the trip. The issue is that we went to dinner on a Saturday night in dead of winter so it was pitch black...no view so it was the meal that was center stage. I had the Datil Peppers with Scallops...nothing to write home about but acceptable; my wife had the soup de jour an enjoyed It. Where it went south for me is I had the Jambalaya which I should have read closer...when it says finished with cheddar cheese I did not know it meant covered with cheddar cheese and baked unit it formed a crust (Italian casserole style)....not traditional Jambalaya or what I was expecting. This cooking style left a pool of water in the botom of the dish and the shrimp, sausage, and chicken tasted the same. My wife's Duck was acceptable but un-impressive. So if you go, it is the view that is center stage and pick your menu items with care.
(2)Susan T.
AMAZING!!! Great service! Great food! Great view!! From the calimari to the keylime pie and everything in between, the Reef was a great choice for an ocean front dining experience with wonderful seafood!
(5)Kay O.
Tried for the first time on Memorial Day. Called ahead for table and they said the only seating was inside which was fine. We got there and it was empty but they still sat us at a high table in the bar. No big Deal but it's oceanfront so it Would have been nice to be at one of the Many empty Tables on the deck. Wine selection is good and view is awesome. We ordered the coconut shrimp after asking what the waitress felt Was the best appetizer. Tasted like packaged/frozen shrimp and was a tad overcooked. Sauce served With it Is not Good. After that we decided to have an appetizer there and eat dinner somewhere else. I think I would give it another try someday. Service was good.
(3)Philip R.
We had a great experience for brunch here last month. Staff and food were excellent. The view is nice too. Worth the drive.
(5)Kathleen F.
Love The Reef. GREAT food, Thanks Bob, Great drinks, thanks Erin, Great view, Thank God. Wonderful Taste of the NFL...participating restaurants for HUNGER relief donate price of one meal for every bottle of wine sold.
(5)Michael W.
A nice bottle of cab, tasty swordfish and an obstructed view of the water. The etched pour lines on the wine glasses no doubt were intended to ensure I received every drop of pleasure to which I was entitled. Or perhaps not.
(2)Leah O.
Food was pretty good, the view was AMAZING, but the service for lunch was extremely slow.
(3)C M.
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
(4)Elizabeth G.
Just okay. Went there kind of late for dinner (~8:15), but service was still inattentive. The menu was pretty limited, sadly. They seem to rely more on their view of the ocean than the quality of food. Lobster and Shrimp Risotto wasn't much, nor the blackened grouper. The roasted duck and the filet were pretty good, though. Nice location, but I don't need to return.
(3)Kimberly T.
Fantastic restaurant! Plenty of seafood options, but I had Mediterranean pasta which was fabulous. My husband had seafood trio and loved it. The key lime pie was absolutely delectable. The vinegar eye salad dressings was great too. Live music on Friday and Saturday night. The ocean view can't be beat.
(5)Agnes A.
First stop when we got to town and we did not know we had found a gem. Food was very good. View was great. Service was friendly and helpful. Loved the creamed cauliflower. Great place!
(4)Nakida R.
Food was just not up to par for a high scale beach restaurant. I ordered the Shrimp and lobster risotto....ummm eeeerr yeah no :/ The shrimp and lobster was all I ate. The risotto was covered in some type of tomato based sauce that wasn't that good. My biggest gripe was that it was loaded with mushrooms which was not listed on the menu...I don't like or eat mushrooms. Also, my friend ordered her steak medium well...but it was clearly rare----gross. I definitely won't be going back.
(1)Morgan A.
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
(3)Dan K.
