Drake's Bistro

Great local deli! My husband and I stopped by for a late lunch and we were blown away! I was torn between the Ruben or a cheesesteak. I ended up going with the Ruben and it hit the spot! The rye bread was fresh and grilled to perfection! I got corned beef & pastrami, and I suggest you do the same! My husband got the Italian stallion, and he took our serves advice, he got it toasted added aioli! Out of this world! Also suggest the homemade chips and the macaroni salad! Thanks for a great fresh lunch!

Great local sandwich shop just outside the historic district. This place was packed the whole time were there. Extensive menu of sandwich’s soups and salads. The staff is very welcoming and the food comes out fresh.

Wow! Great atmosphere - and awesome food! It smelled so good - I forgot to take a picture of my Philly cheesesteak sandwich! Get the fries as a side - great deal there… Teagan was wonderful server. As you can see, it was her birthday…. Happy Birthday to you - and thank you so much for the best service! You are all just so special! We will be back!

Currently staying at an air BNB less than a block from here. First timers- but Maria made us feel like regulars. She gave excellent recommendations and our breakfast was AMAZING! We had the western burrito - Mexican style. Delish! I had the Drakes breakfast- it was amazing ing! The homemade biscuits and gravy hit the spot!! The ham was delicious and not salty as some hams can be. Maria brought us dátil hot sauce which complimented the eggs nicely. We will be back!!

UPDATE 5.7.25. Not sure if this is a take out issue, but picked up our lunch today and the sandwiches were VERY wet, I had to scrape off the roll and I still can't eat the muffaletta, literally dripping with dressing, the roll is soaked. Hubby said the club was okay, but still heavy mayonnaise. Onion rings were delicious, tots with blue cheese and bacon, also delicious. Sandwiches were just off. Not sure if this is a take out issue or something else, but I removed two stars cause I couldn't eat the muffaletta. I will likely try again, but... was sad it wasn't as good as last time when we ate in. This is a hidden gem!! Just outside of town. We had the onion rings with side of garlic mayo, BLT, with grilled sourdough, the muffaletta, everything was amazing, perfect as they could be. We will definitely cross the bridge for this again!!

Had a delicious home made breakfast. Old fashion establishment with ample parking about 1 mile from historic downtown st augustine.

Awesome breakfast, outstanding service and great prices! And 9.29.25 back for another fine breakfast! Love Maria, she is wonderful!

Best breakfast in St Augustine! We had an outstanding variety from the shrimp omelette, sausage and gravy, grits and the best scrambled eggs! Homemade sauces and gravy make the difference! We were welcomed by Maria and her daughter in law who were efficient and friendly and we left as friends. We will definitely recommend and return to Drake’s Bistro for the delicious food and wonderful service!

Wow, this was a good find. A perfect lunch spot with a large variety of sandwiches and super friendly service. The restaurant is not that large, but we were seated with a minimal wait time. I got a club sandwich on a baguette. Other family members tried the Italian Stallion, Muffuletta, chef salad, cordon bleu, and the Drake's last stand. Each one of us chose something different, and each one of us loved our meal. We got the last parking spot in the lot, so you may have to park on the street.

Since I've started working down in St. Augustine during the week, I've needed to start finding some of the off-the-beaten path, local places to patronize for lunch and get away from the all the fast food that's available along Route 1. I discovered Drake's within my first week or so of work and it's been on my rotation ever since. These folks make some delicious sandwiches. So delicious that there's always a chance that they'll sell out of something if you wait too late in the day to order. I'm not kidding! I had been wanting to try Drake's French Dip for weeks and every time that I ordered it, I'd always get told that they were sold out of roast beef. Of course, I would be disappointed, but definitely happy for them on the sales. It took a few weeks, but the day finally arrived when I ordered early enough and got to enjoy the French Dip. It definitely lives up to the hype. Aside from the amazing roast beef, Drake's offers a plethora of great sandwiches, salads, soups, and has even started offering breakfast. I've been slowly working my way through their menu and particularly enjoy the Italian Stallion, the muffaletta, and Reuben. I don't particularly care for loaded tots or fries, but you can load up your fries just like you would a baked potato. Lastly, I would be remiss to leave a review and not mention how awesome all of the servers are at Drake's. Every single one of them is consistently hustling, but always attentive and friendly.

Great sandwich and large portions! Definitely recommend trying them for lunch. Service was very friendly.

