Chez Shack wins, almost without competition, as the most bohemian and countercultural restaurant on Vieques. The setting is exactly what the name implies -- a battered wood-sided utility building that evolved from a virtual ruin after it was acquired by a grizzled and outspoken entrepreneur, Hugh Duffy, who was instrumental in the career of the Mamas and the Papas. This group, when still getting its act together, worked at Duffy's Love Shack in St. Thomas, where Mama Cass was said to have been the world's worst waitress. Today, replete with naughty anecdotes that are among the most valuable currency-in-trade on the island, the site is defined as a local monument. Chez Shack opens for business on summer nights even when other restaurants are closed. Menu items include tried-and-true favorites, many of which attract repeat diners who memorized the menu long ago. Examples include baked crab, seafood cocktail, steaks, fish filets, and barbecued ribs. You'll find the place near the edge of the highway, within the closest thing on Vieques to a tropical rainforest. The best time to go is for Monday barbecue nights, with great food and a live band playing reggae music.
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