- The object of my prolonged endeavor had been to find the best fried shrimp in the Nation. - At the advice and prompting of yelp reviewers, I drove to St. Aug. to investigate. The building is nothing spectacular, the place is small as is it's parking lot. You put your name on the list and wait outside for them to call it. The sign simply says O'Steen's If not for the drawing of a shrimp, it could just as easily be a pharmacy or hardware or such. What this sign or building doesn't tell you is that you're about be given the opportunity to enjoy what just might be the very best fried shrimp available anywhere. I agree with what Andrew W. of Bethesda, MD has already stated. I've eaten fried shrimp all over the southeast, and all over a great portion of Florida. I can remember moving from Fl. to Ca back in the 70's and trying to find seafood that even slightly resembled east cost taste and quality. I couldn't find any. I eventually discovered the difference may be in the Atlantic Ocean's iodine content. But, for what ever the reason, we here in NE Florida are so very fortunate to have it surrounding us. O'Steen's serves daily specials - 6 shrimp, 2 sides and hush puppies, $7.95. They also offer the same with 9 shrimp, $11.95, and 12 shrimp, for a $1 more. I opted for the latter. Any connoisseur could tell, their shrimp are definitely fresh, perfectly deveined and are two bite butterflied. They are hand dipped in a thin blanket of batter, then fried to a golden crisp color. I only wish they where a tad bit sweeter. When I think of the best fried shrimp I've ever had, Parson's in Mayport were my gold standard, followed by Genes that use to be in Riverside on Park St., Long Horn Steakhouse, and now O'Steens. They all rate 12 on a 1 - 10 scale. They also serve a nice variety of other basic sea foods, chicken, steaks and chops. Who Cares? 'O'Steen's'? The name doesn't exude anything seafood, but their shrimp exude abundant taste. read more

Great service & great fried shrimp! This is a no frills traditional southern place. After hearing about the shrimp from my Florida native boyfriend, the expectation was high. Hot sauce is great but not very hot at all, good flavor though. Pickled cucumbers are very fresh and have a sweetness to them - reminds me of home pickled vegetables from NC, where I'm from. Fried shrimp had zero grease. I think it's a flour/corn breaded combo. Blackened (mild blackening) fish (mahi) had a great seasoning but was a little dry/chewy texture-wise. I had the sliced tomatoes to balance out the heaviness of the fried food, which were good. Hush puppies are oniony hush puppies, not sweet hush puppies. Key lime pie was just ok, had a nice sour lime flavor but we loved the coconut cream pie. We went in between lunch and dinner and didn't have to wait. read more

The five star reviews are all spot on. And I'm glad, because there's nothing worse than traveling to a restaurant only to find that it wasn't worth the hype. After a long, obnoxious week of work, I decided that I needed a treat. And what better or more decadent than fried shrimp? My husband gave me his usual look of disbelief when I told him that I wanted to come to St. Augustine for dinner this weekend, but humored me and agreed to not only come, but also not to divorce me on the spot. We made it up on Saturday, both of us ravenous. Even from the main strip, it was obvious that we were either in for a treat, or about to be royally punked. There was a line the full length of the restaurant. The multiple parking lots were completely full; cars were circling like vultures. The cashier told us that the wait was 40 minutes for a table; we opted for seats at the counter and went next door to browse a large collection of antiques and sculptures. Happy day, they called us back over within five minutes and set us up at the counter, where the couple next to us smiled and said hello. I asked if the food was worth it. "Absolutely," they said in unsion. "Well, I came all lhe way from Gainesville to try it, so I hope so." The man chuckled. "If you don't like it, I'll stick around and help you eat it." (Sorry, pal. You ain't getting NONE.) I admit, I was a little worried when I realized that the shrimp was beer-battered. I prefer cornmeal batter because beer batter has to be absolutely perfectly cooked or you end up with soggy, foul food. But our food came out very quickly and it was done to a T. It was worth every mile and every Sunday driver we met on the way there. Dip one half of the butterflied shrimp in the remoulade; bite. Dip the other half; bite. Carefully free the tail meat from the shell. Dip fries in remoulade; bite. Sigh happily. Repeat. And as for my husband? He gave the place one of his smarmy, backhanded compliments: "It definitely seems that they do nothing but cook shrimp all day long." That is to say, they've got it down pat. read more