We had reservations and didn't have to wait around for our table to be cleared and the table was in the back of corner of the restaurant with windows on both of the walls we were backed up to, which would have provided a great view of the beach if it wasn't so dark out. (Lefty) Laura was our waitress and she was awesome and completed the night. I would highly recommend requesting her as she was willing to do exactly what we requested and knew exactly what we were looking for on this night out. She was perfect, 100/100 stars. We started with appetizers, 2 crab cakes (you only get one cake, and our party of 7 did well with the two - they are decently sized), fried green tomatoes, and spinach and artichoke dip. I loved the crab cakes, everyone enjoyed them; the popular favorite was the green tomatoes. The spinach and artichoke dip was tasty and came with darkened bread in unusual slices. None of us were expecting the bread to look the way it did, but it still paired well. I almost forgot, most of us had a round of drinks and the online menu does not list them online; I'll do my best to recite them. I had the Pirate's Float or something like that and it was the favorite of most. I can't exactly remember what it was, but I remember it had some kind of rootbeer liquor, a splash of coke, and some kind of rum. This was awesome. It lasted me throughout the night as it was strong, but it didn't taste it at all. Another drink was the Bourbon Apple Manhattan, which was good. The last drink that wasn't wine, that I can recall was the Southern Hospitality, which was really fruity and girly, but exactly what she wanted. For dinner, a couple people ordered the fried shrimp (you pick a side) which looked amazing and from what I was told, tasted amazing. 14 massive shrimps! They looked great. Grilled Jumbo Sea Scallops or Diver Scallops (salad) were ordered and they were indeed jumbo. Another dish with a happy customer. Mahi (with a side) was ordered and that plate was licked clean before anyone else was offered a bite, so I will take a venture and say that this was another dish well enjoyed. I had the Coconut Curry Chicken (also available with shrimp) (with a salad) and this was goooood! I enjoy spicy food and was afraid that this was going to let me down and be another dish at another restaurant where they're afraid to spice the food. Wrong! This was awesome! The taste was wonderful and everyone that tasted it, really enjoyed it. I will caution, that if you do not enjoy spicy food, eating more than a forkful may be challenging. Crab cakes were also enjoyed by someone for dinner (aforementioned appetizer) and they were pleased with those (comes with a side). The last meal was the Shrimp and Lobster Risotto (salad) and everything here was cooked to perfection and the risotto was very tasty. Most people that received sides took fries and they were tasty with a nice golden brown color. Rice pilaf was ordered and that received no complaints and my only complaint was that I didn't even get offered any! Safe to say that was good... Spicy cheese grits were ordered and I heard they were spicy, but after a couple bites of ,y coconut curry chicken, I wasn't going to taste a little spice in the grits (which are just gross anyways... grits?? eww...) For salads you had a choice of house, caesar, or greek. The caesar was good, but a little heavy on dressing for my taste. A request was made for anchovies (not by me, again, gross!) and they were delivered promptly by Lefty Laura! One greek salad was ordered and it was "delish". 1 small dessert was provided for a birthday boy at no charge - a brownie with vanilla ice cream. The ice cream was good, but the brownie was a tad bit burned. My only complaint would be that there was live music, which is something I can do without at pretty much every restaurant, and I try to run away and hide in an area where I don't have to shout at the person across from me. This was on a Friday night and the people at the bar were all turned to hear the musicians. I paid absolutely zero attention to the performers throughout dinner, but noticed that the volume level in the restaurant elevated in our room as everyone tried to be heard. Obviously, based on my review, this is not something that should turn you away from the restaurant, but something I felt that should be noted. Overall, all of the food was amazing, our drinks were great, and the service Lefty Laura (she's a lefty if you couldn't figure that one out - we had a few lefties at the table) provided us made for a perfect night.
(5)E B.
Step back to the 80s for really bad decor and even worse food. This place can only be open due to it's ocean front setting; which by the way has very little actual ocean front dining. If you are driving up A1A and think "what a great location to grab a bite to eat " ; I highly recomend you keep driving .
(1)Robert A.
