LOCAL VILLAGE BAR vs. JACK'S SHACK Grand Turk

I just heard about the "Local Village Bar" on Grand Turk....now I'm considering them over Jack's Shack...I remember the music and the flags from last trip.

Is the snorkeling any good in front of bar?

Do they take credit cards?

What's your opinion?? THANKS!!!:confused:

I ended up there.....it was really inexpensive compared to the port/pool bar

Jack's Shack looks cute and I love the pics of the dog, BUT honestly $5 for a chair when they are free at the port??? Plus the prices I think are really high

Love that dog tho....if I go back to Grand Turk I might try to go there just to see the dog <grin>

The "local" place in GT is "before" you get to Jack's so I never made it all the way up there

They had good conch fritters very cheap as I recall...hope this helps

We stopped by Jack's shack and had a drink. We felt it was expensive and over rated.

Here is a picture of the Local Village. I did not stop there on my way to Jack's Shack, but took these pictures as we sailed in.

And Jack's Shack

We stopped by Jack's shack and had a drink. We felt it was expensive and over rated.

I had the same impression. It was also crowded and the staff wasn't terribly welcoming. We had one overpriced yet weak drink and left. I know I'm in the minority around here, but I wasn't overly impressed with Jack's.

OP - Thanks for posting this. I was wondering the same thing!

From what I hear and can see, The Local village has a better menu. I think I may eat there, have a few drinks and then have a few more at Jack's shack. From what I can tell it's only a stumble away :p

We visited both places recently. Jack's shack was cooking chicken and it smelled amazing. We didn't eat though. We had a couple of beers & bought a tank top from their store. We had a great time there.

Local village was ok but we only had one beer & left. We had more fun at Jack's. Then we went back to Margaritaville & played in the pool there. Can't wait to go back to Grand Turk in February!

I am not a bar person but Jack's was fun

The dive boat dropped us off at Jack's after our dive

Jack even loaded us up in his pick-up truck and took us back to port (after a few drinks)

Yep, same exact experience....no welcoming warmth there and expensive. Felt like we were intruding.

DW and I discovered at Jack's on our last cruise and loved it. We hung out there all day, either in the ocean or at the bar. Jack and Janet treated us well, the jerk chicken was great and having Jack teach DW a few bartending tricks was a plus. One of the highlights of the cruise for us.

My wife and I will be in Grand Turks on Friday May 25th on our cruise on the Carnival Miracle.

We're planning a pub crawl that day and have both of these places already on our list I've also read about a place in town called Barbies that appears good. That's where we're planning on starting and working our way back to the pier.

:cool:

How come one not have fun at Jack's shack..if in doubt, smooth out the sand, lay a towel down, and lay in the sand to bake.....

There is two stop you can make before you get to Jack's Shack.....Village Bar, another one steps away from it called "Crew Bar", and then Jack's Shack..Jack's has the Canadian flag...

That "Village Bar" in 2007 was totally vacant in September 2007, and in 2010 it was still vacant and overgrown with grass and weeds, and then much to my suprise in February 2011 it was a fixed up and it was a bar!!!!!

We went to Jack's in September and really enjoyed it. Very friendly staff! We went to M-ville after and that is what I consider expensive. I have to say, I did not know that they charged for chairs at Jack's. I guess we did not sit in them, we stayed near the bar. Never heard of the Village Bar, might have to stop in there...as well. :D

For the record, I wouldn't be caught dead at Margaritaville. And yes, the drinks are cheaper than what I've heard they charge. But for $8 for a watery rum and a mixer drink, I could get better drinks on the ship.

I was hoping for some local flavor and a laid back place to watch the water and have a few drinks. Our group must have hit Jack's on an off day. I'm not a lie in the sun person so the beach chairs aren't something I'm interested in. We really did feel like we were bothering the staff. One lady took drink orders and wasn't overly friendly, then a guy showed up and slung them on the table without a word, and walked away never to be seen again. Once we'd finished those and had sat there about 15 minutes with empty drinks we had to hunt someone down to pay them. I didn't see anyone around matching Jack's description so maybe he wasn't there and things got slack?

I'm there in May and I was planning on going to Jacks after my excursion but the Local Village Bar good too so I guess I'll have to stop at both and make my own opinion. Nothing wrong with spreading the wealth.

