Named for Catherine Usina, whose oyster roast for Henry Flagler's party in 1900 started a family tradition on the Tolomato River. The Usinas opened Aunt Kate's under the live oaks in 2009, boaters can tie up at the floating dock, and the steamed oysters and pilau are the family recipes.
The only restaurant directly on the ocean in St. Augustine Beach by its own account, where A Street meets the sand, dating to 1965. Kids get tables at the foot of the restaurant's own dune and well-behaved dogs are welcome, both straight from its homepage.
An outdoor amphitheater under what the park calls the city's second oldest live oak, just off the busiest block of St. George Street, with seating for more than 250. Shows are free unless noted and open to all ages, usually 7 to 10 p.m., and it is a Sing Out Loud Festival stage in September.
Old Florida home cooking on St. George Street for more than 35 years: gator tail, fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits. The name honors the original Cracker cowboys, and the garden patio welcomes dogs, which the cafe says on its own site instead of leaving you to guess.
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Family-friendly fun in St. Augustine!
Beyond the kids' menu are rooms to wiggle in, memorable favorites, and fun for the grown-ups too.
6 spots
Named for Catherine Usina, whose oyster roast for Henry Flagler's party in 1900 started a family tradition on the Tolomato River. The Usinas opened Aunt Kate's under the live oaks in 2009, boaters can tie up at the floating dock, and the steamed oysters and pilau are the family recipes.
A fast casual boater stop inside Cat's Paw Marina on the San Sebastian River, from the same family as The BoatHouse up the road. Half-pound baskets of local shrimp, grouper and mahi, and a place its own site pitches to kids and parents alike.
Open since 1965, cash only, no reservations, and famous for St. Augustine fried shrimp, nine or twelve to a plate with hush puppies. The menu has barely changed and many of the staff have been there more than 20 years, which is rather the point.
A house with a longer resume than most of the city: Don Miguel Ysnardy built it around 1790, it served as one of St. Augustine's first hotels, and in 1961 it was moved to this spot on the bayfront. The O.C. White family has run it since 1992, with a garden patio, a balcony for the sunset over the bay, and live music in the evenings.
Chef Peter Kenney's restaurant spent 21 years on St. Augustine Beach before moving to Anastasia Island in 2025, into the remodeled Gypsy Cab Company building. The menu marks vegan and gluten-free dishes, and the kids menu is billed as Kids, Tweens & Teens.
A surf cafe that started in Marineland in 2021 and moved to the San Sebastian marina in January 2025, serving breakfast and lunch from restored vintage vehicles with the marsh in view. The kids menu is called For the Groms, and the ice cream Airstream, Peace & Cream, shares the lot.
Family outings with a little more fun
These St. Augustine outings come with room to wiggle and something fun to see. The grown-ups get to enjoy themselves too.
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