This place is way overrated and self absorbed! Over priced! I ventured out and had their famous "1905 Salad". I think I've had better at Newks Deli! If this was all the rave by USA.Today it's no wonder why that newspaper is failing! I also had the Chirizo appetizer...could have taken it home to my dog as a chew toy! Ambiance was the best part if you don't mind overpriced drinks! Great location but a waste of real estate. read more

After finally making the trip to St Augustine and having multiple people recommend this restaurant it was a very sub par experience. Normally I would never review solely on service alone, but unfortunately that was the only aspect we got to experience. After making a reservation and getting seated promptly, we never were greeted nor acknowledged. After a 40 minute wait, it was enough. We shared with the hostess that after we were seated we hadn't been acknowledged nor greeted by a server and she seemed almost annoyed we were even saying anything. Shortly after we left we received a phone call, and were told we were seated at the "wrong table" and it "wasn't really their fault." Overall, a very sub par experience. The overall ambiance of the restaurant was nice, I just wish I was able to experience the food or service that was bragged about. Would not personally revisit this restaurant. read more

This was my second time at Columbia Restaurant. I might try the original in Tampa next time I'm down there, but I'm not in a hurry to return to the St. Augustine location. The Cuban bread is good, don't waste your time with the sangria (is very watery), and stick with the traditional dishes like the flank steak and yellow rice with plantains. read more

It's very tempting from the the outside and the inside decor is very nice. I was expecting a whole lot more, which I was kinda disappointed about. The spanish music lives up to the atmosphere and we were seated prompty with our reservation. I had the Pollo "Riojana" and it was ok. The chicken was slightly undercooked and it was kinda spicy in a way. Maybe that's how the way it was suppose to be, but I wasn't informed of that when I asked the waiter when ordering. Either way, it didn't stop us from having a good time for the rest of our trip. read more

The Columbia - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

This place is a hit or miss. I came here to try their white Sangria after hearing a lot of raves about it. They make a pitcher of it in front of you and I wanted to experience it. Great service and excellent Sangria. It was pricey but I enjoyed it. Would I experience it again. No. Once was enough. I give 5 stars for the service and Sangria that day. The service and wait staff were very nice to me. Unfortunately, I don't want to come here after getting to know some of the wait staff. They give great service and the ones I knew were very nice to me. The worst part is the drama and the stress among the wait staff. I understand that waiting tables is stressful. I have worked as a waiter several times in my life, a prep cook, and a hostess. I have experienced it first hand. I would not want to work there though due to some of the people that are there. I would not want to eat there because I don't want people with problems serving or making/ prepping my food. I like that they have excellent service yet there are things you can not control like other people drama, etc. From what I know, they train their servers very well yet they need to weed out bad seeds. read more

This place is popular for a reason...its awesome! The place is classy, romantic, and comfortable. The food and presentation are great, and the Sangria is awesome. Me and my Girl had a great meal and a great experience here for her birthday dinner. read more

What a great find! Came here with the fam on vacation. We had a mighty hankerin for some sustenance and I was in the mood for Spanish rice. We ordered a sangria pitcher that was mixed in front of us. It yielded 4 cups and It was really tasty. They brought everyone out their own loaf of fresh bread. Our server was very knowledgeable of the menu (which was really large) and friendly. I ordered the paella vegetarian. They brought it out and prepped it at the table. The veggies and rice we are cooked perfectly and tasted phenomenal. They made the rice with a vegetable stock that had a lot of flavor. Service was slow in the beginning, but not enough to Warrant a 4 star. I would definitely go back next time I'm in st. Augustine! read more

Lots of disappointments! Took 1.5 hrs for food to arrive. Paella was luke warm and the stuff the menu lists is a bit of a lie. Lots of chunks of chicken and pork, but then 2 little shrimps and squid (was sharing I didn't get any) and the mussels so over cooked they were the size of a pea. My son's medium filet was med rare both times they redid it. So he only ate the outside of it. Was told we'd get free dessert for our long wait. We ordered 4 and the cheapest 2 were free. The cocktails were meh! Best thing was the queso, the salad and the churros. Everything else was blah! To add on from Jeff's message - the server did know all about the issues that is why she offered "free dessert" (again only two were free) In fact we thought it odd that no manager came by with all the issues we had. read more

