USVI-On-Line

While I have really enjoyed reading all the fabulous things that the forumites have posted here, I know I have to take the bad with the good. I appreciate that some of you are concerned about some recent bad experiences and I can assure you that I am trying to find the source of the problem. The board is not the place for me to do my fact finding so I would really appreciate it if any of you that can, pm with the details. There is no excuse I can give for what I have read and if I can figure out when you were there, I can
better determine if it is just one bad apple or if my whole bunch needs a vacation sooner than later.

Please accept my apologies that I was not there to deal with this in person when it happened but I took hubby away for a two week 60th birthday surprise. Guess we can no longer let the inmates run the asylum.

Pat,
We had 2 great meals last year and we will be back in November! Best of luck 'weeding out the bad apples'!


Pam

I have loved your Shipwreck for over 17 years and it's nice to tell you so on this forum. I can't imagine how hard it must be to run a restaurant for so many years and never have a problem with an employee. I'll be staying in Coral Bay in a few months, and plan on lots of fun times at Shipwreck. I hope your husband had a nice birthday.

We were there on 6/22 or 23 and had a good meal. You had one waitress, one bartender and a bus boy. They worked very hard with about 40 people in the dining room that night. The bartender came out from behind the bar and pitched in several times to see that customers were taken care of.

As I said before, the fresh Mahi was well worth the additional cost.

Good luck with sorting it all out, and thanks for speaking up directly to us. It takes a lot to put yourself out there like that.

JIM

I haven't been able to keep up with the forum, but I will tell you that we have been to STJ two times and found ourselves at Shipwrecks both times. We love the resturant and will return with each visit.

Pat-
I think it is really great of you to come here and ask for people to give you honest feedback. I think that many times when a business gets a bad review, the owner normaally ( not on this site but others) logs on and slams the person that left the review or just brushes it off as "island time"

I know first hand how hard it can be to get good help on island and keep them working.

Best of Luck! Hopefully you will be there next April when we come by!

Cypressgirl introduced me to Shipwreck last November and I'm still planning to introduce hubby this November (probably multiple times!)

How great that you're asking for folks to help you sort this out!

HB to your husband!

Just for the record, I received a PM from Pat and I really appreciate it. This sort of response is really important and makes a big difference in my impression of the restaurant. Especially because it was my first time there and I have no prior experience to compare it to. If an owner cares enough to contact me-I am certainly willing to forgive and start over.

It sounds like Pat was out of town at the time and I am willing to write off my experience due to the mice playing while the cat was away.

This girl (waitress) was very competent as far as getting the food out and the order correct. She might just need some education in customer service and "bedside manner". If I were a restaurant owner, I still might want her on my staff as she definitely was experienced and efficient.

Now that she has been "busted", maybe she will realize that she should feel lucky to work there.

Pat, Kudos to you for addressing this.

My path has yet to cross with Pat's on island, but I do know that she is respected there and by many forumites here. And Shipwreck does have some yummy drinks. And after all these mentions about their food, I'll be checking it out.

I have seen so many villa owners, restauranteurs, etc. come on here and give it to a forumite for his or her opinion of their establishment. While I hate that this happened while Pat took a much-deserved break and now it has to be dealt with, I love that she is dealing with it professionally and without being accusatory to either her employee or those who called her out.

Does anyone have a guitar? I think we should sing "Kumbiyah" now.

No complaints from me on Shipwreck. Loved the place! It was nice to sit around a chat to Pat for a few. Sorry we started our drinking at 10:30 am while you guys were setting up for the day...but those were some good cold beers!

been a customer for more than 20 years--
it's become a tradition that we go to shipwreck first thing! we love it. and Pat, I think it's very cool of you to ask about this here.

Hi Pat -

We did have a negative experience while you were gone and it had nothing to do with the food or the drinks - it was definitely the waitress that put a bad taste in our mouths. I will PM you privately with the time and date we were there.

That being said, we have been fortunate to make annual (sometimes bi-annual) visits to St. John and we have not once missed a late lunch stop at Shipwreck. Let it be known that this last experience will not deter us from coming back and enjoying your restaurant again in the future.

Thank you for taking the time to post and I really do hope your hubby enjoyed his birthday trip!!

Tracy

Pat,
We were on St John in January and ate at Shipwreck several times. Always wonderful food and service. Especially the Scallops in french champagne sauce that was a special one day. We really hope it can become a menu item some day. Simply delicious. You do a great job.

We LOVE the steaks at Shipwreck. They will be closed when we are there in a few weeks, but I may drive by and just sit in the parking lot hoping my brain can send me some sensory memories!!

We missed Shipwreck on our trip, but we do plan to return. Based on the great food reviews and the most excellent way that Pat has dealt with this, I will certainly go and visit.

Pat did exactly what many business owners are reluctant to do, acknowledge a mistake was made. She also responded personally to the situation with far more than a "We're sorry, here's a discount" type of a response. When I hear stories like these, I go out of my way to try and do business with that person even if it's outside my normal buying pattern. Why? I believe people who are doing things the right way, even when it's more difficult, deserve to be rewarded. So many people, from all walks of life, can learn so much from the "Pat's" of the world.

Thanks Pat!