St. Johns Seafood and Steak Review

Waitress really had no idea what she was selling. Couldn't tell us about the food or drinks. Kind of too laid back

Drinks were good! Service was excellent! Food was small portioned for the price. Everything was bland. We had shrimp scampi and ribeye. Ribeye wasn't served with the carmelized onions the menu said it came with. Overall experience was good. We sat on the patio only because it wasn't much cooler inside. For a place serving higher priced food I'd expect a stronger ac.

I do not agree with the tip policy which is over 5 people the tip comes included in the bill, that makes the waiter not to have effort at all to service the costumer and that's exactly what happen to me today, sloppy service, not so great food and horrible attitude from the person who served us.

This place is awesome, right next to the river. The staff is great and really good food. I recommend the gator appetizer

Good food. Our waitress did not provide great service. I would try it again but hope that the service would be better.

I love this place. They have always provided the best service (I feel at home). Great music, the food is heavenly. Everything I have eaten is delicious and I am very picky.

The view of the lake is great and I had no problem parking my F350 on a late Thursday lunch time.

My mussels appetizer was served with toast, which it should be to soak up the broth. A good start, but the broth was tasteless: No herbs, no butter, no wine. Many of the shells were broken leading me to wonder if they were broken before they were cooked.

The smell of the restaurant emanates from either a garbage can or a sewer.
The server was not genuinely friendly or welcoming. Altogether, my experience was disappointing and I will not return, nor do I recommend it for you.

The seafood is very good. Had a salad with sides of "boom boom shrimp" and fried clams. The salad was fresh and good, the shrimp were excellent, and the clam strips were cooked just right.

We visited this restaurant for the first time tonight. On the plus side the staff was very friendly. Here is where we had a problem. There was four of us eating. Two of the dinners came out barely luke warm. One was just too cold to eat. This happened to be the Shrimp and grits. After notifying the wait staff (as soon as it was dropped off), they took it to the back. It returned less than 3 minutes later, obviously microwaved. The manager came over unaware of the problem. When we addressed it with him, he said "Oh, we never reheat anything." Then when we shared that the plate came out less than 3 minutes later and was obviously the same plate, he said, "Well then I misspoke. I mean we don't just heat food up. It's all cooked here." In addition, they also have a sign posted saying that masks are mandatory when walking around the restaurant, but the manager was clearly all night walking around with his just draped on one ear - very rarely on. This is not a political commentary about masks, but more so the fact that the manager is very unprofessional and wouldn't have lasted more than a few days in my restaurant. The bill came out with no discounts or items removed. We just paid the bill to avoid engaging with him again. Other than the kind bartenders and wait staff, this was a fail of an experience.

Just stopped in for a drink. Place looks nice and is on the water. Didn't have my whiskey, but did have other good choices. Bartender was quite nice. Will go again for a meal next time.

Great view, food's great. A nice place to enjoy a meal and some drinks.

Shrimp and grits were very tasty and shrimp was plump and firm not soft

Great food overlooking St. John's River in Historical Sanford Fl.

Five empty plates. Amazing food, shrimp posted boy, boom boom shrimp, and the grilled seafood platter were all awesome. Dessert was just as delicious! The view is spectaular as well. Nice little place.

This must have been an off day ... Service was slow ... No water at table ... Entree almost an hour b4 served ... I'll try once more

Friendly service, good food. Staffing seems a bit short, but they took good care of us. Ribeye steak was up to expectations. Great hush puppies.

The Chips and Fry's taste like fish today and the fish was very greasy not the norm we will give them another try soon. 6 dollar drafts will not keep me her long after the meal.

Seating on patio by water. Friendly staff. Tasty food. Cocktails.

The place is nice and on the water, the food and service was good and worth the drive

With party of 7, 4 of us here before, and they charged half of our party with soda in our drinks. 4 of us NEVER had this happen. When we complained added soda to ALL of our tabs. We know this was not a practice. Manager said it's always been this way. We know that's NOT true. We all ate dinner. Let it be known we tipped according to our server Martha's treatment of us during the length of time to get a manager and her WALKING AWAY when we questioned it. We spent over $300 and you acted like we were dumb. None of us, our coworkers (lots), or our families will EVER return. Stupid on your part over $8!!!

They were slammed and our food and service was great!

