I really like the feel of this restaurant, but very small. Be ready to wait, go for an early lunch and you should be ok. While waiting, you can look around the antique store next doors, you can hear your name called over the PA. The fried oysters were very good, hush puppies were excellent. Green bean and and fried okra also very good. My husband got the seafood platter. They are known for their fried shrimp, they are very good, but I think they are hyped up a little too much. The fried scallops were very good... I was pleasantly surprised... scallops are hard to get right. I topped off with a piece of coconut cream pie which was really good. They basically rolled me out of the restaurant read more

O'Steen's Restaurant - Fried oysters, fried okra, green beans, and hush puppies - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

The truth is 5 stars don't do it justice. Hadn't been here in 25+ years (sadly), but it was everything I remember. Without a doubt, the butterfly shrimp remains the best on the planet and the homemade sauce to dip it in was perfect. Green beans and hush puppies were a delicious complement to boot. Do not...I repeat...do not skip out on the homemade coconut creme pie. Simply the best! A perfect example of a restaurant that found its sweet spot many years ago and never messed with the formula. read more

We were driving by around 2:30 in the afternoon and saw it was crowded so we decided to try it. We were very pleased! The food is fantastic. We split the seafood platter and the two of us were full... but we squeezed in coconut cream pie - which was delicious. Our server was very attentive. If you are ever in the area, this is a great place! read more

As always the food (shrimp) was terrific, as was the service. Little bit of a wait but hey that is O'Steen's. Pickled beets and pickled cucumbers for sides, light but filling. It was great being able to go after a two year hiatus. read more

Yea. Cash only and seems that on site ATM for your convience charges 6 bucks for a withdrawal. Thats a rip off!!!$

I've been going to O'steens for years and have never been disappointed. The food is always wonderful and served quickly. They simply have the best shrimp and hush puppies around. The people who work there have been there forever and know just about everyone who comes in and they're always friendly. The clam chowder is also the best ! Still my favorite place to go!! read more

This place never disappoints! The fried shrimp is so insanely good we kept ordering more! My picky 6 year old ate 12! The service is wonderful, staff is so sweet and makes you feel so welcomed! read more

Great little old family seafood restaurant. Cash only, low prices and great fresh food and quick service. The fried shrimp is their specialty and very very light breading. Green beans were fresh not frozen or canned. If you want fancy or reservations go elsewhere! But, if you want really good shrimp and friendly service this is the place to go. Remember, cash only...there is an atm outside. read more

Wow! What can I say but DELICIOUS food! The shrimp was the best I've ever had and a generous portion with two sides and wonderful hot hush puppies! The desert, coconut cream pie was fantastic! read more

This place was the REAL DEAL! We had to wait about 25 minutes, but we're we're a party of 8 (5 adults, 3 kids) so the wait was expected. Food was amazing! We ordered the platter (shrimp, scallops, deviled crab and tilapia) and the shrimp platter. The shrimp sauce (pinkish in the picture) was amazing and there is an additional spicy sauce on the table in bottles that you can add to take it up a notch. Hush puppies were a amazing. My only warning is that it is a cash only joint so be prepared. I will go here every time we visit St. Augustine, it was super affordable and delicious! read more

O'Steen's Restaurant - Platter - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

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Literally best shrimp in earth! We never come to town without stopping here. My favorite restaurant ever!

We have been eating here for 40 years. We plan our trips to Florida around eating at O'Steen's. Best shrimp I've ever eaten! We also stock up on Datil pepper sauce. read more

Our tour guide specified this place had the greatest seafood in St. Augustine. I was so excited to go, the food was okay for me. Really it's just shrimp I was disappointed when I think seafood restaurant I think New England clam chowder, oysters and calamari non of which were on the menu. Either way I still love shrimp and the shrimp was good. I ordered Mac n cheese apparently at 6pm they had already ran out. So I ordered fries and spinach, unfortunately I felt like it was just mediocre the corn bread was my least favorite. Also this restaurant is cash only which is fine I guess however atleast make sure your ATM works, it was frustrating scrambling around for cash. They do take personal checks however in never even seen one of those in my era so I was confused about it... but okay. Next time I'll skip out and try another local spot. read more

The only reason I'm giving this three stars is because the shrimp in phenomenal! The pink sauce and the hot pepper sauce were great (try it mixed!) and the water was cold. The sides.... I could get better sides out of the frozen section at the grocery store. The fries were cheap and the fruit was so sugary you could taste the syrupy can they came from. The corn fritters were a C+, however the hush puppies were pretty yummy. I wouldn't say this is a must-go-to place if you're in the area. read more

Went for NYE/Bday dinner with the family. Excited about the meal due to reading good reviews and it's always packed each time we drive by. Sorely disappointed. All our fried food was under cooked and the crab patties tasted terrible. Consistency of tuna and under cooked. ZERO social distancing and actually over crowded. As soon as we ordered-we changed our minds but had to ride it out. Quickly nibbled on what we could and high tailed it out of there. On a positive, the server/staff was super friendly and the hush puppies were good. They only accept cash-so go prepared. Won't return but wish them well. They've clearly been around for a long time. read more

