Forgotten Tonic — Restaurant in Saint Augustine

Forgotten Tonic review

We were so hopeful, but ultimately let down. We went with a reservation for two on a Friday evening. The fee to guarantee the reservation was a new experience, but I guess I can understand trying to deter folks from no-showing.

The environment was just okay. The styling didn’t seem to have any cohesive theme that was readily apparent. Noise level was fairly high, but we could still hear each other.

The food… There were some problems, one just preference-related and two genuine food safety concerns. We ordered the Lima bean hummus that was on the menu and were told that it wasn’t being offered and had been replaced with a seasonal pumpkin hummus with chickpeas. Calling it hummus was optimistic. It was a sweet sticky spread that didn’t really meet the savory hummus expectations. If it had been a part of a charcuterie board as a spread to serve with cheese it might have gone over better, but definitely didn’t deserve the title of hummus.

I ordered the mussels. Out of my bowl, 7 of them weren’t open - not safe, and really shouldn’t have left the kitchen that way. My partner ordered the pork chop. It was raw in the middle. Now, thanks to appropriate parasite control programs in the US, you aren’t likely to get trichomonas from undercooked pork, but that doesn’t mean it’s appetizing. Medium to medium-rare, fine, but not outright rare to blue! When we brought both of these food safety issues to the attention of our server, she expressed regret, but didn’t take any action. We mentioned that since the pork chop was 1/3 inedible that some extra Brussels sprouts would be nice (more on that later). We caught the eye of the floor manager and after we showed him, he also expressed regret and offered to re-fire the pork chop (re-fire the same one, make a fresh one? It wasn’t clear).

Here’s my take. The server and the floor manager shouldn’t have left the two dishes on the table and should have immediately returned them to the kitchen for review. I would expect a restaurant that tries to cater to a higher price-point to just fix things, not wait for a diner to tell them what needs to happen. We opted not to stay for dessert, even though the bread pudding sounded good. Also, imagine our surprise when our check arrived and we had been charged for an extra side of Brussels sprouts that arrived moments after the check did.

From a management perspective: Server needed more guidance on handling negative feedback and what to do with that information Floor manager should have immediately removed plates for review and asserted a replacement dish. More guidance on how to expound upon menu food and...

Returned for another meal on a Friday evening Art Walk and always glad to stop in. Tables were reserved, bar was full, but they put us outside. It was pleasant night and the rain had stopped, perfect for outdoor dining.

Our drinks were delectable as always. This is really a great place to go for interesting well-crafted drinks with tons of options.

Nick provided excellent service. Had a fantastic burger and the baked brie is as awesome as ever. My daughter loved the BLFGT.

We'll be back again, and if you haven't yet you need to go!

I had heard good things about this place from a carriage driver who took my wife and I for a ride a few weeks prior, so when my daughter and I headed to Aviles to visit some great art studios on First Friday, I decided to stop in.

If you want a table, that is a mistake because they were backed up over an hour (and this was fairly early in the evening). Fortunately, bar seating is first come first serve so we snagged two chairs by the beautiful bar and let the magic happen.

She opted for a Bee's Knees---gin, lemon, honey, lavender, and I went with an Irish coffee. Both drinks were excellent--vibrant, flavorful, and excellently crafted. Far, far superior to another drink place in the area with a lot of hype and little taste.

To eat, we shared a Baked Brie, and I had the Grilled Chicken sandwich, and her the BLFGT.

The brie was easily the best we've ever had and served with a generous assortment of fresh fruit and crackers, practically a meal in itself.

The mains came with excellent fries and were both very tasty. In case you are wondering but too shy to ask, the BLFGT is fried green tomatoes served on ciabatta bread with bacon, leafy greens, garlic aioli and remoulade. Both sandwiches were large and full of delicious flavor.

I had a final drink, the Sly Fox--blended irish whiskey, british herbal liqueur, ginger, strawberry, lime--and when I say this is my new favorite drink I am not exaggerating.

Service was excellent, drinks worth the visit by their own but the food is very good, interior is cozy and clean. The drink menu is huge and broken down by liquor type. If you can't find something you like then you are stuck in prohibition. I am looking forward to going back...

Excellent food and drinks and above and beyond service!

My partner and I went here for a rare date night away from our kids. We were impressed with the atmosphere, food, and service. We tried the cocktails Raising Cane and Pomegranate Martini. Both were delicious and perfectly balanced and chilled. We enjoyed a seasonal appetizer of strawberry balsamic Flatbread. For mains we shared the Chicken Bella and FT Burger. The burger was perfectly cooked medium rare and was juicy and flavorful. The fires were a great texture. I feel the star of the show was the Chicken Bella. The bed of mashed potatoes and creamy herb sauce were so tasty. Everything was smooth, flavorful, and creamy. The chicken was perfectly crusted and juicy. The greens used to garnish complimented the potatoes so well and the tomatoes on top brought everything together.

We knew we had to try dessert. We opted for the creme Brulee at the recommendation of our fantastic server (Ciarah) and it was perfect. It had a light and fresh taste with the strawberry slices. Breaking the crust of sugar and biting into it mixed with the light fluffy custard was a wonderful experience. Everything tasted so good.

We will definitely be returning on the rare occasion we get a babysitter. Although notably you can definitely bring kids here. They have a kids menu and we saw other families with children while we were dining.

The atmosphere here was very calm and moody. We were there for about 2.5 hours taking our time and enjoying everything. We never felt rushed and really enjoyed ourselves.

Definitely don't skip out on the Forgotten Tonic. We made...