Maria,
Wow, good question. Well, lessee... my first general recommendation might be The Fish Trap (for seafood? Who'd a thought?), but we also like the sea bass and the tuna at The Balcony, I like the scallops at Zozo's, I've had great mahi at Pastory Gardens, ... Asolare has a nice sushi appetizer, Lime Inn has great grilled lobster, but I'm thinking they're closed in October, so that's probably out.

Come to think of it, you can get better seafood at just about any restuarant on the island than you can anywhere in the midwest, so it's not like looking for a needle in a haystack or anything. Close your eyes, pick a spot and enjoy!

Great. Now I'm hungry.

Lime Inn is supposed to open Oct 17th. So that is an option.

Conk Fritters at Woody's are excellent!

Yeah, that Woody's is a fun place and their conk fritters are great with a cold beer!

Glad I saw this post; four of us will be arriving on October 16th and ya'll just reminded me of all the places I wanted to revisit! Have to add my meal last time there at The Fish Trap was one of the best I've ever had! Am really anxious to stop by Uncle Joe's BBQ, have heard great things about that place!

If you are looking for BBQ.....we absolutely love "Sticky Fingers" over in Coral Bay. Great food, good portions and pretty reasonable.

is woody just for the locals?

Woody's is for Everyone to enjoy! A definite stop...in fact, last time we were there, by the second day they knew our order as soon as we came through the door! Very friendly, lots of fun...a must!

As I think about it, despite being to St. John several times a year, we've never stopped at Woody's. Checking it out while swerving to avoid the random client careening into the street, it always looks crowded to the point of gridlock, filled with kids, and it's location immediately beside/in the street doesn't attract us given all the other places to hang out which feature room to sit, grownups, and either a view, or at least some quality which could pass for local charm. Skinny's or Island Blues for example.

That said, I'm always open to correction and enlightenment, and two zillion other folks can't ALL be wrong, so Woody's fans, what am I missing? Why do you like Woody's vs. the other places I mentioned? What makes for a good island bar? Inquiring minds want to know. 🙂

We always eat at Morgan's Mango at least once. Last March I had a coconut shrimp app and the voodoo snapper. The food has to be pretty good for me to remember what I ate six months later.

Well, we will check it out since we do have children.

i know at times woodys looks like one of my sons frat parties(happy hrs)...also not much seating/inside can get very hot at times..and for the more prudish, the belly shots on the bar can be a bit much.( this is not a nightly happening)with all of this and maybe inspite of i do enjoy sitting at a table on the sidewalk,having a drink/dinner/lunch and watching all go by.we've met some great people there,locals and other tourists. in fact some have become friends and we visit w/them each time we return.woodys attracts all types, don't assume they're all wild alcoholabusing party animals.it runs the gamut..teachers/lawyers/ministers/laborers/librarian/ex nun/priest/sailors/60's hippies.... to name a few occupations,they were intersting,many were fun,all friendly.i try not to rule any place out..you never know what you might be missing.

Regan,

Woody's is low key, cheap drinks, decent bar food, but as rhody stated the people you meet run the gamut from locals to professionals. By the way the bartender Yanna is or I should say was absolutely beautiful and a lot of fun. I think she has taken up a job in NYC with Goldman Sachs. The twins remember most people year to year and are always warm and welcoming. It can get warm inside and can get crowded which sometimes flows into the street. You do not have to wait at all for drinks. We have been going there for years and log in quite a bit of time and this past year was the only time we saw body shots on the bar. It was all good though. You can people watch from the few tables outside and see what's happening as you enjoy the best place on earth. Try a Mango or banana painkiller for a change and enjoy the happy hour. I havn't experienced many kids there although we had ours there a few times.(only during the day) Definitely worth checking out.

Regan:

I had the same opinion as you 2 years ago when we visited the islands in November. Other than stopping at Woody's to get a couple of inexpensive beers during happy hour, we did not stay to hang out. Then last year we decided to hang out for a while to see what the fuss was about. We had a blast! So much so that we did a few happy hours at Woody's our last stay.

Various people, locals and tourists, young and old, from different backgrounds rubbing elbows together..... singing their favorite songs, dancing to the beat, buying your new "Buddy" a beer. Its just good fun! If you enjoy a cocktail or two during happy hour, check it out.

tmax

though I like it's sister restaurant, Stone Terrace, the Fish Trap is disgusting. I've been 4 times over many years and each time it borders on unedible.

OK, I'm convinced. I had a hunch my drive-by impression might be a bit off, next trip will definitely include an exploratory stop at Woody's. All in the name of travel research, you understand. It's a demanding and exhausting job, but somebody's got to do it.

So, what's a good time to show up and still get a seat/spot to hang without being in the street?

Matt,

I've always thought it was my family and I when we ate at the fish trap. We have found it absolutely awful but withheld posting because so many people seem to enjoy it. The last time we went their we brought the kids because it is that type of place which was a few years ago. Now it's not even a consideration. I'd rather eat at Joe's BBQ where I know you'll get a good meal. On the contrary, The Stone Terrace is one of our favorites, Lobster Bisque, and carribbean Lobster- Oh I could have that now.

stone terrace was horrible and over priced. fish trap has exquiste food everytime we go there.

Fishtrap has never impressed me with their prices or quality.
It is the same with Morgan's Mango or the Balcony(or whatever they are calling it now).
I would go where there are true chefs to watch the integrity of the food. Aaron Willis of the Trap is owner and 'corporate chef' but if he was such a stud chef, why isnt he overseeing the fine dining restaurant more? It never made sense to me. Go to the Asolares, Paradisos, Ten Tables, Tages, and Chloe and Bernards, they have true chefs and are chef based. Stone Terrace is ok, too.
Seafood needs lots of love. I wouldn't call the frozen conch fritters a fresh seafood item.
Hope this helps.