There are generally two types of restaurants in the Bahamas. Touristy places that all seem to have the same menu, the same atmosphere and the same prices, and then locally focused places that cater to Bahamians. We seek out the local spots. We usually find them by asking several Bahamians where they would go out for lunch. If they tell us about a waterfront, touristy place we push harder until they tell us about some little take-away spot on the corner or down a side street somewhere. And those are the treasures. They tend to be slower with a more limited menu of local dishes. We’ve developed a real appreciation for Bahamian baked mac & cheese, peas & rice and the local culture that comes for free.
Hidden Treasures, a take-away on the beach in Cat Island.
Destiny was minding the shop while her mom was away in Nassau. Lunch was slow, we learned a lot about Cat Island, Destiny and her 2 year old daughter and thoroughly enjoyed the wait.
The local rib and chicken takeaway. Every morning a couple guys fire up the grills and start cooking ribs. By mid-afternoon, it’s all gone. The trick is in the timing: getting there late enough for the ribs to be hot for dinner, but early enough they don’t sell out.
One rib dinner, plenty for dinner for 2! Ribs, two sides (both mac & cheese) and a roll.
Pineapples has their own dinghy dock across from the settlement on Green Turtle. We met another cruising couple in town, dinghied over to Pineapples and spent the afternoon getting acquainted. A pretty typical cruising encounter.
Pineapples was unusual in that they have a pool. A few places do and they tend to be the ones with a lot of night life. Our first experience with Pineapples was during our first season when we went there for a rake and scrape. A Bahamian musical experience not to be missed!
But if not…