Like many others have said, the food is worth the wait!! DH and I are fortunate to get out of work early enough on Fridays that we can head straight down to St Aug and beat the dinner rush. I had never heard of O'Steen's or their delectable fried shrimp until DH & I started dating. I'm pretty sure a divine force brought him into my life *just* to introduce me to this establishment. We stumbled upon the Minorcan clam chowder by accident, and now it's something I MUST have every time we go. read more

O'Steen's Restaurant - Minorcan clam chowder! - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

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I have to say. They DO back up their claim to have the best fried shrimp. THIS is the kind of place you hang out with locals to find ! My friends are natives to FL. Yes, there is ALWAYS a line. Our plan today was to get food to go since we were starving. We luck out to get the 2 top next to the cash register, I don't even care that people are lined up at our table. Anybody that knows me will know that I'm making new friends and asking them what they ate !! We had shrimp of course ! the breading is absolutely the best. It's a white cracker type breading very light and crisp. I have NO idea how they fry them since there is no trace of oil on them !! some kind of Florida Magic I'm sure. There is a reason people will drive so far , wait in line , have been eating here since they were children etc.... The sides were also great. I had cole slaw, hush puppies and the vinegar pickles/ cucumbers can't honestly remember what they were ? My friend had fires. I was in love with the hot sauce they have on the table with Datil pepper in it. I had a blast mixing it with everything , tarter ,cocktail , and salad dressing !!! I'm a big fan of the Datil peppers in everything now. It is a must go now , if your in the area !!! Worth a really long wait !!! I want more now !! read more

Any restaurant that has not only been open 51 years (2016) while accepting cash only, HAS to be good. Yes, the place isn't open on Sundays and Mondays; it isn't large; you'll always have a wait on the long outside bench; most of the customers have gray hair; and some of the sides are either from a can or "doctored," but if you want the BEST fried shrimp ANYWHERE and the MOST delicious hush puppies, this is where it's AT! The service is always fast and friendly. Ordering at the window & taking your Styrofoam containers to go is an option (our wait for takeout yesterday was 15 min), or you can always go the British pub or antique store that ajoin the property (& wait till staff phones those businesses once your table is ready). There may be a time you stop to eat, but management has placed an "I'm sorry, we're on vacation" sign on the door...major bummer:( But, if your mouth waters for delicious shrimp at a VERY reasonable cost, this place is little gamble. We don't ever head to St Augustine without stopping on our way back to Gainesville. And this gurl seldom likes fried foods... read more

When people mention O'steens, the word shrimp quickly follows. O'steens.......Shrimp. See? My wife has mentioned this place every time we are on the island. So, much to her delight, I swung in one sunny afternoon. Parking is tight but we managed to find a spot. First things first, cash only. No checks, no credit cards, no good intentions. Cash baby, just like Johnny, keeps you in the black. We put our name on the list and were told we could wait at the British Pub down the street and they would call (how nice is that?) or peruse the antique store which has a speaker. We chose the antique store because we had the kids and they are embarrassing when they drink. The group before us apparently chose the pub as they were called on the speaker repeatedly and they even went so far as to call the clerk at the store. Our name was called in their place and as we walked to the front door I saw the other group coming. The hostess was then stuck with two parties for one table. We graciously offered to wait for the next as they were ahead of us in line (and the table was right in front of the door.) We were seated shortly after and the hostess thanked us again for waiting. Ordering was a snap as we all had the shrimp. Sides included sweet potato casserole, coleslaw, tropical fruit salad and fries. Hush puppies were served as well. We munched on cornbread and our shrimp came out promptly. The shrimp were tender and lightly battered. Our only problem was eating all of the generous servings. We made a note to downsize next time as you could order them in a range of serving sizes. The pink sauce was a nice compliment and there was a bottle of their own hot sauce to drizzle in if your looking for that extra kick. Everyone enjoyed the sides and the hush puppies were tasty. Doing the math: If O'steens = Shrimp and Shrimp = Great ergo O'steens = Great Shrimp. Problem solved. Go get some Shrimp. read more