Stopped at The Reef on our way back from St. Augustine to Jacksonville Beach. The restaurant offers nice ocean views. The service was excellent. Iced tea and soda refills are on the house. The crab cake entree was delicious, accompanied by rice pilaf and a fresh vegetable. Their desserts are homemade and very good. Had the key lime pie, served with a dallop of whip cream. Yum. Definitely recommend.
(4)Brian D.
So I took the family to The Reef for Easter Brunch. I've heard a lot about The Reef and thought it would be a great place to share a holiday. I made the reservation about a month in advance with no issues. They called a few days before to confirm. So far no issues. We arrived on Easter around 1:30 and found the parking lot packed but we were able to get a spot. Walked in and found a short line waiting for their tables. I met with the hostess and she told me that our table would be ready in a couple of minutes. She said that our table would be upstairs. Since this was Easter Brunch, I saw the food display on the main floor. I asked her if there was a similar station upstairs. Short answer is no. No tables available downstairs. She tried to reassure me that the views from upstairs more than made up for it. In a couple of minutes we were escorted to our table. We did have a great view... of a wall. I asked our waitress if we could move and she worked it out. Still not a great view, but we weren't looking at a blank wall. The place overlooks the Atlantic. We could see it from upstairs, but barely. So here we are upstairs with a lot of other people and we all need to navigate the stairs. Not that big of an issue - just wish they would have mentioned it when I made reservations. My wife wouldn't have worn heels! I would have also told my daughters to wear flats too. Regarding the food. It was OK for a brunch. I wouldn't rank the food that high compared to many other brunches that I've been to. Mostly typical fare... Crab legs, peel & eat shrimp, prime rib, salads, etc.. Not a lot of diversity. Most of it was decent. For the downside... - Plates were hard to come by. They had a hard time keeping up. - The waitress seemed preoccupied. Trying to get refills of sodas was difficult. - The bus staff didn't seem to want to clear plates. Maybe that's the mystery of the lack of plates. Crab legs were a bit too salty for my taste. - The people that worked the stations often disappeared for a while. Normally I wouldn't post a bad review on a single trip to a restaurant. But I also reached out the general manager of the restaurant later that night. A week later and I still haven't heard from him. I wouldn't go back for a holiday, but may consider it for a different trip. I would need to be reassured that I would be sitting downstairs.
(2)Danny N.
Never ending Mimosas and beautiful view. Wow!! Amazing place.
(5)Jeff B.
The restaurant is located on ocean and has a great view. The food was very good. Our party of four each had a different seafood-based meal. My wife and I are from central Texas, so we don't know much about fresh seafood, but our dinner guests were from Florida, and they were impressed with their meals. My wife and I were quite pleased with ours as well. And for dessert, we had an orange cheesecake, which had a taste reminiscent of an orange creamcicle (a good thing!).
(4)Vale f.
great view! However, they don't seem to be able to use their frier. the calamari were soggy, the french fries were almost all stuck together and my friend's fried wasabi flounder was soggy also. I had the grilled fish of the day (grouper) and it was very good. as for the desserts, we had blueberry creme brûlée and flourless chocolate cake ... both very good.
(3)Trish P.
aug 18 2013 My hubby and I found this plae by just riding by. On the ocean we gotta try it. Glad we did the view was terrific and the food was good too. I had the fried shrimp green beans and rice. My hubby had the Jambalia. he loved his full of flavor and plenty to fill a hungry guy. Mine was pretty good shrimp were juicy and lightly fried nothing overdone. simple flavors and lightly breaded too. staff was friendly and service was great. now i must say we got there just as the kitchen opened for dinner so it was not crowded. we would recommend this place. They had some pricey items on the menu but all in all app dinner and drinks under 60.00.
(4)Larry D.
Our party of three dined at The Reef on New Year's Eve (12/31/12) and were disappointed with the quality, treatment and temperature of the food. Although we enjoyed the view and our food server's attentiveness, the kitchen appeared to be "off its game" in serving cold and dry grilled fish, cold and overcooked vegetables, and "pedestrian" salad that seemed to come out of a grocery store bag.
