Anyone giving this place less than 4 stars are paletteless sheep! Everything was magnificent, from the nightly specials to the lasagna! The sauces are homemade and delicate. For those who complained about it taking a while to get your food, that's because they have a chef, not a fry cook. We're sitting in the restaurant plotting our return. read more

This place is poor. The food was ok but even though not busy, took forever to be served. The waitress was rude. They were completely intolerant of happy laughing well behaved children. If you are old and crotchety this place is for you. read more

This place is a hidden gem with the not only the BEST Italian food but some of the best food I've ever eaten in my life! this is 100% authentic and made to order. Nothing is premade and waiting around here. We ate here twice on our trip it was so good. It's prefect for a romantic night out. First, DO NOT BE IN A HURRY if you are going to eat here. They make everything fresh to order so be prepared to wait. It's soooo worth it. Everything we ate was fantastic. We tried the garlic bread with cheese, mussels in marinara, fried mozzarella, salad, chicken alfredo, shrimp alfredo, lasagna, chicken russo, almond cream cake, cheesecake, and tarimissu over the couse of two dinners. We had enough left over for lunch the next day both times. Portions are huge. The staff is so nice and helpful. They are actually glad that you are in their restaurant and you aren't just another table. If you eat at any restaurant try this place! I hate that's it's 8 hours away! read more

I had heard many complaints about this place but against my better judgement I went with a friend. There were ONLY three tables with people so it was NOT busy. We ordered our dinners at 5:00pm. It took over an hour to get our food and the food was cold when they finally arrived. While we were waiting we asked the one waiter about how long it would take. He got cocky with us and said very rudely that the cook makes everything from scratch...A LIE...and that the food would come out when it was ready and we would have to wait until then. The risotto was NOT made fresh as it was cold and hard. Risotto, when made properly, is creamy and smooth and of course WARM not cold. The brown gravy was not only cold but tasted like it came from a can. When the only waitress there came to our table finally after a half hour, my friend and I told her what the waiter said and how rude he was. She She are sure and at this point we had had it, so I said no, I'm lying to you. She was on the verge of rudeness and her smile was so fake, she let us know she didn't care for us. We will never go back there again as we work hard for our money and this place doesn't deserve it. Other people we know who have gone there say they can't keep help and the owner is rude. I also am a professional chef and owned a restaurant for years. I was not impressed with the help or food and no not everything is made from scratch. They tell you this because the owner cannot keep help and he is alone in the kitchen.... read more

The best Italian Restaurant in the area. It took my husband and I 10 years to fine this place. The food was absolutely the beat Italian food in the area. Glad my husband found the ad and convince us to go. We will be back. read more

Sad to say that in the last 5 years, we have had this go from one of our favorites to one we will no longer go to. 7 weeks ago we went and had a bad experience with a very long wait, salad and soup being forgotten, and the meal just so-so. We chalked that one up to a 'bad night' even though we had been through some similar experiences in the year before. Then tonight. My son had requested this restaurant for his birthday, and even though I had some second thoughts, I decided we should give this a chance, and that maybe, the last few times we were there it was just a "bad night". My bad. We were seated at 6:20. After 20 minutes we were finally acknowledged and asked for drink orders. Ordered our appetizer (bread) which came out about 20 minutes later, about 7 pm. Ordered our meals at that time (7) At 7:30 I pulled the server aside and asked where our salads were (1/2 hour for a salad?) another 20 minutes, and we had our 'salads'. Can't speak to the others at our table, but mine was awful. I had asked for dressing on the side, and my salad consisted of about 1/2 cup spring mix (yeah, the bagged kind from the supermarket) with one slice of tomato and 1/2 slice of cucumber and nothing else, which was drowned in the salad dressing, not on the side. Yuk. So now it is 7:50 and I again, asked our server when our dinner would be served? About 10 more minutes and our dinners arrived at about 8pm. My fish was barley warm ( the 'special' of the day). I've had this special many times, and it was wonderful. This time, it was not cooked completley, and was about 1/4 of the size of the usual serving, and just bad. So after 1 and 1/2 hours, we had cheese garlic bread 'appetizer', had to request our salads (not good) and finally our entrees arrived at 8 pm. Don't know what was, and is, going on there. But I ask the staff and Chef Mark, if you had taken your son or daughter out for their birthday dinner, how would you feel if this is has been your experience? I don't think you would have liked it any better than i did, Had to ask for our salads and meals. Think that if I didn't ask we would have been there much longer. And the once really great meal from there has been compromised somehow to being not good at all.. I would have left after the salad, but didn't want to create an embarrassing situation for my family. Shame on you. read more

The lobster bisque and greek salad was very good. The Almond Cream cake was absolutely delicious.