The evening started out badly when we were told the wait would be 45 min end it was 75 min. The ordering process was slow. But worst of all was that the food did not meet Columbia standards. The 1929 salad was over dressed and too salty to eat. I couldn't get it down and I love the signature 1929 salad. The margarita tasted like medicine. The fish was over cooked, rubbery and tasteless. Do better Columbia! read more

I would honestly mark this place a four star but I believe they deserve better than a 3 1/2 star average. I almost skipped this place and that would have been a shame. So glad I listened to the recommendations of people we met here. Bottom line is don't come if it is super busy or you are in a hurry. It just isn't that kind of place. Come if you want a relaxing tasty meal. I highly recommend the 1905 salad. read more

This is pretty much a staple while being in St. Augustine.. long standing restaurant with influence from Spain, very tasty and beautiful. Had a grrat server that'd been there for about a decade and seems like they're all like a big family. The place is gorgeous inside, can only imagine when they had the open interior patios! Their 1905 salad is sooo tasty! Burst of flavors in my mouth, and the bread with butter, served warm and toasty... Tried multiple appetizers and they were all GREAT! Had the Lobster Filled Canelones and they were tasty and the sauce too, although it may not look so appetizing,.. but the flavor was on point! Ordered a white chocolate budín dessert that is served warm with a dash of some rum or alcohol and it was fabulous too! Make a reservation, cause they're usually pretty slam packed read more

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This is our go-to spot when crazing Cuban food. Everything we try is amazing. Our server (Britney) was friendly and helpful. The place is always very clean . We can't wait to go back next time we're in Florida. read more

Ok, anyplace that brings out the makings for a pitcher of mojitos and makes it in front of you, is good in my book. Usually this place is a "no tank tops or muscle shirts" type of place, but one of us made it in with one, so maybe they are loosening their standards, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, lol. Mojitos were fantastic, each glass had a huge stick of sugar cane in it that you get to chew like a silverback gorilla. Fun! The food choices were fantastic, Didn't go for the more traditional cuban dishes, call me the cautious one of the group. But the grouper sandwich with plantain chips was still great. Had tastes of the other entrees at the table and they were equally as good. Now, the one issue. Flies. I don't believe they were as interested in landing on your plate or the food as much as they wanted to land on the patrons. It wasn't "walk out" bad, but it was definitely "hand me a flyswatter with my meal" bad. All in all, still a tasty side-trip. :) read more

The Columbia - Grouper Sandwich - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

We did a (BIG) group dinner at the St.Augustine Columbia Resturant and it was FABULOUS!! The staff was very knowledgeable and so efficient! The food was spectacular! Awesome restaurant and a must visit when in St. Augustine!!! read more

Consistently good. We had the steak salteado and mussels appetizers and they were awesome. Get the homemade sangria and the 1905 salad. They complement the meal. Be sure to call ahead for reservations because we waited two hours on a saturday night. read more

The Columbia - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

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Our favorite any time we are near one of their restaurants. Always great food, good drinks (especially thier Sangria), and super atmosphere. Service is super with friendly, attentive staff and management. Highly recommend. read more

I went into this experience knowing while the price maybe a little high the result would be pure food joy. Instead I had one of my worst "high" end restaurant experiences of my life. Every meal came out luke warm at best and out of four meals two came out cold. And i mean cant eat cold Told the waitress after two bites and was offered to reheat a piece of thin steak. Yeah because reheated steak always comes out good. Well at least a manager came over to ask about the issue or offer a free dessert or offer to take one of the meals off the bill. Oh wait that didn't happen. You want to charge steak house prices stand behind your food. A complete disappointment in every sense of the word. To see a line out the door and people clamoring to get in made me laugh. Maybe just maybe this place has bit off more then it can chew. Well when you can chew a warm meal. To top it off The bathroom was flooded when I came in and they knew about it. When I left it was still a mess. In the ladies room people were asking about that mold and mildew smell One piece of advice if in st Augustine save some money and visit some place else. read more

