The Reef Restaurant Reviews

We gathered in Vilano Beach for a small on the beach wedding. As we all traveled from out of state, we wanted a large rehearsal dinner to gather all the friends and family,

From the early planning Danielle was very responsive. We visited for a tasting in October and Taylor and all the staff were just as nice as could be. We even asked her if she wanted to work the dinner and six months later she was there!!

We did not bring in any decorations as they were not needed with the crisp white linens and beautiful ocean backdrop.

I would highly recommend this location and Danielle and team to help make your event special!

I booked The Reef for one of my brides back in November and I could not say enough good things about Danielle and the team at The Reef! Danielle was communicative throughout the wedding planning process and helped answer all our questions since the bride and I were coming from out of town. On wedding day, the staff was very friendly, helpful and hard working! The food was incredible and the weather was perfect for their sweet ceremony on the beach. We had around 50 guests and the reception space accommodated everyone perfectly! If you are looking for an all inclusive beach wedding venue, I highly suggest hiring the Reef! Can't wait until my next event here!!

We had our son's Rehearsal/Welcome dinner at the Reef a week ago and everything was AMAZING!! Danielle, the Event Coordinator was very helpful and always available; food was delicious; service was super friendly/attentive and the views of the ocean while dining were spectacular!! We will definitely be back!

The staff was very pleasant and the food was good. It is a great location and we had a lovely time!

My husband and I were married 5 years ago and had our reception at the Reef. We were so happy with the way the Reef took care of everything and treated our guests that.., our daughter had her wedding their 2 weeks ago. She planned a beach wedding. Unfortunately the weather had a different plan. Needless to say The Reef helped save the day with bringing it in. The Reef was so professional and helpful that many guests mentioned how wonderful they were. Thank you so much for helping make our daughters wedding great! :)

The Reef has always been one of my favorite restaurants, and it was such a joy to get married there! Danielle was awesome, very accommodating and made sure our day was absolutely perfect. The food was incredible too! I highly recommend The Reef to any bride looking for venue with a relaxed, fun and intimate atmosphere.

I could not be happier with everything The Reef did to make my wedding amazing. The service was exceptional and they went far above and beyond my expectations. There was horrible Nor'Easter that blew in the morning of my wedding and we had to make a decision at the last minute to move the ceremony inside. Danielle and all of the staff sprang into action, closing a second dining room, moving tables and chairs, and setting up an aisle and arbor for us to conduct the ceremony! Words cannot express how thankful we are to The Reef for doing everything they could to put us at ease! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! Also, the food was amazing and the service was top notch!

This location has absolutely breathtaking views and delicious food!! I couldn’t have asked for a better ceremony/reception overlooking the ocean.

We had a small beach wedding and reception at The Reef and couldn't have been happier. The setting lent the right informal touch, rustic but elegant. The food and wine list were both amazing and very good value for the quality. We met the chef at our tasting and he was very helpful and professional. I noticed a plaque in the lobby designating him as among the best in the Jax area. Best of all, however, was Giselle Cardona, the event planner. We had an easy and immediate rapport. She volunteered info when I needed it and listened to my every detailed question with unending patience and quick, expert answers. Love that girl! The private room holds 80. We had 45 with a dance floor, DJ, and buffet in an alcove. That was just about right, but we could have accommodated more without crowding, especially with the bar on the balcony overlooking the ocean. Altogether a great event!

You will not find a more accommodating, patient, flexible, or wonderful team of people to make your reception/wedding extra special.
The service we received during our reception was unmatched to any service we have ever experienced. Our waiters were incredibly attentive and caring to my husband and I, as well as our entire party. All the food was delicious and our cupcakes/cake were amazing! Thank you to The Reef team for making our special day even more special!

If you want a romantic and beautiful location for your wedding reception, this is the place! It's located right in front of Vilano Beach, with a beautiful view of the ocean. We had our wedding reception at the Reef this past 4th of July. I was very impressed by the service and accommodations that the Reef made for us. Amanda was a great host, and she made sure we had everything that we needed. The food was AWESOME, the service was EXCELLENT! The servers made sure that everyone was taken care of at all times! The room is lovely and the views from it are spectacular! It was the perfect place for my wedding reception! I highly recommend the Reef.

Me and my husband knew we wanted an intimate beach wedding with our closest friends and family and The Reef could not have been a better venue to have our wedding ceremony and reception! The minute we saw The Reef we knew this is where we had to get married. We had a wedding of about 60 people and the upstairs room was the perfect size - the two balconies gave it a nice touch! The staff was extremely helpful and accommodating, not to mention the food was great! If you are looking to have a smaller beach wedding, I would definitely recommend The Reef!