I'll start by saying I had a gf who worked here around the time they opened up. At the time, it was a romantic, quaint, delicious little restaurant that I'd recommend to all. It seemed the owner/chef cared in 2004ish. Well I took my new girlfriend here for Valentines day 2019. Made reservations, all that went well. Expecting to see the same eatery I'd seen so many times before, I walk in to an entirely lit up dining area. Gone were the candles at each table and low lit areas, now just a standard eatery. So instantly, on V-Day, I'm a tad annoyed. We start with an app, which arrived at nearly the same time as the main courses (1 minute, tops). My seafood in the Di Mare Fia Diablo was flavorless, almost as if unseasoned on purpose for health reasons. Very salty and fishy, and I understand normal seafood taste, but this was kinda off. I just grin and bear it and wait for gf's take. She got the filet mignon, medium rare, it was nearly well. That alone would've been hard to take but then the potatoes were almost unaidable due to hardness. I created an account on here just to ensure others didn't make this same mistake. I didn't bicker, just paid and said i'd never return. This is a warning- unless there's some wholesale changes, be warned. read more

Made our second visit herein November 2019 for dinner. We had a large rat as a dining companion . Enough said.

The entrance is a bit hidden from the road; we were driving by and saw the sign, which was much more visible. The food was OK but not great; we both had pesto pasta as there are not many veggie options. The appetizer we had--spinach--was better than the entree. Bread was difficult to get; had to wait 15-20 minutes for the 1st loaf (really should be served shortly after people are seated) and another 15-20 minutes when we requested a second loaf. They don't automatically bring refills for bread. By the time the 2nd small loaf had arrived, we were nearly done with the pasta entree. The server said it just takes time for the bread to bake. Shouldn't there be loaves browning in preparation for the dinner hour when you serve them to every table? La Strada is trying to be an upscale restaurant but no interior decorating has been done in at least 10 years, probably more like 20. When I visited the ladies' room, had to squeeze by the door to the kitchen. As I was exiting, our server hit me with the kitchen door--not intentionally, but that's just how tight the space is. There is a maitre d', at least i think that's what he is--may be the owner, not sure--who stands and welcomes guests. Doesn't appear to do anything else and although he seems like a nice enough gentleman, it's awkward to have someone standing around watching you eat. Especially as at 7 on a Sunday, we were the only customers in the place until 3/4 of the way through the meal when a few more people arrived. The place was mostly empty. Can't imagine it can long continue to operate in its current state. read more

Food is excellent but there is only 2 wait staff and one chef. If the place is full the meal can take 3 hours. Highly recommend on slow nights. read more

Definitely one of the better meals I've had in St. Augustine and I've been coming here since I before I was born. The service was amazing even though they only have two servers. Don't plan to rush in and rush out the door as they want you to enjoy the real Italian food that is made to order. It took about two hours and I really enjoyed my shrimp and crab ravioli special and the bruschetta dip that they give you with bread is heavenly. Will definitely go again! The chef is from Sicily so you know it has to be good. read more

