Our Favorite BVI Charter Trip Lunch Stops — So Many Places To Go
International foodies will love to learn that our charter trips from St. John to the British Virgin Islands wouldn’t be complete without stopping somewhere memorable for lunch.
Island Roots Charters prides itself on knowing the best places to eat in the BVI. It’s taken us years and years to settle on these final selections, and would love to hear your feedback on them too whenever you visit. Without further ado here’s a list of our eleven favorite BVI restaurants:
Willy-T - Norman Island
Photo: The Willy-T, a favorite lunch and jump stop on our BVI charter boat tours / Credit: Island Roots Charters
The Willy-T is the most iconic party boat and restaurant in the BVI Caribbean (anchored in the Bight at Norman Island), and the food they serve is always worth the stop. Plus, who doesn’t like dining and jumping from the upper deck of a ship all in the same lunch hour?!
The menu is beach bar food done well. For starters grab a basket of fries ($6) and Anegada conch fritters ($16) — six crispy fritters served with a tangy mayo sauce. If you don’t like conch, try the calamari ceviche ($21), seasoned with Asian herbs and spices in a ginger soy vinaigrette.
The BBQ baby back ribs ($21), British fish and chips ($19), and chicken roti with curried chicken, potato, and mango chutney ($18) all fuel you up for that big jump from the deck into the turquoise waters below. There’s also their signature Honey Stung Chicken ($18), which is a crispy Caribbean-style fried chicken regulars come back for, along with their sirloin burger ($16). Of course there’s some key lime $7 for whoever has a bit more room.
Where To Eat On Jost Van Dyke, BVI
Jost Van Dyke is where our guests love to go for so many reasons — a big one being the food. There are three popular restaurants we vote as the best on this island known for its legendary bars and white sand beaches.
Hendo’s Hideout —Jost Van Dyke, BVI
Image: Hendo’s Hideout at White Bay in Jost / Credit: Island Roots Charters
If you’re looking for a restaurant right on the beach, Hendo's Hideout sits on the shores of White Bay, which is considered one of the most photogenic beaches in the world. Hendo’s was opened in 2016 by the O’Neal-Henderson family and is known for using local ingredients in their Caribbean-inspired menu.
There are so many options, from starters like $17 local conch and sweet chili aioli or $16 White Bay Wings with Buffalo, BBQ or their signature sauce to $24 locally caught ceviche of the day that is cured in peppers, lime, onions, cilantro and jalapeños to $20 mahi mahi bites coated in southern cornmeal and $22 coconut shrimp with a sweet chili dip.
Once you've worked through starters, go for the tacos: blackened mahi, chicken, or shrimp tacos run $24 to $26, while the fried grouper tacos come in at $26 with pineapple salsa and sriracha mayo. The $22 Hendo's Burger is also a great choice as a seven-ounce Angus patty on a brioche bun. If you want something even more filling try the $28 chicken roti, simmered with potatoes, chickpeas, and mango chutney.
For guests wanting a real treat, buy the daily market priced grilled lobster or the $39 fresh catch of the day, blackened with lemon garlic butter and served with peas and rice. Hendo’s has vegan / vegetarian / gluten free options. For example, how about an $18 smashed bean burger built from black beans, oats, and plantain, or a $16 noodle salad smothered in honey, lime, and chili.
It doesn’t stop there — save room for the desserts, like the $12 key lime pie or $12 passion fruit crème brûlée.
Foxy’s — Jost Van Dyke, BVI
Foxy's in Great Harbor is the island's most famous name because of its globally attended New Year’s Eve celebration. And the fact that it’s been around and loved since 1968 for its laid-back vibe, live music, and classic Caribbean dishes.
