We go to this place fairly often. The atmosphere, sitting there by the river, is really nice. The staff is friendly and the food is consistently good. Their gator mac and cheese can't be beat! read more

It's trivia night! Monday nights at 7 they have trivia and the top prizes are gift cards for the restaurant. The menu just recently expanded again (it was limited due to corona for a while) and brought back some great things like gator mac and cheese and jambalaya. They just added a seafood platter that has a very tasty deviled crab. The side vegetables are nicely spiced. You can't find a friendlier restaurant in the area and the views of the river at sunset are beautiful. read more

St John's River Grille - Updated menu page 1 7/20/2020 - New American Near Me - DeLand, Florida

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We stopped here after a day on the water and had a great time! We were greeted with a live band playing Beach Boys covers, and our server Emily could not have been nicer. The restaurant sits on the water near a marina so we caught a beautiful sunset with lots of action of passing boats. Our table ordered a bit of everything including some vegan options and some seafood. Everything that I tried was delicious, but both the grilled and fried shrimp was amazing. The pricing was reasonable and they had plenty of drink options. I will definitely be back! read more

St John's River Grille - New American Near Me - DeLand, Florida

Decided to stop here on the boat for some dinner and drinks! Location is awesome as it sits on a part of the St. Johns River. There's outside seating, a screened in patio with tons of seating, a rooftop bar, and regular inside seating and a bar as well. Since I was fried from the sun, we opted for the inside bar. Kim was our bartender. The place was packed and she was slinging drinks like nobody's business. She was slammed and the only one behind the bar. She did an AMAZING job! She was always on top of it when our beers were getting low and made sure she got our food order when we were ready! We got a pound of peel and eat shrimp for dinner (hot) with extra drawn butter on the side. The shrimp were huge and full of flavor. I really enjoyed it and scarfed them down. We each got a baked potato on the side which was also very good. I liked that the butter for the potato was brought on the side so you could put as little or as much as you wanted in the potato...I opted for the entire cup of it. I ordered a Landshark on draft for my beer of choice that evening and later saw a poster on the wall that said all day every day $2.00 Landshark drafts! That's a great deal and awesome that it's offered there 24/7. They also has some local taps as well, including Central 28 Up River. They had a live band playing outside, which was very loud, but probably would have been fun had we been in the right mindset and not been out on the river for the past 6 hours exhausted. I definitely plan on stopping back by there when we're in the area. read more

Food took forever. Server was intoxicated to the point she was obnoxious. View was alright.

I go here for the rooftop, favorite place in deland to enjoy the sunset. The drinks are great and fish sandwiches are delicious. Great atmosphere and friendly staff. read more

St John's River Grille - the sun setting over the water - New American Near Me - DeLand, Florida

We had a great experience here today! The appetizers were spot on!! The pretzel with beer cheese was amazing! Fried pickles and boom boom shrimp were delicious. Most of us got the blackened mahi-mahi sandwich which was delicious. The tarter sauce was different but I really liked it. My friend got the shrimp-n-grits which she said was terrific. The desserts were out of this world...we had one of everything. Peanut butter pie for the win!!! read more

First visit! And the BEST grilled mahi sandwich Ever! Mine was blackened, his was grilled. We were both very impressed. The coleslaw is reeeally good, too. Sure, it's a local watering hole on the marina, , nothing fancy, but we WILL be back! read more

We stumbled across this hidden gem and so glad we did! It was mid afternoon so we didn't have to wait for a table but as we were leaving the dining room was full! I live with a very picky eater and at 66 he is extremely set in his ways. He ate every bite of the appetiser, meal and we even did dessert, a rare occasion. We have plans to go back this weekend and we are taking friends! Absolutely love the atmosphere, drinks and food! read more

