There is just something about having a meal cooked to perfection without leaving a dent in your pockets. They say eating well is a form of self-respect, and I respect myself. This small restaurant pleasantly surprised me with its savory courses. Located perfectly along the route of Gros Islet’s street party, this establishment is worth paying a visit to anyone in its vicinity. Apart from the hiccups with the service received by our waitress, there was little to no improvement necessary in other elements of the experience. As expected, I have separated this restaurant review into three categories: atmosphere, food and drinks, and service. Let’s get into it!

Atmosphere

Every Friday night in Gros Islet (mostly pre-Covid, still in the process of returning to normalcy), the roads are blocked off to vehicles and become a street party. Restaurants and local entrepreneurs fill the streets with music blasting in the backdrop, embracing locals and inviting visitors. Found along this path, it speaks volumes about its atmosphere and expectations. Though this visit transpired during Covid times, and the street party was decreased by 75%, the sensation that this territory brings remained. The ambiance was light and airy. And as much as I hate to sound like a millennial with minimal vocabulary, there were lots of good vibes.

Food and Drinks

You may or may not detect a pattern in this series (or every Caribbean country’s series). As a (former?) pescatarian, I ordered the catch of the day. I tasted the meals my siblings ordered, and although theirs was amazing, I made the best decision. The two steaks of grilled mahi-mahi were blanketed in a dense garlic and herb sauce. Accompanied by fresh salad wrapped in a homemade dressing, rice pilaf, and fried plantain, the flavors were substantial without being overwhelming. Each side was prepped differently than I have seen and in the best ways possible. Seasoned flawlessly, the sauce on the fish elevated its taste taking the food from good to outstanding. The salad tasted fresh as if it was picked from the garden moments before being presented on my plate. As a 25-year plantain connoisseur, the side caught me a little off guard as I have never seen it fried using this method. It seemed that the whole plantain was fried and sliced into fragments afterward. I believe that this made a difference in the softness of the side. I love when plantain is fried when it is exceptionally ripe, and that’s what the taste and texture were giving. It is unusual in the best way. To be candid, when my dish was initially positioned in front of me, the idea of ordering another meal crossed my mind. I didn’t anticipate the dinner to fill me the way it did, and I am grateful that I just opted for dessert, though I was too full to get to it. The food is an easy 5/5. For my beverage, I consumed an amaretto sour or two. An easy drink to create, a difficult one to mess up. The drinks were good and fulfilled their intent.

Service

As formerly noted, the sole hiccup we encountered was the service provided to us by the waitress. She was inattentive, and attempting to get decent service from her proved to be challenging. The server was not mean or impolite, but she was quiet and communicated for no one to hear. If there was anything we needed, we made our way to the bar to alert the bartender. Thankfully, the owner is lovely and immediately made up for this. She came with selections of dessert recipes, possible additions to the menu and heard our thoughts on her baked goods. She treated us exceptionally well and quickly made us overlook the service received before her arrival.