cap's on the water

my wife and i ate here after our wedding. phenomenal the food wasgreatas was the service the price was high but we ordered quite a bit and the portions were huge. i'm glad we found this place on our special day because now we will always have an excuse to come back

best meal we had in villano beach. a little bit of a wait butgreatview and meal.

ups and downs. the first thing one has to say about cap's is that the view is unsurpassed. however, you don't eat the view. my wife and i have dined here many times in the past, and we have seen many ups and downs, but none quite asgreatas we've seen recently.

the big things they usually get right. the ($21.99) vanilla grouper is usually good and in the past i've had the catch manchego that was quite nice. however, it seems to be the simple things they miss on. for example, on our last visit, my wife and i ordered steamed shrimp - a no brainer for this area. they came to us cooked to a rubbery death and covered with so much old bay we had to wipe them off before trying to shell them. our appetizer of grilled scallops on fried spinich was tasteless except for the spinich which was limp and tasted only of grease. the shrimp vilano (a real winner in the past), was a mess of more rubbery overcooked shrimp swimming in a pool of too-spicy sauce (and i love hot food). if your benchmark for seafood is red lobster or applebee's, this might be normal, but for this florida boy, it was inexcusable and a far cry for the cap's we've experienced in the past.

to make matters worse, you pay top dollar for this. while we don't have any shortage of well-heeled diners in the area, everybody (except the tourists) chaps at the prices. $10.99 for an appetizer of gator tail? $12.99 for caesar salad? $24.99 for filet mignon medallions? these are upmarket prices and are very out of place with plastic chairs and fish camp ambience. cap's is not a south beach hangout where being seen is more important than price or the quality.

to this reviewer, cap's is a restaurant with an identity problem. it seems to be trying to create a fine dining experience but simultaneously trying to keep the casual fish camp atmosphere and, to me, that is a juxtaposition that just doesn't work. while they've kept some of the old ambience that kept the locals coming (the bathroom "decor" and the steamer shack), they seem to be pursuing short-term customers rather than keeping the year-rounders coming back for more. i hope they find the right balance soon because it's a waste to not recommend such a beautiful restaurant.

the whole experience was awesome! the server was friendly and engaging. we started with the blackened scallops which i will make the meal next time and pick some sides. perfection! i had ahi tuna which was excellent. my ladies had fish and chips. the both enjoyed it but having perfect scallops for the appetizer made them want mor of it instead. can't beat the view and the weather was awesome. we finished off with the triple layer cake which was agreatportion for three to share.

this was our first time in the st. augustine area. we initially thought cap's might be a little out of the way but it's only 15 minutes from downtown. the food was wonderful. we both had triggerfish. local, unusual and fresh like everything on the menu.greatpreparation and paired well. my wife had the coconut cake for dessert - unbelievable. good wine list and an excellent variety of local craft brews. service was prompt and friendly. overall a very pleasant experience.

this place was amazing!! the atmosphere is very nice, looking over the water and having your favorite drink is the best! me and the wife came hungry and caps did not disappoint, for appetizers my wife had the parm crab cake and i had the gator tails, whoever makes the sauce in that kitchen deserves a raise!! the citrus sauce that came with my gator tails was so good...i asked for more with my entree! my wife loved her crab cake, said its one of the best she's ever had (and she's had a plenty of different crab cakes!). for entrees, i ordered the vanilla grouper, and the wife opted for the key lime shrimp, once again the sauce on my grouper was amazing! the mixture of savory and sweet was very well played! my wife had the coconut cake for dessert...looked more like a bowl of shave toasted coconut, but she said it was very moist and the sauce at the bottom of the bowl was very good! overall this place wasgreatand worth the money...for 2 : 2 alcoholic beverages, 2 appetizers 2 entrees, 1 dessert + tip = $124

wonderful place. caps is a must try if you are in the area.greatfood and beautiful sunset. we have been on several occasions and the experience is always outstanding.

caps has agreatlocation.greatservice. very pricey, but worth it for the location and view at sunset. best piña colada ever. steamed clams were in a vegetable stock and served w toasted crustini slices. excellent for dipping in broth. overallgreatfamily dining!

amazing fresh food and gluten free friendly. this was our last stop on our way home from savannah and easily the best meal of our trip. beautiful waterfront location, wonderful food andgreatservice. the blackened grouper was wonderful. my dining companions really like the grilled shrimp and calamari tacos. my wife's she crab soup, while a bit pricey at $10, was the best she's ever had.

be sure to try the key lime cups for dessert. as a floridian, i have had countless servings of key lime pie from key west to 5 star hotels. none of them was the equal of the key lime cup from caps.

disappointing. food and atmosphere where very nice as usual. our server was unattentive, at least to our table of four. for me a good server can make a good meal great, this one made agreatmeal disappointing. what a waste of a vacation night meal.

cap's on the water - ok, i guess. had the seafood linguine. it was so-so. the ravioli appetizer with the pears was a nice surprise!greatview of the intercoastal from the outside seating.greatsunset watching for sure. lots of parking and seating. place stays pretty busy most of the time. service was pretty good as well. won't be disappointed, but with as much competition as cap's has around st. augustine and vilano beach, they could be bringing more to the table such as a happy hour (non-existent) or better specials.

outstanding food.greatservice. nice atmosphere. want to go back next time i'm in st augustine.

great view, atmosphere & food. the flash fried spinach and plantains were fantastic. the trigger fish special over pureed parsnips was delish! crab cakes were yummy and had lots of fresh crab. the seared ahi tuna was wonderful and the panko crusted grouper was good, too, but would def recommend sticking with the trigger fish or crab cakes...at least of the items the people in our group ordered. our waitress, on the other hand, was upselling from the get-go and gave us our checks while we were still eating and before offering us dessert, which we would have ordered if we hadn't felt so rushed. all in all, it was agreatmeal.

eeww. bad service cold food taste just ok. old building walk in rain to go to restroom :( restroom dirty.
greatdrinks only thing is get a buzz like the scenery over look everything else. all in all not worth the money.

a memorable meal.. "cap's on the water" is one of my favorite restaurants in st. augustine. in fact, my family and i go here almost every year! if you are in town, consider dropping by. the restaurant itself has a nice floridian feel. with the exception of the bar, the inside has limiting seating so if your party is large consider getting there early. however, the outside deck features a lovely view of the water and it is shaded by multiple trees, making for agreatambiance! i recommend getting the seafood here and the food is worth the higher prices! i would highly recommend this restaurant for you or your family.