O'Steen's Restaurant - O'Steens famous Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

For those offering anything less than 5 stars and posing as "seafood connoisseurs", you're either clearly from the north or have never enjoyed real fresh shrimp. I almost can't help but to LOL. You actually believe that a dining establishment in business for half a century is something less than excellent ? Head back where you came from and yummy up on the fresh frozen garbage.........locals won't miss you, and you'll save us time in line. As for accolades, anyone who questions O'Steen's food needs to stop visiting Captain D's and Red Lobster. Bashing aside, I've been enjoying this establishment since they opened, and I'll NEVER miss a chance to go back. read more

OK, so I feel like a complete traitor for writing this review and giving it only three stars, but after so many 5-star reviews, I felt compelled to write it. I have wanted to try this place out for more than a year now, based on the rest of the reviews. Having been to St. Augustine about a zillion times, it seemed foolish to not have eaten here yet. So I brought the family, including my mother who lives in St. Augustine (and also has never eaten there), and we settled down for some of the supposed best fried shrimp on the planet. The wait: it's true, on any given night, I am sure the wait is ridiculously long. We went on a Saturday night, temperature in the upper 40s, and endured a 45 minute wait -- mostly in our car, since the antique shop next door was closed - bummer. You'd think they would extend their hours to get more business from the waiting crowds... Anyway, after finally sitting down, the atmosphere was not much to speak of, but supposedly it's all about the food. I also love a divey hole in the wall kind of place, so atmosphere is subjective anyway. The sides sounded delicious enough - fresh green beans, sweet potato casserole, squash casserole, pickled beets, lima beans, and a good bunch of others. I was actually hankering for some fresh green beans, but when I saw the waitress pass by with somebody else's order, I changed my mind - they definitely did not look like my idea of "fresh". I opted for lima beans and sweet potato casserole instead - the beans were "meh" but the sweet taters were pretty yummy - albeit a pretty small portion. I ordered up the 12-shrimp dinner (fried, natch) and, well, sure, they were pretty good. Would I say they were the best I'd ever had? Nope. But they were tasty, I thought the breading was just the right amount, but my wife thought it was a little too much. The size of the shrimp was good - nice, big, plump shrimp, butterflied and battered. The one item that I would give 5 stars is the datil pepper sauce (presented in Grolsch flip-top bottles), which was spicy and sweet and downright delicious - they make it on site and sell bottles of it to take home. The other food I tasted was the pickled beets (OK, but probably out of a can/jar). Mom had the coleslaw and she said it wasn't that great and looked much better than it tasted. I also had the hush puppies (they come with every dinner, or you can request biscuits to substitute upon request). The hush puppies were too oniony for my taste, but my wife thought they were delicious. Mom said the biscuits were insanely good. Price-wise, at the time of this writing it's $12.95 for a dozen shrimp, $11.95 for 9 shrimp, or (probably the best deal) $7.95 for 6 shrimp. Those all come with hush puppies and two sides. The 12 shrimp dinner with the sides made me stuffed. Wish I had ordered the $7.95 option with a cup of soup or something instead, but alas. So overall, some really good things to be had here, but for all the 5 star reviews, I gotta say I'm pretty disappointed overall. I'm glad I tried it, and as I mentioned, the shrimp WERE good, just not phenomenal like one would expect by all the other reviews. read more

O'Steens is fantastic. We went at noon in early March for lunch on a crowded Saturday after Bike Week in St. Augustine, and still only waited a few minutes. It started to get pretty busy around 12:45 or so, I'd say, so I think the key is to plan your timing accordingly. All the food was fantastic - fried shrimp, fried oysters, navy beans, green beans, beets, and sweet potato casserole - oh and of course the hushpuppies. The Dat'l pepper sauce has a distinct flavor, so you may or may not like it. The tartar sauce is passable. I'm not sure the food even needs the sauce! I would guess it would be a pain to come here with large parties, so I probably would not recommend it. read more

