The waterfront restaurant was recently acquired by Asado Life owner/operators — a team that has been operating the restaurant since it took over the waterfront venue in October 2022
St. Augustine, FL — A recent story by the Jacksonville Business Journal announced that Asado Life restaurant was sold for $6.8 million. The purchase was made by Paul Thompson and Nick & Christie Carrera, a team that has been operating the restaurant since they took over the waterfront venue in October 2022.
The live fire grilling restaurant is located next to the St. Augustine Shipyard at 173 Shipyard Way in St. Augustine, Florida along the San Sebastián River. The restaurant took over the Culinary Outfitters building, which also was Otters on the Water for a short time.
“The Asado Life Team has been serving its customers for the past 2 ½ years,” said Nick Carrera.
“We truly love and value the support we’ve received from our guests, and we are eager to continue serving the St. Augustine community.”
Nick and his wife Christie and started their grill company, Urban Asado, out of their garage in 2014.
The concept was simple — Experience Grilling. All of the sights, sounds, and aromas of live fire grilling that captivates visitors.
“Turn off thoughts of work, or whatever, and just enjoy the moment with friends and loved ones,” Nick said. “The thing was, it never felt natural just describing it. It was all about experiencing it for yourself.”
“We started doing pop-ups and grilling demonstrations about seven years ago, as a way to support local charities and fundraising efforts. Having just started our business, and enduring two hurricanes in the first ten months, we weren’t able to donate monetarily.”
The owners have been contributing to their community for many years by giving back to nonprofits from events.
“It’s very cool for us to look back and know that we met some of the most amazing people in those very humble settings. And each of those experiences paved the way to where we are now,” Nick said.
The Experience
Asado Life makes food on handcrafted Argentinian-style grills created by Nick Carrera from his first business, Urban Asado. The wood fired, stainless steel grills are inspired by his father from Argentina.
“Asado Life is more than a place to eat. We hope to create memorable experiences between friends and family that last long after the meal. We hope to create a sense of community. And, we hope to make our guests happy,” Nick said.
Lunch is served Tuesday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and all-day Sunday from 11-7:30 p.m. Dinner seatings are available Thursday-Saturday from 5:30-7:45 p.m., with special events each month.
Two bars feature scratch-made craft cocktails from well-known St. Augustine mixologists.
The Asado Life Marketplace features fresh baked bread, meals and sides from the kitchen — ready to heat and serve, along with a curated selection of cooking essentials.
Learn more and make reservations at www.asadolife.com
