Top 5 Casual Restaurants in St. Augustine

When vacationing to the ancient city, it goes a long way to eat simply and casually. Fortunately, St. Augustine is filled to the brim with fun places to eat that don’t cost a lot, offer casual and tasty dishes, and provide a splendid and nice backdrop to the city.

With pizza, breakfasts to die for, and Florida-themed nautical decorations- below are the top 5 casual restaurants in St. Augustine.

Manatee Café

We start by taking a look at a restaurant off-the-beaten-path. You won’t find Manatee Café tucked away in the crowds of downtown St. George St. But if you head just outside downtown on State Road 16, you will find Manatee Café’s large manatee logo emboldened over a middle part of the plaza.

What Manatee lacks in exterior beauty and wonderful views it makes up for in some of the most incredible breakfast and brunches eating in the city.
The Breakfast Burrito is a highlight: a stuffed wheat burrito with cheese, sweet potato, onions, mushrooms, sprouts, avocado, and salsa.

Manatee Café dining also offers some splendid vegan options and attempts to use local organically-grown fruits, vegetables, and grains when available.
The café closes up at 3 p.m. during the week, so catch this local favorite early.

Mango Mango’s

On the other side of the city is a colorful and flavorful café on the water. Mango Mango’s is fun, funky, and filled with casual eats. The dazzling Caribbean atmosphere sets the perfect tone as you soak in the spirited Florida eating. Tap into the grilled Mahi brushed with Havana sauce and the crab cakes island favorites.

Don’t skip out on a real St. Augustine delicacy all the locals know about – Mango Mango’s Mango Pineapple Vinaigrette

It is located on Beach Blvd, the main artery that runs through famous St. Augustine Beach. You won’t miss it.

Back 40

Back 40 has this adorable cottage décor and overall style that defines the Old Florida ethos of St. Augustine. This casual eatery adopts southern approaches to eating by including a soup of the day, some homemade chili, and a wide array of wraps and sandwiches. There are 10 different taco types, four quesadillas, and fish sandwiches galore. Top it all off with the Upside Down Chicken Pot Pie. Back 40 is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.

Café 11

We love Café 11. Its quaint atmosphere, generous outside patio space and addictive sandwiches keep us, and many other locals, returning time and time again. Café 11 is a gastropub-styled café, specializing in BBQ chicken, pork, Cuban-style sandwiches, the popular Cali BLT, and a dedicated vegetarian menu.

Best yet, Cafe 11 is located extremely close to our beachfront vacation rentals in St. Augustine. Take a quick run, or even a bike ride, over to Cafe 11 for a casual and friendly afternoon across from the beach.

On some nights, you may be lucky enough to find live local music at Cafe 11. The cafe is known to have tour musicians stop and play shows, ranging from punk to singer-songwriter genres.

Blue Hen Café

Blue Hen Café may have the greatest fish sandwich in the city. Frankly, we don’t know how they do it. This cozy eatery keeps the prices low and the quality astounding. Order a huge breakfast burrito and just try to finish the whole thing in one sitting. Fried green tomatoes, grouper, crab ceviche, four major omelets, and pumpkin pancakes help round out this versatile menu.
Blue Hen is south of downtown in an area called Lincolnville. This quaint largely-suburban district hides some secret attractions for visitors, including a classic old cinema, an art gallery, and the Lightner Museum.
The Blue Hen is open every day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is closed Mondays.

Stay With The Ocean Gallery

For places to stay on the beach, visit our listings. You can find an assortment of beachfront vacation rentals right in St. Augustine Beach.