Naomi's Grape Tree Bar & Grill in Josiah's Bay on Tortola

When I first moved to Tortola, there wasn't a single thing on Josiah's Bay beach ... nothing at all ... and it was almost always completely deserted. Of course from time to time, you would see one or two people catching some rays, a surfer or two, and perhaps some stray cows, but that was about it. Nowadays there are two restaurants, several palapas (permanent beach umbrellas with small tables) in various states of disrepair and there are frequently lots of people, particularly on weekends. Occasionally you may even see a boat load of surfers anchored way out in the bay.

Naomi Frett-Patterson and her son Al of Naomi's Grape Tree Bar & Grill (formerly Naomi's Little Secret) are two of the nicest people you could ever want to meet. They welcome all restaurant guests as though you were long lost friends and immediately set about making you feel right at home. It's a family place that both kids and adults seem to enjoy a lot.

Naomi's specialties are typical West Indian dishes such as roti, grilled kingfish & grilled mako ... but naturally, as they cater to family's and visitors from all over the world, they have fried or sautéed shrimp, burgers, hot dogs, fries, wings, honey stung chicken, grilled chicken, sandwiches and various salads too.

The last time I was there, beach goers had just started arriving and I could tell it was going to be a busy day. The surf was up and Naomi was back in her kitchen mixing up a fresh batch of tuna salad. Unlike many British Virgin Islanders, she and Al were more than happy to have their photos taken, though Naomi was worried that her hair was a mess. I thought she looked just fine.

The next time I went back, I tried out the honey stung chicken and thought it was wonderful. Just the ticket after a few hours of swimming and relaxing on the beach. The fries were yummy too!

She is more than happy to make special arrangements if you'd like to arrange a nice dinner at the restaurant, but she does require reservations for that ... otherwise, she and Al close up shop when the last of the beach goers leave.

They do take credit cards but frequently, the machine doesn't work, so call ahead or just bring cash to be on the safe side.