Starters at Foxy’s run from $6 to $20, and include conch fritters made with local Anegada conch at $16, Foxy's Chicken Wings which are served naked with blue cheese dressing and buffalo sauce at $15, and a side of crispy, sea-salted fries for $6. Popular lunch options include classic cheeseburgers at $16, grilled or fried chicken sandwich at $14, a chicken roti built with curried chicken, potato, and split peas at $18, and beer-battered fish and chips at $20. There’s also the Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl at $24, and the Shrimp Poke Bowl at $22, both served over jasmine rice with mango, edamame, and avocado.
Foxy’s has vegetarian options as well which include Foxy's Black Bean Burger at $15, dressed with avocado, lettuce, tomato, and mayo on a toasted bun.
Sydney's Peace and Love — Jost Van Dyke, BVI
Sydney's Peace and Love in Little Harbor rounds out the trio of our favorite restaurants on Jost. This quieter and more low-key option has a friendly crew, cold drinks, and great local food.
Lunch is less about a printed menu (which is not available online) and more about an experience to be had when you show up in person. Google reviews note the fresh lobster as the meal to try as you can pick your own before it's cooked. It comes with sides like rice, slaw, and potato salad.
The BBQ platter, snapper, shrimp, and ribs also get great reviews with several guests saying it is some of the best food they've had anywhere in the BVI. They also have an honor bar, where guests serve and mix their own drinks and keep their own running tab — a local touch you won't find very often.
A slice of homemade key lime pie is the dessert most people mention by name, so make sure to save room!
B-Line Beach Bar — Little Jost Island
Image: B-Line Beach Bar on Little Jost Island / Credit: Island Roots Charters
While you won’t find a published menu pdf online for B-Line Beach Bar — trust us — the food and the setting are worth the trip there. Reviews constantly note their ribs and jerk chicken as excellent choices, alongside the coconut shrimp as the appetizer to order beforehand. They also have great Jamaican curry chicken, cheeseburgers, and curry shrimp. If there are those who want to skip the Caribbean fare, they even have hot dogs.
After you’ve enjoy the strong painkillers and rum punch, don’t forget to grab one of the bar’s signature boat koozies before you leave to remind you that all the fun was real and not just something that your mind conjured while listening to a Jimmy Buffett song.
Pirates Bight - Norman Island
Pirates Bight is a restaurant located on the beach at Norman Island, which is an unexpected find on what is otherwise a remote, uninhabited island. The appetizers run from $15 chicken tenders and $16 conch fritters all the way up to $19 grilled alligator skewers marinated in yogurt and served with a tzatziki sauce. We bet this is a dish you won't find anywhere else in the BVI. The cracked conch at $19, is breaded and deep fried with a pineapple salsa. Their $21 pulled pork nachos are loaded with black beans, corn, jalapeños, guacamole, and sour cream. One Google review called the nachos a bucket list item. When have nachos anywhere made someone’s bucket list!
Main dishes include Caribbean classics like the $24 jerk chicken, the $24 chicken roti, the $25 BBQ baby back ribs, $25 spicy ahi poke bowl with sesame tuna, edamame, watermelon, and wakame, and a $30 lobster and pineapple flatbread finished with Gruyere cheese and truffle butter. Reviews are filled with accolades for the grilled tuna and the mahi mahi sandwich — and of course the Painkillers and bushwhackers make a big splash in the reviews. If you want to take a walk after your meal, there are some nice hiking trails behind the restaurant.
Loose Mongoose - Trellis Bay, Tortola
Right off Trellis Bay on Beef Island, Tortola, the Loose Mongoose features some standard “teasers” such as $22 lobster cheddar fritters, $22 tempura lobster bites, $15 chicken wings, $23 cracked conch, with main lunch dishes of $30 New York strip steak and eggs, $20 chicken and waffles, and $15-$31 quesadillas, tacos, nachos, sandwiches and burgers. One Google reviewer — Harry — noted the “beautiful facilities, gorgeous dock, excellent food, and great service. The conch fritters are the best around, as were the Painkiller drinks.” Other reviews raved over the lobster bisque, the portion sizes, and how the best painkillers in the BVI can be found here.
