The Commander's Shellfish Camp

If you’re going to be on A1A in the Crescent Beach area for lunch or dinner you should put this one on your list. The location is only 4 stars since it’s farther away from the inter coastal than I like but that’s not anyone’s fault. But the food and Service are well worth the trip. And by service I mean Colonial Sullivan. The original commander. He has an amazing story and this restaurant would not exist without him. Read all about his journey inside the menu. The food is spectacular. The fish sandwich is delicious. The draft local beer is fantastic. And of course the fried fresh shrimp are rich in flavor. Start off with the crab patty. My goodness that is so good. And if you think you don’t like creamy grits it’s only cause you haven’t had any of these. You simply have to try them to believe they are really this good. Enjoy. Don’t forget the fish dip!

Fresh and delicious seafood with a view. We tried the gator tail bites and the shrimp po boy. In-house Datil sauce compliments both. The fried shrimp was perfection with the homemade pickles of the sandwich. Walked out back to admire the view and check out the food truck and outpost. Nice ambiance there and you can see the clam farm as well. A great dining experience all around.

What an EXPERIENCE! We wanted one last excellent seafood meal before heading home. We were recommended Commanders. Thank God! Haha We ordered the Crab by the pound, oysters by the dozen, and a clam/pork belly appetizer. That was the way to do it!! The view is beautiful, the service was spectacular, and the food was unforgettable! A destination to go back to for sure! Thank you!

This place is great. The wait staff rocks.....and not bad to look at. Our waitress was Katelyn. She was Johnny on the spot. Never ran out of anything. The food was out of this world. We had a bucket of steamed oysters that were perfectly steamed. Crab cake that the best I've ever had....and I've eaten alot. 😋 The star of the show had to of been the clam chowder. What a great experience we had.

Wow so glad we stopped by for late lunch! Bucket of local oysters lightly steamed (for easy opening) were excellent- must of had 35-40 oysters! Crab cakes were ALL crab and lighly crispy on outside, best we have had. Middle neck clams steamed were very flavorful and the clam
Chowder made with local clams one of the best we have had. Good value for the $&

We opted for the observation deck which is a completely different experience from the regular restaurant. The views are great overlooking the intercostal, the clam farm and what I think is a mangrove nursery. You order at the booth on the boardwalk and they bring you your food. Same great menu but more of a take out experience. I had the shrimp and grits and my wife had the low country boil. Their hkmemade Datil sausage is amazing but pretty spicy. We would both orse the same thing and look forward to coming back!

It's an interesting place. Don't head out to Commanders expecting 5 star dining. Expect a very laid back experience on a stretch of the ICW that is pristine. The clams are absolutely as good as clams get in St Augustine and for that matter anywhere else. Trust me, I have had clams from one end of the east Coast to the other. None finer. The clams, crab soup and clam chowder are excellent. Those are pretty much the only things I have had there over dozens of meals. I can assume that every thing else is just as good.

This is the second time we have dined here, and I think the food was even better this time. We sat outside, and it was shady with a nice breeze. The only flaw this time was lack of drink refills. My son loved the kids fish bites...Best kids dinner ever.

My server was amazing . I had my little vangeaux with me and she curled up on my lap as I had some of the best raw oysters ever. Also enjoyed steamed clams and everything was perfect.

Thank you!!

I recently had the pleasure of dining at The Commander's Shellfish Camp in St. Augustine, Florida, and I have to say, it was an exceptional experience. As a newer establishment, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I was blown away by the quality of the food and the service.

The menu focuses on fresh seafood, much of which is locally sourced and sustainable. From the oysters to the crab legs, every dish was bursting with flavor and cooked to perfection. I particularly enjoyed the seared scallops, which were melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

The service was also top-notch. Our server was knowledgeable about the menu and the ingredients, and made some excellent recommendations. The atmosphere of the restaurant was cozy and inviting, with a rustic decor that complemented the seafood-focused menu perfectly.

But what really sets The Commander's Shellfish Camp apart is its commitment to sustainability. It's refreshing to see a restaurant that is so conscious about where its food comes from and how it's sourced. It's clear that the restaurant is passionate about preserving the environment and supporting local fishermen, and that commitment shines through in every dish.

