We ate there last April and we could were underwhelmed. Bland chowder, bland fish. Most annoying was the planks under our table. Everytime someone walked by (like every 10 seconds) our chairs thumped. Waiter wS unattentive at best. Much better steaks and Seafood all over the island. Suggest chef look up salt.

When we were there in January, there was still pressure at the concierge desk to sign up for the “update” meeting. We had to stop there to get parking pass. They also gave us the raffle tickets for the manager's party (not tickets to attend, but for the raffle). We also vigorously decline to sign up, but get hard sell every time. I think this time their incentive was $100 restaurant credit, but not worth wasting my time on vacation.

Our experiences with SJ have been hit and miss over the years. We swore off the place after a group of us went with a reservation and service was less than stellar, waiter was snarky and lots of mishaps with our food. Having said that we went back this past trip and the Grouper was very good, no problems with service. It's a lovely location overlooking the lagoon and when they have a good price for the lobster they get added to our list of must do.

So very sad to read this thread.
We ALWAYS do Skip Jacks at least once per trip for our grilled Caribbean lobster and have never had less than excellent service there along with very enjoyable grilled lobster. I’m still looking for a really good lobster Thermidor since ANTOINES closed but I’ve yet to find one that can compare.
We also often do a second night st SK’s for their pan sautéed grouper which has also been very good. The setting is a little more upscale than some of the other choices and we’ve always enjoyed our meals there.
That said, we also enjoy Lees for lobster (actually it was about our favorite place of late…..) but you need to check in advance to be certain they will have lobsters the night you go.
I sure do hope Skipjacks gets their act together before our next visit.

Welcome!

With regard to fishing charters, I've never done one, but I hear people say good things about Taylor Made Charters. You can google them for contact info.

And for future reference, it is "SIMPSON" Bay (singular), not Simpson's Bay.

Enjoy!

We stumbled upon this forum a couple of weeks ago while doing some research in anticipation of our first trip in late May. Since then, I have been following along every couple of days. Thanks everyone for posting information on restaurants, beaches, etc. You all make it very easy for planners to figure out their game plan ahead of time! I do have one question. Does anyone know of a local fisherman who might take / allow us to join for fishing from pier or land (for a fee)? Hubby loves fishing for sport and has done deep sea fishing so was looking for something a little different to try. We will be spending time in Simpson’s Bay and Grand Case. Thanks in advance for any information.

We are very very excited for this first trip!

Looks like this restaurant is a hit or miss for many. We go there just about every trip and always have prompt service and good meal. No complaints at all. Can’t remember if we ever had steaks there, though I would definitely enjoy my filet well done, totally killed and preferably on a dry side. I know, I am weird but that’s how I like my steaks.
Scuba, I know, you will disagree

Sounds like a lovely beginning to your trip. I wish ALL planes had the ramp for deplaning. Usually we get one when we come on AA from Miami.

Enjoy your trip!

As currently scheduled that AA flight to EIS departs MIA at 10:27 AM. That would require either a redeye out of PHX or an overnight in MIA. Of course, with this being a new service, AA may alter the schedule as gather more data.

The AA flight (MIA - EIS) is showing up in Google flights re-starting November 16, 2023.

Thanks for sharing your experience. We will check it out in July during our stay. I also have a "senior" small appetite so it sounds perfect for me. I may have to get two for the hubby though. He hasn't caught on to the "small" part yet!

It is possible that that new AA MIA > EIS flight will not be available in the Fall. It is supposedly only seasonal until they determine the long-term viability of the route.

That is fine for you but not everyone chooses to eat a steak prepared to your personal liking. To most people, the difference between medium and well done would be huge. There is also the issue with "pink" versus red juices flowing. That is why there are rare, medium, well-done and mid-ranges of each. I prefer medium rare but that is not to say that is what someone else should order. While predominantly seafood restaurants are not thought of as a place to order a steak, a local (to me) seafood restaurant has one of the better steaks in the area and they compete against a legendary local steakhouse.

I mentioned Jax (a steakhouse) in my post, a friend ordered the seafood pasta there and said it was very good so it can go both ways.

Between service issues and inconsistent food, I have not been a fan of Skipjacks for a long time.

This fish was thinner than grouper and the skin softer. But whatever it was, it was delicious enough we might do a second visit in the same stay here, which is not usual for us.