Restauranteering and Resiliency

Santa Maria Restaurant started out in 1763 as a landing for ships to dock at and unload cargo, back when St. Augustine was still a fledgling city. Almost 200 years later, Louis and Marguerite Connell opened a restaurant on the crumbling landing, fixing up the structure so that it still survives today. 

Cyndi Connell will be your guide as she takes you through an amazing history of one family's dream destined to survive: 

My grandparents opened this restaurant back in 1949. Before they turned it into a restaurant, the pier was used as the main commercial fishing dock for importing seafood into the city. When the restaurant first opened it was just a little seafood shack called The Old Spanish Landing. There was open air seating over the water and it had a little Maritime Museum, a gift shop and a turtle in a pen. 

After being opened for a while, my grandparents got the idea to throw old bread down to the fish that swam around the building and so started the tradition of "Feed the fish while you dine". Hundreds of fish come up to be fed, mostly Catfish and Mullet but there are also plenty of Trout, Sheephead, Reds and just about any kind of saltwater fish you can imagine. Some time in the mid 50s my grandfather made friends with a man who owned a boat that was a replica of the Santa Maria ship and allowed him to dock it behind the restaurant. People in town got into the habit of saying they were going to the Santa Maria and so he eventually changed the name of the restaurant. This is what it looked like in the 50s. 

In 1964, Saint Augustine suffered its first major Hurricane, Hurricane Dora. This is what the restaurant looked like after the hurricane. 

After Hurricane Dora my grandparents rebuilt the restaurant. It has always been a family run restaurant providing jobs for us all, Grandparents, Mom & Dad, Myself and my brothers, aunts, nieces, in-laws as well as many friends. In 1970 my grandfather died and my grandmother along with my Dad and Mom took over operations. My father being the builder at heart that he is has made the place what it is today after many many remodels. My grandmother passed away in fall of 2001. Since then my parents, Myself and my 2 brothers have been keeping the restaurant afloat. It has been a struggle to say the least and honestly every year it gets harder. But thanks to visitors and loyal customers, The Santa Maria is alive and well. The Santa Maria is a special kind of restaurant with a rich history unlike any other restaurant here in our great city. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you, so you too can be a part of it's grand legacy.

Feed The Fish While You Dine!

The Santa Maria Restaurant and Fishermans Wharf Lounge is located in the heart of historic downtown St. Augustine and sits out over the Intracoastal Waterway, making a truly memorable dining experience for anyone visiting the area. Along with the fantastic views of Matanzas Bay you can "Feed the fish while you dine". We have trap doors next to the tables for feeding the swarms of catfish and mullet that surround the building. Be sure to ask your server for some food to feed the fish. We are also frequented by manatees, dolphins, pelicans, seagulls and a wide assortment of Florida native birds.

Casual Dining ~ A Family Tradition

Our menu specializes in a variety of seafood,steaks, chicken and pasta dishes as well as a vegetarian menu, appetizers and yummy desserts. We have a spectacular lounge stocked with a nice selection of liquors, wines, domestic beers, micro brews and imported beers. Children are always welcome at The Santa Maria and our Kids Menu offers selections that even the pickiest of little eaters cannot refuse. The Connell family tradition of casual dining continues and reservations are not accepted. We have a first come, first serve policy.

Lightner Museum

Now this is a museum. Henry Flagler's opulent Spanish Renaissance-style Alcazar Hotel, built in 1889, closed during the Depression and stayed vacant until Chicago publishing magnate Otto C. Lightner bought the building in 1948 to house his vast collection of Victoriana. The lobby of the museum is exactly as the hotel lobby was back in the 1800s. The building is an attraction in itself and makes a gorgeous museum, centering on a palm-planted courtyard with an arched stone bridge spanning a fishpond. The first floor houses a Victorian village, with shop fronts representing emporiums selling period wares. The Victorian Science and Industry Room displays shells, rocks, and Native American artifacts in beautiful turn-of-the-20th-century cases. Other exhibits include stuffed birds, an Egyptian mummy, steam-engine models, and examples of Victorian glass blowing. (Yes, it's a strange amalgamation for a museum, but there's sure to be something you're interested in here.) Plan to spend about 90 minutes exploring, and be sure to be here at 11am or 2pm, when a room of automated musical instruments erupts into concerts of period music. Check out the cafe too, housed in what used to be a stunning indoor pool.

In the Beginning . . .

In the Beginning . . .

In 1562, a group of French Huguenots settled near the mouth of the St. Johns River, in present-day Jacksonville. Three years later, a Spanish force under Pedro Menéndez de Avilés arrived, wiped out the Huguenot men (de Avilés spared their women and children), and established a settlement he named St. Augustín. The colony survived a succession of attacks by pirates, Indians, and the British over the next 2 centuries. The Treaty of Paris, ending the French and Indian War, ceded the town to Britain in 1763, but the British gave it back to Spain 20 years later. The United States took control when it acquired Florida from Spain in 1821.