Chez Shack

Chez Shack Review

Owned by one of the more eccentric personalities on the island, the original Duffy (of Duffy's in Esperanza), this restaurant is not exactly a shack—but it's close. Whether it will be open or closed on any given night during high season is anyone's guess, as Duffy himself is well into his 80's. If you're lucky enough to experience the joint, it's set in a delightfully ramshackle wooden building off the beaten track on Route 995, off Route 201—a road that winds through Vieques' tropical hills. The dining room is inches from the pavement, but it's unlikely a single car will pass by while you're enjoying your meal. Chicken, beef, and seafood such as baked crab are prepared to tender perfection, but the menu changes according to whim. It's famous for its weekly barbecue night with a steel band (schedule changes from week to week); on other nights good jazz or island rhythms usually flow from the sound system.