What to do when you miss the ferry...
Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2013 2:17 pm
From your flight's nominal arrival time in STT, to when you actually board the ferry to St. John, depends on a number of factors beyond your control. These include head and tail winds, waiting for checked bags, shared taxi filling, traffic, your driver's route and driving style, and possibly even stops at resorts along the way. Arranging for a private taxi can help with a few of these, but sooner or later, the stars won't have aligned, and you will dash in to the terminal only to watch with sinking hearts as the ferry pulls away without you.
So what do you do with a bit under an hour to kill in Red Hook?
The default reflex is to slump into a chair, and order a drink from the terminal bar. That works, and their full-priced drinks are fine, but how does that qualify as an adventure?
If you're hungry, one easy option is to check out the kiosk across from and a bit past the terminal bar. They serve great fried chicken, along with rice and beans, fungi, and other local food.
Taking things to the next level requires that you leave the comfortable confines of the ferry terminal. Thanks to the proximity of American Yacht Harbor, there are actually a lot of options to explore just south of the terminal. First, though, there is a basic logistical issue to tackle. This is best solved by buying someone in your party (or a trustworthy fellow traveler) a drink at the terminal bar, leaving all of the luggage with them, and saying "We'll be right back"!
My favorite Red Hook destination also happens to be the closest. Hang a left out of the ferry terminal, and arc along the sidewalk to the first place you meet: Fish Tails. Should you show up between 3 and 6 PM, it's Happy Hour there ($2 well drinks, and $3 for selected beers). They have great pub grub, with an emphasis on seafood, and a really nice view of the boats in Vessup Bay. During Happy Hour, oysters on the half shell are half price: six for $9, twelve for $18. Yum! Fish Tails also has a fresh seafood market, and their prices beat those at Starfish on St. John, so you might want to consider picking up seafood at Fish Tails for dinner, and having them bag the seafood with crushed ice for the ferry ride. Fish Tail's menu is down till later this coming week, but here is the link: http://www.fishtailsvi.com/menu
The bar and grill just past Fish Tails has been renamed as a "Senior Frog's", part of a chain based in Mexico. "Happy hour all the time", they claim, although the food seems formulaic, and the view of the harbor is much better at Fish Tails. Menu link here: http://www.senorfrogs.com/menu.shtml
Across the street is Taco Hell. Think Taco Bell, except from a tiny and totally unfranchised shack. Advantage: cheap and fast. $2 tacos (smallish). $3 beers and $2 happy hour well drinks at the co-owned Fatty's bar, just above Taco Hell.
Just past Taco Hell is a small strip mall, and on the end closest to the ferry terminal you'll find Texas Pit BBQ, with great ribs, chicken, brisket, and sides ready to go. We love their food, and if you sprint, you can make a BBQ run there from the ferry terminal in just over five minutes round trip.
In the strip mall right next to Texas Pit BBQ is Home Again, a consignment shop for antiques, decorations, and gifts. Nice stuff.
In the middle of the strip mall parking lot is Duffy's Love Shack. There was once a bar in Cruz Bay with this name, where Castaways is now. Great food and drinks; menu here: http://www.duffysloveshack.com/content/ ... e_grub.asp. Free well drinks for the ladies on Wednesday nights! A bit past Duffy's, in the strip mall, is XO bistro and martini bar (http://www.xobistro.net). Exit Zero reports a great selection of wines by the glass.
If you cross back over the street, you will come to Caribbean Saloon (http://www.caribbeansaloon.com/menu.htm). Up the stairs, above it, is the Island Time Pub, with really good New York style pizza, grinders, and wings, along with the best possible view of the harbor. They open at 3 PM with a 3-6 Happy Hour, start serving food at 4 PM, and feature live music Wednesdays and Thursdays. Menus here: http://islandtimepub.com/pizza-menu/, http://islandtimepub.com/sandwichs-and-salads/.
Finally, if you are up for a great Irish Pub experience, drop in at Molly Malones, just past the long building and close by the water. Their web site has issues.
The challenge with any of these places is that with the limited time available between ferries, you'll need to stick to short-fuse items: appetizers, burgers, fried food, and of course, drinks, or you may find yourself with yet another hour (or more) to while away. Do note that the last St. John ferry leaves Red Hook at midnight!
