Neil and I have been to several islands in the Caribbean, some together and some separately. While we would disagree as to which island is the best to visit, we can both agree that the Turks and Caicos Islands, Providenciales in particular, has the best food in the region. Since the islands are, well, islands, do keep in mind that a lot of prices for food are higher than you would find in most other countries. For reference, a breakfast plate of eggs, bacon, and potatoes will cost about $25 USD and a frosty alcoholic beverage will be another $20 USD. That said, we tried to eat as much “local” fare as we could which meant a lot of conch and fish, which we really enjoyed. Here are some of our favorite places to get delicious grub on the island.
Thursday Fish Fry
When booking your trip to Provo, be sure it includes a Thursday night so you can experience the Thursday Fish Fry. We got really lucky this worked out on our recent trip, since we arrived on a Thursday and were leaving the following Wednesday morning. Per usual, I researched on TripAdvisor prior to us leaving and had come across this Fish Fry in a park off a beach. It seemed to have decent reviews, but people did give the important tip to go early to get decent parking and also before it gets a little wild. As soon as we got to the island, every person we met asked if we were going to the Fish Fry, so our interest was piqued. We took our Jeep down some gently winding roads and found parking on the sidewalk (everyone parks like this in Bight Beach) leading up to The Bight Park. It was a bit quiet when we arrived, since the sun was still up (it was before 6:00 pm). There were several island craft and souvenir vendors sprinkled amongst the food trucks and beverage vendors. At the end of the park was a band up on a stage that was beginning to play. As the sun set, we grabbed frozen tropical drinks and ventured to our first (of several!) food stalls. Throughout the evening, we ate lobster egg rolls, lobster mac n cheese, and cracked lobster which is fried lobster served in the shell. It was a wonderful place to watch the sunset and eat your dinner on the beach. Beware: there are sand flies and mosquitos so prepare accordingly. We stayed for a few hours and left just as the colorful Junkanoo band was setting up, but I recommend staying to see them perform if you can!
Graceway Gourmet
Since we stayed at an AirBnB in Leeward, there weren’t too many “close” options for groceries. A quick map search showed that Graceway Gourmet was the closest store and we ended up visiting a few times during our week in Provo. Our first trip there we were stocking up on snacks and things for breakfast and quickly found this location was pretty similar to a Whole Foods stateside in the selection of items, however, the prices are astronomical due to the import tax. There were plenty of non-dairy yogurt and cheese options as well as vegan options in every aisle. We grabbed a few gallons of water and one six pack of bottles to refill throughout the trip. There are water-fill stations all over the island and this is much more affordable than re-purchasing the gallons again. Note: don’t drink the tap water as most of the island uses recycled rain water to pump into the homes. There was also quite the selection of local and imported alcoholic beverages. For breakfast, we finally settled on some great croissants, bacon, eggs, and cheese. Another morning before we were headed out early to a remote snorkeling spot, we grabbed some fresh guava, pistachio, lemon, and cheese pastries from the bakery.
Da Conch Shack
If there is one food that these islands are known for, it would have to be conch. I had probably tried it before at some point, but I couldn’t recollect where or when. By the end of our visit to Provo, I had so much conch, I can now confidently say that I know and enjoy the taste. Da Conch Shack was a location we sought out early on our trip and then ended up returning again! Neil and I shared conch fritters and a conch curry, while enjoying the beautiful ocean-front seating. Our friends tried a vegetable curry and some hot wings and they said both were quite tasty. This first visit also led to our discovery of the “ring game.” The game entices you to swing a small metal ring tied to the end of string and attempt to catch it on a hook about 5 feet away. If you are successful in your attempts, you get a free shot…which Neil did! A few days later we found ourselves on this side of the island again, and we ended up enjoying more conch fritters, conch chowder, pulled pork sandwiches and sampled their hot sauce (which we brought home as souvenirs too!).
Cocovan
We have reached the part of this post where I need to pause and take a deep breath as I reminisce over this next location. Prior to arriving in Provo, I had found reviews indicating Coco Bistro to be a wonderful upscale restaurant and I had of course added it to my list of places to check out. The second night on the island, we decided to drive down since it was very close to where we were staying. As we arrived, we realized there were two establishments on the property. Coco Bistro had a very elegant feel surrounded by palm trees and lights strung up overhead while Cocovan was an airstream-style food truck, walk up window bar, and selection of picnic tables surrounded by palm trees and lights strung up overhead. So you can see, at either location, you’d get to enjoy the same enticing island atmosphere. Let me say now that we ended up coming back to Cocovan twice more during the week. The drinks are incredibly reasonable; the pina colada in particular was probably the best I’ve ever had. The food is considered “quick bites” but one dish is easily a meal. The menu is constantly being updated, but over those few nights we had a fantastic pho burrito, fried shrimp Mac n cheese balls, and churros for dessert. There are vegan options as well! We chatted with the manager one night and he recommended another great snorkeling spot. No matter where you are staying on the island, this is some of the best food I’ve ever had out of any kitchen, airstream or otherwise.
Caribbean Element
Our last evening in Provo had us looking for something a little more intimate. We had a few options and our first choice was closed for the season (note: most of the island is “out of season” from August through part of November). After some quick assistance from our phones, we found Caribbean Element in an unassuming strip mall. The location has a very romantic feeling and we chose to sit outside to enjoy the evening island air. Now I am the one who usually has all the food-related memories or emotions; food is part of how I experience things throughout life. Neil, on the other hand, is the complete opposite and would be happy eating chicken and steamed broccoli every meal without a second thought. All of that to say, if you ask Neil about his dinner from this night, he can still describe it in glorious detail. He ordered the jerk lobster. You may think this sounds like an odd choice, but it wasn’t. The flavor of the jerk spice complimented the lobster tail that had been so beautifully presented on a wood plank alongside some vegetables. I ordered a lobster pasta and the waitress recommended to mix the marinara and alfredo sauces which resulted in a flawless flavor combination. We took a sticky toffee pudding to go and ate it when we got back to the AirBnB—it was also delicious. The service was excellent, the manager came out and we thanked him, and Neil even went inside to thank the chef before we left!
Turks Head Brewery
Not quite a place to eat, but a great place to stop and have a drink would be the Turks Head Brewery. We had so much fun here, we went twice! The proprietor is incredibly personable and loves what he does. Our first visit, we were a bit late for the tour, but we caught it on our return. The tour is $15 USD which includes a flight of 4 beverages of your choosing. The drink selection will vary depending on what they have on hand during your visit. Neil was able to try a cider, porter, “I-Ain-Ga-Lie” lager, and Caicos Cream (their take on Irish cream). The cream was so tasty that we ended up bringing home two bottles as souvenirs and Neil has thoroughly enjoyed adding it to his coffee.
Lobster, conch, and drinks combined, our trip to Providenciales was made that much more enjoyable by all the wonderful things we were able to eat and drink.
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