It was 1905 day at the restaurant. Everything on their selected menu was the same price it was in 1905 when the restaurant opened it's doors. The Russian Style Merluza I had was amazing. I'd definitely recommend it. read more

The mineral water and Mojito were the best part of the meal. I took 12 hours to think about dinner at Columbia Restaurant before posting a review; which only let to more fury about how awful this meal was. The service was slow to get started; but they were somewhat busy that night. The Devil Crab Croquettes were bland. Adding salt and hot sauce made them palatable. Entrees: we ordered the Snapper "Alicante" and Paella "A la Valenciana." We were told the Paella would take 45 minutes to prepare and that was fine with us. 45 minutes later; the snapper arrived and our server said the Paella was going to take longer than expected. She didn't want the snapper to get cold so she served it to us with an extra plate to share. We're cool and said it wasn't a big deal. Snapper "Alicante"; which is a family recipe since 1935, tasted like something you would have expected in the 1950's. The snapper was overcooked and had little flavor. The "rich gravy" tasted like came from a packet of gravy powder mixed with water. I'm not sure where the other ingredients went because we couldn't taste any garlic, olive oil, peppers, onions, white wine or spices. The presentation looked awful. 15 minutes later; a manager brought out the Paella. He apologized for the wait and said they added more protein to make up for the delay. It looked like a soupy mess and my wife immediately requested it be sent back. Paella should have a crispy bottom. 10 minutes later; the revised version arrived and was palatable, but far from exceptional. Call me picky; but $29 paella for one should be prepared properly. We ate half and ordered a key lime pie to go. By the time we arrived at our car, we started to feel awful. Our stomachs were not happy with what we had ingested and the more we thought about the food; the worse we felt. The key lime pie is sitting in the refrigerator. I'm getting queasy again just thinking about it. We love food, restaurants, chefs, cooks and people who are passionate about their work. We would prefer to write a positive review; but couldn't put much of a positive spin on our experience at Columbia Restaurant. read more

Cosy and lovely place. The food is pricey and not really that good. Not worth The price. read more

The Columbia - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

I came here once a few weeks ago and it was pretty great. We enjoyed the ambiance and the service and food, so much so that when a friend visited from out of town we decided to bring him here. I'm probably never going to go back after this experience. We were going to catch the nearby ghost tour, so politely asked our waiter if there was any way our food could come out quicker than usual. We even expected he would say no, but we never expected him to laugh and say "Umm this isn't McDonald's". Excuse me? We didn't even say anything to that, but I was super offended and embarrassed about bringing our friend here. And we were very well dressed. It didn't look like we were paying this much for McDonald's, or we would have just gone there. At least McDonald's employees wouldn't have been as rude. On top of that, the bread was cold unlike the previous time we had visited, and the food was definitely not as flavorful. So I guess their dishes can be a hit or miss. Needless to say, I believe I can find food just as good in a place where people are respected. read more

Ropa Vieja was delicious. Want to go back and try other menu items. Staff practice social distancing and wearing masks. So happy outdoor seating available. Bathroom was immaculate! read more

Enjoyed an upscale lunch here today (12/22/18). This is a 2nd visit and will return. We will schedule a reservation the next go as the reception area was quite packed. That is to be expected with st. Aug and the festival of lights weekend before Christmas so will not hold that against the establishment. My food was sooo good, had the 1905 salad and Cuban. My partner had the pork sandwich and I could cry eating that plate, it was amazing. The sangria was ok, not my favorite but I've had much worse. We sat at the bar and enjoyed a lovely meal with appropriate attention from the staff. When in St. A, I understand I will pay slightly higher prices and I'm most likely going to visit The Columbia. read more

There is a reason why this place always has a wait - it is DELICIOUS. From the tableside Sangria to stuffed mushrooms to everything in between. Beautiful decor, wonderful spanish inspired food and in the heart of the Historic District. One of my favorite restaurants in St Augustine. read more

