StX Restaurant Ratings

I'm not here to do it service. This thread is definitely writing about what you think. I said nothing about the food because I haven't eaten it but I have no desire to eat veal anyways so its all good. I walked in there to eat it gave me the hebby jebbies right away and I left. It felt old, musty and very cramped. I don't get that feeling at paradise, make because the tile and high ceilings make it better. But if you do have claustrophobia I wouldn't go. I get the same feeling at Norma's. The ceilings very low there and its all made leaves and they seem very dirty. Lovely lady but I can't hang out there long.

Dear Betty - I agree - this thread is writing about what you think. I think that to write something about a restaurant in a public forum that you did not eat at, walked into and left immediately because of some "hebbie jebbies" (spelling?) is a disservice to a fine establishment. It is not old ,musty, or cramped. It is utterly charming and cozy. But as you say, its all good - and I certainly am a believer in the "to each their own" motto.

If you really want to talk "heebie jeebies" i think a discussion of restaurant hygiene is in order. Do you ever ask yourself the following questions:

Are the bathrooms remotely clean? Is the kitchen clean? Does the bar (and the area behind the bar) appear to be clean? Does the restaurant have an open garbage can at the end of the bar (on the patron side of the bar) where they scrape food scraps off of diner's plates who have finished with their meals in full view of those diners? Talk about heebie jeebies.

Happy eating!

Regards -

Stxfoodie

Again it is not my job to do this restaurant a service (so there is not disservice by me), especially when I found it so unappealing I couldn't stand the thought of eating there. It is ABSOLUTELY the restaurant's job to be appealing. Location and decor as well as food, cleanliness, customer are all considerations of a good restaurant. This one happens to not have the best location either IMO, especially for dinner service.

Again its unappealing because you walked in and walked out? You should really reevaluate what it means to be "appealing" - please note the garbage can in your referenced restaurant? Location, decor, cleanliness are all far superior IMO to the place you have mentioned, especially for dinner service. IMO.

i spent 16 hours at paradise today and never once felt claustrophobic but then i smoke and have to go outside to do that, i probably spent the same amount of time out as i do in, the ac gets to me after awhile and i also like to watch the traffic

Not because I walked in and walked out. But I went there to eat, but found the place so distasteful that I had to leave. I would not eat somewhere that made me totally uncomfortable and felt dirty. It is super cramped, tables so close together you're eating with strangers, all the furnishing were just old and musty looking. Because you don't agree with me I don't know what appealing is? Give me a break. At least I will now know how to gauge your reviews.

The location is not superior. Its on a dark street away from most of the other restaurants, just finding the entrance to the place is not obvious at all. With all the muggings downtown lately I'm surprised if they get any business.

believe it or not but company street is actually safe until you hit the benticks area now that bongos and 54 are closed, well 54 during the week and bongos all the time, we stay pretty steady at paradise betty and none of our guests have had any problems, but then we close at 9 before the scum comes out, lol the street is too dead during the week for the scum to come up that far

Can someone, anyone, please explain to me why servers won't do separate checks??? I was a server for several years in the VI. I never had a problem with it.

We had lunch today at a favorite hang-out. The owner was waiting tables, not the usual server. We have never had to ask the usual server for separate checks. He just does it. (It's a usual Sunday spot). I specifically asked today because we wanted to buy lunch for a couple in the party. She said no.

BTY, we appeared to be the only table (may have been more outside, but I don't think so), it was EXTREMELY casual. We don't care if the food comes out together, which by the way, it did not, even on the same check.

WHY??? Wife waiting tables, hubby cooking, only table in the place, So at the end of our very enjoyable experience, we have to "deal" with splitting the check. It would have been so easy just to do separate checks.

I have made a decision....my husband doesn't know this....if I ask for a separate check, and they won't do it, I'm gone!

(She got about $50 tip, could have been a bit more accommodating!!!!!)

well juanita i get hit on for sep checks all the time,we have alot of cay people,,if you were somewhere that frowns on sep checks you need to leave that place and complain about it in public,non of us are that busy

lol sounds like you were at rowdy joes or salud

Must be Rowdy Joe's, Salud is not open for Sunday Brunch--nor do they have outside dining.

Separate checks are a pain if there is a large group of people and you don't let the servers know until after the meal. By that time, there is no way to know exactly how many of each drinks were had and by who and who goes together, etc...It really helps to let the person know ahead of time (especially if they're busy). otherwise, i dont have an issue with it...unless you're doing it to get out of the 18% gratuity that is added to parties of 6-8 or more...but then i just add the 18% to each ticket that's split.

See that's not the way it works for an experience waitress or owner should know to ask a large party if they want separate checks. They are in the restaurant to be waited on. I waited tables for a long time and I would never blame the customer, unless they're being total jerks and even they I never let my feelings about it show. But doing separate checks is not in the tiniest bit hard.

Most of the service on this islands is horrible. And for the most part I'm used to it and just accept it, but when I hear you complaining about the customers??? Give me a break as customers we have to put up with a lot of crap from poor service on this island. We should be able to take 18% off the bill for horrible service.

our "horrible" waitress was sent packing yesterday,she's a nice woman but not cut out for this business we'll need to hire someone in december when the other one moves back to the states she's leaving dec15th

Separate checks are a royal pain when the guest doesn't let the server know in advance. Here's a case to consider...The server rang in 10 Heinekens over the course of the last hour and he has to try to remember guy 1 had three, guy 4 had one, girl 6 had one and grandma had five (way to go grandma!). Then when large parties order apps to share he/she has to figure out who gets billed for what. Then at the end of the meal, not realizing it is a separate check situation because he wasn't told in advance, the server gets the calculator out and starts hacking everything all up. This is time the server doesn't have when it is busy.

