King’s Bistro

Really good food and laid back atmosphere. The prices are way reasonable for what you get. No pretentious snobs or high brow attitudes. Bring your own wine at no charge.
The bread and soups are really tasty, fresh ciabatta that may be homemade, not sure.
The neighbor isn’t sketchy, just a little run down, but the town is 450 years old so give it a break.

OK, so I rolled the dice and took my girl and another couple to this place without any experience. I admit when we pulled up, I was thinking «what the!»… BUT WAIT!
We got inside, and seated comfortably right away. The owners are the service staff and chef, and their joy in what they do really shines.
I had the Steak and Lobster Newburg, a wonderful potato casserole side, grilled veggies, and fruit on the plate. And don’t over look the (included) incredible soups. What’s more, and I’m not making this up… it was only $ 25! Try that uptown. Add to this the awesome Beef Wellington appetizer and it’s over the top.
Chef Mike came out, sat with us, and reviewed the entire menu options with us. He even mentioned how these dishes were prepared (and he takes great care and pride in how this is done) mixing the outdoor grill with the traditional stove preparations.
Later in the evening, Judy the woman of the house opens up her Kareoke machine and serenades the diners with high quality singing, and we can join in too.
Be advised, this is a CASH only place (and that bill will be smaller than you likely imagine!) and if you want some wine with dinner, bring your own. They have no issue with this, and you will see many regulars there drinking their favorite vintages.
Over all this is an excellent experience, one of a kind certainly, and there is no doubt that Chef Mike LOVES what he does. The restaurant is SOOO close to the square, its just a perfect place to start a fun night in St Augustine… that is, if you wind up leaving the Bistro. Many folks hang out, drinking and singing until closing time and beyond. It like the old days in a lot of ways.
Enjoy!

WOW — ich hab ja weiß Gott schon viele gute Restaurants weltweit besucht — aber das ist der absolute King — das Kings Bistro in St. Augustine’s nicht SO illustrer Gegend…
Winzig klein — nur Fr/​Sa/​So geöffnet und irgendwie gewöhnungsbedürftig für USA — man zahlt Cash — anstatt per Creditcard. Und — es gibt keine alkoholischen Getränke dort — man kann aber seinen Wein, Sekt oder Bier mitbringen und bekommt die passenden Gläser serviert. Und die Flaschen werden sogar gekühlt!
Es dauert etwas, bis man die bestellten Speisen erhält — wird aber königlich verwöhnt, Judy, die Chefin, singt jeweils was man sich wünscht und ihre Stimme ist einfach GREAT! Mittlerweile kocht Mike, der Chef — der bereits diverse US-​Präsidenten und deren Familien bekocht hat — die jeweiligen Spezialitäten der wechselnden Karte auf Bestellung frisch, alles Köstlichkeiten, die ihresgleichen suchen.
Heute — 9. Mai 2015 — stand auf der Speisekarte:
Menue für 25 $:
Bistro Crab Soup
und als Dinners die Auswahl zwischen:
1. Grouper and Shrimp Oscar, 2. Baby Lobster Pasta Primavera, 3. Stuffed New York Strip, 4. Chicken, sausage and Seafood Paella.
Special offers like Sandwiches and Salads außerdem.
Wir wählten 1,2 und 3 — und waren restlos zufrieden. Das Steak (Nr. 3) war ein mit Shrimps und Kräutern gefüllter Traum, dazu Bratkartoffeln, Vegetabels und ein kleiner bunter Salat, Nr. 2 war eine Nudelfantasie mit kleinen Lobstern, in sahniger Soße und Nr. 1 ein wunderbarer weißer Fisch mit Shrimps mit delikatem Bohnengemüse und Salat — couldn’t be better…
Das Restaurant ist winzig klein — nur ca. 30 Personen haben Platz — und daher geht ohne vorherige Reservierung gar nichts.
Es ist wie in einem gemütlichen Wohnzimmer, alle sitzen beisammen und singen gemeinsam mit Judy — alle reden miteinander — und man fühlt sich wie in einer großen Familie. Mike freut sich mit seinen Gästen, erzählt aus seinem Leben und es ist einfach unglaublich familiär und wunderschön.
So einen tollen Abend hatten wir hier noch nie — und wenn ich wieder nach St. Augustine komme, führt mein erster Weg zu Euch, Judy und Mike. Danke für diesen sagenhaft schönen Abend bei Euch

Had an excellent dinner at King’s Bistro last evening. This is a small restaurant with delicious food and dessert. They entertain patrons with karaōke. Everyone enjoyed the singing. I gave them 4 stars because you have to pay with cash. We don’t do that every often in 2015!
Will definitely return.

We highly recommend this hidden gem. This is a different sort of place and the food is great. (Make reservations & bring cash) Owner/​chef Mike is a darling. We tried both soups — the crab, yummy; and the broccoli and cheddar, which was OUTSTANDING. They also offer a huge, delicious pork empanada in a fluffy pastry. Mike makes a delectable rib-​eye entrée-it’s super tender with crab and asparagus on top — like WOW. We finished dinner with great bread pudding and seriously good coffee. Be aware that the dining room is tiny and can get loud between other patrons and the music. However, it’s perfect for a romantic dinner when it’s quiet. Mike made sure we had a great dinner super fast and we got to our play with time to spare. This dinner was a perfect start to our anniversary night out on the town. THANKS MIKE & NATE. LOVE YOU!

Love this place!!! DO go if you 1. Won’t get freaked out if the exterior is a little un-​fancy. 2. Love to get very tasty food for a super reasonable price. 3. Think karaōke is fun. 4. Are not really in a hurry. 5. Appreciate the BYOB policy and 6. Are in the mood for something really fun and different. DO NOT GO 1. If loud karaōke bothers you. 2. If you expect a wine list. 3. If you are in a hurry. This is a great spot… make reservations.