Incredibly disappointed. My boyfriend growing up would come here with his family, being that they are both Spanish and Cuban he was excited to share this part of his culture and childhood with me. Let's begin with our server. She was an older woman who sounded like she smokes a carton a day. Now normally this doesn't bother me until we began noticed that she wasn't coming to our table to check on us and when she finally comes back smelling like she took a bath in cheap perfume to cover the aroma of cigarettes. When we ordered sangria she seemed completely put out as she had to table side make it. While making it she didn't explain what she was doing basically just threw it all in the pitcher and that was that. This comes into play as well when she plated my boyfriend's food tables side. It appear she was going to be making a masterpiece and she basically stirred up his Paella and dumped it on his plate. Much like the lunch lady growing up. She never once refilled our waters or sangria. We had to ask a bus boy for bread. Now the food. What a let down. We started with the Devil Crab Croquettes that seemed like they were frozen and then microwaved. I ordered the Shrimp Supreme. Aside from the bread The shrimp were about the best of the meal but coupled with two very heavy sides. One of which was under cooked vegetables. My boyfriend's Paella seemed like it was made with instant rice and being that he comes from a Spanish/Cuban family he has had home cooked traditional Paella all of his life. All of this and a bill that was close to 100 without tip. This was an extreme letdown to my boyfriend who up until this visit cherish and bragged on this restaurant. read more

To preface, I have not been here since 6/27/2010 when my husband and I were waiting for our hotel room to be ready for check-in. I have to say, however, that I have been dreaming of my return to this restaurant since the moment we left it. All I remember is the decadent Godiva chocolate cake, but I know the rest of our meal was just as incredible. We had wonderful service, enjoyed the ambiance, and we brought home a souvenir from the shop inside of the restaurant and it reminds us of our wonderful honeymoon, much in part due to such a lovely dining experience here. We are finally returning next week and I will update at that time. UPDATE 7/8/15: My second experience blew my first out of the water. My husband and I wanted to maximize our one night in town so we spent a long time at our table. Not once did anyone make us feel that they needed us to scoot to give up our table. I had the Marilyn and Joe dish- incredible. We shared a pitcher of mojitos which was mediocre but tasty nonetheless, and we also had a pitcher of red sangria which was beyond delicious. We get key lime pie and Godiva cake to go. Everyone was friendly, helpful, welcoming and even during a very busy evening, the temperature and noise level were quite comfortable. read more

My hubby went to college here before we met and I've heard stories of this place. Finally got to have dinner here and loved it. Great menu, even many vegetarian options!! The hostess could have used a little more training in the being polite dept, but our waitress was top notch! Amazing decor and just fun all around. I had the black bean cakes. I wasn't overly impressed by them. But I did LOVE the 1905 Salad. Even bought some dressing in the gift shop. read more

Not good!!! I would stay away from this tourist trap. The queso fundido is awesome though!! read more

The Columbia - No flavor at all. - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

Horrible. Plain horrible. Without getting into the food, the service was horrible. The waiter was rude. She did not know her menu to well. Or at least mention the highlights of the menu. She did not give us any time to order. It seems like she was in a rush. Since when do paying customers that sit in a restaurant are in a rush? The tapas not so good..sorry. Try the tapas and winery next door. You will be surprise. read more

Very nice decor... but I should have figured that it'd be overrated. It's in the middle of the historical part of town and really... it's too expensive for what you get. Plus - I'm a little disgusted that they set the plates out early and there are a ton of flies that fly around and sit on the plates. gross. read more

For years, I have heard how great this restaurant is but never really had the urge to try it. I went with a few coworkers for lunch. Two of us ordered a seafood "pasta" dish and the other two ordered a red snapper dish. I think I misunderstood the description of my dish because it seemed like it was pasta with shrimp, scallops, and lobster meat but what we got was almost a crepe with puréed seafood inside. It was pretty nasty, texture-wise. The sauce tasted like Bertolli vodka sauce! The ladies who had the fish only finished half each and didn't really seem to like it. Oh, apparently they are famous for their "1905 salad" which to me, wasn't anything special but maybe it's because I just do not like ice burg lettuce. In my opinion, it was a way overhyped "Chef's Salad". Our server, Brad was really attentive and great. the bread was also really delicious and fresh. read more

I love this restaurant for lunch or dinner, but I threw my girlfriend a wedding shower here and it was perfect!! We were accommodated perfectly and had a nice section of the restaurant! The food was delish & the service was spot on! read more

Gorgeous restaurant. Come for the table side prepared Sangria, stay for the excellent Cuban-inspired food. Hospitality plus and excellent menu make this a bucket list item during any visit to St Augustine. read more

I felt like I was back in Spain! Hot fresh food. Really tasty. Great service the warm bread was worth every dang bite. We got a sampler of 3 apps plus one plate for 3 people. It was plenty of food. I went in hungry, left feeling like I was in another time and place. So good read more