There is no better place to host a wedding in Saint Augustine! I had my ceremony on the beach and the restaurant helped me rent, set up, and break down the ceremony space. The reception was perfect here. The food was delicious, fast, and had beautiful presentation. The wait staff went above and beyond to make sure my husband and I always had food on the table and drinks in hand. They even assisted with the toast and cake cutting. The Reef was the perfect place to hold a budget wedding too. For a party of just under 30 people it cost about $2100 ( tip+ ceremony+ reception food and space) to host the wedding in the semi-private dining space. The Reef is an excellent choice for the couple who wants an affordable one stop shop for the wedding with quality service.

I want to thank everyone at The Reef for doing such an incredible job welcoming my partner and I. We have been together for 10 years and decided to make it official. Since not many same-sex-couples have been marrying in the state, I was just walking on egg-shells on how the whole thing would turn out. I was floored! It was an incredible experience! Ten people attended the ceremony at the balcony upstairs (which I highly recommend!), there was one round-table, with ten chairs and made the whole event very intimate. We sat down, we talked, we celebrated. Two thumbs up for Jeremy, the general manager. I have never met a classier guy in my life! The guy was understanding, easy to talk to and made me feel at ease. If you are thinking of a wedding venue, do not look any further. You have already found it! This place is pure magic! Thank you all!

The Reef was the perfect location for my small wedding. The food and service was fabulous! I brought some of my own decorations and they assisted with setting everything up. My wedding was absolutely perfect!! My dream come true. I would definitely recommend.

The Reef was the best venue we could have chosen. They helped set up our chairs on the beach for our ceremony and the venue itself was so beautiful. They did a wonderful job setting up the chairs and tables for our reception. Angie Raccioppi was an amazing coordinator and she was constantly in touch with us helping us make our wedding extra special. The food at the Reef was delicious and the service was flawless. We strongly recommend this venue for your wedding!

Angie and the team at the Reef is wonderful, the perfect place for any celebration

I absolutely LOVED The Reef!!! Everything was so wonderful and perfect, the scenery was fabulous and the food was delicious!! I am so glad we were able to use them, I could not have dreamt up a better place!

The Reef provided wonderful services for my daughter's wedding and reception. They were more than accommodating when the beach wedding was pushed indoors into the reception area due to Hurricane Sandy. The food was very good and the staff and service were very prompt.

It was beautiful. The food was excellent and they decorated the area perfectly. I would recommend this spot for any occasion. Great veiw of the ocean and suitable for large parties as well as small.

We had a wonderful memorable wedding at The Reef. This was a destination wedding for us, neither of us had ever eaten or been to the restaurant before. However, we had been by the location on the outside and knew we were happy with it being in a more private area of the beach, there are no commercial properties close by. We had our wedding ceremony on the beach just north of The Reef. Our reception was in the upstairs banquet room of The Reef, the event coordinator Mary was so helpful, prompt, and kind. The room has access to 2 balconies and window views of the beach from the inside. Absolutely breathtaking day for us. Our family and friends totally enjoyed the food. We actually ate their two times at the restaurant for dinner once we arrived that week of the wedding and had fab food as well. I def recommend The Reef. Very Affordable too.

I highly recommend The Reef! The day of the wedding it was raining. I, of course, was highly stressed. After going back and forth on the phone with Mary, I made the call to bring it inside. Suddenly, my father walked in the room and yelled "I see the sun!" I called Mary and her and her staff were quick to move EVERYTHING outside. The wedding happened right out on the beach and it looked like nothing happened 15 minutes earlier. The food and staff were fantastic. I couldn't thank Mary enough for making my dream wedding come true!

We chose The Reef for our wedding reception for our wedding on November 6th. The value for the cost was incredible and they were extremely helpful from our initial inquiry through the very end of our event. Mary was very responsive and open to our many ideas about our reception and the staff at the Reef is absolutely superb. Their banquet room overlooking the beach was beautiful and the perfect setting to a perfect wedding!

We had our wedding reception here in June 2010, and Joyce worked with us to make everything turn out just PERFECT! My husband and I will have the best memories ever of our wedding day. The beachfront view was everything that we wanted incorporated into our summer wedding. Joyce worked diligently with us over the course of planning to make sure that every detail was to our liking. The Reef holds a special place in our hearts. I would definitely recommend this place to others for a special occasion or even an intimate dinner.

Our daughter married in a small garden in St Augustine then we headed to the Reef for brunch as the reception. Great to work with. Accommodated us during their busy Sunday brunch. Delicious food!

We had a wonderful reception. Joyce was wonderful. She listened to what we wanted, and she made sure everything went according to plan. The staff was excellent. The food was great. Everyone was extremely happy with the quality of the food. I would recommend this place to anyone.