The food is always great and the service is even better. Ric is the best.

Nice place for our group of twelve to have lunch. The staff was great and the food plus scenery was great! Thanks for all you do.

THE BEST SEAFOOD I HAVE EVER ATE, I'M FROM KY AND WHEN I COME BACK DOWN NEXT YEAR THIS WILL BE MY FIRST STOP WOW WAS IT GOOD!!!!!!

Great menu with flavor. Not just boring fried fish and steak. If you like flavor, this simple water front restaurant is a favorite place. Try shrimp and grits, blackened Grouper with shrimp, or jambalaya. Chef will customize to meet your needs. 3 visits and 3 wins.

My food was delicious, but the kid's meal for the toddler was less desirable and it cost almost $7 dollars. I will never order a kid's meal again there.The kids meal was ordered for a 2 yr old. Just saying the amount it cost there should be quality and quantity. My meal was great and always great everytime.

We've been probably 5-6 times since January 2016 and very happy with the food each time. Nice servers, excellent setting and views of the lake and several great apps and entrees. Their buffalo shrimp is terrific. Seafood Combo plate is great!

The place has a spectacular view of the lake, you can stand outside with a pleasant breeze, watch the sailboats, or inside with air conditioning. The food is very rich, good portions and special cocktails. It is $$ but I consider the quality of the products is fair and the attention of the staff is great.

Great food, shrimp Alfredo pasta was really yummy and I would definitely recommend the Coco Bongo cocktail...the blend with coconut rum, banana and mango is delicioso! Plus the view amazing

Come to Florida every year for the the winter. Thought we would go the Sanford and try a different restaurant. Took another couple with us to enjoy the evening over dinner. We have dined in over 25 different establishments in Orlando, Daytona and a surrounding areas. This restaurant was a mistake from the time we sat down. They were out of several items. I ordered a ribeye medium, baked potato and their Jazzy Rice . They were out of baked potatoes, the rice had absolutely no flavor and the steak was so raw that the waitress grabbed it up as soon as I cut into it. When she brought it back it was rare at best, not to mention it was at least 50% fat. I ate very little of anything on my plate and the waitress did not charge me. There is also nothing in the place to buffer the sound. It was so loud you couldn t carry on a conversation with the person across the table. Maybe carpet or curtains would help. Our waitress was very good. She apologized several times even though we didn t actually complain. The location is great but maybe they should just open a bait shop. I give two stars only because of location and our nice waitress.

We had an enjoyable time, nice servers, great service!

Awesome all around!! Great service and great food. The Executive Chef is the best. He brings that New Orleans flavor to Samford. Please visit!! It is definitely worth it

New to the area wanted to try a new place by the water and treat my wife and family of 5 to a great experience to be treated at the door mind you this was at 7pm not 8 pm when they close and told that they are not excepting any more customers and would be closing once soon. Drove 45 minutes to try a new and what we thought to higher end restaurant. Why would one turn paying customers away especially on Mother's day of all days. This is a day that typically one pays on average 30%more . I think I might have a hard time to find a reason to ever stop back. At least have a better excuse to turn away business other than we are closing early.. Kyle

Never had a bad meal here.

Although the name stresses seafood, we enjoyed our first burgers here today. Half-pound patty, seasoned with delicious spices,cooked to perfection and served on a buttered brioche bun, garnished with homemade chips.

Full bar to boot!

Scenery is just as appealing!

Great food and service, they accommodate my allergies.

The food was okay, we came in about an hour before closing. Not sure if they were short staffed, but it took a while to get a drink order in and received, than we had a bit of a delay on the appetizers also. We found out about 10 minutes after ordering entries, that a couple of items were not available.

We are foodies, so no disrespect intended, I think this establishment does good food and service overall, but we prefer our own cooking vs the expense of being served here.

Great location to meet with friends. The staff was friendly and sociable. The bill was average for the menu.

I worked there, and it's an awful place, the owner and the manager katelyn are stealing money from the servers. They obligated them to tipout the hostess because the owner is cheap and he doesn't pay good. So the money that you are giving them is not for them, they have to share that money. This place is terrible, leaking everywhere, the owner doesn't want to fix it, and if the servers make mistakes they have to pay they full price. They only have 10% discount if they want to eat there. Don't go there, they are disgusting people owner and management. They have a high turn over rate due to the hostile work environment.