(1)M. P.
Once again, Yelp comes through for this fat guy. Never been to this area of Florida before and needed some chow. Look up Seafood on Yelp and boom! Up pops Reef. Beautiful location. Oddly enough, with the place half full, we had to wait to "allow the servers to catch up" before being seated. A little strange...perhaps they got swamped and were understaffed earlier in the day. I'll give them a pass for that as the large fish tank in the lobby and talking to some real nice folks that were also waiting kept my interest up for the 10 minutes or so I had to wait. Food wise - Oh Boy! This was OUTSTANDING! The Grouper was well cooked and the sauce was to die for. Green beans seemed a bit overcooked but I dipped them in more of that tomato cream based sauce on the fish and I was good to go. Rice Pilaf was also served. All outstanding. Fried green tomatoes started off the meal and were well done. Nice sauce on them as well. I'll be back before returning home and if I ever find myself here again.
(5)Dave M.
We had a good meal at the Sunday brunch. Pricey, but they don't stop the champagne and/or mimosas and fill your glass pretty quick!
(3)Annika A.
Came here for brunch and all I have to say is wow! This place is amazing! The food and service all of it!!! Oh and never ending mimosas and crab legs at brunch?? Yes please!!
(5)Greg C.
Excellent location and terrific food
(4)Andrew L.
Over priced, not fresh, overcooked fish, all in all a bad experience. Wouldn't go back if you paid me. I could go on but I'm trying to forget that I just wasted over 100 bucks on the worst meal I've had in recent memory.
(1)Fran E.
Dinner for eight guests was wonderful. I had the best crab cake as an appetizer! It was perfectly prepared and the crab had little filler and huge pieces of lump crab. Everyone raved about their dinner and the service was outstanding. The ocean view is wonderful, the staff welcoming, friendly and very efficient. I asked for a wine suggestion for my meal and they were spot-on. We gave the experience a 10.
(4)Betty J.
I think this place is great! I have been here twice while visiting local friends. I do not remember what I had the first time besides the conch fritters and wine....but the view was awesome and so was the service! This last time we had Fried Green Tomatoes & I had the crab cake sandwich for lunch, my friend had grilled salmon sandwich and her husband had a chicken wrap. We all enjoyed our lunch and with the view had no complaints!
(5)Megan T.
Really enjoyed my time here with friends the other week. They were very accommodating to my friend's dog and gave us a beautiful patio table overlooking the water (or what you can see of it). Staff was very prompt and polite as well. The food seemed a bit over priced for what it is...though it tasted excellent. We enjoyed the fried green tomatoes as an appetizer and really enjoyed them. I ordered the crab cakes and was not disappointed. Probably would not get grits as my side again, they were not bad but I dont care much for plain grits so thats on me. Great atmosphere and plan to go back!
(4)Leah I.
Perhaps it's all a matter of circumstance, but my mom and I stopped in here on the way home from a day in downtown St. Aug, and both of us found this place to be perfection. I admit the initial approach of the service was questionable, but the server quickly warmed up and ended up being super friendly and perfectly attentive. I had crab legs, which weren't on the menu, but it wasn't a problem to order and my mom chose the surf and turf. Everything we ordered tasted fresh and delicious. We had absolutely no complaints about The Reef at all!
(4)Lonna G.
Really hated this place... My bf & I decided to stop here for drinks & appies...we were mainly lured by the ocean view.. Anyhow, ended up ordering the Prime Rib Stuffed Mushrooms & Crab cakes... The Prime Rib Stuffed Mushrooms consisted of 2 small mushroom caps with a small amount of what looked to be ground beef inside and a herb cream cheese topping...this dish was weird because I was expecting the typical juicy, oozing, piping hot mushrooms and a savory sorta taste...these were served cold with some weird gravy like brown sauce which tasted like gravy mix from the local grocer..horrible! I thought it was interesting a previous reviewer said their mushroom soup tasted like Campbell's...it may just be that this restaurant is not preparing from scratch and these are quick store-bought concoctions priced entirely too high for the blatant lack of quality. As for the Crab cakes, they were edible, but nothing special. Make sure you don't order appies here intended to share because the portions are sooo small it's barely enough for one person.\ The service was average I suppose but I got weird vibes from all the wait staff which I won't go into details about here, needless to say I absolutely will NOT be back.
