This is my mom's favorite place to eat in St. Augustine, so whenever I visit my parents, we usually end up here at some point. Pros: Excellent bread. They serve the bread to you as a starter and their sandwiches are made with the bread. It's always on fleek, crusty on the outside, moist and slightly chewy on the inside. I could go there and just eat bread and be satisfied. Cuban Sandwich. Served on that good ass bread. Nice distribution of ham, pork, pickles, etc. Comes with tasty plantain chips. Add a bowl of bean soup for $3 and get several servings of bread and you've got your self a good meal for under $15. Paella Valencia. Traditional paella with hefty amounts of clams, scallops, chicken, chorizo and shrimp. Amazingly flavorful bomba. The problem with this dish is consistency. I've had it where everything is perfect and the rice is amazingly crusty, and I've had it where there was no crust. Even when it's poorly made, it's delicious, but when it's perfect, it's more of an experience than a meal. Churros. The churros themselves are nothing to write home about, but the sauces are all great. The chocolate is dark, the caramel is boozy and the guava has all of the deliciousness of the fruit, but none of the graininess and it's not too sweet, which I appreciate. Service. Always great service. This place has a real hard on for making the wait staff make things at the table. They mix drinks, salads, toppings for soups, etc. It must get annoying, having to make pitcher after pitcher of sangria or whatever. I feel for them. Still, the service is always prompt, warm and friendly. Cons: Sangria. It's half simple syrup and half wine with a shot of some thing poured in. Too sweet, not enough booze. Total waste of money. 1905 Salad. This salad is good, but it annoys me that they make such a big deal about it. Gazpacho. Bullshit. Tastes like green bell pepper juice. Avoid. The menu. I don't need a fucking history lesson about your family in Ybor City and how they came to appreciate iceburg lettuce. Every item has too much fluff and some items have half a page devoted to them. The 10 page menu could easily be 2 pages and a cocktail list. All in all I recommend it. read more

Have eaten here several times before and Ybor location. We had a reservation and seated 15 minutes early when we arrived. Unfortunately spent about 12 minutes without being acknowledged by a server. Sitting near the bar several walking by without acknowledging us or getting water while our server was busy but time to stand around and chit chat at the bar. The bread is good but crumbs easily and the butter is stiff and crumbly not easily spread. First tapas selection was all out the shrimp and crabmeat casserole. The mussel tapas was on point and perfectly cooked. The shrimp tapas was also delicious. The grilled grouper was heavily seasoned and should be described as blackened or nearly so and was overcooked. The pork was slightly overcooked. Tried the bread pudding but tasted like cake with a heavy glaze not anything the custard dish described on the menu. Spanish coffee was good. Would recommend to whip or warm the butter. The glasses and plates were not cleared in the usual fashion for a restaurant of this caliber especially to clear the crumbs that get everywhere from the crumbly bread. The wait staff seemed rushed and overwhelmed. read more

I don't like the food are all, the drink was, the service good, I love the bread. My reservation was for 9:45 and I got there at 9:40 the table was ready at 10:00 read more

We were a party of 10 with a reservation so we were seated immediately. That turned out to be the best service of the night. This place is huge with lots of banquet rooms and large parties scattered throughout so it was a disappointment that our server, kitchen, bar...couldn't keep up. Our food arrived at room temperature with the rice already congealing. My aunt's steak arrived 20 minutes after our fish. We ordered the 1905 salad for the table and either the server miscounted or he portioned it out wrong but one aunt didn't get a salad. He finally brought her one after she was already halfway done through the meal. You go for the atmosphere and history, I guess. I doubt that the Columbia Restaurant cares about my opinion because this joint is a serious cash cow. read more

Never again. The food is mediocre at best. Served cold to boot. The server was nice at least.