Whenever I'm in the St. Augustine neighborhood, I always make sure to stop by Columbia House. Just walking inside the restaurant cheers me up...the beautiful Spanish tiles, the scenic fountains, and the vintage photographs adorning the walls are part of what draws me there. But (and arguably most importantly), their authentic Mojitos are really what keep me returning again and again. I kid you not, I have never tasted a Mojito so expertly prepared and flavored right down the stick of actual sugar cane! Although their vegan options are pretty limited, their Cuban bread paired with their black bean soup is a tasty enough meal in and of itself. To top it off, their waitstaff is one of the most professional and pleasant I have ever encountered. read more

The Columbia - Wonderfully Authentic Mojitos!! - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

1905 salad. That's all I have to say. Just kidding. I have a few more words than that. I have to come to Columbia anytime we are in St. Augustine! My absolute fav is the 1905 salad, it may have crack in it or something, I don't even understand why I like it so much. The other amazing thing is the bread they bring you before the meal. Ahhhh, bread. My hubby loves their cuban. Some of the other things we have gotten have been kind of hit or miss, but we pretty much stick with those so we're happy. A little pricey, but you're paying for the touristy-ness (that's a word, trust me) and the atmosphere, I guess. Overall, we love it! read more

As always, everything was excellent. Sangria is par with us. We learned there are 7 dining rooms and if properly staffed, can manage full seating of nearly 700. They also have a private room for up to 40 and another for 60. read more

The Columbia - Tapoe with calamari, bacon-wrapped shrimp and the fried Spanish cheese special with a side of rice. - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

We made reservations at Columbia for 8pm. Started by ordering two iced teas and two beers. 15 minutes later we received two waters... server apologized for the delay in our beers and then 5min later we received our iced teas. We assumed our beers were on their way, so we ordered our appetizers and entrees. When we inquired about our beers we were told the bar was delayed due to a "banquet". Shortly thereafter our beers arrived and were told once again that the kitchen and bar were running long due to this banquet, despite the restaurant being fairly empty. At this point I figured might as well order another beer since the wait was so long. About 30min into being seated our appetizer arrived. 1hr and 5min into being seated our entrees arrived and our server asked if we needed additional drinks (same drinks we had ordered 30min prior). There was no point in ordering dessert, unless we wanted to wait another hour. Overall food was ok, atmosphere was nice, but service and overall experience were lacking. read more

Always one of my favorite places to eat in St. Augustine. I've eating here for 20 years!!! Never have I been disappointed!

Had a great experience with a large group. Food was excellent, chicken n yellow rice was on point. I thought it had a touristy vibe but it certainly had great food regardless. Grouper was great, salmon was great, empanadas, flat bread were all amazing. read more

The Ribeye was the best my husband has ever had and that is saying a lot. We love this place and the wait staff is friendly and professional. What a great dinner in a beautiful restaurant! read more

I went here with high expectations, but was rather disappointed. The ambiance was excellent. The place is clean and well decorated. However, the food and service was antiquated. Lots of table service. I felt like I was in a by gotten era. We ordered the snapper, rib eye with chorizo in the middle and a chicken dish. The snapper is plated tableside. It was not flavorful. It kind of tasted like old people food. It lacked spice, heat, and complexity. I know this type of food very well, and it is not typically cooked in this manner. Non-proteins like rice and vegetables were delicious. The service was a little off putting. He knew what he was doing but he was terse. Overall I would not recommend this place. It's more of a gimmick, than a quality cuban restaurant. Also, being named after Columbus, is slightly offensive to the people whose food they are replicating. read more

Known for their 1905 Salad and now having ordered it we know why. Very generous serving and excellent. I had the Mahi Mahi special that was wonderful and fresh. My husband really enjoyed the Cuban sandwich. To top it off the server was wonderful very pleasant & professional. read more

The Columbia - Upstairs dining - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

In a nutshell, the Columbia is over-hyped. As always I review every restaurant i visit on 5 elements. Taste-The food was generously portioned and the bread served prior to the entree was excellent. The Entree itself; however, was a bit underwhelming. For the price, i expected something much more unique. The entree i received was reminiscent of a steak and rice meal i cooked at my house recently. This, unfortunately, is not a complement as I am a terrible cook and the Steak was a cheap buy from Publix and the rice was Uncle Ben's. I'm not saying it was food truck terrible, but the taste has to justify the cost and this dish most certainly did not. Originality-Have to give the restaurant five stars on this front hard to beat the originality of this place. Price- Whatever ground was made up in originality was quickly lost here. One can almost hear the collective groan of a thousand wallets at any moment. Atmosphere-Fits the bill Completeness & Service-Service is sub par, and as a whole i would not recommend or return. read more