This tiny restaurant was located walking distance from the house we rented whilst in St. Augustine. We walked by it several times noting the maroon awning out front. As the exterior doesn't really let you know much about the restaurant, I finally looked it up on Yelp only to discover that it is an extremely popular deli/restaurant. With that knowledge we decided to have lunch there. We were so glad to arrive just a little after 12 noon as the place was already hopping. There are very few tables inside...(there is a big take-out business here too) so felt fortunate to have snagged a remaining table. There is a considerable menu of sandwiches from which to choose. I decided to go with the Monte Cristo which I have not seen on a menu in a long time but it is a sandwich I have always liked. This was a little different than the ones I have had in years past as there was a fruit jam on the sandwich versus having a little pot of maple syrup in which to dip bits of your sandwich in. However, it was delicious...I love the salty (ham) and sweet combo that this sandwich brings and I was not disappointed with this one. Tom got a Reuben which he enjoyed very much. The tables are close together here although at our particular perch I did not feel hemmed in nor particularly close to the table adjacent to us. I think that varies so if you are still someone who post-pandemic doesn't want to be too near others, you should consider take-out. Our server was very, very busy but extremely sweet and as attentive as she could be...we were not unhappy. There is no alcohol served here. We both had waters and I had an unsweetened iced tea as well. I would most certainly return and I would definitely consider take-out for a picnic lunch on one of the gorgeous beaches here!

Went after their mid-day rush. Service was friendly and professional. Sandwiches are large especially if you get a side of fries or tots. Excellent place in St Augustine to get some lunch!

The sandwich's are large but sooo good. I had the Horsey Cheesesteak and it had just the right amount of horseradish on it. I also had a side of Macaroni salad and it was wonderful. My husband had the Pig and Cheesy which he liked a lot. The workers are super friendly. The owner works as hard as her employees so you know she really cares. Our server was Lillia and she was super good and attentive for as busy as they were. It isn't super big but that is part of the charm. Will definitely go back.

My husband and I ate a late lunch here while on vacation and it was one of the best meals we've had in St Augustine. He got the Rueben (best he's ever had) and I got the Monte Cristo which was absolutely delicious. We also got tots and pasta salad, both freshly made and so good. The service was attentive and friendly. We were concerned coming 30 minutes before closing that we would not be well received, but we were pleasantly surprised in the hospitality. They have a large selection of sandwiches. I wish we had found them sooner on our trip so we could try more things. I would happily eat lunch here every day if I had known. We will definitely eat here again when we're in St Augustine.

The monte cristo delivered a perfect combination of sweet and savory, best sandwich I've had to date. Service is amazing, the ladies there are always attentive and taking care of you. The atmosphere really feels like a small town sandwich shop, making you feel cozy and at home

Food service and ambiance Really friendly and accommodating! Today we're trying breakfast!

This was a "lunch place" but recently added a breakfast service as well. We haven't been here for breakfast but the sandwiches and soup are amazing. I usually order a bleu turkey which is a turkey sandwich with bleu cheese. Fantastic, but not low calorie! The staff is very friendly and the service is excellent.

Yep lots of traffic in town - but got to Drake's before they close at 3pm. Photos to follow- yep wife and I are sharing the 12" cheese steak and some of their hot and yummy fries. Great staff- tasty food. Always a 5 here. Support your local small business. Eat at Drake's.

We love Drakes. This neighborhood deli is within walking distance to our house so it's become an often occurrence for us. We have been on a mission to try as many of the items on the menu and, honestly, not sure we have stumbled across something we don't like. For breakfast, our favorites are the sunrise sandwich and the western wrap (add bacon!). For lunch, our go-to is always the antipasto salad I'm pretty sure I could drink their balsamic vinaigrette . Our favorite sandwiches are the Italian stallion, the turkey Reuben, the classic club, and the BLT. Atmosphere-wise, it's what you would expect for a casual neighborhood deli (it kind of looks like it may have been an Asian restaurant before??). Staff is always friendly, consistent, and timely. Overall, this place is a 5/5!

Delicious muffuletta. The only authentic one in the area. Delicious and the olive salad is divine. My friend said she's been trying to find one in Jax for 2 decades and this is the only one that's come close to the real thing

We stumbled across this place while on vacation. The ladies working were all so friendly and the food!!! The sandwich selection is amazing and unique. Unfortunately it was our last day, otherwise we would've gone back for more!!! Do yourself a favor and don't miss out on this place.

