O’Steen’s Restaurant

Best fried shrimp you may ever eat. Like having large, split shrimp in a nice thin biscuit. It’s like, transcendental. Staff is always great but the place is usually packed. CASH ONLY but don’t let that deter you. The place is old school in all the right ways. It’s like a Jersey diner meets a Kentucky local joint. No frills, just amazing food. A breath of fresh air from «presentation» food spots in touristy areas. Enjoy, thank me later.

What a disappointment.
Wife’s favorite food is probably fried shrimp… been hearing about O’Steen’s for months — so today made the 40 minute drive — to wait 45 minutes for a table — in the rain (no waiting area inside) — we passed the time by going to the ATM — because they don’t take credit/​debit cards…
When we finally arrived at our table (one of maybe 20, topps — smaller than your average McDonald’s inside) the looks of the place told us it was remodeled as recently at 1989 (Although it was very clean). In addition, I believe my wife and I were the only customers who couldn’t tell you where we were the day Pearl Harbor was bombed…
Then — the food… blah…not bad, just… blah…nothing special at all… not worth the wait, not worth the hype… The definition of average.
If I’m going to have average seafood in Florida — I want more than a 45 minute wait for a glorified diner… At least give me a view and a cocktail… Won’t be going back.

This place has the best fried shrimp. The shrimp is fresh and it is lightly battered to perfection. I had the shrimp, rice and gravy and fruit salad. The sides, in my opinion, are nothing to brag about but the hush puppies that came with the meal were very good. My boyfriend had the shrimp and scallops, green beans and squash casserole. He said it was amazing… I wish I could have tried his sides but he inhaled it before I was able to bring my fork to his plate. Make sure you bring cash since they do not accept credit cards.

Love this place! Be prepared to wait, but it’s worth it! 9 — Shrimp $ 12.95. Wait staff friendly and efficient. Browse their antique shop while you wait! One of our must eat places while in St Augustine!

Best shrimp and sauce, but everything else is just as good. Small so usually a wait but so worth it! Wait staff very friendly. Just remember cash only. Enjoy

I was very excited to try this place out after reading the reviews! And it didn’t disappoint! Fried shrimp was fantastic and so was the dipping sauce it comes with. Slaw and hushpuppies great! My husband had catfish and it was great also. French fries were ok and none of us where fans of the Mac and cheese. My daughters would eat Mac and cheese EVERY meal but they didn’t like this. Cash only and the start getting busy around 4:30. The place is small go early! If your a shrimp fan you will love this plaçe.

Just leaving and I already want to go back! Everything was awesome even down to the sauces. I got the fried shrimp with green beans and grits on the side. The shrimp was out of this world and the sauce that it comes with is a perfect addition. The hush puppies were also very good. Very airy and light compared to other ones I’ve had at other places. Even though I was stuffed, I had to make room for dessert. I got the coconut cream pie and all I can say is WOW! If I lived in St. Augustine I would be here every week. Wish they would put one in NY!

Any restaurant that has not only been open 51 years (2016) while accepting cash only, HAS to be good. Yes, the place isn’t open on Sundays and Mondays; it isn’t large; you’ll always have a wait on the long outside bench; most of the customers have gray hair; and some of the sides are either from a can or «doctored,» but if you want the BEST fried shrimp ANYWHERE and the MOST delicious hush puppies, this is where it’s AT! The service is always fast and friendly. Ordering at the window & taking your Styrofoam containers to go is an option (our wait for takeout yesterday was 15 min), or you can always go the British pub or antique store that ajoin the property (& wait till staff phones those businesses once your table is ready).
There may be a time you stop to eat, but management has placed an «I’m sorry, we’re on vacation» sign on the door… major bummer:(But, if your mouth waters for delicious shrimp at a VERY reasonable cost, this place is little gamble. We don’t ever head to St Augustine without stopping on our way back to Gainesville. And this gurl seldom likes fried foods…

Worth the wait and the hype. Fried shrimp may be the best I’ve ever had, and I’ve had quite a lot. It’s lightly breaded and good sized. Perfect. I had fried okra and pickled cucumbers with it, both of which were great. Really like the balance the cucumbers provide to all the fried stuff. My son had the catfish fillets and said they were really good. I will say, he had the slaw, and personally I wouldn’t be a fan myself. Way too soupy and mayonnaise-​y. Wife had the deviled crab cake. It’s not like a traditional crab cake, but was definitely very tasty. All in all, it’s pretty much what it’s billed as: great fried shrimp and southern sides in an old school, charming mom and pop (don’t forget the cash — NO CARDS). About the only downside is the wait, but it was worth it, in my view. Will definitely go back next time we’re here.

Best shrimp EVER!!! You have to get the field peas and the squash as well. The hush puppies are unbelievable! A must try in St. Augustine!

Very fresh fried shrimp and oysters. The coleslaw was good, hushpuppies not overly greasy, and fries were okay. The main attraction was the seafood. The pink sauce with the hot sauce on the table gave it a kick, so mix it up at O’Steen’s. I was told by a local that their daily specials were also good (meatloaf and chicken, I think). We went early about 11:30 and it was already busy. When we left there was a line. Highly recommend giving it a try if you like light, flakey batter.
Cash only and near historic downtown area.

Can’t get any better then O’Steans for fried shrimp. The restaurant has been here for decades. They have fit as many tables as humanly possibly but they have not… do not wish to expand AND why should they? They have a loyal following. Beside shrimp they have other fresh seafood as well as other meals like turkey, mashed potatoes, gravey etc or meat loaf and such. Service is quick and friendly. .they too have been hear for years.