I'm giving O'steen's two stars because it was edible and the staff was friendly. Let me start off by saying I'm not exactly a food snob, but I do expect to a certain degree decent food quality after a certain price point. This place violates that pretty badly. Although I have always heard it was 'an absolute must' to order the shrimp, I refused since I don't eat fried food and thought the entire menu is probably awesome judging by how slammed it was. Boy was I wrong. I ordered blackened fish, a side of green beans and tomatoes. The green beans were obviously from a can, which I find pretty ridiculous in every aspect. The tomatoes were kept cold (which is a culinary sin) and were about as good as any tomato that was green 48 hours ago, and the blackened fish was over-seasoned and almost unable to be eaten. Just a bit of advice: fresh fruit and veggies are not unattainable and are much cheaper and more delicious than this canned crap they serve. It's almost offensive after waiting one hour in line and spending $16 on a meal they would even consider doing that. Embarrassing. If you're looking to be blown out of the water by awesome seafood, this isn't the place. Try Aunt Kate's in Vilano Beach or Hurricane Patty's. Those two places don't charge ridiculous prices whilst breaking basic culinary laws. read more

I love to eat in O'Steens, but there is always a line. The reason there is a line is because it's fantastically awesome. It's not a fad, as some other reviewers mentioned. This is how seafood should be prepared and it's virtually impossible to find seafood this good anywhere else. This is actually a fried seafood diner. It has waitresses just like a diner. It has a diner counter. The only thing that's missing are some pies turning around in a glass case. Well they have pie, but it's not in a glass case that you can see. I ordered the platter that included some of everything. EVERYTHING was good. I think the scallops were the most impressive, but I would be hard pressed to really settle on a favorite. I also really enjoyed the side items, of which there are around 8 to choose. The seafood is extremely fresh. There is a crisp flavor to it that is not overpowered by breading. I should mention that they do have chicken on some days. It's pretty great as well. Incidentally, going back to the pies, I was joking while sitting at the diner counter that they should have some on display. The guy next to us perked up and then admitted that he cannot come to O'Steens without getting their pie. He says it's the best he's ever had. We had to take his word for it because we ordered way too much food, but I thought I'd pass this gem on to you. Get the pie. You can save yourself time by ordering ahead and picking the food up. However, I suggest that you either eat the food right away or at least open the containers it comes in. The reason is that if you leave it sitting, it will steam itself and is not nearly as good after even 5 minutes of this. Furthermore, eating in O'Steens is an experience. It's worth the hour+ wait, particularly if you can go next door and look at antiques, or bring something to do while you wait. O'Steens is cash only, which is annoying but they are so popular that they have no incentive to change. It's walking distance from downtown. There's plenty of parking in the lot behind the restaurant or on the streets of the neighborhood nearby. I cannot wait to come back. I cannot understand what is wrong with anyone who doesn't give this place 5-stars. read more

When the locals wait hours in line then you know you found a good restaurant. The best shrimp I had in the area all week. Love it and we will be back! read more

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

Classic never diaspoints. Cash only, fresh seafood, fries arent cut fresh a bit of a disappointment considering their fryers go all day long. Sweet potatoe casserole was excellent. read more