Here's when things go bad and why separate checks can be difficult...the server takes the 5 checks he just spend precious time splitting up back to the table only to find out guy 4 actually had two beers, guy 1 only had one, girl 6 had one and grandma really had six (grandma rocks!) - something the server might have been able to keep track of had he know about the separate checks in advance. Now he has to re-do all the checks while his other tables are getting antsy for service and the chef is screaming for him to get food out of the window and a new table just got sat. Meanwhile, the split check group is getting annoyed because it is taking so long to get the checks together. About this time grandma realizes it will be a few minutes to get the checks straightened out and wants another beer so the server has to take time to order the beer, to go to the bar, return to serve grandma then change her check...again. It gets even worse when the group throws down three credit cards and two cash payments then complains it takes too long for the server to run the cards, get the authorization and make change all at the same time. About this time his new table is wondering if the server will ever come over to say Hello and bring some water, his other guests are fuming about "bad service" (resulting in lower tips) and now the chef is turning red with fury as his food starts to die in the window. A "Waiter Nightmare" has begun and it will take the rest of the night to get "out of the weeds".

Of course this is a slightly exaggerated scenario, but it does happen to some degree from time to time. Please, if you want separate checks, let the server know in advance and be patient when he/she has to split it all up and apply multiple payments at the end. Splitting a check into two is a piece of cake..into three or four, sure. Once you get into five, six, or ten separate checks even the most organized server can easily get things messed up and the whole thing becomes a nightmare.

Why doesn't the server just ask when the drink order is taken or the menu presented........seems like the easy thing to do.

Again, "See that's not the way it works for an experience waitress or owner should know to ask a large party if they want separate checks"

One of the biggest problems with servers here is they have no training when they begin and the owners/mangers give them little to no training. Mostly because the owner/mangers have little training. Waiting tables requires charm and good customer service skills. If you think separate checks is hard don't wait tables because its much easier then a guest being a prick to ya for a couple of hours and you just have to grin and bear it.

Even without a POS system separate checks are not hard. Say you have a table of 6 that wants 3 separate checks. Write a 1 next to the first ticket and write down their order, 2 next the second party and their order and so on. On the back do the same thing with their drinks. Do you realize how much better your tip will be if you do this nicely?

This is not rocket science.

None of our restaurants are that big and any waiter should be able to easily handle five or so tables. Long as you communicate with your guests and let them know you'll be right with them people are usually patient. Ignore them and people get pissy.

If a chef food is dying in the window he should deliver it! Yelling and screaming is only going to make a bad situation worse. You'll just end up tossing the food and the guest will be even more upset.

ChefDave I totally get where you're coming from. I will have to consider that the next time I'm out.

Was over in St. Thomas last week for one night. I couldn't find a good Bushwhacker anywhere.
First we tried the 19th Hole and it was just okay. It was very small for $8, I think he served it in a 6 oz cup. Then I tried to get one at Latitude 18 and they don't have a blender, not sure why. Most tourists love blender drinks. Why is it such a big deal to make blender drinks? they cost enough. If you are a good bartender then while the blender is blending you could be getting other drinks for the rest of the customers, it doesn't take that much more time. The waiter told us that they will never have a blender or a TV. So no luck there.
We left there and went to Iggie's, ordered bushwhackers, it tasted like water down Kahlua. I sent it back. It was that bad.
Where is the best place on St. Thomas for a bushwhacker?
I love Off The Wall and Pleasants for bushwhackers on STX. Gotta have the right bartender though.

Don't you know by now that Betty never has anything good to say about anything.

Hey feel free to call me whatever ya want. I had no illusions that you were friendly towards me.

But when a restaurant owner starts to complain that customers want separate checks and what a pain they are, when in fact its a very minor problem. They should be happy to have the large groups and customers!!!! Especially in this economic atmosphere. It does make me mad. It makes me mad to be served by someone who feels like they are doing me a favor. Lately going out to eat has just sucked, so I just met up with friends for drinks after. If the restaurants treated customers and locals better maybe they would be busier in the off season.

Jewelygirl, Betty is right ; most servers are sloppy, rude and unprofessional--unbelievable some owners are too.

Just like the downtown stores that are closed on Sundays even if it's a holiday or a cruise ship is in then cry about no business--get off your lazy butt and work.

Rhythms at Rainbow has THE BEST bushwhacker on St. Croix. so sinfully delicious 🙂 gotta try Off the Wall! Havn't seen Pleasants open for awhile.

Went to 19th hole for there $20 all you can deat Italian buffet last week. It was amazing! Lori really did outdo herself. So many choices and it was all very well prepared. Want to beat the pain of a waitress? buffet.

just had a burger from lobster reef, i like his seasoning mix, didn't care for the coleswlaw,too much coconut there were 2 four tops and a couple singles while i was there and a guy comes in sits at the bar wants to order food and wants to know how long and theserver said well there's a dozen orders in right now and the guy says i can't wait that long and leaves,what a jerk by the time you get back in your car drive somewhere else to torment them, sit and place an order your food would have been up, the singles and i got our food before the 2 four tops, oh and my biggestbitch is when you try and order something and the server comes back and says we're out of that,find out before service starts what you have and don't have,you should ask or the kitchen should tell,communication between the front and back of the house is a good thing