Great food, friendly service, and a fun atmosphere. I ordered the House Special minus the veggies…read moreand it was loaded with meat, cheese, and flavor. The slice was huge and definitely hit the spot. My daughter had the kids meal, which was basically a cheese pizza on hoagie bread, and she cleaned her plate. The staff was welcoming, our food came out quickly, and the vibe inside made for a great place to sit down and relax.

Just want to tell you about an absolutely horrible experience we had at this restaurant…read more Came in with our family of 5 Ordered Salad 10 piece boneless wings - 2 flavors came out lukewarm warm 10 piece wings - 2 flavors came out cold 10 piece wings - 2 flavors came out cold 10 piece wings - 2 flavors asked for well done came out cold Kids meal came out like warm We told the server she was like no worries I will have them remade. Our 13 year old realized he made a mistake and wanted boneless instead of classic and asked since she was having them remade if he could get them boneless, she said yes. When we got our new wings 1 set of 10 came right warm not hot. The classic she had changed to boneless came in flavors no one asked for. And the other set of boneless came in another set of flavors no one asked for We told her and she said said sorry but In the end we ended up eating and having to settle for the incorrect food. When she asked if we wanted a box she brought it to us. And end up taking the extra wings that were the wrong flavors anyways and trashing them so we couldn't take them home. And to top it off when we walked up to the restaurant 6 staff members were hanging out outside and when we left 6 were still hanging out outside including our server who just left us. Horrible experience would not recommend this place

Tried the bacon and cheese dog as well as the chili cheese fries it was great. Customer service…read moregreat food hot and fast gold mine

Colossal Dogs & Burgers is just a little hot dog, burger and taco counter order place located in…read morethe food court of St. Augustine Oulets. I had a burger and though nothing exceptional, certainly decent enough for what you might expect from a little counter order food court service. As there isn't much of a staff to the place, the wait times can become excessive, as they did with me, when there are several customers. But as it is pretty much a one person operation, rather expected. Though I wouldn't deduct points, the Food Court itself doesn't amount to much. It's clean but has the cheapest of furnishings along with a seriously dated décor. I certainly don't mind the beige color but it would seem like someone went out of their way to bore me with it. And, who wants to be bored by beige. LOL!

Today's five star goes to the Service we received from AJ and Erik, the general manager. Both of…read morethem delivered such spectacular customer center service that it deserves the five stars! With open lines of communication, they were communicative, ensuring that our needs were met. I was very impressed with how they ensure customer satisfaction. This was my first time here, but I came with friends who had been here several times. The chicken wrap smelled outstanding and looked great. Very robust with chicken! The meatloaf my friend said was phenomenal and interestingly enough they do make it with milk. The Philly cheesesteak looked really great. The chicken pot pie however I will say was definitely not a fan favorite here. I had a different vision of pot pie, which this was not it rather it was the fact on the salty side from me. Not sure what the base was but flavor wise it definitely was not for me. But on a positive note, it was made with white meat chicken. The biscuit on top not a fan favored either. Overall, the five stars goes to the outstanding service we received and the reviews of my friends and their meal. They were very gracious here at the restaurant with taking care of the pot pie since it was not eaten. When I return (and it's a customer service that is bringing me back) I'm gonna try the chicken wrap because it smelled fantastic and looked great

We were back in St Augustine for Day 2 of the River City Wrestling Con so we had brunch at 2 Creeks…read moreBar & Grill. They're at 74 Capulet Drive, somewhat near the World Golf Village. I've included a screenshot from Google Maps to help out with finding them. I went with the Crab Quiche, which was decent. It comes with a side of hash browns which were fantastic. I normally wouldn't go on about hash browns but these were REALLY good! The thing that held the quiche back from being great was that there wasn't a whole lot of crab meat. Lauren had the Breakfast Burrito, added sausage to it and asked for a side of Pico which is something she learned from a previous visit. She's had this burrito before and loves it. She was going on and on about how much she loves it today as well. She actually said "I wish this place was closer to our house because we'd be here way more often" to which I replied "yeah but we have University Diner right by our house, so we're not hurting". Which leads me to a very funny situation: A gentleman showed up at our table like 30 seconds later and said "Hi, I hear you guys go to University Diner? Do you know Andrew? He's my son". We were like "YES! We know Andy!" but the funnier thing was like Lauren had a revelation and said "OH! THAT'S why I love this breakfast burrito so much!" This review originally appeared in the Jacksonville Fun, Eats & Drinks Facebook group.