After a hot day of wandering around the old town and fort of St. Augustine, we headed to Columbia Restaurant. My parents-in-law dined here once before, and had a very good experience, and was eager to share it with us. Like most of St. Augustine, the large three story white building that housed Columbia Restaurant was very Spanish influenced. With a red iron fountain in the courtyard outside, as well as the inside courtyard, and beautiful Spanish tile all around, this place was lovely and despite how tired I was, I was very excited for dinner. Unfortunately, the experience started off bad. I went to the hostess stand and requested a table for 4. The hostess gives a table number to a waiter, who proceeds to take us upstairs - to the 3rd floor. However, my father-in-law has leg problems and there was no way he could make it up 3 flights of stairs. The waiter gets the hostess's attention to tell her that we can't do the 3rd level, and she *snaps* at him. Right in front of us. When I give her my "look of death", and tells her that my father-in-law can't make it up all those stairs, she quite snottily tells me "well, I have a big party coming in and that's all I have". I would like to eventually call BS on this, as I later wandered around the lower level, and saw a few four-tops that were open. But at that time, I just continued with my glacial death stare, and she sighs and says "I have something on the second level", which slowly my father-in-law is able to do. We order a pitcher of sangria, which, while delicious, was remarkably small, however as my in-laws don't really drink, it was fine. The bread was hot and crusty and served individually, which I loved. When given water options, we were only given the choice between flat or sparkling, we ordered flat, thinking it was just regular tap...nope, it was an overpriced bottle of water - which was just enough for 4 glasses and no refills. *Sigh*. I ordered the Steak Salteado, as our server assures me that it was tastier and more tender then the Palomilla that I was on the cusp of ordering. After getting my order, I must say, I worry about how incredibly tough the Palomilla steak must be, because my chunks of meat were marginally more tender then jerky! Also, it was incredibly over-salted, to a point where it was almost spicy from the salt. The rest of the flavors wasn't anything spectacular, just green peppers, onions, tough beef cubes and even more tough pieces of chorizo in a boring brown gravy! I couldn't taste the "hearty red wine" nor were there any mushrooms in my dish, that had the presentation level of a Panda Express or some fast food slop-joint. Served with mushy yellow rice, that was the texture of Uncle Ben's, I was severely disappointed in my dish. My mother-in-law ordered the Ropa Vieja, and although she didn't say anything, I could tell that she too, was disappointed in her dish, especially after I told her how delicious Ropa Vieja can be. My father-in-law's "Diablo" seafood pasta dish had an odd piece of fish that was incredibly gamey, ruining the meal for him - even though the seafood was cooked well, and it was otherwise tasty. My husband's combo platter was a mix of good and bad. The pork chop was bland, as was the yuca. However the plantains were evidently pretty good, and so was the empananda. Although our server was very lovely, she was also managing two large parties, so she wasn't able to check up on us, except in a tearing hurry. As I said, the bottle of water had only 4 glasses worth of water in it, and with the saltiness of my dish, I quickly drained it, but I couldn't get any refills due to how rushed and busy she was. The quality of food, combined with the level of service and the rudeness of the hostess at the beginning of our meal, definitely makes this a "no go" for me. Considering the prices of the dishes, I expect that the flavors to be better, and that the overall presentation of our dish isn't just a ladle of sauce and meat poured next to a scoop of rice. Bleh. Very disappointed and very upsetting. Even though the decor is lovely and the sangria was delicious, I definitely won't be back! read more

The Columbia - Sangria! - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

This has been one of my favorite restaurants in St, Augustine! It is very authentic, the service is simply excellent. In my opinion this is a cuban-spanish fusion restaurant with great recipes. The prices are a little bit higher than most of the restaurants around the are, but for their food, it is worth it! Specially the paella, very authentic, and has an amazing flavor, it is my favorite plate there. They have a great combination with the fusion, since I tried the queso fundido, and it was great aswell as a rib eye, and their fresh baked bread. Very good service, always there looking out if the customers need anything, and really nice. I really recomend this place who anyone that is visiting St. Augustine, it is located in St. Georges St! read more

Growing up coming here I have great memories of the steak, beans and rice and Cuban sandwiches being something I looked forward to eating. Seeing the reviews so low I was nervous it had gone down hill or my old memories as a kid were skewed by the beautiful architecture of the dinning area with tile, sculptures and music to help me enter the atmosphere. It is still worth a visit, but not worthy of a 5 star review... Bread and butter was a good start and tasted great, but the sangria was not as good as I had hoped for. Perhaps the small version and not the pitcher suffers from letting the flavors settle? My wife went with with steak and onions and for the main course I went with a Cuban and my son the kids steak. My son had no complaints at the steak, but my wife was a little unimpressed by the steak. Claiming a lack of seasoning with the steak which i confirmed with the bite she shared wit me. Just tasted very bland by itself, but If you combine a decent amount of onions and rice with the steak into one bite it may fix the seasoning problem. My Cuban sandwich was also a little disappointing. Overall I felt as if it was not as tasteful as I would have liked and the bread was a little well done. It was not awful, just not all that great. Maybe the lacking stars I saw in the reviews are accurate and while the place is still a visual gem the quality of food has been impacted by tourism? Will give another taste soon, but for now this is only worth three stars. read more

