We're pretty burned out on Skinnylegs. We prefer Shipwreck or Island Blues over on that side of the island. We like to have some local food while we're on the island. Sogo's is our favorite. Also had a good meal at Sosa's. Miss Lucy's in Coral Bay. Good local lunch stops are Hercules or some of the cart/truck/stands around the pavilion in Cruz Bay. There's a good truck stand place at the intersection in Coral Bay.
And since I'm on the "local" topic, interesting spots to stop for a drink are Mooie's in Cruz Bay and the Sputnik Bar in Coral Bay.

We stopped by Margarita Phil's to check out their menu. Basically, they have several variations of tacos. And..... they charge a fortune for it. I don't care if they are the best tacos in the world..... I guarantee they are not worth the price you will pay for them. Isn't Mexican food supposed to be inexpensive? I mean c'mon..... flour, chicken, ground meat, rice? Even for the Islands I believe their prices are outrageous. So.... we just moved on and had great meals at other places at a much more reasonable price.

TMax

I was very impressed with Rhumb Lines. Very pleasant atmosphere and the food was very good. It's not Pacific Rim but rather Asian but I can be wrong. I did enjoy it, there was a rather good selection. I've been to Compass Rose many times. The food is good but not great the one good thing is that it is quite varied and you can have a burger or a full course dinner. The desserts were excellent and so large that they can easily be shared. Sunset is a good time to go-the view is wonderful. Some nights they have entertainment. Personally I don't think Shipwreck is worth the drive-been disappointed too many times and the service was slow. It used to be very good. Island Blues is another place that has some good entertainment and the food and drinks are good. Have heard that the Balcony (old Pussers) is very good.

Re: Margarita Phil's. They charge too much for their margaritas also. IMHO.

I just got back last week.

The Fish Trap was our favorite and we also liked the Shipwreck. We did not go to any of the more expensive places. Skinny Legs was fine but not great... I did get 90 ( yes I counted them) bug bites there on my one leg (from toe to knee) in one hour of watching a horseshoe game! Yikes.

Duffy's was mostly bar food. Good but nothing special. I did like my Chicken Quesadillas (sp?).

We made a point of finding all the happy hours and drink specials. Best drinks we decided were at The Lime tree (across from Fred's) 1/2 price drinks 4:30-5:30. Yum Yum.

My husband and I just got back last week. We really enjoyed Morgans Mangos, they also have live music on Saturdays. We thought that Margarita Phils was good and large proportions. Skinny Legs we could have passed on but they do have good live music on Saturdays.
Duffys Love shack was terrible along with the service. I heard from another couple that Cafe Roma was great.

Margarita Phil's was total show. Was there last week, had to eat at a restaurant Sunday night, since we planned grocs poorly. The taco salad was pretentious and ridiculous with cabbage instead of crispy lettuce. Plus the dude came out, said credit card machine was down--pay in cash, so we paid with pretty much everything we had and the tip was nominal--not our standard MO. So the waiter had words with G--I didn't know at the time 'cause Mattie and I were kicking the curb, waiting for G to come out. Not a way to impress guests.

ZoZo's for elegance, osso-buoco, little clams and sausage, and martinis (it is just me or is the clientele older?) our wedding supper. Panini Beach for martinis and lunch--eat the lobster club if you can get it--good salads. There is a barbeque joint in Cruz Bay off the docks, hit it. If you want to take grub with you and you got to meet the ferry, just let the girl know, totally accomodating. Need a picnic hoagie? Simple feast will set you up.

ZoZo's is great...
Miss Lucy's has the best Sunday Brunch. I had my first ever hamburger at 26 years old at Skinny Legs...you can't miss it!

Depends on what you are looking for. My favorites are The Lime Inn, Great grilled fish, and a good deal especially at lunch. The Stone Terrace has soups that are to die for! The deli at Mongoose Junction (Same owner as Morgan's Mango) also has good food to go. Their spinach salad w/the homade strawberry vinagrette is especially notable. Chilly Billy's at the lumber yard has great breakfasts. (Try the pancake/waffle variations.)

Ditto on margarita Phils, absolutely horrible. Not even edible by my standards for those prices. If it was $2 a taco I might go back.

Polly's in the lumberyard has decent mexican and the service has always been great.

The Deli in mongoose junction is not owned by the owners of Morgans Mango. Get it right

I am from Texas and made the mistake of going to Margarita Phil's. Why would I expect to get even decent Mexican food in the VI's. I think it is best to stick to what the locals do best. There are plenty of great restaurants on SJ, but for great Mexican, go to San Antonio or Houston. They have never heard of a conch fritter.

Hey, I just wanted to interject on the topic.
I think Margarita Phils is pretty good. Their prices are in line with many places on the island. The only thing they overcharge on is the margaritas in my opinion. I have never had bad food there and the chef there was the chef at the Stone Terrace before Chef Roth was there, if I was told right. I heard he is from Mexico and has one of the largest tequilla selections in the Carribean. Everything on St. John is expensive. If you want two dollar tacos, go to Starfish and see if you can make them for that cheap! I would love to wage against it! St John is one of the most beautiful places on earth but beauty is never cheap because people are willing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for a fraction of an acre on a cliff side. When chefs first get to the island, the biggest awe factor is the price we pay our vendors for food. You have to remember we are a small island in the Caribbean that is closer to Brazil than the mainland US. EVERYTHING IS SHIPPED IN! As for myself, I take my truck over on the car fairy and buy my dry goods in bulk on St Thomas to save money. Thats my two dollars.

Sorry Nicole! You are obviously very sensitive about this! You can click this http://www.frommers.com/destinations/stjohnusvi/D37556.html
and maybe you will forgive my confusion!

It's so strange to hear different opinions on restaurants. Personally, I think the Fish Trap and Shipwreck are both awful, but they continue to do an okay business. Marg Phil's is very expensive for Mexican, but why would you get Mexican in the Virgin Islands?

And people rave about Morgans. Why? For the money, I'd rather go to Zozo's or ten tables. Dinner at Morgans with drinks for 2 people will be around $85. Much, much better dinner at ten tables would be around $100. I would much rather pay the little bit more for the quality.

Maybe I am a food snob. But unless I am fine dining, just give me wings and a burger - and for that, I'll go to Pastory Gardens.

And we can't forget about Uncle Joe's!! Yummy!