St Johns River Steak & Seafood — Restaurant in Sanford

A Disappointing Experience at St. John’s River Steak & Seafood

My recent visit to St. John’s River Steak & Seafood was, unfortunately, one of the most disappointing dining experiences I’ve had in recent memory. I had high expectations for a restaurant that brands itself as an upscale steak and seafood establishment, but from the moment my reservation was unexpectedly changed to the moment I left, the experience was a series of frustrations.

Reservation Mishandling & Poor First Impressions

I originally made a 19:00 reservation, only to receive a call from the restaurant at 12:24 asking if I could move it earlier to 18:00, with an arrival at 17:45, as they were closing at 20:00. While I found this request inconvenient, I accommodated it. However, when I arrived promptly at 17:45, I waited over five minutes at the host stand before anyone acknowledged me, only to find that the staff seemed completely unaware of the reservation change that they themselves had requested. After an awkward back-and-forth, I was seated—over 10 minutes after my originally rescheduled time.

Excessive Wait Times & Subpar Food Quality

Despite the delays in seating, what followed was even more unacceptable—an hour and fifteen minutes of waiting for food that was ultimately cold, poorly prepared, and flavorless. I ordered a medium-rare filet mignon with a lobster tail, a Caesar salad, and asparagus. The filet arrived cold, dry, and tough—while it appeared closer to medium-rare or medium, it had clearly been sitting under a heat lamp. The lobster tail was cold and rubbery, with an unpleasantly stale texture, suggesting it was not fresh. My Caesar salad was served quickly but contained stale croutons and barely any dressing. My asparagus was completely forgotten and only arrived after I reminded the staff. Unfortunately, they tasted like they had been soaking in river water all day.

Adding to the frustration, another table that was seated at the same time as us had already ordered, received their meals, eaten, paid, and left before our entrées even arrived. When I inquired about the delay, I was told that a “big party” had slowed down the kitchen, yet somehow, other tables weren’t experiencing the same excessive wait time.

My dining companions ordered fish, which was served hot but was dry and lacked seasoning. Their coleslaw was rancid, making it entirely inedible.

Atmosphere & Cleanliness: Below Expectations

Despite being marketed as a steak and seafood restaurant, the overall atmosphere was more akin to a dive bar. The restaurant lacked the refined ambiance one would expect from an establishment specializing in high-quality steaks and seafood. To make matters worse, the bathroom was unclean and smelled strongly of urine—a concerning sign regarding the restaurant’s overall hygiene standards.

Attempt to Address Issues: Pointless

While I did bring up the excessive wait time to the staff, their only explanation was that the kitchen was behind due to a large party. However, this did not explain why other tables were receiving timely service while ours was left waiting for over an hour. By the time the food finally arrived, I deemed it futile to complain further, opting instead to finish my cold steak, pay, and leave.

Redeeming Qualities: Few and Far Between

To be fair, there were a couple of positives: The fried alligator appetizer was quickly served and quite tasty—ironically, the best part of the meal. The staff, despite the restaurant’s operational failures, remained professional and courteous, quickly refilling drinks and clearing plates.

Final Verdict: Absolutely Not Recommended

Between the poor reservation management, excessive wait times, cold and poorly prepared food, unclean environment, and overall lack of value, I cannot recommend St. John’s River Steak & Seafood in any capacity. This was not just a case of a few minor issues—it was an outright failure of both service and quality control. If you’re looking for a high-quality steak and seafood experience, I strongly suggest taking your...

I went here a few months ago because I wanted some scallops, didn't exactly have the best experience, thought I could get the experience out of my head, couldn't do it so now I'm gonna write my review.

Lets start off with walking in. Service was friendly and direct, exactly my style. The servers were a little busy and husslen but were able to get me (party of 1 and a walk in) a table within 5 to 10 min. 3 of them greeted me within the first minute and just let me know someone will be with me in a moment, which is fine as they are communicating to me what's going on.

Décor is what you would expect a seafood joint on the water to be, and was fun to look at everything while I was waiting. Still, this is where my first red flag popped up and I was half considering walking out at that moment.

Whenever I see 90% or more of the patrons as a much older generation with little to no younger folks (talking about walkers and air tanks in this experience, not an exaggeration with the use of plurals) I know for a fact that some to all of the food is going to be bland (experience here). I felt like I was the youngest here by a few decades at minimum (in my mid 30s). Also, by the way they interacted with the servers, most of these people were regulars. Not a bad thing if its a wide range of ages, but not if they are all about the same age.