Food was okay, nothing special. We sat inside because outside seating was packed. We ended up leaving early because waitress kept forgetting to cover her face. Seafood boil was okay but i didnt like that it has green peppers&onions, no bay seasoning and kind of bland.

Food taste fresh, nice setting on the lake. Can be very busy and seating may be bad.

Nice atmosphere right on the lake, excellent service

Phenomenal food view and service live music too be sure to make a reservation

Absolutely love the food when the Head Chef "Chef K" prepares my food. Anyone else I will not eat.

If the owners/managers happen to read this, you might want to start paying more attention to the negative reviews in regards to the Back of House (cooks) performance. Server did a great job, location is really nice, but MOST people come back for THE FOOD. That's where this place was lacking. My brother, who left a review as Mikey 9x, had to send back his filet for it being overcooked and received a sirloin steak as a replacement, being told it was a filet . Control the quality & consistency of the food and you'll make return customers out of pretty much anyone.

This is our second time here and it is very different I liked it so much more before food was ok service was bad so bad

Two stars for location. Food was bland. Nothing was seasoned. We got crabs with garlic and Cajun seasoning... tasted like boiled water. Service was subpar. First order was wrong had to send back. Check had extra charges which wasn't disclosed when we ordered. Great location, nice wait staff but overall poor experience

Visited for their Valentine's Day special event. The food was delicious, the service and atmosphere was great and they were very organized. Will definitely make a return trip.

Went here for the first time with my family. It's a gorgeous spot on the water, away from the busy downtown noise. Staff were super nice and the seating was very comfortable. Now onto the food. Two of us had steaks, one had fried shrimp, and the other stuffed grouper. Everything was phenomenal! Very big portions so we took some home but had to split a piece of cake for dessert. They have a local baker for their desserts and we had a piece of chocolate cake heaven. This was one of the best dinners I've ever had and the prices were super reasonable, especially for the large portions. Highly highly recommended for an authentic family restaurant with great food and a great atmosphere and service. Perfect all around!! Thank you!!

Food was very good. We had the spinach dip and clams for app. Clams were good, dip was ok. Asked for tarter sauce for my clams. Charged 25 cents for it which I thought was kind of weird. I was expecting a little more cheese or cream in the Soinach Dip, kind of dry. Fish & Chips were wonderful, as well as the Scallops. One thing that did bother me was our waitress wore her mask only covering her mouth, not her nose. And was touching it all the time. As well as the Host (older guy) at the door greeting people. But other than that, we will be back. Get the proper fitting mask for your staff. You will be much busier if you do it. It shows you care for the safety of your guests. I believe the manager (female) stopped by to see how everything was, was very nice of her. We will be back.

Cynthia was literally the rudest waitress I ve ever encountered. Lemme explain. 1. It took her forever to come over. 2 we asked her to come back in 2 minutes she came back in 10 to Take the order no no no another server had to take our order. 3 got caught in a lie I asked for simple syrup she brought me sugar no syrup and she they don t have any but the other server came and asked me did she bring it? Y would she ask that if you don t have any? 4. We had the other server tell her we needed our bill she gonna come outside to clean the table off and said I ll be back with Your bill and we had a Uber waiting outside so I had to walk in and demand her to cash us out. The end. But the food is AMAZING and the patio is beautiful!!!

Update: that s for the response but your server is racist. Goodbye.

We walked out before even eating. The greeting for the hostess was "We are really busy, its going to be a long time" . After she realized it was just a party of two ( another group had walked in the door right behind us) we were immediately brought to a table. While waiting at the table for the hostess to grab menus, a waitress walked by with a horrible attitude and told my wife that we needed to wait for her to clean the table and then walked away. We sat down and noticed that no tables had their food yet. Also, everyone's drinks were empty. Water glasses and otherwise. I understand if the kitchen is busy that food may take a while, but there is no excuse for a restaurant full of empty glasses besides poor service and management. From the time we opened the door, we were made to feel like they didn't want us there. We took the hint and left.

The food is Excellent!!!! Big portions and great prices! The food is super fresh. You can choose to seat on the tables outside and enjoy the view of the St. Johns River. The seafood choices are excellent.

Our first meal when we landed in FLA last week. Had to wait a bit for our meals as they ran out of tortillas for my wife's meal. All in all, a decent meal.

