The Press

Maybe the sit-​down service is better. I was looking for a quick, light lunch bite and being that The Press is 0.5 miles away from my job, it came up in the «what’s nearby» Unilocal recommendations. I didn’t want to sit-​in, I didn’t want to commit to a full-​on meal, but I DID want to try something different in the plaza other than my usual. The stars aligned and I called in a kid’s cheeseburger order to go.
I called and Audrey took my order. Maybe we can attribute it to her being busy (I don’t know for sure as it was a phone order), but she could not recommend a side for my cheeseburger when I asked for a recommendation other than fries. Even after I asked what «her personal favorite» side was followed by «what’s your best seller», she replied that she «liked them all» and to the second question she answered that «sells them all.» Finally she threw out coleslaw as an option, and I went with the potato salad instead.
15 minutes later, I arrived to pick up my order and Audrey was working the register. I paid my $ 10 bucks plus tip. Audrey packed my meal, asked if I wanted condiments, and sent me on my way. Nothing to add or takeaway from that.
When I got home and sat down to eat, I was blown away at how huge the kid’s burger was. Good, bad… I don’t know. But, the flavor was ok and it was ultimately a good tasting burger. The potato salad was bland and I’m not a fan. (That rhymed!)
Final thoughts: As a first timer I’ll say that the phone-​in/​pick-​up order service needs work, and being that one of my all-​time St. Augustine favorites is almost the next door neighbor of The Press, they would be hard to bypass again with this «meh» first impression in mind. Just sayin’.

I’ve Loved this place from the first time I went. Almost hate to tell people how good home cooked and fresh everything we’ve tried, and we’ve tried nearly all!
Friendly staff and owners, who sincerely do a super job delivering service at a fair price.
Keep up the good work.

Got the Cuban it was awesome! Big sandwich and was too much for me to eat. I will be back.

Stopped in for a quick lunch. Got a few sandwiches to go and ordered a beer while we waited. Food was very good and they had a huge drink selection, wish we ate in!

Go for the buffalo chicken sandwich, it’s the best I’ve had in Jacksonville!
Nice atmosphere, friendly staff too!
Good selection of beers as well.

Low key and chillYummy calamari and beer! Bar tender was great at recommending flavors that complimented each other with food and beverage selection. Good people and service! Love this place and I am definitely going back.

This was an out of the way restaurant, in a strip mall. We weren’t sure what to expect but the food turned out to be amazing!

Let me start first by saying we weren’t convinced when we saw the location, but man this is a diamond in the ruff. This place is phenomenal. I started with the Calamari which was divine, I had never thought with their play on pesto that it would be good, and paired with the pineapple. The main dish was the Red Pepper and Portobello mushroom flatbread, and Sirloin Chimchiree. The presentation of both were very thoughtful, and the taste was no different. The flatbread was satisfying with every bite. The sirloin with their spin of pesto on top was phenomenal. The mash potatoes were clearly homemade and extremely deep with flavor. If you get the chance come here. So worth every penny. It was amazing.
I will definitely come back.

Sorry but the seafood is not happening here. The shrimp in the fisherman basket tasted like ammonia. They have a large selection of beer but I had a hard time finding something I liked.
My datil burger was good but I thought the portion of fries and size of the burger were lacking.
Kinda pricey for the quality/​quantity. The fisherman basket, the datil burger, one beer $ 43 including tip.

This place has great food! I would recommend their burgers for sure, but you HAVE to get the calamari. There’s a reason everyone is putting up photos of these things!!!
There’s a really good relaxed vibe which we really liked. My only complaint (and it’s totally vain) is that they could ventilate a little better. You will leave there smelling like food. But then again, is that really a bad thing? Really?

Great … Great food at The Press. I love the classy appearance of this place. Owner is ver knowledgable about the food and drinks:
Appetizer —
Get the Calamari … Hands down best I have ever had. They toss with ginger and other spices on a top of pineapple.
Main Course —
Had the Cuban sandwich. Great sandwich. Must have.
Bottom Line: great food, beer, overall outstanding experience for locals and tourists

Went in for a burger and beer, great burger!
Friendly staff also.
Seems like if I’m paying $ 11 for a burger, it should be served on a real plate with silverware instead of a plastic basket with plastic fork and knife. … hopefully improvements will come, we’ll definitely go back again.