I have no clue why so many people rave about this place! The manager obviously doesn't even know his own menu. The brunette waitress was extremely rude and didn't even want to be there. She definitely shouldn't be in customer service because her people skills are SEVERELY LACKING! She like her manager (per reviews) didn't even know the menu and even claimed an item that was supposedly in the dish that clearly stated it was not. Lol. Manager never stopped by even after they messed up my dish or at any point and the server was nonexistent even with a large group. When asking questions about menu she got annoyed or didn't bother to answer them it was like pulling teeth getting answers. She was in a rush constantly checking her watch when she did come by too. Next the food is horrible and extremely overpriced. I can see how some think it's premade and frozen not fresh. Apparently their chefs can't cook for anything either and they should probably switch to fast food. Maybe that's why they precook dishes. I ordered the paella which was horrible the peas and beans were extremely undercooked (very hard) which is crazy because both are so easy to cook!! I couldn't take a bite without eating undercooked peas or beans since they were everywhere. The paella was also very bland. They did refund the dish instead of remaking so I left on an empty stomach. There's a reason paella isn't listed as popular dishes even though this is "Spanish cuisine". This place is a disgrace to Spanish cuisine. I'm not sure why black bean soup is popular unless they use canned beans or it's premade. The bread served at the beginning was also cold. A few other items ordered were boliche criollo Which definitely needed the gravy because the meat was leather and even looked insanely dry. It was not good either as my friend told me. It was barely touched and salty. Apparently the kids steak was better quality than this so if you're thinking about getting that get the kids one instead and save your money. One appetizer ordered was the calamari which was very overcooked (not lightly fried) and extremely chewy. The menu said from their friend and famed third chef Miguel Bejines for $15 in one picture posted of the menu. Lol whoever cooked it they can't even cook overpriced calamari!!! A waste of $15 so save your money there too. We should've asked for a refund for all these dishes! The "chefs", food, and servers are definitely 0 out of 5 stars. I will not recommend or go back to this kitchen nightmare. Unless you like overpriced bland food with a combination of either overcooked and/ or undercooked food with a side of horrible customer service. Or you like starving when you leave a restaurant because you can't eat anything ordered. read more

We came here at the recommendation of 2 friends that have lived in the area and, oh my goodness, the Columbia definitely didn't disappoint!! I had the mojo and my husband got a glass of Spanish wine - both were fabulous! The Cuban sandwich and 1905 salad were fantastic, as was the Spanish bean soup. Whatever you do, have the white chocolate rum bread pudding for dessert. I really don't think you could go wrong with anything on the menu. They've been operating since 1905 and many of the recipes are cooked the same way they were way back then. read more

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I have been wanting to try this place for quite sometime and unfortunately I was pretty disappointed with my first experience. I will say they were very busy as it was a Saturday night and it's in prime tourist season. We originally called to make a reservation and were told we couldn't get one before 9:15 PM so we decided against that. We ended up walking in around 8 PM and taking our chances on getting seated and actually got seated right away which was a pleasant surprise. To start we ordered the table side white sangria pitcher which was delicious and we got about 6 glasses out of it! For apps we ordered a classic Caesar salad (large portion $11) which was huge and fed two of us no problem- no complaints there. Chopped tomato salad ($9.5) which is literally a pile of tomatoes and onion with a garlic/oil dressing, it was good and fresh but kind of a boring dish for the price. Mussels y Chorizo "Andres" ($16) which was good and full of tomatoes, onions and chorizo with the mussels. I must say the sauce was very bland and did not have much flavor and they seemed to skimp us on the mussels. The nightmare came when it was time for dinner. Our entrees included Grouper "Jimmy" ($34), Baked stuffed grouper ($32), Filet Mignon "Chacho" ($38) and Prime New York strip the "Bambino" ($48). Let me first say we had to send 3 of the 4 dishes back because they were either undercooked or ice cold. The Bambino steak was sent back two different times because it was literally purple and cold in the center when we asked for it to be cooked Medium when we ordered. Both steaks were undercooked and it seemed like the kitchen rushed when cooking them to make sure everything came out at the same time. The grouper Jimmy was very cold and the lump crab meat on top was so cold it seemed like it came straight from the fridge. When it was returned and brought back the fish was warm but the crab meat was still cold but I didn't bother to say anything as I was getting annoyed at this point. The fish was smothered in a creamy lemon sauce which had nice flavor. The "good rice" that came with the fish was far from what the name suggests. I thought it was very mushy and had very little flavor. The "Chacho" Filet had great flavor aside from being undercook and having to be sent back. The bourbon sauce that came on the steak was sooooo good, it resembles a rich gravy almost! We loved that part! The atmosphere was nice and authentic and the service was not bad for how busy it was. Unfortunately the food quality is lacking for the price of each dish. I never expect freebies but working in the service industry, specifically restaurants, for several years I was kind of expecting our bill to be adjusted for mishaps and having to send 3 of our entree back. Nothing was done addressing their mistakes and we paid the full bill which was well over $300 for four of us. I am sad to say this experience was my first and probably my last at The Columbia. read more

I ate dinner at The Columbia Restaurant in St. Augustine, FL on 4/20/2015. It was my 1st time here. I did eat once at their sister restaurant in Ybor City back in 2011. I had their pollo manchego dinner for $21.00 which my server, Jaime, recommended. I also had their famous 1905 salad ($5.95 with entree). My pink lemonade was $3.00. The food was wonderful, especially their 1905 salad (I could have that every night). The location on St. George Street (a pedestrian street) is also very pleasant. Jaime, was a great server as well. Plus, I took photos. read more

