The waiter seated us and then we patiently waited 5 minutes for someone to get our drink order. Then after more then 25 minutes our drinks were never brought to us but a salad that was for another table was set down on our table and still no drinks yet. Also he had sat a sandwich in front of us that was for another table and during the covid pandemic what does he do he takes this sandwich and still delivers it to the correct table. At this point I decided we would find another place to eat. As we are walking out the door the owner insist we pay for this salad yet we hadn't ate anything and no drinks wherever delivered. But being patient my wife decides okay I'll just go ahead and pay for the salad we'll avoid conflict and go our way.So my daughter says well if you're making us pay for the salad we need a to go box. He proceeds to tell my daughter it's best if she quit talking. At that point I was amazed and he keep babbling something so I told him okay fine let's get it paid for and you can shut up now. He tells me stop being belligerent sir I'm thinking wow I haven't raised my voice and he is being very rude to my daughter and this is the worst attitude I've ever experienced. He proceeds to start talking some more I said aren't you going to shut up not you say it's best no speaking anymore. He starts yelling for me to leave his restaurant or he will call the police. I couldn't help but laugh at this point knowing we could have very well continued walking out of his restaurant as we didn't eat or drink anything. The other customers that had been waiting for a while also began getting up leaving. And another customer that was walking in decided he would need there either. I usually will give a restaurant a second chance but in this case there is no way I will ever consider spending my money at this place. read more

See all

Sample the gelato until you had your winning selections in mind, then go around the corner (slight right as you enter the store) and pay for your selection there, get a voucher/receipt, then return to the gelato counter to get your delicious gelato. My favorite is the limoncello that was tart and sweet and just plain refreshing. read more

Cafe del Hidalgo - Gelato Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

Great salad (recommend the Hidalgo) and wonderful Paninis we had New Yorker. Genuine European atmosphere.

I would have given this place a five but they did not tell me that one of the ice cream and liquor in it. That is really something you should tell somebody. I only had a small taste but it was enough to make me sick to my stomach. Other than that the ice cream is very tasty. It's actually not normal ice cream it's Italian ice cream. This is my second time here today, I had hot chocolate earlier. It was just warm I prefer my hot chocolate hot. They do have other beverages and Paninis and salads but we did not try any of those. read more

See all

We liked it's looks and we wanted lunch. My wife had a Greek salad which was very good. I had a crepe with pork, provolone and balsamic vinegar. Very tasty. We both had gelato which was very well made and flavorful. Service was prompt and the restaurant and rest room were clean. We'll go again when we're downtown. read more

This was a random stop for food while we were exploring St. Augustine. Wow it was so good. We all tried different paninis. I had the Mona Lisa (turkey, brie, green apple, and cherry preserves). I'm not a huge fan of cherries so I asked to have them removed, and the chef suggested substituting pesto. It was a fantastic suggestion. I also had the Iced Chai drink and loved every little bit. The atmosphere was great. The people working were super friendly and helpful. I would definitely go back if I'm in the area again. read more

Cafe del Hidalgo - Mona Lisa panini. Very good. - Gelato Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

See all

I go to Cafe del Hidalgo for really only one reason: the Mexican Hot Chocolate. While I still attempt to master my own version of this particular drink, it gives me great comfort to know that until I do Cafe del Hidalgo is there. I'm definitely tasting more than cinnamon and chocolate when I drink this drink but I can't put my finder on what the other ingredients are! Drives me crazy and makes me deliriously happy all at the same time. It gives you this warm fuzzy feeling and just tastes like something you'd get from grandmas house. The cafe itself has this cozy, homey feel and with the dim lighting it adds a certain amount of intimacy as well. I haven't been up to the second floor where they play music but I can here it and whoever they have playing always sounds great (....actually I'm not entirely sure that's even still a part of the cafe). You can also never go wrong with their gelato. Literally the first gelato I was introduced to. I make the drive out to St. Augustine just for the gelato and the Mexican Hot Chocolate. Not all in the same night but they have equal appeal. I won't count this against them in this review since this is my first negative experience there in the multitude of times I've been there, but they do need to make sure they are checking the dates on the bakery items they have out. I was confused as to the numbers on the bottom of the packaging when I initially looked at it, but I picked up a blueberry muffin along with my drink. I didn't eat it that night, instead I took it home and kept it in its wrapping. When I went to it the next day to eat it, there was mold on one of the blueberries that I either hadn't previously noted or had recently developed. So y'all just make sure you're checking those before setting them out for the day or buying them. read more