Extremely disappointed. Me and my husband are in shock right now with the behavior of the cook from this restaurant We were looking forward to eat at this place They claim to be a traditional Sicilian cuisine. Being a Sicilian my self I had some expectations,But cut up soft pasta with shrimp full of sand is not acceptable . It's just very bad food! Apparently complaining is not allowed at this establishment," I can not call this place a restaurant, they do not deserve this credit " After my complaint, the cook came out yelling and threatening us that whether we liked it the food or not we had to pay for the bill. On top of that they would NOT make anything else for us as an alternative to stay honest. But what happened after was not expected. Besides being threatened and yelled at , this rude owner/cook (not a chef by any stretch) told us that he would call the police if we didn't pay for the subpar meal. Picture supposed shrimp scampi with shrimp with black veins and sandy texture. For those of you who appreciate true Sicilian al dente pasta, forget about that and its perfect for those who need soft food for their diet. My wife had explained this to the waitress but this is when this rude owner decided to barge into the patio yelling at us pushing us to pay the bill no matter what or he will call the police! To top it off the waitress told us that our waiter Aaron told the cook/owner that we were upset that they did not serve pizza and was complaining about the spinach! We did not complain. We enjoyed the spinach and was passed the fact there was no pizza. Bad communication and misinterpretation! Stay away. Rude owner/chef with serious issues read more

We were fortunate to find this restaurant where the chef who is also the owner was preparing the meals last night. Our waitress' greeting included the fact that the food is prepared upon ordering, that they are not a fast food restaurant. All four of us enjoyed our meals we'll return. read more

Enjoyable dinner. Mushroom Ravioli, Manicotti and special of the day seafood stuffed shells. Everything was very good and the staff was attentive. read more

Slow service even past regular dinner hours. Diners at the next table were on their phone LOUDLY for over 20 min. Management did nothing. Food was medeoker. I wish we had gone to Violas... read more

My aunt and uncle recently brought us here on our annual trip to Saint Augustine. I wish we had found this place years ago. Party of 6 and everyone was thrilled with their meals. Personally I had the fettuccini alfredo with chicken. It was amazing! Took more than 1/2 of it home and heated it up with a bit of cream the next day and it was terrific then too. Owner was there and made sure we (and all the other tables) were happy. See you next year! read more

The chef has been at this location for almost 20 years. He knows what's doing, he loves creating memorable dishes, and you taste the difference that makes. We've come back many times because of the quality. There's lots of good Italian cuisine, but this is great. read more

Although the waitress was pleasant, the serves was slow. She was the only server for the resturant. The table behind us came in after us, but their order was taken first. After being served, no one ever came back to check on us. The food was very average. The pasta sauce was bland and the prima ravioli special had so much spinach in it, there was very little cheese. It will be a very long time, if ever we return here. read more

One word terrible! The place was pretty busy and there was one waitress working, we had 730 reservations and I dinner did not arrive until after 9 o'clock even though we placed our order right away .We ordered the escargot the waitress came out to tell us that the chef didn't have it and would we like mushrooms stuffed with crab meat instead. We declined she then came back and "suddenly "the chef was able to make our escargot. Which turned out to be snails in mushroom caps, not the way they were presented on the menu although that's why I gave this restaurant one star , they were pretty good. When our entrées finally did arrive the food was so oversalted I literally took one bite and could not eat the rest of my meal. Hubby was so hungry at that point he just rifled through it, although he paid for it all night long having to drink glasses and glasses of water to overcome the salt. There's a lot of great restaurants in Saint Augustine unfortunately this is not one of them. Do yourself a favor and choose a different spot. read more

Place its small and really cozy. First impresion good. Garlic bread, great... salad, ok. Food so so. Service, takes for ever. Not worth your time, or mine. We waited around 50 minutes for our main dishes to arrive. Tortellini with mushrooms and prosciutto has prosciutto only in the description but not in the plate. Then another 20 minute wait for the check. Then, they don't take American Express, so make sure to bring some cash or some other card. read more

First time visitor for this italian family and found some GREAT Italian food. Family owned and operated with great service. They didn't open until 4pm, but we came in at 3 and were welcomed for an early dinner. Food had perfect portions and was excellent. We will definitely be back!! read more

Expensive meal, long wait for the food to arrive, and slow service. Drinks ran out and we had to track down the server. Good appetizer is the Eggplant Napoleon Tower! read more

Never got to the food part! Steve the waiter was so scattered and flailing around. Service was horrible. Stay away!!

I hate to give a low review, but we were sadly disappointed by the visit. Service took quite a while as there was only one waitress on staff. She was super friendly and helpful, but the food was subpar for our wait. About half of the meals were enjoyed and the other half were not. read more

Meal (veal derusso) was okay but a little salty. Only six people in the restaurant but it took nearly 90 minutes to get our entre.