After visiting St. Augustine and eating at O'Steen's, I sat and read all of the other reviews before writing my own. As one reviewer indicated, you'll either love it or you won't. If you like fried shrimp and don't mind waiting for it and aren't looking for a fancy place with a lot of glitz, it is Heaven on Earth. If you're cranky and need a fancy waiting area in which to cool your heels or if you don't like (or cannot eat) fried food, you probably should look elsewhere. As an aside...why a vegetarian would even walk in the door is beyond me. I probably would not have enjoyed visiting O'Steen's in August at 5pm because - again, as just about everyone has pointed out - they do not have an indoor waiting area; just an antique shop next door. You're GONNA wait. We visited at 2:45pm on a Friday for an early dinner and we waited almost a half hour. But it was early-November and the weather was perfect (and we like antiques). But, again, as everyone has said, the fried shrimp are the main attraction. We're not talking about wimpy little things either - they're good-sized shrimp. We had not eaten lunch and I was really hungry so I got the 1-1/2 order. Do NOT do this unless you are a really big eater. I am and it was too much food. I did not have ANY room for dessert. I would have loved to have tried the coconut cream pie which, as the waitress explained, is made by a local lady. The shrimp are unlike any I have ever had - very light in color (they almost appear underdone to the uninitiated). They are really, REALLY good. It may be sacrilegious to say, but I like old-fashioned cocktail sauce. They serve their shrimp with something - again, as an another reviewer described - that tastes like 1000 Island dressing without the relish. Not bad but I was jonesing for cocktail sauce. I wish that I had known about the pepper sauce in the Grolsch beer bottle (I should have given it a whiff). I may take a bottle of Crosse & Blackwell shrimp sauce (the best) the next time I visit. But the order-and-a-half left me stuffed (I didn't count to see if there were 18, but who cares?). My wife had a dozen and they filled HER to the gills (no pun intended). The hush puppies - OH, the hush puppies - are the best I have ever had. They give you two and they're the size of billiard balls. Perfectly cooked, hot and fresh. The squash casserole (kind of like creamed squash) was very good. Another reviewer did not like the cole slaw - I did. It is mayonnaise-based. It wasn't really inspiring but I thought that it was delicious and it tasted fresh. So, what else? Everyone else has mentioned the atmosphere - or lack thereof, depending upon your point-of-view. O'Steen's may well have the smallest bathroom of any restaurant in the world. And you have to go outside to get to it (don't worry - it is covered). Again, probably not a really pleasant experience in the summertime. Closed Sunday and Monday and cash only. No alcohol. I will finish by talking about the service: It is quirky in that you step up to an outside window and give them your name. The lady there seemed a bit "impersonal". But we sat near the cash register and she turned out to be very nice. Our waitress was simply a delight. She kept our iced teas filled and even gave us drinks to-go when we were ready to leave. All of those shrimp with drinks (no dessert) set us back about $35. So not cheap. But in 2012 America (nope - I am not going to get political), you're going to spend $15-$20 for dinner for two at McDonald's. That's the scoop on O'Steen's. I am surprised that Guy Fieri hasn't been there yet because this place is truly MADE for Triple-D. Vegetarians - stay the heck away. Shrimp lovers - get ready for nirvana. read more

BEST SHRIMP EVER. and I've been places - all over California, Florida, Philippines, Bahamas. BEST SHRIMP EVER. This place is great. It's a hole in a wall, family owned restaurant with great homecooked meals. If you wanna have dinner here you better either come early or be prepared to wait for an hour or two for a table. Oh but it's worth it. Best shrimp ever. read more

I am VERY stingy with a five star review so this place is legit. This is, hands down, the best fried shrimp anywhere. It is amazing. Love the pink sauce they serve it with also. Great sides and great staff. Just love this place. The British Pub next door is a great hangout while you wait for your table because there WILL be a wait. read more

Food was great, I got the shrimp, green beans and mashed potatoes and gravy. Everything was very flavorful. Looking at the shrimp online I was skeptical about the seasoning because it "looked" bland but nope! Very good. The only thing I felt weird about was the service. Our server was very "rushy". Her words were friendly but the delivery was a little cold and direct. However very informative. All in all, everything was pretty cool. Oh and they don't take cards! Only cash. read more

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

What a disappointment. Wife's favorite food is probably fried shrimp.....been hearing about O'Steen's for months - so today made the 40 minute drive - to wait 45 minutes for a table - in the rain (no waiting area inside) - we passed the time by going to the ATM - because they don't take credit/debit cards...... When we finally arrived at our table (one of maybe 20, topps - smaller than your average McDonald's inside) the looks of the place told us it was remodeled as recently as 1989 (Although it was very clean). In addition, I believe my wife and I were the only customers who couldn't tell you where we were the day Pearl Harbor was bombed...... Then - the food....blah....not bad, just......blah....nothing special at all...not worth the wait, not worth the hype....The definition of average. If I'm going to have average seafood in Florida - I want more than a 45 minute wait for a glorified diner....At least give me a view and a cocktail......Won't be going back. read more

Over 30 years I have been going here- I could never recall a bad meal. They are consistent with what they serve. No changes ever to their recipes or cooking styles. I always know we are going to get a great meal here. read more

Pros: great friendly service The shrimp was perfectly fried, sides were tasty Cons: long line, over 30 min wait Tilapia was dry from being over-fried The shrimp wasn't special, as in it didn't taste any better than fried shrimp elsewhere. Overall: Not super impressed. The 4+ star rating had me thinking this was not to be missed. read more

