Author: Jenn Manes

I love pizza, and I’m sure most of you do too. Today’s post is for all of you pizza lovers out there.

We’re fortunate in that we have some pretty good pizza here on St. John. We even have a floating pizza boat for those of you who want to mix your love of pizza with your love of the water. Technically that spot is located behind an island near St. Thomas, but it’s close enough that you can easily visit it from Cruz Bay.  Here is a complete rundown of where exactly you can find pizza on St. John.

Cruz Bay

The Tap Room:This is one of my family’s favorite lunch and dinner spots. The fact that they have a photo booth and two arcade games makes my son love it that much more!  The Tap Room has great pizzas in addition to a full menu. Their pizzas are one size only – fyi. The Tap Room has ample indoor seating, so it’s a great spot on hot days thanks to the air conditioning, and it is also a good place to hang out on rainy days like today. Pizzas are $5 off during happy hour, which is 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily. That discount is for dining in orders only. One other nice thing about The Tap Room is that they have online ordering. The Tap Room is open seven days a week starting at 11 a.m.

Ronnie’s Pizza: For those of you who have been reading this blog from the start (a big thank you to all of you!!), you are probably aware that Ronnie’s left Cruz Bay last summer and reopened in Palm Plaza in December, which is located beside the Westin. (Click here to read an article we wrote about his new spot.) Ronnie’s serves more than just pies. He has a full menu of sandwiches, calzones and some of the best brownies I have ever had! Ronnie’s is open Monday through Saturday, and he offers delivery too.

Lovango Rum Bar: I always describe Lovango’s pizza to my island tour guests as pizza you would find in Italy, as opposed to New York City. They only sell one size, and if I am super hungry, I can eat almost the whole thing. So you will need to order more than one to feed your family. But that being said, it is unbelievably tasty! The atmosphere is great too, especially if you sit outside on their second floor deck. And starting this week, Lovango is now open for lunch Mondays through Fridays starting at 11:30 a.m. Lovango offers online ordering too.

Cafe Roma: Cafe Roma consistently received the title of “Best Italian Cuisine” with good reason. They, of course, have pizza, in addition to a full Italian menu.  Cafe Roma is one of only a handful of restaurants in Cruz Bay that has air conditioning too. So this is a great spot to grab a bite, perhaps enjoy a glass of wine or two, and cool off while enjoying a nice meal. Cafe Roma even offers pizza to-go. Cafe Roma opens at 5 p.m. Sunday through Friday.

Starfish Market: Did you know that Starfish Market sells pizzas? Well if you didn’t, you do now! They’re a good size, and they are tasty! You can order them in advance too. Just reach out to Starfish at 340-779-4949 to order.

Sam & Jack’s: Ok, so Sam & Jack’s doesn’t sell pizza, but it sells the next best thing – pizza dough! Perhaps you want to make your own or toss one on the grill. Just stop by Sam & Jack’s and pick up some pizza dough. Sam & Jacks is open Monday through Saturday.

Shambles: I apologize to the folks over at Shambles for omitting you when this was originally published. Shambles is a super fun spot on Centerline Road right around mile two, and it even has a couple of swings at the bar! They have a full menu, including pizza. (They have a great rueben too!) Shambles opens at noon seven days a week.

Coral Bay

Pizzabar in Paradise: Pizzabar is a little bit of a drive, but it is definitely worth it! It is located on Route 107, about a mile past the Aqua Bistro complex. Pizzabar is a cute little spot that serves Boston/New York-style pizzas. It offers live music every Friday night from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. There is even a nice little Friday night happy hour from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Slices are offered during happy hour, as well as $3 off all specialty cocktails, $3 Coors Lights and $4 Heineken, Stella and Corona. Pizzabar is open Tuesday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Salty Mongoose: Salty Mongoose has a fun little vibe in my opinion. It’s located across from the water in Coral Bay, so there is always a nice breeze to cool you off. They have bar seating, plus numerous tables in the courtyard. They are a pretty simple spot that just serves pizzas and salads, in addition to a full bar of course. Salty Mongoose is open for lunch and dinner Thursday through Tuesday.