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Beautiful restaurant and excellent service. They offer Cuba fare which we did order. Husband loved his food. Cocktail was good but small for $12. read more

Eh, its alright. Nothing great, and not nearly as good as the original in Ybor. Food is not great and service is average. We had the paella and it tasted like something made in the microwave. If it wasn't in this prime location it would probably have closed long ago. It has a good atmosphere but definitely not worth the price. read more

I've never had Cuban cuisine before nor had I ever had Spanish aside from Tapas, so I can't comment whether or not this was truly authentic. But what I do know was that it was tasty and I would recommend this place. The restaurant was HUGE, and was in a beautiful Spanish style building that had plenty of courtyards and fountains. The place has the feel of a better restaurant but nearly all the diners were in casual tourist attire. We had a perfectly nice waiter who was attentive but as others have said the service seems to be alltogether slow here (we had a very late lunch around 2:45 and it probably took a good 45 minutes for our food to come out). I had the day's special which was Mojito Chicken. Like I said I really don't know how authentic it was but I didn't care...it was moist, tender and I got about a whole bird on my plate. The special included a side of "good rice" which was a very apt description. My husband had some sort of breaded fish called the Russian which did taste fresh and came with a side of the yellow rice. He enjoyed his meal. As others noted below it definitely is a tourist type place, but who cares as long as you enjoy the experience? I was a tourist, and I left happy. It's a bit on the more expensive side for us (the entrees averaged between $11 and $20 for the most part) but it was a welcome treat and I would recommend it to anyone spending a day or two in St. Augustine. read more

The ambiance is what really does it for me. And I'd rather eat Cuban/Spanish food than hot dogs on George St. I guess the rumba calls me, being from Miami. The last time we were here we had a great waitress who went completely out of her way to make us feel comfortable. We had a little issue with the bill in which she said she'd pay the difference, having given us the wrong change. I don't mind when mix ups happen unless they deny you what you know is right. In this case, she quickly made it all better. read more

Very good Spanish food. I had stuffed shrimp with crabmeat. Their "good rice" is fantastic. If you like lemon and garlic, get it. My husband's roast pork was also good. 5 stars though? No. My gripe was the price. I feel that if you're going to spend $70 on a dinner for two, it should be amazing. It fell just short of that. read more

I got the salad and boy was i pleased . It had amazing flavor and Taste . Had A few different cheeses that were great . Also the service was good my waitress was awesome ! read more

The Columbia - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

The decor at Columbia was very nice, it would be a nice place for a rehearsal dinner or even a small wedding reception. It had a very nice casual vibe and the patio and fountain were a very nice touch. The food on the other hand wasn't as good as I expected. I have no idea why my expectations were so high, maybe because the prices were so high? I had paella and my friend had a steak. Mine was good, but there was something "out of a can" tasting about it. Couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it did not taste like a completely house-made dish. The steak was good, but it takes a lot to mess up a steak right? The service was just ok. Our waitress seemed a little busy, had that "you're bothering me" vibe. We weren't high maintenance at all, just wanted the normal level of service and I don't think she delivered. I don't think I'd go back unless I've tried all the other quaint restaurants in this cozy little area. Hopefully Columbia Restaurant isn't the cream of the crop for St Augustine. read more

Truly an amazing dining experience and worth the hype. The food was extraordinary. The service was stellar. And the dining room decor and architectural style completed the experience. Highly recommend! read more

I went there with 5 people for a birthday. We made reservations a week ahead of time. When we got there we were 10 minutes early and had to wait 30 minutes for a table. The reason: the hostess gave it away to some other party. They got our beautiful, well spaced table and we were shoved into a corner at a table that was hastily put together. The waitress was friendly at first then became increasingly rude throughout dinner. She commented that the birthday boy looked way older than he was turning and started talking about how young she looked. All this during the making of the "famous" 1905 salad and Sangria de Cava. Both items were completely average. Nothing about either of these should have made them famous. Bland and boring. The sangria tasted like watered down juice. Everyone finally got their food. Thankfully everything went well for the birthday boy. However, my food was boring. The Pollo "Riojana" was nearly room temp when I got it. The cheese was almost a solid cool slab which made it difficult to eat. The consensus of the table was that the food was extremely overpriced for something we could have gotten for half the price somewhere else and probably better. At this point we were so over the entire restaurant we just wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. To end it all, the waitress brought out a little birthday surprise that surprised us all. One of our party had to leave early so she took care of her check and left. When we all got our checks she realized she forgot to charge the departed person for an item and instead of sucking up her mistake forced one of us to pay for it. On top of that, she also charged another of us for the birthday dessert that wasn't ordered. After that experience, I will never return and I will make sure to tell everyone how horrible everything about it is. read more