We had the 1/2 Cuban and 1/2 1905 salad. The sandwich seemed off. Apparently when they made it they forgot the pickles and mustard which made for a very dry blah sandwich. When I asked for pickles but couldn't get " and mustard" out before our server disappeared, the waitress brought spears which are pretty difficult to get into a sandwich and eat. This was very disappointing. Salad was good, but mine is better. Recipe for 1905 salad is online. If someone had checked on us we could have said the sandwich was dry and had it fixed. So sad to write this review. I looked forward to this visit for months. read more

When arrived at the restaurant, there was a nice Spanish mood settled but it the whole illusion has been destroyed by one host personnel named "nick" who has been treating us horribly upon our arrival. He made us seat on a corner table and when asked if there could be other table with a better view, he said that it'll would take an hour but most of the restaurant was empty... I would give one star if it wouldn't be for our waitress named "Rebecca" who showed passion and determination. read more

Had a bad experience. Had reservations and was seated on time. Waitress took drink orders and brought drinks and delicious bread. She took our dinner orders(6 people). All this happened in 15 minutes. One hour and 10 minutes later we asked someone to get our waitress. She came and said dinner would be a few more minutes. 5 minutes later she brought 3 meals out and a waiter slipped and fell on the stairs. Nobody came to our table to inform us. The waitress was gone and only 3 people had food. After 10 more minutes a member of our group asked the hostess to see the manager. He was aware of the situation and did nothing as the waitress did the same. She never told us about the food. The manager said they would cook the three meals and it would only be awhile. We opted to not wait for that. He offered free desserts. We said no and the manager said he would take care of the bill. We had to ask a waiter a second time to send the waitress over with the bill. She came very apologetic and said the manager took the three meals off the bill. Those three never got any food. We said to the waitress something should be taken off the bill for the inconvenience and she said the manager handled it. We were not happy that our celebration was ruined. By then it was almost 2 hours later and too late to eat. Poor management skills. Will not recommend or be going back. read more

The best food!!! I could have eaten their delicious , crusty bread and butter the entire night, but fortunately I left a little room for the Pollo Manchego, which was out of this world. Their house salad is delicious as well. Unfortunately I was way too full to order dessert, so we'll have to go back. It'll be a long trip, as we'll be coming from CA! read more

Reviews should be higher... bunch of shmucks who think they're going to a 3 star michellin restaurant. The food is awesome, the atmosphere is very cool, and the prices are reasonable... what more can you ask! It should be like a 4.7 given everything I just said. read more

I had been to this restaurant a few years ago and it was horrible. They forgot my food and when it was delivered an hour after my order it was the seafood paella not the chicken. This experience showed me nothing changed in the kitchen (hostess was a snob, food was ok) but our waitress was good. She was attentive and sweet. read more

So we came here in search of the mythical and elusive real Cuban sandwich Did not find it here I guess it's good if you never been to Calle Ocho or union. City nj Also our hostess was not into her shift Server she was nice but if you enjoy getting lost in a big place this might be the place for you read more

Thanks to Keisha, our server, we had a wonderful experience at Columbia!! The food is always spectacular there. Ask for Keisha for your server. read more

My sister and I ate here. I had a pork dish she had a steak. I really liked everything from the sauce to the beans and rice. The only thing that ruined it was the meat was really dry. If the pork would have been soft and juicy it would have been perfect. I would eat here again in hopes that the meat was better cooked. read more

Went to Columbia after having dinner at Conch House. It seems to have been the place to be, we ordered coffee and the bread pudding and it was delicious. They told us to make reservations next time we want to come there, there was a 45 mins wait, so yes best to do that. The next time I'm in the area, most definitely having dinner here. Everything the were serving looks really good. read more

In town and everyone said to go here. Place looked amazing. Reviews are outstanding. We had a nice table for the 4 of us. Busy place. The garlic shrimp was amazing. Probably the best we had. Bread was hot and fresh and delicious. Our dinners were amazing even though we waited 45 minutes. Sangria was delicious. Not a five star because of our service. Jessica S was our server. Completely Ill equipped. No personality and service was bad. Looking around, the other servers were vivacious and entertaining. It's a shame. We will be back because of the food but we will request a different server. read more

The Red Snapper LA Rusa was SOOOO good! And, the black bean cakes, as well as the empenada! This is great Latino food, definitely worth the price!! Yum! read more

The food here was just adequate. I've had much better. And only pay with your credit card here if you want your server to add extra money on to the tip when they process it through to the credit card. I had to dispute the amount with my credit card company. Beware of this restaurant! read more