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    Back 40 Urban Cafe

    4.4 (383 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 7:00 pm

    Back 40 Urban Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    BACK 40 URBAN CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Back 40 Urban Cafe

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    Back 40 Urban -- storefront
    L L.

    Cute curb appeal and pretty interior with Key West vibe. Charm continues with very kind and helpful waitress, and she adds a star to my rating, but the food was just not at all worth visiting a restaurant to eat, let alone pay for it. My husband's Cuban was a 3, he says. My bowl was a 1, and my kid's mac n cheese was also a 1. Cuban was prepared like street food, which is great; that's how it should be done. My bowl with Jerk chicken was super bland and felt like they really skimped on quality ingredients, and only included cheap cheese, cheap canned jalapeños, rice (dirt cheap), beans (also dirt cheap), and a very pale tomato. The "jerk chicken" had an extremely watered-down mild herbalness, which I would not call Jerk. The flavors were just not intuitively following any specific culinary profile other than someone's favorite order at a California strip mall bowl shop. No Caribbean flavor palate, nor Mex cuisine, not even health shop-Cali flavor, just quirky and not good. I could not have been more disappointed and sorry I ever listened to reviews. Yuk! My kid's kid meal was soupy mac and cheese, worse than boxed. I was surprised the side of mandarins were canned, gross. My kid didn't even know mandarins came in a can. Yes, with sugar syrup, but it's cheap! Why go to a restaurant to pay for food I can cook BETTER at home? And I make non-boxed mac-n-cheese, and buy non-canned mandarins, so it would be tons better. This is just a joke to serve this in a restaurant. We left before dessert because it had already plummeted as far downhill as it could go. Tried to leave a decent tip for kind service (not the waitress's fault the food sucks), but as far as I'm concerned the cook robbed me of $52; it was absolutely TERRIBLE FOOD!

    Dining room
    Don C.

    Service and ambiance is fine. The food seems a bit Mexican. It was ok. We may need to give it another try. Oh and the menu sometimes doesn't list all the ingredients in a dish so my friend was picking something out of his meal. That's a peeve of mine I tend to ask "no chunky tomatoes, mayo or capers?" Depends on where I am eating

    Key lime pie
    Wayne M.

    Overall we enjoyed dining here for dinner. Parking was easy although I almost drove past them, and the service was excellent, very friendly. We tried the chips and salsa and pretzel apps. Both were very good. The poke bowl was missing the wasabi sauce and I had to go ask if something was wrong because the dish was so dry and not spicy at all. The sauce was ok but not hot like wasabi should be. The Island bowl with blackened grouper was okay, but lacking real flavor. Sante Fe chicken kind of bland. Key lime pie was pretty good. The house location is cozy enough but I feel like it could use a little more warmth. While the food was okay it didn't live up to our expectations, and the missing component to a dish seems odd. We probably won't be back but other may enjoy the dishes more than we did. It is definitely worth a try.

    Taco steak & pork
    Rich G.

    Saturday lunch/early dinner - after 3 pm $1.00 off beers and $3.50 tacos. Great value. Good service good food - small place worth a visit. Parking in front and in back.

    Tasty tacos.   Especially the jerk chicken
    Mark H.

    This place is great. Unassuming and casual in an old house. Really good food and nice people serving it. I don't live close but glad I found this place. Highly recommended

    Front entrance
    Steve D.

    We are always on the hunt for a locally owned restaurant to try out. We stumbled on the Back 40 on the way to another destination. So glad we did. We ordered a grouper taco and a cuban sandwich. Both were delicious. If you're in St Augustine, you really should check this place out.

    Alicia S.

    Wow, wow, wow! What else can I say. A special little place that makes you feel at home. Cozy, whimsical and bright! The food was to die for the service was top notch and extremely charming. Will def be returning! Highly recommended 5 Stars All the Way!

    wet burrito
    Luis D.

    Back 40 Urban Cafe was a real nice surprise. My wife had some family in town and they asked us to choose a restaurant to meet and have dinner at. My wife chose this spot and we had never heard of it or gotten a recommendation. We pulled in around 6pm and we got lucky because we got the last parking spot. Parking can be a bit tricky here. We had a group of six people and I think that Back 40 can accommodate a group of eight. Back 40 consists of four or so rooms of various sizes that accommodate different size groups. The front room might be the warmest and has some cups, mugs, and shirts for sale. The room we were in was right next to the kitchen and was super cold. I don't really blame Back 40 though since it was frigid outside. To start our meal we ordered the chips and queso and chips and salsa. The queso was super heavy, but tasty. For our entrees, I ordered the wet burrito and my wife ordered black bean tacos. The food came out super quick. We hadn't even finished eating our chips and our food came out for all six of us in about 15 minutes. My wet burrito was HUGE! I hadn't seen a wet burrito on a restaurant menu on the east coast ever. My wife really liked her tacos too. The staff was very good and kept checking in on our table. Our bill was pretty reasonable. I would definitely come back to eat here. It is a nice cozy spot.

