Catch 27 — Restaurant in Saint Augustine

Sadly, to be a 4-star restaurant things need to be almost perfect, particularly the finer points. But we were rubbed wrong almost immediately by an odd checkin experience. There were two people checking patrons in - a blonde-haired male with a tablet that I assume controlled the table assignments and a young, tiny brunette girl. What her role was we don’t know. She told the couple in front of us (that eventually left) that they had to wait for the male to get back to discuss dining. She didn’t do anything else. After the couple walked off, my wife and I came up to the podium for our 6 pm reservation. She said nothing, did nothing; simply stared at us, the ground, the sky - WHAT WAS HER POINT OF BEING THERE!?? She was impotent to do anything. And the male disappeared for long periods of time. So quite a rude and inefficient start to our evening. After we finally were seated, we were almost immediately approached by a waitress who tried to give us some other table’s appetizers. We said not ours, we just got here. Lastly, on the odd side, one menu was provided per a table. We had to ask for another as there were 2 of us. Apparently everyone gets one menu because the table next to us got the same thing and also asked for a second menu so I don’t know what that’s about. This seems more like a college burger joint by the way it’s run more than a fine dining seafood place. Moving past all of that, the fish of the day it was mahi, and I had a rustic style and it was delicious. The shrimp tacos were very average with way too much lettuce on top and other superfluous toppings since there were merely 4 shrimp underneath it all. The chipotle sauce it came with was off, albeit homemade as far as I could tell. At least they tried there. But I ended up picking through the toppings of my wife’s tacos to get to the shrimp. They were garlic-laden hiding much of their freshness/sweetness. Sadly, the garlic stayed on my pallet until the next morning. Given all of this and the prices not being reflective of the environment and circumstances ($$$), I can’t say I’d recommend this seafood restaurant or return myself. Sorry there are too many great restaurants in St. Augustine to deal with...

We stopped in for dinner before walking around Nights of Lights, and so glad we did. Luckily, it was a Tuesday evening because we didn't make a reservation and I had heard this place fills up quickly (here's your sign to go ahead and make the reservation if you're on the fence). We got right in, but they were still full, given the smaller location.

They offer outdoor and indoor seating. It was chilly out, so my aunt wanted to sit inside, but the heaters that are provided outside definitely would have given off ample warmth. No matter - the inside is quaint and nautical and gave off a very "fisherman's quarters" vibe. We loved it.

The menu has a lot of different offerings. I really enjoyed that they let you mix and match the different fish you want. For example - they have grits and you can choose from the classic shrimp, or venture out into daring waters with a salmon or the catch of the day. I consider myself a daring gal - so I did just that with the catch of the day - the Corvina.

The grits came out in a cake, which I was not expecting, having been raised on traditional creamy, soupy-esque grits. But it was rich and full of flavor, especially paired with the perfectly cooked Corvina and the creamy, accompanied sauce. The collard greens were also cooked perfectly. I usually feel like I got the worst thing at the table, but this time I felt like a champion. Out of the tacos, the rustic plate, and the pork chop (all of which I was told were also delicious) - imo, this dish reigned supreme.

Oh, and we started with the bacon wrapped dates appetizer and the arugula ceasar salad. The dates were unbelievable! Sweet and fatty is already a winning combination but the bacon was thick and cooked perfectly (you know, sometimes it can be rubbery, unless you like that kind of thing. no judgements). I've been thinking of it since we were there a week ago. The ceasar salad was also very tasty. I liked that they once again dared to be different by using arugula as the base. My aunt even said that was the best ceasar salad she's ever had, and they are big fans of ceasar.

Overall I definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone in the St. Augustine area looking for a...

This was THE best meal that we had in Florida. Catch 27 is worth the drive to St. Augustine from where ever you are from. I was very impressed by Chef Josh Smith's menu. All ingredients are locally sourced with the listing of suppliers is available for you to see. All the seafood (oysters, shrimp and fish) is caught locally and bought daily.

I had the WINNING DISH which was the Land and Sea: fresh scallops (pan seared on the outside and cream smooth on the inside) which were cooked to perfection. It also included a pork belly braised in root beer and sitting on lentil succotash and turmeric sweet corn puree. The dish was well balance and everything was amazing. It is not a combination I've ever had before but it was so delicious.

Hands down THE best dish I have eaten ANYWHERE in a very long time.

The gumbo was hearty and very flavourful. The Blacken Fish was exceptional (I wish I could remember what it was but I think it was triggerfish or flounder). The fish tacos looked divine (I did not sample those). The Deviled Eggs are not to be missed with the deep fried oyster topping it off. I'm not a fan of cooked oysters but this was very well done. We also got to sample both the Seacuterie and some of the 27 Cheese board. The Seacuterie had cured salmon, smoked Florida fish mousse, with giant capers and Cuban bread crostini. The blue cheese with the smoked honeycomb was THE bomb and the presentation was so fun!

Take your pick of any of the desserts they were all exceptional but my fave was the Panna Cotta in the mason jar. It was light but still full of flavour and fresh... fresh... fresh fruit.

I loved this restaurant the atmosphere was very upscale casual with all of the service staff A1. The mixologist was also a master indulging us with local Gin and Bourbon cocktails. They were wonderful and I would...