Cafe del Hidalgo - Mexican Hot Chocolate - 16 oz - Gelato Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

See all

Unfortunately, I didn't try the gelato but they have the best coffee I've ever tried in Florida!!! One more time: THE BEST COFFFEE IN FLORIDA! We went there 3 days in a row (while were in town) to try their different "Signature Drinks": Cafe Don Quixote - caramel and hazelnut Cafe Carmen - white chocolate and raspberry Cafe Flamenco - chocolate and caramel Cafe Barcelona - caramel and vanilla Cafe Madrid - raspberry and amaretto Cafe Mocha Valencia - chocolate and orange My favorite was the Café Carmen and the BF's favorite was the Cafe Madrid but I'm sure you can't go wrong with any of them. Starbucks who?!?! read more

I will never go back. The Pollo Royale barely had any chicken on it. They charge an extra 3.75% for CC transactions. They have it on the menu but in such a small font you can barely read it. I added a tip and it calculated it on the additional CC charge. When you go to check out they add the cc charge automatically without asking if you're paying cash or not. So CASH customers beware. The gelato tasted like ice cream. They need to go to Italy to see what real gelato taste like. We will never go back. read more

30 seconds after sitting at their outside seating, which was completely empty, an employee comes outside and asks are we getting something. Me and my brother haven't made up our kind yet because we just sat down and we were told to order something or leave. So we leave. Then the employee comes after us in the public walk and starts antagonizing us with questions if we intended to order anything and how long have we been sitting there? I responded how could we because we were there for 30'seconds. No wonder this place has horrible reviews. read more

Extremely poor service and icy, artificial tasting gelato. I was looking for some gelato that is similar to what I am used to getting in Florence. The gelato was much icier, artificial tasting, and less smooth than we prefer- nothing like true Italian gelato. The staff person made a nasty comment as we walked away about wasting his time after trying one sample (we were in there for 45 sec). I'm not sure if he was homophobic or just plain rude, but I would steer clear if you wan't an authentic and pleasant experience. read more

I would have gave this cafe a 4/5 star because getting the food was rather slow, but I can't help but up tick it to a 5/5 because of the fresh gelato they make every morning. I thought they hit a home run on the flavors. The only last time I have seen great gelato like that was in San Diego, CA. I also had the Pollo Royalle (Panini with chicken, tomato, mozzarella, and mayonnaise). It took a bit of time to get it, but it was worth the wait because the bread was cooked nicely on the outside, but still soft and the chicken was cooked great and there was plenty of mozzarella. Yum. The service was excellent for the gelato and the girl was so nice to be patient so you could give the flavors you wanted to try a taste. The portions I thought were generous and the freshness is definitely there. I would recommend this place to anyone visiting St. Augustine. I am so lucky to be a resident; I will be coming back often. read more

Cafe del Hidalgo - Pollo Royalle Pannani - Gelato Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

See all

Just walked in and tried to ask the girl behind the ice cream counter a question.. first she ignored me, then continued to roll her eyes at me and shoo me away. Then, gave me attitude when I did ask the question. Ultimately with the way she treated me I walked out when I did have original plans to order ice cream and drinks. Will never go back... HORRIBLE customer service. read more