(1)Bernini Z.
Me and the girl stopped alongside the beach in the middle of nowhere and found The Reef. We had drinks and apps before jumping in the ocean. It was Happy Hour during the week. It was great. Great drinks, a good basic wine-by-the-glass and seared crusted tuna that was perfect. the mussels disgustingly rich and delicious and a scallop tostado that rocked too. All local fare here which shined. Loved it. It's on the sand. Will come back but sure it won't live up to it for a full meal, but we're fans. The dude that took care of the bar and waited on us looked like he was one of the Beach Boys and was very cool. Girls there were cute and polite. My girl loved it.
(3)Laura H.
I've been to The Reef twice, both times for their fabulous brunch buffet. I can't decide if I like the food, the service or the view best, as they are all exceptional!
(4)Stephen K.
Outside on the patio, overlooking the ocean, sea breeze on your face, you know it's going to be a great lunch even before you look at the menu. You are coming here for the location (that's view plus seaside sounds, smells, and wind) so make the most of it: sit outside under the umbrellas. Regarding the food, it was simple and forgettable, but not unpleasant. I ate it, it filled me up, and it didn't interfere with the view. I count that as a success.
(4)Nanda P.
Excellent service, food and view! - Our waiter, James, recommended the mussels appetizer, and it was AMAZING! After eating the mussels, we saved the bowl of sauce to dip our fries in... heavenly! - All of the staff seemed very friendly and happy to serve. - We had fish sandwiches which were very fresh and tasty. - Can't beat lunch with a view of the ocean and dolphins playing on the horizon.
(4)Chris F.
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!
(2)Marley G.
Excellent Sunday buffet. Lots of food choices and I do believe they lost money on us from the amount of snow crab legs we ate. We had a great table on the balcony, but our server seemed to lose interest in us. We had plates of crab shells on the table and eventually the manager came out and said, "this isn't right" and took them away. It's pricey, but if you're there for a special occasion (we went for Father's Day), the view is worth it and the relaxing environment is very nice.
(3)Connie W.
I used to go to The Reef before I moved to NC and loved it. The food wasn't always perfection but close enough and consistent. They had a good brunch too! Now that I am back, tried them again and have to say that I am still impressed and happy to know they have survived the years. The decor is laid back, upscale beachy and the atmosphere matches it. They do have outdoor seating but with the floor to ceiling windows overlooking the ocean, why brave the elements? All the beauty, none of the bugs! On my last visit I had a wonderful merlot (can't remember the vineyard) and a Seared Tuna appetizer that was very good and enough to fill me. I got to meet the manager and had great conversations with the bartenders. I will definitely go back when I am down that way!
(5)Amber Leila E.
Great view...average food...lettuce in my salad was slightly crowned on the edges which is a pet peeve for me. Fresh bread is delicious and wait staff is vey nice
(3)Ashley H.
