Enjoy Fantastic Food with a View at The Reef

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Fresh food, fun atmosphere and fabulous flavor in one of the most spectacular oceanfront settings in Northeast Florida… The Reef has it all.

To complement this oceanfront vista, Chef Bob Henle has created a menu primarily of fish and seafood balanced with beef, poultry, pasta and creative specials that are always fresh and locally-sourced whenever possible. The Reef’s award-winning Sunday brunch features a carving station, fresh omelets and eggs benedict, made to order. And the restaurant’s oceanfront bar is renowned for its Happy Hour.

General Manager Jeremy Ticehurst says it has always been his vision since joining The Reef in 2003 to create an experience inside the restaurant to match the fabulous view outside. He adds this is no small feat when up against Mother Nature and her finest.

Jeremy explains the answer was to keep things as uncomplicated as possible. “Well-cooked food from fresh ingredients that are excellently prepared, simply presented and well served.” The beachfront building is elegant; there are tablecloths, yet it’s not stuffy. Clean bright décor is designed to enhance the view. But most important, he says, is the talented, knowledgeable, pleasant and friendly staff.

The Reef, originally called Comptons, was built by the Usina family on a beautiful piece of oceanfront property in tranquil North Beach on land owned by the family for generations. Comptons opened in 1989 and enjoyed great success for 10 years. It closed in 1999 due to the ill health of Mr. Compton and hurricane damage.

Under direct ownership of the Usinas, The Reef reopened in 2002 and remains one of the few true oceanfront restaurants in northeast Florida. Any table inside the restaurant affords dynamic views (to the say the least), while a table on the recently rebuilt and expanded deck provides the sights looking onto the ocean as well as the sounds of waves breaking and birds singing.

Visit The Reef on Coastal Highway, three miles north of the Usina Bridge. A proud member of the St. Augustine Independent Restaurant Association, The Reef will also provide visitors a taste of their oceanfront cuisine at Made in St. Augustine.