Shame on me for not being a huge gelato fan which this small cafe is known for. My review is aimed towards their amazing paninis. St. George St. has plenty to offer but nothing like a quick grab and go and how can you go wrong with a panini? Ordered a Pollo Royal, Roma, and The New Yorker to share. All were great but one stood out in the group which was The New Yorker. Prosciutto Ham with Pesto, swiss and roasted red peppers on Ciabatta bread. I also had a cafe con leche which 16 ounces is not enough my filling but well done. I can have this menu for days. Now that the food part is covered, let's not forget the staff. Extremely friendly and attentive. Keep up the great service! read more

Came in for an Ice Coffee and it took 20 minutes to get my coffee. Let me point out that the server was extremely nice and he tried, however this establishment is severely understaffed. In addition, the quality of the coffee was poor. I had to throw it out. read more

Quiet corner cafe on St. George, somehow hidden on he busiest street in the city. Gelato, paninis, and coffee- but so much more. Putting aside the friendly staff, quiet locale, and low prices, the food is phenomenal. Had the Mona Lisa and the Bruschetta paninis, and wow. Light, crispy bread cradles delicious portions and great sauces. The expressos, iced or hot, are an adventure all their own. I recommend the Café Ares, because dark chocolate and banana mean life. Stayed in town for two nights- ate here each morning. Oh, and they give free wifi to paying customers. Which is a boon, with the spotty service in St. Augustine. read more

Who doesn't love a good panini?! Followed up by the best gelato you have ever tasted you say? Yes, Cafe Del Hidalgo did not disappoint. I started out with the Pollo Royale panini. I am typically dubious to get chicken in a panini or on a sandwich as it is usually cheap in quality and has a strange gamey taste, I went out on a limb however and the chicken here was delicious. Good quality and you could tell it was fresh. It was also sliced nicely and sat upon the panini perfectly, which helps as your eating to keep it all together. The panini was served with some chips, which I could have done without, they didn't really do too much for me flavor wise, but perhaps would have been good to stack on the panini if I didn't eat it so quick. For dessert we just had to try the gelato, it was amazing! Seriously best gelato I've ever had. They make most of it without dairy and it's very thick and creamy- an anomaly I have no idea how they attained. Some do have dairy and are equally as delicious. Try the peach and/or white chocolate flavor if they have it. To die for/ read more

Cafe del Hidalgo - Pollo Royale panini - Gelato Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

This place has THE BEST gelato and sorbetti in the world! Never grainy of flavorless AND they have a great selection. I can't believe they don't have better reviews but I only go for the gelato so can't speak to the food. If you eat there, don't forget your dessert! read more

Food? ...meh? Would I go again? No. The paninis tasted like the bread had gone stale but they used it anyway. It was greasy too and flavorless. Even the salad was just ok. It was only a bit overpriced for what it was. And the wait was definitely too long. Was there only one person in the kitchen? I honestly wouldnt be surprised. I give 1 star because they serve food as promised and it wasn't inedible and the 2nd by the staff were nice. A little forgetful but nice. (I asked for a straw they forgot. I asked again. Never got it. I'm not mad about it though. The boy seemed nice. He was probably 17. And when we asked for it the 2nd time we also asked for something else so I can see how he forgot) read more

Best gelato we've had here in the states! Especially the Wasabi Ginger Chocolate - wow! The owner is very friendly and you can tell he has a lot of passion in what he does. Highly recommend!! read more