We made reservations and that is the best way to eat at this place. They stay busy. We were able to be seated right away close to our time of the reservation. I had the stuffed grouper and it was sooo good!! Definitely would get it again. Also had the Tango Mango drink and it was good but a little tart for me. Jonah was our waiter and he was awesome. read more

Never disappointed. Food & service is always excellent. Highly recommend the Picadillo "Criollo", croquetas, 1905 salad, and the gazpacho. Their homemade hot sauce is very good and sold in the gift shop. Reservations recommended. read more

This is one of our favorite restaurants to dine at when in St. Augustine Last times have been 4 to 5 star experiences, but this time we just felt things weren't as good service and food wise. Service was ok not great But food wise way down, crab cakes were almost raw in texture, other tapas ordered were tasteless. We will go again but our rating is 3 stars for now read more

Update: we called them unhappy with our orders. They said the salad was what we order. We are regular customer so we know their large 1905 salad should look like when we asked for two order. What we got was actually HALF of one large salad. We were charged dinner price for two red sangria wine (35 instead of 22) so they gave us a refund for the wine but not the salad. So my review still stand. Wait until Covid is over and go in order their "1905 salad" don't bother with curbside. Also, continue to read other reviews. Past month, this restaurant has not been able to get more than 3 stars from their customers. Their service sucks but food is GREAT. read more

Excellent. Sangria Tinto, Champinones Rellenos, Pollo Manchego, & Flan. I would order all this again. The hot bread was so special. Had to ask for a doggie bag since I wanted desert. read more

The Columbia - Pollo Manchego - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

I expected more than what we received. Our reservation was scheduled for 1:45, and we were promptly sat as promised. Once we sat, the experience was down hill from there. Our meal took forever. The hostess brought us our desert while the dirty plates were still at the table. She mentioned she would bring a larger tray and that never happened. We paid her in cash had to wait 45 minutes for change. I kid you not 45 minutes with the excuse she had to see her manager. Food was good, service sucked. read more

If I could give it zero I would. The waiter was useless had zero information as to what we should order. But before we even get to that we had to reconfigure the table. This should have been done prior to seating us (party of 4). Food was very plain. The Paella was horrible. The sangria was hopeless service very average food. Give it a miss read more

Great food beautiful restaurant - authentic experience the churros dessert is pretty incredible ! read more

The Columbia - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

We came here for lunch while spending the day in St Augustine. We got here at 3:30 so it wasn't super busy, which was nice. The staff is really friendly and we were served relatively quickly. The food is good but not all of it is fabulous. We got a pitcher of sangria which is amazing and their bread is so yummy. We got the queso appetizer which was a tomato and cheese and olive mixture and came with toasted bread. That was yummy. For the main course I had their strip steak dinner. It was okay but lacked some seasoning. I found myself wanting garlic and salt and pepper to help the taste. I did get the 1905 side salad. That is so good. It would have been a 3 star rating but the salad and sangria gave it a bump up. read more

The Columbia - Queso appetizer - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

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This is an excellent place in St Augustine for lunch or dinner. The food is excellent!

Great service. Good food. For us, this was a chance to order the things we just don't make at home. The sangria pitcher was a hit and the flan is fantastic. Reservations are a good idea - we were able to get in at lunch, but not dinner. read more

The Columbia is one of those restaurants that I really, really want to like. And every time I go, I feel a little disappointed. It seems to be the place that out of towners always want to try. I find their 1905 salad to be uninspiring, But many people go nuts for it. This time we got a bunch of different top us and shared them. The best one was definitely the scallops "Casimiro." The mussels y chorizo "Andres" was good as well. On the whole, I find out I'm never really impressed with this restaurant, it's just ok. And the prices are high enough that I don't want to give it a fourth chance. read more

Columbia's Restaurant is great! And the adjoining souvenir store is nice too. They sell the same beautiful decorations (plates, salt/pepper shakers, oil/vinegar dispensers & pitchers) that you will see in their dining rooms. As for the service and food, they were excellent! Our waiter was very friendly. The sangrias, both the white & red were refreshing. And the food was so tasty and delicious. I had the Boliche stuffed with chorizo and my husband had the roast pork. After dinner, our waiter gifted us with a delicious flan to help celebrate our anniversary...very sweet of him! We look forward to eating and shopping here again, next time we're in beautiful St. Augustine. read more

The Columbia - Anniversary flan! - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

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Traditional Spanish menu served in a beautiful setting. Try the paella and order a pitcher of mojitos for the table!

