O’Steen’s Restaurant wasn’t originally on our St. Augustine bucket list. We decided to stay close to the hotel for our last night in St. Augustine. We knew that we had an early start to head back across Florida in the last leg of our Southern Road Trip.
Neither of us is exactly sure how we found O’Steen’s Restaurant, but it was walkable. It was just down the block, on our side of the road, and we found some fantastic reviews after a bit of digging.
O’Steen’s Restaurant
205 Anastasia Boulevard
St. Augustine, FL 32080
The History of the Restaurant
The O’Steen family opened the Restaurant in 1965. Their basic premise was to serve fresh seafood, homemade side dishes, and daily specials. And, it seems that very little has changed in 50+ years. According to their website, many employees have worked there for 20 years or more.
They are closed on Sundays and Mondays and Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day.
And They only take CASH!
Are You Waiting Here Or At The Bar?
You’ll notice a small takeout window near the front door when you arrive. This is where you check-in and get your name on the list – and there WILL be a list!
The check-in line is a mix of people putting their names on the list, placing a takeout order, or picking up their order. So be patient.
You’ll also see many people just sitting around waiting for their names to be called. But, when Chuck got to the window, we were asked if we were waiting here or at the bar.
Bar? What Bar? The place barely has twenty tables!
‘The Bar’ is The Pub on Anastasia, located back down the block next to our hotel. You can walk down the block and have a drink, and they call the bartender who pages you when your table is ready! It was amusing to see the number of times the phone rang while we waited.
Famous St. Augustine Fried Shrimp
O’Steen’s has built a following with locals and tourists alike due to their St. Augustine Fried Shrimp.
When you look at Google Maps, next to O’Steen’s Restaurant, it says “bustling spot known for Fried Shrimp’ right on the map.
Chuck went for the Famous St. Augustine Fried Shrimp platter. It comes with nine sweet, plump, Jumbo Shrimp, Hushpuppies, and two sides. He opted for French Fries and Squash Casserole.
Mark chose Seafood Platter – Fish, Oysters, Scallops, Shrimp, and Deviled Crab Patty (no substitutions, please!) He also went for the Fries and Squash Casserole.
So, you might be thinking to yourself, “what’s so special about these Shrimp?’ We’re not sure what makes them so amazing – BUT THEY ARE! The Shrimp are butterflied, nearly to the point of being split in half. They are dipped in a batter that cooks up light and crispy. They are genuinely nothing fancy, just sweet, crisp, and excellent.
All of the seafood on Mark’s platter was delicious, well cooked, and plenty of it. The Hushpuppies were delicious, the Fries were good, and the Squash Casserole was good southern home cooking.
Final Review
Usually, places that are Cash Only are a turnoff. This is 2022, and we don’t always carry Cash. But, in this case, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! And, they do have an ATM in the Restaurant.
This tiny place is doing what they’ve done for the last 50+ years and turning out a fantastic product.
They have a few non-seafood items on the menu for those who don’t eat seafood. And they also have kid-size options.
You want to plan a visit to O’Steen’s Restaurant. Plan to wait a while for a table. But it’s worth the wait and be sure to save room for dessert. We wish we had – the Coconut Cream Pie looked awesome!