I scream! You scream! We all scream for gela....wait! Let me start over. I go! You go! We all go for gelato! There... We love walking downtown Saint Augustine. The restaurants, all the restaurants and we particularly like the restaurants - sorry - one track mind. It was a particularly hot day in sunny Florida. The waves of heat emanated from the impervious calloused surface of the long suffering concrete much as breathy billows of smoke as they arise from...cut the crap - IT WAS HOT! Sweating like pigs - not as poetic as the above, but much more accurately descriptive. We stop in here to cool off a bit only to see the numerous containers of colorful gelato secreted behind a wall of glass. Well, secreted might not be apropos since it WAS behind glass. You are allowed as many samples as you want - I estimate I had a full scoop if you added all my samples together, yet still we ordered a treat. We got the gelato equivalent of a seafood sampler platter. It is called "Coppa to Share". That "Share" threw me off for a minute - then I found out it was 10 scoops - your choice of flavors. AND! AND! They top it with fruit, nuts, white AND dark chocolate sauce AND whipped cream AND tartar sauce and ketchup - wait - that was the seafood sampler. We got our platter, we got our spoons, we got our napkins then took a seat in the room. We sat pretty much in the middle of the dining area - you know - to make others jealous. It was like that scene from "When Harry Met Sally" only louder. And that was just the from the people walking by and looking at our masterpiece. Let's see - four of us - ten scoops of gelato - there is no way we can eat this on our own. Just kidding! There was no way there would be any left! And there wasn't. I only got five ice crea...wait - gelato headaches trying to digest my fair share of this mountain of milky goodness - which was half - I am the dad! Doesn't my picture make you just want to drive 13 hours and get one? Oops, I need to start taking pictures a little sooner... They need to offer free refills... read more

Cafe del Hidalgo - I have GOT to learn to start taking pictures sooner... - Gelato Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

We stopped here for a cold sweet treat during our visit to St. Augustine. The cafe is nicely decorated and has a lot of space for eating and lounging. They have quite a few flavors of both sorbet and gelato. We ended up getting a scoop of the pistachio and a scoop of the tiramisu. They were both tasty and refreshing. We actually took our gelato with us instead of sticking around - but be careful if you do this, since it'll melt quickly in the Florida heat! It was still delicious, though. read more

Cafe del Hidalgo - A small gelato comes with two scoops - Gelato Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

Corey gave quite possibly the best customer service conversation I've ever had with someone. He asked perfect questions. Was very engaging. Corey also seemed genuinely interested in giving our family service excellence. Corey is the best at talking to people when it comes to showing genuine care. Corey also suggested perfect choices and the peanut butter and chocolate is a prefect combo. Please stop in a have a great conversation with this young business professional. Corey needs to be rewarded for his exceptional above and beyond efforts. God Bless! read more

Do not give these rude people your money. INCREDIBLY rude staff. A BALD MAN came to us, stood RIGHT IN FACE (not 6 feet apart) to remind me THERE IS A VIRUS AND ASK ME IF I COULD READ while tapping his finger on a paper on the table outside. Aggressive and unnecessary. His mask was one of those flimsy pieces of cloth by the way. THE IRONY. There are other reviews like this. First of all. My husband is a police officer, so we are well aware there is a virus. I saw another review here from a NURSE. UM, I THINK SHE KNOWS THERES A VIRUS GUYS. These people are ridiculous! The place looked closed. There were MANY PEOPLE outside (none of them their customers, I see why now, their service SUCKS.) when we arrived at the outdoor seating. And the chairs were being used. There was even a kid that was using it to climb on the wall outside the place. We have our service dog and let some children pet him. I guess this triggered the man to come outside and get in my face and commence the tapping. When I said they looked closed, he got very insulted. But it was the truth. Maybe that's why he had such a bad attitude. We were not in a large group. He was so disrespectful and even started to walk back towards us like he was going to get physical. INCREÍBLE! I use that word because that's what he kept repeating when reminding us there's a virus. "Increible! There is a virus!" he just kept saying that. No elaboration. I had to tell him to please go back inside and go run his business because it looked closed. Lol CLOSE YOUR PLACE THEN! read more

The best cappuccino I have ever had - Thanks Cory! Cool spot to get caffeinated and enjoy a little quiet amid the hustle and bustle of St George. read more

While the gelato is great, the customer service sucks. It's a shame as it is in a great location and the ice cream is pretty good. Rest of the food is okay. For me, it's 50% food and 50% how they make you feel at the restaurant. Unfortunately, the place doesn't cut it. Reading other reviews, looks like I am not the only one who feels this way. read more

