Tin Box Vieques Restaurant and Bar

We arrived early so the place was still pretty quiet. The service was excellent! The waitress even brought me to the cooler to pick out a beer. The food was a mix. The Salmon Mango Roll and Dragon Egg were delicious. The thick cut bacon was just a little short on the “thick”. Tasted great but has the size and feel of the microwave type. We ordered the BBQ Trio with Southern Slaw and Hush Puppies. The slaw and hush puppies (two) tasted good but the chicken (one piece), ribs (one and a half-ish) and pulled pork (a decent cup worth) all tasted the same. I believe it was because they were all covered with the same BBQ sauce. All of that food and two beers for $100 (w/20% tip). Glad we tried it out but probably wouldn’t return.

Great great food. Cutest place, lovely ambience and nice host. Tried the Tofu Sushi, Tofu Skewers, and my personal favorite were the house fries. The house fries were amazing, they beat the sweet potato fries which were pretty good too. The fresh pomegranate was nice.

Started out really well and went downhill. I’ll start with the positives. Nice location, plenty of parking, part of the dining area stretches out into the woods which was really nice. It wasn’t buggy at all which I was afraid of. Buffalo shrimp were very good. Calamari was not great, rubbery and soggy. All the sushi we got was fine. Drinks were fine. Some of our fish tacos were 100% raw. I’m very Midwest so we pointed it out but did not really complain about it or make a fuss. As soon as we pointed this out our waitress got very cold and seemed irritated with us. Some friends ordered one more sushi roll and it just never came. Finally we asked for the check and were presented with the check, and the missing sushi roll at the same time (I assume they forgot about it). We paid full price for the raw fish tacos (maybe we should have made a bigger deal about it). Overall it had so much potential and we left very disappointed, and maybe with food poisoning. Wouldn’t recommend.

Tin Box Treehouse – Dinner Review Perched among the palms just outside Esperanza, Tin Box pulls off the rare trifecta of killer food, laid-back vibes, and service that feels like old friends catching up. Here’s the breakdown of our night: ⸻ Highlights • Service (11/10) Our server, Samantha, deserves her own line on the menu. She greeted us with a grin, answered every “What’s this sauce?” question, and somehow slipped island history into drink recommendations. When my toddler’s fork took a header off the deck, she reappeared with a fresh one before I could blink. Absolute heart of gold. • Ambiance (10/10) Imagine an oversized treehouse strung with Edison bulbs, a gentle trade-wind breeze, and swing seats at the sushi bar. Horses clopped by underneath while a local guitarist played Jack Johnson covers. If you’re looking for a “this is the Vieques I came for” setting, this is it. • Must-order plates • Badass Bacon – Candied, house-cured strips served in a mason jar. Sweet-smoky perfection and the fastest way to shut down table chatter. • BBQ Trio Platter – Ribs that slide off the bone, juicy pulled pork, and smoky chicken—with sweet-potato fries that disappeared faster than the meat. Perfect split for two. • Catfish Tacos – Crispy, flaky fillets, bright cilantro crema, and just enough jalapeño heat. A surprise standout. • Hush-Puppies – Listed as a side, but trust me: they’re dessert. Drizzled with local honey, light as beignets. • Drinks Frozen margaritas here are dangerously smooth—classic lime for me, passion-fruit for my wife. Samantha steered us toward a virgin mango colada for the kiddo, and we all left sipping happy. ⸻ Tiny Quibbles • The Sesame Ahi Tuna looked beautiful but ran a touch salty for our taste—still good, just overshadowed by that bacon. • Island pacing is real: entrées hit the table 25 minutes after apps. Nothing outrageous, but worth noting if you’ve got an overtired toddler. ⸻ Bottom Line Tin Box isn’t just a meal; it’s a tree-top evening you’ll brag about when you get home. Between Samantha’s five-star hospitality, plates that nail sweet–savory balance, and a setting straight out of a surf-lifestyle magazine, this spot earns a solid 5 / 5 from our crew. Go hungry, order the bacon first, and save room for those honey-kissed hush-puppies.

We enjoyed another great meal at the Tin Box Restaurant, which is a mash up of BBQ and sushi. Everyone found something they liked. The undeniable favorite was the dragon's egg sushi with tuna...absolutely stunning in flavor with a delicious heat beneath the sushi. I opted for the BBQ trio and the pulled pork was stunning. Drinks were interesting and varied. We missed the weekend music scene, but apparently that is fun. Of note, they have separate kitchens for the BBQ and sushi, so the food doesn't all come out at once. Definitely worth a trip and the center island location makes it super easy coming from Esperanza or Isabel 2. We will be back.

Their happy hour tacos were absolutely to die for. The sushi was impeccable, was very thoughtful rolled with great presentation and felt very fresh. I also appreciated the rolls that featured local flavors like plantains and mangos. Drinks were good, and our server Shelly was very patient and accommodating; willing to looking further into any question she didn’t know the answer to. The atmosphere was beautiful, softly lit with fans going overhead and the local coqui frogs serenading you on the the background while a variety of reggae music played at a comfortable volume. 11/10 Only constructive thought was that the menus being on different QR codes was a little bit of a challenge, otherwise flawless experience Food was a very reasonably priced too!

We went without a reservation on Xmas eve. Tin box was recommended by a local. Suchi and slow cooked meats don't typically go together and here they are actually separate kitchens. We were seated right away with friendly staff . We ordered fruit juice (mango and watermelon) and got them right away. They were excellent and super cold (maybe too much ice and not enough drink). Boxsalad--one of the few salads we saw on a menu in the island. It was outstanding. Fresh greens and perfectly toasted pine nuts and a mango vinaigrette. We don't eat a lot suchi but we thought both the rainbow rolls and Buddha rolls were solid. BBQ platter-ribs were outstanding!!! Mac and cheese was okay, I would not order again. Slaw was good and pulled pork was great. Corn is a hard no. Chicken was okay (best we've had in the island). Pork taco plate was very good. Excellent tacos, and fries were solid We would definitely return!

Yesterday was one of the best nights ever. It was our first time visiting, and the waitress was super friendly and attentive, asking if we needed anything. She even practiced her good Spanish! The food was reasonably priced: sushi, churrasco, piña colada, everything was served at the perfect time. I highly recommend it for two or more people. The atmosphere was very relaxed. I really enjoyed my stay. If you asked me if I'd come back, I'd say absolutely! It's an excellent and wonderful place. The desserts were the best. Thanks again! We'll see you again! 👌👌👌