On the Water

Pizza Pi: How does a delicious pizza on the water sound? Pretty amazing, I know! I absolutely love Pizza Pi. It’s an old sailboat that now serves pizza that’s located in Christmas Cove, a quiet little spot behind Great St. James. The pizza is great, and the view is one of the best. Be sure to add to this your list of spots to visit if you happen to be spending a day or even an afternoon on the water during your next St. John vacation.

Want to know where all of these restaurants are located? Visit www.explorestj.com/restaurantmap to view our searchable map.

Want to know where Starfish Market and the other grocery stores are located? Visit www.explorestj.com/logisticsmap to to view our searchable map that includes grocery stores, gas stations, public restrooms and more practical things that will make your St. John vacation planning a little easier.

Want to know what to do on a rainy day like today? Click here to read our recent post – What to Do on a Rainy Day in St. John. 

Lastly, a big THANKS to The Tap Room for taking the amazing Trunk Bay pizza pic for me!

Looking to take a St. John island tour?

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Follow Explore STJ on Social Media

–> www.facebook.com/explorestj

–> www.instagram.com/explorestj

Well folks, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that is looks like the island is about to receive some much-needed rain. The bad news is that some of you may have a few soggy vacation days later this week if the current forecast holds true.

For those of you who have visited St. John in recent weeks, you have seen how dry the island is. What should be beautiful green rolling hills is actually brown and quite crunchy looking in numerous spots across the island. Driving has been a tad trickier than normal too, as the water trucks have been quite busy keeping up with the demand.

So you may be wondering, “what the heck do I do in a place where nearly everything is outdoors?” Well here are my suggestions. 🙂

The Cruz Bay 500 

This one is for all of the adults out there. Act like a resident and try your luck with the infamous Cruz Bay 500. Start at one bar and restaurant, and see how far you make it during the day… drinking responsibly along the way, of course. The Beach Bar and High Tide are two great spots to spend a rainy day at if you’re looking for a waterfront spot in Cruz Bay, and The Tap Room is another great spot over in Mongoose Junction. A bonus is that it is mostly indoors, so you can stay nice and dry over there. Remember, most of our restaurants are open air, so you will definitely want to bring a rain jacket, an umbrella and perhaps even a hat. It can get a tad chilly too on rainy days (the dreaded 70s… ha!), so you may want to pack a hoodie too.

The Upstairs, Cruz Bay’s newest bar, is bringing back “Rain Shots” made popular during that location’s Crazy Crackers days. They’re offering $3 shots of Jamo, Jager, Milagro and Bombs whenever it’s raining out.

Not sure where these restaurants are located? Check out Explore STJ’s Restaurant Map.

Not feeling the Cruz Bay 500? Then check out our fantastic shops that are located around Cruz Bay. Mongoose Junction is always a beautiful spot in the rain, and if it rains hard enough, a small river will form in the gut that flows underneath it.

Coral Bay

Skinny Legs will definitely be a great spot to spend a few hours on a rainy day. It has a large covered dining area and Mumbo Jumbo, the retail shop beside Skinny’s is one of my favorites. You can also check out my friend Leah’s new shop, The Pirate’s Cove, which is right across the street. Jolly Dog, which is located beside Salty Mongoose, is another great place to visit for some rainy day retail therapy.

Hike to a Waterfall

If it really does rain as forecasted, a waterfall will form at Reef Bay. This is definitely a sneaker or sandals with straps kind of hike, as it will definitely be slippery. The trailhead for the Reef Bay trail is about five miles outside of Cruz Bay and about three miles outside of Coral Bay on Route 10, also known as Centerline Road. The trail is 2.1 miles in each direction if you are going from the road to the ocean, and it is quite steep. There is a spur trail on the right that will lead you to the petroglyphs where the waterfall will form. Pack a bag, bring snacks and plenty of water for this hike.