We could not have been more pleased with the Reef. Joyce, the event coordinator handled both our ceremony and reception. Leading up to the event she was always very responsive to emails and phone calls. I was planning from Houston, so it was really nice to know that she was there when I needed something. The vendor recommendations she gave us were also great! Joyce was so flexible in letting us set up early the day before the wedding and handling the set up the day of. The food was fabulous and we've gotten so many comments on the prime rib, stuffed shrimp and mashed potatoes being delicious. The staff was excellent. We had such a wonderful, worry-free wedding, and that is largely due to Joyce and the Reef.

The Reef Restaurant is an excellent place for your reception. I had a small wedding of 40 and the upstairs banquet room was perfect! The staff was very attentive and the food was great! Highly recommend!

Joyce was an excellent host and lots of help. It was beautiful and very reasonable. I could not have been a happier bride!

We want to thank Joyce and her staff at the Reef for all their hard work! The banquet hall upstairs was so beautiful and the views are awesome from the decks! The food was outstanding and everyone had a great time! We would recommend this restaurant to anyone seeking a great wedding reception site. I bet it would even be great for a rehearsal dinner since the food is amazing. Thanks again and we will be back to eat there in the future when we come back to St. Augustine for a visit:)

Excellent food, atmosphere, and ocean view!

The Reef, specifically, Angie, made our wedding easy, special and memorable. They had the venue set and ready 2 days before so that I could come in and decorate as I was a DIY bride. The food was great and the service was seamless. Angie even offered us the room for Sunday brunch if we needed it which was very kind. I planned the wedding from afar and found that it was a very easy process. The room itself was perfect for our smaller (53) wedding. It was intimate without being crowded and could have easily accommodated more. We were a rambunctious group and I felt like all employees at The Reef made us feel welcome, comfortable and encouraged a good time! Thank you Reef, team, and Angie!

Mary was a huge help! The food was amazing and the location is beautiful. There was a slight misunderstanding about how long we had the room for, but all and all the event was perfect.

We couldn't have asked for a better venue for our intimate beach wedding and reception. The Reef is a rare gem for its gorgeous location, reasonable pricing, and great food. We fit 57 people comfortable although the banquet space can hold up to around 70. Danielle, the venue coordinator, was very helpful throughout the whole process.

We had booked this venue after a special date me and my now husband had there. We didn't expect just how magical the day would be when getting married there! Its right on the beach and even though we had weather issues that had us move inside, Danielle and manager Jeremy were phenomenal about everything! They set up inside and made it just as beautiful. The venue, food, and service was absolutely perfect! I will forever be grateful to all the folks who helped us and can't wait to come back soon for good memories.

We was married on March 30, 2019. Our wedding was perfect in every way. We could not ask for better venue.

We just had our wedding and reception at The Reef. Everything was perfect! The staff was amazing and made sure we had everything we needed and the guests were taken care of. They exceeded our expectations and gave us an amazing day!

We came to St. Augustine from Ohio to get married and were suppose to get married on a nature preserve right off the beach. The weather did not cooperate. My husband talked to the manager at the Reef, when we stopped there for dinner. They immediately offered us a private room for our ceremony for the next day. It was beautiful!! They only requested that we eat our lunch there after getting married. They seated us in a private section, alone, for our meal. The staff at the Reef made our wedding day amazing!! Highly recommend the Reef!!!

Our day turned out perfect, we had to fight the rain but it cleared up just in time for our ceremony. The staff and Angie were amazing couldn't have asked for better. I was worried about the space but turned out perfect. Only one complaint was that we paid to have the beach raked up, and a place where our guest could rinse their feet off. The wrong part of the beach was raked and the guest didn't really bother with rinsing the feet. But Angie well made up for that with the excellent service, and great attitude. Thanks for my big day! Would highly recommend.

Our experience at The Reef for our rehearsal dinner was wonderful. We would highly recommend this venue to anyone. The view was spectacular and the food was amazing!!

Great location! Angie did a wonderful job accomodating all my needs.

The Reef was a beautiful reception venue and good value for money. The food was AMAZING and i was set out beautifully - just as we asked. The guests loved the fact we were on the beach and could watch the sun set as we had dinner. Angie, the wedding coordinator at The Reef was fantastic to work with - very responsive and organised. We had a wonderful evening here!

We had our reception at The Reef and received great reviews from our guests! The food was fantastic, and the staff was very friendly! The only issue we had was with the event manager, Joyce - she was extremely rude, especially to my mom, which made us come very close to holding our reception elsewhere. Also, the centerpieces they offer are awful, so we had to use a florist to bring in our own.

My husband and I went to the Reef last year for my birthday and that's where we discovered the upstairs room and fell in love with the view. We had to book the room about 8 months in advance so I would say get your date finalized now!! Angie was our contact person and I would rate her a "B". She wasn't always the quickest when it came to responding to our emails and questions but when the day came, everything pulled together. We had a really great wait staff, a champagne toast and Angie worked with us on the cost throughout the night. The room is small and intimate and perfect for smaller weddings. They let you decorate as you need and don't double book the room. And for the price, you really can't find a better value. We were even able to have brunch there the next morning and now we have a place to come back to, and remember our wedding, as often as we want.

