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I'll start off by saying that I was nervous about this trip. I haven't been to the Caribbean since I transitioned to being a vegan at the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. I remember places not being the most vegetarian-friendly and so I had struggled to eat. And now by taking all animal byproducts out as well, I was eliminating even more options.
So I did research.
I did a lot of research.
And I came up with a list.
I went in expecting not to find many vegan-only establishments and so I found places that at least had vegan options. Plus, I was traveling with non-vegan family members and everyone should be able to eat what they want while on vacation (and all the time). This is all just to say that as expected, I had some good food and some not-so-good food. I'll go in order of what we ate.
Let's get into it.
Moe's Fresh Market
On family trips, we like going to the grocery store first to get basic items like milk, juice, and snacks, and then we had breakfast in-room every morning before going out for lunch and/or dinner. Moe's Fresh Market is a specialized grocery store in the Red Hook area. If you're looking to buy things in bulk or if you're staying for a longer period of time, there are better options like Cost U Less. Moe's is on the pricier side but I was able to find a ton of vegan-friendly items here in case I found myself desperate for food. We picked up whole grain bread, diced potatoes, instant chili ramen, vegan sliced cheddar cheese and butter, oat milk, almond milk yogurt, non-dairy ice cream, and more.
Sushi Thai Saki House
Located right by Moe's, we hit up Sushi Thai Saki House, which was one of my favorite meals of the entire trip. They had many vegetarian and vegan-friendly items, and the server was helpful in answering our questions. We started with the avocado cucumber sushi roll and then we had the Thai red curry (without fish sauce!) and the Siam pineapple fried rice, which was a family favorite. Everything was flavorful and delicious, and they used paper straws for their drinks. This was a great way to kick off our stay on the island.
Sun and Sea Bar & Grill
For dinner, we headed over to the Point Pleasant Resort next door, which overlooks Water Bay. You can eat right at the edge of the water and even food chicken wing bones to the blue marlins (a tip from a local). My dad got the nachos, which were a huge portion, and I was able to get the veggie tacos modified (no cheddar cheese or cilantro lime creme). I love tacos (they're a perfect food) and was disappointed by these ones. The tortillas may not have been cooked because they broke easily and even with hot sauce, they were very dry. A good place to go in a pinch but there are better options.
The Market STT
The next morning, we did some sightseeing around the island and after a trip to Magens Bay, we stopped at The Market STT to get fresh deli sandwiches for lunch. This was a light bite that we enjoyed with chips and juice, and I added vegan cheese and hot sauce to my veggie sub back in the hotel room.
Pangea Terra Table
For dinner, we went to Pangea Terra Table which is part of the Pavilions & Pools Resort. It's a beautiful outdoor restaurant that feels like a magic tree house (shout out if you read those books as a kid) and you can hear the ocean waves crashing against the shore. They are very vegan and gluten-free-friendly, and I had the pangea salad with falafel. I know a lot of people don't like to go on vacation and eat salad but this one was really good. If you're traveling with non-vegan folks, they do a fresh fish of the day and sides of the day but the portion of the fish compared to the price was not great. This spot is also highly recommended.
Sun Dog Cafe (Cruz Bay, St. John)
This place technically isn't on St. Thomas but we took the Red Hook Bay ferry over to the beautiful island of St. John and had lunch in Cruz Bay. It's a short walk from where you get off the ferry. You can sit at one of the tables outside (there's no formal restaurant but a bar) and they do brunch, lunch, and dinner with quite a few vegan and gluten-free-friendly options. I had Michael's Vegan Wrap, which was a sundried tomato wrap with a ton of fresh veggies and hummus, and it came with tortilla chips. It was one of the best things I ate all trip.
Thali Indian Grill
Okay, I don't like eating any kind of Panjabi food while on vacation. I eat enough of it at home and outside restaurant food just doesn't compare. But I found this place while searching and they had so many vegan options, I thought we should give it a shot. It's also an outdoor restaurant located in a bigger mall, and it was empty when we got here. The owners (a father and daughter duo) were incredibly kind and took care of us. Based on what they had available, they made Gobi 65, fried tofu, and fried fish for us to start with. The Gobi 65 was more like gobi pakore but the tofu was good. For dinner, we had coconut curry tofu (which was yummy) and chana sag, and they made naan for me without butter. It's a cute spot but I wouldn't go back for the food.
Greengos Caribbean Cantina
Another one of my favorite spots (that also happens to be a chain), we ate at Greengos for lunch the following day. It's located in downtown Charlotte Amalie so it's a great place to stop by if you're in the area shopping or exploring. It's still located in an old historical Dutch building and you'll have to walk through the original stone walls and alleys to get here so it's very much worth it. It's a fun atmosphere as well. I ate the cantina bowl with their tofu-veggie mix and more than a touch of hot sauce, and it was excellent. The portion size was great and I ended up boxing up the other half for dinner.
Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville
It's always 5 o'clock somewhere, even if you don't drink. I had no plans to dine here after looking at the menu. We were staying at the Margaritaville Resort for our visit and avoided getting food from here until our last night when we didn't want to leave. Mistake #1! I got the Beyond burger because it felt like the safest option and I asked for no cheese or mayo, and they had to put it on toast (no vegan buns). It's so overpriced for the quality of food and service that you're getting. Don't waste your time here, even if you're staying at the resort. The drinks may be fine but the food is not.
Barefoot Buddha
This is a cute place near downtown Charlotte Amalie, right by the Skyride to Paradise Point and Pirates Treasure Museum. You can also get coffee and clothes here in addition to food; you enter through the boutique shop and go left. They offer oat milk as a non-dairy option for coffee and they have baked goods on the side. When I visited, they had a vegan and organic peanut butter, banana, and chocolate chip pastry and they also have bagels with vegan cashew cream cheese as an option. For lunch before our flight home, I got the Veg Out! Wrap: mixed veggies, hummus, and a vegan Green Goddess dressing in a whole wheat tortilla. It was delicious but exploded so it was messy to eat. I would definitely go back here for breakfast (and maybe lunch again) on a return trip.
Other places that were on my original list but I didn't get a chance to go:
Eyeza Vegan
Sweet Life Cafe
Ideal Restaurant
Island Rootz Vegan Restaurant
The Pressure Spot
Speedy Redemption
If you're visiting St. Thomas and you're worried about finding vegan food, don't be! There are so many options; you just have to know where to look.
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