My husband and I went here for dinner on 3/27. We had a late lunch and so we decided on a late dinner, around 8 PM. We knew we wouldn't get a view since the sun went down, but I was looking forward to the food. When we arrived, we were a little concerned about the lack of cars in the parking lot, hoping it didn't mean bad food or something. We walked inside and the hostess sat us right away. But I was really confused because she took us all the way through the restaurant to a room that had people in it that were finishing up a meal. Everywhere else in the place was empty. By now I am really wondering what is going on. It never even crossed my mind that this place closed at 9 until we looked it up on the iPhone. I guess the hostess took us to this spot because she didn't want the other rooms to get messed up. Our waiter was a very nice man with a possible Dutch accent, and we ordered our drinks and meals. I loved my Dutch apple martini. While we waited on our food, the other customers wrapped up and left. We were very quickly the only customers left in the whole place. My husband got a Seafood trio and I ordered the risotto. The risotto was huge! Both tasted very good, although not as good as we were expecting. Not that it was bad, it just seemed to be lacking something. I can't quite put my finger on it. The thing that really put me off of this place was the attitudes of everyone except our server. Our server really seemed happy that we were there. While not very attentive, he did make an effort to be friendly. Everyone else that came through the room slanted looks and frowned at us which made us feel like we were messing up closing time and needed to rush. After about 5 minutes of just us in the room, staff came into the room and started to dress it for the next day. They moved tables and chairs around, set all the place settings, and generally made a racket. All the while, they kept looking over at us as if to judge how much longer we would be in their way. In addition, we could clearly here the kitchen closing down and the staff laughing and joking around, pots and pans sounding extra loud in the empty restaurant. There was no way I was going to order another drink (which I actually wanted because it tasted so good) or a dessert. Who knows if the staff would spit in it or something because they were mad at us for delaying closing. I felt unwelcome and a little bit like a goldfish in a bowl. Unfortunately I do not think I will return here, even for a good view. There are plenty of places with a good view, and better food and staff.
(2)Ann R.
The view, location on the beach, the food, and service was great. We had a dedicated server who did his job so well, had delicious food, and enjoyed it all. Keep up the good work. I will come back again when I go back to visit there in Florida.
(5)beth S.
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.
(2)Richard P.
Service was marginal and meals were about the same.
(3)Dave L.
Awesome atmosphere and spectacular view of the Atlantic. Unfortunately thats where the tale ends...food was ok, but forgettable. I don't remember what I had...see, as I said forgettable. Beer was cold so along with the view...it was all good.
(3)Tyler T.
Food was decent but terrible service. No paper coasters so if seated outside be prepared for water from condensation to be all over table. Also waitress spilled glass of water on phone and never apologized. Waited a good 45 minutes for food to come and then order was not correct.
(2)Kathleen S.
I firmly believe that if this place didn't have such a magnificent location, no one would come. This was my second visit, which served only to reinforce my opinions from the first. We walked in at 4.20 for our 4.30 reservation (so we could still get in some golf) and were told that we couldn't be seated until exactly 4.30 and to wait at the bar. Then we were told that was a mistake. Okay. My mom ordered a drink with Absolut Pepar (sp) and was brought one and told "We ran out so there's only a couple drops" and that they used a substitute for the rest. Where I come from, you ask if the person still wants the drink before you do that. No cappucinos. I"m sorry, but that just says you dont care in my opinion. Had the shrimp/lobster risotto. Way too heavy on the cream but pretty good. I dont know, there's a just a whole apathetic, borderline annoyed vibe here.
(2)Sabine M.
Stopped mid afternoon and had a few drinks and appetizers. The food was excellent. The Service was good. Met the Manager, Really nice gentleman. Wanted to go back for a proper dinner, but never got around to it! The view is amazing.
(4)Sue D.
This was my second visit to The Reef. It is such a wonderful view of the ocean. It's like, ocean, sand, restaurant. Lots of windows, even in the bar area. We arrived around 5 pm with my 80+ year old parents for their anniversary dinner. My mom loves the beach so this was a great choice. We had a table by window, it was so pretty. We started with appetizers, coconut shrimp and stuffed mushrooms. Both got rave reviews from the gang. For my entree, I got the small order of crab cakes, and there was plenty of crab meat, not much filler. The side veggies were fresh and crisp. I think we all enjoyed our meals, scallops over pasta, fried shrimp. No one left hungry. But the bonus was that since it was so early in the evening, the appetizers were half price (happy hour) and most of the drinks were discounted, except for the 7 & 7. Is that the new cosmo? Anyway, we had a great time. And we are planning to return for more happiness.