The fried chicken was delicious! I read all about the shrimp and wanted to try them also so the very nice server brought a sample of six as an appetizer. Very accommodating! They were also good, but I must confess that I’m not much on fried shrimp. These are very light in color which seems a bit odd to me. But, back to the fried chicken. It was properly crisp and not greasy. Perfectly done. The sides I chose were cold slaw (too much mayo) and pickled cucumbers (perfect). The cornbread was also very good. Not dry as some kinds are. I enjoyed the meal and will go back for the fried chicken. The wait at lunch was only 15 minutes. Tour the antique store next door, you can hear your page for seating inside the store.
Enjoy!

Cash only, don’t forget. Good location so after you walk around St Aug tourist district, you can walk across the bridge and eat some tasty food. Their shrimp is what I was told to get and I enjoyed it. A dozen deveined and butterflied barred shrimp. Add a little (or a lot) of their housemade datil pepper sauce to their creamy shrimp dipping sauce and you are set. Sides are good but most of the ones I wanted contain pork. The picked cucumbers pork free and tasty. The cole slaw is not sweet. Hushpuppies are savory and you can sub corn bread if you remember to ask before the your order is sent to the kitchen.
Servers are friendly and this is a family establishment. Get your drink on before or after, but come here to eat some solid home style favorites.

Let me start by saying that the service was amazing and the people as friendly and nice as can be. So five stars for that.
The food was expected, and that’s why I’m giving 3 stars instead of 4 or 5. The shrimp was good and clams were as advertised from frozen. Nothing disappointing, but nothin amazing or mind-​blowing about this place. The décor was fun and charming. We sat at the counter and had a good experience, just not a gastro delight.

The only thing I’ve ordered here is the fried shrimp, and I am ok with that. I keep telling myself to try some other menu items, but I love the shrimp too much! The batter is light, crisp, and not greasy at all. They are butterflied, which gives me three perfect bites for every shrimp. The batter could use a leeeeetle more flavor, but a shake of salt and pepper solves that problem for me.
The sides here are straightforward. Yes, the peaches come from a can, but some people like canned peaches! Anyone for peaches and cottage cheese? I’m in favor. The seasoning can sometimes lean to the salty side on some things like the field peas, but because the rest of the experience is so good I can overlook that. I love ordering the pickled cucumbers as a side. It provides a nice break from the salt and fried taste.
The service here is fantastic. They are always firing on all four cylinders. There are a ton of locals and regulars, and the staff seems to know them all by name. I love that there’s such a sense of community. And secretly I really want to get to the point where they know my name, too! They’re just so friendly.
O’Steens has a good thing going and is totally worth checking out. Head to the British pub down the way to have a drink while you wait or check out the antique store next door. And get the fried shrimp!

First timers after scouting reviews… and O’Steen’s did not disappoint.
I had the Minorcan clam chowder. Tasted fresh made today with big chunks of clam, tomatoes and potatoes. Just the right kick of pepper. Wife was having the famous shrimp, so I ordered the broiled sea scallops with 2 sides.
These scallops came out fresh, plump and delicious. Had the green beans for one side. They were well cooked, but not mushy with just the right amount of minced onion and a hint of bacon. Very good. Also had the cottage cheese. It was nothing special, but satisfied my dairy hunger.
Portions are carefully controlled, which we like!
Wife’s dozen shrimp and 2 sides was perfect for her appetite. She preferred the datil pepper sauce over the pink sauce. We both loved the hush puppies… good sized and perfectly cooked and very flavor-​filled! We both marveled at the HUGE platters of shrimp that came rolling out of the kitchen for other tables with groups!
All in all this is a terrific little place for some great southern seashore cooking. Been in business more than 50 years now, which is amazing in and of itself. The locals will fill it up early so if you don’t want to wait, come early.

I’m amazed at the number of 5 star ratings. I know dive seafood restaurants from ME to MD to NC that are excellent.
O’Sheens not so much. A combination between a diner and old person home cafeteria.
Yes, the shrimp are nicely battered and tasty but that is about where it ends. The clam chowder was a tomato soup w clams thrown in. The sides were all canned, gloppy goo. On the plus side we didn’t have to wait 45 mins… I cannot even imagine.
Go further down the road for seafood or wait until you’re in Hilton Head for some awesome seafood shacks that deliver.

Let me first say that I live in Jacksonville and I drive to St. Augustine just to eat at this place. That’s just how good the shrimp is. My dad introduced me and my sisters to this place years ago and we have been hooked ever since.
Every time I come here I order shrimp! The shrimp are big and always have a fresh taste. Lightly fried and seasoned to perfection. I can’t ask for anything better in taste. This isn’t a place that is inconsistent, I’ve been to this place many times and I’ve never had anything but perfect shrimp. Also, they have their own house made sauces for dipping. These sauces are a must, they will explain the sauces to you, I’m just gonna say you really need to try both. I actually like to mix them together. They offer many sides but I’ve also been stuck on their French fries. Just like the shrimp, the French fries are lightly fried and seasoned well. They are a perfect match together.
This place is a favorite among many, which means there may be a long line depending on when you show up. The restaurant is small so they can only fit so many people inside, but I promise it’s worth the wait and the customer service is great as well.

BEST SHRIMP EVER.
and I’ve been places — all over California, Florida, Philippines, Bahamas.
BEST SHRIMP EVER.
This place is great. It’s a hole in a wall, family owned restaurant with great homecooked meals.
If you wanna have dinner here you better either come early or be prepared to wait for an hour or two for a table.
Oh but it’s worth it. Best shrimp ever.

Leute kommt hierher, das weitaus beste Fischrestaurant in St. Augustine .
Alles ist frisch und auf den Punkt gebraten.
Uriges Lokal, man muss meistens außen auf einen Platz warten, aber es lohnt sich.
!!! man kann nur bar bezahlen — also nicht mit Kreditkarten — nehmt also Cash mit