​We arrived on St. John in February of 1995, just ahead of Hurricane Marilyn, and learned in the recovery process what a wonderful community it is.  We had plans to leave, but never did.

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Barbie had pried herself away from teaching at a community college, and Michael was a refugee from an 11 unit restaurant company in upstate NY.  He swore he would never go back into the restaurant business again.  Men make plans, and the gods laugh. When Barbie showed Michael the early pregnancy test in 1997, we acquired the Sun Dog Cafe from fellow islander Pretlow Majette, and brought up a wonderful kid and what has become an iconic small business.  

 

After 29 years of practice, it seems like were getting good at it.  We're foodies, but not pretentious. Our menu is consistently good throughout, and our specials are better.  We serve the best eggs benedict on the island at brunch, and for lunch and dinner serve a menu with choices that satisfy a very wide variety of tastes; we don’t have a niche, exactly, but you’ll notice a level of attention to detail.  Ray Charles who played Gospel, Jazz, Blues, Country and more was asked how this could be?  He response: “there’s only two kinds of music: good and bad.”  We feel the same way about food.

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We’re home to quite few regulars, some coming and going with the seasons, and to a caring staff that understands that the commitment is a daily one.  Our team of chefs are dedicated and skilled, a family really, and our service staff is attentive. Our courtyard setting is gracious Mongoose Junction is perfect for people watching, and of course you’ll want to visit the adjacent galleries and shops.  We have live music, frequently with some incredible world class performances every now and then.  I think it’s been a while since Kenny Chesney played an open mic, but he played ours and it was a thrill for all attending.  We have ample free parking for our guests behind Mongoose Junction. 

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Together, it’s kind of a “no-brainer”.    Sun Dog Cafe:  If you know, you go.