Overall, I would highly recommend The Commander's Shellfish Camp to anyone looking for a delicious seafood meal in a welcoming atmosphere. It's clear that this restaurant is on the cutting edge of the sustainable seafood movement, and I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

It had been a few years since we’ve went to Commanders. The added river deck dining is great. Food was great, service was great.

There are a few fish camps in St. Augustine. This place is the one to go to. They have a restaurant in the front. But in the back is their observation deck, which has the best views. There you can also order drinks and food. We shared the fried shrimp platter with ff and hush puppies. These were the best fried shrimp I ever had. They were lightly breaded, cooked perfectly and large. The ff and hush puppies were also really good. So far, this is the best seafood meal I have had here.

BEST CRAB CAKES EVER!!!, EVERY THING IS DELICIOUS INCLUDING SALADS AND DESSERT PIES..GREAT SERVICE! GREAT VIEW!

Love this place, and I love that they harvest their own oysters and clams, bee keep, and also grow mangrove trees. Seafood is always fresh and plentiful. It’s a great place to sit out on the water and enjoy an afternoon. A plus-my pup can come along!

Had lunch coming off the beach today and enjoyed wonderful service and a great meal on the breezy terrace.

I had fried shrimp which was completely non-greasy and fresh slaw. The shrimp was so tender, remarkable!

My wife had the Boom Boom shrimp and the creamiest, cheesy grits.

We love to try grits from most restaurants and these are incredibly good.

Only downside was I ordered two different beers and they were out of both. There are plenty of alcoholic beverages offered, wine, cocktails, beers on tap and bottled as well as coolers.

Our server Katie was so kind and helpful that I had to leave a review here. She explained the menu, was super attentive to our needs, and even took a photo (twice!) when asked. The dessert tarts we ordered were excellent, and for only ~$5 each we tried one of each -- chocolate, coconut, key lime, and choco-coconut (which was the best). The receipt gives a 20% off discount to Marineland too, so I highly recommend this place.

Local, unassuming restaurant with great service and a friendly atmosphere. Summer, our waitress, was super nice and very attentive. Virginia Oysters (appetizer) were really good and Lobster Boil with local clams was delicious. Definitely recommend.

We vacation here every year we are Florida natives from Tampa. My sister who is from California recommended this place and so we stopped in for an early dinner. Service is great. The server was very attentive. Made sure that we had everything we needed and was very timely and bringing our drinks and food, the inside is very small but clean fresh bright they have quite a bit of outdoor seating. The bathrooms are are just outside on the backside of the restaurant. We ordered two seafood boils, a Poboy with oysters and some shrimp. Everything was delicious. The seafood was cooked well tender, moist, and fresh and I emphasize fresh because everything was very tender and moist. Nothing was dried out. All of the crab was succulent. The shrimp were jumbo and delicious potato and sausage were a nice addition not the best potato and sausage I’ve ever had in a seafood boil, but nonetheless, they definitely enhanced the meal, we also came with another group and we got to smoke fish dip which was very good and they got an order of the steam shrimp. The only thing that I will say is that I had a strong for some grilled or chargrilled oysters, which they do not make, they only make them steamed Nonetheless it was a good experience however I will say it was expensive. We had six people our total bill with gratuity came to just over $300. I know seafood is expensive and I do feel that the serving sizes were good seafood boil split between two people and we still had some to take home. I believe we got two or three clusters of crab, shrimp, clams, and lots of potatoes, corn and sausage. I think for a once a year visit, we definitely will be back. Thank you for your hospitality and great food and also by the way, the beers are cold and cheap. A cold Stella goes great with seafood!
Enjoy!

Outback they have a food truck. You order on the deck with the hostess and they have a nice pavilion with picnic tables over the marsh. Great food and love the laid back atmosphere! Music was great too! The boils are so good! Potato’s could have been more seasoned, sausage was delicious,fries were crispy, and crabs were meaty! Shrimp Po Boy sandwich was outstanding! Kid friendly. Would definitely go back!

First time visitors, and we will return!
Everything was delicious, the service was extremely accommodating and the outside seating was appropriately casual! We had the smoked fish dip, fresh tile fish special and the portobello topped with crab cake, with their tasty datil pepper sauce! Excellent meal