Delicious and amazing service! We waited about an hour to be seated but, it was so worth it. Get the coconut cream pie and of course the fried shrimp! read more

O'Steen's Restaurant - Fried shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

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This place is Awesome! I really enjoy the food and staff. This is a must see whenever on the coast in Florida. Everything I have ever ate here was very good and high quality. Thanks read more

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My husband & I had lunch at O'Steen's for the first time yesterday. I have to say it was a fantastic experience & we will definitely be back. The staff was so warm & friendly. They all made sure we were happy & taken care of. The menu was great. It had a wide variety of southern comfort food as well as seafood. We went with the fried chicken special for $7.95. Our order came out to us in no more than ten minutes. It was delicious. We each got a white meat chicken breast & wing along with mac n cheese, beans, one biscuit and one piece of cornbread. Absolutely wonderful. They don't skimp on the portion size either, so you get all of this wonderful food for $7.95. Thank you O'Steen's for making my Halloween lunch extremely enjoyable!! read more

Probably the BEST place for fried shrimp. But even they daily specials are delicious. There's usually a wait, but well worth it.

straight up deep fried everything, this place has been around for a while, call ahead if you want deep fried chicken it take 30mins. We got the sampler plate it was a solid snack for 3-4 people. read more

O'Steen's Restaurant - sampler plate - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

Don't usually give bad reviews, but, this was truly a waste of time and money. Just had lunch at O'Steen's. We were so disappointed. We have heard everything is great there. Ordered Shrimp dinner with pasta salad and beets and an oyster dinner with summer squash and beets. The shrimp was tasteless and not quite cooked, the breading on the oysters was not crisp, fell off each oyster and was raw inside. The oysters were a watery mess. The summer squash tasted like water with pepper. 2 hush puppies came with each dinner, they were greasy. The best part of the meal was the pasta salad and sliced beets from a can. Pathetic. Maybe it was a bad day for the cook. No, we won't be back. read more

Went for an early dinner to this CASH only seafood restaurant. Very causal setting where you check in at the window outside by the bench. Friendly service with ok seafood. My wife had the fried shrimp and I had the broiled scallops, they were just like you would have at any mom and pop restaurant. The key lime pie was better than expected. read more

Wonderful little place in St. Augustine. Perfect butterflied and very fresh shrimp was the best dish we shared. Hush puppies were big and delicious. Flounder (fish of the day) was very lightly battered and fried. Very tender and moist. Fries were crisp, hot and not one bit overcooked. So happy to have found this little gem! In business since 1965. Highly recommend it. Cash only. No debit or credit cards! read more

If you are in St. Augustine and aren't allergic to seafood, you have to try this place. If you didn't like seafood before, they'll change your mind and the servers always make you feel welcome and at home! read more

O'Steen's Restaurant - The shrimp looks like this every time I come here!!! Amazing!!! - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

It doesn't get better than O'Steen's. Food is great, basic but great. Best fried shrimp around. Key Lime pie is among the best I've ever enjoyed. Boys loved their fried chicken livers. Service is wonderful. Wish there was a way to make the wait shorter, but hey, people know a good thing. read more

Even though my coleslaw and mixed greens were delicious, the shrimp wasn't worth the wait. They were good but not great! I didn't think the cracker meal breading was "that" good for how long of a wait we had. My husband got the chicken'n'dumplings and his first bite was into a piece of bone in the chicken and the meat was mostly dark meat. He said they were bland- not much seasoning/flavor. The wait staff was friendly but the wait for the food once seated and the wait outside wasn't worth the food. read more

Was trying to think of the best way to express just how much our family loves this place. Here goes...when we are on vacation in Saint Augustine we eat at Osteens several times. Even though SA has hundreds of great restaurants we still prefer Osteens. We just keep going back. We don't care that we have to wait an hour or more. We also buy gift certificates for friends. So there you have it. Oh, and order the shrimp. If they are not out of coconut cream pie, order that too. The fried squash is pretty darn wonderful. The hush puppies are crazy good. Ok I'm really finished but could go on. read more

The fried chicken was delicious! I read all about the shrimp and wanted to try them also so the very nice server brought a sample of six as an appetizer. Very accommodating! They were also good, but I must confess that I'm not much on fried shrimp. These are very light in color which seems a bit odd to me. But, back to the fried chicken. It was properly crisp and not greasy. Perfectly done. The sides I chose were cold slaw (too much mayo) and pickled cucumbers (perfect). The cornbread was also very good. Not dry as some kinds are. I enjoyed the meal and will go back for the fried chicken. The wait at lunch was only 15 minutes. Tour the antique store next door, you can hear your page for seating inside the store. Enjoy! read more

O'Steen's Restaurant - Delicious fried chicken - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

