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| In Town | East of Town | West End / Cane Bay | Mid-Island | Fredericksted |
You will find that St. Croix is a truly laid back island with casual attire at all of the restaurants, even the finest. Call in advance to see if reservations are needed and to see what days the restaurants are open, because this is ever changing.
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| Other Food Information |
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Remember, you can purchase virtually anything on the island that you can on the “mainland” . It's just more expensive. We even have two K-Marts on the island, but you forget all of this when you come to our part of the island. The Islander is located on the east end where the combined serenity and beauty are at their best. We try very hard to keep the house stocked with seasonings, dishwasher soap, coffee filters, paper products etc. so you don't have to buy it. Also it's fine to buy seafood, veggies and fruit (try the mangoes) from the locals on the side of the road. The fish is very fresh and sometimes if you get there early you can pick up island lobsters. They don't have claws!. Grill them on the gas grill. Buy the bottled water for drinking, just to be on the safe side, although our cistern is very clean and has the most modern filters. All of our water on the island comes from the rain which is collected in cisterns underneath the house, so we would truly appreciate your conservation efforts, i.e. shower with a buddy. On the other hand it is cheaper to drink rum. Too bad you can't shower in it.
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In Town
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Bacchus
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The climb up the steep stairs of this lovely old townhouse is worth it. This place has excellent food with a wide variety of dishes served in a very nice atmosphere. Bacchus is a sophisticated restaurant heavy on beef. However, they serve a good dish involving a local fish. They even have an upscale room with a pool table. Expensive. Check the Pink Guide for their “specials” night. And Wednesday is a two-for-one wine night.
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| Bombay Club |
| We’ve never liked the atmosphere here, but so many of our guests and locals enjoy it that we have decided to include it. Its two-foot thick stonewalls keep it cool. It is dark inside and even the entrance seems foreboding. Maybe that’s what people like. Good food, interesting patrons and good prices. |
| Café Christine |
| We love this charming place that serves only lunch. It is hidden at the back of the courtyard at #6 Company Street behind the Mexican Luncheria. Christine is French and makes the food fresh each day. They are listed on a blackboard, usually 6 – 8 items including interesting salads and hot and cold entrees. I love the duck pate with a salad and bread. Our friend Jilly loves the veggie plate and Dennis always goes for the mussels or fish of the day. Wine comes by the glass in generous portions. Save room for the homemade desserts, especially the coconut pie. Take cash. Christine does not take credit cards! |
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Fort Christian Brew Pub
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| Located on the waterfront Boardwalk at King’s Alley, this is the smallest microbrewery in North America. (Isn’t’ “Smallest microbrewery” a bit redundant?) They serve great beer, blah food and is the Monday Night site of the Crab Races. Right now this is The Place people gather at night after dinner. |
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Hotel at the Cay (or Protestant Cay)
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| Take a shuttle boat from the east end of the Boardwalk out to the island in the Bay. It has a nice beach, great Fish & Chips, and offers a very different “island of the island” experience. |
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Kendrick’s
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This is a must! The outdoor courtyard is absolutely lovely and the wonderful food should not be missed. Often featured on TV in the US, David Kendrick is the chef and his wife, Jane, is the hostess. Some nights they have music. There are a few indoor tables in a charming old bungalow. Expensive and worth it. Reservations are a must.
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Luncheria Mexican Food
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In an attractive historic courtyard of Apothecary Hall on Company Street amidst chickens, locals and tourists, you will find good, cheap Mexican food. Order at the counter and take the food to picnic tables under the trees. In addition to everything Mexican they have Cuban hot pressed sandwiches and Arroz con Pollo. This is Lunch Central when you are in town shopping.
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Rum Runners
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Right on the waterfront boardwalk in the Caravel Hotel with great ambiance and a grand view of the harbor, Rum Runners serves Caribbean and continental cuisine, live lobsters from the island’s only tank, a great appetizer menu at dinner and the coldest beer on the island. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. Entertainment some nights. Access evening parking through the hotel entrance way. This is one of our favorites. Stroll along the Boardwalk afterwards.