So on to the food! I started off with the ahi tuna app and then got scallops, a lobster tail, fried okra, and grits as my main course (was hungry!) There may have been something else, but if I don't remember it, then it wasn't memorable.

The ahi tuna I requested just seared, and that was done properly. However, I could tell it was frozen and not fresh (the texture was off) and had zero seasoning. I added some table salt and it tasted much better after that.

Scallops were a little greasy, but cooked nicely and still really tasty. The lobster was almost there, maybe a min or two over what I would have preferred and a bit firm but still good and didn't need the butter.

The presentation of scallops though, they were served on a massive plate and while the portion was appropriate for what I paid for, just made the amount I received visually look less than what I'm paying for. I think they just need update the plating (ie, smaller plate), maybe add some color garnish too as it was white on white and looked meh.

The sides were absolutely bland. The cheese grits seriously needed salt and the fried okra taste of nothing. Which is a shame, cus while I look hispanic and was bourn in the Philippines, I grew up on southern cooking and will shove people out of my way for some yummy grits and fried okra. Heck I make better grits when I'm half asleep and make some killer fried okra that always disappear fast any time I make them.

While the mains were good, it was kinda ruined by the bland sides and appetizer. I honestly think I'm the most salty about the okra.... but that's just me.

My server was absolutely wonderful, and listened to my feedback, relayed it to the kitchen, and informed me of what she found out. I wish I could remember her name, but names always slip my mind after 10 min after meeting someone. She also kept my drink refilled.

She offered to comp me for my sides and appetizer, but I didn't think that was necessary. I pay for what I order unless it is dangerously bad. Bill after a 25% tip was a little over $100, which was anticipated.

So to summarize here; it's visually a nice place with good service staff, but the food probably wont excite my generation or younger. We can find better, for cheaper elsewhere. In short, I...

If the gods of hospitality ever walked among us, Jennifer at St. John’s River Steak & Seafood in Sanford, FL would be their chosen champion. I’ve dined across this planet — from hole-in-the-wall diners to Michelin-star temples of gastronomy — and never, not once, have I witnessed the level of service that Jennifer delivered. This wasn’t just a meal. This was an event. A masterclass. A symphony of timing, kindness, and precision that would make even the most seasoned maître d’ drop their notepad in awe.

From the instant I arrived, Jennifer radiated a confidence and grace that could tame chaos itself. You could drop her into the middle of Napoleon’s army, and she’d have the troops fed, hydrated, and smiling before the first cannon fired. She has the situational awareness of Sun Tzu, the charm of Cleopatra, and the work ethic of a NASA mission control crew. Nothing escaped her notice. My glass never went empty. My plate never lingered cold. And yet she made it all look effortless — as if she was conducting invisible strings behind the entire restaurant.

Jennifer doesn’t serve tables — she commands an atmosphere. Every word she speaks carries a rhythm, every gesture a sense of purpose. She knew the menu like a scholar reciting ancient scripture, and every recommendation she made was a revelation. When she described a dish, it wasn’t just food — it was prophecy. And when it arrived, it was exactly as promised. Not close. Not good enough. Perfect.

At one point, I sat back and thought, “This is what Alexander the Great must’ve felt like when he realized there were no more worlds to conquer.” Because after being served by Jennifer, there are no higher peaks of customer service left to climb.

In a world where so many people simply go through the motions, Jennifer reminded me that excellence isn’t extinct — it’s just rare. She’s the Michelangelo of menu mastery, the Beethoven of timing, the Serena Williams of multitasking. If NASA ever opens a restaurant on Mars, they should recruit Jennifer to train the entire staff.

The food at St. John’s River Steak & Seafood? Outstanding. The atmosphere? Beautiful, with that classic riverside charm that feels like home. But what elevated this from great dinner to once-in-a-lifetime experience was Jennifer — the human embodiment of five stars.

If you’re reading this, stop scrolling and make a reservation. Request Jennifer. Trust me — she’s not just the best waitress I’ve ever had; she’s a living legend in the making. One day, people will tell stories of how they dined here, and how Jennifer turned an ordinary evening into something eternal.

Thank you, Jennifer. You didn’t just set the standard —...