Drake's Bistro is a gem of a restaurant! I have had their Eggs Benedict several times and it's always delicious with their hollandaise sauce. My husband has had their omelette and skillets for breakfast. We went to lunch last week and I had their Rueben which was piping hot (that's how I like my food to be served) perfectly grilled bread and generous portion of corned beef! I like sauerkraut and preferred a little more. So good! My husband ordered the muffuletta and he said it was delicious! The serving portion was so generous we each took half of our sandwiches home and ate them for dinner. So many items I'd like to try. Don't miss out on friendly and attentive servers, quick service and delicious food. Drake's is a must if you want great food.

Ordered to go, came into the store and placed the order. The host who took my order was a gem MariaLuchenza. I ordered a Cuban sandwich ( thinking you can never go wrong with a cubano right?) Wrong... it was made with store bought meat, not the good penir as us Puerto Ricans call it.(roasted pork) The other meats were just plain old deli meats. I was really disappointed... I also ordered a minestrone soup and it was different it had pasta noodles in it, I really wanted to like it here, perhaps I may give them another try. However, the biggest issue I had was while I waited for my food inside I sat on a bench by the entry way and I could see into the back of the kitchen and one of the kitchen staff was using a utensil for clearing out the tablet from food scraps while preparing the other dishes, and every time she cleared it from the tray into the trash her scraper hit the inner part of the trash. That is highly unsanitary, I do not work in the food industry but rather in healthcare and I make sure everything I do is up to par with keeping things sanitary and well that was a major red flag, no pass. Not ever should anything near food be anywhere inside or near the trash bin. I also noticed the black gloves never got changed in the whole 35 min I waited, considering she moved from different areas and grabbed other items. To avoid cross contamination her gloves should have been changed. They also were not very friendly with the restaurant staff, very cold and snappy. That doesn't make for a good work place the host and the waitresses were working hard and deserve proper recognition for as busy as it was they were all helping each other out and bussing tables and really doing the most, yet you could hear the lady in the kitchen that had her scraper hitting the trash bin just so rude yelling and complaining. Not a good look for what most reviews say is a great spot.

Probably the best French dip i've ever had!!! ordered through DoorDash and although i live less than a mile away it came piping hot....like as if i ordered in house!!! Very impressed and definitely will be ordering more

The wife and I love this little restaurant it has an Amazing selection of foods with great atmosphere and friendly service! We try to stop by any time we visit St. Augustine. I had the Conquistador which was delicious and my wife the sloppy jazzy jersey. It corned beef, Swiss cheese, coleslaw, and thousand island dressing.

We found this place on Yelp while visiting St Augustine. So happy we did! Lilia was so happy to serve us, even though it was 40 minutes to closing, had great recommendations of sandwiches, and was quick and conscientious! We got the Italian and Monte Cristo sandwiches along with some loaded tots. The tots were good but the sandwiches were delicious and very filling! If we get a chance to come back to St Augustine, we will definitely go back!

The sloppy jazzy jersey is a hit 10/10. Sweet corn beef swiss coleslaw heaven. This is my new fav for now. The cheesesteaks, rare roast beef sandwiches and now this. All so damn good

While in St Augustine we were hankering fir a good pastrami sandwich. Stumbled onto reviews for Drake's Deli and decided to try it. When we pulled up a sign was on the door that they had moved to their east location Drake's Bistro so we headed over. We ordered pastrami sandwiches that were to come on marbled rye. Waitress returned and said out of rye, I got sad because that's the standard fir pastrami. I subbed wheat bread and my daughter got sourdough. The bread was fantastic! It's definitely homemade fir the restaurant. The grill was full due to a large order of Phillies for a nearby car dealership so it took a bit longer but worth the wait. Salads and soups coming out of the kitchen looked phenomenal. The female owner or manager is loud and yells at her employees from the back which is tacky AF but it def gave it an East Coast deli feel

Waitress was great. She served her coffee and kept refilling it. It took an hour and a half for us to get our breakfast which has had skillet. I had a heart egg and grits. The grits were terrible. Hard eggs were not even hard. They were so runny I was so disappointed, I don't think I'll ever go back we paid for the coffee and was going to our car. A lady came out and said our order is up we went back in the grits were hot because I asked if they were hot, but they were just regular grid and they put a piece of cheese on top that I had to squish down, the bacon was good. The hard eggs were running. I was never so disappointed in breakfast.

Thanks chef, for a Great breakfast--esp Biscuits!The wonderful staff make Drake's a place to return to often!

