StX Restaurant Ratings

Yes, the ice cream at Rowdy Joe's is great! I'm glad they're doing more "normal" (yet not boring!) flavors now. Around the holidays, they got into some flavors that were creative but not really my cup of tea.

Had lunch at Case Place in Gallows Bay yesterday and was delighted. Partied at Eat@Cane Bay today for Mardi Croix and then had dinner at Rowdy Joes. So far, in four months here, we've had two bad meals: one at Church's and one at KFC. We know better now and are usually beyond pleased. This is definitely one good food island.

Not sure what you were expecting at Churches or what went wrong but one of my guilty fast food pleasures is their MexiCali sandwich. It's a fried chicken breast topped with cheese, a tortilla chip for a nice crunch and a sour cream based sauce. Eaten hot (right at the store) it is awesome!

Sean

Sounds yummy, Sean. For a hot chicken sandwich, you cannot beat Quality (in Princess). We get the one with swiss cheese, sauteed peppers and onions and ranch dressing. OMG....on fresh baked bread. We probably have it 3 times a week, or more. They will add other items, too, if you like.

Thanks Juanita, I may go try it tomorrow. Quality has some killer sandwiches, I've not tried that one yet though!

I went to college in a small town (Salisbury Maryland) that had this old gas station/convenience store called Johnny's that used to make a "Chicken Cheddar Trio" which is still the best chicken sandwich I've ever had. To look at the place you probably wouldn't eat there, but as here in the Caribbean you'd be missing out if you skipped the meal based on aesthetics alone. The Eastern Shore is chicken country and they would take 2 huge chicken breasts, batter and deep fry them, and serve them on huge kaiser rolls with bacon and 2 pieced of cheddar with "boardwalk style" fries and a soda for like $3.49. Last time I went back for homecoming it was like $6 which is still a steal. A good chicken sandwich can take me back to being a poor college kid with a simple life eating an awesome meal playing video keno for a few dollars without a care in life!

Sean

We had a really nice Brunch on Sunday at the Carambola. The food was very tasty, great variety. The seafood salad was spicy and good, light batter fried conch was really tender and tasty, a nice seafood pasta dish with mussels and clams, fresh mahi with a beurre blanc sauce.

The crab claws was the only thing that was not good , they were very watery.

As far as service goes, the wait staff was always checking with us (maybe too much). We could not find fault with the service otherwise. There was nice steel pan music from a group.

We would highly recommend having Sunday Brunch at the Carambola with the unlimited mimosa's and the great view! This Brunch has started only a few weeks ago, relatively new.

Jacky and Carole
Jaccar Sorbet

We had a really nice Brunch on Sunday at the Carambola. The food was very tasty, great variety. The seafood salad was spicy and good, light batter fried conch was really tender and tasty, a nice seafood pasta dish with mussels and clams, fresh mahi with a beurre blanc sauce.

The crab claws was the only thing that was not good , they were very watery.

As far as service goes, the wait staff was always checking with us (maybe too much). We could not find fault with the service otherwise. There was nice steel pan music from a group.

We would highly recommend having Sunday Brunch at the Carambola with the unlimited mimosa's and the great view! This Brunch has started only a few weeks ago, relatively new.

Jacky and Carole

Jaccar Sorbet

Are you referring to Marriott Renaissance Carambola or Carambola golf club?

Thanks.

We went to Marriott Renaissance Carambola

Jacky and Carole

I meant to ask as well because I was thrown off but you saying it was a new thing. They've been doing brunch for a long time, unless they are doing it every day now? But the unlimited mimosas I think are new...but not sure. 🙂 You should try one of their holiday brunches like easter, they are truly massive.

Hiya: I KNOW you don't like to be nudged so this is for others. Hiya's post has interesting info but will never show up in a search because nowhere does he mention Carambola. Just a restaurant name in every post would be really helpful to people who aren't as familiar with the board as some. No need to start a flame war -- just ignore this request if don't agree.

Forgot to mention this - but we had Binets and Benedicts at Good Spirits a couple of weeks ago... it was the first time they were trying it.

my husband and I split one of each - the benedicts were good - one of my favorite breakfasts anyway.
but the Binets have yet to be perfected. Some were light and airy - others were not. They told us that they weren't sure what to expect for orders - being their first day, so they let the dough sit in the fridge instead of room-temp before cooking - apparently that is what makes the fluffiness occur. They did have them coated in powdered sugar with chocolate sauce on the side for dipping - Bonus!