We got rained out while at Ed Stone Park and were looking for some food. I did see the mixed reviews however we decided to give it a shot. Our server was Taylor. She was delightful and attentive. Food came out quick and it was good! I had the rueben, it was a really great sandwich! The corned beef was soft and there was a great amount of sour kraut and dressing. I've been places where the rueben was dry, but this was not the case! I do recommend this place. It is pet friendly and boat/jetski friendly. Great job again Taylor! read more

St John's River Grille - Rueben with coleslaw! - New American Near Me - DeLand, Florida

Fantastic place. Kim was just absolutely the best server. She created an entree just for us to satisfy a bunch of out of towners. The food tasted great. I highly recommend the blackened Mahi and washing it down with a Highlight beer! Be back soon. read more

Great Food, Nice People, Awesome Vibe, Perfect Location. The Tiki Bar upstairs is a fun place to be. Katie the bartender is a gem.

I love their jambalaya. My wife and I have been going by pontoon and motorcycle regularly for several years. We moved recently so by river it is 70 miles round trip for us now, about 6 hours but until yesterday it was worth it. They have only 3 spots on the dock for river traffic. In the past there have been vacant boat slips we could dock and have a meal. Yesterday we came out after a longer wait than usual (not busy just not enough wait staff). They were getting ready to tow / move our pontoon. They said they are all reserved. They Have never marked the slips to let you know they are reserved. They mentioned going in the canal but there is no directional signage to let you know. Bottom line No longer river traffic friendly. read more

St John's River Grille is a great place to meet friends and enjoy a meal and drinks. All the employees are fantastic and the managers Tony, Donna and Kylie are great. We camped in the RV Park and spent most evenings in the Grille or up stairs in the Tiki Bar. The views of the sunsets from the Tiki Bar are amazing. We highly recommend the St John's River Grille. read more

Love it! This place is awesome! food is great we have been here many times! Can't wait to head that way again!

This is a real old-time Florida experience! The staff is friendly, the food is fun, the view of the river is wonderful...this was our 3rd time at The River Grille. It's only an hour from our home in The Villages. If you are looking for fancy, don't go to St. John's River Grille. If you are looking for a fun place to enjoy a laid back dining experience with a casual atmosphere with accommodating staff, this is your place! read more

We visited yesterday and loved it! The food and views were amazing. We had the hot wings, gator bites, and cheeseburgers and they were all 10/10! Our server was attentive and nice and even the food runner was so sweet and friendly! Definitely our new go to place!! read more

Awesome food and love the service you get there. The employees are so nice and helpful and you get your food fast and awesome place to eat by the river read more

Will not ever go back. Stopped in on the way home from Daytona. Hostess seated us outside as requested because the music was so loud inside. The seating outside near the water was nice. Sat for 20 mins with no one approaching our table to even acknowledge we were seated. We had at least 3 different waitresses walk past us and a server. The last waitress walked by us twice and even looked down at our table but continued walking. Needless to say, we made our mind up and just got up and left. After we left we checked the reviews and this seems par for the course for this place. Poor service. It may look like a cool stop off as you cross the bridge but don't waste your time. Drive on. read more

Awesome fried flounder sandwich and the onion rings go real good with the sandwich. Their fried gator bites appetizer are another great item they are tender. read more

We had been out on the boat all day and were ready for some air conditioning, cold drinks and a bite to eat before loading up and heading home. this is the perfect stop near the boat ramp and a great way to finish the day on the water. they had some live music setting up on a Saturday night, a neat balcony bar upstairs that overlooks the river, cold air conditioning and inside seating if that's your preference. The drink pricing was reasonable and our server was very polite and quick to take our orders. I am sure we will be back next time we're cruising the river! read more

Not impressed with the food at all! Boom shrimp still had tail on , fish sandwich.. more bread then fish and pretzel dripping in oil. Way too expensive for what you get and very limited menu. You would think as busy the river is it would have more. Service was excellent! I will check this off my list and wont be back. read more

