Dining Options On St. Croix
Restaurant Recommendations for St. Croix
St. Croix’s dining scene is a vibrant blend of casual eats and exceptional locales, offering much more than just the familiar names like McDonald's, KFC, Subway, and Wendy's. While those franchise options exist, the island's true culinary magic lies in its local flavor. You might find yourself on an impromptu "food truck chase" for a meal that's both better and faster than typical fast food—and well worth the adventure!
Embrace the flexible "island vibe." Businesses here operate on their own time, sometimes closing for a season, a power outage, or even car maintenance. It’s all part of the charm! The key is to go with the flow and enjoy the journey to your meal. Before heading out, check restaurant websites, Google Maps, or Facebook pages for updates, but know that adaptability is your best accessory.
For the most up-to-date information, the team at St. Croix Ultimate Bluewater Adventures does an impressive job of maintaining a current list of dining information. This resource is perfect for discovering popular restaurants by location and planning your delicious island itinerary.
Shopping for Groceries on St. Croix
Groceries on St. Croix can feel a little pricey, a phenomenon many attribute to "island life," but it's often a sign of global inflation—that $8.99 pound of butter isn't an island exclusive these days! What you pay depends a lot on what you're buying and where you last shopped.
The secret to savvy shopping here is timing. The "best" places and the "best" quality shift daily, entirely dependent on when the freshest shipments hit the docks. You'll find many larger grocery stores offer online shopping with handy pickup or delivery options. A quick browse of their websites (linked below!) will let you compare product prices—think eggs, milk, and the like—so you can draw your own conclusions and shop smart.
Keep in mind that heavy, bulky, or frozen items generally command higher prices than in the continental U.S.
Grocery Shopping Pro Tip: Grocery shopping can be an adventure. If you’re serious about your cooking, start with smaller specialty stores and use the larger stores as backup. This is especially true of meat and fish.
Grocery Stores With Links:
Cost-U-Less - Costco style but without a membership charge
Plaza Extra East, The Market STX, Pueblo Supermarket, and Seaside Market each advertise online shopping with pickup
Q Market at Quality Food is a well-kept secret, hidden away on a rough road, and is often mentioned as a trusted quality grocery source.
Other Options:
Art Farm - “Organically grown food and art”
Farmers’ Markets at the Fairgrounds, La Reine, and Southgate Corner
Frederiksted Fish Market (by the boat launch at the south end of town)
Best Kept Grocery Secret
Annaly Farms was founded by Hans Lawaetz, specifically focused on providing local Senepol Cattle beef for “wholesale only” buyers. While there is very little marketing, the store is now retail to the public, with local and imported beef as well as chicken, pork, lamb, seafood, produce and other items in season. It’s not a traditional grocery store, but it is a quality 5th generation Crucian family-owned business. In the spirit of keeping secrets, they have no website and the Annaly Farms Facebook presence identifies their location incorrectly. Even the Annaly Farms Google Maps identity is off by a little, but close enough to find it.
This is a great place to start shopping and then stop elsewhere for other items.