Locals and frequent visitors know that Joe’s Rum Hut offers one of the best happy hours on island with $3 you-call-it from 4 to 6 p.m. daily. But apparently the Wharfside Village bar was on the radar of Men’s Journal magazine, which just named Joe’s one of the best hidden beach bars in America.
“There are plenty more famous beach bars in the USVIs and BVIs, but for a chill time with some locals it’s hard to trump this Froot Loops-hued tiki bar on Cruz Bay Beach about a minute’s walk from St. John’s ferry dock,” says the Men’s Journal online feature. “Rock, country, and reggae music spill into the street, and patrons often space out their drinks with a swim.”
The article recommends ordering “a simple mojito made very quickly,” a drink for which Joe’s Rum Hut is well-known.
Joe’s manager Mike Hedy knew something was up when Men’s Journal contacted him asking for high-resolution photos of the bar.
“They said they were doing an article on Joe’s and on St. John,” said Hedy. “I sent them photos and asked if they had questions, but I never heard anything back from them and had no idea what was going on.”
About a month after sending the photos, Hedy was surprised to see the article show up in his email inbox.
“It’s an honor really,” said Hedy. “It’s quite a surprise.”
Patrons of the bar have since mentioned seeing the article naming Joe’s one of the best hidden beach bars in America. The Wharfside bar was also recently recognized by the Virgin Islands Daily News as the best happy hour in the territory.
Jost Van Dyke’s Soggy Dollar Bar also appeared in the Men’s Journal online feature, where it was recognized for its world-famous painkiller.