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Savant
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Just on the eastern edge of town this small place has ample parking in the back. There is a small outdoor dining area and A/C inside. This is an eccentric menu: fillets, curry and enchiladas are all on the menu with more to intrigue you. They have five specials each night – all great with awesome fresh fish. The food is very good and, we think, getting better. It’s tiny and charming, even without a view.
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Turtles Deli (also in Fredericksted)
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Dine in or Carry Out. Located in a wonderful open courtyard with plenty of shade, it features continental breakfasts, great sandwiches, salads and fresh breads. Looking for a light lunch or dinner for that matter – after all the heavy meals you’ve been eating – this is the place.
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West End / Cane Bay
This is also quite a drive by a different route. You’ll want to check the map, find Cane Bay and head for it. |
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Waves at Cane Bay
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| Great Sunsets! That about ends the list of positives. It is a long, 30-minute drive to this beautiful place. But the food has always been unreliable, even poor. The incredibly romantic setting right on the water with waves crashing “out there” and lapping almost at your feet as it fills and empties the large tide pool was nearly ruined by unfortunate remodeling. |
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Cane Bay Bar
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| This is a restaurant in conjunction with a Dive Shop, and “dive” pretty well describes it. But the junk food is great, the beer is cold and you can watch the kids frolic in the water and on the beach from the open-air short-order shop. Wonderful “painkillers,” a local drink. |
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Off the Wall
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| An open-air bar on the side of the road is right on the water. Its name derives from the scuba diving location it overlooks that divers call The Wall. They have great burgers and quesadillas, clam strips and drinks not to mention the fabulous view and sunsets. If you go exploring this end of the island, don’t miss it! Kids and grownup alike love the place. Great bar food and often there is entertainment. At the very least there are hammocks and rock/beach climbing. |
| At the Airport |
| Rita's Cafe |
| At the Airport inside terminal. Rarely open but try. Good island food, nice sandwiches, great rum punches while you wait for your luggage. Lots of smiles. |
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East of Town
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The Buccaneer Terrace
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Their dinners on the terrace are very good (Don’t do any of their buffet nights) and it’s just 3 minutes from the house. The great view makes it is a grand place for drinks and dancing in the evening. (They generally have entertainment every night.) Try breakfast at The Mermaid on the beach or at The Terrace, where lunch and dinner are also very good. Their beach is small but nice and you can sit in a lounge chair and your piña collada will come to you. Or play tennis and golf at the Buccaneer –– it’s a beautiful course.
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The Case Place
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This is “the missing link” between Kendrick’s Fine Dining and Cheeseburger’s Good Grub. It just has good food, a varied, interesting menu, healthy portions of pasta, seafood and meat at modest prices. The French onion soup is to die for. Locals love this place so do make reservations … early. Lunch, dinner, A/C. No atmosphere. Located in Gallows Bay
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Cheeseburgers
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Now this is the home of Good Grub. This funky outdoor restaurant right on the road east of the house is where all the locals go for hamburgers and stuff. Kids adore it. There is sidewalk chalk with which to draw on the dance floor and play area. There is often entertainment. This is a shorts and T-shirt kind of place. Wear bug spray. They usually furnish a can on every table.
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The Cultured Pelican
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This is a nice outdoor setting with a wonderful view of Buck Island and the water. The bad news is the food is only “OK.” The good news is that the menu ranges from sandwiches and burgers to a wide variety of entrees all available at moderate prices accompanied by wonderful Italian opera on the stereo. Their Sunday brunch menu (not buffet) is really good with mimosas and Bloody Marys at only $2. You can go casual or dressy.
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Deep End Bar
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The villa looks down on the marina, which is in within walking distance. And at the end – the deep end – is a tiny, quaint, unique restaurant where locals and marina people gather. It’s associated with the Tamarind Beach Hotel and sits right on the water. Serves snacks, burgers, some sandwiches and a couple of soups. From our deck on the cove, walk down to the big tree on the right, slip around the fence and stroll out to the road and angle off to the right at the tennis courts. Crab Races on Fridays just walking distance from the house.
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Divi Carina Bay Resort and Casino
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There are several restaurants here, none of which we can recommend at this time. But they are new and we hope they will improve. It is nice drive out to what has to be the world’s smallest casino. It’s nice and the hotel is lovely for a drink on the breach.
