The conch is ground up and mixed with breadcrumbs and seasonings, then deep fried. Some people like them but frankly I've never tasted any variation that I'd ooh and aah over. Deep-fried cardboard with seasoning, dipping sauce or no dipping sauce. But conch served in butter sauce wih lots of onions and fungi is something else!

I'm with STTRes on this one. I will only disagree that I do like deep fried cardboard with small trace amonts of conch amongst a breaded wasteland.

But give me the conch in smothered in butter with onyions and fungi and you've a yummy yummy treat.

What is Conch? Besides breadcrumbs and fried there has to be more to it then that. The conch itself what is that besides something tasting like cardbox which im not too sure im going to try now. Thanks

Sorry to disagree but if you've ever had good conch fritters, they are heavenly ... and conch has a mild sweet taste but can be chewy and tough - thus pounding the heck out if helps or cooking it lightly or forever so it goes beyond the tough stage. You can eat 'em plain or you can dip 'em in a sauce if you want. They are ground (or chopped finely, my preference) conch mixed with a bit of filling to hold 'em together. I use flour, a bit of sugar, baking powder, egg, and buttermilk. Most receipes give you too much "filling" or lots of breadcrumbs and they wind up as chewy liitle lumps with even chewier bits of conch in 'em! For "seasoning" I use a jalepeno, onion, red bell pepper, celery and garlic and then deep fry. I do think that many restaurants all use the same fritters from the same company and probably have arrived frozen thus the "cardbordy" or unwonderful taste and texture and serve 'em as quick appetizers or snack food. Filling is cheaper than conch - just like most "Maryland-style crabcakes" that are more breadcrumb filling than crab but are nothing like the real ting! When you find the real ones, they are fantastic! BTW, instead of breadcrumbs for cracked conch, ground almonds make a delicious breading!

CShell, I'll take five please.

Not sure if they're all frozen and then fried. But as you outline....TOO MUCH FILLING.

To the question of what is conch. We find it in Italian delis as scungilli. Also known as welk (sp).

I tried them for the first time when I was down there in January and I loved them. I dipped mine in Mango salsa and they were wonderful. I had them at indigo on STT and they were great. I had them again at the texas bar (don't know the name) on STJ (right off of cruz bay) and they were dreadful.

Conch, is a shell fish ( mullusk) similar tin shape to a snail but much larger. They are the creature that lives in those beautiful big horn shaped shells you see used as decorations and are sometimes used as a horn as they do aboard DayDreamer to summon you back to the boat for departure. The Conch are removed from the shell, cleaned and the white meat is what is used for eating in a varity of ways. It is delicous if prepared correctly. Much like any shell type fish if over cooked it turns to rubber. Ever had over cooked squid (calamari) ? Same deal. If you ever have a chance go to Mollie Malones, Red Hook STT and if they have Conch Stew or Chowder on the menu try it. It is heavenly..

Best conch fritters are at Shipwreck Landing in Coral Bay.
If you want to see live conch - and I mean hundreds - go to the beach at Brown Bay.
Short hike, but an amazing, deserted stretch of beach with live conch everywhere!

Ok ,were off the Shipwreck Landing for Conch Fritters when we go next June. Thanks for all the insight. I think I will dip mine in ranch dressing as I do everything else I eat.

I had conch fritters at 4 different places on our trip. The best ones were at Blue Moon on STT, but then again they were my first (and isn't your first always the best?) had em at soggy dollar on Jost, but not as good (altho their burgers and pasta salad were great). Iggies' were terrible and now I've forgotten where else I had them, maybe at Tickles, but I had Blue Moon's twice - awesome. and the sauce was great.

they are basically just a "hush puppy" with conch in them.

Glady's Cafe in Drake's Passage downtown on STT. The best and largest I've tasted and seen (they really are huge!). Also, the restaurant at Mafolie makes a decent fritter.

Good conch fritters are elusive. Each batch can be different. I generally liken them to crabcakes;alot of crab-good crabcake; alot of breading not so good. Unfortunately I haven't had many good conch fritters in STJ;the restaurant at Emerald Beach in STT was the best we had this year. And to my pleasant surprise both times I had them at High Tide this year, they were very good.
While the location is nice and I try the conch fritters every year hoping for a change, Shipwreck Landing may have the most consistently bad conch fritters on an island not noted for conch fritters. We and some neighbor diners we met there this year from Massachusets commented that there was so little conch and conch flavor, the taste was closer to a salty hush puppy, not necessarily a bad taste, but not the sublime taste of a well made conch fritter.
Try Woody's, Fish Trap, or High Tide, then compare to Shipwreck.

Cuzzin's has wonderful conch fritters as well as conch in butter sauce and curried conch. Yum! Pressure cooking the conch is the key (and putting in enough large chunks in a delicious batter!)

Cuzzins! that is where I had the other ones. I could not remember where it was, but sorry, Blue Moon's was better. 🙂

Vie's, on East End, is good- and consistent. When you get her dipping sauce, ask for hot sauce to mix in.

Sogos in Cruz Bay has good conch in butter sauce.

I'm with EE on this one. Some of the best conchs I've ever had at Cuzzin's.

Yummy, yummy, yummy, I got conch in my tummy........

Vie's- served fresh, hot and with a smile-just had them on 5/4/07-execellent!

I have to agree with Vi's we had them all over the island and Vii's rocks! She's the sweetest lady, always has a smile on her face and her fritters are the best that we've found on St. John. Enjoy