Columbia Restaurant of St. Augustine

Columbia Restaurant of St. Augustine is a restaurant in St. Augustine, FL, located at 98 St George St. It serves Spanish-Cuban cuisine that reflects five generations of family ownership, using family recipes and tradition. The establishment maintains one of the largest Spanish wine collections in the world and offers online catering for groups at select locations. Customers can join the Vino Club to access these offerings. The restaurant holds a rating of 4.40 based on customer reviews.

The business traces its origins to Spanish-Cuban immigrant Casimiro Hernandez, Sr., who arrived in Tampa, FL, with his four young sons searching for opportunity. On December 17, 1903, he helped open the Columbia Saloon, which became the Columbia Restaurant in 1905. The original location in Ybor City expanded to an entire city block and is now the largest Spanish restaurant in the world. As Florida’s oldest restaurant, the Columbia has seven locations in Florida and remains owned and operated by family members.

Current leadership includes Casey Gonzmart, the great-grandson of the founder, who serves as the fourth-generation caretaker of the Columbia Restaurant Group and 1905 Family Of Restaurants. Andrea, a fifth-generation member of the Hernandez/Gonzmart family, began working at the restaurant at age 10. Casey Jr. was introduced to the hospitality industry early through his family’s restaurant background and maintains a lifelong passion for the field.

The restaurant enforces a dress code that politely asks guests to remove baseball caps and for men to wear sleeves indoors. While reservations are not required, the establishment recommends calling ahead or booking online to ensure seating, particularly for large parties and group events. The Columbia has been making news since 1905 and continues to preserve the American dream established by its founder.

Columbia Restaurant of St. Augustine brings over a century of Spanish-Cuban culinary tradition to St. Augustine, FL, offering guests a dining experience rooted in five generations of family heritage and extensive wine selections.

This business is located on St George St in St. Augustine, FL, just steps from the Spanish Court and Marin-Hassett House. It is also near Saint George's Row and the Colonial Quarter.

BizScoreAI gives this business a Content Quality score of 100 out of 100, ensuring the website clearly answers customer questions and provides content that AI assistants can quote directly. It also earns a Technical score of 93 out of 100, meaning the site is secure and structured so search engines can read it without errors.