Just to preface....It would have gotten only 1 star if the manager did not come by to rectify the situation. Now that I said that let's start by saying Columbia Restaurant has been important to my family since 2000. My sister Nic B went to Flagler College in St Augustine, FL for her first year of college. When we went to St Augustine to look at the college and she got accepted we all went to celebrate at Columbia Restaurant. It's an upscale Cuban restaurant that has pages upon pages of items on the menu. Each appetizer and entree has a story along with the description of the meal. The inside of the restaurant has a fountain and just gives off the impression that you're in a quaint cafe in Cuba. My sister and I returned to St Augustine for her 29th birthday this past weekend. It was to go and see the old college that she spent her first year of college at. So naturally we had to revisit our memorable Columbia Restaurant. When we sat down we immediately ordered a pitcher of the Imported Sangria which is made tableside. All that "tableside" means is that they bring the pitcher which already contains the soda fruit and brandy in it and they pour a half bottle of wine into the pitcher. I asked the server (for the life of me I can not remember her name...) what kind of fruit was in the Sangria and she said "I don't know". I think she should have been a bit more knowledgeable. But hey that's me. We then ordered two Tapas. First the Devil Crab Croquettes. They were 6 mini croquettes filled with blue crab meat. It said it came with a hot sauce but we never got the sauce. We asked if it was supposed to have a sauce and the server wasn't sure. She left to get a sauce if any and never came back addressing the issue again. The second Tapa that we ordered was the Coca de Langosta. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS APPETIZER!!!!! It was the most fabulous flatbread I have ever put in my mouth. The flatbread was topped with Spanish chorizo, diced tomatoes, Maine lobster meat and Manchego cheese and then baked and drizzled with a pepper alioli. It was so delicious we wanted to lick the plate. Definitely a good combination of chorizo and lobster. For entree we shared the Pollo Riojana. It was breaded Chicken with a sauce on top and cheese melted, almost like the Cuban version of Chicken Parmesan. Served with rice and veggies. DELISH!!!! Prior to ordering dinner I got up to use the rest room and tell the server that I wanted to order dessert for my sisters birthday. She said that they serve a free flan for birthdays with a candle. I said I wasn't sure if Nic would want the flan or the White chocolate bread pudding so I said bring both and obviously I'll pay for the bread pudding. I said I wanted it to be a surprise so once we're done with dinner and you clear the plate just bring the dessert don't even bother to ask us what we want. She acknowledged and agreed. Once we finished the fabulous Pollo Riojana our server came to the table and asked if we wanted dessert. I looked at her trying to give her the "stink eye" hoping to refresh her memory. I said "Hmmm maybe flan or bread pudding but we'll have to think about it" She walked away and then came back saying "Did you decide?" My sister ordered the bread pudding. I thought she would remember by now so I didn't say anything. Out comes the bread pudding with out a candle. She placed it on the table with the check and said "No rush". I wondered did I not have the conversation I thought I did? Was I hallucinating? I left the table and saw her waiting for us to give her the credit card and I asked her "Didn't I ask you to bring it out as a surprise? What happened to the flan?" She replied "Oh shit well it's not that big of a deal, I'll bring some flan out now". I was appalled and said don't bother. I told my sister about how there was supposed to be a surprise and how bad I felt. We then heard our server talking about how annoying her table of two girls in the corner is. We couldn't believe it. I then asked another server if he could have the manager come over. He went to go tell the server and they continued to gossip without going to get a manager. Finally the manager walked by. His name was Fernando and I told him what happened and he was outragged. Fernando comped our entire bill and told us NOT to tip our server. I normally would never leave without tipping because I made my money off serving and bartending for 8 plus years but this was disgusting service. Everyone talks about tables but not IN FRONT of their table. So to sum up the review the food was delicious the service was DISGUSTING but the management rectified the issue and saved the day. Fernando you were my superman!!! And saved me about $85. Thanks!! read more

Very historic Cuban Restaurant in the colonial quarter. Cool inside dining with beautiful ambiance. Ate lunch there with 78 degree temp outside. Very cool within in the confines. Large variety of foods and drink. Service was excellent and our needs were met quickly. A first class establishment. The chicken sandwich was very good. I had the Sea Bass de la Rusa. The fish (8 oz) was prepared just right. Not over cooked. A little pricey, but you get what you pay for. Would definitely return again to sample the large varieties of food. Which included tapas, sangrias, carne, pollo, etc. Relax and enjoy read more

The food is not worth the money very much cafeteria food , nothing is authentic about the food and that's coming from a Spanish person payed 130$ for us to end up on the toilet all night for the price I expected way more read more