Don ‘t understand the negative reviews. The food will not disappoint you! Sure, first time to the ancient city there are places with «views», with «ambiance» but none of them, and I’ve tried them all, can top the presentation and flavors of the dishes here!
For lunch today I had one of the specials, a beef stir-​fry. My wife had the grouper Ruben. Our friend had the Bombay fruit salad with Tandori shrimp. ALL Superb! See KJ A. s review it’s a good description. Each only $ 10.
This place is just west of US 1 at first light on King. Don’t miss a chance to try it! But go for lunch… or call for dinner reservations. Demand is high!!! Understandably!

The food was okay but I wasn’t happy with the service. There was only us and another table there and we were waiting on checks and waters for awhile. Wasn’t very impressed especially with the 5 star rating on Unilocal

These reviews are deceiving. The food is honestly not good, slow service, but a nice owner. I would spend your money elsewhere.

The restaurant came highly recommended by a friend of the Chef/​Owner Michael Barfoot and partner Judy Patrick and although our weekend committment are quite tight for the month of October, we found our way there for lunchtime Saturday. Ordinarily, I do not carry cash and was a bit worried of the sign that met us at the front door stating CASH ONLY, however, as luck would have it, I had $ 40 in my wallet, which was more than enough for our food bill.
I ordered the Steak Sandwich and my husband had the Blackened Grouper Reuben. Both came with a side of home-​made potato salad topped with fresh blueberries, sliced fruit and what came as a beautifully-​yummy surprise, a bowl of their Soup of the Day – I had the She-​Crab soup bisque and he had Sausage, White Bean and Potato soup. Each were served piping hot, with a garlicy butterred sliced piece of bread, that had been grilled… such beautiful presentation! Both soups were delicious.
Our waitress Rachel was just the most pleasant person and had a bubbly personality to match. She let us know of all of the specials and knew all of the items on the menu. The restaurant was small but cosey and comfortable. Most other reviews noted it was in a dicey neighborhood, however since we are practically locals, it was in the same restaurant space as Puddin’ & Pie years ago. Loved loved loved the vibe in there!
The next time we will come for dinner with a group of friends. Michael let us know that it is a BYOB establishment and I know our friends would enjoy the atmosphere and the fact they can bring their own/​favorite drinks.
King’s Bistro is only open Fri/​Sat/​Sun for lunch and dinner service, and requires a reservation Fri/​Sat nights due to capacity of 30. Again, it is a CASH ONLY establishment; however, you will find that your final bill will be waaaaay lower than the fancier eateries Uptown but you will NOT leave there unsatisfied. Our final bill was $ 23.00 and I even took a container of the Sausage White Bean and Potato soup home.

Maybe my expectations were too high based upon these fantastic reviews. If you want to go for dinner be sure to make a reservation and be prepared for singing. The staff is super nice and the chef does take time to come out of the kitchen & talk. The other customers there all seemed to be regulars that were also very friendly & were very welcoming to us, it made me sad that I wasn’t fond of the food.

Wow wow wow! The food is just as amazing as a NY fancy schmancy 5 star place… at a fraction of the cost. The vegetable flan was to die for, and the singing is a plus! It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed my meal so much.
This is a MUST when you are visiting or for locals alike. Don’t let the outside and neighborhood fool you. It’s very small and quaint, but that’s the charm of most St. Augie places. You won’t believe you missed this place if you are a local.
Hats off to the chef, I was seriously blown away with the taste explosion of the food. Wishing you the best, because anyone with food that amazing at the incredibly affordable price deserves 5 stars.

This was a wonderful find. Thanks to others who reviewed it. A small building tucked away from the main area, it’s well worth the visit. The food was delicious and fresh. We will definitely be back. Nothing here is fried. I had a filet mignon sandwich with a side of potato salad and a cup of crab soup for $ 9.

You might just drive right by this small little place that looks like a house. DO NOT BE FOOLED by the outside! The food, prepared fresh by Mike the owner, is delicious, unique blendings of flavor and textures, Mike does all the menu, prep and cooking and Judy handles the front of the house, seating, serving and entertaining. The menu is limited but exceptional. They have daily specials that are also exceptional in flavor and filling in quantity. The soups are homemade and delicious. The salads are substantial and the house dressing (vidalia onion and merlot) is most enjoyable. No beer or wine license yet, but there is complimentary wine and homemade sangria. You are encouraged to bring your own beer or wine (no corkage fee currently). Portions are substantial and very reasonably priced. Judy CAN sing! She has a great voice and on Friday and Saturday night the place jumps with talent. In addition to administering to the guests, keeping the dinner moving and ensuring you are well cared for, Judy supplies terrific entertainment with her wonderful singing. We can commend this wonderful little find as well as Mike and Judy to you wholeheartedly. Kings Bistro is open for lunch and dinner 11AM to 9PM Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Reservations are necessary for dinner as seating is limited and they are constantly full. You will not be disappointed.

Food was ok but the family get together was ruined by loud (and awful) karaōke. I won’t be back for that reason and the fact that they don’t take credit/​debit cards. Who carries cash anymore?

This is a great little restaurant. The food is always good and you can be assured the food is freshly made and made with LOVE by Mike who simply enjoys cooking great food and presenting it beautifully. The great food is served by Judy — she is so funny and talented — considered yourself very lucky to audience her beautiful singing voice. Call for reservations, and note hours of operation. I just wish we had more restaurants just like this throughout Jax.

They offer a wonderful selection of items; appetizers, salads, sandwiches and desserts. Everything is made fresh with only the freshest ingredients. I’ve never been disappointed with a meal here. Staff is super friendly and the atmosphere is cozy. One of my very favorite places to eat.