Always glad to go to Saint Augustine and when I do 99% of the time I eat at the Columbia house. Are usually have my go to meal which is the chicken with rice they give you a quarter of chicken either dark or white meat always moist delicious and flavorful. And the complimentary fresh baked Cuban bread with whipped butter is also a favorite of mine they always package me up some to take home which is so nice. The service was good And I had lots of good company really fun lunch date in Saint Augustine with some of my friends. I can't imagine that there's anyone that lives in this area that has not been there yet but if you haven't you need to go it's a cult classic LOL Tip ...They have great sangria too my favorite is the white but the red is quite wonderful also .So stop by when you're in the area another great tip is they have free two hour parking behind the building (if you can find it ) and if you buy some food or drinks Or just something from the gift shop they will validate your ticket. It's centrally located so it's a great spot to park right behind Saint George Street. read more

The Columbia - Famous chicken and rice delicious huge portion - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

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The food and service was definitely NOT up to standard for $25 plus meals. It didn't give me the Spanish feel and the food was not great at all :( Im from Texas and this was far from flavor and the experience felt like a chain restaurant. I'm Spanish and know from experience how music and the fell should be. I had taken my bf for his birthday and it was just sad and not good all around. With pricing shooting up sky high you also want to be sure your quality of food and flavor matches what you're giving. Whoever reads this please take your service elsewhere NO Bueno ! read more

I have always passed by here and finally enjoyed with my mom. We are Cuban/Spanish heritage so we know that this was some good food! From the food to the service to the ambiance we loved every second. Will definitely go back given the chance. read more

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Thank you to our waitress Megan for our awesome dining experience! We had a table of eight and she made sure we were all taken care of. The cannelloni de langosta is to die for! Megan heard it was my moms birthday and brought out a dessert and sang! So sweet of her! This place gets extremely busy so you may want to call ahead to reserve your table. They are also taking precautions to ensure your safety during covid. Thank you Megan & staff. read more

The Columbia - Cannelloni de langosta my favorite!! - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

My wife and I with two friends had dinner there. I was disappointed in the food , it was cold the place was noisy and expensive. Won't go there again! read more

What wonderful dining experience with Robi as our server. Even the reception hostess experience was very plesant. The Picadillo was very flavorful. A custom Heart of Palm Salad and the Apollo Asado to order specifications. Very filling and satisfying. I really loved the willingness to cook to very restrictive diet requirements. read more

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Visiting from Michigan, we stumbled across this place because it was open late on a Sunday night. First off, the food was so delicious and different. Lots of options on the menu! Second, the service was so warm & friendly! We will definitely be back in the rest of the short stay here. read more

So came here for a special evening and the food was amazing. Their signature 1905 salad is always a great start to the meal. I had the shrimp and crab enchilada which was seasoned perfectly and very filling. As the evening ended I accidentally spilled a glass of wine spraying red wine all over my dining companion's white shirt. Sarah our waitress Went into action immediately and got us club soda and napkins to clean but then Meagan came over to help her friend Sarah with Clorox hand wipes took the shirt and proceeded to clean the entire front side getting every drop of red wine off the white shirt. I've never had such good service and friendly caring wait staff. They were a joy and I truly hope that corporate headquarters appreciates the quality of worker they have in these two waitresses. read more

I have never had a bad meal at the Columbia! So many options is the only real challenge. Outstanding fish and unique salads. And the bread is to die for. As happens, The Columbia is a victim of it's success but they endeavor to break up their large dining space such that you don't feel like you are in a coliseum. read more