64 Best Restaurants in U.S. Virgin Islands

This colorful family restaurant has been offering Caribbean-Latin cuisine to the local community for over 20 years. Fresh fish, lobster, and conch are almost always on the menu, as well as stew chicken, fried pork chops, and grilled steaks.

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.

Choose from a wide variety of hot and cold beverages, signature sandwiches, specialty drinks, salads, soups, baked goods, and desserts. The locally made pates sell out quickly in the morning; get there early to grab one and pair with your favorite coffee or tea beverage. There are three locations on the island: on Strand Street in Christiansted, in Sunny Isles Shopping Center, and the original location inside the VIYA Building next to the Juan Luis Hospital.

Named for the two Hamiltons of St. Croix—Alexander Hamilton and David Hamilton Jackson—this fine dining restaurant, with an extensive wine list, prepares dishes with fresh ingredients and an abundance of flavor. The soup du jour and the fresh catch of the day—which might be a seafood chowder made with local conch and mahi mahi, and a pan-seared wahoo or wasabi-crusted tuna—are always a hit with guests. The creamy mushroom risotto is an excellent vegetarian option and desserts are made in-house daily.

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.

Grilled mahimahi sandwiches, falafel, fish-and-chips, and burgers are among the favorites at this open-air bar across the street from Cane Bay beach. Some dishes are prepared using local Leatherback beer, which is available behind the bar. Live bands occasionally entertain at dinnertime.

Formerly Breeze's Restaurant, Le Cuisinier offers a fusion of West Indian and American cuisine with themed offerings throughout the week like Taco Tuesday, Sushi Thursday, and Soul Food Saturday. Try the conch in butter sauce with seasoned rice and plantain or a surf-and-turf entrée of grilled rib eye steak and a half lobster.

The fare served here is the farthest thing from traditional Mexican food—in addition to the usual ingredients, you can get a taco stuffed with buffalo chicken or jambalaya, and vegan options are available, too. The bar and restaurant are one story up, so the views of the beach and surf are nice. Drink prices are fairly priced—expect to pay $6 for a local Leatherback beer and $9 for the signature cocktails made with crushed ice.

Enjoy a romantic meal with an iconic bird's-eye view of the Charlotte Amalie harbor. For starters, try the kallaloo soup (shrimp and crab in a thick, creamy spinach broth). Entrées include coconut curry-braised short ribs and a whole head-on red snapper smothered in sautéed onions and peppers. Side dishes definitely offer a taste of the tropics: fried plantain, polenta-like fungi made with cornmeal and okra, and coconut rice. Key lime pie is the most sublime dessert.

This modest storefront eatery fills up with locals getting to-go orders of the restaurant’s traditional Crucian breakfast, including salt fish, Johnny cake, boiled egg, cucumber salad, sautéed spinach, and—in a nod to the island’s Danish heritage—smoked herring. Lunch options include chicken, shrimp, and fish roti, and a popular vegetable lentil soup.

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.

You don’t have to eat like a pig at this restaurant and bar in the rain forest, but you can feed a whole can of beer to one. The giant hogs residing here have developed a taste for the suds, and for a few dollars you can buy a nonalcoholic beer and offer it up to a pig who will crush the can in its powerful jaws, chug down the ingredients, and spit out the crushed aluminum when done. You can get simple but delicious bar fare like burgers, wings, and Johnny Cakes, plus rotis on Friday.

Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner indoors and out, this dockside spot has something for everyone on its extensive menu. Dinner can be as fancy as flatiron steak or seafood pasta in a white wine garlic butter sauce, or as basic as a burger or chicken sandwich. Try one of their Caribbean bowls for lunch like the conch fritters bowl served with rice and beans and a side salad. Drinks at the bar are half-price daily from 4 pm to 6 pm.

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.

Divers fresh from a plunge at the North Shore's popular Cane Bay Wall gather at this breezy spot on the beach, where sunsets are celebrated with a toast at the bar and the winter months offer the possibility of whale sightings offshore. The menu includes deli sandwiches, burgers, and hot dogs, but the stars are the calzones and pizzas, which include options for vegetarians as well as meat-lovers. You can also build your own pizza from an extensive ingredients list or, if you just want a snack, you can order a slice.

At this ocean-level restaurant located at the Grapetree Bay Hotel, you can dine on fish-and-chips, tacos, and Asian sticky pork ribs in a breezy open-air terrace. The all-you-can-eat brunch buffet on Sundays offers your typical breakfast fare like eggs, bacon, and pancakes, plus rotating lunch specials and a meat carving station. At the East End Bar, casual dining under the stars is on the menu with house-made pizza, fresh sandwiches, and salads.

With live music and football on TV, Sib's is the perfect place for a casual dinner after a day at the beach. In addition to burgers, barbecue ribs and chicken, and beer, there's also a breakfast café outside with island-roasted coffees, including the signature "Bushwackercappuccino."

House-smoked, hand-rubbed meats with a side of rum are the specialty at this restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. Order the sampler platter for a taste of everything, including a choice of two meats like pulled pork and beef brisket, two sides such as potato mac salad (a mishmash of two favorites with a flavor all its own) and brisket beans, plus pickled veggies and Texas toast. There's smoked tofu, too, for vegetarians, and more than 70 choices of rum from throughout the Caribbean.

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.

This beautiful courtyard restaurant serves French-inspired American cuisine. The barbecue ribs are excellent, and you can do a partially healthy offset by ordering the roasted Brussels sprouts dip and scooping it onto flatbread. Don’t skip the desserts, particularly the apple crisp topped with house-made vanilla ice cream.

Huge sandwiches at this tiny spot feature homemade bread and can be as basic as turkey and cheddar or as imaginative as the Beast, piled high with hot roast beef, raw onion, and melted Swiss cheese with horseradish and mayonnaise. Barbecue—including pulled pork, chicken, and brisket plates—is another highlight. There are also salads and a good selection of desserts, plus lots of outdoor seating in the shade.

This locally owned coffee shop uses local organic fruits and vegetables to prepare hearty breakfast and lunch dishes. Located steps from the Christiansted National Historic site, the covered sidewalk seating is great for people-watching and taking in the local scene while enjoying your favorite latte, breakfast platter, or salad.

For a taste of local Crucian fare at an affordable price, head to Two Plus Two Restaurant. Fried chicken leg and French fries are consistently good; or try fish and fungi, the unofficial dish of the the Virgin Islands. As a boozy accompaniment to your food, grab a Cruzan Confusion cocktail or an ice-cold beer at the full-service bar.

No two days are ever the same with daily vegan and vegetarian specials, veggie soups, stewed veggies, garden salads, and local drinks at this community favorite. Choose your plate size—small, medium, or large—and select from the list of proteins and sides that will leave you feeling nourished and satisfied. Arrive early with cash and a little patience as the kitchen moves at its own pace. Don’t miss their spicy popcorn snacks; they sell out quickly thanks to the unique combination of spices and flavors. Head across the street to the park and enjoy your meal with the breathtaking waterfront views.

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.

For fantastic northern Italian cuisine, try this intimate, elegant, side-street hideaway. The menu has more than 40 homemade, superbly seasoned pasta dishes, like capellini with fresh tomatoes and garlic or peasant-style spaghetti in a rich tomato sauce with mushrooms and prosciutto. Eclectic art covers the two-story brick walls, and the sound of opera sets the stage for a memorable meal.