They feature a pretty good Caribbean Night with mocko-jumbies, glass walkers, fire-eaters, and stilt walkers. Crab Races are mid-week.
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Duggan’s Reef
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A beachfront restaurant overlooking Buck Island, this is a local favorite with an interesting menu and good food. Even though it is open, most of the best of the breezes seem to miss it so it could use a few more ceiling fans. However, that doesn’t seem to dampen its popularity. Their local lobster is wonderful. Call ahead to makes sure they have it. Take bug spray.
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The Galleon
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| At the opposite end of the marina from the Deep End Bar is a fancier restaurant, also within walking distance. Go to the big tree, around the fence, to the road and turn right. At night you may want to drive, but that’s quite a circuitous route. It is perfectly safe – and lovely – to walk, but take a flashlight (from the “bookcase” in the master bedroom) to show the way home. A favorite of the locals it has very good food. The rack of lamb is the best we have ever tasted. So is their tuna appetizer. (Dennis eats two.) Indoor with lots of windows, we all welcomed the recently installed air conditioning. A great piano bar. Expensive. |
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Golden Rail Café
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| Where the locals gather is the place to be. Most visitors don’t know about this place that serves good breakfasts, a fun happy hour (4 – 6 PM) and wonderful sunsets. This is a Good Grub kind of place located at the St. Croix Marina at Gallows Bay. All that and entertainment too: on Friday and Saturday nights between 6 – 9 PM and Sundays from 3 – 7 PM listen to the St. Croix Blues Society Jam. |
| Tutto Benne |
| With that name, what else? Great Italian food! With specials every night. Indoors with no A/C, it is moderately priced and a lot of fun. Plenty of parking. Everyone loves this place. |
Mid-Island
These are a bit of a drive and a little hard to find. Call ahead and get some directions. |
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Elizabeth’s’ Restaurant at The Palms Resort
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| This is new and very good with a great atmosphere. Its waterfront location offers an excellent view and waves lap only a few feet away. The chef touts an “eclectic” menu that ranges from crab cakes to Chilean sea bass to rack of lamb. Expensive. Good music, sometimes a little loud. |
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H2O
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| H2O is a Caribbean bistro located at the Hibiscus Beach Resort. It is lovely, well designed, under roof but totally open and right on the beach. Good to great food, though a touch inconsistent. But what a GREAT atmosphere! Very good black and white tuna sashimi appetizer; awesome coconut/saffron mussels. Lots of good entrees and specials, still they have burgers and pizza so kids can be happy too. There is a great Sunday brunch with an “all you can drink” Bloody Mary bar. (Only in St. Croix!).
After dinner, take a right and walk on the beach for about 30 yards to The Palm Resort and listen to great music. (Sometimes H2O has music too.)
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Fredericksted
Fredericksted is about a 40-minute drive to the other end of the island; a bit too far for a snack. But if you are diving, horseback riding or just down there to see “what’s up,” there are some good places to eat. |
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Beach Side Café at the Sandcastle
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Another fabulous view combined with a great stretch of sandy beach. Food has ranged from Great to only good but the setting and the ambiance make this worth the trip. Closed Tuesday and Wednesdays.
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Rainbow Beach Bar
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Great junk food beach bar. Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger!
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Le St. Tropez
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Charming courtyard restaurant with the flavor of Southern France with verisimilitude: the owners are actually French. Lunch and dinner. The food is always good and sometimes astonishing. Definitely a fine food restaurant with a bistro feel – all reasonably priced.
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Sunset Grill at Spratt Hall Beach
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This place is interesting: Just a little ways out of Fredericksted and right on the beach, it seems to change character with the waning daylight.
Late Afternoon: a great open-air place or you can sit (dine even) on the nice sandy beach. Have a drink and watch the sun go down.
Dusk: As you begin dinner, the atmosphere turns romantic in keeping with the sunset.
Night: Finish your desert as the surroundings feel almost like a jungle.
Inventive menu well prepared. Lots of specials. This is our new “favorite restaurant.”
We like to get a table right on the beach. There is much for the kids to do and there are showers so spending a day on the beach, in the water, watching dolphins, combing the rocks and chowing down is not out of the question. Call and get directions.
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Whatever you do, don't eat at
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Club Comanche, Lobster Reef Café, Smuggler’s Cove
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