We found this place on Unilocal (of course) and were impressed by the high 5 star reviews for a $$ place so had to try it. It was 8.30 on a Friday evening and the place was empty aside from two guys at the bar so we had no problem getting seated at a two top right away. We started by sharing the gingery calamari with grilled pineapple which was very good. The entrée specials sounded amazing so we had them both — hubby had the pork chop stuffed with Parmesan and sweet peppers on a bed of sweet potato mash which he said was spectacular. I had the bacon wrapped shrimp and pineapple skewers on vegetable risotto which was wonderful. Both meals were large portions and also came with a house side salad. For dessert we shared the peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream — it is freshly made, piping hot and plenty big enough for two to share. Also very tasty. During our visit more patrons arrived for a later meal so the place is obviously popular with locals. Our server and all staff were very friendly. It’s in a strip mall, so don’t be put off by that. The quality of the food would not be out of place in a white tablecloth restaurant. The only thing that seemed strange to us is they serve the food on melamine or plastic plates and serve plastic cutlery, but the owners explained there is a hefty 5 figure «impact fee» they have to pay to the city which does not transfer if/​when they move premises, so while they are building their clientele and reputation it wouldn’t make sense to spend that just yet, I don’t blame them — crazy bureaucracy really makes it hard for small businesses at times. But everything was great and we love that it’s a family owned business and they all really care. You won’t be disappointed — great food and service! Go!

All local foods made to order! The calamari was exceptional! We wished they had liquor and we would go more often. Great service and good atmosphere!
Alittle hard to find but well worth it!

Tried this place because we wanted a great burger. Other reviews indicated they have great burgers and the reviews were right. The Press has been open for about 3+ months which is another reason we tried it for dinner tonight.
I had the Cabernet Mushroom & Swiss burger. I ordered it medium-​well and the only knock I have for our visit was the burger was under cooked and medium vs. medium well. But, it was awesome and frankly, beef is always better a little pink than fried to a crisp. My wife loved her burger too and the fries were delicious and hot.
Service was great too. We ordered the peach cobbler for dessert. Be warned, you need to order the cobbler when you order your meal becasue they bake it fresh when you order it and it takes 20 minutes. Result = Yummy!

I saw this p[lace on Unilocal and it looked interesting enough. The pictures of the food looked yummy to. So today when I was leaving St. Aug around lunchtime I decided to give it a shot. Now the place is hard to see from the road. Maybe traveling at 70mph didn’t help but. I found it and after a U-​turn or 2 I was in front of the place. It is a small place that used to be something else I overheard later in my visit. It is your typical bar with food joint. Burgers, wings and such but the most pictured was the fried calamari. I wanted to but my waistline said NO. So I went with the chicken cordon bleu just cause it kind of reached out at me. So a few more folks wondered in since the place was empty when I walked in so that is a good sign. When I got my food it looked pretty tasty but the chicken had no seasoning on it. Specially since I watch the cook guy cook it. But the ham was pretty tasty for sliced deli stuff and the swiss cheese had some good flavor to it. Not your normal swiss processed junk that some folks serve you here. I did really like that they toasted the bun (which is made in house) on the flat toast. that is so much better then in the stinking toaster. In all a good sandwich and they also carry a fair amount of craft beers maybe 20ish and a few drafts too.

The fare was phenomenal and the owner, Kevin, and his wife Simone are a great team. Loved the chicken, sun dried tomato and basil panini — give me more please!
My husband had the chef’s meal that he eats each day — the buffalo chicken sandwich with blue cheese crumbles… are you kidding me!?! Delish! All of their bread is homemade.
We love trying new beers and had such an array to choose from. You also have to order desserts with 20 mins to spare — all made from scratch. We’ll definitely be back.

A great family owned restaurant right off SR-​16. Not too much open after 9pm and this place was a found almost by accident and it was a home run. The beer and wine selection was excellent. There was a great selection of food options including daily specials.
The staff was outgoing and friendly.
Definitely worth a visit.

Nice place for this area. Welcomed addition. I had the gingered calamari and buffalo style chicken sandwich. Calamari was good, and huge portions. They forgot to cook my chicken with the buffalo sauce so I opted to just have it on the side and pour/​dip it in to save time. Otherwise I’d give them 5 stars. Place was clean, service was good, menu looks good, and the décor is nice. You can also grab a few beers or some wine here.

Awesome new Resturant. Owner Kevin and his wife have put together a limited menu, freshly prepared, amazingly good place to eat. We tried the Cubano sandwich (really good), pork sliders (home run) and their burger (excellent). There wasn’t one thing we would have changed. To add to that the staff (including Kevin’s wife whose name I don’t want to mangle) were incredibly nice and knowledgeable. They also have a very large beer and wine collection. There is no way we won’t be back and often.