My family has gone here several times and has always gotten exceptional service and fantastic food. The staff is very friendly!

The food was good, big portions, but the service was very slow!!!! If you have time to wait for service then it's a great spot to have dinner. It was very noisy and warm in the building. They had some ceiling fans but did not turn them on. Not sure why they did not turn them on. read more

Genuine authentic Italian food!!!!! You will have to wait a little longer than a corporate italian restaurant but well worth the wait the chef makes the food by order. read more

Problem after problem. Kept bringing the wrong food, didn't refill our glasses, miscommunications among staff. Was told I could get gluten free pasta as I have a food allergy. They brought me regular pasta (which could've made me really sick)--I told them it didn't look right so it went back to the kitchen. Wait, wait, wait...and I had already finished the rest of my meal by the time I was told the chef had "tried 3 times" to make the gluten free pasta and it wouldn't hold together. We were very patient until the server tried to offer me something else or a dessert and INSISTED that one dessert didn't have my particular allergen. She got an attitude with me when I explained to her that after all the mixups, I didn't trust them and thought my meal should be comp'd. They argued--server stated she was the only waitstaff for the whole restaurant (why is that my problem) and finally agreed to do half. My companion walked down the street to an ATM so as to avoid giving them our credit card info. Terrible management. Don't offer a product that you can't deliver and then treat your customers like they don't matter. Other tables were given much more attention. Only time in my LIFE I've never left a tip! read more

Zero complaints. Thoroughly enjoyed my meal. Crab stuffed mushroom appetizer, Caesar salad and manicotti entree. Add fresh bread and a Montepulchiano D'Abbruzzo and it was a perfect meal. Thanks, Cindy and Mark! read more

We love this restaurant and are usually very pleased. No complaints on the food- which is always excellent. However, the server we had this past week was just terrible. Restaurant was not busy and he acted as though we were a bother to him. We have had similar experiences with him in the recent past and hope the owner will replace him with someone more friendly and courteous. Until then, we will not be back. read more

The owner (I think) was our server for the evening, and she was outstanding. Gave us plenty of recommendations for the surrounding cities and what to do when we went to a concert in Jacksonville. She was very personable and the food was delish! read more

Very good restaurant, has the Italian charm inside, the staff was very friendly despite us arriving about 30-40 minutes before they closed. I ordered the daily special which was the ribeye which came with a side of salad and a side of pasta. Their marinara sauce is very good and the pasta was spot on. The tomatoes from the salad had one of those cracks in the skin that should have probably cut out and were probably overlooked but their balsamic vinegar sauce was good. The ribeye needed some salt and pepper before going on the grill, but was tender and juicy. Overall good experience and I would definitely go back and recommend. read more

I love this place, we are local and eat here several times a year and the food is always amazing!

Dinner here 12/31/18. We had salmon, worst salmon I have ever eaten. It was dry, tough, and uneatable.

I received my food and was not satisfied with the serving portion. I ordered the wild mushroom ravioli with a side of house salad and ranch dressing. I asked the owner why I paid $18 (including tax) for my food when I only got five "jumbo" raviolis. The owner raised his voice at me as he said "that's the portion size. That's what you paid for with that meal" and then hung up on me. read more

Awesome food and amazing staff. Michael the server/entertainer was hilarious and very witty. Great atmosphere with lights and decor. Good prices, food was very very good. Great place to have a meal and support a local business! read more

The food was great, sea bass and mahi plate were delicious. I really love this place service was great as well.

Gave extra star because they only had one cook and one server but made week before reservation. I came here with a big group of people(let them know before we came) . I was very disappointed in the room we had and the service/wait time. If one person got up everyone else would have to get up (had 15 people in our party). They never took any drink orders and when we tried they never brought our drinks out(have water on table already). The food IMO is way overpriced. I could get a steak at longhorns/ruby Tuesdays for $10 less. They charge you for splitting the bill,having a side and things you normally don't get charged for at any restaurant. I would never come here if you have big party and we let them know before we came. They don't have a theme for the Restaurant and sat there for an hour and never even got our salads. Their napkins they use don't absorb water so when you spill liquid you don't have anything to clean it up with. Food was good but could of been better. read more