This place was amazing! The food was so delicious and authentic. Walking around St Augustine looking for a authentic Spanish cuisine and this one was recommended and so glad we got to experience it!!! Even though we got there later in the evening it was still a great experience. Highly recommend! read more

The Columbia - Amazing - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

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CONS: - There are no live flamenco performances like there are in Columbia Tampa-Ybor. Live entertainment would get me to go there more often and I would recommend the restaurant to friends more often. - Dinner items cost more than lunch items, but the portions are the same. If this changes, then I may go to dinner there more often. - Dinner prices are way too expensive for what you get, though lunch prices are within the realm of reason. For instance, paella vegetariana costs $16 at lunch, but $22 at dinner. - The paella is EXTREMELY salty. The paella would have SO much more flavor without ANY salt, plus salt is unhealthy. Can we make the salt optional?? PROS: - Every year, on Sept. 18, from 12 PM - 7 PM, all major Columbia restaurants (St. Augustine included) have a special meal deal to celebrate the anniversary of Columbia Tampa-Ybor. You can't make reservations on that day, so be prepared to wait in a long line. The "1905 Day" menu in 2012 offered: $4.95 porron de sangria, $2.95 arroz amarillo con pollo, $2.95 boliche, $2.95 merluza a la Rusa, $1.95 ensalada de 1905, 75¢ bol de potaje de garbanzos, 75¢ bol de sopa de frijoles negros, 50¢ flan, and 5¢ café estadounidense. In plain English, those are a pitcher of sangria, chicken with yellow rice, beef with chorizo, breaded and grilled fish, 1905 salad, a bowl of chickpea soup, a bowl of black bean soup, flan, and American-style coffee. - The ambiance. The decor is gorgeous and there is Hispanic music on the intercom. - The Columbia website lists your gluten-free options. - Your table appetizer-half a loaf of Cuban bread each-is wrapped for you, so you can just take it to go after your meal. - You get a buzzer that tells you when your table is ready, so you can walk around taking pictures. - You aren't expected to dress up, because tourists go there all the time. - All the waiters I've had were amazing. They've all been charming, humorous, knowledgeable about wine, and spoke Spanish (They spoke English with neat Hispanic accents.). If you're more comfortable speaking Spanish, ask the receptionist if there are any Spanish-speaking waiters. If the receptionist doesn't want to go through the trouble of finding out, have him/her or a waiter walking by get the manager for you. You can also get the receptionist to seat you in the room that you like the best. The only thing I have to point out is that, in my experience, the male waiters at Columbia expect men to order an entree (but not women) and will give the bill (whether it's combined or divvied into separate bills) to any man that is at the table (even if a woman reaches for the bill). According to one of my professors, those are considered polite in Cuban culture. Therefore, please respect the custom. FOOD HIGHLIGHTS: The best are... 1. Cakes de cangrejo (blue crab cakes with passion fruit sauce; appetizer) are $12 at lunch, but they are phenomenal and have hardly any breading. 2. Cakes de frijoles (black bean croquettes with guacamole; appetizer) are $6 at lunch and totally worth it. They're like eating black bean mashed potatoes, with sour cream as the butter and guacamole as the gravy. 3. Empanadas de picadillo (ground beef empanadas; appetizer) are $9 at lunch and surprisingly have a good amount of filling. Specifically, they contain black bean relish. I've also tried pastel de guayaba (guava pastry), siete portes (seafood with pasta & cheese sauce), la completa Cubana (mainly roast pork, beef, & chorizo), paella marinera (seafood paella), and paella a la Valenciana (seafood, pork, & chicken paella). All great of course. I get my pasteles de guyaba in the gift shop. If you get it in the restaurant, it comes with a vanilla sauce. MY RESPONSE TO OTHER YELP REVIEWS: - If you get bad service (whether it was your waiter or your receptionist) then you should get your waiter, or someone else's waiter, to get the manager for you. If the manager is no help, you should write to Columbia headquarters. - I saw two reviews that said to avoid the place if you're a serious foodie. I haven't gone to culinary school, but neither have a myriad of famous foodies, such as Rachel Ray, Guy Fieri, Paula Deen, Andrew Zimmern, or Martha Stewart. I've been to Spain and Puerto Rico and I've worked at a Cuban bakery. I'm also (half) Puerto Rican and I've taken other Hispanic friends and family to Columbia. The consensus is that Columbia's food is authentic and delicious. Bam! - I saw three reviews that weren't happy about the paella not having soccarat (burned rice that sticks to the bottom of the pot). Americans tend to hate that stuff, myself included. If you really want it, try asking for it. - A lot of reviews call Columbia a tourist trap. What makes it a tourist trap? The gift shop? Museums have those too. For that matter, why do so many reviews call St. Augustine a 'tourist town'? There are plenty of museums and historical buildings, including on Saint George Street, where Columbia is. read more

