Lime Out: Best of the US Virgin Islands
Lime Out is the boat-only floating taco bar in the US Virgin Islands: 8 tacos, craft cocktails, lily-pad seats. Here’s how to reach both locations by yacht.
Lime Out is the boat-only floating taco bar in the US Virgin Islands — a Caribbean cottage on pontoons where you eat short-rib tacos and drink craft cocktails from a “lily pad” seat set right in the water, with no dock and no walk-in entrance. It is one of the very few restaurants anywhere you genuinely cannot reach on foot, which is exactly why it belongs on a crewed yacht charter: your captain picks up a mooring, the tender runs you the last few yards, and lunch is served waist-deep in the turquoise.
What Is Lime Out?
Lime Out is a floating taco bar in the US Virgin Islands: a Caribbean-style cottage built on pontoons, with a floating bar and large “lily pads” — cushioned seats that float on the water — where guests eat tacos and drink cocktails without ever leaving the sea (Lime Out). The founders describe it as filling a gap in USVI marine tourism, and the homepage sums up the pitch in six words: “Come for the Tacos, Stay for the Lily Pads.”
It opened in 2019 and has become one of the territory’s signature experiences, popular enough that the original spawned a second location in 2025 (Forbes). The appeal is equal parts food and novelty: you pull up by boat, settle onto a seat that floats, order tacos and a frozen drink, and spend an afternoon half in the water with boats moored all around you. There’s no equivalent on land, because there is no land — the whole thing sits anchored in a protected bay.
Lime Out is a floating taco bar in the US Virgin Islands, built on a Caribbean-style cottage on pontoons with cushioned “lily pad” seats that float on the water. Founders Richard Baranowski, Dylan Buchalter, and Dane Tarr opened it in 2019 to fill a gap in the territory’s marine tourism. Guests reach it only by boat.
Where Is Lime Out? Two Boat-Only USVI Locations
Lime Out has two boat-only locations in the US Virgin Islands: the original in Coral Bay, St. John, and a newer one in Lindbergh Bay, St. Thomas (Lime Out). The St. Thomas platform sits in Lindbergh Bay on the south-west side of the island, the bay right beside the airport and just off Emerald Beach, and it’s open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The St. John original floats in Coral Bay on the island’s quiet east end, open Sunday through Friday and closed Saturdays.
Both are worth building an itinerary around, and they pair naturally with the rest of the islands of the US Virgin Islands. St. Thomas is the busier gateway with the airport and cruise port; St. John is greener and quieter, with much of it protected as national park. A crewed week can easily take in both, with Lime Out as a midday anchor point on either island.
Lime Out has two US Virgin Islands locations: the original in Coral Bay, St. John, open Sunday through Friday, and a newer platform in Lindbergh Bay, St. Thomas, open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Both float in protected bays with no land, dock, or walk-in access, so every guest arrives by vessel.
How Do You Get to Lime Out?
You get to Lime Out by boat — there is no other way in. At the Lindbergh Bay location in St. Thomas, the official guidance is explicit: the platform is accessible by boat only, with no swimming, kayak, or paddleboard access, and boaters pick up one of the day-use mooring balls rather than anchoring (Lime Out). Lindbergh Bay is an active harbor next to the airport, so vessels keep to no-wake speed and stay clear of the channel.
That leaves a few honest options: arrive on your own boat or crewed charter and tender across, or book a seat on a day trip. For most visitors, the cleanest version is a crewed yacht — you moor once and the whole experience comes to you, with no shuttle schedule to catch and your own deck and shade a few feet away. St. Thomas is also the jumping-off point for the British Virgin Islands, so it’s worth knowing how a USVI charter compares to the BVI when you plan the week around a stop like this.
At Lime Out’s Lindbergh Bay platform in St. Thomas, there is no swimming, kayak, or paddleboard access; boaters pick up a day-use mooring ball and hold to no-wake speed in the active airport harbor. A crewed yacht moors up and tenders guests the last few yards to the floating tables.
What’s on the Lime Out Menu?
Lime Out’s menu is eight signature tacos priced from $10 to $16, plus eleven craft cocktails at $18, all served in reusable cups (Lime Out). The tacos run from a $10 vegan black-bean to a $16 surf-and-turf, with a spiced tuna, a ceviche, a short rib, a rum-braised pork, a Caribbean chicken, and a shrimp taco in between. Drinks lean tropical and generous — frozen and stirred cocktails, local St. John draft beer, and non-alcoholic options like hibiscus sun tea and passion-fruit juice.
View data table
| Lime Out signature taco | Price |
|---|---|
| Vegan (black bean) | $10 |
| Caribbean chicken | $11 |
| Rum rib (pulled pork) | $11 |
| Ceviche (grouper) | $13 |
| Short rib | $13 |
| Spiced tuna | $13 |
| Shrimp | $14 |
| Surf + turf | $16 |
Signature taco prices, Lime Out 2025 menu. Source: Lime Out.