Oh, and be sure to bring something tasty back to whoever is minding the luggage!
All the best,
Kevin
So what do you do with a bit under an hour to kill in Red Hook?
The default reflex is to slump into a chair, and order a drink from the terminal bar. That works, and their full-priced drinks are fine, but how does that qualify as an adventure?
If you're hungry, one easy option is to check out the kiosk across from and a bit past the terminal bar. They serve great fried chicken, along with rice and beans, fungi, and other local food.
Taking things to the next level requires that you leave the comfortable confines of the ferry terminal. Thanks to the proximity of American Yacht Harbor, there are actually a lot of options to explore just south of the terminal. First, though, there is a basic logistical issue to tackle. This is best solved by buying someone in your party (or a trustworthy fellow traveler) a drink at the terminal bar, leaving all of the luggage with them, and saying "We'll be right back"!
My favorite Red Hook destination also happens to be the closest. Hang a left out of the ferry terminal, and arc along the sidewalk to the first place you meet: Fish Tails. Should you show up between 3 and 6 PM, it's Happy Hour there ($2 well drinks, and $3 for selected beers). They have great pub grub, with an emphasis on seafood, and a really nice view of the boats in Vessup Bay. During Happy Hour, oysters on the half shell are half price: six for $9, twelve for $18. Yum! Fish Tails also has a fresh seafood market, and their prices beat those at Starfish on St. John, so you might want to consider picking up seafood at Fish Tails for dinner, and having them bag the seafood with crushed ice for the ferry ride. Fish Tail's menu is down till later this coming week, but here is the link: http://www.fishtailsvi.com/menu
The bar and grill just past Fish Tails has been renamed as a "Senior Frog's", part of a chain based in Mexico. "Happy hour all the time", they claim, although the food seems formulaic, and the view of the harbor is much better at Fish Tails. Menu link here: http://www.senorfrogs.com/menu.shtml
Across the street is Taco Hell. Think Taco Bell, except from a tiny and totally unfranchised shack. Advantage: cheap and fast. $2 tacos (smallish). $3 beers and $2 happy hour well drinks at the co-owned Fatty's bar, just above Taco Hell.
Just past Taco Hell is a small strip mall, and on the end closest to the ferry terminal you'll find Texas Pit BBQ, with great ribs, chicken, brisket, and sides ready to go. We love their food, and if you sprint, you can make a BBQ run there from the ferry terminal in just over five minutes round trip.
In the strip mall right next to Texas Pit BBQ is Home Again, a consignment shop for antiques, decorations, and gifts. Nice stuff.
In the middle of the strip mall parking lot is Duffy's Love Shack. There was once a bar in Cruz Bay with this name, where Castaways is now. Great food and drinks; menu here: http://www.duffysloveshack.com/content/ ... e_grub.asp. Free well drinks for the ladies on Wednesday nights! A bit past Duffy's, in the strip mall, is XO bistro and martini bar (http://www.xobistro.net). Exit Zero reports a great selection of wines by the glass.
If you cross back over the street, you will come to Caribbean Saloon (http://www.caribbeansaloon.com/menu.htm). Up the stairs, above it, is the Island Time Pub, with really good New York style pizza, grinders, and wings, along with the best possible view of the harbor. They open at 3 PM with a 3-6 Happy Hour, start serving food at 4 PM, and feature live music Wednesdays and Thursdays. Menus here: http://islandtimepub.com/pizza-menu/, http://islandtimepub.com/sandwichs-and-salads/.
Finally, if you are up for a great Irish Pub experience, drop in at Molly Malones, just past the long building and close by the water. Their web site has issues.
The challenge with any of these places is that with the limited time available between ferries, you'll need to stick to short-fuse items: appetizers, burgers, fried food, and of course, drinks, or you may find yourself with yet another hour (or more) to while away. Do note that the last St. John ferry leaves Red Hook at midnight!
Oh, and be sure to bring something tasty back to whoever is minding the luggage!
All the best,
Kevin
- Red Hook attractions
We had time to spare time after coming over from Jost before our flight and I remembered seeing this. We had never eaten anywhere in Red hook before and this was helpful info. We ate a leisurely lunch at Fish Tails since we didn't want to schlep our luggage any further. It was relaxing and a nice way to end a STT/BVI trip!