    Drinks
    Suzie L.

    Delicious food We had dinner here on a Tuesday night to take advantage of the Tuesday date night special - 2 drinks, 2 main meals and a dessert to share for $25. The food was delicious, and we enjoyed every mouthful. We each ordered a salad - curry shrimp and Thai chicken and peanut - and they came with lots of tasty fresh ingredients and house made dressing. The mud pie we ordered for dessert was a real winner too - chocolate brownie topped with toasted walnuts, coffee ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate sauce. There were lots of other great things on the menu too and most of the customers were regulars!

    Jerk Chicken Nachos

    I dont know what happened to this place. Well, maybe its the new owners. But the food does not taste the same and surely does not look the same. This was my second time going since years. Ive seen the same lady worked like a dog. But lets focus on the fact that the black beans taste like ham. I do not eat pork. Regardless, i feel like thats odd. They never tasted this way before. The presentation is HORRENDOUS. It looks like a child throw food in a box and shook it up. (Also i asked for extra cheese and this is what i got) A couple years ago, I totally loved this spot. Not so much anymore :/

    Barbecue chicken quesadilla
    Deborah L.

    When we lived in Saint Augustine, this was our go to lunch place. Now that we're visiting, it's nice to see that it's only expanded. The food is so good and staff are so friendly. Don't forget to ask for Datt'l pepper sauce. It's a pepper indigenous to this area and it's so good!! One of the things I love about this restaurant is that the food is so fresh. They also have a good vegetarian offering. But they have enough meat as well for my carnivorous husband! If you're looking for upscale, keep looking! But if you're looking for Saint Augustine local food and people, this is it.

    Ahi Tuna Tacos
    Tim T.

    Never (never) had a bad meal at this St Augustine dining establishment. Love Back 40 Urban Cafe. Today I had lunch before a meeting downtown. Had the Ahi Tuna taco with pasta and it was amazing! Locals know all about this spot but visitors to our nations oldest city take note: This place rocks!!! Go here and enjoy!

    Molly M.

    Fun & funky spot in St. Augustine! It looks like someone's house & not a commercial restaurant. Good service and food for a reasonable price! My only regret is that we didn't sit outside on the deck this evening. Can't go wrong with 1/2 price for a bottle of wine-you can bring the rest of the bottle home.

    Side salad with peanut dressing

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    1 year ago

    Cute, lowkey spot! Really nice service and the food was pretty good! We were a large party on Christmas Day and they really accommodated us.

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    Mango Mango's Caribbean Grill & Bar

    Mango Mango's Caribbean Grill & Bar

    4.3
    (1.2k reviews)
    4.6 mi
    $$

    Hands down the best food I've had in St. Augustine! We actually came back a second time just…read morebecause I couldn't stop thinking about the loaded fries. Every time someone asks me what the best part of my trip to St. Augustine was four years ago, my answer is always the loaded fries from Mango Mango's! The servers have always been friendly and attentive, the restaurant is clean, and I love the laid-back surf shack vibes. If you're visiting St. Augustine, this place is a must. I know I'll be back every time I'm in town!

    The good, bad, and ugly. No ugly here! A fun and funky unpretentious restaurant - I will be back!!…read moreHad to wait 20 minutes on a Thursday night, Everywhere was hopping at 6:30 nearby as we walked arou d while waiting. GOOD: Good size portions, reasonable prices, especially for cocktails. The same margarita would be $14 elsewhere. I had the "Wrap it up mango" tuna wrap with fried plaintains as my side. Plaintains were a big portion, so I took half home. The wrap was very tropical with fruit and sushi grade tuna. I ate it all, which was greedy of me, but I enjoyed it and felt overfull (my bad). Hubby had the clam and shrimp chowder and 2 apps. Very tender clams, thick texture and more shrimp flavor than clam, tasty for sure. Conch fritters good and in our top 5 (we get them everywhere and have been disappointed but now here). The wings were cooked perfectly, not heavy and crispy. The key lime flavor was good but too light. BAD: Service was a bit slow, but our waitress was super friendly and welcoming. The other servers seemed right on top of the other diners. 2 person tables are a bit too small if you order multiple appetizers. But nothing bad at all here.

