17 Best Restaurants in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Visiting this alfresco family-owned eatery requires climbing a long flight of stairs, but the food is well worth the effort. Although fish is the specialty, try the coconut panko-crusted grouper topped with a white wine, coconut, and lemongrass reduction—the chef also creates a vegetarian platter with black beans, fried plantains, and a mound of truffled mashed sweet potatoes.

Sailors who live aboard boats anchored offshore and an eclectic coterie of residents and visitors gather for lunch and dinner at this funky spot in the middle of a boatyard and shopping complex. It's a great place for burgers (they're served with potato chips, not fries—there's no deep fryer), fish sandwiches, and whatever sports are on the satellite TV.

Creative takes on true classics coupled with artfully presented plates draw crowds to this Mediterranean-inspired restaurant at Caneel Bay. The four-course menu starts with a selection of artisan-made antipasti, then moves to salads like the mango, feta, and prosciutto--topped frisee, followed by entrées such as butter-soft diver scallops with crabmeat or classic osso buco with a Caribbean twist of crispy plantains. Make sure to order the signature cheesecake with ricotta and prosecco-glazed peaches. Table service takes two to three hours from start to finish and is warmed by the setting sun. If four courses seems excessive, you can order from the à la carte bar menu.

This second-floor restaurant in the heart of Cruz Bay is the place for traditional Italian cuisine, so don't let the underwhelming ambience turn you away. The lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, and seafood manicotti are all delicious, as are the pizzas—the smaller ones are available at your table, but larger ones are available for takeout or at the bar. This casual place can get crowded, so come early. 

This is the place to go for Mexican food on St. John. You'll find nacho starters, tacos, burritos, and enchiladas as well as a half dozen margarita variations to wash it all down. The tortillas are made fresh in the St. Thomas location and ferried across daily. For something different, try the tequilas infused with mango, pineapple, or red chili.

This casual spot right at Cruz Bay Beach serves everything from hamburgers and mahi sandwiches to surf and turf and Caribbean lobster. At happy hour, order a Painkiller and watch the sunset over the bay. Or, if you're here for breakfast, order the chicken and waffles or eggs Benedict. The kids' menu includes favorites like chicken tenders and grilled-cheese sandwiches.

Sit in the open-air courtyard of this locals' favorite eatery for reasonably priced Mexican staples like tacos, tostadas, and fajitas. The best bet is at breakfast. Go for rib-sticking biscuits and gravy, three-egg omelets, or French toast spiked with a cinnamon amaretto batter to fuel up for a day of hiking and swimming.

Good old-fashioned BBQ ribs and brisket, plus all the fixings like mac and cheese, cornbread, and okra are served from a bright yellow food truck. Dine outdoors on umbrella-covered picnic tables with a view of Coral Harbor. Lobster is served on Fridays.

Sitting seaside at remote Friis Bay, Miss Lucy's dishes up Caribbean food conch fritters, vacation staples like burgers, and crossover dishes such as a grouper Reuben. The handful of small tables near the water are nicest, but if they're taken or the mosquitoes are swarming, the indoor tables do nicely.

At this air-conditioned but otherwise no-frills breakfast and sandwich shop, you place your order at the counter and wait for it to be delivered to your table or for takeout. The classic Reuben is a favorite, but other sandwiches, like the turkey pesto and vegan Greek flatbread pita with hummus and veggies, also get rave reviews. For breakfast, try the brown sugar oatmeal or turkey hash with toast and eggs.

Pacific-Rim-meets-Caribbean cooking in the cozy dining room of this open-air eatery, with bamboo furnishings and local flora providing a tropical backdrop. Thai crab cakes, Cuban mojo pork, and sesame-encrusted Szechuan tuna are excellent choices. If you feel in the mood to share, order finger-food-style pupu platters with choices like duck pot stickers, coconut rice balls, and spicy peanut chicken skewers.

Enjoy limin' (local speak for relaxing) at this open-air waterfront restaurant with views across Coral Bay. The bar is a big focal point, serving rum punch, Painkillers and frozen coladas, bushwackers, and margaritas. Build-your-own pizzas and salads are the stars of the show. For the pizza, toppings run from sausage and pepperoni to banana peppers and sundried tomatoes. For $1, order the house-made oil perfect for dipping those last bites of pizza crust. For salads, be sure to include Josephine's Greens, organic lettuces grown on a farm less than a mile away from the restaurant. The key lime pie is killer good for dessert. 

While you can get the usual chocolate and vanilla ice cream as well as smoothies at this tiny spot, owner Colette Rethage also dishes up frozen treats blended with alcoholic beverages. Try the Champagne sorbet, espresso martini, peach margarita, or that tropical favorite, the rum-laced Painkiller. House-made waffle cones are not to miss.

There's an unusual assortment of dishes at this charming alfresco restaurant, which you'll find tucked into a courtyard in the upper reaches of the Mongoose Junction shopping center. The Jamaican jerk chicken salad and the black-bean quesadilla are good choices. Kudos to the white pizza with artichoke hearts, roasted garlic, mozzarella cheese, and capers.

More than a dozen house-brewed beers on tap, including the signature Tropical Mango Pale Ale, make dining at St. John Brewers' tap room special. The rich wood décor is the perfect place for a soft Bavarian-style pretzel, burgers, and build-your-own-pizzas.

Juicy ribs and tasty chicken legs dripping with house barbecue sauce make for one of St. John's best dining deals. An ear of corn, rice, and a generous scoop of macaroni salad, potato salad, or coleslaw round out the plate. This casual spot crowds the edge of a busy sidewalk in the heart of Cruz Bay. Even though there are a few open-air tables for "dining in," the ambience is more than a tad on the pedestrian side, so takeout is a better bet.

Come for the bird's-eye view over Hawksnest Bay and Pillsbury Sound, and stay to drink and dine. Rum-drenched libations are on special for happy hour between 3 pm to 5 pm. The menu is a casual mix of burgers; jerk, shrimp, and fish tacos; and cheesesteaks and mahi sandwiches, but the icing on the cake is definitely the sweeping view.