cap's on the water

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

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 as great as 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 ofplacewith 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.

very relaxing atmosphere. this is theplaceto bring out of town guests. very relaxing dining experience on the large outdoor deck right on the intracoastal. the fish tacos and red beans & rice are good. the specials are always very good too. the calimari is outstanding.

thisplacewas 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 thisplacewas great and worth the money...for 2 : 2 alcoholic beverages, 2 appetizers 2 entrees, 1 dessert + tip = $124

found thisplacethrough zomato, seating is outdoors mostly on decks overlooking the water. fish and chips - batter was light and not greasy. hush puppies had good flavor. food was fresh and well seasoned, server was very friendly, view was phenomenal (watched a flock of pelicans fly by). reasonably priced for what you get. would definitely return!

cant beat the view the food was good, the service as well. a little pricey. a goodplacefor a romantic dinner or for special occasions.

sunsets and good seafood!. we went for a romantic evening and had a good time and decent food. it's definitely aplacefor a somewhat special occasion in my opinion but their seafood is yummy. ate peel and eat shrimp as appetizer and then some blacked fish for dinner. good, the food was good! but let me tell you, just go right before sunset! and you'll just sit there mesmerized and awed. liked it enough to keep it in mind for special occasions for sure, of the romantic kind specially!

perfect food, service & sunset!. wow, thisplaceis amazing. we called from another local restaurant to see if cap's was open between the common lunch and dinner time, and the young lady on the phone was cheerful and inviting, and yes, they were open. we were on our way. thisplaceis a gem. we were seated outside on the perfect deck and presented with a menu full of pleasant options. our waitress, amanda, was lovely, very cheerful, helpful, but not too obtrusive. our food was awesome. we started with a full tray of oysters, cold, fresh and with all the fixings. the man ordered the trio, a crab cake, shrimp and fish nuggets, served with some dreamy fries (fried crispy, but like mashed potatoes on the inside), and yummy hush puppies. i had the stuffed flounder at the suggestion of amanda. it was awesome! the fish filets were perfect, draped over the crab cake, sitting on orzo, surrounded by a light, fresh, creamy tarragon sauce with huge shrimp! oh my goodness! this dish was delightful! the perfect sunset was the topper to a perfect meal. the staff was amazing, they really are happy and nice! the food was so good! portions were huge, we brought so much home, and sadly, no room for dessert. there will be a next time....

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! great view of the intercoastal from the outside seating. great sunset watching for sure. lots of parking and seating.placestays 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.

good.......and bad. pulling int cap's on the water, it was very crowded and it was hard to find a parking spot. it was almost a free for all in their unmarked sand lot. we had an hour wait and decided to get some cocktails and sit out on their pier to enjoy the weather. the atmosphere of cap's is very nice. their are huge trees outside covered in spanish moss and little white lights. the location is superb.

when we were called for out table we were seated along the water and were expecting a very pleasant meal. thats when it went down hill. it took our server almost 20 minutes to come to the table. he took our drink order and we didn't see him for another ten minutes. my beer was warm and he brought my wife and daughter their bottle of wine, but did not open it! we waited another ten minutes for him to return to open it. he also failed to remove the empty glasses and bottles from the table.

we waited for our food and noticed several of the nearby tables were stacked with empty glasses and the gentleman next to us had to carry his own glasses to a wait station and find another server to help him pay his bill, since our server was no where to be found.

our meals came and the disappointment continued. i ordered the horseradish encrusted grouper on mashed potatoes. it came with a side of spinach that was as hard and crispy as leaves in the fall. they literally crumbled to the touch. my wife had the crabcakes and the server dropped her roumalade sauce while serving it. he said he would be right back. we had to ask two other servers to bring us the sauce before it came. at that point the complimentary bread showed up...midway through the meal!

i was finished with what i was able to eat when the server actually brought our waters! over an hour after we sat down!

you would think that a restaurant of this caliber would have a wait staff that matches their reputation. while i might recommend cap's to someone looking for aplaceto have a few drinks at their outdoor bar, i could not in good conscience recommend it for dinner until there is an overhaul of wait staff.

one of our favorite restaurants! the view and outdoor seating is lovely. food is very good. only complaint: we love thisplaceand wanted to have wedding there but they weren't very helpful from that aspect and some friends of ours had the same problem.


-----21 apr, 2012-----

wonderful view. great great atmosphere! the service is excellent. food can be hit or miss but fish always fresh and tasty.

i liked the ambience and would go back for that. a friend and i went there for dinner on a girls night out. we were there around 7 pm saturday and were seated immediately. the service was good but they didn't seem to want us to linger at the table. we ordered different appetizers and they were in a hurry to take the plates away. my friend and i were in splits when the server took away her plate before she put down her fork!! overall...it's a greatplaceto relax and have a conversation. i'd go back and this time....i'll hold on tight to my plate. food is pricey and not amazing.

great for lunch. caps in walking distance from my house and we have been a few times for dinner. its great for atmosphere but a little high on price. the only indoor dining is kid free which i love, although i do have 2 kids but when i have paid a babysitter, there is nothing worse than having to listen to other kids scream or fight so kudos to the owner for making this decision!

after a few years, i have come to the conclusion that caps for lunch is the way to go. very reasonable, same view, same quality food without the long wait (usually) and without the high entree prices. fish tacos are a favorite but the fried plantains are the best! such a greatplacefor a relaxing early afternoon lunch with friends and even kids as they can play by the water on the awesome trees. highly recommend for lunch.


-----14 jan, 2011-----

great place. i have come to realize that there is a price for atmosphere and a view and at caps, you get your moneys worth. other post have said it overpriced but if you would pay $50 at a chain on a major road, pay $80 and get an experience not just a meal. we live a block from caps and love to go there with our house guests and not once has anyone left disappointed. i love the vanilla grouper, the oysters are great also!

a localplacewith a world class view. our hotel recommended thisplacewhen we checked in. it is a little difficult to find but worth it. it certainly lives up to its slogan "the classiest dive on florida". the food was excellent. a great wine list. great service. find this place!

my favorite in st. augustine. hands down, theplacei look forward to eating at the most when we are in town. great views, never had a bad meal. good for older kids.