Drake's was next to our hotel on a recent stay in St. Augustine. The reviews were awesome , and 100 % accurate. We had the datil Philly and Italian sub. Both EXCEEDED expectations. Service was spot on with Maria and Lilia! Such a pleasure. Will definitely return. Closed on Sundays, so plan accordingly.

Friendly Service, breakfast sandwich was delicious. Coffee good and strong. So good came back another day. This time we did the full breakfast, again delicious. Like all restaurants during Covid, there are some foods not available. But even with that I was impressed.

For the food... we have always had great sandwiches from here, however, we usually get a carry out. This most recent visit we actually for the first time ate in. Our server was Lexi, she was great. The ONLY thing that would make me give this establishment a 1 star is that the kitchen staff walk around with the same (black) gloves on, not once did I see them change gloves. One staffer came out, hugged a patron, wiped their nose, scratched their head and went back into the kitchen and continued with their food service/prep. How do I know this? I could see directly into the kitchen where I was seated facing them. Other than that HUGE detractor, the food is awesome.

Absolutely best Deli in St Augustine. Go in hungry as the portions are very generous. Staff is excellent. The Italian Stallion Sub is too die for! Very popular and for a reason Highly recommended

They have great food and great service. Prices were reasonable too. Ordered the cheese steak. It was very good best I have had here in Florida

This place was so cute and friendly! I can only comment on the salads, they were so fresh and so yummy. I had the Cobb with vinaigrette and then today the caprese. Both were very good and just what I wanted. The portions are huge in my opinion, but that's only because I usually eat small portions. By the way, I ended up eating all of it anyways cause it was that good. The service was friendly and honest. I've passed by this place a billion times and I'm very happy I finally got to stop in!

What a gem! The locals love it, and my friends swear by Drake's sandwiches...I was completely blown away at how absolutely delicious my lunch was yesterday! I ordered Lexi's Muffeleta w the soup of the day (shrimp corn chowder) on the side. The chowder was thick, creamy, and tasty with a nice amount of shrimp and chunky potatoes...now for the sandwich...on my list of best Italian sandwiches I've ever had! This sandwich has Italian meats and cheese, garlic mayo, olive spread, and cherry pepper relish...not sure if lettuce, tomato, and onion comes on it, but I requested it and got it all on a fresh baked baguette that was so perfectly toasted...omg...my mouth is watering writing this review and remembering how satisfying eating this sandwich was! Also, the staff are amazing! Super friendly, check on you often, knows their regulars, and you can definitely tell they all enjoy working here. An absolute must go when looking for a really delicious sandwich! They have fries and onion rings available upon request, so don't forget to add them to your order!

Great service and the food was outstanding and reasonable pricing. Very friendly folks

We're out-of-towners who saw the review for cheesesteaks on yelp for Drake's Deli. Got there, it was closed. Then just a few yards away saw Drake's Bistro. So I'm not sure what's going on but we shrugged and ordered. My wife got a salad which she liked very much. I got the classic cheesesteak w mushrooms & American cheese. It was nothing like a "classic" Philly cheesesteak. Though they say "shaved ribeye", it was very tough and chewy. It had those annoying "rubber bands" like a cheesesteak at D'Angelo's. But the big problem was the toasted bun. It was burnt and that's not a great flavor. Also, a real "classic" cheesesteak doesn't have a toasted bun- ever. Finally, there was too much cheese. It made the sandwich gluey. Other problems included a staff bitching about wearing a mask. None were wearing one. I would not eat here again.

Great place to eat great hidden gem when we found the original drakes deli by the shrine We just wish they'd be open for dinner times as well.

Stopped by for lunch and it was delicious. I had Italian Stallion. It was fresh and tasty. I will come back to try other sandwiches.

This is my favorite deli and probably restaurant in St Augustine! The food is consistently delicious and the service is always awesome :). I finally tried the hummingbird cake today and it is truly special. The cake is a homemade banana bread with cream cheese frosting

This afternoon I happened to have the most incredibly delicious lean Corn-beef and Pastrami smothered with a nice layer of Sauerkraut covered with Swiss Cheese on Marble Rye toast accompanied with perfectly made French Fries. To top it all off, I had the pleasure of having the most amazing, positive, perky waitress--Lillia with the most amazing genuine smile take care of me. That said, I would most definitely and highly recommend you stop in for an amazing sandwich experience. Pat F Combat Vietnam Veteran

Great place and would recommend it to anyone. Thank you so much for the kindness from your servers. We will be back with more family for sure soon

The best turkey sandwich that I've ever had with local diner flavor. My husband loved the creamy chicken soup.

