RainTree Café — Restaurant in United States Virgin Islands

We ate at Rain Tree Café multiple times on our recent 12-day trip to St. John. Years ago, it was known as the Tree Lizard, but it had a name change after the rebuild following the 2017 hurricanes. I would say it has improved notably, along with all the facilities at Cinnamon Bay.

We had dinner there twice, and breakfast there every morning when we weren’t in Cruz Bay. At Rain Tree, you stand in line to place your order, and then the food is brought to your table. The lines were never long when we were there, and moved quickly. The seating area is entirely outside, and partially covered, which was great on the morning we had rain. Live music is provided at some dinners, and on holidays, along with programs on various island topics. It’s also a nice spot where families can gather to play cards or games, pretty much any time of the day, and it has free WIFI!

Our Rain Tree breakfasts were simple—we fell in love with the HUGE Cinnamon Bay cinnamon rolls, which were so gooey and good. Along with coffee, that was all we needed for our breakfasts, which doubled as informal planning sessions for each day. The dinners are themed. Our first night there (12/27/23) was Caribbean night, and we had curried chicken and curried tofu, served with rice, vegetables, and Johnny cakes, which are like savory donuts, and they are delicious. The second time we went there for dinner (1/2/24) was fajita night. The food was hot, tasty, and just what we needed after a day on the beach.

Everything at Rain Tree is casual and comfortable. Lots of families and couples staying at the Cinnamon Bay campground use the restaurant, but it was never overly crowded, and service was always friendly. Prices are not inexpensive, but then again, almost nothing on St. John is! And the quality was good. And don’t forget proximity to one of the most beautiful beaches in the world!

Given that things can change quickly on St. John, it would be good to call ahead about the menu for a particular evening, even if you’ve read somewhere what it’s supposed to be.

NOTE: I should say something about the Cinnamon Bay Snack Bar, which is open for lunch. It’s a great way to get a hot meal or sandwich, just a few steps from the beach and across from the public bathhouse. We ate there most days, and even got a lunch to go for one of our hikes. All the food we had was excellent. The hot dogs are notably large. Nachos with pulled pork were very tasty, especially with the local hot sauce. There’s a nice assortment of local beers and handmade...

Ate here for several days during our stay at the campground. Cannot say I am at all impressed with the food, and if it was based off just that I would give 2 maybe 1 star. However I'll go into my problem with the food later. First, the service was prompt and welcoming and the atmosphere was great. However, watch out for bugs as there are a lot of mosquito and bugs.

Now with the actual food: The food was by no means bad, it was just incredibly average, to a degree where the prices they charge (more expensive than most restaurants on the island) were ridiculous. If you have the means I would define recommend going to places in Coral and Cruz Bay to get food. At least the salads were consistently...

I mean… to be in a national park and get food this good, I am impressed. 4 stars on food only because the fish was a little dry and the tortillas were stuck together (we were there for Fajita night). But the flavor was great, especially the rice and beans… and.. at a national park! The atmosphere is very chill and staff were super friendly. Even got to watch Bambi near us! They have a rotating menu each day of the week for dinner but one option of four is always fish and one is always vegan. Highly recommend if you are staying at the campground or on a sailboat in...