You wouldn't expect St. John to boast great barbecue spots. But it does.
The one everyone knows about is Joe's Barbecue in Cruz Bay, across the street from the post office and Cap's Place.
The other is Candi's, located in a shed on the road going out of town toward the Westin, just before a stop sign. (That's it at the left, courtesy of PlateoftheDay.com.)
Joe's primary attractions are good chicken and ribs and low prices.
Among its biggest fans is Trent Sandusky who blogged,
"Eating at Uncle Joe's BBQ is as simple and stress-free as finding it. Pull out a plastic chair, grab a bottle of something cold, and order ribs or chicken. It doesn't matter which one you choose; they're both tender, comforting and downright awesome."
On the other hand, PlateoftheDay.com trumpeted Candi's.
"It was nice to just sit down and have some grilled fish fresh off the grill. The combo includes a side of peas and rice, fries and salad for $14. That’s actually cheap on this island believe it or not. It was also a lot of food, so we couldn’t complain."
"I liked that you could also get a grilled fish (hold the barbq sauce) or a grilled steak at Candi's. The fish was Grouper one time and Mahi the next,and both times it was a large portion and grilled to perfection. They also have a special on Fridays of stewed chicken, mac n cheese, plantains."
Some people will be put off by the ramshackle appearance of both Joe's and Candi's. They're don't look like real restaurants, the way Zozo's or La Plancha do, or even the Lime Inn. But among adventurous visitors, to judge from online travel forums, Candi's is becoming quite the fave. On the other hand, Trip Advisor says Joe's is the 6th best restaurant in Cruz Bay, out of more then 80.