This place is quite unique. Unless you know it is there you would probably pass it if you even happened upon the street it is on. It's off a street that has a church and a public parking lot. Most people would pass it up walking along to the main shopping street.
You walk in, after passing the limited patio seating, you can see straight into the kitchen! That was honestly my favorite part. I loved that you could watch them preparing food. Anyway, the hostess will greet you and seat you. The restaurant had a lot more seating than I would have expected! We went a bit early, around 5:30 on a weekday since we had small children with us, as a party of 8 (one of those 8 being in a high chair) we were able to be seated right away!
We ordered drinks first. I will say The Floridian is unique because they are situated so close to a church that they are not zoned to serve alcohol to you. You have to walk to a back bar area, order, receive your beverage (wine or beer), and take it back to your table. I think it is a major part of the charm!
The menu is quite comprehensive. They have something for everyone on there. They are a local place that uses locally sourced ingredients when possible. That makes me happy. They are vegan and gluten free friendly. Lots of options that way! Portions are gigantic! Definitely getting your money's worth! My teen and I split the 'N Waffles. We got the pulled BBQ Chicken and Waffles. It was topped with a sweet ricotta. Absolutely delicious! For dessert we had some sort of chocolate pecan pie with whipped topping. It was not your typical pecan pie though as I don't usually care for those. But, however this was made was divine! I really look forward to the next time I go visit!
Also, I was quite impressed with the wait staff as they were very accommodating when my brother and sister in law asked them to bring my niece and nephew's dinners early. They did so and did so quickly. We all had a small taste of what they had and it was amazing! Just some basic sounding chicken dish, but I totally would have eaten it!! It's very unusual to get really good, fresh children's meals these days.
All-in-all it was a great visit. I think it's great for foodies, families, kids, groups, or just a date night! If you are in the St. Augustine area it is definitely a must eat!!!
We went to st. Augustine a couple years ago and loved it. Thanks for the recommendation. We went to a great restaurant but can't remember the name.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in the area, you probably went to the Columbia...everyone goes there and it is amazing too! haha It's funny to find people that have been to St. Augustine, I don't know many people outside of Florida that have been there or even heard of it!
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