They do what they do incredibly well. Great price, fast, fresh, friendly and really good shrimp. I give them a 5 because the Shrimp are a 7 and sides around a 3. Mac & Cheese a bit overcooked, slaw OK, fries OK, but man those shrimp. Non-Local tip, take it to go and then sit at one of the Saint Augustine local beautiful spots. You'll avoid the long line and the shrimp will hold up just fine. read more

I had a great time at O'Steen's restaurant; it was the food highlight of my trip visiting St. Augustine. Make sure you bring cash and be prepared to wait. Parking can be a little iffy as well. We took first available and sat at the counter; the food was so good! The shrimp was some of the best I've had. Not a fancy place, it's exactly where I want to be after spending some time on the beach. read more

Shrimp and hush puppies were fantastic. The fried cod was flavorless. Service was great.

I've been coming here for years, like some of you perhaps. It's a tradition to wait in line, pay in cash and actually enjoy both because O'Steen's feels like a time when things were different. O'Steen's is the grandfather of St. Augustine style fried shrimp: butterflied, lightly battered and served with that incredible pink tub of sauce. O'Steens created the idea that daily specials, rotating side dishes and simple fare were enough to keep people lined up. They're right and while others try to mimic their style nothing really compares. A couple of tips for newbies: get there early, be prepared to wait and have shrimp. If you don't like shrimp, call ahead and ask about the daily special as their fried chicken is likewise fantastic. Otherwise, if you can find the strength to save room for pie I'd suggest doing so. O'Steen's is a great step back in time where you won't feel the need to pick up your phone every few minutes and can enjoy a great meal with those you love. read more

Good food, nice people, and the option to have a "smaller plate" portion as opposed to the huge normal plates. Only draw back is no credit or debit cards. read more

Sadly disappointed......Was in town and read the reviews so thought me and husband would try them out. Service was good, went during busy lunch hours and they had people sitting outside waiting to be seated. Inside is nothing fancy, rather small and crampy but seems to be a popular place. We were able to immediately go in due to there being 2 counter seats available and we didn't mind. I ordered a seafood combo with shrimp & oysters, sides were slaw and squash casserole. My husband ordered the seafood platter with mash potatoes & gravy and slaw. The price of my meal was just as much as his and I only had the shrimp & oysters and a few at that. When the food did arrive it looked great but that was all. There was absolutely no seasoning on it or in it. Even the squash casserole was bland and that's a favorite of mine. We were really disappointed. With that said, others may not mind flavorless, bland food because again, this place was packed. Our waitress was great and we ended up spending a total of $70.00 for our meals and teas which included her 20% tip. Something else off was, as we were sitting at the counter we noticed a small sign that read, we do not accept credit cards. It would have been very helpful to have known that beforehand, they need to put the sign in HUGE LETTERS ON THE FRONT ENTRANCE DOOR. Thankfully, between my husbands wallet and my cash we were able to gather up enough for the entire bill and tip. What restaurant doesn't accept credit/debit cards these days? Especially one who has the clientele to support the fees. This place can definitely do better.... Will not be returning. read more

My family and I spent some vacation time in St. Augustine and were introduced to O'Steen's for the first time by some friends. I can't say enough how amazing the Fried Shrimp was. Very tasty and probably the best Shrimp ever! This will become a traditional stop for us when in FL. Note: Make sure to bring cash, they do not take Debit or CC's. Completely worth it! A Must Stop! Oh.... And great service makes this place an A+ all around read more

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Pretty darn good fried shrimp! The sauce was soo good! Had the pickled veggies, on point.

Wow! What a great meal! The shrimp and scallops were excellent. The servicing staff were very attentive. We had a great time. Highly recommend OSteens. read more

Okay, I'm an "O'Steener" too now. Hands down if you're looking for fried shrimp and down home side fixins' this place has it!! Large succulent butterflied shrimp served with a homemade dipping sauce and sides was enough to fill even the heartiest of appetites. If you like a spicy kick, try their signature hotsauce made from local datil peppers. I could rave on and on about the shrimp because it's that impressive but the clam chowder is a tomato base and our bowl was lacking on the clams but a great bowl of flavorful tomato soup. Excellent service but be prepared because it's CASH ONLY. Definitely worth the wait which is usually 45+minutes. read more

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the best fried shrimp you will ever taste 50 years of practice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5P0EH7Xf90&feature=youtu.be read more

O'Steen's Restaurant - FRIED SHRIMP: At the legendary O'Steen's Restaurant (St. Augustine, FL) - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

My friend recommended that I try this place. I'm more of a boiled shrimp fan. I walked across the Bridge of Lions and I am so glad I did. The atmosphere of the place was just friendly and homey. The staff were all lovely. There is even a little shop right next store that you can peruse while waiting for your table and you CAN hear if they call your name!! The shrimp were delicious and their pickled cucumbers should be sold by the quart. I was so hungry that I didn't even take a picture of my meal on a divided round plate. I will make this a destination anytime I'm in St Augustine!! read more