A huge part of the travel experience is getting to know local history, culture, and maybe some traditions. Happily, you can get in touch with all three aspects of an area’s identity just by eating.
Considering St. Augustine’s historic location, inside the nation’s oldest city, the best restaurants have plenty of mouths to feed. Scattered around the city’s downtown and all the way to its beach and inlets, coastal style or healthy sides, seafood naturally makes up a substantial amount of the local offerings. Do not let this fool you, through the different cultural influences of St. Augustine’s past means a range of different preparations are available for all taste palettes.
Hoping to truly taste some local flavor? Keep an eye out for dishes made with datil pepper, a spicy ingredient grown right in St. Augustine that seasons dishes across the city. Even though this list of popular spots to eat like locals has a lot of variety, each one has something in common: they all serve great food.
Here are four stops you need to make to eat like a local when visiting the nation’s oldest city:
Image Source: Catch 27
Local fish play a starring role in sandwiches, pasta, tacos, and even deviled eggs that come garnished with fried oysters. You can find some of the best seafood offerings in town as they specialize in keeping every item on their menu seasonal, local, and most importantly, fresh. If you are looking for a change of pace from the typical seafood, you can always opt into fresh chicken.
Location: 40 Charlotte St, St. Augustine, FL 32084
Image Source: St. Augustine Social
Copyright: Ed Taylor Photography
Located in Downtown St. Augustine, The Floridian offers different kinds of veg-friendly offerings. Each one of their recipes stem from southern traditions that embrace the mix between comfort foods and healthier options. Plus all their ingredients are sourced from local growers, so their menu changes with the seasons. The South-East Fried Chicken Sandwich which features lemon aioli and marinated collard cabbage coleslaw would be a great end of anyone’s day.
Location: 72 Spanish Street #3638, St. Augustine, FL 32084
If you are craving water, The Reef is one of the surprisingly few oceanfront restaurants in St. Augustine. If you are sitting inside, do not worry, the restaurant features massive windows to the tranquil waters. The Reef is here to satisfy all your fresh fish desires and other ocean favorites, like the fresh catch of the day or herb rubbed tuna.
Even come for happy hour, nothing pairs better with discounted appetizers and drinks than an oceanfront sunset.
Location: 4100 Coastal Highway, St. Augustine Beach, FL 32084
Image Source: Mayday Ice Cream
No local list is ever complete without satisfying your sweet tooth. Mayday’s creative ice cream flavors have all gone viral on Instagram! Each of the local chain’s flavors have been carefully crafted with high quality ingredients. Travelers and locals alike, visitors love posting photos of the scoops of Cloud 9, Blueberry Toast Crunch, The Aviator, or any of the other inventive choices between their classic and seasonal flavors.
Want to bring some St. Augustine home with you? Mayday ice cream is also available to be shipped anywhere in the continental U.S.
Location: 100 St George Street, Unit J, St. Augustine, FL 32084
As you can see, whether it is savory, spicy, or sweet, the local choices that St. Augustine has to offer will cross everything off your food to-do list!