We make a stop at The Longboard in Cruz Bay whenever we are lucky enough to get to St. John. Simply put, we are big fans of their hand crafted cocktails and their delicious, innovative dishes. Our recent visit to The Longboard was no exception. Despite the fact that when we visited it had only been 7 months since “the hurricanes”, and despite the fact that The Longboard served several thousand meals for the Red Cross to hurricane victims for a month after the storms even though they sustained some damage themselves, The Longboard reopened for business again in January and is just as good as ever.
Check out a few photos of our recent visit, and be sure to stop by and check out The Longboard for yourselves during your next visit to St. John. Pretty sure you’ll become big fans of The Longboard too!
The Longboard, a Caribbean-inspired coastal cantina located in Cruz Bay opened its doors in May of 2015, but we had yet to experience it – that is, until our trip to St. John last month.
Passion Pitted The Longboard is easy to find – from the ferry dock, walk straight past Strand Street in Cruz Bay to the next intersection (King Street), turn left and The Longboard is on the right.
Focusing on fresh, local and flown-in ingredients, The Longboard continues to innovate their food concept and bring a new approach to dining on St. John with a healthy menu inspired by coastal flavors around the world. We loved the extensive fish and seafood offerings on their new menu including local fresh catches such as rainbow runner, wahoo, conch and octopus as well as Pacific fish such as Hawaiian Opah (Moon Fish) and Hawaiian Ahi. Non-seafood entrees include Island Wings (spicy mango glazed wings) and Grilled Portabella, Chimichuri Marinated and Grilled Skirt Steak or Spicy Jerk Braised Pork Tacos & Bowls. Delicious new bar offerings and house-shaped cocktails include a Passion Fruit Frosé.
After being seated on the patio, we ordered a couple of rum drinks – a Rum Julep,
Rum Julep and a new offering called Stoked, a tropical concoction of aged rhum, Plantation Overproof Rum, housemade orgeat, blackstrap bitters, housemade pineapple shrub and lime juice – impressively lit afire at our table!
Stoked Our appetizer consisted of a trio of ceviche’s served with yucca chips and tostones. We then sat back in our chairs enjoying the food, drink, view and the warm St. John air from The Longboards open aired patio.
Mixto (trio of ceviche’s) After polishing off our appetizer, we moved on to our entrées, ordering the Longboard Sliders made with a coconut crusted fresh catch-of-the-day,
The Longboard Sliders
and an Ahi Tuna Bowl.
Each dish had its own special Caribbean flair and incorporated local spices, locally-caught seafood and locally-sourced herbs, greens and fruits. Mmmm – delicious!
Our only regret? After our satisfying dinner, we had no room to sample one of their famous Frozen Painkillers. Can you imagine how that would taste after spending a day on one of St. John’ beautiful beaches?
Find out more about The Longboard by visiting their website, and following them on Facebook and Instagram.
Have you enjoyed dinner (or at least a Frozen Painkiller) at The Longboard yet? If so, tell us about it!
A special thanks to The Longboard and Rebecca for arranging our delicious dinner!
How does a Conch and Shrimp Lettuce Wrap, an Ahi Tuna Tower or a Caribbean Spice Bowl (spicy jerk braised pork, sliced avocado, charred corn black bean salsa, shredded red cabbage, lime sour crème) washed down with a Rum Sangaree, a Heart and Sol or a Frozen Painkiller while sitting in a restaurant/bar with a cool coastal vibe in the heart of Cruz Bay, St. John sound?
These are just a few of the delicious food and drink offerings available at a new establishment recently opened on St. John called The Longboard.
The Longboard is the culmination of a long-time dream of owners Clint Gaskins and Tyler Beckstead who each bring years of restaurant and bar experience to their new venue. The Longboard opened in May of 2015 and has already garnered some very favorable reviews, an article in Coastal Living, and an upcoming spread in Islands Magazine!
The kitchen is headed up by Chef Anthony Fossani, whose resume includes Michelin Star New York restaurant Oceana as well as Country Clubs and the Mega Yacht Industry. Fossani brings serious talent and an expertise in creating a balanced fusion of cuisines to tantalize your taste buds. The teams combined expertise brings a unique and innovative new restaurant/bar option to Cruz Bay.
The Longboard serves fresh, healthy foods inspired by Southern California and the Caribbean. On their menu you will find a variety of delectable offerings, from small plates, tacos, quinoa/rice bowls and light, fresh fish based Caribbean dishes.
Ahi Tuna Tower To keep the ingredients ultra-fresh, they source as much as they can locally. Customer favorites so far? Ahi Tuna Tower, Island Guacamole, Poke, and the variety of fresh gourmet tacos and quinoa/rice bowls. Gluten free options are also available.
Menu The Longboard also offers an extensive drink menu with specialty cocktails.
Dark & Stormy
Their specialty cocktails, many of which use housemade sodas and syrups, highlight delicious Caribbean flavors. Even their traditional drinks like the Dark & Stormy, are created with their own spin and fresh take.
Heart and Sol Current drink favorites include the Sunshower (said to taste like sunshine in your mouth by one reviewer), Heart and Sol, Passion Pitted, and of course, their famous Frozen Painkiller. Drinks Although the road to opening the restaurant of their dreams on St. John was not an easy one, Clint and Tyler were determined to find just the right location on the beautiful island that they love. Tyler lived on the island for a year in the 2000’s and Clint had traveled frequently to STJ over the last 10 years. They felt there was a unique opportunity in this unique location, so they went to work finding a space for The Longboard. They ended up with a building that needed some serious updating and TLC, but it had good bones and with the help of their great team, they were able to create their vision. The Longboard is a “coastal cantina” celebrating the adventurous yet laid back ocean lifestyle of the islands. After an extensive remodel from the previous Joe’s Diner, The Longboard offers a bright, beachy and fun location with a focus on modern design and surf culture of which both Tyler and Clint were accustomed to, being surfers at one point in their lives (Tyler is still an avid surfer on his days off). The space has been expertly laid out to comfortably accommodate 60 guests with seating at the bar, bar tables and porch.