While visiting some friends in St. Augustine/Jacksonville, we were wandering around and came here to try some of the gelato, because of a recommendation from a friend. Holy cow... It was fantastic! It was pretty busy, as it was a fairly sweltering day, so you could tell that the employee behind the glass was a bit frazzled. Despite that, they still managed to be perfectly polite, and didn't seem to mind when our small group kept requesting to sample the different flavors. What I ultimately decided on was the two-scoop option, because I couldn't decide on one. I got the Nutella and limoncello. PROS: -Really fantastic gelato, creamy, tangy, and very fresh. -Really cool décor, with heavy wooden tables, and enough chairs that our party of 5 or 6 were able to all sit together. -Great location, in the heart of downtown St. Augustine (?). -True to expectation flavors. The Nutealla was rich and creamy, the peanut butter tasted great and inartificial, the limencello was tangy (though not as tangy as I typically like!). -Great selection/mix of flavors, from sweet, to creamy and tangy. CONS: -A bit pricey for the size. You definitely pay for the yummy, fresh ingredients. -Parking is a pain in the ass for this area, so prepare for a good walk. THE VERDICT: Honestly, some of the best gelato I've ever had. It was creamy, sweet, tangy, and you could actually taste the freshness. I find that homemade ice cream or gelato has a different taste to it, versus something like, say, Coldstone. Just overall better texture and taste, and of course the presentation was nice, too, big dollops of the stuff just begging for a spoon. The general location is great, the atmosphere is cool, and it just a very casual, chill experience instead of a frilly, stuffy one. Feel free to ask for samples, because they didn't seem to get annoyed ar our several requests like people sometimes do, but maybe that was just that particular employee. They put the gelato in little hard plastic cups, and I can't help but think they would be better served to have some type of recycling can that customers can toss the cups in? At least they are sturdy enough that you can take them home, I guess. They made excellent mini wine cups for us later. :) read more

Cafe del Hidalgo - Beautiful display. - Gelato Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!! The 2 men working behind the ice cream counter on April 19th were complete A Holes!!!!! I will NEVER go in there EVER AGAIN!!! Not worth my time or money! GOOD LUCK! read more

Wow. What a horrible experience. I will first put the blame on myself for not reading the reviews before going there. Now that I read through about 30 reviews, it is very clear the service here is ATROCIOUS. We had a 3:45 reservation at the Colombia. I dropped my wife off arouns 1:50pm and went to park car. I came back around 2:05pm and ordered a large ice coffee while wife had an ice cream. The employee (described as rude and/or discriminating by other reviewers) told me "that's it?" I said yes and didn't think too much about it. As he walked away I realized he was probably mad maybe because I didn't order food. When he came back I ordered a wrap even though I was not hungry. He responded in a condescending tone "I have more customers coming and no tables". At that point the restaurant was 50% full with entire bar area empty. He walked away shaking his head and appeared upset. I waited almost 30 minutes and no food while two or three other tables came in after and got their meals. At that point I just paid for my coffee and left. As you can see from other reviews. Not sure if anyone said this place got bad service. It is horrible. Save yourself the disappointment and go somewhere else. Really wished I could give negatice stars. I think this is by far the worse overall service experience for me. I have taken numerous vacations, traveled to Asia, Europe, Central America, and all over the US. This is is by far the worse!!! read more

Have only ever come here for gelato, but it's soooo yummy! I highly recommend the amaretto flavor and the pomegranate chocolate chip.

GELATO! I guess they sell other stuff at Cafe Hidalgo, but all I ever get is Gelato! I've probably been here 15 times. It's consistently delicious and I've had more flavors than I can recall. The most recent flavors were Nutella and Dulce De Leche - both fantastic, but the Dulce De Leche was magical. I've had a number of tropical fruit flavors like coconut and mango and those are fantastic. The texture and intense flavor of their gelato is the best I've ever had. The people who serve gelato don't handle cash, so head move past the gelato case to the counter in the rear and order small medium or large. The small will be more than enough for most people. Return to the gelato counter for free samples if needed, lock in your decision and enjoy some fantastic gelato. read more

Stopped here by random and was pleasantly surprised good fresh food with good service.