I think the biggest misconception on these boards is that Jack's Shack is so much cheaper than M'ville and its not. I was in Grand Turk last May and again in January. Both times we visited both bars. Jack's mixed drinks are only $1 cheaper than M'ville. If you're looking for a more relaxed laid back experience then go with Jack's....if you're looking for more of a party atmosphere then go to M'ville. But do not base your decision on the hope that Jack's is going to save you a ton of money because it won't. Both are nice and completely different experiences.

Looking forward to visiting both in a couple of weeks!!:)

The best part about this port is that if you don't like the atmosphere or prices..you can just pick up and move on.. so you can go to M'ville or Jacks or Village because its all within a short walk of each other. No need to pay for a cab...just pick up and walk. We hope to visit all on our next visit and decide what works best for our family so everyone enjoy!

are either of these places from port and which way do you walk? is there a charge for chairs at 'local'?

are either of these places from port and which way do you walk? is there a charge for chairs at 'local'?

They both are walking distance. When you get off the ship and go through the port area, turn left and walk up the beach. Local will be first...has a lot of flags and usually loud music. I don't think they charge for chairs from what I've read here. If you keep walking, you come across a Tiki Bar with a Canadian flag and that's Jack's Shack. They charge $5 for a chair. That is more secluded and quiet, so all depends on what type of place you want.:)

really Jack`s shack not inviting...been there a few times...will be there again

Jack and Janet have always welcomed us...good drinks...good times.

So what you pay $5 for a chair...really $5 and complaints

It is your vacation ...if $5 or $1 more for a drink is an issue...let me know...I will buy you a few....lol

As for the new places...yeah just make sure you are out on deck when the ship pulls in...you will here them ...not into listening to boom...boom...c`mon man cheap beer ...at such a high level you can`t hear yourself think...not on my vacation.

Anyone know if Local Village has WiFI?

We were all gunh-ho on going to Jack's in April that we trudged right on past Local Village and headed to Jack's. We plunked down $20 per couple for 4 chairs and 2 umbrellas. (Yes, that was the first $40 mistake of the day). We thought we'd stay and snorkel from there and enjoy the atmosphere. By about hour 2 we were ready to head out. The music was really hard core reggae, each song almost indiscernable from the next. I think they played the same song over and over again. Staff was not friendly as we had read and we too, while having a lot of money to spend at a local establishment, were unimpressed to say the least. We did try the food, and while the burger was good, we were really looking for something more "local" or "seafood" and all they had was jerk chicken, cheeseburgers and fries. We headed back toward the ship and stopped at the Local Village and were greeted by two VERY friendly bartenders. We got ice cold beer for a a great price, EXCELLENT breaded conch and great music was playing. There was plenty of seating and shade, with a beautiful view. The snorkeling out in front of LV was MUCH better as well.

We didn't rent chairs there (we'd already spent enough on that), but just hung out in the bar area and spent our cash there. Next time......we are planning on spending the day there!!!

We were all gunh-ho on going to Jack's in April that we trudged right on past Local Village and headed to Jack's. We plunked down $20 per couple for 4 chairs and 2 umbrellas. (Yes, that was the first $40 mistake of the day). We thought we'd stay and snorkel from there and enjoy the atmosphere. By about hour 2 we were ready to head out. The music was really hard core reggae, each song almost indiscernable from the next. I think they played the same song over and over again. Staff was not friendly as we had read and we too, while having a lot of money to spend at a local establishment, were unimpressed to say the least. We did try the food, and while the burger was good, we were really looking for something more "local" or "seafood" and all they had was jerk chicken, cheeseburgers and fries. We headed back toward the ship and stopped at the Local Village and were greeted by two VERY friendly bartenders. We got ice cold beer for a a great price, EXCELLENT breaded conch and great music was playing. There was plenty of seating and shade, with a beautiful view. The snorkeling out in front of LV was MUCH better as well.

 

We didn't rent chairs there (we'd already spent enough on that), but just hung out in the bar area and spent our cash there. Next time......we are planning on spending the day there!!!

I'm headed to Grand Turks next week and was planning on going to Jacks after our morning excursion. After reading some of these recent reviews, I think I may just stop at the Local Village Bar instead. I'm not sure if Jacks is worth even the free shot of rum :(

I'm not taking anything away from Jacks Shack, but I have to say that the Local Bar and Restaurant has:

Phenomenal local food and great drinks at better than average prices. A friendly and attentive staff, free chairs and umbrellas, and free wi-fi.

Ask for Arthur the owner (who is from Turks and Caicos) who will be happy to set you up with a free sample shot as well. They go out of there way to make sure you have the best day possible while you are there at the beach.