The food takes FOREVER to come out. We waited over an hour to get our appetizers. Our drinks came out wrong twice. The owner came out to apologize twice(no discount or free food offered) to the table next to us who were handling the situation very well. Their silence said it all. On the other hand, our waitress was so amazing along with all the other waitresses. They all were so sweet and helpful. The owner needs to hire more kitchen staff and there needs to be music played outside on the decks also, not just live music inside. read more

We went on the Blue Heron Tours which left out of the St John's Marian on a beautiful December day. Tour was great and they gave us a 10% coupon. A few gals on the boat said they had lunch there and liked it. We noticed they had a Tiki bar on the top of the restaurant with a nice view of the St Johns so we thought why not. We checked it out but decided to go downstairs for an early dinner While the views and atmosphere are great typically found at the beach, lake or any marina, the food is doable but not anything to remember. The server in the dining room was very attentive and friendly.....however they are only at the disposal of the others working behind the scene. Meaning they are waiting on the bartender to server the drinks, the cooks to get the food fired up, etc..so it's most of this they have little control. And managers control how much and what staff is on deck. That being said, our first drink came pretty prompt, we ordered shortly there after...but I believe it was over an hour before our food arrived and there were hardly any people in the place. The Tiki bar it appeared most people were just having drinks and appetizers/small plates when we checked it out. I had the Gumbo, which basically was a poor edition of a bunch of seafood and sausage over a thin oddly flavored supposed to be "roux", but all the veggies except the okra was not included and under cooked no less. The server said the kitchen was in the process of changing their menu, and brought one of the missing ingredients but not the other three (onions/peppers and tomato). Seasoning was off, so it went in the trash the next day. I felt bad leaving it thought it might be better to revisit the next day. Zero. My companion had the fried shrimp dinner which was to be 9 shrimp and two sides...ordered tator tots crispy (they got those right), and a side salad. The shrimp where the tiny small shrimp I would only put in the a salad, never seen fried shrimp that small at any food establishment and they were terribly overcooked. Then I noticed when we got home they charged us for a side salad (okay only 2.00) but that was supposed to be the second side! Our fault for not noticing though. The table next to us sent a thing or two back but I'm not sure what it was but I heard the server apologizing for whatever was wrong. Maybe they are in transition, but mental note to self, great place for a drink and simple food (tator tots, fries), but the are enough restaurants in Orlando and the surrounding areas, there are plenty of tasty bites to experience from budget friendly and expensive meals that are delicious. read more

Great restaurant on the river! Awesome food and strong drinks! Our dogs love the tiki bar upstairs!

Waitresses atmosphere is beautiful it is gorgeous could ask for a better place. Drinks and music is great.

Just an update. I've visited probably 6 times over the last few months. I've tried the shrimp and grits, jambalaya, the fried catfish platter (which is seasoned very nicely and breaded thin and crispy while the fish is thick and light), boneless wings, fried pickles (also very nicely breaded and seasoned), the gator mac and cheese ( also seasoned generously and the same cajun blend like the jambalaya and it's well worth the price when you consider it's two meals worth of food), the giant pretzel (tastes so fresh the dough had to be made in house). Next to try are the soups (clam chowder especially I'm looking forward to). The only item I didn't like was the burger. It wasn't bad, just average. But honestly it's hard to top the Airport restaurant for amazing burgers. read more

We decided to check out the newly renovated restaurant that St. John's River Grille has taken over. We decided to eat outside since we had the dogs and they have a special dog area. We started off with conch fritters. They came with a remoulade type dipping sauce. Unimpressive. The sauce needs more flavor and the insides of the fritters were doughy and not fully cooked. I ordered the Amberjack fish sandwich blackened. It was delicious. They didn't overdo the blackening spice as some places tend to. It was also cooked just right. I had the slaw as my side, which also had a good flavor to it. The service was attentive, even though we were outside. Which seems to be one of the major complaints people have preciously had. More shad in the Tiki bar area, on the very top, would also help. read more

