I don’t know where the previous 10 cafes were, but I do know that the 11th, Cafe Eleven, is along St. Augustine Beach, inside a converted convenience store and gas station. I know this because my first job in St. Augustine was at that convenience store for a regional chain called Lil’ Champ. They were bought out by a chain called Kangaroo who also absorbed another local chain called Handy Way. Kangaroo then had many stores competing with themselves, and closed several as a result. The building that now houses Cafe Eleven was one that was shut down in favor of the location a few blocks north. After all of that, Kangaroo was bought out by Circle-K, and that’s what we have to this day.
The only purpose of that bit of history was to basically say the club is small, like a convenience store small. And of course, it’s St. Augustine, so we need to talk about history whenever we possibly can, right?
Cafe Eleven is a small restaurant that you don’t want to miss on your St. Augustine vacation. They’ve become an important staple for the area, and there’s a whole lot of reasons for that.
They have a weekend breakfast buffet that runs from 8 am to 1 pm, and it’s sort of epic. They have a lot to choose from, it’s fresh, it’s reasonably priced, and you’re in a packed room full of lively conversation. It’s always a win.
Throughout the week, they do have breakfast, lunch, and dinner options available. You’ll spend a lot of time trying to decide what to have, then wanting to come back for one of the other options. And do leave room for dessert.
They have a section for dogs outside on the porch. They have menu items for the pups, too. That’s such a cool thing you really only find at locally owned type places, the flexibility to recognize their clients have dogs and adapt the business around it.
Then there are the events. I sat there one night and did the math, there was roughly 100 seats. Bands with platinum albums have graced this stage. I mean, we’re talking decades beyond their moment in the sun, but still someone who was, playing in this most intimate of settings. There are lots of local musicians, tribute bands, and touring bands. It’s truly wild all the players who’ve graced their stage over the years.
My wife has become a fan of Naughty Bingo. I don’t understand this obsession, but hey, it makes her happy, so I go. And I don’t say that in any bad way, I absolutely love the event. It’s just so out of character for my wife; she’s painfully shy about things she considers ‘private’, yet she’s dragging me to Naughty Bingo whenever she can.
She won a prize once, but she was too shy to go on stage, so she swapped cards with me, and I had to go claim the prize – an adult toy. And now you know what I mean by ‘Naughty Bingo’.
Anyways, Cafe Eleven…great, unique place with good food, and great entertainment. You won’t regret going here while you’re in St. Augustine.
Visit Cafe Eleven:
501 A1A Beach Blvd, St. Augustine, FL 32080
Cafe Eleven Website
Cafe Eleven Facebook