Open for breakfast and lunch. Bit of a hidden gem in an office complex off of Old St Augustine Rd…read more I grabbed an Alley Club sandwich on toasted wheat bread. The fries were over salted and could only eat a few and fountain drink /.. and including tip $18. Counter service pleasant and welcoming. No frills kinda joint and that's a good thing!

2nd time at Chow Down, this time I patronized the building. Although the food is good for an in…read morebetween a professional restaurant taste and presentation and home-made. I was not liking the inside. There isn't any care or consideration to operation or decor. The condiment station is messy. It's a bit hot from the cooking and just loud. The seating is more "get one if you can". On top of all this my food came up to $18. W/ or w/o inflation I can't do an $18 lunch also the price was more that what is stated on there website.

I stopped by Manders 22 and tried the Triple Threat Smash Burger…read more The burger was very good. The patties were juicy, flavorful and cooked exactly as a smash burger should be, with a nice crust and plenty of taste. The portion size was generous and the fries complemented the burger well. If I were rating the food alone, I would probably give it 4.5 stars. What pushed the experience to a full 5 stars was the exceptionally friendly and welcoming staff. (not usual at a "simple burger place") Genuine hospitality still makes a difference, and the team made me feel appreciated as a customer. The restaurant has a simple, but relaxed atmosphere, good food and great service. If you enjoy smash burgers, the Triple Threat is definitely worth trying. I would happily come back and order it again.

I'm not a huge "smash burger" fan because to me, based on others I've had, they were never juicy…read moreor that flavorful which is how I like my burger, but these are!!!! I was very pleasantly surprised!! I tried it here because of all the positive reviews about it I've seen and I'm glad I did. I did have the Traditional Chicken Spiedie (sorry no picture) and did find it to be dry and wasn't a fan of it, but did give 5 stars because the burger and waffle fries were so good.

We've been to both Poppy's locations and they are both excellent. This is now my wife's favorite…read moreItalian restaurant in the Jax metro area. Food and service are great at both, but I think the St Augustine location has slightly better service. Our latest trip my daughter and I shared a Pomodoro Caprese to start and it was excellent. I would certainly recommend it and will get it again. For dinner I got their wedge salad with blackened salmon. Their take on the wedge is one of the best I've had, and the salmon was cooked perfectly. My wife got her usual Chicken Parmigiana and she said it was perfect as previous trips. Place is nice enough for date night but also relaxed enough to come in with shorts and flip flops with the family.

Finally had the chance to try Poppys after hearing so many great things. They delivered from the…read morefriendly service to the food. The place was smaller than I imagined which I liked. They did have an outside patio but you don't really want to eat outside right now (August 2026). Since my wife ordered plain bread and I ordered garlic, we were each brought our own bread. My Caesar salad was just the right size - included with entree - and they added a couple of anchovies per my request. The linguine and clams were great and portions were huge. I'm fairly certain everyone dining that night left with a to go box since the meals could easily feed 2. Add a couple more fans to this restaurant. Just a note - they no longer serve pizza. I happened to notice after I gave my menu back that I didn't see pizza and confirmed with our waitress. Apparently they stopped a few years ago at the other location and never did at this location.