Explore St. John’s History

There are so many interesting historical sites to check out around the island. Spend some time over at Catherineberg, the site of a very interesting and unusual windmill. Catherineberg is located three miles outside of Cruz Bay, just off of Centerline Road. Click here to read a recent article I wrote about Catherineberg.

You can also check out the Cinnamon Bay Sugar Factory on Route 20 or North Shore Road. There is even a little nature trail behind the sugar factory that is a pretty cool thing to check out. You will definitely want to bring a rain jacket, hat and umbrella for this excursion.

And if none of these activities sound fun to you, curl up at home with a good book. There is a bookstore at The Marketplace in Cruz Bay, just outside of Starfish Market.

Not on St. John, but you want to see what’s happening this week or at anytime? Check out my webcam page at www.explorestj.com/webcams. I have more than 20 live streaming webcams to watch.

That’s all for today, folks. Have a great one!

Looking to take a St. John island tour?

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Follow Explore STJ on Social Media

–> www.facebook.com/explorestj

–> www.instagram.com/explorestj

Island Green Living is holding a raffle to coincide with Earth Month, and for just $50, you can enter to win a prize package valued at more than $11,000.

Island Green Living is a St. John nonprofit dedicated to sustainability throughout the US Virgin Islands and beyond. It has been a trailblazer for green initiatives in the territory since its inception in 2004. In 2014, the organization expanded in order to address the plethora of environmental challenges in the region such as overflowing landfills, accelerated coral damage due to toxic sunscreen, lack of recycling, food security, clean energy, and other aspects of sustainable living. This raffle will help fund those initiatives.

For just $50, you can enter to win the following prize package:

• A seven-night stay for two at Gallows Point Resort in a spacious one-bedroom ocean view villa
• An airfare voucher up to $1,000
• One week jeep rental courtesy of Seashell Vacations
• A Beach Hideaway for two at Lovango Resort + Beach Club. The winners will enjoy a day at the Beach Club including access to the beach, pool, island hiking trails, snorkeling, a dedicated server. The package also includes roundtrip transportation, a welcome cocktail and a bottle of Prosecco.
• A two-hour private taco run on Salt Deck to the legendary Lime Out floating taco bar
• A $250 gift certificate to be used toward any available sail on Kekoa
• A private two-hour sunset sail for up to six people on Sailing Asante including drinks and snacks
• A $100 gift certificate to Caravan Gallery in Mongoose Junction
• A $250 gift certificate to La Tapa Plage
• A $200 gift certificate to Lime Out (to be combined with the Salt Deck boat trip listed above)
• A $125 gift certificate to Sam & Jack’s
• A $100 gift certificate to Sun Dog Café
• A $100 gift certificate to The Windmill Bar
• A $50 gift certificate to the new Dazey Drive In, serving handcrafted Caribbean Shave Ice, smoothies, Irie Pops and superfood drinks in Coral Bay.
• A supply of Caribbean Sol, a coral-safe mineral sunscreen that is compliant with the USVI’s ban on sunscreen
• Voluntourism opportunity & private tour at Island Green Living’s ReSource Depot.

What an amazing raffle!

Again, entries are just $50 per ticket. You can buy six tickets for a discounted rate of $250. There is no limit on entries because Island Green is trying to raise as much money as possible to fund its programs. The raffle period will end at midnight on April 30th. The winner will be announced live on Island Green’s Facebook page on May 5th at 2 p.m. local time.

Click here to purchase tickets at www.islandgreenliving.org/donate/earth-month-fundraiser.

–> Click here to read the fine print regarding travel dates, blackout dates, etc. 

–> Please email info@islandgreenliving.org with any questions regarding this raffle.

Looking to take a St. John island tour?

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Follow Explore STJ on Social Media

–> www.facebook.com/explorestj

–> www.instagram.com/explorestj