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We wanted seafood last night and decided to go west to the river instead of east to the beach. At St Johns River Grille, the servers were having some challenges. I'm sure they were short handed in some way because while we were seated quickly with menus, another table was seated and order taken before anyone came back for our order. Once the waitress came, we ordered drinks and food. The drinks came and those of us who ordered unsweetened tea were served sweet tea. The refills later we're unsweetened although we didn't say anything. Our food was delayed, but once it was out, it was good. My Dad's MahiMahi was very good. My Mom ordered the Orange Grove Chicken and was surprised that it was spicy. The menu should be clear if a dish has heat. It only says "made in an orange grove" My son and I had gator dishes. He had the gator Mac and cheese and enjoyed it. I had the River Bottom Pie because I had never seen anything like it. A bed of creamy cheesy grits, then gator bites, then Cole slaw, and topped with jalapeños peppers. It was pretty good, but I think there was a little too much Cole slaw and everything was layered like a Chipotle bowl. We still had a nice evening and good conversation, although we finally had to go inside to find and pay our bill. Food's good, I'll try this place again to see if the service gets worked on. read more

St John's River Grille - Gator dish - River Bottom Pie - creamy grits, gator bites, Cole slaw, jalapeño peppers, and onion rings. - New American Near Me - DeLand, Florida

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Up top is theeee spot. The bartender is a great guy who is usually upstairs is very personable and hospitable. Took my family and my son here for one of his first restaurant experiences, waitress was very attentive and helpful! Everyone was happy with their meal too. read more

Just stop by on our way home And had a wonderful meal as usual. Waitress was awesome and the shrimp was perfect and my hubby loved his philly steak sandwich. We have been here quite a few times and have never been disappointed. Shrimp Basket read more

We enjoy camping 5 to 6 times a year at DeLand KOA The reason we continue to go back is the amazing bar staff and entertainment. The restaurant is on the water with beautiful views. Shout out to Kim who has our drink ready before we even sit down! Great place Great food Great stafff!! read more

The view is the best part of this restaurant. The staff is very attentive and polite. Definitely try the gator bites.

Just had some of the best Jambalaya of my life! I've spent many a day in New Orleans and this was on par with the best they have to offer. Great service and beautiful atmosphere. My wife and I are already planning a day to come back. -Cheers read more

Excellent!! Was very safe and observe all pandemic protocols. Still had great time & Mahi Sandwiches & Bloody Mary's

Great atmosphere, beautiful views of the river, friendly staff and good food! Loved the frog legs & the gator bites! read more

St John's River Grille - bike night! - New American Near Me - DeLand, Florida

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Went there last Wednesday with my husband and I must say I wasn't disappointed at all...great food and customer service...thanks Megan and the rest of the staff for your hospitality. Will definitely visit again!!!!!! read more

Our food was amazing!! He had the blackened mahi sandwich and he LOVED it. He was mad he couldn't finish it, he was so full! I had an order of the boom boom shrimp also completely a-maze-ing. If we weren't just driving through, this would be a go to for us!! I wish I could remember the bartenders name, we really liked him. Unfortunately we did not get photos of our food, it was consumed upon arrival. read more

We love the rooftop bar here. You have an outstanding view of the river, marina and campground. They get a nice crowd up here in the afternoons around happy hour. Had some tacos, they were just OK. Will try some other menu items soon. read more

Not good food or service. It looks like they don't pay enough to get good staff. My wife and I were there tonight she ordered an Angry orchard and I ordered a Bud light Draft. The waitress brought me a Miller lite in a bottle. When I said I ordered the Bud light she said are you sure ordered a Bud light? Then my wife ordered a salad and I ordered Grilled Salmon. The dinner salad came and had been frozen. The lettuce was translucent and the cucumbers were just mush. The Grilled Salmon never came. I asked about it and she said are you sure you ordered that? I thought y'all just ordered two salads. We paid and left. You can do better almost anywhere else. Good view of the river. They should stick to beer sales read more

St John's River Grille - Frozen dinner salad Yuck! At St John's River Grille - New American Near Me - DeLand, Florida