Great view, nice beach, not crowded.

The coordinator was extremely helpful and responsive when planning the rehearsal dinner event, but when it came to the day of the party things were forgotten until we reminded her of what we had agreed on (example: placement of cake table, alcohol menu, enough crackers to go with dip). Overall I was pleased, but the service fell short of expectations on the day of the event.

I love this setting. I am extremely upset about the service that we received. The attitudes of the young hostesses and the lack of caring for our event in my opinion. I still have not received any response after the last email sent.
Michelle Westfall
Mon, 2 May, 10:04
to Danielle

Good Morning!

I am surprised that it has been over a week after our wedding and I have heard nothing from you. I did not see you last Thursday, Friday, or Saturday at all. I almost think that I was ignored. I would have thought that maybe you would have been involved a little bit more since you were our event planner. That being said, I would like to set up a time to have a chat with you. Please let me know your availability. I understand that we are just a number and our bill is paid in full. You should still take a moment and care about any feedback. Word of mouth is everything. I am extremely upset and looking for answers.

Michelle Hazzard

Danielle Morse
Tue, 3 May, 13:41 (13 days ago)
to me

Hello Michelle,

I am saddened to hear you are so upset. I was in the building Thursday but must have missed you by minutes. I thought you would be here for a little while dropping things off so I do apologize for missing you. I was also there Friday evening and spoke with, who I was under the impression was, your coordinator as she told me she was there to do a walk through for your ceremony. I told her to please let me know if you all needed anything at all and that I had turned on everything upstairs for you as well as began setting your tables with linens and your runners so you would have a better idea of what the room would look like the following day. I had thought that if you were looking for me or wanted to speak with me you or someone in your group would have asked our hostess or a staff member for me and I would have absolutely come to find you. We were short staffed that Friday evening and I was helping our bartenders most of the night. I can assure you that all of our managers were informed when you would be stopping in and had access to your event order and details for the weekend in case you needed anything and I was unavailable. I am sorry you felt ignored - I can assure you that was not my intention at all. I was confident your event was in good hands with Mallory, Ben, and Jeffrey. I apologize for not being there the day of. I was out of town for a personal matter that was unplanned. I want you to know I do care about your experience and feedback. Please let me know what we can do to remedy this as best as possible.

Thank you,
Danielle Morse
Event Coordinator
The Reef Restaurant
4100 Coastal Highway
St. Augustine, Fl 32084
904-824-8008


Michelle Hazzard
Wed, 4 May, 15:25 (12 days ago)
to Danielle

Danielle,

I want to first say that I am not looking for anything additional from you or the Reef. The venue was beautiful and the food was amazing. I am very upset and disappointed at this point.

When we went to drop off the runners on Thursday, I asked where you were and the reply from the hostess was "I don't know". I asked if you would be there. The response was "I don't know."

When we were there on Friday, I asked again...The very RUDE hostess actually rolled her eyes at me and told me that she did not know if you were there. I saw it and all of my party did as well. I knew better than to go any further. My officiant found you on Friday. I did not have an event coordinator.

On Saturday, I figured you would find me. Why should I have to look for anybody? We paid you good money. I refuse to be treated less than, especially on my wedding day.

We were told that there was an outside outlet. The DJ did not find one and was told not to bother the other guests. My guests attending my wedding could not hear us. I could barely hear the music as I walked down the aisle. The bar upstairs cost more than the bar downstairs. There was one server. ONE. He did amazing. I thought there would be more for 51 people. We were told that he was called that day to work.
We were told that the appetizers were phenomenal. Thank you for that. We ended up with bacon wrapped scallops and beef skewers. The appetizers were put out and nothing was said. My guests found them when they looked at the dishes. We thought that we had asked for cheese, fruit and veggie platters. 3 medium platters in all. I did not choose scallops as I was concerned of allergies, I would have not chosen skewers because of my hatred of the mushrooms. There were no allergies and I didn't have any appetizers so it worked out I guess.

I am not trying to be a negative Nancy on this for sure but please put yourself in my shoes and think about how you would feel. I am sorry that you were called out of town and I truly hope that all is ok. I just had thought that even through the many events being held at your venue that more than 1 bar tender and 1 server would actually acknowledge my existence on any day but especially the day I was to be married and the celebration of that occasion. To be clear, we had one server and 1 bartender period. We chose your establishment. We brought our people to you. We included you in our moment. I guess I was naive to think that there would be more from you and the Reef. I do not know what you plan on doing to soften this blow if anything. I really just thought that you should know how I feel and how it appears to be.

If nothing else let this be a lesson for future weddings.

Michelle Hazzard