(4)Bart A.
Had Dinner at the Reef for a special occasion and it didnt dissapoint. The view was spectacular. The service was very good. I had a prime rib which was great. My dad had Mussels and My Mom had a piece of Broiled Fish all good choices. The Bar drinks were good. cannot comment on desert.
(4)Aubrey M.
Great place for happy hour: fabulous appetizers and cheap drinks (I recommend their house IPA). The reviewer below said she didn't like the stuffed mushrooms, but I gotta say, I thought they were delicious! Friendly staff, quick service and decent prices -- what more could you ask for?
(4)Caity W.
Having been recently, forcefully transplanted from California's Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast of northern Florida, we have been anxious to start exploring the local restaurants, looking forward to finding new favorites. Our first endeavor was not a success. We have been driving past this restaurant at least twice a day for the past week . It is perched right on the water, but, conveniently also right on the coastal highway, and less than a two mile drive from our new, beautiful abode. (There is nothing else that is zoned commercial that close. But we are so surrounded by gorgeous nature, waterways, ocean and wildlife...we don't mind the drive(s).) Our first opportunity arose last night and we headed out in the direction of the town of St. Augustine but The Reef on the water looked so enticing as we drove by, and the parking lot had just a few cars (generally not a good sign) that we decided to swing in. First impressions, warm, nautical, festively decorated for Christmas. I loved the wreaths with the sea shells and made a mental note to make a copy this week. Hostess asked if we had reservations, although there was only one table seated with a few people at the bar. (It WAS early - about 6:00). Since we had no res., we got a table away from the window and view, but overlooking those empty tables. Our server seemed just a bit annoyed that our presence had interrupted whatever it was that he had better to do...maybe they have video games in the kitchen? But he did do his job in a timely manner and seemed to warm up to us after a while. My 13 year old son was excited to see "fried crisp"calamari on the appetizer menu. He needn't have been. It was not - it was rubbery. Husband ordered the beef mushroom soup. It was too salty to eat - it may have been Campbells with added salt. House salad was "meh". Both husband and son ordered the prime rib and I ordered "Salmon Maria, a Parmesan and dill dusted salmon steak served with zesty cucumber dill sauce". It was not dusted, it was encrusted, and more crust flavored than salmon. Prime rib was described as - "okay - not bad". We all got the same over boiled, tasteless broccoli and cauliflower (no choice here). I did not detect any garlic in the garlic mashed potatoes. However, I know they were at least not "instant" as there were lumps of real potato in there. All in all, not horrible. But we will not rush back. I think this is a place that may be good in the warmer weather for happy hour on the outdoor deck - to enjoy the great view and a glass of wine. Not a place to savor an excellent meal.
(2)Leigh Anne R.
My husband and I were in St. Augustine for a wedding and wanted to find a restaurant on the beach. If you are looking for a view, they have it but not much else was enjoyable. My "fresh fish" of the day was definitely frozen before it was overcooked and served with rubbery green beans. My husband had to spend 15 minutes cutting all of the excessive fat from his steak sandwich before he could eat it. Would definitely not recommend to a friend.
(1)James R.
I really like the idea of this restaurant. Right on the water, with a giant patio outside, and plenty of big windows if you don't want to risk sand blowing in your hair. The food was A-OK, but nothing special. I particularly enjoyed this restaurant. Good for a group, or a nice date location. Give it a shot, it's not too far south of Ponte Vedra.
(3)Barbara S.
Great view. The appetizers were spotty in quality. Our fresh catch was perfectly cooked! But the steak ordered medium rare arrived cooked medium. Good service considering we ordered dinner in the bar.
(3)Bree D.
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.
(1)Mike S.
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.
(1)Jon M.
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.
(4)