cap's on the water

this restaurant seemed promising, but we didn't see our server after she broughtwaterto the table (we waited 25-minutes...).

good food but pricey. nice spot on thewaterbut be prepared to spend some money. the raw oysters were fresh and delish. scallops were cooked perfect. the service is not great, they get pretty busy and forgot to clear our table a couple of times but overall i will be back.

always good. a favorite of locals for good reason. the food, thewaterviews and the decor work in concert to send a 'relax and enjoy' message. it doesn't matter if i go for drinks, a romantic dinner or a family feeding- it's always good.

this place was amazing!! the atmosphere is very nice, looking over thewaterand 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 was great and worth the money...for 2 : 2 alcoholic beverages, 2 appetizers 2 entrees, 1 dessert + tip = $124

if you’re looking for a super romantic spot on thewaterthat serves excellent food and fresh fish daily, look no further than cap’s on thewaterin st. augustine, fl. it truly is the cream of the crop in this quaint seaside town, and the perfect venue for a classy get-together with friends or family. they have both indoor and outdoor seating available, but you will always find me on the outer deck under the elegant oak trees dripping with spanish moss, staring out at the beautiful waterfront view. my favorite time to go is at dusk so i can take full advantage of the romantic twinkle lights that come on once the sun goes down. whenever i go to cap’s, i never want to leave.

beautiful views of thewaterand sunset if you time it right. we enjoyed a new zealand sauvignon blanc with panko crusted mahi, stuffed flounder (large portions), and cucumber mint lime waters (very refreshing). service was excellent despite a very busy night. it is tucked away inside a neighborhood. we highly recommend!

cap's on thewater- 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. 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.

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 thewaterand 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 a place to 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.

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 thewaterand it is shaded by multiple trees, making for a great ambiance! 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.

beautiful view, delicious food. it was a beautiful, crisp afternoon and we were seated by thewaterand under a gas heater -- very pleasant. the food was outstanding! the fried shrimp entree was very, very ample: probably one dozen succulent, fresh (tasted like they had been caught just hours before) delicately fried shrimp. the florida gumbo was chock-full of shrimp and other seafood in a hearty gumbo. it could have been just a little hotter but it was very chilly outside. the accompanying cornbread had a cake-like consistency and just a hint of sweetness. the hushpuppies were sweet and delicate -- none of that heavy doughy texture.
the view is stunning and we'll be back to enjoy a sunset.

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 great place for a relaxing early afternoon lunch with friends and even kids as they can play by thewateron 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!

top 5 florida seafood. classic florida on thewaterseafood and drinks place. love the deck, food, view, service, attitude.

a must visit spot

best mashed potatoes ever!!. while our overall experience left a little to be desired, i have to comment that the mashed potatoes at caps on thewaterare the best i have ever had.

we had a fairly large party (7) and got seated in the oyster bar with no one really to wait on us. sadly that made our experience lack in the typical excellent service and atmosphere of cap's.

but this isn't my first time to be here and i definitely recommend it - maybe just not for groups - someplace with a reservation might be better in that case.

someone in the back gets it!. went to cap's friday night with my dad. the weather was beautiful, so we ate outside. service was attentive, but not overbearing (although i did need somewaternear the end of the meal, and did not receive any.)

we got a couple of draughts (he a blue moon, and i a stella) and split the calamari (sweet and spicy, the spinach leaves were perfect.)

dad had the scored whole flounder, which is the whole fish, scored, lightly breaded, then flash fried. it was superb. perhaps the largest whole flounder ive seen at a restaurant. the meat was flaky & sweet.

i opted for the beeline snapper (one of the day's catches), and asked that it be blackened (could have had it grilled or fried). the blacken seasoning was not overly spicy, and had depth. the sides were automatic: fried plantains and rice with beans, bacon, and onion. perfect pairings.

cap’s on thewateris a well-deserved local favorite, with a picturesque old florida setting that offers indoor and outdoor dining and a casual raw bar where you can slurp down a pile of briny oysters over a shared bottle of champagne.