I cannot verbally express how great our lunch was here at The Columbia! First things first, the restaurant is absolutely beautiful! It's fancy, spacious, and so gorgeous. When we were seated, we were introduced to our two servers, one who was training and the other who was coaching. Our servers gave us our drinks and gave us about six inches of fresh Cuban bread and butter EACH! The bread was warm, fresh, and absolutely spectacular! Then, we placed our orders and didn't have any complications whatsoever. When our food arrived, it was hot and it looked so scrumptious. My Grandfather and I ordered the Cuban sandwich with plantains (except mine was off the kids menu). We LOVED our sandwiches and plantains so much, especially since they were made from the same bread as the beginning. My grandmother got the ropa vieja plate which came with rice and plantains. She adored the plate and was in food heaven. And lastly, my great-grandmother had mahi-mahi with rice and plantains which she said was spectacular. Overall, The Columbia was an amazing restaurant here in St. Augustine and I will be sure to come back here with my family! read more

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Fantastic choice to celebrate my husband's birthday. Our server Frank was awesome! Always made sure we had everything we needed without having to ask. Even Danielle the Manager stopped by the table to wish my husband a happy birthday and brought him some flan as the staff sang happy birthday. A must when visiting Saint Augustine! read more

I really liked this place. I came here for dinner yesterday with my aunt and uncle who are here from NY for a visit. They have never been to St. Augustine and loved the ambiance of the small old town. We came to Columbia through a recommendation and we were very excited for the food! We weren't too hungry, so the three of us shared two entrees, which ended up being enough (but I am definitely getting my own entree the next time I return!) The ambiance of this place is great. The view of the various wines in the cellar and the whole refurbished warehouse look was great and I really enjoyed looking around and the cute sectioned dining rooms! We got the seafood paella and the lobster cannelloni. Both were very different but very delicious! I couldn't choose which one I liked more. The paella was seasoned very well and had a lot of different seafood- they did not skimp on the seafood! The lobster dish had huge chunks of lobster with a creamy brandy sauce. My aunt and uncle used the side of bread to soak up the sauce! I really liked this place and this would be a place that I would go back to very soon! Can't wait to have the paella all to myself... MmmmM read more

Recommended by a local...bummed to report it just wasn't all that spectacular. That said, I do not eat beef, pork, or chicken, so maybe their meatier offerings are the draw? I mean, it wasn't terrible or anything...but it definitely wasn't all that great. The caesar salad was acceptably caesar-y. Romaine, croutons, caesar dressing. The "1905" Salad was lovingly prepared tableside by our server, but it seemed more pomp and circumstance than substance. The person at our table who ordered it ate maybe half, so in my mind, that speaks for itself. She also ordered a cubano and didn't seem super enthused about that, either. I shared the caesar salad with my husband, and we also shared the mahi mahi cubano. Not a terrible fish sandwich, but a pretty generic fish sandwich nonetheless. The star meal at our table was the breaded mahi mahi with yellow rice and plantains. So maybe the entrees are better than the sandwiches? My tablemates tell me the cafe con leche was fantastic. The sangria was tasty as well. Our server was lovely and attentive, the atmosphere was old world fancy-pants (although no one seemed to mind my jeans). I get that this is sort of a St. Augustine institution, but overall, the experience was underwhelming. If I find myself in St. Augustine again, I'll be checking out other dining options before returning here. read more

I ate here because it is a friend's favorite restaurant. We were in St. Augustine for the day and stopped in for lunch. You have to keep in mind that this place is in the heart of the tourist area and that it has a gift shop. They have a target market, and it's more tourists than foodies. There was a 45 minute wait so we made a reservation for dinner so we could have time to wander around before things started closing. When we got there that evening, there was little to no wait. We were seated in the dining area on the main floor to the left of the hostess area. We got the cuban bread to start and I ate my whole half loaf, it was great. Our waiter was really nice and made great recommendations. My friend said we should all get the 1905 salad. It doesn't have any special ingredients, just iceberg lettuce, a dressing, ham, swiss cheese, and green olives, and I thought it was great how it was so tasty without having anything that notable. I was full after the bread and salad, but ordered an entree as well. The waiter recommended the Snapper "Alicante" so I got that instead of what I was going to get (Mahi Mahi). It was pretty good, came on a bed of rice with sun dried tomatoes and artichokes on top. I don't even like sun dried tomatoes, but I liked them in this dish. The seasoning on the fish was good but not overdone. My friends all liked their dishes as well. Our waiter was excellent and my water glass was never empty. It's a good meal, neat decor and ambiance, but keep in mind that you are paying for it. If you're looking for an "authentic" experience, this may not be the place for you. read more