I'll go back, I always do. 🙂

Went to Chenay Bay for the two dollar tacos Sat nite. Food was good but when the lady and guy starting dining at the top of the amp volume, we had to leave! Could not converse with our dinner companions!
Don't know why everyone thinks they have to play so loud?
Maybe some people come mainly to year them play but most(?) come for dinner and friends!
The exception seems to be Jazzy Blue at Chenay Bay on Wed nite $5 hamburger night!
Nice volume, you can hear him yet still talk to your friends.
Maybe that is why on Wed nite you need reservations to get a seat and Sat night the place was less than half full!
The should tell the management something!

We ate at Tavern 1844 the other night and it was soooooooo good. The "Best Burger" with Waygu beef and lobster, the salmon pate, the lobster BLT were all magnificent and the lobster mac n cheese was almost as good. Unbelievable beer list! We'll be going there a lot.

terry,
Couldn't agree with you more about the loud music. I hate it, and it stops us from going to a lot of places. I always second guess myself though, thinking someone must like it because everybody does it. I don't get it. All I hear are complaints about loud music from everyone except the musicians and the bar/restaurant owners.

Anyone out there who actually likes the music so loud you can't talk?? I'm not talking about a nighclub, but in a restaurant during dinner, or even a neighborhood bar where friends gather to chat.

Haven't tried the waygu burger at 1844 (again, just too loud with TV's, yelling etc.....it's a sports bar) but we had it at Salud, and it was fantastic!

I love the food at Tavern 1844. @Juanita - at Tavern ask them to turn the music down - I have and they will do it. It's a great place.

I love the food at Tavern 1844. @Juanita - at Tavern ask them to turn the music down - I have and they will do it. It's a great place.

If it's somewhere we go on a regular basis, or we're the only people in the place, I don't mind asking for the music to be turned down, but other than that it's just more comfortable for us to go elsewhere. At Tavern it's not the music as much as the sports shows and the fans enjoying themselves. No problem.

When I asked to have it turned down in IHOP, I was told other people wanted it loud. As I looked around the almost empty (freezing cold) restaurant all I saw were middle aged people or people with young children (not teenagers or young adults who might like it), so I could only assume it was the employees who wanted it loud. I think that one was our 3rd, and final, visit.

There's always somewhere else you can go....:-)

Thanks for the suggestion Carole. The wife and I went to the brunch at Carambola on Sunday. Of course you can get eggs but they also have shrimp, crab, mahai, and roast beef to name a few items. We showed up at 10 am and found out that brunch starts at 11 am. No worries because we founds some comfy chairs on the beach and just chilled.

The Bistro in Gallows Bay on St. Croix just opened this week. We went for breakfast yesterday and it was really good. Nice people, the food was very good, a lot variety and you could eat inside or out. If you know the chain in the States called Panera, this is like a mini-version of that restaurant. Looking forward to going back!

I was really impressed with the Bistro's dessert at Taste. It did not look like it would taste so good. You see cake on a stick and you think that's gotta be dry, but it was very moist with a ton of flavor.

I was sad to learn that the Case Place in Gallows Bay on St. Croix closed a week or so ago. Apparently a combination of the economy, ridiculous utility bills as well as WAPA zapping their equipment too many times. A shame because it was a good place for lunch and had A/C.

stxer1, i am with you on that one. i loved the case place too.

Stxer I think you left out the part where they changed their menu and they never got as busy as they used to after that. New menu was not as good as the old one. You used to have to have a reservation to know you where going to get a table at lunch and then they changed the menu and we never had a problem getting a table after that.

I'm sorry to see all those people out of work, but this really felt like it could have been avoided.

Restaurants open and close here all the time. Blaming outside factors usually ignores the real reasons for most closures, poor management decisions or undercapitalization.

Stxer I think you left out the part where they changed their menu and they never got as busy as they used to after that. New menu was not as good as the old one. You used to have to have a reservation to know you where going to get a table at lunch and then they changed the menu and we never had a problem getting a table after that.

I'm sorry to see all those people out of work, but this really felt like it could have been avoided.

I second this, that place was always one of our favorites...then the smokiness of the place started to get out of control and we found ourselves going less and less. The new menu was ill-concieved and was the final straw. No doubt the other factor's contribute to things but still, Case place seemed to be on a downward spiral in our experience. Sad to hear they couldn't pull out of it.

Sean

People started pulling out because of the smoke long before anything else; the menu change sent others to a new venue.

Eating at the Bistro now, using their free Wi-fi. Love this place. As for Case Place, I liked it a lot and only knew the new menu. I understand the owner had health issues that required going (moving?) back to the States.