Came here on a quiet Wednesday early afternoon. We had a relaxing mid week trip to st Augustine and it was so pleasant to visit during the week and not on the weekends when everything is packed! So, Yes, Drake's is open and operating during COVID. The employees I saw had masks on. Couldn't tell if the kitchen help had on gloves or masks because it's hard to see back there. No visit to the restroom so I can't comment on it. We were greeted by our server and told to sit anywhere. Plenty of empty tables so we were able to "social distance" and enjoy our lunch privately. Perfect! We had soft drinks and I ordered the Italian Stallion and my husband had the Gobble Gobble and a cup of Gumbo. We were checked on frequently and refills were given. Good service! The Italian stallion was excellent! So fresh. Yum. My husband really liked the gumbo however, the Gobble Gobble wasn't as great as it sounded. My husband didn't finish it but helped me finish mine and wished he would have orders the Italian stallion. The bread on both sandwiches was so fresh and delicious. I'd come back for the rolls alone lol! We ate too quick for photos. We'd definitely visit again and most likely more frequently if we didn't live an hour away.

This place is great! They were super busy and understaffed, but you could tell they were doing their best. Will 100% go back the next time I'm in town. Seriously awesome staff!

Third time in the last 2 months. Excellent Food. Excellent Service. Our place to go for late lunch or early supper.

Alyssa was an excellent waitress. She brought me an extra napkin, which I needed!! I got the Datil Pepper Philly Cheesesteak 12inch sub. ~$15 after tax and before tip. It was filling and had just the right amount of Zippy Spice. A great sub for a grey and drizzly day!! Thank you Alyssa with Drakes for providing a tasty lunch!!

Not deaf friendly. Keep calling and a woman wil go works there put me on hold. Again called.. same over again and again. It's ridiculous.

Wife and I went today for the first time. Cheese steak was spot on. Wife had soup that was super. Service was excellent and friendly. Note Drake's Deli is closed. Went there by mistake.

Drakes Deli/Bistro serves some of the best food in St Augustine for Sandwiches, Cheesesteaks, Salads etc. Handmade and Top-quality ingredients...theres an art to making a great sandwich and Drake's manages to provide a menu full of them. The hardest part will be choosing which one to order if you dont know the menu. You cant make a bad choice. The Italian Stallion and Muffuletta are popular for a reason, The Gobbler is comfort food for days, even a BLT stands out, but I just tried the Datil Cheesesteak for the first time and all I see going forward is the struggle of pacing my visit so the 19 in COVID-19 isnt a weight gain figure. Guess Ill just have to choose one of the fresh and delicious salads with their signature vinaigrettes I'll fight to not drink directly out of the cup. Maria and her staff are just an added pleasure. Seek them out when your in town instead of setting yourself up for boredom and disappointment anywhere else.

I wish I had taken photos but I did not. We ordered take-out for 9 of us for a lunch gathering for a friend that was heading into a major surgery. Drake's was wonderful. The take-out was ready when we arrived, well labeled and packaged. The sandwiches and salads were excellent. We were able to purchase half of a large Italian wedding cake for our mutual dessert. I had the Cobb club and with the egg added...amazing. Everyone was pleased and the cake was delicious! Thank you so much.

As locals, we went in today for lunch and were greeted at the door by what ended up being our waitress. She was a little blonde girl and was great! We sat near the kitchen which I wish we had not. Sitting there waiting on our food, listening to the two guys in there talking about someone killing their family and then he pulls out his phone( with food gloves still on) showing the loud gunshot video of it to his coworker. That's just nasty, cell phones have so many germs on them! Obviously there was no management there as the girls out front were reading out loud what sounded like a letter from their boss telling them what they should and should not do while at work. One think was don't be in your cell phone!!!!!!! This restaurant is just too small for the staff to be carrying on this way. I looked on the website to see if there was an email to voice my opinion/ concerns about but didn't see one so unfortunately I have to leave it here for all to see. It's so sad bc the sandwich was great. It was hard to not think about the nasty germs that were on it from the employees phone . But I had to tell myself that I'm not sure what goes on behind closed doors at any restaurant so i just ate it. Management should stay on top of these employees about their actions and know that customers see and hear everything while they are waiting.

Best sandwich shop in town, not to mention the desserts and soups that are made fresh daily.

We went for a nice bike ride through some St Augustine neighborhoods and came across Drake's Bistro. We popped in and everyone was courteous and super friendly. We order the pizza steak and Philly Deluxe and they were both delicious. Will definitely come back the next time we are in town.