A few practical notes shape the visit: Lime Out takes no reservations and runs first-come, first-served, cards are preferred over cash, and there is no restroom on the platform — you use the head on the boat you arrive on (Lime Out). That last detail is a quiet argument for arriving on your own vessel rather than a packed day boat.
Lime Out’s menu is eight signature tacos from $10 to $16 — a $10 vegan black-bean up to a $16 surf-and-turf — plus eleven craft cocktails at $18, served in reusable cups. There are no reservations; it’s first-come, first-served, and there’s no restroom on the floating platform.
Lime Out by Crewed Yacht: Why It’s the Natural Way
Lime Out has no dock, shuttle desk, or land access — every guest arrives by boat, which makes a crewed yacht the simplest way to visit. Your captain picks up a day-use mooring, you tender the last few yards, and your own shade, restroom, and cooler stay moored a stone’s throw away for the whole afternoon. It turns a spot that can be a scramble by shuttle into the easiest lunch of the trip. When you’re ready to plan it, start a yacht search at Vital Charters.
Lime Out also fits a bigger map. A US Virgin Islands charter can string a St. Thomas lunch on the lily pads together with the beaches of Magens Bay, the national-park anchorages of St. John, and the British Virgin Islands just across the channel — one of the great short-hop cruising grounds in the US Virgin Islands charter destinations. If you’d like a broker to build a stop like this into a full week, our team can map the route with you.
When to Visit Lime Out
The best time to visit Lime Out is earlier in the day and midweek, before the afternoon rush of charter and day boats fills the moorings. Both locations open at 10:30 a.m. and close at 4:30 p.m.; the St. Thomas platform runs daily, while St. John is open Sunday through Friday and closed Saturdays (Lime Out). Because it’s first-come, first-served, arriving mid-morning is the difference between an easy mooring and a wait.
Seasonally, the US Virgin Islands’ high season runs the winter dry months, roughly December through April, while the Atlantic hurricane season officially spans June 1 to November 30 (NOAA). Hours and days can shift with the season and the weather, so confirm on Lime Out’s site before you point the bow, and build the stop into a broader map of Caribbean crewed charter destinations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Lime Out?
Lime Out is a floating taco bar in the US Virgin Islands — a Caribbean-style cottage built on pontoons, with a floating bar and cushioned “lily pad” seats that float on the water. Guests arrive by boat, settle at a floating table, and order tacos and craft cocktails. It opened in 2019 and now has two USVI locations, in St. John and St. Thomas.
How do you get to Lime Out?
By boat only — there’s no land or dock access. Visitors arrive on their own boat or crewed charter and tender over, or book a seat on a day trip. At the St. Thomas location in Lindbergh Bay, there’s no swimming, kayak, or paddleboard access, so you pick up a day-use mooring ball. A crewed yacht is the simplest option: you moor once and stay as long as you like.
What are Lime Out’s hours?
Both Lime Out locations open at 10:30 a.m. and close at 4:30 p.m. The Lindbergh Bay, St. Thomas platform is open daily, while the original Coral Bay, St. John location is open Sunday through Friday and closed Saturdays. Hours can change seasonally, so confirm on Lime Out’s own site before you go.
How much are tacos at Lime Out?
Lime Out’s eight signature tacos range from $10 to $16 — from a $10 vegan black-bean taco to a $16 surf-and-turf, with ceviche, short rib, rum-braised pork, Caribbean chicken, spiced tuna, and shrimp in between. Craft cocktails are $18, served in reusable cups, alongside local draft beer and non-alcoholic options.
Is Lime Out cash only?
No. Lime Out prefers cards, though it can accept cash. It also takes no reservations, running first-come, first-served. Because details like payment can change, it’s worth confirming on Lime Out’s own site before you visit.
Can you swim to Lime Out?
You reach Lime Out by boat at both locations. At the St. Thomas platform in Lindbergh Bay, the official guidance is boat access only, with no swimming, kayak, or paddleboard access, because it sits in an active harbor beside the airport — you arrive by vessel and pick up a mooring ball. Once you’re moored at either location, you can get in the water right at the floating tables. If you plan to reach the St. John platform any other way, confirm the current policy with Lime Out first.
Where is Lime Out located?
Lime Out has two US Virgin Islands locations. The original floats in Coral Bay on the east end of St. John, and the second sits in Lindbergh Bay on the south-west side of St. Thomas, near the airport and Emerald Beach. Both are anchored in protected bays and reachable only by water.
Do you need reservations for Lime Out?
No. Lime Out operates first-come, first-served and does not take reservations, so timing is everything. Arriving mid-morning, before the afternoon rush of charter and day boats, gives you the best shot at an easy mooring and a relaxed table. On a crewed yacht, your captain can position you there early.
The lunch you can only reach by boat
Lime Out has no dock and no land access. On a crewed charter your captain picks up a mooring and the tacos come to you — waist-deep in the turquoise.
