Beaches at Vilano

Autumn Thomas

We definitely were not impressed by the greeting we received. When we walked in half the tables were empty but we had a 45 minute wait to be seated. I don't know if they didn't have enough wait staff of what. But they sure did have enough hostesses. 3 of them at a not so busy hour. After being seated we thankfully got service within 5 minutes. Very attentive. Pleasant and patient. She took our order correctly but somehow it came out from the kitchen wrong. Twice! Not her fault. Prices not bad at all. Food was delicious. What we ate, that is. The fried scallops. Fried shrimp and French fries. The mixed drink was awesome! I would go back definitely for sure but won't order steak.

Pauline Torres

Great place! Our wait for a table was short and so worth it! Our waitress Kassidy was so sweet and checked on us often. We tried a few appetizers and all of them were delicious and came out shortly after we placed our order. We had a guest from our group in an electric scooter and they were very accommodating.

Neil Cretney

- Beaches At Vilano - In these uncertain times we all need a little reassurance and extra comforting from time to time. Having travelled the globe extensively over the past two indelicate and troubled years as, essentially, Covid refugees from our retirement home of Thailand, it is an absolute delight for my wife and I to return for our third visit to embrace once again the sense of arcadian tranquility offered so readily by this delightful city, its wonderful people and the incredibly diverse and eclectic choice of dining venues available. To celebrate our return to St.Augustine we chose to take an early supper at the quite fabulous 'Beaches at Vilano'. At 3:30pm, the restaurant was still busy as the late lunch customers were finishing up and a steady trickle of new guests were arriving. We were greeted at the host station by Tom, an older gentleman whose enthusiastic greeting, despite having what appeared to be some kind of slight physical or mental challenges, instantly put us at our ease with his warm and genuine welcome. This was already a very strong plus point in my mind. I do so admire an establishment that gives the opportunity to the less able of taking a positive role in the workplace. It was evident that Tom was as proud as punch in his role as host and greeter, the joy simply shone from his eyes. Tom advised us that there would be a thirty minute wait as the servers and bus folk busied about clearing and resetting tables on the wonderfully appointed outdoor terrace. With five minutes still to go on our advised wait time, which we had spent supping our pre-dinner drinks and soaking up the very relaxed Caribbean vibe of 'Beaches', we were told our table was ready. At this juncture I noticed a new group of waitstaff arriving to take over from the lunchtime crew. Even though there are still worrying staff shortages that have been plaguing many of the city's dining venues recently, it was evident that the management here clearly understood the ebb and flow of customers and that the staff had been extremely well trained as the transition from one service to another passed seamlessly. Our server Tonda was attentive, friendly and very knowledgeable about all the menu items. My wife opted for the Cedar Key Conch Chowder followed by the Fish Dip. The soup was simply divine. Thick, creamy, unctuously flavourful and loaded with tender, perfectly cooked Conch. The Dip was heavenly. Beautiful flakes of subtly smoked fish accompanied by triangles of delicately spiced crunchy flatbread. Our friend who had joined us chose the signature dish of Shrimp Tacos. These she assured us were some of the best she had ever had. The succulent shrimp were exceptionally fresh, lightly fried and tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce nestled in soft warm Taco shells accompanied with an excitingly tangy and rich Pineapple and Mango salsa. I decided to order the Fried Clam Strips. Unlike some I have tried before at many and various restaurants, these were just perfect. The moist and tender strips of fresh Clam were enrobed in the lightest, crispiest of batters and, delightfully, not even the vaguest hint or taste of the fryer oil in which they had been prepared which can be so off putting. The well considered homemade Island Style Remoulade provided a little extra zingy flavour and was an ideal dipping sauce for this dish. By the time we had finished our meals and were preparing to leave at about 5:30pm the restaurant was hopping. With the warm evening sun on our faces, surrounded by the buzz of conversations from other contented guests and the occasional delicate sound of ice cubes clinking in glasses, we vowed to return soon to this unpretentious highly affordable waterside haven of pure gastronomic and heartwarming pleasure.

A'shia M

Crab legs and fried shrimp was TO DIE FOR! If I had realized how good that cluster of crab was gonna be I would have got a plate full! But then I wouldn't have had the delicious shrimp!! The fries were decent. Hush puppies very tough to eat, slightly over cooked. Ordered gator tail and scallops as an appetizer and both were ok. Sauce on the scallops tasted like something out of a bottle and not house made. Gator was a little tough. My sister ordered same meal as me and loved her shrimp and crab also! My dad ordered a fish sandwich and his comments were that although the fish itself was very good, the bread was extremely disappointing. The bread was plain and not toasted or anything which under the weight and liquid of the dish just made for a soggy unappetizing aspect of his meal. Overall it was a good meal and a nice time for me to see my family as I was down from NC visiting.