    Photos
    Bar area
    Bar area
    Shrimp tacos
    Shrimp tacos
    Mango Mango's Caribbean Grill & Bar

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    The Columbia

    The Columbia

    3.7
    (2.3k reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    Fantastic food with a Spanish/Cuban flair!…read more I often dine alone. If you really want to find out about the service of a restaurant, go by yourself. In my experience, the places with the best staff will serve you as attentively as if you were paying the check for a large party. Unfortunately for other restaurants, Columbia has ruined me for most other places in this regard. Their service is top notch. I usually eat at the bar and Carolyn and the other bartenders are always at the top of their game! Great service is just the start, the food will keep you coming back. From the wonderful Cuban bread, to the fantastic dishes (Try the pompano!) to the must-try Bread Pudding, the food is outstanding! If a restaurant makes it in St. Augustine for years, it's going to be a good place. There's too much competition for mediocre to survive here. If you haven't been to Columbia, it should be at or near the top of your list!

    Thank you to all. We had a great Father's Day at the Columbia once again. We were delayed for our…read more1:15 reservation because the Bridge of the Lion's, which is a double leaf bascule draw bridge, was letting the ships go by, and then Ken, the amazing parking lot attendant, was working hard to get everyone a spot. Our table was upstairs, and thank you to the lovely hostess, we were seated right away. I had called, on the road, to explain our lateness. Gina, our waitress was wonderful,. We were able to share the Father's Day Special. because the NY Strip was large. With Gina's permission, I am posting the video of her making the 1905 Salad. We topped the meal off with a Key Lime Pie, and coffee. Thank you all.

    Photos
    The restaurant has a gift shop
    The restaurant has a gift shop
    Steak Salteado
    Steak Salteado
    Front of the property

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    Front of the property
    The Cuban Cafe And Bakery

    The Cuban Cafe And Bakery

    3.9
    (196 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $

    stopped here on the way to our car after a disappointing and expensive meal at the Columbia…read more walked in to the store and immediately knew this was truly authentic Cuban food- there were handmade empanadas and croquetas in the hot case, not the perfectly shaped and likely frozen food from Columbia. I ordered a spinach and cheese empanada and it was very flavorful and my son got a piece of flon, which was a new experience for him. Although he didn't care for it, I did eat it the rest and i thought it was pretty good! Glad we stopped by but wish we had come here first!

    Walking around Saint Augustine on a busy spring break March day we stopped by the Cuban Cafe for…read morelunch. Lots of people, very popular, no inside seating but we did snag an outdoor table. The ordering process seemed chaotic but I ordered two Cuban sandwiches and a Cafe Con Leche for lunch. Told the wait would be 15 minutes, we sat outside in the meantime. After 25 minutes and no sandwiches, I inquired inside as to the status - finally, five minutes later the sandwiches were ready. However, no Cafe Con Leche . Again went inside, waited for the front desk server to process several orders before I could ask about the status of the drink. Nothing had been made, so another five minutes for the drink order. By this time I was plenty hungry, and was disappointed with the Cuban sandwich. It's basically a toasted ham sandwich, nothing particularly unique about it. Given the hassles just getting the meal entailed, not a great experience.

    Photos
    Cuban figures has part of design decor.
    Cuban figures has part of design decor.
    Emapanada
    Emapanada
    Menu

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    Menu
    Tropi Cali Food Truck

    Tropi Cali Food Truck

    4.9
    (13 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    Read the reviews for this place, was hungry wanting something different so my hubby drove us there…read more Walked up, a nice gentleman greeted us, told him we're newbies and asked what he would recommend for a burrito, he recommended the jerk burrito which I obliged and my hubby ordered the Baja beef, we also ordered the jerk chicken riblets. Couldn't wait to taste as a young friendly lady completes our order. Friendly man and friendly pretty lady- I wanna slap you both cuz this food is so damn good!!! Riblets- couldn't stop eating them and will return to get more while I'm still here and some for the road home to Atlanta, Ga. Burritos- are large and very good, again we will be getting more tomorrow or Wednesday for sure. I took pictures of the riblets but not the burritos, but will when I return. I hope this food is low in fat if not I'm going to have to walk this off.

    Stopped for a quick bite before we headed for our scheduled boat ride downtown…read more We were greeted pleasantly by the chef who walked us through their short menu. We ordered the jerk chicken platter and 12 jerk chicken riblets. Brief conversation later, we leaned the chef was from NJ too and was a surf instructor at the Asbury park beach. We got talking for a bit. Now for the food, the first bite was quite a pleasant surprise and we thoroughly enjoyed the food. I love the coconut shavings on the jerk chicken, took it another level. The rice platter was great - Spanish rice, jerk chicken, chips, fresh guacamole, avocados and fried plaintains. Quite filling. Overall, I loved the food and their simple menu. They have a table or two right next to the truck. It's the same place as GameStop's parking lot. Quite a truck, hard to miss. Will definitely recommend!

    Photos
    Tropi Cali Food Truck
    Tropi Cali Food Truck
    Inside of our Pork & Pineapple Mamoo burrito

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    Inside of our Pork & Pineapple Mamoo burrito

    Back 40 Urban Cafe - caribbean - Updated July 2026

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