There are certain moments during a meal when you taste something and immediately have to stop and…read moreask, "What did the chef do differently here?" That happened to us at Al Dente's in St. Johns when we tasted the sauce accompanying their short ribs. We have eaten at Al Dente's many times, so we weren't discovering the restaurant for the first time. It has already earned a place among our favorite local restaurants. But on this visit, we came in for a full Culinary Duo review, and the kitchen prepared a tasting that went well beyond what we expected. And somehow, a restaurant we already knew managed to surprise us all over again. We started with the calamari, which is noticeably different from the traditional calamari plate. Al Dente's uses the prime rings without the tentacles, then sautés them with sliced peppers. The result is tender, flavorful calamari with a cleaner and more consistent bite from beginning to end. We were told that when the calamari is featured during happy hour, it can sell out. After tasting it, we understand why. The quality of the calamari and the simplicity of the preparation allow the seafood to remain the focus of the dish. It impressed us enough to earn one of our Culinary Duo Best of the Best Dish Awards. The gnocchi is another longtime favorite and Best of the Best winner. Al Dente's sautés it and finishes it with a white wine bath, creating the texture that has kept us coming back for it over the years. It is a great example of how a little extra technique can make a familiar Italian dish memorable. Then came the dish that may have surprised us the most, the short ribs. We will admit that short ribs are not normally something we get particularly excited about. Too often, the meat is served with too little sauce, leaving you wishing there was something more to bring the entire plate together. Al Dente's completely changed that for us. The beef was exceptionally tender and practically fell apart. But it was the sauce that immediately caught our attention. It had a wonderful subtle sweetness that was different enough that we had to ask what the kitchen was doing. The answer was port. Using port gives the mushroom sauce a slightly sweeter, richer character that works beautifully with the beef. Add decadent mashed potatoes loaded with butter, garlic, and herbs, and you have the kind of comfort food that makes you want to slow down and enjoy every bite. Sautéed zucchini and yellow squash added freshness and helped balance the richness of the plate. The short ribs became our third Best of the Best selection from Al Dente's. Next came the salmon with lobster ravioli, and this was another example of the kitchen going beyond what was necessary. The salmon was a substantial, thick cut, beautifully cooked, moist, and wonderfully tender. It was paired with lobster ravioli and a wine sauce, which would have made a very good dish by itself. But they didn't stop there. They added actual chunks of lobster claw meat over the salmon and ravioli. We love that. If you are going to serve lobster ravioli, there is something special about seeing and tasting real pieces of lobster on the plate as well. It reinforces the featured ingredient and turns what could have been a familiar seafood pasta combination into something much more memorable. The beef tenderloin medallions followed, accompanied by seasonal vegetables and a white truffle mushroom risotto that deserves almost as much attention as the beef. The risotto combined mushrooms, cream, Parmesan, truffles, and white truffle oil, creating a rich, earthy flavor that complemented the tenderloin beautifully. Risotto can easily become an obligatory side dish, but this one was clearly treated as an important part of the plate. Creamy, savory, and full of truffle character, it was an excellent partner for the medallions. One thing we particularly enjoy about Al Dente's is that the tenderloin is offered as a nightly special and the preparation can change. Guests may encounter different interpretations, including Gorgonzola, Marsala, or au poivre. For regular diners like us, that flexibility makes returning a little more interesting because there can always be something different coming out of the kitchen. By this point, we thought the meal was finished. Then the chef surprised us with a Dubai chocolate pistachio tart. It arrived beautifully plated with chocolate drizzle and whipped cream. This is definitely a dessert for anyone who loves rich flavors. A few bites were enough for us because it was incredibly decadent, but the combination of pistachio and dark chocolate was fantastic. It was a fitting ending to an impressive tasting. What stayed with us most about this visit was not simply one great plate. It was the consistency across the entire meal. The calamari showed how ingredient selection can change a familiar appetizer. The gnocchi demonstrated technique. The short ribs showed how one thoughtful change to a sauce can comp

Calamari appetizer is crispy, pairs with 2 sauces, both are good!…read more The mussels appetizer is full of flavors, tangy, creamy, very generous portion for an appetizer. My next favorite is clams appetizer, also big plate and the clams are so fresh & juicy, cooked in white wine!! So so good! Definitely worth a try! Overall.. great ambiance; inviting & casual atmosphere!

We enjoyed my wife's birthday with friends and the entire event was wonderful! It was a Saturday…read morenight and we waited just a few minutes as it was very busy! However, after just a few minutes we were seated in a very nice, secluded corner that allowed for a rather normal conversation around and across the table! We were greeted at the table and never felt hurried even if the restaurant was very busy. The menu offered a wide ranging selection of delicious Italian options from which each of us ordered something different and equality very good. Because of our special occasion we ordered a bottle of French Champaign and enjoyed fresh bread and each other's company while making our entree selections. Our dinner salad came at an appropriate time while our conversation continued until everyone had finished their plate and the dishes were silently removed from our table. In just a few minutes, our various entrees arrived and each of us began our Italian culinary delight! Throughout our meal the room continued to fill with more and more people, more and more excitement and obviously the energy moved in and around the room from table to table with each server adding to the feel of sitting somewhere in Italy enjoying a delicious meal with friends and family! By the end of our two hour time in the restaurant we were quite content and happy with our time spent at Vito's! The food was great and we will certainly return again soon!

Eight of us invaded Vito's for dinner and some great piano music...both were outstanding!…read more We had a long table in the bar...our waiter did a great job moving us thru the meal, but never rushing or pushing...just a very comfortable pace. Food was amazing! Everyone's meal was well prepared, came to the table very hot and delicious! Looking for solid Italian food and a hugely talented piano guru...hit this place!