The food was ok to decent. The wait time between appetizers and the main course was ridiculous. I strongly suggest that anyone considering eating at this restaurant do a search for the words "wait", "slow" and "time" within other reviews to see how often they show up. You would think that management would be concerned and take the necessary steps to remedy this issue. This is my first time ever posting a review. I was prompted to do so because I was so annoyed at how long I had to wait for my food. Probably about 45 minutes. Needless to say I will never go back. read more

Sangria Blancha was good and refreshing. Tapas were excellent, but the sandwiches were a let down. June gave us excellent service and made us not mind the lackluster food. Tapas were nice as was the decor. read more

I'd been to St. Augustine and passed up the Columbia three times before actually being in the mood to go in. Our server was wacky and sort of rude - well intentioned it seemed, but when she actually asked me "Are you really going to eat all of that?" seriously, I was pretty put off. She also referred to my boyfriend and I as "ladies" and said "I guess you like the taste of chlorine," when we opted for tap water instead of bottled. Come to think of it, she was indeed rude and definitely had a negative impact on the chances that I will return. The food was good. The 1905 salad was indeed delicious. I loved the yellow rice, but my chicken (Salteado) was overdone (better the next day... I did have plenty of leftovers). My boyfriend had El Combo de Cuba and liked it (the empanada was strangely sweet, but very good). I'd probably go back, but would like to try other places first. It's a landmark, and that was its greatest value to me. read more

Just got back from our anniversary in Saint Augustine. We had our wedding reception here at the Columbia, so we naturally make it a point to go back each year for dinner. Our experience was positive, overall. The food was just as good as always and the ambiance was as expected. Travis was our server. Travis has gotten some flack from others on here so I wanted to make a point to mention that he did well. He was attentive and knowledgeable about the restaurants offerings. We went with his recommendations and were very satisfied. Not sure why he was given a "poop" emojis as a rating. Maybe we are less sophisticated than others? Remember people, be flexible and fair with others. Travis gets a smile face emoji instead. Don't let them get you down, Travis! A few things were negative. The seats had food on them. Easy to wipe off, but off putting none the less. The hostess in the front seemed pretty disinterested in us when we showed interest in buying the restaurants cook book that was for sale, right in front of her. We have noticed that the hostesses here need some social skills training. I used to work in the industry and know that a smile and outgoing attitude are basics. All in all, we were happy that we braved the rain our last night to make it here for dinner. Would have been a shame to miss out. read more

Had been here previously and kudos to The Columbia for maintaining consistency in quality and service despite the ongoing pandemic. Most recently went for Christmas Eve - late lunch. Honestly, you can't go wrong here in terms of atmosphere and authenticity. Loved our waitress (Lexi C) who, despite being a busy day, tended to all of our needs in a timely and friendly manner. Can't wait to return on my next visit -sangria to die for read more

I decided to meet friends at this restaurant since they are Spanish I thought to find a cuisine nearby that they might like. I read some of the reviews on Yelp before I made reservations, and had some reservations, but went anyway. First of all the '1905' salad that seems to be their signature dish is 'just a salad'! Nothing to brag about. Two of our entrees came out cold, and had to send them both back to the oven. Consensus of all four people in my party was 'just OK'. Service although; was excellent, ambiance is very nice, and drinks were made very well. read more

I was pretty excited about eating at this place during our last vacation. This restaurant has been a Florida tradition since 1905 so I thought I was in for a special treat. Unfortunately, I discovered that this place is more hype than anything else. We started off with the black bean cakes appetizer which were dry and had a weird texture. My dinner entree was the Palomilla which was so dry. The only thing edible was the spanish saffron rice. I wished afterwards that I could've ordered just a bowl of that! My friend had the Cuban roast pork which was dry as well and lacked any true flavor. The only redeeming part of this dinner excursion was the pitcher of sangria that we ordered. It was prepared tableside - Imported Sangre de Toro - Spain's best selling red wine and Torres brandy. If I find myself back here, I will come for happy hour and enjoy ther Sangria but that's all. Enjoy the scenery and drinks but do yourself a favor and eat elsewhere. read more

I visited this place as part of a large group that had reserved an entire room, and they were extremely accommodating. While we had a set menu, which was a slight bummer, I throughly enjoyed my meal. I ordered a chicken dish that was cooked perfectly and incredibly moist. Our servers were attentive, and my soda was never empty, though did have a slight frosty air to them, instead of talkative and all smiles. The atmosphere was wonderful, as the restaurant appears to have kept a good amount of the original structure in tact and has run with the Spanish theme very well. I would most certainly return here on my own, or with a few friends to dine on their regular menu. read more

Worst experience ever, made reservations at 8:00 came in early to see if we could be seated earlier and was told no. Right after a couple came in and we're given a seating at seven. Went back to the hotel and ordered delivery at 6:30 at 7:50 was told via text our order was cancelled due to volume. Never go never recommending! read more