After a 45 minute wait, browsing the antique store that is next door, we were able to get seated. The food was pretty good, but not what it was hyped out to be. I think this qualifies as a restaurant that you should try once. The Sweet Potato Casserole was the highlight of my meal, when the Shrimp should have been. read more

O'Steen's Restaurant - Shrimp, Sweet Potato Casserole, and Cream Spinache - Seafood Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

Cash only. Some of the best and freshest fried shrimp I've had. It's always busy and you have to wait outside or in the gift shop but worth the wait as their sea food is very tasty. If it wasn't for the wait I'd come more often. You can't go wrong here for sea food. read more

We had lunch there today. I had the Crab & Shrimp Casserole, mashed potatoes, green beans. There was very little shrimp in the casserole, and I couldn't find any crab meat in the casserole. The green beans seem like they were from a can and overcooked. The mashed potatoes and gravy were fine. They did not serve real butter with the cornbread. For a -CASH only- place I was expecting a lot more. There are many great restaurants in St. Augustine, this was not one of them! read more

This is a Saint Augustine treasure. My family loves this place. There is ALWAYS a wait because the dining area is so small. Expect that and it's not too stressful. Besides, if you get there during normal business hours, there is an antique store next door to poke around in to kill the time. I think they close at 5pm. Oh, and they have speakers that announce when your table is ready... Total plus. If you are waiting patiently with nothing to do and the sun is going down (and in your eyes), there is another set of benches on the southern end of the building. There are also restrooms located back there. About the food: I ordered the 9 piece fried shrimp with a double order of corn nuggets. Seriously, 9 is PLENTY! They come butterflied and fried to perfection. They are served with with pink sauce that I enjoy best with some datum sauce added to it. I couldn't even eat my sides while we were there. The meals come with hush puppies for the table, too. You will not leave hungry. read more

We stopped by late afternoon on a rainy day and there was no lineup. We got a table right away. The waitress came over with our menus and answered lol our questions. She was so helpful and friendly. The restaurant itself is very dated and not as big as I thought it was. We ordered a shrimp platter with a couple side to share. We also ordered the crab cakes with two sides and a bowl of clam chowder. The shrimp were split up the middle and battered lightly. Great presentation and fun to eat. The shrimp were placed on top of the French fries which made the fries a bit soggy. But lucky that's how I like my fries. The shrimps were the highlight of the meal for sure. The clam chowder was tomato based with a nice flavor. The crab cakes were nice and crunchy on the outside and soft and full of crab on the inside. They were very filling. I would definitely come back but would only order the fried shrimp. They were delicious! read more

My wife has this restaurant on speed dial the food is soo good...the catch is we live in Atlanta, GA. If line is too long, call ahead 20 mins before hand and get it to go. read more

Be prepared for a wait....a VERY LONG wait! We had to wait 2 hours for a table - possibly the longest I've ever waited at any restaurant. We did not want to leave the area without trying their famous fried shrimp so we stuck it out. The restaurant itself is very small and they do not have indoor bathrooms or an indoor waiting area. Was it worth the wait and inconvenience of using a tiny bathroom outside? Eh, kind of. The fried shrimp was delicious and the broiled scallops were also good. By the time we ordered, however, they had run out of most of their sides. We were left with mediocre sides that most people wouldn't order if given other options. Case in point, I had tomato slices as a side...just tomato slices. This restaurant has great food and it's such a shame that my experience was overshadowed by negatives that were not even food related. I honestly won't be going out of my way to come back here. I think one time was enough for me. read more

Oh my god. The fried shrimp is the best I've had than anywhere else. Do not order anything else. Get the shrimp. Long lines happen everyday of the week and the staff is good and southern. Good people. read more

Very good seafood, get there early so you don't have to wait long. We sat at the counter; the staff is friendly and food is good. The meals come with 2 sides. Very fresh seafood. FYI, closed on Sundays and Mondays and accepts only cash. read more

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

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Our seafood dinner was delicious. I had fried scallops and my husband had the seafood platter. Our waitress Jan was the BEST waitress we've ever had. She was very attentive to all her tables and very friendly. I highly recommend this place. read more