Bar 3 p.m. – Until… Happy Hour is 3-6 p.m. daily Bar Snacks 3 p.m. – 10 p.m. Kitchen (full menu) 3 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Stop by and check them out on your next trip to St. John!
Visit their website for more information: The Longboard Follow them on Facebook for updates and specials. Catch them on Instagram too!
Photos courtesy of The Longboard and www.photo.vi
This is a sponsored post. Although we were compensated by the company who sponsored it, the views are solely our own and we only recommend products or services we believe our readers will enjoy.
Cruz Bay is the active, yet laid back main town and port of St. John, US Virgin Islands. Here you will find most of the islands stores and restaurants and visitor services such as taxis and car rentals.
Ferry Dock in Cruz Bay, St. John
Passenger ferries from either Charlotte Amalie or Red Hook on St. Thomas arrive and depart from the dock in Cruz Bay, bringing many people to the island throughout the day. See ferry schedules here.Many people head directly for one of St. John’s gorgeous beaches and spend very little time in Cruz Bay,but if you have the time, there are many great things to experiencerighthere.
View of beautiful Cruz Bay
We’ve had the pleasure of visiting Cruz Bay quite a few times, and although we’ve yet to experience all that this fun & funky town has to offer, we’ve listed a few of our favorite attractions to date.Feel free to leave a comment below with some of your favorite things to see and do while visiting Cruz Bay, St. John.
Map of Cruz Bay, St. John, USVI
We’ve highlighted a few of our favorite stops (so far) on the map above.
Upon arrival at the ferry dock, we usually head straight for the wonderful smelling St. John Spice, which can be found on the second floor of the building just to the right as you leave the dock.
St. John Spice, Cruz Bay
Here you can find all sorts of spices, Cruz Bay Grill Rub, coffee, local cookbooks, island gifts, and island wear. St. John Spice alsohas a webcam that gives a real time view of the ferry dock and beautiful Cruz Bay.Tell your family and friends to watch for youas you enjoy yourself in paradise!
If you’ve worked up a thirst (or appetite) already, there are three great beach bar/restaurants right at the waters edge. High Tide, Joe’s Rum Hut and The Beach Bar all offer slightly different menus and drinks and all are great places to hang out, chat with locals and visitors, listen to some live music and admire the scenery.
High Tide, Bar and Seafood GrillJoe’s Rum HutThe Beach Bar
From there we always try to make a stop at the Pink Papaya, a Caribbean Style Gallery that specializes in unique and unusual Caribbean style gifts including fine painting and jewelry from local artists.
A little more walking and we’re usually ready for a Love City Smoothie from Our Market Smoothies. Cognac, Passionfruit, Strawberry and Rum – cold and delicious!
Want information on St. John National Parks? After all, much of this beautiful island has been designated as a National Park. Find out how to explore it at the National Park Service Visitor Center.
More shopping? No problem! Mongoose Junction on north side of Cruz Bay is a beautiful complex of intimate shops, restaurants and services.A few of our favorites here are:
Bajo el SolArt Gallery– featuring the works of several local artists.
The Tap Room
The Tap Room – have you heard of St. John Brewers? Check out some of the tasty local beer crafted by Kevin and Cheech at this Island Microbrewery & Brew Pub.
Sun Dog Cafe – casual dining and a really good Sunday Brunch
Arawak Expeditions – looking for adventure? Check out their kayak, paddleboard, fly fish and snorkel expeditions!
Still have more time to explore? Here are a few more places that are on our Cruz Bay to-do list:
The Elaine Ione Sprauve Library & Museum – Find a great deal of information on St. John, the other American and British Virgin Islands and the Caribbean in general.
Quiet Mon’ Pub – the best Island Irish Pub around!
All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit. Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC
As we prepared for a recent USVI adventure, we read about the Bones Rum shops in St. Thomas and St. John and had to add it to the list of places to visit. Little did we know, we would actually end up visiting both Bones Rum locations the same day! (Note: the Bones Rum Shop closed in St. John in 2013, so be sure to visit Bones at their store in St. Thomas)
We weren’t able to find an address for the Bones Rum Shop in St. Thomas but read that it was located across from Charlotte Amalie, so we started walking. After searching a bit, we ran right into it. It’s located on Waterfront Drive just a little west of where you catch the ferry (from Charlotte Amalie) to St. John. (Find Bones Rum on our St. Thomas Map)
Bones Rum, St. Thomas
The store carries a variety of branded merchandise and features a bar with free rum tasting and “self pour drinks” – excellent concept! We eagerly agreed to the free rum tasting and must agree with the Bones Rum slogan “Smooth Rum for the Rough Seas”…
For $8.00 you can get a glass of one of the featured varieties of frozen drinks (including Painkillers) and then add the rum yourself! For an extra $3.00 you can get it in a Bones Rum glass that you can take home.
We sampled some of their tasty BBQ sauces along with our rum drinks.
At the time of writing, Bones Rum is only available in their store on St. Thomas, so be sure to bring a bottle (or two) home if you like it.
Here’s one of the recipe’s from the Bones Recipe Card
Pirates Grog (makes one)
2. oz. Bones Rum 2 oz. water 3/4 oz. Lime Juice 1 tsp Brown Sugar 2 cloves 1 Cinnamon Stick
Longboard Sliders
Conch & Shrimp Lettuce Wraps
Frozen Painkiller
Tempura Fried Calamari
The Longboard, Cruz Bay, St John