Marina Cay Bar & Grill - Marina Cay, Tortola
Marina Cay offers Caribbean classics right off the crystal-clear blue waters of the BVI. Enjoy starters like $18 Anegada conch chowder, $16 plantain hummus, and $19 coconut shrimp, along with main dishes like the $35 tamarind BBQ glazed baby back ribs, $30 island-style jerk chicken, and $30 lemon herb catch of the day. There are also burgers and steaks on the menu for anyone craving something more familiar. Save room for the $16 desserts, like the island spiced cheesecake, Mount Gay rum cake, piña colada panna cotta.
Myetts - Cane Garden Bay, Tortola
Myett's Garden and Grille has been operating in Cane Garden Bay since 1992. Guests can expect an open-air, beachfront setting, which is one big reason it’s so popular. Owners Kareem and Sandman Rhymer started the business with a grill set up near the beach serving jerk chicken, and although it has grown, guests say it’s still as magical today.
Imagine gardens and lush tropical landscaping surrounding you while sitting at a table with a Painkiller in one hand and the sunset turning the water orange before your eyes. This is the kind of experience that ends up being the highlight of a BVI charter boat trip.
There is not a menu available online. Google reviews mention the cracked conch and the half grilled lobster with plantains and coleslaw as delicious options.The shrimp in coconut curry, the asparagus shrimp risotto, and the mussels also get rave reviews. Some guests may find themselves thinking “this is just pub food” and come away calling it the best meal of seven days of island hopping in the BVI.
Portions are described as large and filling, and the drinks, especially the frozen cocktails and rum punches, are known to be generously poured.
Scrub Island Resort -On Scrub Island
Scrub Island Resort is on a 230-acre private island right off the eastern tip of Tortola. This is the most upscale lunch stop on our BVI charter boat tour circuit. As a AAA Four Diamond property, Scrub Island offers an experience that guests will not find at a beach bar. There are multiple places at Scrub Island to eat lunch depending on what the group’s appetite is:
Donovan's Reef is the main (open-air) restaurant, serving lunch daily from 11am. It overlooks the pool, marina, beach, and the Caribbean Sea, serving BVI inspired meals, ranging from crisp salads and savory sandwiches to handcrafted cocktails at the swim-up bar. One Shoe Beach Bar and Grill is a more laid-back option, which still has water views. Google reviews describe it as a quiet, laid-back stretch of paradise, with great views, a pool right on the beach, and a full bar with food service that serves salads, sandwiches (tuna, etc.), and fries. Over at Marina Village, the Outpost is worth a quick stop for made-to-order sandwiches, fresh fruit, and baked goods,
Cooper Island Beach Club - Cooper Island
Cooper Island Beach Club is located on the northwest shore of Cooper Island. This area is also one of the more upscale lunch stops that almost always surprises first-timers. This family-owned, off-grid eco resort generates its own power and water — no blackouts here.
Their lunch menu runs from $17 to $28 and includes: $18 conch fritters, $17 Cajun roasted wings tossed in buffalo or tropical BBQ sauce, and a $18 spring vegetable salad with local greens and toasted sunflower seeds to start. For mains, the $28 Aberdeen beef burger on a brioche bun with bacon and Cooper Cocktail Sauce, the $26 half rack of ribs braised in tropical BBQ sauce with parmesan fries and coconut pineapple slaw, and the $28 seared sesame seed tuna steak over arugula seaweed salad with peanut dressing all stand out. The $26 fish and chips uses lemon pepper marinated haddock beer battered and served with parmesan fries and lemon aioli, and the West Indian coconut curry roti rounds out the menu at $22 for chicken and $20 for vegetable.
Vegetarians will enjoy options such as the $22 grilled eggplant burger on a homemade beetroot bun with feta, mint, and tomato jam. Save room for the Coffee Box, which is onsite serving ice cream, freshly baked cakes, cookies, and coffee drinks.
Now that you know of the many amazing lunch options for your BVI charter, it’s time to book your tour and let us know which you prefer as we customize your trip.