This is a quaint spot with delicious paninis. I had a meatball parm and it was scrumptious.

Food is good (meatball panini is outstanding - Cuban is bland), but they are seriously understaffedd. 2 peopLe working tonight, should have been 3 or 4. read more

I ordered a cappuccino with almond milk (no extra charge) and it was delicious! They also have gelato and an assortment of pies. The shop is spacious for Saint Augustine and very clean! If your looking for an afternoon caffeine fix this is a great place for some espresso. read more

Two stars because "Meh. I've definitely experienced better." I'm guessing that their location in the heart of the tourist area of St. Augustine is what keeps this place going. It was the first place I stopped in during a recent trip to St. Augustine and the whole experience was in one word "disorganized". From the ordering process, to the cashier taking my order and not having a clue what I was ordering from their own menu, to asking a staff member where I could pick up my coffee order -- which they apparently shout out your order when it's finished and is hard to hear over the crowd, to the large and heavy pieces of furniture cluttering the space and hard to move around. Also would agree with some other reviews -- it doesn't seem like the staff is that happy to be working there either. To top it off my order was completely wrong and had to wait further for them to re-make the order. I'm giving it two stars because the coffee I did order was good and hit the spot but probably not worth the chaos to get it after a 15 minute wait. read more

Love this place! I have been here many times before I started Yelping. The gelato is always a great choice here. You can sample any flavor to help you decide what you want. The Salads are huge and so are the sandwiches. Very filling. I always make it a point to stop in here whenever I am in the area. read more

Cafe del Hidalgo - Strawberry gelato! - Gelato Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

We were walking hand in hand in hand around St Augustine on a very very busy night, our usual restaurant was an hours wait and we were hungry! We three like to try to eat healthy, and we all love to share food. Spotted the Gelato first, then saw that they have salads and panini's! Went in, eyed the gelato and menu boards some more and the blonde girl behind counter kinda shooed us away to the back where you actually order the food. We decided to get the: Hildago salad - fresh green apple, walnuts, mandarin oranges, sun dried cherries, blue cheese and sesame ginger dressing on a bed of baby field greens 8.95 and Bruschetta Panini- tomatos, basil and mozzerella cheese. 8.95 and three waters. Found our table, waited for our number to be called (which we missed cause the guy calling it out was not very loud nor could you understand him) It did not take very long. The food was really good. The salad was huge and fresh and the dressing was seriously delicious. The panini comes with a pickle and chips, and it was well toasted and savory. All of it fed the three of us, and we were very satisfied and full! The place itself? a bit unorganized and had cheap christmas decorations everywhere. A bit too cluttered for my tastes, but it was still comfortable. We sat at the back counter. They have huge tables to sit at for big families. No public bathrooms, but there is one right down the hallway. The only real negative here, was the blonde girl at the front serving Gelato. She never smiled, she did not want to be there, when my husband asked her what flavor she liked the best to maybe get a staff favorite, she repied 'all of them' ...unenthusiastic as heck. We would come back here, in fact we DID come back later for a nice cup of coffee after a romantic moonlit snuggle at the fort. read more

Checking out the other reviews, I'm sorry we did not try the gelato. But, I'll make a mental note to return, if the temperature here in Florida ever goes back above 40 degrees! My youngest son and I wandered around St Augustine on a late morning Christmas shopping expedition. We wanted to find unique gifts, and we wanted a nice, casual meal. Cafe Hidalgo was just right. An old, historic setting. A fabulous salad (for me) with such an abundance of dried cranberries, walnuts, feta, etc. that I couldn't finish. A perfectly toasted panini dripping with ham and cheese(for him). We liked. We sat outside in a pretty courtyard, as it was a bit cold inside - result of those old thick stone walls, I suppose. I am looking forward to the return of hot weather, and wandering with a gelato - maybe exploring the fort across the street! read more

Awesome place for food, coffee or gelato! Everything is first-rate and delicious. They really know what they're doing. Highly recommend!!