It seems as though I get to be the odd man out. I was in St. Augustine visiting from out of town and my review is clearly based off comparison with the other restaurants I ate at while there. Like many others, we had heard of O'Steens from the very positive Yelp reviews it received. We went on a Thursday night around 6 expecting the wait to not be too horrendous. The very nice woman at the window quoted us around 1.5 hours. This was a little rich for my blood, but I figured with a wait like that and such positive reviews, it's got to be amazing! Well, when we were seated after the nearly 2 hour wait we were greeted by our very kind waitress who recommended the shrimp and Minorcan clam chowder, so we decided to go for it. If I am being honest, it was very average. Not great, not bad. Average. When I am coming to Florida, I expect to be blown out of the water with seafood and this just didn't do it. The main reason it got 3 stars was for the very nice people who work there and for the pie. Yes! Both the coconut cream and banana cream pies are homemade. We got the coconut cream and it was very good! All in all if you want a great seafood experience, I recommend Catch 27 or Hurricane Patty's. read more

Best fried shrimp you may ever eat. Like having large, split shrimp in a nice thin biscuit. Staff is always great but the place is usually packed. CASH ONLY but don't let that deter you. The place is old school in all the right ways. It's like a Jersey diner meets a Kentucky local joint. No frills, just amazing food. A breath of fresh air from "presentation" food spots in touristy areas. Enjoy, thank me later. read more

Take my review with a grain of salt. I'm a Californian. First off, this place does not accept credit cards or ATM cards. Also, no checks if they are not local. So we scrounged up our cash and found we could actually order full meals for about 10 bucks a piece. Not too bad. I had the fried shrimped others raved about on here. My mom had the fried scallops. We had green beans and fries as our sides. In their favor, they had many sides to choose from, but peach halves and cottage cheese are kind of random. The seafood was not untasty but it sure wasn't fresh. The fries were those accordian cut (what's the proper name for those?) and so obviously frozen. The green beans were an awful tangy flavor and the yellowish green typical of canned veggies. I am going to be a little distrustful of other local reviews if this place was one of the highest ranked. Seriously people, best fried shrimp? Ugh. read more

I'm amazed at the number of 5 star ratings. I know dive seafood restaurants from ME to MD to NC that are excellent. O'Sheens not so much. A combination between a diner and old person home cafeteria. Yes, the shrimp are nicely battered and tasty but that is about where it ends. The clam chowder was a tomato soup w clams thrown in. The sides were all canned, gloppy goo. On the plus side we didn't have to wait 45 mins....I cannot even imagine. Go further down the road for seafood or wait until you're in Hilton Head for some awesome seafood shacks that deliver. read more

This is an olde Florida original. Co-owned by all the employees, O'Steen's is a throwback. Don't go if you are on a special diet that doesn't allow fried foods. With a little extra dash of their homemade Datil pepper sauce, the chowder was as expected, wonderful. Service is friendly. They seem to have their system down. Walk up to the window outside, leave your name and wait for them to call you. Thank you O'Steens for maintaining your character after many years of serving locals and tourists alike. read more

LOVE LOVE LOVE NOBODY does shrimp better! MUST try their Minorcan clam chowder. Avoid a long wait by going for a late lunch around 2p. Never-mind ambiance and parking you go for the food. Make it a must-do next time you're in St. Augustine! read more

Love, love, love the shrimp! Order ahead and get it to go to avoid the wait. But if you live far away don't, because reheated breading is never a great idea. These puppies are best when served hot and fresh and if you live near by you can avoid the wait and just order to go. A fun little place that is worth checking out, but as others have stated, go early or expect a wait. read more

Just leaving and I already want to go back! Everything was awesome even down to the sauces. I got the fried shrimp with green beans and grits on the side. The shrimp was out of this world and the sauce that it comes with is a perfect addition. The hush puppies were also very good. Very airy and light compared to other ones I've had at other places. Even though I was stuffed, I had to make room for dessert. I got the coconut cream pie and all I can say is WOW! If I lived in St. Augustine I would be here every week. Wish they would put one in NY! read more

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

Awesome as usual! Best fried shrimp on the planet! Great catch seafood never disappoints! Cash only! read more

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