Excellent..quick service..great staff...great food! I'll be back!!!@

Food was good, but we waited over 40 minutes for an appetizer, then another 30 minutes for our main course. 2 hours from start to finish was too long considering it wasn't that busy. Tried it, probably won't return

Steaks were tough and second time going .We figured first time they were just too busy .Friend of mine had grouper said it taste frozen

They should get better customer service in the bar( a Happy person)

Best oyster po boys around...great service...food..ambiance & views...go enjoy!

Amazing experience. Cannot believe as locals this was our first time. We ordered the mussels appetizer and it did not disappoint- in a garlic wine sauce served w garlic bread!! Yum. I ordered the grouper blackened and my husband ordered the shrimp. Both were amazing. Our server Mark was awesome. He had the bartender make me a pickle martini per my request as it was not on the menu. Went above and beyond. And the views are breathtaking. Strongly suggest making reservations in advanced on weekend nights. We did and were seated right away! We plan on being regulars!!

We loved this place! Excellent food, really reasonable prices, and super nice view of Lake Monroe. Try to get there for sunset, and get the back porch.

Terrible first time experience sells bourbon and calls it scotch awful food overpriced for the quality server was poorly trained confused and slow. If these are new owners God help them as failure within months is imminent
Stay away! (Owners delete negative posts and many reviews are phony most likely from the restaurant owners themselves )

1st time dining here on sunday. Great serene view. No live music..food was unbelievable. Gator tail. Tuna app. Filet mignon and lobster tail.. Although,when i ordered a 2nd shot of don julio, i was given a cheaper brand tequila and was informed by another server that the bartender had ran out and had to go in the back to get a new bottle.. Well, why wasnt that done in the 1st place..anyhow, they made it right and i will definitely go back and ask for Corina.. Thank you.. Great service and a woman manager came by just to say hello and make sure everything was great.. Its a nice touch...

SLOW service, bland food, overpriced for what it is. First and last time here. Frozen "fried" shrimp tastes better. Nice view on the patio is about the only plus.

Went there for lunch, 1st time here great food reasonably placed for a waterfront venue.

We stayed next door at Monroe s on the Lake after a cruise. Catching a plane home the next day. Stopped in for a quick lunch at St. John s. Food was good, staff very friendly, great view of the lake. Sadly, Monroe s was scheduled to fall to the wrecking ball after the city purchased the property. Hopefully St. John s will remain. Would dine here again when nearby. Side note, I m an onion ring officianado and I m here to tell you, theirs were awesome!!

Great place had lunch it was awesome definitely will come back

Had shrimp and grits, and it was the best one ever . Wait staff were friendly and helpful. Will go back for sure

We go back there cause the rest of the family likes it...

First timer, great atmosphere with seating outdoors overlooking the St Johns River. Our server was pleasant and provided great service. Our dinners were prepared and presented beautifully, taste....delicious. Great margheritas! What a gem.

My husband and I enjoy coming here for special occasions. The food is great and the view from the outdoor area is even better. For dates, I would recommend going just before sunset and sitting outside. It's very romantic.

Best oyster po boy...soft shell sandwich...gator bites & seafood gumbo EVER...complimentary hush puppies & samples of Apple & Banana pudding...Yummy...definite going back!

Went on a Saturday afternoon and it was maybe 3/4 capacity. Got seated pretty fast and then it began. The waiter came by and got water pretty fast. It then took about 20 just to get two draft beers (@6 a piece). Some gumbo and food had been ordered and it was about 40m to get the tiny little bowl of gumbo with exactly one tiny piece of chicken and sausage with 2 little pieces of scallop and some barely cooked rice. We ordered simple with some Ahi tuna and a Mahi sandwich. It took at least 1.5hrs to get that. The tuna was ok but the "blackened" Mahi was tasteless and the fries were tiny portions and disappointing. To add to the otherwise bad experience the young black waiter had the audacity to tell me I needed to get up and let the lady sit closest to the heater. We were both next to it and if my GF had not of promptly intervened saying she was fine it might have gotten ugly. Nice location and place but this place would do well to fire the kitchen and wait staff and start over.

Always enjoy their food out on the patio over looking Lake Monroe.

Great dinner, beautiful view with Lake Monroe steps away.